Origins "Zero Oil"

As you know, I'm always looking for products to help control my oily skin! This product comes in an 18ml (£12) bottle which isn't a lot, and as it is liquid it can run out very quickly depending on how much you're using.

You can apply it either under or over your make-up and it gives the face a matte finish! I used it today and was surprised it actually seemed to work!

Would it be lazy of me to copy and paste what the Origins website has to say about it?

"When everyday hassles like heat, humidity, or stress send already overzealous oil glands into overdrive, skin faces a surplus of shine, looks dingy, feels totally tacky. Breakouts are apt to blossom. Nature's master-mattifiers, including oil-foiling Silicates, toning Winterbloom, plus calming Chinese Camphor, instantly zero in skin-spoiling oil and blot up greasy shine without overdrying. Creates a smooth, invisible finish that stays matte all day. There are no streaks on cheeks. And forehead, chin and nose show positively no glow."

The only problem is have with this product is I'm unsure of how to apply it! It's a liquid so you'd assume that it should be put on a cotton wool pad and wiped over the face, but if you want to apply it over make-up then surely a cotton wool pad would wipe away most of your make-up?!

I have just been squirting it into my palms and massing it into my face before I put any make-up on, but it is quite messy and you have to do it straight away so that the product doesn't leak out of your hands!

Looking at the reviews on the website I'm not the only one who is a bit confused about how to apply it...

When you first put it on it can feel a bit tacky but it absorbs into the skin very quickly and that feeling soon passes.

All in all I'd say that it was worth the money as it seems to be keeping my T-Zone oil free throughout the day!

http://www.origins.co.uk/product/6342/11728/Skincare/Concern/Blemish-Oil-Control/Zero-Oil/Instant-matte-finish-for-shiny-places/index.tmpl

- Natalie

3rd Laser Treatment

The last time I had the laser treatment was about 6 weeks ago, the usual waiting period between the treatments is 4 weeks so it's been a little bit longer than I would have liked!

So my treatment was at 4:00pm today and I was a little bit nervous because it had been so long since the last treatment, but my face has broken out a lot recently (mostly on the left side of my face which is strange...) so I was looking forward to having it done to see if it would lessen the breakouts!

I'm sure you'll all agree with me that having these treatments is a big deal; allowing someone to not only see your face without make-up but touch it aswell, you build up a sort of bond with whoever does it for you. Well when I got there today I found out that the girl who has been doing my face for the past year had left the company after my last treatment!

The woman who did the treamtent instead was a complete stranger to me, I didn't even know her name! I felt awkward because I didn't know what to say to her, and when she took my make-up off to prepare my face I felt vulnerable because I didn't know what she was thinking about the state of my skin etc. It felt like I was walking in there for the first time.

Obviously, because she has never done any of my treatments before she had no clue about what strength laser I should be having/ how many treatments I have had before so there was a lot of paper fumbling which only added to the nerves. She said that my previous treatment settings were too low and she was going to make the laser stronger! No one can seem to get this laser thing right for me!! I don't want to put anyone off but during the treatment I could literally smell my skin burning; it didn't "hurt", it was bearable, just the whole situation made me feel uncomfrotable.

At the end of the session I realised there were no mirrors in the treatment room so I had to leave the building without seeing my face! This was a big deal for me! I ran to the closest toilet to find a mirror; my face was red and both scars and spots were visible all over so I put make-up on and kept my head down as I walked quickly back to my car.

The whole scenario just made me uncomfortable today, I'm extremely self conscious about my skin and having so many strangers (both in the building and outside) see my skin in that condition got me down. I think that's why it is so important to built up bonds with whoever does your treatments, because they grow to understand your concerns and you then have someone you can trust not to judge you when you are at your most vulnerable.

Hopefully the next treatment won't be so bad.

- Natalie

Origins Super Spot Remover

Hello! How are we all today?

I'm going to write about Origins Super Spot Remover; a blemish gel that claims to heal spots if used regularly.
It costs £12, so a little bit more expensive than your regular Tea Tree oil, and it comes in a tiny 10 ml, twist lid bottle.

It smells like Witch Hazel because they both contain some of the same ingredients that help reduce redness and imflammation; it also contains Salicylic Acid which helps to dry out the spot.

When you put it on a spot it immediately makes the skin feel tighter which is a good sign as it means a reaction is taking place, it says on the box that you can apply it between 1-3 times a day depending on the size of the spot etc but due to the amount of product you get I wouldn't recommend using it excessively. There is a risk of dryness to the skin but it states that if such problems occur then you should stop using the product.

It's fragrance free and not tested on animals!

I have read a lot of reviews on the internet regarding this product and although some people swear by it I wouldn't recommend it for severe acne as the ingredients are not strong enough to help control extreme problem skin, but if you have very mild acne or only get spots occasionally then you will probably benefit from it!

- Natalie

Easy ways to help get rid of a spot!

I have to be honest with you, the majority of these have not worked for me but as I always say; everybody has different skin so what doesn't work for me might work for you!

