Tips, techniques and tutorials to elevate your beauty game and help you find your foundation shade match.

Earlier this year a friend reached out to me and asked if I had heard about the Software Skin System. Although I like to think I am on the pulse of all that is happening in the beauty and skincare world, I surprisingly had never heard of them.

She told me how the company organises a video call with a doctor who will prescribe a tailored and unique lotion to treat your specific skin concerns. The lotion is compounded at a pharmacy before being mailed to you once every two months at a charge of $44 a month. If you run out earlier, you can simply get the script filled sooner. As arguably the world's laziest person alive, the idea of not having to run to the shops to buy more skincare when I run out is appealing - it is sent to me without me needing to even think about it.

As a rosacea sufferer who definitely does not drink enough water, I thought this could be a solution to my redness and dry skin so I was eager to give it a go. I uploaded the photos and listed my skin concerns and waited for the doctor to reach out to me for the video call – but that never happened. Via email only the assigned doctor looked at my photos and written concerns and prescribed me a formula of 20% Azelaic Acid and 5% Niacinamide – go to ingredients for rosacea sufferers and people with fine lines. I wondered if the lack of a video call aligned with a huge push in marketing from the Software team – were the doctors too inundated to talk to everyone? Even if I had to wait a bit longer, I would have loved to have a live consultation with the doctor to talk about my skin.

To emphasise the personalised touch of the company, there is a Software Insiders Facebook group where customers can show their progress, discuss the best sunscreen options, or bemoan the lack of results. Although the Facebook group was created by Software, a lot of the posts are about skincare and beauty in general. It’s a small community where people can be honest and vulnerable about their skin conditions and discuss their favourite products (whether or not they are from Software).

Many of my fellow customers complained about the pump not working on their bottles, however I didn’t have that issue myself. My main complaint regarding the bottle is that it is impossible to tell when it is nearing empty – how is anyone to know whether they need to ask for their script to be refilled early?

Another common complaint in the Facebook group was that the bottle size had shrunk from 30ml to 24ml – with no reduction in price. The rationale from the company was that having leftover and expired cream caused 35% of all subscription cancellations so they wanted to make the bottle more likely to last two months exactly with no leftover product. Pricing is a complicated issue, especially for young companies – as companies grow a whole host of new costs and fulfilment issues can arise. While I am happy to give Software a break on this issue, if you do decide to try a subscription for yourself keep an eye on the pricing and the amount you’re receiving.

So, did it work for me? Yes, with a few big buts. 20% Azelaic Acid is not a prescription only ingredient, and I can buy lotions like Azclear (also with 20% Azelaic Acid) at local drug stores which work just as effectively. My skin did improve in my three months of using my prescribed cream however I also made sure to moisturise my skin daily and wore SPF every day to maximise the results (and yes – I know I should be doing this anyway). So, while I believe Azelaic Acid is a great ingredient to help rosacea sufferers, I don’t believe Software is worth the price when I can find equivalent products for much cheaper and without a prescription.

From looking at the results in Software Insiders and speaking with my friend who is using the system, I think customers benefit most if they need Tretinoin – often used to treat acne and fine lines. Unlike its often confused with cousin Retinol, which is available over the counter, Tretinoin is a pure concentration of retinoic acid and can only be bought with a prescription.

Overall, I would say the Software Skin System does work and the online community is a breath of fresh air, but it may not be worth the price. Do your research with your prescribed formula – you may be able to head down to your local drugstore and get an effective and more affordable equivalent. While I cancelled my subscription it might be worthwhile for acne sufferers to give a Tretinoin formulation a go.

An Honest Review of the Software Skin System

You have no doubt seen brands advertising themselves as “clean” but what does it mean? Is it just a marketing buzzword? What products can be considered clean? Unfortunately, there is no regulated definition of “clean beauty” but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be informed about how brands can manipulate certain terms and how regulations work to keep them in check. We will be exploring some of the common clean beauty associated buzzwords, what they mean and what to be aware of so you can match your foundation to your ethics and health concerns.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who developed the Guides for Use of Environmental Marketing Campaigns, if a brand claims the item is “free-of” ingredients, then it can not in its place have an ingredient with similar impacts to the environment. This prevents dodgy brands from replacing a famously dangerous ingredient with a similar, but lesser known, harmful ingredient.

