Fuck this shit. I've decided I'm going retro with my skin care.

[HoneyDragon]

It occurred to me the other day that I like Steam Cream because it's like a cold cream, but lighter.

I used cold cream (Nivea) every night throughout my teens and early twenties.

It's occurred to me that I've only ever adapted my skin care when stuffs been discontinued or because I've got older and you are supposed to change and you age.

In all honesty my skins no different to it was 15 years ago apart from the odd wrinkle.

I picked up some Nivea last week pm in pound,and and I had forgotten his much crap it gets off my face and how nice it leaves my skin.

So I thought back, and I've spent the last 10 years trying to find a cleanser as good as Himalaya cleansing milk, and non have been, not even close. Even Lancôme and Clarins. You could see the grime come off your skin, and it melted make up in seconds (stung the eyes though so used Nivea to remove eye up).

So I've ordered some on Ebay that is imported.

And ditto for Ponds Vanishing Cream. That was so good in the mornings that I could go without make up and it kept my shine free all day. And when I put make up no primer was required.

So I've sourced that too. Up till now never occurred to me to see if they were still been manufactured else where in the world.

I am happy and excited, and can't wait till they come

What other products were really brilliant that you just can't get in the UK anymore?

Well thanks to you Honeydragon I found Astral on Saturday and have used it since (only two days) and I keep stroking my lovely soft, glowy skin!
Now if only there was something to shrink the eyebags

anusol for eyebags

I bought atrixo and Nivea creme from tesco today on bogof.

For all you Astral fans.....Superdrug are doing it in a PINK tub!!!!!

And I am now double using the tin of nivea, as a hotcloth cleanser first, and then as a moisturiser. (given that the whole ethos of the hot cloth thing is not what cream/potion you use, but the exfoliating bit as you rub it off....)

5 days in, and feeling smooth and soft so far.

(am very chuffed that everyone is onto the Astral, I have been raving about it on here, under various user names for yeeeeears, sadly am in furrinland and forgot to buy me a tub at Christmas, so have to use tinned nivea, which is not quite as good IMO)

If you miss black cotton wool after using 10-0-6, Clinique toner (clarifying lotion?) has a sinilart effect! It's the only bit of the 3 steps I really like to use. You feel so clean.

Astral is the business. I've used it all my life, as has my mother and she has the most fabulous skin (and she's 70!). I have strayed off the Astral path a few times, seduced by pretty packaging and free samples but nothing is as good. And it works a treat on my 5-yo DD's dry skin on her hands.

And as for Atrixo - the guy who runs the yard I ride at swears by Atrixo, as his hands get little cuts on them from making up haynets (especially when the hay needs to be soaked).

My Superdrug didn't have the pink Astral! Boo!!! I have bought the lighter version as I think it will suit my skin better so I'm hoping to love it as much as some others on here. So far cleansing with Johnsons baby lotion is going well and it doesn't sting my sensitive skin which is fab as I can never tell what I'll be able to use and what will sting. So my new regime is cleansing morning and night with baby lotion and hot cloth, followed by Liz Earle toner as I love the smell, finished off with the light Astral.

Meant to say, I've used a hot cloth to take my make up off since I was about fourteen after I read in my mum's Best magazine that Barbara Daley suggested using a hot flannel to take off cleanser. Way before Liz Earle made it so popular!

Just come across this thread and would love to add to it. Products and make up I remember are:

Boots Gingham perfume
Boots 17 sweet sizzle lipstick
Hartnell In Love perfume
Miners Mulberry lipstick (wore it throughout the eighties)
Outdoor girl eyeshadow crayons in pink and blue
Lempak cleansing lotion
Delph cleanser and toner
Anne French cleanser
Three Wishes foam bath
Limara body spray
Dimension 2 in 1 shampoo
Henna treatment wax
Wella lemon shampoo
Flex shampoo and conditioner

There will be more but I can't think of them just now. I still use Body Shop white musk perfume, I think its the best there is and good value.

In the past there wasn't such a minefield of products like there are now. Shampoo and conditioner was just for dry, normal or greasy hair and that was it, skin care was just basic, no fancy serums and moisturisers with SPF (we didn't know what SPF was then!), we had no cleansing wipes either (how did we cope?)

I've gone a bit retro (for which read skinflint) lately - Aldi Lacura day cream, blue Nivea at night, DH's facewash.

Was in SpaceNK at start of week and scary manager complimented me on my lovely skin. I didn't have the front to tell her what I put on it...