Why it is important to see a Skin Expert

Skin is so important to many people but for a lot of people we can spend thousands on the wrong products. They’ve either been sold and they just aren’t right for your skin or you have picked something up from the shelf based on its look or price.

But is it actually good for you? It is important that your skin is seen by a skin expert and is looked after by a skin expert. Why? Well let me just look at it from a different angle. If you had a medical complaint you would go to a doctor. If you had a sore tooth you would go to the dentist. If you were struggling to see you would go to the opticians. Do you see where I am going with this? If you have a skin condition why would you not visit a skincare expert that can give you advice and give you the right products for your skin.

Seeing a skin expert allows you the best chance to healthier skin. We can give you the knowledge you need to go forward with the right products but also more importantly a true understanding of your skin. We do so many consultations where people just didn’t realise the way skin worked, what was needed to really make skin changes and a lot of the time people are simply using the wrong products for their skin.

When you visit Malvern Serenity for your skin one of the first things is that we need to do a consultation. We use a skin scan machine so that we can take a look at the skin as a whole and it is so interesting for you as our client to really see what’s going on under the skin. Here we can make you a plan that will work for your skin, we can educate you on your skin conditions and we can educate you on any changes you may need to make to see a difference

Remember, you wouldn’t not go to the dentist for your teeth check over so why wouldn’t you visit a skin expert for a skin check over.

Your top 5 tips to Zoom confidence!

With working from home we are seeing more people working on zoom. Have you ever had a time where you have really not liked the way you’ve looked on zoom? We have had a lot of clients come in and talk about the stresses of having to sit on zoom calls all day- not just in terms of confidence of sitting in front of the camera but the noticeable damage it is doing to their skin.  There are many things that you can change up in your skin routine to help you feel more confident and stay protected using your computer more.

Here I am going to talk about our top 5 tips to feeling more zoom confident!

1-    Having a hydrating facial- Nothing is better then having a hydrating facial that will help to boost your hydration and help your skin glow! We do a wide range of facials to cater to any skin concerns to help give you that skin confidence.

2-    Are you suffering from tired eyes from staring at the screen? Staring at the screen for long periods of time can make your eyes feel tired, dry and sore. Why not purchase one of our amazing Medical Grade Eye creams and help brighten and hydrate the eye area- Our two biggest sellers are our Environ Vita Peptide Eye gel and out Mesoesthetics Collagen Eye cream.

3-    Want to look more glam? Why not book in for our LVL lash treatment and give your eyes a more defined and open effect. This treatment lifts and straightens your own natural lashes making them look longer, more defined and opening up your eyes. 

4-    It is so important to wear SPF when sitting in front of the computer- the rays from the computer will draw out vitamins from the skins and make your skin cells unhealthy. This can make your skin feel dull and dry and can cause photoageing and pigmentation. My recommendation is to use our Pure Pressed Powder from Jane Iredale. This amazing foundation has a lovely coverage, has the approval from the Skin Cancer Foundation as a safe way to protect your skin from UV rays but it will also help to hydrate your skin.

5-    Is your neck hurting from looking at a screen all day? Well we can highly recommend booking in for monthly Deep Tissue Massage to help with posture and relieve tension from sitting at a desk all day!

To book head to www.malvernserenity.co.uk and head to book now!

The power of Microneedling

So many people have heard the term micro needling but they do not actually know what is entailed. Mircroneedling can sometimes be confused as a facial treatment but it is actually an Aesthetic face treatment. It requires downtime but the results if a course is done is INCREDIBLE. So how does micro needling work? Microneedling causes lots of micro injuries to the skin to get your own skin to produce its healing collagen (type 3 and 1 collagen). This treatment is amazing for anyone wanting to improve photo aged skin, wrinkles, loss of firmness, scarring, stretch marks and pigmentation. In fact the only skin conditions it doesn’t treat are those where sensitive skin comes into play. We use Skinpen Microneedling technology which is the ONLY FDA approved micro needling product on the market- This micro needling pen delivers up to 90,000 micro injuries per minute to give a truly remarkable result.

