Month: November 2012

Men’s skin vs women’s skin…part 2

Ok, I went to ask them, that is, my usual first point of contact, the fabulous ladies in John Lewis manning (ladying?) the concession stands there representing the major producers of skin care stuff and hugely knowledgeable and passionate about their products.
But…after hours of chatting and discussing and exploring with a few of them I am, I think along with all these lovely ladies, caught between a couple of concepts that I find troubling and contradictory. I’m so keen to get blokes to use products that it’s almost a sickness. But I want them to use the right ones! Yes, it’s easier for men and the rugged look is hot (I’m not helping my own argument here am I?!) and their skin is more resistant to ageing blah blah but why not protect and maintain what you have and keep it in tip top condition?
As the Lush Ladies at the John Lewis Aveda Counter (LL@JLAC) point out, they sell heaps of men specific hair products as men clearly like to keep their hair in texturised and glossy condition so why not their skin? http://www.aveda.co.uk/supercat/index.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CAT5339 Is it up to the partners of these wily skin product resistant chaps to slowly break them into submission, or, the responsibility of the product manufacturers to break down the barriers and educate and liberate the inner vanity of men? I was labouring under the false opinion that if a bloke wanted to moisturise or cleanse he’d just go to the relevant store and buy the relevant products and hey pongo he’d be cleansed, toned and moisturised in no time. But oh no…not the case. The John Lewis crowd uniformly said that men make up a tiny percent of their clientele but they love it when a man comes in and they get to work on him. There was a slightly unnerving glint in their eyes when they said this…
It seems that men largely rely on the contents of their girlfriends cabinets (not a euphemism) and that’s great in the sense that at least they are taking care of themselves but not so great as it’s unlikely their skin is the same type and so it might not be the right product for them. I mean this in the sense that although many ranges are designed to be unisex there might be a discrepancy between skin types – oily or dry or combination.
It’s simply not in the realms of sanity for a company, that has spent a gazillion pounds packaging and marketing a ‘men’s skincare range’, to suddenly say its all spin and discontinue it amidst a torrent of ‘they’re all the same’ commentary. But are they? Well, some say yes and some say no and some don’t even differentiate.
Eve Lom, for instance, does not even claim their range is unisex, however, the lady at the Eve Lom counter points out that individual products like the Dynaspot http://www.evelom.com/ and Rescue Mask are good for men too but they often find them through their partners. Déclor has a small men’s range but it seems to be of limited use (i.e for normal skin only) http://www.decleor.co.uk/men-care but if you ask them then they’ll recommend other products especially for sensitive or oilier skins but from the women’s range. The bronze packaging has a look of suntan lotion, I think, but masculine enough for the male, one product fits all, market. Shiseido is ‘engineered’ for the different skin of men, it’s not just a fragrance or packaging change, I’m firmly told. http://www.shiseido.co.uk/men.htm#/men/shiseido-men. Like a lot of brands that promote the different women’s and men’s ranges the reasons given are the same. Thicker, oilier skin and the effects of shaving. I point out that most men only shave a third of their faces so what about the rest of their face? I got that ‘hmmm he’s got troublemaker written all over his face’ kinda vibe from the staff so I smiled wanly and swept out. The non differentiaters like Aveda promote a lifestyle and environmental outlook.
A word of warning for those completely against animal testing: AVEDA is now owned by Estee Lauder and although claims it isn’t available in countries where testing is required by law, Estee Lauder has the usual caveat these mega companies have stating: “We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law (my italics).”
Products for the world not genders. With the afore mentioned exception of hair products (formulated to tackle the thicker scalps of men…well, that’s no surprise to hear is it? Men have thicker heads…no brainer!) they make their products for everyone. Like all the staff at these concessions in John Lewis (beware the agency fill-in staff…surly and less knowledgeable #justsaying) they actively encourage (plead) that men come in to see them (they’re all naughty, naughty girls) and discuss their needs and then the girls can chose and create the ideal regime for the individual. So if you’re a one product guy with dry skin then boom! Sorted. A guy that wants a bit of a pamper process then boom! Sorted. See? Now we just have to get the blokes in there…! How do we do this? James Bond product placement? George Clooney in residence on a leather chaise? Beer? Pole dancers…? Hmmm…
