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I thought I would do a quick run down of which Dermalogica Microfoliant is best for you! Dermalogica have a range of exfoliants that are gentle enough for daily use and made specifically to target different skin types. If you suffer from uneven, lack lustre skin, then I would highly recommend trying a daily exfoliator from the range of products Dermalogica has to offer. These products will change the feel and look of your skin drastically within weeks of using them if you have not used daily exfoliators before. Exfoliation is essential in the upkeep of stronger, brighter and smoother skin as it removes dead skin cells and keeps the skin looking fresh. This post will clarify which Exfoliant you should be using depending on your skin type. 

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Hydration is so important when it comes to the skin's health. When the skin lacks water we can experience, dryness, flakiness, rough texture, and even oiliness and congested skin that breaks out.

For the skin to work correctly it relies on adequate moisture on all levels. If we don't have this it impacts the renewal process of the skin. The enzymes that are created to help shed the skin don't get produced and we hold onto the dead skin which results in our skin looking more dull. If you are losing water and moisture you are probably also letting bad toxins in.

Introducing Dermalogica's NEW Circular Hydration Serum (£55). This is fantastic for all skin types and gives the skin a healthy barrier. It is a long-lasting serum that floods the skin with hydration down to the deepest levels.  It is packed with Hyaluronic Acid which penetrates the skin deeply to reveal more supple and radiant skin over time. 

Vitamin C is considered an essential vitamin for skin health. We, as humans, don’t have the ability to produce Vitamin C ourselves so we can get it through diet and topically applied creams. We all love an orange but topically applied Vitamin C will give you greater results as it is targeting your skin directly. Vitamin C also brightens the skin by controlling melanin. Melanin can become imbalanced due to hormones or sun exposure, but Vitamin C stabilises the melanin production giving you brighter skin and overall more even looking skin. Finally it  also defends the skin in two ways, It boosts the skin lipids and ceramides and really helps to repair and increase wound healing but it also gives you an additional boost to protect from UV damage. The UVA rays are the same strength all year round, so by layering Vitamin C underneath your SPF will give you better protection. 

There are many different Vitamin C products on the market which range in price. But what makes Dermalogica BioLumin-C Vitamin C products better than the rest is that it is ultra-stable, bioavailable and has three times more Vitamin C in it than some competitors. What this means is the Vitamin C is more penetrable than others. You will get three times more Vitamin C into skin and three times more brightening power. Vitamin C is an active, so it can oxidise which then means it won’t work. Have you ever seen a Vitamin C product turning a brown colour and looking slightly crusty. This is it oxidising. However this doesn’t happen with Dermalogica products they are ultra stable. 

Dermalogica already have a serum in the BioLumin C range for the face and eyes in the collection, however the newest launch is the Biolumin- C Gel Moisturiser. It is a weightless, Vitamin C rich gel formula that penetrates the skin’s surface for immediate, glowing results and helps to strengthen skin’s moisture barrier. A gel moisturiser is great for oily skin in particular but will suit all skin types. An immediate benefit to this moisturiser is it is instantly brightening due to the silkiness of the texture but this continues to work over time to help even out your skin tone. It is also super hydrating. It actually has gentle exfoliating qualities which also helps to renew the skin too. 

I have spoken about the benefits of Vitamin C however it also contains other ingredients like Sugar Cane derived Squalene and five different types of  Hyaluronic Acid! Yes you heard right, five! These help to minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. What's astounding about the BioLumin-C Gel moisturiser is that it harnesses the power of natural light from light rays and turns it into visible light in your skin creating an instant luminosity and instant brightening effect.

In clinical trials after four weeks participants had brighter more radiant skin, more even skin tone and visibly reduced fine lines and wrinkles. For ultimate results use the whole range of products. Layer the BioLumin-C serum which is packed full of targeted actives, then the biolumin eye serum  which supercharges your eye cream, it really does reawaken your eyes. Then apply the gel moisturiser on top to seal, boost and defend. 

Amina xx


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More than 1 million people worldwide are diagnosed with skin cancer every year. Therefore the importance of adequate skin protection needs to be shared. Excessive UV exposure can lead to melanoma. It is largely a preventable cancer and can be easily avoided by using sunscreen and being safe. If something looks strange or unusual just get it checked. a second opinion is always helpful. Not only does the sun cause cancer but it is the largest ageing factor for our skin, people who use SPF 15 everyday show 24% less ageing than people who don't!  Keeping safe in the sun is top priority for me as I have a young family and know how easy it is for their skin to burn. Recently I was able to take part in a Dermalogica skincare masterclass with skin charity Skcin, I learnt a lot about sun safety and I wanted to share this with you. First let's dispel some myths.

