MEN S SKIN CARE MYTHS DEBUNKED FIND OUT WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN

Transcription

1 MEN S SKIN CARE MYTHS DEBUNKED FIND OUT WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN

2 CONTENTS 2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 12 OF SKIN CARE S BIGGEST MYTHS MYTH 1 - I NEED PRODUCTS WITH MIRACLE INGREDIENTS MYTH 2 - NATURAL & ORGANIC PRODUCTS ARE THE BEST MYTH 3 - ESSENTIAL OILS ARE GOOD FOR THE SKIN MYTH 4 - IT IRRITATES MY SKIN A LITTLE, BUT IT S STILL BETTER THAN USING NOTHING MYTH 5 - YOU SHOULDN T MOISTURISE IF YOU HAVE OILY SKIN MYTH 6 - IF IT COOLS MY SKIN AFTER SHAVING, IT MUST BE HELPING CALM MY FACE MYTH 7 - IT S MY RAZOR THAT S CAUSING SHAVING RASH MYTH 8 - NO ONE TESTS ON ANIMALS ANYMORE MYTH 9 - IF IT S APPROVED FOR USE, IT CAN T BE DOING YOU HARM MYTH 10 - DIFFERENT SKIN TYPES NEED DIFFERENT SKIN CARE PRODUCTS MYTH 11 - I SHOULD USE SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY MYTH 12 - I VE LEFT IT TOO LATE TO START USING ANTI-AGEING PRODUCTS WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN ALL THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED AND NONE YOU DON T A SIMPLE SKIN CARE ROUTINE TO FOLLOW DIET AND FITNESS: THE REAL SECRET INGREDIENTS 1

3 ABOUT THE AUTHOR If you re anything like me, you re active. I train continuously, and have done for more than 30 years. When you train hard you shower often, so you need products to remove the sweat and grime of life that aren t too harsh, with the ability to replenish the balance of oils in your skin. I searched the world to find products that lived up to this and after 20 years of not finding what I needed, I created Lqd to fill that void. Fortunately I d studied Science (Chemistry) at Melbourne University, so I had a strong grounding in biochemistry. My idea for the range excited one of Australia s best-known developmental chemists and together, over a period of two years, we perfected the product range. Our products are designed to look after your skin, keep it well hydrated and slow down the ageing process, but Lqd is also about educating guys on how to look their best. We live in a world where there are more and more sources of information and advice, and yet instead of that making things simpler and clearer, they ve just become more confusing and complicated. With this guide, I ll break through some of the common myths surrounding skin care, and provide some simple guidelines for how to look after your skin. I hope it helps you look the best you can! ANTHONY MCDONOUGH Founder - Lqd Skin Care 2

4 MYTH 1 I NEED PRODUCTS WITH MIRACLE INGREDIENTS Everyone in the skin care industry seems to be talking about miracle ingredients. From snail slime to bee venom to chemical concoctions cooked up in labs, we ve heard of all sorts of breakthrough skin care ingredients that are claimed to enhance the skin s appearance, improve a wrinkle, or solve any other complaint. Firstly, achieving great skin doesn t require one specific ingredient, product or one simple trick in fact, often it s got more to do with your whole lifestyle. From your eating and sleeping habits, to your exercise regimen and sun exposure, there are many elements that will have an effect on your skin. There are no miracle ingredients... it s just about making sure you re using the best possible ingredients for your skin and also not causing your skin further external irritation. Unfortunately, all cosmetics companies need to do is use the word miracle in the name of their products and they re almost guaranteed to sell - even when most people don t understand what those ingredients are supposed to do for their skin. THE REALITY IS, MOST OF THESE INGREDIENTS DON T WORK Dodgy pseudo-science is used to back up these false claims, while these unscrupulous cosmetics companies rake in the millions, preying on people s vulnerabilities and desire to slow down the ageing process. What concerns me is the expectation of a miracle just from using a product that contains one ingredient. The reality is, most of these ingredients don t work, and have little to no scientific research behind them. 3

