Your skin changes throughout the year; it gets colder and drier in winter and picks up colour in summer and will also vary depending on your age and your skincare routine. Sadly, the same foundation won’t work for your whole life.

READ NEXT: How to find your perfect foundation match

To help you navigate the thousands of options, here are evidence-based tips based on the science of how foundation works and what ingredients you need to look out for.

Once you have a better idea of what your skin needs, our list of the best foundation will narrow down your choices.

Types of foundation

Foundation can come in the form of a solid or a liquid but whether it’s a powder, a foam, a liquid or even a spray, most foundations are made up of the same three basic ingredients; a moisturiser, colourant and filler.

The filler makes the foundation spread evenly over your skin while giving it texture, the base is moisturising to prevent your skin drying out and the colourant provides the pigmentation.

READ NEXT: The science of moisturiser 

Most foundation bases are made of oil, silicone or water, and sometimes wax. Knowing whether your foundation has an oil, silicone or water base is important because this determines how the foundation will mix with your other make-up, particularly primers and concealers.

If your primer is oil-based, and your foundation is water-based, the two might not mix easily which can result in patches of foundation gathering in certain places, or streaks of make-up separating.

• Water-based foundations tend to be better for oily skin because they don’t clog pores and are quite light textures. They are dewy and easy to blend.
• Oil-based foundations are more long-lasting and better for people with dry skin.
• §Silicone-based foundations tend not to need primers as the silicon base will act as a built-in primer, it has mattifying and waterproof qualities.

Foundation ingredients explained

To determine whether a foundation is oil, silicone or water-based, look at the first couple of ingredients.

The first ingredient will normally be water, but this does not mean it is water-based, it is just for the liquid consistency.

• Silicone-based foundations usually have ingredients ending in ‘cone’ – ‘methicone’ or ‘siloxane’ – in the first few ingredients.
• Oil-based ones will have ‘oleate’ or ‘oil’ in the first few lines.
• Water-based foundations won’t have any of these in the first three or four ingredients.

In terms of fillers, traditionally foundations use ingredients like talcum powder, also known as magnesium silicate, kaolin or starch, which have no effect on the way the foundation actually looks. However, ‘functional’ fillers like mica, silica and bismuth oxychloride provide coverage and texture in the product.

READ NEXT: How to apply foundation like a pro

Pigments are used to determine the colour of the foundation. Common ingredients for pigment include iron oxides and titanium dioxide.

“Foundation contains colourants that cover your skin’s natural colour, so people see the colour of the foundation,” says cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski. “It also contains film-forming ingredients so that the colour looks more even and natural.”

Many of these ingredients are also found in the best BB creams and BB creams for oily skin so it’s worth checking to make sure your beauty balm complements your skin and your foundation.

How to find a foundation match

Picking the best colour foundation for you can be a difficult task, especially as complexions change throughout the year. The only way to do this accurately is to try a sample and see if it matches with your skin.

Firstly, determine whether your skin has warm, pink tones or cool, yellow ones, which will determine the pigment base. Then, if you can, try to see the foundation on your skin in natural light rather than the artificial light of the shop you might be trying them on in. We’ve got more advice on choosing a foundation match here, and tips from our resident makeup artist Victoria Howe in her how to apply foundation explainer.

Best foundation type for oily skin

On top of looking good, a foundation can also be used as a form of skincare in itself. If you have a specific skin problem, looking for certain ingredients in your foundation and BB cream, especially BB creams for oily skin might help. For instance, if you have oily skin look for kaolin clay or silica, alumina, corn-starch, or talc, which are all absorbent powders that will help control oil and prevent shine.

Ingredients to look out for:

• Water-based, which means no oils or ingredients ending in ‘cone’ in the first three ingredients
• Kaolin
• Talc or magnesium silicate
• Alumina or silica

Best foundation type for dry skin

If you have dry skin, look for ingredients like natural food oils,  squalane, or glycerides.

Ingredients to look out for:

• Avocado oil, sesame oil or jojoba oil
• Squalane
• Glycerides

Best foundation type for spots

Foundations that contain salicylic acid, also known as BHA or beta hydroxy acid, and benzoyl peroxide can help control spots and acne.

Ingredients to look out for:

• Salicylic acid or BHA (beta hydroxy acid)
• Benzonyl peroxide

You can read more about the truth about the acids in your skincare in our guide.

It should also be noted that if you have acne-prone skin, or suffer from blemishes, make sure you’re keeping your brushes and blenders clean. Makeup tools are breeding grounds for bacteria and you could find you’re spending a fortune on products and skincare to just undo their benefits by using dirty tools. You can find out how to clean makeup brushes and how to clean beauty blenders in our explainers.

Best foundation type for mature skin

Another thing to look for in foundations, especially for people with mature skin, is whether or not they contain SPF.

Sun protection should be a key part of anyone’s skincare routine but finding a foundation that contains it can make the process easier.  For mature skin, common problems include wrinkles, hyper-pigmentation, dry or dull skin.

If you are worried about wrinkles, look for peptides, hyaluronic acid, argon oil or collagen. For discolouration, look for foundations that are hydrating that can help improve your complexion, like vitamin A, also known as retinols, or vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid.

Ingredients to look out for:

• SPF
• Peptides
• Hyaluronic acid
• Collagen
• Retinol
• Ascorbic acid

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post What’s really in your foundation? The chemicals you need to look out for appeared first on mamabella.

Moisturisers are a staple of any skincare routine, which means they’re also the products that have the most marketing and jargon thrown at them.

It’s not enough to just buy a moisturiser for oily skin, or choose one based on the brand because what suits one person’s skin won’t suit another.

Not to mention the fact they vary very wildly on price as well.

The best place to start is by cutting through the marketing BS and understanding how moisturisers work by answering the immortal question: “what does moisturiser do?”

Below we’ve explained the science of moisturiser and what to look for in a moisturiser best suited for your skin type.

We’ve also spoken to leading cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski, Vice President at Element 44 Inc, to get his tips on which ingredients to look for whether you have oily, dry, or acne-prone skin, and which to avoid.

FURTHER READING: What skin type do I have? | Best moisturiser for all skin types | Skin serum, facial oil or moisturiser: What’s the difference and which one do you need?

What does moisturiser do?

Credit: Compound Chemistry

Moisturisers work on the outer layer of your skin called the stratum corneum. This layer is typically referred to as the dead layer because it’s where dead skin cells are.

“Cells in the epidermis are not living but moisturisers do two main things,” Romanowski told mamabella.  “They attract and bind water in the epidermis which makes the skin more flexible and makes it feel better, and [they] add emollients to the skin which makes it directly feel and look better.”

How does moisturiser work?

The best moisturisers contain ingredients from three main categories – occlusives, emollients, and humectants.

• There is an occlusive agent, such as petrolatum, that provides a thin layer on top of the skin that prevents moisture from escaping. This creates a long-lasting moisturising effect.
• Then, there are humectants, like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, that attract and bind moisture in the skin.
• Lastly, there are emollients, like mineral oil, which soften and condition the skin, making it more flexible and smoother.

How to choose a moisturiser for your skin type

mamabella | mamabella

When looking for a moisturiser, certain ingredients will help certain skin types. Of course, if you don’t know your skin type you’re already on the back foot.

We explain more about how to determine what type of skin you have in our What skin type do I have? guide, but to summarise:

You have dry skin if:

• Your face feels tight, especially after cleansing
• You have premature fine lines
• You pores appear small
• Makeup has a tendency to cling to patches of your skin
• Your skin flakes, is itchy or red

Look for: Dry skin tends to be lacking in oil so needs more emollients and occlusive ingredients to help increase oil and moisture levels. These ingredients also prevent water from evaporating from the skin.

What to avoid: Avoid moisturisers or any skincare products containing fragrances if your skin, especially if your skin is sensitive.

mamabella recommends: CeraVe Moisturising Cream, Purito Deep Sea Water Cream, The Ordinary Moisturising Factors and HA, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Getty Images/iStockphoto

You have oily skin if: 

• Your face often looks shiny and feels greasy
• You have noticeable pores
• You’re prone to spots
• Makeup doesn’t last long on your skin/melts off
• You need to apply powder throughout the day

Look for: Oily skin can get away without moisturising daily however, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t need a moisturiser at all. This is because oily skin can still become dehydrated and if the skin becomes too dehydrated, it can cause your cells to produce even more oil to overcompensate – thus making the situation worse. Look for humectants and light emollients/thin occlusives.  If you’re prone to acne, you can also buy moisturisers with ingredients such as salicylic acid, and benzoyl peroxide which can both help.

What to avoid: Try to reduce the number of products that contain dimethicone and silicones if you have oily skin, or make sure you’re cleansing and exfoliating well.

mamabella recommends: The Inkey List Omega Water Cream, e.l.f Superhydrate Gel Moisturiser, Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier, Byoma Moisturising Gel-Cream

 

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A post shared by Dr Michelle Wong – Beauty Science (@labmuffinbeautyscience)

If you have a mixture of symptoms from these two lists, you have combination skin. If you don’t have any of these signs, you have normal skin.

Within these skin types you can then additionally have sensitive skin, or dehydrated skin. Yes, even oily skin can be dehydrated.

You have sensitive skin if: 

• You often suffer from redness
• Your face itches or stings
• Your skin feels hot
• You’re prone to rashes

Romanowski adds that people should avoid ingredients they are allergic to or have bad reactions with. If you react badly to a certain moisturiser, finding out the exact ingredient can be tricky. Often this can be fragrances, which can be in the form of esters, or ingredients like plant extracts or oils.

