COMPETITION! Win a 100% natural skin brightening skincare kit

WIN

A 100% NATURAL

SKIN BRIGHTENING SET

As we age, our skin loses the bright and healthy glow it had when we were born and starts to look more and more dull. This is caused by a slowing down of the rate at which the skin replenishes itself, shedding dead skin cells and producing fresh, new ones. At birth, our entire skin replaces itself with healthy, new cells every week, by your twenties that's down to every 15-20 days and by your thirties it's closer to once a month.

Our 100% natural Face Renew System is a skin brightening range that has been scientifically formulated with a blend of natural fruit enzymes to combat this problem, gently breaking down the layer of dead cells on the skin's surface so that they can be cleansed away, revealing more radiant, younger-looking skin below!

The great thing about our skin brightening creams, cleansers and exfoliators is that they give instant results - perfect when you have a big event to go to and no time to book a last-minute facial at a salon! Our Face Renew System starter set contains 4 products from our skin brightening range so you can have your own luxurious, spa-style facial in your own home.

WIN A SKIN BRIGHTENING STARTER SET

We're giving away one of our 100% natural, organic skin brightening starter sets to a lucky fan of Thea Skincare! The kit contains a 15ml exfoliator, 30ml cleanser, 50ml toner and 15ml moisturiser, all stylishly presented in a gift box with a big, purple bow.

For your chance to win, simply follow one or more of the steps below:

• Like us on Facebook (1 entry) 
• Follow us on Twitter (1 entry)
• Join us on Google+ (1 entry)
• Follow or subscribe to this blog (1 entry)
• Subscribe to our newsletter (1 entry) 

Then simply drop us a comment below to let us know how you've entered, and leave an email address we can contact you at if you win!

Deadline for entries: 5th July 2012
Competition is open to entrants worldwide!

Your 5-Step Acne & Oily Skin Care Routine

No one wants acne or oily skin, but unfortunately they're both all-too-common skincare complaints. It's not just teenagers either - it's common to have breakouts well into your twenties, thirties and beyond.

Excess production of sebum is the cause of oily skin, and it can also lead to skin problems such as acne as it clogs pores and traps in bacteria. Your hormones control how much sebum your body produces so everything from puberty to pregnancy can have an effect, plus just being stressed or tired can wreak havoc with your skin's oil balance too. 

The Rebalance range by Thea Skincare is a 100% natural collection of skincare products specifically designed to target and treat acne, spots and oily skin.

It is often difficult to find suitable treatments for acne that are effective but not too harsh on your skin. An overly strong treatment can leave the skin dry, and your body will only compensate by producing yet more oil. Natural, pH balanced oily skin products are best, as they are more in tune with your skin's natural balance and are effective yet gentle and soothing.

Once you've picked out your perfect skincare products, here are the five steps you should include in your daily skincare routine to say goodbye to acne and oily skin once and for all...

1. Firstly, you should cleanse your face thoroughly twice a day. You should use a cleanser which is designed for oily skin as they tend to be gentle on the skin and contain ingredients to control shine. 

2. Next, apply a cool cloth over your face to leave it feeling refreshed and clean. Let it sit for a few minutes, as this will help to reduce excess oil production and will calm red, inflamed skin.

3. Now use a gentle toner on your skin. This will ensure your skin is soft and smooth and it will also help tighten up your pores, making it harder for dirt to get trapped in them and cause spots. Toner also helps to remove any tiny traces of makeup your cleanser might not have got rid of. Make sure you choose an alcohol-free toner as this is better for oily skin and will not leave it overly dry.

4. Next, you should moisturise - yes, even if you have oily skin! Use one that is specially designed for your skin type however, as a moisturiser for dry skin will be too rich for you and may lead to more spots. Look for natural hydrating ingredients such as shea butter or jojoba oil that moisturise whilst controlling shine.

5. Finally, use a mud or clay face mask at least once a week to absorb oil and give your skin a super deep clean. Masks work deep down into your pores to remove every last trace of impurities but again, use one designed especially to treat oily skin and acne for best results.

View the Thea Skincare skin care for oily skin range now!

COMPETITION - Win a 100% Natural Anti Acne Skin Care Set

WIN

a Thea Skincare

Rebalance Starter Set 

for acne & oily skin

Worth £24.95

20% Off Anti Acne Skin Care Until May 31st

We know that acne, spots and oily skin are amongst the most common skin complaints, and they're also some of the most depressing to live with.

