Ask Dija: Best Skincare tips for Winter?

02/10/2012 By 6 Comments

The nights are drawing in, the days getting shorter and summer clothes are starting to get packed away, scarves are making a come back. Clearly the season are on a cusp and change is in the air. Pretty soon, the central heating will creak back to life and hot/cold temperatures will start to play havoc on skin.

So just like your wardrobe changes as we move into winter, so should your skin care. I’m always amazed by the amount of people using light summer products on their skin in the dead of winter, when their skin is crying out for some much needed care and attention as it tries to battle changes in the temperature and climate.

I tend to replace light face washes with more intense cleansing balms and make even more of an attempt to ensure I am properly double cleansing from hairline right down to the neck area.  With skin battling the elements and temperatures, it’s even more important to pay closer attention. Even with my oily skin I tend to hydrate more. For example, in winter I always do two face masks. One to cleanse and draw impurities followed straight after by a hydrating mask. Works for me to keep oil under control, but also to deep moisturise.

In winter, as skin can get clogged up with dead skin cells as cell turnover slows down, I also advocate incorporating a muslin cloth or flannel in any cleansing routine a bit more, especially if you aren’t doing so already. This can serve as a gentle exfoliation process as your wipe off cleansers. Use in small circular motions paying close attention to the bridge and sides of nose and chin as blackheads tend to congregate there. You could even throw in some glycolic to help with getting rid of dead skin cells that dull skin. Glycolic helps give more glowy skin and help products penetrate more into skin because the dead skin cells are out of the way. Alpha H is my absolute favourite for glycolic products and I love their Liquid Gold range.

Skin may also suffer from some dryness in winter months and there’s nothing wrong with adding a few drops of face oil to your regular moisturiser. I don’t subscribe to day or night moisturisers. I have a selection that I use depending on how my skin feels. Face oil can be as simple as rosehip oil or something more advanced like Bodhi’s Desert Rose Rejuvenating Face Serum. There are tons out there to choose from. If used overnight, I find them more effective and can really help to balance skin.

Also don’t sleep with the central heating on and leave a window open if you can manage it. The heat sucks moisture out of the skin as its dry heat and doesn’t benefit the skin in any way, plus it gives you a headache! If you can’t but sleep with it on, using a hydrating serum too. Ark Hydrating Serum (£39)is excellent if you’re on a budget but Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel (£59) is also amazing if money is no object.

If its affordable to your pocket, throw in a few facials. The deep cleansing does a world of good and gets the skin healthy and glowing in the drab winter months.

Talking about facials and things being affordable, top London facialist Una Brennan has developed amazing range of affordable but targeted skin care products called SUPER FACIALIST that give great results. I have the Neroli Facial Oil AND Cleanser to give away this month to kick start a special readers winter cleansing routine. The facial oil is not only firming and anti ageing, but also lifts and hydrates the skin. The cleanser helps to brighten and contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin. Can’t get a better kickstart to clean skin than that!

To win is easy, simply follow me on Twitter and leave a comment below on what you love most about winter.

The giveaway is open until 14th October, so starting telling me about your winter loves NOW!

Giveaway is open to international and UK readers, but if you have any questions contact me at: dijasworld@gmail.com

Good Luck!!!

 

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Ask Dija: How does oily skin tackle make up?

05/08/2012 By Leave a Comment

This is the second part to an ‘Ask Dija’ question about oily skin, which I answered here.

It’s a very close subject to my heart as I am an oily skin type girl who also loves her make up. It’s highly unlikely I go past the top of my road without any on and over the years, I’ve built up my tool kit to deal with extreme shine. There’s nothing wrong with a glow underneath make up, but when shine becomes reflective I know that like me, most women don’t like it.

 

Assuming you’ve prepped you skin correctly using appropriate products as mentioned in the previous post, before applying foundation, step in with an oil free primer. A primer is designed to control oil coming through the top most layer of the skin, to reduce shine and to create a flawless base to apply make up. In many cases, it will not totally eliminate all shine, but a good one will work hard to minimise it. There’s many out there and a lot of make up artists love the Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer. Personally I don’t get on with it and my favourite is Estée Lauder’s Matte Perfecting Primer.

Follow with your chosen oil free foundation.

I’d also recommend using a translucent powder to seal and set your make up. Many are also oil absorbing, so that’s another barrier to oil showing through on the skin. A personal favourite is MAC’s Mineralized  SkinFinish Powder and I’ve also tried Illamasqua’s which is also excellent and does a great job. If you don’t like the look of powder all over your face, simply use on the areas of most concern which is usually the T Zone.

