Category: Health & Fitness

Facials And Skincare Tips At Home

Normal life as we know it is on hold. Classes are cancelled, offices are closed, no more
dinner parties or meals at your favourite restaurant… We can cope with that but…

…how do we cope with beauty clinics being closed and left alone to deal our skin and our out
of control hair growing everywhere!. No more popping in for a laser, hydrafacial or hifu
treatment, at least for now.

Well if you can’t come to the clinic, the clinic will have to come to you!.

We have prepared an essential beauty list for you so you can give yourself some well-
deserved pampering and care.

We asked all our clinicians to share their favourite homemade recipes for skincare. The great
news is all the ingredients can be found in your fridge!

So, let the pampering begin!


First, Exfoliation!

“Before each mask or treatment, you should start with proper exfoliation.“; says our expert
clinician Anna from our Clapham clinic.

But why exfoliation is important?

Anna continued “Good exfoliation removes the dead skin cells clogging the skin and reveals
fresh new cells below. Getting rid of the dead skin leaves your skin looking fresh and
healthy. And more importantly, good exfoliation opens the way for your skin masks,
moisturisers or other beauty products to penetrate your skin more deeply. And you can
benefit more from your beauty treatment.”

Anna has a simple yet effective recipe for skin exfoliation at home. All you need is 2
ingredients. To prepare your face before all the masks, you should mix;

  • honey
  • sugar

and make a nice skin scrub. Exfoliate your skin with this mixture and wash off with lukewarm water. Thank you for the skincare tip, Anna!

Fab Facial For Open Pores

There are many causes of large open pores. Such as :

  • reduced elasticity around pores
  • reduction of collagen production in the skin
  • ageing
  • makeup
  • hygiene
  • genetics

And as we know, open pores may cause acne and other skin imperfections.

But with this next amazing homemade mask, you can reduce the size of your open pores and
give your skin the perfect look it needs.

Magda our skincare expert from our Soho clinic gave us this super effective and easy to make
face-mask for open pores. It was passed down to her by her mother in Poland and she was
sworn to secrecy to never reveal the recipe, to anyone, ever….until now, so thanks Magda!

It works miracles and is already one of our favourites.
Ingredients for the face mask to eliminate open pores;

  • 1 Egg white
  • 1 lemon

1. Separate the egg white from the yolk (you can use an empty plastic bottle to do this.
Just crack the egg into a bowl, squeeze the empty bottle, place the bottle opening over
the yolk. When you release your grip the yolk will be sucked inside the bottle and you
can separate it from the egg white)

2. Whisk together the egg white with lemon juice until the mixture becomes a foam

3. Put the mask on your face for 10-15 mins

4. Wash off with lukewarm water

Results are immediate. You can make this mask 1-2 times a week.

Fantastic Facial for Hydrating the skin

Hydration is the key when it comes to healthy skin. If your skin is hydrated, it will look more
plump and youthful. Hydration also helps your skin to improve elasticity which reduces the
appearance of wrinkles.

Dehydrated skin produces more oil due to lack of moisture. Which leads to many skin
problems.

And when your skin is fully hydrated, it can flush out toxins more effectively while your skin
cells are functioning at their best.

These next recipes are coming from Lana from our Liverpool Street clinic. They explain the
generations of beauty in her family!

Ingredients for a skin hydration mask;

  • Half an avocado
  • cocoa powder
  •  Honey

1. Mash the avocado and mix with the rest of the ingredients
2. Leave the mask on for 10-15 mins
3. Remove mask with warm water.

Another fantastic recipe for hydration and brightening;

  • Banana
  • Orange juice
  • Honey

1. Mash the banana, mix up with the rest of the ingredients
2. Apply a thick layer on face and keep for 15-20 mins
3. Remove with warm water

Thanks for sharing Lana, they sound good enough to eat!.