Keep a note of any moisturising products that react badly with your skin and try to identify the common ingredient, but a general rule, if you have sensitive skin, avoid anything with fragrances in.

mamabella | mamabella

You have dehydrated skin if: 

• Your skin looks or feels rough
• Your face feels tight or less elastic
• Your skin looks dull, doesn’t look glowy

You might have also come across the terms ‘dry’ and ‘dehydrated’ skin and while they sound like the same thing, there’s a slight distinction. Dry skin needs oils, while dehydrated skin needs moisture. That said, according to Romanowski, there’s not much difference between these two terms when it comes to the chemistry of your skin. Read more in our guide: Do you have dry skin or is just dehydrated? Here’s how to tell the difference.

“These are more marketing terms that refer to the condition of the skin” he explains. “Dehydrated skin refers to the condition of the skin cells and the amount of water that is in them.” Most of the time, when this happens, it means there is no water in the skin.  Dry skin refers to the way dehydrated skin feels and typically involves things like scaly-looking skin, itchy skin, and rough-feeling skin.”

READ NEXT: What’s really in your foundation?

What about mature skin?

Just like foundations, those of us with mature skin might want to make sure our moisturiser contains sun protection.

Mature skin can become drier more easily, so ingredients that replenish skin including ceramides, sodium PCA, glycerin, glycerol, and silicones are all welcome in a moisturiser, too. Wearing SPF is key for all skin types, but especially for mature skin.

Look for:

• Hyaluronic acid
• Vitamin C – to treat dark spots and pigmentation
• SPF
• Sodium PCA
• Silicones

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post What does moisturiser do – and how to match a moisturiser to your skin type appeared first on mamabella.

After just a single search for face serums online brings up a confusing barrage of options.

Whether it’s anti-pollution, brightening, anti-ageing, moisturising, or stress-reducing, there doesn’t seem to be much a facial serum can’t do.

And with prices for such “miracle” products ranging from a few pounds to an incredible £650. SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS, it’s a minefield.

For that latter price, we’d expect someone to come and apply it for us!

To avoid you overspending or choosing the wrong serum for your skin type, below we’ve explained the science of serums.

We’ve explained what serums do, what ingredients you should be looking out for, and which is the best serum on the market.

We’ve highlighted a number of our favourite niacinamide, vitamin C and vitamin E serums but if you’re looking for a more comprehensive list, check out our best face serum list.

Tip: If you’re not sure of your skin type, take a look at our What skin type do I have? guide.

What is serum? 

While cleansers, toners and the best moisturisers are designed to help clean and hydrate the upper layers of the skin, a serum works below the surface to target the layers you can’t see. Serums are typically concentrated liquids, as opposed to creams, that are quickly absorbed into your skin and tend to be applied via a dropper if oil-based, or a pump if water-based.

Two of the most common ingredients listed in serums are retinol and niacinamide.

Retinol is another name for vitamin A, and it is marketed as a solution to fine lines and wrinkles, whereas niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 found in green vegetables, meat, fish, and eggs that can help additionally tackle dehydration and pigmentation.

You can read more in our Retinol for beginners guide, and our What is niacinamide and what does it do to your skin? explainer.

What does serum do?

According to Dr Abigail Waldman, serums are especially good for people who are worried about signs of ageing. The concentrated nature of serums works well in delivering anti-ageing ingredients, like antioxidants, that will help slow down DNA damage in your skin which is what causes your skin to slump, sag and look sallow or dull.

This is why most serums are targeted at the face, but you can also buy serums for your neck and décolletage – the skin on your chest and in between your boobs. Many people concentrate on using skincare products to reduce and prevent signs of ageing on their face and around their eyes, in particular, but brands such as PRAI also sell serums to stop your neck from sagging or your skin becoming crêpey.

READ NEXT: How to get rid of age spots fast

Popular serum ingredients

Shutterstock

• Retinol: First developed as an acne treatment 40 years ago, retinol in serums and other skincare products can help even out pigmentation and stimulate the production of collagen. A study in 2006 by researchers in India and Germany found “amongst various anti-ageing agents, retinoids are the most promising agents.”
• Niacinamide: Niacinamide works by stimulating the production of ceramides, which provide the skin with a barrier to the outside world. Anti-pollution serums will often contain niacinamide for this reason. This is also where it’s anti-ageing properties come in, as our natural ceramide barriers weaken with age and too much exposure to sunlight. According to some companies, niacinamide can help treat wrinkles, dehydration, oily skin and pigmentation, and is often marketed as a treatment for acne and eczema. The clinical research available to back this up is less clear-cut than it is for retinol and ageing, but with niacinamide serums available for reasonable prices, from brands like The Ordinary, it might be worth a try. You can read more in our The Ordinary Niacinamide review.
• Vitamin C: Elsewhere, another popular serum ingredient – Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid – is proven to reduce brown spots and reverse damage caused by sunlight while stimulating the growth of collagen.
• Vitamin E: You’ll also find the antioxidant Vitamin E in many serums and skincare products because of its similarly protective, anti-ageing properties.
• Ferulic acid: Ferulic acid is found in plants, including oats, which are also commonly used to firm the skin.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? The truth about the acids in your skincare

How to use serum 

In terms of a routine, serums are used on clean skin – so after you’ve cleansed, exfoliated and toned the skin – but before you apply your moisturiser. This gives the serum chance to soak into the skin when it’s fresh and clear before a layer of moisturiser is added which can prevent the serum from working as effectively, and may even stop it from penetrating the lower layers of your skin.

When it comes to combining different ingredients across your cleanser, toner, moisturiser and serum – especially when they are acidic – be careful to avoid irritation. This is where serums that contain a mixture of active ingredients are good because you know they work together well. It’s also good practice to apply serum to a small area of the skin first and wait to see if there is any irritation before using it on your face.

What’s more, introducing retinol into a skincare routine can sometimes cause irritation or dry skin, so it’s a good idea to start using it every few days and increase its use gradually.

The best niacinamide serums

Serums that contain niacinamide help treat wrinkles, dehydration, oily skin and pigmentation. Suitable for acne and eczema-prone skin.

︎ Face Theory Porebright Serum N10

£14.99 | Buy now

Facetheory

Why we love it: Face Theory is all made in the UK – in Sheffield – and the brand now ships worldwide. Face Theory is on a mission to make the very best clean, unfrgranced skincare products it can – and to deliver them at an affordable price point.

With active ingredients inside this serum, such as

• Aloe vera – to clarify excess sebum while soothing and hydrating the skin
• Azelaic Acid – an anti-inflammatory derived from wheat that kills light to moderate acne bacteria (it’s not suitable for severe acne)
• Niacinamide –  also known as Vitamin B3 that helps reduce the appearance of enlarged pores and even out skin tone.

You can use this serum on its own or underneath your moisturiser but because it contains 10% of niacinamide and azelaic, it is recommended you use just a small amount. You can read more about the benefits of introducing new products in our guide to skin purging. 

This is suitable for oily or combination skin with enlarged pores as well as sensitive and mature skin.

︎ The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

£5 | Buy now

The Ordindary

Why we love it: We love The Ordinary here at mamabella and it always has a solution for whatever you need for your skin – so much so you can see the full range in our  best The Ordinary products for all your skincare concerns guide.

Its Niacinamide and Zinc bestseller is an oil-free serum that contains 10% of niacinamide with zinc salt to balance visible sebum.

All reviews have said this has been a gamechanger for people with excess sebum and large pores; they have even noticed a natural glow to the skin too. Users have noticed that their skin has also been brighter and even. All for a fiver! You can read what we thought of it in our The Ordinary Niacinamide serum review.

READ NEXT: The best The Ordinary products for all skin concerns

The best Vitamin C serums

Vitamin C – also known as ascorbic acid – helps get rid of age spots and reverse damage caused by sunlight while stimulating the growth of collagen.

︎ Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate

£54 | Buy now

Kiehl's

Why we love it: This serum has 12.5% of Vitamin C power and we love it because we’ve seen our dark spots reduced, and our skin feels plump and smooth after use. This isn’t the typical serum that has a watery/gel consistency, this serum feels more like a light paste.

Given the relatively high concentration of Vitamin C, it does look slightly orange and has a gritty feel to it. And once applied to your face you will feel a slight tingling sensation but that subsides quickly and didn’t cause us any irritation.

This serum additionally contains hyaluronic acid to restore moisture.

READ NEXT: What does vitamin C do for your skin?

Vichy Liftactiv Vitamin C Skin Brightening Corrector

£27.99 | Buy now

Vichy

Why we love it: If you need a quick fix, this 10ml Vitamin C serum is used for 10 days only, and within those 10 days we guarantee you will see brighter and smoother skin.

This serum contains 15% of pure Vitamin C, it also contains Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid to nourish and hydrate your skin.

The Best Vitamin E serums

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Antioxidant Vitamin C Serum

£140 | Buy now

SkinCeuticals

Why we love it: SkinCeuticals is known as advanced skincare, back by science and it was the first brand to run a clinical study looking into the effectiveness of Vitamin C on the skin. It’s no surprise, then, that its C E Ferulic serum is a best seller.

It is a powerful antioxidant and SkinCeuticals claims it can deliver eight times environmental protection, all the while helping your skin free from radical damage, improve fine lines, wrinkles and loss of firmness. You can read more about free radicals in our guide to the best foods for skin.

Yes, the price tag is hard to swallow but having ingredients like 15% pure Vitamin C, 1% Vitamin E and 0.5% of ferulic acid doesn’t come cheap.

We found this serum helped to tackle visible anti-ageing, like our fine lines and wrinkles while making your skin firm, bright and glowing.

Buy now from Look Fantastic

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post The science of serums: What is serum and what does serum do? appeared first on mamabella.