So what does the treatment entail? Firstly we will cleanse your skin, then we apply a topical anaesthetic and we leave it on for 30 minutes to allow your skin to numb. Once the skin is numb we can then get started with the treatment- We will test your skin tolerance and decide what length to use on the Skinpen. After your treatment you will feel almost sunburnt and your skin will be red, we always recommend that you go home straight after a Skinpen and work on keeping the skin completely clean. Around day two post treatment your skin will begin to peel and this is the re generation process, after 5 days your skin will normally go completely back to normal.

It is recommended to have a course of 4-6 treatments which is done once a month.

Take a look below at these amazing results below just after ONE treatment

Get in touch with us today if you would like to book your consultation and transform your skin!

Our top 5 tips for Skin Hydration

Is your skin feeling dry after the summer sun? Here are our top 5 tips to a more hydrated skin!

1- Water, water, water... oh and a slice of lemon! Feed your body from the inside out with fresh water and a nice slice of lemon. The lemon will help to detoxify your skin!

2- Do not over exfoliate- I know right this is what you are told TO DO. But actually if you over exfoliate you can remove the skin with all its must needed nutrients and confuse your skin! It is highly recommended to also avoid granular exfoliators as this disturbs the protection layer of your skin. It is recommended to stick with AHA and BHA based exfoliators. 

3-Stress can play HAVOC with our skin, make sure you take you time out in whatever way you find helps to reduce stress. 

4-Sleep, our skin needs sleep to repair itself, the less sleep you get the less bright your skin will look and feel. 

5- Avoid any cleansers which strip the skin, I commonly hear the phrase ' it makes my skin feel clean and tight after i use it' well this does not mean your skin is clean but means that your skin has been stripped of everything it needs.

Why not book in for one of our amazingly hydrating facials and allow us to help you BOOST your skin hydration. Here are my two favourite recommendations:

Back Acne and how to treat it

Its something which can cause so much pain but we can hide so easily. Backne. Backne can be so incredibly painful, uncomfortable and extremely hard to treat. Backne can be caused by a number of factors, some of these factors you can change from home and some require expert skin help.

Hormones

This is quite a common problem with Backne, our hormones can stimulate your skin to produce thick oil and cause congestion within the skin causing spots to flare up. 

Clothes

We need to wear clothes on our back and this is where things can get tricky. Clothes can cause friction and heat to produce meaning that we harvest more bacteria on our skin. Avoid those fabrics that cause back sweating.

Shampoo and Conditioner

When we shower it is very common to leave shampoo and condition residue on the back- this can cause the skin to become very irritated and dry and in turn cause spots. Try always washing your back last.

Lifestyle

If you are someone that has a manual job or is quite active then this can play an important factor. Stimulating heat and sweat through our lifestyle is a big contributor of Backne. Always try and be conscious of this and wash your back regularly

So how can we help? Well here at Malvern Serenity we have a few options in how we can help your journey towards healthier skin on your back. 

Firstly we have our amazing Skin Accumax Skin Supplements. These work by reducing that thick oil in the skin and ensuring that the skins function is working in a much healthier way. This Skin Supplement contains Vitamin A, C and E to feed the skin with what it needs. 

We also have two AMAZING treatments to help treat Backne inside the salon. Firstly we have our Lumineo LED light treatment. The blue LED light helps to reduce bacteria, inflammation and aid skin healing. A course of 8 is recommended for best results. You can book the Lumineo Treatment here- http://phore.st/jRSElM

 If you are someone that is suffering with really dry skin on the back then our Velvet Back Treatment is the one for you. This treatment comes with a lavender back exfoliation; lavender is known for its calming properties. You will then enjoy a lovely 25 Minute Back Massage and then we will then place a detoxing mask to help reduce the congestion on the skin. You can book this treatment here- http://phore.st/Lbrsk

If you quote Back15 we will give you 15% off your first treatment. 

Cymone  

Lockdown Skin!

The Lockdown skin! 

I have had so many people get in touch with me because their skin is displaying new symptoms that it NEVER has before. This commonly has been breakouts, but I have also had a lot of people contact me because their skin has lost life. I firstly want to say that you are not alone, so many people are experiencing lock down skin and there are sooo many reasons as to why you may have lock down skin. I AM HERE TO HELP!

