Category Archives: Advice

Declutter your skincare routine

Learn how to de-clutter your daily skincare routine with these 3 quick tips.

I often hear the excuse, “I don’t have time to do a full skincare routine”, when I first meet a new client.

Now, I’m not sure how long people think you have to spend on your skincare routine but I promise it’s something everyone can fit in, no matter how busy your schedule!

If it is taking you longer than 2 minutes in the morning or 5 minutes at night (assuming you wear makeup) then I really don’t know what you are doing – someone let me know, I’m curious!

Yes, I am aware of the trend for multi-step Korean type skincare routines and if you have lots of time and truly enjoy your skin routine then by all means spend as much time as you like – it can be quite a relaxing time in your day.

But if you are like most of the people I meet then you want an effective routine – fast!

Here are 3 things that you can de-clutter from your skincare routine to give you a faster application time, or more time to spend on the steps that really count:

1. Ditch the eye cream.

Use your regular serum/cream around the eye contour area. There is absolutely no need for a separate product here, skin is skin with the same nutritional requirements no matter where on your face it is located.

Dark circles or puffy eyes to contend with? Topical application of any cream will have little to no effect on these conditions.

2. Ditch the toner.

Again, there is no need for this step unless you enjoy it. Toners were originally used to remove cleanser residue.

All good cleansers are now formulated to be water soluble. If you do like the feeling of using a toner choose one that is alcohol and fragrance free.

3. Ditch the daily exfoliation.

I have written so many blogs and made so many videos on this subject that there really is no need to go into detail here. I am horrified that people still do this.

Respect your skin, don’t stress it, it has to last you a lifetime!

Update your skincare routine with Skin Essentials by Mariga transformative skincare collection:

Great celeb skincare mention in Chic Magazine

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The new celeb skincare favourite is our exclusive treatment – The Pyramid Facelift, and it’s causing quite the stir!

On Saturday, 15th Sept, we had a great surprise reading Chic Magazine in the Irish Daily Star.

We received another glowing mention from the well-known model and lifestyle guru, Vivienne Connolly.

Read Vivienne’s Chic interview here:

“When it comes to your beauty regime, obviously you can see changes in your skin as you get older which is caused by the fact you’re not producing as much collagen…”

“I use Skin Essentials by Mariga, she’s from Wexford, she recently gave me a non-invasive facelift before my holidays.

It’s not about cutting your face but stimulating your own natural collagen, although your face is red afterwards and you have to stay out of the sun for a few days.

I use her collagen serum in the morning and at night I use the Age Slowely Serum and Lipid Repair Concentrate, then I put a layer of deep moisturiser.

When I started using them, I told Margia: ‘my skin doesn’t feel soft and lovely like it does with my own moisutriser’, and she said: ‘That’s because the cream you were using was wrong, it just sat there on top of your skin and didn’t do anything’, and I have noticed a big change in my skin since I started using her products.”

Discover Vivienne Connolly’s favourite skincare products, simply click the link below:

Celebrity treatments: What does Norma Sheahan use?

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“The Beauty Product

Mariga Sheedy is the best skin expert in Ireland. She’ll design a skincare programme that is unique to your needs. Her products are magic. She has done amazing non-invasive, anti-aging treatments on me.” – Norma Sheahan.

Sunday Independent 9/11/2018

So many of you have reached out to us this week after seeing the interview with Irish A-list actor and beautiful person Norma Sheahan in the Sunday Independent magazine.

The big questions have been around what treatments has she had and what products is she using so I thought that a blog post covering these might be of interest.

Before I detail Norma’s journey with Skin Essentials I would like to thank Norma for her kindness in publicly recommending Skin Essentials and assure everyone that all details and photos of Norma’s skincare journey are being reproduced with her permission!

Norma has very generously allowed me to photograph and record her progress to share with our clients. But of course in general all your interactions with Skin Essentials by Mariga are kept in complete confidence, unless you choose to share your results yourself – and a heartfelt thank you to those who do, it really helps others to make the right choice when looking for skincare services and products.