During lockdown, while professional beauty treatments like lash lifts were impossible to get done in salons, many of us resorted to at-home kits to get our fix at home. One of the companies benefiting from this trend is Diablo Cosmetics with the Diablo Lash Lift kit.

The company sells make-up brushes, applicators and other accessories, but is best known for its eyelash perm kit.

Diablo Lash Lift contains safe and irritant-free ingredients that ensure your lashes remain nourished and flake-free.

The kit is cruelty-free. Diablo does not use animals for testing, nor do they work with companies that do.

Note: Always carry out a patch test before using anything like this kit. Put a small amount of each product on the inside of your elbow and wait 24 to 48 hours. If you have no redness, swelling, itching or burning, it’s safe to use the kit.

Buy now from Diablo Cosmetics

Diablo Lash Lift Eyelash Perm Kit Review

Diablo Cosmetics

We have never had a lash lift before, so can’t compare the results to professional treatment, but this does mean that we are complete noobs to the whole process. A point which may help make our review accurate and relevant.

Thankfully, the Diablo Lash Lift kit is easy to use. There are plenty of video tutorials to watch to get an idea how to use the kit, and there are only a few steps. It can be fiddly at times, but we didn’t expect much less from a lash-lifting kit. There’s a reason why therapists need to complete courses on this stuff!

The kit comes with a variety of sizes of lash pads to choose from, and we went for the ‘S’ size, which is supposed to give a dramatic effect. Because our eyelashes are short to start with, we weren’t expecting a dramatic transformation, and we were right.

However, the process definitely lifted the lashes, so they became much more visible above the eyelid than before.

Immediately after applying the kit, the eyelashes were clumped together, but after a night’s sleep they had spread out evenly and looked much better. The instructions do say when you lift the lashes onto the adhesive, to make sure they’re evenly spread out. But that is really tricky to do.

READ NEXT: Best eyelash growth serums: Strengthen and lengthen your lashes and brows with these serums

Buy now from Diablo Cosmetics

Application

There are three main stages to this Diablo Lash Lift kit.

Firstly, you cleanse your lashes. Then you apply adhesive to a lash pad, stick it to your eye, then apply more adhesive to the front of it.

You scrape your eyelashes up so they are stuck to the pad, then apply a perming solution. After waiting fifteen minutes, you remove the perming solution and apply a fixing solution.

After another eight minutes, you remove that and then apply a nourishing solution at the end, using a lash comb.

The kit requires you to have your own cotton buds, which we didn’t have, so we used small eye makeup brushes to apply each solution. It also requires cling film to put over your eye as you wait for the solutions to do their bit.

READ NEXT: Best mascara: From Too Faced’s Better Than Sex to Lancôme’s Hypnose – here are our fave lash lifts

Buy now from Diablo Cosmetics

Results

Abigail Beall | mamabella

We were expecting to see more visible results based on the photos and videos we’d been shown in ads, and we’d seen in other reviews, so we were incredibly disappointed.

This process is fiddly, so if you’re not into intricate procedures then maybe it’s not for you. But even with our short, straight lashes, there is definitely a clear result. Our lashes are much more visible now with nothing on, and it makes a much better base for mascara.

We can’t wait for four weeks’ time, when we are allowed to try the whole process again now that we know how it works, to see if the results are any better.

If you’re used to having lash treatments and feel like you’re missing them, or if you are just curious about what the effects might be – especially if you have straight and long natural lashes – we’d recommend trying this kit.

Also, because you can use the Diablo Lash Lift kit ten times, it works out at just £2.90 per perm. This is a tenth of the price you’d pay in a salon.

Of course, the results aren’t going to be the same as having it professionally done, but if you are willing to spend an hour fiddling with your lashes, you might be surprised at the effects.

FURTHER READING: Lash lift 101: Everything you need to know about lash lifts from how they work to how long they last

Diablo Lash Lift Verdict

We’d like to caveat this review by first saying we’ve seen other people’s results using the Diablo Lash Lift Eyelash Perm kit, and they’re better than ours.

For people with short eyelashes to begin with, like us, this just might not be the kit for you.

However, if you have long, straight lashes and you’re looking to give them a bit of a lift, this might be perfect for you. It’s relatively easy to get the process right, even for someone who has never had a lash lift before.

The best thing is there is enough of every solution to try it ten times so if you don’t quite get it right the first time, you can give it another go.

Buy now from Diablo Cosmetics

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post Diablo Lash Kit review: Is it really possible to get a professional lash lift at home? appeared first on mamabella.

You can spend a fortune on finding the best foundation, but not a single brand – from budget to designer – will look right until you find the correct foundation shade and tone for your skin.

As a guide, you’ll know when you’ve got a perfect foundation match when you are able to apply it to only parts of your face without it being obvious. That said, though, given that foundation is used to balance your skin tone and create a blank canvas, don’t be disheartened if the colour doesn’t immediately match. If it blends in naturally as you start to buff it out, then it’s a close foundation match.

In our How to apply foundation like a pro, our resident makeup artist Victoria Howe explains – as part of our Ask the MUA series – that if you have to apply foundation all over your face to balance out the colour, you’ve got the wrong shade and tone.

Below we’ve explained how to find a foundation match manually, as well as how to find a foundation match online. We’ve also listed the various shade finder tools from major brands (and will be adding more as they become available, and as we try them out). Click one of the links below to jump to the section that suits you best:

• How to find a foundation match manually
• How to find a foundation match online

READ NEXT:

• The best cheap makeup alternatives to Charlotte Tilbury, NARS, Huda Beauty, and more
• Cheap skincare alternatives for La Mer, Skinceuticals and more

︎ General foundation match tools

• Findation: Try the Findation foundation finder
• Cult Beauty: Try the Cult Beauty Match Me Foundation finder
• Temptalia: Try the Temptalia Foundation Matrix
• Slapp: Try the Slapp foundation finder
• Boots: Try the Boots foundation finder

︎ Brand foundation match tools 

• Bobbi Brown: Bobbi Brown foundation finder
• Boots: Boots foundation finder
• Charlotte Tilbury: Charlotte Tilbury shade finder
• Charlotte Tilbury: Charlotte Tilbury Foundation Finder (this is different to the one above!)
• Estee Lauder: Estee Lauder shade finder 
• Fenty Beauty: Fenty Beauty shade finder
• Huda Beauty: Huda Beauty shade finder
• Il Makiage: Il Makiage shade finder
• MAC: MAC Cosmetics shade finder
• No7: No7 Foundation Analysis tool
• TooFaced: TooFaced foundation finder
• Urban Decay: Urban Decay shade finder

How to find a foundation match

The first place to start when looking at foundation types and brands is to identify your skin tone, which is notoriously the most difficult part.

What is my skin tone?

Temptalia

Undertones fall into three categories – warm, cool and neutral –  and choosing a foundation with the wrong undertone is what causes your face to look yellow or orange, or white as a ghost when applied. So how can you tell which of these categories you fall into?

 Foundation match: Jewellery test

In natural lighting, put on a piece of gold and silver jewellery at the same time.

• If the gold jewellery looks better against your skin, you have a warm skin tone
• If the silver jewellery looks better, your skin tone is cool
• If both colours suit you, your tone is most likely neutral

Foundation match: White test

In natural lighting, hold a pure white piece of clothing next to your skin, followed by an off-white piece of clothing.

• If you better suit the pure white clothing, you have a warm skin tone
• If the off-white clothing looks better against your skin, your tone is cool
• If both suit you, your tone is most likely neutral

If you have warm skin tone, look for foundations with yellow and peachy undertones.

If you have cool skin tone, your skin better suits makeup with pink/red and blue tones.

If your skin is neutral, a mixture of the two will look great.

How to match foundation to your skin online

It is always important to try any foundation before you buy it, and most shops and online retailers will be able to provide samples for this once you’ve narrowed down your shade.

They will also be able to help you make these selections. Alternatively, you can carry on reading to find out how to match foundation to your skin online.

You can also virtually try on various foundation shades on an increasing number of retailer’s own websites. You can find out more in our: How to try makeup on online guide.

︎ Findation Foundation Finder

Findation

Foundation match sites, such as Findation, work by comparing the similarity between brands. For example, if you know your match in Smashbox or MAC, the site will tell you what Estee Lauder foundation you need.

You can add a single foundation, or multiple types, and the site will build a picture of what your skin tone is before making suggestions.

It’s also ideal if you’re looking to switch up your foundation, especially in winter compared to summer when your skin might be drier. This way you can find the correct shade in a foundation brand that will be more hydrating, as an example.

The more types you add, the more accurate the suggestions. The downside is that if you’re yet to find a foundation match, you won’t have a point of reference. It also doesn’t support all makeup brands, so there are limitations but it’s a great place to start.

Try Findation's Matching Site

FURTHER READING: Best foundation for dry skin and Best foundation for oily skin, acne, spots and blemishes

︎ Cult Beauty Match Me Foundation

Cult Beauty

The Cult Beauty Match Me service offers a slightly different take on the other foundation match sites in this list in that it lets you find your perfect foundation shade based on a selfie.

You begin by entering your country, email address and name. The former is so the site can match you with foundations that are available in your country.

Once in, you’ll be asked to select your skin tone from Fair, Light, Medium, Tan/Olive, Dark/Rich, and Deep before being asked to narrow this selection down.

Next, you’ll be asked to choose your preferred coverage – sheer, light, medium, and full – and you can choose as many as you like.

Step 5 of the survey asks how you like to wear your foundation – lighter than your natural skin tone, true tone, or darker, and then you’ll be asked to upload a selfie.

To be honest, we’re not sure why we have to go through the rigmarole of choosing an undertone and then narrowing this down if we’re just going to upload a selfie but still, the Match Me service will then present all your matches from across the brands that are both on sale via Cult Beauty, and that have agreed to take part in the service.

