Belated New Year’s Resolutions? No, this is a New You Resolution!

I do not really believe in New Year’s resolutions. I tried it so many times when I was younger and it never lasted longer than about mid-February. It was only when I revisited the whole concept during last December that I realized what I did wrong all those years. I was too ambitious and wanted to either change the world, or myself, in one huge blow!

Slowly can also get you there…

I have written down some of my personal thoughts about this here, but this is a more beauty and health-specific list that I hope you will strive to get right too:

Always, always wear sun block:
I am talking huge numbers: SPF 50, at least. Yes, I know that most beauticians will gasp and clutch their hearts in shock! The norm is that the higher the number, the higher quantities of chemicals it contains. Rest easy, those jumping hearts! Read more here about taking care in the sun. I have the Perfect Sun Block SPF 50+ for you:

Essel DNA Epinew SPF 50+ Spray-on Face and Body Sun Screen

Essel DNA-Epinew Sunscreen Protection Spray SPF50+ : R 380/150ml SPF 50+ Spray-on face and body sunscreen with added Vitamin A,C and E. UVA and UVB protection with Anti-Oxidants, Water resistant.

Clean your skin every night.
Please do not skip this, no matter how tired and sleepy you are. It only takes about 5 minutes, but you will see the benefits of this quickly.  Store everything you need in a pretty container in your bathroom, so that it is easy to get hold of when you clean your skin at night. Follow the steps here to get a beautiful clean and well-cared-for skin before you go to bed.

Vitaderm Pre-Cleanse R255/150ml

Vitaderm Pre-Cleanse

Vitaderm Pre-Cleanse is a completely water-soluble oil-gel suitable for all skin types.  It can be used as a make-up remover prior to normal cleansing or it can take the place of one’s cleanser. For oily and acne skin, it is best to use a gel cleanser afterwards to cleanse the skin. Vitaderm Pre-Cleanse is popular with men as a shaving product.

Every woman needs an eye cream
Every women 25 years of age and older must use an eye cream every morning and night.  The younger ladies can look at a cream that hydrates and moisturize to keep the skin around your eyes supple and comfortable. You can start looking at an anti-ageing cream in your thirties or younger, if you have very dry skin.

The popular Vitaderm Eye Lift Gel with roll-on ball. R395/20ml

Vitaderm Eye Lift Gel

This eye gel helps boost hydration and brightens the delicate area around the eyes. The Eyeseryl®  protein peptide content assists in reducing dark  circles and puffiness,  whereas the AcquaCell® 

extract softens the appearance of fine lines and  wrinkles.  The Pullulan starch content helps firm  the skin, whist the hyaluronic acid content further boosts hydration. Witch hazel and aloe vera extract helps to soothe and decongests the area

Do not over-exfoliate
Yes, one should exfoliates regularly, but please no more than once a week for oily skins and once every 2-3 weeks for all other skin types ( more gasping and clutching!)

The more you exfoliate and stress your skin, the more oil it will excrete-it is a simple as that!  The more oil you see on your skin, the more you exfoliate, the more oil you will see- a vicious circle…

I have experienced this first hand in my teens, as I always struggled with oily and acne skin.  Stop that scrubbing and I promise you your skin will start to behave and settle. Your exfoliator is NOT the product to use to get you oiliness and acne under control.

Be gentle with your skin.

Drink that water.
Water consumption is so important, please drink at least 1.5.to 2 liters every day.  We need water to: Regulate our body temperature
Cushioning and lubricating our joints
Protect tissues and organs
Moisturise our nose, eyes, mouth
Carry oxygen and nutrients to cells
Aid in digestion
Protect central nervous system, brain and spinal cord
Help to dissolve nutrients, minerals and to make them accessible to the body
Clear out waste via perspiration, urination and bowel movements
Reduce the burden on liver and kidneys by eliminating waste

Drink-up! Your body needs it.

