3 quick explanations to common beauty Issues Plus 2 quick to make products.

Underarm Pigmentation.

These can darken due to perspiration. The sweat doesn’t dry out properly in the folds of your underarms and produces uric acid which darkens your skin. Genetics, poor quality deodorants can also play a part.

Try waxing if you have dark pigmented hair as the roots of your hairs can stay visible under your skin if you just shave. Ingrown hairs can also make your underarms appear darker. If you use depilatory creams they too can cause darkness. Stop using them and see if you see a change.

Sensitive skins.

If you have sensitive skin make sure you choose products that are hypoallergenic. Try and stay away from anything with perfumes or essential oils.

Tomato in products can be really soothing for skins with broken capillaries and experiencing redness.

Try and avoid spicy foods, really hot showers and excessive alcohol as these will all contribute to an increase in redness and broken capillaries.

Stretch marks

Is a tearing of collagen from the skin. Once they are there I’m sorry to say its hard to remove. If they are red there is still blood flowing so there is hope to reduce the size. Bio Oil or certified organic rose hip oil is your best friend in this case. Exercise, exfoliating and massaging is great to encourage blood flow and to deliver oxygen to the area. And of course MOISTURISE.

Home made Body Exfoliant

Olive oil with salts or sugar.

Face Mask

Wholegrain oats teaspoon of after and avocado.

LIVE LAUGH LOVE

SJ xxx

How do you know if your Mineral Make up is the real deal?

Mineral make up can be a very loosely used term. Not always are they true minerals that are good for your skin! Since I know not everyone has studied cosmetic chemistry I’ve listed a few ingredients to keep an eye out for that you should try and avoid.

Ingredients to avoid.

Talc- this is a big one! It’s very irritating to the skin. It technically is a mineral and that is how these make up brads are getting away with writing “mineral” on their products. This however is a mineral you want to stay away from. On a more concerning note it’s also been listed as a possible carcinogenic. For this reason I highly recommend you don’t use talcum powder on yourself or your children!

Bismuth oxychloride. A reaction to this may result in red, irritated, itching, having small bumps or pustules, burning or looking swollen. No fun! Bismuth alone is very harmful to the skin so it goes through a nice technical process which ends up bismuth, chlorine and oxygen. Thus making Bismuth oxychloride. Some people may find they have no problems with bismuth in their products and if this is the case feel free to use.
Mica – try and avoid this in your products it's classified as non hypo-allergenic. Lots of people find they are allergic to Mica. It’s usually in eye color products. It is quite hard to find products that are mica free however.

FD&C Dyes- these dyes are derived from petroleum or coal tar. Where coal tar is obtained the derivatives are concerning for many reasons. Two major being, they cause cancer in animals but they are also causes of allergic reactions such as rashes and hives.

Chemical dyes are usually comedogenic especially red dyes which are commonly found in our blushes! Yikes! So if you find you have bumps and lumps where you put your blush this could be a reason why.

Synthetic preservatives: these are absorbed very easily into the bloodstream, not always a good thing! They also can cause lots of skin irritations, swelling, redness, itchiness and eczema.

Parabens: these nasty little things clog and congest your skin. They can also cause irritation and inflammation in worse case scenarios.

Hope this helps! Any Questions feel free to contact me J

Live Laugh Love

SJ xx

Beauty Tips for Winter!

We all know how every part of our body dries out and is affected when Winter hits! So I have made a list of tips and recommendations to keep every part of your body WINTER PROOF!

Face:  

Make sure you are using a cream cleanser and definitely NOT soap or anything that foams. You will become a prune! My favorite is Trilogy cream cleanser; it’s full of essential oils for nourishing.

There isn’t always a need to change your moisturizer. If you are happy with the one you have just simply add a few drops of Organic Rose Hip oil to it at night time. To splurge you could add a few drops of Ella Bache Huile Intex oil in the exact same way. If you are however running low on your summer moisturizer when you replace it try and get one that may be slightly heavier in texture for that extra comfort. Natio and Trilogy has a great affordable range.

