Hello again – twice in one week!

This time I just wanted to say thank you so much for the overwhelming response that I got asking to know what you want to see in my blog. The first 100 replies came through in the first day – amazing!! I will get those mitts out as soon as possible!

I got some fabulous ideas from you all and you can be assured that I will be working through them all, doing some extra research and getting on to giving you the info and background that you have asked for.

Just so you know, here are the top 5 suggestions:
1. Skin problems and their solutions and remedies
2. Suncare – how to protect your skin from those harmful rays!
3. Comments, questions and testimonials from my (fab!) customers
4. Adult acne – how to combat it?
5. Those damn wrinkles – what to do?

I also had some really great feedback in general about the site and the products so thank you for that – we all need to know we’re heading in the right direction every now and then.

So again: Thank You!

Lisa x

“Age becomes reality when you hear someone refer to ‘that attractive young women standing next to the woman in the green dress’ and you find that you are the one in the green dress.” Lois Wyse, pro-age activist.

Hello my lovelies – how are you? I am full of the joys of spring today, the sun is shining and it really feels like winter has left us behind – so here’s hoping!

I caught up with a very dear friend for a coffee yesterday who I have known since school – how amazing is that! She however very kindly reminded me that I had not done a blog for quite some time, she even said she enjoyed them (see I told she was a very dear friend!) so here I am prompted to put fingers to keyboard again….

It seems like a while since I have done this so forgive me if I am little rusty. I had a look back over some of the things I had written about in the past and decided that I might touch on sensitive skin. It seems I have had a lot of emails lately from lovely ladies that suffer from all types of issues with their skin. Hopefully I have been able to help them!

So, sensitive skin – the exact reason for it is unknown. It can be associated with dry and dehydrated skin, as well as oily skin and is characterised by redness, itching, burning and in the worst cases, small pustules.

One possible reason is a thin, compromised corneum layer. In such cases, the protective barrier is impaired and may not allow products to penetrate to the deeper and more delicate epidermal layers.

Sensitive skin may be one of the most difficult to treat because the exact cause is unknown. It can appear in dry, dehydrated or oily skin. Sensitive skin is best treated with gentle products that restore the skins protective barrier while promoting balance.

Now as I sign off I have a challenge for you all – I would like to know what you would like to hear about in this blog of mine and I have decided that a wee bit of bribery could go a long way…. So for the first 100 replies with a useful suggestion I will post you an exfoliating mitt to say thanks!

So enjoy this start to spring and….

Love Your Skin!

Lisa x

Quote of the week

“I wouldn’t change anything about my appearance but I could do with sharing my bottom and thighs with at least two other people.”

- Christine Hamilton, the soul of generosity

I was talking with the lovely Kate, from Beauty Bible (www.beautybible.co.nz) last week about a whole lot of things and she was saying that there has been a lot of interest in Love Your Skin and the brands we do – which is just fantastic. There are also a few “interesting” products that we carry and she asked me if I would have a quick chat about some of my favorites, which I am delighted to do!

Now I love all our products but there are some that you just don’t see anywhere else or have some extra special qualities…. So here is a quick list off the top of my head.

Gingi Breast Firming Masks

I know – what are they and what do they do? Well I have used these and I really did notice a difference. The idea of them is that the breast tissue is delicate and requires some extra special attention to keep them looking fabulous. The masks are designed to tighten and tone and prevent sagging and stretch marks. They will soften and sooth the breasts while gently cleansing and stimulating the tissue. Doesn’t that sound divine J the instructions also say that the breasts will appear fuller, and you know what, after I have used them I really think they do!

Gingi Instant Eye Lift Masks

This is another revolutionary break through by Gingi. They are designed to nourish, protect and restore the delicate skin around the eyes. They will reduce the signs of aging and also prevent new lines and wrinkles forming, and who doesn’t want that! They also improve the appearance of bags, dark circles and puffiness. I put these on for about 20 minutes a couple of times a week and they really do work, I feel the skin tightening and when I take them off lines and wrinkles really have plumped out. These little beauties are great to use on a regular basis or even as a quick repair job if you have an important event, a hot date or just feel the need for a little pick me up and some pampering time.

Celazome Inside Tan

I love this fantastic moisturising self-tanner. Celazome have some excellent technology in all their skin care and Inside Tan does not miss out. It delivers moisturisers and tanning agents deep into the skin, and away from daily surface exfoliation and because it time releases it actually renews itself so you only need to apply it every 3 – 5 days. I find that I can apply it straight after shaving my legs with no irritation at all and my skin feels lovely and hydrated. It gives me a really nice natural colour and it even smells great!

