Notebook

I was recently featured on the home page of Get The Gloss talking all about my favourite beauty buys with journalist Judy Johnson. In case you missed it, I’ve posted a copy of the original interview just below. For details of where to find the products I’ve mentioned, click on the link at the bottom of this page to go to the article on the Get The Gloss site. Here goes… Where do you prefer to shop for beauty (on or offline) and why? In general, I prefer to shop for new beauty products in-store so I can test how they really look and feel before buying. There is a wonderful pharmacy just round the corner from my clinic on Harley Street (John Bell & Croyden) that carries all of my favourite skincare lines, so this is usually my first port of call. If I’m short on time and already know exactly what I want, or if a product is a bit niche and I don’t have time to trawl around looking for it, I will buy online from escentual.com or skinoracle.com. What’s the last makeup item you bought and why do you like it? I have a bit of a concealer habit and the last makeup item I bought was Bare Minerals SPF20 Correcting Concealer. It has a really nice creamy texture and gives good coverage, so I use it to cover dark circles under my eyes. I love the fact that it doesn’t crease or flake because the skin under my eyes tends to get quite dry as it is. My favourite concealer for covering spots, on the other hand, is the Vichy Dermablend corrector stick. And your most recent skincare purchase? I’m now in my mid 30s, so my top skin priorities are keeping blemishes at bay and also slowing the signs of ageing. This means that I use a product containing vitamin A – a retinoid or retinol – at night. There are a couple I go between, but I’ve just topped up my La Roche Posay Redermic R again. Which products do you gift to friends? I’m pretty strict about sticking to my skincare routine so don’t deviate all that much, even when given new beauty products to try. My sisters and my Mum will often volunteer to “help out” if I’m given something to test and it’s better suited to their skin than mine! In terms of buying gifts for friends, I will often pick a mask or something like that which can be used as a treat. Some of my favourites are the Skinceuticals Phytocorrective masque for soothing tired skin or Medik8 Natural Clay mask for soaking up shine. You have £500 to spend at a makeup counter. Which one do you choose and why? Ooh that’s tough. One of the nicest things about having good skin these days is not having to wear loads of makeup, so I tend to keep things quite simple. If I had £500 to splurge on makeup, I’d probably head to SpaceNK where I usually buy my staple products and add a few extras to the basket. Some of my all-time favourites are Nars – I like their Blush in Orgasm, Bronzing Powder in Laguna and I adore the new limited edition Nars Erdem lipstick in Bloodflower, Laura Mercier – Secret Camouflage Concealer, Eyeko – Brow Gel and Liquid Eyeliner and Hourglass – Liquid Powder Foundation and Veil Translucent Setting Powder. Have you ever had your makeup done at a makeup counter? Which brand and what did you think of it? I was always really self-conscious about my skin as a teenager so the idea of letting someone else do my makeup was terrifying. Once my spots were under control, I could finally enjoy getting glammed up. I had my makeup done at a Nars counter some years ago and was so thrilled with the result that I immediately went and bought all of the products that had been used. Sadly, I wasn’t able to recreate the look when I tried it on my own at home, but there were a few bits that I really loved and still use to this day. The Nars bronzing powder in Laguna is an example. What would be in your Boots or supermarket shopping basket beauty-wise? 1.Aveeno cream and body wash which are both moisturising essentials. 2.Bioderma Atoderm hand cream which I keep by the sink in my clinic and in my handbag. 3.Flexitol balm which I massage into my heels every night after I shower to keep my feet soft and smooth. 4.For my face, I prefer a really mild gel or cream cleanser and a simple, nourishing moisturiser as these help me to tolerate the active ingredients in my skincare routine better. La Roche Posay and Avene have great options. What’s your favourite budget beauty buy? Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for sensitive skin. It’s super gentle and works just as well as other micellar waters that cost ten times the price. I use it every evening to take off my makeup before cleansing and also carry it in my gym bag so I can make sure my skin is squeaky clean before and after every workout. And the most expensive? Skinceuticals Phloretin CF serum is probably the most expensive skincare product I buy, but well worth the investment. It contains 10% pure vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) and a host of other antioxidant ingredients which help to reduce damage to the skin from UV rays and city pollution. Unlike lots of other serums, it isn’t greasy and doesn’t clog pores so can be safely used on breakout-prone skin. Where do you get your hair done and what products and treatments/tools do you buy? I absolutely love my hairdresser (Mario Sammour in St John’s Wood) and keep telling him that he’s never allowed to move away or retire as I don’t know what I would do without him. My hair is very fine, but he makes it look like