Another great idea is to invest in a serum/booster, preferably one that is hydrating. This goes on your clean dry skin before your moisturizer.

Exfoliating is a huge key in winter. Not necessarily doing it more but making sure you actually do it. 1-2 times a week is more then enough but so important. It removes the dead layer of cells to allow your moisturizer to penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin where fresh lives cells are. When your cells are well hydrated they plump up therefore giving you healthy glowing skin, crepe paper line free!

Body:

Most people would forget to look after their skin on their body. It needs attention just as much as your face does. Make sure you exfoliate 1-2 times a week. Using those exfoliating gloves is perfect! Yet again though avoid soap! Try use a cleansing cream or oil. I can highly recommend QV Body Wash, it is found in most chemists.

Then you need to remember to Moisturize! Don’t be lazy; once you have dried yourself in the shower put some body cream on. A good tip to make sure you use you body cream is to buy one that is in a pump bottle and leave it on your basin so you see it and think to use it. I can recommend two good body cream both are affordable. QV Body cream, (great for people who suffer from eczema and dermatitis), and Palmers Coco butter.

Lips:   

You only need to know one product, Lucas’ Papaw Ointment. If you haven’t discovered this yet get onto it! It’s great for your lips to avoid that horrible chapped flakey feel. It’s also great for burns, boils, chafing, cuts, cracked skin, rashes, insect bites and nappy rash. It’s so cheap to buy, and comes in a Tube or a Tub so great to have on hand in your handbag. Another Bonus is its Local! So you will be helping to keep the profits in Australia.

If you do find your lips are rough and in need of an exfoliation using your toothbrush is a good trick then follow it with Lucas Papaw!

Hands and Nails:

Using a good quality hand cream is the only way to help prevent the dry cracked nails and cuticles. As well as that horrible dry dehydrated feel on your hands. I can highly recommend Ella Bache Moisture-bath hand Renew, Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and nail, Clarins hand and nail cream and Natio hand and Nail cream in their Spa range.

Something extra you can do for your cuticles if you find they are still cracking is cuticle oil. Most nail ranges will have one of these in their range.

Using a foot file or pumas stone once a week on your feet then applying body cream (QV body cream) then putting socks on is a great way to keep your feet looking soft and not dried out and cracked.

Sun Protection

Don’t be fooled by the sun not feeling as harsh or “not laying in the sun”. The UV rays are still very much out and can cause a lot of damage still. So keep your SPF applications especially on your face up every day.



LiVe LaUgH LoVe

SJ xx

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*Great Skin Care Tips/Recomendations*

I Get asked all the time what I use as skincare. I also get asked what good products for others to use are, that are also affordable. So I thought I’d share!

I worked at Ella Bache for 4 of my 6 years working in a Salon. So I used alot of their products. However to recommend Ella Bache to those who didn’t receive the discount I did was a little hard due to the price. So I myself decided to experiment and try some products that most people would be able to afford.

Straight up let me say Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil is what I call a miracle oil!!! You can use it by itself or mix it in with your moisturiser you use. It is great for uneven skin tones, scaring and hydrating. You can Use it around your eyes too, just be careful not to get it in your eyes or you will be crying and seeing blur.

People who have sensitive skin and very dry skins i.e. Eczema, Dermatitis those using Roaccutane, I have to recommend you try (consulting your Doctor first) QV range. They used to just have a body cream and body wash but now they have a complete range.

For exfoliants, please be careful. Don’t think it has to be really rough to be good. In actual fact it can be bad. Go for a very gentle scrub if you must or better yet go for a cream exfoliant. Natio has good exfoliants. Just be careful of anything with AHA’s in it as it is a Hydroxy Acid and if used too much or incorrectly can also cause damage.

Toners in the alcohol form can do more bad then good and can in most cases be the culprit behind problems in people’s skins. Alot contain alcohol which dries skin out. Try a mist if you feel you need something. A great natural one is green tea or chamomile tea. Make up some let it cool and store it in the fridge. (Cheap cheap).

