Four facts you should know about Sun Protection – Stratford upon Avon

Firstly, there are two rays you need to be aware of and protected from -

UVA rays or as I say UV AGE rays are a longer wavelength and can penetrate through clouds, windows and glass. These rays penetrate deeper into the skin and harm the skin by causing ageing, wrinkling, broken capillaries and photodamage. You can’t feel these rays and they are around 365 days of the year. (Check out the truck driver) Most sun beds operate with a lot of UVA which leads to accelerated ageing. Think Benidorm – expat skin!

UVB rays or as I say UV BURN are shorter rays which you can feel. These are the main rays that cause sunburn. UVB rays are also thought to cause most skin cancers.

 Always look for an SPF that say Broad Spectrum – Covers both UVA & UVB

Physical sunscreens work by sitting on top of the skin and deflecting or scattering UV rays away from the skin. They contain ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium oxide or a combination of both. These are good for anyone with acne- prone or sensitive skin, prickly heat. Sometimes leave a chalky look on the skin, however modern physical sunscreens no longer feel thick and heavy on the skin and don’t usually clog the skin.

Chemical sunscreens contain organic compounds like oxybenzone, avobenzone and octinoxate that create a chemical reaction that changes the UV rays into heat which then gets released by the skin. Chemical sunscreens can feel nicer on the skin and often have the added benefit of peptides, antioxidants in their make up. Plus you can get these in a water proof version, downside – can clog the skin and cause allergic reaction.

Heliocare is a mix of both, Rad is mainly physical with a tiny about of chemicals +vitamins A,C & E 

What does SPF mean? It’s a numbers game.
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and measures how long a sunscreen protects the skin from UVB rays, specifically the amount of time that you can be in the sun without getting sunburned. For example, an SPF 15 will allow you to be in the sun 15 times longer than if you were without protection – this is a rough guide as some people burn within 10 minutes.

How much sunscreen is enough?

I was once on a seminar where an American Professor said “ You Brits are the only people I know that expect a tube of sunscreen to last a two week vacation”. Truth is most of us don’t wear enough sun protection to get the full cover.

Do apply often, every 2 hours is good or more when sunbathing or enjoying sports.

Do not get caught out on cloudy/windy days - sun rays can still burn through cloud.

Do not rely solely on an SPF as you can still burn. Wear a hat, sunglasses & REMEMBER -AVOID THE MID DAY SUN

Q – If its in my moisturiser am I covered?

A - It is already diluted so apply after skin routine but before make up, same goes for your make up if it is in there treat as an added bonus

INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE SKIN – WEAR SPF EVERY DAY AND AGE BETTER.

Remember that WE need sunshine to make Vitamin D. I recommend that you supplement your Vitamin D levels if you wear SPF every day to make sure that you get enough Vitamin D throughout the year. It is currently recommended adults in the UK take 400IU everyday as a MINIMUM. Which is why we recommend Skin Vit A and Skin Vitality 1 – both have vitamin d in there and are also great for the skin.

BE SUN SAFE. NOT SUN SORRY. Thanks for reading Mary x

5 Simple steps to lock down your skincare!

So how do we look after our skin during lockdown, as stressfull as this is we do have a little more time on our hands. So lets USE some of that time to making great choices for your skin.

Inline with Government guidelinges You-nique Apothecary has now paused for treatments, you can still contact Mary for Free skincare advice on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Coronavirus Salon Policy

 In light of the current Coronavirus situation, we are taking a common sense approach and would like things to continue as normal as much as possible during these challenging times. We are following government guidelines and are, in addition to our already high hygiene standards have introduced a salon policy to reassure you we take your visit to us seriously..If you concerned about being unwell, please seek medical advice.

 Please also call 01789 264800 to let us know you will be cancelling your appointment.

 My No1 Best Selling Skinceuticals Retinol

Having tried lots of different Retinols over the years this is the only one we now stock in our Boutique Salon You-nique Apothecary, it certainly is the most active and was a game changer for my skin. Just thought I would remind you guys why its my no 1 Retinol.

So why do I love it??

My Winter Skin Top Tips-Stratford-upon-Avon                             

1.  Stay hydrated, drink plenty water. I know it’s hard in the Winter to drink cold water so opt for warm water & herbal teas. Remember dehydrated parched skin shows up lines and wrinkles so much more on dehydrated skin.

2.  Avoid really hot baths and showers as this sucks the life out of your skin.   

ACNE SKIN INSIDE & OUT

Acne is really hard to control and it is true ther is not one treatment or miracle product, best place to start is a good skin consultation - looking at your skin, diet and lifestyle. Acne can be hereditary and diet can be a contributing factor. Lets look at the skin inside and out.

OUTSIDE:  P acne bacteria lives on the surface of the skin, mix this with dead skin cells and sebum and you will get spots.

INSIDE:  Hormones, basically girls have a hormonal cycle so skin tends to fluctuate around this time. Boys will normally grow out of breakouts, however cystic acne is a different type and often needs medical intervention. Adult acne is fairly common these days due to our hormones, stress, diet & lifestyle.

Your Skin and Menopause

The symptoms may differ from one woman to another, a few are- hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep, insomnia, exhaustion, mood swings, palpitations, breathlessness, depression, anxiety, hair loss/thinning, dry eyes/mouth, memory loss,  brain “fog”, , headaches.

Lets look at how the menopause can affect your skin and what you can do to help!