Our matches include Huda Beauty, NARS, IT Cosmetics, Charlotte Tilbury, The Ordinary, and many, many more. You can filter this list based on the type of coverage or brand you want, by price range, by skin type, and more. You can also get the list emailed over to you for future reference.

Alternatively, if you’re ready to buy you can just click “Select Colour”.

Try Cult Beauty's Match Me

︎ Temptalia Foundation Matrix

Temptalia

With Temptalia’s foundation matrix , you start from scratch. By manually inputting information about your undertones and how fair your skin is, the site will give you a foundation match.

It begins by asking you to pick from one of six undertones. These range from Pink to Peach, Neutral, Olive, Yellow and Red. Each with a description underneath. From there, you’re asked to narrow this down further. You are then presented with a row of foundation shades and you need to select the one you think aligns most closely.

Of course, the accuracy depends on the information you input and getting you to choose a shade from a list when you have no idea is almost counterintuitive. Plus the exact foundation colour match you need can change throughout the year.

In summer, if you spend a lot of time in the sun, your skin might tan or become freckly (make sure you’re reducing the chances of this by wearing SPF if you want to avoid age spots when you’re older!). In this case, you will need a different shade of foundation.

Try Temptalia's Matching Site

︎ Slapp

What started out as foundation match app, Slapp has since expanded to be an online makeup comparison and shopping site. However, it’s stayed true to its original mission and offers a way to get an exact match by uploading a selfie.

It was set up by fashion and beauty journalist Jamila Robertson, and it uses technology to recognise your skin tone before recommending which foundations will suit you best.

Simply upload a photo in natural light (so take the photo when stood outside in the middle of the day) and select reference points on your face. This includes the skin tone on your cheek, chin and forehead.

From this, Slapp will analyse your skin tone and make suggestions of which foundation to buy. You can then buy directly from the app.

Try Slapp's Matching App

Finding a foundation match from your favourite brands

Almost all major makeup brands now offer tools that help you find a foundation match.

Of course, they only recommend their own foundation shades but once you’ve successfully matched to an individual brand, you can use the likes of Findation or Slapp to find the matching shade in other foundation ranges.

︎ Bobbi Brown Foundation Match

Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown’s foundation match offers two different ways to help you find your perfect foundation shade.

The first takes you through four step-by-step guided questions to help you narrow down your skin tone, undertone and coverage preferences. It begins by asking you to select from skin tones including Extra light, Light, Medium, Medium-deep or Deep.

You’ll then be asked to select from one of three undertones: cool, neutral or warm. The third step then shows you what foundation shade you have been matched with, it provides an image of a woman who is wearing the foundation shade that resembles your skin. If this isn’t correct you can go back and change the skin tone or undertone. If the match is perfect you can continue and Bobbi Brown will recommend two foundations that are their best sellers.

Still not convinced that is your correct shade? Bobbi Brown also offers a virtual try-on. This is best used on the mobile phone as the virtual try-on Bobbi Brown will need access to your front camera to match you with the correct foundation shade.

All you need is good lighting and a clean camera lens. Bobbi Brown’s programme will then scan your face and once it’s recognised your skin tone it will give options of ‘perfect match’, a ‘lighter shade’ or a ‘dark shade’ and you will be able to see the difference between these shades to see which suits you best.

Take the Bobbi Brown virtual try-on

︎ Boots Foundation Match

Boots

Boots offers a fuss-free foundation match finder that takes you through six steps to take to find the right shade – and its results aren’t reserved for its own N07 brand. There’s a separate tool for that, which we’ve detailed below.

The general Boots Foundation Finder starts by asking what type of foundation you like to use – liquid, cream, powder, mousse, cushion, pressed or stick. The second step shows you a series of images displaying different skin tones and you have to choose the one that best suits your own, from a possible list of 19. These range from very light to dark.

The third step asks what skin type you have, from a list of eight, and we really like this because this makes a huge difference as to how well you get on with a foundation. You are then asked what type of coverage you want which ranges from barely there to full. It also gives you the option of choosing a foundation finish, from natural, matte, dewy or satin to luminous.

The fifth and final step is all about the undertone of your skin and once that is selected it gives you results. Refreshingly, Boots doesn’t just show No7 foundations and these results come from a range including Revlon, Clarins, No7, Maybelline and it also lets you the filter price range too. We enjoyed using this foundation finder and it gives more depth to finding you the closest match.

Try Boots Foundation Finder

︎ Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury offers two online foundation matching tools. The first, the Foundation Finder, works in a similar way to the Il MAKIAGE quiz by asking you to rate your skin tone compared to photos of other men and women, as opposed to you trying to work out if you’ve got a yellow undertone or a neutral base.

This sounds like it should be harder, but it’s amazing how much easier it is to pick out the skin tone that most closely matches yours. And if you’re struggling, take a selfie in natural light and put it next to each photo!

You can also choose whether you want light, medium or full coverage as Charlotte Tilbury’s foundations are very different. The Light Wonder, for example, is poles apart from the Flawless Finish range in terms of thickness and blurring.

The second foundation match tool is powered by AI and is called Charlotte’s Expert Foundation Finder.

You begin in a similar way, selecting the skin tone that most suits yours from a line-up of photos, before choosing which tone “you see most in your skin” – this ranges from green to pink, yellow, golden and beige. You’re then encouraged to either take a live selfie, or upload a photo.

We were recommended Shade 5 – Neutral in Charlotte Tilbury’s new Beautiful Skin Foundation range and the brand does claim that with this AI-powered foundation match tool, if you don’t get a flawless match then you can get your money back.

Alternatively, you can book a live 1-2-1 consultation with a Charlotte Tilbury makeup artist and they can help you out.

Use the foundation finder

︎ Estée Lauder

Estee Lauder

It’s not cheap, but the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation consistently tops best foundation lists. This is because it offers a buildable, full-coverage finish without leaving your skin looking cakey. It doesn’t settle into your pores and fine lines, even without primer, and it has an impressively wide shade range. Plus, it comes with SPF 10.

Of course, having such a selection of tones and undertones to choose from also makes finding your perfect foundation match a little tricky. Estee Lauder offers a couple of options to help you.

Firstly, you can have a 1-2-1 consultation with one of Estee Lauder’s beauty consultants. They can advise you about skincare, makeup and more.

Secondly, on the mobile version of the Estee Lauder site, you can virtually try on each shade using a selfie, or live camera. This iMatch Service is available here, or you can access it via the foundation’s product page.

Read our full Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation review

Use the iMatch Service

︎ Fenty Beauty foundation shades

Fenty Beauty

You’re a little spoiled for choice when it comes to finding your best Fenty Beauty foundation shade.

Firstly, there’s the Shade Finder Quiz. In a similar way to other quizzes in this foundation match article, it involves answering a series of questions and picking models that most closely match your skin tone.

From there, Fenty Beauty will not only reveal which shade/number you are in the Pro Filt’r range, but it will also show you which shade to go for in the new Eaze Drop tinted moisturiser collection.

What we love about this is that it also tells you what type of skin tone you have i.e: “for light to medium skin with warm yellow undertones” which makes it easier when shopping on other sites, too.

Rihanna then takes this Shade Finder Quiz a step further by letting you virtually try on the recommended shades.

This tool superimposes each shade over an image of your face to help you uncover your closest match and if it’s not quite right, you can try various shades either side of your recommended tone until you find your favourite.

You don’t have to take the Shade Finder Quiz first, either. Simply go straight to the Pro Filt’r or Eaze Drop page and select “Try on Shade” in the bottom right-hand corner of the image. Et voila! There are 50 shades to choose from so you should be able to find one that best suits you.

Also, don’t feel like you have to then buy the foundation via Fenty Beauty’s US site. You can simply go to Boots and buy it direct from the high street!

Fenty Beauty foundation shades

︎ Huda Beauty foundation shades

Huda Beauty

There are a couple of ways to find your best Huda Beauty foundation shade. The easiest is by using the brand’s own shade finder quiz (explained below), but because it’s such a popular brand, you can also use Findation and the Cult Beauty Foundation Match Me tools above.

To use the Huda Beauty foundation shade finder you need to decide whether you’re looking for a foundation match for the #FauxFilter Luminous Matte foundation, the #FauxFilter Foundation Sticks, or the GloWish Skin Tint.

Once you’ve decided, click on the links below to go to the specific shade match quiz.

• #FauxFilter Luminous Matte foundation match quiz
• #FauxFilter Foundation Sticks shade finder
• GloWish Skin Tint shade finder

None of them is particularly complex, and they rely quite heavily on you understanding your skin tone and being able to pick out a similar tone from a line-up of people. That said, the times we’ve used it we’ve managed to get close enough and we wouldn’t say identifying our skin tone is a strength of ours!

Take the Huda Beauty quizzes

︎ Il Makiage

Il Makiage

We’ve tried many, many, many foundation match quizzes and tools but the best, most accurate has been Il Makiage’s Power Match algorithm.

If you haven’t heard of Il Makiage, it’s a cult makeup brand from New York that recently launched in the UK.

With the launch, it brought its machine learning Power Match makeup quiz and, through the use of a bespoke algorithm, the foundation finder can find your perfect shade with a 90% accuracy rate.

This quiz asks you a series of questions before recommending one of the company’s 50 shades, and it does this without ever looking at a selfie. The brand can also recommend concealers that pair perfectly with your recommended shade.

Having typically struggled to find a shade that suits us, this tool nailed it however, at 90% accurate there will of course be 10% of recommendations that don’t hit the mark.

This is why Il Makiage lets you try any recommended shade for a matter of weeks before giving you the option of trying another shade. If it does mismatch your tone, you can return the foundation or swap it for free.

