NUORI Archives - Style&Minimalism

Safe Sun Protection, Every Day

Sun protection is something we should all use daily, rain or shine. I used to think it was only needed on bright, sunny days but UVA and some UVB rays travel through clouds and cause ageing (UVA) and sunburn (UVB) no matter what the weather. UVA rays can also travel through glass.

I’ve been looking into options that fit seamlessly into my routine. In the past I’ve found that some sunscreens have left me feeling as though my make-up is sliding off my face, before I’ve even left the house. What I want from a sun care product is to not notice it’s there but know it’s keeping my skin protected.

I’m cautious about what I put on my skin as it gets absorbed into the body. I’ve spent time looking into what ingredients are best avoided. I mentioned a couple (oxybenzone and octinoxate) in a previous post, Clean Suncreens. Also, oxybenzone, octinoxate, butylparaben and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor are all known to cause damage and bleaching to coral reefs. In my opinion, it’s best to look for natural, mineral-based, physical sun protection; products that use either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide in a non-nano molecule form. This is because they’re considered safer for humans and safer for the environment. Physical sun protection sits on the skin rather than being absorbed by it, it forms a physical barrier; though it is still possible that other ingredients within the product may be absorbed.

I’ve been trying out a few products that are new to me, to get a feel for what works well within my current skincare routine, with my fairly sensitive skin. I layer quite a few products these days and don’t find it problematic. I know some people may struggle with layering but it’s all about the products you use and the order in which you apply them (I’ll save that for another post). I should add that, currently, I wear very little make-up and prefer a fresh dewy look.

Sun protection should be an important layer in your routine, it’s not one to skip.

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30

I’ve been using Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30 since they discontinued another great product I used for a year or two, previously (Sheer Vivid Tinted Moisturizer). The new serum is a bit of a wonder product; combining skincare, make-up and sun protection in one. It’s perfect for lazy days or people who prefer to use as few products as possible. It has a sheer finish, evening out skin tone but doesn’t completely cover up dark spots. It has a fluid texture, more akin to a serum or face oil, and leaves the skin well moisturised and incredibly dewy. It isn’t a product I would use just before a photo shoot, simply because it leaves the skin quite shiny. It’s a very easy everyday product that saves time.

Ilia are careful about the ingredients they use, they believe “that not every natural ingredient is good for the skin, nor is every synthetic bad. Clean beauty is where those two collide—with conscious, carefully-selected ingredients, and no compromises”.

The key ingredients in Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30 are niacinamide (vitamin B3), plant-based squalane and hyaluronic acid. The natural sun protection comes from zinc oxide and gives protection from UVA, UVB and UVC rays, blue light and infrared light.

Seed to Skin The Eclipse SPF 30

For something a little simpler but no less effective, I think Seed to Skin The Eclipse SPF 30* is a fantastic sun protection product, which also guards against environmental pollution. You apply a few drops to your face and neck, after your regular moisturiser. It feels like a thin face oil and leaves the skin very dewy. It has a slightly pale caste when you apply it, which quickly disappears.

“Seed to Skin goes beyond the trend of purely natural, combining the power of nature’s curative properties with the results-driven efficiency of advanced science.”

The ingredients in Seed to Skin The Eclipse are 100% natural. Sun protection comes from titanium dioxide (another physical sunscreen agent) which protects against UVA and UVB rays, as well as environmental pollution.

Balance Me Natural Protection Moisturiser SPF 25

Balance Me Natural Protection Moisturiser SPF 25 is a moisturiser with the added benefit of an SPF. I like a multi-functional product due to its ease of use and because it saves time; with this product it’s also much harder for you to forget or skip using an SPF. It’s a fairly thick cream that goes on easily. It leaves a slight white cast that disappears within a few minutes of application. If you’re applying make-up, I would give it 10 minutes to settle fully.

Balance Me “genuinely fail to see why people would choose synthetic over natural when clinically proven bio-active ingredients exist and work”.

