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?

[RubyReins]

I adored the old Body Shop of my teens - lots of fix it products and I loved their politics. It's crap now.

[rollonthesummer]

I've been very sadly researching Ponds Vanishing Cream and it seems that the main ingredient is Stearic Acid. I wonder if this can be found in another cream?

Why did they stop selling it over here, I wonder!?

[LoveVintage]

Great thread OP. Going retro is a great idea.

I started using Body Shop Elderflower Eye Gel again a couple of years ago, though I think it is possibly gloopier than I (vaguely) remember when I used it back in the 80's/90's.

I actually bought some Astral this weekend.

I loved the smell of Anne French Cleansing Milk, am going to buy some.

I used to buy bottles of Witch Hazel at Boots to use as a toner, so might try that again.

Laughing at Sun In. I used to have a boyfriend who used this so much his hair ended up orange.

[travailtotravel]

I went back to using Simple moisturiser. It is six quid - six quid I tell you - and is like magic potion on my skin. I have ditched my expensive potions habit and found that technique is more important than price in all these things!

[YourMaNoBraBackOfMyCar]

Ooh sun in. We had to refuse to do chemical treatments on anyone that used it when I was a hairdresser. HoneyDragon I am currently using steam cream but not really that thrilled with it. I don't like the smell and it has a yoghurt like texture. I'm only using it up so I can use the pretty tin afterwards. Thank god it was a gift. In my opinion the best moisturiser is johnsons ( the one with a glass jar and either pink or brown lid). It's on cheap smells for a £1 at the mo.

[HexBramble]

HoneyDragon, do you mind me asking which Nivea? Is it the flat navy tins of rich Nivea?

Also, can someone explain
To me what cold cream is??

And(sorry) what is ponds vanishing cream?

Am useless and have nothing to contribute. Sorry!

[HoneyDragonDoesNotGiveAShit]

Ponds vanishing cream, later known as Ponds total oil control, is a thicker cold cream which seems to magically eliminate oily areas and leave the skin matt. It was called Vanishing cream as unlike Cold creams it vanished into the skin

I use the thick Navy Nivea.



I thinking of getting some ten O six still

[Mandy2003]

This always comes up but the best shampoo ever was Vidal Sassoon in the maroon bottle and it smelled of marzipan. A bottle lasted ages cos we rationed it as it was such a luxury product

[UncrushedParsley]

I remember the Ponds Vanishing Cream. Think I used to use the lemon one

[HoneyDragonDoesNotGiveAShit]

This one?

[bouquetofpencils]

Body Shop banana shampoo, yes they did a tub if banana hair mask, basically pulped bananas, it was amazing, nothing has made my hair that soft since. Their camomile shampoo really did make your hair blonder, no need for dyes and they did a camomile hair dye in a sachet that was a blonde version of henna.
Would buy all of them tomorrow if I could.

[DameDoom]

I am sure the Vidal Sassoon was in a brown bottle in the 80's - it sure did exude opulence and class.
I stayed with some v posh family friends in 87 and they had...salon sizes... of actual Vidal Sassoon!!! I nearly fainted clean away from the sheer indulgence and Dynasty-style glamour of it.

[unlucky83]

A word of warning! About Methylisothiazolinone (MI). A newish preservative that is now being banned for causing skin allergies.

One person in a report I heard suddenly started having problems, went to skin specialists etc. She had used the same face cream for years so didn't connect it with having a burning, swollen face. Then found out they had started adding MI and I'm pretty sure the cream she used was Nivea...

(I've never had sensitive skin etc, started experiencing a burning face after a shower (thought it was my age ) heard about this and found it was in the new shampoo I was using. Stopped using it and the burning stopped - until I used some of DD1s face wash - which when I checked also contained it)

[SauceForTheGander]

Does anyone remember the facial scrabble from the body shop which you shock out like tiny stones, added some water and mixed in the palm of you hand and then tried to clean your face with it - it used to just drop off down the sink. I think I preserved with that product for years.

I've gone back to astral after decades years of overspending on eve Lom.

[williaminajetfighter]

What a lovely thread. I so remember 10-o-6 and how BLACK it could make a cotton ball. Ditto the highest number (3 or 4) of Clinique Toning Lotion. Talk about paint stripper!

I still have a thing for the original 1970s Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo as I used it all through my childhood - it had a lovely herby green smell that stayed in the hair. Today's version is just nothing like it at all.

Back then it's amazing to think that 'bath beads' were the height of sophistication, so I thought!

[SauceForTheGander]

Scrabble ? Scrub - you idiot phone

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

I was picturing teeny scrabble tiles!

[clippityclop]

Brilliant thread. Used to buy Anne French, in a bottle with a turquoise lid. I'd forgotten about 10-0-6, used to save my pocket money and buy a huge bottle. It was good stuff, hardly got spots at all in my early teens. Was there something else called Bon Belle? Shame Astral doesn't have sunscreen in it, would be perfect then.

[Legologgo]

I liked the idea of facial scrabble

[williaminajetfighter]

It was Bonnie Bell I think! Equally strong astringent!

[Ginformation]

Oho! Shaders and Toners! Brilliant! What with them, those sachets of henna you could get and later Sun In, it's a fricking miracle my hair still talks to me.

I am loving the retro skin care, but don't think I'll be revisiting the make up I wore Back In The Day. Sweet swizzle 17 lippy, or that yellow lipstick that colour changed to peach when you put it on. Coupled with blue eye shadow.

Is nice to remember Body Shop back when it was good. Not like now it has been bought by L'Oreal/Nestlé gits. Fuzzy peach anyone?

[Ginformation]

sauce was that the Japanese facial scrub granule thingy?

[Saurus72]

sauce Japanese washing grains, I loved them . Does anyone remember (Also from The Body Shop):

• the lovely soft pink, Angel Delight like strawberry shower gel? Amazing, so scrumptious
  
• Raspberry Ripple Bathing bubbles
  
• the orange bath oil, so beautiful
  
• they did a brilliant deep conditioner that was kind of pale orange and took hours to rinse out. I used to use Jojoba shampoo with it - white and smelled amazing.
  

And from Cosmetics To Go:

• Saucery chocolate bubble bath. There was a white chocolate orange version too, yum
  
• Honey Buns bubble bath
  
• Coco Loco coconu shower oil
  
• Turkish Delight rose body polish
  

I also remember buying Flex, smelled fabulous. Plus a Vaseline Intensive Care intense overnight body cream. Have known nothing else like it for making my bum and thighs super soft.

I was also in the no pain no gain school of thought for my teenage spotty skin. Biactol, Clearisil, the toner that smelled like nail polish remover. Seriously, how is my skin still on my face?!

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

The Vidal Sassoon that smelled of almonds was originally brown, then went maroon later.

My Mum, when I was about 13 I suppose, bought me for Christmas my first ever posh makeup and skin/haircare. A Mary Quant make up set, and the Vidal Sassoon shampoo and conditioner, and a nivea cleansing milk.

I also remember the Miners make up advert which seemed so glamorous. A woman had been to Woolworth's and bought a new lippy for a night out and it was so cheap she was going back for another one.

[CorrieDale]

Another Japanese washing grains fan here! It used to be a belting shop.