Skin Hangover Helpers

The festive season brings parties, dinners, and lots of drinking. Now, hangovers are to be expected; but skin hangovers, however, are often overlooked. Alcohol negatively effects the skin in several ways and, sadly, fixing the damage isn’t as simple as popping a paracetamol.

All Hail The Beauty OGS

With so many beauty products launching on a weekly basis, it's easy to forget the hero products that have been keeping women sickening for as long as 100 years. So I'm here to show some respect to my favourite beauty OGs...

Protect Ya Neck

Summer may not be present in the UK right now but with most of you bitches heading off on holiday, it's important to make sure you're protected on the beauty front...

Doug Talks... Father's Day Gifts For Gay Dads

Greetings, or should I say Konichiwa (yes I have just got back from Japan). I’m here to speak to a very niche set of you all - the children of gay dads. Gay men have an enhanced knowledge of style, luxury and the higher state of things, and just because they’ve procreated, it doesn’t mean they lost their sheer fabulousness. And before you accuse me of stereotyping, I should warn you that I’m writing this while wearing a kimono and a face-mask, so it’s pretty much a lost cause. Go and complain to Russell Tovey about why we can’t all be straight-acting or something. Anyway, enough about me and my edgy politics...

Children - you are all terrible. You take away the joy and youth from your father with all your incessant partying and wrecking of his Kelly Hoppen garden furniture. So the least you can do is restore it with some rather lovely grooming products this Father's Day.

Anti-Pollution Skincare

2016 has seen an onslaught of new beauty trends but none intrigued me more than anti-pollution skincare. Each year we're told to protect ourselves from the millions of different things causing skin damage and premature ageing, so I'm surprised that pollution-protection products haven't come sooner...

Grooming: Christmas Gifts For The Guys

With the grooming industry ever growing, there are a huge number of gifts available for the true metrosexual man this Christmas. Here are some of my favourites...

Starting with the Aesop Perseus skincare set (£60.00 aesop.com). Aesop is a brand known for marrying cutting-edge technology with long-established scientific practices to create exceptional skincare products....much like the ones found in the Perseus skincare set. The serviceable tin box contains a trio of some of Aesop's favourite formulations, including the Fabulous Face Cleanser 100ml, Moroccan Neroli Post-Shave Lotion 60ml and Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser 200ml; everyday essentials that any guy would love to be gifted.

Win: Clinique For Men Sonic System Cleansing Brush & Cleanser

If there is one brand that masters male skincare, it is Clinique. The brand's men's range is full of everything a metrosexual man needs to stay gorgeous; from eye creams and face bronzers to scrubs and dark spot correctors.

One of the best Clinique products for men is the Sonic System Cleansing Brush. Much like the oh-so-popular Clarisonic, this sonic system is designed to deeply cleanse and exfoliate the skin. However it also offers some additional extras; antimicrobial technology to keep the bristles clean, a tilted head for accessing hard to reach areas and two tiers of bristles - a top section with firm dark grey bristles that deeply clean pores and a bottom section with light grey bristles for use on cheeks and sensitive areas of the face.

Grooming: Clinique For Men Sonic System Cleansing Brush Review

The Promise: "Dermatologist-developed to make Clinique For Men daily care even more effective. Charcoal-grey brush head with more than 9,000 sonic vibrations per minute cleans more thoroughly than hand washing alone. Preps for a more comfortable shave. Skin looks and feels energized, vital"

The Price: £79.00 / $89.50

The Stockist: clinique.co.uk / Sephora

The Results: The Clinique For Men Sonic System Cleansing Brush is similar to the oh-so-popular Clarisonic but sleeker and very masculine. Like all cleansing brushes, the Sonic System is designed to deeply cleanse and exfoliate the skin. However it does offer some additional extras; antimicrobial technology to keep the bristles clean, a tilted head for accessing hard to reach areas and two tiers of bristles - a top section with firm dark grey bristles that deeply clean pores and a bottom section with light grey bristles for use on cheeks and sensitive areas of the face.

The Tuesday Tip: Maintain The Moisture

As you all know, body lotions and moisturisers are great for treating dry and flaky skin. However, the way in which you apply these products after washing can provide an additional benefit to the skin. I am talking about the 'pat dry and apply' technique and it couldn't be easier.

After showering or bathing, pat the excess water from your skin using a towel and then apply moisturiser before your skin is completely dry. Doing this will ensure that you lock in that last bit of moisture, keeping skin hydrated and super soft.

The Body Shop Mango Body Butter 200ml (£13.00 The Body Shop / $20.00 The Body Shop USA) is the perfect product to use, as it contains ultra-moisturising cocoa butter and mango seed oil. I also love the Dove Intensive Cream Oil Body Lotion (£3.33 Boots / $5.97 Walmart).

Understanding...Salicylic Acid

Salicylic Acid is a beta hydroxy acid that has keratolytic properties. Its structure enables it to gently penetrate the skin, breaking down and exfoliating the dead skin cells that block pores and cause acne. Salicylic acid also has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties which help remove redness and reduce the amount of damaging bacteria on the skin. It treats other skin problems by softening and loosening dry, scaly, or thickened skin so that it can be removed.

Salicylic acid has also been proven to firm the skin, stimulate collagen production and improve skin thickness and barrier functions. If things couldn't get any better, low concentrations of salicylic acid can be used on sensitive skin.

As it is such a great multi-tasking ingredient, salicylic acid is used in many skincare products. You will find this miracle ingredient in everything from serums and creams to toners and treatment pads.

Recommendations

1. La Roche-Posay Effaclar K (£13.00 Boots / $29.95 www.laroche-posay.us)
2. SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense (£41.10 www.hqhair.com / $80.00 www.skinceuticals.com)
3. EVE LOM Dynaspot (£22.00 www.evelom.com / $34.00 www.barneys.com) 
4. Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 (£16.00 www.clinique.co.uk / $13.00 www.clinique.com)