Mothering Moments


Little Ones

I just celebrated my second Mother’s Day as a Daughter and a Mother. Looking back over a year of COVID times, what have I learnt?

What are year to have been alive. I can’t think of stranger times certainly in my lifetime, and although children don’t come with a manual – even more so there is no guide to parenting or existing during covid times. Many of the moments over the last year that have brought me the greatest joy have also been riddled with sadness. My family are split across the globe, and since having a child the moments of joy also bring moments of sadness at the idea of those loved ones missing them. I know I’m not alone in these feelings and many of us are separated from my love ones that are even within the same country. I wish I could share the perfect step-by-step guide to surviving lockdowns, social distancing and the many other challenges that Covid has presented us all with. I certainly don’t have it. The only things I have are… gratitude for the loved ones I have been able to be with, the health and safety of my loved ones, and hope for the future.

I also think I’ve been incredibly lucky not to have a child of school age, because homeschooling adds a whole new element to lockdowns with children. I take my hat off to every parent that homeschooled their child. When I was a teenager, one of my parents tried to teach me to drive, we didn’t even make it out of the gate before one of us had a meltdown. Disciplining a toddler coming into the terrible twos has presented its own issues for me. I’ve never had a problem with being consistent. I think I struggle more with knowing which battles are worth fighting and which are not. During this tiny world of day to day groundhogs, it’s hard to get perspective, there are no external touch-stones and the relationships we do have seem to gain greater and greater weight daily. Sometimes the burden of them feels heavy and other times it lifts us up. Covid has given so many of us new emotional states, that change as slowly and quickly as they please.

Ultimately though,  I have been amazed by the brightness of the light that has peeked through during these times. The friends who have found love (even through the mud of dating apps and socially distanced dates), the babies that have been born, the support for small businesses and communities, and the great collective effort we have all undertaken to protect those more vulnerable than ourselves.  Although we are no where near the end of the line with COVID, I hope that in a years time I will reflect on this time as forging a better world for our daughter, one that has a greater sense of community and collective effort than I have ever known before.

Morning Skincare


Skincare
A quick beginners guide to morning skincare.

There are a few things worth knowing before you invest in your skincare routine. There are some key ingredients and products that all skin types benefit from including in their routine. Some of these ingredients need to be used at night and others during the day. Which is why your AM and PM skincare routine may not be identical.

The key points to consider in the morning are…

  • Hydration – Hyaluronic Acid
  • Antioxidants- Vitamin C
  • Sun protection – SPF

These ingredients can be used in a variety of products – for example you could find Vitamin C in a serum or cream. So you need to review your own products to make sure you are getting everything you need across your own products. Each ingredient fulfils a different need for your skin which is clinically proven. Here is a quick guide of what each one does…  All skin benefits from pure hydration, to keep it plump, elastic and healthy. Hyaluronic Acid is pure hydration. Antioxidants (Vitamin C) protect against preventable free-radical damage to the skin (which would ultimately result in ageing). SPF is one of the only proven anti-aging products. It protects your skin from UV damage which happens all year round. Also if you are going to use actives (AHAs, BHAs, Retinol etc) in your PM skincare, then you need this extra protection as your skin will be more sensitive and therefore more damageable. If you don’t use SPF you really are letting your skin get damaged for no reason. *The above image is an un-retouched image of my skin. I think it’s important to share my skin with it’s good and bad points.

In general you want to apply your skincare from the thinnest (lightest water) to the thickest (heavy cream) texture. This is the general order for a basic Morning skincare routine. You can include the starred steps (*) if you would like to get a bit more into skincare.

