Even More Fantastic Skincare And Where To Find It

[botemp]

Thread 1

Thread 2

For those who are taking a peek and wondering whether thread 1and 2 are worth reading we mostly discuss a bit of advanced skincare here with a perspective of seeking out the right ingredients for our particular needs. Distinguishing the acid toners from the actives whilst avoiding the truly unimpressive and harmful ingredients with a hope to achieve a bit of anti-ageing, alleviate irritation and sensitivities with some idle chat in between deviations on this thread are mostly my fault.

If you're in need of some advice coming to grips with your skincare routine please don't hesitate to ask, we don't bite, only occasionally sting with a bit of Biologique Recherche P50 now and then . Just make sure to state clearly what your concerns and needs are, skincare is highly individual and a random recommendation for a 'good' product will be completely different from one person to the next.

If you want help, have read through the previous threads, but if you still have questions use the following form to make life easier on us. We generally answer up to two people a day on a first come first served basis. Not everyone will have answers and sometimes we can't answer you at all. We're only a bunch of amateurs that can respond by suggesting what we would do in your place, for any severe conditions please seek out professional help.

Skin type:

Approx age (range):

Primary skin concern:

Routine :

AM :

PM :

Makeup : eg. no/light coverage/medium coverage/heavy coverage

Occasional treatments:

Things I've tried in the past with disastrous results:

Things that are really working well for me now:

Any dietary/health concerns/pregnant:

What I'm willing to spend on a single skincare item: eg. >£10, £10-20, £20-50, £50-100, no limits.

I specifically [want help with/am looking for a product to/am curious about trying]:

[EnidButton]

(realise Sofitel hotels are French but the ones in London aren't as good as the NYC one was.)

Night all. Hope you aren't woken by a pea.

[AuroraPolaris]

Yeah cancer sucks and that is exactly how it is!

Bo what about looking for a concealer in a prof makeup shop? Surely they have lots of shades and usually perhaps the more solid ones but you could mix with cream (Backstage in Rozengracht).
Also a few years back had one of those L'oreal pens (the plastic packaging not the Lumi metallic) and didn't like it cause it was too yellow/ pale for me, but maybe for you?

Yongian French supermarkets too are a bit of heaven one could spend ages in and stock up on lovely French teas etc...

[AuroraPolaris]

Yong don't know why auto corrector keeps getting you name wrong so I'll abbreviate like enid.
And do report back from Sephora as well - lots of enabling from me too!!! Especially for NARS blushes and Chanel lipsticks

[Dulcimena]

Thanks bo, yes I'd read that - the science clearly doesn't stack up yet still people swear by it. Just curious if anyone here had trialled it really :)

[botemp]

Sofitel has fraudulent beds, they claim to have the same ones everywhere but it's just the featherbed, bedding, and sheets that are the same everywhere. The mattresses change per location .

I think professional stage makeup will be too heavy, Aurora, and I'm actually not looking for something yellow at the moment but more the peachy toned stuff. Was discussing it with the LM counter woman (I find it weird to call them girls when they're clearly not) who has very similar colouring to me, same issues (a fellow green toned person) and she pointed out at this time of year we look better without concealer than with, which has been and probably will remain my strategy for a bit since everything I'm interested in is sold out.

French supermarkets and pharmacies? I expect live updates to the minute yong! I always stay away from the S&B French threads as it always ends up into a weird nationalistic pride thing but I need some more French things in my life. Specifically weird obscure French brands that are impossible to find, just received a shampoo sample from a brand I'd never heard of, will report back. I'm also good with the French stylishness, nearly bought a mariniere shirt that said 'Parisienne' in red lettering on it but thought it was a bit false advertising, so bought the 'Mademoiselle Rive Gauche' one instead as somehow that felt appropriate in my mind .

Started my experiment with the P50W in place of my morning wash today, seemed promising, got my face nice and clean without stripping it. Did leave it for a bit to do other things since I was concerned how TO Vit C would be a bit aggressive after that but it was a manageable tingle. Also decided now that the LA 10% is finished and hardly did a thing for the KP (it did something but not worth the amount of product used/time invested) I'm trying out TO Retinol on my body with my weird Korean Vit C body cream/gel.