The FTC notes that some companies can claim to be “free-of” certain ingredients even if there are “trace amounts” of the ingredient found. While the definition of “trace amounts” can be vague, consumers can reasonably assume that it would not be enough to provide negative health or environmental impacts.

According to the FTC, anything claiming to be non-toxic must be non-toxic to both humans and the environment. If the product is simply non-toxic to humans, then it should not advertise itself as non-toxic. Due to the ramifications of toxic ingredients, it does seem (pardon the pun) natural that this is one of the most strictly regulated buzzwords associated with clean beauty.

While non-toxic is used as a popular clean beauty buzzword, most reputable and well known brands will have ingredients that are non-toxic for humans at the very least. Illegal dupes and copies found on cheap websites will likely NOT have the same composition as the brands they are copying, and are often found to have toxic ingredients so we do NOT recommend buying cheap imitations.

Traditionally, there has been no regulation determining the use of the word ‘natural’ in advertising cosmetic products, though attempts are being made to change this. A 

 introduced in the US congress aims to mark a clear difference between the terms ‘natural’ and ‘naturally-derived,’ and requiring the term ‘natural’ only be used when the composition is at least 70% natural substances (not including water or salt). The fact that they request water not to be included is very important – water makes up a huge amount of most foundations so by excluding it from the required 70%, the manufacturers must ensure that most of their other ingredients are also natural. This bill will require mandatory testing by suppliers, with the results being provided to manufacturers.

For now, ‘natural’ can mean almost anything (after all, most chemicals found on the periodic table are found in nature – a loophole that can be exploited). However reputable brands, like our friends 

, explain clearly how they define ‘natural.’

 is defined as ‘coming from living plants and animals’ and/or ‘not using artificial chemicals in the growing of plants or animals.’ So what does that mean for beauty? Much like ‘natural’ it legally means nothing.

 which provide a ‘certified organic’ label which requires ‘most of its ingredients to be … produced and processed without synthetic chemicals’ though they have traditionally applied to food products.

For now, there are no legal requirements in the beauty industry for the use of the word ‘organic,’ so it is important for consumers to research the ‘certified organic’ sticker, who provided it and what their standards are for certification.

While not necessarily a buzzword, we thought we should highlight a few important things to consider regarding ingredients.

If the ingredients of a product are not transparently available, do not consider the item “clean” or even “non-toxic.” In Australia, 

 set forth by the government require ingredient lists to be readily available for consumers at the point of sale and on the product itself.

There are certain terms used in ingredients lists that truly don’t mean anything on their own – like the word fragrance. There are so many possible ingredients that add a scent to a product and without further regulation, brands can keep listing “fragrance” as an ingredient without telling us exactly what ingredient is used. However, most “natural” and “clean” beauty brands do not add any extra fragrance, so for clean beauty shoppers this may not be as common an ingredient concern.

Usually, ingredients are listed in descending order of the volume of that ingredient – that means whatever is listed first on the ingredient list makes up the biggest part of the product. Once the ingredient list has descended to products that make up less than 1%, they can be listed in any order (just because something is listed last doesn’t mean it is only a trace amount!)

Clean beauty is the future for makeup, and we don’t want it to just be a sales buzzword so we sincerely hope this article hasn’t scared you! It is our wish that the industry can begin to truly regulate the definition of clean beauty and the words that are commonly associated with it. In the meantime, we hope that this piece has provided some insight and education regarding the ways in which brands can use these words. Education is key and we hope we have helped you to narrow down your search while you look for your best foundation match!

cleanbeautystockimage

What is Clean Beauty?

Vitamin A refers to a group of molecules more commonly known as “retinoids”. There are different forms of retinoids, some of which are more potent than others. You may be familiar with the names retinol, retinal, retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinoic acid - all are different forms of Vitamin A.

Vitamin A has been shown to be the single most effective ingredient in skincare that is able to reverse sun damage. The Role of Vitamin A includes:

Vitamin A – A Brief Introduction

Vitamin A – Its role in skincare, makeup and foundations. Plus the best foundations containing Vitamin A.

