Ditch The Foundation, Embrace Some Fantastic Skincare Instead!

[botemp]

Thread 1

Thread 2

Thread 3

Thread 4

For those who are taking a peek and wondering whether thread 1,2, 3, and 4 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 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.

Make sure you've read the earlier threads (or at the very least the first one) so we're not being asked to answer to previously raised questions. 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 relating specifically to you, 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.

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.

That's good to know Enid, glad it worked for you, fingers crossed it works for me too.

Sorelip are you my long lost twin? I'm hypothyroid too! My levels have been stable for 3 years now, but I'm actually due for my annual TFT now so I asked my GP for a blood test form yesterday while I was at my appt. The thyroid is such a complex thing though, blood tests can come back ok despite symptoms galore. Am pretty in tune with it now and can tell when my meds need adjusting

bo yeah, that is what I too feel re the Matryxil. It does not feel amazing or such upon application, but after a few weeks I started noticing my skin was very hydrated.
And since we are discussing TO, can I rant (again) and say skin under one of my eyes peeled again this morning when I applied concealer, grrrrr!
Thanks for the Bifida offer. I can always send you some Naruko Magnolia sheet masks in return .

botemp I'm sorry, I didn't think it was relevant as my levels have been stable for years now and my bloods came back all normal in January, and I'm not suffering the usual symptoms when my levels are out of whack - as soon as the TSH is too high I start gaining weight, feeling depressed and sleeping ridiculous amounts. I honestly think stress the issue; I returned to work full time nine months ago after 4 years in a different environment to what I'm used to (it's not the friendliest of places). However I will be seeing my normal GP to discuss this.

I avoid soya like the plague now, though it seems to he hiding everywhere now

FizzyBubbly I've read about how the tests can come back normal even when things are clearly not right. I need to do more research, because I know unless I know exactly what to ask for, the gp isn't going to do anything different. Bloody hormones!

Botemp
Thank you for the detailed reply to my question regarding The Concealer. Price is a major issue for me and I'm more then happy with the Nyx Concealer you originally recomended and was £6.

Just checking back in...been fighting off The Lurg with heavy duty anti-b's...very much hoping some semblance of normality will shortly resume.
In skin news, on the odd occasion I've had an extended period of illness before, skin would be looking dull grey and dreadful by now. (Partic in Winter!) but it's looking pretty good still. Mind you, have mostly kept to routine, apart from one or two grim evenings, as the self-care aspect of it has actually been really soothing whilst feeling ill.
Have now managed to work in matrixyl and just easing in azelaic, so it's all going on.
Welcome to newcomers, I'm most amused to know the French shelves pix were the ultimate lure

mint I would ask for a sample of the Clinique CC. It is indeed very "dewy", but does settle a bit after about 5 minutes into what IMO is a very very pretty "glow". I also find that the colour becomes then slightly lighter.

I'm at the other end of the spectrum with PCOS, *Sorelip, (so ovaries rather than thyroid being the disruptor) and often nothing shows up in my bloodwork. It's only for the fact that my specialist is overly thorough with the request of additional tests and referrals to endocrine specialists on occasion that I ever somewhat get to the bottom of certain issues. My GP, in contrast, tends to write off any sort of complaint with a shrug of 'PCOS, what are you going to do? Here have some super heavy BC with lots of side effects, surely that'll fix it.' Needless to say, I never bother with my GP for anything other than the unavoidable.

Hormones tend to be a well-acknowledged minefield in the medical community and more specifically female hormones and their impact are very underresearched. For self-education I have to say that books are often a better choice than the internet, the latter being more useful really in terms of learning from other sufferers on specialised forums for making certain lifestyle changes, which books to read, etc. but not so much for the medical stuff.

Fizzy, will probably know a bit more about the thyroid stuff but I do know Insulin Resistance and Hormonal Imbalance go together as the adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system too. So any chink in the chain tends to throw parts of it off course (and added external stress will definitely further disrupt an already imbalanced system). Have you ever looked into cutting back on sugar, assuming that your diet is high in it currently?

yongnian, you should've started an Instagram account with those porny French shelves pics of yours by the rate we're pulling the punters in . You could be earning a fortune. Fuck, this means we have to share the registering lurkers prize, don't we?

I'm actually thinking of sampling the Matrixyl on one of my KP arms since it responds well to Retinol. Will keep you all informed.

