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

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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