skincare Archives - Conversations through the middle

A great combination for daily skincare

June 1, 2023

I don’t often wear make-up, but I do apply every day without fail, both day and night – and I’ve done so since I was around 14 years old.

Back then, Boots Baby Lotion was enough and remained my go-to skincare product way into my 20s. As we all know though, at a certain point in time, age catches up and there’s a shift: what once worked no longer does and it’s time to move on.

DHC Revitalizing Moisture Strips – Eyes

February 12, 2014

Saggy skin under the eyes is something I’m susceptible to – I don’t know if it’s water retention, just a symptom of getting older, or tiredness, but there it is most mornings, enhanced by dark circles of varying hues.

I was rather pleased therefore to receive a box of DHC Revitalizing Moisture Strips. Packed in sachets of two, with six sachets in the box, these contain olive leaf extract, soy, mulberry, peony, aloe vera, amino acids and something called alpha-arbutin, which is a lightening agent derived from a plant.

According to DHC these uner-eye masks are designed to firm and moisturise the under-eye area, brightening and freshening into the bargain.

I tried them out the other night – after cleansing and toning, according to the instructions, I gently pressed the two fabric strips under my eyes (the underside is covered in a layer of gel, which contains the active ingredients). My immediate thoughts were how cooling the gel was and how comfortable the strips felt.

The directions specify 20-30 minutes for the treatment to work, or you can leave them on overnight, which is what I did. The next morning the skin under my eyes did look less puffy – yay, but alas, I didn’t see any noticeable difference in my dark circles.

The moisture strips are fine to use once or twice a week, and they’re easy to add in to your skin care routine – just peel off the backing strip and apply.

Pocket-friendly skincare launch

November 25, 2013

Interesting news at the Waitrose spring summer 14 launch last week – the supermarket is working on its own brand of natural skincare. The core range of eight products will contain 95% natural ingredients, is fragrance free and suitable for sensitive skin, but the really interesting thing is the most expensive item in the collection will cost just £2.99!

I know, I can’t believe it either and I’m excited about trying the products in the New Year. It’s all very well to have a low price point, but they have to deliver in moisturising and skincare terms also otherwise who will buy them? So let’s hope the range delivers what the enthusiastic folk I spoke to at Waitrose believe they will.

I tried the facial oil on the back of my hand and it was soft, but it’s hard to gauge any real effects with just a drop of product, so I’m looking forward to really putting the range through its paces when I receive samples in January.

I’m not sure what the collection will be called – the samples I saw are still at the no label stage and were perhaps not even in their final packaging – but I’m told it will go into stores in March.

Could this raise the bar in terms of inexpensive skincare?

Life’s a peach – The Body Shop peach body butter

October 16, 2013

Well this is a blast from the past. I think the fragrance of peaches is the first I associate with the Body Shop from a long time ago and I’m really happy to see it (or should that be smell it) again.

In those heady, long ago days we were not used to creams, lotions or bubble baths that smelled like food – they smelled like Matey, or Fairy Liquid, or if you were posh, Badedas. This was something new, something you almost believed you could eat (and I bet you I’m not the only person who put that to the test at the time; as we all now know, the taste is nothing like the scent!)

Time has marched on, fruity, foody, gourmand, fragrances are everywhere and in everything, even perfume and makeup. No longer does the Body Shop make fruity bubble bath – it’s all shower gel now, reflecting how bathroom habits have changed also since the late 70s/ early 80s. And there’s also masses of ‘me toos’ out there – I’m not saying they are any less beneficial for softening skin or cleaning away dirt, just that where the Body Shop ploughed the furrow, the others have followed.

So I will be guarding my peach body butter from my daughter, using it when she’s not there and hiding it in between times (she has already had her fingers in the pot, as you can see). Dot has lots of scented, fruity smelling products by lots of different brands, but this one, this is mine; this is a link to my youth and the importance of that will be lost on her (or rather, she will just think I’m old and sad). Which of course, I’m not…