Skincare Tips Archives | Katerina Steventon

Personalisation in Skincare

By Katerina Steventon|2019-03-18T19:59:54+00:00March 20th, 2019|Facial Ageing, Skincare Tips, Uncategorised|

Personalisation in skincare is essential. As a clinician, I treat people from all walks of life – different ages, skin types and concerns – on a daily basis. There is a range of skin types but also motivation, compliance and budget amongst my clients. My role is to help them make an informed choice, to diagnose their skin type and make a product as well as lifestyle recommendations. The majority come back on a monthly basis and incorporate my recommendations into their routines at home. Skincare is a journey. I am honest with my clients in discussing what can and cannot be achieved in a month, a season or a year. Prevention is best for healthy, glowing and youthful skin. The younger generation are interested in health and prevention of premature ageing; in the older generation many people only address a concern once it becomes visible. Every face has individual facial structures that relate to the skin as well as the skeleton, facial muscles and the vascular and lymphatic systems. The facial tissues represent a dynamic system, influenced by health and lifestyle, responding to daily and monthly rhythms and ageing. The skincare industry approaches customisation on a macro level (skin type and concern, age groups) or micro-level (gene-analysis based skincare) but in the absence of large personal spending, clinically relevant solutions lie in understanding of individuals’ facial

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Asian Skincare – How It’s Different

By Katerina Steventon|2018-10-22T09:47:22+00:00October 22nd, 2018|Facial Ageing, Skincare Tips|

Online shopping driven by trends and recommendations does not always translate to the desired beautiful, clear and youthful looking skin. Skincare routines have to be personalised, particularly for the sensitive and blemish prone skin types. The Asian trends of Korean and Japanese beauty do offer a solution for these skin types - but the dosage, application and underlying skin biology are often too complex for people to make the right purchasing decisions. The European approach to beauty is more at leisure compared to our Asian counterparts. ppearance matters culturally; it reflects health, attractiveness and vitality-driven approach to life. The K-beauty (Korean beauty) regimens involve a series of steps: cleansing rituals with both oil and water-based products, sheet masks, essences, serums, lotions and high SPF sunscreens. Asian women in eastern cultures are known for eagerly embracing new skin care products and diligently performing complex routines. K-beauty appears to deliver its full benefits when embraced in its entirety, which, due to time constraints and a more ad-hoc approach to skincare, rarely happens in Britain. Japanese beauty is simpler, addressing better the clinical needs of sensitive and oily skin. These hand-picked products of Korean, Japanese and French provenance work well for sensitive skin with environmental, hormonal and lifestyle challenges. Writing a regular column for the

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The Ageing of the Delicate Eye Zone

By Katerina Steventon|2018-10-08T20:31:52+00:00September 14th, 2018|Facial Ageing, Skincare Tips|

The under eye zone is one of the most delicate areas of the face. The skin is very thin, prone to lines and wrinkles, dark circles and pigmentation, eye bags and swelling. A number of factors contribute to these concerns of my clients, including genetics, lifestyle choices, lack of or low quality sleep and stress. Facial ageing is very individual. Different areas of the face age at different rates and our perception of age-related changes can impact on perceived age, attractiveness and tiredness. In the frontal view, the middle third of the face has the greatest effect on perception of age as it contains the eyes, nose, crow's feet, frown lines and under eye area. The appearance of eye bags improves over the course of the day, compared to morning. Frown lines, in contrast, worsen. Swelling occurs in the morning due to the effects of gravity during sleep. Repeated movements of the face in facial expressions increases transient wrinkle formation from the morning to the afternoon. Gravity and movement are likely to reduce swelling in the face during the day. The eyelid skin is distinct from others, with low skin surface lipids - skin's natural fats - and a thin stratum corneum, the upper layer of the skin with high hydration but

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How To Have Radiant Skin in Winter

By faceworkshops|2018-07-12T21:21:34+00:00January 29th, 2018|Product Reviews, Skin Concerns, Skincare Shopping, Skincare Tips|