A Facial to fight acne

Acne occurs when the pores of the skin get blocked with oil, dead skin or bacteria. It usually
appears with:

  • Blackheads
  • Whitehead
  •  pimples
  •  oily skin
  • possible scarring

But this easy to make treatment will help you reduce your acne and improve your skin. We
will always be grateful to Ilona from our Liverpool Street Clinic for this amazing skin tip.

Ingredient for face mask against acne

  • Aspirin (5 tablets crashed)
  •  1tbs honey

1. Mix both ingredients until having a smooth texture
2. Keep on face for 10 mins
3. Massage before rinsing off with water

For acne-prone skin

“Prevention is as important as the treatment”; is Lana’s skincare motto.
Acne-prone skin has the potential to develop comedones and pimples. It is often oily and
appears shiny. With this natural homemade face-mask, Lana shared, you can reduce the
likelihood of having acne on your skin.

Ingredients for acne-prone skin mask

  •  honey
  • cinnamon powder

1. Finely mix ingredients
2. Apply a thick layer and leave until dry
3. Remove with warm water


A facial to tackle Under eye puffiness

Maybe you have had one too many late nights getting through the latest series on Netflix or
up late chatting to friends with a glass of wine or two. Under eye puffiness or bags under eyes
commonly appear at any age. It gets worse the older you get though.

With ageing, the tissues around your eyes, including some of the supporting muscles around
eyelids get weaker. The fat that is supporting the eyes moves into the lower eyelids and it
causes the puffiness around eyes.

Our skincare expert Anna from our Clapham clinic shares her secret for under eye puffiness.
Every evening place two tablespoons into your freezer. In the morning, after cleaning your
face, use the cold spoons using outwards movements focusing on eyes to increase blood
circulation and reduce puffiness. For best results make sure to do it every morning for 5-10
mins.

After the skin exercise, don’t worry if your skin gets red. That only means that it’s working!
Also make sure that your curtains are closed and no one is around as they may think you lost
the plot!

We hope you enjoy these recipes from our clinicians. Go ahead and give them a try. We
would love to hear from you about your homemade skincare recipes. Email us or join our
new facebook group, or Social media, to share them. If Magda can break years of family
secrets, so can you!.

If you have always had questions about your skin, why not take advantage of the lockdown
and give us a call and speak to an expert advisor. We are offering free e-consultations for you
to ask all your skin related questions to our experts, send pictures in and have them looked
over  and analysed.

Just contact us for more information.

Hand Care During Coronavirus

Have you washed your so much recently with soaps, gels and sanitisers they are beginning to feel dry and rough and you’re noticing the first signs of painful cracks appearing?

With the current situation, we are recommended to wash and sanitise our hands more than ever as health professionals advise that washing hands is one of the best ways to stop the virus spreading. Washing our hands with soap and water regularly and using hand sanitisers gives us fantastically clean germ free hands but we are all finding out it comes at a cost.

Dry ,cracked and bleeding hands are not only painful but more sensitive to viruses. So what can we do right now to maintain soft smooth hands while at the same time staying safe?.

Why frequent hand washing cause dryness?

While soap and water wash away dirt and germs, it also strips the natural protective layer on your skin. Removing the oily layer from your skin causes dryness and sensitivity.

How to wash your hands without irritating your skin?

We are advised to use an antibacterial soap to prevent the virus spread and wash for twenty seconds or sing happy birthday to ourselves twice. However, we all know, soap is not always the our skins best friend. It is sometimes a love hate relationship.

To minimise the drying effects of soap, make sure to choose a gentle soap which cleanses with natural ingredients rather than harsh chemicals such as parabens, alcohol, chlorine or even fragrances.

 

After washing your hands

Once you wash your hands with a carefully chosen soap, dermatologists recommend gently patting your hands dry, instead of rubbing harshly. Also using a hard fabric towel can further irritate your skin. So make sure to use a soft cotton towel to dry your hands. This way you can minimise the negative side effects of frequent hand washing.

Always moisturise your hands

When skin loses its moist texture, it cannot act as a protective shield. Moisturisers hold the water in the outer layer of skin and make your hands softer as well as helping to prevent or treat dry skin on your hands.

