What every woman wants

Gone are the days of just needing skin care products that contain the bare minimum ingredients like water, glycerin and beeswax. Or wanting skin care that contains nasties like petroleum products, harmful preservatives and toxic ingredients.

Today's woman is a lot more educated. She forms her own opinions based on the information she gathers. She no longer believes all the hype thrown at her and is smart about the products she chooses to use on her skin.

Throw into that mix that she is a very busy woman - being mother, daughter, sister, wife, friend, employer, employee, home keeper and everything else she has to get through on an average day. And the pressure of being great in all those roles is huge.

Which brings me to a short summary of today's woman: she is savvy, doesn't have time for BS and she wants stuff to work as its supposed to! She doesn't mind paying for quality and excellent service, but she wants her money's worth.

So when it comes to skin care products, she wants products that are quick and easy to apply, doesn't cost the earth (literally and figuratively) and gives believable results.

So what does she look for in her skin care products? Firstly she wants products that do what they promise. She wants products that makes her look good and feel great about herself.

Secondly she wants products that are GOOD for her skin in the form of nutrients and anti oxidants that nourish and protect her skin. She simply doesn't want to use rubbish on her skin.

Luckily JK Secret Cosmeceutics range of anti aging skin care products fill this brief. With our philosophy of "minimum fuss with maximum results" our range has only 10 essential products, each with a very specific function and ingredients to do the job and do it well.

We cut through the clutter of having hundreds of superfluous products you simply don't need. We jam pack every product with as many natural and safe goodies as your skin needs. And our prices are extremely reasonable given the quality and amount of  ingredients we use compared to others in the industry.

But don't just take our word for it. Read what others have said about their experience with JK Secret Cosmeceutics products in our Raves & Reviews section of our website. Or better yet, if you haven't tried our products on your skin, give them a try today and see what others are experiencing!

And what every woman wants, is also a little incentive to help her get what she wants, so if you use the code: BLOG at the checkout, you will get $10 OFF your purchase as well as FREE shipping!
(And of course our 100% money back guarantee always applies).
Offer expires 10 October 2011

PS: Recognise yourself in the description of today's woman? Agree or disagree with any of my opinions? Leave us a comment below on being a busy modern woman.

PPS: And what women also love, is to share their secrets. Share this post with your friends too :-)

Summer sun for some

Earlier this week I visited a large department store near my home, only to discover that the Christmas decorations are already out in full force. This is always a good indicator that we are moving into a new season; for Australians a hot summer lies ahead, and on the other side of the world many people are probably dusting off their snow boots.

A change in seasons also means that many people will switch to a different skin care regime. In winter I need a generous application of Rich Anti-Aging Moisturiser, whereas I find the Lite Anti-Aging Moisturiser sufficient for the summer months. I especially love the coolness of our Duo Eye Gel to reduce the dark circles under my eyes, and to smooth out the fine lines.

Martin Buxbaum (Director of Public Relations and Communications for Marriott Corporation from 1953 to 1976, and author of 11 books) famously once said: “Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty – they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.” I agree, although I see no reason why beauty should “move” from the face to the heart. Keep the beautiful face, I say.

Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. And who wouldn’t be comfortable in a skin that is being pampered by products that are packed with superior ingredients, and which give visible results?

We at JK Secret Cosmeceutics believe that our range of 10 essential products is exactly what everyone needs to care for their skin. Throw in a few basic skin care tips and rules, and you are set to go – whatever the season is in your part of the world.

3 Tips for a glowing summer skin

• Exfoliate: Your body sheds skin cells at an astonishing rate every minute of every day. If you don't get rid of these dead skin cells, they’ll just stay on the surface of your skin, causing it to appear dull and dry. Our Detoxifying Scrub comes in powder form, so you decide how much to use. Simply mix it with a cleanser, or with a little water, and gently exfoliate your face. You can use any excess to exfoliate your hands.
• Look after your hands: Our Intense Handy and Body Moisturiser contains generous amounts of vitamins and natural oils to protect your hand and make them look great. It also contains Zinc Oxide, a non chemical mineral sunscreen, which protects your skin from the sun. Look no further than our Rescue VitaOil for a miracle cuticle repair. Rub into your cuticles every night before bed, and you will have the best nails & cuticles ever!
• Get enough sleep: A well-rested person is a healthier person in general. Sleep allows our bodies to recover and restore. Sleep deprivation speeds up the aging process, which can most easily be noticed in the appearance of our skin . . . a major motivation to catch more zzzzs.

