Blue light is high energy light that is emitted by the sun, computer screens and mobile phones. This blue light can cause skin damage just like UV light damage. There is a lot of research to show that blue light from devices can cause changes in skin cells and therefore speed up the ageing process. It can also result in skin sensitivity.

Do you work in an office and spend a lot of time at computer screens? Do you spend a lot of time scrolling Instagram or Facebook on your phone? Then you are exposed to HEV or blue light.

So, how do we stop the blue rays from screens from damaging our skin?

Apply an SPF every morning that offers full protection against UVA, UVB and blue rays.

A nice example is the ASAP Hydrating Defence SPF50. This protects against blue light along with UV rays and suits all skin types.

The post Can blue light from a phone or computer damage your skin? appeared first on Maria Nolan Skin Expert.

Before purchasing a cleanser, think about your skincare concerns. Are you prone to oily skin, dry patches, spots or breakouts? Is your skin really sensitive? Do you react to different products?

Cleanser for dry or sensitive skin

Do you experience flakey or tight skin? Is your skin prone to redness? Use a gentle creamy cleanser to add hydration while you cleanse. Using a harsh cleanser on a dry skin will make it dryer. My pick is the AlumierMD Hydraboost Cream Cleanser. This contains argan oil which actually mimics the sebum(oil) your skin naturally produces by locking in moisture without leaving a greasy feel. It is also high in antioxidants, including vitamin E which is fabulous for nourishing dry or mature skin. Massage around a damp face for 60 seconds and rinse well with lukewarm water and a facecloth. Using hot water will strip the skin more.

Cleanser for oily skin or skin prone to breakouts

Gel cleansers are ideal here to degrease the skin. You also want to use ingredients that will control the oil in the skin. ASAP Daily Facial Cleanser is an oil free cleanser with 10% Glycolic Acid. This will purify the skin, deep cleanse the pores and exfoliate without drying or irritating. It is great for improving skin texture and giving a smooth skin.

Cleanser for combination skin

Is your skin is sometimes dry but you get the odd breakout/spot? Is your skin oily but you experience flaky skin at times? You want to use a balancing cleanser without harsh ingredients that will nourish and hydrate the skin without being too heavy. My pick here is the ASAP Gentle Cleansing Gel. This is formulated to gently and thoroughly cleanse the skin of makeup and impurities while maintaining the skin’s natural moisture balance. Contains powerful antioxidant White Tea and healing Aloe Vera to calm and soothe. Suitable for all skin types, especially sensitive skin.

I hope this helps you choose a cleanser that suits your skin type. For more assistance or to get a tailored skincare routine book a consultation here.

Chat soon,

Maria 🙂

The post How to choose a cleanser for your skin appeared first on Maria Nolan Skin Expert.

Last April, I wrote a post outlining the symptoms of rosacea and a sample rosacea skin routine. You can have a read of that here. Today, I will chat about some rosacea triggers.

What triggers my rosacea flare-up’s?

There are a number of factors that can exacerbate rosacea. Some of the common rosacea triggers include: sunlight, weather changes, cold/heat, humidity, heavy exercise, stress, alcohol, spicy foods, menstruation changes, certain foods or certain skin products.
Rosacea triggers are very individual and will vary from person to person.

How do I know what is causing my rosacea to flare-up?

Identifying your rosacea trigger factors can go a long way in helping you manage and control your condition.

To do this, I recommend you keep a diary, book a skin consultation and consider a food intolerance test.

Keeping A skincare DIARY

Write down little notes each day, keeping in mind some of the rosacea triggers I mentioned above. For example, some things you might take note of are eating spicy foods, days you drink alcohol, when you feel stressed, your menstrual cycle etc. Even little notes help.

After a while, you might start to notice a correlation between certain things you do/eat and days that your rosacea is bad. Once you identify what affects you it is easy to cut down or avoid it!

A food intolerance test can often be beneficial to help you identify some food triggers.

