The Powder Room

A new survey from has revealed that a worrying 57% of Brits are wearing out of date sunscreen A further 56% admit they don’t apply sunscreen frequently enough, exposing themselves to life-threatening sun damage.

Every year, over 100,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with skin cancer and over 2,500 of those people lose their life as a result . Sun exposure is the main preventable cause of skin cancer.

Some 60% of people in the UK polled by supermarket Asda stated they find sun protection products overpriced. A quarter (26%) of those surveyed use old sunscreen, purchased over two years ago, which offers a fraction of the intended sun protection compared to when originally bought. And a shocking 9% of Brits admitted they never apply sun protection, exposing themselves to dangerous UV rays and putting themselves at high risk of developing skin cancer.

Asda supermarket has now launched a brand new campaign, ‘Don’t Get Burnt’, which will raise awareness of the importance of sun protection, the health risks associated with UV radiation from the sun and also challenge the Government to drive down the price of sun protection products.

British Skin Foundation spokesperson, Hermione Lawson added; “By the end of this summer, around 1,250 people in the UK will die from skin cancer. We support Asda’s ‘Don’t Get Burnt’ campaign to highlight the serious health risks posed from sun damage. What people often don’t realise is that skin cancer is largely a preventable disease, and along with clothing and shade, high factor sunscreen can help protect the skin from the harmful effects of the sun.”

Words by Katy Pearson

A new survey has revealed the contents of the average British woman’s bathroom beauty cabinet is worth an incredible £1,964.30 - but only £327 worth of them are used regularly.

Online beauty retailer Escentual.com's poll revealed that most women owned 65 beauty products which would cost on average £30.22 per product. But the vast majority of these beauty products would be rarely used – with less than a 1/6 being used daily. 

Most women said they would use only 11 favourite products every day, and admitted that over a fifth of beauty products they had bought had never been opened and would just sit in the cupboard collecting dust – (amounting to over £200 worth of wasted products.) But they kept most of the products just in case they were needed for special occasions.

Now Spring is here finally and most women will be clearing out the bathroom cabinet, and are set to find at least 14 unopened products sat at the back of the cupboard collecting dust.

Escentual.com Beauty Editor Emma Leslie said: "It’s that time of year when women are going to go through their cabinets looking to clear out the products they don't use anymore – it’s amazing that over 1 in 5 products bought never even get opened.

"Most consumers admitted that more than once a month they would buy a beauty product that they didn’t need when out on a shopping trip, just because they felt they had to buy something.

"This waste of money is much less likely with online shopping when women consider their purchase much more and can’t be pressurized into buying by pushy salespeople."

Nearly 14 times a year (13.7) women admitted buying beauty products they didn’t need in shops, as opposed to only 8 unwanted products a year online. But there are several women for whom shopping for beauty products is clearly their obsession. Over 1 in 8 women (17.6%) had beauty products worth in excess of £3,000 in the bathroom cupboard, and nearly one in five women (19.2%) had managed to stock-pile over 130 different beauty products in their cabinets. At the extreme end of the scale nearly 3% of women (2.9%) had over £5,000 worth of cosmetics all stored away in their bathroom cabinet. The survey also found that most women would clear out their cabinet once a year 65% but nearly one in eight admitted they only do it when they move house, and a quarter of women kept products in their cupboard that were up to three years old.

Words by Katy Pearson

New research from an online bathroom retailer has revealed that two thirds of Britons use technological gadgets whilst in the bath, despite the risks of water damage.

And 1 in 10 admitted to having damaged electronic goods by dropping them in the bath water accidently.



The study, conducted by www.UKBathrooms.com, polled 1,241 adults from around the UK as part of ongoing research into bathroom habits. The study asked, ‘Do you ever use technological equipment whilst in the bath tub?’ to which 67% said ‘yes’.

The survey then looked at the gadgets most commonly used in the bath.

The top 5, as revealed by the poll, was:

1. Smartphone- 71%
2. eReader - 54%
3. Tablet - 47%
4. iPod - 42%
5. Handheld games consoles - 31%
(respondents could select more than one answer if they used more than one gadget in the bath)

The most common bathtub activities involving gadgets, were:

1. Keeping up to date with social media - 57%
2. Speaking on the phone - 52%
3. Texting - 49%
4. Reading novels - 46%
5. Listening to music - 41%
6. Playing games - 38%
7. Watching videos - 33%
8. Keeping up to date with current affairs - 32%
9. Emailing - 29%
10. Skype/Facetime - 12%

Some 38% of people claimed they ‘became bored’ if they didn’t use gadgets in the bath, while 44% said that they spent longer in the bath due to using gadgets whilst having a soak, with 20 minutes being the average additional time spent in the tub for those using gadgets, compared to those that didn’t.

