Birmingham Bloggers were recently invited to Beyond Beauty to learn about skincare & treatments, plus I had a Dermalogica Facial!
The #Blogmas Beauty Event
On the 17th December, myself and a bunch of fab Birmingham bloggers were invited to Beyond Beauty on Broad Street, Birmingham. The lovely team at Beyond Beauty greeted us with fizz and plenty of nibbles. Once everyone arrived we were then shown around the Skin Clinic while the beauty experts explained all the fascinating equipment and treatments they do. Such as Dermalogica facials, body wraps, massages & exfoliation, male grooming, and cosmetic injections. We also got to test out the Microdermabrasion and IPL laser treatment on our arms to see how it feels.
Once the beauty team explained all the treatments they do, we were all given a skin consultation with Laura so they could recommend the most suitable treatment for our skin type. As I have sensitive, oily congested skin I was recommended to have a Medi-bac facial. During the consultation, the therapist examined my face under a bright light and I was told I have very thin skin and for my skin type, I should be using less products rather than more. I totally recommend having a skin consultation, it's been so helpful and has since made me super cautious about what ingredients are in the skincare products I'm using.
Myself and bloggers Michelle and Amina sat down with beauty therapist Laura who explained all the big beauty do's and don'ts which was a great eye opener. For example I'm using facial scrubs and masks far too much and it's likely to be damaging and aggravating my skin type as my skin is super thin. Everyone's skin type is different and some people's skin can take more products than others, such as those with thicker skin can exfoliate more often. We also talked about how you shouldn't always follow the hype over products you read on blogs or believe the claims made by beauty brands. After all it is all marketing (p.s I'm a marketing student!) so it's important to do your own research before purchasing.
For example my sister has been making a paste of baking soda and lemon juice and using it on her face three times a week as a mask to get rid of spots. And recently when she went to a bonfire display her face was burning, whereas her friends wasn't and they were standing at the same distance away from the bonfire. So clearly the baking soda and lemon juice is far too harsh and has damaged her face, and as were sisters she's likely to have thin skin like me. She found out about this home DIY mask from a blogger who recommended to do it three times a week!. The beauty benefit claims could be true for that blogger, but like I said everyone's skin is different and the mask clearly isn't suitable for my sister's skin.
While we were listening to each others consultation, one blogger had been recommended a product containing retinol from their doctor to treat acne, which is something they have been using daily for some time. However, this is also a big no no! retinol can have severe side effects and can also thin the skin if used often. I don't want to put doctors down as they clearly do an amazing job, however, they can just dish out prescriptions to move along to the next patient. It's happened to myself also, on more than one occasion. So again do your own research, and have a skin consultation so an expert can have a proper look at your skin under a bright light and recommend the best products suitable for you and your skin only.
The Beyond Beauty team sent us home with a Dermalogica 'Skin Health Heroes' gift set, Lindt chocolate and a Christmas cracker, which was very lovely of them!
The Medi Bac Dermalogica Facial
During the consultation, Laura the beauty therapist at Beyond Beauty recommended I have a Medi Bac Dermalogica Facial which is suitable for those with oily, congested spot prone skin. So yesterday I visited the clinic again, after looking forward to the facial all weekend. The treatment room was super cosy with candles and relaxing music. Laura started by removing my makeup and applying an exfoliant. As my skin is super sensitive we skipped the steam step to avoid aggravating my skin. Once my face was clean and makeup free she started unclogging the pores on my nose and cheeks. The night before I read an article about blackhead extraction and they said how painful it was, however for me it certainly wasn't painful, at first it can feel a bit uncomfortable and strange having someone remove the dirt from your pores but after the first few it was fine.
It was so nice to just lay there and do nothing for an hour while being pampered with a deep cleanse. After the extraction, Laura applied a hydrating mask to my face and neck. During the five minutes waiting for the mask I had a lovely shoulder and neck massage. As I've suffered with back pain for years (from all those years hunched over a desk, which is something I'm doing right now!) it was so great to get a massage, if I could afford to I would have a professional massage every night before bed as they really do put me in relaxed sleep mode. After the mask & massage, Laura applied a serum concentrate, super sensitive shield and an ultra-calming mist from the Dermalogica range.
After the facial, my face felt so clean and looked so bright and the blackheads that were more prominent have now been removed. I'm really happy with the facial and all the expert advice I have received from Laura and the rest of the team at Beyond Beauty. I'm having another facial in 4 weeks and plan to keep it up, so my skin gets a little treat and to keep on top of the blackheads.
Beyond Beauty are offering 20% off all treatments for my readers when using the code #bblaseruk16
Disclaimer: I attended the event as a guest and received the facial as a complimentary treatment. All words and photo are mine.