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Mariga Sheedy: Posted on Friday, February 17, 2012 4:14 PM
 Skin Essentials by Mariga FAQ’s
1.
Are Skin Essentials products suitable for
sensitive skin? Yes, the whole ethos behind the product
range is to create a line of products which are free from all known irritants.
All Skin Essentials by Mariga products are free from fragrance, sulphates and
colourants.
2. How do I know which products are right for me? I love to see as many people as I can personally
to analyse their skins needs and prescribe a tailored programme. My advanced
skin analysis service has been specially developed to comprehensively assess
your unique skin problems and solutions. Read about it here. For geographical or other reasons it is not
always possible to visit the salon so you will find a distance analysis form on
my website for those who can’t. Just fill it out and I will take it from there.
Prefer to talk to someone? You can always just give me a call to discuss you
skin concerns on 053 9145981.
3.When is the best time to apply my products? Any time! The important thing is to use them;
they won’t work in the bottle. I can make out a suggested homecare routine
taking into account your available time, lifestyle and commitment level. It doesn’t
matter whether you apply the products day or night except for SPF which must of
course be used during the day and Overnight Repair Cream which must only be
used at night.
4.In what order do I use them? Serums, if used, are always applied to a
freshly cleansed skin followed during the day by your SPF or at night by your
treatment cream. If using both water and oil based products, the water based
one must be used first with any oily or creamy product layered on top. It is
not necessary to wait between layers, Skin Essentials by Mariga products absorb
and get to work very quickly.
5.When can I expect to see changes in my skin? This varies between individuals and you
will be given guidelines at your assessment, but generally speaking surface
issues will be resolved within a couple of weeks, deeper changes such as
stimulating sluggish oil flow or boosting collagen production take up to 3
months and acne and rosacea take at least three months to correct. It is
necessary to be patient, a lifetime of incorrect treatment takes time to
correct but with compliance you will reap the benefits far into the future.
6.My skin feels dry, is this normal? In the first few weeks of your new regime
it is possible that your skin will go through a period of feeling dry or tight.
This is usually due to the fact that most mass market skincare is full of
surface conditioners such as silicones or mineral oil which sit on the surface
of the skin and while they feel nice, they can’t change any cellular dysfunction.
Skin Essentials by Mariga products are designed to absorb fully, penetrating
deeply into the epidermis where they can correct cellular function. Your skin
will miss the ‘greasy’ layer it is used to at first but as your skin becomes
hydrated from within, this feeling will go. To make your skin feel more comfortable
during this ‘withdrawal’ period I recommend layering your products onto a
still-damp face after cleansing as this will lock in water. For those with very
dry skin to start with I recommend using two drops of Nourishing Oil under
moisturiser until your skin is producing more oil by itself. Also, this can be
a sign that you are not drinking enough water so make sure you are getting your
eight glasses a day. |
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Mariga Sheedy: Posted on Thursday, February 02, 2012 5:03 PM
 Facials: which one to choose?
Something that I have been asked about recently is what is
the difference between all the facials on a skincare menu and how would you
know which one to choose? The simple answer to this really is don’t bother
burdening your brain with the details, just ask your skincare professional to
recommend the treatment that is correct for your needs. If you are worried
about price just state your budget and ask what can be done under that amount. Often you will be asked if you want a pampering or a
results-driven facial. The differences between the two are:
A pampering facial
is one that is mainly performed with relaxation in mind. It will involve a lot
of massage, often essential oils, (shudder) and masks. It will not include any
modules to correct skin function at a cellular level. Your skin will look and
feel better for a day or two afterwards (as a result of the massage draining
tissues) but will not have any lasting effects. This is the type of facial to
have if you are on a relaxing spa day and want to unwind. Personally if I want relaxation I will have a massage.
 A results-driven
facial is one that is performed with long term skin changes and benefits in
mind. It is done as part of a professional skincare programme which includes
skin analysis, corrective homecare and prescriptive treatments. It may include one
or a combination of the following: acid peels, enzyme peels, microdermabrasion,
microcurrent, phototherapy. They are not usually taken as a one-off as they are
part of an overall programme. You can expect this type of facial to be more expensive.
The results will last for a few weeks as long as you use the correct homecare
products. (Most people on a Skin Essentials programme will have a salon treatment
3-4 times a year).Although designed to be results-driven, these types of facials
are also enjoyable to have. The Skin Essentials by Mariga prescriptive facial
includes a deep facial massage as I believe that massage has great beneficial
effects on the skin, and is usually everyone’s favourite part of their
treatment.
Do you like your facials to be relaxing or results driven?
Leave a comment and let me know. |
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Mariga Sheedy: Posted on Friday, January 20, 2012 10:55 AM
 I have been reading a little about the history of the
cosmetics and skincare industry recently and a little gem of a quote caught my
attention. It goes to show that human nature never changes, no matter how
sophisticated or clever we think we have become! Interestingly, I found this
quote just after writing my previous post on the price of skincare products.