  1. Cleanse
  2. Tone*
  3. Serum
  4. Eye Cream*
  5. Face Cream
  6. SPF
  7. Face Mist*

I would recommend the following arrangement of ingredients and products…

  1. CLEANSEI like a morning foam cleanse to remove the nights products (like Fresh Soy cleanser, La Mer Foam cleanser, Cerave Hydrating Cleanser).
  2. TONE*Depending on what serums you use it can be nice to add a face mist here. Probiotic ones are great for skin health if you are prone to breakouts, it is also an opportunity to add back hydration to the skin and prepare it for other products (like Aurelia Probiotic facial mist , La Mer Treatment Lotion or Sensai Micro Mousse Treatment).
  3. SERUMFirst I use a Vitamin C serum (like Skinceuticals C E Ferulic) as it is PH balanced to match my skin PH (in which case I will not tone). Vitamin C can cause sensitivity so if you are feeling your skin is a bit over-sensitised skip it for a few days.  I then follow with a Hyaluronic Acid Serum (like SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5, Bioeffect EGF serum). Sometimes I will then add a mixed benefit serum (for example Estee Lauder ANR, CDP Firming Serum, La Mer Lifting Contour Serum or Guerlain Double R). 
  4. EYE CREAM*In the morning I like to use a eye cream with a cooling massage tool to bring down any puffiness and encourage circulation to drain any toxins and reduce dark bags under the eyes (like Sisley Black Rose eye contour, La Mer Eye concentrate).
  5. FACE CREAMYour skin is changing all the time. I always assess my skin in the morning and choose a cream based on my needs that day, the season and my schedule that day (if I am wearing makeup etc). If I have dry skin I will choose something richer with an oil base (like La Mer Soft cream), alternatively if its the summer a little humid and I want to wear makeup I might choose something with a water gel texture (like La Mer Cooling Gel or Sensai Absolute Silk cream). If I have very sensitive skin I use a product to target this (like SkinCeuticals Redness Neutraliser).
  6. SPFI always use an SPF that is a separate product (ie not in my moisturiser or makeup) because it is only efficacious if there is enough active SPF in the product to create a barrier. Often you would need to apply so much makeup or face cream (with SPF claims on) to make it actually work as an SPF that it would no longer be sightly. A much smaller (thinner layer) of 100% SPF is much easier and more effective to use. You want to use a minimum of 30 SPF. (I like the Darphin Ultra SPF 50, La Roche Posay Anthelios Invisible Anti-Shine Face Mist, SkinCeuticals SPFs are great, Ilia does a powder SPF great for topping up SPF during the day). 
  7. FACE MIST* – This is an optional extra step to add glow and hydration which can be topped up throughout the day over or under makeup. (I like too many of these to list, it depends on your fragrance and texture preference as they vary a lot).

These are by no means the only options just my most used ones currently. There are other steps that can be added in as you get more and more into skincare but this is a good starting point.

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Monpure


CollaborationsHaircare
How to have your fantasy hair. After a personal hair loss journey, Monpure has been an incredible support back to long healthy hair.

Monpure is a beautiful brand that I have found huge comfort in over the last year or so. Ever since my hair loss journey began two years ago, I have been searching for haircare brands that genuinely help with hair density and health. Hair loss in women isn’t something that we tend to talk about much, but it’s hugely prevalent and many of us will have had personal experiences of it. Mine began when I wanted to have a child, the hormonal journey of conceiving, carrying, and feeding a child takes its toll – (even on my previously resilient hair). My hair was historically a signature part of how I looked – thick luscious, un-dyed or permed. I really thought of it as an identifier of who I was. Losing it was like stripping away part of my personality and huge sections of my confidence. By the end of my hair loss experience I’d lost more than 2/3 of my hair. I’m happy to report that I’m now in a normal hair growth cycle, and my hair now sheds and regrows in a normal pattern. And despite having to cut my hair quite aggressively to the shortest length I’d ever had as an adult, it has now re-grown and is close to the length I had before. The lower layers are not as thick as they once were, as the hair is still regrowing to that length. But just having long hair again has made me so happy. I’m telling you all of this to make it clear that I’ve had a personal experience of hair loss and understand if you’re going through it.

That’s why I can recommend Monpure wholeheartedly, because it really is what I used in my darkest hour. Alongside a few other brands (you can find my IGTV here that covers the full routine) these products really did bring my hair back to life. I’m so proud to be working with them, a brand that I truly believe in. For me the products that are really heroes are the serums, mask and scrub – because they take such care over where the hair all begins, your scalp. Starting at the scalp is really the only way to make enduring difference to your hair health and quality. I have really noticed that in taking better care of my hair as it grows, I have been able to grow my hair faster, with fewer breaks and splits. Below I will talk you through these products and how they could help you.

Image Left: Before.   Image Right: After!

Clarifying Scalp Scrub

The Clarifying Scalp Scrub takes away flaky dead skin and helps with dandruff and psoriasis, while rejuvenating the scalp-skin with healing shea butter and argan oil. It has a light clean fragrance, and leaves no residue in the hair or scalp. It lathers up to nice bubble and leaves your scalp and hair feeling cool and clean.

Nourish and Stimulate Scalp Mask

The Nourish and Stimulate Scalp Mask helps scalp health by ‘feeding’ hair follicles and skin cells with essential vitamins and nutrients, creating the optimum environment for hair growth. Also perfect for those with itchy scalp and redness, discomfort and sun damage. It has a gel cream texture and a fresh fragrance. It’s easy to apply and spread throughout the head and easy to rise out. A simple step to add in the shower or bath.

Follicle Boost Hair Density Serum

This is the product that started the brand, the Follicle Boost Hair Density Serum works to stimulate the scalp, improve cell turnover and prevent hair loss and thinning. Perfect for those suffering hair loss or thinning. I used this every other wash. It has a thicker, creamy texture, but soothes and cools the scalp as you apply it. I didn’t find it made my hair any more greasy either. I love the smell of it too, soft ginger.

Hydrate and Soothe Scalp Serum

The Hydrate and Soothe Scalp Serum is an intense, anti-inflammatory solution for quenching very dry, irritated scalp-skin, as well as soothing rough patches. If you suffer from seasonal scalp irritation (I know I do as soon as the seasons change every year) this is a great problem solving product. It can help calm symptoms of redness, acne, eczema, sun damage and general stress on the scalp. It has a lighter serum texture than the Follicle Boost but smells equally great.

To shop all the products mentioned and learn more head over to monpure.com .