By JESSICA ELLIOTT/ The Dallas Morning News

After months of enduring bike rides in finger-numbing temperatures, I was ready for a Texas summer.

But my first painful sunburn, which happened while on a longer ride, served as a harsh reminder: With the heat comes the need for a different arsenal of beauty products.

I surveyed my summer product stash and discovered, to my delight, that many of my favorites are produced by local companies.

Take SkinCeuticals, for instance. The Garland-based company is one of the few in the country to offer a sunscreen containing the much-heralded ingredient Mexoryl SX, which, when combined with avobenzone and octocrylene, provides advanced UVA and UVB protection. And the vitamin C pioneer is once again on the forefront of antioxidant research – just this month, it released its newest daily serum, Phloretin CF. Similar to the company's C E Ferulic serum, Phloretin CF is packed with antioxidants and minimizes and hides the effects of the environment, but is also designed for those with oily skin types.


I grab Mineralogie's Skin Spritz for a moisture blast when my skin feels parched or windburned after biking. Packed with 84 minerals and oils, it's like liquid food for my face.

 

I know how difficult it is deciding on products and as I am a very experienced and highly qualified therapist I am always happy to discuss your skincare regime and suggest products to maintain a youthful, healthy skin.

I really believe that all women should be using three products extra to their ‘cleanse, tone and moisturise routine’!

Prevent – use of a antioxidant treatment with a good percentage of L-ascorbic acid (Vitimum C) Check out Phyto-C and SkinCeuticals – designed to provide the most advanced protection from environmental ageing.

Protect - SkinCeuticals’ sunblocks provide true broad-spectrum uva/uvb protection. Also browses the SkinMedica suncreens and PhytoCeuticals are being re-packaged and will be available on the site soon!  

When used together, antioxidants and sunscreens provide almost complete photo-protection – preventing photo-ageing, preventing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and promoting skin health.

Correct – Using a AHA or Retin-A based product at night will help to remove superficial layers of skin, so evening skin tone and textureso look at the correct range on both PhytoCeuticals and SkinCeuticals

Of course there are a lot of other fabulous products on our site including SkinMedicas TNS range, a fabulous anti-aging range containing human growth factors.  Skinn for men is a great range as is Dr Spillers bio cosmetics, this range is new to the UK and more products are being added soon.  I know once you start using them, you will not want to use anything else!

Remember, the sooner you start protecting your skin against environmental damage the younger you will stay looking great!

Contact me on carole@tlcbeautyclinic.co.uk tell us your age, skin type and describe any particular concerns you have and we will be happy to advise on appropriate products.

 

There are a lot of changes to Skinceuticlas who have discontinued or re-formulated quite a few products; a lot of the smaller sizes have gone along with serum 15 and 20 which is a shame (although you can buy a 15 ml size of serum 15 in the Phyto-C range)  On the up side there are some lovely new products; Face Balm, Retexturing Activator and A.G.E. Eye Complex in the correct category and Advanced Sun Defence SPF 39 and Ultra Facial Defence SPF 50 in the protect category.  I would really like to hear your views on the re-formulations and the new products if you have time to send me an email.