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HOW TO APPLY FACE OILS CORRECTLY

HOW TO APPLY FACE OILS CORRECTLY

When is the best time to apply a face oil? How much oil should you be using? What other products should you be using in combination with your oils? Here are some basic tips to help you get the most out of your face oils.

Adding a facial oil into your skincare routine is super EASY! 

The best time to apply a facial oil is on freshly washed skin, while it is still damp and warm - usually when you’re fresh out of the shower.Use the glass dropper to drop a few drops into your hands. Slightly warm the oil up before gently massaging or patting across the forehead, cheeks, chin, neck and décolletage. A gentle massage will help the oil to penetrate better, as well as boosting your circulation. Just a few drops are sufficient unless you have very dry skin – then you can add a couple more drops as needed.

Night time is the ideal time to add face oil into your skincare routine. While asleep, our cells do the much-needed work of repairing daily damage. This is because our blood vessels dilate at night. Therefore, there is an increase in blood blow, which allows for more nutrients to be absorbed into the skin. As such, our skin reaches ‘peak absorbency’ while we are sleeping. With the added advantage that your skin will be undisturbed by other external factors such as pollutants, UV radiation, or environmental toxins.

If you are introducing a face oil into your skin care routine for the very first time. The best way to do this is to make swaps slowly. Don’t suddenly change your current skincare regime or throw any of your regular products out straight away. With any new routine there is always going to be an adjustment period. Your skin may go through a short transition period while it learns to re-balance its own natural oil production. It’s totally normal for there to be skin fluctuations. Your skin will need a little time to get used to all the high-density, undiluted skin nourishment that comes from using an active botanical face oil. Like any new transition, give it time.

Once your skin has gotten used to its new night time routine. Begin implementing your day time face oil in the morning, a few days a week or every other day. It’s fine to use your old products on alternating days. This allows your skin to get used to another new transition. It's always best to make one swap at a time. Eventually your skin will tell you when it’s the right time to make a full transition over to your new skincare routine.

Everybody’s skin is unique and different. Always ensure you pay close attention to your skin’s responsiveness to your facial oil. If you notice your skin rapidly absorbing the oil, consider using more. Conversely if the skin feels congested, experiment with using a little less.

Healthy skin wasn't built in a day. Skin takes approximately 28 days to renew. It’s best to give any new skincare routine at least a month. Ideally it takes a period of 3 months to obtain full benefits and results.

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SKIN PROTECTION

SKIN PROTECTION

When we think of skin protection, sunscreen is probably the first thing that comes to mind. However new research has discovered that these days it isn’t as simple as applying a simple sunscreen to keep your skin protected from environmental UV damage. Protecting your skin now includes shielding it not only from the sun, but shielding it from harmful pollution and from the radiation that comes off all the different screens we access and expose ourselves to.

Some of us might remember our younger days filled with summers lathering our bodies in baby oil in pursuit of a golden glow. Of course at the time we didn’t know that this was extremely damaging for our skin. Causing free radical damage and oxidative stress to prematurely age our skin by decreasing collagen production and increasing pigmentation. In fact it’s much worse than that with skin cancer now the most common cancer in New Zealand. With New Zealand and Australia having the highest rates of melanoma in the world.

The sun is much more than the light we can actually see. Sunlight can be broken down into four basic categories: VL (visible light), HEV (high-energy visible light), UV (ultraviolet), and IR (infrared light). Visible light is the light that is picked up by the human eye so, in this case, simple sunshine. When we see this, we know we need to protect our skin, by either applying sunscreen or simply covering our skin. HEV refers to blue light, both from the sun and from electronic devices. UV takes into consideration both UVA (rays that go deep into skin to cause premature aging and wrinkles) and UVB (the rays that cause a burn), which most basic sunscreen can block. While you may have read the term Infrared used in a positive way, as it can decrease inflammation and detoxify the skin and body, it can also be harmful when encountered in large frequencies. If you think about it, trapped infrared radiation, aka the heat that we feel, is what is leading to global warming, which wreaks havoc on the environment, just imagine what it is doing to our skin!

So, while we know that finding a natural, mineral-based sunscreen is essential to skin protection, it’s not enough to truly protect our skin. Let’s go back to pollution. Environmental pollution is constantly in the air we breathe. Full of free radicals that break down our DNA until it can no longer replicate, causing free radical-damage. Free radicals are actually made in our body, but so are antioxidants, the remedy, that prevent the free radicals from damaging your healthy cells.

