In Conversation with Margaret Dabbs

Happy weekend everyone! Nearly there, only one more weekend of lockdown, that is if they don't change their minds. How have you all been doing? I guess the one positive this time round is that kids are at school and their lives are relatively "normal" thus allowing parents to free up their time a little. 

December 2nd could not come round fast enough My roots are 2 cm grey so that has to be first on my to do list. Next is a pedicure but I'll get to that in a minute. A facial has to be up there too.  Throughout lockdown I've been trying harder to look after my skin and with minimal effort I can see some improvement.  Votary https://www.votary.co.uk coupled with Caroline Hirons book "Skincare", has completely transformed my skin care regime - if you haven't bought the book, do. It's a no-nonsense approach to skincare, and a great present idea for Christmas.

That pedicure I mentioned.... I am ashamed to admit but I could probably count on both hands the number of manicures I've had in my life. It might just have to be my first NY resolution to take more a little care of my hands. I can't stand nail polish on my hands - it makes me feel claustrophobic. I know I don't have to have polish to have a manicure but the point is I just don't take enough care of them. My feet on the other hand... Well... I have a pedicure almost every month  (sorry if that sounds smug)  and have done for as long as I can remember. I feel unclean if my feet are not in good shape. My discovery of Margaret Dabbs London was literally thrilling. Margaret is the Queen of hands, feet and legs and is a globally recognised brand specialising in medically credible, results driven products and treatments for hands and feet aimed at both men and women which will provide effective, long lasting anti-ageing results for these often neglected yet critical parts of the human body.

When I asked Margaret if she'd be happy to answer a few questions for my blog and she agreed I was so happy. Her products and treatments are life changing and I was thrilled to learn a little more about her. Over to you Margaret and THANK YOU!!!!!

How did you get into the industry Margaret?   

My father was very sick when I was at school, and out of the blue our family GP asked my father if I could meet her.  When I met her she asked me if I could cover reception at her surgery twice a week.  I was in the lower 6th form at this time, so approaching 17 years of age and  I had fortunately chosen Biology as one of my A levels. Working with the GP was amazing and I learnt so much during my time there.  I went on to do medical secretarial studies, then administration, worked with a couple of private surgeons and got into nursing/assisting from there, and then one day it occurred to me that I would love to study feet and that is what I did. Once seeing patients, I knew how I wanted my feet to look, and made a conscious shift in the way that footcare and Podiatry was being provided at that time.  I performed treatments that focussed on foot health and the associated conditions, but I ensured I not only left the feet pain free, but also left them looking perfect and years younger. The Common feedback I received was “it feels like I am walking on air and “my feet look 10 years younger”. At that time it became apparent to me that there were no products in the market which both treated the feet but also were pleasant to use, and so I sourced ingredients from around the world and formulated products using an aqueous cream base and specific ingredients to treat common foot conditions. I created formulations that smelt divine, felt wonderful on the feet but were also serious treatment remedies.  

I am a little feet obsessed and try to take care of my feet (very few Manicures I hasten to add) I get the feeling people prioritise hand care over feet care - can you tell us why it is so important to look after our feet?

I think that people have in the past focused more on manicures, but I think that was mostly because there really wasn't very much available in the way of result- driven pedicures. The thing that I hear more and more often is that often people would attend for a beauty pedicure and feel that their feet didn't look any different a couple of hours later, beyond the nail polish colour. I also think that people are very concerned with hygiene measures and are reluctant to have a foot treatment if they have concerns about the salon.  Studies show that just two in ten people consider their foot health regularly, which is all the more shocking when you consider that the average person walks about 115,000 miles in a lifetime – more than four times the circumference of the globe! Each foot takes 1.5 times your body weight while you walk and up to 5 times when running- in short, your feet work hard to keep you healthy, so it’s important to show them the same respect. I think that people underestimate how liberating it is to have feet that feel amazing and look great too. So many people don't know where to go or what to do to improve the condition of their feet. I think that it's only when the feet hurt that people really think about their feet, but there is a definite shift in the pattern here, and much like prevention in dentistry we are seeing patients who attend for monthly medical pedicure treatments which is very much a preventive measure as well as a treatment as people are beginning to understand how important their feet are. You can often hear me say, all the beauty products in the world won't help if your feet hurt, because the pain shows on your face!

What are your top 5 MDL products

Foot File https://www.margaretdabbs.co.uk/product/crystal-nail-file-mini/ Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion, Foot Hygiene Cream https://www.margaretdabbs.co.uk/product/foot-hygiene-cream/, Hand Lotion and Crystal file

 but I also want to add a sixth product to my list - the Firming Leg Serum https://www.margaretdabbs.co.uk/product/firming-leg-serum-600ml/ to my list as it is amazing.  To be honest I have more than 5 top MDL products and it is very difficult to stop at 6!

What is the one MDL product you could not live without?

The Intensive Hydrating Foot Lotion. https://www.margaretdabbs.co.uk/product/intensive-hydrating-foot-lotion-tube-75ml/ The first product I ever created and still my favourite product from the range. Keep it on your bedside table or beside your bed and your feet will be amazingly soft, hydrated and illuminated – I call it the ‘walking on air’ sensation that you get when you have a Margaret Dabbs London foot treatment.

Are there any nutritional supplements you would recommend to support strong hair and nails?   

Everyone should be taking vitamin D for its health benefits. General health has a bearing on the condition of your nails so I would always recommend a healthy diet and the use of a nail serum to treat, encourage growth and strengthen the nails, especially if they have been affected by illness or medication. https://victoriahealth.com/adults-chewable-vitamin-d3/

Tell us something about you that no one knows 

I am just launching a charity called Sole Potential;  a UK charity which provides underprivileged young people with new sports footwear giving them the opportunity to participate in sports and all the physical, social and emotional developmental benefits this brings.  I am really excited about it and have wanted to do this for a long time, and can’t wait to donate our first sports shoes which will be in time Christmas.

I also have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the Atlas Mountains, and run marathons including the marathon de Medoc in France (26 miles) in which you run around vineyards sampling the wine as you go – this is true!

Keep your eye on Instagram tomorrow morning as Margaret and I are running a competition. The prize is a Margaret Dabbs London  Home Pedicure Kit and a pair of RF Travel slippers. 

On another note, I want to tell you about "A Cooks Tour" https://www.acookstour.co.uk

Check it out. Last night I did Balinese Temples - they send all the ingredients and you can either cook yourself or tune in to their live cooking show and cook with the brilliant chefs. It was really fun but more than that utterly delicious. I'm done for risotto and truffle night in a few weeks.

Lastly a book recommendation - the reviews are outstanding and Douglas Stuart the author has just won the Booker Prize. The judging panel decision was unanimous. 

A writer who escaped a troubled Glasgow childhood to become a fashion designer in New York became the first British man to win the Booker Prize in almost ten years last night.

Douglas Stuart’s debut novel Shuggie Bain was the unanimous choice of the jury after an hour of deliberations. The novel explores a child’s attempts to care for his alcoholic mother in Glasgow during the 1980s. Stuart, 44, dedicated the book to his mother, who died of alcoholism when he was 16.

I'm starting it tomorrow and I literally cannot wait.

Take care everyone and I send you all a big virtual hug.

Rae xxxx