In case you missed my facial sunscreen recommendation in “9 Facial SPFs Rated By The Experts” in Sheerluxe last week, this is what I had to say… “Having suffered with acne for many years, it’s important for me to use an SPF moisturiser every morning that gives effective UV protection, but won’t give me spots. Garnier Ambre Solaire Anti-Imperfection sun cream is a favourite – it’s non-comedogenic meaning it won’t block pores and contains salicylic acid to soak up shine and target blemishes.” – Dr Justine Kluk, Consultant Dermatologist. © 2018 Dr Justine Kluk. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents of this post in any form is prohibited. You may not, except with our express written permission, copy, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

SPF. Sensible, essential and non-negtotiable. So says journalist Anna Hunter this week in her round up of the new, non-greasy, innovative formulations that are making sunscreen easier than ever to adapt into your daily routine. Keep reading below for my full interview with Get The Gloss about SPF makeup. To see my quotes in the article, including product recommendations, click here. If you want to wear makeup as your sole form of SPF, what should you look out for?  I would strongly advise against using makeup as your sole form of SPF. We just don’t apply these products in a thick or even enough layer to get anywhere close to the level of protection provided by a typical sunscreen or sun protection moisturiser. Instead, makeup with SPF should be thought of as your second line of defence against UV rays once you’ve already applied sunscreen because two forms of sun protection are better than one. After cleansing, apply a broad spectrum (UVA/ UVB) sun protection moisturiser with SPF30 or higher to your face, ears, neck and chest. If you’re prone to breakouts, pick a non-comedogenic formulation that won’t clog your pores. Follow with an SPF-containing foundation or powder, depending on how much coverage you’re looking for. If you’re dashing in and out of the office during the day, remember to top up regularly. Would you have to wear a heavy layer or more than you might normally for adequate SPF protection? You would need to apply several times the normal amount of foundation, for example, to get anywhere near the level of protection stated on the bottle. Most of us just don’t want to put that amount of makeup on because it wouldn’t look good. Would you need to reapply SPF makeup throughout the day? Yes. If you’re exposing your skin to the sun, particularly between 11am and 3pm when it’s directly overhead, it is essential to top up your sun protection every couple of hours. Is there a formula that works best in terms of SPF protection (powder, liquid, solid)? Are SPF powders safe? To the best of my knowledge, there haven’t been any head to head studies published in the medical literature comparing the levels of sun protection from different types of foundation. I would therefore choose whichever formula or texture you prefer, provided you have already applied a dedicated sun protection product underneath. The challenge with powders is applying enough to get adequate protection. They are certainly convenient for top-ups, particularly in those who don’t like to wear heavy makeup and may also help soak up sweat that can cause your SPF to wear off, but shouldn’t be relied upon on their own. In terms of safety, skincare products are subject to rigourous scientific testing before becoming commercially available. If there is a concern about the ongoing safety of a particular type of product or research points to new health concerns, they are usually withdrawn pretty quickly. It would seem sensible to stick with reputable brands who specialise in sun protection and have a good track record for safety when selecting your products. Do you have any favourite SPF base makeup that you would recommend? Heliocare oil free compact SPF50 Colorescience Sunforgettable SPF30 or SPF50 Garnier Ambre Solaire nourishing lip protection stick SPF20 In terms of SPF in other makeup, what should you look out for when buying a lipstick/ lip balm/ under eye concealer etc?  For lip protection, your best bet is a clear lip balm or stick with the highest SPF that you can find. Most of those currently available are SPF15-20. If you can’t bear the thought of going without lip colour, apply your ordinary lipstick on top of the SPF balm, allowing a few minutes for it to soak in, or use the SPF lip balm as a type of gloss on top. My thoughts about eye shadows, concealers and other types of makeup with SPF are that they aren’t be applied in a thick enough layer to give any meaningful protection on their own so they must always be used as well as sunscreen, not instead of, and simply be considered a boost to whatever protection is already in place. © 2018 Dr Justine Kluk. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents of this post in any form is prohibited. You may not, except with our express written permission, copy, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

