Mascara for sensitive eyes? It was on my doorstep.

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We have just run out of stock of our black Mascara which has rather taken us by surprise as there were plenty on the shelves just last week.

A quick look at our Google analytics revealed that mascara for sensitive eyes has been a very popular search term for us in the past few weeks. I have no idea why. Perhaps the new mascaras on the market which can lengthen, curl, thicken and goodness knows what else are causing irritation to sensitive eyes. Or, perhaps it’s just that people have been extra patient and have trawled through the search results on Google and found Queen and decided to give us a go (having tried all those other companies who come at the top of the Google rankings!).

Queen Mascara really does have a good success rate among our clients with sensitive eyes. Its very gentle formula means it does not irritate and it is easy to remove (particularly with Queen Eye Make-up Remover). For a long time, I have been a fan of super-thick, waterproof mascaras and so have not used Queen. Until just recently that is. At Christmas while buying a very expensive mascara as a gift (it had been requested!), I ended up buying one for myself. I was really fed up with the high street brand I was using as it kept clumping on application then flaking so, having been assured by the sales assistant that the same thing wouldn’t happen with this one, I bought one. But, the same thing did happen. By lunchtime I would have lots of tiny dry flakes under my eyes and, by evening, would have the typical panda-eyed look. I persevered, using Queen Eyelash Cream at night as I thought it must be my eyelashes, but this made little difference and the mascara got steadily dryer and clumpier so that eventually I couldn’t even get the lid of the very glamorous bottle to click closed properly.

A few months ago I decided to give the Queen mascara a go and have been amazed. I thought the fact it was for sensitive eyes (which I don’t have despite wearing contact lenses) meant it wouldn’t define my lashes enough as it would be too thin or would come off too easily. But it’s fantastic – really dark, goes on easily, separates my lashes so they don’t clump and comes off without ten minutes of rubbing at night time. I am a convert. Given it’s half the price of the expensive brand I tried, I am better off too!

Queen Mascara – brown or black. Just £10.50 from www.queen-cosmetics.com

My favourite quote from one of our customers about our Mascara is:

“I’ve been delighted to be able to wear your mascara without any
problems and am looking forward to ordering other items. For the last 20 years I’ve had this eye sensitivity problem and unfortunately have the sort of eyes that need a little help with make-up. The best I’ve been able to find up to now was (a very expensive brand – we’ve removed the name!) but this caused a problem with redness and soreness after about an hour so I am very grateful to have found you! I’ll probably be going round the village now with eyes far too dramatically enhanced for my rural lifestyle!” Mrs Rose, Dorset

Sensitive Skin Tips: Get those feet ready for summer

This week: Sloughing off that dead skin to get sandal-friendly feet

While on the one hand this winter seems to have lasted forever, the fact that a bit of warm weather is now here makes you (or me anyway!) feel it wasn’t so very long ago that you were last desperately trying to get your body in decent enough shape for the great summer reveal.

If the thought of ditching your 60-denier tights and getting your Birkenstocks (or rather more glamorous strappy shoes) out is bringing you out in a cold sweat, you need to take action.

Heels, ankles and even the tops of feet can look dry, scaly and generally rather unappealing after a winter of thick socks and boots. So what can you do?

If your sensitive skin can tolerate a pumice stone, use it gently on those areas where skin is thick and dry. Afterwards, try rubbing in a super-thick footcream or other cream for very dry skin. Queen Skin Cream (£14.95 for 50g or £23.00 for 100g) is excellent, is specially formulated for sensitive skin, and has a multitude of other uses which makes it an essential component of any beauty bag or dressing table. Let the cream sink in before dressing.

Before you go to bed, massage in more cream so that it can work while you sleep. Ensure that you massage the cream into and around your nails to prepare them for nail varnish, pushing cuticles back gently as you go.

Painting your toenails will give your feet an instant lift. Doing it ahead of time means you can take your time and make sure they look perfect rather than trying to do it five minutes before you’re due to head off to that summer wedding (this always happens to me and I end up trying to do it in the car – it’s not easy to be accurate when your feet are vibrating on the dashboard as you hurtle up the M25). Choose a pale pink or neutral colour to avoid staining and to make removal or touch-ups easier. If you do wish to use one of the many gorgeous brights on offer, use clear nail varnish first to prevent it staining your nails.