Cleansers...this is your first step and you want to get it right. Rule number 1.Throw OUT the soap. Yes even that Dove soap. Rule number 2. Stay AWAY from anything that foams. Generally as a rule it has to have soap in it to foam, and as we know soap = BAD!

Depending on your skin type will depend on your cleanser. Please don’t self diagnose. Go get a professional diagnosis where they look under their woods lamp. It’s the only true reading you will get. Generally oily skins go for a gel cleanser. Everyone else you want a milk or cream cleanser. Just make sure you remove it properly. Again I’m going to recommend Natio, however for a little bit more Clarins cleansers are really worth it.

Masks..If you have time (while you vacuum, do the laundry etc) natural home made masks are great. My favourite is avocado. Put it on to a clean exfoliated skin. If you have a bit of spare time lay down and put fresh cut tomato slices on your skin. Very good especially for those that get redness in their face. Cucumber over your eyes is good to de puff also.

Please everyone use SUNSCREEN!! Read my first post for all theinformation you need on finding the right one for you.

*Please note these are my recommendations I have found good for myself and others I have helped. Please don’t use if you are allergic to anything. If you have a reaction stop usage. If on medication or under the care of a Dr or Dermatologist please follow their recommendations first.

SJ x

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http://www.facebook.com/SarahJaneCoxModel

The Sun and Suncreens, A tan isn't worth Dying over!

This would not be a beauty blog worth reading if I didn’t start off with the most important part of any skincare routine, Sunscreen. Here in Australia we have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. It has been dubbed our “National Cancer”. The use of sunscreen is an important part of anyone’s life to help reduce the risk of developing skin cancer along with helping to reduce premature ageing in the skin.

Firstly, the basics. There are 3 types of UV rays.
UVA- Are better known as the Aging rays. It penetrates to your dermis. In the dermis is where all of our Collagen, Elastin, blood vessels, nerve endings and ground substances (Glyco amino glycans) are. They form a network that holds our skin up. When they are attacked and broken down wrinkles occur thus prematurely aging.

UVB - Are known as the Burn rays. UVB rays cause a much greater risk of skin cancer than UVA.  Long-term exposure can cause skin cancer and even affect your immune system.  They only penetrate to the epidermal layer of our skin. In here you find what we call Melanocytes. The UV stimulates these and this is how you get a tan. Along with this tan you will receive sunburn, skin ageing and an increased risk of skin cancer. *Thumbs up*

UVC - rays are the strongest rays and the most dangerous, however the ozone layer filters these rays and they don’t generally reach the Earth’s surface. However! There is a nice hole in the ozone layer. Below in the facts I have put together, explains this danger a bit more.

Facts to know about the Sun and Sunscreens:

SPF’s, they have Expiry dates.  Most are good for 2 years from packaging. All sunscreens legally have to have this expiry date. It’s generally found on the crease of tubes or under the bottom in bottles. Make sure you take note when purchasing and remember to check when you have had it for a while.

Sunscreens should be put on at least 20 minutes PRIOR to sun exposure.  All too often I see people putting SPF on while sitting on the beach. It is too late then you will have already had damage. On average it takes 3 minutes to receive UV damage on unprotected skin.

The ozone layer that usually helps block harmful UVC (cancer causing rays) as we all know has a hole in it. This hole usually sits over Antarctica. However in our summer months it moves and positions itself over Australia. Lucky us! This is why it is so important to wear SPF protection EVERYDAY. Also the reason why we are also told to stay out of the sun between 10am -2pm. (11am-3pm if you’re in daylight savings).

Even on a cloudy day you can get sunburn. Up to 80% of the sun’s rays can penetrate through fog, mist or light cloud cover. You can also get sunburn in the water. The Surface of water can reflect an extra 5% of the sun’s rays back at you.  This is added on top of what you are already receiving. Snow is the sneakiest; it reflects the sun like a mirror, reflecting up to 95% of its rays!