That’s it, you’re done, but for your handbag throw in some oil absorbing sheets and some blot powder which you can use for touch ups during the day. MAC have some excellent absorbing sheets called Blot Film that you can press on to oily areas to absorb any visible oil. What’s really good is that they don’t actually disturb your make up. They just soak up oil and leave the skin matte. Very simple. Again, MAC do a pressed Blot Powder that I’d recommend. It doesn’t add any extra colour to your face, but helps to control shine.

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Ask Dija – Can you recommend how to tackle oily skin & make up?

22/07/2012 By 5 Comments

As this is two a part question, I’m going to answer them in separate posts. This one will focus on a basic general view on how to tackle oily skin. It’s not necessarily a personal prescription.

Firstly, let me define oily skin. Large pores, over active sebaceous glands resulting in oil sitting on top of the skin. Has a visible shine which can develop very quickly even after washing. If you have dark oily skin, it can unfortunately scar more easily and leave dark spots which will create an uneven tone. Having said this I believe oily skin is the best skin type to have.  (Yay to you and me!) A lot of people think it’s a hinderance and embark on a pointless journey to dry it out! Oily skin tends to retains is smoothness and suppleness longer over other skin types and ages very well. So embrace it and give it a big hug as often as you can.

It’s a skin type that needs a lot of love and appreciation, especially if you want it to behave itself. I constantly find clients abusing their skin type then complain when it gets worse or isn’t settling down. It’s not a fight!

Starting with cleansers – always start with an oil based cleanser like Shu Uemura Fresh Cleansing Oil. It does contain mineral oil  but I find it breaks down oil, make up and grime much more effectively than going in feet first with a cream or gel based cleanser. If you’ve got an intolerance to mineral oil, I suggest something with olive oil or even jojoba oil. If you’re thinking, why use oil to clean my oily skin, it’s because oil dissolves oil easier than anything else. They have chemistry :-)

Click on image for details

Go in with your second cleanser, which should have some antibacterial factor to it, oily skin is prone to breakouts and this type of cleanser will help keep the skin clean and free of germs. Try Ren’s ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser which deep cleanses and unclogs pores.

Next tone – this smooths and prepare the skin and pores for moisturiser. A lot of toners also provide anti oxidant protection which will keep your skin protected from free radicals which aggravate any existing skin concerns.  Ole Henriksen Grease Relief is great for everyday use. If you have sensitive but oily skin, Pai skincare is your friend.

And moisturise – you need to be looking for an oil control moisturiser and there are many around. Dermalogica do Oil Control Lotion which is extremely light. I’ve used for many years and really like. Aesop do a great one called Oil Free Hydrating Serum which has got aloe and green tea extract. Plus a serum will sink straight into the skin unlike a cream which can sit on top and take more time and effort to massage in. No matter what people say, MOISTURISE. If you don’t your skin gets really angry and produces more oil to get you back. Skin follows the premise of karma. Period.

With oily skin, its important to exfoliate and do a face mask regularly to prevent a build up of dead skin cells which makes skin look blah and forms breeding ground for spots. For black skin that tends to mark easily, I prefer stick to fruit based acid exfoliators. You’re looking for products that contain AHA’s or BHA’s like salicylic or glycolic acid. If parabens (preservatives) don’t bother you, then Philosophy Microdelivery Peel is a good option as it brightens the tone of your skin and resurfaces with vitamin C, lactic and salicylic acid.

Mask wise – you want something that purifies and draws oil and other ‘skin crap’ from deep within the skin. Clay based masks are what you want in your arsenal. Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleansing Masque is a good one I’ve discovered which not only purifies with clay but also hydrates with aloe vera and provides anti oxidant protection with rosehip and parsley seed extracts. If I’ve got a big day ahead, I reach for this one.

All that said, I do realise that these products may be at the high end of many people’s budget, but I truly believe that when it comes to skin care, one must invest as much as they can. How we perceive our skin greatly affects our mood and how we feel about ourselves, so I will always cut back somewhere else to afford the best for my skin. Its not always easy. Where you can, always get free tester products first, so at least you can test run before investing a big tub of something that may not work for you. Plus, even if you may pay a lot for these products, they do tend to last a long time.

Also look at what you are eating. If you have a high sugar and fat diet, this may also be triggering excessive oil production. Not drinking enough water and being dehydrated can also contribute. For some people dairy also plays a part. Point here being, don’t just look at what you are putting on top of your skin, but what also goes inside your mouth.

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Ask Dija: What’s the best eye make up remover for sensitive eyes?

