Philips ReAura - Week Two

By now it's been my second week using the ReAura laser which means that I have completed 4 individual treatments (there's still another 6 weeks to go).

I was a bit worried when I first started using the laser because of the 'dusting' which would occur after each treatment. I contacted Philips and a beauty consultant reassured me that it was normal to see tiny pin head brown marks which looked like scabs on my skin because this was the pigmentation coming out as a result of the laser penetrating the dermis of the skin and making micro punctures. I should add that for me these dots take about 3 days to come off and no one can see them under makeup or even without - you'd have to go really close to notice. The pain of treating the skin is bearable and I got used to it after the first treatment. My skin still goes red after treatment but it calms itself down a lot quicker than the first time.

Sticking with it after 2 weeks now I am already noticing the benefits and I must stress that I am not being sponsored to use the laser so I am entitled to say whatever I want.

Benefits so far:

• I have noticed after todays 4th treatment that my skin looks a lot smoother although the pores look the same size as they were (I have a few tiny pock marks which I hate) 
• I had a few spots congested under my skin before but these have reduced massively! And standing by natural light my skin doesn't look lumpy. 
• Blackheads are reduced everywhere from my nose to my cheeks.
• My pigmentation mark on my face is reduced, it was by my jaw and Philips told me that these don't always go away depending on whether they are caused by hormones or not.

The only downside is because my skin is brown, the pigmentation spots come out after each treatment but again, these go away with time (3-4 days) so I am just waiting to look less ruddy. I will be posting photos in due course so look out for them and in the meanwhile I will be keeping up with the bi-weekly treatments as recommended.

Philips ReAura - First Impressions

So I finally got my hands on a Philips ReAura skin rejuvenation laser! But wait, Philips never sent me one to try, it was in fact my ever so sweet fiancee who bought me one, knowing how much I wanted it...how lovely of him.

He picked it up straight from Space NK and surprised me with lots of freebies that they gave him such as deluxe eye creams, lotions etc. along with the actual laser which came in a superb box with lots of booklets and bits and bobs on how to use the device, not to mention the laser itself in all its glory. How very exciting I thought...

What is interesting is that we both used it together therefore we will be sharing our results with you. First of all his skin is white as he is of European descent and being Indian, my skin is typical of asian descent but it's honey coloured and oily and not very dark in tone. Now I will tell you what happened as you will be very surprised. After getting to grips with the instructions and following the rules carefully e.g. charging the laser until a green light flashes, cleansing skin, putting 2 pea sized drops of laser performance gel on one side of the face (the face is divided into 3, the forehead and two halves of the face - that's how you are meant to treat the skin). The laser, on setting two was glided both horizontally and vertically (not ever diagonally across the face) and we both felt stinging sharp pain sensations as the laser was working away, it felt like mini electric shocks! BTW, we didn't use the laser at the same time, he used it after I had completed my treatment.

The laser beeps once enough is enough and that's when you have to use it on the other part of the face (remember, you treat the face in 3 parts). Our faces were like beetroots for a long time, we went to sleep an hour after treatment and of course washed the gel off as told to do so by Philips and put the accompanying moisturiser on. The next day, my skin looked well although I could see tiny blood spot scabs on my skin and had wondered if my boyfriend also had the same. I called him at work and he said his was fine and indeed when I saw him later it was! His looked quite clear and some blackheads were removed after the first treatment. However mine is still scabbed over!!!



Now I am wondering why Philips hasn't mentioned different skin types as all reviews currently on the web are of people with white/fair skins and I am intrigued to know why Philips haven't commented on this...?

These scabs are like dried over blood but they are very tiny and dusted all over my face, but it's funny that my beau doesn't have them, instead he looks fresh as a daisy and it was me that wanted the laser -  not fair! I will be posting pictures of before and afters so keep tuned...my fiancee's skin has a few deepish lines around the mouth and forehead and crows feet and I have no wrinkles at 27 and often am told I look 17 years old but my issue is with hyperpigmentation and blackheads.