5 SO, WHAT ARE THE BEST SKIN CARE INGREDIENTS? They may not sound as exciting as the latest marketing buzzwords, but most of the ingredients your skin really needs have been around forever - things like vitamins, antioxidants, and aloe vera. It s no accident that I wanted aloe vera extract in every one of our skin care products. Its benefits are numerous not just for the skin, but for the whole body. Aloe vera has been used as a healing agent for burns, rashes, bites and many other types of skin irritation, and it can be used for more than just skin care. For centuries, humans have been using aloe vera gel topically for skin moisturising and healing. This is because it contains many important amino acids, vitamins and minerals that are key to anti-ageing skin care. There are twenty-two amino acids (which are the building blocks of protein), that our body uses to produce the proteins essential to its health and function. Aloe contains twenty of these twenty-two amino acids. also new ingredients, like peptides, which come from the latest breakthroughs in skin care science. The problem however is they are expensive and most companies use them in amounts that are much too small to be effective, just so they can make a claim on their packaging. They don t actually care if you see a difference or not. We use 6 different peptides in our eye serum at their maximum concentration, so we know they ll improve the skin and you ll see a difference. The most you ll find in a competitor s eye product is caffeine, and we have one peptide in our product that is four times stronger than caffeine in reducing the puffy bags under the eyes. Aloe also packs in plenty of important vitamins, including vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, and E. Many of these are antioxidants that play an important role in protecting the skin from free radicals that can damage DNA and other cellular structures, causing signs of ageing. Along with these old ingredients, there are 4

6 Another ingredient that has scientifically proven benefits is Glycolic Acid (Alpha Hydroxy Acid). It can penetrate the top layers of the skin and cause collagen regeneration. We use 12% Glycolic Acid in our scrub, which is the highest level you will find in any product in Australia without going to a dermatologist. At this concentration, it performs a mild chemical peel, and with cumulative use, it can increase collagen production, improve skin tone and skin colour, and reduce small scarring. IT S ALSO NOT JUST WHAT S IN A PRODUCT THAT COUNTS, BUT WHAT S NOT IN IT. We leave out known skin irritants, like sulphates, parabens, paraffin, phthalates, petroleum derivatives, menthol, colours, essential oils, and fragrances. Yes, that s right Our products don t use fragrances, and that s because fragrance is the single biggest irritant in skin care. But it gets even worse than that. If an ingredient list includes the words added fragrance then this phrase is masking exactly what ingredients are hidden inside your products! To hold colour and fragrance in cosmetics, lotions and body washes, companies use a class of chemicals called phthalates. These chemicals are bioaccumulators and are responsible for endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity and organ system toxicity in fact, you are already being exposed to them if the product you re using includes any of the following terms: phthalate, DEP, DBP, parfum, or fragrance. Two decades of research suggests that phthalates can cause a whole host of disruption to the hormonal system in both men and women, ranging from breast cancer in women, sexual dysfunction in men and attention deficit disorder in children. Knowing this research exists is enough for us to stay away from using fragrance or colours in our products. I d suggest checking the other skin care products you use, to see if the brand you are using cares for your health in the same way. 5

7 MYTH 2 NATURAL & ORGANIC PRODUCTS ARE THE BEST Like miracle ingredients, the terms natural and organic have become marketing tools, used to suggest a superior product. A lot of people assume, just because something is natural, it s therefore good for you. I always like to point out the fact that arsenic is 100% natural, it s found in abundance within the Earth s crust, in soil and water, but it can still kill you! The same can be said for skin care. A lot of people assume that natural cosmetics, with less chemicals, are safer and better for you. But natural cosmetics are not always the best choice - and there is no substantiated research demonstrating that natural ingredients are better for the skin than their synthetic counterparts. When a plant of any kind is added to a skin care product and is preserved, stabilised and mixed with other ingredients, it loses most, if not all, of its natural orientation. There are also natural ingredients that show up in skin care that are either toxic or carcinogenic, and many natural ingredients can actually cause skin reactions and allergies - including things that sound potentially harmless, like lavender, tea tree oil, cinnamon, citrus oils and various essential oils (more on this later). When we find a great natural ingredient, we then use an organic version of it, like Aloe Vera, but that s so we have the purest form of the ingredient possible, so it s not contaminated by pesticides etc. But never assume just because a product is organic it is better for your skin otherwise, you could wind up ignoring inflammatory ingredients. After all, poison ivy is natural and organic, but you obviously wouldn t want to put it on your skin! WE CHOOSE THE BEST FROM NATURE AND THE BEST FROM SCIENCE TO CREATE THE MOST EFFECTIVE PRODUCTS WE CAN. At Lqd, our products contain many organic natural ingredients (that aren t irritants), but there are also synthetic ingredients that we use that are actually better for dealing with some specific skin issues. I mentioned that our eye serum contains peptides - it has six active peptides in it, to be exact. Peptides change the chemical functions in the body - turning on and off chemical processes. 6