Our 100% natural, organically-enriched Rebalance range is specifically developed with a blend of pure, botanical ingredients to target these problems, revealing skin that is clearer and a you that is more confident!

All this month there's a massive 20% off our entire Rebalance range, with prices starting from just £3.16 for our Anti Acne Essential Oil Blend. 

Even better, we're also giving away one of our Rebalance starter kits, worth £24.95, which contains a cleanser, exfoliator, toner and moisturiser all developed with acne-prone and oily skin in mind. 

Containing a scientifically-formulated blend of ingredients such as lichen to soothe inflamed skin, Shea butter to moisturise whilst controlling shine and bermagot essential oil to eliminate spots, these natural and organic skincare products are highly effective and contain no chemical ingredients whatsoever, so they're suitable for even the most sensitive and easily-irritated of skin types.

For your chance to win this fabulous anti-acne skincare set, here's how to enter... 

• Like us on Facebook (1 entry) 
• Follow us on Twitter (1 entry)
• Join us on Google+ (1 entry)
• Follow or subscribe to this blog (1 entry)
• Subscribe to our newsletter (1 entry) 

Then simply drop us a comment below to let us know how you've entered, and leave an email address we can contact you at if you win!

Deadline for entries: 31st May 2012

The winner will be notified by email on 01/06/2012

20% Off Natural Skincare for Oily Skin & Acne

20% OFF NATURAL SKINCARE

FOR OILY SKIN & ACNE

If you're among the many people who suffer from acne, spots or oily skin, it can be very frustrating trying to find the right skincare products to get clear, beautiful skin - especially when you consider that many of the chemical-filled products on the high-street today are likely to aggravate the problem, not make it better.

That's why we've created a range of high quality but affordable natural skincare products specifically targeted at acne and oily skin, and until 31st May 2012 we're giving you 20% off the entire range too!

View our acne skin care products now

Our natural, anti-acne range Rebalance is scientifically formulated using a blend of natural and organic ingredients that have been specially chosen for their balancing and soothing properties. Just check out some of the fantastic, natural ingredients that go into the Thea Skincare anti-acne skincare range...

Jojoba oil provide exactly the right amount of nourishment your oily skin needs, eliminating shine without over-drying. 

Tea tree and cedarwood essential oils have a gentle, anti-bacterial effect to stop spots before they form and effectively clearing up breakouts.

Juniper berry essential oil naturally regulates sebum production, reducing oil on the skin which is a major cause of spots.

Bergamot and Roman chamomile essential oils have a mild and gentle soothing effect to calm red, irritated skin and reduce the inflammation that comes with severe acne.

Plus many more!

Pick your perfect, natural skincare product now:

Cleanser for oily skin

Moisturiser for oily skin

Or see all products for oily skin

Thea Skincare Shortlisted by the FreeFrom Skincare Awards 2012

The FreeFrom Skincare Awards by Skins Matter, in association with The Beauty Bible, is an annual award designed to celebrate and encourage the continued production of 'green' skincare products, including organic, chemical-free and fragrance-free products that are a natural alternative to the standard, chemical-laden skincare available on the high street.

Out of more than 160 products that were entered, the judging panel - including natural beauty experts, sensitive skin sufferers and a skincare nutritionist - had a hard time narrowing the list down to just 45 products that were chosen based on their premium quality, excellent results and dedication to promoting natural skincare in society today.

We're happy to announce that our Thea Skincare Natural Harmony Perfect Me Face Cleanser was one of the 23 products shortlisted in the Face Care category for its wonderful natural and organic recipe and fantastic skin-balancing and cleaning effect. This natural skin cleanser costs just £8.95 for 50ml and contains a unique blend of aloe juice, olive oil, lavender extract, Rooibos tea, DMAE and other natural and organic ingredients that deeply cleanse, smooth and replenish the skin for a beautiful, dewy glow.

Natural Harmony Perfect Me Facial Cleanser, shortlisted by the FreeFrom Skincare Awards

The FreeFrom Skincare Awards also complied a list of 'commended' products that had particularly impressed them despite not quite making it onto the short-list like our Natural Harmony cleanser. Featured on this list were three of our natural face and body products:

• Super Nourish Beauty Butter Hand & Body Cream - a natural body butter rich in natural, vitamin-packed oils such as avocado and carrot oil, for a deeply hydrating and nourishing effect
• Face Renew System Skin Brightening Fruit Enzyme Creme Moisturiser - a skin brightening moisturiser made using a blend of natural fruit enzymes that gently brighten the complexion, increasing elasticity and plumping the skin at the same time
• Face Renew System Skin Brightening Fruit Enzyme Creme Exfoliator - a skin brightening exfoliator that gently polishes away dry, dead skin cells using jojoba beads, whilst the natural blend of fruit enzymes brightens and revives the skin

All shortlisted products will now undergo an in-depth, one month test by The Beauty Bible before the winning products are picked.

