SPF (sun protection factor) helps to protect your skin from sun radiation. There are two kinds of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB, both of which can harm your skin if you skip SPF in your routine.

UVA rays makes us tanned, unfortunately can also lead to premature aging, wrinkles or sagging skin. It can also burn you.

UVB can burn you too, altough it’s more harmful as it’s also responsible for developing skin cancer. To be protected from both, choose broad spectrum spf.

Which SPF number to choose?

SPF15 will be handy when you’re going to be mostly indoors, for example just nip out to shop in your car.

SPF30 is better choice when you’re going out for a run, long walk with your dog, hiking etc.

SPF50 – when your skin is very pale and easily burnt, you suffer from rosacea, also when it’s your first tanning session in a long time.

The safest SPF number is 50 – best to keep first signs of aging at bay and keep you healthy.

How much should I apply?

Approximate amount we should apply depends on body part we need to cover. It’s approximately half a teaspoon for your face and neck, teaspoon for both arms, teaspoon per leg, front and back of torso as well. And that’s just a bare minimum! Remember to cover your feet and bum as well – that’s parts of body that we often forget!

Key facts to remember to use sunscreen properly, about application and common misconceptions:

• You need to reapply your sunscreen every two hours to keep it working all the time.
• Use amount suited to area you’re applying it to.
• There’s no need for SPF to be expensive but it has to be broad spectrum. SPF number has to be suited to your plans this day (or just go 50 all over!).
• Apply it all over the body – face, neck, arms, throughout body and legs including feet.
• Remember that dark skin also needs protection from sun, it’s not very common for darker skinned people to develop skin cancer but not unheard of!
• Protect also your eyes and head, get sunglasses with UV protection and a hat.
• UV radiation goes through clouds, so just because it doesn’t seem sunny, it doesn’t mean there’s no UV rays coming through.

Thank you for reading! Let me know in comments if you learned something new or maybe you have some questions?

The post Beauty explained – SPF. Why you need it even on a cloudy day? appeared first on Moya Nails & Beauty.

If you want to keep your skin plump and radiant, hyaluronic acid is your best friend. There is plenty products you can choose from these days, however only a few of their ingredients are worth your attention – and hyaluronic acid is one of them.

What is hyaluronic acid and how does it work?

Hyaluronic acid (also HA, hyaluronan) is a substance naturally occuring in your body. Its key quality is binding water – 1g of hyaluronic acid can bind up to 6 litres of it! It helps to heal your wounds, fix your scalp when it’s dry and repair your chapped lips. It even keeps your eyes moist! Paired with collagen, it works hard to keep your skin elastic.

It’s also a key substance in your joints – like a grease, it reduces friction between cartilage and helps to protect joints from impact.

When we’re young, our skin has plenty HA and it’s naturally plump and hydrated. With age, the amount of hyaluronic acid in skin decreases – causing first lines and dryness. Healing also starts to take longer. However, you can help your body by using dietary supplements, adding more HA to your skin care and even use eyedrops including it!

To boost your skincare, why not try some:

• face creams
• serums
• face masks in sheet

All of the above you can find online, in Boots or Superdrug, just remember to always check ingredients list – the higher it is on the list, the more of it in product. A lot adverts brag about ingredients that are hardly there – and the more, the better for you!

How to get the most of it?

• Cleanse your skin properly every day
• If possible, get cleansing facials regularly (your beautician will know what to do!) – clean skin absorbs products better
• Use products as directed
• Remember that serum goes on your skin first – but shouldn’t be applied on its own. You want to top it with face cream, so your skin gets all the benefit.
• Serums and creams will work on the top layer of skin – it will keep it hydrated but if you need more, hyaluronic acid dermal fillers might be something to look at!

Hyaluronic acid can be an amazing addition to your skincare routine – after all, who wouldn’t like lovely plump skin?

The post Beauty explained – Hyaluronic acid. Why it should be in your skincare routine? appeared first on Moya Nails & Beauty.