Celazome Oplex Acne System

This is great range from Celazome; they have done a lot of research around the use of Oregano Oil and the treatment of Acne. Oregano oil has great antibacterial properties, however it can be irritating if applied directly to the skin. So Celazome have used their patented Lyphazome Technology to encapsulate the Oregano Oil so that it can be delivered in to the deeper layers of the of the epidermis. The products that are part of the Oplex range are the Oplex Wash, the Oplex Mist (a toner), the Oplex Lotion and the Oplex Target, which is a spot treatment. I have used the Target myself when I have had the odd annoying spot, and my gorgeous stepdaughter uses the wash and mist and her skin is looking great!

Gingi Vitamin C & E Liposome

Isn’t Vitamin C big these days? This product is great because the Liposome’s deliver the product directly to the cells. This product gives the skin the anti-oxidants and free radicals it needs to stay youthful, it is excellent for improving the appearance of the skin and it works on those nasty fine lines and wrinkles! Which means that the skin looks plumper, firmer and more supple.

Something you should know about Vitamin C is that as soon as it is exposed to the air it starts to oxidise. With the Gingi packaging the bottles have a pump so there is no need to open the bottle, which means that no air is getting to the product, which means that it stays fresher for longer!

So there are a few of my fav’s, of course there are more but I don’t want to bore you with them all today…. I’d love to hear about yours or if you want more info on any of my products just let me know.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I spent 7 hours in a beauty shop - and that was just for the estimate!” Phyllis Dyller, famously frazzled comedian

Hi there – and Happy Easter, I hope you all had a great long weekend!

I seem to have been flat out but not doing anything much exciting…. Which is a bit sad – for me anyway! And how fast is this year going? I cannot believe that we are already at Easter. One good thing though, I have had lots of orders and questions and lovely feedback from my lovely customers and I always enjoy that!

So following on from combination skin I thought this week I would move on to dry skin.

Dry skin is the result of underactivity of the sebaceous glands. When exhibited in younger individuals, it is predominately hereditary. The layers of the stratum corneum are thinner, promoting greater stress for this skin type. The protective barrier is somewhat compromised and becomes more difficult to retain water, which in turn causes dehydration. The primary culprit is the lack of oil. Without sufficient amounts this ‘cellular cement’, the top layer doesn’t retain the cells, hence the thinner skin. Likewise, the amount of water retained is also impaired.

Aside from genetics, dry skin is also the consequence of the normal aging process. Unfortunately as we all know with the progression of time, all bodily functions begin to slow. Cellular turnover, the time it takes for new cells to journey from the germinative to the stratum layer, is greatly reduced. At the same time the skin’s water retaining abilities have diminished, resulting in thinner and dryer skin over time.
Dry skin tends to be filled with tiny, superficial lines, and usually prone to wrinkles. Pores are almost invisible; there is less elasticity and poorer skin tone, as well.

Dry skin problems are exacerbated by exposure to the sun, heat, wind and dramatic shifts in temperature. It is also prone to premature aging, so the early use of Treatment masks will be helpful and beneficial.

I guess we can also sometimes confuse dry skin and dehydrated skin so I will talk about that next week!

Did I tell you that we are going to be on TV? “Good Morning” is going to have the Gingi Oscar’s Luxury Gift Pack in their goody bag for a couple of lucky viewers to win and I am really excited about that so I will let you know when.

So till next week

Love Your Skin!

Lisa
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Quote of the week

“If a woman is meant to have wrinkles, they should at least be put on the soles of her feet.”
Ninon de Lenclos, seventeenth-century courtesan

Now I don’t like to mention the “R” word, recession that is. It seems to me that if the press keep talking about it we will start believing it! But having said that there are times when we all need to be a little prudent and resourceful and think about what we do and spend our money on.

The reason I’m even thinking about this at the moment is that I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and she mentioned she had gone out to get some shampoo…. Anyway she went to get her usual brand, which is a professional range that is not available in the supermarket. When she saw the price she really hesitated about making the purchase but continued and got it. On the way home she was thinking about it and realised that the last time she had actually bought shampoo was quite a few months ago and I guess this is my point…. sometimes we think we are economising by maybe getting a cheaper supermarket brand when in fact buying good quality hair care and skincare is costing us no more than something we might buy at the supermarket. The reason? It lasts longer, we use less and it does what it is supposed to!

And I just realized that I digress from what I was going to talk about which was another skin type - hope you don’t mind, I just thought it seemed so topical at the moment that I might mention it!

I promise I will get back on task next week, I’m thinking combination skin is a good one to talk about. And of course if there is anything you want me to talk about let me know, I love to hear from you all….

Keep Loving Your Skin
Lisa

Quote of the week

“I love being single. It’s almost like being rich”
Sue Grafton, spelling out the truth

Well here I am again and a belated Happy Valentines Day! Isn’t it funny how there is so much hype around 1 day being THE day to be romantic – any day of the year works for me! Talking about romance and love – isn’t it interesting that when you first fall in love your skin seems to be just perfect, in fact doesn’t everything seem that way – you have boundless energy no matter how little sleep you get and the world and everyone in it just seem to look better. Wouldn’t it be great if we could bottle that!

