Are you suffering from this? Have you noticed spots appearing around the chin and mouth area that you haven't suffered with in the past? 
Unfortunately this is being caused by us wearing face mask in our daily lives. 

It really is mind blowing the changes we have seen this year, if someone had said to me "in year 2020 it will be normal for us to wear face masks in public" I think I would have laughed!
It really isn't a laughing matter, the fact is it is our reality.  
I do however have the answer for you on how to help clear up Mask-ne (Mask Acne).

At Charisma Beauty in Norwich which have a team of highly trained skincare specialists ready to address all your skincare needs.
We are proud stockists of Katherine Daniels Professional Skincare brand, we recommend their award winning products for our clients home care routine and carry out the result driven professional treatments in salon to give you "better skin for life"

I want to share with you advice written by Co-Founder of Katherine Daniels, Kirsti Shuba on how we can help you combat Mask-ne (Mask Acne)

 A new generation of skin problems is lurking beneath every mask and face covering. We know that prevention is better than cure, understanding the potential problem will allow you to avoid it.
We’re always on hand for help and advice if you need it.
Officially known as Acne Mechanica.
Let’s get this straight. This is not acne in the true sense, it’s a ‘man-made’ skin condition.
It usually effects the face, the area beneath your mask or face covering. Acne Mechanica can affect any area of the body too.
When you wear a mask or face covering you create an occlusive environment beneath it. The air under your mask is humid and warm, and the mask itself may cause friction.

Let us look at these 2 issues individually. 

The air under your mask is humid and warm – the ideal breeding ground for bacteria, fungus & virus
Breathing in and out in an occlusive environment means that nasal mucosa, oil, bacteria, fungus and virus are being deposited directly on to your skin.
This may lead to the development of Cutaneous bacterium (Cutibacterium acne).
You may also be more susceptible to the herpes simplex virus (cold sores) if you’re prone to them.

Its hot under a mask - this may lead to perspiration. Sweat contains bacteria and oil.
Sweat & bacteria mixed with make-up will lead to blocked pores and blackheads.
With all of this going on. It’s likely that your skin barrier (the protective barrier that keeps the goodness in and the badness out!) will become damaged, leading to dryness, dehydration, and sensitivity.

The mask itself may cause friction.
This may make your skin red and inflamed, which may also cause further damage to your skin barrier.
How to help yourself throughout the day:

• Remove your mask (safely) as often as possible.
• Change your mask regularly for a fresh one, if you’re wearing it for prolonged periods.
• Avoid wearing heavy make-up when wearing a mask.
• Avoid long wear and ultra-wear foundation when wearing a mask.
• Avoid touching your face after applying drying hand sanitisers. It will transfer and dry your face.

Which products will help your skin best?

Essential Miracle Cleansing Jelly - a gentle yet effective cleanser, with no added fragrance. It will help your skin while vulnerable.
Essential Deep Cleansing & Skin Rejuvenation System - its 4 times more effective than manual cleansing. The perfect way to ensure your pores don’t become blocked. 
Alternatively use our Deep Cleansing & Exfoliating Discs - they allow a deeper cleanse and an exfoliating scrub, ensuring your pores don't become blocked.
Essential Exfoliating Gel - prevents the build-up of dead cells. Dead cells block your hair follicles, and bacteria will ‘fester’ within them, leading to spots & blackheads.
Total Skin Repair Concentrate – will repair your skin, reduce inflammation and redness. Promote the healing process by stimulating regeneration and repair proteins (collagen, elastin). It’s your go to SOS treatment for all skin types.
Sensitive Skin Rich Cream - this will hydrate, nourish, calm and soothe your skin. Helping to reduce inflammation and keep you skin barrier intact.
Smoothing Resurfacing Mask or Repairing Nourishing Mask - depending on how dry your skin is, this weekly or bi-weekly treat will do exactly what it says on the tin. The Smoothing Resurfacing Mask isn’t harsh or aggressive, its deep cleansing formulation is infused with soothing Aloe Vera, which fights bacteria and virus on the skin

Conclusion
Keep your skin clean, strong, and hydrated. This will ensure your skin is able to work to its best potential. This will keep it as healthy as possible. This prevention is always better than cure.
All of the products and treatments mentioned can be used to prevent Mask-ne, as well treat
Mask-ne breakouts.
Please be careful, if you see spots appearing don’t rush out and buy harsh, stripping products for oily skin. It will make the problem worse. 



At Charisma Beauty we know we can help you prevent and cure Mask-ne.
Your first step would be to talk to one of our skincare specialists or to book yourself a facial. 
When making a booking select essential facial, this is the best starting point to allow our therapists to carry out a thorough consultation and advise on the best skincare and facial to get you the best results and ultimately "Better skin for life"

I would love to know in the comments how your skin is being effected by your mask or any other skincare concerns you may have.
Thank-you for taking the time to read my blog, I hope it helps you or someone you know.
Take Care
Charlotte xx

Here is our skincare specialist Leanne using the Essential Deep Cleansing & Skin Rejuvenating System, just look at her glowing skin!

