Spreading the 'Queen Glow' to the local community

It's been another busy Friday down here at Queen HQ in sunny West Sussex. Our fame is spreading due to a little local word of mouth and we are now getting a steady stream of visitors to our little factory. It's not always convenient as we might just have a batch of something on the go or it's filling time but it's always fun as people really do like to get stuck in and have a try of everything. We've now labelled up a load of samples as testers as we've learned that the one thing you think people won't ask to try (colourless foundation cream, for example) is the one thing they will.

We've never really focused on marketing the products locally before because we've always felt that women don't really choose their cosmetics on the basis of them being made locally - its seems to take away from the glamour and mystique perhaps. However, as people have started sourcing their food locally and have become aware of  - and interested in reducing - their carbon footprint, we have definitely seen an increase in local interest. We love it and people seem to be really taken with our history and track record.

So, what else is new? We received a nice write-up in the salon magazine, a key trade publication for beauty therapists and hair salon. They featured our Sensitive Skin Oil which really is a fabulous product - suitable for massage, for moisturising, as an after-sun, as a body lotion etc etc. It's a blend of three very gentle oils perfect for sensitive skin. I am currently slathering it on my legs to prevent that horrid dry itchiness which can strike as the weather turns colder and we have to crank up the central heating (is anyone else suffering with dry lips in the middle of the night? My Queen Skin Cream is back in it's rightful place on my bedside table to stave off this scourge of winter).

 

the salon, October 2009

Other than that, it's just been a question of cracking on with the orders. Our Mascara for sensitive eyes is on offer currently and is proving really popular. It's ideal for even very sensitive eyes and for contact lens wearers and is just £6.50 at the moment. Try it here. It's fab!

Right well, it's time to put the stirrers to bed and to re-stock the shelves for next week. Don't forget to come and visit us at www.queen-cosmetics.com. We've got some great 'starter pack' offers for every skin type.

Have a great weekend

The Queen Team

Women's Fitness says revive and rehydrate skin with Queen Skin Cream

Just a quickie to say that October's edition of Women's Fitness magazine features a lovely review of our Skin Cream.

Writes Rachael Gibson: 'No handbag is complete with a multi-tasking balm, and this soothing cream is one of the best. Perfect for sunburn, wind burn and chafed skin, you can also use it on bites, blisters, jogger's nipple - the list is endless!'

We've got to admit we are always going on about how fabulous this product is so it's nice to hear someone else back us up.

It's also an absolute life-saver for itchy skin conditions such as eczema or urticaria or for nappy rash, soothing the itch and helping skin to repair. I have managed to keep my feet in shape all summer with nightly use - no cracked heels or scaly bits at all. And, many of our clients use it as their staple moisturiser. As with all our products, it's formulated for even the most sensitive skins.

To read more about Skin Cream, clicke here. Just £14.95 for a 50g jar and £23.00 for 100g.

See you soon at www.queen-cosmetics.com.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: queen cosmetics,queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,women's fitness magazine,review of skin cream,balm,soothing cream,cream for sensitive skin,cream for jogger's nipple,cream for blisters,cream for eczema,cream for urticaria

Sensitive Skin Oil and reviews for Queen Shampoo

It's been a busy few weeks here at Queen Cosmetics which means blogging has rather taken a back seat. We've launched a lovely new product, Queen Sensitive Skin Oil (left),  a blend of three oils which have fabulous moisturising properties and which are known to be gentle and non-irritating to sensitive skin. Sensitive Skin Oil has has a multitude of uses - as a body or face moisturiser, as a massage oil, as a hair oil or a bath oil or just to give skin a lovely light sheen for a night out. It's been a really popular product in the last few weeks and is on offer for just £12.00 until Monday 31st August so do give it a go at www.queen-cosmetics.com.

We had a great Summer Event evening at our major London stockist, London's landmark pharmacy John Bell & Croyden (JBC) in Wigmore Street, the week before last. The store was the busiest I have ever seen it and shoppers were in a relaxed mood - happy to stop, chat, sample and learn more about our range of skin care and make-up for sensitive skin. These evenings are well worth attending if you are a regular visitor to the West End. A short walk from Oxford Street Debenhams, John Bell & Croyden stocks an amazing array of products you won't find anywhere else from surgical instruments to beauty products to vitamins and with in-house osteopaths, nutritionists and a host of other experts. They hold two events a year, in Summer and at Christmas, when there is 20% off all products (excluding prescriptions and some baby products such as nappies) from 4-9pm.