8 Two peptides in our eye serum work like topical botox, relaxing the muscles around the eyes (and the less muscular movement, the less wrinkles are formed). Another peptide removes the black circles under the eyes and returns them to their natural pigmentation; another removes puffiness and increases lymphatic drainage; and another two turn on collagen production in the skin. As a result, many men who use our eye serum see dramatic results within just two weeks of using the product. MYTH 3 ESSENTIAL OILS ARE GOOD FOR THE SKIN There s nothing essential about essential oils - it s actually a marketing term deployed in the 80s for any fragrant oil. Yes, they can smell amazing, and yes, their scent can change how you feel. BUT THEY SHOULD NEVER BE PUT ON YOUR FACE. Most people know that essential oils should not be put on the skin undiluted, but they really should not be used on the skin at all. By putting essential oils on your skin, you re actually causing skin irritation, even if you can t see it straight away. Any irritation speeds up the ageing of the skin which means more wrinkles over time. The more I learn about the irritants in our world in the food we eat, the products we use and the environmental stresses we are exposed to - it really highlights the need to use products that we know don t put contaminants into our bodies. That s why we don t use any known irritants in our products no sulfates, no phthalates, no parabens, no colours, no fragrance, no menthol and no essential oils. Hopefully you are starting to check the products you use to make sure you are avoiding these ingredients as well. 7

9 MYTH 4 IT IRRITATES MY SKIN A LITTLE, BUT IT S STILL BETTER THAN USING NOTHING Many people think that even if a skin care product - like a moisturiser, for example - causes slight irritation, you re still better off using it than not moisturising. In fact, it s the opposite: using skin care with irritants in it is worse for you than using nothing at all. Regardless of the source, skin irritation is a problem. It causes collagen breakdown, which increases oil production, generates free-radical damage and affects the skin s natural immune response. The breakdown of tissue under the surface of skin is continual and over time becomes visible as lines and wrinkles. That s right - any kind of irritation on the skin causes wrinkles. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, skin irritation is actually the most common cause of wrinkles, as it destroys the skin s outer protective barrier. For this reason, anti-irritants are incredibly helpful ingredients in skin care, because they allow the skin extra healing time, and can reduce the problems caused by oxidative and other sources of external damage. THAT S RIGHT- ANY KIND OF IRRITATION ON THE SKIN CAUSES WRINKLES. Unfortunately, many skin care businesses include irritants in their products, and there are thousands of Australians who are injured by mislabeled or poor quality products every year. One-third of all injury reports made to the consumer watchdog in 2014 related directly to cosmetics and skin care products. One of the causes is not just the ingredients used, but also the level of impurities in the ingredients, which often relates to where they are being made. With a lot of companies now choosing cheaper production sources, these issues have been amplified. Cumulative irritation occurs over time, as you are exposed to the ingredients through continuous use. 8

