Six weeks on the Elan DermaActive Treatment Programme
Melasma is caused by an overproduction of melanin in the skin and symptoms are dark patches of skin, usually on your face and neck. Any skin tone and colour can be affected by melasma and unfortunately there is no cure. However, what is possible, is a treatment that will greatly reduce the effects and lighten the dark pigment. Read More…
Not all mineral make-up can claim to be completely free from fragrances, preservatives and oil, but Elan Pressed Mineral Foundation is.
Elan’s Pressed Mineral Foundation and BB Cream
Elan’s 4-in-1 light reflective mineral foundation minimises the appearance of fine lines without adding shine while providing weightless supreme coverage and provides a chemical free natural sun protection.
Anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties are ideal for problematic skin such as acne, rosacea and eczema. Effortless and easy to use, Elan’s pressed mineral foundations are a four-in-one product: concealer, foundation, powder and they provide a sun protection factor of SPF 26.
Our minerals consist of natural pigments including titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and iron oxides, freeze dried vitamins A, E and D.
This mineral foundation contains no talc, dyes or alcohol and is not tested on animals and comes in 12 different shades. ‘Barely There’ is a particular favourite with younger clients who just want to hide a few blemishes. ‘Cool Beige” is ideal for clients with rosacea or dermatitis, as it tones down skin that is high in colour. ‘Seashell’ adds a sun kissed look to skin that looks dull. ‘Sand Dune’ suits asian skins perfectly by adding warmth to the skin tone.
The changing weather is likely to be the cause of your drier skin. But why does winter make our skin drier? Well, there’s something in the air. Outside, it’s getting colder, drier and windier while inside, central heating parches the atmosphere, meaning moisture evaporates faster from the skin surface. This significantly lowers the water content of the upper layers of the skin.
But certain internal and environmental conditions can reduce the lipid content between cells, so that water evaporates more easily from the skin surface. A genetic tendency to dry skin, hormonal influences, metabolic diseases (an underactive thyroid gland, say, or diabetes), impaired kidney function and, of course, age all compromise skin lipids. Medication such as Vitamin A acid tablets and drugs that lower cholesterol as well as certain blood pressure lowering drugs won’t help. Neither does an unbalanced diet, excessive weight loss or sadly, increasing age.
“If you suffer from sensitive skin the first thing you need to do is seek medical advice to get your “sensitive” skin properly diagnosed”, says our London and Essex skin expert, Sue Ibrahim.
Just choosing products that contain ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ ingredients can sometimes make sensitive skin conditions worse. The over use of facial cleansing wipes can also trigger dermatitis as these wipes can contain cleansing agents, fragrances and preservatives that aggravate the skin.
There may be a medical reason why you have ‘sensitive’ skin; you may have a condition called Rosacea or you may have atopic eczema or contact dermatitis. Both of these skin conditions require different approaches. For example, oil rich moisturisers can help soothe eczema but they may aggravate rosacea. You may even need to use prescription only creams for a while.
Having a ‘sensitive’ skin may also be an indication of a more serious medical condition, such as Lupus.
At Elan Medical Skin Clinic in London and Essex, you will receive a thorough dermatology consultation so that we can establish the cause of your sensitive skin. We will offer you advice based on clinical evidence rather than celebrity endorsement. We stock a wide range of DermaActive Skin Care that helps to treat a wide range of skin concerns. Elan Medical DermaActives can also be purchased via our website.
A beautician will often recommend that you have a facial once a month, but this may not be a good idea for everyone, says our London and Essex skin expert, Sue Ibrahim.
A beauty salon facial may be relaxing but the benefits to the skin are usually only temporary and an worsen skin conditions such as dermatitis, acne and rosacea. Beauty Salon facials generally only offer short term hydration of the skin which products that contain a lot of pseudo scientific mumbo jumbo that has no evidence behind it.
