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!

I brought a top up tube almond on the day i put the link up and I'm very much reacting. Made the mistake of putting the tiniest bit on my lids. A year on I can go upto the lower lash and outer corner but not my eyelids. Annoying.

Perhaps bump up to 0.05% soon if you're feeling brave.

I bought the 0.025% linked to earlier in the thread and although my skin hasn't peeled' it is very sensitive and reactive since. I used a pea sized amount on my cheeks forehead and chin and another on my neck Sunday night. Last night and this morning the burning started. My eye cream, serum, sun cream, even my foundation stings upon application. It doesn't last very long though. Maybe a minute or two at most.

I really hope my skin starts to tolerate it. My plan is to apply it once a week for a month and then increase it to twice a week for another month, then three times a week for the third month. Then increase the strength to the 0.05% and stay there three times a week. That's the long term plan. If my face stops stinging that is

Hi Everyone - I have a question and am hoping you skin care experts are the ones to help (well two questions really):

1. I have just received my first bottle of liquid gold after much debating with myself over the good and not so good reviews. Am i correct that to apply, double cleanse and then apply and then nothing on top, and do this three times a week. I currently sleep in the Body shop Bouncy Sleep mask results of which I am loving, thought the LG would just improve things
2. I am heading to the USA on a business trip but have a day to myself when I arrive. What skin care that is not available here would people recommend purchasing - I have check in luggage so size is not a problem - don't want to buy clothes, having just got my wardrobe finally organised and arranged do not want to mess up the "system" so just skin care options

thanks xoxo

My face just isn't dry at all and I am using acid in the mornings. No redness nothing. It better last!

I will take a pea up with me tonight.

hi all. I am 42 and have no skincare routine. if someone could bear to set out what I need to buy and do I would be externally grateful. I am in the US so that may dictate what I can buy.

I am completely hopeless and in awe of you all being so sorted!

Tiggy...

The basics of it are:

Double cleanse with a cleanser with no SLS in it.
Acid tone.
(non acid tone - although a lot of people seem to not be bothering with this.
serum
moisturiser
sun block

The things you need in it are - AHA and/or BHA acids, retinol, antioxidants - vitamins C, E, B3.

Can anyone suggest any acids or retinol that are a bit cheaper as I don't have a lot of spare money.

tiggy try watching some of the hot&flashy you tube vids as she uses US products

here is the evening routine one, she has a morning one as well

I watched her make up tutorial yesterday, bloody hell - she used about twenty products and as many brushes but it was very effective and natural looking, helps that she is stunningly beautiful without any makeup though

plum get thee to a Sephora, if I had known what I now know after this read and CH's blog I would have been like a kid in a sweet shop when we were in the States last year. I think some hard to get in the UK brands are things like Kate Somerville. You could check out CVS and Duane Reade online first to see what ranges they stock - both pharmacies - or perhaps Tiggy can advise seeing she is in the States?

Lex thanks muchly - will have a google!! xoxo

Frowns I feel your pain. I too have sensitive, reactive skin, in fact I look like this slightly flaky but mostly red after applying anything and a few bumps, in fact I was wondering if it's a little rosacea-ish. Clearly age has made my previously tough-as-old-boots skin rather more temperamental and my tbh I may have had mild undiagnosed rosaceabefore 'cos my nose has always had a tendency to glow Rudolph stylie.

Anyway, not to be deterred I have used this as an opportunity to buy yet more products, so have -wasted yet more cash-- invested in Avene antirouge mask and rich skin recovery cream to soothe my poor skin and some samples of LRP Rosaliac serum ( as recommended by Dr Sam Bunting)

I'm waiting for the mask and samples but had an emergency trip to Boots for the recovery cream ..and even that stings.

Sorry it was Coconut
I'm going to do once a week too, I got carried away and reapplied after 5 days.
My DD's derm suggested applying and then washing off after an hour the first few times (she had it for acne) could be worth considering with sensitive skin.

plum you are welcome (cannot actually believe I am able to contribute anything to a S&B thread) there's also the department stores ie Macys, Saks, Nordstrom - whereabouts will you be?

I cannot believe I wasted my Sephora trip, bought a bloody Clarisonic which has done nothing but make my chin all bumpy, a week of hot flannel has done more than 3 months of 'sonic' cleaning. They have loads of fab make up, Bobbi Brown etc. I did get some lovely Bare Minerals lipsticks in there though.

Lex, I am bowing to your superior knowledge!!1 Just been on the Sephora Website and I know where I will be a week on Sunday !!!!!!!! I am in down town Chicago - however due to the beauty of google maps and the Sephora website store locator, the is a branch about a 10 min walk from the hotel!!! Have created a "Love" list of products which I have no doubt I will add to over the next week, and then attempt to print out and go armed!!!! thanks and xoxo

plum my pleasure, sure you will have loads of fun and come back with some great goodies.

