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]:

---

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.

But I assume you do get printed instructions for individual use of some sorts (frequency, amount, etc.)? It's common practice here to print those on labels and they're attached to the packaging and the medication itself (unless it's individual pills). The pharmacist dispensing it also has an obligation to rattle off instructions for use, ask certain standard protocol questions for certain medications, etc. if it's your first time using it. I think you even need to make special appointments for certain types that require more than a few minutes of their time to explain (and there's a charge for it but this gets paid by the insurance scheme) and there's some digital stuff too that you can watch. The latter stuff is fairly recent though and is done to combat the huge amount of (financial) waste prescription medication is causing when people aren't using theirs per the instructions.

Catrina, was thinking about it some more, I'd have to ask for their INCI as it's unavailable but the Glycolic Cult counterpart to P50 (and about 2-3x the price, never tried it myself though I am curious how it compares) is Formula 2006 from Dr Frances Prenna Jones. I think the Formula 2006 Plus the French would call that mature contains Nia but I'd have to email them and ask for specifics but I'm kind of assuming at their prices very few on here are going to be interested. Think the travel size is £40 or thereabouts and just under £150 for the full size.

Yes, yongnian! If only just an excuse to go to France again! Now how to convince those snassy French companies to come and let us take pictures of their shelves AND pay us for it... ahem...

Catrina, the NIOD Non-Acid Acid Precursor 15% mentioned upthread is another one to consider (also curious about this one, few reviews that I have seen on it are favourable) no Nia in that one either.

Well, skin around my eyes continued to peel during the day (managed to make it look slightly better mixing very tick moisturizer with concealer in the afternoon). So now I'm doing my usual DIY Spa-therapy for SOS skin situations-

Cleanse
P50
Serozinc
Lotus Oil
Repeat serozinc and LO after a couple of hrs

Clarins ppl I'm warning you I might have to use the last drops of the oil tonight

(One could do this with any oil one knows skin agrees with and not only for SOS but if skin feels very dry or after traveling).

I think my eye area is still a bit irritated from the cryotherapy and TO Vit C plus the fact I apply the retinol on upper lids is a bit much at the moment.
Got a very general unsatisfactory reply from Deciem about the Vit C issues... they basically denied it causes balling up of make up etc, which we know is utter rubbish. I wish they'd just said smg like "sorry we know and we're working on it", as I really love the product itself.

Doesn't sound nice aurora - I had a very irritated eyelid a while back and it want pleasant. Sound like you have a good plan in place. Cicaplast was helpful for mine, over a layer of rice bran oil.
bo Your system sounds very thorough. Here you pretty much get '1 twice a day' or whatever and that's about it. Yes there is an advice sheet with medicines but mostly listing possible side effects, contraindications etc..you can of course ask a pharmacist, but you might be dispensed via the surgery so that can be minimal too. And at the risk of offending any U.K. pharmacists, they don't tend to be as forthcoming as say the French pharmacists (who will practically not let you leave the shop until they're satisfied you know exactly how to use whatever they've recommended or dispensed). I do think it is purely a reflection on how overworked our poor NHS staff are, they really couldn't be stretched any more badly then they are, not a reflection on their knowledge or professionalism.
yeah keep me posted on that insta account name

bo - I have to self inject with a med I mix myself once a week. I had a nurse show me once, and that was it

Thanks for the Cicaplast tip Yong. I have a small sample tube of that somewhere. Will try it tomorrow.

Skinful yes, as yong says, there's a correlation in some cases between an overabundance of these mites (I think everyone has them, but in some people they flourish - the mites themselves aren't anything to worry about, there are just too many of them iirc) and rosacea. Although your GP didn't explain it very well, the prescription you've got is a first line defence for rosacea.

I'd suggest googling rosacea and the combo you've been given as I think it'll answer some qs for you.

Eg
www.acne.org/rosacea.html has a good explanation of rosacea and specifically mentions the treatment plan you've been prescribed (it looks pretty effective)
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Rosacea/Pages/Causes.aspx - mentions the mites
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rosacea/home/ovc-20235169 - general advice

Some of the treatments mentioned in the last link are hardcore oral medication (isotretinoin and antibiotics) with potential unpleasant side effects so topical treatment is absolutely the best starting point. If you're unsure about your medication or how to take them, best to go back to your GP or check with a pharmacist. Hopefully this will sort out the redness you're experiencing.

Also have to agree with yong that our GPs are desperately overworked and simply don't have the capacity to have lengthy conversations. Mine is absolutely brilliant and I am very lucky to benefit from her East German efficiency, but I also google research the hell out of anything before I see her and have a mental checklist of what I want to ask/know.

Thanks dulcemina yong and bo I will certainly have a look at those websites dulce though not likely to be tonight thanks to an increasingly gungey eye (sorry) caused I can only suspect from using an eyeliner today that had lain dormant for a few months 🤔

Dr Sam has posted a vlog on hormones and skin . Another coincidence?!

Omg. She is so following this thread. Stop lurking Dr.S, join us!

unless you're bo

Talking of Dr Sam....on a completely unskin related subject..has anyone seen Dr S"s brother?? (Phewwrr) he's a vet and apart from just too pumped up, he could certainly bring a rather healthy blush to my cheeks any time

*from being

What's he called Skinful? Google was useless.

