Skincare Ingredients

[Pupsiecola]

Following on from the skincare routines post, what ingredients do you make sure you include in your products, for example, Vit C, Vit E, Hyaluronic acid?

TIA

Thank you for the HA info bo Really interesting and good to know.

If I could find an cheaper alternative to EH I'd jump at it. I like the balm texture, the oils, doesn't seem to add to breaks outs and balances my skin out but it's so damn expensive for something that's being wiped off after 30 seconds.

Tried Clinique take the day off, bontanics and another one from boots that I forget now. All caused congestion gave me cystic acne and the Botanics was horrible waxy stuff. Liz Earle made my skin feel burnt for days afterwards, Eve Lom too heavy and caused spots.

My skin gets on my wick.

I haven't tried it yet but the Heimish All Clean Balm is a possible alternative to EH from Korea (delivery is free it just takes a few weeks to arrive). It's had really good reviews and is mineral oil free. I love oil based cleansers but have a bit of a thing about balms as they seem such poor value for money, at least at the rate I went through them.

Thread is moving fast but am enjoying perusing all the info, so useful.
I like your spreadsheet pupsie - I'm glad I'm not the only who does this!!!
Useful explanation of PHs in skincare botemp - I was just kind of picking this up from my own research but you really filled in the gaps...so it's looking more and more like some kind of acid might be good for my rosacea, either BHA or niacinamide.
What else...? Oh yeah, so following on from acids....chemical exfoliation v physical exfoliation? Daily? Twice weekly..? once in a blue moon..?

Oh rats posted too soon again, so I started looking at my current skincare to see if they were proclaiming their ph balance..have only checked a few so far but I noticed my LRP serozinc toner was claiming to be 'ph balanced' whatever that means...how do you know???

Oh the spreadsheet has changed lol. And been printed and placed in my bathroom cabinet. Have ordered The Ordinary Vit C and separated from niacinamide hence 2 x night time routines. And made sure Vit C goes with the hyaluronic acid too.

I assume that using things like retinoids (which take at least 3 months to work) every other day rather than daily will mean they will take much longer to show benefit?

I've spent hours on this but it's preferable to what I have been doing; blindly buying what I think I need.

Number one take home is really try to understand your skin. Sounds simple but for some of us far from it.

Are you just changing the spreadsheet so you can buy more products? May I ask why you chose the PC Niacinamide booster rather than the Ordinary's one, this is a new addition, correct? No judgement, just genuinely curious as they are very similar products with a rather large price discrepancy and I've yet to look into them properly.

Physical exfoliation has a bad wrap these days, yongnian, and I do get why as it's not ideal for regular use as it's a bit like weed killer for your skin that kills all the plant life in the process.

However, if for whatever reason I'm terribly flakey I do have a pai scrub that's quite gentle on standby, sometimes you just want the instant satisfaction of a scrub don't tell anyone, skincare purist will disown me. Otherwise I'm all about chemical exfoliation though I'm not an advocate for as much as you can (I think daily or twice a day really only suits people with very problematic skin or very slow cell turnover) as it pushes many towards over-exfoliation which is anything but pretty. My philosophy tends to be as often as necessary and to always proceed with caution, I'm between 2-3 days usually on the basis of a strong acid. With a weaker acid I'd be tempted to do it more often to get the same result but it makes more sense to just get the stronger acid if you can tolerate it.

FYI, BHA would class as an exfoliating acid where Niacinamide (whilst an acid form) is not exfoliating so it's not really a choice between two (exfoliating) acids but rather do I want to introduce both at the same time or just try one first. If it's for anti-redness, evening and restoring skin tone, and soothing I'd go for Niacinamide and go down the BHA route for enlarged pores, blackheads, sebaceous filaments, etc. For an alternative to a physical scrub you'd have to look at an AHA since they work on the surface level.

'pH balanced' means it has a pH of 7 ie. neutral like water (ideally) which makes sense as I think serozinc is the LRP thermal water with zinc in it.