Baby it's cold outside.

This morning it was freezing in Perth, cloudy with a chilly wind. That's why my family thought I was a bit crazy going out cycling with my friends. But I dressed up warmly, wearing a beanie under my helmet (not the most elegant look, but it kept my ears warm...). I generously slathered the Rich Anti Aging Moisturiser on my face before putting on my gloves and headed out into the cold...

Think about it for a moment: during winter, we wear scarves around our necks; jumpers, jackets and coats to protect our bodies and socks and boots for our feet, but unfortunately, our faces are usually fully exposed to the elements.

Wrapped up warmly during winter

Strong winds are extremely harmful to your skin as they cause moisture to evaporate, leaving skin dry, dehydrated, red and flaky.

Lips become dry and even crack when exposed to long periods of cold weather.

What your skin needs is a moisturiser that contains natural lipids to form a protective skin barrier against the elements and give intense hydration to dry and itchy skin.

Natural lipids and essential fatty acids found in organic rosehip and evening primrose oil as well as lecithin protects your skin by forming a barrier against the elements. They integrate with the lipids in your skin and stop unnecessary water loss through the skin (scientists call this TEWL or Trans Epidermal Water Loss).

It is important to remember that hydrating the skin is not only about putting moisture INTO the skin. The REAL trick is to stop the moisture that is already there from escaping. This is done by forming a barrier layer on the surface of the skin - imagine an ‘invisible glove’ covering and protecting your skin.

To protect your face against harsh winter winds, we recommend Rich Anti Aging Moisturiser ($69 for 50 ml) which contains lashings of organic rosehip oil, evening primrose oil and avocado oil to form protective lipid layers on your skin; as well as apricot kernel, jojoba and grape seed oils all rich in nutrients to nourish the skin and are especially good for dry, dehydrated & sensitive skins.

Vitamin C BOOST

Harsh winter weather can lead to broken capillaries in your skin, those unsightly red veins usually visible on your cheeks. They are caused by the constant constricting and dilating of the blood vessels as you go from extreme cold outside to heating indoors.

Give your skin a Vitamin C boost

To support and strengthen capillary walls, increase your intake of Vitamin C. It is the MOST important vitamin your body needs to make its own Collagen.

For anti aging benefits, take at least 1000mg of Vitamin C per day. If possible, a slow release form of Vitamin C is even better as it gives a constant supply of Vitamin C throughout the day.

An added benefit is that you will strengthen your immune system and be less likely to get a cold or flu during winter. An absolute bonus.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. So also use a Serum containing high doses of Vitamin C on your face (especially the cheeks) to help make new collagen and strengthen capillary walls to stop those unsightly red veins appearing.

However, it's very important that the type of vitamin C used in your skin care products is stabilised. Otherwise, if unstable forms are used, your products will be less effective as the level of Vitamin C reduces with time. Unstable forms of Vitamin C are easily destroyed by heat and light. This means you don’t get the benefits you are paying for.

Because Vitamin C is a difficult ingredient to incorporate into skincare products, many companies use the smallest amount possible just so they can say their products contain Vitamin C (something like 0.001%).

As a cosmetic scientist, I have seen hundreds of formulations, so I have first hand knowledge of this. The bottom line is: if your skin care products contain the unstable Vitamin C at very low doses, you may be wasting your money and be disappointed with the performance of the products.

JK Secret Cosmeceutics uses a stabilised form of Vitamin C – which by the way also costs 10 times more than the unstable type. We also use high doses of Vitamin C, so that it is bio available to your skin to help make new collagen and to strengthen your capillaries.