Words by Katy Pearson

More than a third of British women would rather lose weight than have a pay rise, says a new survey.

With summer holidays fast approaching it seems shedding pounds is more important than saving them for 35% of working women in the UK.

The poll by travel website HolidayPlace.co.uk asked British women if they would rather lose a stone in preparation for the beach or gain £1,000 on their annual salary. Despite the recession only 65% opted for the pay rise with the remainder saying they’d happily forgo the salary hike for the chance to possess the perfect bikini body like Kelly Brook’s.

And almost one in ten, eight per cent, said they would happily give up £1,000 of salary if it meant they were assured of losing a stone effortlessly.

Words by Katy Pearson

London Fire Brigade today issued a warning about ‘beauty blazes’, following a large house fire believed to have been caused by a hairdryer in Harrow this week.

New figures from the Brigade show that there is a ‘beauty blaze’ every fortnight in the capital, caused by items like hairdryers, straighteners, tongs, vanity mirrors, and bathroom candles.



Tom George, Acting Deputy Head of Community Safety at London Fire Brigade, said: "Firefighters in London attend at least one of these ‘beauty blazes’ every fortnight. Whether it’s candles used during a bath or straighteners used in the morning, people need to make sure they include fire safety in their beauty routines.

"Many of the straighteners available today can reach temperatures of over 200 degrees celsius, which is hotter than the oil in a deep fat fryer, so it’s vital that people take care.

"Candles are popular in the bathroom, but if they’re not placed on a heat proof surface, they can melt through your bath or toilet. This is especially important with tea lights, which get very hot on the bottom."

The fire in Harrow this week caused severe damage to the first floor of a terraced house. The blaze is believed to have been caused by a hairdryer which was left on a bed. It heated up the bedding which then caught fire, and quickly spread to the rest of the room. The fire comes just days after the Brigade published a photo of some burnt straighteners on its Facebook page, which went viral and has now been seen by 4.3 million people.

The facts

The LFB says 165 fires in the last five years have been caused by beauty habits. The most prolific cause of these ‘beauty blazes’ is candles used in the bathroom, which cause around two fires a week in London. Hairdryers, curling tongs, and hair straighteners have caused 17 fires in the last five years and shaving mirrors – which are angled to magnify people’s faces – were responsible for 33 fires. When in direct sunlight, the mirrors can magnify the sun’s rays, which can concentrate heat and ignite fabric (such as curtains and carpets) nearby. There was also once incident where a can of hairspray was left too near a candle, which caused it to heat up and explode.

Words by Katy Pearson

New research has revealed that 24% of men would like their partner to have cosmetic surgery in order to improve their looks.

When asked what surgical enhancement would most improve their partner’s looks Liposuction came top of the boys' wish list with 57%, followed by breast enlargement, 49%, and dental surgery, 42%.

And of the 1,248 men polled by VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, some 12% would tell their partner they thought cosmetic surgery would improve their looks.



Words by Katy Pearson

Spring is finally here and even though one of the longest winters is almost at its end few UK women will rejoice because it brings on their most hated springtime beauty chore - shaving their legs.

According to a new beauty poll by online beauty retailer Escentual.com, leg shaving comes top of a long list of most hated beauty chores with 35% of women despising this preening routine the most – and during a lifetime
British women spend 72 days doing this most hated task.

The average women spends four minutes removing the hair from their legs, six times a week which adds up to an incredible 21 hours every year. And now as the tights are put away as warmer spring weather approaches this weekend it’s going to be a necessary part of women’s weekly beauty regime all over again.

Escentual.com Beauty Editor Emma Leslie said: "Leg shaving was by far the most hated beauty chore for British women, but most women felt they could not go without doing it."

The second most detested beauty chore is hair styling, 17% said they hated having to do it but admitted spending 16 minutes every day teasing their locks into place which amounts to almost a year during their lifetime (294 days).

The third most hated beauty chore was plucking eyebrows (14%) which took 11 hours a year. Next was taking off make-up, which is hated so much by 6% of British women, that they simply refused to do it! The majority of women (68%) begrudgingly remove their make-up daily but two fifths remove their makeup twice a week at most.

Words by Katy Pearson

New research by an online independent travel agency has revealed a rise in the number of women using sunbeds, despite their dangers, in the run up to going abroad in order to achieve a ‘base tan’.

Sunshine.co.uk carried out the research as part of an ongoing study into the holiday preparations of people around the UK. More than 1,900 women from around the UK took part in the poll, all aged 21 and over.

When asked, ‘Have you ever used a sunbed to achieve a ‘base tan’ before going on a hot holiday abroad in the past?’ 19% of those taking part said ‘yes’.

These respondents were asked how many minutes they had used a sunbed for, in total, leading up to a holiday abroad; to which the average answer was ’30 minutes’.

