Water and Your Skin

We have all heard time and time again how important getting your minimum water intake is.  But often we are left confused by how much water we should actually be consuming per day.  It's a tricky answer and often depends on your health, how active you are day to day, where you live, your height and weight just to name a few!

However we can all agree that water has amazing health benefits and in turn benefits for your Skin!  Every single system in your body depends on water intake.  Water not only flushes out those nasty toxins in your body but also acts as a carrier bringing essential nutrients around the body.

Dehydration can not only leave you feeling tired, irritable and miserable it also causes havoc on your skin.  Dehydrated skin can feel tight, can look dull and is prone to break outs.  One of the best things you can do both for yourself and your skin is to increase your water intake and to stay hydrated at all times.  Drinking more water creates moisture in your skin from the inside out giving you that glow you have always wanted.

So start today an extra glass until you build up to your recommend minium intake and see the results for yourself!

To help you get started we have a very simple table below based on weight for minimum water intake.  This is purely a guide as remember one solution doesn't suit all!

Product Reviews!

We asked two amazing women to road test some of the products that are part of our 3for2 Skincare promotion for March!  And here is their feedback!  If you have tried any of the products in our Skincare ranges we would love to hear from you!

Tester: Orla McDonagh (lover of beauty and skincare products and avid blogger!)  Her blog http://nicesimplethings.wordpress.com/

Nuxe Body Fondant Firming Cream

This smells absolutely gorgeous and reminds me of when I’m on holidays and I’ve had a few days in the sun so my skin is nice and healthy and baby soft. This is quite perfumed so best to avoid wearing with a fragrance too but it’s so gorgeous and soft it can easily be worn alone. I noticed a real improvement in my skin over the past few days. LOVE LOVE LOVE this body cream! It’s too early to tell if this will actually firm up my skin but I do feel the overall texture is improved upon application.

Nuxe Eye Countour Cream

This does exactly what it says on the tin- my eyes did actually look like they were ‘ironed-out’ - I’ve had a few late nights recently and suffer from both dry and sensitive eyes and I am a daily lenses wearer. This ticked all boxes and even made my eyes feel fresher, like the effect you get from leaving cucumber on your eyes for ten or fifteen minutes.

Nuxe Beautifying Self-Tanning Body Lotion

For a self-tanner this actually smells good, which is a pleasant change. It goes on well, made my skin very soft and fresh looking but there are two downsides. You can’t put it on your face (unlike Tanorganic) and another downside is it leaves kind of a sparkled effect on your skin. For a natural product I found this a little strange as it’s ok for night time but during the day the sparkles looked a little ‘young’ for me and I’m only 28! Maybe this would look better during the summer once I have a base coat of tan or a natural summer glow!

Nuxe Multi-Purpose Dry Oil

I found this fantastic for my hands when they were dry, and indeed my feet in the drier areas, and for my legs after I shaved. I do think it’s a little too greasy for overall hair use- Mine can get quite greasy at the roots after one day even- So I tried it on the ends of my hair and found that was good. I still reckon it’s a better all over body product than hair, particularly if you compare it to Argan oil which conditions but also gives volume, whereas I felt this was a little too heavy for my hair.

Avene Thermal Spring Water

I used to live in Spain and fell in love with this product over there in the middle of one particularly hot summer, but I suprisingly fell in love all over again with it in Mid-March in Dublin. I found that with the air-con at work my skin felt much softer and was less-flakey in places with a few sprays during the day. This is also great for beach holidays but you have to remember to reapply the sun screen to your face. This is also a great ‘setter’ for your makeup!

Avene Cold Cream Hand Cream

I don’t suffer from very dry hands, except if it is snowing outside or if I have been working with chemicals, so I found this a little too greasy for my liking and left my hands slippy and uncomfortable and shiny. I would recommend this to someone who suffers from dermatitis or extremely dry hands, but not as an everyday hand cream.

Avene Micellar Lotion- Cleanser and Make-up remover

This I found great as a night-time cleanser but I still felt like some residue from the lotion remained on my skin. i would definitely need a very good toner to sweep the remainder off before applying moisturiser. It did leave my skin nice and soft and is very gentle so would be great for drier skin. Again, I would use this after a big night out before a good face scrub!

Avene Ultra rich cleansing gel

This is lovely and creamy but I would find this a little boring to use every day as I prefer something a little brighter and lighter. This would be great on a pamper evening before a nice body oil as it is very hydrating and made my skin lovely and soft and feeling very ‘clean’.

Trilogy Everything Balm

This is really one of those go-to products for me. I used it as a lip balm, on dry cracked heels, as a hand lotion, on scars and as a moisturiser for the drier areas on my body- what can I say? I’m a total convert! It’s fantastic and absorbs really well into the skin without leaving that greasy residue. It’s in a very handy tub so I will get to use the whole tub without trying to crane my fingers around a tube. This pot has a permanent position in my handbag as of one week ago :)

Trilogy Rich Night Cream

This is great for a night after a big weekend on the town, when your skin is misbehaving and needs a really good moisture-boost! My skin is combination-oily and then can be quite dry so I would use this as a good back-up moisturiser when the weather is colder. Great fresh, natural smell, as with all Trilogy products, my Dad even tried to steal this one!