It is important to choose the right moisturiser for your skin.

While many people prefer to use water-based lotions such as Hydra-gels it may not be the best choice for everyone.

Water-based creams such as Avena moisturisers, on the other hand, can have a longer-lasting effect on your skin.

And for people with extremely dry skin, it is advised to use oil-based creams. Oil-based creams hold water inside your skin longer, leaving you with more lasting relief. And using essential oils are really good to replace the natural oils that have been washed off of your hands.  

While washing your hands more frequently than ever, it is important that you add moisturising as an important part of your daily routine. 

Make a hand mask

Using moisturising creams are highly effective but they may not be enough in some cases. If your hands are still very dry after you regularly apply moisturising creams and care, you may want to try hand masks. 

There are many highly effective hand masks you can find behind the counter. However, if you are self-isolating, or you wish to keep your social distancing, you can create your own mask at home.

Simply mix;

  • 1 egg yolk 
  • 1/2 Lemon juice 
  • 2tbs Olive oil

Beat it until your get smooth cream-like texture.

Apply it to clean, dry hands in a thick layer and let stand for at least 15 minutes.

The longer you keep it, the better results you will get.

 

Overnight miracle

You can even care your hands in your sleep. All you need to do is before going to bed, generously apply hand cream and cuticle oil, and wear a pair of cotton gloves. You can also do this with Vaseline. But make sure to prefer non-scented ones. This way your hands will retain the moisture all night and you will wake up with incredibly soft hands. 

Applying this 1-2 times a week will help you perfectly to look after your hands while preventing Coronavirus.

 

Hydrate your body

We all know that in order to maintain a healthy life, we need to drink enough water. As well as it is crucial for your inside organs, it is also very important for your biggest organ… your skin. Make sure to consume enough water throughout the day to give your skin the boost it needs. 

To determine how much water you should drink a day, you can simply calculate the following.

Water (in litres) to drink a day= Your Weight (in Kg) multiplied by 0.033.

For example, if you are 60 kg, you should drink 2 litres of water every day. If you are 90 kg, you should increase your daily water intake to 3 litres.

 

Humidifiers

Keeping your skin moist and taking the best care of it is one thing. But what about your surroundings?

Keeping the air you are surrounded by moist, will help you to maintain healthy skin. Humidifiers can help you prevent your skin from getting dry and cracked. However, if you don’t own a humidifier, which most of us don’t,  you can improvise. Simply place a wet towel on your warm radiator and it will help to humidify the air.

Protect your hands all times

Protection is as important as treatment. 

While washing your hands more than ever now, avoid using anything abrasive.

Exfoliation is often recommended for healthy skincare. Although, during this time, while your hands are suffering from extreme dryness, it is not the best time to practice it. Avoid any type of buffing or exfoliating for your hands. 

Make sure to eliminate any unnecessary exposure of hard chemicals. While doing cleaning or other types of chores requiring the use of chemicals, don’t forget to wear protective gloves. It might feel strange or you may not be used to it, but it will definitely worth using them. 

If you are gardening or doing yard work, you should use heavy gardening gloves.

And you can prefer thin medical gloves while cooking with acidic ingredients such as tomatoes or onions. 

In cold weather, make sure to wear your winter gloves when you go outside. They will protect your hands from drying or chapping in the wintery air. If you can’t use your winter gloves, you should either try to keep your hands in your pockets while you are outside. Or make sure to apply nappy cream on your hands. This will create a thick layer on your hands and decrease the wind’s drying effect.

While the sun starts shining outside, if you need to leave home, make sure you also apply SPF on your hands. This will protect your skin from the sun’s rays and eliminate further pain. 

If you have any questions about skin health, our experts are happy to talk to you anytime

 

Premier Laser Response To Coronavirus [UPDATED 26TH MAY]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][UPDATED 26TH MAY 2020]

Dear clients,

We are looking forward to welcoming you back to our clinics as soon as the Government gives the green light for our industry.

