Mini Look Fantastic Haul

 

Quick one today!

I teased on instagram a video of me opening this (@smilesbetterskins) and here is what it contained!

PUREOLOGY STRENGTH CURE COLOUR CARE SHAMPOO,CONDITIONER AND SUPERFOOD TREATMENT TRIO

I have decided that my shampoo and conditioner game needs upping now the sun has started ravaging my hair! I use the Pureology shampoo and conditioner once a week when I am washing my hair at home (as opposed to the pool) and every time I am amazed by the difference it gives. 

Last week in fact, I used these products on the Sunday, washed my hair again on the Monday and could STILL feel the difference. So I went for it and re purchased. Also thought I would try the mask because...more is more right?

THE ORDINARY AHA BHA PEELING SOLUTION

If you haven’t read my mask post – where have you been? I declare my love for this product and my current one is running low, and the thought of being without this and having to deal with having multiple layers of skin rather than my product-thinned one, fills me with dread.

(checkout the post here) 

HYLAMIDE LOW-MOLECULAR HA BOOSTER 30ML

After indoctrinating all of my friends and colleagues in the importance of hyaluronic acid, I started them off on The Ordinary version, they are now ready to step it up, and Hylamide is the next level up in the never-ending sky scraper that is the Deciem company base.

This is runnier than The Ordinary version, but not as runny as the magnificent NIOD one. This means it absorbs more readily, and the low molecular weight of the hyaluronic acid molecules means it can absorb deeper into the skin, leading to increase plumpness!

Supplements - what to buy and what to REALLY not buy

Following on from my previous post about diet changes (read here) there are certain supplements I now take that have definitely improved my health, improved my skin’s ability to cope with what I make it do (Roaccutane, retinols, peels, life).

I have never really believed in supplements, I was always of the philosophy that if you are deficient in something then your diet must be unhealthy.

I still believe this to a massive degree, e.g. vitamin C, iron, magnesium etc but there is no in harm in giving the body a hand in a helpful way especially if you are going through a time that puts physical stress or you have done something/going through something which alters the body in some way e.g. roaccutane, antibiotics, chemotherapy, colonic hydrotherapy, diet changes.

After my first colonic session, Jackie recommended various things to me to improve the health of the gut. It is important to say that colonic hydrotherapy does not “strip the gut of bacteria” or wash out everything. Quite the opposite, it simply removes all the crap (literally) and allows a clean and neutral environment in which you can introduce good helpful things without the unhelpful things getting in the way. Before I started looking into all things diet, I took a combined multivitamin and probiotic.

The problem with this as it turns out is that 1) the probiotic was not in the right form, the right bacterial count  or in the right carrier to actually do anything 2) multivitamins are pretty much pointless.

The issue with multivitamins is that your body processes it like a drug. Anything taken orally is already absorbed at a very low level because of the digestive process, add into this a foreign capsule shell and a load of chemically synthesised vitamins and the amount you absorb is negligible. Effectively you just pee it out.

So…I now take a probiotic with 7 or 8 different strains of gut bacteria with 30 billion bacterial count at expiry. The expiry bit is important as many probiotics will state they have significantly more than this but then do not state how stable the carrier is etc. Yes they are expensive but yes they make a massive difference AND MOST IMPORTANTLY  do not need to take them every day until the end of time unless you are on long term antibiotics. 30 days is enough to colonise the gut with enough bacteria for them to then continue to multiply by themselves (as long as you are eating well, minimal alcohol or medications etc).

The second thing she recommended was something to replace the multivitamin aspect. I now take either chlorella or spirulina ( you can get a huge pack for about £5 on ebay – I have linked some below). These provide all the vitamins and nutrients a normal healthy (ish) person will need on a daily basis. INCLUDING the buzz word of the moment “magnesium” – which everyone seems to herald as the miracle cure for everything. Both supplements are made from green leafy plants which have simply been dried and crushed. For this reason your body processes it from food, so not only does it contain everything you need, your body actually stands a chance of absorbing it. Interestingly they have more iron than beef, more potassium than bananas and more calcium than whole milk as well as protein, zinc AND Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, C, D, E, k AND all 8 essential amino acids that the body does not synthesize. Sold yet?

I also take hyaluronic acid capsules which helped immensely during my roaccutane treatment. I bought one bottle and could not see a massive difference, I then stopped taking them and within a week my flaky skin had upped its game and the dry-PVA-glue skin was back.