The store has recently re-launched its website so do take at look at www.johnbellcroyden.co.uk if you have a moment.

Talking of JBC, after a very poor few months on the star/famous faces spotting front, my visit there yesterday turned up a bumper crop of homegrown talent. I say a bumper crop - I spotted three faces I recognised: newsreader David Suchet, Shadows frontman Hank Marvin and Matt Lucas of Little Britain and Shooting Stars (soon to be back on our screens) fame. I wasn't sure if it was Matt Lucas as he has lost so much weight. I last saw him sitting outside a pub in the West End with David Walliams and he was virtually unrecognisable from then. In baseball cap and with his new slimline look, I had to get confirmation from one of the John Bell sales assistants. 'Yes, definitely him. I had a chat with him and asked him how he'd lost so much weight,' she said. Sadly, no great secret was revealed. 'He'd been on a diet', she told me. Tell us more Matt....

We've also been busy making some improvements to the Queen website. The drop down menus were proving really hard to use so we've fixed that and we have also tried to streamline the ordering process. There's still work to do and this is ongoing so do drop us a line at info@queen-cosmetics.com if there's anything you want to see improved. We are also going to see our skincare range featured on the John Bell & Croyden website so we've been working with them on that with a view to bringing our fabulous products to the attention of an even wider audience!

Oh, lastly, we've had a nice review of our Shampoo which is great for sensitive scalps. Says online salon news site, Findasalon.co.uk, which publishes best-selling hair magazines Hair & Beauty, Perfect Hair and Hair Now: "We were excited to hear about Queen's new soothing Shampoo, £9.80. The mild formula contains no perfume, essential oils or fragrance whatsoever but still leaves locks squeaky clean." To read more click here.

Theirs is a sentiment echoed by our customers, one of whom emailed recently to says: "I tried the Shampoo sample this morning and found it delightful!  Just the right amount of lather and left my hair feeling soft and clean.  Seriously!  Thank you. I will be buying some with my next order."

It's now time to replenish our packaging stocks as our summer offers have left the shelves looking rather bare. We're also low on labels and product stocks so the stirrers need to get going.

Have a great bank holiday weekend!

The Queen Team

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Mascara for sensitive eyes? It was on my doorstep.

Technorati Tags: sensitive eyes,Queen Mascara,mascara for sensitive eyes,Queen Eyelash Cream

We have just run out of stock of our black Mascara which has rather taken us by surprise as there were plenty on the shelves just last week.

A quick look at our Google analytics revealed that mascara for sensitive eyes has been a very popular search term for us in the past few weeks. I have no idea why. Perhaps the new mascaras on the market which can lengthen, curl, thicken and goodness knows what else are causing irritation to sensitive eyes. Or, perhaps it's just that people have been extra patient and have trawled through the search results on Google and found Queen and decided to give us a go (having tried all those other companies who come at the top of the Google rankings!).

Queen Mascara really does have a good success rate among our clients with sensitive eyes. Its very gentle formula means it does not irritate and it is easy to remove (particularly with Queen Eye Make-up Remover). For a long time, I have been a fan of super-thick, waterproof mascaras and so have not used Queen. Until just recently that is. At Christmas while buying a very expensive mascara as a gift (it had been requested!), I ended up buying one for myself. I was really fed up with the high street brand I was using as it kept clumping on application then flaking so, having been assured by the sales assistant that the same thing wouldn't happen with this one, I bought one. But, the same thing did happen. By lunchtime I would have lots of tiny dry flakes under my eyes and, by evening, would have the typical panda-eyed look. I persevered, using Queen Eyelash Cream at night as I thought it must be my eyelashes, but this made little difference and the mascara got steadily dryer and clumpier so that eventually I couldn't even get the lid of the very glamorous bottle to click closed properly.

A few months ago I decided to give the Queen mascara a go and have been amazed. I thought the fact it was for sensitive eyes (which I don't have despite wearing contact lenses) meant it wouldn't define my lashes enough as it would be too thin or would come off too easily. But it's fantastic - really dark, goes on easily, separates my lashes so they don't clump and comes off without ten minutes of rubbing at night time. I am a convert. Given it's half the price of the expensive brand I tried, I am better off too!