Lifestyle tips for Managing your rosacea

The following are also some general lifestyle tips for managing rosacea:

• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated internally.
• Aim to stick to fresh, non-processed foods.
• Cut down on sugary foods.
• Eat lots of vegetables.
• Ensure you get enough fibre in your diet.
• If you think foods are affecting your rosacea, try a food intolerance test.
• Manage stress – Stress is a huge trigger for rosacea. It is something that plays a part in all our lives at some point. I know it’s not always easy to simply avoid it. However, you can learn to cope with and manage stress more efficiently. Try scheduling time into your week for you. Make time for yoga, walking or reading.

If you would like some help with managing your rosacea then book a skin consultation with me and we can chat.

I hope this helped!

Chat soon,

Maria x

The post Rosacea Triggers appeared first on Maria Nolan Skin Expert.

What is exfoliation?

Exfoliation simply means the removal of dead skin cells.

Why do I need to exfoliate?

On average, skin cells reproduce every month. Old cells die and new ones form. For a healthy glowing complexion, you should exfoliate regularly to loosen and remove the old dead skin cells. Exfoliation will remove flaky skin, unclog pores, prevent breakouts and leave you with a much brighter skin! Whereas, a lack of exfoliation will lead to dry, dehydrated, sensitive and dull skin.

How do I exfoliate?

There are two different types of exfoliation: physical or chemical. Both are effective but suited to different skin types.

Physical Exfoliation

Physical exfoliation means to physically scrub dead cells from the surface of your skin. A physical exfoliant is usually in the form of a scrub and can feel gritty or rough on your skin. They are perfect for removing dead skin cells, getting rid of flaky skin and for smoothing the surface of the skin. However, overuse of scrubs can cause redness, dehydration and sensitivities. They can irritate the top layer of skin so use with caution.

One physical exfoliant I’d recommend is the AlumierMD Lotus Scrub. This is a gentle scrub with a jelly like consistency, suited to all skin types. Massage around the skin for 60 seconds and rinse off. Use twice a week.

Chemical Exfoliation

Chemical exfoliation means to exfoliate with the use of acids or enzymes, for example, AHA’s or BHA’s. The chemicals break the bonds between skin cells so that old cells fall off and fresh, new cells form. They can go below the surface layer of the skin and remove impurities at a deeper level than a physical exfoliant. Chemical exfoliants also, have the ability to create changes to your skin on a cellular level.

While the term ‘chemical’ sometimes turns people off, I feel that these are often better options for sensitive skin as there’s no scrubbing involved. Often, they can be much less abrasive and irritating than a physical scrub. Most chemical exfoliants don’t involve rubbing or friction. Lots of these are actually natural chemicals derived from fruit or milk.

A chemical exfoliant can be in the form of a cleanser, serum, toner, moisturiser or peel treatment. For example, a glycolic acid cleanser or a lactic acid serum. However, different chemical acids suit different skins. So, it is very important to choose the correct one for your skin type. Overuse or using the wrong acid for your skin can cause irritations and sensitivity. Do seek advice before starting any chemical exfoliants.

One I love is the AlumierMD AHA Renewal Serum. This contains Lactic acid and is suited to most skin types. Lactic Acid gives a nice gentle exfoliation. It smoothes the surface of the skin, hydrates, brightens and exfoliates. This exfoliant is in the form of a leave-on serum. Apply every second night after cleansing the skin. Contact me to purchase this as it is not available online 🙂 

Maria x

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The post What Exfoliant should I use? appeared first on Maria Nolan Skin Expert.

Numerous studies have been performed to investigate the link between diet and skin issues. One particular study, published in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, has established that for some patients with dermatitis, specific foods can indeed lead to an exacerbation. It also states that specific foods can actually cause systemic contact dermatitis in some cases.

I have found that many of my clients with chronic eczema, psoriasis, itchy skin, rosacea or acne have improved after taking a closer look at what they are eating.

What foods can cause skin problems?

