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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 Thursday, December 08, 2011 5:32 PM
 I was sent a tweet today asking me about propylene glycol in
cosmetics. The question specifically was whether there are any skincare
products on the market which don’t contain propylene glycol.
Reading between the lines on this I imagine that the
questioner has read the scare stories that abound on the internet. These
usually relate to the fact that propylene glycol can be found in anti-freeze
products such as airplane de-icers. While this may sound alarming, it is like
saying that there is also water in both anti freeze and cleanser thereby
concluding that water in skincare products must be bad for you! Remember, anyone can post anything on the
net, when you come across something like this, always consider the source.
Peer-reviewed scientific studies are the only reliable source of information on
topics such as these.
If you are not familiar with propylene glycol, it is a
clear, odourless liquid which is often used in cosmetic formulations,
foodstuffs, fragrances and, yes, anti-freeze. (Of course the concentrations vary widely between applications). It functions as a solvent for other
ingredients, an emollient to add ‘slip’ and helps other ingredients penetrate
the skin barrier. It also acts as a humectant, absorbing water from the air. It
has been approved as safe to use by all the relevant government bodies here and
in the US. (See links below ). A quick
check on wiki will give you links to other reliable sources, all agreeing that
PG is non-irritant to skin even in higher concentrations than are commonly used
in cosmetic preparations. It usually appears in concentrations of less than 5%
in skincare.
So, are there any skincare products on the market which don’t
contain PG? There are, if that is what is important to you just check the label;
it is required by law to list all ingredients. Sorry, I don’t know specifically
which ranges, I don’t carry that much info around in my head! In my Skin Essentials by Mariga range propylene glycol is present in the
Daily Nutrient Serum at a concentration of less than 1%. I hope this answers your question, please keep sending them
in, I love to hear from skincare fans. What other internet scares have you worried? Discuss in a
comment!
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Mariga Sheedy: Posted on Friday, October 14, 2011 9:02 AM
 Anti-ageing is a huge issue for countless men and women in our society. As our culture becomes increasingly obsessed with youth, so we have become increasingly obsessed with finding the one product or ingredient which will slow down the ageing process in our skin. The search is on for the 'miracle in a bottle'.Well, I have great news for you. The miracle already exists and you have access to it. Instead of looking for the miracle cure from without, we should begin to appreciate and utilise the miracle within. The miracle really is the skin itself. It carries out countless complex functions every day to keep itself functioning at its best. Look at a child's skin - no magic potion needed there, their skin is functioning as it was designed to. Now, of course all the body's processes slow down as we age and after puberty when the sebaceous glands mature we can no longer aspire to the 'poreless' skin a child has but we can access the miracle of nature by feeding the skin what it needs to carry out all those amazing pre-programmed functions. It already has the capacity to strengthen and renew collagen, protect itself from irritation and inflammation and regulate oil and water flow. Unfortunately, this miracle work is interrupted by bad lifestyle choices. Skincare laden with fragrance and other irritating ingredients shorten the life span of each skin cell. It is known that we have a finite number of these in our lifetime, so the aim should be to keep each one going as long as possible. Smoking, sun exposure and processed foods also have a negative impact on the skin. None of this is news, I know it's just easier to hope for the miracle in a bottle but it just doesn't, and won't, exist. Keep a healthy diet as far as possible, don't smoke, protect yourself in the sun and use sensible skincare designed to give your skin what it needs to carry out it's miraculous functions. That's the secret.
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Mariga Sheedy: Posted on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 6:27 PM
 I've been reading a lovely book recently called 'Victorian Pharmacy - rediscovering forgotten remedies and recipes'. It is the companion book to the BBC TV programme and is a must for anyone interested in skincare, among other things.Today I came across the recipe for Cold Cream as made in Victorian times and thought I would share it with you:
''Cold Cream To smooth the skin and for the removal of makeup.
Beeswax 2oz Jojoba oil 4oz Almond Oil 4oz Rose water 2oz
Melt the wax over a pan of boiling water. Remove from the heat and stir in the oils and rosewater. Allow to cool and transfer to a jar.''
To me, this recipe still stands the test of time. I would leave out the rosewater as I feel that the oils and wax would last a while without preservative if there was no water in the mix.
Compare the ingredients to Pond's Cold Cream available today:
 Mineral oil, water, ceresin, beeswaz, triethanolamine, ceteth-20, fragrance, behenic acid, montan wax, cetyl alcohol, carbomer, DMD hydantoin, idopropynyl, butylcarbamate.
Well, while I have nothing against synthetic ingredients where they are proven to be more effective or more stable than their natural counterparts, I do like them to have a good reason for going in my skincare. I know which of these two recipes I prefer.
How about you? Watch out for more gems to come from this book I think!
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Mariga Sheedy: Posted on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 10:54 AM
 Anti-wrinkle and anti-ageing are confusingly similar terms that you will see used in the skincare industry. Effectively they mean the same thing: prevention of the signs of ageing. Anti-ageing is the more commonly used term these days as it's seen to be less 'offensive'. What neither of them mean is wrinkle removal. This common misunderstanding on the part of the consumer (fostered by marketing companies) adds up to a huge amount of wasted money for the person trying to turn back the clock.So, can you really reduce wrinkles or is it too late when they've already made an appearance? Well, while prevention will always be better than cure there are some products and treatments that can reduce the depth of existing wrinkles.
At home: Look for products that contain:
Vitamin A (retinol, retinyl esters). Vitamin A is scientifically proven to reduce the depth of wrinkles.
Anti-oxidants. A variety of anti-oxidants both in your diet and in your skincare helps your skin fight against free-radicals that contribute to accelerated skin ageing.
Peptides. these will increase elasticity and firmness of the skin.
AHA or enzyme exfoliators. Reduce the depth of lines by smoothing the skin's surface.
Also look for : niacinamide, carnosine, hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and epidermal growth factor.
From your skincare professional:
AHA, BHA and enzyme peels will reduce wrinkle depth.
Microdermabrasion gives great instant results, for lasting difference take a course.
LED phototherapy used in conjunction with the above boosts collagen production - the holy grail of anti-ageing.
All clinical treatments will achieve and maintain the best results when combined with the correct homecare. After all you wouldn't go to the dentist twice a year for a teeth cleaning then not brush them at home would you??
From Skin Essentials by Mariga: In the morning use Collagen Support Serum to give your skin all the building blocks it needs to make collagen. Follow with SPF30 every day.
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