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Original poster

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

999 replies

bigbuttons · 14/04/2015 17:17

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!

OP posts:
Kundry · 26/04/2015 14:16

Ah, I hate the sun so it's no great hardship for me. When your skin is settled, if your main concern is pigmentation then you should add in the Vit C Ferrulic serum either with bigbuttons recipe or Hot and Flashy's serum which I am itching to buy but will wait as I have spent too much

Do you like the bioderma SPF? I've just bought Avon Anew SPF 50 on Ruth Crilly's recommendation. My skin is so much less oily on the Retin-A that my makeup looked like sand all over my face yesterday, all creased up and horrid. Even by the end of the day I was completely matte like a desert. So I'm slowly branching out of my oil free comfort zone and trying new things.

HenriettaBarnet · 26/04/2015 14:22

my skin is still oily unfortunately - that's my second thing I don't like about my skin (after the brown marks) only make up eases my oiliness. But I don't mind the bioderma - I have a similar skin to India Knight I think, olive and greasy and it's fine. I also have an spf in my tinted moisturiser. I do feel that I'm layering alot on my face though if I put suncream on top of tinted moisturiser which is already on top of normal moisturiser.

Are those serums linked to in this thread? (It's a long thread!). I'm also interested in the La Roche Posey Redermic stuff that someone else mentioned upthread.

TheWitchwithNoName · 26/04/2015 14:23

I just purchased a serum and the clearsil pads with the acid in them, now I've checked carefully I've managed to buy an eye serum! Can I use this all over my face or should I take it back and change it?

Kundry · 26/04/2015 14:32

Hi HenriettaBarnet - if your skin is oily you are probably right that it doesn't need so many layers of moisture on. Before I used the Retin-A I didn't use moisturiser in the morning at all, just the SPF. Dr Sam advises only using moisturiser if you think you need it and when I was oily, I mainly thought I didn't Smile

Redermic would be doing the same thing as your Skinceuticals 1.0 but the Skinceuticals is stronger.

If you have a Skinceuticals budget then their CE Ferrulic serum is the grand-daddy of the Vit C serum world. Otherwise you'll have to read the whole thread for Bigbuttons on Vit C or look up Hot and Flashy's youtube video on Vit C serums, which will give you some hope for the pigmentation too.

Kundry · 26/04/2015 14:34

TheWitch which eye serum did you buy? There's a strong argument that all eye serums and creams are just a way of making us buy 2 products instead of one as there isn't any special 'eye' ingredient. You prob can use it all over your face, the question is whether it will help your face or your eyes.

TheWitchwithNoName · 26/04/2015 14:36

Hi Kundry,

It's the Botanics hydrating eye serum, triple age renewal. It has vitamins A, C & E which drew my eye. Must read the packs moren carefully!

Kundry · 26/04/2015 14:38

So proper ingredients, it would be up to you whether you take it back for a face serum or use it up but it sounds a good one.

Original poster
bigbuttons · 26/04/2015 14:39

I'm happy to repost recipe if anyone wants it.

mrsguy I have had success using my 0.1% retin with a bit of emu oil. Using it neat my whole face peeled off, now there is just the tiniest bit of flake. Once your peeling has gone(it won't take long) try adding a little oil mixed up in the palm off our hand.

kundry this thread has kept your busy. There are a lot of grateful ladies out there ( and grateful shops Wink)

OP posts:
TheWitchwithNoName · 26/04/2015 14:40

That's what I was thinking, it has what I wanted in it and want very expensive, I think I'll just use it all over. Many thanks, this fred has been a real eye opener.

Sallystyle · 26/04/2015 14:52

Verystressedmum it;s called Treclin. It has 0.025% tretinoin/ retin and 1% clindamycin.

Sallystyle · 26/04/2015 14:55

I have my acid pads all sitting here and my liquid gold but now I can't use them Grin I don't want to over do it.

MrsGuyGarvey · 26/04/2015 15:00

Thank you kindly and big buttons - consider me a lesson to you everyone trying retin a for the first time. Don't be impatient.

Where can you get the Cerave in the UK - I see Hot and Flashy recommends it too.

CoconutAmericano · 26/04/2015 15:06

My 0.025% Tretinoin has arrived. I am so tempted to use it tonight but im trying to hang on until Tuesady because I'm off work then for the week so if I end up looking like Freddy Kruger I won't frighten as many people Grin

m0gz · 26/04/2015 15:53

I'm delurking to say a big thank you for this thread and all the great advice everyone has posted. Could I ask for some product advice please?

I'm late thirties and have always had horrible skin :( I have lovely sebaceous filaments on my nose, a spot prone chin and lovely red patches / thread veins on my cheeks. Add in flaky dry patches and you can see why most days I want a paper bag over my head rather than attempt putting on any form of makeup. I am trying to carefully pick out some products to try but I have to do it on a budget due to my mn induced overspend on low carbing and a yarn addiction! Not to mention a nasty habit of buying things posted about in style and beauty Blush hibiscrub being one of them Blush

So today I have purchased cetaphil with my boots points and I have the clearasil pads from the £1 shop. I have been using an old tube of tretinoin gel 0.05 in the evenings (probably purchased the last time I read about it in here!) I was hoping to get the superdrug serum to try but they did not have it and then I had product overload trying to fathom which SPF to get in boots.

