How we See It - Gender, Pricing and Identifying your skin type. Some words of wisdom from Annabelle!

Over the last few years, it's become ever more apparent how gender has been used as a marketing ploy within the skincare industry. Our in-house beauty therapist Annabelle has years of experience within the industry and has a few words to say on the topic, as well as some advice on identifying your skin type. On to Annabelle!  

A quick bit of history... 

In the late nineties when I was training to become a beauty therapist the market for men’s skincare had just started to explode. I remember product brands releasing very dark black and grey packaging for their men’s skincare and some very masculine looking posters of frowning chiseled faces. The range of products would be small and easy to use. The market seemed to be aiming to advertise men wanting to be more masculine and women younger, smoother, glowing, etc etc...

Skip forward a few years and I was helping a friend with a promotional event for a very well known high street brand. They had just launched a caffeine eye gel. Retailing back then at £14,  it wasn’t the cheapest high street product for eyes. One week later, the same brand launched a caffeine eye gel for men. It was half the  price! I couldn’t see much difference in the ingredients labels (although you don’t see quantities) I’m sure it would have been a very similar if not the same product/recipe. This really brought home to me the gap between the specific gender marketing in cosmetics especially and advertising wanting to specifically put you into a gender category.

I have worked with WiDEYE for the last five years now and I have watched the facial skin care ranges grow into what you can see in store and online today.  More recently, when we started to expand the wonderful range we decided to make it easier for customers to locate the best skincare for their needs. This meant categorizing them. Instead of sectioning them into genders, we have gone with the most suitable option of skin type! As a fully trained skin therapist, I can assure anyone that your skin type will have nothing to do with how you identify and everything to do with your genetics, skincare routine, age and environment. This makes things incredibly simple for anyone. As soon as you recognise your skin's needs, you will be able to locate the product/s.

Now, identifying your skin type can be tricky, but let me give you some easy to find skin specifics that may help.

 Dry patches, oily zones, or occasional spots? - sounds like a combination skin type.

Feeling tight, perhaps even some dry flakey patches? - de-hydrated/dry skin will need something a little richer and repairing.

Shiny to look at, struggling to control oil and shine by lunchtime and perhaps some blocked pores/sore lumpy spots?  - problematic/oily skin will need light and uncomplicated products. It sounds crazy but using a skin oil at night can help reduce oily skin too!

Getting worried about wrinkles or perhaps you have a fine line? - now is the time to start introducing collagen and skin smoothing products to your regime. It will benefit from the extra boost of collagen and will improve appearance with skin smoothing exfoliants.

Dull, scarred, or uneven pigment? You may benefit from using a high vitamin C in your routine. The vitamin C brightens for a healthy glow.

Is your skin reacting to lots of ingredients? Perhaps looking a little red? - these two characteristics usually indicate sensitive skin. Treat it gently with an easy simple routine and products with milder ingredients.

Remember with any skin type, less is always more. A really good evening cleanse and weekly treatments of exfoliants and masks can keep a healthy balance. If your skin feels good in the morning, don’t worry about cleaning again! It will thank you for not Cleansing or using water too often, it keep the ph levels well balanced, just use a little cream for protection from the elements. Another top tip would be, that when you do cleanse, you do it thoroughly  - ensuring you reach all the outer edges of the face, the creases of the nose, and chin. Removing products really well is also very important. Concentrate particularly on the jawline, again those outer edges of the face and any creases. Toner spritzed onto cotton or makeup remover pads and gently wiped over the skin will pick up any traces of remaining products or water residue.

 Ultimately, if you really want to get to know your skin type, it's always best to discuss your specific issues with a professional. Luckily we are now offering free skincare consultations via Zoom. You can book into one with me here. 

I hope you enjoyed this week's read! 

Annabelle