Ok once they’re in (let’s follow through with this fantasy skin care world for a moment) what’s the benefit of being there?
This reminds me of my recent promenade near the Biotherm counter. Although I love the Blue Therapy Serum (Algae and plankton) I was staggered that the staff immediately pointed me to the men’s range!! They claim to have the most popular men’s range in the world and I’m delighted for them but quite apart from the fact I might be looking for a present etc where’s the sense?! Duh! Also, nothing makes me feel a tad vomity more than a display that announces the offer, ‘live like a man!’ With pictures of randoms playing snooker(!) and generally stood about doing manly things but with perfect bodies and perfectly hydrated skin. Sheesh…! Who really falls for this stuff?!?! And I really want to like Biotherm as they’ve been running a men’s range for over twenty-five years and I love their Mission: Skin Rescue – it’s a great bit of design. http://www.biotherm.co.uk/men/services/media/PDF/about_skin-rescue_en.pdf
As the lovely Liz Earle rep pointed out, many ranges (like theirs) are designed for skin. All skin. Yes, they have a men’s range but it’s very similar, with fragrance and packaging changed to appease the males maleness. http://uk.lizearle.com/mens?gclid=CIusoJvN8rMCFePHtAodnAQAxA BUT she uses the man’s body wash as it’s the same lovely natural base but with a more spicy smell (it is a sexy mix of bergamot, patchouli, vetiver and aloe…ding dong. It’s like their Botanical Essence de Parfam with the girly bits taken out! The women’s washes do smell a tad less delicious – more floral – but there are more options…) and if a man came to see them she would recommend according to his needs and skin type. She would cross-recommend definitely and even, more unusually, recommend the men’s range for a women! The lightness of the men’s moisturiser is often perfect for ladies with oiler skin…#toplizearletip. Liz Earle benefits from having a colour scheme that isn’t particularly gender associated (it’s actually based on the colours of the sands on the Isle of Wight)
So the non-man’s range isn’t too girly – it’s pretty uni-sexy in its aesthetics. It employs the same basic ingredients and ethos even down to the hot cloth action that is required with the cleansers etc. but the cloth has been man-ed up with a brown overlocked edge (so gay, even know it’s called that!) instead of a sea green one. This hot cloth malarkey is clearly the flannel for the twenty first century.
Can’t help thinking we are just going back in time. Whatever next? Crinolin? The snood? Shaving with a piece of sharpened flint? Lord they’ll be asking kids to read books next…anyhoo…I digress.
Liz (I feel I’m on first name terms with her now) doesn’t promote anti-ageing – the products are designed to make the best of what you’ve got. Calm down in the cheap seats it’s good sound advice actually. If you start early and use good, nourishing and correct-for-your-skin products you can keep the beautiful skin you were born into and keep it lush and vibrant. It’s proageing at its best. But they readily admit that a majority of men prefer the packaging of the men’s range and opt for it over anything else.
A word of warning for those completely against animal testing: Liz Earle is now owned by AVON – again the usual caveat: “We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law (my italics).”
So, is it easier for men (and women – after all not all women have the time or energy to mooch about the department stores either) just to pick up the products during the weekly shop (again wise words from the LL@ JLAC)? What we don’t want here is to have persuaded a man to brave the world of skin care and come away with the wrong product and be put off forever. Get him in, get him hooked, remove any ridiculous and pointless stigma and then we have a groomed and glowing man to swoon over for the rest of our lives. Dreamy.
But does it really make a difference (please answer the question, Mathew!) Well, I don’t bloody well know do I?!? …you’ll have to decide!! Is it as simple, yet annoyingly time consuming, as trying a load of stuff till you find the ones you like and then just using them?!? But skin changes as time wears relentlessly on so that means changing them to suit…but hey we do that with our clothes, hair and partners don’t we?!?
However, this is all very well BUT…the other thing we have to work on is the terrorising and confidence obliterating attitudes towards getting and looking older (your actual age). When this isn’t a crime, and youth isn’t prized above water, then we might have a world where grey and brown packaging isn’t needed to persuade a man to do something he should desire to do simply because it’s a good idea, and women won’t need to buy into a dream to achieve an impossible…or otherwise we are simply all going to end up looking like the love child of Joan Rivers and Dolly Parton (no I don’t mean Nicole Kidman) and thems our choices folks. I know which I’d rather be…!
(Presses publish and reaches for the telephone…’Hello? Dr Face von Liftingstein?’…)
I’m KIDDING…! It’s the peer pressure…it’s getting to me…

