Short items of indispensable smart knowledge
SOFT Scottish water has long been linked with dewy complexions but now
it's the envy of our European neighbours as they try to retain their
vulnerable golden tans.
In the old go-for-burn days tanning was what it sounds like, ''the
converting of skins or hides into leather'' according to Chambers. And
they were built to last.
Now fashion and safety call for gentler hues and soft water means that
washing and bathing is less harsh. Even if your tan is from a bottle
rather than a battle with ultra violet rays it will benefit from bathing
in Scottish water.
If you are applying quick tan leave the bathing until at least two
hours as the skin will be alkaline after a soapy bath and the colour
will be more likely to be orange than brown.
If you use cleansing bars that protect the acid balance of the skin
rather than alkaline based soap which strip the skin of its protective
layer the benefits are even greater. The Body Shop's Milk Protein
Cleansing Bar, Dior's Equite, and Ultima 11's Foaming Cleanser are all
oil-based and effective.
Oils are the other ingredients which nourish the skin and retain the
tan.
For the complexion, Helena Rubinstein's new Precious Cleansing Oil and
Precious Cleansing Water reflect the West's current interest in the
lighter textures of Japanese cosmetics which have traditionally favoured
oils rather than creams and lotions.
Both products cleanse and remove make-up; the oil version for drier
skins is silkier in texture, the water version contains a
liquorice-based ingredient for its calming and decongesting properties.
Bodies need just as much pampering as the face and Revlon have
extended their Dry Skin Relief range, a Moisturising Foam Bath and a
Moisturising Cream Shower. All the products contain the traditional
honey, sweet almond oil and herbs.
Aromatherapist Maggi Tisserand's after-sun formula is 5 to 10 drops of
lavender oil mixed with 100ml of spring water. ''Put the lot in a plant
sprayer and spray it wherever you like.''
She also suggests the same amount of lavender mixed with two
teaspoonfuls of jojoba oil for prolonging a tan and nourishing the skin.
For dry lips she suggests keeping handy a small tinted glass bottle
containing one drop of rose oil mixed with a teaspoonful of camelia oil.
''Never buy any oils that are sold in clear plastic bottles. Essential
oils go rancid if exposed to heat and light.''
I liked American aromatherapist Maribeth Riggs' formula for a skin
nourishing bath ''that's soothing to the mind and the body''.
''You mix two cups of skimmed milk powder with half a cup of honey, 10
drops of lavender oil and 10 drops of orange blossom oil. Then tune into
some acoustic guitar music, light a beeswax candle to emphasise the
scent of flowers and honey, and relax.''
Peachnut oil, if you can find it, is another favourite with
aromatherapists at this time of the year as it has a good supply of
essential fatty acids, and can be used on the face, body, and even the
scalp as a moisturising treatment blended with a base oil such as sweet
almond oil.
Of course, the sensible thing would be to add your own favourite oils
to the formulae that the cosmetic companies have already worked out.
Revlon's Dry Skin Formula is quite exotic with the addition of coconut
oil, but that might be just a bit over the top along with Ms Riggs'
imaginative recipe.
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