Vitamin D3 is a new one. I thought I would give it a go after Dr Sam Bunting recommended its use especially being on Roaccutane and avoiding the sun like the plague. Vitamin D is a tricky one as the levels set for appropriate levels are a cause for contention. In the UK where we see the sun for about 3 hours a year, pretty much EVERYONE will be vitamin D deficient compared to these levels yet only a small proportion will have symptoms of deficiency. This being said, I found myself in February feeling ill, sluggish, unmotivated. Whilst I have days like this sometimes, I am very much a bounce-off-the-walls-with-energy kinda girl, and this awful feeling had been going on for months.

A week into taking D3 and boom, I was back to having to jog on the spot in work to release the extra energy I had. A month later and I still feel that way (much to my nurse’s annoyance as she has to careful work around my jogging with the dirty instruments)

As I say, not everyone will need it, but I leave the house at 6:45 in my car, go to a leisure centre until its time to go to work, drive the 2 minutes from there to the hospital, work in a basement level in said hospital for 8 hours, then drive home. Whilst I am very active, little of this activity takes place outdoors, so my vitamin d levels were probably rock bottom despite my efforts to eat well.

Omega 3, 6 and 9. This was especially important during Roaccutane treatment as it hammers your liver risking change to fatty acids and triglycerides in the body. My good cholesterol levels were 3 times the level of a normal healthy person and were even slightly higher by the end of treatment. Now yes you can get these from eating fish, but my boyfriend hates fish so while I still eat it, it is not at a level that will provide enough.

I prefer getting mine from vegan sources (flaxseed etc – which I also add to my porridge), see below

Heliocare care ultra capsules are my latest addition. Sun safety is obviously hugely important but with Roaccutane treatment your skin is extremely sensitised so while I am now careful in the sun and wear my high SPF’s etc, anything that can boost the body’s ability to protect and repair from UV damage is obviously a good thing.

What NOT to take

Separate tablets for every nutrient. Unless you have severe dietary restrictions then you really do not need as many nutrients as Instagram tells you you’re missing.

Your body cannot absorb collagen through tablet form, the molecule is too large, so don’t bother taking those .

Vitamin c to prevent a cold – absolutely no evidence for this, there is some anecdotal evidence that increasing vitamin c intake during illness might help speed up recovery but you are FAR better doing this through food than you are through supplements

Please DO NOT BUY COD LIVER OIL. The liver is the filtration system of the body. The sea is full of the rubbish that we have put in there, including the much feared mercury, so the liver will also be full of this. Concentrate this down a few hundred times to give the potency of a cod liver oil capsule and you’re doing far more harm than good. Krill oil is far better, you want the oil that has come from the flesh not the liver.

Perfectil. Biotin is the only proven supplement that will increase hair and nail growth/strength. This issue with this is that it makes ALL hair grow quicker and stronger. Your upper lip wax will be getting moved to weekly rather than monthly. That’s all I’m saying. If you don’t suffer with this, just buy plain Biotin rather than spending your life’s savings on Perfectil or branded ones. Whilst this is the only supplement that alone will help hair and nail growth, having the right amount of amino acids and fatty acids will also do the same job. You're covered there by the chlorella/spirulina and the omega oils

Food substitutions – just a quickie.

As I found I was intolerant to most sweeteners, but did not want to use sugar, I found this was the best to use. It takes the same as sugar, is not gritty, does not have an after taste like pure stevia, and causes no bloating.

Natvia All Natural Sweetener

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/291614360

Protein – my first blood test for Roaccutane showed my albumin was towards the lower end of the range, and having not scored low on a test my whole life, I wanted to fix this. I REFUSE to take the disgusting stuff they have in the gym and fitness shops. It is absolutely loaded with garbage – sweeteners, enzymes to break down the protein, flavouring etc etc so eventually I found this. I use the soy one, but they also do a hemp and a brown rice protein too in case anyone has soy allergies . Please note, these do not taste good, hence why I use sweetener. The plain soy is completely inoffensive, it just does not taste of anything. The cocoa brown rice one STAY FAR AWAY.

Pulsin Soy Protein Powder

https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/pulsin-soya-protein-1kg-60006973

I also now use almond milk in my cooking etc as I needed a dairy free alternative. Its also great to use in curries etc as well as in the obvious porridge. I have tried several that taste like actual soil but this one is great

Alpro Almond Roasted Unsweetened Fresh Milk Alternative

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/275067782

Supplement links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Udos-Choice-Super-8-Probiotics/dp/B0036E5KG6

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hyaluronic-Acid-Capsules-250mg-High-Strength-and-100-Pure-Supplement/112813220964?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vitamin-D3-5000IU-x-150-Caps-MAX-Strength-Bones-SAD-Immune-System-Lindens/322481059234?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/255431548

http://www.zestbeauty.com/heliocare-ultra-capsules-30-capsules.html

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suma-Bagged-Down-Organic-Linseed-golden-organic-1kg/182948960066?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

The Ordinary product review. Nothing ordinary about it.

