Anti ageing and sun care

Mir Skin Care - the only range free from irritants, fragrance, essential oils, sulphates, fatty alcohols and comedogenic substances - soothes, smoothes and balances sensitive skin without clogging pores. 

Combining maximum levels of therapeutic ingredients with enlightened cosmetic science, Mir products work hard to protect your skin. Argan Beauty Oil used in combination with Skin Silk Lotion or Moisturising Lotion will help to keep your skin soft and supple, find generous sizes in our Trial Packs. Balancing your skin is the best place to start and that begins with proper cleansing, see below.

Anti ageing

We don't promise eternal youth (but our customers might)

What I find truly remarkable is that after being mercilessly assaulted day in and day out with claims of anti-aging this and anti-oxidant that - and having fallen for my share of these claims - a skincare line that makes no promises to treat anything has returned my skin to a more youthful normal state. My skin seems to have integrity again, from the inside out, no products sitting on top so-called softening, firming, or smoothing but my skin looking and behaving like real young, healthy skin. (Hillary S., USA)

Whilst no skin care product can justifiably or realistically claim to cure the skin of underlying conditions or promise to provide instant youth in a bottle, the avoidance of a wide range of detrimental substances and the use of products containing effective levels of beneficial ingredients can only enhance its health and appearance.

Pure, liquid gold, Argan Beauty Oil (all skin types including problematic) this skin-calming MIRacle worker soothes and smoothes, leaving skin soft and supple without the irritants, chemicals and pore cloggers found in commercially manufactured anti ageing products, which is why we recommend you add a bottle to your Mir routine, whatever your skin type.

Moisturising Lotion (normal/combination/oily skins) drenches the skin with moisture because even combination and oily skins can be dehydrated and prone to wrinkles. Rich in anti ageing botanical extracts, light and incredibly hydrating this therapeutic lotion lets skin breathe.

Skin Silk Lotion for face and eyes (eye cream and evening moisturiser for all skin types; day moisturiser for normal to dry skin)  a soft, silky, soothing lotion rich in anti ageing argan oil yet light and non greasy. Anti ageing and evening moisturisers are often too heavy to be healthy.  Even if your skin is really quite dry, using a product that is too rich could increase dryness.  Skin Silk leaves skin feeling hydrated, fresh and silky.

Cleansing Gel, Skin Refresher and Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser: cleanse, soothe and refresh leaving the skin beautifully balanced. People often forget that cleansing is the first step to beautifully youthful skin.  Products containing soap, sulphates and harsh substances such as fragrance, essential oils etc strip away the skin's first line of defence - the acid mantle - leaving it more vulnerable to dryness and wrinkles. An unhealthy skin is less able to defend itself against time and the environment, so arm yourself with our brilliant trio of cleansers. Anti ageing isn't just about moisturisers!

A holistic, healthy attitude...

The most important thing we can do to manage ageing naturally is to shift the focus away from using anti-ageing products containing AHAs, retinol, polypeptides and other harsh substances which undermine the skin's health - and instead use natural, gentle skin care products and develop a holistic, intelligent and positive attitude towards natural skin health…

.. because a healthy skin is calm, clear, supple and balanced and looks wonderful at any age. I developed the Mir products and skincare methods with this philosophy in mind.

What "anti ageing" products really do

Commercially manufactured products making anti ageing claims usually contain AHAs, retinol etc. which induce skin irritation resulting in peeling. A lot of people think that's OK because the irritation will eventually die down and everything will look much better. 

There is absolutely no sense or logic in irritating and peeling your skin to make it look younger.
   
Irritation is your skin's way of telling you that you are damaging it, interfering with its vital functions, making it unhealthy. Be intelligent. Listen to what your skin is saying. Act accordingly. The irritation causes skin swelling and it is this swelling which pads out fine lines. 

(The same effect - without the peeling/irritation -  can be achieved by keeping your skin moist and supple using Mir Argan Beauty Oil with Mir Moisturising Lotion or Skin Silk - containing wonderful skin-enhancing ingredients: argan oil, marshmallow, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol, shea butter, allantoin and the anti oxidant green tea - preferable to vitamins A and C which are at best ineffective and at worst irritating when applied to the skin.) 

Eventually, the irritation leads to the loss of the topmost layer of the skin which protects the skin from sun damage, moisture loss and premature ageing! This may make your complexion look smoother but will ultimately accelerate the appearance of wrinkles. If you then apply a chemical spf lotion to your freshly peeled and irritated face, what do you think will happen to it over the years? Only one chemical has been found to have any effect on maturing skin: Retin-A. Despite the similarity in names Retin-A is an entirely different substance to retinol and is available only on prescription because, guess what? it is highly irritating and can have serious side effects. 

There is no miracle ingredient that will take years off your appearance. The only miracle is that the cosmetic industry has managed to persuade us otherwise for so long.

I said this years ago and you’ll see from the News section that people finally began to sit up and take notice. Yet, despite the publicity, cosmetic companies continue to plug their nasty, wrinkle-inducing, irritating, damaging products - usually tested on animals - advising us in avuncular tones that we are worth it and that they keep their promises... thereby persisting in treating us like idiots by assuming we don't read the papers and have never heard of airbrushing.

Mir was specially designed to respect the integrity of the skin's functions so that it is better equipped to defend itself against time and environment.

A side effect of using our gentle, balancing, skin-respecting products, following our holistic lifestyle tips and generally keeping fit and healthy is that your skin will look younger for longer.
 