While your body can normally handle the naturally occurring free radicals it produces, the mass amount coming from pollution and radiation as of late are too overpowering. These unstable molecules are searching for electrons in your body to make them whole again, a process that causes oxidative stress, which is what allows the DNA to start breaking down. You can eat antioxidant-rich food to fix the radicals inside your body, but the skin needs a topical solution. Skincare products rich in phytonutrients, vitamins and antioxidants provide a protective layer against free radicals made by the environment, and are most effective when used on the skin morning and night. Just an FYI, most sunscreens do not contain antioxidants. Protecting your skin from the sun’s damaging rays with SPF and limiting your time in the sun is important. But sunscreen alone itself isn’t enough regardless of the SPF rating?

What was once ‘protect yourself’ evolved to ‘limit your time in the sun between the hours of 10am and 4pm’, which has now evolved even further to “wear sunscreen every single day, summer and winter. So, what can we do to protect our skin damage.

As a skincare company based on the latest science and research. We promote the daily and topical use of an active botanical serum for skin to attain a extra layer of protection. Our 100% Active Botanical Serums are packed with protective and potent antioxidants to neutralise the daily assault from skin damaging free radicals and environmental pollution. Naturally boosting the skins natural defence system and reducing oxidative stress.

NUN believes in not only protecting your skin from external damage but nourishing it as well. All our products contain a rich nutrient profile of omega’s to restore and rebalance the skins natural lipid levels. Thereby strengthening and fortifying the skin barrier for added protection and providing skin with all the vital and essential nutrients it needs to thrive.

Continuous and regular use of our serums will leave skin replenished, nourished and deeply hydrated. Improving skin health, optimal skin function. Resulting in a healthy vibrant complexion ready to defend itself from the daily assault of free radicals and environmental pollution.

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KEY BENEFITS OF USING FACIAL OILS

KEY BENEFITS OF USING FACIAL OILS

Botanical facial oils are without a doubt the MVP’s of any skincare routine. A must have item when it comes to having healthy skin. Facial oils offer great benefits for skin because they provide exactly what skin needs to be healthy and vibrant.

Nutrient dense 

Botanical facial oils are highly concentrated products so you only need a small amount to achieve great benefits for your skin. Optimal levels of whole plant actives give them a rich nutrient density. Making them extremely nourishing and beneficial for skin health. Compared to moisturizers or creams which on average contain only 5% plant actives with little or no nutritional value at all.

Rich in Nutrients

Botanical oils are a natural source of nutrients. Making them highly potent and effective. Packed with plant seed oils the most nutritious part of the plant. They contain a plethora of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega fatty acids and phytosterols. All these phytonutrients provide numerous benefits for the skin. Higher levels of antioxidants work effectively to protect skin from harmful UV radiation. Thereby lessening the effects of environmental free radical damage and preventing premature aging. Whole plant phytosterols soothe and calm inflammation to reduce skin stress.

Essential Nutrients

Botanical oils are full of Omega 3, 6, and 9 and Essential Fatty Acids. Deemed essential because EFA’s contain the necessary nutrients required for healthy body and skin function. Not to be confused with fragrant essential oils which are devoid of nutrients. EFA’s must be supplied to the body orally through diet or by topical application directly to skin. As they cannot be produced by the human body. EFA’s strengthen the skin’s lipid layer and improve barrier function. Having reduced levels of lipids in the skin are related to dryness and loss of elasticity.

Lipophilic

Botanical oils are lipophilic or fat loving. This means they have a much smaller molecular structure which gives them the ability to penetrate further and deeper into the dermis. Thus allowing a higher level of skin hydration. As we age the skins natural oils and lipid profile decrease. Causing the moisture barrier to breakdown and for skin to dry out. The topical application of botanical oils helps to prevent and reduce water loss to keep skin moist and plump.

Biocompatible

Botanical oils are biocompatible ingredients which gives them a natural affinity with skin. They work in tandem with the body’s natural reproduction cycles and functions. Absorbing easily and deeply at a cellular level to supply vital nutrients where cell renewal begins. Using oils regularly will nourish, replenish and rebuild the skin’s natural barrier layer more extensively. Keeping skin healthy and hydrated so it can continue to protect your skin from things like dehydration and UV damage.

So it turns out that the benefits of botanical oils are many. They really are our skin saviours for optimal skin health. Once you start on the journey of using facial oils you won’t look back.

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SKIN MICROBIOME 101

SKIN MICROBIOME 101

Microbiome is fast becoming a household word. We hear a lot about gut health and gut microbiome and the role it plays in health and wellbeing. But hear less about our skin microbiome and the important role it also plays in our overall health and immunity.

According to Webster’s Dictionary ‘micro’ is an adjective that describes something as very small. ‘Biome’ a noun is a major ecological community type. While this word may sound like a massive contradiction, it points to what the microbiome actually is – a massive community of microorganisms that inhabit an environment. In our case the human microbiome is a massive community of microorganisms that inhabit your body.

