EXPERT ADVICE
Discover expert skincare advice tailored to your skin’s needs. From tackling acne and oil control to fine lines and wrinkles, our science-led guides help you achieve a healthy, radiant complexion
EXPERT ADVICE
Meet The 50 Products That Experts Chose to Win a 2021 Women's Health Beauty Award
December 6, 2021 From acid treatments to leave-in hair masks, get these treats on your Christmas list Conversations with friends, colleagues and – well, you – suggest that after a pandemic-related hiatus from home regimes and salon treatments, beauty is back. And you want to know the products that are not only worth your hard-earned cash, but also worthy of celebration.To that end, a team of expert judges tested their way through endless products in the body care, make-up, active beauty, haircare, skincare and fragrance categories - to find the buys that deliver on results, as well as being value for money, for the 2021 Women's Health Beauty Awards. Here, we share the winners. ‘Celebrity facialist- acupuncturist Ada Ooi transforms your skin like no one else. She tells you more about your health and complexion by looking at your tongue than asking a hundred questions, before performing the most impressive skin-changing facial you’ll ever try.’ PN Meet the judgesThis is the team that swiped, smelt, patted, and tested 2021's beauty launches.Claire Sanderson WH editor-in-chief forever hunting for products to transform her 40+ skinPerdita NourilWH beauty editor and red-lipstick lover with over a decade of experienceDr Anjali MahtoConsultant dermatologist, WH columnist and author of The Skincare BibleDr Ewoma UkelegheCosmetic doctor, WH columnist and founder of Skndoctor clinicDr Ifeoma EjikemeAesthetic medicine doctor and Adonia Medical Clinic founderJames Harknett‘The Tom Ford of tanning’, who has spent two decades bronzing the A-listAdam ReedCelebrity hair stylist and founder of Adam Reed LondonWinnie AwaAfro hair expert and Antidote Street founderAdeola GboyegaCelebrity make-up artist and beauty influencerAmanda NgonyamaAthlete, sports scientist & WH columnistVeronique GabaiRenowned ‘nose’ and founder of Veronique Gabai fragrances Written by Perdita Nouril - Women's Health UK Read the full article here
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The Ice Man Cometh: Everything you need to know about cryotherapy skincare
The Cryopress is a cryotherapy facial roller that detoxifies, reo-xygenates and contours the skin. Ada Ooi, founder of 001 Skin, recommends use with her Flash Facial Serum for optimal absorption and effect. Store it in the freezer so it’s always ready for use!
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Treat yourself: best facials in London for every budget and skin concern
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Ada Ooi delivers highly personalised facials that are tailored to your skin's needs on the day. Each begins with a TCM symptom diagnosis, followed by her signature modern gua sha massage and acupuncture on the face, body and ears, to address both internal and external wellbeing.
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#SkinSchool: Everything you need to know about gua sha
"Gua sha can be literally translated as 'scraping sand'," explains Ada Ooi, facialist and founder of 001 Skincare. The technique originates from ancient China, and involves scraping the muscles along the different meridians of the body, using a small, smooth-edged stone. The intense traditional body treatment, which leaves bold red marks all over the skin, has now evolved into a gentler, therapeutic facial therapy, which is fast gaining traction in the UK for its purported contour-sculpting benefits.
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Cosmetic acupuncture and the rise of the holistic facial: would you have needles put in your face for wellness?
"Needling certain points in the body can stimulate or calm the qi of internal organs, while boosting the body's metabolism and the supply of blood to the face achieving beauty from within," says Ada Ooi, facialist and founder of 001 Skincare.
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These are the very best professional facials we’ve ever tried
The facial itself incorporates intense facial massage (it’s not comfortable, but you’ll see an instant difference) plus acupuncture and extractions. Skin is left glowing, red-carpet ready and the glow only gets better in those days to come.
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The best facials in London, hand-picked by Bazaar's beauty team
Expertly fusing eastern and western techniques, Ada Ooi combines aesthetic therapy and acupuncture into her bespoke facial treatments that are the ultimate in holistic healing. A ‘facialist-acupuncturist’ to many in the public eye, including royals, she tailors her treatments according to skin ageing, plus hormonal, stress and sleep issues.
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Let’s Make-Up: the new beauty launches to have on your radar in September
Founder Ada Ooi has created this device to transform your serums into micrometre particles in order for them to be more easily absorbed into the skin and enhance their efficacy. It’s also portable and rechargeable via USB.
