How to Treat Post-Holiday Skin

Holidays can be a mixed bag. For some people, it can be a stressful period with the travel and fraught family reunions that would test the patience of a saint. For others, it is a magical time of the year what with Christmas decorations everywhere, parties, and never-ending ..

How to switch your skincare routine for autumn

The days are getting shorter and colder (thank heavens!), it is time to get cosy. It is also time to switch up your skincare routine to adjust to the change of season. What are some of the most common skin concerns during this transitional period? The change in temperature a..

How to prevent skincare pilling

For many of us, doing our skincare routine is a happy place. A Zen moment to ourselves. A chance to take a breath and pamper our skin. Or it should be until you experience something called skincare pilling. Plenty of us have experienced it at least once. We do our skincare r..

How to Treat Your Skin in Menopause

Hormonal changes affect our skin. It is blatantly apparent when we are teenagers. But menopause is no picnic either. It can bring about increased dryness, sensitivity, and, in some cases, even acne. Give your skin some comfort and tackle the changes head-on with some simple ..

How to use retinol in the summer?

The skincare community will hotly debate any number of topics. Do you need a moisturiser? Are eye creams effective? How many times per week should you exfoliate? But one ingredient we can all agree on is retinol. It is a powerful ingredient with numerous studies that prove i..

How to know if you are overwashing your face

Cleansers give us joy! Simple as. Oils, balms, gels, the difference in textures, the scent, the ritual of washing off daily dirt and grime - cleansing your face can be awesome. Cleansing is the first and crucial step in keeping our skin healthy, bouncy, and plump. But someti..

How to beat winter skin

Any season is better than summer. But the fact remains, wintertime can exceptionally harsh on the skin. How should you treat winter skin? What are some of the common mistakes we make, and how to fix them? Skincare routine Cold air, wind, central heating that dries the beje..

Ingredient Highligh - Humectants

Healthy skin needs to be hydrated properly. Yes, regardless of the skin type. Humectants are ingredients that work well for all skin types. Oily skin gets the hydration it needs, without any of the oiliness. Dry and dehydrated benefits too, for obvious reasons. What are hume..

Ingredient Highlight - Bisabolol

Bisabolol is an ingredient you might have heard of, or even come across on the inci list, but never really paid much attention to. The fact of the matter is, we might not talk about it to the same extent as we do about retinol or Alpha-Hydroxy acids. But it does have plenty ..

Ingredient Highlight - Lipo-hydroxy acid

What is Lipo-hydroxy acid? Lipo-hydroxy acid is an ester of Salicylic acid. Where it differentiates from Salicylic acid is it has a higher molecular weight. Because of this, it slower to penetrate the skin and better tolerated. It is a lipophilic acid meaning it dissolves i..

Ingredient highlight - amino acids

Amino acids might not be on your skincare radar. However, due to their nature, they are critical for our skin health. What are amino acids, and how do they benefit the skin? Should you include them in your routine? What are amino acids? Considered the building blocks in ou..

Ingredient Highlight - Emollients

Come wintertime, one category of ingredients that gets talked about a lot in the skincare community is emollients. It is easy to understand why. Due to cold weather and change in temperature, the majority of us deal with dry or dehydrated skin. It is not a life-threatening c..

Cosmetic Ingredients A-Z and Their Properties

We're passionate about the ingredients that make up your favorite skincare products. From A-Z, each ingredient has been carefully chosen for its unique benefits to the skin, ranging from hydrating and soothing properties to anti-aging and brightening effects. Whether it?s th..

Ingredient Highlight - Azelaic Acid

Ask any skincare nerd about their favourite ingredient and be prepared to listen about the virtues of retinol/vitamin C/AHAs and what a difference it made to their skin (we are guilty of that, too). But if you have blemish-prone sensitive skin or suffer from rosacea, it can ..

C60 Fullerene - The new super star ingredient for your skincare routine

The beauty industry is constantly evolving, and new skincare products are hitting the market every day. One of the latest buzzwords in the world of skincare is C60 fullerene. This molecule has been dubbed as the "superstar of your skincare routine," with many people swearing..