I want to talk about the most likely main cause of the lockdown skin- stress. This has been such a stressful time for EVERYONE. It’s important to understand that everyone’s lives have changed, and this does cause stress. With stress we promote the stress hormone Cortisol- this is turn stimulates hormones and our body to be in fight or flight mode which can cause our skin to become weak and imbalanced. It is so important you do activities that can help reduce stress, whether that’s exercise, long walks, baths, facial massage, meditation find what works for you to try and reduce your stress levels. 

The second biggest cause I feel is a contributing factor is that people are wearing less makeup. Although I am not a big advocate of chemical based makeup and I am a big believer in wearing a clean makeup I feel that foundation causes a barrier to the environment. Jane Iredale is simply amazing for this and because its clean it also acts as skincare throughout the day, but I feel that even chemical-based makeup will provide a certain degree of protection from the outside world. This means are skins are more venerable to bacteria and the harmful rays- now more than ever we should be using a daily SPF as so many more people are now sitting in front of their computers all day! Whilst I am on this subject A LOT more people are using their mobile phones more without headphones. When your phone is next to your face for long periods of time it generates heat to the skin which not only can cause spots, but it can also cause ageing. If you are using your phone regularly, I would highly recommend investing in a set of headphones. 

The third cause (which will apply to those people wearing PPE for long hours of the day), PPE will cause dry skin, blisters, scarring, pigmentation. The reason being that it’s a constant irritant to the skin, it causes friction and the skin becomes more starved of oxygen. Not only this but because of the heat produced under PPE you are going to be more prone to sensitive, breakout skin. 

The last cause is that, let’s face it, not many people have been as good with their diets as they normally would have been. There are so many people I know that are consuming way more sugar and I will put my hands up and admit that I’ve done the same. A lot of people are either stressed and craving sugar, bored and doing more baking or just eating more! Sugar can have huge impacts on the skin as sugar depletes the skin of its vital vitamins and breaks down collagen! 

So how can I help? I am going to talk you through just a few products I can recommend to help combat the lockdown skin. 

Skin Vit C- Advanced Nutrition programme have now reformulated this product to make it even stronger! It is packed full of Vitamin C to help aid skin immunity and protect our skin. Not only this but Vitamin C is great to provide Anti-inflammatory, reduce redness, helps with skin healing, helps to reduce scarring and repair broken capillaries AND promote collagen this is a no brainer product for me in lockdown. This product retails at £30 for a two month supply. 

Skin Youth Biome- This is the first ever probiotic in the world that not only tackles the gut but also the skin! It is important to have true gut health in order to have healthy skin as our skin is very responsive to our gut. This product contains 5 different types of live bacteria to feed the gut with what it needs to be healthy! This product is so amazing to tackle congested, dry and dull skin and I truly LOVE this supplement. This retails at £55 for a two month supply.

Sebumask- Sebumask will be more for those people who mainly have the issue of spots- its full of Sacylic acid to clear out the pores, Lactic Acid to exfoliate and hydrate and tea tree for disinfect the skin. This mask retails at £43.

Revival mask, this product is AMAZING this product is for those who need to rejuvenate, hydrate, anti-age, firm and want to improve skin texture. This mask contains three acids which help to stimulate growth factors (these are needed for skin regeneration), promote hydration and even skin tone.  This mask retails at £55.

Powder me SPF- for those people who want to go makeup free then this is the product for you. This product comes in translucent but also comes in 4 other colours that just provide a nice glow. This is a mineral SPF that will not only protect your skin from the environment but also from the harmful rays. Its so easy to use and quick to use. This product retails at £36.

When the salon opens back up the BEST treatment for lockdown skin would be either our Skinpen or our Environ Cool Peel Moisture Boost! If you contact us at the salon we will be able to individually recommend!

If you purchase 3 or more of these products I honour a 10% discount when you quote BLOG10

Cymone 

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Reflexology Beauty Blog

'Reflexology relaxes you, revives you, restores you, balances you and grounds you.’

Based on the theory that feet are the window to the body, reflexology is a non-intrusive complementary therapy.

Therapists enhance the natural healing mechanisms of your body by stimulating more than 7,000 nerve endings in just one session.

Reflexology restores the body’s natural balance, and leaves you feeling truly relaxed and de-stressed after your treatment.

On top of the deep relaxation and stress relief, there are several scientifically proven areas where reflexology can help support:

• Helping with the side effect from Cancer treatment– including reducing nausea, pain, constipation and diarrhoea. It can also help with sleep and anxiety.

• Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, with patients reportedly feeling up to 40% less pain when undertaking regular treatments.

• Assists the reduction of Hypertension.

• The relaxation side of reflexology can extend to the mind to support the treatment of depression and anxiety.

• It is suggested that reflexology can decrease the fatigue and nerve pain felt from Multiple sclerosis.

• Receiving foot reflexology is known to improve your blood circulation which can help aid quicker healing.

Reflexology has an ability to stimulate nerve functions that help your body increase your energy levels, circulation, central nervous system, prevent migraines, clear urinary infections, sleep disorders and depression.

Before your session

• Avoid large meals prior to your session, instead opt for a light, easily digestible meal

• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine which would work against the effects of the massage

• Hydration is important, drink water before, during and after your session
  
  

Arrival

Please arrive a few minutes prior to your appointment to check in, and try not to rush, leave plenty of time to arrive relaxed and ready for your session. We have a free car park for you to use.

Your Massage experience

After signing in we will take you through to your treatment room. If it is your first time, we will go through a full consultation with you and make sure we tailor the treatment to suit your needs. The therapist will leave you alone to to get ready and get yourself comfortable, then the therapist will knock to come back in the room.

The room is set up to fully enhance your experience, including a heated bed, fluffy blankets, oil diffusers and relaxing music.

After your reflexology

Plan some extra time to visit our relaxation room after your treatment. Read a book, enjoy a cup of herbal tea, listen to our relaxing music, take some time to enjoy the feeling that having reflexology brings, and come back to the real world slowly.

Throughout the day continue to drink lots of water, eat light and easily digestible meals and avoid exercise.

Try to keep the oils on your skin for 24hours to feel the full benefits.

Wellness Week Beauty Blog

Wellness Week

Here at Malvern Serenity our clients are what matter most to us.

We are kicking off a wellness week here at Malvern Serenity where we will be bringing you fresh tips Monday to Friday this week to freshen up your January and beat that new year fatigue.

Beauty from the inside out

To kick of Malvern Serenity's very own wellness week we are focusing on 'beauty from the inside out'

We believe that beauty comes from the inside, and we want to help you shine on the outside as much as you do on the inside.

Did you know that it takes six weeks for new skin to emerge up to the surface, so when you start a change in dietary habits, or start taking supplements our first tip is to have patience! Give the changes chance to take effect.

For glowing skin, cut back on saturated and hydrogenated fats which you can find in margarines and processed foods, limit foods high in sugar, such as cakes and biscuits and don't forget those 8 glasses of water a day!

Eat a rainbow diet, lots of raw vegetables, wholegrains, fresh fruit and fish.

Selenium helps to neutralize skin-damaging compounds before they can lead to wrinkles so stock up on brazil nuts, cashew nuts, fresh tuna, sunflower seeds, walnuts and wholemeal bread.

We stock advanced nutrition supplements as we believe their ethos 100% mirrors ours, the science behind their products is solid, and the results we have seen have been incredible.

'If you start from the inside to make healthy skin cells, you can achieve impressive results, so nutrition and supplements are the way forward for healthy skin.

Whatever the fabulous quality and magical ingredients in skin care ranges, if you only treat skin topically you are missing a major factor in skin care efficacy. Advanced Nutrition Programme can add that vital success factor. '

Interested to know more?

Why not come along to out 'skin deep' event in February (16th) to learn about skin care, supplements, nutrition and tips to make your skin shine.

Get your ticket here now for only £5.85 (£5 redeemable on purchases on the day)

Fighting Fatigue

January can be the hardest month of the year...there is a reason it is the host month of 'blue Monday'.

Here are our top tips to help fight that fatigue, including a free 7 day gym pass and 10% off bath salts!

Exercise

New research suggests regular exercise can increase energy levels, and it is one of the simplest and quickest ways to boost your endorphins. We have teamed up with local gym, Fit3Sixty, to give our Malvern Serenity clients a free 7 day pass!

To claim your FREE PASS, simply email emma@fit3sixty.co.uk with the title ‘my 7 day pass’! 

Wellbeing focus

Focus in on your wellbeing and take charge of your energy levels. Did you know that massage can stimulate endorphins and serotonin to help improve energy and mood?

