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Let’s divide and conquer.

The policy of maintaining control over subordinates or opponents by encouraging dissent between them to prevent them uniting in opposition is known as ‘divide and conquer’.

How does this policy apply to your skin?

Our skin cells arrive to the epidermis 28 days after being made in the dermis. Over the years, our skin loses its ability to get rid of old cells fast enough. We can support our skin by removing the dead cells, which stimulates new cells being produced in the lower layers, and the more you exfoliate the more cells divide to replace the old ones leaving skin looking fresh! But the top layer does actually have a job to do: protection from bacteria entering (acid mantle), protection from ultra violet light, and to act as a waterproofer. So yes, you can have too much of a good thing; pick one day a week and stick to it.

While cells dividing to create new cells is good, careful timing for the cell turnover is important because collagen and elastin are produced at a certain point. If too much of a good thing is had, the skin produced can become weaker i.e. creating redness and thinning.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) have been used since Egyptian times! AHAs naturally form as fruit acids and dissolve the stuff holding the cells together so the old cells can be removed to reveal the new cell underneath. Once your skin gets to the point where it needs to be exfoliated, it has hardened into keratin—a protein we just lust after to have more of in our hair. One legendary AHA (Papaya) has a digestive enzyme called papain, which breaks down protein. Its legendary status is attributed to the papain enzyme only going after the dead skin cells, rather than the living cells, all while dissolving the cement that holds them both together. Papain goes about its business without stinging or burning too.

Our SMOOTH face polish contains papaya and kiwi fruit extracts. And it has another one of nature’s gifts: jojoba beads. We’ve shared our passion for Jojoba before, but another credential for Jojoba is its beads that gently buff away dry and lifeless surface skin cells, unblocks pores and improves the skin’s overall health and appearance.

So teeny tiny and so VERY VERY effective…

Following on from Ingredients we LOVE and those we avoid and why, I think you can guess that papaya is 100% on the LOVE list. But here’s one we don’t and you’ll find many big brands use ‘microbeads’, which are plastic particles that are toxic and are environmentally UNfriendly.

Microbeads can be found in some facial scrubs, toothpaste and body wash, but they may also be in lipstick, eyeliner, sunscreen, deodorant, nail polish and other care products. They’re commonly listed as the following ingredients

 

  • Polyethylene (PE)
  • Polypropylene (PP)
  • Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
  • Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
  • Nylon (PA)

Three household names are known offenders including ‘Clean & Clear’, Neutrogena, and Cetaphil, which many GPs and pharmacists will recommend for ‘troubled skin’. Check out http://www.beatthemicrobead.org/product-lists/ for more info.

And, as you know, we only use natural ingredients from plant extracts, fruit and seed carrier oils, organic clays, and active botanicals. Anyone with concerns about sensitive skin, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, and acne, SMOOTH face polish is safe and good for your skin. It’s just all in the technique—be extra gentle when massaging in and use cool, tepid water to remove😊

So, let’s go forth and divide and conquer!

Till next time

MUCH love

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