New Skin: I don't want normal skin, I want great skin!

It's a few weeks in since my last update and my skin is still acting normally.  I'm not completely clear, but I'm down to one teeny tiny spot most days (I'd say all days but I had a day last week where I had two) and these are the type of spots that acne-sufferers dream of; they're barely visible, easy to conceal and disappear within a couple of days.  No pain, no bleeding, no infection, no manky scabbing and no month-long heal time...it's all looking very promising!

Therefore, with the new year comes a new skincare focus.  Instead of only taking into account my spots and little else, I can now start work on my other skin issues which I've narrowed down to mainly scarring, slightly enlarged pores, skin tone and clarity and, sadly first signs of ageing.  Therefore there are a few things I'll be starting work on shortly and I thought I'd give you a heads-up so you can get an idea of firstly, what I hope will work with these skin issues and secondly, what reviews will be appearing soon!

Jan Marini Glycolic Peels*

Now the lovely peeps at Jan Marini have decided it's time for me to start the next phase of my new skin plan and crank it up a notch with some Glycolic acid peels.  My mum used to administer these when I was a teenager so I've already tried them (a long, long, long time ago, back in the day when I was a Goth with a secret Spice Girls obsession) and they were fantastic for my skin, so I can't wait to start on these again.  Glycolic acid is one of the best things for acne scarring and skin clarity and it's most suitable for people who are no longer suffering from acne (if you are and you want a peel then consider trying either Lactic acid which is great for sensitive skins or Salicylic acid which cuts through the glue-like oiliness that most acne sufferers have on their skin) and as I'm tentatively regarding myself as this, I'm hoping these will reduce my scarring considerably.

Baby Quasar Plus*

Man am I excitedly and anxiously awaiting the arrival of this bad boy as firstly, I do love me a beauty gadget and secondly, I've spent days and days reading reviews and apparently it's really amazing! It's a red-light device that promotes cellular renewal as well as healing which is perfect for me at the moment as these are both things that will benefit my skin type immensely.  I'm hoping that it'll speed up my scarring recovery (by stimulating collagen thus forcing my skin to renew at a quicker rate), improve my overall skin tone and also work on my early signs of ageing which are mostly faint lines on my forehead and around my eyes.  A lot of users have reported that this gives skin the most unbelievable glow after the first few uses, so I cannot wait to get my mitts on this!

Slendertone Face*

Another beauty gadget! I must confess, I've had this sitting around for absolutely ages but I didn't see much point in using it since my skin was so chock full of infected spots that I figured I probably wouldn't notice any results as whenever I looked at my face, all I saw were spots.  This facial exercising tool is mostly aimed at tightening and lifting any sagging.  Thankfully I'm a little too young to show any major signs of sagging, but since I have a long and rather angular face, I'll be much more susceptible to sagging so the earlier I start trying to combat it, the better! The other reason I'm keen to introduce this into my regular skin maintenance is due to the fact that I'm hoping the stimulation (the tool sends what I'd describe as little electric shocks which force the muscles to contract) will also stimulate cellular renewal and ensure my skin is repairing as quickly and efficiently as possible.  I'll update with a more thorough post on this device when I've played with it a little longer.

So there we have it! Note that I'm avoiding anything too brutal (yes, microdermabrasion, I'm looking at you) as one of the main things the Jan Marini skincare regime has taught me is that my skin doesn't need to be scratched away with nasty manual exfoliators and can instead be aided in exfoliation with chemicals such as Glycolic acid.  I really do think that chemical exfoliation is much, much better for all skin types and if you're like me and miss that buffed feeling you get with manual exfoliation then you can get it from a Washi cloth, muslin cloth or flannel.  Fingers crossed for me everyone and I'll keep you regularly updated on what's working and what isn't.

read more "New Skin: I don't want normal skin, I want great skin!"

New Skin: N-Lite Review and Picture Update

I'll start by apologising for the gory close-ups of my horrid skin but I thought it was necessary!!  The pictures well all taken about 4-6 weeks apart to give you an idea of the changes occurring.

