HELENE RAVLICH: NATURAL BEAUTY
Caring for your skin over winter... from the ankles down I always have various foot creams and balms on hand to massage in post-bath and pre-bed, usually when I’m glued to the couch watching rubbish telly, a glass of pinot noir in hand. It is amazing the difference that the - healthy - habit has made to my tootsies, and it is a ritual that really amps up over winter when soft woolly socks come into the equation - pure heaven! As well as a right treat, regularly using a quality foot cream makes beauty sense: I figure when you’re shelling out serious money for a professional to ensure your toes look great every few weeks, why let the side down with manky old heels? One of the most luxurious formulas I’ve tried of late comes from Guinot in the form of Longue Vie Pieds foot cream - the legendary French brand’s first beauty cream made to protect, soften, and soothe feet. It contains an incredible 56 biological active ingredients that deeply penetrate the skin to help stimulate cell renewal and repair cracked, dry, and blistered feet, and it smells like pure heaven. It also leaves no greasy residue, making it easy to get in bed or put on shoes immediately after use. From what I’ve experienced it leaves feet looking and feeling better after just one application too, which gets two thumbs up from me. Its key ingredients are Liposkin to nourish and rebuild the skin’s hydrolipidic film (the foot’s natural protective barrier), while D-Panthenol strengthens nails and a combination of sweet almond oil and shea butter nourish and hydrate. Last up, Microcidine deodorises and sanitises, and Allantoin relieves blistered feet. Magnifique! I have to admit that there are a lot of foot-related products out there claiming a lot more than they deliver, as well. Thankfully, one of the best value numbers on the market - Manuka Doctor ApiNourish Foot & Heel Cream - is not one of them! Harnessing the skin rewarding, all good powers of UMF 18+ manuka honey, this tube of foot-loving goodness from Manuka Doctor is a super rich and beautiful to use moisture rich formula that pretty much instantly nourishes the skin on your feet. Great when lathered on at the end of the day, ApiNourish Foot & Heel Cream has a cooling effect from the addition of peppermint to its formula, whilst moisturising shea butter and avocado oil leave feet feeling soft, supple and just plain soothed. It’s definitely a winner in my book, and at $19.75 for 75ml won’t break the bank.
At the more luxe end of the market, Jo Malone’s Vitamin E Gel - $190 for 30ml - is a little steeper on the price front but by golly, she’s a joy to use. It is a nourishing moisturiser for dry, dehydrated skin that can be used wherever and whenever, and contains natural conditioners - wheat germ oil, sweet almond oil and apricot kernel oil - as well as highly emollient, vitamin-packed avocado oil to help replenish and smooth. The gel also works as a barrier to help protect the skin against further environmental damage. Clinique’s Deep Comfort Body Lotion is also another multi-use product that definitely delivers, with a super lightweight yet moisturising formula that amps up the hydration levels and lasts all day. Smooth to the touch, it’s a deliciously milky lotion that spreads easily and absorbs quickly too, making it a winner when it comes to dressing straight after application. The formula includes vitamin C and vitamin E to help protect skin from external irritants, plus Murumuru Butter to help rebuild the skin’s protective barrier so it can defend itself against external assaults and retain more of its natural moisture. For something completely different, Mecca Cosmetica stocks Talika Feet Therapy Socks, which have an RRP of $110.00, can be reused up to 30 times and are quite the handy pair to have around. The French company’s Feet Therapy Socks soften, heal and condition dry, calloused feet simply by slipping them on for 20 minutes per day. The lightweight bamboofibre booties are lined with a very clever gel matrix polymer, which slowly releases encapsulated ingredients and allows their gradual absorption into the skin. The formula contains nutrients like vitamin E, ceramides, and botanical oils such as jojoba, grapeseed, avocado, olive, almond, and brazil nut, which work together to deliver quite the result. For an extra intense treatment you can apply a favourite cream before slipping on Talika Feet Therapy Socks, which conveniently have anti-skid soles so you can walk around during the treatment or simply relax. So, keep up the good work over winter and just in time for sandal season you’ll be sporting the best pair of pieds in town… or when you hit some tropical locale during the winter months you’ll go sneaker PN free with pride! (HELENE RAVLICH) F
OCTOBER 1989 - OCTOBER 2014
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Years For more information or to book your advertising contact: Jo Barrett on 021 324 510 or t: 09 361 3356 or 09 378 8553 e: joannebarrett@xtra.co.nz w: www.ponsonbynews.co.nz
64 PONSONBY NEWS+ July 2014
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)