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?

In the 90s there was a body lotion –Nivea I think –in a tall blue bottle. It had AHAs when the notion of 'gently exfoliating' the top layer from your skin was novel and exciting. I used to slap it on after using a body scrub in the shower and it miraculously smoothed all the lumpy pimply bits like backs of arms and underside of arse cheeks.

I tend to use non-animal-tested, smaller poncy boutique brands these days, but if that turned up in Superdrug again I'd be back on it like a shot. Anyone else remember it?

RipMacwinkle
I still buy the Boots cucmber toner - use it on my legs after epiladying, to close the pores and prevent ingrowing hairs. Very cheap lovely scent.

Atrixo is sold as hand cream, so moisturiser. I've never used it as a cleanser but wouldn't be surprised to find that you could.

I use Aqueous Cream sold in huge tubs for a couple of quid as a cleanser. It's fantastically effective and leaves your skin lovely and soft. If you have eczema it's what you wash with. Very, very good for washing your hands with if you have dermatitis or severely chapped hands.

Yes, Ben Goldacre points out that creams and perfumes cost about 5p to make, and the rest pays for the pretty box and the advertising campaigns and posh sciencey sounding words are bollocks.

I think I spent my teenage years smelling of poison perfume and tea tree oil.

So there are benefits to living in a country that is a little behind the times with some things

Many of the products you can no longer find we still have here in SA in abundance. Ponds has a huge range of products, even a BB cream. Oil of Olay as well. Flex shampoo and conditioner we can still get, as well as BuffPuffs, Clean and Clear and those blackhead strips. We also get a product called LemonLite which sounds like the lemony cold cream one of the posters was referring to. Lifebuoy soap always goes back in my IL"s cases when they've been over for a holiday...

I need to start sending some of this stuff out it seems. Ill trade anyone for a bottle of Alberto Balsam shampoo haha - the only shampoo I really loved, and sadly no where to be seen anymore.

I loved Flex shampoo and conditioner, ah the smell! It made my hair beautiful (in the days when I was a teenager and had lovely thick shiny hair!).

Came across The body shop white musk perfume which brought back memories, I am going to have to get some of that!

Yup, I'm having to buy from SA, India do the full Ponds and himalaya range too.

No idea why pond reduced their range do much here though

I remember the Nivea body lotion with AHA's. They did a blue bottle & a white bottle. One was for really dry skin.

You need to get yourselves to a Boyes shop.They still sell all the old fashioned lotions and potions,as do old fashioned independent chemists.[the sort that still sell plastic rain hoods so you don't ruin your shampoo and set.]

Megbeth, glad it's not just me! I wonder if it still exists anywhere.

I'm off to the nearest poundshop to track down some Revlon Flex. My boyfriend used it when I was 16 and I LOVED the smell, but it was a bit pricey for me in those days. How wonderful to find out that you can still get it.

I'm another fan of fierce skincare, and used 10-0-6 and Aapri apricot facial scrub in my youth. Amazon is calling....

Never did the White Musk in Body Shop - but loved the Apple Blossom. And also some camomile stuff which you mixed up into a jollop, smeared on your hair, then wrapped your head in cling film. Can't believe I had the time!

Noxema anyone?

Ten-O-Six... My mum used to keep a bottle of that in the kitchen for when my dad came in with oily hands after tinkering around in his garage. He'd wash his hands normally first, in the sink, then use the Ten-O-Six to get the residue off. It was AMAZING to watch.

I remember Ann French cleansing milk. When I turned thirteen, my mum bought me some and my own bag of cotton wool pads. I felt so grown up.

Does anyone else remember the tub of henna wax conditioner, in a tall white tub with black text? I love that stuff. I have some on my hair at the moment.

This stuff. I love it. I can't be the only fan. BodyCare stock it, for about £1.30.

I used to love the Body shop's pineapple face wash. It was in a smallish tub with a screw top lid and it was really smooth and creamy with a gorgeous smell. I also loved ananya perfume from the body shop, it smelled a bit like amarige de givenchy perfume. Also loved salon selectives for hair. I think they were vidal sasoon.

Anyone remember those Mud masks - they used to dry rock hard on your face. My dad used to make me laugh when it had dried and my whole face used to crack!

As well as White Musk, does anybody remember Dewberry in Body Shop?

Another Atrixo fan here! Best moisturizer ever

Ooh, I LOVED Noxzema. Never mind that it made me break out like crazy...it smelled so nice and was brilliant for shaving legs too.

Timotei and Pears shampoo were lovely (the Pears came in a bottle a bit like Lego, if I remember?).

Clarins used to make a green face mask with a lovely smell. Any Clarins salon would smell of it. It was a really good product and the replacement just not the same. Probably had some banned ingredient in it. No longer on sale unless anyone knows differently.

I used to use a Clarins alpine herbs cleanser which was green?

Mandy Ah Dewberry... And Fuzzy Peach! God I loved them. Right, I'm off to tape the charts, read Just Seventeen and cut out posters of Corey Haim and Christian Slater...

Johnson's baby lotion mousse. I loved it, such a treat for after a bath. I'm so sorry they discontinued it.

I also remember Naturel deodorant, it smelled manky but I think it was one of the first spray deodorants I had.

Tahitti shower gel in the cuboid container.

The Charlie perfumes and Exclamation. Bleurgh. I still like the smell of White Musk though I don't think I'd wear it now.

I still think of the Vaseline tubs as a new novelty product but thinking about it, we had them in secondary school twenty years ago

Exclamation perfume! "Make a statement without saying a word" - that's right isn't it? I worked on a perfume counter as a Saturday girl, that stuff made my eyes water!