Moisturisers I have are simple, nivea blue pot or synchrorose intensive with SPF 15.

Due to my budget restrictions, I am wondering if I should try a diy vit c serum? Also, are there any of the boots own SPF 50 creams worth trying? I also have a bottle of synchrorose cleanser I have just opened and a super drug overnight glycolic peel - do I ditch them or try and incorporate them into the new routine?

And last of all is there anything else I need to buy? Thanks :)

m0gz · 26/04/2015 15:56

MrsGuyGarvey I think I have seen cerave on amazon.

Kundry · 26/04/2015 16:10

MrsGuyGarvey I get my Cerave from Amazon or eBay. I use the night one in the pump bottle - it says dry skin but ignore that, it's oil free and suits everyone Smile

[m0gz] how do you get on with the Nivea blue pot? I found it was really moisturising but my spotty bits got spottier as it was so oily. I only use it for travel now when I take a tiny pot and just use it at night as it makes me look so greasy.

Looking at what you have you could alternate the Cetaphil and the cleanser you already have, add the Clearasil pads in the morning, diy the Vit C, use up the moisturiser you have (am off to google budget moisturiser) and use the overnight peel at night. Which would be perfect for a Caroline Hirons routine as you are using 2 different types of acid.

Kundry · 26/04/2015 16:22

Have just remembered that moisturiser is supposed to be the cheapest step as you've done all the hard work with the cleanser, acid, serum, retinol already.

I think I would carry on with what you have and when the Nivea runs out, consider if you want to just repurchase or switch to something oil-free if you still feel a bit too oily - Superdrug website is not helping as it doesn't list ingredients but you have something like Clean & Clear moisturiser which is £3.59 and oil-free with a bit of salicylic acid in.

I haven't used the Boots high SPF but have used Nivea SPF 30 Face and found it rolled terribly.

m0gz · 26/04/2015 16:30

Thanks kundry. I don't use a lot of moisturiser as although my skin feels dry and is sometimes flaky, I find most moisturisers clog up my skin and add to the spot problem. I also find a lot of them do nothing for the dryness as they don't 'sink' in and tend to sit on my skin and then pil if I try and add anything after.

The nivea was on offer and I had read about it on here (spotting a trend yet?!) Im only using it every now and again and mainly on my cheeks and forehead but I can't see how I will be able to use this and a suncream due to it taking ages to absorb properly.

Would it be safe to skip the moisturiser in the morning? I'm thinking of trying cetaphil, clearsil, serum, and then sun screen or I will never get to work in the morning. When I get home I could use the synchrorose cleanser and then use the tretinoin and glycolic peel on alternate nights. On the nights I use the tretinoin I could then try some nivea before bed?

Kundry · 26/04/2015 16:47

My skin sounds quite similar to yours, oily T zone with spots and dry cheeks. Your plan sounds excellent to me.

I usually find I don't add a moisturiser in the mornings.

If you look for oil-free moisturisers they may not clog you up as much. I have a love hate relationship with the Nivea (also bought after recommendation on here, as is most of my stuff too). I can see why people rave about it, it just isn't quite right for me.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 26/04/2015 16:49

Astral blue pot is basically the same as Nivea blue pot but less gloopy and sinks in better I find.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 26/04/2015 17:13

Yes, agree with Sangria re. Astral and Nivea, I prefer Astral. I like the smell of Nivea more though.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 26/04/2015 17:16

I've switched to sunscreen before serum/moisturiser now, so in order to space things out a bit it's as follows in the morning:

Hot cloth cleanser in shower
Clearasil pad on nose and chin in bedroom
Ultrasun
Deodorant and underwear on
Serum
Brush hair
Moisturiser
Finish dressing
Make-up

squoosh · 26/04/2015 17:19

Doesn't putting the sunscreen on first just means it gets more diluted and less efficient than putting it on at the end of the routine?

m0gz · 26/04/2015 17:24

Just tried the cetaphil (feels lovely) and a clearasil pad - stings like something that should not be on my face! I'm off to raid my stash cupboard as I'm sure I have some oil free nivea somewhere.

Astral is now on the shopping list Grin

I have some amazon vouchers to use so I'm looking at SPF on there but I wondered if any of the l ascorbic acid on there would be good for the vit c serum?

SomeSortOfDeliciousBiscuit · 26/04/2015 17:40

Thank you very much, Kundry. I've been ill the past few days so this is the first chance I've had to check the thread. Funnily enough, I've been feeling too rubbish for doing anything other than a quick wash with Cetaphil and then using the Effaclar and just those two have already started to make a difference. I'll carry on and see what happens.

I probably do need a prescription as I have acne all over my shoulders, but there's sod all I can do about that while I'm pregnant. My GP even told me to avoid benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid, but he is of the 'USE NOTHING EVER WHEN PREGNANT' school of thinking.