I've now completed my course of N-Lite and I'm still using the Jan Marini products as mentioned here.  As a blogger, I believe it's my job to try and give my readers as much information as possible so they can assess the product/treatment themselves and decide accordingly whether it's something they'd be interested in pursuing, so that's what I'm going to try and do today.

I'll start with the N-Lite review.  Firstly I'll say that after months of moaning about my spots, I've *finally* reached a point where I'm not really getting many any more which is great.  I had three treatments in total and pain wise they were quite uncomfortable; the first one I had wasn't too bad, but the following two were done using a stronger level on the laser and boy did they smart.  However, it's not unbearable and definitely worth tolerating to get the final outcome which appears to currently be clearer skin.  Thankfully the treatments are quick - 10 to 15 minutes tops - and there's no real downtime so you can get on with your plans straight afterwards.

Now on to the results.  I've really thought long and hard about what's been going on with my skin lately so I could try and make an informed conclusion on the results provided by both the Jan Marini products and the N-Lite.  I'm definitely at a point where I'm getting virtually no spots; certainly none of those horrid, cystic types that form to a giant infection - I haven't had for I'd say probably about 4 weeks now - and the spots I do get are tiny - either on the surface or just beneath - and disappear quickly without causing any drama, but this has all come at a price.

When I watched my original video talking about my bad skin, I was quite surprised to see the texture and finish of my skin.  Yes I had some pretty nasty breakouts, but they were mostly confined to my jawline and chin and the scarring was pretty minimal.  I was diagnosed with mild to moderate acne, yet once I started treatments this progressed to what I would deem moderate to severe acne as there were lots of angry, infected spots (including on my holiday where there appeared to be one growing on top of two which is as lovely as it sounds) and this lasted for quite some time; a good 4-5 months I'd say.  So whilst my skin is now virtually clear, I'm left with pretty severe scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Now, there are a few arguments to be made here; firstly, am I better off with PIH than spots?  In a way, yes.  It's a hell of a lot easier to cover, doesn't hurt and in theory should fade, and of course I could be just being a big drama queen moaning about them as they may all have faded within a few months.  If that's the case then I will be shouting from the rooftops as this really will be the perfect treatment plan for skin like mine.  I would be MORE than happy to recommend this treatment if it was a case of a few months with terrible skin, followed by a few months with terrible scarring before skin started looking half normal, so I really hope that's the case with me and obviously I'll definitely keep you updated as to what happens.  It is worth pointing out though that the scarring does appear to be easing up and fading quite rapidly, so I'm hoping this will continue.  I will also be starting a course of peels soon to speed up the process even further.

I'm very lucky to have had an amazing rep at Jan Marini who appears to be on a one-woman mission to give me perfect skin (partly because she's lovely and incredibly sympathetic and partly because she had skin exactly like mine for a really long time before she started using Jan Marini products) and the next phase will be focussed on repairing my scars (which thankfully are mostly surface scars) so as soon as any progress has been made with that, I shall let you know.

So in conclusion, if it isn't obvious, I'm still very undecided about it all and I don't think I can form a confident conclusion until a few months from now, where I'll be able to assess how the scarring is fairing and, more importantly, if my skin has stayed clear.  In the meantime I'd say I'm probably leaning towards saying that it is worth it as it's certainly great to have so few spots, but again I'll have to wait a little longer to give a definite yes or no on my treatments.  One thing I will say at this point is that my overall skin tone and finish has definitely improved and I really enjoy using the Jan Marini products.  Therefore, I'll shortly be writing up a post designated to my thoughts on the Jan Marini products I'm using to give you an idea of what's worked so far.

More info about N-Lite at The Private Clinic can be found here and more info about Jan Marini can be found here.  

So what do you think; can you see the improvement? 

Do you think the pros outweigh the cons so far? 

Disclosure: treatments and products provided for the purpose of this review.  

read more "New Skin: N-Lite Review and Picture Update "

New Skin: Quick Update

I thought I'd do a quick update on what's happening with my "new skin" plan so far to update on both the new skin diet and the skincare I've been recently reviewing.

