Amazing faces quiche 2- hold onto your purse strings!

[bigbuttons]

New thread!

Hi everyone, just got back from holiday somewhere hot and just wanted to say that micellar water saved all our faces after wearing sun cream all day esp the DCs.
Do not use factor spf50 on anyone's faces as you will more than likely get dry excema type patches so just use on body and SPF 30 on face.

I had to buy new products out there and luckily they had eveline SPF 30 for face and it is truly wonderful stuff IMHO. The various aftersun I bought and tried there were also good but can highly recommend coppertone. Although all types of aftersun will sting after getting dry patches after using SPF 50 on face as will any cream you may try. ( my DS and DD can vouch for that)

The brand P20, P30 SPF factor by Riemann is amazing stuff, it's oil that sinks in nicely and stays on all day and you do not burn and it's waterproof.

My lrp cleanser worked a treat as I knew it would and bourjois CC cream is great stuff to even out skin after the first few days in the sun and it doubles up as a moisturiser.

I wish I'd taken my Clinique take the day off, ( although micellar water was a life saver), a selection of moisturisers and better conditioner for my hair to leave in whilst swimming in pool and sea all day.

beagele don't be silly! I'm happy to share what I am learning! To answer your question: yes it is best to wait 20 mins after washing for your skin's ph to return to normal levels. What you do next depends on the ph of your actives. C serum is usually lower ph than aha's and bha's. So apply your c serum, wait 20 then apply your acid and wait 30. After 30 the skin's ph rises again and stops the acid working. Then you're good to apply the rest of your non ph dependent products.
I hope that makes sense! If it doesn't keep asking until it's clear. I really don't mind!

Ah bigbuttons I think I understand a bit better. I don't have a vitamin C serum yet but was thinking of buying Una Brennan's Superfacialist Vitamin C Glow Boost, would that do as a starting point? I will eventually try and make my own but I'm not quite ready for that step yet .

So shoul my PM routine look like this (not enough time in the mornings for waiting between steps!):-

Double cleanse
Wait 20 mins
Una Brennan vitamin C serum
Wait 20 mins
Nip and Fab Glycolic Fix or Pixi Glow or PTR Unwrinkle Peel Pads
*Do Iwait 20 minutes here???
Spray hydrate
Eye cream
Vitamin E serum/or overnight oil or is this overkill?
Hylamide
Body Shop Bouncy Sleep MaskMask or other night time moisturiser

If/when I'm allowed to use Retin/Retinoid after my IPL where do I add that in? Is it better to start with something like LA Roche Posay Redermic rather than Tretinoin which sounds a bit hardcore. Bad nose to mouth lines making me look very old.

Sooooo many questions. I'm so pleased to have found this thread and the Asian beauty one, but also a bit sad because I wish I'd known all about this a good 10 years ago. In the last 2 years my face has really begun to show its age and it's really starting to upset me. I feel a bit daft now and ever so slightly tearful

beagle glad things are a bit clearer !

I'm afraid I don't know about the exact ph of the una Brennan product but I've done a little research on the ingredient list.
The form of vitamin c used in this product is not the same as the basic l ascorbic acid used in diy formulations. From what I have worked out it has a higher PH and it will not work as an exfoliant/acid in the same way as home made formulas. It can therefore be mixed in with your other products after the acid stage.
So you would wash, wait 20, acid tone, wait 30 and carry on.

Right, I do understand now bigbuttons, very much appreciated. I'll have a scroll back for your l-ascorbic recipe and read up on that. The Body Shop vitamin C face radiance powder mix is extortionate for a 10 day supply [shocked]

GERTI I was thinking of getting the Hylamide tomorrow which is why I included it in the routine to replace my probably-out-of-date tube of Hydraluron which I'm underwhelmed with.

So far no congestion and only the occasional spot. My skin type I would guess is normal but a little bit dry around my nose with wrinkles around my eyes, nose to mouth lines and no radiance.

I've only recently bought the vitamin E so i as I'm not getting any bad reactions I will continue to use that while researching the l-ascorbic.

beagle just a thought. The recipe I use is a tad more complicated than a basic serum made with LAA and glycerine. If you want to get started on a simple serum you can make one just with LAA and glycerine. You can make fresh batches weekly so that it is always potent.

bigbuttons I've just been reading the Reddit link from one of the earlier threads, it looks simple enough once you've bought the items (my Amazon basket is filling nicely). Do you test the pH levels, seems it needs to be 3.5?

I have very basic paper strips for testing. My c serum is on the low end of 3 high end of 2 I would say. Not very scientific, but gives me a rough idea that it's in the right zone!

bigbuttons is it still okay to use my vitamin E serums after my spray hydrate step? When you say you're C serum its doing another job at an earlier step in the routine, is it for collagen production, more than as a moisturising serum later in the routine?

