Gotta love the French....Vichy's Home Run

If you're a regular reader of The Mouth you'll know of my love for all things French. Especially skincare. There's hardly a brand emanating out of France that I won't use/don't love or rate in some way. And I'm not just talking about high-end.

I'm talking about pharmacy-led brands: Avene, La Roche Posay, Bioderma, Lierac, Nuxe, Biotherm and Vichy to name a few. All of those brands have 'hero' products that you will find on a lot of dressing tables and in most makeup bags in France.

I've used Vichy on and off for a number of years depending on the season and my skin and their latest release has caught my attention.

LiftActiv Derm Source claims to target the papillary dermis (the sandwich between the epidermis and the dermis) which is essentially the home of the collagen fibres - or as I like to call that area - the scaffolding of the face.
It uses an ingredient called rhamnouse which is sugar derived from the uncaria plant species and when applied topically plumps the skin and restores elasticity to an older skin. Hence this is recommended for 35 upwards.

I use the word claim because I haven't been trying it long enough to verify it for you based on MY skin but first impressions are good. Lovely, actually.

It goes on smooth, absorbs nicely - but not too quickly, and does have a fairly immediate effect with regard to glow, plumpness and smoothness. And it smells like nice sun cream - random but true.

My first thought is a recommendation - but if you're a Vichy fan you'll probably love it from the off.

It officially launches in April but you don't have to wait that long. Escentual.com are expecting stock tomorrow and are offering a 15% discount if you fancy getting in there early.

Enjoy. I am.

Elemis freshskin

I love a little Elemis - they were the first entry in the Mouth Hall of Fame and have consistently provided high quality, well-thought-out, must-have products.

Yesterday I attended the launch of their newest range - freshskin.

Aimed at teens - 20's, freshskin aims to not only fix those 'inbetweener' skins, but educate (refreshingly in a non-patronising way) younger peeps in the how-to's and how-not-to's.

Launching with a Gentle Face Wash, Exfoliating Face Wash, AM and PM Moisturisers, Eye Gel, Lip Balm, Cleansing Wipes and a genius Face Mask Duo that frankly, they need to make in an old, mature pack for the Mums of said teens - 20's, the range starts at a beyond reasonable £8.00 and goes up to £22.00.

With elemis's heritage and reputation I would spend that on my teenagers' skin - no hesitation.

I have given the products to one of my teenagers to trial and will be feeding back the outcome - if I can get more than a grunt out of him.

In the meantime if you want to get your hands on the ENTIRE range packaged in this far too adorable polka dot vanity case - worth £99.00 - keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming giveaway right here.

Elemis freshskin launches in the UK on 14th April.

Brand Focus: Caudalie

Caudalie is based around the anti-oxidant properties of grape seed polyphenols and first went on sale in 1995. If you are still unsure as to what an anti-oxidant does, it protects the skin from free radicals and thus slows down the signs of aging. If you are unsure what free radicals do: slice an apple in half, leave one half open to the elements and cover one half in lemon juice. Check back on them half an hour later (in theory) and you will see that the one covered in lemon juice retains its firmness and colour. The exposed apple will be brown and shrinking. That is what free radicals do to your skin.

I first worked with Caudalie about 14 years ago and have used two of their products on a regular basis ever since. The Beauty Elixir has become a staple on my shelf and I am lost without it.

I use it at the toner stage of my routines in the mornings - mainly when my acne rosacea is having a flare-up and nearly always in Summer. It balances containing rosemary, mint and melissa with glycerin and orange blossom and although designed to 'smooth features, tighten pores, and give the complexion a burst of radiance' I find that it literally dries up my spots. I can feel it working - in a good way - and my spots are worse when I run out. N.B. Just make sure you CLOSE YOUR EYES when you spray it. Don't ask.

My other staple is the Nourishing Body Lotion.

Although the Vine Body Butter is newer to the range and richer in texture, this body lotion never fails to disappoint. It smells gorgeous, is not sticky going on, leaves no residue and your skin feels just as hydrated at the end of the day. Love.

In 2006 Caudalie stepped up their game and made the commitment to be free of all of the following: parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, mineral oils, artificial colouring and animal ingredients. Not bad going.