Start now and we promise you’ll be well ahead of the pack and can smile smugly as you head out in your fabulous new sandals while your friends wilt in their black opaques.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin tips,foot care for summer,Skin Cream,Queen Skin Cream,footcream,sensitive skin,formulated for sensitive skin

Sensitive Skin Tips: Telegraph recommends Queen’s Light Moisturising Lotion

If you have normal-oily, oily or acne-prone skin, what is the best sort of moisturiser to use?

Well, we are going to do a little bit of advertising this week! Queen’s Light Moisturising Lotion is a super-light fluid which is absorbed quickly and easily, leaving skin feeling moisturised but without any greasy residue or tackiness. As it’s for sensitive skins, it won’t exacerbate conditions such as acne, providing your skin with just the right amount of hydration.

Don’t just take our word for it.  Light Moisturising Lotion was recommended as ‘perfect for delicate skins’ in Kate Shapland’s Beauty News page in the Telegraph magazine on Saturday 28 February (P17 if you missed it!). Read it at:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/beauty/4903579/Beauty-news-new-hair-cuts-perfume-scents-and-more….html

Visit www.queen-cosmetics.com to buy (Light Moisturising Lotion is £14.55 for a 250ml bottle).

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Should sensitive skins avoid skincare and make-up containing mineral oil?

I was just reading through my Google alert daily bulletins which contain cosmetics industry news and point me in the direction of interesting articles or blogs about beauty products in general and about sensitive skin in particular.

Imagine my delight when I found one entitled ‘When “Natural” Skin Care Products Can Be Bad For You‘ (see http://www.kelseypub.com/blog/healthfitness/beauty-healthfitness/2009-02-24/when-natural-skin-care-products-can-be-bad-for-you).

As you know, we advocate people being able to buy whatever products they feel suit them. There are some lovely natural and organic products out there and we are developing some ourselves here at Queen (our first trial moisturiser has had an excellent response and feedback). What we don’t agree with is cosmetics’ companies or journalists or bloggers pushing natural as the best alternative for sensitive skins. At Queen Cosmetics (www.queen-cosmetics.com), we have been making skin care and make-up products for sensitive skins for more than 80 years and we know which ingredients are the least sensitising. As a matter of fact, we don’t just use mineral oil but a number of others too, including sweet almond and wheatgerm.

Anyway, my delight was due to the fact there I thought I had someone who was prepared to put forward a balanced view. In fact, this blog was very sensible and had some good advice. Until, that is, I noticed a line which said:

“…learn which ingredients to avoid in a skin care or beauty product. For your own protection, know why you should not use a face cream or body lotion that contains substances such as perfume or mineral oil. By arming yourself with this knowledge, you are better able to find natural beauty products you won’t have qualms using and recommending to others.”

Perfume yes? But mineral oil???? Where on earth did the writer get this from? This is yet another myth. Cosmetics-grade mineral oil and petrolatum are considered the safest, most non-irritating moisturising ingredients around (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46).

I don’t want to get into the debate about how natural mineral oil is but it does come from a natural source. Yes, it’s refined and treated but then so is every other oil. How would it be safe to use otherwise?

Mineral oil is an excellent emollient, it has no smell or colour (did you know that many oils have to be deodorised because they have an unpleasant smell?) and it doesn’t go off or become rancid like many vegetable, plant or fruit oils do. It is ideal for sensitive skin.

If you have sensitive skin, don’t be put off by these scaremongers and don’t avoid trying products which contain mineral oil. You might find they are the answer you’ve been looking for!

Back soon.

The Queen Team

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Beauty recession buster for sensitive skin: do your own home facial

This week: How to get that spa feelgood factor in your own home.

If you are looking for ways to cut back on your spending, how about running your own home facials (or manicures, pedicures or whatever else you are finding it hard to live without but which you also can’t quite justify spending on at the moment)?!

Really, all the techniques which are used in a salon facial are techniques which you can carry out on yourself to the same effect. As one friend of mine says, however: “It’s the lying back, relaxing and doing nothing as someone takes care of your skin the way you know you should but rarely do.” She adds: “I also love the massage part of the facial. I don’t know what it does but it feels lovely and as if your skin is being really cared for.”

If the idea of a DIY facial on yourself is not appealing, then get a friend or a group of friends and do it together. I guarantee you that your skin will feel just as pampered afterwards (assuming your friends are gentle!) and you will feel just as relaxed as if you had been to a spa or salon.

The benefit for sensitive-skin types of the home facial is that you can use products you know are safe and effective for you. Too often, we hear about clients who have been for a facial and have suffered a reaction afterwards despite being assured that the products used on them were for sensitive skin. If there’s a whiff of perfume or essential oil, it’s not going to be suitable for you.

