Amazing faces quiche 2- hold onto your purse strings!

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New thread!

I've been using Cicaplast and it's lovely stuff, really soothing :)

Aqueous cream doesn't thin the skin!! Surely...?! You slap it all over tiny babies with eczema... If the eczema is really bad you can get prescribed a mild steroid cream that definitely does thin the skin so you can't use it all the time/for too long...

The National Eczema Society aren't fans of aqueous cream.

www.eczema.org/aqeous

Hello! Anyone around or are you all watching Eurovision?

I need to trawl through the previous thread soon.

I have bought Bravura Calendula toner which is 10% glycolic and 5% lactic acids. I used it this morning and my face looks smoother already! Pores and skin still congested but the smoothness is noticeable so am very impressed and thanks to Nabootique who recommended it.

However when I swiped the cotton wool pads over my face, there was still makeup coming off! After using Elemis Rehydrating Rosepetal cleanser, massaged on to skin with fingers and splashed off, twice. I don't like hot cloth cleansing, it gives me broken capillaries - is it the only option to cleanse thoroughly? I used to use Peaches and Clean which I think was definitely more thorough but I've never used toner before so not sure if that cleaned me properly either or should I remove makeup with something first?

Am on a budget so cleansing recommendations of a cheapo nature appreciated! I have some Cetaphil waiting for when I finish the Elemis, but some of you say that is no good for makeup removal either.

I don't wear eye makeup day to day, just bb cream or a light foundation and some cream blusher. I have dehydrated skin with some congestion.

Hi Coasting - I'd give a balm cleanser another go, I have sensitive skin but I really rate the Emma Hardie one. Ignore the old Eve Lom advice to have the water as hot as you can bear it and all that breathing through a hot muslin stuff - just massage it well and use warm water and a flannel to gently remove it. That shouldn't result in broken capillaries I hope.

I'm away for half term so I've had to really slim down the usual routine. Hylamide serum made the cut, I've been so impressed by it. I will write a post with what new additions to my routine I'm liking at some point, it'll be good to look back at it all as I must admit to trying rather a lot of new products as a result of the first thread!

Sorry just another thought Coasting - if you like your current cleanser you could just use a micellar water (I like bioderma Hyrdrabio / blue one) to shift the makeup and then your Elemis as a 2nd cleanse?

Coasting I just wear a light cc cream and found the same thing when I started, now I use the Emma Hardie balm followed by Micellar and it's rare that there's any make up left at the micellar stage. What really helps is to use the balm on dry skin and massage it in thoroughly before wiping it off with a warm flannel like Untamed said. At first I was using the balm after a splash of water and that wasn't as effective.

I'm struggling to find a serum for uneven skin tone that isn't as expensive as the Clinique smart serum I've just finished. I only bought it because I'd had a row with Dh, got in the car and couldn't think we're to go so stripped off to John Lewis which was still open and went to the Clinique counter with the joint account card, that was six weeks ago and all is well again so I can't justify it.

Love your reasoning Mrs guy :) cause another argument and go and treAt yourself ;)

Morning, Quiche-ers - I've been lurking here a long time but thought I'd wait to post until I was about to run out of most of my products - I'm due a serious restock and money is so tight, I don't want to get it wrong.

My current routine looks a little bit like this:
Cleanser: I'm coming to the end of a tube of the Superdrug Natural Radiance Hot Cloth Cleanser, which I've liked a lot (mainly because of its £2.98 price tag), but not as much as its predecessor, the No7 Beautiful Cleansing Balm for dry/very dry skin (my skin-type seems to be dry and prone to redness and itchy bumps on cheeks). I would love to get that again, but I can't really afford it, especially as I want to get two different types of cleanser so I can alternate.
I do happen to have a pot of Pond's cold cream in my drawer which I'm thinking of using as a hot cloth cleanse-type thing until pay-day. And of course, I'm considering the ubiquitous Cetaphil and maybe some of that Micellar water?
My skin has been a lot better since I've stopped using facial wipes and foaming cleansers, I am very grateful to you guys and Caroline Hirons for this revelation.

Toner: My favourite I've had so far has been the Nip/Fab glycolic pads, but again, they are a bit beyond budget at the mo. I've been alternating between a little green bottle of Simple for sensitive skin and a pore-refining one from Sanctuary, both of which I got as travel minis, to fill a stop-gap whilst I waited for the other things to run out. (Essentially my plan is to wait until pay-day and then go to Boots and get it all in one go and rack up some serious points on my Advantage card. I didn't have an Advantage card a few months ago. I completely blame you lot! ) Anyway! In an ideal world, I would go and get the N/F glycolic pads again as well as the N/F dragon's blood ones and alternate them, but right now I'm looking at the Clearasil ones - I am a bit confused to which ones everyone's talking about though, as I've seen two different types and neither of them were that cheap. I'm also worried I'm going to react to it - I probably wouldn't use it more than 2 - 3 times a week. I would also LOVE to get myself a lovely, spritzy hydrating toner of some sort, but I think that's just a pipe-dream for now, seeing as I should probably save some money for food and bills...grumbles

Moisturizer: I've currently got a small tube of Sanctuary day cream SPF15 on the go (another stop gap), and am coming to the bottom of a jar of Boots Botanics Radiant Youth night cream, which I've quite enjoyed using (smells lovely). No idea what to get next, I'm thinking of the Nivea day/night creams that have hyaluronic acid in them although am open to alternatives.