Queen Mascara - brown or black. Just £10.50 from www.queen-cosmetics.com

My favourite quote from one of our customers about our Mascara is:

"I've been delighted to be able to wear your mascara without any
problems and am looking forward to ordering other items. For the last 20 years I've had this eye sensitivity problem and unfortunately have the sort of eyes that need a little help with make-up. The best I've been able to find up to now was (a very expensive brand - we've removed the name!) but this caused a problem with redness and soreness after about an hour so I am very grateful to have found you! I'll probably be going round the village now with eyes far too dramatically enhanced for my rural lifestyle!" Mrs Rose, Dorset

How to get rid of those odd dry, sensitive skin patches which just won't go

I've had this small, dry, scaly patch of skin on the outside of my left nostril just where it joins my face (or upper lip if that helps you visualise it!) now for a good six months. It's been one of those things that I do notice when scrutinising my face in the mirror (I don't do this often - it's not good for morale) but which I am mostly aware of through touch as I seem to have developed an annoying habit of checking it's still there every day. I am not sure when it appeared or why but it just wouldn't go. It hasn't been particularly itchy or sensitive but has been sore when I've had a cold.

I had resigned myself to living with my lizard-like skin when I thought I would try our very own Queen Skin Cream. There's nothing like first-hand experience and, guess what, it's done the job. I put it on every night for a couple of weeks and the patch has gone. I did get a bit complacent last week while on holiday (although still religiously massaging the Skin Cream into my heels) and noticed that it had started to come back but a couple more nights of application and it's gone again.

Now, I know this just sounds like bragging but it is backed up by the comments we repeatedly get from our customers about this product.

An email today from Mrs Golder in London, which prompted this self-congratulatory post, said:

"And by the way, I must just tell you how brilliant your Queen skin cream is!  I had a sample for my toddler's face which worked miracles.  Then I had a dry patch on my face for months.  I tried everything including a hydrocortisone and was beginning to think it was skin cancer (you know the mind works!) when I suddenly thought about your cream and it's absolute magic!  The mysterious patch has disappeared!".

Says Mrs Cliffe, also from London:

"Queen Skin Cream is just wonderful. I suffer from eczema and find it really soothing and it has got rid of dry, scaly patches that I have had for years. I use it on my face, on my feet, on my lips and in areas of eczema on my ankles and face.  It's better than the stuff the doctor has given me. At night, if my legs or ankles start itching, I rub some Skin Cream in really well and it soothes it immediately. It's brilliant, I can't praise it enough."

This product, called Skin Food many years ago when it first came to market, is a miracle cream and every dressing table or bathroom cabinet should have some, whether you suffer from sensitive skin or not.

For sensitive and very dry skin it's great as a moisturiser but it's also brilliant for a whole host of other things, including:

• dry heels and dry elbows
• itchy skin caused by eczema, psoriasis etc
• to repair dry lips (or to keep lips soft and moisturised)
• taking the heat out of minor burns
• it can be used to soothe and repair skin suffering from sun burn, chapped skin and wind burn, making it perfect for the beach, ski slopes or out at sea.
• to soothe itchiness caused by bites or allergic reactions
• to prevent or soothe chafing caused by clothing or shoes. Prevent blisters by rubbing it into areas which are likely to be affected  or cover the blister (or even rub it into the leather of your shoes/boots to soften it!) with the cream to prevent further injury.

I could go on....but that's enough of the advertising spiel. It is fabulous though and great value too as it lasts for ages. Visit www.queen-cosmetics.com to find out more. You won't look back!

Have a good weekend.

Tamiflu mayhem at John Bell and sensitive skins praise Queen

We were up at our main stockist, John Bell & Croyden, in London's Wigmore Street, yesterday and it was absolute mayhem.

John Bell is known to be the top pharmacy in the UK, serving the likes of Harley Street and all the private medical practices in the West End and beyond. There were long queues at the pharmacy counter as people took in their prescriptions for Tamiflu, the anti-viral swine flu drug. Needless to say stocks had run out some days ago and stocks of face masks were also running low, with staff members dashing around bringing up the remaining boxes from storerooms below. Quite how you get your hands on a prescription for Tamiflu, I don't know. I can only assume it's via one's private medical practice, should you have one. The chaos at John Bell just gives a taste of what we can expect if swine flu does take hold in the UK. Terrifying.