10 This is why we will always manufacture our products in Australia, and continue to use the best possible ingredients we can buy, sourced out of developed countries. Of course there are options to make more money by manufacturing offshore, but for us, the safety of our customers will always come first. If you really want to look the best you can, make sure the skin care you are using is actually helping your skin reach its full potential, and not just adding further toxins and irritants into your body. MYTH 5 YOU SHOULDN T MOISTURISE IF YOU HAVE OILY SKIN We all know that one of the key requirements to having a healthy body and healthy skin is keeping well hydrated. What you may not realise is that it s also just as important to hydrate your skin. Many men s moisturisers are like gels, which clog the pores and don t rub into the skin, but sit on top, usually getting oily and greasy once you start sweating. But don t make the mistake of thinking that having oily skin means you shouldn t be using a moisturiser. Simply put, skin always needs to be moisturised. Although it sounds contradictory to apply a moisturiser to oily skin (especially a product that may contain oils), the fact is, if you don t hydrate and moisturise your skin after cleaning it, your skin increases sebum production (oil) to balance out the skin. To really improve oily skin, make sure you are using a glycolic acid based scrub 2-3 times per week and always moisturise afterwards. Glycolic acid will help rebalance the natural oils in your skin over time. So even if you suffer from oily skin, moisturising is for everyone. 9

11 MYTH 6 IF IT COOLS MY SKIN AFTER SHAVING IT MUST BE HELPING CALM MY FACE It s easy to believe that the cooling effect of a product on your skin after shaving is good for you. But in fact, most aftershave products on the market use menthol, a known skin irritant, to achieve this cooling feeling. Not only does menthol irritate your skin, it also dries it out! And as I ve mentioned, skin irritation is the most common cause of wrinkles, so that cooling feeling you think is helping is actually doing more harm than good. THAT COOLING FEELING YOU THINK IS HELPING IS ACTUALLY DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD Instead, at Lqd we use a recently developed and highly awarded European ingredient, SymSitive 1609, that has been proven in clinical studies to reduce redness and skin irritation four times faster than other products. Believe it or not, the tests were carried out on people who had been sprayed with capsicum spray! This innovation has enabled us to develop the first fast acting, soothing and calming lotion in Australia, formulated specifically to minimise redness and irritation after shaving. To prevent premature ageing of your skin, your first step is to ditch the menthol-based products and use a product from a brand that really cares about your skin. 10

12 MYTH 7 IT S MY RAZOR THAT S CAUSING SHAVING RASH When you want to look and feel your best, the last thing you need is razor rash. Not only does razor rash look terrible, it leaves your face feeling itchy and uncomfortable. Most men would put it down to their razor - thinking it s too blunt or it s clogged, and that s what s causing the irritation. But a good shaving cream will make all the difference. A GOOD SHAVING CREAM WILL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Most men s shaving foams and gels contain ingredients that irritate the hair follicles to lift the hair and give a closer shave. The problem is, about 60% of guys also find this gives them a shaving rash. If you are one of the 60% that gets redness or irritation from shaving, you need to switch to a non-irritating shaving cream. In fact, look for one that also has anti-irritants built in such as Bisabolol, Allantoin and chamomile. It s time to no longer accept razor rash as a part of life. In fact, that s what motivated me to find a better solution. If you ve tried everything else and still suffer from redness, ingrown hairs or itchy skin after shaving, then try our award winning shaving cream that s full of anti-irritants. It allows guys to shave 2-3 times per week who were previously only able to shave 2-3 times per month. 11

13 MYTH 8 NO ONE TESTS ON ANIMALS ANYMORE If you re my age then you ll remember all of the cosmetic and skin care companies in the 1980 s who stopped testing their products and ingredients on animals. In fact, it was a public backlash that led to this humane change. Unfortunately 20 years later, and because of the protfit opportunities in China, these same companies are all back testing their products on animals. Of course they don t want you to know this, but if you look at the ethical statements on their websites they all now say...we do not test our products on animals unless required by law.... Now, the normal person wouldn t realise that in China they still have a law that requires animal testing, so by law they are all still testing their products on animals. It s just one more reason why you should be looking closely at who you are supporting when you purchase your skin care products. If doing away with animal cruelty is important to you, then choose a company that doesn t put making money before protecting animals. They don t have to be mutually exclusive goals. In fact, we refuse to sell our products into China until they remove this law as we will NEVER test our products on animals - under any circumstances. ALL OF OUR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS STILL TEST ON ANIMALS. MYTH 9 IF IT S APPROVED FOR USE, IT CAN T BE DOING YOU HARM Parabens are a preservative used in our competitor s products. They may still be approved for use now, but we refuse to use them in our products because we know that eventually they will be banned. Why? Parabens are already banned in parts of Europe due to the harmful effect they can have on the endocrine system of the body - meaning they can completely interfere with sexual functionality over time. So why would you want this on your skin? Before we use any ingredient in our products, we first look to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). It s one of the most famous websites for researching chemicals and how they can affect the environment and consumers. If something is identified as a known irritant, or causes long term complications, we don t use it. Our products contain no sulfates, no parabens, no colours and no essential oils... because we care about people s health just as much as their skin. 12

