Emer O'Callaghan: Your heatwave beauty queries answered

During the recent heatwave, I got a brand new state-of-the-art air conditioning system fitted in the clinic. As much as I dislike air cons, I needed something to cool the place.

I put it on in between clients to cool down the room - in that heat, jeez, you would gladly climb into the freezer if you could.

The hot weather made lots of people cranky, as people were tired and found it hard to sleep, not to mind the constant sticky, sweaty feeling.

We shouldn’t complain as it’s a break from the rain, and, if you ask me, we have become a right nation of complainers lately. I did a video on this recently and you can watch it on the Emerald Beauty Clinic Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages now.

There were so many asking me beauty advice in the heatwave, so here are a few of my answers to the common questions.

Q: I HAVE HAD TINY RED DOTS ON MY CHEST AND A FEW ON MY FACE IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS AND THEY ARE NOT GOING AWAY, WHAT ARE THEY?

I even got a few days of these myself, it’s most likely prickly heat.

High humidity causes the skin to sweat more and forms these red dots. I am seeing lots on chest, legs, arms, everywhere really.

Chamomile lotion and Sudocrem are very good to stop the itch, and an antihistamine for a few days will clear it, but you need to speak to your own doctor or pharmacist before taking antihistamines if you are on any other medications.

Q: I HAVE OILY SKIN AND EVERYTHING I’M PUTTING ON MY FACE IN THE HEAT IS LITERALLY SLIDING OFF, EVEN MY SPF, WHAT CAN I DO?

Many people with oily skin suffer this every summer, but it gets excessive when it is hot

First and foremost, you cannot be skipping SPF, all my clients with oily skin are on oil-free professional grade products that I give them in the clinic. I suspect you are using products with more oil in them than you think if your skin is sweating them off that fast.

Next, less is more, cut your skincare down to the basics, like double cleanse, tone, SPF/night cream - less is more when your skin is oily.

Wear a wide brim hat and sunglasses to shield your face from the direct sun, avoid sitting out in it, and invest in some blotting sheets - these are not wet wipes, they are dry sheets of paper you pat onto your skin that soak up the oil and sweat without removing your SPF - these will be a game-changer for you.

Also, your SPF must be oil-free, so many are not.

Q: MY SLEEP IS SO POOR IN THIS HEAT AND MY EYES LOOK LIKE TWO BLACK HOLES, BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?

First off, relax, because if we can do anything well in the beauty industry today, it’s transform people with good make-up.

Even if you’re someone who doesn’t wear make-up daily, I’d still suggest you invest in some under-eye concealer.

I use our Master Colors Paris Concealer, €48, under my eyes every day. You get the right shade for your skin and blend it in and those panda eyes are gone.

Next, I’d invest in a good eye repair mask, I just love our Guinot Anti Fatigue Eye Gel Mask, I keep it in the fridge and apply it to my eyes in the evening, and it’s so soothing.

It will hydrate the eyes so the lines go and it soothes the skin so the puffiness and under-eye bags disappear.

Anyone who suffers with allergies will love this mask too.

Q: I NEVER GET SPOTS, BUT I RECENTLY TURNED 50 AND I HAVE BEEN WAKING UP WITH ONE SIDE OF MY FACE HAVING SMALL SPOTS AND BLACKHEADS. HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?

Well, it’s a number of factors really - the humidity, hormones, oil, and bacteria.

First, I’d recommend you sleep on a clean, fresh pillow case nightly as we all tend to sleep on one side or position

I put on four pillowcases on my main pillow I sleep on, and I flip it over to the side I haven’t used the next morning. Then, every second day I pull off a pillowcase and by Sunday I am down to my last pillowcase and I change the bed every Monday.

This tip will make a big difference but I’d also recommend you book in for one of my Deep Cleanse Facials as your skin is changing now, like your body, and I think you need to get more professional advice and treatments, and more age appropriate products to help you at this stage of life.

Q: MY HUSBAND IS CONVINCED HE IS ALLERGIC TO THE SUN, IS THIS POSSIBLE? HIS EYES RUN, HIS SKIN ITCHES, AND HE FEELS SICK

Aw, the poor fella, yes, you can be allergic to most things, including the sun. I’m sure this is something he has always had.

The runny eyes, I get myself and this is a sensitivity to the light, and why so many wear sunglasses.

The itchy skin is the prickly heat from the humidity, and the feeling sick, god love him, can also be down to high humidity.

I’d recommend he speaks to his GP to get a suitable antihistamine and something to settle his tummy too.

Q: MY 14-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER HAS TAKEN TO SHAVING HER LEGS DAILY AND I CAN SEE THE RAZOR MARKS AND REDNESS, BUT SHE WON’T LISTEN?

Oh God, I would not like to be 14 again and the pressure the teens are under with social media.

You are right, she shouldn’t be shaving her legs or any part of her face or body daily. Every time she shaves she is taking layers of skin with the hair, and that’s just with a standard one-blade razor.

She has no idea of the damage she is doing to her poor skin.

Once a week is enough for anyone to be shaving their legs, the problem is the more she does it, the more she is stimulating more hair growth. She is possibly feeling stubble now after 24 hours and just keeps shaving. No, she has to stop, summer or not.

I’d suggest you maybe look into waxing as a better alternative.

Q: MY HUSBAND KEEPS PUTTING TOOTHPASTE ON HIS FACE IF HE GETS A SPOT, IS IT DOING ANY GOOD?

No, that’s a myth. I’d suspect its the menthol in it he possibly finds soothing, but he would do better to invest in an actual proper spot cream. My spot fix cream is very popular.

But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t say that really, if he was cleansing and toning his skin too with the correct products, he simply wouldn’t be getting the spots in the first place.

Emer O’Callaghan is a multi award winning Beauty Doctor, Skin Specialist and winner of Irish Beauty Therapist of the Year, who works at Emerald Organic Beauty Products Ltd, trading as Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. A Guinot Gold Crown Elite Clinic and Dermalogica Centre of Skin Excellence, 2008-2026, www.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie - follow us on Facebook/Instagram/Tik Tok.

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