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

[bigbuttons]

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!

Would anyone recommend Retin A for older skin,50ish and acne scarred! Would it help the appearance of the indentations? Thanks

Where can you buy pixiglow tonic? Can't find it on asos

Yes I would recommend retin A for older skin

I personally use my retin every other day. I cleanse and tone and the retin, nothing else. Some people like to oil/moisturise after but that should be at least an hour later. You can use liquid gold on the other nights, I have some but personally it doesn't seem to have an effect.

Thank you. Sick of my acne so I'm going to try it. I will take it very slowly.

wishes definitely. Do some reading up.on retin a. Tetrinoin is one if the only ingredients scientifically proven to actually reverse aging I think. Quick google bought up this but the internet it littered with articles and studies like these www.nytimes.com/2006/11/30/fashion/30skin.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

bigbuttons recipe was from skincaretalk another one of my favourite places for diy.www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/redirect.php?u=www.skincaretalk.com/t/9849/sheep-look-lactic-lotion

For anyone on a bit of a budget/who likes a bargain...can I suggest hunting through your local TK Maxx? Just been in to mine and spotted lots of good products very well reduced. Loads of nip/fab, Una Brennan, Emma Hardy, various oils - plus a lot of serums etc which were for older skins but definitely names I recognised from the blog.

Oh and some Illamasqua make up.

On phone. Apologies. Seems I can't type whilst feeding baby!

You are a star BB thanks for the help and this thread

Can I quickly check;
I got the Clearasil Ultra Rapid pads are these ok as just seen that baby mentioned the super fruits?

Sorry I don't know the difference

They're both salicylic acid based as far as I know so they're both OK.

I've just bought the retin a from frown's link! I'm still a bit confused about when it goes on. Is it cleanse, tone then retin a and nothing else on top?

Thanks Frowns

Can I be cheeky and ask also ask do I need retin and glycolic products on top of cleanser, Clearasil pads, oil, serum and moisturiser? What value do they add. Sorry to be thick, I have read all 21 pages and still not helping.

If so what products can I get that are

I've been using retin a for a year now and have only just started using it every night in the past 2 months. Start slowly using it once a week for a couple of weeks, then twice a week for a couple of weeks then 3 etc.
After cleansing wait at least 20 minutes before using the retin a. Have a night or two off if overly irritated. Slowly is the best way, trust me.

You could use Liquid gold on the nights off retin a, although I don't rate LG. it's full of alchohol and I think there are better, cheaper things available imho.

Thank you. Believe it or not I was prescribed Retin A for acne in my teens as part of a trial and renember strips of skin peeling off my face, not a good look for a 15 year old!

I'm your age awishes. Get it, use it wisely and believe me, you'll love it.
Slowly is the best way for the best results. You must use sunscreen every day though.

Thanks Sheree, have just ordered some. I never want to tan again after seeing what is has done over the years!!

Have a look at hot and flashy on youtube. She has a few retin a videos (for want of a better word), on there. Follow her advice as she's spot on. She's in her 50's too.

verystressedmum Please do some reading on your own before using it. Retin-a is very potent and can do more harm than good if you don't follow proper guidelines. At night cleanse, tone and then wait half an hour for your face to completely dry (any water on the skin means it absorbs better and can cause undue irritation) and then use a pea sized amount, dot it all over so you know you're spreading evenly.

The waiting for half hour after cleansing is a faff. I like to be able to get my routine out of the way. A year on I now do not wait, but I would advise you to. If you feel you need a moisturiser then wait another half hour or so before you put that on top.

Sunscreen is a must in the morning. This is very improtant. Because retin-a replaces older skin with fresh new cells, skin treated with it is more prone to sun damage. I use LRP Anthelios. I've used most brands and have settled on the Anthelios range. It has some of the highest PPD (persistent pigment darkening, I talked of my sun spots and pregnancy induced melasma earlier so I am very vigilant of this) ratings of all sunscreens.

You might go through the 'uglies', you might have sheets of flaky skin coming off, expect severe dryness. Eucerin 5% urea cream has been my saviour along with my aderma epitheliale cream. Only about £6 from boots but ah-mazing.

Start 3 times a week and gradually move upto every other night in a month and then every night a month after that perhaps. Listen to your skin. Slow it down some more if you have too much irritation. Bear with it, you will get used to it and it will be worth it.

rocksie someone more knowledgable will respond shortly hopefully.

You asked what value do they add. I googled hah! this articulates it in a way I never could.

If you have a budget then retin a, a decent sunscreen, and vitamin c serum is all you really need imo. If you diy the vit c, then easily possible to get all those for sub £15 as you wanted.

Thank you so much frowns. I'm a bit nervous about using it bit I really think my skin needs it. I thought I'd wait til the 1% retinol cream comes and use that first, it's not really the same thing but it may get my face used to it a bit more. I'll wait a long time after cleansing (shall I still use acid toner?) and I'm definitely buying sunscreen before I start using the retin a.
I read that you have to keep using retin a as your skin can look worse if you stop-do you think that's true?

Don't be nervous. Be armed with info and dive in. I personally wouldn't bother with the retinol cream and go straight to the prescription strength tubes. No point dilly dallying. You'll see results sooner. I believe retinols go through an added stage of processing until the skin can absorb it so actual tetrinoin products are better.

I don't bother with the toner at night. Might give you more irritation. Just cleanse, wait and apply your retinol/retin-a.

It won't look worse, but to continue the effects it does have to be a lifelong thing. After a while you'll go into maintenance mode anyhow, so only a few times a week. Then a tube will last you months.

I've been somewhat lacking in my skincare regime and luckily found this thread just as I had decided to do something about it. Hope you don't mind me joining in?

I have oily skin, I occasionally get a few spots but my main issues are blackheads, blocked pores, large pores etc. even though it is oily I think I may also have dehydrated skin too - the odd flaky patches, surprisingly usually where my skin is oiliest. Fine lines are starting to show around my eyes and frown lines are quite prominent.

So, Here is what I've used/bought so far
AM
Cleanser -Cetaphil
Toner - Clearsil/ Nip and Fab pads, although I'm considering Paula's Choice 2% BHA to avoid alcohol
Rosehip oil
The last bit of a cheap Olay serum but will replace with Olay Regenerist Regenerating serum.
SPF - Anthelios

PM
Same as above, but Blue Orchid oil instead (bought a while back but this thread has prompted me to get it out of the cupboard).

I'm on a tight budget but I know I'm missing a few steps here. I am also about to purchase 0.025% Retin A. Can I check, do I skip the toner on evenings I use the Retn A? Which stage do I use Vit C?

Oh, I have a mandelic peel from SR Skincare. I have used the salicylic one before but thought this may be more appropriate. Now rethinking it, the salicylic was great (I think it was combined with another acid, I just can't remember which). Do I proceed with the mandelic peel? Where do I fit this in? Do I need it if I use Retin A?

And the very last thing, can I take all of these, including peel and Retin A, up to the lower lash?

Thanks for the link frowns

You are clearly our retin queen! I certainly went through the uglies, but it was sooo worth it.I like the sound of the suncream. Will go and check it out1

verystressed your skin will look worse if you stop using any product won't it? Nothing gives a permenant effect, sadly