Balance Me Natural Protection Moisturiser SPF 25 is a vegan-friendly product. The key ingredients are hyaluronic acid and rose hip. Hyaluronic acid is deeply moisturising and replenishes the hyaluronic acid that’s found naturally in the skin. It works by drawing in moisture and therefore keeps the skin hydrated and plump. Rose hip is rich in naturally occurring vitamin A, an excellent anti-ageing ingredient. Sun protection comes from titanium dioxide, protecting against UVA and UVB rays.

Pai British Summer Time: Sensitive Sunscreen SPF 30

Pai British Summer Time: Sensitive Sunscreen SPF 30* (previously Hello Sunshine) is the one I would recommend for those with particularly sensitive skin. Pai’s founder, Sarah, struggled so much with other skincare products and created the brand because she couldn’t find any that didn’t irritate her skin. It smells incredibly fresh and a little goes a long way. The pale yellow cream quickly vanishes to leave an invisible, non-shiny finish.

Pai believe “the highest quality organic ingredients create the best performing products – it’s a simple equation”.

Pai British Summer Time: Sensitive Sunscreen SPF 30 is 99% natural and vegan-friendly. Key ingredients include cotton extract and vitamin E. Cotton extract (AKA gossypium herbaceum) is an active botanical that helps protect skin from oxidative damage caused by UVA, UVB, infrared and visible radiation. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that offers significant protection against UVB rays. Sun protection comes from zinc oxide and protects against UVA and UVB rays, blue light and infrared light.

NUORI Mineral Defence Sunscreen SPF 30

If you’re looking for something incredibly fresh, there’s NUORI Mineral Defence Sunscreen SPF 30*. All skincare products lose their efficacy over time, NUORI’s approach is to offer the freshest skincare, made in small batches, to be used as soon as you receive them.

I particularly love the texture of this product, it’s quite thick but smoothes over the skin so easily and doesn’t leave any white residue. It has a slightly pink colour which may be why it’s less visible than some of the others. Along with PAI’s, this leaves the most natural finish.

“All NUORI formulas are developed to deliver visible results using only the best natural ingredients and the latest generation of bioengineered actives.”

NUORI Mineral Defence Sunscreen SPF 30 is an all-natural formula. Its key ingredients are French maritime pine extract and sunflower seed oil. French maritime pine extract is one of those miracle ingredients that has multiple health benefits that include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. Sunflower seed oil is a great source of omega-6 fatty acids, great for promoting a healthy skin barrier, reducing inflammation and increasing cell renewal. Sun protection comes from zinc oxide and gives protection from UVA and UVB rays.

NUORI Sun Repair Serum* isn’t a sun protection product but as it works so well alongside their Mineral Defence Sunscreen to reduce skin damage, I’ve included it.

This serum is so refreshing, you can feel it working hard to replenish lost moisture, as soon as you apply it. Natural hyaluronic acid and carbohydrate complex have water-binding properties which help draw moisture into the skin and keep it moisturised. The skin’s natural response when damaged by the sun is inflammation; this serum contains plant-based, bio-fermented sorbitol complex and chamomile flower to help reduce inflammation and irritation, quickly helping to calm the skin. There’s also liquorice root extract and vitamins C and E to help neutralise damaging free radicals, with their potent doses of antioxidants.

REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30

If shine is something you try to avoid then REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30*, with its mattifying properties would be a good one for you. It does leave skin a touch paler but if you’re applying make-up afterwards then you won’t notice.

REN say, “‘Clean’ is at the heart of all we do… But what does it mean? For us it’s giving you visible results from skincare that isn’t full of shady ingredients. Ingredients that work with your skin, without causing irritation. Ingredients your skin would choose, from sustainable sources and sustainably packaged – cause great skincare shouldn’t cost the earth, right?”

REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 has a naturally-derived formula, that’s vegan-friendly. Key ingredients are yellow passion fruit seed extract (a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the skin from pollution and free radical damage) and rice starch (which absorbs excess oil whilst soothing any irritation). Sun protection comes from zinc oxide and gives protection from UVA and UVB rays, and blue light.

Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are currently considered to be elite sunscreens. They both give good broad spectrum coverage (meaning they protect against UVA, UVB and UVC rays) and are highly stable (unlike avobenzone AKA butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, an incredible UVA sunscreen agent that’s, sadly, not photostable and degrades in the sunlight). The downside is that they are hard to spread on the skin but when combined with the right ingredients that’s not usually a problem with the end product.

Please bear in mind that, no matter which product you choose to use, you will need to reapply it throughout the day to a maintain a good level of protection from the sun’s rays.

Masks & Treatments I Swear By

I used to forget to use all the lovely masks and treatments in my beauty drawer; out of sight, out of mind. It’s not that I didn’t want to use them but that I didn’t make the time for them. When you run your own business there’s always something you can do to improve it and I’d always prioritise work over ‘me time’. I’ve come to realise that taking time out for myself is actually really important, not just for the way I look but for my all round wellbeing. And this in itself can impact positively on my ability to bring the best to the table in my work.

I’ve started to notice that when I don’t take care of myself it shows, in my skin, in my hair, in my weight, and these changes can really impact my mood. One small way I’ve made a change recently is to take half an hour in the week to use masks and treatments. Depending on how my skin’s looking, I’ll use one or more of the following.

Eve Lom Rescue Mask

This subtle unsuspecting tube packs a punch when I’m dealing with spots. It does a great job of drawing out all the impurities or at least helps bring them to the surface. It dries out anything that’s a little bit purulent and helps get rid of them quicker.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

Another well used tube is this lovely nourishing mask from Antipodes. The texture is like that of a cream, it’s very quickly absorbed (especially when my skin is a bit dehydrated) and leaves my skin feeling really fresh.

NUORI Supreme Moisture Mask

I mentioned NUORI’s rehydrating mask in my last beauty post, it’s fairly new to me but has already made a strong impression. It’s a bit of an all rounder, not only is it highly moisturising but is also anti-inflammatory and improves elasticity.

Vestige Verdant Bioactive Organic Mask

This mask was recommended to me by skin specialist, Tarryn Warren. It’s a deep cleansing peat-based mask that’s a bit grubby to use but totally worth the mess when you see the results. It’s really great for blackheads and is also good if you have acne.

The Estée Edit Pink Peony Overnight Water Pack

I use this instead of a moisturiser some evenings but if I’ve got a special event or I’m shooting I’ll quite often leave this on for ten minutes in the morning to make sure my make-up goes on well.

Murad Intensive-C Radiance Peel

This is my secret weapon, it breaks down all the dead skin cells on the surface of my skin leaving it feeling smooth and looking brighter. If my skin is dull this is the one I reach for. I’ll often follow it up with one of the moisturising masks above.

And, a candle always helps…

**Eve Lom** Rescue Mask* | **Antipodes** Aura Manuka Honey Mask* | **NUORI** Supreme Moisture Mask* | **Vestige Verdant** Bioactive Organic Mask | **The Estée Edit** Pink Peony Overnight Water Pack* | **Murad** Intensive-C Radiance Peel* | **Brooklyn Candle Studio** Sweet Fig Mason Jar Candle c/o **Wood/Grey***

Brighter Skin

I learnt the hard way that you should always protect your skin. At 17 I burnt my face and chest badly. At the time, it appeared to recover, it’s only now in my 30s that I’m seeing the long-lasting damage I caused. I have uneven skin tone across my face and chest which really bother me, there are also some dark spots on my face that look like freckles but I know aren’t. I’ve looked into ways of reversing the damage and although I’ve not found a quick fix (is there ever one?), I’ve read over and over again that vitamin C can really help to reduce dark marks, even-out skin tone and brighten the skin.

