Ok kids, buckle in because in honour of my latest nine-month battle against pregnancy pigmentation I thought It’d be a fun time to document some of my favourite go-to pregnancy pigment fighting ingredients that have helped keep my skin stay light and bright – for the third time around. (Also to prove good skincare works because I’ve barely been able to do any in clinic treatments.) But first, I need to cover the fact that the terms ‘skin brightening’ and ‘skin lightening’ are two terms that are often used interchangeably in the skincare world when chatting about pigmentation – although can oft ..read more

OK vitamin C. We need to discuss, because while topical application is a thing that will = brighter, healthier skin. Internal vitamin C is just as important for the health of our skin. And you know what? It’s actually super freakin’ easy to reach your RDA of vitamin C every day. Steph Lowe, Clinical Nutritionist and Resident Nutritionist for Melrose Health tells me “our Recommended Dietary Allowance is 90 mg/day for adult men and 75 mg/day for adult women.” So how much vitamin C does one orange have? 51.mg, which is almost at level with a woman’s RDA. Cool right! Anyway, I think that’s pretty ..read more

My love for Sodashi Skincare runs deep. I discovered the brand when I was pregnant with Javier/dealing with hormonal acne, and the rest, as they say, is history. It is a super bougie natural brand though… and a little hexy but every time I fall pregnant I gravitate towards it again. Especially when it comes to body care. In fact, when people ask me what they should rub on their belly I say Sodashi straight away. Especially in the third trimester when you feel like a giant whale and literally the only thing in life that feels good is rubbing your belly with expensive creams. But there’s mo ..read more

Pregnancy is awesome…for some. BUT for others like me who have had to spend the majority of the first five months hovering over a toilet bowl at the thought of pretty much every type of food…while somehow also faking said excitement at making food for two toddlers so they don’t hit a nutrition deficit – it can be a tough, wild ride. Not to mention, the crazy hormone fluctuations. Which legitimately feel like Solange letting loose at Jay Z in an elevator throughout my entire body. And while I’d love to be in more of control over my pregnancy hormones. I can’t. Because one minute they have me cr ..read more

Niacinamide. My heart beats for it. My face longs for it. And since I’m pregnant and have spent the last few months crying over my bathroom sink over my inability to use retinol…I’ve basically come to the conclusion that Niacinamide is an OK replacement – at least for now. And while you may have never heard of Niacinamide before nor is it the same as a retinol in any way or form I do think it’s one of skincare’s most versatile ingredients and one that I turn to every time that I am pregnant. You see, I like to think of it as the Meryl Streep of the skincare world because it can morphe to treat ..read more

So it’s no secret that sunscreen has exploded onto the skincare scene in the last few years like nobody’s business. Which honestly, I think is great, because as somebody who spent a great deal of their youth lounging around in the sun sans SPF the damage really hit home once I hit 30. You see, while a little sun exposure here or there might not feel like you’re doing much short term damage, in the long run – you really are. Why? Because the sun can affect the skin in a number of ways and in the case of sunburn you’re essentially causing irreversible DNA damage that can quicken the effects of t ..read more

I have to say it’s super annoying when you spend a lot of money on a new product or treatment and instead of making your skin better – you end up breaking out. This is especially true if you are prone to clogged pores or acne, but is actually quite common. However, there is a difference between purging and breaking out, so let’s discuss. WHAT IS SKIN PURGING You see, skin purging is a reaction that is triggered by active ingredients (generally when you start a new treatment or product) that encourages skin cell turnover. Which means that as skin cells start to speed up, your skin starts sheddi ..read more

Not a day goes by where I don’t chat about the importance of a gentle cleanser. In fact, while a lot of people may think that cleansing doesn’t really matter in a skincare routine – “because all a cleanser does is just wash down the sink”. I am a HUGE proponent of NO it doesn’t just wash down the sink “gaaaahh”; it actually is a VITAL step and if your skin is feeling dry, tight or irritated after you use one then you need to change your cleanser – stat. You see, using harsh or chemical exfoliant based cleansers too often can seriously mess with the PH in your skin and in turn your skin barrier ..read more

DIY facials. You can do it. In fact, anybody can do it from the comfort of their own home. And while I do love it when clients return regularly every 4-6 weeks for a clinic treatment. I totally understand that that plan might not really be realistic for everybody. Time is money etc… and people have shit to do. Even for me. I often think people assume that when you work in the industry you have time to treat your skin …which can semi be true – sometimes. However often I don’t have the time either. Or I’d prefer to go home to my kids than stay back at work for a treatment. Which is why I like to ..read more

Ok, so I think we’ve all seen the effects of DMK’s enzyme treatment on Instagram somewhere before. It’s like the most instagrammable facial treatment ever. Although it’s not like a typical type of facial. In fact, once it’s applied to your face, neck and décolletage it hardens like cement and very quickly tightens your skin. Anyway, it works on the premise of ‘reverse osmosis’ which is a flushing action that forces fluid through the membranes and around the cells in order to flush out impurities. Hence it’s not only working on the surface of the cells, but also on a deeper cellular level to tr ..read more