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The popularity of natural skincare and cosmetic products has grown exponetially in recent years. As a higher percentage of Australia’s population is now residing in polluted urban environments, and our lives are getting increasingly more busy and time poor, a return to simple, natural ingredients is a trend that directy responds, and balances, the complexites of modern day living.
At the conclusion of the 2018 Beauty Expo Australia, the event director, Cory Watson, told Premium Beauty News, “We’ve seen a shift toward embracing natural and organic products, as well as those that are Australian-made or produced by home-grown companies. This seems to be reflective of a growing consumer preference for products containing natural ingredients, as well as those that are made here in Australia.”
Australians are a conscious lot, and we are now more mindful than ever of what things we put into, and on to, our bodies. Healthy lifestyle, clean eating, and natural cosmetic products are all things we aim to integrate into our ow lives, but doing a massive overhaul can be exhausting, not to ention, expensive.
Corinne Marley has had a long and successful career in beauty therapy, training, research and product development. Currently the Trilogy Global in-house beauty expert, we asked her for advice on building a natural skincare starter kit, and to identify the bare essential you can get away with using.
“Great looking skin can be created using three simple steps,” says Corinne. “Cleanse, repair and moisturise.”
1. Cleanser
Cleansing your skin is one of the most important part of a beauty routine, as it preps your skin for all other treatments. The type of cleanser you should use depends on your skin type. Dry skin will benefit from a cleanser packed with pure plant oils to cleanse and hydrate, while a more oily or congested skin will benefit from a cleanser with purifying ingredients combined with pure plant extracts to remove impurities without stripping or dehydrating, leaving super clean, super comfortable and healthy skin.
Corinne recommends: a pure plan cleansing oil that will melt away makeup and impurities, such as a rosehip cleansing oil, or a cream cleanser with a combination of rosehip, evening primrose and carrot.
Ingredients to look for:
- Certified organic rosehip oil, renowned for its ability to repair and rejuvenate the skin, contains a minimum 80% essential fatty acid content to nourish, hydrate and restore.
- Coconut oil, another multi-tasking wonder oil, is rich in essential fatty acids and has natural antibacterial properties to heal and repair.
- Sunflower seed oil delivers yet more essential fatty acids, along with antioxidant Vitamin E and minerals, and has calming and soothing properties to maintain balance in the skin.
- Jojoba seed oil, which contains pro-vitamin A and vitamin E, protects the skin from drying while smoothing and strengthening the epidermis. It has excellent soothing and hydrating properties.
- Grapeseed oil, light to the touch and quickly absorbed, effectively moisturises the skin, balancing both dry and oily skin types.
2. Repair
The skin’s primary function is to act as a barrier to protect against external aggressors, and our skin is subject to daily environmental assaults. The ‘repair’ step is a vital component of modern skincare to help protect against ageing and tissue damage caused by pollution and environmental free radicals.
Many plant ingredients which have specific health benefits in our diets also deliver benefits to the skin when applied topically. This is especially true of those that contain antioxidants: antioxidants protect the skin by binding with free radicals, preventing them from attaching to healthy skin cells in a process termed quenching. This helps ensure the integrity of these cells and of the skin’s structural support, promoting healthier looking skin.
Corinne recommends: Pure plant oils are an excellent choice to help regulate and rebalance all skin types because they have a fine molecular structure which is similar in design to our own natural skin oil. Superfine oils like rosehip are readily accepted and absorbed by the skin, won’t clog or irritate pores and help to promote normal, rebalanced and healthy skin cell function. A soothing, anti-inflammatory rescue serum will help strengthen the weakened barrier of sensitive, reactive skin.
Ingredients to look for:
- Rosapene™, Trilogy’s unique antioxidant complex, is a blend of nourishing certified organic rosehip and cranberry seed oils and potent antioxidants from tomato and acai seed oils which help repair skin and protect against free radical damage, one of the key causes of skin-ageing.
- Maqui Berry, a new super-oil high in antioxidants that helps to target free radicals which can cause skin irritation. With 80% essential fatty acids to protect and reduce cell damage and disintegration, it naturally helps reduce redness and inflammation.
- Glycablend™ has been formulated to subdue this process, improving the skin’s overall texture, minimising the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and restoring radiance. Glycablend™ is a combination of four carefully selected pure plant oils:
- Pomegranate seed oil (rich in polyphenols and phytonutrients) promotes healthy cell metabolism and protects against free radical damage
- Blueberry seed oil (rich in antioxidants and vitamin E) improves microcirculation, stabilises the collagen matrix and encourages collagen biosynthesis
- Strawberry seed oil (contains antioxidant fisetan) has excellent anti-inflammatory properties and helps eliminate toxic waste from cells
- Chia seed oil (perfect 3:1 ratio of omega 3) to is also anti-inflammatory, helps strengthen cell membranes and nourishes skin.
3. Moisturiser
Moisturising is essential for keeping your skin balanced, hydrated and healthy. Finding the right type of moisturiser depends not only on skin type, but also the season and environment. For example, during winter humidity levels plummet and dry air can strip skin of essential lipids, increasing dehydration. A rich replenishing cream is the best option, whereas during the warmer weather a lighter lotion or SPF may be the preferred choice. An oily complexion will also benefit from hydration and actives that help balance the skin and help skin recover from blemishes and breakouts. Fragrance-free creams are often the best choice for very sensitive skins.
Corinne Recommends: A rich yet easily absorbed moisturiser to intensely hydrate and banish dry skin, or an antioxidant-rich moisturiser with Rosapene oil, which works to revive, restore and rehydrate the skin.
Ingredients to look for:
- Certified organic rosehip oil, renowned for its ability to repair and rejuvenate the skin, contains a minimum 80% essential fatty acid content to nourish, hydrate and restore.
- Rosapene™, our unique antioxidant complex, is a blend of nourishing certified organic rosehip and cranberry seed oils and potent antioxidants from tomato and acai seed oils which help repair skin and protect against free radical damage, one of the key causes of skin-ageing.
- Jojoba seed oil, which contains pro-vitamin A and vitamin E, protects the skin from drying while smoothing and strengthening the epidermis. It has excellent soothing and hydrating properties.
Ingredients to avoid in natural skincare products:
- Mineral oils
- Parabens
- Petrochemicals
- Plastic microbeads
- Synthetic colours, usually made from coal tar or petroleum, and artificial fragrances, both of which can cause irritation and offer no benefits to your skin
- Look for cleansing products with gentle plant-based cleansing agents rather than harsh detergents, such as SLS that disturb the skin’s balance.
- Silicones, often found in moisturisers to give a silky texture, might make skin feel smoother, but only provides a temporary surface effect and have no long-term benefits. Many experts believe that silicones form a barrier on top of your skin that acts like a ‘plastic film’
You might also like:
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