So, to Norma’s skincare diary:

As Skin Essentials by Mariga’s core ethos is natural, non-invasive yet visible results on anti-ageing this fitted perfectly with Norma’s preference for a healthy, youthful look, achieved by encouraging and supporting the skin to perform as it did in youth, without resorting to injectables or other invasive procedures.

The aim was to look like the freshest, rested, most radiant version of herself while retaining a completely natural look.

As with all corrective skincare programmes, we began with homecare to restore health, balance and integrity to the skin. This is a crucial step in any long-term results-driven anti-ageing programme. Without giving your skin all the ingredients it needs to fuel optimum collagen production, the results obtained from advanced facial treatments will not ‘take’ as deeply or last as long.

Once the skin was being properly supported on a daily basis with collagen-boosting and integrity-building ingredients we were able to begin clinical treatments to tighten, contour and refine the skin.

We chose the Pyramid Facelift for Norma’s treatments. This combines three technologies in one intensive session to target the three main areas of skin ageing:

TriPollar Radiofrequency to contract existing collagen fibres giving a smoothing and lifting effect while also stimulating new collagen growth.
TrFractional Radiofrequency to resurface the skin, giving a beautiful soft smooth texture by refining pores, decreasing wrinkle depth, tightening jawline and eye area contours and smoothing out any areas of old scarring or bumpy texture.
Voluderm for a natural filler effect to increase facial volume in areas that might be getting a little hollow or flat such as cheeks, mouth or under-eyes.

These technologies can be used alone where only one is needed, or combined to address all signs of ageing in one. As we have many clients that travel long distances to our Wexford Town skin clinic we find that the combination of the three technologies together – the Pyramid Facelift – is the most popular as it means maximum results in the fewest visits.

Results will be seen from the first session and the number of sessions required for each individual will be determined at the first consultation.

Generally speaking for a freshening of the appearance on skin that has only just begun to show faint line lines, texture changes or the first sagging of jawline or eye contours one to two treatments will be enough.

Where these visual signs of ageing have taken a deeper hold you would need to have three treatments and for deep revision we recommend six. Each is taken on average 3 weeks apart.

For Norma we decided to go with three treatments. I think a picture will say far more than words to show clearly the rejuvenation achieved!

These results will last several years when maintained correctly with daily home-care and occasional top-up single treatments (again, top-up frequency will be determined on a case-by-case basis but most people will return for a single top up treatment every 6-12 months.

Actor Norma Sheahan before and after pics from Divine Pro Pyramid Facelift and Skin Essentials skincare products

Amazing results from the very first treatment on eye lines and overall texture.

Would you like to know more about our non-invasive skin rejuvenation treatments and products?

Give us a call on 053 9145981, email info@skinessentialsbymariga.com or if you want to get started right away on these amazing treatments book online for your Divine Pro consultation which is free of charge by clicking the link below.

Key products in Norma’s home skincare routine are below, click on each image for more information.

Age Slowly Serum

Lipid Repair Concentrate

Hydra Collagen Serum

Bio Therapeutic Micro Needling – Created by Mariga exclusively for Skin Essentials clients

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Bio Therapeutic Micro Needling, What exactly is it and why is it available only at Skin Essentials by Mariga?

Picture of a sheep with the caption Skin Essentials by Mariga Wexford we research, innovate and create, we never follow the herd

One of the special things about choosing Skin Essentials by Mariga as your skincare service provider is that you are getting a completely bespoke experience. Not alone do we customise your treatment every time, we actually create protocols from scratch that are completely exclusive to Skin Essentials.

A good example of this is the Bio Therapeutic Micro Needling Protocol which I created (and copyrighted) in 2015.

At that time, and still currently as I write this, we were the only clinic in Ireland educated and approved by Dr. Lance Setterfield, global microneedling master educator, and also the only skin clinic in Europe with the world-leading Celluma LLT device.