Liz Earle – Brightening Treatment Mask…

I woke up this morning looking like a rat catchers kit bag (dang those Manhattans)…and thought well it’s a good day to try the Liz Earle Brightening Treatment Mask…silver lining! Hoorah…

I have the luxury of being able to ask the clever girls at the Liz Earle concession in, yes you guessed it, John Lewis, for some application tips. I honestly don’t work for JL…I just like the shop…not the bogs though as they are actually repellant…anyhoo…I digress…
‘The key thing is’, I’m told, ‘apply means smooth on but don’t rub. Apply a layer all over or just on a specific area you want to brighten up, like your cheeks, and feel free to mix and match masks using, for instance, a clay one on the t-zone at the same time.’
N.B: You can use it 1-2 times a week, ‘they’ say but it depends on what else you are using,of course,  because you mustn’t over stress or irritate the skin.
So, I ‘applied’ it kind of all over – I miss out my beard area as it gets a bit awkward trying to smooth product over stubble and anyway that area gets quite ravaged as it is skinned a few times a week by a razor! The instructions say leave it on for 30 seconds to 2 minutes but I got involved in a cup of coffee and got mithered by the dog for attention (she’s so demanding…and loves the taste of skin products…Labradors will actually eat anything!) so didn’t end up taking my (hand) hot cloth to it for a good 5 minutes. It says ‘you will experience a slight tingling sensation. This is normal.’ Fair do’s I did indeed, but its only like a tingly mint feeling (the camphor oil? Linalool?) and not weird or scary!
The muslin cloth is used to ‘gently wipe away’ the mask, so again no rubbing or exfoliation through abrasion just sweeping away the mask and rinsing away all product. A bit of exfoliation happens anyway because the cloth isn’t exactly silky soft which isn’t really a bad thing…you all know how I feel about exfoliation. A friend uses an old muslin nappy which has been washed to oblivion and is ultra soft and gentle…I know, I know…it’s perfectly clean and sanitary I just can’t shift that image you’re visualising right now either…however, her skin is amazing! Damn it…
…but I’m not sold on this hot cloth business I’ll be honest. It’s all a bit faffy face flannely for me but I feel I should try to persevere with it, after all it’s hardly a new concept to use a face cloth and it was the mainstay of many a historical beauty regime let alone a good way to clean yourself…hmmm….I just feel it in my water I’m gonna ditch it. It’s a question of conditioning myself to use it I think…argh another thing to fiddle about with…and then where do I keep it? Where do I dry it? Oh lord it’s a Pandora’s Box of OCD wrangle…
I’ll think about that later…in the meantime it’s time for a ‘brightness’ test! Hmmm, well, even if its just the effect of the warm water I do see a waking up of the skin. The patted dry face feels smooth and clean…okay, and bright!
A few hours later it still does actually. I’ve just been pottering about at home and not out in the skin ravaging London city air, and I didn’t ‘follow with Instant Boost Face Tonic’, as advised on the bottle, so maybe I need to do that for even better results. I would normally have flung a bit of moisturiser on I suppose but wanted to see how long this ‘brightening’ lasted.
So, I’d say its a pretty decent experience all round and it smells lush too. It’s really not suitable for sensitive skin though so be careful and if you’re not sure you know what to do don’t you? Go ask the ladies at JL!! They’ll tell you a thing or two (and you can test everything and wash it all off again in their built in mini sinks!) The starter kit (i.e with the cloth – there’s a brown edged one for the boys or anyone with an aversion to sea-green stitching) is only 14 and a bit quid which is comparably cheaper than other products and packed with these things which you will recognise:
  • Water
  • Aloe Vera leaf juice
  • Witch hazel
  • Silt
  • Sweet Almond oil
  • Camphor oil
  • Fragrance
and these which you may not:
  • Montmorillonite – a type of soft clay
  • PEG-20 stearate – popular synthetic emulsifier to combine oil and water