On a lighter note, it was a good day for meeting people, both existing users of Queen products and potential customers. One woman who had tried some samples a few weeks ago and had subsequently bought a jar of our Skin Cream told us she was delighted with the product. 'I've tried all sorts of brands and this is the best. It's perfect for my skin.'

That's not the only glowing report we've had.  We have had some lovely emails this week.

Wrote a lady from Northamptonshire: "Hello there. I am delighted to say that of the Queen samples received I have found 3 products already that have not upset my sensitive skin and make it feel actually moisturised!  Woohoo –I have not enjoyed comfortable skin for some considerable time so I am very grateful to have discovered you!"

She continued:

"I am 47 and in recent years my naturally rosy face has become more and more intolerant.  I found a cream which was soothing but within minutes, especially in the winter, my face still felt as if it had been sandpapered and then stretched like a drum skin.  I am sitting here now with my face smoother and soft to the touch and comfortable to boot.  Since receiving the samples I have identified the ones that suit me and I am actually able to cleanse my face twice a day when before I used to dread even touching it.  The Sensiderma Foundation Cream is also a real find as it is making my own foundation sit smoothly whereas before while it was not upsetting my skin it would almost immediately flake and dry out and close up looked horrible. Many, many thanks!  Order to follow!"

And another received today said:

"Thank you for my order and thank you also for such immediate service. I'm delighted with my light night cream! That's what you call a free gift! It's amazing. Full size no less! I'm also impressed with the tinted foundation. A lovely creamy peachy tint and it stays put all day. That's no mean feat with my sensitive skin as the only other foundation to do that has been Kanebo which is very expensive and now only available in the U.K  from Harrods!

"I'm trying to convert my daughter who is 29 & still very prone to acne. I bought the light moisturiser sample for her to try. She already likes the medicated cleanser which she regularly purloins from me!
Thank you once again."

The free Light Night Cream refers to a two-day offer we ran last week. So glad we did it now!

Hmm, was just reading this month's SPC (Soap, Perfumery & Cosmetics - www.cosmeticsbusiness.com) magazine reports that, in France, two thirds of cosmetic products marketed as 'bio' (French for organic) and described as being preservative-free contained traces of preservatives.

The findings come from an investigation carried out by two French agencies, the AFSSAPS which is responsible for health product safety and the DGCCRF, the agency responsible for competition, consumption and fraud focused on 28 bio-cosmetics, of which 22 carried the Ecocert or other natural accreditation.

Of the 28 products, 12 claimed to use no preservatives and 16 claimed that they did not use phenoxyethanol. However, 19 products were found to contain traces of preservatives. The investigators said that it was impossible to conclude whether there had been a deliberate intent to deceive.

Isn't this still rather worrying news though?! If products are certified by a body like Ecocert then surely they should be what they claim to be otherwise the reputation and existence of these bodies should be called into question. Green, natural or organic cosmetics are marketed as being whiter than white and purer than pure yet, in this instance, this is clearly not the case.

SCP reports that the AFSSAPS says that the traces of preservatives could result from the raw materials, especially those coming from a vegetable origin.

I don't know how people are supposed to navigate their way through all this stuff. We always advocate that consumers learn to read ingredients' labels but what's the point when this sort of thing is going on?

This post is already far too long and there's orders to despatch. Enjoy this weather and have a good weekend.

The Queen Team
www.queen-cosmetics.com

Technorati Tags: Sensiderma Foundation Cream,flaking foundation,Ecocert,SCP,phenoxyethanol,sensitive skin,Queen Skin Cream,light night cream,tinted foundation cream for sensitive skin,Queen Cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,medicated cleanser,light moisturiser,smoother skin,flake and dry out

Samples for sensitive skin available now!

Technical issues and illness (poor us) have meant it's been a while since we last blogged. Actually, I did write a marvellous blog about how companies/individuals use ingredients' Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to scare the public into avoiding perfectly safe ingredients. Sadly, as I went to post it, my computer crashed (not poetic justice so don't even think it). As it took quite a lot of research (including finding MSDS's for the ingredients these people love to promote and showing that, taken out of context, even the most innocuous can sound horrific), it is going to take me a few days to rewrite it.

It would have been timely as I have just had a long telephone conversation with a customer who suffers from contact dermatitis on her hands and whose skin becomes sensitised to most cosmetic products instantly or within a few days or weeks of use, leaving her with dry, itchy patches on her skin.