And then last year, they made their move in to the prestige market with the release of Premier Cru, which for the first time contained 3 of their patented ingredients: titrated Resveratrol, Viniferine from grapevines and grape-seed Polyphenols.  Premier Cru was an instant sell-out and won Marie Claire's Prix de Excellence 2010 leading almost inevitably, to the release of Premier Cru The Eye Cream.

Caudalie say:
This unique combination of the three Caudalie exclusive patents and of the best anti-ageing research make this elixir of youth perform wonders on all signs of ageing: wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness, lack of radiance and firmness, leaving the eyes with a renewed youthfulness. 

Whilst I haven't been using it long enough to form an absolute opinion, amongst other things - what I am impressed with is that it gives the 'radiance' without (from what I can see) using Bismuth Oxychloride. This ingredient is the reason a lot of people can't use certain eyeshadows/creams or even in some cases, mineral makeup. It is widely used in the industry as a light reflecting particle and a lot of people are allergic to it without knowing - they may experience itchiness or redness and put it down to the product as a whole - not realising it's that ingredient.
First impressions are that it definitely reduces puffiness, increases firmness and plumps up wrinkles - the dark circles it is still contending with but will update a little further down the line when it has had more time to work its (highly anticipated) magic.

Caudalie is available at SpaceNK, John Lewis and Online at the usual suspects.

Acne Rosacea. No more?

Those of you that know me personally will know that for my 40th birthday I was given acne rosacea. Literally. I've had better gifts.

Overnight I started developing angry red spots that wouldn't go anywhere no matter what I threw at them. My targeted areas seemed to be the sides of my face from my cheekbones down and rather irritatingly along the base of my hairline on my neck.  If you have/have had any kind of rosacea and acne you have my utmost sympathy. It's sore, frustrating, embarrassing and from what I hear - more and more common in women 35+. Stress? Hormones? Diet? No-one really knows what causes it but it's a problem that is not going anywhere anytime soon.

I finally decided to stop acting like a twenty something - or even worse, a teenager, when it came to my body and am trying now to respect it for the age it is and refuel the tank in a more appropriate manner!

Since Christmas I have made quite a few changes to my routine and diet and am starting to see results so thought I would share what is currently working for me.

1. Firstly I stopped taking all prescribed medications. Oxytetracycline was prescribed to me about 5 months ago and I did initially have a little success with it but after hearing about and experiencing some of the side effects I decided they weren't for me. If you are on them I would urge you to read the fine print and talk not to your GP, but to friends who have taken them.
2. I also made a concerted effort to stop eating rubbish. It's a work in progress but I'm getting there. For me this means sugar and anything synthetically white. So I eat spuds (obviously!), but have massively cut down on pasta and rice and have cut white bread out altogether. I eat seeded multi-grain now and cannot imagine otherwise. It's really hard when you have four children to just eat what they eat, but I can't do it anymore.
3. Water. I always drank it but sporadically. Now I have a constant pint of cold tap water to hand. No fizzy drinks. No drinks containing sweetener. Cutting these out I KNOW has made a huge difference.
4. Milk. I try to only drink milk in tea. No cereal, no glasses of milk - and that has definitely helped also. I don't like soy/goats/monkey/lamb's milk so that is it for me.
5. Supplements. I've always taken supplements and have posted about them previously here. Now I am taking them seriously. Folic acid and iron for health reasons - and I am back on these. The Murad regime worked brilliantly for me last time and then they ran out and I moved on to something else. No more. These work. I'm sleeping better, getting up easier and these are partly the reason. I highly recommend.
6. Wine. I love red wine. It is the only alcohol I drink. But now I only indulge at weekends - and then it's a good wine. I can tell from one sip if a red wine is going to affect my skin or not. If I sense it is, I don't drink it. Previously I would think 'Sod it, it'll be fine'. It won't be fine. I'll wake up looking like a spotty teenager.
7. I changed my skincare routine. I chop and change everything all the time. No more. If I am sent products for testing they go in a queue and if I know they are unsuitable for me they go to reliable therapist friends with the suitable skintype who can give me feedback.

The upshot of this is that my skin has improved remarkably. It's no miracle fix but it's much better. As an added bonus I have not experienced any symptoms of previously diagnosed IBS in months. And I have so far lost 8lbs. I'm not sure from where exactly but that's what the scales say so who am I to argue..?!?
And I am NOT trying to diet. Far from it.

I'm just growing up. Finally...

Next up:  The skincare that has helped me the most.