Yet More Fantastic Skincare and Where To Find It

[botemp]

Thread 1

Thread 2

Thread 3

For those who are taking a peek and wondering whether thread 1,2, and 3 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.

This January we're doing some added extra chitchat about food and diet and reducing or eliminating sugar for both overall and skin health. Recipe sharing encouraged.

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 in as much detail as possible, 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, please do read through the previous threads first. It takes a lot of time and effort to answer these queries and often the answers can be found in previous threads, but if you still have questions use the following form to make life easier on us. We generally answer one or 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.

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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]:

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Ahem, and finally a little note on spending. I'm well aware these threads cause many to reach for their wallets and spend with wild abandon. There can sometimes be a bit of a frenzy surrounding the excitement around a newly discovered product or on the back of great improvements when someone reports back. This is all great, it doesn't however, mean everything that's a sudden miracle for one will be it for you. Usually, it's a light bulb moment for connecting the right skincare ingredient with an individual experiencing a specific problem. Take your time to mull over decisions and question whether it's right for you too. Skincare is highly individual, it's a slow game that should cost mostly in patience, input, education, and perseverance. Please don't make it cost you financially needlessly either.

Ah a good spending disclaimer bo. I actually quit mumsnet for my mat leave as it makes me lust, covet and spend

Thanks for looking at those ingredients. I just couldn't spend that on a cream so now I have a lead to hunt for Japanese creams with the ingredients you suggest. I have bog standard normal skin. If I treat it badly it gets dehydrated, if I choose a dud product (for me) I get the odd big chin spot. Bit worried now that the biore might dry...but I can't bear so many spfs it really appealed.

Thanks for the pasta reminder aurora. I am a recovered anorexic (no point dressing it up/down) so try to do all things in moderation even though the no sugar path is very alluring. It's not so good for my brain. So HS and all that kind of healthy tasty stuff and green juices is pretty much where I landed. With the odd croissant and chocolate truffle.

Yes yes to a Japanese list, that would be amazing. It's very exciting over there. I stop in Incheon when I go and that makes my brain boggle. My brother goes there quite often too. I have to send photos and be very specific!! My mum is going in the summer so she will make an excellent shopper.

Hi bo I've read through what you've written to me. I'm Caucasian with fair skin so I do notice the redness and scarring on my skin. Can I PM you pictures of my skin or is it better to post on here?

I will add in the HL as hydrating toner step and I have taken out all Ordinary products and the OM serumy things. To be honest I only bought them to bump up a Space NK order and they weren't doing much! I've added back in shark sauce and enjoying it.

In terms of addressing the spots, I've assumed (probably wrongly) that as it's hormonal there's not a lot I can do but I will definitely look into improving my diet (could be better, especially as I've definitely had more breakouts at last month then usual and my diet certainly hadn't been the best of late).

I must say I have been very easily led in terms of buying skincare the last year or so, especially seeing people's routines on Instagram and deciding that I 'need' that product/s as well. I've definitely bought items for the sake of it too, I should probably add up everything to shame myself!! I am grateful for a strong word and for an outside view on what I have.

I am liking the Melano CC, I think it does help with brightening. If you want the DE that's fine, same with anyone else! If you've been eyeing up anything I have on my List of Shame let me know I'm not sheet masking every night, maybe twice a week? Exfoliating I do nightly, probably due to following the CH routine for a long time. I have a lot of acids because I was always on the look out for the next best thing! Favourites are the Bravura eucalyptus and the calendula. I find these help with break outs. I do like an eye cream as I do have some dryness on my right eyelid at he moment but I'm happy to just take my moisturiser around that area. As with SPF I was applying 50+ daily up until maybe October and then I didn't repurchase when I ran out. I was using the Cosrx and also an Etude House one I think? I did like those so I will look into repurchasing.

