Thrifty Treat Of The Week: MooGoo 100% Certified Organic Rosehip Oil

Rosehip oil has become a cult beauty product. Rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants, it hydrates dry and ageing skin, while also improving the appearance of scars and stretch marks. Acclaimed skincare brand Trilogy is synonymous with rosehip oil; a 20ml bottle will set you back €19.99. However, I’ve found a much cheaper alternative that blows Trilogy out of the water.

MooGoo is an Australian company that make a range of natural products for sensitive and intolerant skin. Most rosehip oils come in a glass dropper bottle, but MooGoo’s is sealed in an airless pump bottle to prevent oxidation. This occurs when oil is exposed to air and sunlight which causes the oil to lose its effectiveness. The pump also dispenses the perfect amount of product without any mess. While I love the packaging, it’s what’s inside that counts. The oil is a beautiful amber colour that absorbs quickly. I’ve been using it a few times a week at night instead of my night cream and eye cream, and I’ve noticed a huge difference in the texture of my skin. Dry patches are reduced and my skin appears plumper. I wasn’t expecting much from this €10.50 oil but it’s really dazzled me.

MooGoo is stocked in pharmacies and health food stores across Ireland. To find your nearest stockist click here.

My Current Skincare Routine

The past few months have been an education - an education in skincare. Thanks to advanced facialist Caroline Hiron’s blog and Laura Kennedy’s wonderful posts on Beaut.ie, I’ve overhauled my skincare routine. Mineral oil, exfoliating toner and hyaluronic acid are now part of my vocabulary - the latter two also an essential part of my skincare arsenal. Any products containing mineral oil have been dumped. Mineral oil, also known as petrolatum and liquid paraffin, is a controversial ingredient loved and loathed in equal measure. I personally believe it’s comedogenic and has no benefit to the skin. However, I know many people will disagree with me.

As well as banishing mineral oil, I’ve also given manual exfoliators the old heave-ho. Manual exfoliators can cause broken capillaries and unfortunately I already have a few of those. In the words of the great Caroline Hirons, “Nothing good ever came from scrubbing your face with a peach kernel. There's a reason they are 99p. Step away.” I now rely on exfoliating toners to remove dead skin cells (more on that below) and with the aid of hyaluronic acid my skin has improved dramatically. I was plagued with dry patches and milia; now I’m dry patch-free (I honestly can’t remember the last time I had one!) and the milia are steadily retreating.

Below is my current skincare routine.

Eye Makeup Remover: I always remove my eye makeup with a separate cleanser. Sporting an almost permanent cat eye flick demands this. I’m not loyal to any particular brand but I only use bi-phase (oil and water) formulas. These type of formulas instantly dissolve eye makeup when activated (just shake, shake, shake) whilst being gentle and nourishing. They’re also excellent at removing lipstick. I’m currently using Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover (€4.29).

Cleanser: My cleanser of choice is an oil-based cleanser - Super Facialist By Úna Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil (€13.99). This contains a beautiful blend of lightweight oils including olive, grape seed and rosehip oil. As with all cleansing oils, you massage Super Facialist into dry skin (a little goes a long way) and then add warm water to emulsify and rinse off. I always use a face cloth to ensure my skin is thoroughly cleansed and to gently exfoliate. I adore this product, never before has a cleanser removed my makeup so effectively without stripping my skin. I use this morning and evening but if I get bored and want to mix it up a bit I turn to No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser, which is another oil-based cleanser. Here are Caroline’s cleansing tips.

Toner: Before Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brightening Toner (€31) I’ve never really bothered with toning. Past experience with toners had led me to believe that they’re astringent liquids that dry out my already parched skin. And the truth is the majority of classic toners are just that - perfumed water with a high alcohol content. However, there’s a new generation of toners about town. Exfoliating toners, also known as acid toners, contain very small amounts of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to encourage cell turnover in the skin and increase the effectiveness of skin care applied afterwards. I was hesitant about buying this Clarins toner not only because of the price (I almost cried handing over that amount of money for one product) but because I’ve very sensitive skin. However, this toner is ultra-gentle and doesn’t dry out my skin. It’s also worth every cent and a bottle will last approximately 2-3 months. A word of warning: AHAs increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun so you must wear sun protection while using this. Read Laura’s post on why we should all be using toner here.