Other stuff: (nearly there, promise!) I've been using the Superdrug glycolic peel about once a week, which does seem to leave me slightly more smooth of face in the mornings. I also have a bottle of L'oreal Extraordinary facial oil which I don't use that much as if my skin has too much on it, it's prone to the dreaded itchy bumps of doom. I'm thinking of repurposing it for elsewhere on my body. The only other thing I do are masks although not these lovely sheet ones you're all talking about. No, I am in the realms of Montagne Jeneusse and the 3 for 2 Superdrug ones, which I expect someone will be along to tell me how bad they are for me. Are they better than nothing though? I also saw a snail gel mask in Holland & Barrett for £1.99 which I'm tempted to get. (My version of a treat. How sad.)

So anyway, there you have it. My face and all that goes on it! Sorry if this has been particularly long and tedious - if anybody has any recommendations at all, taking into account my abject poverty (I may have mentioned it before), I would be very happy to hear them!

Thanks MrsGuy and Untamed. I do like my Elemis Rosepetal cleanser but think it's not really cutting the mustard. Plus it is too expensive so if it doesn't even work...

How does this sound - Hirons but on a budget:

Cleanse:

Cleanse twice with Cetaphil and flannel (£12 for massive pump)

Acid tone:

Bravura Calendula Toner (£9 ish)

Serum / hydration:

SR skincare pure hyaluronic acid serum (£6)

Moisturiser:

Cetaphil £9 for massive pump)

?

Been to boots to re stock ... No nip and fab pads :( out of stock but I did get some Cetaphil at last ! Will try that tonight ! Used the retin a last night follows by a liberal application of Nivea !! Still no reaction :) but skin is looking really good ! Even my mum commented today :) wanted the oilatum repair cream but not in stock but I did get some oilatum junior cream for DS after reading about aqueous cream not being so good anymore !
Not sure whether to Retin A tonight or have a break ?? What do you think ?

Coasting I double cleanse with Cetaphil but it doesn't get my 1 extremely light layer of CC cream off. I'm going to try using micellar water beforehand.

Creak if you are looking for a hydrating spritz on a budget, I would recommend getting some rosewater or orange blossom water (sold at the supermarket or Middle Eastern shops) and mix 100 ml of that with half a teaspoon of glycerin - it will be better than most commercial "hydrating toners" that contain drying ingredients like alcohol.
If you want it to do even more, you can add half a teaspoon of pure aloe vera gel (this may make the liquid "thicker" and harder to spritz if you add too much). I also add a little bit of hyaluronic acid serum by Active Formulas (www.activeformulas.com/products/dermagen-with-hyaluronic-acid-natural-matrixyl).

Itsalldrama I say if it's a retin a night then stick with it, my skin has adapted better since I started to stick to every third night regardless of (mild) peeling, I think it wasn't getting a chance to adapt when I kept resting it.

Thanks Mrs guy . I have put it on and then after 20 mins used Nivea .. No stinging or any sensation .. Think I must have got my skin adapted to it by previously using redermic r !! So far so good :)

I've started on the retin-a and have applied it for the past two nights. Haven't had any reaction, not even a tingle. Is this okay?

Hope so ad I've used it the last two nights with no reaction but I think I have pre treated due to the redermic R or I have rhino hide ;) .. Mones 0.05 .. Hope my face isn't on the pillow in the morning ;) read that liberal moisturiser after is the key to no peeling ! So far so good

CrystalMcPistol Retin-a does not tingle, at least it never did on me.
I would start Retin-a a few times per week, or every other night, to help your skin adapt, rather than every night.

Sorry re eczema - stuff I've been smearing on isn't 'aqueous' cream at all... Prescription tubs of very simple 'emollients'. As you were - back to faces!

Does anybody have a view on whether I should start using retin A now, during the summer, to try to help with pigmentation (and wrinkles)? I use factor 50 every day but it's not a total block and I don't reapply every 2 hours. (Just at lunchtime although I do wear hats etc.) I thought I probably should wait until October although I'm v keen to get rid of it ASAP. It's definitely melasma and caused by pregnancy etc but never goes away. Baby number 3 is nearly 6 months but there's a 5 year gap between babies 2 and 3 and the melasma never went despite peels and serums etc... Thanks!!

Creak, don't know if you are also following Frugal's Korean skincare thread, it's kind of a mini quiche which sprang from the loins of this one, but loads of the Korean skincare (masks etc ) are ridiculously cheap.
I am coming to the end of my Elemis cleanser too, and am aiming to go budget for a while, just splurging on a serum.

Oh yes ladies, do pop over to the Asian skincare thread. Both of these threads are brilliant

DrankSangriaInThePark where do you buy the sheet masks? Ebay? are there any brands to look for?

Firstly, THANK YOU to the collective wisdom of this thread and the previous one.

I have been camping in a field for three days - very little hit cloth opportunities or anything else in terms of a skin care regime. My skin still looks far, far better than it used to.

I now have Bravura glycolic night moisturiser, which I love - my skin felt significantly smoother after one use. I also have Paula's choice 2% sacylic (sp?) which has made a big difference to my pores. I have been alternating them at night with no ill effects, although I always thought my skin was delicate - probably too much harsh scrubbing. I want to start using retin a (geoff's UK stuff, although it seems to have Hindi or Urdu script on it) - any opinions on how I should add this in? I could do a three day rotation?