philosophy

The Trio of Youth

I’m dedicated to educating women as to the benefits of using a more natural approach to beauty, which is more than just choosing an organic product, but choosing the right effective products to suit the individual, how to use them and treatments to benefit the underlying structures to really get the best out of your skin without resulting to harsh chemical and cosmetic procedures.

1. Products

Having worked in the beauty and spa industry for a decade, I’ve learnt what works with the skin and the adverse effects chemical ingredients can have. Even products that are designed for sensitive skins I have seen quite dramatic reactions to my skin and that of clients, frustrated and disillusioned with the industry I loved and had chosen to work in. I experience a huge turning point while on a training course for a very well know French skincare house when I questioned an ingredient in a product the reply was just jaw dropping, “yes that is in there but the quantity is so small we never offer that information to the clients” from that point my career drastically changed direction in pursuit of a more natural, organic, honest view where the brands have some level of integrity and concern about their clients over all health rather than their profit margins. I have spent most of the past decade studying, researching, trying and testing many, many products some good, bad and some outstanding.

The organic market is vast and can be confusing as to what to use, over recent years it has become some what of a band wagon to jump on and saturated with frankly, products which may be organic but do not live up to their claims and huge amounts of products which may be called organic but are far from angelic.

As an added benefit not just to yourself, many organic ranges not only respect the health of their clients but that of the environment, methods of farming respecting the planet, no animal testing and fair trade working conditions so not only a healthier skin but a clearer conscience.

Natural skincare of old was very limited as to the results that could be achieved, “a bit tree bark” with poor quality textures and inferior products with little or no effect. Some of these companies have become real pioneers in the organic market with what was such a small supply of organic faming across the world they only had a limited pallet of ingredients to work with, but as the organic and biodynamic farming has boomed the variety and quality is vast in comparison and results really can be achieved with these new complex organic formulations as well as some incredible traditional ranges who just seemed to get it right from the word go.

2. Wellbeing & Diet

We can achieve good results by using the right products, but to get the best out of our skin we need to go that step further in taking control of our own health. What we put into ourselves is just as important, a balanced diet is essential, it is no good applying the best organic products to the skin if we are feasting on processed foods, coffee and alcohol, I am a huge believer in everything in moderation, excess is an unhealthy in-balance, but a healthy diet rich in a variety of fruit and vegetables rich in antioxidants, lean proteins and healthy oils are not only good for our health but fantastic for our complexion.

Water, water, water! We are made up of at least 75% water, vital in maintaining moisture within cells and organs enabling them to be flexible and function properly, and helping healthy kidney function, ideally 2 litres of still water every day.

Exercise, a little and often is all that’s needed to keep the body functioning, if you do not have time to do a class or run 5 miles every evening, just keeping active, walking instead of driving makes all the difference, encouraging our circulation and strengthening our heart and muscles.

Breathe, our skin is a living organ let it breathe and make it fresh air as much as possible, a yoga class is great but fresh air is even better.

Sugar, scientifically proven to adversely affect the collagen within our skin, so go easy on the refined sugar and carbohydrates such as pasta and potato.

Stress, research has shown there is a real connection between levels of stress and the signes of aging, Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, causes degradation of skin collagen accelerating skin aging, proving a real link between body and mind.

3. Therapy & massage

There is no denying the visual and physical benefits you achieve from having a professional facial or massage these are difficult to replicate at home, profound benefits are made even more powerful by having some time to just be.

Massage therapy is one of the oldest forms of medical treatment; the impulse to rub something that hurts is quite a natural response with an inert healing ability.

So we are now happy with the products making our skin clean, fresh and plumped up and we have a healthy balanced diet but we can still see some visible signs of aging, fine lines, puffiness around the eyes and a face that is just not quite as perky as it used to. To finish our trio of youth, natural face therapy and massage techniques can be extremely effective in lifting, toning, brightening and draining the skin, encouraging our skin to function more efficiently with improved circulation of both blood and lymph.

The benefits of treatments goes far beyond the cosmetic appearance of our skin, an absolute must in our over stressed lifestyles, whether that be city or country life, both come with equal amounts of commitment and pressure just in different forms, taking just a few hours a month to benefit our appearance and our overall health is not really that much to ask for.