Dulci, I was actually curious about the Cure gel for the body, supposedly does miracles for preventing ingrown hairs, my eternal nemesis. I did nearly buy a whole bundle of samples from eBay, if you really need to satiate that curiosity.

[hollinhurst84]

I'm pretty sure the snail gel is what's making me break out. Going to shelve it and see

[Dulcimena]

That's a great suggestion, Bo, I'd not have thought about either using it like that or looking for samples. Thanks. Also wanted to ask your opinion on the Gosh growth serum - inspired by your endorsement of the chante mascara I had a look around and this appears to have the same peptide ingredient (at a quarter of the price). Just wondered if you'd tried it or had any insights?

hollin that's a pain, which snail gel are you using again?

[botemp]

Ooh interesting, they do appear to be using the same peptide and by the looks of it at a higher concentration (although hard to tell as one is part of a mascara with lots of other ingredients and the gosh is a pure growth serum). I'll have to see if I can source it online, Gosh is supposedly sold in one of the drugstores here but I have yet to find it and they don't trade their entire stock online. Have been looking for their eyebrow kit for a while too.

[Dulcimena]

Gosh make a mascara with the same peptide too - but the other ingredients and the brush differ quite a lot so I suspect it wouldn't be an all round dupe. That's even cheaper though...not sure how much the chante mascara goes for over there but here it's significantly less pricey

[hollinhurst84]

Mizon snail gel

[SheStoodInTheStorm]

Oh my goodness, took a little break from Mumsnet and here you are a thread later! Will have a proper read/catch up later.

A quick question for now...do I really need to spend £52 on BR P50?!

[Tsmummy08]

OK I've read through all the 2nd and 3rd threads over the last few days and think I'm already doing lots of good things but wonder if there are a few things I can tweak?

I've looked after my skin since I was a late teenager, but didn't embrace daily SPF until the last few years, naughty me! I've used glycolics, vit C and vit A derivatives for years but would like some advice on whether I can add anything more. I've filed in botemp's form below. Thanks for any help - I've loved reading everyone's posts, much appreciated.

Skin type Normal-dry-crepey!

Approx age (range) 43

Primary skin concern Ageing – loss of volume, sagging, uneven skin tone. I have redness which may or may not be rosacea.

Routine

AM
Nude Omega cleanser/Boots Botanics/Soap and Glory cleanser,
Active Formulas Vit C 20% every other day (morning after Retinol/oid)
TO Buffet (not sure whether to do before or after Vit C?)
Hylamide if feeling dry (right now)
Elemis Marine cream
SPF – either LM Protect and Prime, Biore Watery essence or I rely on my foundation (SPF 30) if it’s winter and I’m not outside much. I’m afraid that until the last few years I really didn’t bother with any SPF (apart from makeup) unless it was sunny and I was outside ☹

PM
Balm cleanser (Botanics, Ultrabland, didn’t like Body Shop Chamomile)
AM cleanser as above
Nip N Fab Glycolic extreme every other day alternating with a Retinol, was a 0.3% retinol then tried to step up to Skinceuticals 1% (lots of redness and soreness), then tried TO Retinoid – OK. Now trying Skinceutcals again, sigh!
Homemade oil concoction based on Vinter’s Daughter (have used oils lots, I love them but I wonder if this one I’ve made is a bit too potent)
OR Cerave PM

Makeup eg. Light to medium coverage most days. Light days would be bareminerals complexion rescue, evenings/full face coverage is GA Luminous Silk

Occasional treatments Glycolic treatment (e.g. Alpha H), occasional Body Shop Aloe face mask.

Things I've tried in the past with disastrous results Pretty much anything by Origins brings me up in a rash, anything heavily silicone-y tends to make me spotty

Things that are really working well for me now AF Vit C seems really good, Hylamide is great

Any dietary/health concerns/pregnant None I take various supplements but struggle drinking enough water and have a sweet tooth ☺

What I'm willing to spend on a single skincare item eg. >£10, £10-20, £20-50, £50-100, no limits.