Btw guys, my deleted post was just because I posted something that along with other stuff elsewhere on here, would make me pretty identifiable to anyone who knows me. I suspect someone O know is on here, don't know their nickname, rather they didn't know mine.
Just in case anyone thinks it was me confessing to being Dr Sam...

Hi Ladies,

Read through the threads and am looking for some wisdom. Not really seen anyone with my specific skin type and concerns so thought I'd fill out my details and ask for your help

Skin type: combination with large pores

Approx age (range): 35

Primary skin concern: hyperpigmentation and dullness

Routine :

AM : NIp Fab glycolic skin fix, TO Alpha Arbutin, TO Niamacide, TO Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

PM :glycolic skin fix cleanser double cleanse pm, TO Alpha Arbutin, TO Azaleic Acid, TO Advanced Retanoid 2%

Makeup : eg. Double Wear

Occasional treatments:

Things I've tried in the past with disastrous results: nothing has really been disastrous

Things that are really working well for me now: seen an improvemebt in brightness since using TO but not sure which products are working well. Put previous skincare which consister of LRP moisturiser in am and Midnight Recovery on hold

What I'm willing to spend on a single skincare item: eg. £10-20

I specifically [want help with/am looking for a product to/am curious about trying]: hyperpigmentation is my main concern. I havd south Asian skin and it is currently pretty bad

enid he is under shelthevet on instagram. Had a second look this morning though ,with a cleaner eye and have had second thoughts...too much

Right so this is putting me in a difficult position either way but I feel the need to state it anyhow. I know this thread deviates a lot and I'm usually the cause of it but if it does devolve into male objectification I'll x-out of the thread, as is my choice. And yes, I'm aware by passively aggressively threatening as much I am policing this in some sort anyhow even though that's not my intention but if I leave it unchallenged, as the OP of the thread and one of the more prolific posters, at best it appears I'm condoning this kind of behaviour and at worst seen as complicit. I want to be party to neither.

It's not okay in my book about anyone, male/female/whatever, whether they chose to be in the public eye or not. I don't care if they're actively courting it themselves. I don't agree with reducing any sentient being into a set of limbs you'd like to shag, it's demeaning, terrible to see/read and downright atrocious to experience if you're at the other end of it. I can never see it as harmless banter. Period.

You're welcome to hold a different opinion to mine as everyone is entitled to their own views, this is not about that (now where I wish to take the tone or discussion of this thread). What I'm simply stating is that I always have the option to check out as I would do on any other thread where this would emerge.

Right, where was I. Dulci et. al, apologies if it came across I was hard on your NHS GPs, I don't blame them, our GPs are similarly stretched thin but even without that I think it's incredibly hard to expect medics who are so broadly educated to be excellent in all those individual things. It's an impossible ask. I'm just mostly shocked that the rest of the system doesn't cushion some of the fallout (as noted, here pharmacists have quite an important intermediary role, as do the GP assistants and nurses) or facilitate an easier access to specialists (though I'm well aware the protective measures wrt access are there for good reason).

There's plenty wrong with our system too, most of it in the context of overzealous tendencies towards efficiency and cost models. I have mostly just been rather shocked by the lack of personal initiative on the patients' parts when it's such common knowledge that a GP will never have the necessary time to thoroughly walk you through a diagnosis so thing like patient leaflets, etc. become all the more essential reading than they already are.

Welcome, superstaary, sorry about the agro business above with South Asian you mean the sub-Himalayan countries, right? I have to admit I'm not the most well versed in that specifically as there isn't much focus on it in most beauty writing (which is a shame, esp. considering how much beauty and clear skin is a thing in that region). I'll have a look through some of my sources as I do know there are specific differences genetically and certain actives are a better choice than the common Western/SEA ones, Dr. Sam did do a video on which branched into SA too iirc (sorry, didn't have time to rewatch before posting). There's a second video too I believe.

botemp, I skimmed the patient leaflet to be honest, and should have paid more attention. I've now read the patient leaflet and it does not mention building up usage. The pharmacist said nothing when handing over the prescription and the locum GP spent more time extolling the benefits of a plant-based diet than discussing the prescription. I've got an appointment to see my normal GP on Tuesday, so I will discuss it with him then, and push him on the hormone issue.

Pharmacists do cushion the fallout from gps, a lot. Far more than people realise. They constantly have to correct the prescriptions as the gps aren't as knowledgable about the drugs and meds and they often make mistakes. All good pharmacists will ask if you've used a product/med before, if that medication has contra indications or needs to be taken or applied in a specific way. If they didn't do that then it was either a one off or they weren't a good pharmacist.

Skin very dehydrated today. Smiled this morning and had blood dripping off my chin from the splits in my lips. It's something to go with whatever tf is wrong with me but my gp is crap and do far they've been incredibly unhelpful.

*to do with

I'm off for a little TK maxx browse. Going stir crazy stuck at home!

No offence intended to anyone. Apologies to anyone offended

I have to say however that such a tirade was wholly unnecessary. Your point could have been put over much more succinctly. There was nothing in the thread guidelines to suggest my post would have been considered offensive, otherwise I would not have posted it.