Get enough sleep

In years gone past, our many-times-over-great-grannies got at least 10 hours sleep per night. They got up with the dawn and went to sleep when the first stars showed. That is how we should treat our bodies today as well. Get at least 7-8 hours sleep. Your body needs to heal and to rest. Too little sleep leads to depression, anxiety, hyperactivity and other mood disorders. 

Sleep, what a wonderful thing!

Have a wonderful time taking care of yourselves!

Absolutely Gorgeous Beautique Product Review: Vitaderm Pre-Cleanse

AGB Salon reviews are written by a trained beautician with first-hand experience with the product as well as interactive feed-back from clients for more than 13 years.

Presentation: 150ml bottle with pump

Product description:
Pre-cleanse is a completely water-soluble oil-gel suitable for all skin types.  It can be used as a make-up remover prior to normal cleansing or it can take the place of one’s cleanser. For oily and acne skin, it is best to use a gel cleanser afterwards to cleanse the skin.

Pre-cleanse is popular with men as a shaving product.

How to use:
To remove waterproof eye make-up; apply a small amount sparingly to a slightly damp cotton wool pad and wipe eye lids gently from the outside to the inside, repeat with clean, damp cotton wool. Caution-do not let the product get into the eyes.

Clean your skin gently

As a cleanser; apply one pump to the face , do not add water.  Use gentle circular movements all over the skin, then dampen the fingertips with tepid water, emulsify the Pre-Cleanse and massage it into the skin.  As soon as the water is added, the oil-gel will turn milky.  Continue to add water until the skin is clean. Rinse off with tepid water and pat dry. Follow with appropriate toner or use the normal cleanser as a secondary cleanse
.
General comment/s: Keep this away from steam and do not use it in the shower! It will turn milky before you had a change to work it in.

Evaluation Keys:
Product effectiveness = Does it do what it says
Value for money = Good value compared to similar products
Advanced Ingredients = Modern technologically advanced ingredients
Skin Effect         = How does it feel

AGB Salon Review
Product effectiveness:       95%
Value for money:    80%
Advanced Ingredients: 88%
Skin Effect:         90%
Overall rating:         86.25%

Active ingredients:
Lecithin-emulsifier
Vitamin E (Tocopheryl acetate)-Prevents oxidative rancidity

Best used with:  Vitaderm Gentle Eye Make-up Remover

Please contact gerda at; gerda@agbeautysalon.co.za or 082 398 9817 for more information

Award Winning Skin Doctor Products available in the Salon!

Skin Doctors Relaxaderm™ Advance 

Relaxaderm Advance is the only injection-free wrinkle relaxer with the power of Dermatox-63, an exclusive combination of active ingredients synergistically formulated to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles and expression lines by nearly two thirds in just 28 days.

And with its added wrinkle plumping action, crevices are plumped out from the inside, making skin look firmer and smoother, and you look younger!


 Skin Doctors Antarctilyne Plump3™

Plumps the appearance of wrinkles by up to 35% in 30 days.
Antarctilyne Plump3™ is able to visably increase the level of the skins collagen, assist in keeping the skins collagen looking uniform and assist in protecting the skins collagen from degeneration
Skin Doctors™ Antarctilyne Plump3™ is used to:

• Visibly increase the level of the skins collagen.

• Assist in keeping the skins collagen looking uniform

• Assist in protecting the skins collagen from degeneration

• Plump the appearance of wrinkles by up to 35% in 30 days.

• Improve the visible appearance of the skin by making it firmer and smoother, helping wrinkles to become less noticeable.

• Deeply hydrate the skin to help prevent premature ageing and the formation of new wrinkles.

Skin Doctors Eyesmooth™

New in the Salon!

