Lesley’s beauty A-Z: O
Harley Street Skin Clinic’s Lesley Reynolds continues the her 26-part series taking through the natural skin care ingredients from A-Z, this week,
ORCHID A long-standing beauty staple in Asia, with regenerative and protective properties, the orchid plant is now the must-have new ingredient, suiting all skin types, helping to restore radiance while reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
TRY: Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil, £35. Its potent blend helps to prevent moisture loss and the formation of fine lines. Use on its own or mix a few drops into your foundation for a dewy glow.
OLIVE OIL This is essentially the liquid fat obtained from olives and it’s been used as a remedy since Egyptian and Ancient Greek periods. Rich in fatty acids and antioxidants, aside from being a nourishing liquid, it’s antiinflammatory and helps protect against pollution damage. Great for dry, mature and sensitive skin types, but avoid if you’re oily.
TRY: DHC Deep Cleansing
Oil, £12.40 (feelunique. com), is infused with antioxidant-rich olive oil to deep-cleanse. Skin is left feeling nourished with a radiant glow.
DIY: Sort The Face Shine. Mash a banana up. Add 10 drops lemon juice and 1tsp olive oil to create a paste. Apply the mask to your face. Let sit for 15 mins and rinse. Bananas help absorb excess oil, lemons will help cleanse pores and the olive oil will hydrate.
OATS A breakfast staple, oats have brilliant skin benefits, too. The key actives avenanthramides have antiirritant and anti-inflammatory effects, calming any redness or irritation on the skin’s surface. Oats also have a high lipid content, making them supermoisturising and the go-to topical ingredient for those with eczema, dermatitis-prone skin and itchy skin.
Oatmeal,
£4.99, delivers a rapid moisture boost on the face or body.
DIY: Oat Soak & Scrub. Mix 1 cup (200g) brown sugar with 1 cup (100g) oats and 1 cup (250ml) olive oil, then gently apply on dry skin from the feet upwards. Stand over a towel to catch the remains. Rinse in the shower. Your skin will be like butter.