Finalised payment on the Bifida and Niacin samples yesterday night, got some freebies thrown in since the seller didn't know how to do the altered invoice thing, works for me . I'll set up my little distribution operation once they've arrived. As much as I love the Naruko masks, Aurora, you've just reminded me I have like 5 or 6 I need to finish before April and it's already February !

purple, if you're more than happy with it then stick with it, the Sisley is hardly going to be ten times better than the Nyx whereas the price is.

Saw GP this morning but am none the wiser. Although he was friendly and smiled inanely he barely looked or listened to all I told him. He told me it was caused by a mite on my skin. Prescribed Benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin gel 5% and1%. Told me to put it on nightly for 12 weeks and that it would discolour my towels. That was it.
Confused. He didn't answer any question as to diagnosis other than it was caused by a mite.

sorelip when I had blood sugar problems (many years ago - I've written about this in one of the first threads) my GP just did not recognise it, as I had low sugar and I think some of them are only trained to look out for high sugar levels. I did multiple blood tests and he still spotted nothing!!! Eventually with the help of a wonderful dietician, a great endocrinologist and detailed, specific blood tests (to test insulin performance in specific ways) I received the help I needed. If you think something is wrong, please don't give up and try to get a referral to a specialist! It's also very handy to learn to read the results of your own blood tests...

Checking in after a couple of busy weeks!

Enid I also sometimes use Merumaya balm and LOVE it. It feels really luxurious as well as relaxing!

I have finally used up TO HA + B5 and now back on the Hylamide. Well I can honestly say it is so much better than TO in terms of hydration. Next one I would like to try is the NIOD mmhc.

Skinful sorry I didn't see your earlier posts, but I'm assuming from your prescriptions that you've got rosacea symptoms. Sorry that you didn't feel that your GP was helpful, but can I ask what were you hoping he would do that he didn't? It sounds like you've got a decent first line treatment for rosacea.

Hi, it has been a few weeks and I have knocked the Nip and Fab products on the head as per your recommendations and it does seem to have calmed the redness I was experiencing down. I saw the GP to try and get something different for the psoriasis on my hands and asked whether I had acne rosacea or seborrhic dermatitis on my face but GP was very non-comittal (unfortunately my skin was looking fairly calm that day). This is a GP with a long history of dismissing problems though!

At the moment my routine consists of just the LRP cleanser and moisturiser each day, when you have a moment I would be keen to know if there is anything else I can try. Ideally I would like to target some wrinkles and fine lines and improve on old scarring and red marks. I feel as though my skin makes me look so much older than I am! Should I be looking at Vit C, Retinoids, Buffet etc?

Crap, I don't think Nip + Fab are ever going to sponsor our trip around the world at the rate I've been dissuading their products... and I've been shitting all over their parent company Rodial of the minuscule Bee Venom variety too

depressing, sorry about the GP but on a more positive note it is good to hear your skin is calming down. Do you have an SPF working for you yet? If not, get on that first.

I'm hesitant to be getting you to jump on actives without it but considering where you started caution is warranted regardless. I don't seem to have a file on you as I don't think you filled out a form (or I've neglected to file it) so I'm not 100% what your specific issues are anymore, below is what I'd suggest in general broad lines but without any knowledge of your specific history beyond your most recent comment.

Yes, Buffet, Vit C and Retinol would be the way to go but in your case I'd say start with Buffet or Matrixyl (in the AM) and possibly the Niacinamide to help ease the sensitivity (in the PM) or just one of those (introducing them spaced apart as per usual recs, do the AM serum introduction first and provided there are no issues then introduce the Nia after approx. 2 weeks).

See how you get on with those and then consider the Vit C for the AM, it's probably also a bit more sensible to try one of the less irritating versions from TO rather than the 23%. If your skin is still behaving and agreeable after carefully trialling and introducing it all then either consider acid toning with something gentle (preferably lactic acid based, no alcohol, fragrance, etc.) or TO Retinoid Complex 2% (or possibly both as neither of these you would use on a nightly basis). Either one to be introduced very conservatively building up from 1-2x a week to as needed (most likely 2-3x a week).

dulceimena was not annoyed by GP just confused. Never mentioned rosacea at all. Just said it was caused by a mite and the cream would need to be used for 12 weeks. I'll be more than happy if it works. Is this a common treatment then for rosacea?