I genuinely believe this is the best range I have ever tried. The carrier systems and feel of the products may not be the most sophisticated but I love them as:

 1) you know what concentration the active ingredients in (which quite frankly is the only bit of the product I care about)

2) the active ingredients are in a stable form – you can find plenty of products on the high street with active ingredients such as vitamin c (cough Aldi cough), but as soon as you mix them with water the ingredient is no longer active and effective

3) the packaging is appropriate for the product i.e. dark glass for vitamin c products to avoid UV oxidation AND mostly recyclable due to the use of glass vs plastic

4) they are mega affordable so if you skin does not agree with a certain ingredient you have only lost a fiver

I have tried A LOT of products from the range so will do a quick rundown of my favourites, and some that I have used but may not be repurchasing

Product	Pros - Why I liked it	Cons
Hyaluronic acid and B5 serum	Cheapest way to get good quality hyaluronic acid into the skin	It is a bit sticky. This is not a problem if you only layer a moisturiser over, but I have found if you layer it over niacinamide or use a vitamin c powder mixed with the moisturiser it will causing some pilling
Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%  Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution	Pleasant to use, no stinging, no grittiness so good to apply makeup over. Dark bottle to avoid oxidation	I did not really see any results from either of these products so swapped to a higher concentration
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F	Feels lovely to apply.	Oil base so this was donated to my mum who has a drier and non acne prone skin
Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%	Great for resurfacing and brightening	Doesn’t feel great to apply, gritty. This does go after 5/10 mins as it absorbs and warms to the skin, but you would probably want a primer if applying foundation over
100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder	This is my current form of vitamin C. You can make it as potent or diluted as you like. Minimal tingling. No gritty feeling.	I find it works better mixed with a moisturiser vs a serum as sometimes it does not dissolve fully in a serum and leaves white patches on the skin. The problem completely disappeared when I mixed with moisturiser.
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion	Lovely product. Lovely lightweight serum, did not cause any peeling or irritation. I did not even need to use a moisturiser over this	None I prefer this formulation to the Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane
Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane	Great product, you skin feels like silk in the morning.	This caused absolutely no irritation or breakouts on my skin however I had to switch to oil free products for my comedones, so this got moved to use on my neck only. My neck cannot seem to tolerate the higher strength retinols that I use on my face, so this is perfect
AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution	This may well be my favourite product from the range. The concentration of the acids is great and is the highest performing mask of this kind that I have tried. Glass skin ahoy	It burns and tingles. Beware if a first-time user of acids. Start with leaving it on for just 2 minutes and work up slowly. When you’re mad like me, you can even run your foreo over it at the end of the 10 mins to activate it further
2% Salicylic acid serum	2% is the percentage you need for it to have a true pore cleaning effect, so this is perfect	I prefer my la roche posay effaclar duo as it provides the triple spot fighting whammy with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and niacinamide so I stick with this to avoid having to apply 10 different products
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil	Lovely texture, absorbs quite quickly but can also be layered to do a massage or for a healing boost. I had a burn from a product (too strong a retinol) on my neck and this was the only thing that solved it and stopped it being sore and itchy. If you do not have any pore blockage issues this would be great to use on the face too	Doesn’t smell great, which actually is fine by me because I do not want added fragrance in my products.
Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA	Lovely simple moisturiser. No oil, no fragrance. Great for cuticles and nails too (tip from Mr Truaxe himself)	None
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%	Great concentration of the actives. The added zinc is also great for my acne prone skin. No irritation	If you layer this under hyaluronic acid, make sure you only use a small amount of the niacinamide otherwise the hyaluronic can leave little white patches, however these disappear as soon as you layer over a moisturiser.
Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG	If you are at all prone to puffiness – going through a break up, massive Chinese food binge – slap this on the night before and again in the morning and it’ll disappear. The other wonderful benefit of this product is it can be mixed into other things. For example, when I’m on a real summer kick, after dry body brushing my legs (which I do daily) I mix a good squirt of the caffeine solution into my body cream and slather on for some skin firming action	This is drying (it’s kind of the point of the product) so I apply this onto clean, dry skin, let it absorb for a couple of minutes while I brush my teeth etc then layer my eye cream or moisturiser over the top
Lactic Acid 10% + HA	Lovely texture, easily absorbed, good resurfacing	For some reason this worsened my acne. I am lactose intolerant but that is a digestive thing so shouldn’t have affected the skin but either way, I stopped using this and donated.

In summary, my must haves are the aha bha peel, the caffeine solution, vitamin c powder and niacinamide. For beginners, I would definitely get the hyaluronic acid serum and the retinoids.