Dairy and sugar are two foods that I find can often exacerbate skin conditions like acne, rosacea and eczema. However, any food can irritate and create inflammation if it doesn’t agree with you.

How do you know if you have a Food Intolerance?

If you have a chronic skin condition like acne or eczema, and are unable to get it under control, I recommend getting a food Intolerance test as your diet could be triggering your flare-ups.

How do I control chronic rosacea, acne or eczema?

The best way to control a chronic skin condition, in my opinion, is with a combination-therapy approach:

• 1. A Skin Consultation with a skin specialist (to learn about triggers, products etc)
  2. A good Daily Skin Routine using appropriate skin products
  3. Skin Treatments
  4. Diet & Lifestyle

So, my recommendation, is to start with a skin consult, skin products and treatments if necessary. If skin symptoms are still persisting, despite steps 1 to 3, then it may be a good idea to take a look at your diet and consider a food intolerance test. A Food Intolerance test may tell you if something you are eating is irritating the body and creating inflammation in the skin.

How can I test for Food Intolerance?

I offer a laboratory-standard Food Intolerance blood test in Oranmore at Maria’s Beauty Haven. It is a simple finger-prick blood test to find out what foods you may be intolerant to.

Feel free to get in contact or book an appointment with me below.

Book Now

The post Food Intolerance and Skin Conditions appeared first on Maria Nolan Skin Expert.

Free to contact me if you have any questions or if you would like to order any skincare products.

Skincare Gifts for a special Mum

Under €50 skincare gift: ASAP CC Correcting Cream €45 – This is a lovely light cream full of anti-oxidants. It has a nice light tint that gives the skin a glow, hides redness and leaves a flawless but natural finish. Buy online here.

Under €100 skincare gift: ASAP Firming Eye Lift €72 – ASAP Skincare Firming Eye Lift has a unique anti-ageing formula targets dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles. Use daily get smoother and firmer skin around the eyes.

Gifts for a Bestie or Sister

Under €50: ASAP Deluxe Cleansing Cloth and Daily Facial Cleanser €50 – This facial cleansing cloth is designed to effectively remove all traces of makeup, cleansers, masks, exfoliators and daily pollution. It contains a smooth side for the removal of product and a textured side for a gentle micro-exfoliation. Made from high quality, biodegradable and bacteria-resistant fabric. Anti-bacterial fabric means it is more hygienic than standard facecloths. It is also machine washable! Pair this with a nice cleanser and it is a lovely gift that everyone will use! Shop cleansers and the deluxe cloth here.

Under €100: A Voucher for a Customised Chemical Peel €90 – Because who doesn’t want glowing skin for Christmas! All peels are customised to suit, so this gift will suit everyone and every skin type. I offer gentle starter peels for those that don’t want any peeling or recovery time. A chemical peel is the ideal treatment to give your friend a glowing complexion, a soft hydrated skin and longer lasting makeup. It will also improve any skin concerns. You can purchase a voucher here.

Gifts for someone with Oily skin 

Under €50: Glo Oil Free SPF 40 €55 – A light-weight moisturiser with added sun protection. The perfect moisturiser for an oilier skin that won’t clog pores. It also offers a broad spectrum sun protection which will protect from the sun’s damaging rays. For use every morning. Buy online here.

Under €100: A Voucher for an Acne Clay Facial €75 – This is a highly effective treatment to refine and purify the skin. A unique mask with clay and exfoliating ingredients will remove dead skin cells and clearing up any trapped oil. This is suitable for adults, teens, men and women.

Gifts for someone with Acne or Breakouts

Under €50: Glo Clear Complexion Pads €55 – these pads are a unique and simple to use product. Salicylic Acid penetrates the pores, gently breaks down excess oil and exfoliates.

Under €100: A Voucher for a Salicylic Chemical Peel €90 – This 45 minute treatment deeply cleanses pores, treats breakouts, helps balance the complexion, even out the skin. It will also help treat and prevent acne scarring. Shop gift vouchers here.