Here are a few tips I've picked up over the years, they're all extremely easy/cheap so it's worth giving them a try!

Most of these can be used just before you go to bed so all you have to do is sleep!

• Put a blob of toothpaste on the affected area before bed; as the toothpaste dries up in the night so will the spot. You shouldn't use jelly toothpaste as they tend not to dry and by morning it will be everwhere! I did get a comment on here saying that the fluoride in toothpaste could be the cause of acne around the mouth/jaw, so if you think that you might have been affected by that then it's probably best to give this one a miss!
• Apply Tea-Tree oil directly on the blemish, it works to fight off infections and has been found to help control oil production which should help dry up the spot!
• If dabbed on a couple of times a day, Witch Hazel should help reduce the inflammation. Witch Hazel is usually used on bruises/burns and will not stop the cause of acne, but it can help reduce the size and redness (which is always a good thing!)
• Why not steam your face to open your pores? All you need is a large bowl, some hot water, and a towel! Just pour the hot water in a bowl, place your head over the bowl, and place the towel over your head to stop the steam from escaping! Firstly, you don't want the water to be boiling as that will brun your face; if you can't stick your finger in the bowl then it is way too hot! You could also try pouring oils in it, like Tea-Tree or Chamomile which help fight infection and soothe the skin!
• Add water to a paracetemol and crush together to make a paste, apply that over the infected area and wait to dry! Paracetemol works from the inside out, so why not the outside in?
• Place an ice-cube on the spot and it will take away the redness from the skin! Try putting it inside a thin tea towel and then placing it over the spot if it's too cold.

Ok, so there are a couple of ways to get rid of spots the easy way! Give them a try and if you havecan think of any other ways then please let me know!

- Natalie

Make-up Tutorials

It's not uncommon for girls to not know how to apply make-up! When I first started using it to cover my acne the end result was always attrocious; I used the wrong shade of foundation/concealer, didn't blend below my jawline, and just generally had no clue what I was doing.

As I said in a previous post, I found that make-up manuals (such as Bobbi Brown's) really helped me and taught me about everything from make-up and brushes to how diet affects your skin!

For those of us whose preferences are a bit more technological then there is no better place to look than YouTube! It is FULL of video tutorials giving step by step instructions on a variety of beauty looks, so you can see the "tutor" applying the make-up and copy their technique, simple!

My personal favourite YouTuber is Michelle Phan, make-up artist and spokeswoman for Lancôme. I first heard of her when I was flicking through an old issue of Teen Vogue, she was talking about her favourite beauty secrets and I started encoporating some of her techniques into my own beauty routine. A couple of weeks ago I decided to watch some of her YouTube videos and they are so so so simple to follow!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan

It is definately worth checking out, especially if you feel you could do with some beauty tutorials!

http://www.teenvogue.com/beauty/blogs/beauty/2010/11/michelle-phan.html

- Natalie

The Sun

Sorry sorry sorry for not posting in a while; I have been in Spain! It was extremely hot and let me tell you, hot weather + oily skin = nightmare!

Firstly, I have to wear make-up when I am out in public/with any one who is not a member of my nucleur family; I'm still not confident enough with my skin to go without any form of coverage.
Secondly, my skin is extremely oily.

This is where the problem started; the hot weather made my skin feel oilier (and sweatier...) so my make-up was always going patchy and uneven.

I was using an oil free foundation with light coverage to try and stop this from happening but you cannot outsmart Mother Nature! If anyone knows of any make-up brands that are good in hot climates I would love to know!

Also, acne on my chest flared up very badly! I assumed that the sun would help dry up the skin and stop spots from appearing but what happened to me was completely the opposite.

However, I did have sun tan lotion on at all times to stop any burning (as my skin tone is the palest of pale) or sun damage. The sun causes wrinkles to form and I do NOT want to add wrinkles to my list of things I dislike about my skin!!!!

- Natalie

Laser Treatment

Yesterday I graduated (congratulations to me!) and how did I celebrate? By have an N-Lite laser treatment session today, of course!

Before you read this, it might be worth reading my post from April titled "N-Lite Laser Treatment" as it gives more information on the actual treatment.

The treatment literally lasted no more than 5 minutes! Suprinsing since the last time I had it done it took around 30-40 minutes. My assumption is that the treatment takes longer if there is a larger infected surface area to treat; the esthetician will spend longer making sure that all the infected areas are targeted.
The only areas where I thought it was most uncomfortable was around my eyes and on the cheeks near the nose; it's probably because these areas of skin are quite thin.
She used quite a low laser setting on me and I never had to ask her to stop, it was always bearable!

It's made me feel a bit silly about avoiding laser treatment; the first time I had it done was when my skin was badly infected and the laser made my skin feel like it was burning, because the effects of the laser are felt more strongly on infected areas.

Right now my face feels hot and looks red but that's normal and should calm down soon apparently. It's also not uncommon to have small red marks on the skin where the laser has been used.

- Natalie