  • Panthenol – derived from vitamin B5 and used to retain moisture, lubricate and make the skin soft and pliable (it penetrates the skin easily)
  • Ceteraryl ethylhexanoate – another lubricating element
  • Cetearyl alcohol – another emulsifier
  • Citronellol – an oil used to add fragrance (restricted to low doses)
  • Hexyl cinnamal – another fragrance additive (restricted to low doses)
  • Hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde – a popular synthetic long lasting fragrance that easily penetrates the skin (restricted to low doses)
  • Butylphenyl methylpropional – another synthetic fragrance (restricted to low doses)
  • Linalool – naturally occuring chemical found in loads of herbs and other plants too but it can be a cause of irritation, even eczema, in sensitive skin
  • Lactic Acid – naturally occurring AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) in milk, but synthetic in many products, used to help shed the surface of the skin
  • Potassium sorbate – common preservative
  • Phenoxyethanol –  A paraben alternative as an anti-bacterial and preservative but there’s a bit of argey-bargey over it’s safety. I see that under 1% is considered okay but many products (like this one) don’t list amounts.
  • Methylparaben – E218 – antimicrobial to prevent fungal growth.
  • Butylparaben – another antimicrobial
  • Ethylparaben – E214 – again an anti-fungal
  • Propylparaben – E216 – another anti-fungal and preservative
  • Isobutylparaben – another preservative to extend the shelf life but less commonly used
  • Sodium methylparaben – widely used antiseptic
  • Sodium propylparaben – another widely used antiseptic
The Great Paraben Debate:
Hmmm…I mentioned parabens in a post earlier and just how contentious the issue is. The concerns are largely about allergic reactions, breast cancer and imbalance of hormones as many parabens are said to mimic estrogen in the body; and due to the huge amount of them used in a vast array of food stuffs and products this has led to fears of dangerous levels of build up. BUT the conclusive facts have remained a mystery to me even though I’ve read a whole heap of stuff on the subject. So read up and be thorough but don’t be alarmist! The beauty business is a vast money maker for many different companies and so it’s important to be aware who is saying what and why. Also consider that until any research is conclusive (about lots of ingredients actually in many things) there are people who eat unhealthy stuff, smoke and carry on and seem to live for eons, my point being that some people will react to these things and some people simply wont. There’s a whole range of parabens in this product but in tiny doses so that’s an important factor too.  I don’t claim to know the answers but I think we need to arm ourselves, as ever, with information…so we shall keep our wits about us and keep investigating…

Men’s skin vs women’s skin…

I’ll admit to you, as I’m feeling confessional at this very moment, in one particular way I’m a tad cavalier with my beauty products…I don’t only use products ‘designed for men’. Shock! Horror! I know, huh? It’s a living, breathing, outrage isn’t it? I ‘have a go’ at loads of different things and then use the ones that I like. Call me contrary but that’s economics 101 for you…

But, with my civilian duty hat on, I feel it’s only right and proper for me to point out to you that, at least where skin is concerned, there are apparently a few subtle differences to be aware of. Whether it’ll make you stick to your gender specific products or not is, as ever, completely up to you…

Testosterone clearly causes heaps more facial hair but it also causes an increase in the thickness of the skin. The texture is tougher and sebum (oil) production is higher as is the density of collagen! Lord, you’d think all men should have the best skin till a ripe old age! However, much fewer men than women are savvy to the whole sunscreen thing and invariably don’t use a daily product (such as moisturiser) that contains any sunscreen. That deadly UV adds years to anyone and will soon negate any head start men have. Be warned ladies and gents…get your man SPF’d!