Thanks again bo and also aurora. I do appreciate the help

You go to Japan via Korea . These threads only give me wanderlust, I haven't visited either since getting into Asian skincare and I'm about halfway there to justifying the cost of travel in skincare savings

Two contenders from Korea, granted they have propolis/honey as their base instead of water but similar in profile:

I’m From Honey Cream: Propolis extract, glycerin, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, honey, propylene glycol dibenzoate, macademia integrifolia seed oil, betaine, cetyl ethylhexanoate, butylene glycol, niacinamide, polysorbate 60, cetyl alcohol, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate SE, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, sodium hyaluronate, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, stearyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, panthenol, tocopheryl acetate, royal jelly extract, morus alba bark extract, centella asiatica extract, carbomer, arginine, polyglutamic acid, beeswax, hydrogenated lecithin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, menadione, polyglyceryl-10 diisostearate, adenosine, 1,2-hexanediol, caprylyl glycol, caprylhydroxamic acid, boswellia serrata resin extract

COSRX Honey Ceramide Full Moisture Cream: Honey extract, butylene glycol, glycerin, caprylic/capric triglyceride, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, betaine, cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate, dimethicone, 1,2-hexanediol, beeswax, elaeis guineesis (palm) kernel oil, elaeis guineensis (palm) oil, hordeum vulgare leaf extract, cetearyl alcohol, sodium hyaluronate, ethylhexylglycerin, ceramide 3, xanthan gum, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, adenosine

Sisley Paris Sisleÿa L’Intégral Anti-Âge Cream: water, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, coco-caprylate/caprate, squalane, glycerin, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, isostearyl isostearate, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, rhus succedanea fruit wax, sucrose stearate, butylene glycol, cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, panthenol, tocopheryl acetate, hydrolyzed soy protein, tocopherol, lindera strychnifolia root extract, adenosine, alchemilla vulgaris (Lady’s Mantle) extract, salix alba (willow) leaf extract, albizia julibrissin (Persian silk tree) bark extract, algae extract, equisetum arvense extract, pyrus malus (apple) seed extract, krameria triandra (rhatany) root extract, hydrolyzed yeast protein, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, thymus mastichina (sweet marjoram) flower oil, hexyldecanol, carbomer, ceteareth-33, ethylhexylglycerin, disodium EDTA, pentylene glycol, sodium hydroxide, hydrogenated soybean, citric acid, brassica campetris (rapeseed) sterols, phenoxyethanol, sorbic acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, BHT, linalool, limonene, geraniol

Here's a side by side review, she preferred the CosRx since her routine is pretty full already so the added benefits like Niacinamide were no added value but I think if you're looking for something similar in texture and comfiness to the Sisley the I'm from Honey moisturiser will suit you better. That brand also does a fantastic mask that's mostly honey with lots of traditional Korean herbal extracts (so sort of Asian Alpine ) It has limited distribution though, it's with wishtrend exclusively that charges quite high shipping, the K-beauty store I visit occasionally down in Rotterdam sells it but they're currently out of stock and I'm not sure if they deliver in the UK.

Will look for Japanese alternatives later, requires much more effort.

Funny, yeah I was going to suggest doing a tally of what you've spent but didn't want to overstep. It might be a bit confronting and I'd be very wary about following other people's routine and thinking life as it is projected on social media resembles anything resembling normal/average.

CH has extremely resilient skin and will need very heavy duty stuff to make a difference, you're in a completely different space skin and age wise. I'll go through your list sometime this weekend and see what can definitely be weeded out and may be of interest to some others on here (we'll pay for it obvs. which is another good reason to start tallying up what you spent, so you know what to ask for it in return). Hollin had great success with ebay, I assume that's the easiest place to sell off most of it but we get fist dibs.

I'm not surprised you like those two bravura toners, they're the types you should be looking at. More balancing rather than full on acid exfoliators which are probably too much for your skin.

