Q. How can I make my skin glow?
A. "Contrary to popular belief, skin doesnt require lots of procedures and products. All you need is a daily cleansing and moisturising routine."

Q. What skincare routine should I follow?
A. The most important thing you can do is cleanse. It will put a glow back into your complexion and is the best possible base for your make-up.

Q. Should I use toner after cleansing?
A. No! Toner is far too abrasive for young skin; even oily skin types should not use toner. It will strip your skin of any natural oils which will in turn make your skin produce more oil. This causes blocked pores and spots. Just stick to your cleanser!

Q. What is pH?
A. "Think of it as part of the skins inbuilt defence system, a system whose job it is to protect skin from bacteria and help retain the right amount of moisture. If you dont use the right type of cleanser you can unbalance your pH. Tingling, redness, and dryness are the superficial effects of a product that is more acidic or alkaline than your skin needs."

Q. How do I know what my skin type is?
A. "Some of the words commonly used to describe skin are normal, oily, combination, acne prone, dry, dehydrated, ageing, sensitised and pigmented skin. The trouble is, its hard to know exactly what many of these words mean. The best way of describing a skin type is by its appearance.

Normal skin-
Appearance: Soft, moist and plump. Healthy glow and colour, fine texture, no open pores and little wrinkling.
Oily skin-
Appearance: Shine, open pores, thick skin, little wrinkling. Possible blackheads and breakouts, If skin is combination rather than oily overall, there is an orange hue on the T panel (The T shape running across the forehead and down the nose and middle of the face) only.
Acne prone-
Appearance: Oily with blackheads, small bumps and pustules, often red and sensitive.
Dry skin-
Appearance: Visible dryness, tightness, tight pores, wrinkles, poor skin tone.
Dehydrated skin-
Appearance: Flaky, tight on surface, very fine lines, oil and blackheads can be present.
Ageing skin-
Appearance: Wrinkles, loose skin, pigmentation, poor circulation, a combination of oily and dry.
Sensitised skin-
Appearance: Can be hard to see; red, inflamed, irritated by heat, products and friction.
Pigmented Skin-
Appearance: Brown or white markings."

Q. Why does knowing my skin type matter?
A. "Your individual skin type can be the cornerstone of good basic skincare. Misdiagnose your type and you could wind up treating it wrongly. However, skin requirements change frequently, affected by factors such as ageing, climate, pregnancy or temporary skin problems."

Q. When should I exfoliate?
A. "To avoid thick and dull skin, its advisable to exfoliate once or twice a week. Research also indicates that exfoliation can even increase collagen levels, helping to reduce the effects of ageing."

Q. What makes a great cleanser?
A. "A great cleanser should be water soluble, wash off make-up without leaving your face dry and tight, or greasy. It should be fragrance free and shouldnt contain abrasive exfoliating grains. Your cleanser should be as gentle, mild and non-abrasive as possible."

Q. "What is the best type of moisturiser? And, whats the difference between serum, cream, emulsion, oil, gel and milk?"
A. "This depends on you, your skin and life style. Some people like the feel of a creamy moisturiser- especially at night; others prefer the lightness of a milk or emulsion (a cross between a cream and a gel); serums (lightweight gel-like moisturisers) claim to offer more intensive treatment, so are best to use as a boost when your skin is flagging (change of season usually); and oils are by nature more greasy; gels and light-weight and ideally suited to younger skin. Ensure that consistency and texture are not your only guide to choosing a moisturiser: formulas are so clever now that lightweight milk or gels can offer as intensive benefits as a rich cream."

Q. Do I need night cream?
A. Yes. At night your skin has a natural repair mechanism that works overtime to compensate for the damage done during the day. The damage is mainly caused by exposure to ultraviolet light. Night creams can maximize the skins repair system.

Q. What moisturiser should teens to 20s use?
A. "Your skin is growing up; its hormonal so a bit unreliable (especially during puberty), and can be greasy, spotty and sensitive, but it is also plump and firm."

Q. What does UV protective mean?
A. "UV protective means that you are being protected from Ultra Violet rays from the sun. Generally if a product says its UV protective you would not know how long you were being protected for, so you would also need a SPF (sun protective factor)."

Q. Are expensive moisturizers better than cheap ones?
A. "Not necessarily. You dont have to splash out to get a good one because the effects depend on you, your skin and it needs. Expensive moisturisers can cost more because"

Q. Why do some beauty products cost so much money?
A. Some ingredients are genuinely expensive. All products need to be tested and many beauty houses invest millions into developing alternative testing so products dont need to be tested on animals. Of course a large percentage of the costs are often the packaging fancy bottles and boxes cost lots of money.

Q. What makes a great face mask?
A. "One which doesnt make too many claims! We think masks that offer too many benefits compromise themselves by trying to achieve too much. The best masks make believable claims for example, to deep cleanse, hydrate or firm. Masks are a great way to give your skin an instant hit, but dont forget some of the best skin boosters are actually free: sleep and fresh air."

