Acid toners

[ephemeralfairy]

I'm sure this has been done before but search keeps timing out for me on here today so apologies! Any recommendations?
Is Pixi Glow true to the hype? Or the Nip+fab pads?
I have weird skin, dry flaky patches on cheeks and chin, oily forehead, some hormonal spots, occasional bouts of cystic acne.

Fanks!

Thanks Lumpy. I've never heard of the first two you linked to, might have to try them!

Sign up for the Oz vip programme, they let you pick what you want to try for free then they give you a code which you use at the checkout on Amazon.

After you have reviewed it you get to try something else, I'm trialling their retinol cream now.

If you use Vit C get a ph friendly toner and apply that prior to the serum, the serum only works at a low ph level. I use Mizon Aha / Bha toner, then bang the serum on and let it work for about 20 minutes before hydrating.

I'm 4 months in to my new routine and my skin is firmer, fine lines have gone or lessened and the overall quality of my skin is amazing. There is a stack of research to support Vitamin C too. It works well combined with Vitamin E, they help each other out so both are more effective when applied together.

The first company I linked to is great, I have a few of their products and they are all super quality and beautifully packaged.

Thanks lumpy, the vitamin C toners you've linked to look good too - I'm a bit of a hippy and like anything organic / no parabens etc.

Top tips Lumpy! I've been really into my retin/Vitamin A but know that Vitamin C is another big hitter so need to expand my usage of that.

I'll definitely sign up with Oz and also get that PH toner. I'd been looking at the Mizon toner on ebay since reading about the importance of the skin's PH levels.

Yep, Retin A is amazing and works well alongside Vitamin C. It's worth letting the C work for a while first before adding other ingredients as the other ingredients up the ph level and the Vitamin C stops working.

I'm also a huge fan of Niacinamide and Hyaluronic acid, and I have the Mizon Snail Recovery Gel and that is wonderful. It acts as an occlusive and seals all the moisture in.

So do you alternate, Vitamin C serum one night and retin a the next?

I have the Mizon Snail Gel but wasn't wowed by it, might give it another whirl.

The snail gel does the job of an occlusive, which is exactly what I wanted it for. I use the C serum morning and night, and I'm using the Retin A cream morning and night.

I always follow these steps,

Cleanse - double cleanse evening / Konjac sponge with a cleanser in the morning.

Actives - ingredients that do something, Vit C etc

Hydrators - moisturizers

Occlusive - snail gel morning / rosehip oil at night

Treatments - suncream etc

So, this morning I used a C cleanser with a Konjac sponge, a swipe of Mizon toner then my C serum. Later I used a Hyaluronic serum, then the Retin Moisturiser, touch of snail gel and some sun cream. Not that it was sunny but I use it every day I go out.

I have been following an Asian Beauty routine for months now and seeing brilliant results, plus it's something I enjoy.

I vary my steps and will use Niacinamide serum at night instead of C serum and I alternate my moisturiser too, according to my needs or just because I like to use different products.

Ah I've been using a moisturiser with niacinamide and thought that was enough. Never thought of using a niacinamide serum also.

I've been following an Asian-ish routine at night time (cleanser, sometimes a sheet mask, serum, oil, retin a) but might start adding the steps to my morning routine too. At the moment it's pretty paltry.

Thanks for all the info.

I like a serum or an essence that is full of the ingredient that I want. I'd rather layer that up than have one cream that has everything in. It just means I get more pretty bottles and I get to feel like a chemist as they all have glass droppers!

Using Niacinamide and Vitamin C together can clash and cause flushing so I tend to use one or 'tother. I've just double cleansed and used a sheet mask, then Niacinamide serum, Hyaluronic moisturiser and my snail gel, I'll slap on some Rosehip oil before I go to bed.

If you go to the skinpep site I linked to they send a really good freebie pack, you just pay postage. I got some 15% C serum, Hyaluronic gel, factor 30 suncream, a mask and a stack of smaller sachets of eye cream etc.

Lumpy, you are a skincare goddess!

I will be taking the advice you gave Suffplk as my skin is as dry as a bone, flakey, prone to spots on my chin at times.

Can you tell me what cleanser, toner and hyaluronic serum you use please to get me started?

Sorry for the hijack OP!

Furry, have you tried double cleansing, that really improves skin.