'I have found that all the products which claim to be natural and fantastic for sensitive skin are the ones I have most problem with,' she said. I tried not to climb onto my soapbox but did have to have a quick rail against those writers/companies etc which claim that natural is best for sensitive skin. As I said to her, it means many people suffering from a sensitive skin condition are not finding products which work because they have been terrified into avoiding anything with demonised ingredients such as mineral oil and lanolin.

Colds and flu (oh, how we've suffered) aside, we've had quite a good few weeks. John Bell & Croyden, the pharmacy in Wigmore Street in London, has just taken on some more of our extensive range which is great news for us and, more importantly, our customers who enjoy their trips there but who have found it frustrating that they couldn't buy essentials such as their Queen Skin Cream for dry, sensitive skin or Shampoo for sore, itchy and sensitive scalps when buying their Theatrical Cleansing Cream (classic cleanser for sensitive skins) or Eye Make-up Remover for sensitive eyes. This week when we were promoting the products, there were so many people who came up to compliment us on them. 'I'm moving back to the States soon and am worried about what I'm going to do without my Queen Medicated Cleansing Lotion and Moisturiser', said one American woman. We reassured her that she can order online at www.queen-cosmetics.com and that we WILL get her her products by hook or by crook (or airmail anyway).

Having been keen to find a way to offer free samples without getting inundated by people who have no real interest in the products, we have followed the advice of those nice people at www.inasoapnutshell.com and have levied a small charge to at least cover the cost of postage & packaging. By the way, do visit In a Soap Nutshell if you find washing detergents are a problem for your skin. Soapnuts are unscented and gentle (yet somehow manage to really clean your washing) and they're amazing value to0.

Anyway, if you do want a FREE sample of our product of the month for sensitive skin (this month it's our Moisturiser) do visit our News and Special offers page and find out how to get your hands on one.

Lastly, I am pleased to tell you of our most recent star spot (they've been a bit thin on the ground of late): Bruce Forsyth. Brucie was browsing around John Bell last week and I have to say he looks fantastic - not a day over 45. He was tanned, relaxed and had a very good wig on. An inspiration!

Have a good weekend.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,samples for sensitive skin,www.queen-cosmetics.com,Queen Medicated Cleansing Lotion,Theatrical Cleansing Cream,contact dermatitis,Eye Make-up remover for sensitive eyes,classic cleanser for sensitive skin,dry,Skin Cream,Shampoo for sore,itchy sensitive scalps,sensitive eyes

Telegraph Beauty News recommends Queen

We're very excited this week after Queen received a little mention in the Saturday Telegraph (Kate Shapland's Beauty News page).

We kept getting emails on Saturday from people saying 'I read about you in the Telegraph magazine' and assumed they must be referring to the Sunday Telegraph Stella magazine where we did do some advertising a few years ago (we still do get people writing in having seen these in doctors' waiting rooms or the like so it wasn't inconceivable!). The penny eventually dropped when we kept getting online orders for the same product, Light Moisturising Lotion, and we were delighted to see a little write up under the heading 'The Comeback'.

For the full thing, do rush out and find a copy (or turn to the relevant page - p17 - if you have one but STILL haven't read it) or you can find it here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/beauty/4903579/Beauty-news-new-hair-cuts-perfume-scents-and-more....html

Says Kate Shapland at the end of it: Queen Light Moisturising Lotion is perfect for delicate skins.

Hooray, we couldn't have put it better ourselves!

Well, as a result we've had lots of enquiries and interest in Queen and Light Moisturising Lotion is proving very popular. It's a really lovely cream - non-greasy, easily absorbed and ideal for sensitive skins which tend to be normal-oily or acne-prone or for young skins. It is also designed for face and body and is therefore very good value as it's two products in one. So, if you or anyone you know is searching for a moisturiser or body lotion for their sensitive skin, tell them all about Queen and point them in the direction of The Telegraph if they won't take our word for it!

Visit www.queen-cosmetics.com to buy (Light Moisturising Lotion is £14.55 for a 250ml bottle).

Back soon.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: Queen Cosmetics,Telegraph,Kate Shapland,Light Moisturising Lotion,www.queen-cosmetics.com,sensitive skin,normal-oily skin,young skin,Beauty News

Sensitive skins should avoid mineral oil?

