Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic
Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned. To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.
February 15th, 2009: Acne
Q My acne has cleared up amazingly after I started following the advice in your books, but I still have breakouts during my period. Do you have any advice about this?
A We’re so glad to have helped so far. Now - period-related acne should respond to the herb ChasteBerry (aka Agnus castus) because it helps counter the dominance of the hormone oestrogen, which can lead to acne at the time of your period. Or, suggests Shabir Daya, the pharmacist at Victoria Health, you could try an Ayurvedic product called Tejaswini, which helps cleanse and purify the bloodstream of the compounds that inflame the skin. Our advice would be to try ChasteBerry Extract by Nature’s Plus, £17.15 for 60 capsules, for at least six months, if that doesn’t do the trick, then try Tejaswini ClearSkin Capsules, £9.78 for 30 capsules. To zap spots rapidly, our Beauty Bible testers gave Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel, £33.30, very high marks (an average of 8.95/10), with comments like ‘spots seemed noticeably less angry looking after just one night’. Don’t be tempted to use ultra-drying cleansers, they can send your skin into oil-overdrive and make the problem worse. Also avoid anything with sodium lauryl or laureth sulphate, a foaming agent which can irritate your skin. Opt for a gentle cleanser such as Weleda Aknedoron Cleansing Lotion, specially formulated for problem skin, £5.95. Meanwhile, to camouflage a breakout we suggest dotting on a cream concealer such as Ruby & Millie Concealer Duo, £9.79, with a (very clean) small brush, building it up until it covers. You could also try Prescriptives All Skin Mineral Foundation SPF15, £23.49, a powder that is concealer, base and finisher in one.
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This week, we’re being lulled into restful slumber by gorgeously fragrant Good Nights Sleep Bath Oil by Good Works aromatherapy, the budget ‘cousin’ of This Works, £9.79 for 100ml. Drop two capfuls of this Patchouli, Sweet Smelling Orange and Howood-scented oil into a warm bath, lie back – and dream.
WHERE TO FIND PRODUCTS:
ChasteBerry Extract by Nature’s Plus, £17.15 for 60 capsules: from www.victoriahealth.com , just click here. NB all visitors from www.beautybible.com will receive a 5% discount on every item, plus free postage for online orders (and a free gift for orders over £15).
Tejaswini ClearSkin Capsules, £9.78 for 30 capsules; from www.victoriahealth.com , just click here.
Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel, £33.30: Dermalogica advise buying their products from trained retailers, which are listed on their website, www.dermalogica.com/uk.
Weleda Aknedoron Cleansing Lotion, specially formulated for problem skin, £5.95 for 100 ml: from www.victoriahealth.com, just click here.
Ruby & Millie Concealer Duo, £9.79: available nationwide and from boots.com.
Prescriptives All Skin Mineral Foundation SPF15, £23.49: available in stores nationwide (for stockists call 0870-034 2566) - best to choose a skin-matching shade at the counter, we think.
Good Nights Sleep Bath Oil by Good Works aromatherapy, £9.79 for 100 ml: from Boots nationwide and online, click here. |