As the years trundle by men’s skin will become thinner but women’s skin suffers further still. The collagen decreases to a larger extent than in men and the loss of estrogen (after menopause), which had been previously supporting the resilience of women’s skin, means their skin may appear more aged than a man of the same age with similar sun exposure.

Men’s skin has smaller sebaceous glands apparently (but is nonetheless oiler…so contrary!) and as these gateways (pores) are the way active ingredients penetrate the surface of the skin to do their thing, this will be reflected in the formulation of the product (one hopes…). A word about pores though…the size of them is largely hereditary (another thing to blame your parents for) or related to the oil gland within or the hair follicle, so the only way to minimise them is to minimise how noticeable they are. They become evident because they are blocked (and I’m afraid age is a factor too…they sag eventually like everything else) so having a regular exfoliating regime is important. Incidentally, blackheads aren’t dirt as some people suspect but the result of an oxidisation process within an excessively clogged pore and should be extracted by a professional ideally (also prevented by careful and regular exfoliation…it’s all about exfoliation!)

Now, get this…men’s skin is also more delicate! I know! Men all over the place are hrumphing, adjusting their tackle and slamming down their pints…! But in truth the more outdoorsey a bloke is the more damaged and thrashed his skin is. Shaving flays away the protective upper layer of the skin each time and then the sun (if you live outside of the UK, obviously!), wind, water, salt, chemicals in the air etc all relentlessly attack our proud hero’s face…poor darling…

So do we assume that men’s products take into account the extra oil, the smaller sebaceous glands, the thicker and sensitised skin? Hmmm…I suppose we do, especially in higher end product ranges. I think I’d better go ask a few representatives and see what they have to say for themselves…?!

Watch this space…

 

Exfoliation…rocks!

I believe in exfoliation. Utterly. Completely. It’s a religion to me. It is, I am convinced, the reason why my skin is in pretty good nick and smooth all over (you’ll have to take my word for that part…!)

You hear about exfoliation endlessly these days but it’s likely it’s been around for over 4000 years. It is a ludicrously simple idea (the human body is so genius) but first a teeny bit of biology to truly understand the why’s, when’s and how’s of exfoliation:

The skin is endlessly regenerating its cells and sending them from the lowest layer (the dermis) to the surface layer (the epidermis), but as these new fresh, vibrant cells travel outwards they slowly die and become saturated with keratin which then protects the skin from the outside world. (Keratin is a massively strong protein that is the main component of our hair, skin, nails and teeth. It’s the sulphur atoms that bond like no other to create flexible super strength and why hair whiffs when it burns…ok this is getting too involved but no knowledge is wasted I say!)

So, many thousands of dead cells are being shed every day and…create dust! I know I said no more science but, if you need any more incentive to exfoliate, think about the fact that most household dust contains huge amounts of dead human skin cells and the dust mites that eat them (and their faeces and their desiccated corpses…!) I shall leave you with that visual…

As we get older this skin renewal process, like just about everything else, slows down. The skin backs up with dead cells and the natural removal process begins to fail leaving rougher textures and dry, duller skin. Removing the outer layer of your skin reveals the fresher newer skin beneath and unclogs pores, and evens out the texture of your skin. It deep cleans your skin and can help prevent breakouts. So, it’s blatantly obvious isn’t it that exfoliating will help completely, and even trick your skin into thinking that it’s young again?!

The two main types of exfoliation are abrasive and chemical. Abrasive options are those that physically rub off the cells like sponges, loofahs and cloths or products with micro beads, crushed kernels, salt or pumice contained in them.

