As a scientist I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that there are biological, cultural and lifestyle differences between asian, black and white skin tones.

It was a eureka moment when I first realised that there was the 'science of the differing skin colours and types' and that there were some real and interesting differences between asian, black and white skin and their skin care needs.

Knowing these differences gives beauty salon owners the opportunity to broaden their client base to make it more reflective of their potential client base – the ability to attract high value/spending clients is an opportunity few salons can afford to miss.

According to Neilsen an international research group, in a study carried out way back in 2016 in the US, African-Americans currently hold a buying power of $1 trillion, a number that was estimated to reach $1.3 trillion by 2017. And they're blowing a lot of those bills on cosmetics, spending nine times more on ethnic-targeted beauty and grooming products than the general market. Black women, in particular, spend an estimated $7.5 billon on beauty products, shelling out 80% more and twice as much on skin care as their non-Black counterparts. This trend is similar here in the UK.

Asian and black clients spend more on their skincare than their non-white counterparts. The use of skincare and haircare products in Asian and black sectors starts from the moment you are born. The use of a daily skincare routine is a must for asian and black consumers; it is a regular habitual process that lives with you from the moment you are born and for the rest of your live.

From a marketing viewpoint, many salon owners miss the golden opportunity to grow their business and their brand, simply because they do not understand or know this. Having information about a wide range of client skincare and cultural needs, is a powerful marketing tool that can enable salon owners to gain a competitive edge in the market place.

Going forward successful salons will be those that adapt and harness the cultural and lifestyle differences of different client segments.

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There’s a simple skincare truth that is at the heart of making your skin youthful, fresher and healthier and they're not 'faddy' new ingredients that promise the world, and they're not exorbitantly priced either, it’s vitamins. 

These natural compounds are as necessary to inner and outer health as water. The body only delivers a small percentage of metabolised vitamins, from food and drink, to the skin. Yet if skin suffers from a vitamin deficiency, it shows. Prematurely aged, unbalanced, dry, irritated or lacklustre skin issues can all be erased with a healthy flush of vitamin rich skincare.

The solution is regular skincare; vitamin enriched skincare. Applying vitamin enriched skincare topically is the quickest, most effective way to boost the skin’s radiance and health. Most skincare brands just don’t compare in the vitamin richness stakes. Synthetically derived chemicals do not have the naturally defined efficacy to flush out toxins and make deep changes happen at the sub-dermis level of the skin, to give your skin that all year round glow.

Vitamins can be used to target large areas of skin intensively. For example, in the fight against cellulite vitamin wraps, clay based treatments, massages and skin brushing with vitamin enriched products, can treat cellulite and sagging skin. The best natural skincare will offer high performance products with a cocktail of skin enhancing vitamins.

Vitamin rich skincare is a safe way to revitalise your skin all year round

Here's 5 of the best skin enhancing vitamins to look out for in your skincare

I've always been fascinated by the Christmas stocking. Written records don’t really indicate how the tradition of the Christmas stocking got started, but there are several legends surrounding this wonderful tradition. The most trustworthy legend maintains that Saint Nicolas learned about a poor man who couldn’t afford to pay a dowry for his three daughters, and he was worried about them. Saint Nicolas decided to help the man, and he took three bags of gold with him down the chimney of the man’s home.

Once inside, he found the girls’ stockings hanging on the mantelpiece after washing, and he added the gold bags to the stockings and then went about his Christmas Eve rounds. As the story spread, children began hanging their own stockings or putting out shoes, waiting for their own gifts. Usually, they used their own socks, but later, specially decorated stockings were created for the holiday, which we now known simply as the Christmas stocking.

With Christmas literally around the corner, I have recently started thinking about nice little presents that would be ideal for stocking fillers. It's always nice to give additional presents that are just as appreciated as the main present on Christmas Day, so I've put together some of my favourite Christmas skincare products that I think will make great stocking fillers, so here's 7 of our best.

I think it's safe to say that winter has well and truly arrived, which means cosy jumpers, woolly hats and large mugs of hot chocolate in your favourite coffee shop.  It also means a drop in temperatures and rise in windy days that can cause a range of problems for your skin that seem to only surface during winter. 