I bought it before saying I wouldn't buy any more (ordered last night). Honest. I'm nervous of The Ordinary tbh. I read about it a while back and have seen good reviews. I just struggle with the "you get what you pay for" mentality and after shelling out on some premium products PC feels middle of the road and I like middle of the road. But I have ordered the Vit C from The Ordinary so I will see how that goes...

Hmm hmm interesting, see I have been avoiding any form of exfoliation physical or otherwise for ages now...but I just rediscovered some sandalwood powder (Indian skincare remedy which is supposed to be very antibacterial amongst other things)...very fine powder...I mixed it with some dr Haushka hydrating mask just as an experiment. I didn't 'scrub' anywhere that's sensitive or reactive or rosaceaous, only gently where skin is more robust. I was thinking that if the rosacea/seb derm was demodex mite-related, it might help...I was interested by a rosacea powder that moogoo makes that says it sorts out demodex mites-related seb derm, hence my homemade experiment.
I think I'd be inclined to the niacinamide first as my redness has just gone up a notch, and in new places, plus my seb derm 'mask' (above eyebrows and forehead) has come back bigger after having cleared up all summer, prob due to weather, but won't be getting anything new for a while anyway - I've just started with Ordinary's Vit C and Hyaluronic acid, (although I have been using these before but by other brands so not totally new to me but don't want to go too mad). On the other hand, my pores all seem to have expanded massively too - possibly weather related...so thinking judicious use of BHA at some point down the line too..though pores are pretty clear and no SFs.
Is there a way of working out the PH of something if it doesn't announce it...? One of those little strip thingies???
I'm mainly musing out loud here by the way, nobody need answer my ramblings! .
pupsie I think I might print off a spreadie too. Help, I'm obsessed!
Skin looks loads better tho.
My other fave ingredient is high percentage urea - this has sorted super-super dry body and foot skin I've had all my life (and have tried virtually everything for). I slick a bit it on my seb derm when it gets ultra dry too and it actually also seemed to stop the patches from hyper-pigmentatio.
I am going to shut up now.

Yon you can buy pH sticks on Amazon cos looked earlier lol. I haven't changed up my skincare for years. Not really. It was well overdue. Especially because I've never really got to grips with all the ingredients and options etc.

Pupsie- I am using the Ordinary and it's all good

Yep, Hollin is the reason I direct people towards The Ordinary with a bit more ease. I do get the trepidation of why something is so affordable, I'm always convinced something is coming at the cost of that, environment, slave labour, etc. I think if it were any other random company I'd be cautious too (SR skincare is similar in low prices, high actives but it remains a little unknown online company with reason as their products are not universally loved across the board) but I see The Ordinary as NIOD light, you get similar results but without the extra benefits from NIOD so dependant on your age bracket that will make a huge difference or not.

Maybe the Tata Harper Resufacing Mask is something for you yongnian. It's a BHA treatment mask that does the exfoliating bit but it then would be an incidental part of your routine and its far gentler than the PC acid but still highly effective, I really liked it (deluxe sample) but find it a bit pricey. Nautrismo will sell you a sample of it. Amazingy do a similar thing, you just tell them which five products from their site you'd like to try and for a set price €7.95 (?) it gets sent to you.

You can get pH strips from a chemist and Amazon though they're not very accurate. The digital ones cost a bit more, don't think that's worth the investment unless you go through a lot of different product.

I realise in the whole scaremongering ingredients category we never discussed SLS and phthalates.

Considering phthalates are being restricted by governments as a group (not just individual problematic ones) including the US where the chemical lobby is v. strong I do feel that that's an ingredient to avoid considering the links to various health issues, especially if pregnant and with young children. It goes beyond cosmetics, it's cleaning supplies, shampoos, etc. though very hard to eliminate out of your life completely.

I'm not a fan of SLS and even though I don't always agree with Paula Begoun I think she's right on the money with this one:

Versatile ingredient composed of several non-volatile alcohols. Functions primarily as a surfactant, but can also be used as a skin-conditioning agent, emulsifier, and solvent. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is one of the most sensitizing cleansing agents used in skincare products. In fact, it’s considered a standard comparison substance for measuring the skin sensitization of other ingredients. Thus, in scientific studies, when they want to establish whether or not an ingredient is problematic for skin, they compare its effect to the effect of SLS.