Serum: Hyaluronic acid is the beauty buzzword of the moment. It seems any serum or moisturiser worth its salt now contains this magical ingredient. But what is it? Hyaluronic acid is a molecule that’s found in virtually every part of the body. It’s a powerful hydrating agent capable of holding up to one thousand times its weight in water. When applied topically under a water-based moisturiser, it greatly increases the potency of that product. Aldi’s Lacura Aqua-Complete Multi Intensive Serum (€4.79) is the most affordable serum containing hyaluronic acid that I’ve come across. It’s a reported dupe for Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum and while I can’t confirm this as I’ve never tried Aqualia Thermal, they do have similar ingredients. Lacura Aqua-Complete, aimed at people aged between 20 and 35, is a thin serum that sinks into my skin instantly. I apply this morning and evening and one pump is enough to cover my face and neck. As this is quite a perfumed product I was convinced I’d react to it but my skin adores it, it literally drinks it up.

Day Cream: Wearing a high SPF has been a crucial part of my daily skincare routine for years. I’m still using and loving Simple Kind To Skin Protecting Moisture Cream SPF 30 (€5.29) which I wrote about here in February.

Night Cream: I picked up Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream (€6.99) a few weeks ago and while I like it, I don’t think I’ll repurchase it. It’s a lovely lightweight cream packed full of vitamins including pro-vitamin B5, vitamin E and vitamin F. However, it’s a little too light for me and I think it would be best suited to combination skin.

Eye Cream: Super Facialist By Úna Brennan Neroli Firming Illuminate Eye Cream (€14.49) contains the wonder ingredient hyaluronic acid as well as shea butter, grape seed oil, aloe vera and caffeine. This cream has a very fluid consistency but hydrates the eye contour very well. Online reviews praise this product for its de-puffing abilities but I can’t vouch for that as thankfully I don’t suffer from puffy eyes. I’ve been using this for the past 8 weeks and while I haven’t noticed any difference to my fine lines, I'm really liking it.

 Multi-Tasker: Everyone should have a multi-tasker in their skincare arsenal; mine is Trilogy Everything Balm. There is only one tiny tiny advantage to my twin sister living in New Zealand and that’s the beautiful Trilogy products she sends me (I recently got The Rosehip Collection travel set - gorgeous!). This balm smells heavenly and is full of natural ingredients including sweet almond oil, beeswax, evening primrose oil, rosehip oil and honey. It’s quite solid; you need to warm it between your fingers before using but once melted it sinks in quickly. I use this on my cuticles, as a lip balm and on any rough areas - elbows, knees and feet. I’ve also used it as a face mask/treatment, leaving it on my face for approximately 15 minutes and removing it with a warm face cloth.

What’s your current skincare routine?

Thrifty Treat Of The Week: Simple Kind To Skin Protecting Moisture Cream SPF 30

 

I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I spotted this moisturiser in Boots. I just couldn’t believe it was €5.29. When I realised it wasn’t on offer, that its retail price is actually under a tenner, I knew it had to feature on Thrifty Treat Of The Week!

Very few budget moisturisers have high SPF; the majority only go up to SPF 15. It seems that if you want a moisturiser with a decent SPF, which protects against both UVA and UVB rays, you have to pay big bucks. Well, not anymore!  

The moisturiser itself is a light cream that absorbs quickly. You would think a moisturiser of that description would only be suitable for combination or oily skin, yes? Wrong! This cream effectively hydrates my dry and sensitive skin, probably because it’s packed full of nourishing ingredients such as vitamin E, glycerine and sweet almond oil. It’s also an excellent base for makeup.

And what makes this Thrifty Treat Of The Week extra special? It’s currently 3 for 2 on selected Simple skincare in Boots!
 

Thrifty Treat Of The Week is a weekly series on The Retro Suitcase. I want to help you save your hard-earned moolah with my bargains, tips and offers. Keep an eye on Facebook for more wonderful deals.

Beauty Review: Dermalogica Products

 

Last year I resolved to take better care of my skin and invest in some high-end skincare products. I typically have normal/dry skin but I'm also prone to flare-ups of dermatitis. With my skin’s propensity for extreme dryness, I was concerned about premature ageing. I chose Dermalogica over other skincare brands for a number of reasons. (1) Dermalogica classifies skin care as a health issue as opposed to a cosmetic concern. Its products are free from common irritants and ingredients found in budget skincare products. (2) My sister uses Dermalogica products and swears by them. (3) Dermalogica products repeatedly win beauty awards in respected women's magazines. (4) Jessica Alba, Victoria Beckham and Lucy Liu have all stated they use Dermalogica products. If they’re good enough for them, eh?! Millies Beauty Rooms have the best value Dermalogica products in the country. You can buy online here

Intensive Moisture Balance (€41.95 for 100ml, €31.25 for 50ml): This is an ultra-rich cream for dry or prematurely-ageing skin. Vitamins A, C and E and nourishing ingredients such as ginkgo, wild yam and grape seed all work together to smooth dry lines and reduce the signs of premature ageing. I noticed a huge improvement after using this for a few days. My skin looked plumped up and dry patches disappeared. As Intensive Moisture Balance doesn’t contain SPF, I use it as my night cream.