I was just reading through my Google alert daily bulletins which contain cosmetics industry news and point me in the direction of interesting articles or blogs about beauty products in general and about sensitive skin in particular.

Imagine my delight when I found one entitled 'When “Natural” Skin Care Products Can Be Bad For You' (see http://www.kelseypub.com/blog/healthfitness/beauty-healthfitness/2009-02-24/when-natural-skin-care-products-can-be-bad-for-you).

As you know, we advocate people being able to buy whatever products they feel suit them. There are some lovely natural and organic products out there and we are developing some ourselves here at Queen (our first trial moisturiser has had an excellent response and feedback). What we don't agree with is cosmetics' companies or journalists or bloggers pushing natural as the best alternative for sensitive skins. At Queen Cosmetics (www.queen-cosmetics.com), we have been making skin care and make-up products for sensitive skins for more than 80 years and we know which ingredients are the least sensitising. As a matter of fact, we don't just use mineral oil but a number of others too, including sweet almond and wheatgerm.

Anyway, my delight was due to the fact there I thought I had someone who was prepared to put forward a balanced view. In fact, this blog was very sensible and had some good advice. Until, that is, I noticed a line which said:

"...learn which ingredients to avoid in a skin care or beauty product. For your own protection, know why you should not use a face cream or body lotion that contains substances such as perfume or mineral oil. By arming yourself with this knowledge, you are better able to find natural beauty products you won’t have qualms using and recommending to others."

Perfume yes? But mineral oil???? Where on earth did the writer get this from? This is yet another myth. Cosmetics-grade mineral oil and petrolatum are considered the safest, most non-irritating moisturising ingredients around (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46).

I don't want to get into the debate about how natural mineral oil is but it does come from a natural source. Yes, it's refined and treated but then so is every other oil. How would it be safe to use otherwise?

Mineral oil is an excellent emollient, it has no smell or colour (did you know that many oils have to be deodorised because they have an unpleasant smell?) and it doesn't go off or become rancid like many vegetable, plant or fruit oils do. It is ideal for sensitive skin.

If you have sensitive skin, don't be put off by these scaremongers and don't avoid trying products which contain mineral oil. You might find they are the answer you've been looking for!

Back soon.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: mineral oil,sensitive skin,queen cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,sensitive skin blogs,perfume

Multi-functional skincare products to help you beat the recession

In these difficult times, I have been musing about multiple uses for some of our individual products.

What has prompted this musing is that today, as well as slathering my eyelashes with Queen Eyelash Cream (conditionning, protective, makes them glossy, etc etc and, of course, suitable for sensitive eyes), I have been using it on my lips which are really dry this winter (due, I'm sure, to non-stop in-car and central heating).

I usually use Queen Skin Cream but had my Eyelash Cream to immediate hand. Skin Cream is already super-multi-functional and should be a bathroom cupboard or dressing table staple. For £14.55, you can buy a 50g jar which will last you for ages, even if you do use it for all of the following on a daily or nightly basis:

Queen Skin Cream: The sensitive skin supercream

Soothes sore dry lips
Repairs cracked heals, dry feet, elbows
Soothes itchy skin
Soothes and gets rid of eczema patches
Banishes very dry skin on face and body
Works as an eye cream staving off wrinkles
Makes a great intensive moisturiser
Soothes minor burns
Soothes nappy rash and protects babies' bottoms
Soothes and repairs sore cracked nipples on nursing mums
Moisturises nail beds when massaged into finger nails
Protects against the elements - great when used before sailing, running, gardening

I could go on but that's enough for now. Eyelash Cream, for its part, is also great on eyebrows as it makes them look glossy and keeps them neat.

Enriched Moisturising Lotion is not only a great face and body moisturiser but also makes a super cleanser for dry skin. It's a marvellous after sun lotion and soothes sore legs and other body parts after hair removal. Queen Theatrical Cleansing Cream is not only a make-up remover but is also used by some of our professional clients as a massage cream.

There's more but I haven't got time to detail them all today so do come back next week!

Just had a very nice email from a journalist who uses our products. "I will definitely recommend your products to anyone I know. I've sung your praises to my friends in any case because I love your stuff - my skin can't handle many products and yours seem to be the only one it likes at the moment. Congratulations on a really good brand."

Oooh, we do love it when Queen products get feedback like this.