Microdermabrasion is a term applied, these days, to any process that scruffs off the surface layer of the skin but it refers to a mechanical process that involves an abrasion of the skin using crystal or diamond flakes and suction to carry away the detritus (and is used on the face, neck, arms and chest). Dermabrasion, however, is a term used for a surgical procedure usually performed under local anaesthetic and is the most intense (but has largely been replaced by laser technology).

Chemical exfoliants will include acids like salicylic, glycolic, citric, malic, AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) or BHA’s (Beta Hydroxy Acid) or fruit and other enzymes which fundamentally work to loosen the elements that hold the old dead surface cells together and thus allowing them to be washed away. Get to know these different acids so you know which are working better for your skin and then you can, more importantly, avoid the ingredients that are not working for your skin.

Basically, the main difference between AHA’s and BHA’s is that AHA’s are water-soluble only and BHA’s are oil soluble. The essential difference therefore is in their use. Logically, BHA’s are better for oily skin and where breakouts, blackheads and acne are more prevalent and AHA’s for all other skin types.

BHA in cosmetic items is essentially Salicylic Acid (its ancient historical use is traceable to Willow Bark) and is especially helpful in treating acne (although it is an all round anti-inflammatory too) because it can penetrate and break down oil and works it’s magic by opening clogged pores and neutralizing the bacteria in them.

AHA’s are in many, many cosmetic products so it’s important to make sure you’re not over doing the amount you’re putting on your face, especially. The five usual ones are Glycolic acid (from sugar cane), Lactic acid (from sour milk), Malic acid (from apples), Citric acid (from citrus fruits) and Tartaric acid (from grapes). They can be either synthetically derived or naturally occurring. AHA’s are in cleansers, moisturisers, foundations, eye creams, sunscreens etc. However, many products don’t list how much AHA is actually in them. Over the counter products cannot have more than 10% AHA, but looking at the ingredients list can give you a rough guide to the amount that there might be. If an AHA is listed as second or third then it’s likely it’s a stronger concentration. A key thought to bear in mind is that AHA’s have to be able to penetrate the skin, I mean actually be absorbed in some way to do their work. (Glycolic acid has the smallest molecular structure and so is considered to be the one that penetrates the skin the easiest which is why you see it so often in skin care products. I personally like it too. It suits my skin and I’ll be talking about it in a future post.) So, here’s the most important thing – AHA’s in a cleanser that you don’t leave on your face, and you end up washing it away before the absorption can happen, are clearly no good to you! Your exfoliating and your moisturising product is the best place to interact with the AHA. So consider the whole AHA picture within your product regime carefully and only use it where it is actually going to do you some good!

Exfoliating products containing an abrasive substance literally rub off the layers of your skin to reveal the newer skin. Thought and caution must go into this though as some scrubs can actually scratch and irritate the skin…especially if you’re a tad vigorous with your technique! Blemish prone skin is best left without abrasive exfoliators rubbing it and making it even more inflamed and irritable. It’s largely reported that apricot kernel type particles are the most ‘damaging’ as they are the roughest and can cause micro cuts (however, I use St Ives apricot face scrub and it’s great. Whether that’s a testament to the product or to my leathery skin I dunno…?!?) Beads made of polyethylene are smooth and therefore more gentle (not biodegradable though…oof there’s always something eh?) ‘Natural’ products that contain things like sugar, salt or baking soda are popular as they are naturally water-soluble and so are gentle and disperse quickly. Sugar is especially good for sensitive skin (it’s nack all use for anything else as it’s poisonous so I’m glad to hear it has a use here…!) A third type of exfoliant has a crystal such as aluminium oxide in it and is usually found in products like over the counter microdermabrasion creams. It’s really, really hard and almost shaves off a layer of your skin and yet is still considered to be less damaging than kernels. Go steady and use common sense if you have sensitive skin. Avoid this method of exfoliating completely if you have any irritation. 

