Dr Barbara Olioso is the founder of Forest Secrets, a personalised skincare system that allows you to decide what is best for your skin – after all, you know it better than anyone else. We caught up with Dr Olioso to chat skincare, diets and why reading an ingredient list can be the key to your skincare…
What are the simplest ways in which to get your skin back on track?
Firstly, prevention is better rather than cure, so I take herbal supplements to help compensate for a modern diet, so that my skin has the right nutrients; for example I take Milk Thistle and Burdock root. To help the skin to detox even further I exfoliate it gently and then apply face oil to prevent any irritation from the cold weather. This should be done at night with no makeup, so that the skin is free to breathe.
What skincare is best to use during the colder months?
Face oils generally are very good; they strengthen the skin barrier so that you do not end up looking like a bright red tomato in the middle of winter! I have a client in Lincolnshire who used to get a red face before starting using iRejuvenate; she has been using the Elixir for a few years now, and does not suffer from the condition. When choosing an oil, test it first, to make sure that it absorbs well into the skin, and then check the ingredients list so that it does not contain comedogenic ingredients such as coconut oil (cocos nucifera) or cocoa butter (theobroma cacao), as – used on the face – these can clog the pores and cause spots.
What are the key mistakes we make when choosing skincare?
A key mistake is not reading the ingredients list, to check that the product is really natural. Do not simply rely on the look and smell of the product. ALWAYS check the ingredients list! For example from reading the ingredients you can avoid products with parabens, and silicones such as Dimethicone. The long term effects of Parabens need to be investigated as they mimic female hormones and may promote breast cancer. Silicones suffocate the skin and do not biodegrade once in the environment
What piqued your interest in natural skincare?
As a child I used to spend a lot of time outdoors during the summer months and I used to play with flowers, roses and hydrangeas, making water potions, to try to capture their scent and beauty. I really enjoyed doing that and eventually that led me to skincare where I can use my scientific background and my passion for naturals to really capture the essence and power of natural ingredients. Essentially we feel good when we are in nature, as natural beings we take nature to use for food but also to apply to our skin to preserve and nourish it.
How important is it to use organic and natural skincare?
I believe that if we care about our long term health then use of natural skincare is very important. Our body is natural not synthetic. Your body is not an internal combustion engine – so why would you want to apply mineral oil or synthetics on the skin? It does not make any sense! I also believe that there are long term health implications for the skin and the body, as well as for the environment, with the use of mineral oils and synthetic chemicals.
What are the benefits?
The benefits in the use of naturals are for the skin and general health as well as for the environment. The skin is alive, a breathing organ, it protects us from the outer elements but it also absorbs what is put upon it. It has to cope with UV damage, air pollutants and poor diet. We should not then add to its woes by smearing more chemicals upon it. We need to feed the skin with the natural nutrients that it needs. Added to this, manufacturers of natural products are more likely to design with sustainable principles in mind, and have a more genuine care for the environment, rather than the general green-wash put out by many large manufacturers in the beauty trade.
How do you see skincare evolving over the next few years?
I believe that it will definitely evolve moretowards naturals, not only out of a growing trend of consumer awareness and demand but also out necessity because mineral oil is running out. Petroleum derivatives will become increasingly rarer and more expensive. These two pressures will also create the need to work in a much more sustainable way so that nature will be able to sustain the higher demand for natural ingredients. One of my favourite Italian expressions is “you can not milk the cow without feeding it”.
To find out more about Forest Secrets, visit the website here.