Lightening & Brightening skincare should reflect that the skin is challenged by transition from cold outdoors to warm indoor temperature in winter. The range of brightening skincare products is overwhelming - and reading the INCI lists essential. Traditional plant extracts have a renaissance in natural skincare. They target all aspects of skin repair such as dull appearance, sub-clinical inflammation aggravated by weather changes, patches of redness and oiliness at the same time, overall uneven skin tone. It is the combination of actives contained in the plant extracts as well as the levels of the extract used that deliver clinical results. Some of the plant staples to look for in your products are listed below: For Extra Hydration Lupin - for skin hydration and improved barrier function Lady's Smock - rich in amino acids and helps skin recovery (re-epithelialisation) Anti-inflammatory Actives Borage - anti-inflammatory, capillary dilating compounds incl. gamma-linolenic acid Centella asiatica - alleviates fragility of capillaries and facilitates re-epithelialisation Anti-pigmentation Shiitake mushroom (contains kojic acid) - prevents melanin formation and collagen breakdown, astringent Mulberry root - brightening, tyrosinase inhibitor reduces melanin synthesis Grape (contains resveratrol) - strong antioxidant, prevents melanin formation and transfer and last but not least Licorice root used in my signature Anti-Ageing Serum '4' - brightening, tyrosinase inhibitor reduces melanin synthesis - also anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial (contains saponins, flavonoids) and

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Conversation About Facial Oils with India Knight

By Katerina Steventon|2017-04-14T09:52:35+00:00January 4th, 2017|FaceWorkshops, Facial Ageing, Facial Massage, Skincare Tips, Wellbeing|

I read India Knight's Sunday Times Style column with interest and, secretly, have a conversation with her every time she publishes a piece on facial skincare. The Strike Oil article on 1st January caught my eye. Introducing the world of facials that can make an actual, immediate and noticeable difference to your appearance and improve your complexion overtime to the general public is a great message. Only one in four women in Britain has a regular facial, and usually not by a highly trained facialist. Also highlighting the expertise of London-based celebrity facialists, with magic hands and a range of tools from massage, peels to resurfacing and stimulating devices is fabulous. As India notes, super-facialists aren't cheap and have waiting lists. But not every super-facialist lives in London, there are a handfull living outside of the capital who also bring "power facials" and "face gym" hands-on skills and expertise; East Yorkshire, in my case. Glowing, healthy skin requires more than a monthly facial, it is an at-home routine. Super-facialists have their own range of products that you can buy to use at home; they may not be cheap, but they work. India has faith in their expertise and likes the pared-down simplicity of Amanda Lacey's range. Praising her Oils of Provence luxurious face oil [lavender, sage, ramose, eucalyptus, bois de rose] for oily skin, India

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SAVE OR SPEND REVIEW: Sophisticated Skincare [without the price tag]

By faceworkshops|2017-01-07T17:12:37+00:00May 17th, 2016|Facial Ageing, Product Reviews, Skin Concerns, Skincare Shopping, Skincare Tips, Wellbeing|

I encourage my clients to aim high in terms of their skincare products. To treat themselves to NICE skin feel & scent as well as interesting & effective active ingredients, good for their skin type.. It is important to establish a pleasant skincare routine that changes with seasons; a sophisticated skincare routine – ideally without the price tag. I advise my clients to be savvy and scrutinise the commercial sites for discounts & bargains (FeelUnique, SpaceNK, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Time to Spa, even Amazon) and also visit TkMaxx, Boots, Holland&Barrett for skincare and “skin health” supplements or shop with the organic MyShowcase. Good skincare can be found in unexpected places – last year’s Aldi Caviar Peel was a great product for a fraction of the high-street price.

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Best Facial Oil For Your Skin Type

By faceworkshops|2016-12-01T19:11:24+00:00March 29th, 2016|FACEWORKSHOPS CLUB, Product Reviews, Skincare Shopping, Skincare Tips|

When looking for a facial oil, buy the best for your skin type. Pure plant oils differ in how they feel on your facial skin; dependent on your skin type. Read through the participants' comments on texture, scent and colour [the FaceWorkshops trial run in March 2016]. *** Jojoba oil (Nr 1) Dry/Dehydrated Light and very well absorbed - No scent noticeable - Pale The product absorbed well and I like the texture - I couldn't pick up a fragrance on this, other than a natural oil type aroma - I like the colour. Texture good, felt quite rich - Could not smell any fragrance - Colour good Sensitive Very good as it gave enough slide to the skin but did not leave it feeling oily - Not noticeable - Fine Absorbs very well, skin felt silky and smooth - I couldn't decide the scent but it was gentle and calming - Colour was fine, light Normal/Combination Absorbed ok - scent was bit chemical - pale colour Light texture - No scent - Liked colour *** Rose hip seed oil (Nr 2) Dry/Dehydrated Slightly heavier than Nr.1, easily absorbed but thinner than Nr.1 - No noticeable scent - Slightly darker in colour As Nr.1 - Couldn't pick up a fragrance on this other than a