Starting with the diet, it isn't going that well unfortunately! I'm really rubbish at depriving myself of anything as I'm such a cliché, so the minute I start the deprivation, I'll also start constantly and obsessively thinking about whatever it is I've removed from my diet.  I think it's fair to say that since I decided to cut out dairy I've consumed more dairy than I did before I quit it.  Not a great start...

However, I'm doing better with cutting down on sugar and I'm slowly removing more and more of it from my diet.  I've also almost completely eradicated caffeine and I'm only having one cup of tea a day.  The coffee and coke I drink is now mostly caffeine free, although I allow myself a can of fat coke a couple of times a week as a treat.

I'm still committed to the Jan Marini routine and haven't fallen off the wagon since my brief flirtation with the Ole Henriksen mask.  A few days after the N-Lite treatment my skin broke out manically and all over the place; so I had spots on my cheeks, forehead and temples which aren't the usual areas I get them.  Then a couple of days later my skin cleared up and the random spots disappeared.  I did have one day last week where I had no spots at all, but one day isn't much to get excited about really is it?  Today my skin isn't great and the thing I'm struggling with most is the fact that my skin is so up and down; I keep seeing little brief moments of optimism, but then my skin will kick up again.

I've attended quite a few skincare events recently and having spoken to quite a few experts, the one thing that keeps coming through is how people don't give skincare products enough time to work.  The general census is that six months should be given before people give up on a skincare product.  I'm not sure whether I agree with that or not, but I'm still only about three months into my routine, so I'll definitely give it until the six month mark before reassessing.

So that's the update! If anything else changes I'll update soon, if not then I'll update again a little after my next N-Lite treatment which is next week.

Disclosure: N-Lite treatments and Jan Marini products were provided free for the benefit of these reviews.  

read more "New Skin: Quick Update"

New Skin: N-Lite Laser First Treatment

Last week it was finally time for me to start my N-Lite laser treatment review which I was seriously excited about.  I had to be on the Jan Marini regime for a minimum of 6 weeks before starting the laser treatments and for some reason it felt like ages!  You don't actually have to be on the JM routine to receive N-Lite, but the two work really well alongside each other and The Private Clinic are really keen to ensure that I get the best results possible, so this is the way we're doing it.

My initial consultation and first treatment were with Lisa who is seriously fabulous and definitely the one you want to see when you go to the clinic; she's brilliant at telling it all straight, doesn't act under loyalty to any products (so will only recommend those she's seen work) and manages to strike the balance between not beating about the bush but having an excellent bedside manner...for want of a better way of putting it! To give you an example, when I was settled in for my treatment I said "is this going to hurt?" "Yes" she said...thanks Lisa! Thankfully it really wasn't that bad pain-wise, but more on that later.

To undergo a course of N-Lite you need to have a patch test before your first treatment.  I had mine shortly after my consultation and it all went fine.  I have had N-Lite before (years ago and it worked well, hence my excitement about having it again; the reason I didn't keep having it was because the place I went to was difficult to get to and there was always a hoo-ha to get an appointment) so I kind of new what to expect.  However, the conclusion Lisa and I have come to is that the treatment I originally had was of a far lower level as the sensation was completely different.  The first time around I barely felt it but that wasn't the case this time...

I settled in for my treatment, put on the most fetching hair net, then Lisa went to work at removing my make-up and throwing in a surprise extraction to keep me on my toes (as it was in a really awkward place - on my nose right between my eyes - she wanted to make sure the laser fully penetrated it and it is nothing more than a little mark now) before sticking on some goggles.  Then the treatment started which was done in phases.  On a scale of one to ten, I'd say the pain was about a five for the most part; the chin and forehead went up to a six (possibly even a seven at a couple of points) and my jawline was around a one as I couldn't feel it at all.  To compare it to laser hair removal, I'd say it's slightly more painful but only marginally.

