I began by telling Emma about how congested I felt my skin was, particularly from the cheeks down. Simply by looking at my face Emma told me she could tell my body was full of toxins and in need of a cleanse. We touched on areas of my lifestyle such as diet that are reflected in the condition of my skin. Just one of many valuable nuggets of knowledge that Emma imparted on me, is that areas of our face are a direct reflection of our internal organs. For me, my problem area being the lower region of my face, was due to digestive problems. This makes a lot of sense as my diet could certainly be in better shape. I explained that I often eat on-the-go and buy a lot of my food ready made. That's not to say I'm gorging on takeaways, simply that even the salads and 'healthy' breakfast options that I buy are more often than not packed full of salt and sugar. Cleaning up my diet, Emma said, would allow me to see a noticeable difference in my skin.
Emma Hardie takes a refreshing approach to cleansing. Whilst product is incredibly important, she stresses the importance of technique and understanding what techniques will improve the condition of your skin. Emma began by removing my eye make up with the infamous Moringa Cleansing Balm and went on to mix the balm with her cleansing foam. Pairing the two, she said, would further enhance my cleansing routine. The reason for this is that the balm and foam perform two different but valuable functions. Both cleansers work together to gently exfoliate the skin and purify, minimising the appearance of pores and rejuvenating the skin with ingredients such as Moringa seed extract, Vitamin E, Neroli and Mandarin to name a few. The enzymes in the foam deeply penetrate into the skin adding a noticeable brightening effect whilst the balm offers moisturising and soothing aspects. The cleansing balm can also be left on over a period of time as a rejuvenating mask or applied to blemishes so it acts as a spot treatment as well.
Cleansing products noted, Emma went on to teach me the all important technique following product application. The idea behind Emma's cleansing system is 'lifting' and 'sculpting' meaning it is of paramount importance to spend time massaging the product into your skin, focusing on applying pressure and using downward strokes. She spent a good three minutes working the product into my skin before taking one of her microfibre cloths and using the softer side, supporting the skin at my hair line and pulling down to stimulate the lymph flow in the skin. Lymph is essentially a fluid that sits beneath the surface of the skin and is made up of protein, water and white blood cells. When Emma was talking to me about the toxins she could identify in my skin, she was referring to the sluggish movement of the lymph flow in my skin. As toxins collate the skin can appear dull, congested and puffy due to water retention. By using firm downward strokes Emma explained, we are draining this water retention, eliminating puffiness and the toxins that prevent our skin from being bright and firm. What's more, her reason for using linear movements rather than circular movements was due to the formation of muscle fibres which go in straight lines; adhering to the structure of the muscles in our face allows effective toning of the face. Emma explained that this same process can be used for the eyes, diminishing crows feet.
Emma used the microfibre cloth dry, this gave my skin yet another boost as it gently exfoliated away any dead skin cells, adding to the brightening effect. My skin, particularly around my cheeks, was noticeably firmer and brighter. This was the guaranteed result of 15 years of research put into Emma Hardie's lift and sculpt system. On a daily basis I soak the cloth in fresh warm water and wring out the excess. Next on the agenda was Emma's Plumping Serum which absorbed into the skin almost instantly, the formula is charged with Vitamins (F, A, C & E to be precise) which work to protect the skin from environmental damage and sooth the skin, setting in stone the effects achieved from the cleansing stage. Using tapping motions, even around the eyes, to work this product into the skin is most effective. In doing this we are stimulating the area and to me, it just meant my skin was more reciprocal to the product. Following the serum Emma applied her Lighter Lotion - a moisturiser as light by nature as the name implies. This moisturiser hydrates and soothes the skin, balancing it and providing a perfect canvas for make up to be applied.
Following my facial with Emma Hardie my skin was brighter, firmer and plumper to touch. My pore size was dramatically reduced and my skin literally felt as though it had experienced the full spa treatment and been nourished within an inch of it's life. However, the most valuable thing I took away with me was an awareness of how reflective aspects of lifestyle and wellbeing contribute to our appearance. Emma taught me the importance of identifying why my skin behaves the way it does and focusing on certain areas of concern both on the surface but also through what I choose to put into my body.
I hope this wasn't too complicated to read because it really is simple and a totally different way of looking at skincare! I hope I effectively highlighted why Emma Hardie's system is so good, share with you the experience and provide, in a nutshell, an explanation of what particular techniques and products do to control problematic skin.
Emma Hardie products are available from SpaceNK but also from many websites such as feelunique.com
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