Had my first " your skin looks amazing" comment-- THANK YOU Caroline Hirons!

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A colleague said this at work today, I was so chuffed.
I'm 47 and was looking not so good. This last month I have invested in serums, acids and what not have gone back to Caroline Hirons properly this time. I have been religiously cleaning and tending to my face AM and PM. I use a 30% glycol peel every couple of weeks and use tretinoin every 3 days.
I must say even I have noticed a difference, it has knocked years off me.
All blemishes gone, skin is ultra smooth, wrinkles reduced.
There is hope for us more (ahem) mature ladies!

Hello all and Caroline - I've read Caroline's advice and am following it mostly, I think! Double cleanse, gentle acid toner and good serum (plus moisturiser) but I have AWFUL pigmentation/melasma. I've tried peels (cosmelan) but they didn't do much. I've also tried hydroquinone and kilgman's cream. Does anybody have any idea what I should do other than wear factor 50 spf to stop it getting worse. Just had third baby and just turned 40... But the pigmentation didn't fade after baby number two and there's a five year gap between numbers two and three. Skin is generally dry/dehydrated and the pigmentation is under both eyes on the tops of the cheekbones and on the forehead. I have a few wrinkles but not too many given my age. It's the pigmentation that really ages me and means I 'need' to wear quite a bit of make-up every day, which I hate. Has anybody had success with 'products' or do I have to try laser?? I don't want to thin my skin further or leave it more prone to damage...

Hmm Bravura website has suddenly stopped responding. Wonder if it's getting a lot of traffic . There I was filling up my basket. There might be nothing left!

Oh my, I am starstruck! LOVE YOUR blog.

My skin is dreadful at the moment, stress, bereavement, young kids and stressful job etc. I admit i have no routine in place but really I must. My main concerns are lines (they are very bad), redness od cheeks (roseaca I believe), enlarged pores and dehydration. I just dont know where to start. I spend alot on products but as I have no routine it just makes no difference at all. I am a loss as to where to start? Any product recommendations for someone like me?
Xx

almondcakes, you can still get 30% GA from ebay sellers.

Oh man I'm so confused :( I just want to have nice skin, I need a cleanser and toner for now. Ive read so many threads and have lists and list of options but not the budget to try a bunch. On the plus side I threw away the rest of the facial wipes and have gone back to a proper cleanser and face cloth. I'm easily overwhelmed it appears!

EnormousDormouse, I'm on a budget month (apart from my Elemis cleanser and Neals Yard oil) and bought an Olay Total Effects acid toner (am guessing it is mild as it's 'only'Olay and it was â?¬2.99 In my Italian version of Superdrug)

Kiwi, I'd just deal with one thing at a time. I haven't got the budget to be buying a whole load of stuff either. I am just going to buy new toners/exfoliators (and I am buying for two people with totally different skin types so can justify more than one). The rest I am just using up old pots of sample sizes so I can stagger the cost over a few months.

A lot of people recommend the SuperDrug hot cloth cleanser and that is quite reasonably priced.

I've started this - double cleanse, acid toning etc and my skin is quietly thanking me.

I was feeling so brave that I went to the Trish McEvoy counter in Selfridges and had a mini make over and am now signed up for the workshop in May

Having had bad skin I have felt so embarrassed looking at make up and so my make up was stuck in about 1989.

Caroline - if you are still around, thank you so much. It affects how you interact with the world if you feel awkward about your skin and feeling just a bit more comfortable about my skin was a great boost. (I spent a bloody fortune though so my bank is slightly less grateful.)

Loving this and making notes of all the suggestions. Since coming into style and beauty I've been using Boots Botanics Rosehill oil every day and I've had lots of compliments!

Caroline, if you're still around I have very dry skin. Which acid toner would you use to get a glow back?

Also where can I get the first aid pads?

Thanks all

the Bravura night moisturiser gets massively good reviews. I love that there is GA in the moisturiser. Having just been over enthusiastic with my peel I think I need to play safe for a bit and stick with the lower strengths! It will take temptation out of my way.