Your skin is left battling cold temperatures outside and heating indoors which can cause many irritations. For those of you who have sensitive skin, issues such as eczema, psoriasis, and itchy, dry skin may surface, requiring you to take extra care or alter your skincare regime to cater for its needs. This does not have to be anything drastic and some simple changes can make great improvements to sensitive skin. 

I understand the frustration that comes with sensitive skin which is why Thea skincare offers a full range of skincare products specifically to target sensitive skin in our endeavour  to help you overcome problem skin. I also wanted to share some great skincare tips that can really enhance your skincare regime:    

November is international vegan awareness month, which means a whole month dedicated to raise awareness of the benefits of living a vegan lifestyle. Now, I promise you, living a vegan lifestyle isn't as scary as it sounds!

It can be flexible and designed to meet your lifestyle needs, so it's totally up to you how dedicated a vegan you want to be. For example, this can range from going 100% full vegan with your diet to simply only using vegan products on your skin.

I know how important and beneficial vegan skincare can be for our skin which is why all Thea Skincare products are vegan and vegetarian friendly - leaving out animal ingredients and harsh chemicals that can further irritate and aggravate the skin. So, whether you have dry, sensitive or acne prone skin, switching to all vegan skincare products might be a great alternative. To make your decision a little easier, I wanted to share with you some of the pretty amazing benefits a vegan skincare routine can offer:

I love Halloween, firstly because it's my birthday and secondly because it reminds me of the glorious days of making pumpkin lamps and watching my children's face light up when we switched of the lights and lit the candles inside the pumpkin.

Over the years, I've also discovered the wonderful natural skincare benefits of this autumn winter vegetable. The magical skincare ingredients in pumpkin will not only lights up your lantern but will also light up your body and bring a wonderful seasonal glow to your skin.

Image:Shutterstock 221809180:  Copyright Alexandra Lande

So here are 6 top skincare tips using pumpkin to light up your skin this Halloween

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Around 55,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Of these about 350 are men. The biggest risk factors for developing breast cancer are getting older, being female and for a few, having a significant family history of the disease. Just over 80% of breast cancers occur in women who are over the age of 50. Nearly half of all cases are diagnosed in people in the 50-69 age group. Source: breast cancer care.

Image Shutterstock:126576680: Copyright:Cienpies Design

Here's my friend Ann's personal journey

It's not very often that we discover that something we love to eat is actually good for our health and our skin. Naughty but nice can be replaced with it's good and nice, at least for the rest of the week.

There are many different types of chocolate, milk chocolate, chocolate with mint, orange, fruit, nuts and you name it every kind of chocolate you can think off in between.

But what's really good for our skin is the rich dark chocolate. The darker the chocolate the more natural cocoa it contains and it is the cocoa that makes dark chocolate so special and so good for our skin. The higher the levels of natural cocoa in the chocolate the better it is for our body and our skin. As a rule of thumb, look for dark chocolate that has at least 70% natural cocoa, for maxiumum benefit for your skin and body.

Image Shutterstock: 222919804: Copyright bit24

Here are 5 reasons why dark chocolate can give you flawless glowing skin

So October is Stoptober a campaign devoted to encouraging people who smoke to kick the habit. There are approximately 10 million adults in Britain who smoke cigarettes and research suggests that those who successfully give up for four weeks, are five times more likely to stay smoke-free.

Quitting smoking also has beneficial effects on your skin as the appearance of your skin will improve as smoking causes premature ageing due to the toxins in tobacco smoke. 'Your skin reflects your lifestyle and what you eat and drink.' Smoking makes your skin look dull, sallow and it reduces the skin's natural elasticity making it more prone to sagging and wrinkles. Kicking the habit will rejuvenate the complexion as the skin becomes better nourished with oxygen and nutrients.

Copyright: Crown Department of Health

There is also a link between heavy smoking and developing hand eczema. If you are prone to atopic eczema smoking and stress can make this condition worse. Smoking and skincare are closely linked and the heavier you smoke the more your skin will age prematurely. For many smokers, giving up is one of the hardest things to do due to the addiction to nicotine in cigarettes. The good news is that there are some great nutrient rich foods that anyone who smokes can eat to help them to quit the habit and feed, nourish, tone and hydrates the skin all at the same.

Here's 6 of the best natural foods that can help anyone who smokes to quit