I have long been a fan of the power of nature, bees and honey being intrinsic in that. Honey and skin-healing and all over health go back centuries, I have used honey in natural face masks at home and in the treatment room, my grandparents kept bees so as a child we were fortunate enough to have fresh honey comb throughout the year, fresh from the hive! In our family we sweeten things with honey, even tea and have for many years taken Manuka honey as a natural health support inside and out.
The environment we live in is well documented to have an impact on our health and ageing process. We are born with the genes we have, then it’s our lifestyle that also impacts on the rate in which we age and our global location forms part of that. Pollution is becoming more and more of a huge concern when it comes to skin health, with levels increasing in cities and towns across the world it's a key aspect of skincare that needs focusing on to help fight and stave off the effects of free-radical damage and pollution. In treatment I am seeing so much more skin sensitivity, inflammation, breakouts and premature ageing as a side effect of regular exposure the pollution has with my city clients.
The Manuka Doctor Anti-Pollution range has been developed to target and support city skins, all with key anti-pollution focused ingredients such as Peach flower which has been proven to reduce UV damage along with Manuka honey which I love as a skincare ingredient. Naturally anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, two key factors of city skin along with Purified bee venom, supporting cell regeneration, healing and collagen production.
Detoxifying Cleanser
To remove pollution from the surface of the skin use a cleanser that is going to work a little deeper without stripping the skin. The Detoxifying Cleanser is a lovely way to do exactly that, a cream based cleanser to help melt surface sweat and makeup, with soft exfoliating beads to gently help remove surface pollution on a daily basis without being harsh.
Apply an almond sized amount to the palm of your hand and massage onto dry skin, avoid the eyes just because of the exfoliating particles. Add a little water to soften and massage over the whole face. This type of cleanser is best removed with a warm damp cloth and splashed off with warm water.
Cleansing is the most important part of your skincare routine, don't over strip but be thorough and gentle, especially when it comes to removing the grime of the day!
Protective Primer
The Manuka Doctor Anti-Pollution Protective Primer is a light weight gel like serum with a delicate scent, which hydrates, refines and brightens the skin with a blend of honey, Purified bee venom and plant actives with Hyaluronic acid for lots of extra hydration. It absorbs easily without feeling tacky and creates a protective super light-weight shield that you don't feel on the skin, before applying your moisturiser. Apply 1 pump with finger tips to the whole face and neck after cleansing the skin. Serums are an essential part of a skincare routine, if you want results these are the powerhouse of your at home skincare so not a step to be skipped but added in daily.
Recovery Night Cream
Keeping the skin hydrated and nourished is essential to skin health, keeping the top layers of the skin treated with a moisturiser is like adding a protective barrier, if the surface is happy then the underlying layers of the skin can function more effectively. A city skin can definitely become dry and dehydrated as a side effect of pollution and UV exposure, feeding the skin becomes more essential on a daily basis. Apply 2 pumps to the palm of your hand, rub hands together then press onto cheeks, forehead, upper lip, chin, neck and décolleté smoothing into the skin in a circular motion. The moisturiser contains Shea butter, Cocoa butter as well as the other key anti-pollution ingredients, which give it a really rich texture to deeply moisturise skin. Even though it is called a Recovery Night Cream, I would use this morning and night.