So remember to get your Vitamin C in 2 ways:

1) Internally as a supplement (minimum 1000mg per day)

2) Externally applied to your skin (stabilised form of Vitamin C).

Vitamin C (stabilised) can be found in the following JK Secret Products :
Intense H&B Moisturiser (125ml), Lite Anti-Aging Moisturiser (50ml) & Rich Anti-Aging Moisturiser (50ml);

And in extra high doses in Liquid Gold Serum (30ml) and Triple Action Booster (30ml).

With extra Vitamin C you can avoid getting a bad cold or flu this winter, help strengthen your capillaries to avoid those red broken veins and help your skin make new collagen for supple skin. Just what the doctor ordered!

The Key to the Fountain of Youth.

Part 2: MORE Tips for Winter Skin

You have all seen the ad where the woman scrapes her nail over her skin and it's so dry, it leaves a trail of flaky skin. It looks ugly, but even worse, it can be itchy and extra sensitive. Ever accidentally spilt a few drops of lemon juice on your hands and it actually stung and burned your skin?

In extreme weather conditions, like winter, the rate of cell renewal slows down dramatically. The reason for this is that the skin is trying to protect itself against the extreme cold and wind by actually thickening up. Thicker skin is not the problem, but when the skin becomes dull and less vibrant, your overall complexion can end up looking dull and sallow.

To stop your skin from becoming flat and grey, you can use super hydrating Serums packed with Hyaluronic Acid to remoisturise your skin.

Hyaluronic Acid is a natural component of the skin. Hyaluronic Acid is an amazing ingredient and has been called “the key to the fountain of youth” as it can hold 1000 times it's own weight in water. Think of it as a super absorbing sponge that can hold more water than it's own weight, then releasing that water into your skin. 

Hyaluronic acid is a jelly-like substance found in great abundance in young skin and also in other tissues in both humans and animals. It occurs naturally in the deeper layers of the skin, cartilage, joints and the fluid surrounding the eyes.

However, as with most things, it’s concentration reduces as you age. I know it's not fair, but it is estimated that if you are over 50 years old, you have less than half the hyaluronic acid you had in your youth!

Premature aging also occurs through exposure to environmental factors such as sunlight and pollutants, which cause the body’s natural store of hyaluronic acid to be degraded and destroyed. The result is a loss of elasticity in the skin and we all know that means the appearance of wrinkles.

But don’t stress too much, there is a solution...

By using skin care products with Hyaluronic Acid (also called Hyaluronan) you can help your skin replace some of what it has lost.

Q: What makes Hyaluronic Acid so Special?

Answer: It plays an extremely vital part in fighting the ageing process!

Hyaluronic acid plays several important roles in your skin:

• It helps to transport essential nutrients from your bloodstream to living skin cells
• It hydrates your skin by holding in water
• It acts as a cushioning and lubricating agent against mechanical and chemical damage, so it's important to protect the cells against damage.

Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid to Your Skin:

• Boosts moisture content of the skin as it binds water; it is a very efficient moisturiser
• Reduces dryness, itching and burning
• Offers an excellent environment for the growth of new cells and healing damaged cells
• Effective in the treatment of lines and wrinkles
• Improves skin smoothness and texture
• Helps Vitamin C to penetrate effectively
• Protective, structure stabilizing and shock-absorbing role in the skin.

Why your skin needs Hyaluronic Acid:

In a nutshell Hyaluronic acid hydrates and lubricates your cell tissues – restoring elasticity, it keeps the surface of your skin hydrated, supple and less prone to wrinkling!

Hyaluronic Acid can be found in the following JK Secret Products :Duo Eye Gel ($69), Liquid Gold Serum ($89), Triple Action Booster ($69)

Tips for Saving Winter Skin

Part 1: Perking up Winter Skin

Over the next few days I will be writing a series of short articles giving you tips on how to overcome your skin challenges during winter. Your skin need not look dull or flaky or feel drier during the winter months if you follow our easy tips.

Winter skin usually suffers from spending too much time indoors in a dry artificially heated atmosphere.