(PS I have to tell you I have a button phobia and every time I say your name in my head as I'm typing I kind of do an involuntary shoulder twitch!!!)

beagle Think of it this way.;
Wash
Acid toners ( this includes many c serums, but not all)
Then you layer from LIGHTEST to HEAVIEST, so look at the texture of what you have. Start with the watery ones that do not contain any oils then work your way through to the thickest like cream moisturisers and oils. If you put a thicker layer on first then the thiner ones would not be able to penetrate past the oil barrier. If any serums are silicone based I would put these on later in the layering routine.

Sorry about your button thing! I keep meaning to change it but I can't think of anything else!

oh and my c serum is not a moisturiser. It is for brightening and skin turnover.

Ah, right, got it. I'd better keep the glycerine content really low so I can use it earlier on in the PM routine to keep it runnier than my E serum.

Thanks big see what I did there, no need to name change )

it doesn't matter with the c serum thickness wise. The c serum is an acid so will always go early in the routine. The glycerine hardly thickens it anyway, just adds a little humectant . My homemade serum also contains HA and Aloe and is quick thick, but it is not occlusive so doesn't block other products.
yes call me big

I understand completely now. Can't wait to get the ingredients and start making it up. I'll up-date on how I get on.

Such fab and comprehensive advice big, really appreciate it, you've been very patient with me . Thanks to GERTI too. I'm loving this thread!

Yeh!! My daughter said to me today. "You look really different today mum." How sweetheart?" " You look younger and some how cleaner." She genuinely looked amazed.

Thanks everyone, I have been following the thread and have worked at this for 6weeks. I have just started using the Bravura 15% Glycolic night treatment 2 days ago. I think this may have made the difference.

I thought that one of the points of acid toning was to lower your ph so that you can continue with your routine and other products are more effective. Is this wrong? (I'm knackered so not sure if that reads in an arsey way.)

Buttons or Kundry or anyone please will you look at my routine? My skin is looking good colour wise - sun spots seem to be fading and clearer - but it feels quite congested, bumpy and a bite sore. I've got 12 week old dc3 so I know I'm still hormonal.

I'm specifically not sure if I'm over acid toning or how often I should be or if I'm just getting it all wrong.

Am
Emma hardy amazing face
Clinique mild clarifying lotion (
Ren radiance perfecting serum (just finishing the bottle and then will ditch)
Murad essential c moisturising lotion

Pm
Nude nourishing oil
Emma hardy amazing face
FAB pads
Good genes or dr Dennis gross hydra pure vit c serum
Kate Somerville nourish

Is it too much vitamin c?

Finally ladies if I did liquid gold once a week and say good genes 3 times a week is it too much to also be using a stronger acid toner a few times a week too? I get how the daily routine works but a weekly routine is making my over tired brain ache.

I have some liquid gold. Did diddly squat for me. About at useful as water for acid toning!

digger sorry to sit on the fence a bit, but what is too much for your skin will be different to what is too much for my skin say.

I don't think you have too much vit c; the point of vit c serum is for it to act in the same way as an acid. That is because of the low PH it exfoliates and brightens the skin. If it is a moisturising cream it will not have a low ph and won't be acting as an acid. That is not to say your cream won't be good for your skin.

You are certainly not over- using the acids

My skin is quite tough, I acid tone twice every day with different acids. If your skin is congested it could be because some of the creams are too rich for your skin. I am no expert honestly. I know what works for me and that is some heavy duty acids and retin treatment followed by good serums and a bloody good SULWHASOO CREAM which has allowed my face to be really moisturised but not at all bogged down if that makes sense?

pugthug that's great news. Yes I agree with you; proper use of a good acid really does take things up a notch. I think it must allow your other products to penetrate better, they don't have to fight through loads of dead skin and oils and crud. A bit like trying to put lovely moisturising foot cream on tough leather- like feet. much better if you use a footer type product first!

I have just done a peel on my feet. Am very impressed.

Thanks bigbuttons yes it does make a difference. Ebay delivery today though, my Indian retin A 0.25 has arrived! Onwards and upwards. Think my 15% Glycolic has been trumped for the moment. .

Right, I've ordered everything I need to make a C serum (thanks big) and yesterday I purchased Hylamide Sub-Q.which has slotted in nicely in my routine just before I apply my Vitamin E serum.

I am now clock watching; waiting for my next IPL session on Friday to find out if I'm able to use retinol or Tretinoin while I'm having treatment for my sun/age spots. I probably ought to ask about the C serum too, just to be on the safe side.

I'm feel so impatient, I just want to get on with it and attack these bloody now-to-mouth wrinkles that are getting me down.