14 MYTH 10 DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES NEED DIFFERENT SKIN CARE PRODUCTS Your ancestral background determines a lot of inherited traits. One of those of course is the colour of your skin. It s not uncommon for us to get asked if our products work on a particular skin type or colour. When developing our products, we made sure we took into account the major similarities and differences, so that everyone can get great results. There is in fact more skin issues in common than different among differing racial backgrounds. Skin irritation from shaving, loss of collagen, skin tone and discolouration and early signs of skin aging are all common issues. This is because the overall structure and functions of skin are very similar irrespective of ancestory, and so the same skin routine can be used by almost everyone. MYTH 11 I SHOULD USE SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY We ve all grown up learning the importance of sun safety. But what you might not know is that many of the active ingredients in sunscreen (those that provide the chemical UV filters) actually bioaccumulate in the body, mimicking hormones and causing skin allergies. The most worrysome is oxybenzone, which is in approximately 70% of non-mineral sunscreens. This makes things a little tricky because it is definitely important that you protect yourself from the sun s harmful rays. UVA and UVB are well known to cause damage to our skin - from early ageing all the way to skin cancer. UVA rays are responsible for the signs of skin ageing, and are present anytime you are exposed to daylight, while UVB rays are responsible for burning your skin and are the cause of most skin cancers. UVB rays also vary by time of day and season, being the strongest around midday and in summer. So, knowing all this, what should you do? I always suggest covering up when you are outside for long periods of time, or if using sunscreen use a mineral based sunscreen - like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide instead. As with any sunscreen product only use it when you need it, and wash it off as soon as you are out of the sun. 13

15 SHOULD I HAVE SPF IN MY MOISTURISER? Our biggest concern is that when people use a moisturising product with added SPF, they usually apply it early in the morning when they are getting ready for work and they rarely use enough to achieve the protection level required. By the time they actually get out into the sun, usually around midday, the SPF moisturising product has lost its effectiveness and they are no longer protected. Given this knowledge, we purposely don t add SPF into our products, as we firmly believe the best way to protect your skin from the sun s damage is to apply a sunscreen immediately before going in the sun and then top up every 1-2 hours as required. We also believe in only using SPF 30+ on your face when it s needed, as this will ensure maximum protection. If you aren t adding at least a teaspoon (5mL) on your face, it s unlikely you have enough to provide the right level of SPF coverage. Finally, because sunscreen ingredients aren t the best ingredients to have on your skin (as we explained earlier), we recommend only using them when you really need to. My advice is to cover up and only use sunscreen when it s necessary. MYTH 12 I VE LEFT IT TOO LATE TO START USING ANTI-AGEING PRODUCTS Many of us are too busy enjoying our outdoor lifestyle, drinking and partying to think about properly looking after our skin... That is, until we start to see the signs of ageing. It s at this point that people often start to wonder if they ve left it too late to be able to do anything about how they look. Well, while the world continues to ponder how we can slow down or reverse the effects of ageing, and scientists spend millions of dollars looking for answers, there is something you can do right now which can reduce your biological age. 14