What about collagen?
Do you really think that applying something to the surface of your skin is going to make any difference whatsoever to the physiology of the deeper layers? 

How about pentapeptides?
Here we go again, another five minute wonder.  Experts have said there is no evidence they have any effect whatsoever (that's the good part) and may even be toxic (that's the good part too, because now you won't be fooled into buying products containing them).  The most powerful cosmetic ingredient would appear to be money - the amount these companies spend on advertising may not deduct years from our skins but certainly deducts money from wallets.

Advertising
Notice that anti ageing products tend to say: in clinical trials x ingredient was found to diminish visible signs of ageing… they don’t say their product had this effect, just the ingredient and it was probably used at much higher levels in the trial. As a cosmetic scientist and lawyer I’m very interested in the field of claims substantiation: how cosmetic companies prove the claims they make about their products. Start waking up to the wording of magazine and TV adverts and you’ll see what I mean. One company proudly announces "we keep our promises", look and listen carefully and you’ll see they don’t make any!

What about antioxidant vitamins?
These are reputed to fight free radicals (which can cause sagging and bagging): Vitamin A used in cosmetics can be irritating to the skin. When your skin is irritated it looks unhealthy and is less able to carry out its natural functions properly resulting in moisture loss etc. Defeats the purpose really, doesn't it? Certain sources of Vitamin E can clog pores, however Mir Argan Oil has double the quantities found in olive oil and does not clog pores, in fact it can be used as an anti acne treatment because it helps to restore the acid mantle which, as you already know, protects the skin from bad bacteria.
 
If a product claims it contains Vitamin C it only means this was present at the time of manufacture and not that it is still present and effective in the finished product. Eat up your fruit and veg!

What about anti ageing diets?
Everyone knows that if you eat well and exercise you will look and feel better, this in turn makes you look and feel younger. Some of the anti ageing diets urge us to eat several tons of salmon - or whatever the latest fad superfood is - and we will discover everlasting youth. (Poor bloody salmon!)  Anyway, buzzword in, common sense out. If you want to learn about nutrition and healthy eating then buy a book on nutrition, not one written by some suspiciously taut-skinned, spray-tanned, no-facial-movements, anti ageing expert. If you focus too much on eating one food group/substance because of these claims you might not live long enough for your skin to age anyway. Aha, maybe that's how they work. See Skin Facts section re. walnuts, sugar etc.

And just remember this - the longer you've been using Mir, the more likely it is that you’ll have wonderful skin – and the right to feel smug!  

Sun protection and Vitamin D

Yes, you need to protect your skin from the sun. No, we don't have an SPF lotion, I only develop products I can use myself and I cannot tolerate sunscreen agents on my hypersensitive face. Additionally, I'm concerned about research linking the increase in the incidence of skin cancer to chemical sunscreens (Drs. Cedric and Frank Garland).

My own choice of protection is generally to avoid sun exposure. It's hardly difficult in the UK, after all tans only became fashionable in the 1920's and people managed to keep fashionably pale before then without the use of chemical lotions. If sun exposure is unavoidable I keep my face shaded and use an SPF body product.

Women have the advantage of being able to use foundations with SPF or mineral makeup.   I have rosacea so I am too sensitive and can't tolerate them.

If it's a sunny day and you could be exposed to sunlight - outside or through a window - you need to protect your skin.

But remember that using sunscreen or sunblock does not make prolonged sun exposure safe.

Please don't write and ask me to recommend spf products or when you should use them. 

All I can suggest is that you do your own research bearing in mind your particular concerns/circumstances. For example: are you fair-skinned, suffering from skin problems such as rosacea, living in a sunny climate? If you can't tolerate SPF products can you cover up with long sleeves, hats etc. instead? Are you concerned about the chemicals in SPF products?

Also, look at ranges manufactured for sensitive skins or young children by companies specialising in spf products. Try to find products containing physical sunscreen agents (e.g. micronised zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). The product must offer broad spectrum protection (UVA and UVB).

Everyone is aware of the cancer risks of sun exposure but Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency

All things in moderation - some sunshine is a good thing as it tops up our Vitamin D levels. Those of us who avoid the sun at all cost may want to look into this further and consider supplementing (I take Nature's Path Vitamin D3). 

Vitamin D deficiency is a complex scientific area but here are a few facts to point you in the right direction:

Vitamin D (in the form of Cholecalciferol) is synthesised from sunlight. Deficiency has been linked to many diseases including cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes and osteoporosis. In the body, Vitamin D is present in the form of Calcitriol, a secosteroid hormone (similar in structure to a steroid) which targets over 2000 genes.

Some sources state that we need a minimum of 15 minutes daily sun exposure - outside and on bare skin. However this doesn't take into account skin colour (darker skin requires longer), age, weight, geographical location, skin conditions, current Vitamin D levels etc.

Carry out your own research and consider what is best for you in your particular circumstances.  As with any other health issue, it's simply a case of being informed and using common sense. 

Vitamin D deficiency has even been found to be common in sunny Australia where people have for many years been encouraged to use sunblock and cover up.

You can ask your doctor for a  25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test (not 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D) to determine whether you need to supplement. One of the best Vitamin D resources is the Vitamin D Council.

After-sun TLC

If you do overdo it Mir Argan Beauty Oil and Skin Silk Lotion will work wonders.  They help to calm the skin and reduce redness. On hot days keep your Cleansing Gel and Skin Refresher in the fridge, Cleansing Gel, rich in cooling aloe vera, doubles up as a soothing mask and cooled Skin Refresher on a cotton pad with a drop or two of Argan added is bliss on hot skin.