Hormones especially Oestrogen is very important for the development of collagen, which is a protein that provides strength and structure to the skin. As hormones/oestrogen levels reduce, your cell connective tissue becomes thinner creating fine lines & wrinkles. Low oestrogen levels can lead to less blood flowing to the epidermis (upper layer of your skin). You may notice that your skin becomes more tired looking and often becomes less elastic and dull looking. Many women also experience acne and skin pigment changes.

Summer Offer

Orbital Micro dermabrasion

Wrinkle Comb

Caci Hydra tone mask

Led Therapy

£50.00

Ok so just recently during our consultations I have had a client tell me they are happy with their current products and then go on to explain - I use this serum because it has lemon grass in it, I use this toner as its all natural, I use this eye cream as its organic and love my moisturiser because I have always used it!!! BUT they want ME to do an anti ageing treatment!

Noooo c'mon guys we are not miracle workers why would you choose to use such a mish match of products, why would you assume the moisturiser you have been using since you you were a teenager is still doing what you want it to do, I mean your skin is no longer that of a teenager???Ok so just recently during our consultations I have had a client tell me they are happy with their current products and then go on to explain - I use this serum because it has lemon grass in it, I use this toner as its all natural, I use this eye cream as its organic and love my moisturiser because I have always used it!!! BUT they want ME to do an anti ageing treatment!

Why do we cleanse?…

For the last few weeks I have had a few clients explaining to me that they don’t need to cleanse as they don’t wear make up! HELLO have you looked out side lately, lorries, trains, trucks, 3 car’s out side everyone’s house these day’s all filling the air with oil like molecules. That is before we use our computer’s, Ipad, phones, paperwork, money etc touching them touching your face all transference of bacteria whether you have make up on or not YOUR SKIN IS DIRTY!!

Blueberries – bursting with anti oxidants!!

So here I am back blogging, change of tack this time as I have just moved business premises!!

So 2 weeks in and OMG!! Love the new premises but feel I must be getting old as found the process exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. But at the grand old age of 52 I grabbed the opportunity to customise my own premises and feel I got exactly what I wanted – Clinical but relaxing at the same time!

So if something is working “Why change it”? Is usually what I ask, however my rep gave me a sample of the latest from the Ultra Calming Range the all new Redness Relief Primer!

First thing I noticed is the increase in SpF from 15-20, all good as the Sun is a killer for anyone with redness to their skin or suffer from Rosacea, sun sensitivity.

So what’s it all about?? Comes in a  slim tube with the needle nose tip contains a translucent primer that’s tinted with natural green botanical extracts that treats the skin, counteracts redness, balances skin tone and as an added bonus primes the skin for makeup -all good!

This primer feels amazingly soothing on the skin, thanks in part to Oat Extracts and Oat Kernel Oil, and Dermalogica’s  “UltraCalming™ Complex.”  to calm and heal the skin, it does contain silicones which most primers do and this will help with the silky feel to it, there are no artificial fragrances, colors or parabens, and of course, it’s cruelty free.

Apart from how it feels on the skin, I actually like the greet tint, which tones down redness (remember  the colour wheel at school green counteracts red). The pale green tint is very sheer, once Iapplied the primer onto the skin it disappears just enough to tone down your redness, you can apply with finger tips or a sponge, however I prefer a brush as you lose less product.

Product comes with a plastic slide, how very ingenious is this? Just squeeze it on to the bottom of the tube and it squeezes every last drop of product out for you., amazing!

Will it take away redness – I doubt it but it does tone the skin down very well, has good coverage and feels great. I believe this will turn out to be one of their “HERO” products..

22ml RRP £38.40

Thanks for reading Mary xx

So very easy to forget about your skin, Cleansing is such an important part in your routine more so during the festive season. So come on girls even if it is 2am clean your skin and for extra points drink a large glass of water – The morning after, your skin will thank you for it!!

So there is a lot of hype at the moment on Skinade, Better skin in a bottle. I first came across the product at a beauty show a couple of years ago and quickly dismissed them as a bit of a fad – Me being a bit of a skincare junkie and fairly educated in this department found it hard to believe the claims – the Manufactures (Bottled Science) claim this 150 ml bottle can deliver the micro nutrients and essential vitamins needed to maintain skin function and hydration “Better skin from within”.

As everyone knows I enjoy the odd glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but heard something on the radio recently about how 1 glass of wine = a donut aaah!! I have always prided myself in not eating lots of sugar so can you imagine my horror to learn I was drinking it!!  So this got me thinking on how alcohol was affecting my skin and how can I combat it.

Do you get confused when buying skincare? Do you find yourself walking around department stores feeling intimidated or worse, seeing an advert and then become convinced that this is a miracle in a jar!!

Skin wipes encourages lazy skin care!

Don't get me wrong wipes do have their uses – festivals, camping, flights, hospital stays – they are great.  Or when drunk, ill or exhausted, wipes are often the only thing stopping someone from sleeping in full make-up, which is never good.

So true to say a cleansing wipe is much better than nothing at all.

Things to remember:

1. They usually leave an oily residue on the skin, preventing your moisturizer from penetrating & doing its job.
2. You would use a lot of wipes to get all make up and dirt off the skin & still have the residue left
3. The oil residue can actually cause black heads in some skin types.
4. Most have a shelf life of 3 years and that is a lot of chemicals to try and clean your skin with.
5. Treat them like a McDonald's fast food and only use when there is nothing else.

So next time you can't be bothered to wash off your make up and you go to grab a wipe, please think again.

My advice; use a wipe first and then a facial cleansing wash to actually clean your skin or ditch the wipe all together and cleanse twice, the first gets rid of the dirt and the second cleanse really cleans your skin.