amazing faces-join our quiche and watch the years roll back!

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sorry for rubbish title, it's been a very long day!

Thought I would have a break from the Retin tonight and now about to put on LG for the first time.

Can someone link to where they got their retin A from please? Just incase my GP doesn't prescribe it for me for long and the seller I got it from stops selling it.

I have another question! I have really bad frown lines. I look permanently grumpy (years of anxiety) and I'm only 33. I don't want them to get worse, I know that only botox will fill them in now they're there. How can I stop them getting worse? are there massage/relaxation techniques to release the muscle or something? Clutching at straws?

So tonight was the first time I have attempted to put make up on since starting with this new regime. I can't believe the difference and have to keep checking in the mirror in case I've imagined it

I noticed as I was putting my bb cream on that my skin felt different and it seemed to go on so much better. Four hours later and I'm not cringing at the dried out flaky powdery mess my makeup normally turns into - I actually look better not worse with makeup on!

Yes I still have two stubborn cyst type spots on my chin but honestly I am amazed at the difference in my skin overall in such a short time.

My skin has always been very sensitive and dry / dehydrated and reacted to any exfoliating scrubs, oil cleansing etc but the it seems to be responding well to the daily clearasil pads. I don't think I've been exfoliating properly for years :( I am so glad I came across these threads but I do wish I could go back and pass this knowledge on to my 20 yr old self!

Ouch the LG stung a bit.

Mind you, I am starting to like that feeling.

Will attempt to use cotton wool and a mirror next time instead of fingers (clean) and no mirror.

I'm so happy for all of you who are seeing results, no matter how small. ISn't it's wonderful that we can have some control over the aging process and can look in the mirror and be pleased rather than be miserable?

I use Corn Silk powder and really like it although it can be a bit messy (but that might just be me!)
I think if you are very pale it might be a bit dark as it's not really translucent. Gives a lovely finish though and I find I don't need to touch up during the day.

Try No7 translucent powder then, that's nice too! I use the pressed one as my take everywhere one. Good size mirror in the compact and definitely good for crazy pale!!

I have ordered some for corn Silk!

Another lurker de-lurking and rejoicing in the improvement of my skin in the last few weeks that I've been reading and trying new things.

I'm 42 with combination skin - historically have had big pores and blackheads on nose/cheeks and hormonal spots on chin (charming), but just over the last couple of months have had cystic spot after cystic spot in quite new areas on my cheeks. The bastards have been so painful at times, completely resistant to any encouragement either to come to a head or go away, and have left red marks. I put these spots down to a mixture of work-related stress and winter weather.

My skin is - I hesitate to say transformed just yet, but definitely hugely improved. Regime involves a good number of products:

Decleor cleanser, toner, moisturiser
Clearasil rapid action pads
Hydraluron serum
LRP Effaclar Duo + and LRP Effaclar Mat
LRP Anthelios SPF 30 matte fluid
REN Clearcalm clay cleanser
Superdrug B Clean melting gel cleanser
M&S Pure Miracle Balm
Liquid Gold
REN Radiance Perfection serum
REN Resurfacing AHA Concentrate
LRP Redermic R (only just started using)
Balance Me Wonder eye cream

I really rate the two I've linked to - they are as cheap as can be (Superdrug is half price at the mo, about £3.50, and M&S balm is £9.50) and I find they feel really luxurious on the face. The gel cleanser is quite odd - you massage it in and it transforms into an oil as it warms up, it feels lovely. Clearasil I also think has been a miracle worker so far.

I have also just bought the LRP Anthelios compact, which is SPF combined with tinted makeup. I am hoping it will solve the eternal conundrum of how to protect my face on holiday without looking like an oil slick in every photo and/or have a full face of make up on. First try was really promising.

I'm very pale, bought some corn silk last week (satin not Matt) and it's perfect so don't let that put you off.