Ingredient Highlight - Squalane

Want smooth, soft, well-hydrated skin? Give Squalane a try! Chances are a few of the products in your skincare stash contain Squalane. It is a popular ingredient, and for a good reason. It is super hydrating, but what is even more important, it is well tolerated by ALL skin ..

What is the difference between enzyme and acid exfoliation? Can I use both?

Q. I think that my skin needs exfoliation. It seems dull and dry, yet oily at the same time - with blocked pores and congestion being a real problem for me. I have looked at both enzyme and acid products and am really confused as to the difference. Is it an either or choice ..

How to Pick A Cleanser for Your Skin Type

Healthy skin starts with the right cleanser. A good cleanser keeps your skin clean, comfortable, and balanced and preps it for all the other steps in your skincare routine. The uppermost part of the epidermis is called Stratum Corneum. The top part of Stratum Corneum is cal..

How to Introduce Retinol Into Your Routine

Aging - one thing in the world that does not discriminate. Growing older should be embraced with gusto. But (vain as that sounds) we have no intention to go gentle into that good night looking like a leather handbag that was left in the sun for too long. As we grow older the..

How to Prepare for a Visit to a Facialist

A visit to a facialist should not be any different than a visit to a medical professional (or a hair dresser for that matter). You need to trust the person who is going to take care of your skin. Hair grows back after a bad haircut (that was how we kept consoling ourselves a..

What is a comedone and why are non-comedogenic cosmetics important?

Author: Nick Morante Cosmetic ingredients are graded according to their ability to form comedones. Ingredients that do not cause comedones are said to be non-comedogenic. Comedogenicity or pore clogging is very closely linked to acne. There are numerous forms of acne...

Vintage Beauty Tips That Still Work - Part 2

This is part 2 of our series on vintage beauty tips that still work. If you missed part 1 see here. 5) Embrace heat free curls There are many modern gadgets for curling the hair, but the heat from curling tongs and blow dryers can cause damage to hair over time. Ho..

Ishtar Cleansers at a Glance

Regular readers of our blog will know our mantra by now - cleansing is important! Even more important? Finding a pH balanced cleanser suitable for your skin type. Getting your cleanser right is the single most important step that can transform your skincare routine. Ultr..

Mandelic Acid Comparison

Key difference between Mandelic Acid and other popular acne treatments: Benzoyl peroxide has attracted particular controversy due to the fact that it produces skin damaging free radicals.See below for further discussion of this particular active. [caption id="attac..

How To Get Perfect Skin - Ageing Acne Prone Skin Type

This is a quick and simple night-time routine to target the problems faced by ageing acne prone skin. Often it can be hard to achieve the balance between treatments that target the visible signs of ageing and treatments that clear up blemishes. This routine solves that pr..

An Evening Routine For Aging Skin

One of the best things about getting older? Feeling comfortable in our skin and not giving a toss what anyone thinks. Growing older is a privilege so let's embrace it (although popular media would have us believe life peaks at 25 *snort*). That said - we don't need to lo..

Five Lesser Known Oils You Need to Know

At Ishtar we are big fans of facial oils. Contrary to popular opinion, there are facial oils suitable for every skin type (including oily skin). Our line has two wonderful oils in case you want to try them out (just saying). Today we investigate five lesser known oils and th..

Collagen myths debunked

Collagen is one topic that inevitably comes up when we talk about aging and skin. It is one of the things we need to keep our skin plump and youthful. If you look at any beauty aisle, you'll find plenty of products with "collagen" displayed prominently on the packagi..

The importance of circulation for the skin

Glowy, healthy, radiant skin - these are the ultimate #skingoals. Topical products and regular skincare routine help, obviously. But another important factor is blood circulation. How does blood circulation impact the skin, and why is it important? How can you improve it? H..

How to Adapt Your Skincare Routine in Your 30s

Can we agree our 20s are a messy time? It is easy to get away with a lot. Like being out all night clubbing and drinking, then going for a lecture first thing in the morning. A hangover isn't even a blip on the radar. Our 30s, however, are much better. We care less what any..

The Evolution of Vitamin C in Skincare: A Fascinating Fusion of Science and History

Skincare regimens have always been an integral part of human personal care, dating back centuries. Among the numerous compounds discovered and employed for skincare, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) has emerged as an extraordinary ingredient due to its multifaceted benefits. Its jo..

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