The product doesn’t have to contain the element that exfoliates, it can be the method by which it is applied that can be the source of exfoliation. The best examples being anything like face clothes, sponges or brushes. Again go easy with your technique and don’t scrape or scratch the skin.

Now then, here’s another very, VERY important bit! Your skin is your largest organ (sorry boys…) Some eastern medicines believe that it is a map of your health, not just your face but also the entire skin. Just exfoliating your face isn’t enough. The body needs to slough off these dead cells just as much and clearly you want your entire body’s skin to be happy don’t you? Happy and glowing and youthful as possible? Why not? If, you’re shaking your head and thinking well it’s all very well but when the frig am I going to have time to do all this cell removal, then here’s a delicious little tip that’ll transform, yes transform, your life let alone your skin. Get a pair of body scrubbing gloves from just about any high street supermarket or chemist (and they are cheap! Even the posh ones are only four quid!) and every time you shower slip them on and wash as normal. Ok, maybe not every time but two or three times a week. My Indian family are great exponents of doing the scrubbing, as-it-were, always towards the heart. If you’re not a shower person (I mean take baths instead rather than are just a dirt bag) then do the same but my personal experience is that you should do this after the bath as once you’ve swept the gloves over every inch of you (got to get my jollies somewhere…) you can’t rinse them in the bath water because the vast amount of dead cells, that you’ve just fabulously scrubbed from your body, will then be floating in the bath with you like fish food on a pond and it ain’t pretty.

To really pound the point home I timed the putting on and taking off of the gloves in question to see if there would be any validity in the gripes and whinges from some of the lazier members of the audience. Sixteen seconds is the average total time. I timed the process for a week and the mean average time for putting the gloves on and taking them off is sixteen seconds!! SIXTEEN. Don’t even try to find a way to tell me you don’t have a sixteen second space in your routine to give yourself fabulous, touchable, strokeable, soft, glowing skin?!? Exactly. So, zip it…

Don’t use body scrub products (or the gloves) on your face, by the way, as the exfoliating particles will be bigger and rougher and not at all suitable for the more delicate skin on your face.

Exfoliation should be done after cleansing and before moisturising. That’s supposedly the holy trinity. You know your body best and you must learn to watch and respond to your skin. Deciding how often to exfoliate and what methods and products your skin seems to respond to better. I find that many times, and especially during the warmer months, I don’t need to moisturise and in fact over stimulate my skin into a grease feste if I do. Some cleansers (Eve Lom’s for instance) are oil based and if I use that I still don’t need to moisturise (even after exfoliation) or I wake up like I’ve been sleeping face down in a bag of chips (I haven’t! Ok, but it was only one time…sheesh, some people never let you forget…!) Maybe you only give your body a right good going over once a week? Or maybe, three less rigorous goings over a week…whichever, don’t over do it! There should be no irritation (although a freshly scrubbed limb might be a tad sensitive to hot water…just rinse cooler…!) and if your skin is over producing oils then it’s unhappy.

Any men reading this should note that exfoliating your beard pre-shaving is a wonder as it exposes the hair follicles and gives you an easier and better shave. Also if you’re hairy (I guess I shouldn’t exclude women in this…) then bear in mind that hair traps oil, sweat and dirt and an exfoliating body scrub or running yourself all over with the magic gloves (yes, men too…in fact it’s a totally unisex thing!) will keep everything pristine and unclogged. 

A final thought for now…everyone should think about running a long handled loofah over their back. All you lucky devils with a partner to scrub you down, make sure he/she gets a good lather up and gives it a good going over in lovely big circular motions. It’s worth mentioning the obvious that skin is different and therefore differently sensitive all over your body so get to know it and treat it appropriately. Yes your back can take a good firm motion but your stomach is more sensitive (thinner skin) so go easier.

Exfoliating might take a little extra work and planning but think about the fabulous trade off for better skin, less wrinkles and a youthful complexion. Don’t drive yourself mad but exfoliate as much as you can with the minimal irritation and don’t forget to moisturize! Feed that new exposed skin! Then go out and work it…!