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Cupping therapy: is the alternative treatment good for sore muscles?
26 MAY 2021 Cupping therapy is a well-known alternative therapy – but is it actually good for you and your muscles? There’s a never-ending list of treatments you can try that promise to support your body and improve your workout performance. From the fact-based advice, such as eating enough protein and prioritising sleep, to the wackier trends (hello, IV drips), there’s something for everyone. Somewhere in the middle lies tissue therapies. You’ve probably tried – or at least heard of – some of these, such as sports massage and foam rolling. But have you ever considered using cupping to ease muscle tightness? It’s a slightly more extreme form of tissue therapy, thanks to the obvious bruises it leaves. If you’ve ever seen an Olympic swimmer with markings on their body as though as an octopus has got their suckers on them, you might know what we’re talking about. So, if it’s good enough for professional athletes, is it worth it for you too? WHAT IS CUPPING? “Cupping is a type of therapy originating from China that involves placing cups on the skin to create a suction,” says cupping therapist Ada Ooi. This is an ancient tradition that is often used in relation to ‘qi’, the bodies energy flow, but is also used as a form to support the physical body. “The practitioner creates a suction from a special pump to vacuum out the air once the cups are on your skin, or by heating the cup before placing it on your body. How long the cups stay on your skin depends on what is being treated. It could be a few minutes or could be up to half an hour,” says Ada. “For some treatments, ‘moving cupping’ can be used, where the cups are moved around the body to guide the flow of blood, but a lot of the time the cups remain static on the body.” WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CUPPING? “Cupping works by increasing blood flow to your fascia and muscles and stimulating the lymphatic system,” says Ada. “It can bring in oxygen and nutrients and guide immune cells into the particular area to loosen tension.” The idea is pretty much “out with the bad, in with the good”, explains Ada, as stimulating blood flow to the area can help with inflammation. It makes sense as a practice – the body naturally stimulates blood flow to injured areas (hence the redness, heat and swelling when you hurt yourself). Cupping is simply an extension of that, promoting natural healing benefits, but can also be “especially great for people who might have been suffering from chronic tension, to a point that their ‘knots’ are too hard or too sore to touch and break up adhesions that are blocking flow,” says Ada. Research has shown that cupping can help to ease pain and relax muscle tissue: a 2017 study from Illinois State University found that cupping eased IT band tension and improved hip mobility 24 hours after four stationary cups were placed along the area in question. But research is limited and there’s no official consensus as to whether or not the treatment works in practice as well as it does in theory. Cupping therapy: is it good for you? I’ve had cupping once – a somewhat unplanned event that was recommended during a sports therapy session I’d attended for my tight shoulders and back. The therapist explained that they were applying cups to encourage blood flow to the treated muscles after breaking down the knots using massage. This was to remove the waste products that are released both during exercise and massage, but also to encourage my body to heal the broken tissue. The cups felt warm when applied and a little uncomfortable when on (although the area was already pretty numb from the massage). I can’t say whether it was the massage or cupping that helped ease my tight shoulders. But, after getting over the initial muscle sensitivity that I find lasts up to 48 hours after tissue therapy, I definitely felt looser. The only problem was those huge bruises, which made me look as though I’d been abducted by aliens. They didn’t necessarily hurt for that long, but they did take a while to go down. “If your cupping marks are very angry, massaging something like arnica gel into the area can help promote healing and reduce discomfort,” advises Ada. “If you don’t feel any further discomfort, you can continue to use a heating pad or hot water bottle on the cupped areas to promote circulation and relax the muscles. Sometimes people feel tired or have the flu like symptoms after cupping – a temporary reaction by your immune system to the cellular waste that cupping helps to release. Listen to your body and rest if you need to.” So, is cupping worth it? Well it probably shouldn’t be your first port of call if you’re after a way of ridding muscle tension, but it can be a great option for those who are looking for alternative and complementary tissue therapies to ease stiff muscles. But let’s be honest: if you’re hoping to get out in a backless dress after lockdown, you could opt for a less bruise worthy treatments. Article written by Chloe Gray - STYLIST Read the article here
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001 Skincare London Winner at the Journal Business Awards
001 Skincare London were nominated and the winner in the category Culture Fusion at the Journal Business Awards
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