To set the scene, have dim lighting, gentle music and make sure the room is nice and warm. Tie hair back and wear a soft hairband to keep hair well off your face. Breathe slowly and deeply and close your eyes (assuming someone else is carrying out your facial!).

What you will need:

Cleanser (and eye make-up remover if you use a separate one), toner, moisturiser, some sort of massage lotion, cream or oil, porridge oats

Cotton balls, soft tissue

Warm water

Step 1. Cleanse and tone your face

See our detailed post on how to cleanse and tone here. For removing eye make-up without pulling at or irritating sensitive eyes, see here. You can also extend your cleansing to your neck, neckline and chest area.

Step 2. Massage

The bit my friend loves! Use a product such as Queen Skin Cream or Queen Theatrical Cleansing Cream (also used as a massage cream by beauty therapists, sports masseurs and osteopaths) i.e. something which enables you to easily glide your fingers over the skin without pulling at it.

Use both hands and use your middle three fingers (or first two if it’s more comfortable) to apply gentle pressure then make small circles across the forehead. Apply gently pressure and sweep your index fingers across the eyebrows from the middle outwards.  Time: 2 mins

Massage the temples gently and in a circular motion using your first two fingers. Time 30 secs.

Using your index fingers, sweep gently down the sides of the nose, starting in the corner of the eyes (be careful not to pull the delicate eye skin). Time: 2 mins

Take great care around the eyes. In the inner corners, just apply a little pressure two or three times with your ring finger. Repeat at the outer corners. Using your middle finger, just tap lightly under the eye from the nose outwards. Repeat two or three times. This is great for helping reduce puffiness. Time 1 min.

For the rest of the face, use gentle upward sweeping motions with your middle and index fingers working upwards from the chin and over the cheeks and under the nose. Keep your touch light and finish with long gentle upward sweeps of your three fingers together. Just pressing your hand, palm-side down, and lifting gently also works well. Make small circular motions with your index and middle fingers over the chin and upwards around the mouth and under the nose. Time: 2 mins

Use sweeping strokes of all three fingers on the neck and throat area. Apply gentle pressure with your thumb and sweep your thumb up along the jawbone to the ears, repeating two or three times. You can also carry out a gentle neck and shoulder massage and sweep your fingers outwards and upwards across the neckline/collarbone area. Time: 2 mins

Blot the skin gently with a soft tissue.

Step 3. Gently remove dead skin cells

We always advise against exfoliating sensitive skin with scrubs. The cleansing process will remove dead skin cells so it is not essential at all. However, if you prefer to feel you skin has in some way been buffed, try using a handful of porridge oats moistened with a little bit of warm water. Pat them over your skin and massage your skin in small circular movements, avoiding if possible the delicate skin around your eyes. Then, remove with cotton pads moistened with warm water (this is definitely easier if you have a friend carrying out your facial). Do carry out a patch test in advance to ensure you don’t have a reaction to oats.

We would also not advise steaming sensitive skin or trying to extract blackheads. These are just too stressful for sensitive skin. If you like, and your skin can tolerate, a face mask, however, just leave on the oats for 10 minutes or so until they feel stiffer and dryer. Then remove as above. Sweep toner lightly over the face to remove any excess.

Step 4. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise

Take a really good dollop of moisturiser in the palm of your hand, press your hands together then press them onto your face. Press a few more times then, using your fingertips, begin to pat the moisturiser into your skin, taking particular care around your eyes. Re-apply to your hands if there is no cream left and sweep up and over your neck and throat. Let the moisturiser soak in for a few minutes. If there is any excess, blot very lightly with a tissue.

There, how good does that feel?

Good luck and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: home facial,facial massage,facial for sensitive skin,queen,queen cosmetics,queen theatrical cleansing cream,queen skin cream,exfoliating sensitive skins,cleanse,tone and moisturise

Skin Tips: New year, new beauty regime for sensitive skin

 

This week: It’s the new year so no excuse not to start looking after your sensitive skin properly

 

You may already be embarking on an exercise programme, detox or trying hard to stick to another new year’s resolution so here’s one more to add to your list! Cleanse, tone and moisturise TWICE a day, EVERY day. I know we’re always banging on about this but that’s because it really does work.