'SPF only needs to be worn in the summer' -There are two types of rays the sun radiates. Firstly UVB rays, they cause damage to the outmost layers of the skin. They effect the epidermis and can be quite intense but superficial which leads to them burning the skin. They tend to be stronger when the weather is hotter. On the other hand we have UVA rays which are the same strength and are present all year round. The UVA rays actually penetrate the skin deeper and reach the dermis. This is what makes them responsible for ageing as they target the collagen in our skin which also resides in the dermis. Another type of damaging light is blue light, this goes even deeper than UVA rays however the conversation around this is relatively new. What this highlights to me is how sunscreen is clearly an everyday product. It is not something that should just be used in summer months. 

'I don't need SPF as my skin doesn't burn.' - Did you know the more pigment you naturally make and have in your skin the more UV light is screened out? It actually naturally blocks some of the UV out, but even the darkest skin would only protect up to SPF 13, so any lighter you can imagine how easily it would burn. Therefore every skin colour needs sunscreen! 

'It's so cold out, I don't need SPF.' - The strength of the sun isn't dependent on the temperature outside. A great resource is the UV index, it tells us the levels of UVB. Things that can make UVB worse are the season, so when it is warmer, but also reflection from water or snow, clear skies and altitude. So if you've ever been on a skiing holiday or climbed a mountain the levels of UVB are high because you are exposed to so many more factors. So it really doesn't depend on the temperature.

With that being said I hope you understand how important screening your skin from the sun is. Now let's look at sunscreen. The SPF factor protects from UVB rays only. You need a broad spectrum SPF to protect from UVA rays, which causes ageing and skin cancers. They have a star rating which indicates the level of UVA ray absorbed by the sunscreen. So you need to take the SPF factor and star rating both into account when looking at the best sunscreen for you. 

There are two types of sunscreen physical or chemical. Physical sunscreens reflects the suns rays away and block the UVA/UVB from even reaching the skin. Because of this, physical sunscreens tend to be a little more chalky in texture and some leave a white caste as they are acting as a barrier. A great physical sunscreen, is Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defence because it has all the benefits of a physical sunscreen but doesn't leave the white caste, it also sets matte which is great for us oily skin gals. 

Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, work by absorbing and converting the rays into heat. They are great for most skin types and are quite light in texture. They are pretty much invisible on the skin especially the Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport. A great product that is actually water resistant for 80 minutes, making it perfect for beach or pool days. 

The amount of sunscreen we wear is also important. It is recommended your wear 5 ml of product on your face and 30ml of product on your body, at least 30 minutes before leaving the house, as it has time to dry down onto the skin. It should be reapplied every 2 hours if you are spending time outside. However, for everyday use where you may be indoors, one application or layering products is adequate enough. Using the UV index can also help to make the decision on whether you will need to reapply. Suncreen has an expiry date too, so stick to them as they they will not provide adequate protection if out of date. A great way of planning your sunscreen usage is by going to invisiblephysical.com. This gives you information on your usage based on your location and daily routine and will also tell you how long you can be outside for without sunscreen before your skin burns.

A really helpful way to remember how to be safe is by using the 5 S's of skin safety (source- Skcin charity):

Slip on a T-shirt or extra protective clothing.

Slap on the sunscreen

Slap on a broad brimmed hat

Slide on good quality sunglasses

Shade from the sun wherever possible

I hope you have found this post helpful and if anything the one thing I want you to take away is to wear your sunscreen!

Amina xx

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I thought I would do a blog post to remind you all to wear your SPF (Sun Protection Factor). SPF is what protects our skin from the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays, which can cause a lot of damage to the skin. The sun is also the biggest ageing factor in our lives, so if you are obsessing over what skincare product to use next, but don't wear SPF you need to stop rewind and go back to basics. SPF must be a staple in your routine!

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This week I am bringing to you some of my favourite masks. For the past five years I have used masks weekly. Depending on how my skin is feeling and what type of mood I'm in, I like to go to my bathroom cabinet and select the perfect mask for me. Sometimes it might be just for a little bit of indulgence, but sometimes it is to tackle a particular need such as a build up of oil or if my skin is in need of hydration. Masks can really work wonders in helping restore your skin and I have found doing it weekly, if not more sometimes, has really been beneficial. So in no particular order here are some of my favourites!