There has been research to show that even one, severe sunburn in your childhood can increase the risk of melanoma or other skin cancers later in life. Generally the Sun damage you see later on in life has already occurred before you turned 18! So Parents take note! SLIP, SLOP, SLAP your kids!!

Types of Sunscreens!
There are two main types. Physical sunscreens and Chemical Sunscreen.

Physical Sunscreens are very important to wear especially on your face. They create a barrier on your skin and deflect the UV rays. Physical sunscreens can be recognised by looking at the active ingredients on the container. Look for Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide.

Chemical sunscreens absorb the UV rays, neutralize them and then deflect them back off your skin. These are most commonly used as body sunscreens. Through absorbing the UV rays it stimulates your Melanocytes, which results in a tan. So you CAN tan with sunscreens on and if you feel you must sun tan, then using a chemical SPF at least I highly recommend!

Try and get a Sunscreen that is SPF 30, broad spectrum and water-resistant. This will give you the longest protection. Also make sure you buy one here in Australia. Our sunscreens go through vigorous testing and there are many laws in place so they are the highest grade and suitable for our sun. I know overseas they have SPF factors that are higher than 30. But here in Australia again our laws prevent us from advertising higher than 30. Plus those sunscreens converted to our Australian sun would be probably around 17SPF.
You may notice that sometimes if you’re in the sun ALL day even if you reapply your sunscreen you still get burnt? This is because you have run out of Sun time and no matter what your skin can’t protect itself any longer. On average a SPF30 will give you 300mins in the sun. Once this is up you need to GET OUT of the sun because you will burn! Our natural MED takes a full 24hrs to rebuild itself, so if you sunbake on consecutive days, you may find you will burn faster the next day as it hasn’t had time to reset itself yet.


I’ve heard so many lame excuses as to why people won’t use Sunscreen. The most annoying being:

• ” I don’t like the chemicals in sunscreens”.

Come on people a few chemicals that ARE NOT bad for your skin, or skin cancer? With a skin cancer you would either have to have the cancer cut out, being left with a huge scar. Or in a worst case scenario, chemotherapy. Those chemicals I’m sure are a lot worse for you then the few non harmful ones in sunscreens.

•  “I don’t like the feel, they make me break out.”

There are so many different sunscreens out there now that everyone will find one that suits them. Many mineral or oil free sunscreens are light in texture and don’t clog your skin. You just have to go in search.

• “I work indoors so I’m not in the sun”.

To which my first question back is “how do you get to work?” usually the answer is via a car, bus or train. You get damage while being in these forms of transports. The sun comes through your windows and inflicts damage. Tinting on cars can filter slightly but the front window of a car is never tinted. A lot of people have cancers burnt off their hands and sides of face due to this.

Solariums:  my opinion if you still use one you need to wake up and stop being so vein! There are so many warnings out there and they aren’t just there to lecture you they really are BAD!  It exposures you to UV radiation that is up to 5 times stronger than the midday sun!  Don’t’ believe these Vitamin D stories they tell you. Driving in your car gives you the entire Vitamin D intake you need on a daily basis.  You don’t need to die for beauty!

Of course I’m going to recommend that you just fake tan! It’s the safest way possible!!  There are heaps and heaps out there now too!  No excuse of going orange!  Even if you just go brown and don’t burn, the change in colour of your skin (i.e. your tan) means that damage has occurred.  Once your tan fades you have no colour but guess what!  That damage stays with you for life!  Think about all this information before you think about going and lying in the sun for hours!

There is so much more info I could tell you all. I truly am a Sunscreen junkie! I have so many different types!  I have seen the effects of what years in the sun does to you.  My beautiful, amazing mother has had a melanoma cut out of her arm, leaving her with a huge scar. She has also had many treatments on her face to bring out all the hundreds of little Basal cell carcinoma’s that have formed. Burning these off is generally the treatment they go for. It doesn’t look very pleasant. So you make the call! Wear Sunscreen EVERYDAY! I will also suggest you go get your body checked once a year at least; to make sure you don’t have any nasty’s you should be keeping an eye on!

Remember: A tan isn’t worth dying over!

SJ x