Having been in the industry for 23 years, I have used many different skincare products.
All skincare has a story behind it. I even tried to make my own skincare once. I thought how hard can this be?! So I ordered a multitude of ingredients, some new pots, and pans, and got to work in my very small kitchen. It was all going well until I tried to recreate my favourite Elemis face mask, Fruit rejuvenating mask. I used to swear by it back in the day when I went out partying at the weekend. I would go out on a Friday night, feel and look awful on the Saturday but somehow putting this mask on the next day enabled me to get my party frock back on and out I went on the Saturday as well with a spring in my step! (If I went out 2 nights now I would be in bed for 6 months and there would be no mask in the world that could save me!!)
Needless to say, mixing kiwi and strawberry extract isn’t as simple as it seems! My face pretty much turned scarlet instantly and swelled up to the size of a hot air balloon! I remember calling my mum, crying down the phone that I had burnt my face off and it’s getting hotter by the second!
With advanced skincare, it all depends which story grabs your attention or perhaps you just go for price or smell. I know is used to!
I have used brands such as Dermalogica, Gatineau (no not the cake!) the beautiful marine-based products from Thalgo and of course I couldn’t possibly have been in the industry for so long and not have worked with award-winning Elemis. In fact when I opened my very first salon aka converted garage I was very saddened to learn that I could not get Elemis as they only supplied larger establishments.
When I moved into the larger beauty salon in Edinburgh on Morrison Street, the first people I called was indeed Elemis. I felt like I had finally reached the top of the mountain. You know THAT peak you reach when you realise there are many more mountains in front of you!
Fast forward a few years and I finally feel settled with award-winning UK Skincare brand Medik8.
Medik8 is a cosmeceutical product. You can read more about this in my article explaining the difference between cosmeceuticals and cosmetics.
The founder of Medik8 Elliot Isaacs studied physiology at the University of Leeds alongside pharmacology and biochemistry. After backpacking the globe, Elliot was inspired to create the world-renowned Medik8 cosmeceutical brand. He then built it up from a tiny lab in the back of his Dad’s pharmacy.
Read more about the founder via Medk8.
What I love about Medik8 is that it does exactly what it says it will do, it is not focused just on smelling pretty and it is probably one of the most affordable cosmeceuticals I have ever purchased.
Having suffered from melasma pigmentation since 2010, being dedicated to Medik8 it has reduced its appearance by at least 70%. Don’t get me wrong if I fried my face in the sun with no SPF my brown spots can surface very quickly but this is yet another thing I love about Medik8 they are so passionate about the importance of using SPF.
Over the last 4 years, my skincare routine has increased to using 7 products a day.
Don’t let this scare you! Your skin journey should start simple and grow. If any skincare company tries to sell you a ‘cream that does it all’ they are lying!
Medik8 products are designed to be layered. These layers will include cleansers, toners, hydrating serums, vitamin c , retinol to name but a few. For a full guide to Medik8s layering regime see the following link https://www.medik8.com/pages/layering-skincare