I was recently asked in an interview how living in a busy city, like London, can impact the health of our skin. Of course, there are multiple lifestyle and environmental factors to consider, but I think that pollution and stress are worthy of particular mention. If you’d like to know my thoughts on the matter, keep reading below: Can you explain exactly how external factors like pollution, commuting, city air, stress etc contribute to skin damage? We all know that UV rays from sunlight accelerate skin ageing and increase our risk of skin cancer, but city smoke and pollution have also been shown to trigger formation of free radicals in the skin leading to collagen destruction which results in loss of firmness and elasticity, wrinkles and sagging. City air can also leave a layer of dust, grease and grime on the skin which, if not removed effectively when cleansing the skin, can lead to breakouts. You may have noticed this visibly after a busy commute on the underground in rush hour. Stress has been shown to alter the immune functions of the skin and skin barrier function which can lead to increased oil production, pore clogging and growth of the bacteria that predispose us to spots. The bottom line is that city aggressors such as pollution and stress can negatively impact skin health. How much do you think working in a city contributes to the state of our skin? Stress lowers our threshold for getting breakouts. This may be from deadlines looming, working long hours, contending with a difficult commute or not getting enough sleep. Pollution from motor vehicles and factories has been proven to accelerate skin ageing through dark spot and wrinkle formation. A lot of this evidence comes from heavily industrialised areas, such as China. Does avoiding the city centre on the weekend make any difference whatsoever in terms of improving skin health? We know that pollution, smoking and stress can cause skin problems to flare-up and are detrimental to long-term skin health, so it would seem to make sense that being in a cleaner, less polluted environment and getting some respite from our hectic working lives should mean radiant, healthy-looking skin. I’m not sure that a weekend is long enough for this repair and recovery to take place, but it may be a good place to start! Why when we go on holiday does skin tend to improve? People wear less make-up – is that part of the reason? There are a few possible reasons why our skin improves on holiday. Firstly, removing ourselves from the daily grind and actively finding time to relax reduces stress levels which is beneficial for skin health. Many skin problems, including acne, eczema and psoriasis have been shown to improve when we take ourselves out of a stressful environment. Wearing less makeup may lead to an improvement in spots or blackheads if you typically use heavy or long-wearing products to work because you need them to have the staying power to provide coverage from early in the morning till you get home at night. These sorts of products are often occlusive or comedogenic, meaning that they can trigger breakouts. Having a break from them whilst you’re on holiday may give your skin a chance to recover. Finally, gentle sun exposure on holiday can lead to an improvement in certain skin conditions, such as psoriasis, but we are all too aware that lack of UV protection is associated with a higher risk of skin cancer so common sense and the usual sun precautions should still apply. Do you think it is a placebo effect that people think their skin feels better by wearing less makeup at the weekend? I think we would all like the freedom to wear less makeup if we wanted to. In reality, most people with an active skin condition, like acne, don’t feel like they really have any choice because they are embarrassed about how they look and are afraid of being rejected by others. Going make-up free is often seen as the exclusive privilege of those with blemish-free skin, so you can easily understand why we all want to join the club! I try to reassure my patients who are embarking on a course of acne treatment that it is okay to wear makeup if it makes them feel more comfortable, as long as the products are suitable for acne-prone skin. The best bet in this situation is to look for the words “non-comedogenic” on the product label for reassurance that a particular foundation, concealer or powder won’t make breakouts worse. The hope and expectation is that once treatment starts to work, skin confidence increases and the possibility of wearing less makeup becomes a reality. © 2018 Dr Justine Kluk. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents of this post in any form is prohibited. You may not, except with our express written permission, copy, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.