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

[bigbuttons]

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

Hi everyone :)

I ordered a couple of the superdrug serum I've been using as they are on offer (2 for £3.50!!) and added a couple of other things to try.
Simply pure moisturiser - seems nice on the back of my hand but will try properly on the morning, seems to have ceramides in and no mineral oil that I can see.
Vit E toning spray, really like this :)
And Vit E Leave on moisture mask, it's like a pink version of the body shop sleep mask! Not sure how the ingredients stack up but it's £2.99 buy one get one half price at the moment.

Sorry ladies wrong thread - did not mean to spam! Hope you'll find a good one UntamedShrew!

I really like the acid exfoliation step and my skin has stayed clear and glowy. I've tried salicylic pads too found a jar of Noxzema from late 1990s at our summer home - still a lot of zing in them and they make my skin silky smooth. So even the really cheap ones seem to work really well!

Great link Wombat!

My beauty blog reading suggests that there are recommended waiting times between cleansing / applying AHAs etc, to ensure that your skin is at the correct PH to allow the active ingredients to work. What does everyone think about that? Sensible or utter bolleaux?

AHAs and BHA definitely need to be at the right pH to work properly - lots of products claim to have them in but if the product isn't the right pH it won't work.

After cleansing your skin's natural pH is disrupted and takes a while to return to normal and ideal conditions for your AHA/BHA.

Do I do this? Sometimes, in the evening when I just pop in and out of the bathroom doing one step at a time. Mostly not and never in the mornings.

Back it's the simply pure hydrating serum, white tube with a green lid.

Wombat - I use the salicylic from bravura and bought a 'pre peel toner' which they sell so you don't have to wait. Not sure if it's necessary but it wasn't expensive.

Talking of Body Shop, is there anything else particularly exciting/good at the Body Shop other than the Bouncy sleep mask? I know someone who sells Body Shop at Home so if I'm going to spend actual money on stuff rather than Advantage points i don't mind her getting her cut!

Well I bought the SR Skincare vitamin c serum and the 5% salicylic acid. When I get them I'll update on what they're like.

Wombat I've been puzzled about this too, here is a partial explanation. What has puzzled me is that aren't AHA/BHA products acidic themselves and won't that be enough. Anyway, on my sensitive skin acid pads seem to work super well without any prepping even though I use super alkaline soap (pHs generally 9-11) in the step before. Clear skin, no breakouts, optimal hydration and lots of glow. Maybe it's good and protective for my skin that the acids are partially neutralized.

Frugal your regime clearly works for you, which is fantastic, but the usual advice for sensitive skin, as in your link, would be to avoid highly alkaline products as they disrupt the acid mantle of your skin too much, so your skin is constantly having to repair itself back to acid.

AHA/BHA products aren't necessarily acidic, they are only acidic if the formulation is right. If you read reviews on Beautypedia, and CH sometimes mentions this, a lot of the praise or criticism of an acid product will be about it being the right or wrong pH.

Mostly, I don't wait, but I do make sure I only buy acid products that are the right pH in the first place.

Sorry for stupid question but what is the right ph and how do you know what it is - nip & fab eg?

Kundry I hope you don't mind me asking but do you think the Cerave PM would be ok for a normal/combination skin? I've not settled on a night cream yet but like the sound of it.

Hi everyone have been trying too keep up with these threads, but am getting a bit lost now, I am in my fifites, pretty smooth forehead but have, quite a lot of laughter lines, side of eyes/side of cheeks, am quite thin so dont have a lovely plump face skin, has been looking quite sallow & is greasy through t zone, have been using SD hot cleaner toning with clinque & estee lauder moisturiser, bought nip n fab glocilox pads last week & have a few spots on cheek/chin since using the, anyway what Iam trying too say in my longwinded way, is should I use pads am/pm & tone? What serum & retin a what & where would you advise getting from sorry for the epic post!!! Thank you.

Sorry forgot also using loreal micellar so double cleansing & since starting skin looking much cleaner & have a few brown age spots & they are fading already.

Help and advice pretty please :( rarely get spots but developed 2 little ones ( one above both eyes) which I very stupidy squeezed ! ) they look like cigarette burns now !! Concealer/foundation won't cover ,
I have got redermic r .. Is it safe to use on them or should I aviod this area and go round it ??
.... Seriously thinking of cutting in a fringe ..... Photo for your amusement ;) should change my name to four eyes !!!

Hmm, thank you Kundry Shop and Frugal for the PH advice. The Bravura toner sounds like a good idea because I haven't got time for faffing about waiting - and if the article that Frugal linked to is right, then it can take 14 hours for skin to return to the right ph after cleansing! Yet another product to add to the list

Itsalldramallama oh dear - if it's any consolation I have several that look like that around my chin and neck. I find LRP Effaclar duo really effective - look for products that contain niacinamide. I would definitely try Redermic R on it - especially if you have used it before and know that your skin won't react badly. Retinol is supposed to be good for acne isn't it?

Hi don'tcallme
I've been using the nip and fab pads am and pm , then loreal revitalist serum and a range of moisturiser ie youth code or revitalift/ Nivea (
Just redermic r pm ) double cleanse with botancics /Liz Earle first if wearing make up
Improvement in skin tone and lines ( except above spots , which really were there before but just more bumps until I squeezed :(
I did try to order Retin A from Geoffs pharmacy but it asked for date of birth with card details so I put a false one !! Bit wAry !! No confirmation email or card debited ??! Guess it didn't go through !' Others have had it from there though with no issues !

Thanks wombat :) ive used the redermic 3 days in a row and my skin seems ok withit ! Il try it on the offending spots :) ... Puts the scissors away .... I know I don't really suit a fringe ..,

I'm nosy, I'd like a separate thread to nose at people's products and routines
eg

AM
Single cleanse -
Acid toner –
Hydrating tone -
Serum/Oil –
Moisturise -
SPF -

PM:
Double cleanse –
Acid toner -
Liquid gold –
Serum/Oil –
Retinol –
Moisturise –

ilovetosleep you know it's the right pH either because you test it (a bit obsessive) or CH or Beautypedia say so

Shop Cerave pm is perfect for combination skin - ignore that it says dry skin on the bottle - as it's oil free and contains niacinamide which is anti-acne. It also has hyaluronic and masses of ceramides. It feels v light but is really moisturising.

itsalldramarama I just bung my Retin-A over any spots and it dries them up really quickly - so you should be fine with Redermic, as you say it is an acne treatment. The spots are getting fewer, hoping current one is my last I also bung lots of Vichy Hyaluspot on them during the day which seems to make them go faster too.

Tizwailor I'm really looking forward to seeing what people make of the Oz Naturals Vit C as it seems to have the same ingredients as the Skinceuticals which costs £££££, obvs it takes weeks to work so please keep us updated!

I keep flitting between here and the Korean thread and changing my min about things! Was about to buy the Mizon stuff and came back here to be reminded about Cerave PM which i think I need too!

So back to the PH, Neither of CH or Paula have tested Nip+Fab - have you?! Do they pass the test?

Thanks Kundry :) just tried it now ! A bit tingly but no redder !! Hoping it does the trick :) apart from that my skin is fab !! Can't believe the difference a few changes can make :)