No star spots this week at John Bell & Croyden, our stockist in London's West End. I think we must just choose the wrong day to go there as we used to see all sorts of stars of stage and screen. Still, sales are going well with lots of women I recognise from handing out samples coming back to buy. Fingers crossed it continues.

Hope to see you again soon.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,skincare for sensitive skin,Queen Skin Cream,Eyelash Cream,soothes ithcy skin,Enriched Moisturising Lotion,Queen Theatrical cleansing cream,recession,suitable for sensitive eyes

Sensitive skin product recommendations abound

Queen's HQ has been battered this week variously by deep snow, ice, gales, driving rain and, today, just freezing temperatures and grey skies. The wind has been whistling through our draughty office and even my Gumbies boots (have you seen these - sort of Croc with a moc-Ugg attached - without which I would now have trench foot) have been tested to the max. Cup after cup of green tea is keeping me going though as have some lovely comments from Queen customers.

Says a longstanding customer: "Queen Skin Cream is just wonderful. I suffer from eczema and find it really soothing and it has got rid of dry, scaly patches that I have had for years. I use it on my face, on my feet, on my lips and in areas of eczema on my ankles and face.  It's better than the stuff the doctor has given me. At night, if my legs or ankles start itching, I rub some Skin Cream in really well and it soothes it immediately. It's brilliant, I can't praise it enough."

Another called to order some Sensiderma Cold Cream and said how it was the only product she could use. "I think I could be your oldest customer," she said, meaning longstanding as opposed to most elderly. I asked her how long she had been using Queen products and she was disappointed to hear that her 30 years fell a good 20 years short of many of our other customers!

The results of our Sensiderma Renew & Refine, the new anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin, are beginning to show. Repeat orders are coming in and its users are getting compliments from their friends and families. A new customer ordered today based on seeing her friend (a longstanding Queen client but who has recently started using Renew & Refine) with a glowing complexion. "I said you look amazing, what do you use and she told me Queen," she recounted, before saying that she used Clinique but was ready for a change!

I have to balance all of these compliments by saying it's not all been sweetness and light over the last week or so. Parcels have gone astray (customers were kindly very patient) presumably because of the weather and there have been a few criticisms about our hand cream tottles (a cross between a bottle and a tube). We do need to look at finding some better ones but it's hard to find things - particularly from suppliers within the UK which we prefer to use - which are lightweight enough to go in the post, which preserve the cream well and which dispense the product quickly and easily.

Ah, can I just say a customer has just ordered a brown Mascara, declaring it "marvellous" for her sensitive eyes. Sorry, bragging over.

Time to get back to the orders.

The Team at Queen

Toxic cosmetics and natural oils which cause allergic reactions - sensitive skins take note!

It is always interesting to read the latest research and articles about sensitive skin and about the beauty industry and beauty products in general and the marvellous Google alert system enables us to do this without having to spend ages trawling the internet.

A couple of things caught our eye this week. One was yet another article about how toxic your cosmetics are (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1132810/Is-make-killing-There-deadly-poisons-lurking-handbag.html) which again seemed to be prompted by the publication of a new book on the subject and which yet again talked about, amongst other things, parabens in underarm deodorants (which was based on discredited research carried out six years ago).

Just who is buying all these books? There's a new one every week. The authors - in this case someone called Dawn Mellowship - are just churning out the same old stuff and it really is time the cosmetics' industry stood up for itself. Millions is spent on research to make cosmetics safe and the fact that something is a 'chemical' doesn't make it dangerous. I know we're always using the quote (see below) from the Sense about Science report Making Sense of Chemical Stories, but it does underline that everything is chemcial in essence:

“If someone came into your house and offered you a cocktail of butanol, iso amyl alcohol, hexanol, phenyl ethanol, tannin, benzyl alcohol, caffeine, geraniol, quercetin, 3-galloyl epicatchin, 3-galloyl epigallocatchin and inorganic salts, would you take it? It sounds pretty ghastly. If instead you were offered a cup of tea, you would probably take it. Tea is a complex mixture containing the above chemicals in concentrations that vary depending on where it is grown.” Derek Lohmann, research chemist (Making Sense of Chemical Stories, Sense about Science).