And for sensitive skin, it’s even more important because your skin needs extra care. You can’t afford to ignore it or leave your make-up on overnight or forget to moisturise. In addition, sensitive skin needs to know what it’s getting – routine is key to keeping sensitive skin in shape. And try not to keep chopping and changing the products you use. Find some that work and stick to them. We know that, with all the new exciting creams and lotions that appear on the market every week, it’s hard not to want to experiment but if your skin is on an even keel, keep it that way.

Gosh, this all sounds rather stern. We don’t mean it to! We just want to spread the cleanse, tone and moisturise mantra and what better time to do so than at the beginning of a new year.

Good luck!

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Skin Tips: Help, my skin is allergic to……

This week: Looking at ingredients – am I allergic to lanolin?

Lanolin has long been accused of being an ingredient which causes  irritation to sensitive skin.  Like preservatives though, it is something that is often unfairly seized upon by people as being a ‘baddie’. We get lots of women calling in claiming they are sensitive to preservatives and lanolin. Yet, when you ask if they have had patch tests, they say ‘no’ and further probing reveals they just think these are causing their problems because they’ve heard vague mention of them somewhere.

Lanolin is an excellent ingredient with a very good track record. It is used in all sorts of products from lipsticks and lip balms to body lotions and face creams.

I have always liked the www.cosmeticscop.ca website which is run by a woman called Paula Begoun, an ex-make-up artist and now a writer and the owner of her own cosmetics line. Her ingredients directory says:

Lanolin: Emollient, very thick substance derived from the sebaceous glands of sheep. Lanolin has long been burdened with a reputation for being an allergen or sensitizing agent, which has always been a disappointment to formulators because lanolin is such an effective moisturizing agent for skin. A study in the British Journal of Dermatology (July 2001, pages 28–31) may change all that. The study concluded “that lanolin sensitization has remained at a relatively low and constant rate even in a high-risk population (ie patients with recent or active eczema).” Based on a review of 24,449 patients who were tested with varying forms of lanolin, it turned out that “The mean annual rate of sensitivity to this allergen was 1.7%”—and it was lower than that for a 50% concentration of lanolin. It looks like it’s time to restore lanolin’s good reputation. That’s a very good thing for someone with dry skin, though it can be a problem for someone with oily skin, because lanolin closely resembles the oil from human oil glands (see here for more http://www.cosmeticscop.ca/dictionaryL).

There is also some interesting info about lanolin on the Lansinoh (they sell a lanolin product for use on nipples by breastfeeding mothers) website:

“Lanolin has been used for over 8000 years. The ancient Egyptians used to put blocks of it on their head, which would melt in the sun and provide soft smooth skin. Directions for its use appear in medical and pharmaceutical texts throughout the last 2000 years. The term lanolin comes from the Latin lana for wool and oleum for oil, though chemically it is a wax rather than oil. It is the secretions from the sebaceous glands of sheep, which protect the fleece against rain and other elements. Lanolin comes from the fleece of sheep after shearing. No harm comes to the sheep in extracting lanolin.  It is a natural and renewable raw material not a processed synthetic compound.”

Of course, you may be one of the very tiny percentage of people who does have a sensitivity to lanolin in which case you do need to take care. Skin patch testing can diagnose an allergy or you can, of course, try products without it as these are easy to find. As we always say, just read ingredients labels carefully. For the most part, however, you should be able to use products containing lanolin without any problem which means you can benefit from its wonderful moisturising and protective qualities.

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Skin Tips: How to buy beauty products when you’ve got sensitive skin

This week: Shopping for products for sensitive skin

The cosmetics market can be a maze.  If your old favourite brand changes its formulations or you suddenly develop a sensitivity to a brand you have used successfully before, what do you do? With so many products claiming to be for sensitive skin it can be a nightmare knowing where to start.

These quick pointers can help you make a decision without relying on the marketing-spiel of the beauty counter salesperson!

Avoid skincare and make-up products with perfume in them
Products most likely to cause skin irritation are those containing perfume, fragrance or essential oils. It is worth noting that many products claim to be unscented or unperfumed but do contain a masking fragrance which covers the natural smell of the product if this is deemed unpleasant.

Look for products containing the fewest ingredients
The more ingredients contained in a product, the more chance you may experience a reaction and the less chance you have of isolating what may be the problem ingredient(s).

Don’t assume ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ are best
Just as people can be allergic to pollen or nuts (naturally occurring substances), they can also be sensitive to fruit or herbal extracts or oils and other plant derived materials and perfume/oils. Natural and organic products are often preserved with essential oils or perfume blends. As mentioned above, perfume is one of the key causes of irritation.