16 YOU CAN START EXERCISING. Yes, believe it or not, while you might not be able to change your physical birth age, you can certainly change how old your body looks, feels and responds - through exercise and nutrition. Rather than being too late, now is the best time for you to begin paying attention to your lifestyle and how it affects your skin. We ll get into this more later. At the same time, you can improve the age of your skin through using high quality skin care products. Many products on the market claim to be designed specifically for men who are in their 30 s, 40 s or over 50. But age is not a skin type. An older man can have the same skin issues as a younger man - and acne, blackheads or oily skin can plague men in their 50 s or in their 20 s. In skin care, one of the anti-ageing ingredients you should look for is antioxidants, which help to fight inflammation-causing substances in the body known as free radicals. Free radicals are emitted when your body breaks down food, and are taken in when your body is exposed to harmful irritants, such as cigarette smoke, pollution or radiation through the sun. When free radicals damage the body, they particularly break down collagen proteins in the skin. Collagen is responsible for helping the skin maintain its elasticity and strength, and helping it to appear young and supple. Antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and green tea leaf extract can be applied to the skin in order to reduce free radical damage. When looking at the list of ingredients on your products, remember that they are itemised from the highest to lowest concentration. A good product should contain a number of antioxidants at high enough concentrations to actually create a benefit. Without question, topically applied antioxidants are essential for healthy skin so always check the ingredients of the product you re using. There s nothing wrong with getting older, but you can still age gracefully if you look after yourself now. 15

17 WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN ALL THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED AND NONE YOU DON T Looking after your skin really doesn t take a lot of effort. You don t need to buy tonnes of products - day creams, night creams, anti-wrinkle creams, and whatever else companies are trying to market these days. We like to keep it simple - with products designed to help you wash, shave, and hydrate your skin. THE BASICS CLEANSER Get yourself a strong non-foaming face wash that doesn t contain SLS or SDS. If it s ph-balanced, it ll help you remove excess oils without drying out your skin. Look for other ingredients like aloe vera to moisturise and rejuvenate, and vitamin E to help neutralise free-radical damage. SCRUB Scrubs are designed to remove old skin cells and excess oil that block pores, revealing a fresh, rejuvenated look and feel to your skin. Look for a biodegradable microbead-based product that contains glycolic acid, to help rejuvenate the naturally occurring collagen in men s skin. 16

18 WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN SHAVING CREAM AFTER SHAVE SERUM MOISTURISER You need a non-irritating shaving cream that s packed full of antioxidants and anti-irritants. Also make sure it lathers rather than foams and rinses clean from the razor so you don t get nicks and cuts. It should create a smooth barrier between your skin and the blade. After shaving, you need a fast-acting, soothing and calming serum that penetrates the skin quickly, delivering much-needed vitamins and antioxidants to help repair damage. Make sure it doesn t contain menthol. If you can find a skin desensitiser with anti-irritants then this will work the best. Every time you wash, scrub or shave your skin you need to hydrate it to put the moisture back in. Make sure you use an oil that s similar to the natural oils in the body, like sweet almond oil. It shouldn t go oily or shiny or feel greasy on your skin. Also look for one that contains ingredients like aloe, chamomile, shea and cocoa butter, rosehip oil and green tea leaf extracts so that your not only protecting the skin, but helping sooth and heal it as well. A SIMPLE SKIN CARE ROUTINE TO FOLLOW For some men, skin care is a bit of a mystery, and it s not really clear which products you need to be using and how. Firstly, there s no doubt that looking after your body s largest organ needs to become a regular part of your daily routine. If you want to look your best, you need to adopt a structured skin care regime of cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising. 17

19 WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN But looking after your skin doesn t need to be difficult, and most of it can be done with some small additions to your regular activities (like showering and shaving). In the skin care regime outlined below, I ve talked particularly about how to use our products, but you can substitute for other products if you have another brand that you prefer. 1. WASH 2. SCRUB 3. SHAVE You should wash your skin every morning when you wake up, immediately after exercise, and at night before you go to bed to remove the buildup of excess oils, dirt and toxins. Always use warm water to wash your face. Even if it s not immediately evident, water that is too hot will irritate and damage the skin. Start by completely wetting your face then rub a small portion of Lqd FACE wash between your palms before massaging it across your face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Leave on for seconds then rinse clean. Always wash skin before shaving. A scrub or exfoliator is a necessary part of any men s skin care regime. It serves two purposes; to eliminate excess oils, and to remove the dead skin cells that populate the outer layer of your skin, making it appear dull and lifeless. Use warm water to completely wet your face then rub a small portion of Lqd FACE scrub between your palms before massaging across your face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Leave on for up to 2 minutes, then rinse. Using warm water, thoroughly wet your skin then rub 1-2 pumps of Lqd FACE shave between your palms. Massage into your beard and/or scalp. Shave with the grain of the hair, adding more water to your face or head as necessary. Rinse with clean, warm water, followed by cold water to close the pores. 18