I don't think you can PM pics on here, you can email me if preferred. Can you talk to me what you understand to be 'brightening', is it really just tackling the redness that's caused by the acne inflammation or do you truly suffer from dullness?

funny, also, wrt eye cream. Most eye creams are not meant to be used on the lid, there's a few that are ok to but in general it's advised against it. Some will say you can use it 360 but then it's usually to use on the eyebrow bones, not the lids.

Thnx for the new thread bo

Btw why are you not supposed to put eye cream on the lid?

To whoever it was that said lrp toleriane cleanser broke them out, if budget allows I recommend trying dermalogica ultracalming cleanser. My skin did not like the toleriane cleanser either it irritated and left a 'film' on my skin which led to breakouts (despite removing properly at sink with flannel) I have used the ultracalming cleanser by dermalogica for years which for me is a great achievement!

Iirc it has to do with the skin being decidedly self sufficient as it's an area with so much movement and cosmetics are more likely to irritate than help. The skin is also super thin there and will all the movement it is more likely that the product migrates into and above the eye. Most eye creams specifically advice against it in their literature somewhere.

botemp - on the previous thread you asked about the LRP Serozinc cost. It's around £9 for a 150ml bottle, quite spendy for water (even if it is antibacterial, hydrating & not irritating my unpredictable skin). The regular LRP is around £7 for similar size bottle. Think I'll just stock up when it's on offer.

I'm also planning on massively reducing my intake of sugar & certain other chemical nasties. I identified shortly before Christmas, that a small handful of sweets had caused me to have a migraine that lasted about 40 hours. Never eating Haribo again! Not sure if it was the sugar itself or the other nasties in them but I'm not risking it. I'd noticed before, that over-consumption of sugar can cause my migraines to flare up - I get 2 different types & am on preventative meds for them. Am also cutting out alcohol for the forseeable, same reason, not that I drink much anyway. I've been looking at recipes online for Kimchi & other fermented foods, & food in general as a route to skin health.

One thing I have noticed is that despite the significant increase in junk consumed over Christmas, my skin's still looking ok. I have a spot on my neck that keeps flaring up but otherwise clear. Am I remembering correctly that antifungal cream, for example Canesten, could help here?

My next area I'd like to work on is dark circles under my eyes. Not just concealing them but reduction if possible - is it? I've literally always had them, even in childhood photos I looked permanently exhausted.

I've reordered the Biore Watery essence SPF. Brilliant stuff. Need to start looking for a proper summer one though - we're outdoorsy types, rural & don't have a car. I've seen the LRP Anthelios mentioned a lot - which would be best for my oily /combination / sensitive / dehydrated skin? Or are they all very similar. I'm fairly pale so would definitely go straight for a f50. I've had problems with sunscreen in the past, so nervous of spending £££ on yet another thing that will break me out.

Ok, so Serozinc is £3.83 on easyparapharmacie from France. Delivery can get expensive but is free from £29 so since you're also looking at SPF you might be able to combine a few things to get to that minimum there's plenty of covetable things on there. The Anthelios Fluid XL SPF 50 - untinted is the one you'd want for the face. Unfortunately it's out of stock but should come in again at some point, think the tinted is in stock but I don't think it suits the very pale, paleish to normal are fine with it. Some people like the Cream Dry touch version which has a mattifying finish (also out of stock). The paediatrics ones are also good for kids.

This water based spray makes for a great top up product while you're on the go and can go over makeup, though if you're spending really long hours outside then just reapply your normal ss for the best protection.

Thanks for the new thread Bo, and a good addition to the intro about spending!

Bo thanks brightening to me is tackling redness. I'm not sure whether I have dull skin, it's not particularly greyish but not glowy either! If you could PM me your email that would be good as I have taken quite a few pictures this morning which I think show my skin quite clearly.

Just marking my place on the new thread. I'm finding it such an education! I am going to ditch my homemade oil cleanser and go for the DHC oil cleanser. Is there anything else from DHC worth trying? I'm just using up odd items so almost at the point of replacing my whole routine (slowly). So far I've moved onto the LRP dermo cleanser (from Liz Earle) and introduced TO caffiene serum and Keihls Vit C eye cream. I am also being a bit better about applying an SPF, which I'd normally only do as an extra step on holiday.