Take the Il Makiage quiz

︎ MAC Cosmetics

MAC Cosmetics

The MAC Foundation Finder tool approaches finding a foundation match a little differently. You have to manually choose whether your skin is Light, Light to Medium, Medium, Medium to Dark, Dark or Deep Dark before selecting a selfie, from a row of images, of a person whose skin most closely resembles yours.

This is definitely quicker and more simple than other foundation matching tools but puts more emphasis on you knowing whether you’re dark vs deep dark, or whether your undertone is golden or rosy.

Either way, once you make a selection you will be shown your selfie choice and you can either swipe right to see a lighter shade, or swipe left to see a darker one.

Under each image are the most appropriate shades across MACs base makeup range including its Studio Fix Fluid, Studio Fix Powder and Studio Waterweight foundation.

These offer Full, Medium-To-Full and Sheer-to-Medium coverage, respectively.

Take the MAC quiz

︎ No7 Foundation Analysis Tool

No7

No7 recently launched an AI-powered Foundation Analysis Tool that helps you discover the best type of foundation, and shade, across the entire No7 foundation range.

You start by selecting your skin type – if you’re unsure, check out our What skin type do I have? guide for help – and which skin concerns you want to improve. You then select your preferred finish and coverage before uploading a selfie.

Once a match has been found, you’ll be shown the type of foundation that would best suit your skin above three different shades. The shade in the centre is the shade No7 believes is your best match, however it also shows the shades above and below and you can virtually try all three on within the same window.

Once you’ve found your favourite, click Add To Basket and then go to Checkout to buy.

FURTHER READING: We’ve ranked Boots No7 foundations from worst to best, from Stay Perfect to Beautifully Matte

Try the No7 tool

︎ Too Faced

Too Faced

TooFaced’s Find Your Match quiz not only contains a quick shade finder quiz that helps you find your perfect foundation, but it also helps you discover a customised routine to help enhance your complexion even further.

You start by selecting your skin type – from dry, to balanced, oily and combination – before being asked which skin concern bothers you the most. The choices this time include hyperpigmentation, blemishes, dark circles, redness and pores and texture. Too Faced then shows four foundations with different finishes, and these include matte, naturally flawless, naturally flawless and radiant, and 24-hour natural matte.

It’s only then that you’re asked to pick from one of three undertones; rosy, golden and neutral, before using a shade slider to pick your closest skin tone to reveal your perfect shade.

Take the Too Faced quiz

︎ Urban Decay

Urban Decay

Urban Decay offers a great online Find my Shade quiz that helps you find a foundation match, but (unsurprisingly) it will only match you to an Urban Decay Stay Naked foundation.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, we’re big fans of this foundation – particularly for dark skin tones – but it is pricey.

The video below explains more about using the quiz and you can discover your Urban Decay shade here.

Take the Urban Decay quiz

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post How to find your perfect foundation match online and in-store appeared first on mamabella.

The basic principle of shampoo and conditioner is cleaning and softening. Shampoo is a detergent, and, like any soap, it strips your hair of oils. This can often have a drying, damaging effect, and conditioner is there to reduce the damage, keeping hair moist.

READ NEXT: How to make hair grow faster

Below, we’ve explained the science of what makes hair dry or greasy and how shampoo and conditioners work to leave your hair feeling soft and shiny.

And if you want buying advice, we’ve handpicked what we consider to be the best hair care products in our best shampoo and best conditioner roundups. You can even learn how to cut your own hair with expert advice from celebrity stylists Lee Stafford and Paul Windle.

FURTHER READING: Hairstory New Wash review: Can this £44 sulphate-free shampoo alternative transform our hair?

The science of hair

Hair has three main components – protein, mainly a kind called keratin, along with natural oils that keep hair flexible, and water.

All skin produces a greasy, oily substance called sebum; a pale yellow combination of lipids which is a general name for compounds including fats, oils, waxes, and vitamins. Most species of animals produce sebum, but human sebum contains squalene, something you may have heard mentioned in skincare, and wax esters, which are unique to us.

Different people produce sebum at different rates. Greater production of sebum is linked to acne, but as it is produced all over the body it also affects hair by coating it and making it look shiny. Too little and your hair lacks shine, too much and it looks greasy.

READ NEXT: Best shampoo for all hair types

When you bleach your hair, as in you treat it with hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, the bleach breaks down the fatty acids in order to destroy the pigments by basically dissolving them. This is why bleached hair needs more conditioning than non-bleached hair.

One small mercy is that this opening of the cuticles causes your hair to swell, which can have the effect of making bleached hair look thicker but this does mean it hides the damage. Conditioning masks, heat treatments and even pre-shampoo treatments are available for people with bleached hair and we swear by Aveda’s Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment.

How do shampoo and conditioners actually work?

Like most oils or fats, sebum is what’s known as hydrophobic, which means it repels water and makes your hair waterproof. To get rid of excess sebum, just like washing a greasy pan, you can’t use just water, you need soap. This is where shampoo comes in.

Detergents are a surfactant, meaning they decrease the surface tension of water and make it more able to bond with oils and fats.

This is how all soap, washing up liquid and laundry detergents work, and shampoo is no different. The difference is that shampoo often contains many more ingredients aimed at reducing the damage done to your hair.

If you washed your hair with just soap, it would become clean but most likely it would also be brittle and dry. So shampoos often contain conditioning agents, to plump and thicken your hair.

Conditioners contain silicones, to detangle, smooth hair cuticles and create a shine. This also helps to reduce splitting the ends of the hair because it makes it easier to brush through.

Brushing hair with too much force, especially while wet, can cause a lot of damage. The same goes for shampooing and towel drying, which can both also cause damage if done too vigorously.

Elsewhere, conditioners contain fatty alcohols which help to prevent static or frizzy hair.

In the summer, during warmer weather, your scalp will produce higher levels of sebum, making it appear greasier and sometimes frizzier, too.  The effect of this is, no matter how smooth you dry your hair, it causes frizzing.

There are many products on the market that contain anti-humectants and smoothing polymers, like shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil and olive oil, to help keep the frizz at bay.

Our favourite is John Frieda’s Weightless Wonder creme because its formula is great for taming frizz pre- and post-styling, and it doesn’t weigh the hair down. This is particularly great if your hair is fine or gets greasy quickly.

Reactions

What is sodium lauryl sulphate and is it as bad as people say?

Sodium lauryl sulphate or SLS is a chemical found in many soaps and shampoos – it’s quite common in cheaper brands – as well as shower gels and toothpaste and has been in use since the 1930s. Because it’s a so-called surfactant, SLS traps oil-based dirt which then helps for this dirt to be rinsed away in the shower and bath. It’s also what gives shampoos and shower gels their rich lather because it’s a foaming agent, meaning it turns liquids into foam.

READ NEXT: Best conditioner for all hair types

It’s been approved by experts and regulators as safe to use – it wouldn’t be allowed as an ingredient in many countries if it hadn’t been – but research has found that it can be particularly drying.

For most people, this won’t be a problem but skin conditions like eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis are known to have been adversely affected by SLS, as have people with dry, processed or natural hair which tends to create less sebum.

What’s more, the production of SLS often involves the use of palm oil, which means razing tropical forests, displacing communities and destroying wildlife to make way for the palm tree plantations. You can read more about sodium lauryl sulfate and the concerns around SLS in our What is sodium lauryl sulfate? article.

Our favourite sulphate-free shampoo is Pureology’s Fullfyl Colour Care Shampoo, which despite its name is great for coloured and non-coloured hair. Our favourite sulphate-free conditioner is OGX’s super cheap, gorgeous-smelling Nourishing and Coconut Milk Conditioner.

Don’t miss out! Sign up for the mamabella newsletter today

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post What does shampoo and conditioner actually do to your hair? appeared first on mamabella.

For those of us who barely have time to shower, let alone stick to a skincare or hair care routine, we recently revealed our favourite overnight hair masks, face masks and foot treatments that do the work while you sleep.

We’ve also started listing ways you can cheat your way to MUA-worth looks with our time-saving hacks.

For this article, we’re taking things a step further. We’ve rounded up the best one-palette wonders and makeup, skincare and haircare multitaskers that offer fantastic value for money; whether it’s a lipstick you can use as an eye cream, a cheek and lip stain, a cleanser that doubles up as a moisturiser, or a foundation with in-built skincare ingredients. We call these our mamabella miracles.

FURTHER READING: Skincare makeup: The best beauty products that are good for your complexion while saving you time and money

Best multitasking makeup

We’ll be adding to this article as we discover more multitasking makeup and if you have any recommendations of your own, let us know in the comments!

Each recommendation in this list saves money by combining multiple tasks and products into one price. Even those which are slightly on the expensive side are likely to be cheaper than buying individual products of the same quality separately. For example, the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look palettes are at least £70 cheaper than buying all the items on their own.

They each save space on your dressing table and draws. Not to mention the baggage space you can save when taking these products on weekends away or on holidays – when we’re allowed out of the house again that is!

They can also save you time rooting around for different products in your collection or applying three skincare products when one will do the job.

Lips, cheeks, and eyes

Milk Makeup Lip & Cheek

£20.50 | Buy now

Milk

In a super easy-to-apply cream, Milk Makeup’s Lip & Cheek stick can be used on, you guessed it, your lips or cheeks, as well as on your eyes if you’re feeling adventurous.

Packed with avocado and castor seed oil, the tint also hydrates while providing colour.

The beauty of using the same product on your lips and cheeks is that the tone will always match.