Research has also shown that float therapy can help to re-balance our sleep patterns which can be off-set by blue light technology, like TVs and phones, all this whilst also helping you to achieve a good night’s sleep. 

We have the float tank on a 50% offer in January, book now to make the most of the offer and fight that January fatigue.

Finally, take a bath! Kneipp Joint and Muscle Herbal Bath allows you to enjoy a beneficial bath of warming and invigorating qualities. Packed with valuable extracts of Arnica which have been used for centuries for sprains, bruises and wounds.

Kneipp Joint and Muscle Herbal Bath transforms your bath into a revitalizing agent for muscles and achy joints. By combining a warm bath with Arnica extracts this helps to invigorate the body and mind. 

Get 10% off Kneipp Bath products for the rest of January by showing us this blog when you come in to the salon.

Fulfilment

The partying, overload and excitement of the festive season are over, it's back to the grind and there is no surprise that January can feel like the gloomiest month of the year!

Let's just add on top of that some cold winter mornings, failed new years resolutions, the longest period before getting paid EVER, and again there is no surprise everyone feels so 'meh!'

SO, this week we have been doing our own Malvern Serenity wellness week to help beat those blues! 

Today's focus is on fulfillment, here are our 3 tips for finding your fulfillment.

Set Goals

1. Ditch those new years resolutions, and create long term changes, goals and realistic actions! Set the right goals, break them down one step at a time and just tick off lots of small steps, and you will feel far more fulfilled than failed unrealistic new years resolutions!

Here are some things you can do to help you right now:
- Make a plan on the Sunday for your week
- Food prep, cook in bulk to save time in the week, make eating healthy easy
- Create a morning routine that sets you up for the day!

We use coach Emma May to help us push the business in the right direction, we have sorted a Malvern Serenity set price of £150 for an initial half day strategy meeting with her so that you can set yourself up for a great 2019! Just contact her on the Real World Coaching website quoting 'malvern serenity strategy sess' (www.realworldcoaching.co.uk)

Make time for YOU

Making time for yourself isn't selfish, it is necessary. Remember, you can't help others unless you are in a good place yourself, so focus on giving yourself some 'you' time, and space to do the things that top up your energy. 

Think of activities as energizers vs drains, and balance out your time so you are focusing your energy into the places that energize you.

Do something new!

Do something new! Routine can get monotonous and hardly inspires energy, so get out, get moving and why not try something brand new 

Here are a few fun local activities we have picked out to get you moving:

- Amelia K's adults dance classes - https://www.facebook.com/ameliakacademy/

- Fit3Sixty Gym classes - ( 7 day free pass link above!)

- Melissa Porter Yoga -  https://www.melissaporteryoga.com

Want some ideas for how to use your 'you' time to relax? Here is a sneak peak at our February offers:

Hydration

Hydration is key, and we don't mean gin and tonic... although we are partial to the odd one!

Even mild dehydration adversely affects mental performance and increases feelings of tiredness. Not drinking enough can effect your memory, make you dizzy and make you lethargic. 

The average adult body is composed of 60% water and is vital in every body process and function, so hydration really is key!

Not only is hydration key for our body from the inside, but it is a vital part of our skin care routine, and one so often overlooked.

As we age, the skin is less capable of maintaining moisture and you need to hydrate your skin inside AND out. 

Here are our top tips to keep your skin hydrated:

- Don't use products that dry your skin like face wipes, or tea tree oil!

- Always keep your water intake to at least 6 glasses a day

- Always use an SPF when out and about to protect your skin

- Find a hydrating skin care routine that works for you

Why not try our brand new Katherine Daniels Age Defence Formulation for Dehydrated Skin?

This salon strength cream uses an intelligent hydration process and turbo moisturizing ingredients to deliver a long lasting hydration boost.

Your skin barrier is fortified, protecting against the ageing effect of dehydration. Your skin is left smooth and plump, with renewed density and radiance.

Pick up your cream in-store, RRP £41, and the first 10 people to pick one up can grab a cream for only £37

Want some advice on the best skin care products to suit you? 

Don't forget you an book in skin care consultation with one of our skin experts here:

Weekend ready

It's the end of our wellness week, and it has been a pleasure, we hope our tips have helped you to fight this dreary January.