Healthy skin normally has a water content of between 10% and 20%. But heating can suck the moisture out of your skin, leaving it extra dry and dull.

3 Things you can do to help your skin in winter:

1) Turn down the heat setting.

Not only will you help the environment and your electricity or gas bill, but your skin will lose less moisture. Overheated and stuffy rooms are bad for your skin. As the moisture evaporates from your skin, the skin becomes dry and dehydrated to the point where it can become flaky and itchy.

Use a throw or light blanket in front of the TV instead of overheating the room.

Overdressing can also make the body too warm and in a heated room even make you sweat. Dress in layers so that you can take off the extra layers as needed when going from outdoors to indoors.

2) Drink more water.

Replace the moisture lost by drinking more water. Room temperature water is best, but a nice warm cup of tea can also help your skin (without heaps of sugar though). Try herbal teas or Miso soup for a satisfying and warming drink. Remember, you still need to consume at least 2 litres of water per day!

3) Humidify the air.

Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air. If you don’t have a humidifier, always have a bowl of fresh water in the room near the heat source so that humidity can be put back into the atmosphere. Humidity in the air around you reduces excessive water loss from the skin and even helps for those dry raspy coughs we get in winter.

Look out for our next article in a few days: "The key to the fountain of youth".

Till next time, keep beautiful.

How to care for your skin from the inside out . . . with Dr Joe

Cutting through the clutter

Have you ever stood at the counter of a cosmetics brand in a major department store and just felt utterly confused about which products are right for you? There is such a bewildering choice! I must confess that it intimidates me, and I am a cosmetic scientist, who is supposed to know about this stuff. I can only imagine how confused  most people must feel when confronted with all the products on display.

That is why two years ago I decided to strip it all down to basics and launch my own skin care range – after all, I develop skincare formulations for a living ...

I wanted something that was:

• Simple to use, with only a few basic products that did everything my skin needed (did I mention I am time poor and also a bit lazy when it comes to skincare regimes?).
• Based on natural and organic ingredients with no harmful nasties, yet have powerful anti-aging ingredients. (I’m at the age where I NEED these.)
• Last but not least - attractive, elegant yet girly packaging (I’m sick of all those generic looking tubes).

Pretty tall order, but I think I managed to achieve all of the above with my anti aging skin care range: JK Secret Cosmeceutics. There are only 10 products in the range, each with a very specific function.

Most skincare houses have a plethora of moisturisers aimed at one function only or based on one main ingredient only; it’s all a part of their marketing plan to get consumers to buy many different products.

In our range there are ONLY 2 moisturisers:

1. The Lite Anti Aging Moisturiser multitasks for younger skins / for older acne prone skins / summer season / hot, humid conditions / day cream (contains Zinc Oxide sunscreen)
2. The Rich Anti Aging Moisturiser for dryer skin conditions / those with dry dehydrated skins / winter season / night cream.

Our formulations are packed to the brim with beneficial ingredients, at optimum concentrations, that work in synergy to deliver the best care to your skin in one product.

For example: Liquid Gold Serum multitasks as a nourishing serum and a pre-makeup primer, so you only need one product to do two jobs. Detoxifying Scrub comes in powder form so that it can be mixed with any cleanser (or water) when you need exfoliating and you control the amount of abrasion that's right for you. It doubles up as a mask which draws impurities from the skin. It's all about multitasking!

And finally, to make it even easier for you, we use a numbering and colour coding system. When it comes to using the products it can be confusing what to use when and how. Our labels guide you with numbers and suggestions for your skin type.

Each label of our core products is a different colour so that it's easy to distinguish between the products – even without glasses (many people that use anti aging products have eyesight "handicaps" – how are we supposed to read labels while applying skincare without your glasses on?)

For more information please browse our website at http://www.jksecret.com/ (we have even kept that simple and easy to navigate).

Do you have a story to share about shopping for skin care in an overwhelming environment? How do you feel about choosing skin care brands and products?

Share your thoughts and experiences and be awarded 50 JK Club Reward Points. Best reply gets 200 Reward Points! Please note: This is for members of the JK Club only. It's easy and free to join the JK Club, at http://www.jksecret.com/contact-us/join-the-jk-club/

Noticing a few new fine lines and wrinkles?

