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Discovering the people behind beauty brands is one of the most exciting things that I do. I’ve used items from Skyn Iceland on and off for years but never knew the entire range was born because founder, Sarah Kugelman, suffered from chronic and life changing stress. Part of her healing process was to travel to Iceland to experience a calm, low stress environment. At the same time as Sarah’s body was showing the dramatic effects of over-doing everything, so was her skin.
People who get stuff done never stop getting stuff done. Sarah’s background in product development (and founder of Gloss.com) gave her all the right creation tools, but her stressed out and reactive skin gave her the insight to understand how to deal with complexion problems. Crucially, she totally nailed that spots, oil and clogging don’t just belong to teens – any woman (and man) can experience all or some of those skin issues at any age, and many more besides.
If you’re looking at a beauty brand, I think it’s important to be able to connect with it. I find the wording on the packaging both endearingly funny yet reassuring – somehow it sums up every woman’s life at some time or another. “Wanted a donut. Had Three. Hello Greasy Complexion.” “Too Much Coffee. Not Enough Water. Skin is Parched.” “No Time For Myself. Face Is As Irritated As I Feel.” And so on .. it’s all of us, right?
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Understanding every-age oily skin is something few brands do well, as is making a clearly communicated connection between life stress and skin reaction. And, while all the yoga in the world can’t banish every last jot of stress, taking control of your skin does get rid of a whole bag of niggles. In fact, just knowing that there’s a direct correlation between stress levels and oil production (resulting in break outs, redness and bumps) means you can troubleshoot by thinking ahead.
For any age oil-prone complexions, recommended products include: The Antidote Daily Cooling Lotion, Glacial Facial Wash (both contain white willow bark with salicylic acid known for keeping skin cells turning), and Nordic Skin Peel (use 3 to 5 times a week to eliminate clogged pores). If you want to get a feel first before committing fully, Marks & Spencer carries a one month small size supply Detox Kit containing Glacial Facial Wash, The Antidote, Oxygen Infusion Night Cream and Icelandic Relief Eye Cream (£28 HERE) which I’d highly recommend as a good starting point (see below).
Final shout out for the Blemish Dots (£20 HERE) – 48 salicylic acid soaked sticky dots that slay spots overnight. Oh, and finally, finally (I promise!), keep an eye on @skynicelandUK on Instagram for giveaways coming up soon.
Transparency Disclosure
All products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.
1 comment
Oooh, I didn’t know Skyn did products for oily skin. I’m in my mid thirties and getting a balance between hydration and oiliness/clogged pores is really hard! I’ll definitely be checking these out while M&S has 10% off skincare on my Sparks offers this week!