We love the dusty rose shade ‘Werk’, but it comes in four other colours and like all Milk Makeup products, it’s 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

The Milk Makeup Lip & Cheek stick comes in:

• Werk – dusty rose
• Quickie – berry purple
• Swish – bright pink
• Rally – mauve with shimmer
• Perk – coral with shimmer

FURTHER READING: Milk Makeup UK: The best products from the cult classic beauty brand

Buy now from Milk

Benefit Benetint

£16 | Buy now

Benefit

We have loved this product for years and it’s one of the original – and best – lines from Benefit Cosmetics.

You can read more about the brand and why we love it so much in our Spotlight on Benefit article.

Both a cheek and lip tint, Benetint can be used as a blusher or to provide lip colour that lasts hours.

It smells gorgeous, is easy to apply, and has been sold by Benefit since the 1970s. A tiny bit goes a long way, so although £16 is a lot for one small bottle, it really does last months and months.

There appears to be a shortage of Benetint as it’s out of stock from Benefit and Cult Beauty, but it’s still on sale at Boots so if you want it, be quick!

Buy now from Benefit

︎ Laura Mercier Caviar Stick

£26 | Buy now

Laura Mercier

This creamy Laura Mercer Caviar Stick eye colour doubles up as an eyeliner and eyeshadow.

You can quickly apply a wash of colour, or blend a single colour or a combination of shades to create a smudged smoky eye or add definition.

You can learn more in our how to apply eyeshadow guide.

Alternatively, it can be used as a simple tight-line shadow, bold block of eyeliner or a subtle feline flick.

If you’re opting for the latter, though, we recommend using a brush for a more precise application. There are 25 shades to choose from, from nude brown to bright berry and pink.

Buy now from Cult Beauty

Skin and face

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50

£32 | Buy now

IT Cosmetics

When it comes to multitasking facial products, you can’t get better than the Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream from IT Cosmetics.

Honestly, this little tube does almost everything – it combines the primer properties of a BB cream, the colour correction of CC cream, and the coverage of a foundation and concealer. We love it so much, it’s one the best foundations we’ve used.

It’s also buildable, so you can use it for a minimal makeup look, or dial it up when you’re going more glam. On top of that, this wonder cream has SPF 50, meaning you don’t have to apply a separate SPF or worry about the sun damaging your skin – which is the main cause of dreaded age spots and premature ageing.

And if that wasn’t enough, it’s absolutely packed full of hydrating skincare ingredients including hyaluronic acid, soy extract, firming collagen, and hydrolysed silk, along with grapefruit, orange, bergamot and lemon oils. At £32, this isn’t cheap but it can literally replace your primer, foundation, concealer, BB cream, CC cream and SPF moisturiser.

See our science of moisturiser article or our What is hyaluronic acid guide? for more info.

What’s the catch? This wonder cream is only available in 12 shades, which should still be enough to cover most skin tones but this is the only sacrifice you’ll need to make.

FURTHER READING: The truth about the acids in your skincare

Buy now from Cult Beauty

Charlotte Tilbury’s Multi-Miracle Glow

£45 | Buy now

Charlotte Tilbury

Although Charlotte Tilbury made her name as a makeup artist, her brand has since pushed into skincare and the results are equally as impressive.

Her Magic Cream, for example, is one the best moisturisers we’ve used and she recently released a Magic Serum within the same range.

If you’re looking for a product that triples up as a cleanser, a mask and a moisturising balm, look no further.

We love Charlotte Tilbury’s Multi-Miracle Glow because it can be used daily as a cleanser, throughout the day as a balm, or as a mask when your skin is particularly dry or you want to give it a treat.

We recommend leaving it as a mask overnight for the best results. It smells great and you’ll wake up with skin feeling smooth and soft.

FURTHER READING: The best overnight face masks

Buy now from Charlotte Tilbury

Glossier futuredew

£23 | Buy now

Glossier

Both an oil and a serum, Glossier’s futuredew is designed to be used as the final stage of a skincare routine, providing instant hydration and glow.

According to Glossier, in a third-party clinical trial involving 31 people between the ages of 21 and 59, 93% of subjects saw an increase in radiance after 12 hours.

After four weeks, 96% of users said they saw an improvement in their skin’s texture.

It’s hard to argue with those numbers and in our experience, we’ve certainly seen similar.

We love it because it’s dispensed using a pump rather than a dropper, which can often make oils and serums messy to apply.

READ NEXT: Serum, moisturiser and facial oil: What’s the difference?

Buy now from Glossier

Body

African Extracts Multi-Purpose Tissue Oil

£11.99 | Buy now

African Extracts

When African Extracts calls this oil multi-purpose, it’s not exaggerating.

The light, non-greasy treatment oil is full of antioxidants including Bio-Active Rooibos extract, Vitamin E, soybean, and geranium botanical extracts in a blend of grapeseed and sweet almond oils.

What’s more, there are no colourants, preservatives or added fragrances, making this ideal for sensitive skin.

It can be used on:

• Dry and dehydrated skin
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Uneven skin tone
• Scars, marks and blemishes
• Dry cuticles and brittle nails
• Dry scalp and lifeless hair
• Braids and dreadlocks

That’s just to name a few.

We place a couple of drops in our bath, use it as a makeup remover, massage it into the dry skin on our heels. We’ve also found it helps soothe patches of eczema, too.

Buy now from African Extracts

Olverum Bath Oil

£39.50 | Buy now

Olverum

Olverum Bath Oil is a cult classic. It smells incredible – made from a blend of ten essential oils including lavandin, juniper, rosemary, lemon, lavender, and exotic verbena – with a highly concentrated formulation meaning you only need one or two drops in a full bath to feel the benefits.

It helps you relax and soothes aching muscles, relieves stress, and we’ve definitely been sleeping better since we’ve been using it.

It’s won many awards and it’s entirely vegan.

Although it’s designed for the bath, we often put a tiny amount on our rough cuticles and dry elbows.

We also put a drop on our feet before putting on Avon’s moisturising socks (see our guide to the best overnight treatments for more info on these socks) and this helps us chill.

And, we’ve occasionally used a small bowl of it in our front room of an evening. We can’t get enough of its smell!

Buy now from Sephora UK

The Body Shop Drops of Light Liquid Peeling Solution

£18 | Buy now

The Body Shop

Face peels aren’t only perfect for brightening and clearing your complexion.

They can also do wonders for the dead skin on your feet.

It’s far from a catch-all treatment, but it helps shift the stubborn outer layers of dead and dry skin making it easier to target and moisturise the lower layers of skin.

Any peel will do but we are big fans of The Body Shop Drops of Light Liquid Peeling Solution.

It comes in at £18, which isn’t cheap, but you’re effectively getting two products for the price of one.

And if it finally helps you get rid of dry skin on your feet, then it’s more than worth the money!

Hair

Hershesons Almost Everything Cream

£10 | Buy now

Hershesons

Bad hair day? This is the only product you’ll need. Invented by celebrity hairstylist and author of Great Hair Days & How To Have Them, Luke Hersheson, the cream really does almost everything.

It can be used when you are fresh out of the shower as a conditioner, or on dry hair to help tame stray ends, tame frizz, and boost shine. Or put it on overnight as a hair mask. At only £10, this cream is a bargain.

Buy now from Hershesons

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post mamabella’s miracles: Save time and money with these multitasking makeup, skincare and hair products appeared first on mamabella.

Shaving is likely the easiest and most accessible option, but anyone who has shaved their nether regions or legs will know that shaving burn is not pleasant, and the regrowth causes its own prickly problems.

Waxing is one of the fastest methods of hair removal, but it’s also painful. Especially when you’re trying to do it yourself when salons are closed.

READ NEXT: Best hair removal cream UK

Then there are creams that promise to dissolve the hair, machines that use lasers to destroy the follicle, and do not get us started on epilators…

To help you choose the best hair removal option for you, we’ve looked into the science of each major type. We also recently selected what we consider to be the best hair removal creams, if that’s the route you opt for.

We should also mention that we equally support anyone who wants to just let their hair grow. Hair removal and the concept of beauty linked to bare skin is a social construct and hairy bodies are just as beautiful as those which are fuzz-free, so you do you! There’s no judgement here.

How does hair removal work?

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Understanding the science of hair removal helps to understand how hair grows.

Hair is made up of old cells fused together. It starts to grow underneath the surface of your scalp and breaks through the skin via follicles.

These follicles contain glands that produce sebum – the oily substance responsible for making your skin or hair feel greasy – and the shape and size of your follicle determines whether you’ll have curly or straight hair.

Almost all skin has hair follicles, except the palm of your hands, your lips, and the soles of your feet. This is why looking after your scalp, as opposed to treating just the dead hair, is the key to making your hair grow faster or stemming the tide of hair loss.

You can read more in our guide on how to make hair grow faster and stronger. 

The science of shaving

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The way shaving works is relatively simple. A blade cuts off the hair from the point at which it exits the skin, leaving the root in place.

This is a quick, simple hair removal technique – not to mention cheap – but it doesn’t last very long.

Shaved hair can grow back quickly – usually within 24 hours – because it doesn’t have to be built up from the root again. What’s more, because you’re rubbing a razor against your skin, it can cause irritation, ingrown hairs, cuts and razor burns.

Using a particularly sharp blade can help reduce irritation, because it reduces the amount of pulling needed to get the blade through the hair.

Meanwhile, using a lubricant such as shaving cream increases the surface area the blades can cut through, and hydrated skin lengthens the hair, meaning shaving will remove more of it.

You can read more about the science of shaving over on our sister site, MBman.

The science of waxing

When you wax your skin, the goal is to pull it out from the root. This means it takes longer to grow back than if it has been shaved, but also explains why it hurts more. A wax can last for three to six weeks, depending on your own rate of hair growth, and waxing tends to make the hair grow back finer.

