As is often the case cosmetic science is some way off fully understanding the processes involved in free radical formation and the benefits of antioxidant formulations.

Theoretically wrinkles and an aging appearance result when the free-radical damage originates from natural environmental factors and fails to be ‘cancelled out’ by some amount of metabolic or applied antioxidant protection.

When thinking about topical preparations it is important to consider factors regulating the impact of the skincare product including ability to penetrate the skin, amount of an ingredient required to be effective and the time it takes to be effective.

None of us expect antioxidants to be a fountain of youth.

It is too early to say conclusively from the scientific evidence that antioxidants prevent or repair wrinkles.

However it is now generally accepted that the use of a quality antioxidant moisturiser, oil or serum as part of a daily beauty routine, is likely to reduce the impact of free radical damage.

The benefits of using a sun screen and simply being gentle with your skin in terms of environmental exposure have been well established.

So it is definitely worth making the effort now!

Sylvie xx

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It is believed that antioxidants in skincare are capable of penetrating into the deepest layers of skin tissue. Some experts believe antioxidants enable living skin cells to repair and renew. The end result is skin that looks and feels younger.

In theory antioxidants prevent the unstable oxygen molecules from interacting with other molecules (taking one of their electrons) and consequently causing them to become unstable, the process that starts the free-radical-oxidisation chain reaction.

Other reported benefits of attributed to antioxidants in skincare are:

 The Best Antioxidants

 Ingredients with antioxidant properties include:

• Olive Leaf
• Pomegranate
• Rosemary
• vitamins A, C, and E;
• green and white tea;
• glutathione;
• beta carotene;
• selenium;
• coenzyme Q10; and
• zinc

 Sylvie xx

What do you think? 

We would love to hear your thoughts! 

If there is anything you would like to find out about, please let us know!

I am a big fan of the rejuvenating effects natural ingredients such as Olive Leaf, White Tea and Pomegranate extracts, and Vitamin E and Cocoa Butter and Rosemary – all known for their antioxidant potential.

This is the first in three blogs that provide an update on the efficacy of antioxidant formulations in combating the effects of free radical damage.

While we do not yet thoroughly understand the scientific ‘how and why’, it is now fairly clear that free-radical damage is bad for the skin.

Free radical oxidation is the basis of the aging process because it causes permanent deterioration of the skin cell’s support structures, decreasing elasticity and resilience.

Cosmetic ingredients that act as antioxidants are thought to diminish or neutralise the impact of free radical damage by slowing down or blocking oxidation within a skin cell.

What is Free Radical Damage?

Oxidation caused by free radical processes operate at the level of atoms or molecules that make up skin cells.

Oxidation of skin cells by free radical activity may be caused by UV radiation, pesticides, air pollution, drugs, cigarette smoke, stress, and simply an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.

They are formed when an oxygen atom loses an electron. The loss of the electron makes the atom or molecule electrically unstable.

To regain stability, free radicals tend to capture electrons from the atoms of surrounding substances in a chain reaction that continues until stopped by an antioxidant.

These free radicals attack and damage healthy cells, such as those contained in our skin.

The overall result is cellular damage, alterations in the structure of the cellular membrane, and decreased skin elasticity and pliability.

As one would expect, sun and UV ray exposure intensifies the oxidation process and free radicals accumulate which over time leads premature ageing, sun-spots, blemishes, wrinkles and overall damaged and dry skin.

While the body has its own natural mechanism of protection from free radical induced damage, this protective capacity diminishes with age and when the body is exposed to conditions where the magnitude of free radicals formed overtakes the body's natural ability to neutralise them.

Sylvie xx

What do you think? 

We would love to hear your thoughts! 

If there is anything you would like to find out about, please let us know!

Her sheer exuberance and sense of humour was really uplifting and I enjoyed the stories emanating from her book How to Be a Woman.

My take is that Moran uses honestly and humour to enliven important and practical issues in the lives of women and girls without getting too bogged down in theory or injustice (no matter how real and apparent in everyday life). 