20 WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN 4. AFTER SHAVE 5. HYDRATE Apply Lqd FACE calm immediately after shaving. It s perfect after electric shaving or any other skin irritation caused by friction. Apply to a clean, dry face and massage lightly into the skin. For great results, use a moisturiser morning and night. Apply one dose of Lqd FACE hydrate to your palms, rub together and massage deeply into clean, dry skin. It s also perfect for guys who shave their heads. DIET AND FITNESS: THE REAL SECRET INGREDIENTS Achieving great skin doesn t require one product or one simple trick. With your skin care regime sorted, it s time to look at the real miracle ingredients for slowing the signs of ageing and looking your best You guessed it: diet and fitness. I once had someone write on our Facebook page that they thought we looked more like a fitness brand than a skin care brand, and for us that isn t an accident. To really maximise how good your skin can look, you must exercise, eat unprocessed foods as much as possible, drink lots of water and use great skin care products that don t contain skin irritants. DIET It sounds obvious, but many people forget that the nutrients in your food will be reflected in your skin; eat processed, high fat foods and it will show. As I m sure you know, the more processed your food is, the more simple sugars, salts, preservatives, and other undesirable ingredients are found in them. If you keep your food as unprocessed as possible, as fresh as possible and as varied as possible, the foods you re eating will help you to correct any imbalances in your skin type, as well as keeping you looking as young as possible. 19

21 WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN Try to make up most of your calorie intake from as close to natural or whole foods as you can. Remove as many simple sugar-based foods as possible out of your diet. This becomes especially difficult as most sauces are high in sugar content. But get rid of all sugary drinks like soft drinks, V, and Red Bull - there s no room for these in your calorie levels. Even the sugarfree versions should be avoided, as they will maintain your cravings for sweet things. Drink as much caffeine as you want, but remember to drink lots of water as well. Water is the basic ingredient required for all the chemical reactions that occur in the body s cells and for effective removal of waste products. I find that with my busy and active lifestyle, the easiest way to maintain a healthy diet is to plan my meals, prepare them in bulk and pack them into individual containers each day, so I always have my food with me. As soon as I don t have meals planned, I end up eating the wrong types of foods. The staples I would recommend including are the following: CARBS PROTEIN Rolled oats Boiled basmati rice Boiled sweet potato Steamed broccoli Rice cakes Avoid bread, pasta and pastry products as much as you can. I ve given up bread/ toast nearly completely. I only have it a couple of times a week, and it s made a huge difference. Lean steaks Lean mince Chicken breast or thighs Salmon Tuna Eggs / egg whites 20

22 WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN FATS MULTIFOOD EXTRAS Flaxseed oil MCT (multi chain triglycerides) Linseed oil Peanut butter Whole egg mayonnaise Roasted almonds Coconut oil There are, of course, many more foods you can include, but 80% of what I eat would fall within those mentioned above. Organising meals takes a lot of effort, but it will save you both money and calories in the long run. It may take a while to get right, but every day you do get it right, it s a win! EXERCISE It doesn t matter what age you are - it s never too late to get into a great exercise routine. Find something that you really enjoy and stick to it. Whether it s swimming, walking, going to the gym or something else, it just takes a bit of willpower. Increasing your blood circulation by doing those things regularly will keep you healthier for longer. 21

23 WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO TO LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN Even once you ve found something you love, it s never difficult to find a reason to not exercise. Let s face it, we re all living busy lives, with demanding jobs, friends, and children, and life just seems to get in the way sometimes. No one expects you to keep it all together 365 days per year. BUT we do have the choice to change this. So make the time to get your exercise in, and it ll show through your skin. DON T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR Hopefully through this book, you ve learnt something new about how to look after your skin. The main thing to remember is that there s a lot of marketing hype out there, and it s important to educate yourself on the science behind skin care - otherwise you re in danger of believing myths like the ones presented here. Keep yourself informed, and you ll be on the right track to looking the best you can! 22

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