Lisa said that I'd likely breakout over the next few days after treatment.  I have a couple of very small spots in places I don't normally, so I'm assuming that's the laser.  There was no redness after the treatment (Lisa applied an SPF afterwards) and no sensitivity.  In fact, there's really nothing to report post-treatment so there's definitely no downtime.

N-Lite is an intensive treatment that works under the skin as well as on the surface to kill of bacteria.  The Jan Marini products prepare my skin for N-Lite, the N-Lite then works ferociously on my acne before the Jan Marini products maintain the effects, so that's where we're at with my New Skin plan!  It's unlikely I'll know how the treatment has worked until well after the second treatment, but I'll keep you updated.

For more information about The Private Clinic head here, and for more info on Jan Marini head here.

As a side note, Dr Wolf from The Private Clinic will be performing a live Fat Transfer Hand Rejuvenation later on today at The Private Clinic website for us all to watch if we are so inclined.  It sounds a bit gory and I don't really know enough about it (I would assume it's a procedure to make hands look younger - not as wacky as it sounds if you consider the hands are usually the biggest age give away which is why I cream mine obsessively) but if you fancy checking it out and seeing what's involved then it'll be starting at 1pm today (Monday).

Disclosure: treatments and products provided for the benefit of this review.  

read more "New Skin: N-Lite Laser First Treatment"

New Skin: Jan Marini Products I'm Using

I recently mentioned that I'm on a strict skincare routine in the hope that I'll be able to finally conquer my issues with spots and scarring.  I've already posted the introduction here, so now I thought it'd be handy to let you know the Jan Marini products I'm using and how I'm using them.

It's really worth noting at this point that Jan Marini is a line that has to be prescribed to work with your specific skin type for it to work effectively.  Being the gung-ho beauty blogger that I am, even with the correct products in my possession, I decided to crack on with using them without running through how to use them with my Jan Marini consultant (Yvonne) and the result was nightmare skin for a couple of days - dry, spotty, flaky - yet as soon as I started using them correctly after speaking with Yvonne, the majority of the issues corrected almost immediately, but I took pictures so I'll be sharing what happened in another post.

In order of usage. 

Regular readers will know that I'm not really a believer in the idea of skin purging and when I was told it would happen with this routine I was a little unsure.  However, I've introduced five completely new products to my skin and stopped using everything else, so I think it's reasonable to expect an adjustment period and it hasn't been half as bad as I expected (once I started using the products correctly!) but again that's something that'll take too much explaining and will get in the way of the purpose of this post, which is to share with you the products I'm using.  

I'll just reiterate one more time that these are the products that have been specifically chosen for my skin type after a long and detailed conversation with Yvonne, so if you're thinking of starting a Jan Marini routine then it's really important you speak with a consultant to make sure you're using the right products, otherwise you'll be taking a chance with the results and risk wasting your money.

The routine I'm using is the Skin Care Management System for Normal/Combination Skin.  In this collection are five products, each of which serve a difference purpose; Cleanse, Rejuvenate, Resurface, Hydrate and Protect.  The AM and PM routines are fairly similar and I'll explain more with each product breakdown:

Cleanse - Bioglycolic Face Cleanser

This is, as expected, a cleanser that I use both AM and PM.  I use a small, ten pence sized blob which I work into dry skin for around a minute.  I then add some water, before using a fresh, warm flannel to remove the product.  It's definitely an effective everyday make-up remover, but obviously you can't use it as an eye make-up remover, so I use Bioderma to remove my eye make-up before starting my routine.  It's quite a potent cleanser and tingles on application; I wouldn't go as far as to say that it stings, but you definitely feel it working!

Rejuvenate - C-Esta Face Serum

This is my absolute favourite product in the routine as it smells and feels gorgeous.  You have to apply this in a very specific way as the active needs to be spread all over the skin as quickly and evenly as possible, so I squeeze one pump on to the my fingertips on one hand, bring my hands together and spread over my face working from the centre out.  This is another product that is used both AM and PM.  