In your face but making you laugh at that same time. Sounds like a good and accessible balance to me.

The blurb on the book website says;

‘There’s never been a better time to be a woman: we have the vote and the Pill, and we haven’t been burnt as witches since 1727. However, a few nagging questions do remain…

Why are we supposed to get Brazilians? Should you get Botox? Do men secretly hate us? What should you call your vagina? Why does your bra hurt? And why does everyone ask you when you’re going to have a baby?

Part memoir, part rant, Caitlin Moran answers these questions and more in How To Be A Woman – following her from her terrible 13th birthday (‘I am 13 stone, have no friends, and boys throw gravel at me when they see me’) through adolescence, the workplace, strip-clubs, love, fat, abortion, TopShop, motherhood and beyond'.

 I am really looking forward to a read.

 Sylvie xx

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We would lov to hear your thoughts! 

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Here is a press clipping of the event.

Sylvie xx 

Wentworth Courier 4 April 2012

Mascara instantly defines the eye and pulls together the whole makeup. 

Most of us are busy in the mornings, so our makeup routine needs to be simple and effortless.

Three makeup items I suggest as a quick morning beauty routine are:

Mineral Mascara

Mineral Blush, and

Mineral Lipstick or Lip Gloss.

To cover imperfections if you are not wanting to apply a Foundation dab some Mineral Powder Foundation onto the blemish and press until it is covered and blended. 

It really does work. 

Sylvie xx

What do you think?

We would love to hear your thoughts!

If there is anything you would like to find out about, please let us know!

I am often asked why we have chosen to distribute our products via direct marketing and not within the larger retail sector.  

Our main reason for choosing this method is because we wanted to really connect with woman at a personal level and it is so much fun.

I personally love meeting all the women who come to the clinics and being instrumental in helping them update 'their look' or skincare regime. 

It is also another way for us to connect with  our friends.  In this era of email, facebook etc... we quite often just shoot off an email rather than actually meet up and see friends you have not seen for a while. For some women it is an opportunity  to meet new ones.  

Its a good excuse to spoil yourself and have some girl time. 

Being the mother of three boys having some 'girl time' was a serious consideration. 

Incidentally my boys use this time to have 'secret men's business' with their dad.  

Finally, you just don't receive the same personalised service in a department store or online e-store as you do at a SCOUT Cosmetics clinic.

There is usually champagne, cake, women sharing their stories, chats about current affairs and lots of laughter.  Even women who are usually shy about appearing 'bare faced' end up sitting in the makeup chair to have a 'make over'. 

It is a convenient way to update your makeup supply in a relaxed and informal environment.  This, together with the option to re-order or purchase online seemed  ideal way to do bsuiness.

Sylvie xx

What do you think? 

We would love to hear your thoughts! 

If there is anything you would like to find out about, please let us know!

It is especially important to read the fine print where a product claims to be ‘all natural' or ‘chemical free'.

SCOUT Cosmetics has a ‘common sense' balanced approach to the choice of ingredients and formulations.

Our products contain high quality natural ingredients and where we add ‘botanicals' or extracts we have chosen to use only certified organic where possible.  If there is even a slight reasonable doubt about the safety of an ingredient we would not use it in a SCOUT product.

But remember, simply stating a product is "natural" does not tell you anything useful about the effectiveness of the ingredients contained in a product or whether it will agree with your individual skin.

So what about claims that 'Natural ingredients are always better than synthetic' – While a champion of the natural approach, I believe this is the wrong way to look at cosmetic ingredients as in reality there is no ‘all or nothing’ product approach.

The SCOUT Cosmetics philosophy is natural because we believe naturally sourced ingredients are often effective and make the best products (see Blog Post - Natural Versus Synthetic Ingredients).

As I often say at SCOUT clincis, please think about the ingredients list as well as the marketing claims.

Sylvie xx

What do you think? 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

If there is anything you would like to find out about, please let us know!