5 of the Best Natural Skincare Ingredients

When it comes to skin care, natural ingredients are often overlooked in favour of chemical-based products. However, nature has a wealth of hidden benefits that have just the same skin-enhancing effect, without the irritation that chemicals can cause. When it comes to natural products, here are 5 of the best ingredients to look out for...

1. Honey
Honey has natural antioxidant and anti-microbial properties, making it perfect for sufferers of acne or spots. It absorbs dirt and impurities, deeply cleaning and purifying the skin in a gentle way that no chemical ingredient can match. Plus, it will leave your skin smelling wonderful too!

2. Jojoba
This botanical oil is made from the seeds of the Jojoba tree, and is packed full of nourishing nutrients such as the skin-smoothing Vitamin E, known to reduce the appearance of scars. Jojoba oil does not clog the pores so is the perfect way to keep your skin moisturised if you suffer from break outs.

3. Cucumber
You know that stereotypical image of a women with a face mask on and cucumber over her eyes? It's not just that way for the looks - cucumber really works to soothe tired eyes and to reduce puffy under-eye bags, and the refreshing scent is wonderfully invigorating.

Thea Skincare Cucumber & Cranberry Eye Makeup Remover, £7.95

4. Olive Oil
This low cost but amazingly effective ingredient is deeply moisturising, not only for the skin but for the hair too. It contains many antioxidants for deeply cleansed skin that is soft, smooth and protected from free radicals. For a budget skin scrub, just mix two parts olive oil with one part sugar and rub gently all over your body - the sugar exfoliates whilst the olive oil cleanses and moisturises, for naturally beautiful skin.

5. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a common ingredient in after-sun lotions as it really soothes irritated or even burnt skin, cooling and calming it down. It is also a  great moisturiser, pumping lost moisture back into dried-out skin. Of course, it's always best to use a good sunscreen and avoid getting burnt, but if you do suffer from sunburn nothing will help more than Aloe Vera juice. It's also great as a year-round moisturiser, not just for summer.

I have oily skin and spots - what do I do?

 Image via Robyn Lou

I receive many requests for help with acne and oily skin, a few of the common ones include questions such as...

What should I use on my skin?

What can I do to stop spots?

Why do I get spots?

How should I treat spots?

The list of questions is endless! In short, there are so many reasons why people get spots such as hormonal changes, diet, a poor skincare routine and much more. Here are a few simple facts on what causes spots, and things that you can do to help to get rid of both spots and oily skin.

Your skin is naturally acidic as it has a protective acid mantle on its surface, so you should use oily skin care products that are pH balanced.

All Thea Skincare products are not only Paraben free but also pH balanced to be in tune with your skin's normal acid levels. Using skincare products that are too alkaline can damage the skin's natural acid mantle and may lead to oily skin and spots.

If you suffer from acne, oily or spot prone skin use a gentle, natural foaming cleanser for oily skin such as our Rebalance Clarity Foaming Facial Cleanser which is mild on the skin but still gives a deep, purifying clean.

A moisturiser for oily skin is essential to reduce spots

Always use an oily skin toner - toners remove excess cleanser from the skin after you have rinsed most of it off, and help to keep the pores clean and tight, making it harder for impurities to get in. The Thea Clarity Calming Facial Toner is gentle with no stinging sensation, and is effective at helping to keep oily skin at bay.

Exfoliators are great for giving a deeper clean and for removing dead skin from the face, which can otherwise cause premature ageing. For acne, oily and spot prone skin use a gentle face exfoliator such as our Thea Clarity Crème Face Exfoliator . Do not use harsh scrubs on the face, as it just worsens the problem by irritating the skin. Use a gentle exfoliator instead with natural, exfoliating ingredients to help to remove excess oil under the epidermis.

Finally, always use a moisturiser - having oily skin does not mean that you do not need to nourish and treat your skin. Moisturisers help the skin's oil balance and a natural and organic cream for oily skin such as the Thea Clarity Crème Face Moisturiser will do just that, helping to stop the over-production of oil which is one of the main causes of oily and acne prone skin.

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