Unfortunately, this will not be on June the 15th with the first round of non-essential businesses reopening.

We hope this will be in July and anticipate a date around 4th July, however this is again is subject to change based on the Government advice.

Once a date is confirmed we will contact you, so that you are able to rebook your appointments.

We would like to reassure you once we have reopened we will be taking every precaution possible to ensure you continue to receive the highest levels of expert care and treatments in the safest way.

We have gone beyond government guidelines to ensure that you and our staff remain safe at all times. This includes maintaining social distancing, strict hygiene throughout and appropriate PPE.

We will provide you with more detailed information over the coming weeks.

Once again, we would like to thank you for your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times.

We look forward to seeing you in July or shortly after.

Premier Laser

[MARCH 2020]

Dear Clients,

Here at Premier Laser we take the health, safety and well-being of our staff and clients very seriously.

We would like to reassure you that we are actively monitoring the current coronavirus (Covid-19) situation on an ongoing basis and taking steps so that we can continue to serve you. 

Whilst already stringently following government guidelines we are carrying out additional steps, going beyond current guidelines, to ensure the wellbeing of staff and clients who remain our highest priority.

 

Our Clients :

  • All clients will be offered antibacterial hand- sanitiser when arriving at the clinic.
  • If you have returned from any of the countries listed on the government website recently weeks we kindly ask you to reschedule your appointment to a date that is 14 days or more from the date of your return back into the UK.
  • If you have been told by the NHS to self-isolate please let us know as soon as possible and we will rearrange your appointment.

Out Team & Clinics :

  • Staff feeling unwell or showing symptoms will be asked not to attend work.
  • Throughout the day our clinics undergo regularly cleaning including shared surfaces, machines and door handles using hard surface alcohol wipes.
  • All staff to wear disposable gloves when performing skin assessment and treatment.
  • Reduce contact in waiting areas by endeavouring to keep to appointment times.
  • Calling the clients a day prior their appointment to ensure they are fit for attending clinic.

If you have any other concerns please do not hesitate to contact us. Please also keep yourself update by visiting:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

All the team at Premier Laser thank you for your continued support and commitment to the health and wellbeing of our staff and clients.

Yours sincerely

Premier Laser[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Actually 1300 Glasses Of Red Wine = 1 Hour In The Gym

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The internet has literally been flooded with articles recently that I am sure you have seen that state a glass of red wine has the same benefits as 30 mins/one hour at the gym. Using this as a scientific fact I should be ripped beyond belief but this could not be further from the truth.

 

So where did this information come from? It turns out this info was based on a study published in the Journal of Psychology entitled “Improvements in skeletal muscle strength and cardiac function induced by resveratrol during exercise training contribute to enhanced exercise performance in rats.”

The funny thing is that in no way shape or form do the authors EVER state that wine can replace exercise – what they do say however is ““Combining resveratrol supplementation with exercise training augments the beneficial effects of exercise alone.”.

Also I am not sure if you noticed but the study was based on rats, yes rats, not humans. Maybe this explains how Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael came to be, but it is a bit of a leap to assume the same results would be seen in humans.

A recent study by Examine.com showed that in actual fact it would take around 1300 glasses of red wine in order to get the same amount of resveratrol in the red wine that the rats get.

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10 Surprising Health Benefits of Being a Woman

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It can be hard being a woman at times, having to book laser hair removal sessions,, to more serious things like pregnancy to childbirth and the ever ridiculous high standards of beauty, being a woman has its hard times.However being a female has its plus points too as women have unique health and body payoffs that are unique to their gender.

For example when it comes down to longevity girls rule! Recent statistics show that a woman can expect to live until around the age of 81 while men have lower age lifespan of around 76 years of age. Why is there this extra 5 year gap? To be honest scientists are not exactly sure but if your a woman I am sure you are not going to be complaining.