Should I just use the prescribed gel and nothing else apart from moisturiser and SPF for the 12 weeks ? TIA

Thank you bo, I will start shopping. I did fill out a form in the last thread, I rather scarily included photos so you've probably, very wisely, erased it from your memory! I do have the biore watery SPF50 which I must start using now. Is it best to order from TO direct or do they sell through other sites? I tried to find something on shipping on their website but couldn't see it and was not sure if they are UK based?

I'll go back and have a look depressing and set up the file as that's rather negligent of me. Asos sell them too now but they don't always have everything in stock/for sale but it's a good one if you just need one or two items as Victoria Health and TO only do free shipping over a certain amount (£20 I think). Although it looks like the free shipping on Asos has changed a bit as of recent but it might be down to my regional settings and/or memory of their free shipping policies. Deciem is Canada based but their UK operation ships everything out for Europe (I think this is actually done by VH but can't tell for sure). I'm not sure how quick the UK shipping is but for me it's about 5 days which is quick from the UK, it's usually double that.

Skinful, I'm a little lost. Did you have a previous diagnosis of rosacea or did you go to the GP specifically thinking that might be the case and they said it was mites?

Since you and a previous poster have both been coming on here asking how to use a prescription (something we're not qualified to comment on even if we did have medical degrees in the specific field), I feel forced to ask, do UK prescriptions not come with a manufacturer's leaflet and the treating physician's specific instructions?

I went and explained about red Rudolph nose and redness under nose . He wasn't interested in how long I had it or any other information. He glanced at it at best,said it was caused by a mite and said this gel was what the dermatologists recommend. TBH I was gobsmacked by the mention of mites and he quickly handed me the script and I went. No mention of fixing another appointment or any thing. I will have to ring him tomorrow to see what he has diagnosed. I have never been to the GP before with this.

Hi botemp,

my son is on antibiotics and differin gel, working really well but very drying. All prescriptions of meds you get in uk by law have to contain the patient information leaflet.

xxx

Article in the Guardian: Are snail slime products worth shelling out for?

www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2017/feb/06/snail-slime-beauty-products-worth-shelling-out

Thanks Coconut, I was having a hard time imagining you all just receiving blank tubes and told to hope for the best.

Hmm can't recall it all at the moment, Skinful, but if the GP is saying mites, I'm assuming this is something like fungal acne, Demodex mites possibly (I think?) which some believe to be the cause of rosacea since they are present in very high amounts in those with rosacea but iirc that's a controversial topic in dermatology land. If I have to hazard a guess following that logic (and you went to see him for redness not acne) then I'm thinking whatever he's prescribed are acne treatments of the sanitizing destruction variety (BP definitely is, the other I don't recognise by name but assume it'll be similar to Differin/adapalene), the theory being that by battling those mites the redness will disappear with them as they're the cause.

If it is traditional acne medication it's most likely to be drying though but the routine would be similar to what we've been discussing with Sorelip, minimal, you'll probably want some extra hydration and depending on how dry you get might want a richer moisturiser but I believe when using the medication that's all you use post cleansing (usually a time of 30 mins between that and application). But read the patient leaflet and see what that says.

Yes Bo U.K. prescribed products do always come with manufacturers leaflet and a prescriber should always provide the patient with full details of what the drug is being prescribed for, pros and cons (to make an informed decision) how to use/take and likely side effects. Of course this is 'gold standard' and in practice unfortunately it doesn't always happen. People get prescribed things all the time with no idea what or why they're taking it, what to expect and without any real shared decision making with the patient. I could go on but rant over!

Thanks for the advice botemp!

skinful there is a mite called the demodex mite (I think! Someone correct me if wrong..) which can sometimes cause rosacea. Not all rosacea sufferers have the mite-based version. Usually (I think) - you would be tested for the presence of the mites...? Do a search here on MN for rosacea/demodex mites threads, there is lots of info. Sorry your GP was not more forthcoming.
bo there is a national shortage of GPs in U.K., they are desperately overworked and we have the shortest appointment slots in Europe apparently (10 mins on average). Therefore GPs tend to leave the communication to only the most essentials and it can be very hit and miss apart from my GP who is lovely and very concise and not a bad doctor either!! But, this is probably why people often don't get loads of info.
And yes let's set up a French skincare shelves porn shots Insta and make shed loads no but actually let's do that