 Betty colonised
my kitchen table to make a delectable display, and then got down to describing the
products. “Always cleanse and tone before using
the special treatments”, she said. “And
you should use cleanser and toner from the same brand.”
What’s wrong with soap and
water? We wanted to
know. Soap, she said, is not usually ph
balanced, which means it does not match the skin’s natural acid/alkaline balance, and
it can leave a slight scum on the face and can have a drying effect.
Why cleanser and toner from the
same brand? Because
they should have matching ph factor. Nutrimetics cleansers and toners are matched to the
skin’s natural balance.
What does a toner do? It removes any residue left by the
cleanser and any remaining traces of make-up, and it does what its name suggests: tones the skin, makes it feel fresher.
 Betty then
asked for a face on which to demonstrate. Heather Redmond bravely volunteered and was sat
down at the table with one of those bandeaux round her head.
First Betty
removed Heather’s make-up, using Restore Balancing Cleansing Lotion. We watched as she put a pea-sized blob on her
hands and gently massaged it onto Heather’s
face. Then she dipped a couple of cotton wool pads
in warm water, not dripping wet, just damp, and wiped it all off again, everywhere,
including the eye lids.
Yeah, pretty
good, we said. Maybe it was our imaginations,
her face did seem clearer and fresher. And then came
the matching toner, Restore Refining Toning Lotion – two tip-ups from the bottle
onto moistened cotton wool. But not on the eyelids
this time. Skin is too delicate there, said
Betty.
 A pre-moisturising lotion was the
next stage in Heather’s transformation. Nu-Essence Moisturising System is designed to make the skin more
receptive to moisturiser. It is applied with a
dropper and consists of liposomes containing
evening primrose oil
(liposomes?
tiny bubbles to you and me) which are said to aid absorption of moisturiser.
It’s
for daily use, and of course the moisturiser would
normally come next on the agenda, under make-up during the day. But Betty wanted to go the
full Monty, so Heather now received a dose of Hydra 8 Eye
Cream, applied
only along the boneline, to reduce fine lines and puffiness.
Betty used two tiny dabs for each eye and went only halfway along, not to the nose.
 “Why no eye cream on the bags
under my eyes?” Heather
asked. Skin is too delicate there and a cream would
only clog, said Betty, as she used her ring finger to make a delicate massage on the
boneline. Nothing on the lids either – no pores
there, we were informed. The eye cream is for
nightly use.
A masque – is that really
necessary? Betty seemed to be plastering it
on to Heather’s face. It firms the skin, and
you use it twice a week, said Betty. She kept it
away from the eyes, applied it just up to the boneline. Then
Heather was instructed to relax for 10 minutes while we all tried a little of this and
that on the backs of our hands.
C.R.E. Face
Crème (Cellular Restructuring Crème) which featured as a special
offer in November laterlife, is designed for forehead and face, and can be applied after
cleansing and toning before moisturising.
“Use a spatula when you dip into any pot so you don’t introduce
bacteria to the cream,” said Betty.
She gently
wiped off the remains of the Restore Firming Facial Masque from Heather’s face with damp cottonwool,
pronouncing that much of it was absorbed.
Back to the daily routine. Restore
Revitalising Day Crème is a moisturiser containing vitamin E and a
sunscreen. The crème has a ‘depot
delivery’ design which continually releases vitamin E for up to 24 hours.
And then there were the special
options. For the latest in anti-ageing
products, Betty introduced us to Specific Care Anti Wrinkle Retinol Serum for night use and the
complementing Specific Care SPF 18 Day Lotion.
The night
cream, in a tube, contains Retinol for cell stimulation and renewal plus antioxidant
vitamins A, C and E, macadamia nut oil and shea butter.
The lighter day lotion has a high sunscreen of 18 plus mango-seed butter and
apricot kernel oil. Retinol causes skin to become more photosensitive, so the high SPF day
lotion gives extra protection.
Nutrimetics
claim that after 7 days, skin firmness improves by 18
per cent using the night serum and 25 per cent using the day lotion. After only 30 days of continuous use, the day
lotion ‘visibly reduces appearance of wrinkles by 32 per cent.’ The night serum takes 90 days to reduce wrinkle
depth by ‘up to 38 per cent’.
(But
don’t get too excited. Anti-wrinkle products
are usually tested on fairly young, not so challenging skins. Used over a long timescale they may help postpone further
wrinkling, but they are not going to work miracles.)
In case you are wondering about
the state of Heather’s complexion at this stage, no – she didn’t get the
entire collection plastered on her skin. But Betty
couldn’t resist one last product, so Heather got an application of Restore
Firming Eye Lift,
a water-based gel containing antioxidants. Again,
just a tiny amount, patted around the eye bone.
Are they worth a try? We at laterlife think so. The products may not work wonders, but they represent
good value for money, are pleasant to use and it’s nice to think that they are made
from natural ingredients and are not animal tested. And
there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied, even if the products
have been opened and sampled.
The full list
Restore
Balancing Cleansing Lotion and Restore Refining
Toning Lotion price £27.90 together - special offer £19.95 until Feb 16th 2004
Nu-Essence
Moisturising System price £32.95
Hydra 8
Eye Cream price £14.50
C.R.E. Face Crème (Cellular Restructuring Crème) price £29.50
Restore
Firming Facial Masque price £12.95 -
special offer £7.95 until Feb 16th 2004
Restore
Revitalising Day Crème price £18.95
Specific
Care Anti Wrinkle Retinol Serum for night use price
£15
Specific
Care SPF 18 Day Lotion price £16.95
Restore
Firming Eye Lift price £14.95
 What to buy?
Nutrimetics
don’t advertise and there’s no middleperson – so prices are kept
surprisingly reasonable.
See other skincare collections in the Nutrimetics catalogue (details of
obtaining a catalogue below).
Other special offers from the Nutrimetics brochure at the time of
publication:
 Until January 16th 2004 - Nutri-Rich Oil
Solid Gold - Loved around the world for its amazing skin care benefits, luxurious
texture and delicious fragrance. Ideal as a night-time skin treat.
Normal retail value £29.50. Only £14.50 until 16th Jan 2004
 Until February 16th 2004 -
Nu-essence Moisturising Duo
Nu-essence Day Creme 55g - a light day creme, the ideal base under make-up.
Nu-essence Night Creme 55g - intensively nurtures and rehydrates skin while you sleep.
Normal retail value of duo £33.00. Only £19.95
In
all cases above there is additionally £3.75 postage and packing
For further details, to request
the full catalogue and latest offers, or
if you would like to book a workshop, simply complete the enquiry form.
|
Anyone who has looked after her (or his) appearance over the years has the
edge in later life compared to ravers who burned all their candles at both ends. But skin,
hair, eyes, lips, silhouette still show the years after fifty. Extra skin dryness, puffy
eye areas, sagging around the chin, wrinkles – they all can benefit from special
treatments. 