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British Brands: Sam Farmer

By faceworkshops|2016-12-07T10:32:07+00:00February 23rd, 2016|Skincare Shopping, Skincare Tips, Society of Cosmetic Scientists|

"A teen range that really works, without the hype." Exclusively available in SpaceNK I am a fan of the way Sam Farmer approaches skincare for teenage children. A British "clean-looking", unisex, sustainable brand with no claims, a simple design that won a SpaceNK listing.. Launched in January 2013. Sam Farmer's focus is on efficacy, affordable pricing and avoiding myths and misinformation about teenage skincare needs. Having previously worked in the TV industry, Sam understood that marketing skincare is often "all about the words" and did not want to be part of that.. Sam takes time to discuss teenage needs in schools - thus building personal relationships and having direct consumer contact. He wants to make a difference to image conscious children by teaching them about self-image but also responsible manufacturing, sustainability, carbon foot print.. Teenage years are time of greater self-monitoring and an anti-acne product line would be of great benefit. Another British brand that is of interest for teenagers is Elizabeth's Daughter. ***

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New vs. Innovative Skincare

By faceworkshops|2016-12-07T10:23:53+00:00November 17th, 2015|Product Reviews, Skincare Shopping, Skincare Tips|

Launching new or innovative skincare products? The beauty market is saturated, yet in perpetual need of NEW products (35 % of purchases annually) that are not always scientifically relevant or innovative.. PACKAGING. Creating value in the eyes of the consumer often stems from packaging - at least for people that don't have difficult-to-treat skin types or too many ageing concerns. CONVENIENCE. Mobile purchases are becoming more popular than desktop and Google favours e-commerce sites that are mobile friendly. The online journey and feeling welcome on the site - as well as product reviews are becoming extremely important. After all, the beauty industry is about talking to people.. Packaging needs to appeal, be simple and fit for purpose - but at the end of the day, it is only the outer shell of the product. SKIN BIOLOGY, LIFESTYLE & COMPLIANCE. Buying skincare differs from other beauty purchases. Your skin type is unique and the factors that influence you individually depend on genetics and lifestyle - efficacy, the right choice of active ingredients and sensory aspects of skincare products come first! The price, quality, size and prestige attributes are secondary. Go shopping when: you understand your skin type and active ingredients that alleviate your concerns know how to layer your products know how your skin changes during the day and seasons appreciate how does it

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Be Smart About Anti-Ageing Skincare

By faceworkshops|2016-12-09T09:36:34+00:00October 28th, 2015|Facial Ageing, Facial Massage, Facial Yoga, Skincare Tips|

Looking good for your age feels fabulous. And quality skincare does not have to break the bank - the results are also in your (and your facialist's) hands. Facial creams are only a part of the solution. It is the professional facial massage (every 4 - 6 weeks) and a personalised daily "at home" care that make the difference! 1. Go shopping for a PERSONALISED bargain. Ask questions of your beauty therapist so that you can respect their credibility. A good skincare specialist will be able to save you money on efficacious products. We all love a bargain - but only if it works! 2. Save money by PROTECTION and PREVENTION - at any age. Be diligent with your skincare routines. Use a gentle cleanser and a serum underneath your moisturiser. Use a mask regularly and learn the art of skincare layering. Remember that skincare has a shelf life - change your products every season. 3. RELAX YOUR FACE in the evening by bespoke facial yoga and a gentle massage routine. 4. Invest in regular PROFESSIONAL TREATMENTS. Only 25 % of British women invest in facial treatments. The Brits worry about appearance and facial ageing but don't do much about it. Having a facial has not been ingrained in women since childhood (as in France) or demanded by the society (e.g. USA). As the Parisians say - enjoy the face you have today.

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