Hyaluronic Acid is often included as a hydrating ingredient in skincare and foundation, but what exactly is it and how does it help?

Some of us who have heard of Hyaluronic Acid most likely relate it to as the ingredient of dermal fillers.  In fact, nearly 90% of dermal fillers used are made of Hyaluronic acid (HA), the only difference between the different brands are the size of the HA molecules, the concentration per ml and how the molecules are held together.  These factors give the fillers each their own characteristic properties which are then used to determine which part of the face is injected.

HA molecules give volume by attracting and binding water molecules to itself. In fact, 1 gram of HA molecules can hold up to 6L of water!  For this reason, Hyaluronic acid is said to be the ultimate solution for moisture retention of the skin. In younger skin, there is a large reserve of natural HA which gives it its’ plump, dewy characteristic.  As the skin ages, the amount of HA decreases dramatically and skin becomes dry and less plump. This contributes to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and loss of radiance in older skin.

Hyaluronic acid, when used in skincare, is thought to be able to replenish the moisture content of dry skin. Therefore it would improve the appearance of wrinkles and increase the firmness and elasticity of the skin.

The main issue with most skincare products containing hyaluronic acid is that the molecules of HA are usually too large to penetrate the skin barrier to give any therapeutic effect.  The average size of HA molecules is 3000nm in diameter, whereas the intercellular space (gaps between the skin cells) is only 15 – 50nm.

In order to be able to penetrate the skin barrier, the HA molecules need to be micronised or nanosized to be smaller than 50nm.  For this reason, only a few skincare products on the market containing Hyaluronic acid really work.

Some moisturisers that contain nanotechnology and hyaluronic acid are:

When it comes to foundations with Hyaluronic acid, the best ones to try are:

If you're curious to try one of these foundations, you can use our foundation shade finder 

Hyaluronic acid

Topical Hyaluronic acids: Do they really work?

Are you looking to buy new makeup brushes, but are struggling to decide between synthetic or natural hair brushes? We’ve put together some information so you can decide which type of brush will suit your needs practically and ethically. 

It might come as a bit of a surprise, but synthetic and natural hair brushes are very good at very different things. When using powder foundation, blush, highlight and eyeshadow, a natural hair brush is far superior to traditional synthetic fibre makeup brushes. Natural hairs have raised cuticles down their length which help to pick up pigment which maximises the payoff on your own skin, and also minimises fallout. As natural hair brushes move completely freely, they are great for blending your eyeshadow to face-tuned level perfection.

As far as liquid products like foundations, cream blushes, highlighters and liquid eyeliners go, synthetic fibre brushes take the crown. Because traditional synthetic brush fibres like nylon are completely smooth, liquids don’t get trapped into them in the same way that they do on a fibre with cuticles. They are also less absorbent, which not only minimises the wastage of your product but also makes them easier to clean. Synthetic fibres tend to be attracted to each other, so hold their shape well and are perfect for precision (hello perfect winged liner!).

While natural hair brushes age like a fine wine, and will continue serving you faithfully for many years, they are slightly more prone to shedding than synthetic fibres so that is another thing to be aware of when considering whether you want a synthetic or natural brush.

Now that we know which kinds of brushes are good for what, let’s think about pricing. Is there a price difference between synthetic and natural fibre makeup brushes? The simple answer is yes. Simple fibre synthetic brushes are definitely the most affordable brushes due to their ability to be mass produced and the fact that there is not as much price fluctuation during production. Essentially all budget priced makeup brushes will be synthetic, however it is still possible to find budget friendly natural hair brushes – we love 

 as they have luxurious natural hair brushes that start from $15USD. 

Another great thing about Hakuhodo brushes is that all their materials are sourced through cruelty-free suppliers. However, by definition, a makeup brush made from animal hair could never be considered vegan so if you are after a completely vegan makeup collection synthetic fibres are your only option. 

While we consider the care of our planet’s animals, we should also consider our planet as a whole. Unfortunately, there is no best solution for the environment as far as makeup brushes go – especially since the life cycle of synthetic brushes can be quite damaging to the environment. 