Skin Doctors Eyesmooth™

• Reduce the appearance of crow’s feet, creeping and under eye wrinkles. 
• Eyesmooth is specifically formulated to smooth away signs of ageing without surgery.
• With the active ingredient Matrixyl 3000, Eyesmooth has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of deep eye wrinkles by up to 45% in 8 weeks.
• Eyesmooth also contains SesaFlash to instantly tighten the skin and Shea Butter to condition and hydrate

Puffy eye syndrome & Under eye bags

Puffy eye syndrome is probable the number one irritation to all of us. You all must have experienced it some or other time. You wake up one morning, and there they are! For some it will be a temporarily problem, for others it may last a few days or weeks, but fortunately there is a cure somewhere that should work for you.


What causes puffy eyes?
There are all manner of reasons why people develop puffy eye syndrome. Here are some typical causes for the puffy eyes that you wake up to:

Everyday causes of Puffy Eyes:

The good news is that puffy eyes are cause mostly by fluid retention due of any one of the following reasons:

• Fluctuating hormone levels.
• Oedema or fluid retention throughout the body. Pregnancy also causes increasing oedema.
• Certain medication.
• Allergies, which may also result in itchiness and redness of the eyes and surrounding tissue.
• Inflammation.
• Smoking.
• Diet
• Your genes can also help this along!

Under eye bags:
Please note that there is a huge difference between “puffy eyes” due to day-to-day causes and huge bags that rest on the top of your cheeks. Most bags under the eyes are the result of accumulated fat in the eye area. This happens when the septum surrounding the eyeball weakens, causing the outer layer of fat within the socket to sink forward – making it look like you have literal “bags” under your eyes.

Unfortunately, the only cure for bags under the eyes is a surgical procedure called blepharoplasty, which is designed to remove excess fat, skin and muscle around the eyes. However, there are some treatments that will reduce the appearance of under eye bags.

Sometimes a more serious medical condition can also be the problem:

• Kidney disease: In some cases, bags under the eyes are a sign of kidney problems.
• Hypothyroidism. A slow thyroid affects 2 in 100 women or 2% of the female population. Your slow thyroid may be causing those bags under your eyes too.
• Poor Diet. An excess of sodium in your diet will cause you to retain water
• Accumulation of Toxins. Sometimes a slow digestive system can add to the overall problem. When the intestines get clogged with bile and mucous, they can't function properly. Try detoxing for a couple of days with fresh fruit, vegetables and lots of water.

What to do about puffy eye syndrome and under-eye bags:

• The simplest way to reduce puffy eye syndrome that is caused by water retention, is to drink more water!
• Gently tap with your finger tips around the eye to drain the fluid
• Apply cold compresses to the eye area like a wash cloth soaked in cold water or gel filled eye pack that you can keep in the freezer*
• Reduce your salt intake
• Get enough sleep-at least 8 hours
• Wear sunglasses when outside to reduce sun light glare and protect your eyes against wind, dust etc
• Try sleeping on your back with your head elevated; this will encourage drainage.
• Apply a good eye gel, specifically formulated for puffy eyes, sparingly every morning.
• If you suspect a more serious medical condition, please see you GP.

Products that I can recommend for amazing results that the Beautique stocks:


Skin Doctors Eyecircle



Skin Doctors Eyesmooth



Skin Doctors Eyetuck

The Perfect Eyebrow Shape

Eyebrows grow in all shapes and thicknesses and the perfect eyebrow can usually only be created with the proper knowledge and tools.

If your eyebrows are already over-plucked or shaped incorrectly, please take the time to let it grow out before attempting to re-shape it. If you try to re-shape eyebrows that have not enough hair growth to work with, you will end up with very strange or possible no eyebrows at all!

Get a friend to help you if you are worried about not being able to see clearly or if you are prone to tweeze too much.

Tools you would need to shape and maintain the perfect eyebrow:

 Tweezer

 Eyebrow comb

 Eyeliner pencil

 Huge mirror

 Eye shadow powder make-up, as near to your natural eyebrow colour as possible

 Slanted eyebrow make-up brush

 Eyebrow fixing gel

 Pair of very sharp, small scissors.

Measuring the eyebrow correctly as follows:

Brush the eyebrows with your eyebrow comb along their natural shape.