20/07/2012 By Leave a Comment

This question came from one of my work colleagues who has the most sensitive eyes known to man! Everything and anything can cause irritation to her eyes. My eyes go through periods of being über sensitive too. I’m a contact lens wearer and most times I’ve also got full eye make up with lashes too, so when it comes to finding an eye make up remover that removes gunk at the end of the day, but also doesn’t leave my eyes red shot, I’ve tried my fair share of removers.

My absolute favourite and the one I always recommend for sensitive eyes is AHAVA Time to Clear Eye Make Up Remover, which also removes waterproof mascara.

 

It’s an oil and water emulsion which contains a blend of Dead Sea minerals with soothing aloe vera, Calendula and cucumber extracts. These take the zing away when removing eye make up! Even though it contains oil, I find that it doesn’t leaves a residue and you can easily move on to the rest of your routine with your eyes open(yes open!!) and not feeling sticky. I’ve used removers in that past that say they are for sensitive eyes that leave me squinting and virtually flailing around and destroying the bathroom when looking to pick up my next product!

Its everything that precious eyes need:

- Allergy tested

- tested by opticians

- safe for contact lens wearers

- SLS/SLES free

- fragrance free

- paraben free

An all round good egg!

small print

After writing this post, I looked online to see if I can put links up for where you can purchase in the UK. Alas, it seems that you can’t buy it in the UK just yet. But I’ve been in contact with AHAVA and they say they’ve just received the product here in the UK and it will be on their website in the next few days.

 

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Ask Dija: Can oily skin be dehydrated?

06/07/2012 By 2 Comments

 

This question cropped up amongst a group of us during the Stylist Magazine Beauty Picnic a few weeks ago and there was a lot of confusion. Most people saying, oily skin can’t be dehydrated because its produced oil or in some cases (pointing at myself) a lot of oil! So I wanted to set the record straight. In one word the answer is,  YES! Oily skin can be dehydrated. 

Never be mistaken that because you have oily skin, it can’t be lacking in water and moisture. In fact, it’s a lack of moisture that can sometimes cause excessive oiliness in skin.

I feel the need to explain the difference between dry skin and oily skin at this point. Dry skin produces NO or VERY VERY little oil. Resulting in dry and flaky skin. Oily skin on the other hand, produces A LOT of oil, resulting in your skin looking quite or very shiny (again, me!).

Dehydrated skin is a condition of your skin and not a skin type classification. You can tell if skin is dehydrated if its feels tight, taut and dry. It may also feel pulled or stretched especially around the mouth area, even if it has a sheen to it.

If you have dehydrated skin, although water helps to rehydrated and put moisturise back into the skin, you also need to look at the combination of products you are using on your skin because I can put money on it that you are also using a product too harsh for your skin type.

This is why Clarin’s Blue Orchid Face Oil is so popular and one of the best selling products of all time. It’s one of the best treatments for dehydrated skin because it packs a severe moisture punch for all skin types including oily.

 

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Best Skincare Post as nominated by KMIclub

03/07/2012 By Leave a Comment

When I decided to start ‘ASK DIJA’ I never expected it to go so far so quickly. I just wanted to answer all the questions that friends, family and readers ask me most often. I am glad that everyone welcomed it and really uses it as a way to interact and get clear advice on skin care. There’s a long list of questions still to be published.

Therefore, it’s with great pleasure that I can announce that today I was nominated by KMI Club for Blogger of the Month, Best Skin Care Post. I am so excited about this and it’s just great to be recognised amongst the other great bloggers that were nominated too. I wish all of us the best!

The post that got nominated is here. It’s still live, so if you’ve got any follow on questions, feel free to add them in the comments and I’ll post an answer back.

In the meantime, if you feel you’ve benefited from the post and would like to vote for it to win the award, then click on the image to take you to the voting form and to see the other nominations as well. It takes seconds.

Thank you!

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Ask Dija: How often should I exfoliate, steam and mask?

26/06/2012 By 13 Comments

There is not a one size fits all answer as everyone has a different skin type with differing concerns. So I followed the question with my own question, as you do.

How would you describe your skin type and what age group do you fall into?

Answer: Combination skin, early 20′s.

Combination skin tends to have an oily T zone – forehead, nose and chin – and dry/normal areas on the cheeks. The pores tend to be larger on the T zone which produce more oil and shine on the surface of the skin. Early 20′s would fall into the young skin bracket, so we’d expect supple, plump and firm skin.

In addition to your CTM routine I would recommend the following.