I found your recap on routines really helpful bo, so im working off that at the moment and researching serums to add in.

I went to have my passport photos done today and despite a full face of make up and my new Charlotte Tilbury under eye corrector, I still look so baggy. My skin is good at the moment (although I had my first spot since July last week!) it's just the lines from my nose to mouth and the dark, hollow eyes that let me down. Do I have any hope other than botox and fillers?!

Oh and whoever said they wanted the Anya Hindmarch Maxi Zip Satchel - I am also coveting it! I just bought a Marc Jacobs tote in the sale and think I might send it back as it doesn't feel comfy to hold, and is perhaps a bit too structured.

So I want to stress again what I said in the previous thread - my knowledge is not professional, and simply comes from years of loving skincare and taking care of my skin and myself, though I have also learned a lot since delving into AB and joining the threads. So please take this advise for what it is - the advice of someone simple more experienced the you, and do your own research before you buy and mainly try stuff of your possibly sensitive skin.

I really do understand the wish to improve sensitive skin, or to find the next big/ it/ effective thing, and in that respect I also want to add my word to what bo wrote re spending.
Sadly we humans are governed by our desires - we are constantly torn beween likes and dislikes, want and aversion. There is certainly nothing wrong in taking care of yourself, waiting to look your best. I think it's a very important part of our identity and can effect confidence from a very deep place (so not in the sense of artificial aesthetics, but in the sense of being pro-active, self worth, etc). That is exactly why these "newish" trends in PR and marketing work so well. Why should we not try what the "girl next door" posted on her Insta/ FB/ YT and swore it's absolutely the best thing ever? So please, don't run and buy the next big/ best thing. There is a lot of great skincare that is very fairly priced.

We may laugh and sigh over expensive stuff and some of us may have bought a certain concealer but I certainly think a blush is not worth 73€ (I mean - even Nars is just about 30€ for a blush) nor is a cream worth hundreds of euros.

(end of lecture )

Checking in. Thank you for starting the new thread.

Shestood Was it the toleriane fluide you were wanting? It comes in a pump bottle. I ordered mine from Boots to pick up in store. If the one you have is wrong and still has the little foil cover intact inside you can take it back. (If from Boots) m.boots.com/h5/cat_hub?unCountry=uk&path=%2Fen%2FLa-Roche-Posay-Toleriane-Fluid-40ml_865626%2F

Although just seen Escentual have it for £10. They have 33% of all French pharmacy brands at the moment.

I've signed up to a meal delivery for a month no cooking or food shopping... Bliss!!!
Hoping it will kickstart me

Some very simplified infographics for anyone changing their eating habits to help their skin. Don't know how well they'll show up on here.

The acidic/alkaline list can be useful to anyone prone to UTIs, thrush and acne.

Signing in...the thread galloped so quickly to the finish I missed the chance to say we could have our very own acronym S.K.I.N. for a new new thread title (Skin Kare Ingredient Nerds) or...S.C.I.N. (Skin Care Ingredient Nerds).
Ok, so now you know a little too much about how my brain works...
Too much for me to catch up on properly now except those were beautiful pix hollin and yes, you are the Make Up Person.
not much else to report here except I've been drifting about coming back down to earth after France, integrating new products and re-plumping my skin after flights etc plus a fortnights worth of sugar and carbs back to low carbing and minimal sugars etc etc, which my skin and body are enjoying.
Next up will be my latest routine post.
Meantime, look at some pretty blushers

Oo x-post enid those are useful lists

feet I'm glad you are doing well. Seems very logical in your case not to get sucked into any fads!

I stopped eating sugar, honey etc when it was "prescribed" by both an osteopath and another care-giver (because of joint problems and a parasite in my intestines).