Back in June I wrote about a new beauty concept, NUORI fresh skincare, products that are free from parabens, synthetic colour, synthetic fragrances, mineral oil, petrolatum, PEGs, sulfates, MEA, DEA, TEA, polypropylene glycol, phthalates, and silicones; they come with a best before date. Basically, all of the good stuff without any of the bad stuff that is usually used to preserve products for an unnecessarily long period of time. Earlier this year they launched Supreme-C Serum*, a 20 day intensive treatment that helps repair prior skin damage. It comes in two small bottles each with a separate pipet. Once you’re ready to start using the product, you depress the button in the lid and 100% pure vitamin C is released into the serum below. You shake it and the use the first bottle for 10 days. When it’s finished you do the same with the second bottle.

Halfway through I began to notice that my skin definitely looked a little brighter and the skin tone more even across my cheeks. The darker spots seemed more noticeable to me but I think this is because the rest of my skin was already more even in tone. By the time I had finished the second bottle I could definitely see a difference. My skin isn’t totally even as I think the damage is quite significant. I think that by using this product regularly I will start to see a more pronounced change.

Even if you don’t have visible skin damage, vitamin C treatments could still benefit you, especially if you’re living in a polluted city like London. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which means it’s great for tackling damage from free radicals and and it helps in the production of collagen.

There are a couple more products from NUORI that I’ve also been using, their Perfecting Facial Oil* and Supreme Moisture Mask*. The facial oil is quite viscose and with my skin having been a bit more spotty recently I’ve just been using it when I’ve given my face a mini-facial at home. I start with a double cleanse, then a scrub, followed by a clay-based mask to draw out the impurities, then the Supreme Moisture Mask for 10-15 minutes which leaves my skin feeling dewy and fresh. It’s lightweight in texture for a mask but very effective. I’ll give my skin a little break and then apply a thin layer of the Perfecting Facial Oil. I’ve been trying to do this once a week in order to get my skin back in good shape.

I found out from my Instagram friend @minnabussey that ‘NUORI’ means ‘young’ in Finnish. So keep it fresh and stay young.

NUORI Fresh Skincare

NUORI Vital Foaming Cleanser* | NUORI Vital Facial Cream*

So many people now question what goes into the food they eat, they want to know where it’s come from, where it was made and how. So why aren’t we asking the same thing of our skincare? Beauty advertising is so good that we are willing to believe that anything we use will keep us looking youthful.

Since the beginning of the year I’ve been looking at how I can live in a better way, and with that, how what I buy impacts the world. I’m careful about the brands I choose to work with and how I use my blog to showcase brands. I look for brands that are doing things in a more considered and sustainable way. Beauty for me is such a difficult one to fathom, using natural and organic products isn’t always the best for the planet or your skin, and sometimes an ingredient created in a lab is better for both. Whilst doing some research I came across NUORI, a Danish skincare brand, launched in September last year, that create fresh skincare products.

NUORI is what you get when a new brand challenges an established industry to think outside the box. They create each of their fresh skincare products in small batches every 12 weeks. Over time active ingredients breakdown with standard skincare products, with NUORI their products are at 100% efficacy. They use 100% natural ingredients, without any synthetic preservatives. Their products are free from parabens, synthetic colour, synthetic fragrances, mineral oil, petrolatum, PEGs, sulfates, MEA, DEA, TEA, polypropylene glycol, phthalates, and silicones. Their packaging minimises exposure to air, light, and bacteria, before and during use.

For over a month I’ve been using their Vital Foaming Cleanser and Vital Facial Cream. Over that time they have remained as effective as the day I started using them and look, smell and feel exactly the same. The Vital Foaming Cleanser is a rich creamy foam that cleans without stripping, you apply it to dry skin and then rinse with warm water. It’s an effective cleanser that I will continue to use it until the pump runs dry. The other product I’ve been using, their Vital Facial Cream, contains hyaluronic acid and squalane, two ingredients I’m currently obsessed with. They’re both great for improving the levels of moisture in the skin, hyaluronic acid replaces lost moisture and squalane helps to keep it there. I use a lot of moisturising products morning and night, a serum, an oil, a moisturiser and an SPF booster. The lightweight cream has become part of my morning regime and I’ve found it very effective.

If you would like to try their products or find out more about NUORI, visit their site.