Every day I read the most amazing, ridiculous or sensational stories from and about the cosmetics world. It is almost impossible to keep up with news items and trends, plus skincare science never stands still. I found this interesting list of five untiring consumer practises for the cosmetics industry on an American website. It can only be hoped that the manufacturers won’t anticipate too much here.
1. Sniff it first
The first thing consumers do when considering a purchase is to have a good sniff of a product. People simply want nice smelling cosmetics. Each customer will still sniff a product, even though it is common knowledge that your perfume or fragrances, due to the high risk of irritation, are not good for your skin. The smell of a cream, lotion or shampoo appears to be key in the decision to buy. And therefore manufacturers continue to take advantage of this.
2. Lots of foam and bubbles
A readily lathering product which produces lots of foam and bubbles is generally seen as a product which truly delivers. The rich foaming shampoo treatment by the hairdresser, for example, is swiftly embraced as a real luxury. And a bath foam is, of course, not a bath foam unless it produces an enormous layer of white lather on the water. Yet foam is anything but a measure for the effectiveness of a washing or cleansing product. Indeed: for your facial skincare routine you really don’t want overly foaming products. These can make the skin very dry.
I have come across these twice this week: telomeres. They are the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes which ensure that cells keep renewing themselves. First of all, an article about people who have had acne have less of a problem with wrinkles. Followed by an investigation into the rejuvenating effects of endurance training. How does this work?
Magnesium salts and oils for the skin have been very popular for a while now. I have recently become a fan myself. Because a magnesium bath seems to be an effective way in which to replenish your magnesium levels, reducing complaints such as tiredness, migraine and muscle cramps. A salt bath can also help with certain skin complaints. How does that work?
Research from the AMC revealed that a cold shower each day is healthy and leads to a reduction in sick leave. Such a daily cold start has already been shown to have a positive effect on depression. But what does a splash of cold water actually do to skin? Will it make you firm and radiant again?
You are the radiant focal point on your ‘big day’. Everything has to be right. The location, the dress, your hair… But how can you make sure your skin also looks gorgeous?
Environmental pollution also leaves its mark on the skin. City skin ages more rapidly. So anti-pollution products are very much on the rise in the cosmetics world. Following on from Asia it is now also available in Europe.
Light skin, using out of date sun creams, applying an insufficient amount or, for example, mistakenly trusting in a thin white shirt or so-called all day sun cream products are well known risk factors for nasty sunburn. However, there are less obvious dangers lurking. Take four times extra care in the sun.
I still, in summer, frequently hear people who are convinced that they are getting the best protection with an ‘all-day’ sun cream. I have a very different view about this and, to my great delight, so too does the English Which? This consumers’ platform recently published an article about ‘once a day’ sun creams. Extensive testing proved once again that these products were unable to fulfil their promises. After 6 to 8 hours the SPF of the creams was reduced by an average of 74%. A factor 30 quickly decreased to no more than a factor 8. And we haven’t even mentioned the UVA protection yet!
Holiday: time for yourself, a little relaxation and a lot of enjoying. Nevertheless your skin may now show signs of stress. Which skin problems are lying in wait for during your well-earned rest? And what can we do about them?
In my last blog I talked about the best way to preserve your skincare products, especially when temperatures rise. But how does that affect make-up? And perfumes, aren’t they also sensitive to heat?