Each human body hosts a number of ecosystems. Composed of approximately 10 trillion human cells, 100 trillion bacteria, yeasts, and single cell protozoa (representing thousands of different species), and 1,000 trillion viruses in and on our bodies, which are collectively called the microbiome.

Researchers are now beginning to focus their attention towards the relationship the skin microbiome plays in maintaining healthy skin. The latest discoveries are beginning to show how crucial the skin microbiome is to our health and well-being and even to how the skin ages.

The skin microbiomes main function is to directly protect our body from pathogenic invaders. It helps our immune system to maintain and regulate that delicate balance between effective protection and damaging inflammation.

When it comes to healthy skin microbial biodiversity is everything.

Several studies have already shown that an important aspect of skin health is directly connected to our skins inhabitant’s diversity. This research shows that the greater the diversity of the microbiome found on the skin's surface, the lesser the age-related changes are being seen in the skin.

This phenomena is replicated through nature.  All research across biology and ecology agrees that a higher biodiversity corresponds directly to increased healthiness and functionality within the ecosystem. This new knowledge has the potential to revolutionise the beauty and personal care industry and the way skincare products are produced and made. Most importantly it will change how we treat, tend and nurture our skin.

Keeping our skin healthy begins with a better understanding of the skin microbiome and how it interacts with us its host. It is exciting to know that by learning how to be better hosts to our microbiota we can directly improve the condition and quality of our skin. In turn we will also become better guests to the planet that hosts us.

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THE SKIN BARRIER

THE SKIN BARRIER

The skin barrier or stratum corneum is a specialised layer that forms the outermost part of the epidermis. It's our vital front-line defence to protect us against the perils of the environment, UV radiation, pollution, infection, toxic chemicals and so on.

Much like a security guard for your skin, the skin barrier is designed to prevent the entrance of harmful microorganisms or irritants. A thin, weak or damaged skin barrier allows irritants in, or skin to irritate more easily. Building a stronger thicker skin barrier is the best defence to reducing skin sensitivity in the long term.

Skin is the largest organ of the body. The outermost layer of the skin surface is the skin barrier. The epidermis, the top layer of skin, provides a waterproof barrier and creates our skin tone. The dermis, beneath the epidermis, contains connective tissue, hair follicles, and sweat glands. The deeper subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis) is made of fat and connective tissue. The skin barrier is made up of 7-10 layers of dead skin cells. Cells that began in a deeper layer of the skin and migrated to the surface. These skin cells are stacked on top of each other and held together at the skin surface with a substance called lipids. To picture how they are held together think of a brick wall structure bricks (skin cells) which are held together by a complex mixture of mortar (lipids). Even though these skin cells in the skin barrier are technically not living cells. They are responsible for the health of our skin and play an important role in protecting skin from outer bacteria and viruses, along with the microbiome.

Our skin holds water and nutrients by creating a waterproof barrier. Sealing moisture in to keep the skin lubricated while allowing waste products to pass out. The skin's lipids are essential components of skin that play a crucial role in maintaining the strength of the skin's protective barrier. It is the fatty acid's job (lipids) to keep the cell healthy and the membrane functioning optimally, aiding in the skin's natural repair process. When there are not enough of these fatty acids the structure of the "brick wall" (skin barrier) becomes unstable. Accelerating Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) leading to dry skin and allowing irritants to penetrate through the skin more easily. Maintaining lipids levels is crucial to having healthy skin. If your skin barrier is working well, it will retain water effectively, maintaining good hydration balance.This means it contains the right amount of lipids, and the right amount of Natural Moisturising Factor. If it’s not, skin will look dry, dull and possibly scaly.

If your skin is dry, dehydrated or lack lustre then giving it a topical boost of lipids will immediately improve the quality and condition of the skin. We recommend using a whole plant serum containing linoleic acid, an omega 6 fatty acid. It’s an essential fatty acid that we can’t manufacture ourselves, so we must obtain it through diet or topical application. It helps to repair barrier function and is also an effective moisturising agent. A damaged skin barrier can be repaired, restored and maintained with whole plant actives. By adhering to a proper cleansing regimen, limiting your skin's exposure to harmful elements, and integrating repairing remedies into your life, you will begin to see the effects of a stronger, healthy skin barrier.

Looking after you skin barrier with botanical actives and phytonutrients will help you achieve smooth, plump, resilient skin. Plus optimal skin health and vibrant beautiful looking skin. 

At NUN we recommend a targeted approach to building your skin barrier. Use TRANSFORM Phyto Boost containing Safflower and Sunflower oil both rich in linoleic acid to boost and rebuild the lipid barrier. Our HYDRATE Phyto Boost has a unique combination of Essential Fatty Acids 3, 6, 9 and Omega and best for skin that is severely dry or dehydrated.

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