What is Mineral Make Up

Time to shed some light on Mineral Make Up and what they are all about!

The BIGGEST benefit of a 100% Mineral Make Up is that it is designed to sit on the surface of the skin. It will not penetrate into the pores like a chemical make up will. Time and time again, chemical make up is the culprit for my clients breakouts, bumps under the skin and skin irritations.
Clients that go on to a 100% Mineral Make Up like the Jane Iredale that I use, will never go back to a chemical make up again.

• It feels better (more natural on the skin)
• It has a flawless finish
• It will assist in calming a sensitive/rosacea skin
• It is healthy for the skin
• Fantastic coverage
• Some contain natural sunscreens, giving an anti-ageing benefit as well

Here are the characteristics of the Jane Iredale Mineral Make Up:

• Non-comedogenic, will not block pores.
• Virtually no allergy risk.
• All products have been sensitivity tested.
• Broad-spectrum UVB and UVA protection - up to SPF 30.  UVA tested at High.
• Anti-inflammatory, helps to calm and soothe irritated skin.
• Very water resistant rating by an FDA-approved lab.
• Complete coverage for skin conditions like acne, rosacea and redness following treatments like chemical peels and laser resurfacing.
• Contains no talc or parabens.
• Composed of inert minerals that cannot support bacteria. 

Some examples of typical mineral make up ingredients to look out for are:

• Mica, Boron Nitride, Plankton extract, Iron Oxides, Dimethicone and Ultramarines ... for more, click on individual products to view their ingredients

I have clients come in to see me who are using a Mineral Make Up which is wonderful news, but unfortunately some of the time it is a mix of both chemicals and Minerals. Which is only a problem when it is the chemicals that are aggravating the skin and the reason I am seeing them.
The Make Up will be called Mineral Make Up, but only part of the make up is minerals. The rest I am afraid ... is chemicals.

So how do we know if our Mineral Make Up is 100% Minerals???

According to the ACCC, after discussions with them, there is no law stating that to be labelled as a Mineral Make Up you need to have XWY % of Minerals in the product.
It could contain 1% minerals and be called a Mineral Make Up.

So, hence my blog. As a skin care professional and skin advisor, I wish to pass this information on to you, so you are empowered when you purchase products. Lets face it, it is a MINEFIELD out there.
What is the best product for me? Will I react? Is this 100% minerals? What chemicals are in here? Are chemicals bad for me? All of these questions needs answers for you to be able to make informed decisions on what you purchase, to minimize buying products that aren't suited to you.

When purchasing YOUR Mineral Make Up, ask your skin care professional, "is this a 100% mineral make up?"

If you want to be an investigator yourself ...

• check out the ingredients on the label - google them, do they sound weird, hard to pronounce?
• does it contain talc?? Usually one of the first ingredients on the product label ... not a mineral!
• visit your Mineral Make Up Brands website ... what information do they have there? What testing have they done? Do they state they are 100% minerals?

I stock the Jane Iredale Mineral Make Up which I have been using professionally and personally for over 10 years. Other 100% Mineral Make Up brands that I am aware of are: Young Blood and ID Bare Minerals. 

I hope I have helped shed some light on Mineral Make Up for you. If you are experiencing break outs, redness/flaking skin, pustules etc, give a 100% Mineral Make Up a go. If the make up is the culprit, my clients will start to see an improvement in their skin within 7 days! Yes, that quick. When you take away what is irritating the skin, you see vast improvements.

I am available for email consultations, skype consults, phone chats, and in my clinic in Sydney on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Happy to extend my knowledge and help you achieve the skin you want .... today!

Happy Skin Days,

Sarah Wilkinson
Skin Matrix
www.skinmatrix.com.au
sarah@skinmatrix.com.au

Osmosis Quench VOTED Best Moisturiser for 2012!

        BUY NOW

Quench is the ever so popular moisturiser from the Ben Johnson Range Osmosis.
My clients (myself included) LOVE this product. Here are some great facts about this award winning moisturier for 2012:

• designed to protect, restore and hydrate the skin
• protects the epidermal barrier (the upper most layer of the skin) from external environment
• contains loads of hyalauronic acid, a natural yet powerful hydrating and plumping ingredient
• is light weight, absorbs quickly into the skin
• does not leave a greasy film on the skin
• suited for all skin types
• for super dry skins - mix 1 pump quench with 1 pump of immerse

 HOT TIP:

• Mix 1 pump Quench and 1 pump of Shelter 29+ together in the morning for the best day combo! 