Q. How can I stop my lips from becoming so chapped?
A. "Your lips dont have any natural lubrication or glands so they crack, chap and flake, usually when its cold. And saliva makes it even worse so avoid licking your lips! When the temperature drops make sure you have got a decent balm to seal your lips against the weather."

Q. Is it true that smoking effects lips and skin?
A. "Yes! It makes wrinkles! Smoke contains billions of free radicals, the molecules that age skin, and the smoke only needs to touch your skin to wreak havoc. Every time you purse your lips to drag on a cigarette the elasticity around your mouth is pressurised, which means lines form faster and your lip-line gets damaged."

Q. How can I get rid of dark circles and puffiness under my eyes?
A. "There are a few different remedies for getting rid of dark circles and puffiness: a gel can moisturise but also has a cooling effect on your skin. It may contain ingredients that help drain excess fluid from the tissues near your eyes, so helping to reduce puffiness. A cream can be the most moisturising, but it is not necessarily any lighter in texture than an ordinary face cream. Some creams contain light-reflective particles to help make fine lines in the area look less obvious by bouncing light off them in a flattering way. An emulsion halfway between a cream and a gel, feels light and cool but still creamy, and can also contain drainage ingredients, light-reflectors or be pearlised."

Q. How do I get rid of dry flaky patches? What causes such dry skin?
A. "These can be caused by sleeping in your make-up, drying skin products and even moisturisers that are too heavy, which cause blocked pores and a build-up of dead skin cells. It is a myth that dry, flaky patches can be cured by expensive super balms which claim to give intensive hydration. Lightweight moisturising creams and a consistent skincare regime will work."

Q. What causes red rashes?
A. "Red rashes can occur as an allergic reaction to an ingredient or if your skin is hypersensitive and reacts with temperature changes, sun exposure and even after eating spicy food or drinking alcohol."

Q. Why are sun-beds bad for skin?
A. Sun-beds are bad for your skin even if you are wearing sunscreen: sun-beds blast you with intense UV rays (a 20-minute session can be equal to and as damaging as a day unprotected on a tropical beach) which massively increases the risk of skin cancer. It doesnt prepare you for the beach because your natural protection is only ever equal to SPF2 in sunscreen; being brown does not mean you are less likely to burn.

Q. Do two-in-one shampoo/conditioners work in the same way as a separate shampoo and conditioner?
A. "No, although they make your hair feel soft and shiny to begin with, two-in-one shampoos contain silicates that coat your hair and ultimately sap its lustre."

Q. How often should I use conditioner?
A. "You can condition too much. In fact, one of the main reasons for dull, lank hair is over-conditioning. You only really need to condition after every wash if your hair is naturally curly or frizzy or very dry. Most hair only needs conditioner on the ends because hair closer to the scalp is naturally protected by the skins own secretions."

Q. How long should I leave conditioner on my hair?
A. It depends what kind of conditioner you use. Most conditioners only coat your hair they are not absorbed by the strands so they are as effective after only one minute as they are after ten. Oil or panthenol-based conditioners usually deep treatments or hair masks do penetrate the hair shaft and so they should be left on for longer.

Q. What are emollients?
A. "Emollients are substances which soften and soothe the skin. They are used to correct dryness and scaling of the skin. They are a key component in the manufacture of lipstick, lotions and other cosmetic products."

Q. What is aromatherapy and what are its benefits?
A. "Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils, and other scented compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a persons mood or health."

What easy cleansing regime does face boutique recommend?

face boutique recommends the following easy cleansing regime:

1. DO wash your face with warm water and peachy clean every morning and night. Any more will strip the skin of oils... any less lets dirt sink into the pores. The only other time to cleanse is after physical exercise... it's important to get rid of dirt and sweat.
2. DO NOT waste money on a toner - over drying the skin is not going to improve it!
3. USE an oil-free moisturiser to protect your beautiful skin from daily environmental stresses - sun, smoke and pollutants. fresh faced will nourish and replenish your skin leaving you….well, fresh faced!
4. DO NOT go to bed with make-up on. This is essential to prevent blemishes. If you don't have time to complete your normal regime, use our sweep clean cleansing cloths instead.
5. DO use a blemish gel on problem areas. Spot-less contains witch hazel, which will help dry out the spot and remove any irritating bacteria.
6. DO NOT touch or pick blemishes. Not only can picking leave permanent scarring, but bacteria from your hands and nails will make it worse.
7. DO use sunscreen (it's thought that as much as 70% of a lifetime's sun damage is done before it's legal to get married!). face boutique is busy working on a non-greasy, low chemical but totally effective version - we'll release it as soon as we are really happy with it.
8. DO NOT smoke - remember that smoking will leave your face shrivelled up, looking like you have a road map under your eyes. Just look at old smokers and see if you REALLY want to look like them!
9. DO drink lots of water - boring maybe, but it helps keep your skin glowing.
10. Last, but not least, if you suffer from really bad breakouts, DON'T be shy in seeing your doctor or even a specialist dermatologist. They are there to help…