We’re delighted to let you know that Isabel and Banu will be hosting a coffee morning at Riverbanks Clinic on Wednesday 28th July between 9am and 12 noon.

Why not come and join us, have a  tour of the clinic, and then listen to our talks on Coffeeberry Minerals and new skin care for 2010? Banu and Isabel will be offering makeovers with  Coffeberry Minerals so you can see just how well they work!

And of course, if the weather is nice, you can take a look at our beautiful grounds and wildlife at the same time.

Places are limited, so please book soon, either on our Facebook event page, or by calling Banu or Isabel on 01582 762877 to reserve your place!

That’s right – the offer of the summer! Simply purchase 4 or more skin care products from our online shop (one of which must be a skin corrector) and we’ll give you £100 off our June  Advanced Skin Peel courses!

So why not take a look at the following products and start the Summer with fantastic looking skin?

Prevage MD 1%

Priori Advanced AHA Perfection Facial Gel

Priori Idebenone Even Tones Mini Kit

VITAGE Phytoestrogen Gel

Want to know more about our Advanced Skin Peel Courses?

An Advanced AHA skin peel is ideal for sun-damaged skin, or certain kinds of acne, pigmentation issues or fine wrinkling around the mouth and eyes. The process is less aggressive than some chemical peels, but nonetheless highly effective.

The peel generally causes some flaking, redness and dryness, as the old skin gives way to fresh, young skin. However unlike harsher THC peels, the much milder side effects diminish within a day or two. Once the body heals itself naturally, the outer layer of skin exfoliates, with patients usually able to engage in normal activities within 24 hours.

• As skin ages the exfoliation rate of dead cells from the stratum corneum slows dramatically thus increasing the appearance imperfections manifested in this dead cell layer.
• As skin ages the moisture content of skin is reduced due to reduced levels of the skin’s natural moisture binding substance – Hyaluronic Acid.
• AHAs work by two main mechanisms of action- they are natural chemical exfoliators and potent moisturizers.
• The result of topical AHA use is skin NORMALIZATION – a return of the skin to “normal” moisture content and proper exfoliation rate – back to basic skin fitness and health.

To find out more, please visit our Advanced Skin Peel page

It is incredible to look back over the centuries and find out how all the different attitudes that people had towards sun and tanning have changed.

At one point being tanned was only for the lower class who worked outside on the land and the more wealthy people would prefer to remain pale, as an indication of the status. This is still the case in some Far Eastern countries too.

Then we started to see the ‘healthy glow’ of a tan as a positive thing – although some people took it too far and did irreparable damage to themselves through excessive sun exposure.

It doesn’t just take lying for hours in the sunshine or visiting sunbeds regularly to cause skin damage. In fact, every single day your skin is exposed to UV (Ultra-Violet) light and causes some kind of damage – even when you can’t see the sun itself. You can’t even feel the UV rays so it is difficult to understand exactly what is happening.

Most people are aware that sun damage increases the chance of skin cancer but how many also think about:

• premature aging
• wrinkles
• sun spots, pigmentation, uneven skin tone
• skin dryness
• yellowish skin

But how does this happen?

The UV light from the sun penetrates deep into the skin. It damages the fibre called elastin which keeps your skin flexible, healthy and strong. The more it breaks down the more (and deeper) wrinkles and sagging you will see.

To protect itself from rays, the skin will also produce melanocytes which produce the brown coloured melanin – which gives the tanned effect. However, this is often produced unevenly leaving sun spots or brown marks and patches over the skin.

Collagen which is also essential for healthy skin reproduction is also damaged by exposure to the sun, again increasing the appearance and growth of wrinkles and preventing regeneration from occurring.

There is a common misconception that there is a ‘good’ UV light and a ‘bad’ UV light. You may have heard of them named as UVA and UVB rays. The truth is they are both damaging to you! There is no good UV rays at all! Any sunlight (or daylight as we call it in the UK!) is damaging your skin on a daily basis.

Your best defense against the unsightly signs of skin damage is to maintain healthy skin, keeping young and fresh and reducing your risk of skin cancer and other serious conditions is to protect yourself with a high factor SPF sun cream.

There are plenty of these available for cosmetic use (and built into foundations and other skincare products) which are not the same as your regular gloopy sun cream.

If you would like any advice on protecting your skin then please get in touch. We would be happy to talk you through the importance of coverage and find the right products to suit your skin type. At the same time, if you already have been marked by the signs of sun damage, we have a range of cosmetic treatments to reduce these and help you regain your confidence.