Happy Skin Days,

Sarah Wilkinson
Skin Matrix
www.skinmatrix.com.au

How to get rid of hard white spots on the face

So what are these pesky white hard lumps under the skin?

Their official name is "Milia".

They are hardened balls of keratin that are basically trapped between the bi layers of your skin. They seem like hard white lumps under the skin. They do not sit in your oil (sebaceous) glands, so are an entirely different skin condition to acne/problematic skins.
They like to present themselves on the upper cheeks, around the eyes,  edges of the nose, cheeks and less commonly on the other areas of the face. They can grow to 1-2mm in size. 

From my experience the only way to get rid of Milia is to book in with an Aesthetician (Skin Specialist) who has experience in Milia removal and get them professionally removed. I strongly advise against attempting to squeeze them out your selves as you will only damage the surrounding skin in the process.
As they sit between the bi layers of the skin, they do not have a natural exit point, so you will squeeze and squeeze to the point where you start to remove the surrounding skin.

Milia is one of my specialties! Just so you know what to expect when you see your Aesthetician. The skin will be:

• cleansed
• exfoliated for a more efficient Milia removal
• Then I lance the Milia ever so slightly to allow an exit point, then the Milia can be lightly pressed out
• Serum or mask applied to reduce redness and promote healing

Typically you will only be left with a pin prick for approx 24-48 hours. There is no major redness or inflammation post Milia removal. 

Milia extractions is not a painful process, you may feel the odd prick here and there, but it is something that I really recommend as it is quick and very effective. 

Why are Milia formed in the first place?
It's all well and good to remove the Milia, but it is very important to know why you are getting them so you can prevent recurrence. When you have your Milia extracted. Ask your Aesthetician to give you a skin diagnosis so he/she can advise you where you are currently having imbalances in the skin.

Osmosis Immerse

 One of the most common reasons people get Milia is due to a Omega 3/essential fatty acid deficiency, both in the skin and diet. I put my clients onto fish oil/omega 3 capsules and an essential fatty acid serum to create balance in the skin with the Osmosis Immerse. This is suited for ALL skin types and is very well regarding amongst industry professionals for maintaining the healthy balance between lipids and water in the skin.



Feel free to ask me any questions you have on Milia!

Happy Skin Days!

Sarah Wilkinson
Skin Matrix
www.skinmatrix.com.au

Tips to avoiding Skin Problems at Work

As the holiday season comes to an end I wonder if your skin has changed over the holiday break??
Is it looking fresher, brighter and generally healthier?
Being outdoors  and more active during the holiday period generally leads to a more lustrous skin, now as work looms over us and our ever friendly air conditioning that saves the day by keeping us comfortable whilst working, could actually be working against us. ..... in terms of keeping that lustrous holiday skin!

As it is difficult to change your working environment, you can make some small changes that will keep the L in Lustrous for you this working year.

• have large bowls of water around the office (in conspicuous places is always good) 
• open windows where possible
• take regular breaks outside
• avoid cigarette smoke when you finally do make it outside
• apply moisturiser every morning before going to work
• spritz the face with Jane Iredale D2O cool, refreshed and hydrated - perfect over makeup
• have techniques available to deal with stressful situations such as 10 slow deep breaths in the bathroom!

Some great products to hydrate the skin before your day at work are:

• Osmosis Immerse Serum - 1 pump on its own, or with any other serum/moisturiser
• Osmosis Quench Moisturiser - 1-2 pumps morning and night
• Botanical Blessings Blue Chamomile Cream - for the driest of driest skins

To enable the above products to penetrate deep into the skin, it is always recommended that we exfoliate our skin at least once a week to give us smooth, soft and supple skin that absorbs products effectively.

• Try my famous facial scrub - Sandalwood and Geranium
• For people who have sensitive skins or don't like physical scrubs, you will love the Osmosis Polish

Do you have any skin tips/tricks that keeps your skin looking fabulous??