The alternative that these books always offer is that people should use natural products (sometimes the authors have launched their own range. Hmmm!). The fact is, these are not always the best option. Sensitive skins should be careful in particular. And, many ranges are not as natural as they claim and are not rigorously tested. Quite apart from this, many are not even effective.

We were quite pleased that many of the 41 comments posted on the Daily Mail website were dismissive of the subject of the piece.

Anyway, we have ranted before about these articles so I take a deep breath and move on. The second interesting article was about some new research from the University of Gothenburg which shows that even natural aromatic oils may cause allergic reactions.  This is not surprising to us because so many ranges loaded with essential oils claim to be fine for sensitive skins these days but we get calls or emails from many people who find the opposite to be true and are confused because the label on the bottle said 'for sensitive skin'.

On http://www.bio-medicine.org/ they report that the University research shows that hypersensitivity to perfumes is the most common contact allergy in adults. The University of Gothenburg has demonstrated, the article says, that even natural aromatic oils, which many deem harmless compared to synthetic perfumes, may cause allergic reactions.

Below I have copied extracts from the article and bolded the bits we found useful. The full thing can be read here http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-news-1/Even-natural-perfumes-may-cause-allergies-6922-1/.

"Roughly one in five adults in northern Europe is believed to suffer from contact allergy to one or more chemicals. The most common is nickel allergy, but many people also suffer from contact allergy to perfumes even perfume substances that at first glance appear to be harmless can cause allergic reactions. New eczema-provoking allergens are formed by reaction with acid in the ambient air (known as autoxidation) or with skin enzymes.

"Modern society commonly regards anything that comes from nature as being healthier and less dangerous. Where it concerns natural aromas, known as essential oils, many manufacturers believe that natural antioxidants in these oils offer protection against autoxidation thus making them safer and longer lasting than artificial perfumes. Research at the University of Gothenburg shows this is not the case.

"Lina Hagvall, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg's Department of Chemistry, has examined natural lavender oil in her thesis. Her results show that essential oils do not prevent the formation of allergenic substances through reactions with acid; something which had not previously been possible to confirm. Hagvall's thesis also examines geraniol, a common constituent of perfumes such as rose oil. The study shows geraniol by itself to be only slightly allergenic. However through autoxidation and reaction with skin enzymes, the substance is activated and becomes the closely related allergen geranial. This is the first time these activation pathways have been demonstrated for the substance."

Well, that's enough food for thought for one morning. There's shampoo to be made here and orders to process.

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,toxic cosmetics,parabens,essential oils,allergic reaction,Queen,contact allergy to perfumes,nickel allergy

Give sensitive skin an extra boost to beat dryness this winter

Are you struggling with super dry winter skin? Is your sensitive skin more sensitive than ever? Are you fed up of flaky, itchy skin? Well, read on for some emergency help!

In a bid to beat the winter blues, we are today launching our New Year special offers here at Queen.

If, like me, you are finding this extra cold weather (with a bit of fog thrown in today just to make things more exciting), really hard on your skin then you will be pleased to know that we are offering two of our bestsellers at special price to get your skin back on track and to give it some extra assistance. I cannot go to sleep without slathering myself in these two products (face, lips, heels, cuticles, elbow -  you name the body part, I'm slapping cream on it) to help combat the effects of central heating (on constantly) and, when I'm not at home, the car heater blasting at me (the only way I can bear to stay in the car!). Fortunately, it's working wonders - no more dry, chapped lips, tight face on waking and general scaliness and itchiness (I know those aren't attractive words but they're the most accurate to describe the state of my skin!).

So, as from today, we are offering Queen Light Night Cream at just £10.00 for 50g (normal price £14.55) and Queen Skin Cream (used to be called Skin Food until trading standards of the 1940s had their way and it really does feed the skin) at £10.00 for 50g as well (normal price £14.55).

During the day, I am sticking with my Queen Moisturiser for all over and Queen Sensiderma Renew & Refine for expression lines and wrinkles. Oh, and I can't possibly get dressed until I have covered myself in Queen Enriched Moisturising Lotion.

There you have it: Queen's Emergency Winter Survival Pack.

These fabulous special offers are available at www.queen-cosmetics.com.

We will be back soon without the blatant advertising!

The Team at Queen

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,dry skin,help for sensitive skin,Queen Cosmetics,Queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,Skin Cream,Enriched Moisturising Lotion,Light Night Cream,Sensiderma Renew & Refine,Queen Moisturiser