That's right, I was 18 when my name "Charlotte Sims, Charisma Beauty in Norwich" was first announced as a winner of my first professional skincare award.  I had to stand up in front of other therapists and salon owners to collect my award and I was terrified, shaking like a leaf, had no idea what to say as a thank you speech but I felt so proud.

Fast forward 16 years and I still get nervous every time. You would think after 16 years, winning multiple awards yearly the nerves would have subsided but they haven't. Why? Because I am passionate about what I do, I believe wholeheartedly in what I offer and winning these awards proves I am an expert in the beauty & skincare industry. 

So when my skin took a big hormonal change post breastfeeding my second baby this year I knew exactly what I needed to do to treat it. Just look how sore my skin had become.  

A change in hormones had left my skin extremely dry, painful to touch and I had developed acne rosacea which had become infected. I took these images sat in my bath sobbing. (That is my daughters rubber duck in the background, not mine, wink wink)
If you are having the same skin troubles I had, I understand how you feel.

First thing first was some help from my GP and a course of antibiotics to help with the infection. I don't always agree with medication for skincare but in this instance I knew that was what I needed to start with to fight the infection.

It was then time to strip back my skincare routine and reset my skin. 
I went back to basics and used the Katherine Daniels products which we use at Charisma Beauty & Skincare Norwich in our professional salon treatments and recommend to our clients for result drive homecare products. 

I kept it simple and used the Katherine Daniels Cleansing Milk followed with Katherine Daniels Toning Lotion to cleanse and tone my skin morning and evening. 
To then protect my skin and give it the nourishment it needed I applied Katherine Daniels Dry Skin Cream morning and evening.
That was it! I went back to a simple skin routine and within a few weeks saw a dramatic improvement. My skin was no longer dry, the soreness thankfully had gone, redness reduced and the infection had cleared. BUT one of the biggest changes was my confidence. I felt like me again, I felt I could confidently face the world without people staring at my skin wondering what was wrong with me. I was smiling again!

,I know, you are scrolling up and down comparing the images and can't believe the difference.  I have just done the exact same thing with tears of joy in my eyes at the transformation.

I have since gone on to have a course of Anti-Aging Skin Defense Collagen Strengthening facials, followed by a second course of our medical grade Photo-Dynamic Therapy treatment currently exclusively only available at Charisma Beauty in the Norwich area. I will tell you more about these incredible facials in a future blog.

If you yourself have a skin concern like mine or any other skin concern you would like help with please don't hesitate to get in touch. The best place to start is by booking an essential facial.  This allows our skin care specialists to carry out a thorough consultation on your skin, pamper you with a full facial and then create a bespoke homecare prescription and treatment plan to get you the results you deserve.

Likewise if you have a friend, or family member who you know is also suffering with their skin, please share this blog with them.  It could be the best help you could give them in overcoming a skin complaint that has affected them for years. 

Our Promise from Katherine Daniels...We want you to have ‘Better Skin for Life.’ All of our products are developed with this goal in mind, our formulations enhance the way your skin works. The advanced ingredients within our products allow us to treat the cause of your skin concerns as well as the visible symptoms that you can see.
FIND OUT MORE

I have something to share with you today...
I was set a challenge Monday night in a business networking support group. It was an exercise to help us express our feelings and empty our thoughts from our minds (it really helped, I would recommend you try it). The challenge was to write a letter to our clients to say how I was feeling, what my thoughts were and what my plans were during this uncertain time.

Today, the challenge is to actually share it!!!! So here goes ...


I am writing this letter to empty my thoughts from my mind to give me a clear head so that I can focus on getting through the next few weeks possibly months.
It’s the evening of Monday the 23rd March and what a week it’s been. It feels so surreal sitting here writing this letter knowing that I’ve closed the door to Charisma Beauty salon in Norwich, all be it temporary but for a very long time.
The last week has been mind blowing, wondering should we open or should we close what should we do! Once the announcement had been made with the employment grant to protect my team, I immediately felt I could close knowing my team would be financially OK.
Knowing that for the next few weeks our salon isn’t going to be able open makes me realise how grateful I am for every day that we can open our doors and look after our clients. It makes me realise what a family our team really is and how much we are going to miss each other. It’s certainly going to be very challenging times ahead but I do know that once this has passed we will we open our doors again and we will come out of the other side stronger.
I hope that it’s ok with you that over these next few weeks, possibly months, we will keep in contact through email and social media. I know all the team would love me to tell you we are all here for you in these times of isolation. If you are feeling alone and just want to chat please pick up the phone.
Our phone line is still being answered by myself. Drop us a message on our Facebook messenger or even write an email. We would all love to hear from you.
Just because the salon doors are closed doesn’t mean that my mind is going to stop working on how to make 2020 the best year for charisma ever. I made a promise to myself after an amazing year of maternity leave that 2020 would be the best year ever and that is still going to be the case.I’m already thinking in my mind when we open our doors I’m going to re-launch like a new business celebrating the fact that it’s open again.I intend to give it a lick of paint and breathe new life into our salon. I would absolutely love to know if there’s anything you would like to see happen at Charisma. Anything that you think needs updating, I’d love to know, any new treatments you’d like to see on the menu I’d love to hear about them.I have felt overwhelmed by our clients reactions to us having to close and it’s made me realise how important Charisma is to people and how it truly is a place to escape. As a team we have really created something amazing and for that I sit here feeling so proud. Now is the time to keep safe, make our health a priority and do as we have been advised and self isolate. I know I speak for every one of our team when I say we will miss you, we will miss each other but we will all see each other again very soon.
Take care
Charlotte xx

