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awakenedbeauty
Holistic
Beauty
Ask Katrina
Got a burning question about holistic beauty? Katrina Valente is your guide to naturally loving the skin you’re in. This issue, what to do when you’re an ethical eco-warrior but who doesn’t plan to growing old gracefully.
Q
“Help! Katrina, I’m torn. I want to use ethical and environmentally friendly products but I have to admit, I also want to wage total war on wrinkles… when it comes to anti-aging, are organic and natural face products really as effective as the hardcore scientifically tested ones stuffed with chemicals? Wendy R. Palm Jumeirah
My big secret for the general public is that anything you buy over the counter has a two layer penetration which makes the results superficial and short-lived. A professional product will penetrate to the
A
Dear Wendy, Ah yes, the ethical dilemma of the modern woman! Saving the planet versus fighting off the signs of aging. Each woman needs to strike her own balance. The truth is that, although some organic products are powerful, to get the optimum anti-aging effects from a skincare range, you need to use the ‘hardcore’ clinical products as they have the most active ingredients for reversing the symptoms of the aging process. I must stress though that I only recommend professional skincare products as they contain the big guns in the anti-aging arsenal, such as Vitamin C and A and alpha lipoic acid. www.awakeningsme.com
fourth or fifth layer of the skin where all the collagen and elastin is produced, thus speeding up the regeneration process and giving much longer-lasting results. Also, professional products are not that different in price because with over-the-counter products, you’re paying mostly for the mammoth marketing campaigns. It doesn’t matter what they tell you is in the product, what’s important is the percentage of active ingredients and in an over-the-counter product there is not enough to make a difference. You only get enough active ingredients in a professional product. However, organic products can also be very powerful, in particular essential oils. These penetrate to the deeper layers of the skin and also work on the emotional body. Essential oils are best used at night under your night cream as a serum. Oils such as sandalwood, rose, geranium, lavender and jasmine give great results in the war against aging. Using a mix of organic and chemical is an option but you need to experiment with what’s best suited to your specific skin type. Also, you should change your skin care routine four times a year in line with the change in weather. If you use the same skincare products for too long, the skin becomes accustomed to the products and slows down regeneration.
WE JUST LOVE… Human + Kind All-In-One Day and Night Cream, AED 130.
Made in Ireland, this is skincare with a conscience. The H + K all day and night hydrating cream has a moistureretaining blend of Aloe Vera, natural vitamin E and essential oils including Centella, marshmallow, juniper berry and rosehip. Human+Kind skincare is available at Boots, Milk & Honey, Organic Foods & Café, Down To Earth, The Change Initiative and Make Up Etc. in Palm Strip Mall Jumeira, as well as online through Glambox.me and Namshi.com. www.humanandkind.com
DECEMBER 2012