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!

gerti keep the cleanser. It doesn't have the dreading drying sodium laurel sulphate type stuff in it. When you've finished it look at LRP physiological gel if you like a wash off one. Otherwise CH really likes Cliniques take the day off balm. I like the cream version of that too.

You need to cleanse twice in the evening if you wear spf or makeup. Once to remove that and then again with a creamier one and a flannel to clean your face.

After that add an acid tone if you want - I bought FAB radiance pads from Amazon but lots here like clearasil ones. After that a hydrating toner spritz to moisturise and then a moisturiser.

A separate spf is important if you're using acid toners. At night you can add a retinol. I'm a scaredy cat so I'm using LRP Redermic and I don't acid tone at night.

Hope that helped. :)

That wasn't clear was it? I forgot to say what I'm doing in what order

AM
Single cleanse
Acid tone
Hydrating tone
Moisturiser
Spf

PM
Double cleanse
Retin treatment - Redermic for me
Moisturiser. I use a night balm.

Others are using stronger products and vitamin c stuff but I'm starting with this so my face doesn't fall off - It's 51 and I really like it where it is ;)

After a quick dash to the sorting office I have my superdrug order (at last!) The serum feels lovely and isn't sat on my skin ready to ball up with my SPF and makeup. I shall be trying the solait face fluid shortly. It had good reviews on the sunscreen thread.

My routine will now be:

AM

Cetaphil face wash
Clearasil fruit pads
Super drug simply pure serum
Solait face fluid spf50

PM
Any non foaming face wash
Cetaphil face wash
On alternate nights: super drug glycolic peel, tretinoin 0.05%
Nivea blue pot before bed on top of tretinoin

My face hasn't fallen off just yet I am also going to try a diy vitamin c serum. Is there anything else I should add in to tackle the crackle effect forehead and red acne type scars?

I would also like to try another cleanser. I really like cetaphil but I know there has been some debate about its ingredients.

I like the new Nivea cleansing cream in Boots. The one for sensitive skin. It's really creamy and cleanses well and doesnt break the bank. Definitely worrh a try if you're looking for a cleanser. I also use Lush Ultrabland. Again cheap n cheerful and works a treat. I dont spend money on cleansers. They're on and they're off again.

My face is looking much better this morning. Smooth and clear. My neck is also recoverying yay!

Sounds good Gerti! Find a creamy or balm cleanser to use at night to double cleanse. You'll be gorgeous in no time!

Which Clearasil pads are you using? Someone mentioned Clearasil fruit pads, can't find anything like that. I am trying to take advantage of the extra points at Superdrug, so their stock might be limiting my choices. I can find
Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Pads
or
Clearasil Ultra 5 in 1 Pads
Hope links work!

YY to body shop camomile balm. CH seal of approval but flannel it off rather than just rinse to remove residue.

www.carolinehirons.com/2013/09/the-body-shop-up-their-game-camomile.html

Hydrating one looks ok. I have to go and do the gardening! Back later :)

Hi - hope you don't mind me jumping in too. I'm racing towards 39 (next month) and I've just discovered this section of MN. It's costing me a fortune. My skincare routine is worse now than it was 10 years ago but I've recently added Trilogy Rosehip Oil and Pixi Glow..

AM
Splash with water
Pixi Glow
Trilogy Rosehip Oil
CC Cream (usually Clinique, YSL or Garnier with SPF)

PM
Superdrug Hot Cloth Cleanser
Pixi Glow
Trilogy Rosehip Oil

I suffer with milia and used to get a lot of cystic spots on my chin/back - they are only controlled now because I take Marvelon.

My chest is my worst area (I sleep on my side and didn't use suncream when I was younger) but it's not horrendous. I don't have a lot of lines but I do have dark circles. I'd love something to target both of these quickly as I'm getting married next month...

Argh my skin is angry with me :( I have been doing the new routing for almost a fortnight now and the only new thing is the REN aha concentrate whih I used on Thursday night. I was fine at the time, fine the morning after, but last night after my usual nip and fab pads everything that went on afterwards really stung. And this mornings have two small red patches either side of my nose on my cheeks. They are only small and feel worse than they look but is it possible to have a delayed reaction like that? What should I do now? I have seen recommendations for calming creams on the old thread but I can't remember any of them... I stupidly ploughed on as normal this morning which I guess I shouldn't have. Can't really afford to buy anything else new and I have a hen party this afternoon so need to wear make up!

Hi Marmelade

If you were to tweak your routine up I would say

Firstly your routine should apply to your face, neck and decollete all the same.

am - you need a proper cleanser not a splash of water! A non-foaming one
Pixi Glow obvs is great
Rosehip Oil - loads of people swear by, personally I am with CH that after a certain age some rosehips aren't going to cut it and I want the proper chemicals
As you have milia and are in the run up to your wedding you may want to add a hydrating serum like Vichy Idealia or a spritz toner (CH has recently done a top 10)
CC cream may not be moisturising enough but may be fine but almost certainly isn't giving you enough SPF. As you already have sun damage you need a separate SPF 50 product

pm - CH would have you double cleanse
PixiGlow - you could mix things up with a different acid toner in the evening
Rosehip - same comments as the am, if you have pigmentation a Vit C Ferrulic serum would up the stakes a bit
Then you don't have a retinol which would be the best bit

Finally there isn't much you can do to change dark circles with product. Acid, retinol, Vit C, hydration will all help them look better but if they are dark they are dark. There may be some evidence for eye products with haloxyl (am planning to try SR SKincare's haloxyl serum) or Vit K in but concealer is your friend here

Lisa Eldridge and A Model Recommends have some great dark circles videos. I bought Benefit Erase Paste on Ruth Crilly's recommendation and the difference it makes under my usual Clinique Airbrush Concealer is amazing.