In amounts of 2% to 5%, sodium lauryl sulfate can cause sensitizing reactions for many people. Despite the sensitivity issue, it is not the same as the dire and erroneous warnings floating around the web about this ingredient.

Source

SLS is another one that's in a lot of things, if you have acne/spots around your chin and nowhere else it might just be down to the toothpaste with SLS in it. Irritated scalp? Ditto. Like PB mentioned it's not as evil as the internet would like you to believe but it's hardly pleasant and if you can afford to avoid it, I would.

On the pleasant side, it's not a topic I've ever delved into but with all the talk of rosacea and over-exfoliation Ceramides came to mind. These are naturally occurring in our skin but if it is severely compromised ceramides are your best friend for restoring it. The entire Cerave line is built around ceramides but the cheap and cheerful Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating is also packed full of them. The Rosette Ceramide Gel or Lotion from Japan is also much loved.

I didn't forget about your SS question cockblocktopus, getting a seperate post as this has turned endlessly long again.

Yongnian, if you think you may have demodex, go to GP and get Soolantro - ivermectin cream - it is a miracle and I now have no papules or pustules anymore and redness much diminished. Don't waste your time with DIY stuff when this cream has proven efficacy.

So my SS choices if I were to be transplanted to Western AU.

Provided things like car, home, office, etc. all had extra UV protection on the glass and I'd have some stylish sunhats my choices would be the following.

For everyday use with minimal sun exposure- I'd probably be using what I'm using now. A SS with the most advanced chemical filters available mixed with a physical filter that is sweat proof to cover all bases. (For reference- Kose Sekkisei Sun Protection Essence Milk). I'd be very diligent about the topping up after 2hrs, which would mean no base makeup or find one of the more advanced spray SPFs locally (as you're not allowed to ship those from Japan).

For everyday use with sun exposure, days at the beach- Anessa Perfect Facial UV Sunscreen, similar to the Kose with a mix of chemical and UV filters but designed for use at the beach and water.

I'd also have the Skinceuticals SPF in rotation most likely, I'd look into the Menturm Sun Bears Strong Super as an affordable alternative which is quite popular on the AB Reddit as a predominantly physical sunscreen.

I'd also be looking into Institut Esthederm's No Sun and Photo Reverse High Protection, these are atypical and don't have the SPF ratings due to their approach but are designed for extremely high protection for people who are sun intolerant. It's the stuff the very milky white use and despite full exposure do not even tinge the slightest bit of red but I'd want to delve into the research completely to be assured the protection is high for both UVA and UVB rays.

Nabootique - sorry for the delay in responding. Yes I get blemishes - not constantly but quite often. Mostly quite small but I do get the occasional one that's rather large & very sore. Mostly the bad ones are on my jawline / neck area, I get milder blemishes on my temples & nose. Enlarged pores & some (not very severe) blackheads around my nose. I have combination skin (t-zone often looks quite oily by the end of the day, I get extremely dry patches all over my face during winter or during hayfever season). I had 2 full courses of roaccutane in my 20's which have improved it a lot though. I don't really have any visible wrinkles but I'm concerned about developing them - my mum had really bad eyebags from mid 30s onwards. What really bugs me is the spots on my neck & jawline - I get hyperpigmentation after a spot which can last for several months. The dermal roller helps but I can only use it when the inflammation has fully subsided (which can itself take a couple of months).

I suspect my skin is dehydrated, do I just need to drink more water or is it more complex than that?

I'm thinking of getting a BHA to sort out my nose area so I'll need a proper daily sunscreen, I might get that Biore watery essence for everyday use ( I work in an office).