£50+ for a “star” product, prefer to not spend so much on cleansers

I specifically [want help with/am looking for a product to/am curious about trying]

Looking for a new daytime moisturiser and wondering whether I’ve done more harm than good with my “home made” face oil! Do I need TO Niacin?

I believe the main issues I have can’t really be helped with skincare (loss of volume and plumptiousness) but I’m willing to be convinced otherwise. I’m quite petite and lean and that doesn’t help, does it? It’s getting to the point where I feel I need to choose between my face or my arse!

Thanks for any help ☺

[EnidButton]

bo Never knew that about Sofitel. It would explain a lot. Best hotel stay ever in NY, worse stay ever in London. Sleep wise I mean. Staff were great.

Anyway...skin wise mine isn't looking great. Hormonal though so hopefully it'll calm down in a couple of days.

[botemp]

It would be a miracle if it was an actual dupe, Dulci, the Chantecaille mascara is the only non-tubing mascara that doesn't smudge on me and does the ultimate lash boosting thing without screaming clumpy mascara or has to be comprised of several layers of different mascara.

Figures, the Gosh is really difficult to source, they pulled out of the NL market a year or two ago. Only found one very cheaply priced on ebay which I don't fully trust and a dodgy webshop from Spain with a trustpilot rating to weep at. I know I could always ask one of you lovely lot to send it but if I end up actually liking it I'll always be stuck with a difficult supply chain, may just need to stock up when I'm in Copenhagen in February.


Sorry, Storm, we tend to get chatty. I did wonder where you went, were you the one that filled in the form but I had lots of extra questions? No, don't spend £52 on P50, you'll want a travel size to start with and since there have been a few on here that bought a bit too much in their enthusiasm I'm sure someone can offer a decant for you, ahem volunteers please .


Tsmummy08, when I was doing a bit of research on Vintner's Daughter I did come across several reports that in their marketing they messed about with the order of the ingredients quite a lot so if you copied one of those you may have created something less skin beneficial? Especially if you overdid it on the essential oils. If you look at their ingredients it's really hard to tell where the money went so it has to be on the extraction and effleurage process so it'll be hard to truly replicate. Having used the sample I have to say it is very different from other oils but for me personally the price tag wasn't worth it but I think for those who really do suffer with very dull skin and want something natural then it may be worth it to them.

I haven't tried much but from all TO bits but I do like the Nia a whole lot, however, I'd finish up the Cerave PM first and then contemplate it. What would you like from a daytime moisturiser? The Elemis is very much a comfy 'luxurious' cream with a few beneficial ingredients (but not enough to warrant the price). I think for this time of year the Benton Steam Cream is absolutely lovely in terms of protecting from the harsher winter elements but texturally it isn't anything like Elemis. Does contain EGF though (along with snail mucin and propolis) which is great for elasticity, bounce, and cell turnover production. I haven't noticed as big of an effect with this as I did with the BIOEffect EGF serum but my skin is responding well to it.

As mentioned before loss of volume is hard to tackle, a routine high in antioxidants that stimulates collagen production will mitigate it somewhat but genes play into this a lot. Massaging with special techniques helps a smidgen. I think it's worth incorporating HA in the AM and PM to get the maximum amount of hydration in. Definitely aim to do SPF daily and not count on makeup for your coverage (the incorporated SPFs are rarely broad spectrum and what you need this time of year is broad spectrum protection wrt photoaging from UVA rays as opposed to UVB rays).

Yeah, Sofitel is part of the Accor group, Enid. I tend to avoid those when I can because they're very consistent in being inconsistent aka being very French.

[AuroraPolaris]

bo sorry thought you were looking for a yellowish concealer. Well, you already know which is the most peachy one... but the price is absurd!

Tsmummy loss volume and plumpness are indeed very hard to tackle, and maybe impossible on a permanent basis but you can affect it temporarily IMO (and simply keep doing it, so it's temporarily permanent ) indeed with massaging like bo said and also by using plumping night packs. The very best sheet masks are also quite plumping, so using them 1-2 x week also helps.

As discussed above I think nutrition also makes a difference.