Synthetic brushes are often made of nylon, an extremely durable and long-lasting fibre. While this makes it a great material in some ways, it also means that it is not biodegradable and sits in landfill for at least thirty years. When creating nylon, a large amount of water is required to cool the fibres and it also creates nitrous oxide – a greenhouse gas that is much more potent than carbon dioxide. Alongside nylon, polyester is another common brush product that is not considered biodegradable.

Scientists and engineers are continually working on improving the environmental impact of brushes, creating new fibres that are more biodegradable than traditional synthetic fibres. Japanese brand 

 uses the Sorona fibre which is 37% plant-based and uses 40% less energy to produce than nylon. Compare to nylon, it emits 56% less greenhouse gases.

Many of Rae Morris’ unique magnetic brushes 

There are vegan brush brands that can mimic the behaviour of natural hair to a high and luxurious degree – for example,

 brushes are made up of micro-crystal fibres which combines the durability of synthetic brushes with the softness and colour pay off that you find in natural hair brushes. 

In the end we can’t tell you exactly which brush to buy, but we hope we have given you the tools you need to make an informed decision. Will you be using the brush for liquid or powder? What is your budget? Which brushes fit best into your ethical framework? These are important questions that once you answer will lead you to the perfect brush.

Rae Morris Makeup Brushes

Natural vs Synthetic Brushes

Somewhere along the line of you shopping for cosmetics and skincare, you would have seen Vitamin C promoted as a popular ingredient. So what is it? 

When our skin is exposed to oxygen and ultraviolet radiation in the air, it produces molecules called free radicals. These free radicals attack our skin cells causing skin ageing. Another scientific term for free radicals is “Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)”. In addition to sunlight and oxygen, smoking and pollution can also generate ROS.

Vitamin C or “L–Ascorbic acid” helps to protect the skin by deactivating and destroying these free radicals before they cause damage to the skin. They belong to a group of compounds known as antioxidants. Other antioxidants are Vitamin E, Vitamin B3 (also known as niacinamide), selenium and Ferulic acid. Vitamin C, however, is the most potent and studied of the antioxidants, especially when combined with Vitamin E (also known as Tocopherol).

Vitamin C's free radical fighting power prevents the skin’s cells from being attacked and therefore can prevent the skin from aging. It can also help protect the skin from precancerous changes caused by UV exposure.

In addition to protecting the skin from free radical damage, Vitamin C can help the skin to heal and repair by increasing the production of collagen in the skin - leading it to often be used to help treat burn injuries.

Vitamin C also has a property that prevents hyper pigmentation in the skin. It helps to prevent discolorations such as sunspots, hormonal pigment and helps to even out the skin tone. This means it can make skin look brighter and reduce the need for wearing full coverage foundation and makeup!

Vitamin C is a very unstable molecule - this means it can easily break down when exposed to light and air and become inactive. If you've ever wondered why so many Vitamin C serums are sold in dark bottles, this is why. Vitamin C is also known as a hydrophilic molecule, which in scientific terms means “water-loving”. As our skin membrane is made up of “fatty acids”, it becomes a barrier for the Vitamin C to penetrate. An analogy to this is like trying to push a water molecule through an oily membrane - virtually impossible. A lot of research has been done on finding a “vehicle” that can successfully carry the Vitamin C molecule through the cell membranes.

However, it is not just the vehicle that the Vitamin C comes in that is important. There are other factors that can affect the efficiency of the product. These include the molecular form, concentration and pH (acidity) of the Vitamin C. Combining Vitamin C with other antioxidants such as Vitamin E has shown to increase the effectiveness.

Because Vitamin C is an unstable molecule, more stable forms such as ascorbyl-6-palmitate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate and dehydroascorbic acid have been used in some skincare solutions. However, a study published by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, “Topical L-Ascorbic Acid: Percutaneous Absorption Studies” showed that these forms of Vitamin C were not absorbed by the skin. The only form of Vitamin C which was able to be absorbed into the skin was L-Ascorbic Acid.

The concentration of Vitamin C is also important. The most effective concentration was shown to be 15-20%. For unknown reasons, concentration levels higher than 20% were shown to result in decreased absorption into the skin.

