Hero Product - Eve Taylor's 100% Hyaluronic Acid

I'd like to introduce you to Eve Taylor's Hyaluronic Acid part of Eve's Advanced Therapy Cosmeceuticals* range, this serum is my bestest friend!

Contains 100% pure Hyaluronic Acid and nothing else!

Image source

*For anyone who isn't clear, 'Cosmeceuticals' are a combination of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals resulting in Advanced skin therapy.

So What Is Hyaluronic Acid?
Skin care's favourite ingredient - Hyaluronic Acid naturally occurs in the human body, it's a humectant (retains moisture) and attracts from 600-1000 times its own weight in water - WOW! Its job is to hydrate, lubricate and cushion the connective tissues - bit like your mummy!

Hyaluronic Acid molecule - image source

This gorgeous textured serum is super nourishing, hydrating and moisturising. And bonus it carries other ingredients into the skin!

Because of it's amazing ability to retain moisture it gives your skin a generous dose of pure hydration while helping protect against bacterial infections and environmental threats; ninja kicking those free radicals into touch.

Who Is It Suited To?

• A God send for dehydrated and extremely dehydrated  skin
• Perfect for sun damaged skin
• Great for outdoor types exposed to the harsh elements - hot and cold
• Anti ageing buddy - due to its plumping and smoothing action it slows down the ageing process, making your skin look more youthful - now tell me, who doesn't want that?!
• Ideal to use on car journeys, rail travel, buses and flights to stop the much needed but incredibly dehydrating heating and air conditioning from irritating and sucking moisture from your skin.
• Great for anyone working indoors to protect against the heating or air conditioning
• I have many clients who work in hospitals and schools who find this product a must - as the environment in these places are unbelievably dehydrating.

Who wants dehydrated skin? - Image source

I use this serum all year round and have been using it religiously twice daily under my moisturiser since the autumn and throughout the winter as my skin reacts badly to central heating and extreme change in temperatures between the indoors and outdoors. It not only hydrates my skin perfectly but also calms down the prickly irritation I experience.

I also pop it under my weekly face mask to give my skin an action packed hydrating treatment.

I highly recommend giving it a try, as with all of Eve Taylor's products a little goes a long way - literally one pump covers your entire face, neck and décolleté.

How I Build a Serum into My Skin Care Routine

• Cleanse - dry face if rinsed with water
• Apply Facial Oil**
• Spritz Toner over (to lock in the facial oil - remember oil and water don't mix)
• Apply Serum - let it dry (takes seconds!)
• Apply Moisturiser - easy as that!

**For more details on Facial Oils and why they are my MUST have product click here...

Available from Rituals Beauty for £29.99 for a 30ml pump. Remember a little goes a long way!

To order any product from Rituals Beauty, call 0789 4120073 or email hello@ritualsbeauty.co.uk. If you aren't local, I offer a postal service for a little extra cost. Now taking PayPal.

Hero Product - Lush's 'Helping Hands' Hand Cream

I would like to introduce you to another of my 'Hero Products' drum roll drrrrrrrrr... my wonderful caring friend 'Helping Hands' Hand Cream.

This generous tub of miracles is from Lush - formerlly 'Cosmetics To Go'.

I discovered this little gem when chatting to one of their incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic sales assistants about another product and she gave me a sample of this gorgeous cream (they are so generous with their samples so you get to have a good number of applications of the product to see the benefits).

I just happened to mention I suffer from very dry cracked knuckles. Washing your hands constantly goes with the territory when your a therapist, and even though I had stopped using harsh antibacterial washes; I was still having the problem and no hand cream I had tried had helped. To top it all off I was developing sore itchy contact dermatitis from the gloves we are required to wear for treatments such as waxing and nails; exacerbated by (sorry to say it) erm sweating like a pig inside them!

This gorgeous concoction contains nourishing Almond and Coca Butter, conditioning and healing Shea Butter, healing and antithetic Honey, soothing Chamomile and anti-inflammatory African Marigold. All natural and incredibly effective. It's rich in Vitamin A so it's great for keeping the hands looking youthful.

