Take the lid off your skin! – Gatineau Skincare

      Take the lid off your skin!

      I’m so excited to finally be talking about one of my favourite subjects – exfoliating, well my favourite subject in skincare I guess (although my friends may disagree as I am always ranting on about it!)

      As Jeanne Gatineau pioneered the first exfoliator back in 1949 -  Peeling Beauté, I would like to confess to being a bit of an expert! As I’m sure most of you know (especially if you read Nicola’s blog a few months back on the amazing Anti-ageing Gommage) exfoliating as part of your skincare regime is ESSENTIAL!
      Remember applying moisturizer to un-exfoliated skin is about as effective as trying to drink a bottle of water without taking the lid off. You need to take the lid Off Your Skin!

      So, for those of you that are still dubious about exfoliating and have memories of harsh granular exfoliators – cue red irritated faces & a stinging sensation (& don’t even get me started on microbeads!) enter the incredible Gatineau Radiance Enhancing Gommage. This beautiful pearlised gel glides effortlessly onto the skin and is so gentle you can even use it around the eye area. Suitable for even the most sensitive skins, the Radiance Gommage contains a cocktail of ingredients including:
      Vitamin C  -  usually the go-to ingredient when you're feeling under the weather to fend off cold and flu, it also works wonders on your skin. Vitamin C energises the skin to boost its natural defences & also gives the Gommage a deliciously fruity fragrance. Research shows that Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant so incorporating Vitamin C in your skincare regime will help to deal with damaging free radicals which encourage premature ageing. As well as this Vitamin C is also anti-inflammatory, reduces pigmentation, prevents UV damage & stimulates collagen production. Unlike most ingredients, research has shown that as little as 0.6 percent of Vitamin C can help protect your skin from free radicals and ageing.

      Scarlet O’Hara, Rambo, Malinda, Red Baron, Jonathan and Golden Earl. What am I talking about I hear you say – well at first glance, this looks like a list of famous and not-so-famous names. Actually, believe it or not, these are the names of some cultivated apple varieties. This is where our next ingredient comes in - AHA’s from Apple Extract – or Malic Acid to give it its proper name. Found naturally in both apples and pears this acid was first extracted back in 1785 (that’s even before Gatineau was around!) and is also sometimes used as a food additive to impart a tangy taste. No wonder so many users of the gommage say it smells good enough to eat – although I wouldn’t recommend trying that at home! I always knew there was something in that saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” In fact, apples are so amazing they are now utilised in cancer prevention research as well as cosmetic and personal care applications. The use of these AHAs in the Gommage helps to promote the appearance of a smoother, softer skin as well as helping to reduce signs of skin damage & ageing. To put it simply the AHA binds to the dead skin cells, disrupting the cellular adhesion & this results in the shedding (or desquamation for all you skin boffs out there) of the outer most layer of the skin. The results are an immediate increase in radiance (hence the name) & luminosity. The skin will be smooth, fresh and refined as well as appearing brighter and healthier.

      All sounds too easy – well it is. Just apply to a cleansed face, neck & eye area & gently massage into the skin. After just a few minutes (this part depends on how much build-up of dead skin you have!) the balm will magically change into a luxurious oil which you can then rinse off. If you haven’t exfoliated in a while then the first few times you use this Gommage it will take a couple of minutes for the consistency to change. However, with regular use – we recommend twice a week – this will happen within a minute. If all that massaging seems a bit too much then apply the Gommage, leave it as a mask for a few minutes to work its magic & then give it a quick rub to ensure the texture has changed & rinse it off. I pop mine on just before I get in the shower & then by the time I’ve applied my shower gel it’s time to rinse it off!

      Hey presto – a newly smooth, fresh & refined skin. Any products you now apply to your skin will be able to work much more effectively. So, if you don’t exfoliate regularly what are you waiting for -  you know your skin will thank you for it!

      Claire xxx

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