Twitchcoco how are you finding the Redermic retinol?

Kundry- thank you so much. This is so helpful

Off to research some of those (and the good news is, I already have erase paste)

Joining! I'm the one who posted about the super fruits pads on the last thread. CH recommends them over the normal not sure why though!

So I'm 30 with acne prone skin and big bags under eyes - had roaccutane treatment 7 years ago and was fab until I had DS 16 months ago and now have awful hormonal acne . Am still breastfeeding him which I think also doesn't help as my skin has just gone weird!

Any way my routine after being introduced to CH by my sister a couple of weeks ago is currently :
AM: cleanse with soap and glory peaches and clean or Emma hardie moringa or soap and glory ultimelt hot cloth
ACID TONE: pixi glow or super fruits pads
Refresh with Clinique moisture surge spray
EYE: vitamin e eye cream or body shop eye gel or Emma hardie eye cream ( I need recommendations for a good dark circles eye cream if anyone has any!)
Serum: currently soap and glory age one - I get all confused with serums so recommendations for this would be great too!
MOISTURISE: soap and glory or body shop vitamin e or organic surge day
SPF: one I got with liquid gold - factor 50

PM:
Double cleanse with Clinique take the day off or body shop camomile oil plus one of above
Acid tone : pixi or super fruits or FAB pads (also have nip and fab on order)
Serum : vitamin e serum in oil from body shop
Moisturise : body shop pomegranate night or vitamin e night or seaweed night or Nivea blue pot dependant on how dry I feel .

I think that's all the products I have . Am stuck under a sleeping toddler at the moment so can't head upstairs to check .

Oh I have liquid gold and do 3 x week . If I do it then I just cleanse then liquid gold .

Would like to add retin- a if its ok while breast feeding and a vitamin c serum .
I got lost going through the last thread so could I have the link for these please .
Also acid peel? - I only seem to be able to find 10% glycolic not 50?

Once you start looking into all this it seems to get so complicated! Before this it was just face washes in shower with whatever was handy!!

tartiflette super happy. Obviously no noticeable effects after a few days but my skin likes it. No redness, no dryness no tautness.

I've decided not to spend loads on an anti ageing moisturiser anymore. The Redermic and acid tone should be enough anti ageing. I'll look to my moisturiser to moisturise. Currently using Decleor hydrafloral which I like. It's pretty basic but I like it.

babyiwantabump congratulations on having DS!

I think Sam Bunting doesn't recommend retin-a when breastfeeding, or in fact any retinol So if you are still having acne probs you need to maximise everything else as much as possible.

To totally Sam Bunting your regime your cleanser should be non-foaming and non oily. She isn't into balm cleansers and will always go Cetaphil and LRP Physiological Cleasning Gel (both of which I love and make a lot of difference to my acne)

Moisturiser and serum and SPF need to be oil-free. Cerave is great as it has niacinamide in which is another anti-acne ingredient. In the morning you prob only need SPF not moisturiser as well.

If you are still having spots, doing that, and with your lovely acid toning, then you need to try benzoyl peroxide as well. Look at CH and Sam Bunting's youtube video together. You can get super cheap acid peels from SR SKincare on line (I started with their 10% once a week - the %s are lower for salicylic) but if you are doing Liquid Gold it's prob overkill to do both. If you are oily and getting blackheads you need Salicylic Acid (such as the Clearasil pads) more than glycolic (Liquid Gold).

Other than that, you would need to wait until not breastfeeding/pregnant anymore and add a retinol/retin-a. And if that doesn't work SB then says you need a prescription.

Finally I'll have to rewatch Lisa Eldridge's eye bags/dark circle videos but I clearly remember the upshot being there isn't any eye cream for dark circles remember this vividly as mine are terrible Lots of people advise there is no such thing as a special eye cream either

I have made my own Vitamin C serum. Vitamin C is actually extremely effective as a topical agent for the regeneration of collagen. However, it's chemically very unstable and loses potency with any exposure to air or light, as well as many other ingredients common in cosmetics. There are a few commercial formulations that have managed to stabilize it to some degree, but they are very expensive. So, making your own is actually preferable to anything you can buy. You mix powdered L-ascorbic acid with distilled water, maybe add some vegetable glycerine for thickness, and then store it in an amber bottle away from light. You need to make a new batch every week as even it won't keep for long. I have mine in a spray bottle, so it can be applied all over the body. It's very cheap to make so no need to worry about tossing it out and making a new batch.

There's an excellent Reddit discussion on how to make it and all the info you could want on it.

www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/1lfm47/diy_vitamin_c_serum_a_really_full_explanation/

I will be spraying this on my face and body after my morning shower.

Speaking of under eye circles - if you have actual hollows/bags under your eyes, tear trough fillers may be your answer. I think most fillers (lips, cheeks) look bizarre but tear troughs seem to be an exception - from what I've seen in before/after photos, they really make a massive difference and look fantastic.