I'll be back later with tips and strategies for quitting sugar (or at least what helped me and what still works). I personally think that just reducing it will only work temporarily - it's simply too addictive and too abundant in our society and too bloody cheap especially corn syrup and that is why they shove it everywhere

And another disclaimer - please don't think that I'm some kind of kitchen goddess floating about in my immaculate kitchen and baking sugar free stuff the whole day. I'm lucky cause my DH cooks a lot too, I feel shit if I eat rubbish, but I'm also often lazy, and simply have learnt shortcuts to making very simple 20 min meals that are still good for you. And I don't bake so much when it's not holiday season cause the calories are still there, sugar or no sugar

Thanks for the link, botemp. The Serozinc, SPF etc is so much more expensive here! One query though - I've noticed that the LRP Toleriane fluid seems not to be available in some shops & online stores, I use this one. I can't see it on the EPP website unless they sell it under a slightly different name...? Hope it's not been lined up to be discontinued.

Do you all really keep all your skincare stuff in your bedroom, not the bathroom? So you have to take it in with you every morning & evening? I need to get more organised...

I keep my cleansing balm and night stuff in my bathroom
Day time stuff on my dressing table
But the bathroom is an en suite, I rarely use it so stuff doesn't get steamed up etc

My skincare is in my bathroom. Make up in dressing room.

Aurora Yes I find going straight to no sugar works best for me.

Ok Funny will PM you later tonight. So you're not looking for brightening (which is a confusing description especially in the AB/WB cross section) but skin tone evening and post inflammation/pigmentation. SPF being your most important first line of defence, then Vit C and Niacinamide (that work for both brightening and skin tone evening/PIH so I can understand where the confusion stems from).

I've not used anything else by DHC, Tiger, besides the little olive oil cotton swabs for makeup touch ups (they're fab), I think they had some sort of bento box special for the Christmas period which was around the £10 mark and contained some of their eye patches which people seem to like too. Maybe it's still available in the Jan sales?

I think for eyes it's specific procedures like teartroughs, not botox/fillers. Genetic under eye pigmentation is really hard to tackle though, so keep that in mind. HA fillers are available for the nasolabial folds if skincare isn't cutting it and it bothers you enough and can resist falling down the plastic fantastic rabbit hole if that's not what you're interested in.

But Aurora the Vagina Palette is 15g! Nars is less than 5g so it comes in waaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper! Which is all useless when it comes to blushes as it takes forever to finish. In all seriousness though there is a place for somewhat more expensive skincare and makeup sometimes, usually, it's things that work out cheaper. I have a cleanser that is in the £35-40 range and another from Japan that's £30-ish. They both last between 9 months and a year with daily use. I had a more pricey one from Sensai that was a deluxe sample, and it lasted half a year, the full size would last two . Meanwhile, I flew through my TO stuff and they were my most recent skincare purchase that wasn't a backup.

Sometimes the economics of it makes sense if it's the right product for you, sometimes it's worth it to you to spend a little more on something that feels nice, just be conscious of why and accept the cost or not. Despite our jokes about vagina palettes last night, like Aurora mentioned most beauty PR plays into lust and desire on a subconscious level. The social game thrives more on aspiration and accessibility as that's what younger generation seem more eager to buy into in a false sense of 'authenticity'. Both, however, rely on frenzy (ever wondered why all YouTube videos start of with a squeling high pitched 'Hiiiiii!', instant start to heightened awareness state and leads to a frenzy quite easily) and heat of the moment sensations that play into insecurities not outrightly pointing out what you're 'lacking' but leading the mind there nonetheless that lead to purchases without much thought with a clickable link right there, so just be aware. We're clearly guilty of it too on this thread, problem is, it's actually authentic and what social imitates, but it's authentic to us and a product really doesn't require you to join in the fun.

I'll check with EPP later, Lego. I hope it's not discontinued

I'll take a pic of my skincare stuff too, had to move it since I feared it was getting a little too cold near the window (in the bedroom) for my precious stash, will also help with the lecturing about buying too much too.