1. Hold a pencil or your make-up brush vertically along your nostril to touch or meet your eyebrow. Mark this point with the eye liner pencil. This is where the eyebrow should start.(Point number 1)

2. Hold the pencil at a slanted angle, from your nostril to the outer edge of your eye and mark this point where the eyebrow and the pencil meet. This is where the eyebrow should ends. (Point number 2)

3. Look straight in the mirror and hold the pencil vertically behind the iris and mark the point that meets the eyebrow at the top. This is where the top of the eyebrow arch should be. (Point number 3)

Shape the eyebrow:

Please remember not to make the brows too thin or too arched. It looks unnatural and sometimes very strange….

 Tweeze the hair that grows between the brows to point number 1.

 Tweeze the sparse hair from under the eyebrows- do not thin it out too much.

 Tweeze any hair that grows beyond point number 2.

 Take care to keep as much of the natural arch of your brows, slowly arch the eyebrow at point number 3.

 If there is very long hair that is out of place, trim it at an angled slant with the pair of scissors.

If you are having difficulty doing it like this, first draw in your eyebrows with an eyeliner pencil according to the 3 points. Start tweezing the hair until the required shape is achieved. Or else, you can always have it done professionally!

Further tricks to maintain that perfect shape, or create it if you have sparse, uneven growing eyebrows:

 Use your slanted make-up brush and eye shadow powder, brush on a small amount of powder and fill sparse areas in, or use it to shape the brow where necessary. I find that powders work the best, as you can lighten the effect by brushing it out with your eyebrow brush.

 Use the Eyebrow Fixing Gel to hold the hair in shape.


Product reviews of the following: (I have used every one of them over the past 7 years!)

i. Anesi Soin Du Regard Serum Eclat

ii. Anesi Age Rebellion Eye Cream

iii. Phytomer Lift Contour Intensive Eye and Lip Care

iv. Phytomer Expertise Age Contour Intense Youth Eye Cream

v. Skin Doctors Eyetuck

vi. Skin Doctors Eyecircle

vii. Skin Doctors Instant Eyelift

viii. TheraVine Time Care Eye cream

ix. TheraVine Hydrating Eye Gel

x. TheraVine Anti-Aging Oil Serum

xi. Priory Smoothing Eye Serum

xii. EyeSlices Eye Care Pads

General care for the skin around your eyes

The skin around the eyes is ten times thinner than the skin on the face, it is also more sensitive and requires very gentle handling. As we age, skin loses its elasticity and becomes thinner due to a breakdown of collagen. The desquamation* process takes longer as we age and therefore the healing process also takes longer.

Damage to our skin can be further aggravated by harsh environmental exposures. The skin of the eye contour is constantly moving, blinking alone produces 10 000 movements per day. We use our facial muscles when we talk, laugh, squint and cry which all add up to those dreaded wrinkles, lines, dark circles and puffiness. Rubbing and tugging of the delicate skin under the eye due to allergies, crying, eye makeup removal and insertion and removal of contact lenses can contribute to sagging of the this area.

One should take extra care when choosing a skincare product for this area. Products that contain gentle, non-irritating compounds that target the specific problem be it wrinkles, puffiness or dark circles, along with a wide range of vitamins, antioxidants, and skin-plumping substances are ideal choices.

There are such a large variety of ingredients that can help with whatever problem you have with the eye area, that I would rather explain them in the product reviews.
However, I would like to tell you how to remove your eye-make-up with minimum stress to the area:

Use a good professional salon make-up remover: This is a product formulated specifically for the eye area and can either be a liquid or a thicker, milky lotion. If you use water proof mascara make sure that the one you choose can cope with this very difficult-to-remove make-up product. Be very, very gentle when cleansing the eye area as it is very easy to stretch the skin. If you cannot be gentle please rather use a water-soluble cleanser that can wash it away!