It is from a Victorian gentleman named Peter McEwan who was
the author of a prominent book at the time called Pharmaceutical Formulas
(1898). At that time if you wanted a preparation made for your skin you went to
your pharmacist who made something up for you. Cold creams, lip salves and
pomades were popular. Each pharmacist would have his own recipes and would
custom make a product for each customer and also for the then fledgling cosmetics
business.
McEwan said of toiletries ‘they appeal to the tastes of the
refined and the rich – to the beautiful and those who wish to be..’ but he goes
on to caution the pharmacist against taking advantage of the naïve customer
when he says:
..’The public expect too much from the class of specialities called ‘beautifiers’.
It frequently happens that the higher priced an article is, and the more highly
it is vaunted, the better its success. This applied particularly to the class
of articles we are now dealing with [cosmetic
preparations], and is a source of danger
to the compounder’s self-respect.’* It seems to me that much remains the same. While we have
made enormous progress in respect of what our modern day ‘beautifiers’ can
achieve, it seems that there are still consumers who buy based on the belief
that more expensive means better, and many companies are very willing to exploit that.
Some skincare formulators would do well to read McEwan’s caution about
self-respect.
*Source: The Victorian Pharmacy by Jane Eastoe |
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Mariga Sheedy: Posted on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 5:32 PM
 How much should you be paying for you skincare products?That depends on what you want a product to do. The more active a product, likely the more expensive the ingredients are.
Paying big money for your skincare is no guarantee of quality. That said, you won’t get quality formulas and active ingredients cheaply, so from that we can we infer that a cheap product is not doing any good? It all depends on ingredients:
Ingredients in a skincare formulation can be active or inactive. (Occasionally both). Active ingredients are those which can change, correct or support cell function deep in the epidermis. Inactive ingredients can change only the surface appearance.
Usually, active ingredients are expensive as they have undergone years of research and development. Any formula that claims to change how skin cells act such as anti-wrinkle, acne clearing or rosacea control needs to have active ingredients to work. Therefore they will be more expensive than inactive formulas. Inactive ingredients are things like inert (not essential) natural oils, silicones, glycerine, mineral oil or other conditioning agents that give that nice feeling of slip under makeup and usually serve to retain moisture in the skin. There is nothing wrong with using inactive formulations as long as you are aware that they can’t change anything in your skin and are just washed off every evening. Do not expect to pay so much for these types of products.
Irritating ingredients like sulphate, synthetic fragrance and artificial colours cost pennies per gallon and appear in most mass market skincare, even the most expensive. Beware of these as they will irritate and age your skin at its deepest level.
Whether you choose products with high levels of active ingredients really depends on your needs and your budget. Just don’t part with your money for something that looks/sounds/smells good until you know what it can and can’t do for your skin.
All Skin Essentials by Mariga products contain the maximum actives for results in each formulation so all our active serums and creams do exactly what they claim.
What's your limit? Have you ever felt that you overpaid for what you got? Leave a comment, I love to hear from you.
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Mariga Sheedy: Posted on Friday, December 23, 2011 1:37 PM
 Caring for your skin over the festive period. The holiday festivities are well under way and we have
another week or more to go. While it’s all great fun, usually we are left with
the tell tale signs on our skin – not to mention our waistlines and wallets.
While I can’t help to control your bank balance or calorie intake, I can offer
some tips to surviving the party season with your skin intact(ish)!
1. Prevention is better than cure. If you anticipate a
late night, drink plenty of water between drinks to help keep skin hydrated.
(It will help with hangovers too). Leave your cleanser and a clean cloth out
where you can quickly pick them up on your way to bed, reducing the likelihood of
sleeping with your makeup on.
2. If you do sleep in your makeup, I recommend an enzyme
exfoliation next morning followed by a deep oil treatment such as my Nourishing
Oil. Apply 6 drops over a freshly exfoliated face, then go back to bed for
twenty minutes with a cup of tea while it does its work.
3. Give your skin extra nourishment daily as a protection
against dehydration. A couple of drops of rosehip seed oil, or other
non-fragrant facial oil, under your moisturiser every day will ensure that your
skin retains water and is supplied with essential fatty acids.
4. Try to relax. I know it’s hard when you have a million
things to do, but stress will exacerbate breakouts in people prone to acne or
can cause rosacea flare ups in others.
5. If you are prone to spots, go easy on the dairy
products and salty foods.
6. If you are prone to facial redness avoid spicy foods,
shellfish, fizzy drinks, alcohol and caffeine. (Ok, that’s hard, but at least
be aware that they are potential triggers).
7. If your Christmas is more walks on the beach than drinks by the fire then remember you still need an SPF 30 every day and in cold or windy weather I recommend using a barrier cream on top, such as my Winter Skin Balm to give you an extra layer of protection.
8. Remember that sugar is an ageing agent on the skin, so think twice before you have that extra piece of chocolate.
9. Eat lots of fruit and veg. We all tend to ignore the fruit bowl at Christmas when there's much more 'interesting' fare on offer but be nice to your skin and feed it lots of anti-oxidants from the inside too.
10. A smile is a great facial treatment! A good laugh
takes years off you and is the best form of relaxation. Enjoy the time off
work, catch up with friends and try not to fight with your family!
Have a very Happy Christmas. Mariga x |
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