Lion/ne is a skincare consultancy that listens to your skin frustrations, and gives you the right tools and knowledge to make more informed decisions when shopping for skincare products. They don’t work with any brands or retailers meaning that all of their recommendations are tailored to your skin needs.
Lion/ne offers in-person consultations and also just launched a 1:1 online video consultation (perfect for now, as we are all confined to our homes). This is your 7 day plan to understand your skin, get your bathroom cabinet organised and build a regime utilising the products you currently have.
Why is a skincare routine important? How often should we switch up this routine, and when do we know its time?
The skin is our largest organ, it protects our vital organs from the crazy outside world. This includes environmental triggers such as UV light and harmful pollution. The skin also regulates body temperature in order for us to heat up and cool down when we need to. Maintaining and protecting our skin is therefore very important, and we want to make sure that it is able to work to its highest potential!
A skincare routine doesn’t have to be something that is long and includes loads of expensive products. In reality, the only thing that you need to do to preserve the health of your skin as well as protect your body is to protect it in the morning by forming a shield on your skin and cleanse away that armour at night so that your skin can properly regenerate. This is the very basis of a skincare regime. Your skincare regime will become more complex depending on where you live, your lifestyle, what you do, and underlying skin conditions. These will impact the skin just as UV light would, and you need to be able to respond to each of these triggers.
Your routine should change depending on what changes in your life! In fact, pregnant women will have completely different requirements than a 60-year-old woman. Moving from Australia to the UK will also have an impact on your skincare regime. So, it really depends on where you are in your life. A good rule of thumb is that as soon as you have the feeling that your skin changed or that the products that you are using are not ‘working’ anymore this is the sign that you need to refresh your skincare regime. Another telltale sign is if there is any stinging, burning, or inflammation on the skin. This means that something is off balance and you will need to adjust your regime to ensure you do not damage your skin barrier further!
Many people are turning their living rooms into gyms now, what are some ‘dos’ and don’ts’ when it comes to exercise, skin and sweat?
Working out from home can actually be..better for your skin. In fact, the two key rules are to properly cleanse your skin before exercising, which shouldn’t be a problem as we are working from home.
The second is to cleanse right after, which again shouldn’t be a problem as your shower and sink are only a few meters away! If you are going for a run outside, don’t forget to wear SPF!
Last thing, to avoid any bacterial infections, don’t forget to wipe your mat (even if it’s your mat), weights, or any other equipment you are using in your makeshift gym with an antibacterial wipes! If you can’t find wipes in the supermarket, then your old makeup wipes will do the trick (because none of us should be using these on our skin!)
From social distancing to self-isolation, people are encouraged to #stayhome. What are some of your fav DIY face and body treatments?
- At-home facial — Depending on the products that you have in your bathroom shelf you could completely treat your skin with a facial from the comfort of your home. Our new La Cozy consultation actually helps people to design their perfect at-home facial with the products that they have in addition to building a skincare regime!
- Body Ritual — If you have the luxury of having a bath in your home, you can also treat your body with a little ritual. Start by dry brushing or scrubbing your body, then get into a hot (but not too hot) bath with some Epsom salts, these are great to relieve any tension and are super accessible- amazon have a variety. Once you finish your bath, apply body oil and massage your skin — hello baby skin!
What are some tips to protect the skin from pollution and toxins that damage?
Note: we’re finding a silver lining in the Covid-19 outbreak that the environment seems to be in a much happier, healthier place with pollution levels lower than before.
The good news is that since we are all working from home, we are giving our skin a break from pollution and other external toxins. Emphasis on ‘external,’ because your skin can still be exposed to different irritants at home, especially if you are using strong household products or are wiping everything down with antibacterial wipes (like us!).
Make sure to wash your hands after using those products (we are all very good at this now!) to avoid any harsh chemicals touching your face. Another example is dust, which can be a trigger for certain skin conditions like dermatitis. Therefore, (we know it’s painful), but if you are prone to dermatitis or eczema make sure that your house is as dust-free as it can be!
Don’t forget that it’s not because you are working from home that you don’t have to have a normal skincare routine or protect your skin. UV light can go through glass (Megan got a sunburn!), and yes, your 10 min walk outdoors still calls for sunscreen!
Make sure that your skin is protected daily with an antioxidant serum as well as an SPF.
New skincare trends capture social media, especially during lockdown, how can consumers tell the difference between fact and fiction?
The first thing to do is consider the source. We love accounts that are led by industry experts like dermatologists and aestheticians because you are much more likely to get accurate information from these accounts. We have met some incredible beauty editors and beauty bloggers in our time working in the industry, and we believe that (most) of their intentions are good!
Just make sure you are checking who the quotes in articles are coming from and whether or not there are clinicals to back the claims.
Transparency is definitely growing, and this will hopefully lead to more accurate information both in editorial and on social media. That said, you must be sceptical with product reviews and anything that claims to be an overnight success- this content is often brand-driven!
The second thing to remember is that one writer or blogger’s experience of a product or trend, does not guarantee that you will have the same experience. As we said before, every skin is unique, and therefore you must listen to your own skin needs. If you are interested in a trend or product, make sure that it addresses a real need for your skin or gap in your regime.
What are common skincare myths? Debunk your top 4!
‘For Sensitive Skin, means that a product won’t make my skin react!’
When you see ‘Suitable for Sensitive Skin’ this usually (big emphasis on the usually here) means that the product is free from common allergens, or at least the formulation is intended to be more mild than other products in a range. But what about uncommon allergens? We can’t forget that every person’s skin is unique, it’s an organ after all, and therefore different skins have the potential to react differently to ingredients — ‘For Sensitive Skin’ is not a guarantee!
While some skin might react to a certain chemical substance or ingredients there are so many other external triggers that could also impact the barrier function of the skin and cause a reaction or sensitivity. In fact, the inflammatory cascade may have external or internal causes such as UV light, sun, cold, heat, wind, water, pollution stress or hormones. Yet another reason why ‘For Sensitive Skin’ is not a guarantee, as you must approach sensitive skin with a 360 approach. Starting with asking why and what is making your skin react!
‘Drinking water is the secret to glowing skin’
Water is essential to ensure that the body has the essential nutrients to perform at its best! So yes it is essential to ensure that we remain healthy. However, “drinking water = beautiful skin” is too simple of an equation! Skin is the last organ in lign to get all nutrients from nutrition. Therefore, you might see a better skin because your body is well functioning but it won’t completely hydrate your skin! This is why both oral and topical hydration are essential to make sure that the skin is functioning at its highest potential.
‘I need to exfoliate and or tone my skin daily’
With an increased interest towards chemical exfoliants, it is not a surprise that everyone feels like they need to exfoliate or tone their skin to get that smooth baby skin. However, toning or exfoliating your skin shouldn’t be part of your daily routine as you risk to thin and sensitize your skin over a long-term period. It is not because a product is not stinging or causing redness that your product is ‘gentle!’ Sensitivity, most often, happens over time when not using the correct products!
‘The more expensive the product, the better it will work’
This is something that people believe and it’s revolting to see how marketing in big brands still has this power to make each one of us think that their ‘luxury’ product coming from a luxury well-known brand is much better than anything else. This is one of the reasons why we started Lion/ne. Formulations are the key to understanding if a specific product will ‘work’ on your skin but most importantly if it is suited to your skin type. So don’t get confused by the packaging, the brand name, or the add that comes with the product. Try to cut through the bs and really get to know your formulation.
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