I'm using Clinique Take The Day Off cleanser
Trish McEvoy exfoliating pad thingies.
Dr sebagh rose de vie (?) serum - that's probably not the right name but it's pretty, pink and smells gorgeous. I'm using up some mosturiser while I decide what to get next.
My shopping list for Monday is hydraluron from Indeed and a trip to Space nk for some zelens spf.

Ive been reading through Caroline's clinics on her blog and she consistently recommends Emma Hardie Morinaga cleansing balm, I've found it on M&S website 3 x 50ml for £36, usually its a single 100ml pot for £36

I'm also going to get the REN clarifying clay cleanser and the FAB radiance pads.

AM - use the REN product in the shower, then Olay Regenerist SPF 30 day cream

PM - Emma Hardier cleanser, FAB radiance pad, L'Oreal serum, maybe a moisturizer too not sure if the serum will be too much.

Omg Caroline Hirons is on this thread! I have been following your advice so my routine is now
AM
Cleanse with Emma Hardie moringa balm
Olay Regenerist moisturiser spf 30
Not sure if I should be using anything else in the morning

PM
Double cleanse with Emma Hardie moringa balm
Nip + Fab glycolic pads
Estee Lauder advance repair serum
Estee Lauder advance repair eye cream
No7 perfect and protect night moisturiser

It's only been a few days and trying to get my head round it all and what all the different products are for. This thread has been great lots of good advice.

REN do an AHA serum thingy that you use at night. Supposedly for two weeks then a break but I use it every night. It has done wonders with spots etc etc and means that I can use a fairly heavy duty oil or whatever to get all those goodies with turning into an oil slick. I really rate it, I guess it is a bit like using a strongish acid toner?

I have rosecae and had laser treatment 13 years ago and really need a re do. No pennies though and the above means my face is smooth enough to get away with a ton of foundation etc. Am 50 and need the wrinkle stiff as well and am playing with retinol, REN Oil, and have some Indeed to try.

Thanks for all the

Dormouse,.that's the retin A seller I used. Took about a month and came from Singapore rather than Thailand but hey ho.
The last lot of 30%GA was from an ebay seller called Beauty Belle.

Just ordered FAB radiance pads from Amazon and the heliocare spf. Thanks for the recommendations everyone.

Another caroline hirons fan here!

Can anyone help me understand what kind of acid toner is right for me? I have dry, slightly dehydrated skin, lines more visible than I'd like due to central heating etc making it even drier than usual. Other than that my skins good - spots only very rarely, no oiliness at all, small pores (apart from a few on my nose). I'd like to introduce an acid but not sure which is right?

Dormouse, I'm also disappointed that Bravura stopped doing the higher % peels. On the original peeling thread, someone recommended SR-Skincare - I use their salicylic peels and have been v happy with them and they still sell the higher % of all the acids.

Real shame as Bravura just looked more 'luxe' and less 'medicinal' - I was going to give them a try when I ran out but then they had stopped doing them

hey ho, just spent umpteen £££££'s at Bravura. Their stuff looks really good. I have also ordered the dermaflannel. That gets rave reviews. Ruth Crilly, who does a lot of stuff with Caroline H gave it a big thumbs up. I got a decent discount too, what with 60% of third toner and 10% off for subscribing to newsletters.
I really like the look of the mud cleanser, i can add that into the rotation with my merumaya which I adore and my cleansing oils.

Can anyone recommend a blog that deals with poorly skin? I really struggle with facial eczema and various other skin related woes, and would love to finally sort it out once and for all.

Sorry peeps. Got no sleep so dozIng - will check back tomorrow to answer what I can xx

I had a look at Caroline Hiron's blog but I am still confused; my skin looks shite but don't know what do do with it and haven'tt a clue re double cleansing, acid toners and ll the other stuff she talks about

Greasy t panel that feels tight if I wash my skin. the skin on the rest of my face is pale with some broken veins on my cheeks. It looks dull, and crepey and a bit coarse looking..loads of lines. I don't get spots and my skin can react on occasion, comin gout in hives if it doesn't like what I've put on my skin. At the minute I am using superdrug hot cloth cleanser and serum but am not particularly enamoured of it but it is cheap and I am skint

I am 51 and would be most grateful for a bit of help

gatekeeper, keep re reading until you get it!
It's not hard honest.
Look at the chest sheets.
Re read this thread as there is lots of help too.