Skin Solutions Archives - Helena Lane Skincare

5 Ways I Prepare My Skin (& Body) for Winter

1. During the summer I get lazy about cleansing my face but as the weather gets cooler I become much stricter about using my oil cleanser every night. I really notice a difference in the texture and radiance of my skin when I cleanse more often. Over the winter I choose my Chamomile & Mandarin Cleanser as mandarin essential oil (like all citrus oils) is great at keeping the winter blues at bay. 2. Cold and dry air temperatures can cause the surface layers of our skin to dry out more easily. I keep flakiness away by exfoliating my face (and body) twice a week. My favourite exfoliators are my Lavender & White Willow or Berry & Hibiscus Mask and Exfoliator. For my body I…

Healing Cystic Acne with Natural Skincare

Characterized by large, red, painful nodules under the skin cystic acne is one of the worst skin health issues to be faced with. Problems on our face can be crushing to our confidence, so the desire to find a solution is huge. There are internal prescription medicines and creams that can help to eliminate the nodules but sadly they are very harsh and can leave noticeable scarring, additional inflammation, or even internal issues such as long-term digestive or mental health issues. Thankfully we can treat and prevent cystic acne successfully with some more gentle, natural protocols. When a skin pore becomes blocked with dead cells, excess oil and sweat it can swell and eventually rupture under the skin causing inflammation and infection. As this spreads…

My Post-Summer Skincare Routine

Summer is not over yet, but the sun is not as strong and as the children go back to school my days at the lake and long hours of sun baking are gone. It’s time to start thinking of giving my skin a little extra tlc. I’ll still be applying sun cream on the sunny days (now I’m mixing it 50:50 with my moisturizer) but in the evenings I’ll be doing this routine a couple of times per week to nourish my sun parched skin. Hibiscus & Berry Mask – packed with anti-oxidants, especially vitamin C, this mask is the best at cell repair. I will be mixing it with honey to ensure my skin is also soothed and moisturized. Hibiscus & Hyaluronic Flower Water…

Is your Skin Dry or Dehydrated?

When researching new blog posts, I often turn to the questions I am asked the most, and this question is certainly asked a LOT. Just after I decided to write about this topic I got a lovely email from Alexis at www.kissofdew.com (a website celebrating natural health & beauty) requesting to join my affiliate crew. On her website Alexis had already answered this question beautifully so I asked her if I could share it. Head on over to her website to read her other great posts too. The terms “moisture” and “hydration” are often used interchangeably in terms of skin care. This is SO WRONG. The underlying problems of dry skin and dehydrated skin are completely different things, so they often need to be treated differently….

Natural Alternatives for Rosacea and Reactive Skin Types

“I bought the repair kit about 6 weeks ago now. I have such bad Rosacea and nothing has ever worked. I have never washed my face with anything but warm water and a cloth. All moisturizers have burned my skin. My face has never looked or felt this good. Its cleared up all my red blotchy skin and the rashes from the Rosacea. I wont ever use anything else. Thank you!!” ~ Jessica The products in the Healing & Repairing Skincare Set were not part of my original line, launched just over 6 years ago now. But when I started doing regular store demonstrations, talking to many potential customers face to face I was asked time and time again “Do you have anything for rosacea skin?”….

A little bit about Lanolin

One of my products, the Repair Balm, gets such great feedback due to its ability to heal damaged, irritated and painful skin fast. This is my go-to when my eczema flares up, and it never fails to give quick relief and healing. I attribute these amazing results to its main ingredient, lanolin. Although in so many cases oils, butters and waxes from plants (non-animal) sources provide great healing and nourishment to our skin I can’t get away from the fact that we are animals and, for me, sometimes an animal based ingredient works better. I know this won’t sit right with vegans, but for those of us who eat animals, the use of animal products is a great option. I take great care to choose…

Dry skin in the Winter? 3 Likely Reasons Why

COLD (DRY) AIR Cold air contains much less moisture (water) than warm summer air. As does the air in your car with the heater on high… as does the air next to the lovely warm fire… This is probably the biggest reason why our skin suddenly feels dry when the temperature drops. Use a rich moisturizer to protect from moisture loss and lock in the oils and waters your skin does have. If that isn’t enough use something containing Hyaluronic Acid. This scary sounding sugar is found all over our body (especially in our joints and skin) and its purpose is to hold water in. One of it’s greatest abilities is to make it possible for us to absorb valuable amounts of water into our…

Lavender, acne and insects!

Lavender may not be exotic or new but the fact it has been one of the most used herbs for hundreds of years proves to me just how effective it is for health and healing in our bodies. Dioscorides, the author of the original herbal medicine bible de Materia Medica (written in 50-70 AD), was the first to document it’s many benefits. The Ancients Greeks used it, as did the Romans and every civilization since. It has been a staple in medicine cabinets as an antibacterial, antidepressant, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, aromatic, bitter, carminative, digestive, diuretic, sedative, stimulant, tonic, and more. PHEW! But the story which always grabbed my attention and for me illustrates lavender’s remarkable benefits for our skin is the one involving perfume chemist...

Do we need to change our skin care seasonally?

As Spring (finally) starts to show its face I am being asked about the need to change skin care products. The answer is yes and no… well it depends on your skin. Rather than rely on external places telling you what to do, the most important thing to do it take notice of how your skin is, and how it changes seasonally. Although I make changes during this season, the timing changes each year, depending on the air temperatures and when I need to replenish my products From Winter to Spring the air temperatures rise and with that the amount of moisture in the air rises too, this means much less water loss from the skin. In the Winter skin care is primarily about combatting...

Teen skin and breakouts. A more natural approach for healthier skin.

As young people enter into the teenage years their skin starts to change too. Both parents and children start to worry about the dreaded breakouts that can affect them both physically and emotionally. Breakouts in this age group are caused most commonly by hormonal changes and sometimes by food intolerances (wheat and dairy being the most common) but ensuring the overall health of the skin is good, and that the products being used to care for the skin are not doing more harm than good can mean the difference between a mild case (or none!) and something much more worrying. One of my main annoyances with the mainstream drugstore brands is that they are marketed to young teens to help prevent spots and blemishes but in my experience all they...

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