Thanks jmangel yes I'm thinking I need to go back to docs really as redness is spreading up my temples which has never happened before and seb derm is worse (i.e. Over a larger area) and so could ask about dermadex mites (will they do a skin scrape to confirm?) and get something proper if so. I'm a bit of an experimenter (cautiously) so was just idly wondering.
SLS..yes, this is something I've chewed over a lot for the last few years as have always suffered with a terribly itchy, spotty and upset scalp. I did find an Australian brand of SLS-free shampoo that therefore didn't lather (I transferred it to a spritzy bottle and managed to use it like that as it was very runny) but it never really did the job. In the end the GP said it was seb derm there too and prescribed some of that stinky yellow shampoo, which has totally cleared it and now I just maintain with that and have been able to go back to lush's solid bars with a trouble-free scalp, first time for years.
I certainly have never been able to use anything foaming/sls on my body skin (eczema) so I tend to steer clear when I can but v hard to as you say.
I've read quite a few positive reviews about Tata Harper products generally and considered their range so thanks for that recommendation botempand for the info on getting samples.
Also Ceramides is something I'd got to considering via research, but it does all get a bit befuddling so had forgotten about that, thanks.
So far so good for the Ordinary with me, but I have only used two ingredients which I've used without problem in other products. (And introduced slowly)
They do seem to be very effective already though, more so than the other products I used with same key ingredients.
I'm liking the stripped back nature of it, but agree it isn't something I would have arrived at with a lot of research and trial and error and some tricky skin problems to solve.
Anyone got any info on hypo pigmentation? I appear to have a totally white patch on my temple (small but visible) with no idea how it go there.

That's encouraging re The Ordinary Yong. I use Pureology only on my hair. I have to be v careful with shower gel and only use Sanex 0%.c an only use one type of laundry detergent too. If i stay in hotels I generally end up with ezcma on elbows and sometimes a very specific area on my hip. It's really frustrating (happens even with nightmare covering those areas).

*eczema

Oo that sounds tedious pupsie I've had phases where washing liquid/powder sets me off but not that bad. My body eczema is vastly improved these day though.

Lego Our skin sounds very similar. I've no advice sorry, just wanted to sympathise as it's very annoying. I agree that it could be dehydration. Cutting out wheat and sugar always improves my skin but as far as skin care goes I'm a bit stuck atm too.

Bo that's amazing thank you very much. I will research what I can get here. Thank you

EnidButton - I intend to cut out sugar (added sugar at least) soon. I just started some new meds for a separate condition, it will take a month to get to the full dose & they affect my appetite amongst other things. I feel better when not eating wheat, too. I think the easiest thing I can do now drink more water, I really need to improve that as my new meds cause gallstones if I don't drink enough. I know, nice.

Seconding (or thirsting) that increasing water intake, cutting down sugar and for me, low carbing, have made a world of difference to the various chronic skin complaints I've had. Eczema a million times better, cystic acne better too.
Even doing just one or two of those three things (more water, less sugar, lower starchy carbs) can improve skin health and appearance, IME experience anyway.

I love SLS or bar soap. A surfactant is needed to help get rid of grease. Without a surfactant it is pretty difficult to properly cleanse. I agree harsh cleansing is bad. But if you don't cleanse well then spots and blackheads are more likely.
I find thin oils like grapeseed are good non irritating ingrediants for moisturisers.
But new and synthetic pillows plus a cotton pillow case can help - or at least this has helped friends I know with redness.

There are plenty of less irritating surfactants available, they just happen to be more expensive which is kind of the rub with SLS. It makes products affordable but it also opens many up to sensitisation needlessly on arguments of company profit margins.

Grapeseed oil while great for some is naturally astringent so best avoided if you're dry to normal.

Water intake is not necesarrily correlated with skin hydration. I do think it's better to drink plenty of water and moderate/avoid dehydrating agents like caffeine, alcohol, etc. for general health but a dehydrated skin won't be remedied by drinking more water only, there's usually more to it.

It's interesting that it's always sugar and carbs that get mentioned with skin issues. I think it's a no brainer that eliminating added sugar improves many health issues as does favouring complex carbs over the refined ones. Health improvement in the body will show results in the skin as its part of that system.

Dairy sort of stands alone when it comes to skin, either due to the prolific use of hormones (I suspect more so in the US where cutting dairy is a more common advice) and/or how our body chemistry reacts with it. Some are fine with organic dairy or organic cultured dairy only but most see best improvement with cutting it all together. Mostly related to acne and inflammation though.

I also tend to think that for some it will be sugar, others it'll be carbs or dairy or a combination of all or a few food groups to see a noticeable difference.