How to remove your eye make-up: Always use damp cotton wool, as some of the cotton wool feels like abrasive pads on the skin when dry. Soak the cotton wool in the make-up remover and place over the eyelids. Wait 5 to 10 seconds for the make-up to softens, then gently stroke the eye lashes from base to tip to remove the mascara. Then stroke softly (not rub and scrub!) from the inside to the outside corner of the eye. Repeat this process until all make-up is removed. If there is still be some stubborn make-up, especially eyeliner around the lashes, use an ear bud (Q-tip) soaked in the remover and gently wipes it away. Now you can cleanse your whole face with your skin specific cleanser. Use a gentle toner and the correct eye cream for your age and gently tap it on the eye bone.

Some basic general do’s and don’ts to help keeping the skin soft and healthy:

 Drink plenty of water. Water plays a crucial role maintaining the elasticity of skin.

 Stay out of the sun. Overexposure to ultraviolet rays causes melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells, to  mature abnormally. This results in age spots and uneven pigmentation. UV rays are responsible for up to 90% of aging and can add several years to your appearance.

 Wear sunglasses to avoid squinting.

 Get plenty of rest/sleep. Fatigue can cause skin to look pale and gaunt.

 Be gentle when removing makeup and avoid unnecessary tugging and pulling on the delicate tissue.

 Use a professional, specific skin care eye cream for your age group.

 Don’t smoke. Nicotine constricts blood vessels in the face and under the eyes. Constricted vessels also make it difficult for nutrients to be absorbed, which leads to a breakdown of collagen.

 Excessive drinking can cause dehydration, so limit yourself to a glass or two of wine every week.

 Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

 Apply all eye skin care products with a massage and tapping around the eye bone.

The skin around the eyes

The anatomy of the skin around the eyes, also referred to as the adnexa is unique to the face and body. The skin around the eyes is thinner and more sensitive, in fact ten times thinner than skin in other parts of the body, and as we age, it becomes even thinner due to the breakdown of collagen. It also has no sebaceous glands that produce extra oil onto the skin. This means no oil, and dry skin.

It is important to understand not only the anatomy of this area, but also the muscles involved as well as the process of skin cell renewal to completely know how to care for this delicate area.

The Orbicularis Oculi muscles are circular sphincters which surround the eyes and close the eyelids. They relax when sleeping and can be used independently as when winking. The Levator Palpebrae Superioris muscles sit on the eyelids, open the eyelids and work as an antagonist to the Orbicularis Oculi. The Corrugator Supercilii muscles are located in the orbital arch and draw the eyebrows inwards and downwards causing the vertical lines on the forehead when frowning

Eyelid skin is made up of several layers. The subcutaneous layer, the deepest of all, contains a fine layer of fascia, which lies top of the Orbicularis Oculi muscle. Another layer acts as the support layer of the skin, which is the dermis. The dermis is made up of threadlike proteins including elastin and collagen, fibroblasts, nerves and blood vessels. The top layer, the epidermis, is made up of basal cells, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, keratinocytes and on top, the dead cell layer (also known as the stratum corneum) made up of corneocytes. The epidermal layer gives the skin its appearance, colour, suppleness, texture, and health.

Basal cells reproduce new cells every few days. As these cells migrate upward, they become drier and flatter. Once they reach the surface of the skin, they are no longer alive, and are referred to as corneocytes. This process of migration from basal cell to corneocytes is what gives the epidermis the ability to regenerate itself. This skin renewal process is known as desquamation. Desquamation is an ongoing process that takes about two weeks in a young person and about 37 days for individuals over 50. The build up of corneocytes gives skin a callous or dry, aged and thickened look. The skin feels and looks rough and its ability to retain water becomes impaired.

The skin around the eyes is some of the thinnest, most delicate skin of your entire body. The capillaries are much closer to the surface of the skin there. Many people's skin is not only thinner around the eyes, but also more translucent. That is the basis of most of the problems that we experience around the eyes; dark circles, puffiness and fine lines and wrinkles