AMA
I make beauty products for the big manufacturers AMA.
Photographsandsand · 19/12/2020 16:07
As a user of beauty products I was amazed when I started working here.
We don't generally do makeup, but hair, skin, body and bath care products. Including specialist skincare.
If you can think of a brand, whether that be high end or cheaper brands, we probably formulate, manufacture and sell it. With the exception of a small handful of independent brands.
AMA
Photographsandsand · 20/12/2020 13:53
grassisjeweled personally, I think exfoliation is useful, but not every day and don't spend a fortune on it. I'm not being patronising but there's a fine line between removing dead skin cells and removing layers of skin.
I do think that it depends on your age, I have naturally oily skin and when I was younger I had clogged pores. In those days using a gentle exfoliator two or three times a week would have been sensible.
As for body exfoliator I personally use it a few times a week. As I get older I find that the skin on my body is dryer, exfoliating then moisturising helps me.
Vaseline is great, but use sparingly because it can affect your lungs. Never put Vaseline in your nostrils or similar. The other problem with Vaseline is that it doesn't allow skin to 'breathe'.
Yohoheaveho · 20/12/2020 13:56
Vaseline is great, but use sparingly because it can affect your lungs
Thank you Photograph that's interesting, does this apply to other mineral oils?
my intuition has always been that it is better to use vegetable oils on your skin, and what you say about Vaseline suggests I may be right?
Photographsandsand · 20/12/2020 14:22
In view of the criticisms that have been levelled at me...
If you have given it any thought you will have worked out that Uni + 1st job (in medical research) + the role I recently left in cosmetics (over a decade) = I am in my 40s.
So I freely admit that I have been basing any personal tips, not only on my personal experience, my work experience and my academic knowledge but my age too.
It's absolutely true that coconut oil is non-comedogenic. It works wonders on my skin, although my skin is still oily I haven't experienced breakouts for years. So coconut oil is great for my face, even more so for my body.
As for coconut oil blocking drains; generally I wash it off in the bath, I use foam bath which contains detergent and then I will use a facial cleanser or shower gel on my body to remove it, which also contain detergents. Detergents generally break down oils (I say generally because there are exceptions to this). So my drains are fine, thanks for the concern about them though.
From now on I will emphasise any recommendations as personal, based on my knowledge and experience. If you are asking for advice giving me a vague idea of your age and skin type will help. And I cannot emphasise this enough I am not a dermatologist.
isthismylifenow · 20/12/2020 14:29
Hi Photograph.
From your experience, do you think there is a difference between a day, night and neck/ decollatage cream? And what makes eye cream different to other moisturizers as its always been drummed into us, never use moisturizers on your eyes. (or that could just been a clarins sales pitch?)
FatGirlShrinking · 20/12/2020 14:29
@Photographsandsand
I am losing weight from very big to middle sized right now but with that comes saggy skin. Based on your knowledge of chemistry and experience have you ever found any product that helps with tightening/toning skin. Particularly chin/neck and belly flab.
I don't expect any miracles but it will be a right bastard of a thing if I shift 100lb and can't do anything about the skin.
Photographsandsand · 20/12/2020 14:43
Hawkins001 I didn't generally work with makeup, our labs didn't. Though there is a cross over between say, a lip balm and a tinted lip balm.
Some makeup dupes are very good copies. As I said upthread, if manufacturers want to take the ingredients list of an expensive brand and try to synthesise that they can and do. With some real successes.
A word of warning though some countries don't have the same stringent ingredient controls that we do in the UK and wider EU. There are some ingredients in products that are questionable at best. I'm thinking of the cheap cosmetics on buying and selling sites. In short, please be careful be sure that you know exactly what you are buying.
Photographsandsand · 20/12/2020 14:58
TaraR2020 I will tell you which brands I use but I won't identify which ones were made by my former employer. Where I write about products I use myself I will clearly mark these as personal. What do you want to know about?
HotButteredRumPaPumPum to make products at home you need really scientific things like: a saucepan, a glass bowl to make a bain marie, brown glass dropper bottles, small funnels and small glass jugs.
It does depend which products you are trying to make.
Baking soda can be drying so use sparingly. I wouldn't recommend that it is used on hair unless you specifically want to strip out colour. Castile soap has lots of different formulations, it would depend which one you were using.
OctaviaOrange · 20/12/2020 14:59
I don't think you've had many detractors at all! Just me, pulling you up on a few things which just aren't correct.
You've put yourself on here as some sort of expert so I will say something when that expertise isn't quite right.
Coconut oil belongs in a wok, not on your face btw
Reearry · 20/12/2020 16:10
@Photographsandsand thanks for doing this AMA. I have a few questions. I am 35 years old and have sensitive dry skin. What retinoid product would you recommend? Do you recommend AHA/BHA? Can you recommend brands which would be ideal for my skin type? Also what products are worth the hype and worth purchasing?
SweetLoveOfCod · 20/12/2020 16:19
Also, do you thinking consumers are given enough information when they buy retinol products? I bought one last year which seemed to have rather an adverse effect on my skin (despite following all the precautions of spf 50, starting once a week, monitoring skin for dryness / peeling, etc.).
(I’ve just done a post about it here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4111479-To-think-retinol-aged-my-skin)
I am now very concerned at the way retinols are sold, marketed and talked about generally. The product I bought warned only of very superficial irritation such as redness, dryness, flaking. There are clearly far more profound risks to your skin which are never really mentioned. Is there going to be a wave of compensation payouts in a few years?
Photographsandsand · 20/12/2020 17:19
@SweetLoveOfCod
(I’ve just done a post about it here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4111479-To-think-retinol-aged-my-skin)
I am now very concerned at the way retinols are sold, marketed and talked about generally. The product I bought warned only of very superficial irritation such as redness, dryness, flaking. There are clearly far more profound risks to your skin which are never really mentioned. Is there going to be a wave of compensation payouts in a few years?
I have replied on your thread, I hope it helps.
Tavannach · 20/12/2020 17:42
Why does a thermal water spray like Avène seem ao much more effective than just patting cold water onto your face? Or am I am just believing because I'm paying for it?
Also, if you're using an oil should you use a serum and moisturiser with it, and in what order?
Spaghettibetty345 · 20/12/2020 18:48
@paraffinwax
I’ve been looking at coconut oil for hair and researching it. Some say it just coats the hair and doesn’t actually penetrate the hair shaft. But then I read online that coconut oil does. So I have no idea. I’ve watched YouTube videos as well where some have said it just sits in your hair. There are sealing oils and penetrating oils for hair. But there’s a lot of conflicting info online so I don’t know what’s true or not.
@OctaviaOrange
Coconut oil is known to be comedogenic but not everyone breaks out from it. It can be very good on your body skin. It’s also anti bacterial.
The OP doesn’t seem to be suggesting any products when people are asking which I find quite strange.....
OctaviaOrange · 20/12/2020 18:51
@Spaghettibetty345 oh I know that some people get on just fine with coconut oil.
My issue was that the OP doesn't seem as qualified as she was having people believe, that's all. So I just pulled out a couple of points to counteract
I work in the industry myself so I can see straightaway that some points were incorrect
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