Written by Alicia Lartey
Image by @bloves.beauty
Last month was one of discovery for me, spurred on by my recent stream of breakouts. I found myself searching for products by ingredients and expanding my search beyond the borders of the UK to discover these hidden gems…
Hyperpigmentation will always be on my mind when it comes to skincare – the search for the holy grail product never ends. However, I would say I have possibly found something that comes close. There are many ways to manage pigmentation such as through antioxidants, exfoliants and tyrosinase inhibitors; but finding a product to do all of those things in-one is incredibly difficult…enter, Transparent Labs PIH Sun Spot Fading Treatment. I could not believe my luck when I found this serum! The fading treatment boasts an efficacious blend of tranexamic acid, niacinamide, kojic acid and salicylic acid to inhibit tyrosinase, protect your skin for oxidative stress and exfoliate away mature skin cells. Treating hyperpigmentation requires consistency through the repurchase of your chosen treatment, so it is important to make sure that your chosen product meets your skincare budget.
Pro tip: use the fading treatment morning and night after your hydrating toner over 6-8 weeks, always pair with SPF.
My scalp became of particular interest to me as I began to transform my hair through at least 7 different styles this summer. Summer is also the season of swimming (or as close to swimming as one can get), but things like chlorine and salt water can be irritate scalps, due to extra dryness and adding friction from washing the hair more often. I found that my scalp became more stressed and began to show signs of damage (redness and breakouts). A great analogy is to compare your scalp to soil and your hair to flowers – the quality of your soil greatly impacts the growth of your flowers. I have favoured scalp serums for some time and have opted for THOM Scalp Serum as my scalp care staple all summer. THOM combines enzymes with rosemary in a lightweight serum, to gently exfoliate the scalp and promote hair growth. Over the last two months my scalp redness and debris has subsided quite noticeably, allowing me to prolong my time between hair washes.
If you have been a long term beauty lover, you may be aware that Tatcha skincare has recently launched in the UK! We have seen an influx of international brands from across the pond, but none were more highly anticipated than Tatcha. Tatcha blends traditional Japanese skincare elements with modern skincare science and innovations, to not only deliver an amazing sensory experience, but also products that work. I found myself in the market for a cleansing oil that would thoroughly remove makeup without leaving behind an undesirable residue. What I did not expect to find was a cleansing oil as beautiful as The Camellia Cleansing Oil. Tatcha have been able to create a cleansing oil-makeup remover, that effortlessly dissolves layers of foundation and sunscreen to leave your skin feeling plump and clean without drying. I always take a little bottle of the camellia cleansing oil everywhere I go!