If you know me, you will know I run my life at 100 miles an hour! I preach to everyone I meet the importance of "you time" but do you think I take my own advice... come on who does??
Don't get me wrong, when the opportunity arises to have a massage, I really enjoy it and the benefits of the treatment but I still lay on the treatment couch wondering how I can improve our clients experience (if it's one at Charisma) or if I am trying another spa/salon, I am scrutinizing their technique and the surroundings for new ideas ;-) I don't ever fully switch off.

However I have finally found the miracle treatment to make my mind and body switch off, REFLEXOLOGY!  Let me tell you about my first experience.

Our therapist Kellie was finishing her reflexology course and needed case studies to achieve her qualification.  I love a foot massage, an hour of someone massaging my feet, I am being a case study.  How naive was I, Reflexology it is far more than an hours foot massage, it is a total body & mind treatment. 
As I got into the treatment room and laid on the bed the thought came to my head " I should have visited the  toilet before my treatment" ( you will see why this is relevant in a few paragraphs time)

Kellie gave me a thorough consultation and explained what the treatment involved and what sensations to expect. She then began on my right foot and within minutes I felt myself switching off and sinking into the bed. I could actually feel my face and my jaw relax (sometimes in the morning I wake up and my jaw is sore , where even in my sleep I've been tense) I had completely switched off!

After the treatment had finished, I felt like I had been in a deep sleep. I knew I hadn't quite fallen asleep because I could remember the amazing feeling of Kellie performing the treatment on my feet, but I felt incredible. So relaxed but revived at the same time.

Now came the interesting part, Kellie was able to tell me which areas within my body I had issues with, such as sinus (which was spot on) she was even able to tell me that I need to use the toilet!!! How incredible is that! Just goes to show how much you can tell from your feet.

There are lots of benefits from reflexology and all very individual to each of us. 
Kellie explained Reflexology is great for the circulatory system, very detoxifying and brilliant for overall well being. There are many health benefits from Reflexology when used regularly as a  complimentary therapy. It is known for being a great treatment if you suffer from stress, depression and anxiety. 
Personally being someone who can feel stressed and also experiences anxiety, I can first hand from just one treatment understand how this would benefit sufferers massively! 

My advice to everyone who has never had Reflexology... TRY IT! Get booked in today, come and see Kellie at Charisma Beauty Salon in Norwich.  I can't wait for my next treatment and I will be practicing what I preach and learning to relax and have my "me time" through this treatment. 

Kellie is our only therapist in salon who currently offers Reflexology, so make sure to select her as your therapist when using our online booking facilities. You can click here to make your appointment. Enjoy xxx 

Obviously I am going to say yes! I would love to meet you and have a member of my team pamper you. 
However if you have found our page for the first time it's probably because you typed something into a search engine like "beauty salon near me" or "nail bar Norwich" and now you have found yourself with pages and pages of possibilities. Let me help you decide whether to choose Charisma or not and tell you where it all began and what you can expect to receive walking through our door.

In October 2004, I set up Charisma at the age of 18 as an independent beauty therapist looking to make women look, feel beautiful and ooze confidence as they left my salon. 
14 years later I am proud to say we have grown to a team of 10 highly qualified, friendly therapists who are eager to greet you with a smile and make you feel a million dollars. 

We are what I class as a traditional beauty salon offering the traditional human touch treatments that no machine can replace. Our treatment menu includes Manicures, Pedicures, Gel Polish, Nail Extensions, Waxing, Tinting, Facials, Massage, Lash Extensions, Lashlift Treatment, Body Treatments & Slimming Treatments.

I know walking into a new salon for the first time can be extremely daunting, I remember this feeling very well at the age of 16 going to have my prom nails applied. I think no matter what age you are that daunting feeling of the unknown never goes away!
So let me take that element of what to expect beyond our front door from you and have a look at inside here.

I hope you like what you saw from my salon tour and are now tempted to come in and experience the relaxed, friendly atmosphere too.  Rest assured you will be greeted with a friendly smile, you will enter a new client and we hope you leave feeling like a friend.

If you are ready to make your first booking hit the online booking tab and you can make an appointment there 24/7. Perhaps you have something you would like to ask me... ask away, comment below, drop me an email, message on Facebook or even pick up the phone.

Hopefully look forward to meeting you in salon very soon

Charlotte xxx

P.S Did you notice a pop up for 20% off your first ever visit when you landed on my website for the first? (Did you press the x in the top right corner)  Don't worry press refresh on my homepage and it will reappear so you can enter your details again.  Beware though once you have entered it once, it won't appear again, so make sure you pop your details in correctly. (Don't ask me how... that's some technical web geek stuff I know nothing about, my area of expertise is beauty therapy ;-))