ASTRAl Face & Body Intensive Moisturiser Cream, with glycerin and petrolatum, 500ml

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The super-moisturising formula keeps skin hydrated throughout the day, creating the perfect skin base for makeup. The famous or maybe rather infamous mineral oil. The clear oily liquid that is the "cheap by-product" of refining crude oil and the one that gets a lot of heat for its poor provenance. It is a very controversial ingredient with pros and cons and plenty of mythsaround it. So let us see them: If you want to feel baby soft after the shower, this is your go-to – just remember to apply it to damp skin for optimum results. 4. Use your Astral cream as… a makeup primer

Did you know that damp skin is many times more permeable than dry skin, and therefore able to absorb moisturising products better? The pros of mineral oilcan be interpreted as cons if we look at them from another perspective. Not penetrating the skin but mostly just sitting on top of it and not containing biologically active components, like nice fatty acids and vitamins meanthat mineral oil does not "nourish" the skin in the way plant oils do. Mineral oil doesnot give the skin any extra goodness, it is simply a non-irritating moisturizer working mainly by occlusivity. You're probably thinking so what other incredible ingredients are in this pot of magic to make it such a hit? Badmouthing mineral oil is a favorite sport of many, it is a cheap material and being connected to petrolatum makes it fairly easy to demonize. Here's the thing, according to its makers, well, there's none. It's literally nothing more than a water-oil emulsion. Its main USP is that it’s ‘just’ a moisturiser. ‘Astral cream doesn’t contain any miracle ingredients,’ its makers say proudly.So you’ve finally mastered applying fake tan perfectly (our advice: use a barrier cream on dry areas like knees and elbows, and blend, blend, blend with a tanning mitt). Now you’ve got that golden glow, you want it to last, don't you?

Both groups also saw improvements in hydration and TWEL of their hands, although not by quite such a vast amount. Over 75% of the women taking part in the trial said they would buy Astral Cream again while almost 40% said they would most likely change over to it from their current skincare products permanently because they just loved how their skin felt after using it. The majority of the age groups said it was appropriate for their age group so it really is very versatile and suitable for everyone. Twenty nine days later improvements in the hydration of the cheek area of 18 – 25 year olds saw the biggest improvement – up 50%. In the 50 – 65 group it was the forehead at 53.8%. TWEL readings were up 12.4% in the younger age group and 16% in the older group. Celebrity Joanna Lumley has even attributed her youthful looking skin to this anti ageing cream in the famous blue pot.Thanks to Astral's blend of hydrating and soothing ingredients, the little blue tub makes for a seriously moisturising face mask. While it is true that industrial grade mineral oil contains carcinogenic components (so-calledpolycyclic compounds), these are completely removed from cosmetic and food grade mineral oil and there is no scientific data showing that the pure, cosmetic grade version is carcinogenic. The rich formulation of Astral Original is a simple water in oil emulsion formula. It acts as a barrier cream, stopping the moisture already held in the skin from evaporating, while simultaneously delivering extra moisture, leaving skin feeling plumped, pliable and less dry But did you know that there is also a lighter version of the famous cream? Astral – Light and Creamy I was sent a tub of both the original and the light and creamy versions to try out. I decided the best idea would be to open them with my Mum. OK, so I’m outside the younger group by a few years now but my Mum still fits into the older one.

Astral is a great option for moisturising the entire body because of ingredients such as glycerin and lanolin, Coleman says. It’s one of the reasons why you should apply lotions straight out of the shower rather than waiting until you’ve dried off first. It’s gentler on the skin than other products, making it suitable for use on more sensitive areas such as the skin on your face. Even better, once you reach your destination, it’s excellent for soothing skin after a day in the sun. 6. Use your Astral cream to... Remove makeup

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Although a proper cleansing balm or lotion is ideal, Astral can step in as an emergency makeup remover when you need it.

It is a great emollient and moisturizer working mainly by occlusivity.Occlusivity is one of the basic mechanisms of how moisturizers work and it means that mineral oilsits on top of the skin and hinders so-called trans-epidermal water loss, i.e water evaporating out of your skin. When compared to heavy-duty plant oil, extra virgin coconut oil, the two of them were equally efficient and safe as moisturizers in treating xerosis, a skin condition connected to very dry skin. To reduce the rate of skin sloughing, you need to keep the skin hydrated. This is where Astral comes in – slather on to the skin to extend the life of your tan, and you can stay bronzed for longer. Because Astral cream is made up of lanolin and glycerin, rather than being oil-based, it won't strip the tan from your skin - like other moisturisers might. But that's not all. The clever thing about this wonder cream is that it's even more versatile than how it's marketed. Sure, your grandma might swear by it, but here are eight other uses for your Astral cream that'll take you beyond a simple 'nighttime moisturiser.' As it’s super-rich yet still mild, it’s a good plan to keep a little pot of Astral in your handbag especially as, unlike many hand creams, you can also use it on your face.

However, it's also moisturising enough to provide effective hydration to dryer parts of the body such as your hands, knees and elbows. 8. Use your Astral cream as… a face mask Made from lanolin, which is extracted from sheep’s wool, and glycerin, which attracts water to the surface layers of your skin to up hydration, Astral cream is something of a cult item among streamlined beauty routine fans.