About tummy tightening and butt lifting creams – sense or nonsense?

We hear a lot about skincare for the face, but what about products for the body? With the summer in full swing and more body skin on show, let’s talk about body skincare. While the choice is still much bigger for facial skincare, body skincare products are getting better and have truly come a long way. People are no longer …

Our skin’s internal clock

The circadian rhythm is an endogenous time-keeping system that monitors a daily cycle of roughly 24 hours. It’s our body’s master pacemaker, regulating most of the physiological functions in our body, including hormone release. What most people don’t know is that our skin is subject to a circadian rhythm as much as any other organ system. So, our skin cells …

Why do I get breakouts after eyebrow threading?

‘Breakouts’ after eyebrow threading are usually one of two things – irritation or folliculitis.  If you develop some minor redness and a few tiny little ‘bumps’, this may be a simple irritant reaction. For mild irritant reactions, a soothing aloe vera gel might be all you need (wash your hands before applying it!).  However, if this doesn’t help, a couple …

What is psoriasis?

You may have recently heard that Kim Kardashian suffers with psoriasis, so I thought you may want to find out more about this condition. What is psoriasis, how does it look and how can it be treated? Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 2–4% of the population. It runs in families in about a third of patients. Psoriasis …

What are retinoids and how do they work?

Retinoid is the family name for all vitamin A derivatives, both prescription versions such as tretinoin and adapalene, as well as over the counter (OTC, non-prescription) versions. Three of the best-known non-prescription retinoids are retinol (vitamin A), retinaldehyde (retinal) and retinyl-palmitate (an ester of Vitamin A). Retinyl-palmitate is the most commonly used retinoid in skincare, as it’s easiest to formulate. …