Made the mistake of skipping the clearasil pad this morning. My anti red moisturiser went all smeary and wouldn't absorb and I now have peeling skin yuk. I know its only been a couple of days but I have definitely seen an improvement (except when I skip things)

Madmog if it helps I'm using the clearasil pads from the pound shop (salicylic acid) and a glycolic peel from super drug £2.98.

frowns you are not supposed to put retin in your eyelids

For those of you confused/ worried about how you rskin is or isn't reacting to retin don't panic. Some never react, some are very sensitive. Non- reaction does not mean it isn't working. Retin is not an exfoliator like acids, although of course many will experience peeling as an initial reaction. Peeling is not why we use it. The aim is to get to a stage where your skin does not peel or become sensitive.
If you are getting sensitive skin then scale down the frequency, perhaps every third day. Take it slowly an give you r skin time to adjust. You can buffer the retin will an oil. I use my emu oil. This is much better for my skin. I get a little bit of flaking, but nothing that doesn't Slough of easily . Before I did this my skin came off in sheets. I use mine every other day. My plan is to move up to everyday with a buffer once any sensitivity is gone.
When my skin is happy with everyday I will reduce the buffer. The aim is to use everyday BUT it is my understanding that this is never possible for some. Be guided by your skin.
Skin will become sensitive when you start retin/acids because your have fresh skin. Products that normally don't bother you might start to.
I find it is the products with the most preservatives/added chemicals that cause me the most reaction. By using pure actives from home made serums I have significantly reduced any irritation. I won't put anything on my face unless I understand what is in it.

Sorry for essay!

frowns get metanium.. It's brilliant for irritated/burnt skin. It's the only thing my skin can tolerate if I've overdone it.

When you say 'buffer' do you mean something that's applied to your face after the retin application or mixed together with the retin and then applied?

We also need a new thread

I mix the retin and oil together in my palm 50/50. You could put a layer of oil over the skin and put the retin on top too.

I was in the US last weekend and the Sephora there is a cosmetic junkie's heaven. In particular, their mini/travel/trial size aisle is heavenly, lots of higher end brands for less so you can give new stuff a try without spending a lot of cash. And a fab returns policy - if you don't like it you can return it! We have Sephoras here in Italy as well but all the cool stuff I love is US-only. I also love drugstores, always come home from CVS with lots of fab new stuff. There is a lot of overlap with Boots though (n/a here, they don't ship a lot of things abroad) so make a list and compare online before you go. CVS have a lot of in-house private label stuff that is made by well-known brands but costs less, so worth giving those a try too.

I'm still testing the stuff I bought but so far loving Cerave PM, Neutrogena Clear Face sunscreen (it claims to be break-out free and after almost a week of daily use I believe this is true), Dr Jart Firming Sleeping Mask (feels like heaven and brightens my face) and Dr Jart Water-sure BB cream. The jury is still out on glycolic pads but you can get cool brands like First Aid Beauty and Dr Gross at Sephora, smaller and trial sizes too. Lots of the skincare there is new super intriguing brands not boring Clarins... Read Into The Gloss for a sneak peek, if you covet top shelf stuff, most of it is easily available there! Then there are other places that sell cheap high-quality stuff like NYX makeup. I could go on And I absolutely love the cute little tins of Badger Balm, I stock up whenever I'm at Whole Foods. Sorry about getting carried away, enjoy your day of shopping there!

De-lurking and swept up in the tide of sorting my skin out. Awful hyperpigmentation melasma and have been doing some at home 12% TCA peels which I think are slowly fading it but too afraid to try the 25%. I have been slowly switching to natural/non toxic type products lately.

I have sourced some Liquid Gold and just went a bit made at Feel Unique and bought the REN clarifying toner, Melvita Rose Extraordinary Water, Madara Eco Face Delicate Cleansing Milk and Melvita Milky Cleansing Oil. Looking forward to the routine, hopefully they will make a difference!

Have managed to find about 5 face clothes and some Liz Earle muslins stuffed away so have them all washed and ready to go too. I have some Retin-A left over from my last battle with melasma, but I'm still doing a couple of breastfeeds last thing at night and in the morning so I'll leave that for now.

Apple; I love madara products. They had a sale on their website last week with 40% off everything. Went a bit mad.

for Frugal - thanks lots - my list of things to check is awesome really should be working on the actual work reason for trip also want to get some of the toothbrushes that CH mentioned on her website that are from WHoleFoods too. Adds Wholefoods to the list of places to see, because it will be so much better than the one in Clapham!!!!

bigbuttons, you're our thread queen, we'll let you start us off again!

I think we should begin by all listing what we use, when we use it and if we are happy and would buy it again.
I am going to spend this weekend rereading this thread and making a shopping list.