Also growing evidence is showing that woman are actually better at dealing with pain. During numerous studies woman appear to have a higher pain threshold than men, which pain threshold being defined as how long it takes to register pain in the body. When you think about it, it kind of makes sense considering the pain which is associated with child birth.

 

 

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Which Top Rated Diets Should You Avoid To Lose Weight

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Don’t Fall Into These Diet Traps

As with many things there is a right way and a wrong way, or should I say ways, in which to lose weight. There are various diets that became popular or came to light in 2014 for one reason or another however a lot of these so called ‘best diets to lose weight’ are actually unhealthily and can actually lead to health complications.

Take the Paleo Diet for example which instructs people to only eat foods that would have only been available to Neanderthals back in the prehistoric era, this diet restricts you from any dairy, surgery or processed foods in order to maintain a ‘clean diet’.  However what they don’t tell you is although a sugarless diet is actually beneficial, due to the lack of calcium in your diet you are at risk of compromising your bone health and not to mention the nutrient deficiencies that this diet can lead too. 

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7 Cheap Ways To Stay Fit In 2015

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Is Your New Years Resolution To Get Fit This Year?

2015 is finally here and with it many of us have made New Years Resolutions which include quitting smoking, drinking less, giving up chocolate or joining a gym and living a healthier lifestyle.  However did you know that out of those that join a gym over a third will quit by the end of January . Research has shown that around 4 in every 5 Brits that join a gym and use the treadmill will consider giving in after a mere 20 minutes of exercise.

Unless you are seriously committed to keeping fit there is no point in joining a gym or spending around £20 plus on a personal trainer. Before you make such a commitment maybe it would be a good idea to start the New Year by using cheaper/free methods of exercise that will not only keep you fit but will also be healthier on your wallet too.

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Achieve That Flat Belly You Have Always Wanted With These Simple Tips

A flat belly is the one thing which most of us crave and even if you’re not generally overweight it can still be the cause of a let down in your general shape. A flat belly is what makes your clothes look great…it’s the thing that will allow you to wear your swimsuit with confidence and wear jeans in comfort.

Continue reading “Achieve That Flat Belly You Have Always Wanted With These Simple Tips”

Immune Boosting Foods – Yoghurt

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]These refreshingly gorgeous popsicles with Blueberry is a brilliant way to use yoghurt in a fun way to still get the benefits. A lot of the time, you may not want to eat yoghurt really quickly so it doesn’t pass it’s sell by date by the time you’vtheue just about reached half way through. Therefore, these popsicles allow you to freeze the yoghurt and keep them so you can consume them as often as you like.

In the summer, they are especially lovely because inside of giving children ice creams packed with fat, additives and artificial colouring, you can give them these to enjoy as a healthy option. They’re tasty and fun for everyone.

Recipe For Blueberry Popsicles

For 12 popsicles (in small paper cups)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups plain, Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 lemon, peeled
1/2 cup blueberries

Instructions:

1) Put the water and sugar in a small, heavy duty pot. Bring to a boil, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes.

2) Peel the lemon and put the peel into the simple syrup (the water sugar mixture). let steep for 5 minutes.

3) Strain the lemon sugar and place in the fridge until completely cool.

4) While the lemon sugar is cooling, combine the yogurt and honey in a mini food chopper and pulse 10 times. Set aside.

5) To make the blueberry puree, in a small, heavy duty pan, combine the blueberries with 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. When the blueberries start to pop, remove from the heat. Let cool.

6) When cool, puree in a mini chopper.

7) Strain lemon peels from simple syrup. Add to yogurt mixture.

To Assemble:

• Fill small cups or moulds 1/3 of the way with yogurt mixture. Put in freezer for about 45 minutes.

• Remove and pour a few tablespoons of the blueberry mixture on top of the semi frozen yogurt. Swirl slightly with a skewer. Let freeze for 20 minutes.

• Top the semi frozen pops with the rest of the yogurt mixture, filling almost to the top of the cup. Freeze completely, about 3 hours.

• Unmold and store in an airtight container or eat right away!

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