Working closely with Celluma and bringing our own unparalleled levels of skin science education and experience into play, I created the treatment, and the name, Bio Therapeutic Micro Needling to describe the custom treatment we could now offer exclusively to our personal clientele.

So, is it a combination of microneedling and LED and can’t anyone do that?

Yes, it is a combination of microneedling and LED and no, not anyone can do that! At least, not in the way we created. Our name ‘Bio Therapeutic Microneedling’ very specifically represents BIO photas, (creator of Celluma LED) THERAPEUTIC aftercare created only by Skin Essentials and the MICRONEEDLING protocols trained only by Dr. Setterfield.

Thus, the name very specifically relates to the treatment that I alone created combing all these elements. In addition, it is absolutely not a one-size-fits-all-treatment. Within the protocol there are any number of adjustments to each element that makes it completely unique to your own customised treatment.

We do this with many of our treatments but I am specifically focusing on this one in today’s blog as it has been brought to my attention that Bio Therapeutic Micro Needling as a treatment name is being offered elsewhere and I want to assure you that I have never trained anyone else in this protocol and if they are using my protocol name then it is not with my permission and certainly they are not using the same techniques, products and skill that you can expect only from Skin Essentials therapists.

Usually I don’t care about the copycats, I have had to put up with that a lot in my career as I am always very focused on research, innovation and bringing the best to you, which sometimes other people (wrongly) think that they can recreate without doing the groundwork.

But in this instance I wanted to highlight it as it is a direct copying of a name I created but cannot be the same treatment as I have never shared the techniques so please don’t be fooled into thinking that you can get our treatments anywhere else.

I really didn’t mean this to be a negative post but sometimes I get frustrated that clients are being fooled in this manner, always do your research and ask questions! I guess it’s obvious that anyone who is not concerned with copyright/IP infringement is hardly likely to have their clients best interest at the front of their mind when performing treatments.

On the bright side, know that you can always trust us at Skin Essentials to bring you honesty, integrity and originality 😀

Mariga x

Vivienne Connolly’s Favourite Skincare Products!

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Vivienne Connolly skincare favourites:

The beauty & lifestyle guru gave us an incredible endorsement in a recent article for the Irish Independent and we couldn’t be more delighted!

One of the most recognisable faces on the Irish celebrity scene, Vivienne has an impressive CV spanning 25 years as a model and actor on both stage and screen, and writes a blog on www.vivienneconnolly.com sharing her tips on beauty, fashion, fitness and lifestyle.

With years in the fashion and beauty industry you better believe that she has seen it all the it comes to beauty products – which makes her praise for Skin Essentials by Mariga products all the more special for us – this lady really knows her stuff!

Vivienne says:

“Favourite Skincare Products?

I use Skin Essentials by Mariga products. My routine is as follows: I rinse my face with a micro fibre cloth and apply their Hydra Collagen Serum, followed by the Advanced Protection Day Cream SPF30. In the evening I use the Skin Comfort Cleanser, then apply the Age Slowly Serum, and 1 pump of the Lipid Repair Concentrate – and finally the Skin Comfort Cream“

Vivienne Connolly skincare recommendation Clipping from the Irish Independent weekend magazine where vivienne connolly outlines her skin essentials by mariga favourites and skincare routine

From the Irish Independent July 28th 2018

We can’t thank Vivienne enough for her support of a local skincare company. It shows that size is not as important as quality (is that the saying 😂).

See Vivienne in her upcoming roadshows #evolvewithviv starting September 23rd in Cork. Find all the details on her Instagram using the hashtag above!

Our products are all available to buy online or you can pop in to us in our Wexford Town clinic for personalised recommendations.

Mariga x

P.S. Want to know what treatments Vivienne chooses to keep looking so incredibly young and glamorous? Our famous Pyramid Facelift! Click here for the details…

Primer – skincare or makeup? And do you really need one?