I am using this Vitamin C cleanser at the mo, but I have a stack. I only need it to remove oily residue and not hike my ph level up. I use it with these konjac sponges.

Then I sweep my face with Mizon Aha / Bha toner which I buy from Korea. I use this mainly to make sure my skin is a low ph, ready for my Vitamin C serum.

I am using this Hyaluronic cream at the mo and it's lovely, sinks in like a dream. I have other serums, it's the ingredients I'm interested in and how they are delivered eg in an opaque tube that won't become contaminated.

If you stick to the Cleanse, Active, Hydrate, Occlusives, Treatments then you won't go far wrong, it's up to you how many ingredients you use in each step.

Don't throw loads of ingredients at your face, start with one and give it time to work. Then if you have a reaction you know what you're reacting too.

This mornings routine, start to finish!

Forgot the toner! This comes after cleansing and before my first active.

Thanks so much Lumpy!

I have been double cleansing for about 4 days now with a neals yard frankincense cream cleanser from a travel kit I got for Xmas. and it has made a big difference already. I don't have any horrible flaky/red patches. I'd never heard of double cleansing before. I did look at Caroline Hiron's website but found it overly complicated and confusing, so thank you for sorting me out!

I have also been using the NY frankincense toner and because it's alcohol free it doesn't dry my skin out. I have yesterday added a few drops of the treatment oil to my forehead before applying moisturiser and my skin feels much better.

But I am keen to introduce particularly the hyaluronic stuff as my skin is so dehydrated. Next I want to glow.

I am going to buy the products this week as I'll probably run out of the Neals yard stuff this week as they were only travel sized.

The only thing I might do is not do the facial wash, I find face washes really drying.

Thanks again Lumpy, you're a star!

You could use a konjac sponge just with some water, or some micellar water on a cotton pad, it's just something to get rid of the oily residue isn't it.

The hyaluronic acid is a mega moisturizer and really plumps up and firms skin, it sinks in and binds a ton of moisture to it, a bit like those little silica gel
sachets!

I would recommend introducing some actives to improve the quality of your skin, Vitamin C or Retinol will help your skin to produce more collagen. Just start slowly and see what your skin will tolerate. My skin is quite sensitive but it tolerates a high percentage C serum and Retinol.

Try including an occlusive as that seals all the moisture in so you get the benefit of it, I use the snail gel for this but there are other products that will do the job.

Good luck, hope you find your glow!

Thanks again Lumpy, I'm not keen on miscellaneous water, it's very drying on my skin. I will give the rest a go though. What is an occlusive and what do you recommend?

Oops sorry, not reading properly, you have explained already!

Nip + Fab currently discounted in Superdrug. Think the pads are about £8.

I've gone from think Pixi were 'meh' to thinking 'grrrr'. My skin has stubborn red dry patched, particularly that the side of the nose and on the moustache area, lovely.

I'm wondering if it's the witchhazel that's the culprit? I notice it also has a starring role in N+F glycolic pads

What's left, First Aid Radiance Pads, anyone know if it's in that?

If you're reacting to something then step away from the acids and stick to hydration until it heals.

Nothing but Cerave for me at the moment, cheers, Lumpy.

Even that tingles on my tache though, should it be doing that?

I'd just hydrate, it sounds like it's burnt and needs to heal. Don't cleanse that area at all, just whack a bit of E45 or something on, or vaseline, or the mighty snail gel!

Just something that will keep any moisture from escaping.

Hydrate till it heals then try more gentle actives.

MsBojangles is it the pixi pads that have done this? Is it very dry or irritated or both? I can't use witch hazel in high doses but the pads have been ok for me.

No witch hazel in FAB pads, ingredients:
Water/Eau, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Water, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Fruit Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Phyllanthus Emblica (Indian Gooseberry) Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 20.

Sounds like a plan Lumpy, do you reckon sudocrem would be any good or is it too active? I've got diprobase somewhere, that might be better.

Hi maybe, it wasn't the pads just the plain old bottled stuff. It's just kind of dry and scaly looking, not itchy or anything. Thanks for finding the ingredients for the FAB pads, I've ordered them for when my tache is less shrivelled

Ah ok, I haven't tried the bottled stuff but will def avoid now.

I think I'm going to try the First Aid Beauty pads next, the ingreds look a bit cleaner than the Pixi ones (which I've fallen out of love with a bit). Hope your tache shrivels soon!