Wondering what to do when you notice a few more wrinkles? Run off for cosmetic surgery, get Botox or just accept your lot? Or is there an easier, safer (and cheaper) alternative? A few suggestions may just be the help you need...

As we age, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are a normal occurance. Usually the skin becomes dryer, less collagen is produced as we age and fine lines turn into wrinkles. However, the sooner you can treat these fine lines, the more likely you are to slow down the signs of aging on your skin.

Suggestions for doing this include 2 main approaches:

• Nourish the skin with natural and organic ingredients that contain copious amounts of vitamins and minerals. Vitamins like Vitamin A, C, B3 and E have all been proven to help the skin and prevent premature aging. These vitamins are excellent antioxidants and help to neutralise free radicals – that are the leading cause of aging – in the skin and body. Other powerful antioxidants to look out for are Green Tea and CoQ10 (Co-enzyme Q10).
• Using skin care with scientifically developed anti aging ingredients, like Peptides, AHAs, Hyaluronic Acid and Collagen. Organic oils are not enough to fight fine lines and wrinkles, you need more ‘active’ ingredients, called cosmeceutics. Cosmeceutics are like pharmaceutics, but are scientifically developed specifically for skin care.

If you start using these cosmeceutic type skin care products, the chances of needing Botox are significantly reduced, especially if you start at the first signs of fine lines. We have seen excellent results with JK Secret Cosmeceutics range of Anti Aging skin care products. Read the ‘Reviews’ on the website to see what happy users have to say and how our products helped them overcome their issues!

For fine lines around the mouth, I recommend using our Triple Action Booster #4 in the morning and the Liquid Gold Serum #5 in the evening. For fine lines, crow’s feet and puffiness and dark circles under the eyes, many ladies (and guys!) swear by Duo Eye Gel #3.

Hope this information is helpful to you and helps you with your problem!

More info about each product, the ingredients they contain and their benefits is available at http://www.jksecret.com/

How to get rid of those tell-tale age spots

"Even though I don’t go in the sun, my age spots are out of control! They are growing into one huge spot on my forearms, and are now on my face and chest too. I’m not on any medication that could cause these spots. Why are there so many? What can be done to fade them?"

These are just some of the questions asked by people desperate to find an answer to minimising age spots.


Sadly, one of the first things that gives away your age is age spots (also called liver spots because of their 'livery' colour) which can suddenly appear on your face, chest and back of your hands.

What causes age spots? How can you get rid of them and how can you prevent new age spots from appearing?

The bad news is that skin aging caused by the sun is cumulative. This means that every time you have been in the sun since childhood, adds up to the present condition of your skin. That's why it's very important for parents to take responsibility for their children’s skins from an early age.

So, even though you haven’t been in the sun recently, the sins of the past seem to have caught up with you as age spots now begin to appear ‘out of nowhere’.

NEW SKIN... IS LIGHTER IN COLOUR

The good news is that, over time, age spots CAN be faded.

There are two key factors in doing this:

1) Prevent more age spots forming by applying sunscreen to your face, neck & arms (and any      other parts that are exposed to the sun)
The JK Secret Cosmeceutics range includes two great products that contains micronised,  invisible Zinc Oxide, a natural sunscreen.

Firstly, the Lite Anti Aging Moisturiser #7 is perfect for the face, neck & decolletage, and should be applied every morning before going outdoors. Even though you may not be sun bathing, just going about your daily tasks out in the sun is enough exposure to cause lasting sun damage and add to age spots.

Secondly, our NEW Intense H&B Moisturiser for use all over the hands and body has an SPF of 15 to help block out the sun damage.

2) Use Fruit Acids to lighten age spots

Help fade existing age spots with AHAs – also known as Fruit Acids or Alpha Hydroxy Acids. The Lite Anti Aging Moisturiser #7 contains large amounts of AHAs that help to restore the skin and fade age spots. So, the Lite Anti Aging Moisturiser both protects against future age spots and helps to fade existing ones. Of course its not an overnight remedy, but consistent use will show definite results.