[AuroraPolaris]

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2494.2010.00616.x/full

Interesting article (via Fifty Shades of Snail) about skin lightening. Towards the middle you will find s discussion of the ingredients we have been referring to.

[yongnian]

Just doing my nightly check-in from base-camp... because I am absolutely sick to death of the holiday prep-which-also-includes-an-offspring's birthday-as-well-as-Christmas-and-trying-to-leave-the-house-immaculate-for-house-sitting-friends-who-are-having-a-family-Christmas-here, now. (Whose idea was this again? Oh yeah, mine)
Glad to hear everyone no-one here is prepared to enable intervene in any retail insanity.
Do pipe up on any of these brands bo (or should we be calling you Mme Rive Gauche now?!) I might come across them in my random trawls...samples etc may be available...there is a particular pharmacie which is in like a southern version of citipharma but nowhere near as rammed (though there are still American tourists to be found reverentially worshipping at the shrine) and last time I was there they seemed to have some interesting stuff I wasn't seeing many other places, like the T.Leclerc stuff etc etc.
In skin news, everything is looking pretty good just now, routine and new products have bedded in and everything seems to be suiting well which I'm pleased about must avoid the temptation to buy random needless purchases whilst away, stick them on my face and burger it all up

[botemp]

Well I can hold a good intervention if necessary too .

The shampoo is from Rene Furterer, it smells very nice but don't think it'll be replacing my Christophe Robin anytime soon. French brands are tough as there's hardly ever any information on them. I know Filorga supposedly has some good products but never tried any and Carita is supposed to have a really good mask (just can't remember which) and Institut Esthederm has some great SPF and hydration products but those aren't really that obscure. If you come across the Casmara gold masks get some (even though it's Spanish) just don't use the serum it comes with. I'm sure your DH will approve of the golden glow it produces .

[AuroraPolaris]

Ohhh I want to sit in a bar in the Rive Gauche

[AuroraPolaris]

I never understand why the holiday becomes this monstrosity that weighs women down with a million and one chores and sucks up all their energy so by the time the holiday itself arrives we just feel like staying under the duvet!?!?!?!?!?!


Yong you could also get the Bioderma SPF spray if you see it. I always get the Nuxe oil when I'm in France but only use it for body a couple of times a week.

[Tsmummy08]

Thanks Bo and Aurora

Interesting about the Vintner's ingredients not being as they appear - I probably went overboard with the essential oils and might reserve my potion for the body then try something like Blue Orchid or Caudalie C15 instead..

Day cream - I'm looking for something with that nice comfy texture, which makes my skin feel plump but not tacky/sticky. I've used all sorts of stuff over the years - will have a look at the Benton cream, thanks!

[botemp]

I just want to live in Le Bon Marche, bar visits optional

I always want a holiday to recover from the holiday, sometimes I'm actually smart enough to schedule the few extra days off to recover and declare myself a clinomaniac (was quite chuffed to discover that word) in my luxuriant bed it needs to earn its money somehow after all.

I love all the old worldy stuff in French Pharmacies with the old fashioned labels with black and white gravures. Usually it's something teeth related . Speaking of weird obscure brands, Italy does those too. Never tried anything beyond the rose water but the skincare line from Santa Maria Novella is supposed to be really good too, extortionately expensive though and the INCI looks quite simple but it just might be one of those heritage high quality raw materials type things.

[botemp]

Iirc it's capped at 2% essential oils in skincare for the face, Tsmummy08. So if it was more than that I'd definitely use it for the body or dilute it further or something.

The Benton is a steam cream so it's definitely a different type of texture not the comfy type like Elemis. I find moisturisers generally uninteresting so have given up looking at most but Kiehl's do make the very comfy types (the purple one and the rosa arctica) but again quite pricey for what it is. Others may have better suggestions.

[AuroraPolaris]

Love the C15 oil (I've got that one too . That and a good night pack is quite plumping.
Try the C15 day cream, you might like it. It's quite light in texture but very moisturizing.

[Pupsiecola]

Tsmummy have a look at Face Theory. I have a day and night cream from them. I would say they are very comfy and quite plumping/softening, certainly for my slightly dry/tight skin.