Steam

A steam will warm up your face to open pores and dislodge dry skin and you can do this on a daily basis whilst cleansing with a flannel. Simply run hot water over the flannel (as hot as your hand can stand without scalding, we don’t want any burns!), wring and lay on your face. (make sure its not too hot, again I worry about scalding!) This is a an extremely gentle steaming method, but highly effective. Leave super-duper steams to your facialist who by the way you should be seeing on a monthly basis. If you aren’t, start now because all skin types benefits from a deep clean!

Exfoliate

You need to exfoliation to remove dead skin cells that have been dislodged through your gentle steam and are just hanging on. Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant is perfect for combination skin and all time favourite. Its rice based enzyme scrub so its gentle enough to use everyday. Gritty exfoliators are a big no-no as they’ll only vex your skin.

Masks

When it comes to masks,  I don’t subscribe to a one size fits all mantra. I truly believe with combination skin you have to tackle the different areas in isolation and there’s nothing strange or extravagant about using two different types of masks.

On the T zone a clay based mask is best. This will soak up oil straight up out of the pores to purify and help mattify the skin. Depending on how oily your T zone is every 2 – 3 days should suffice. One of the best for general day-to-day maintenance is Garnier Pure 3 in 1 Wash-Scrub-Mask which contains kaolin – the oil absorber.

On dry cheeks or other generally dry areas, you want something that’s going to moisturise and hydrate your skin deep within. 1 or 2 times a week should be fine. I would recommend something along the lines of Weleda Wild Rose Intensive Facial Masque. It will brighten any dull skin and balance moisture levels.

See products here.

Having said this, it really very important to pay close attention to your skin and listen to it. Feed your skin what it needs and set your own standard for your personal skin care.

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Ask Dija: What are the must have nail products?

14/06/2012 By Leave a Comment

I believe having good nails is a very simple job and not as time-consuming as we sometimes think it is, so long as you have all the right products and tools to use. Every home care kit should include:

Nail File – Leighton Denny  Crystal nail files (£12.50) are the best. It doesn’t shatter or peel the nail as you file and you can file forwards and backwards unlike traditional emery boards. It was a lifetime guarantee, so long as you don’t drop it! 

Nail Treatment – Dr. Lewinns Renunail Nail Strengthener (£17.50). It contains calcium to boost weak nails and camphor which is a soother to sensitive nails. It’s an award-winning formula that delivers a lot of TLC!

Cuticle Exfoliator – watching your favourite TV programme – stick this on and rub into the cuticle area. 15 minutes in they will be soft enough to push back. The best one I’ve found is OPI’s Avoplex Cuticle Exfoliating Treatment (£12.80) which contains a melange of AHA’s and the specially patented avocado (very moisturising) lipid complex. It’s a gentle slougher that works amazingly on dead skin cells.

Cuticle sticks and cuticle scissors – these pesky slivers of translucent skin that travel up the nail bed need keeping in control. You have to be extremely careful with cuticle scissors. Only nip what you can see on the surface of the nail or you can draw blood. If in doubt don’t cut. See a nail care professional. I cannot stress this enough.

Hand Exfoliator – keep this at the kitchen of bathroom sink. Every couple of days, scrub your hands. After your face and neck, your hands show age next. L’Occitane One Minute Hand Scrub (£13) contains organic brown sugar for working away dead and dull skin and shea, grape seed and sweet almond oil to moisturise.

Moisturiser – There are so many out there to choose from, and the one you use I think is down to personal preference. Personally for me I love the brand Olivina’s Olive Hand Cream (£15). The list of beneficial ingredients is outstanding – shea, olive oil, grape seed oil, vitamin E, chamomile extract and aloe vera. For a more high-tech scientific punch Sisley Global Anti Age Hand Cream tackles the loss of elastin and brown age spots. Contains UVA and UVB filters (spf 10). It is £70 though so think twice and use sparingly.

Cuticle Oil – Keep a bottle at your bedside. Try and remember to put some on before bed.  CND Solar Oil (£12) is excellent and contains ultra moisturising Jojoba oil and vitamin E which will penetrate and protect the nail and surrounding skin. If not OPI Cuticle Oil on the Go (£9.60) is a lovely gel version in a squeezy tube with a brush that you can keep in your hand bag for when you have a spare minute on the train or bus. Nails Inc do a snazzy pen version which too is very handy (£12).

If you wear nail lacquer – I highly rate the following base and top coat.

Base coat – OPI RidgeFiller (£11) – this fills out all ‘nail wrinkles’ giving the smoothest ever surface to paint from.

Top coat  - Orly Glosser  (£6) – delivers super shiny nails and dries in an instant.

Remover – Sally Hansen Acetone free  (£2.45) – takes polish off and is gentle on nails and wallet.

So there you have it. With a little investment and some quality products you can anyone can achieve beautiful hands and nails at home.

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