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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