Happy Skin Days,

Sarah Wilkinson
www.skinmatrix.com.au

A Sunscreen Pill?!

Within 5 years scientists from the Australian Institute for Marine Science believe there will be a pill that will give you UV protection.
They have analysed coral samples from the Great Barrier Reef and have discovered the way that coral shields itself against the harmful UVA/UVB rays.
This pill will prevent sunburn which I believe is beneficial to all, considering our lack of ozone layer.
They are saying the pill will most likely be on prescription only to stop people from overdosing and harming their health.
My only concern is vitamin D. We all need vitamin D for strong healthy bones and to get Vitamin D we need some sun exposure, preferably in early morning and late afternoon.

I will keep you posted on new research as it comes to hand on this.
I find it very interesting how this pill will affect our hormones as well.

What are your thoughts?? Good idea or just another pill that is unnecessary??





Happy Skin Days,

Sarah Wilkinson
Skin Matrix

Palm Oil in Skin Products? Did you know?

Palm oil seems to be in most things these days. I was aware that it was in most foods that we eat. I'm sure that over half a supermarket is full of the stuff!
But little did I know that Palm Oil also goes by the name of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. Found in most cleansers, dishwashing detergents, washing powders, soap and COSMETICS!

Why you may ask is this such a problem? Well I have a problem with our amazing wildlife being destroyed for the sake of cheap ingredients and short term gain.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is derived from Palm Kernel Oil. Originating in West Africa, Palm Kernel Oil is now mostly grown, harvested and exported from Malaysia and Indonesia at unsustainable levels.
Borneo and Sumatra are in a serious situation where they are clearing so much of their lush habitats to plant massive palm oil plantations.
Companies are irresponsibly not labelling Palm Oil on their products but hiding this name amongst 20 other aliases such as vegetable oil!.

We didn't always use palm oil, so why today? I believe there are alternatives that could be used to achieve the same effect of Palm Oil, it may cost us a few extra cents; but no more cost to the environment and its wildlife.

It is Orangutan Awareness Week this Sunday at Belmore Park.  Sunday 13th November you can show your support for the Orangutans and help raise money to help prevent this beautiful creature along with many other animals that are facing extinction in Malaysia and Indonesia.

What can you do??

Purchase Sodium Lauryl Sulfate FREE cosmetics! There are plenty out there, I sell Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Free products and have done so for many years. I chose not to use these products as they are irritating on the skin, and an extremely harsh chemical.


Please read more on the health issues with using this ingredient : http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/sodium-laureth-sulfate.html


Wikipedia -

Sensitivity

It has been shown to irritate the skin of the face with prolonged and constant exposure (more than an hour) in young adults.^[14] SDS may worsen skin problems in individuals with chronic skin hypersensitivity, with some people being affected more than others.^[15][16][17] In animal studies SDS appears to cause skin and eye irritation.^[13]  

Brands I stock that are free of this harsh ingredient:

Osmosis

Botanical Blessings    
Jane Iredale Mineral Make Up


Get skin savy and make the switch today.
Your skin and body and the Orangutans will thank you greatly!



Happy Skin Days, 


Sarah Wilkinson
www.skinmatrix.com.au

View Jane Iredale's Discontinued Items for Nov 2011

Yes, sad but true! Some of the Jane Iredale Mineral Make Up Products are discontinued. I do have some left in stock though. The items in pink are the items I have left in stock but only 1 or 2 of each, so be quick to grab your favourite product!

Click on the product name and you will be directed to the Skin Matrix Shopping Cart area where you can purchase online or you can call me direct to order. 

Discontinued Products:

Apple Lip Gloss

Toffee Lip Gloss

Strawberry Lip Gloss 

Mulberry Lip Gloss

Lip Crayon Tempting

Lip Crayon Luscious 

Longest Lash Dark Blonde

Longest Lash Dark Auburn

Longest Lash Ripe Plum

More Lip Plumper

Jewel Box

Plum Plus

Artists Eyes

Terra Liquid Minerals

Cocoa Lip Pencil

Copper Liquid Eyeliner

Buy Securely Online with Skin Matrix. 

Happy Skin Days, 

Sarah Wilkinson

Skin Matrix