However, waxing does not always lead to hairs being pulled out from the root, and, depending on the direction the wax is pulled, it can cause hairs to break above or below the skin’s surface.

As a result, waxing can lead to ingrown hairs. This happens when the hair growing back doesn’t manage to break the surface of the skin and instead grows underneath, or it manages to break through but then grows back through the skin.

This can cause inflamed red bumps. To avoid this, make sure to exfoliate and moisturise, and try a product like an ingrown hair solution after waxing.

How do epilators work?

Boots

Epilation, like waxing, involves pulling hair out from the root, but unlike waxing it is done using a machine that traps the hairs by spinning rapidly. It’s like plucking out every hair individually, but much faster.

As you can imagine, this makes epilation painful and we only recommend using an epilator on large, exposed areas like your legs. We do not recommend using epilation on your armpits or bikini line…trust us on this one!

Just like waxing, epilating reduces the thickness of hair and if done over a long period of time it can lead to reduced hair growth. The same issues of ingrown hairs can occur with epilating, so make sure to look after your skin by exfoliating and moisturising.

How does hair removal cream work?

Veet

Depilatory creams, or hair removal creams, work by breaking down the structure of your hair and dissolving it, eventually making them so weak they break off.

These creams contain strong alkaline substances designed to break down a protein called keratin, which is the key structural protein in hair.

According to Veet, one of the most famous hair removal cream companies, hair removal creams should last longer than shaving, up to four days, because the creams dissolve hair below the skin.

If you decide to try a hair removal cream, it’s important to test it on a small patch of skin for 24 hours before you apply it to the whole area.

How does laser hair removal work?

Laser hair removal works using intense bursts of a particular wavelength of light, which is absorbed into the skin and destroys the hair follicle while the hair is in its active phase of growth.

“I would always suggest the best hair removal technique for the skin is laser hair removal therapy,” Dr Rekha Tailor, former GP and skin expert told mamabella.

“The heat energy from the laser destroys the hair follicle, while reducing blood circulation to the hair follicle making this extremely effective. But crucially for the skin, there is no damage at all to the surrounding tissues.”

Laser hair removal can be an expensive process – around £300 for three sessions, charged per body part – and usually takes at least three sessions to stop hair growth.

The other thing to consider is laser hair removal is permanent, which might sound like a great thing now but it’s important to think about whether you really want that hair gone for your entire life.

For example, pubic hair actually serves a function – it traps pathogens that might otherwise enter your body. This means having no pubic hair could make someone more susceptible to common infections including urinary tract infections (UTIs), and yeast infections.

How does IPL hair removal work? 

Easy to confuse with laser hair removal, IPL stands for intense pulsed light to remove hair. As its name suggests, it uses light (like a laser) to penetrate the pigment in the hair. This light turns to heat which then kills the growing cells that make the hair.

Unlike laser hair removal, though, this light is less intense, covering a wider spectrum of wavelengths, compared to the single wavelength of laser light.

Laser treatment also penetrates further beneath the surface of the skin, offering a more targeted approach. As a result, IPL will require a greater number of top-ups before it permanently removes hair but it’s safer to use at home, via IPL machines.

In a 2015 study, researchers looked at both hair removal methods and found after three treatments, hair density was decreased by 58% with laser treatment, and by 49% after using IPL. They cost similar as well. In the UK, IPL machines average at around £300.

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post The science of hair removal: How do lasers, lotions and hair removal creams actually work? appeared first on mamabella.

Some mascaras promising a ‘natural look’ do nothing at all for us, and it can be even harder to find one that lifts, curls, and provides the volume necessary for a dramatic eye.

Don’t despair! If you’re like us, and you have tiny, short, almost invisible natural lashes, we’ve spent the past couple of months testing out all sorts of different mascaras to see if they really live up to their promises. We also recently wrote a Diablo Lash Lift review, if you’re interested in something more long-term.

As a side note, one thing that we find with having short lashes is that we’re forever getting mascara all over our eyelids. If you have the same issue, we’ve just started using the Tweezerman Lash Guard and Comb. You place it on either your upper or lower lid and it guards your skin against mascara.

This allows you to push mascara right in at the roots and to apply more pressure to the ends, making sure even the finest of hairs are coated. The comb then removes any clumps. This isn’t an advert, we just love it so much! You can get it from Tweezerman for £12.

FURTHER READING: How to apply mascara like a pro

Best mascara for short lashes 

1. Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara – £22
2. Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express – £7.99
3. MAC Extended Play Gigalash mascara – £20
4. Urban Decay Perversion – £21
5. The Body Shop Lash Hero Fibre Extension – £12
6. IT Cosmetics Superhero – £21
7. Glossier Lash Slick – £14
8. The Body Shop Happy Go Lash – £12

WANT MORE GROUP TESTS? Best MAC mascara | Best No7 foundation | Best Charlotte Tilbury foundation | Best MAC foundation

Best mascara for short lashes: Before

To prove that we’re not being humble and making out as if our eyelashes are short when they’re actually medium length (which is something we see a lot among influencers, sadly), this is what our eyelashes look like without any mascara on at all.

Abigail Beall/mamabella

This is an ongoing test of the best mascara for short lashes and we’ll be updating this page as and when we try different types.

We’ll also be using the results to update our overall best mascara page. And if you have Asian lashes – which are typically straight and your monolid results in mascara rubbing off throughout the day – we also recently wrote the best mascara for Asian lashes guide.

1. Best mascara for short lashes: Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara 

£22 | Buy now

mamabella rating: 5/5 

mamabella | mamabella

This mascara is excellent for providing length and volume to small lashes with no clumping at all.

It comes with a nice big wand with criss-cross bristles, which helps coat the lashes quickly. It doesn’t dry as quickly as other mascaras, which gives you plenty of time to build it up and create a dramatic, almost false eyelash look if that’s what you’re going for.

It contains plant-derived oils, which are intended to condition your lashes as it’s worn, which we love, especially for our short, straight lashes that need all the love they can get.

For anyone unsure about shelling out £22 for the full-size version, Milk Makeup does make this in a smaller size for £13, which is perfect for giving this mascara a go before shelling out for the larger tube.

FURTHER READING: Spotlight on…Milk’s range of high-quality, affordable makeup and skincare 

Buy now from Cult Beauty

2. Best cheap mascara for short lashes: Maybelline Colossal Volum’ Express 

£7.99 | Buy now

mamabella rating: 4/5

mamabella | mamabella

This is the cheapest of the mascaras we tested on our short lashes, and it did not disappoint. We found it provided great separation and added length to our short lashes.

The short brush meant we felt like we could control it more easily compared to other, bulkier brushes. We also found it could provide amazing colour and length using a few coats, with no clumping at all.

Despite its name being ‘colossal volume’, we felt it didn’t quite provide as much volume as others we’ve tried, but we cannot fault it for the price.

FURTHER READING: Best drugstore mascara UK: Get length and volume on a budget with our list of the best cheap high-street mascara

Buy now

3. MAC Extended Play Gigalash mascara

£20 | Buy now

mamabella | mamabella

We recently put the best MAC mascaras to the test and the winner, in terms of length, curl and longevity was the MAC Extended Play Gigalash mascara.

It has a straight, rather than a curved brush and while this doesn’t a huge amount of curvature to the lashes, it does a really great job at lifting lashes to give the appearance of curl. What’s more, it gave our lashes an impressive amount of length.

We reviewed the waterproof version of the Extended Play Gigablack mascara and it didn’t smudge, flake or appear to fade at all.

Buy now from Lookfantastic

4. Urban Decay Perversion 

£21 | Buy now

mamabella rating: 4/5

mamabella | mamabella

We loved this mascara for its chunky wand and thick consistency, which glides over your lashes to coat them all.

Although it does provide an impressive volume and length, we found the mascara had a tendency to clump lashes together.

Even with multiple coats, though, it never flakes or dries out. It stays quite moist even after a few hours, which is a great thing but it can sometimes cause the mascara to run under the eyes at the slightest bit of rain or perspiration.

Urban Decay does make a waterproof version, so if you’re worried about it running we think that could be a great option. If you don’t like ‘wet’ feeling mascaras, this one won’t be for you.

FURTHER READING: We’ve reviewed and ranked every Benefit mascara to finally reveal which is the best

Buy now from Boots

5. The Body Shop Lash Hero Fibre Extension 

£12 | Buy now

mamabella rating: 4/5

mamabella | mamabella

Lash Hero Fibre Extension Mascara is a two-part mascara. On one side is the mascara, while on the other wand there are lengthening fibres.

To apply it, you use the mascara first, then coat your lashes in the fibres, then re-apply the mascara.

We really enjoyed this aspect of the mascara, which acts a little bit like a mascara primer, lengthening the lashes and making sure you completely cover them with your second coat. But instead of a cream, like the creams used in traditional mascara primers, the fibres are dry which can lead to a little bit of flaking.

The overall result, if you are careful with the fibres, is long and thick lashes. Because of the fibre brush, the amount of mascara for your money is much less than with regular mascaras. Despite this, however, we still think it’s good value for money.

FURTHER READING: What is mascara made of and how does it actually work?

Buy now from The Body Shop

6. IT Cosmetics Superhero

£21 | Buy now

mamabella rating: 4/5

mamabella | mamabella

We have been really impressed with IT Cosmetics’ Superhero mascara since the first time we tried it. With just one small coat, it dramatically lifts and extends our tiny, invisible lashes into thick, long and voluminous ones.

The main thing to remember about this mascara is a little goes a long way.

We found when we applied too much, it became clumpy, smudged a lot around our eyes, and sometimes began to crumble. The shape of the brush, which is slightly thinner at the end than the base, allows you to coat every part of your lashes.