Daily Microfoliant (€37.50 Winner of ‘Best Facial Exfoliator’, InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2012): This exfoliator is unique in the sense that it is a powder formula. It transforms into a creamy paste upon contact with water. This paste is so gentle that it can be used every day and around the delicate eye area which is ideal if, like me, you suffer from dry patches under your eyes. Like Intensive Moisture Balance it is packed full of gorgeous ingredients such as rice enzymes, salicylic acid, grapefruit, liquorice, green tea and colloidal oatmeal. Daily Microfoliant effectively removes dulling skin cells leaving skin smoother and brighter. It also soothes the skin while helping to balance uneven skin pigmentation.

 

Beauty Review: Eau Thermale Avène Products

                                  1950s Dior photographed by Walde Huth

I’m having a French love affair. It’s intensely passionate and all-consuming. Unfortunately it’s not with a mysterious vineyard owner from Bordeaux called Jean-Pierre or with a suave bearded Parisian by the name of Jacques. It’s with the whole country – the language, the fashion, the food. I’ve never even been to France but I’ve just finished a basic French language course so here’s hoping I’ll get to visit soon. Naturally I’ll meet the aforementioned men and be swept off my feet, especially now that I have the lingo. Parle plus lentement s'il vous plait!

But what I absolutely love is the effortless natural beauty of French women. There must be something in the water. No, there IS something in the water! France's many springs and unique geological environment produces thermal water, water which is perfectly balanced and rich in trace elements. This water is the basis of many French skin care brands including pharmacy favourites Vichy and La Roche-Posay. However, the number one skin care brand in French pharmacies is in fact Eau Thermale Avène, a brand that has just become widely available here.

 

 

Avène is a unique dermo-cosmetic brand dedicated to every skin concern be it sensitive, oily, dehydrated, blemish prone or ageing. Each product is fragrance and paraben preservative-free and contains the Avène thermal spring water.


Extremely Gentle Cleanser:

This cleanser is a no rinse, tissue-off formula specifically designed for sensitive and irritated skin. The consistency is very fluid as it contains a high percentage of thermal spring water. I found this cleanser to be light and soothing, instantly hydrating my skin. It effectively removes makeup apart from heavy eye makeup so you will need to use a separate eye makeup remover. This doesn't bother me as I always use a seperate eye makeup remover, usually a bi-phase one, but it might bother some people. It's also oil-free so it would be suitable for blemished skin. I apply this cleanser by massaging a walnut size of it onto my face and removing with cotton pads. I can't find the receipt for this but I think it was approximately €11


Thermal Spring Water Spray:

This is a miracle multitasker! It soothes various irritations such as sunburn and razor burn, can be used as a toner; reduces facial redness, sets makeup and is the perfect travel companion – promptly quenching parched holiday skin. The 50ml bottle fits snugly into handbags but it’s also available in 150ml bottles. I love to use this spray as a toner; it works really well with the Extremely Gentle Cleanser. Just spray a fine mist on your skin and then gently pat dry after a few minutes. Price: €4.77 for 50mls

 

        Guillaume Canet: Another reason hot & bothered females reach for the thermal water spray!

Hydrance Optimale UV Riche SPF 20 Rich Hydrating Cream:

Hydrance Optimale is Avène’s range for dry to very dry sensitive skin. This day cream is formulated to hydrate and protect the skin from daily aggressions and help prevent skin ageing caused by the sun. Despite its name, this cream is quite light and sinks into my skin quickly with no greasiness. This makes it a perfect base for makeup. I also love that it has a SPF of 20 as most pharmacy brands only go up to SPF 15. It has effectively hydrated my skin over the summer but its real test has yet to come. Winter wreaks havoc on my skin and I’m not too sure if this moisturiser is up to dealing with the dry patches I tend to get from icy wind and central heating. I have a feeling something more intense will be needed. Also, at €21.25 it's not very purse friendly for those on a budget.

 

Cold Cream Lip Cream:

I absolutely adore this! It is without a doubt the best lip balm I have ever used. It provides immediate relief and protection against chapped, flaky and cracked lips. It literally heals lips overnight. The tube lasts for ages and it also has very little shine so it’s a fantastic base for lipstick. This little wonder is definitely one of my favourite products of the year. Price: €10.17