Tester:  Kiri Wynne (amazing mum and lover of beauty products)

Nuxe Multi-Usage Dry Oil

I found this product fantastic for the dry skin on my hands. Ever since my daughter was born six months ago I have suffered terribly with sore, cracked skin from all the hand washing. I have tried a multitude of creams, potions and lotions but nothing has worked like this Nuxe oil. I put it on last thing at night and when I wake up in the morning my hands are a hundred times better. It also smells really nice! The instructions on the bottle say it is for use on the face and hair too, so it's a very versatile little product!

Nuxe First Expression Lines Eye Contour Cream

I also liked this product and have been using it morning and night. You only need a tiny little bit so the small tube will last a long time. The cream leaves the skin under your eyes feeling cool and tighter - although I'm still waiting to see the anti-dark circle effect it claims to have!

Nuxe Gentle Purifying and Clarifying Mask 

I am a fan of the Nuxe range now and also enjoyed this mask very much. It is just like a mask you'd get in a day spa and smells divine. It left my skin feeling clean and fresh without the dry tightness you can be after using some masks.

Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray

I tried this on my stingy, sore, dry hands too and it offered immediate relief. I found it hard to believe the only ingredient is spring water, it worked so quickly and so well that I thought there must be extra stuff in there! My husband also tried some on his eczema and said it made his skin feel much better too. I'd love to keep a can of this on me while travelling too, I bet it would be lovely to spray on your face during a long haul flight or in a hot/humid climate.

Lymphatic Drainage

Manual Lymphatic drainage is the gentle massaging of the body in order to stimulate the natural circulation of the lymph around the body.    While getting a massage can be expensive and time consuming one of the best ways to help with lymphatic drainage is skin brushing.  

Here’s the science bit!  

Skin brushing has the effect of stimulating the lymphatic system to move excess toxins into the solar plexus area, where the toxic fluid is drained into the intestines to be excreted from the body.   By using the bristles of the brush to massage your body this will encourage waste to be drawn up through the skin and brushed away.  

Your skin is one of the key areas for elimination of these toxics and due to this you may find that your skin becomes itchy and irritated.  This can happen when there is a build up of these toxins and skin brushing can help clear these from the skin.  

So now you know the science will you take up skin brushing?   A simple how to for skin brushing is below and visit your local DocMorris or Unicarepharmacy where you can pick up a skin brush and start your new regime!

Step 1.  Wait until your skin is dry

Step 2.  Start at your feet and brush with firm but gentle strokes up towards your heart.  Complete both legs, your bum and your stomach

Step 3.  Start with your finger tips moving on to your arms, shoulders down your front and your back.

Step 4.  Take a warm bath to wash away any excess dead skin 

Results will be glowing skin and a feeling of refreshment!  Lymphatic drainage and skin brushing can help tone your body, reduce cellulite and can aid in stress reduction.  Why not follow your regime with body moisturiser for that extra special silky skin feeling.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is one of the most common skin care issues, however often people mistake dry skin for dehydrated skin.  Remember the golden rule for dry skin is to always look after it, particularly in winter when you may find your skin feels even tighter.  Try to always follow your daily regime of Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise and avoid using products such as facial wipes or household soap on your face.   

Dehydration plays a large part in skin feeling tight and lines in the skin can form.  If you feel your dry skin stems from dehydration start increasing your daily water intake today.   If you can shower in luke warm water, hot water can reduce the amount of moisture in your skin and avoid using any harsh soaps on the skin.   

Our skincare secret! - Try and keep your skin moisturised throughout the day by using a product such as the Avene Thermal spring water in the morning, throughout the day even over your makeup and before you go to sleep at night.   This spring water has no smell, colour or taste and is suitable for even the most sensitive skins.   Try also to reduce your tea and coffee intake and substitute with a glass of water to help skin hydration.  

One of the conditions associated with dry skin is sensitive skin.  If you are suffering from sensitive skin we recommend that you visit one of our Skincare consultants who will be able to give you a free skin consultation and recommend products to combat your dry and sensitive skin.

Eczema a note from our Facebook Pharmacist Stephen:

We all see plenty of adverts for products focused on making our skin look younger or even a few shades darker (ladies!), but a lot of people suffer from a skin condition that is more than just a vanity issue. Eczema is a relatively common condition that at best is annoying but at its worst can become life controlling. It frequently occurs in babies and small children but many outgrow it by adulthood. A few simple measures can make living with eczema a lot more bearable, such as regular moisturising with creams and using washes that are specifically designed for eczematous skin, even during times when it isn't flared up. But flare ups are, unfortunately, inevitable and this is where your local Unicare or DocMorris Pharmacy team may be able to help. Antihistamines and a mild steroid cream ( in adults and children over 10 years) are available over the counter and can help to clear up minor flare ups and reduce the itch associated with them, although check with your pharmacist to determine what course of treatment will be suitable.