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Pic of dressing table skincare glass bottles with text asking if makeup primer is really necessary promoting Skin Essentials by Mariga's blog on primers - makeup or skincare product

I get asked so much about makeup, and the two biggest questions are to recommend a primer and a foundation.

So today I’m giving you my thoughts about primers – are they a skincare product or makeup? Do you really need one? What are they for? All is revealed below!

What are primers for?

Primers are a step between skincare and foundation. They are marketed as a type of ‘base coat’ to help your foundation go on smoother/ stay on longer/ perform better.

You would not use a primer if you were not going to apply foundation so they are categorised as a makeup product, not part of your skincare routine.

(Although pore blurring primers can be used on their own to create an optical blurring of large pores to give an overall smoother skin illusion).

Do you really need a primer?

It depends on what you are trying to achieve, primers are quite a personal choice really but here are my thoughts:

Silicone-based primers can be good for increasing foundation wear time on oily skin or reducing the appearance of large pores under makeup. BUT, if you had the correct skincare for your skin type and an appropriate foundation, this step still wouldn’t be necessary.
As far as making your makeup last longer, silicone-free formulas have some effect but again, look to WHY your makeup is not staying on.
- Maybe you need a better or more appropriate foundation for your skin type?
- You should get 8 hours wear out of any decent foundation with just a mid-day touch up of powder.
You have to be careful that the formula of the primer agrees with the formula of the makeup, for example a hyaluronic-rich primer will break down a water-based makeup very fast, take advice from your local makeup counter on this one, the sales assistants there should be trained in this with the brand they are selling.
Consider your foundation application techniques and make sure it is the best for the type of foundation you are using. Some formulas will perform best buffed in with a brush, some work better with a damp beauty sponge. Ask at the makeup counter when you are buying your makeup or experiment at home to see which works best for you.
I personally rarely use one, normal or normal to dry skin doesn’t require a primer and I think that the foundation should perform alone.

Note: spreading some foundations too thinly negates the elastic effect of the formula and the makeup won’t last, maybe try using a little more to see if this is the problem.

If you want to try one I recommend Camera Close Up from the brand This Works, it is low-silicone and perfume free, great for normal to dry skin.

For oily skin, one of the most popular among makeup artists is the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. This silicone-rich formula slows down the skin’s old from breaking up the foundation giving longer wear time.

I also like the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm a lot but wouldn’t use it regularly as it is perfumed unfortunately.

Great under-makeup products from Skin Essentials by Mariga – our Hydra Collagen Serum has a skin-optimal amount of hyaluronic acid that will give a smooth base under makeup without breaking down the formula.

Our SPF30 day cream is also perfect for under makeup, leaving no pilling or white cast due to our multiple-milled mineral sunscreen formula.

Shop Skin Essentials online:

Thursday Night Skin Treats

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Happy Thursday everyone!

We have these fabulous skin treats in store to binge on that we know you’ll love…

Hyaluronic + Moisture Boost AND Hydra-Collagen Serum

The first on our Thursday Night Skin Treat duo is…

Hyaluronic + Moisture Boost Serum (U)

This is our ultimate serum to combat the earliest signs of ageing.

We recommend using this highly-concentrated blend of hyaluronic acid and collagen peptides both morning and evening on clean, damp skin for plumping, hydrating and age-proofing the face and eye areas.

Then as an extra little boost to revitalize your skin…

Hydra-Collagen Serum (C)

Hydra Collagen Serum is our anti-ageing serum choice.

This is full of all the ingredients the skin needs to keep up the rate of collagen production, this serum targets uneven skin tone, enlarged pores, lines and wrinkles.

We highly recommend using this serum daily under your day or night cream.

This mixes beautifully with the Hyaluronic+ Moisture Boost serum above for skin that needs some revitalization!

Find these skincare products both online and in our Wexford clinic.