At £21, it’s a little more pricey than some of our other contenders but we think it’s worth the price tag. After using it for a while, however, the tube does get a build-up of mascara around the lid, so it needs a bit of cleaning.

FURTHER READING: IT Cosmetics launches Your Skin But Better foundation that improves skin in two weeks

Buy now from IT Cosmetics

7. Glossier Lash Slick

£14 | Buy now from Glossier

mamabella rating: 3/5

mamabella | mamabella

Like the majority of Glossier products, the brand’s Lash Slick mascara is decent at creating a natural look. It’s great for using every day because it gives the lashes enough of an extension that they can easily be seen, without creating any mess on the eyelid or under the eye.

This mascara has a thin, firm wand with tiny fibres, designed to coat every lash without clumping, and it achieves that. However, if you’re looking for extreme volume, this isn’t the mascara for you, hence why we’ve marked it down slightly.

Other plus points are that it doesn’t flake, it doesn’t smudge, and it’s designed to withstand rain or tears while also being able to wipe away easily with a gentle cleanser or makeup remover.

FURTHER READING: Glossier UK: The best Glossier products from across its makeup and skincare range

Buy now from Glossier

8. The Body Shop Happy Go Lash

£12 | Buy now

mamabella rating: 3/5

mamabella | mamabella

Like the Glossier Lash Slick, this mascara is for those hoping to achieve a natural look. It is gentle on your lashes but provides enough of a boost to let people know they are there.

It increased the thickness and length of our lashes without becoming clumpy or smudging, which makes it a mascara we love for everyday use.

It also contains coconut oil and beeswax to nourish the hair. We felt like it kept our lashes moist without making them stiff or flakey. Sadly, just like Lash Slick, the overall finish is a little too subtle if you’re looking for a more enhanced look.

FURTHER READING: Clean beauty: What are clean beauty products and how can I shop more consciously?

Buy now from The Body Shop

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

The post Best mascara for short lashes: We’ve tested drugstore and premium mascaras to see which are best for short, straight lashes   appeared first on mamabella.

Even in the depths of winter, it’s important to make an SPF part of your daily routine. But what is SPF, how does it work, and why is it so important?

What is SPF?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and refers to how well a cream, oil or lotion will protect you from the sun. In particular, it’s a relative measure of how long a sunscreen will protect you from ultraviolet rays, specifically UVB.

Light from the sun includes a broad spectrum of wavelengths, from visible light, the light we see, to infrared, the light that warms the planet, and ultraviolet (UV). If you think about a rainbow being the spectrum of visible light, infrared has a longer wavelength than red, and ultraviolet has a shorter wavelength than violet (hence their names).

“SPF is the most important step in our skincare regimes, and the SPF number is a measure of how well a sunscreen will protect our skin from harmful UVB rays,” said Dr Charlene DeHaven, iS Clinical’s Clinical Director. Without it, expensive skincare products become redundant as SPF is a sole defender against premature ageing, redness, inflammation, dryness and most importantly, skin cancer.

How does SPF work?

Compound Chem

UV light comes in two variations, UVA and UVB – well, technically there is a third type called UVC, but its short wavelength can’t penetrate the atmosphere so doesn’t reach us on Earth’s surface.

UVB causes sunburn and increases the risk of skin cancers by penetrating the upper layers of the skin. UVA also causes skin cancer, but in the deeper layers of the skin. Up to 80 per cent of these UV rays penetrate through clouds, even in the winter, so wearing SPF is vital for any skin exposed to sunlight at any time of the year. Even if you’re only popping out for a few minutes.

Sun protection creams tend to have two parts to them, an active ingredient – something doing the protecting, and an emulsion – an oil or cream that makes it easy to apply. Active ingredients then fit into two categories, UV absorbers and UV reflectors.

“UV absorbers are chemicals that absorb UV radiation and convert it to a very low level of heat,” explained Terry Slevin from Cancer Council Western Australia (CCWA). “So low most don’t notice it, but a small proportion of people do report sunscreens make them feel uncomfortably warm.” UV absorbers usually contain carbon.

If you’re using a UV absorber, look for one labelled “broad spectrum”, which will protect from both UVA and UVB. UV reflectors are usually oxides, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which scatter UV radiation and prevent it from reaching the skin.

READ NEXT: The science of moisturiser

︎ What do SPF numbers mean?

An SPF number i.e. SPF 15; SPF 30, SPF 50, gives an indication to how long the sun’s UV radiation would take to redden your skin, which is measured by how much UV light is allowed to pass through, versus how long it would take if you weren’t wearing any SPF cream.

SPF 20 allows one-twentieth of UV to reach the skin, or 5 per cent, blocking the other 95 per cent. On average, cream with an SPF 30 rating lets in around 3% of UVB rays, while an SPF 50 cream allows 2%.

This may seem like an inconsequential number but it means that SPF 30 creams allow 50% more radiation to reach your skin.

Theoretically, wearing lotion or creams rated SPF 30 would protect you from skin damage for up to 30 times longer than without protection.

READ NEXT: Best moisturiser with SPF

As an example, if you burn within 10 minutes of being in the sun, SPF 30 would protect you for around five hours, but it may protect someone else, who is less genetically likely to burn as quickly, for longer.

It’s not a hard and fast rule, however. The intensity and wavelength distribution of UVB rays varies throughout the day and depends on where you are in the world. This rating also doesn’t apply to UVA rays.

To rate UVA protection, SPF creams additionally feature a star rating. It should be noted, however, that this star rating refers to the ratio of UVA protection compared to that same cream’s UVB protection. It’s confusing, but in summary, it means you should opt for creams with high SPF and a high star rating.

SPF and ageing

We can’t see UV, but it can be incredibly damaging to our skin. This is because exposing skin to UV light causes the production of melanin, the pigment that makes skin darker and gives us a tan, while also promoting the creation of molecules called cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs).

These CPDs bond with the molecules linking skin’s DNA together, particularly in the skin’s upper layer.

READ NEXT: Best anti-ageing creams

These bonds cause the skin to become thicker, and the connective tissues to break, which makes the skin less elastic and loose. This is why sun exposure causes wrinkles and saggy skin. It can also cause dark patches, know as age spots or liver spots.

In extreme cases, like sunburn, skin becomes inflamed a few hours after exposure to too much UV light. How susceptible someone is to sunburn is genetic. Melanin is produced to defend skin against the sun, but some people produce more than others – which is why some people tan quicker. People with lighter skin are more prone to sunburn. However, a tan and sunburn are both signs of UV damage to your skin. It can also lead to age spots, also known as dark spots or liver spots. Read more in our how to get rid of age spots guide.

DNA damage can also cause cells to grow abnormally, causing cancer.

︎ SPF and cancer

NHS

Exposure to UV light is the biggest risk factor for the three most common types of skin cancer, with or without sunburn. These skin cancers are called basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma, often referred to as simply melanoma, is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer. It grows slowly and is easily cured if caught early enough. However, it is still a serious condition and if untreated, can become life-threatening. BCC occurs when basal cells in the outer layer of the skin are damaged and start to grow out of control. They can look like red patches, shiny bumps, scars or open sores.

Squamous cell carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinomas are the second most common form of skin cancer and are caused by the abnormal growth of squamous cells, another type of cell in the skin’s top layer. SCCs look like red patches, sometimes itchy sores, rough patches, warts or growths. These can appear all over the body, and again, if allowed to grow they can become dangerous.

Malignant melanoma

Malignant melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and it begins in melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin. This type of cancer can spread much more quickly than BCC and SCC, to other organs, making it the most life-threatening of the three.

Melanoma is usually spotted by something new, changing or unusual on your body. For example, an existing mole that has started to change shape or a new one growing rapidly. The signs of melanoma can appear anywhere on your skin but usually somewhere that has had a lot of exposure to the sun. The Skin Cancer Foundation has a comprehensive list of early warning signs for melanoma.

The signs of all skin cancer types often look different from one person to another, so make sure to see a doctor if you are concerned about any changes to your skin’s appearance.

︎ UV rays and eyecare

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The damage that UV rays can have on our eyes, as well as our skin, is often overlooked. Yet it’s equally damaging. It has been linked with a number of eye, and sight-related conditions ranging in severity, including:

Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration is a condition where the retina becomes damaged. This can lead to gradual sight loss. It’s most associated with older people but UV light has been shown to accelerate the process and the condition.

Cataracts

Cataracts are “clouds” that appear on the eye lens. These clouds can obscure your vision and impact your ability to focus on objects and they require surgery to remove. Studies have shown that exposure to UVB rays increases the risk of cataracts forming.

Pterygium or Surfer’s Eye

Pterygium is a benign growth that forms on the conjunctiva of your eye as a result of UV light. It’s nicknamed Surfer’s Eye because people who surf and are out in the sun for long periods of time are particularly at risk of developing pterygium due to exposure to both direct and reflected UV rays.

Photokeratitis

Typically caused by UVB light reflecting off snow, photokeratitis is caused by high short-term exposure to the rays. Essentially, the eye becomes sunburnt from this light, causing blurry vision or temporary sight loss.

The best way to protect your eyes from UV damage is to wear sunglasses that provide at least 99% UV protection and which comply with European safety regulations. According to Feel Good Contacts, “sunglasses with darker lenses offer the most protection, while wrap-around frames offer full coverage of your eyes from angles around the lenses.”

For extra protection, you can buy polarised sunglasses which protect against glare and halos from reflected rays. This can be extra useful when driving, or when near water.

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Abigail Beall

Abigail is a leading science journalist writing about space, sustainability, technology and culture. She is author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, a must-have guide to the night sky that guides you through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies.

 

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