3 most important things to do:

Cleansing

Most important of all (really they are all important but this one is no.1)

Face, hands, body or hair you always have to clean them good. Not necessarily it will be a 2 hour SPA session in your bathroom… All you need is just a good clean up, warm water and nail brush. Be gentle but thorough. Every night make sure you cleansed your skin well.

Exfoliating

When you exfoliate, dead skin cells are removed and new ones are uncovered. That means your skin looks more radiant, colouring is more even and over all you look better! Process of exfoliation also helps circulation which gives your skin this lovely glow. Because it stimulates collagen synthesis, it also helps to keep healthy plump look. It also helps next product absorb better! Best done 2-3 times a week.

Moisturising

Building a habit is the most important thing here. Be regular, no need to go get all the fancy creams right away. First use whatever is on hand, try at least twice a day to put hand cream and cuticle oil on. Round cuticles, under the nail, do it always at night and the other time whenever you want during the day. Ideally, every time you wash your hands (who has time for that?!) Moisturising especially after exfoliation will leave your hands feeling soft and lovely and keep skin healthy for so much longer.

No treatments like exfoliation or mask can be done on broken skin, you need to make sure it’s healed first.

These are all things you can do yourself at home, with products you already have. There are some ways I can help, too! Depending on the skin concern you have, the following are the most popular:

Spa manicure

your hands will be cleansed, exfoliated, cuticles and nails tidied up, afterwards the mask and warm mitts applied. Mitts are left on your hands for a bit and the heat makes all the great ingredients from mask penetrate your skin even better. Afterwards, nice little hand massage… Relax and care in one! Recommended to do as required, all year long.

Parrafin treatment

It’s essentialy a separate treatment or add on to spa manicure. Nice thick coat of warm, melted paraffin is applied on skin. Afterwards, we pop them in to heated mitts. Paraffin makes mask absorb even faster and deeper and can make even the most damaged hands, soft. Recommended for extremely dry and delicate skin, especially in winter months.

The best thing you can do for yourself, is just to take care of your skin regularly. Be it at home or in the salon, just do it and do it regularly, your skin will thank you 🙂

The post Beauty explained – 3 things you should be doing for your skin… And treatments to try this winter! appeared first on Moya Nails & Beauty.

Let’s start from basics:

Hand sanitiser – handy when there’s no running water, while travelling, in shops, cars etc. Main ingredient of most sanitisers is alcohol, highly effective… but also strongly drying. Use when needed, better to wash though!

Soaps – try natural soaps, detergents found in a lot of products can also be drying for sensitive skin.

Hand creams, lotions and butters – just like soap, products that are natural or include natural ingredients are best. However, whatever cream you already have is better than not using anything at all.

Cuticle oil – often forgotten, living in handbags and bathroom cabinets while it should be on the cuticles!

Dry skin is more prone to cracking, it is not only painful and doesn’t look good but can also be a way to all kinds of bacteria to be introduced to your skin. Basically, 60 seconds of rubbing hand cream can save you a lot of pain.

Good habits and how to build them

Ideally, every time we wash hands we should apply hand cream and cuticle oil. With a busy schedule and loads to do, it might prove difficult, especially if you’re not used to it. Start from using cream it in the morning and before bed, same goes for cuticle oil. Once you’re in the new routine, try and have some lotion with you at work, especially when weather gets colder and you might feel that your skin is getting dry and tight. With regular use of moisturisers you will notice your skin is feeling and looking better, irritation goes down, cuticles are softer.

Constant washing – what to do?

1. Use warm (not hot) water to wash your hands
2. If possible, choose soaps and lotions with natural ingredients
3. When drying, just dab your hands with towel
4. If possible, use hand cream as often as you can
5. Remember about the cuticle oil (just having it in bathroom doesn’t count!)
6. Regularly exfoliate and moisturise
7. Book a manicure – your nail technician will be happy to see you and will take a good care of you based on what your skin needs!

Most importantly, if there is anything about your skin that concerns you, contact your GP or skin specialist- it’s probably nothing but better to be safe than sorry! More skincare tips coming soon… Welcome to my website!

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