Post Holiday Empties - things that actually worked.

So we're back. And rather than doing posts about 'What to take away with you' - I thought it made sense to mention what I took and what actually got used up - by both myself and the family.

First up: Suncare

ME!

£42.50

Edited July 2015:

I do not recommend this brand. I used it on myself in 2013 and yes, got a deep, brown, long-lasting tan. Since then I have spent too much time talking to people that have suffered melanoma and dermatologists that are openly aghast at the claims that Institut Esthederm make. I am dark olive-skinned genetically. I dread to think of Type 1 (fair, red-headed, freckled etc) people using this as their only protection from the sun.

It would have been easy for me to leave this post as it was and pretend it was fine, but I would rather say 'Actually, I've changed my thinking and won't use it.' The fact that I had no intention of using it on my children should have been a big enough clue to me that it wasn't safe, but I went ahead and used it. Yes I tanned, but my thinking is now 'A tan is a sign of DNA damage.'

I only use Broad Spectrum SPF. 

I'd been asked about Esthederm a lot on the blog - and hadn't used it before this holiday. Seeing as I had a rather large testing panel to hand I figured this was as good a time as any.

I used the tanning cream above - and the aftersuns below...

£38.00

Institut Esthederm works differently from other sun products in that while it does contain titanium dioxide, it does not have a traditional SPF rating. There is definitely a differing opinion amongst dermatologists/skin experts about its efficacy. 

Edited July 2015 - I have not managed to speak to one dermatologist that recommends this brand. 

I've been thinking a lot about SPF and skin cancer lately.

I recently tweeted a lot of facts about melanoma including:

• In the 1920's your chances of contracting skin cancer was around 1 in 1500. In 2013 its closer to 1 in 50. We had no SPF in the 1920's - and every availability of SPF in the 21st Century. 
• 6 people a day die from malignant melanoma in the UK.
• You are more at risk from melanoma if you have a close relative who has suffered from it (My Mum is a skin cancer survivor).

My take? SPF can definitely give you a false sense of security. I'm half-American - my Grandfather never sunbathed in Mississippi. EVER. If it was hot, he sat on the porch or went inside. He used to laugh at me when I got excited about being tanned. Thought I was insane. No SPF used. Ever.

These days we apply a 'once-a-day' SPF and think we're good to go. And our cancer rates have quadrupled in the last 30 years. Quadrupled.

Knowing that info made me think about what SPF to use while on holiday - on me - I'm not using my kids as guinea pigs just yet.

The result?

£39.50

I would not recommend IE for children - my kids were covered in SPF 70/55 from top-to-toe and I reapplied it every time they walked past me. It may seem hypocritical but they have virgin skin - I wasn't willing to risk anything at this stage.

Tomorrow. The rest of the family and Hampton Sun.

*Purchases. No affiliate links.

Sunscreen - London Makeup Girl

For those of you who constantly ask about SPF and the variable types available - I have previously recommended asking Grace from London Makeup Girl - she (unlike my good self) has a healthy obsession with sunscreen and is a font of knowledge on the subject.

Well you're in luck - she has just posted an amazing guide on SPF along with reviews of ones she has tried. Go read it - and listen to her. She knows her sunscreen shizzle. 

London Makeup Girl

Cheat Sheet - Anti-ageing

Anti-ageing.

We're all so used to this phrase that we don't even question it. If a product says it is anti-ageing on the box then it must be - right?

WRONG.

If ever a phrase has been overused it is this one. There are few ingredients that are indeed anti-ageing.
Although to be fair some should be called 'ageing prevention' as they don't reverse signs of ageing - they just slow them down or prevent them from getting worse.

Before we get on to the ingredients a reminder from your friendly nag about the 3 worst things you can do for your skin.

Sun, Sugar and Smoking

Sun - get a little - not a lot. Be sensible.