When asked why they had wanted to build up a ‘base tan’ before going on holiday abroad, the majority, 62%, admitted that they didn’t want to appear ‘pale’ on their first day of the holiday, whilst 14% claimed that they thought it would prevent them from getting sunburn on holiday. 19% said a base tan helped them to get a darker tan when on holiday. All respondents were asked if they thought using a sunbed was dangerous, to which less than half, 43%, said ‘yes’. When asked if they had been sunburnt on their last holiday abroad, 77% of those taking part said that they had.

Chris Clarkson, co-founder of sunshine.co.uk, said: "Holidays shouldn’t be about getting a sun tan; they are about relaxing and spending time with family, friends or loved ones. There’re no two ways about it – using sunbeds is a dangerous habit and it’s something that should be avoided at all costs.

"So what if you look pale on a trip abroad. Holidaymakers should always put their health and safety before vanity."

Words by Katy Pearson

Some 59% of us would rather have cosmetic surgery to get a better body than eat healthily or exercise, reveals a new survey.

Online sport and exercise equipment retailers, Sweatband.com, surveyed more than 1,700 people on their attitudes towards cosmetic surgery.

The poll found women are more likely to consider cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance, making up just over half, 57%, of the respondents who claimed to prefer cosmetic surgery; compared to 43% of men.

When those who’d said they’d opt for cosmetic surgery were asked, ‘Why would you prefer to undergo cosmetic surgery rather than exercise and eat healthily?’ the majority, 62%, admitted that the ‘effort’ it took to exercise and eat well was a prohibitive factor, while 41% said they didn’t believe a healthy diet and exercise could ‘work for their body, from experience’, and 35% said they didn’t have the time to achieve their ideal body naturally.

According to the results of the study, the top 5 most desired cosmetic procedures amongst women are:

1. Liposuction – 78%
2. Tummy tuck – 65%
3. Breast implants – 43%
4. Breast lift – 39%
5. Bum implants – 17%

In contrast, the most desired cosmetic procedures amongst men are:

1. Liposuction – 68%
2. Breast reduction – 42%
3. Tummy tuck – 31%
4. Pectoral implants – 19%
5. Abdominal implants – 16%

Of the respondents, 26% said that they would consider themselves ‘regular exercisers’. Over a third, 35%, said that they believed they had a healthy diet.

Maz Darvish, CEO of Sweatband.com, said: "As you’d imagine, we entirely advocate a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise when it comes to improving your physique, but we wanted to see just how many people would consider surgery as a quick-fix means to achieving the body of their dreams.

"It appears that more needs to be done to counter the damage being done by members of the public constantly seeing cosmetic surgery as the easy option. Although it may help with confidence and outward appearance in the short term, only through a healthy lifestyle can you improve your fitness and ensure your body, particularly your heart and lungs, function as healthily as possible. The benefits of exercise in prolonging life and combating disease are very well documented, but this is lost on people who’d instead prefer to pay their way to a better body."

Words by Katy Pearson

French women look seven years younger than British women by the time they reach 40, says a new survey.

More than 80% of British women think that French women are the best preserved in the whole of Europe and that they age much more gracefully than us Brits.

In a survey commissioned by UK beauty retailer Escentual.com, British women judged their French counterparts to look seven years younger than them by the time they hit 40. And in the case of some famous French women it was more than seven years. Politician Segolene Royal, 59, was thought to be 12-years-younger at 47, and actress Catherine Deneuve, 69 was thought to be 10-years younger. French actress Audrey Tautou, who is 36 – they thought was 29. Actress Juliette Binoche, 48, was judged to be 41.

The vast majority of British women (89%) said the secret to French women’s youthful visage is their anti-ageing skin care regime. French ladies start using skin repair, anti-ageing creams and serums at least five years earlier than British women – 33% of French women start as early as 15, and by the age of 20, nearly two thirds of French women are using specialist anti-ageing French pharmacy brands like Avene, La Roche-Posay and Caudalie.

On our side of the English Channel women generally don’t start on their skin-care routine until the age of 25, and even then it’s only half of British women that would have a consistent regime of anti-ageing skincare.

Escentual.com skin-care expert Emma Leslie said: "British women tend to start using anti-ageing products when they start to see the first effects of ageing, which can be a bit too little too late. Whereas French women will often take preventative measures even when they are in their mid to late teens."

The French are by far the biggest spender on anti-ageing products in Europe – spending £1.9 billion on facial skincare in 2009, an average expenditure of £78-a-year for every female over 15 in France. British women spend less than half that (£854 million) which may go some way to explain the comparatively wrinkle-free French visage.

When British women were asked if French women’s increased expenditure had worked for them 90% said they thought it had, and 51% of that number said they would be happy to spend that much more if they could get the same results.