The study also revealed the critical importance of the formulation of pH of L-ascorbic acid. Maximal absorption was seen at pH levels of 3.5 and lower. This means the more acidic the formulation, the better the absorption of Vitamin C into the skin is. However, that makes it more likely to sting when applied onto the skin.

So we can see that a good Vitamin C serum involves a lot of factors! Which is the reason why many good Vitamin C serums cost a lot of money and are worth the splurge.

When it comes to makeup, there are a few foundations that contain Vitamin C that are worth trying out. These include:

If you want to find your foundation colour match in one of these ranges, head to our foundation matcher 

Vitami C

Vitamin C

Vitamin C and Your Skin

Hyperpigmentation occurs when melanocytes are hyperactive or there is a high concentration of melanocytes, which can be caused by exposure to UV rays, hormonal changes, skin issues such as picking at the skin or acne, medication, inflammation and heredity. Hyperpigmentation is a blanket term that covers age spots, liver spots, sun spots, pregnancy masks and freckles and can affect any part of the body. There are treatment options that aim to lighten affected areas but there is no cure.

2. Are there different types (e.g. UV-induced, Melasma, Post-inflammatory and photo-sensitive)?

The types of discoloration vary. UV-induced discoloration is light to brown in colour and appear on the face, chest and hands as sunspots, age spots or liver spots. UV-induced sunspots tend to be small and dark. Freckles, which are also caused by the sun, can be a varying brown, red or black in pigment and appear on the face, chest and arms.

Melasma discoloration is light to medium brown in colour and is inconsistent in size. It commonly appears on cheeks, sides of face, upper nose, above the lip and forehead. A surge in hormones and sun exposure are to answer for Melasma.

Post-Inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH occurs on the face and is light to dark brown in colour. It’s caused by inflammatory acne, pimples, burns, cuts or abrasions.

Photo-sensitive hyperpigmentation usually is drug-induced. High doses of medication together with long exposure to light cause darkening of skin.

3. What are some of the most effective ways to treat or prevent pigmentation (e.g. salon treatments and at-home products)?

The most preventative thing to do is wear sunscreen. Sunscreen is essential if you already have hyperpigmentation as it helps to prevent the spots from darkening further. Most of my clients (including myself) mix Actinica 50+ with foundation or tinted moisturiser for daily coverage. With a customised skin regimen, the appearance of hyperpigmentation can be minimized.

Every skin is unique and responds differently to various modes of treatment. Therefore it is important before you get treatment to make sure the person you go to really understands the different types of skin and how each skin will respond to various treatments.

Skin can generally be divided into 6 types depending on level of natural pigment or amount of melanocytes in the skin.

People who are Fitzpatrick III or above are prone to pigment but also at a high risk of developing PIH. For this reason, treatments such as IPL and Fractional lasers must be used with extreme caution as it can make existing pigmentation worse. For these people, it is best to start slow and gentle with to minimise any risk of making pigment worse. I generally prep people first with skincare containing anitpigment ingredients first such as Retinol and Hydroquinone before starting any skin treatments.

One of the most difficult problems in the past is melasma. It is exceptionally common in people of skin type III and above and I am also seeing it more with lighter skin types as well. The problem is that this type of pigment is generally too light for lasers and IPL to treat but dark enough for us to see with the naked eye. Hence most of my patients come in saying that it makes their face look “dirty”. I myself have had it after my pregnancies and tried everything from Fraxel to IPL to treat it with no success. Fraxel and IPL whilst can be great treatments for those with Skin type II and less, for those with Skin type III and above, it may not work as well.

However, we have discovered this amazing peel called Cosmelan and it has been the only thing that has managed to treat my pigment with no PIH. It is also safe to use on people with Skin type III and above. However, it is important to understand that whilst treatment like this can lift pigment, it is not a cure and you need ongoing maintenance to keep it at bay. This means being very rigorous with sunscreen, using the right skin care and regular gentle IPL and LED treatments. IPL and LED treatments are great for maintenance and preventing pigment in people with Skin type III who have already had their pigment treated.

It may sound like a lot of effort, but as someone who never needs to wear concealer anymore, it is a small price to pay!

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