Our final day is a focus on getting ready for the weekend. 

Special occasions coming up?

Here are our top tips for timings when getting weekend/special occasion ready

- Facials - leave around 48hours before your occasion to have your facial to see the most benefits.

- Have your tan the day before to let it take colour. Do not wax/shave immediately before your tan.
* Better still, imagine never having to worry about shaving again?! Have you tried our laser treatments yet?

- Did you know that done right a blow dry will carry you effortlessly through the weekend? Sleep on a silk pillow, loosely tie your hair up to sleep and use dry shampoo to give your hair a spruce to look great right through from Friday to Monday morning!

- Nails - if you are having your nails done in the week, don't forget to think ahead on outfits to match colours with your weekend outfit.

- If you are having your eyelashes done (LVL, extensions, tint) have them 48hours before the occasion so you can apply eye make up on the day.

Have a great weekend!

Lash & Brows Aftercare Beauty Blog

Aftercare LVL Lashes and Extensions

• Make sure you do not For the first 24 hours after your treatment it’s important not to allow water to come in to contact with your lashes

• For 2 days afterwards do not steam your face, use a steam bath, swim or wash your face with hot water.

• Do not use waterproof mascara or curl the lashes.

• Use oil free make up remover and water-based mascara.

• Don’t rub your eyes when washing your face – always pat the lashes dry after cleansing.

• Ensure lashes are not manipulated into different positions (e.g. when sleeping, cleansing the face, applying moisturiser or cosmetics).
  

Aftercare HI Brows

• No extreme heat treatments (e.g. very hot baths or showers, saunas, steam rooms), swimming, sunbathing (including sun beds or any other exposure to UV light) for 24 hours. Try and avoid exercise or anything that makes you sweat for 24 hours.

• Do not apply any perfumed products to the area for 24 hours. 

• Wash your hands before scratching or touching the area.

• Avoid the use of make-up around the brows for 24 hours apart from mineral make-up or specialist post-treatment products.

• No self-tanning products to the area for 24 hours. Self-tanning products may alter the tint colour, so we recommend using these with caution around your brows at all in between HD Brow treatments.

• The use of harsh make-up cleansing products could prematurely reduce your brow tint. Avoid the use of such products at all inbetween treatments to prolong the colour retention of your tint.

• Do not pluck or tweeze in-between appointments particularly in areas where your therapist has advised re-growth.



Let's Talk Massage Beauty Blog

'Massage is not just a luxury. It's a way to a healthier, happier life.’

How do you fancy better sleep, less stress, pain relief, better moods, increased immunity, better hair and complexion, not to mention increased flexibility and reduced tension?

No, we haven’t discovered a miracle cure! It has been here waiting for you all along, all of these benefits are the benefits of massage.

Whatever your reason for wanting a massage, we have deep tissue, swedish, hot stones, lymph drainage, pressure point, thai, velvet back massage …we’ve got it all!

All of our massages will leave you feeling relaxed, but some are more focused on tension relief than others so we have given you a sliding scale between relaxation and tension relief below to help you pick the right massage for you.

Before your session

• Avoid large meals prior to your session, instead opt for a light, easily digestible meal

• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine which would work against the effects of the massage

• Hydration is important, drink water before, during and after your session
  
  

Arrival

Please arrive a few minutes prior to your appointment to check in, and try not to rush, leave plenty of time to arrive relaxed and ready for your session. We have a free car park for you to use.

Your Massage experience

After signing in we will take you through to your treatment room. If it is your first time, we will go through a full consultation with you and make sure we tailor the right pressure, experience and oils to suit your needs. The therapist will leave you alone to to get ready and get yourself comfortable, then the therapist will knock to come back in the room.

The room is set up to fully enhance your experience, including a heated bed, fluffy blankets, oil diffusers and relaxing music.

After your Massage

Plan some extra time to visit our relaxation room after your treatment. Read a book, enjoy a cup of herbal tea, listen to our relaxing music, take some time to enjoy the feeling that having a massage brings, and come back to the real world slowly.

Throughout the day continue to drink lots of water, eat light and easily digestible meals and avoid exercise.

Try to keep the oils on your skin for 24hours to feel the full benefits.