Breakfast With Paula Begoun

What I learnt From Paula Begoun

Paula Beguon, better known as the Cosmetics Cop spent a morning last month with some beauty editors and beauty bloggers sharing her wealth of knowledge. As someone who suffered from acne and eczema from a young age, Paula knows how important the ingredients used in cosmetics are.

Before 1976, there were no requirements for cosmetic companies to list the ingredients in their products, but once it became a requirement Paula was shocked to find out what she had been using in her everyday skin care routine. 

With no internet, no google, Paula decided to start finding out for herself what each ingredient meant by doing her own research at libraries and medical libraries. 

Here are some of the things I learnt from Paula's talk:

1) You don't need an eye cream. Shocked faces in the audience led to Paula explaining that there is no research to prove that the area around your eye is different to the skin on your face! There are no specific formulas or ingredients that are just meant for your eye area. If it's good enough for your face, it should be good enough for your eye area.

2) Never buy jar packaging. Ingredients don't like open air, you open the lid of your jar and the air degenerates the ingredients. Plus every time you stick your finger into the jar, you are adding germs to your product.

3) Natural doe not mean better, synthetic doesn't mean bad. Hmmm not too sure how I feel about this one as I'm all for natural.. 

4) Aging is caused by sun damage. You will never find me out and about in the sun without sunscreen on! Especially when I'm on the Zambezi River. Paula says you should be wearing sunscreen 365 days a year, no matter what the weather is like. 

5) Don't exfoliate. Paula believes that many scrubs are too harsh for the skin. They tear and damage the skin. Paula says that just using a wash clothe is enough to remove the dead skin cells without damaging your skin.

6) Fragrance and Essential Oils are irritations for your skin. I love essential oils so this was another one I wasn't too sure about agreeing on but I do agree about fragrances, that's where all the nasties are!

And a few more helpful tips from Paula:

~ Start using anti-ageing products staight away! You start ageing from when you are born.

~ Apply suncreen liberally! Don't buy the most expensive sunscreen because you will be tempted to save it instead of spread it.

~ There is no miracle ingredient! You need a 'cocktail' of ingredients to make  it work.

eeek photo is a bit fuzzy but can you believe Paula is 60 years old? 

was great (finally) meeting some of my fellow bloggers

Zaahirah from Complete Disbelief; Claire from Miss Claira Bella and Chantelle from Not Another Poppie

Have you tried any of Paula's products from her own range Paula's Choice (all of the products are her own formulas!)