Resurface - Bioglycolic Bioclear Face Lotion

This is the strongest product (in my opinion) in the range and therefore you need to tread carefully and get the balance right with this.  I use this every other night and apply one pump which again goes all over the face.  It's another one that tingles (as it contains Glycolic Acid as does the Bioglycolic Face Cleanser) but again it doesn't sting and the tingling stops quickly. 

Hydrate - Transformation Face Cream

A pea-sized amount of this is used both AM and PM and this is my second favourite in the line.  It's got a great, rich, emollient feel without feeling like it's overwhelming my skin with moisture and it soaks in very quickly.  

Protect-  Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF30

This is applied in the AM straight after the Transformation Face Cream and obviously works as a sun protector.  It's light, easily absorbed and doesn't leave skin feeling greasy.  It's also fab under make-up.

When I first became familiar with the collection that I was going to use I was a bit put-off by the idea of having to use four products both AM and PM as I thought it would prove a hardship, but as the products can all be applied immediately after each other, it's actually reduced my routine time considerably which was an added bonus that I didn't expect.  So far, it's going really well and shortly I'll be sharing some of the charmingly gruesome during pictures so you can get an idea of what's happening with my skin.

More information on Jan Marini can be found here. 

Disclosure:  products provided for the purpose of this review.  

read more "New Skin: Jan Marini Products I'm Using"

New Skin: Introduction to Jan Marini and N-Lite Laser

I've hinted about my new skincare plans in a couple of posts recently, and now it's time to share with you my news.  A little while ago I had a consultation at The Private Clinic in Harley Street.  I happily and heartily recommend them if you have any skincare woes as they seriously know their stuff and due to the fact that they invest heavily in skincare research, they're pretty keen to ensure you end up with precisely the right product and treatment choices rather than trying to sell you whatever faddy new skincare brand they've recently taken on.

My consultation was with Lisa who was fantastically easy to talk to and really knew her stuff.  She's been working in the industry for absolutely ages, having gained experience through various big name, high street clinics before eagerly moving to The Private Clinic due to their commitment to skincare development.  We had a long chat about my skin before deciding that the best course of action would be a strict skincare routine for a couple of months, before starting some N-Lite laser treatments.  The skincare brand Lisa swears by is Jan Marini.

Interestingly, I have experience of both N-Lite and Jan Marini.  I had several N-Lite treatments with Dr Chu at Hammersmith Hospital (widely known as 'the' man to see if you suffer from adult acne) and I used Jan Marini when I was a teenager.  The N-Lite treatment was excellent but not long lasting, so I couldn't bring myself to trek it down to Hammersmith Hospital every few months.  After receiving N-Lite, my skin would pretty much clear-up for about 4-5 months.  According to Lisa, N-Lite is the most effective treatment for adult acne as long as a home maintenance routine is in place...

...which leads me nicely to Jan Marini.  As I said, I used Jan Marini when I was a teenager and the range worked brilliantly at conquering my problem skin.  When Lisa mentioned the range, I couldn't quite believe it hadn't occurred to me to try the range again as it had worked so well previously.  To be honest, as there was quite a gap between when I used the range the first time and when my skin kicked off again (after I stopped taking the contraception pill, Dianette) I think I just forgot all about the range.

I'm trying so hard not to turn this into an essay (so far, not doing too well...) so for that reason this is purely an introductory post and I won't be reviewing anything yet.  I'll be keeping everyone regularly updated with my progress using Jan Marini over the next few months and then how I get on with the N-Lite, and these posts will be called (ever the optimist) "New Skin".  I've been using the Jan Marini products for a week and a half so far, so in the next couple of days I'll post about the products I'm using.  I'm seriously excited about this as I feel like there's finally a good chance for me to get the skin I've been lusting after for longer than I can remember.  Imagine, I might soon be able to actually enjoy foundation rather than seeking out whatever has the highest coverage....I've already tentatively started on my wish list, so fingers crossed for me please!

Here you will find more information on Jan Marini, but it's also worth checking out the acne before and after pictures.  Head here to find out more about The Private Clinic.

Disclosure: treatments provided for the benefit of these reviews.  

read more "New Skin: Introduction to Jan Marini and N-Lite Laser"