JK Secret Cosmeceutics also offers a Triple Action Booster #4 which contains over 10% AHAs, as well as Vitamin C. Both of these ingredients help to stimulate new healthy collagen being produced in the skin. AHAs also help get rid of old skin cells, so new skin that is revealed is fresher and lighter in colour, eventually fading those age spots.

So, remember age spots are caused by the sun. The name 'liver spots' comes from the colour of the spots and has NOTHING to do with the liver. And the only way to get rid of existing age spots is to gradually fade them by helping new healthy 'unblemished' skin emerge.

The best way to prevent them is by wearing protective clothing and sunscreen every day, starting from a young age. Don't wait till the age spots start popping up before you take preventative measures!

Let's hear from our readers

We would love to hear about your experiences with JK Secret products, or your thoughts about skin care in general. Or simply tell us about yourself and where you live; members of the JK Club are scattered across the world, and everyone has a story to tell. We also welcome your views on the newsletter, and your suggestions for stories.

You are welcome to enclose photos with your letters, with the understanding that we may publish these. The writers of all published letters will receive 200 JK Club points, and our star letter gets a whopping 500 JK Club Reward Points, which are redeemable immediately against JK products in our online store.

Please note: You must be a JK Club member to qualify for our prizes or free products. Membership is free.

We are proudly Australian

Choosing a skin care range can be a daunting task. To make it easier for you, here are five suggestions to consider:

1. According to Christine H. Farlow, author of “Dying to Look Good”, one of the most important things to do when choosing a skin care product is to read the ingredients list. Make sure that the product contains ingredients that will make a difference to your skin. If the product packaging or web site provides no explanation of how the ingredients can benefit your skin, you might want to look at other products.
2. If you do your homework, there are great bargains to be had online. Look at smaller companies, which sometimes spend more time on product development and quality ingredients than on the spectacular advertising campaigns so typical of major cosmetics firms. Make sure that the products come with a 100% money back guarantee.
3. Personal recommendations by family and friends can alert you to great products that obviously work. Just remember to do your own research into the products they recommend.
4. Buy Australian. There is no reason not to: Our ingredients are as good as, and often better than, those produced in the rest of the world, and we tend to develop products that cater for our extreme sun.
5. Don’t think that “anti aging” skin care products are for mature skin only. From the day you are born, your skin starts to age, and is exposed to extremes of heat, cold, and the devastating effect of the sun. An anti aging moisturiser should be an essential component of your skin care regime from an early age.

The quest for quality skin care products

When you Google the phrase “skin care products” you get 53 million hits. When you search for “anti aging skin care products”, you get just over 7 million.

It’s no secret that skin care is a multi-billion dollar industry. The big companies pay millions of dollars to advertise their products. They pour big bucks into marketing and research, and, fortunately, they often come up with good products. So, what role can the small, independent companies play in the quest to reverse the signs of aging skin.

We see the same competition between the big banks and the small, independent banks. Over the years, big banks have come to dominate the playing field. They have a large deposit base, impressive head offices, and call centres scattered across the globe. And yet, people are increasingly clamouring for “small bank service” – for personal attention and good banking products that meet their needs.

The same applies to cosmetics and skin care. I believe that consumers are clever enough to know a good product and personal attention when they get it. Globally, many people are going back to basics, and insisting on quality. They are turning away from mass production, instead going for products that offer pure, organic ingredients. This is true for the food we eat and, increasingly, the products we apply to the largest organ in our body, our skin.

And when people come across such a product, one that contains only the very best ingredients and that actually delivers what it promises, they reward the manufacturer with their loyal custom.

At JK Secret Cosmeceutics we pride ourselves on the quality of our products. We use the most effective ingredients, blended so as to ensure that they will make a visible difference. If you have not yet experienced the JK Secret difference, we invite you to do so. We guarantee our products, and once you’ve tried them, you’ll see why.

How to apply your skin care products correctly (Video 2)

How to apply your skin care products correctly (Video 1)