Where possible, ask questions and ask for samples before you buy!

Skin Tips: Water, water everywhere…but not on your face please

This week: why it’s best to avoid using water on your face if you have sensitive skin

If you have sensitive skin there’s a good chance you suffer from dry skin too. Whether you have very dry skin or you experience patches of dryness, using soap and water or wash-off products to clean your face can exacerbate the condition.

Water strips your face of essential oils and, when used in conjunction with soap or wash-off cleansers, is just not as effective at removing daily grime (I hate that word but can’t think of anything more elegant!) as using a cream cleanser on a very soft cotton pad. Your face may feel clean because you have splashed water on it, but this is often not the case.

Water is also not necessarily the best option for oily skin. Stripping your face of oil only makes it produce more which is why, even when you do have greasy skin, you should take care to moisturise.

After using a cream cleanser, you should also use a toner to remove excess product. Toners are more gentle than water and should just be swept very lightly over your skin. You will achieve the fresh feeling you get from splashing water on your face. To read more about cleansing and toning sensitive skin, click here.

As well as avoiding wash-off cleansers, it is also best to keep use of scrubs and face masques to a minimum if you have sensitive skin. These inevitably need lots of water and some (often vigorous) rubbing to remove which further stresses sensitive skin.

If you are a water baby, restrict it to your insides! Keep hydrated from the inside and your skin will benefit too.

Technorati Tags: cleansing toning and moisturising for sensitive skin,wash-off cleansers,cream cleansers for sensitive skin,cleanser for dry skin,cleansers for oily skin

Skin Tips: Help, I’m pregnant and my skin’s gone mad!

This week: Dealing with sensitivity, spots and other skin problems during pregnancy

Don’t panic if you are pregnant and your skin has become super-sensitive and thinks you’re a teenager again! There seems to be a commonly-held belief that your skin glows during pregnancy. Medically, it does (an increased volume of blood to the cheeks results in a pinky blush) but when we say glow in the context of pregnancy we usually mean ‘looks gorgeous, healthy and peachy’ as opposed to just pink.

Unfortunately, many of us do not experience this glow (the peachy one!) but find our skin reverts to that of a teenager – spotty and oily in patches but very dry and ultra sensitive in others. Or, it’s just super dry and sensitive.

“Now that I’m pregnant my skin is getting even worse with more red spots and dry spells. Do you have any advice on what sort of skin care I need that will actually improve my skin’s condition,” says one woman in an email.

Another says: “My skin used to be oily, but during pregnancy and since having a baby it’s been quite dry.”

Someone else writes saying she has always had sensitive skin but that, during her current pregnancy, Nivea baby sun lotion has caused an outbreak of urticaria (an itchy rash caused by an allergic reaction to anything from food to sunlight to prescription drugs). She is now finding it impossible to use anything on her skin without further irritating it and is desperate to find some skincare and make-up products she can use before she goes to a number of weddings later in the year.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy can increase skin sensitivity and many women do find they become irritated by products – both cosmetics and household detergents – that they have previously used without problem. Spots and acne,  caused by increased sebum production during pregnancy, are another result of all those hormones surging around the body. 

It is worth remembering that these extremes should stop once your baby is born so our advice is not to stress about your skin. The best thing you can do is to support it during pregnancy by going back to basics and keeping things as simple as possible (the Queen philosophy for all skin!). Drastic changes and trying out numerous different products will only make things worse.

So, here’s the Queen guide to looking after skin during pregnancy:

Cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day, preferably using a cream cleanser rather than a wash-off cleanser

Avoid perfumed products and products containing essential oils

Avoid harsh acne creams. Your skin will clear up, either as your pregnancy progresses or once you’ve had the baby

Don’t overstimulate your skin with scrubs, masks and other products.  If you do feel the need to use an exfoliant, use some oats moistened with a bit of water – it can be messy but it is very gentle

Fight the urge to attack spots or over-handle your skin as this can just make it worse

Don’t take long, hot baths as these will further dry your skin. Take short, just-warm showers and baths and moisturise well afterwards.As a final note, if you do think you have urticaria or find you are suffering from severe rashes and itchiness (particularly in your third trimester) do visit your doctor to get these checked out.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin during pregnancy,help with spotty skin during pregnancy,dry skin during pregnancy,oily skin during pregnancy,tips for dealing with skin problems during pregnancy,pregnant with sensitive skin,how to care for skin during pregnancy,queen cosmetics,queen