Sugar - probably one of the best (and hardest) things you can do for yourself, your health and your skin is to cut out sugar.
In a nutshell - sugar destroys your collagen - think of collagen as scaffolding for your face. Every time you eat/drink sugar it is like taking a piece of the scaffolding away - saggy baggy and drawn. Enjoy that cola won't you. And I'm not preaching here - I struggle every day with leaving sugar alone!

Smoking - No need to go into detail. I could not possibly be more anti-smoking. I was once able to tell a client how she blew her smoke out of her mouth (straight up her face from her bottom lip) because of the condition of her skin in that area.
Smoking leaches the oxygen out of your face with every puff. Smokers have grey skin. Yes. Grey. If you smoke - get help and stop - as soon as you can.

So - digression over. The next time you pick up a product that claims to be anti-ageing what you need to look out for is one of these:

• SPF      
  SPF is anti-ageing. Proven, undoubtedly, unequivocally. Although if you're younger you could argue that it belongs in the 'prevention' category. It doesn't fix what has been done. That is the job of:
• Vitamin A   
  Vitamin A is the only other ingredient along with SPF that the FDA will legally let you claim to be anti-ageing in the USA. Vitamin A reverses the signs of ageing. Rebuilds collagen, repairs sun damage and is an all round good egg. There are varying degrees of vitamin A - if you have previously used a product with vitamin A in it and reacted badly - it may just be that you haven't found the right one for you yet.
• Glycolic/Lactic/Salicylic Acids   
  Acids used in the right way can be beneficial to the skin - when applied as topical exfoliants they resurface the epidermis allowing better product penetration and in the case of some well formulated AHA's - help rebuild collagen.
  Glycolic and Lactic are better for a dryer skin - Salicylic for oily/combination. Don't go too strong straight away and don't go mad. Less is sometimes more. 
• Vitamins C and E
  These two work well together as vitamin C is traditionally water-based (newer formulas include oil-based vitamin C) and vitamin E is oil based thus protecting both parts of the cell. Both are anti-oxidants and so in the 'prevention' category.
• Niacinamide
  Newer than the others, this is vitamin B3 by another name. When used on the skin it has shown to stimulate the dermis and in turn increase the fatty content of the cells along with aiding in the retention of water. As it is shown to enhance barrier function of the epidermis it has had good results with acne sufferers by protectng against bacterial attack.

Honestly?

That's about it.

Other ingredients may be and are beneficial to the skin in other ways - but if anti-ageing is the aim - you need some of these in your product - not all at once - let's not give the epidermis a heart attack.

And what age to start using anti-ageing?

I'm 'nutshelling' again but here goes:

SPF - from birth - no brainer. But please don't cover your babies in SPF50 until they are white. They need SOME sun.

Vitamin A - 30+ depending on lifestyle - if you're a sun worshipper start earlier.

Glycolic/Lactic/Salicylic - again depends on lifestyle and skin type. If you have acne you can use Salicylic topically from a fairly early age. The other two can be introduced 25+.

Vitamins C and E - from the word go. As soon as you start your skincare routine choose something with these in. Good move.

Niacinamide - 25+ ish again depending on lifestyle and skin. Acne? Crack on.

The basic thing to remember with anti-ageing is that our collagen production is linked directly to our ovaries.
When we are at our most fertile our skin is is usually at its height. As you near menopause and go through peri-menopause you will notice huge changes in your entire system, not just your skin. Hitting menopause has a direct link to your collagen, its a bit like someone takes away a little of the scaffolding that supports your facial structure with each passing year.

So start taking care of your skin when you get your periods - and step it up a notch when you get to 35+ (before if you go into early menopause or have a full hysterectomy).

And when you DO start using these products - all of them but especially the Vitamin A - DO NOT FORGET YOUR SPF.
During winter I get my SPF from my foundation, but I live in the northern hemisphere and work predominantly indoors. Once the sun is out its time for a dedicated SPF on top of your moisturiser and underneath your foundation. More of which here: www.carolinehirons.com/spf-cheat-sheet

And if you DO smoke? Scrap all that advice and use all of the above - now.