Now I said I was going to talk about skin types and thought I would start with Normal Skin….

Normal skin is probably the most unlikely that you will find. It is quite simply radiant with perfect hydration, muscle tone and elasticity. The main reason that normal skin is so rare is due to aging. As we mature the skin has a tendency to loose its perfect balance. Other factors that contribute to this change include insufficient water intake, poor diet, insufficient sleep and stress as well a host of other factors…

Normal skin still requires proper cleansing morning and night, a light protective moisturiser for the day and a hydrating moisturiser at night. And lets not forget the all-important daily use of sun protection!

You know one thing to be aware of is that our skin type changes constantly, depending on seasons and even how well we are looking after it.

But importantly the earlier we start looking after our skin the better!

Oh and while I remember there are a couple of things that I really want to make sure you all know…

Don’t forget we have a 100% money back guarantee. I know that trying new skincare can sometimes be a daunting thing. But I so love the products I stock that if you are not happy I will happily refund your money!

Love Your Skin

Lisa x

Quote of the week

“We had a lot in common. I loved him and he loved him.”

Shelley Winters, histrionic type

Hi, Lisa here from Love your Skin - welcome to my latest newsletter!

I’m sorry if some of you missed the last newsletter – we had some horrendous computer problems when we emailed it – apparently we almost ‘crashed the server’ (whatever that means!) If you are interested it is posted on my blog, on the loveyourskin.co.nz web site.

You know I turned 40 a couple of weeks back – I remember a time when people used to dread the “BIG 40” Not me – I actually looked forward to it, or maybe I’m just a bit odd!

Anyway a lot of people told me that I don’t look even close to my age (Don’t worry I’ll pay them later…) I figure some of the reason for that must be that I do try to look after my skin. Goodness knows it gets hammering from the environment and my lifestyle, which is not that of a nun I have to say! You know the deal, too many late nights, too much wine….

As I write this I am in the Coromandel on a long weekend holiday with lovely husband Steve so my skin has had a good chance to recuperate really, it’s been slathered in good moisturisers full of nutrients and no makeup for 5 days – lots of good sunscreen through the day as well!

So what is a good skincare routine? I know people that tell me that they only cleanse in the morning – it’s a good start but probably 5/10 for that. I find what works for me is using products that work for my skin and making sure that I cleanse, tone and moisturise morning and night. I also use some treatments a couple of times a week, like an exfoliating masque 2-3 times in the morning and because my skin can tend to get a bit dehydrated a hydrating masque 2-3 evenings. It seriously doesn’t take me more than 5-8 minutes.

I thought it might be useful through the coming weeks to give you an outline of the various skin types there are and how you might recognise yours….

But till then…”Love your Skin”

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“My husband says he can read me like an open book. The only problem is he doesn’t know what page I’m on.”

Sydney Dotson, reading between the lines!

Happy New Year everyone!

This newsletter is a little late - we had some technical challenges with our mailing system… oh well, hopefully that won’t happen again (I hate computers!)

I trust that you have all had a great Christmas and New Year and are ready to make 2009 successful in all the ways you want it to be!

We had a busy time with family and friends and enjoyed the lovely weather – what a great summer we are having!

And apart from family we have been really busy with Love Your Skin. We have been inundated with sample requests and orders, which is just fantastic – we hope you enjoyed your free samples.

I’ve been asked how we can afford to give these away with no purchase. The truth is, I’ve found people love the samples so much that many of you come back to loveyourskin.co.nz to purchase the products – especially at our great prices.

So if you liked the samples you received, please visit www.loveyourskin.co.nz to buy, and get an extra discount just for being a member of the Love Your Skin Skin Care Club (and free shipping of course!).

I must say I really enjoy hearing from you all, some feed back is asking how to use the products and some is about what products would suit them best…so keep the contact coming and if there is anything that you would like to hear about specifically – please let me know!

In the next newsletter, coming soon, we will get back to giving you tips on skin care, and we will have some great ‘specials’ too! Don’t miss it!

Quote of the week

“I am beautiful, famous, and gorgeous. I could have any man in the world.”

- Anna Kournikova, the model of maidenly modesty!

Hello everyone, and thanks so much for subscribing to my email list!

Well, Steve’s son is getting married tomorrow, to his beautiful Irish fiancé whom he met in Dublin. So we have the whole Irish contingent here to help celebrate (and they sure love doing that!)

They have really noticed how strong the sun is here and we have encouraged them to use sunscreen whenever they go out during the day. The girls have really taken to using the Celazome moisturizing sunscreen as it is non-greasy and they can wear it under their make-up.

Next week I will have a special treat, just for you, so please look out for it – hopefully next Wednesday (once I’ve recovered from the up-coming wedding!)

Ciao for now,

Lisa