We are all looking for the ideal gift for our special dads, be they fathers, husbands or brothers alike.  The Facial Company makes shopping for dad so much easier with the latest and greatest in skincare and grooming for men of all ages.  No longer is it difficult to find the ultimate gift to spoil the man in your life, and to show them just how much you care.

I have gathered up a few ideas, to help you solve the dilemma of finding the best present he will love.

For the perfect shave, there are ready made kits, like Dermalogica Perfect Shave Gift Set or the Decleor Men's Coffret - Father's Day Travel Set (Be quick, limited stock).  Say goodbye to ingrown hairs, irritation and razor bumps with Rejuville Solution For Ingrown Hair or Tend Skin Liquid. Finally for a refreshing, soothing aftershave solution that dad will adore, try the Pier Auge Men After Shave Ultra Matt Balm, for a true feeling of comfort.

I know many of you are thinking, “How can I convert my ‘manly’ bloke to a sensible skin routine?”  Remarkably, men are becoming more concerned with their appearance than ever before, and gone are the days of ‘men being men’.  Therefore, I have picked out a few masculine products that even the manliest guy will not be able to resist, ultimately if a guy wants to look good he has to discard the macho image and take better care of his skin.  Mr. Essentials Facial Cleansing Scrub or the Murad Face Defense SPF15 will have your guy on the skincare bandwagon in no time at all.  My last suggestions are for the modern day dad who loves the outdoors, perhaps some Xen-Tan Mousse Intense for a hassle free instant tan, or some True Solutions Total Age Protector Sports SPF30 (with a bonus beach towel). 

For more Father's Day gift ideas, look no further than our product listings, or if you are still not sure what your loved one will like, why not shout them a gift certificate, so they can pick something for themselves.

Happy Father's Day! Mel

The Facial Company is now offering live SKYPE video consultations so you can talk face to face with a Facial Company skin therapist from the comfort of your own home.  Click here to learn more or to book an appointment.

The lucky winners of our website competition are,

1st Prize - Tamminee, NSW (trip for two to our grand opening in Brisbane)
2nd Prize - Jennifer, QLD ($150 online gift voucher)
3rd Prize - David, NSW ($75 online gift voucher)

The winners have been contacted, congratulations to you all!

Click here for competition and prize details.

Is your skin sensitive?

Put your hand up if you too suffer from sensitive skin!  A chief concern during spring and summer involves the introduction of allergens to the air.  Like me, if you have sensitive skin, you are more likely to react to these allergies.  Flare-ups can often cause puffy eyes, rashes, hives and redness on, or around, the nose and cheek area.  Common symptoms of hypersensitive skin consist of redness, blistering, itching and swelling of the skin. 

Exposure to the sun can also cause sun rash, and this mainly affects fair skinned people, who develop small red blisters or spots that appear on areas of the skin that have been exposed to sunlight.  Sun rash is extremely itchy and can be prevented by using a high sun protection factor sunscreen while in the sun.  Incorporating a good sunscreen into your skincare routine is essential and I recommend using Dermalogica Super Sensitive Faceblock SPF30 for your face and Invisible Zinc 4hr Water Resistant SPF30 for your body. 

People with sensitive skin often have difficulty using standard skin care products, as these items include chemicals and fragrances that can irritate the skin.  Instead, I recommend using fragrance-free skincare products that have a mild formulation and exclude conventional chemical irritants.

Thankfully, there are options available to us and we do not have to feel left out when it comes to maintaining our skin.  Because of this, we can now treat any of our skin care problems, no matter how sensitive our skin is.
Let’s take a look at some skin care designed to meet our needs.

Sensitive Skin Starter Kits
Dermalogica Sensitized Skin Kit - Contains a full regime of travel-sized treats for sensitised skin.
B. Kamins Sensitive Starter Kit - Serious skin repair for the most sensitive skin types.
Alpha-H Soothing Skin Kit –A home-care routine to gently soothe, calm and nourish delicate/sensitive skin.

General Skin Solutions
Y Natural 103 Sensitive Cleansing Lotion – Gently cleanses while reducing irritation and inflammation of the skin.
Dermalogica Soothing Protection Spray - An ultra-calming spray to immediately reduce redness and inflammation.
Murad Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum - Improve hydration and suppleness while decreasing irritation and redness.
Pier Auge Soothing Ental Delicate – Repair and moisturise delicate and irritated skin.

Combat Puffy Eyes
Esthederm Sensi System Calming Eye Contour Cream - Instantly soothes and decongests delicate, sensitive eye contours.
Simplicite Instant Help Eye Gel - Reduces redness and puffiness for tired, irritated eyes.

Better Body Care
Dermalogica Body Duo - Body Hydrating Cream and Conditioning Body Wash in handy 250ml size pump bottles.
Rejuvi Body Lotion - Helps overcome dryness and reduces skin irritation.

The Facial Company has a whole range of products suitable for those with sensitive skin.  Click Here and find out what’s on offer.

Finally, finding that solution to combat sensitive skin issues is a whole lot easier, remembering sensitive skin will always suffer reactions from time to time.  But at least we can now be comfortable in our own skins too.

Love Mel xxx

Spring Clean Your Skincare

Nothing cheers us up more than the weather turning warm after months tackling dry, ashy skin through the cold winter conditions.  With the start of spring, it is a good time to revamp your skincare.  Spring is a beautiful time, and you should feel beautiful too.  

Cleanse
In the warmer months, the best thing we can do for our complexion is to keep it as clean as possible.  Switch to a gel facial cleanser, which goes deeper than the lotion you may have previously been using.  I like Alpha-H Triple Action Cleanser or Pier Auge Piera Pure Cleansing Gel.

Exfoliate  
After winter, our primary skin care focus switches from moisturisation to exfoliation.  Exfoliation is the way in which dead skin cells, which cause dullness, blotchiness, and variations in skin tone, are gently removed to allow the fresh new skin underneath to be exposed.  I use Dermalogica Age Smart Thermafoliant.  If you are not ready to use anti-aging products just yet you could try Simplicite Exfoliating Face Treatment.

Tone
Breakout levels are higher in spring and summer months so you will need a toner to wipe away pore-clogging oil.  A great toner will not only balance the ph (acid) levels in the skin, it will also close the pores that were opened by cleansing.  Toner can also add moisture to the face while having a cooling effect, which is always a nice break from the heat.  I prefer Dermalogica Age Smart Antioxidant Hydramist or MD Formulations Moisture Defense Antioxidant Spray.

Moisturise
The heavy moisturising cream that you used in the winter months may be a little too heavy for spring.  Switch to a lighter, oil-free formula instead.  Look for a moisturizer containing SPF to ward off the sun's rays during the day, such as Simplcite Great Outdoors Sunscreen SPF15.  For night care, use a moisturiser like Priori Idebenone Moisturizing Facial Cream with AHAs to slough off any flaky patches.

Body
Body care is important too.  Exfoliate from head to toe to do away with dead skin cells and rejuvenate your dull complexion.  I use a rich all-over body scrub such as ASAP Revitalising Body Scrub.

Feet
Don’t forget your tootsies have been hiding all winter long but now it's time to break out the sandals, so you will need to get them into top shape.  Use a pumice stone to remove extra rough patches and if you have dry, cracked heels, invest in some MD Formulations Pedicreme.

Hydrate
Finally, the last step is to ensure you hydrate from the inside out.  It is important in the spring and summer to increase the amount of water that you drink.  If you skin is well hydrated, it is able to continually replace itself and shed old, dead cells.