Facials that have been developed by dermatologists, on the other hand, may provide longer term improvements to the texture and clarity of your skin. A dermatology grade facial will contain evidence based ingredients that can slow down the ageing process at the cellular level of the skin. They help regenerate new, healthy skin.
Dermatology grade facials may not be as relaxing as a facial at a beauty salon, but they can significantly improve your skin.
Woman talks to skin experts at central London’s Elan Medical Skin Clinic about PCOS
If you suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) you have our sympathy, says skin expert, Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in central London and Rayleigh, Essex.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how our ovaries work. As well as causing problems when trying to get pregnant, the condition also leads to a number of other symptoms. Not all women with PCOS will have all of the symptoms, and each can vary from mild to severe.
Sue Ibrahim, skin expert at Elan Medical Skin Clinic in central London and Essex
Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinic in central London says new approaches to the treatment of rosacea will come as welcome news to sufferers.
Sue has more than 30 years’ experience in treating skin conditions and is a nurse consultant in dermatology. She said that maintaining the correct acid balance in the skin was vital in creating a hostile environment for the demodex mite. Demodex is a microscopic mite that is a normal inhabitant of our facial skin and is found in greater numbers on the faces of people with rosacea.
The DermaActives hyperpigmentation programme from Elan Medical Skin Clinics
During the summer months, keep an eye out for patches of darker-than-normal skin that can develop on the cheeks, forehead, upper lip, nose, chin and jaw, and sometimes the neck and forearms.
London skin expert, Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in central London and Rayleigh, Essex explains that the condition is called melasma and it’s a common skin complaint that affects women and men.
Melasma is when brown or greyish pigmentation appears on the face, the exact cause of which is not known. But rest assured that it is not contagious, not due to an allergy and is not cancerous. It is not itchy or sore, so if you have a raised rash that is, please seek further advice immediately.
With the temperature hitting highs of 35 degrees in central London and Essex this week, it’s time to get out and enjoy this illusive summer sunshine but please stay safe.
Some sunshine is good for us and helps our bodies create vitamin D, not to mention the wellbeing and feel good factors it
Woman stays safe in the sun thanks to advice from Elan Medical Skin expert, Sue Ibrahim
induces. Essex skin expert, Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinic says the best way to enjoy the sunshine safely is to use a daily, broad spectrum sunscreen of factor 30 + and remember to apply it frequently and liberally thoroughly the day.
Thanks for this great review of a product in our DermaActives range Vikki!, from Sue Ibrahim, nurse consultant in dermatology at Elan
DermaActives BB cream created by Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinics Essex and central London
Medical Skin Clinic, Essex and central London.
“I bought the DermaActives BB Cream in the hope it would even out my complexion and give my face a smooth, uniform finish. I have fair skin and tend to be quite ruddy in my cheeks. I also suffer frequently with a dry forehead so when I use foundation, it cracks and looks unsightly. Instead of the foundation creating a smooth and balanced look it actually highlights the imperfections and makes my skin appear scaly.
The BB cream has a lovely creamy texture that feels like velvet when applied to my face. It comes in two shades, light and medium. I have fair skin so I chose the light and it is perfectly coloured to give my skin a healthy glow without appearing artificial.
BB Cream contains a moisturiser and is SPF 26, both of which are hugely important and beneficial to me. The moisturising aspect means that the problems I have with foundations highlighting my dry skin are overcome and the sun protection is always welcome as my fair skin is prone to sun damage and I am very conscious of protecting it at all times.
I use the cream every day because it makes my complexion look healthy and smooth and like all of us, when we look good, we feel confident. I only need to apply a small amount because it goes a long way. Whilst the initial outlay may seem pricey the product lasts a long time and represents great value.
The fact that the BB Cream is also paraben, fragrance and oil free is obviously a bonus for anyone who has concerns about the content of most cosmetic products or who has sensitive skin.
I would highly recommend BB Cream to anyone who wants a flawless complexion with the added moisturising and sun protection benefits.”