Gifts for someone with Dry Skin

Under €50: Alumier Hydraboost Cream Cleanser €42 – Hydraboost is a super hydrating pH balanced cleanser that gently removes impurities, excess oil and makeup. The natural cleanser yucca seed extract gently cleanses the skin. Vitamin E, sunflower seed oil and argan oil moisturise, leaving skin smooth, soft and intensely hydrated!

Under €100: AlumierMD HydraDew €82 – An intensely rich moisturiser that moisturises, nourishes and improves skin texture. This product offers immediate and visible results to dry and prematurely aged skin. Use at night before bed. The perfect moisturiser for skin throughout winter. Shop this moisturiser here.

Gifts for a Mature Skin Type (ie older skin age 40+)

Under €100: A Voucher for an Glycolic Chemical Peel €90 – This is a versatile chemical exfoliant treatment appropriate for all skin types. Benefits of this treatment include brighter skin, decreased pigmentation, reduced lines and improved skin texture.

Skincare gifts suited to Everyone

Under €100 skincare gift: Voucher for an Advanced Skin Consultation €60 – A 45 minute thorough skin assessment with Maria, skin specialist nurse. The perfect gift for anyone that wants to look after their skin. Online Skin Conulultations are done via video call. They are €60 but are redeemable against products so this gift will allow that special someone to get products to suit. Buy an online skin consultation voucher here.

I hope this Skincare Gift Guide was beneficial. If you have any questions on products free to ask. All products and vouchers mentioned above can be bought at Maria’s Beauty Haven, Oranmore or via the online skin shop.

Maria xx

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The post Skincare Gifts: A Simple Guide of Christmas Skincare Gifts to Suit Every Skin Type appeared first on Maria Nolan Skin Expert.

Use a gentle cleansing wash every night to wash away dead skin cells or any dirt or oil that has settled in the pores. Cleansing can help prevent breakouts, reduce any oily shine and leave a healthy, clear complexion.

My Choice: AlumierMD Purifying Gel Cleanser is a gel face wash suitable for most skins, especially an oily prone skin. Guys tend to like the texture of this wash, it is a gel which foams slightly. There are no perfumes or fragrances added. Morning and/or night, apply a small amount to a damp face, massage around for 60 seconds and then rinse it off with a damp facecloth. This will leave you with a fresh, clean face and remove any oils or dead cells on the surface of the skin. You can also use this as a shaving foam.

2. What is the best moisturizer for men?

I usually recommend an oil-free moisturiser or a light-weight moisturiser as most male skins are prone to oiliness. Also, the moisturiser you use in the mornings should contain an SPF (or suncream). Applying sun protection every day not only prevents against skin cancer, it also prevents premature ageing caused by UV rays eg lines, wrinkles or pigmentation to the skin.

My choice: Heliocare Water Gel SPF50. This is a nice lightweight moisturiser that won’t clog pores. It will give you protection against the UVA & UVB rays. A lot of SPF moisturisers leave an oily, greasy feel on the skin, however, this is light-weight and absorbs quickly. This is €35.

3. Do men need different skin products to women? 

No. A male skin requires the same skin ingredients as a female skin. Both need exfoliation, hydration, sun protection and oil control.

A lot of guys tend to go for ranges like ‘Nivea for men’ or ‘Loreal for men’. These skin ranges are different only in that they are specifically marketed towards men. However, most skincare lines are actually suited to men and women.  If you are unsure what products are best for your skin concerns feel free to get in contact.

I offer skin consultations either in-clinic or via skype or phone chat. A skin consultation involves a thorough skin analysis and advice on your skin routine. Or, if you would like to purchase any of the products mentioned above just drop me a message and I can post them out to you.

I hope this helped some of you. Feel free to get in contact if you have any questions or post a question in the comments below.

Maria

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The post Men’s Skincare: All Your Questions Answered appeared first on Maria Nolan Skin Expert.