Lesley’s beauty A-Z
Harley Street Skin Clinic's Lesley Reynolds continues her 26-part series taking you through the natural skin care ingredients from A-Z, this week, she covers R...
ROSE OIL The ‘queen of all flowers’ has been used since ancient times and is ideal for mature and dry skin because of its ability to help radiance, soothe dryness, and slow down the ageing process. Rosehip oil is considered the more luxurious oil and famed for its high content of vitamin A,E, C, B1 and B2 and helping to lock moisture in. It’s a great choice for treating dull skin and suits all skin types.
TRY Pixi Rose Oil Blend, £26, restores lost moisture and encourages luminosity. For extra hydration, add one or two drops to your moisturiser.
DIY Face spritz and toner: Gently pull petals from seven roses and place them into a colander under a lukewarm tap. When clean, add to a pan of 1.5l distilled water, or more to cover the petals. Over a low to medium heat, simmer for about 25 mins until petals turn pale pink. Strain and separate the petals. Pour your rose water into a dark bottle*.
ROSEMARY This herb has brilliant astringent properties, making it perfect for oily skin and hair. It also helps to soothe a flaky scalp, controlling dandruff. Applied topically, the essential oil has soothing, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibiotic properties, which make it ideal for treating congested skin and breakouts.
TRY Lush Herbalism Solid Cleanser, £6.25, helps ease redness by neutralising sore breakouts. Designed specifically to help spot-prone skin, rosemary and nettles are steeped together in rice vinegar for their goodness.
DIY For a relaxing soak, hang a bag of dried rosemary in a bath to let the scent and properties seep into the water.
RESVERATROL One of the most important ingredients in skin care, it’s found in more than 70 plant species and botanical sources including berries, peanuts, grapes, and red wine! It is also one of the best antioxidants, with the ability to increase and strengthen the skin’s natural defences, fading lines and wrinkles. An all-round superstar that suits all skin types.
TRY The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%, £5.50. Apply a couple of drops to skin after cleansing and before moisturiser.
DIY Resveratrol spot buster: Mash five or six red or purple grapes, mix with a little yogurt and apply over blemishes. Leave mixture for up to 30 mins before cleansing.