It was invented for nurses and people like myself who have really dry over-washed hands. I would personally like to thank Mark the aforementioned inventor. No I don't know him personally but it says so on the pot!!

Instructions on how to use - it does make me chuckle!

The scent is beautifully understated and mild, so it doesn't over power your other delicious smelling lotions and potions like some hand creams can. The texture isn't greasy but is rich enough to sink in whilst leavings your skin feeling softer, nourished and protected.

AND as with all my favourite products it doesn't contain paraffin - so no leaching your skin of moisture...

Mineral oil or Paraffin (cheap by-products of petroleum) based products draw moisture away from your skin making the area dry out further when the product wears off. Read more about this in my article Are you using the right Lip Balm?

I urge you to try this product, it's frankly ruddy marvelous! I know the smell of the shop can smack you in the face like a 'sweet smelling but not fishy smelling wet fish' from 100 yards away!! BUT their products are fabulous, natural, ethical, not to mention down right clever and deliver amazing results.

Oh and if you take back clean 5 pots you get a free fresh face mask and they will recyle the pots to make new pots!

It’s as simple as scrubbing them clean and popping them to your local store where they are whisked back to the factory at Poole. Once there our supplier helpfully grinds them up and makes them into brand new pots again, it doesn't get much more closed loop than that. Via Lush

One last thing I simply must mention is that Lush make their pretty Knot Wraps (alternative eco-friendly, re useable gift wrap) out of their recycled bottles; heaven knows how and believe it or not they are super soft! See I said they were a clever bunch!

Flower Print Knot Wrap

Helping Hands is available in 100g tub for £7.15 - believe me a little goes a long way so it lasts for ages.

My Must Have Product - Eve Taylor's Facial Oils

Do you use a facial oil?

Image via http://thadailybailey.com

Now before some of you shy away, I promise you THEY ARE NOT OILY- facial oils are a specific treatment containing a specific blend of essential oils* and a tiny bit of cold pressed carrier oil to allow you to slide it over your face as you can't put an essential oils directly onto your skin.

Image via http://www.eve-taylor.com

*Essential oils are not actually an oil; they are a concentrated liquid/essence which comes from plants, flowers, grasses, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds and barks. 

Eve Taylor Pre Blended Facial Oils are truly amazing! They are my MUST HAVE product - I would never go without my facial oil and here is the reason why:

These magnificent facial oils give the skin an intensive boost whilst increasing the productivity of your moisturiser by up to 30%! Caught your attention? Then read on...

All of the Eve Taylor facial oils include Vitamin A (maintains and repairs the skin), Vitamin D (cell growth and repair) and Vitamin E (antioxidant) rich Soya**. It also contains nourishing and protective Hazelnut oil**, softening Avocado and Vitamin E rich Wheatgerm which is also a natural preservative - very clever! And a big plus for me and my clients, the Eve Taylor range does not contain Lanolin, Mineral Oil, Artificial fragrance, or SD alcohol.

Image via Stefan Rusek

Soya is my best friend as it increases the thickness and elasticity of the skin. Imagine if you will a piece of dried pasta, then imagine what it looks like when it's cooked - nice and plump - well Soya has the same effect on your skin - WOW!

Essential oils are loaded with oxygen and detoxinate, hydrate and oxygenate the skin. Oxygen kills bacteria regulating sebum (oil) production and in turn switching off the immune system response and healing the skin. Pretty clever stuff and all from nature!

So which one do I use?

No 1 Facial Oil for Sensitive Skin - Sooth and Hydrate
This gorgeous smelling oil is specifically designed for a sensitive or itchy or touch sensitive skin. Includes balancing Lavender, cleansing Geranium, cooling, antiseptic and antibacterial Eucalyptus, oxygenating Cypress and hydrating Sandalwood. Divine!