I'll post back tomorrow! We are due another philips treatment on Friday as you are supposed to do 2 treatments per week for 8 weeks so true results are yet to be seen.

x

MSM for great Skin, Hair and Nails

MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is an organic form of sulfur which is in present in many fresh foods and vegetables as well as cells of the human body but over processing of foods results in a loss of these compounds which is why it is beneficial to take a supplement. 

Make Hair/Nails Grow Faster

I drink one teaspoon of MSM powder mixed with water when I want my hair to grow long quickly and to recover my nails after they have chipped. When you start drinking this regularly you will notice your hair and nails grow a lot faster and healthier as well as an improvement in your skin. 

Skin benefits

MSM helps keep the skin soft and supple which means that it stays more hydrated and prevents stretch marks, wrinkles and acne. 

How to Take It

If you are a first time user of MSM then start taking it slowly as it will detox your body by enabling cells and tissues to release toxins therefore if you go too quickly too soon you may break out in small white heads like I did initially. Your liver cannot manage all of the toxins at once so go easy on yourself and read the instructions of any MSM supplement that you buy. The best form to take it in is as a powder but it comes in many forms such as capsules, flakes etc. and you can add it to flavoured drinks if you don't like the taste (not particularly a pleasant taste, be warned). As it is a naturally occurring compound, you cannot overdose on it and your body will expel any Sulphur that it doesn't need if you do overdo it.

What a lack of Sulfur does to the body

If your body does not get enough Sulfur then it will be unable to repair and respond to damaged tissues and this may in turn cause illness and disease. Deficiencies are thought to be related to arthritis, memory loss, acne, and skin, hair and and nail problems, and can weaken your immune system. 

MSM is taken by people for a number of reasons e.g. to reduce joint pain but again, it is also great if you want to take it for aesthetic reasons. If you want to buy this then make sure you read the quality of the MSM as that is very important, the most popular and highest rated brands are OptiMSM and Pure MSM. I personally buy Holland & Barretts range (I sound like i'm plugging them a lot on my blog, but they do stock a lot of supplements and are conveniently located), but go ahead, give it a try and let me know how it's working for you! 

Teas for Clear Skin

Hi All,

I have some great tips for healthy, clear skin and you'll be surprised to know that it doesn't cost a lot. Teas for me are the best way to get rid of spots and blemishes quickly and I have experimented these on other people and have asked them to look at their skin the following day after drinking and the reactions have been positive. One colleague I used to work with had severe acne so I told him to drink Nettle Tea (yes, it is stinging nettle but it doesn't sting when you drink it!) and the next day - his skin was 50% clearer. Ok, so these are the teas I would recommend if you want to see a clearer complexion the next day:

Organic Nettle - I usually buy the 'Heath & Heather' brand from Holland & Barrett but 'Clipper' also do a good brand and both only cost about £1.35 for a box of 25. I find organic is better but if you can find some nettle growing in the wild, feel free to boil it to make your own homemade tea. 

Lemongrass - This is a great Asian herb and is normally used in Thai or Asian foods but you can buy this fresh from the supermarket and boil it to make your own tea or you can buy it in teabags. The brand I like is Heath & Heather's Green Tea with Lemongrass, it only contains 20% of Lemongrass but if you are a first time drinker you will really notice the difference the next day. It aids digestions and calms the nervous system and is often used to treat acne. 



Lemon - I normally drink a whole squeezed lemon with warm water first thing in the morning and find that my skin glows. When drank within 30 minutes of squeezing, the lemon alkalises the body which is beneficial for good health. 

I am sure these can all be bought as supplements too but I find that teas are more fresh, natural and a good alternative to coffee or a builder's tea. 

So if you want great skin and want to cleanse from the inside out then try these teas I recommend and let me know if it's working for you too!