Hello, I am a quiche newbie. I posted another thread earlier asking for skincare help and someone pointed me here. After reading a lot of this thread, then also finding the one that spawned this one and reading that, I think I'm getting somewhere! Thanks to you all for your helpful chat!

I have very little in the way of skincare products which is why I posted earlier. I also currently have very little cash but I do have a limited amount of Advantage points. This is where I was thinking of going, I'd love advice.

I'm 30, and have sensitive skin. I think it might also be dry, but it might just be lack of care... m0gz your recent post sounds exactly like me when I put makeup on.

Cetaphil - to buy
Garnier micellar water - I have this already
Nip/Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Pads - to buy - these are the ones people keep mentioning, right?
Serum - I got some in a Glossybox a while ago, not sure what brand it is but it will do for now
Avene Antirougeurs Moisturiser, SPF20 - to buy - I have used this before and as a lot of moisturisers really hurt my face, thought it best to stick with what I know?

Those three products will pretty much clean out my Advantage points so what else do I need - I am guessing I need a night cream?

I woke up this morning wondering whether I need any makeup at all
With years of bad skin behind me, this is a miracle.
I've gotten it so wrong for yours. Skincare really comes first!
Thank you ladies!

Years not yours

I'm not really sure if a night cream is necessary for everyone. If you want more moisturising while you sleep and you're running out of points, maybe you'd like to try a little blue pot of Nivea. I started using it when I started using Retin A as my Olay Regenerist night cream was too stingy for my now-more-sensitive skin. I think of Nivea as being very bland but very moisturising.

You said that you're now getting these big cystic spots on your cheeks... have you been using anything that has silicone in it? Like the serum you got or have you been using a primer? Some people have a bad reaction to silicone in skin care and I've heard of them coming up in big cystic bumps like that. I've also heard the same about mineral powder foundation - although I'm not sure if that's a silicone thing or some other mineral.

I had to go to Boots to get some non-exciting stuff and while I was there I picked up some of the La Roche Poussey Tolerain cleanser. (Did I need it? Probably not. I already have Cetaphil for my second cleanse). And then I decided to try a face oil. L'Oreal has one but it is full of lavender and other smelly oils that I think some people can find irritating. Right next to it on the shelf was the No 7 Youthful oil and I thought those ingredients looked much better. There is a "perfume" towards the bottom of the list of ingredients but it seems more bland and benign overall.

I tried the oil last night, about a half hour after putting on my Retin A, and my face felt very velvety and nice. Much more so than when I use the Nivea. I'm pretty happy with it.

However, I have gotten a couple of those tiny little whiteheads in the past couple of days. Not proper spots, but those itty bitty white heads the size of the head of a pin that are easy to remove. I'm not sure what is bringing those out but they're very minor and don't cause real trouble.

Teladi, start simple, that is already plenty. Introduce new stuff one by one so if you react to something, you'll know what it is. Night creams invariably break me out in spots, so be careful with those.

Whiteheads are a sure sign that a cream is not right for my skin type, usually it meens that it is too rich and pore clogging. I have a bathroom cabinet half full of face creams that I use on my legs for this very reason. The Asian creams I've experimenting with don't do this at all, they are gel-like but hydrating. So skip moisturizer/ skin cream/ night cream for a few days and see whether there is a difference?

I've only gotten two of those tiny whiteheads and there's no redness or swelling associated with them, so I'm not really concerned... yet.

I partially started my new regime last night (still waiting on cleansers and new serum) including the free Clinique sample from In Style. My skin felt really refreshed by the nip fab pads and it was definitely much softer this morning. It hasn't felt dry at all either, which is unusual.

I know it will take a while for results to properly show, but even if it sorts out the dryness problem then it is a major improvement.

I'm all healed! Retin a night tonight.
I've worked out for the first month or so to use nothing but retin a. So just basic cleansers, cooling rosewater as a toner and tons of Nivea cold cream stuff. I love Nivea. It's cheap and it does the job.