Image via My Skin Care Critic

This oil is fantastic for allergy sufferers, smokers, long haul travellers, asthmatics and those who work in poor air quality (i.e. hospitals big offices) as it not only soothes but hydrates the skin. Also it's what we call a safety blend so it's safe for pregnant women, those who are trying to get pregnant or those on medication.

Even though I have combination skin, I changed over to this oil after being diagnosed with Asthma last year as it helps ease my asthmatic symptoms as it is vaso-dilating; so it helps to keep my airways open - again another WOW! It still balances my oily and dry areas and helps prevent breakouts.

Meet the Rest of the Eve Taylor Facial Oil Family:

No 2 for Delicate, Thin Skin - Calm and Firm
This very clever treatment blend is specifically designed for couperose conditions (redness) and is super effective on delicate thin skin. Includes balancing Lavender, antiseptic Eucalyptus, stimulating Basil, Niaouli to increase the circulation and hydrating Sandalwood.

Image via Dr Hilton

It's perfectly suited to skins with broken capillaries, visible red veins, Acne Rosacea, skins that are very red and with poor circulation as it strengthens the capillary walls. It also acts as a buffer against environmental stresses including free radicals, pollution, humidity, central heating and air conditioning. Great for thread veins on puffy knees too! One more thing it's great to reduce redness after hair removal - I use it in my facial waxing treatments.


No 3 Problem Skin - Clear and Tone
This blend is designed specifically for skins that produce excess sebum (oil) and suffer from breakouts and eruptions with a non-stimulating effect on skin. Includes anti-seborrehoeic Ylang-Ylang (in other words prevents excess oil), antiseptic Cedarwood, cleansing Lemongrass, balancing Lavender and softening Sandalwood.

Perfect for inflammation due to unusually high oil levels, open pores, excess oil or blackheads and spots and acne sufferers. It's great on the back too! It hydrates preventing the skin from being stripped which means even oily but sensitive skins can use this blend.


No 4 Normal Skin - Maintain and Balance 
This blend is designed specifically for normal skins to keep them stable and free from blemishes or breakouts. It has an antioxidant action to increase the skin’s resistance to environmental change and/or free radicals. Includes Basil to increase the skins resistance, cell stimulating Rosewood, balancing Lavender and antiseptic Geranium.

Normal skin - the ideal skin type. Image via AGQ Grapho

No 4 oil is also great for temporary instability of the skin i.e. minor irritations, texture change and loss of elasticity or age spots.


No 5 Mature Skin - Revive and Firm 
This amazing oil is perfect for dry, dehydrated or mature skins unable to absorb nourishing creams or heavier products. It's a great anti ageing oil for prematurely ageing and naturally ageing skin.

Skin ageing is caused by environmental damage including the sun, poor lifestyle and diet, natural ageing or where the underlying muscle has been subject to stress or tension. The skin becomes thinner, starts to sag and the skin is less supple and firm.

Wearing it well, the lovely Helen Mirren. Image via Collider

No 5 oil is also great for any scarring including acne and stretch marks - the oil
should be used around the scar on healthy tissue ONLY, not actually on the scar. It helps to minimise scarring, help it to heal and keep the area subtle.

Please remember ONLY No 1 oil can be used on those who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant or on medication. 


It's So Easy To Use These Gorgeous Oils

• Your simply use one small pump twice a day over your face, neck and décolleté. Warm gently in your hand first.
• You apply this after cleansing and under your toner (spritz toner over to lock in the facial oil - remember oil and water don't mix)
• Then apply your moisturiser - easy peasy!

All Eve Taylor Facial Oils can be used anywhere on the body to treat conditions. They are £11.49 for 30ml bringing fantastic results without breaking the bank.

To order any product from Rituals Beauty, call 0789 4120073 or email hello@ritualsbeauty.co.uk. If you aren't local, I offer a postal service for a little extra cost. Now taking PayPal.

** Please note allergy sufferers these products contains Hazelnut oil and Soya.