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.

No not all sasha - don't worry! I was just wondering what it was you'd found, as you mentioned an autoimmune link....can you remember what it was specifically? Just interested as it might help with a couple of missing pieces of my own 'jigsaw puzzle', as it were.

Deciem are releasing their colour products this month, just seen a video on their Instagram

I don't include fruit Dulci apart from juices. When the fibre is there with the sugars in the fruit, then it helps slow down the release of the fructose so it doesn't have the same detrimental effect as refined sugars. If you want to strictly avoid carbs then I guess it'd be different like you say but I personally think fruit is fine. It has too much other good stuff in it to be cut out. One of the recipe books I have does avoid fruit for the first 3 weeks (I think, don't have it to hand) to adjust the cravings, then slowly reintroduces it. I don't think it's necessary.

There are some fruits higher in sugar than others and lower on the gi scale of you want to approach it like that. Think berries are pretty low (inc kiwi fruit) with grapes and bananas being higher up.

Thank you Enid, that's helpful. I've got a raging headache today and wondering whether to just power through and get it over and done with or have a bit of fruit. Big decisions.

Yongnian The autoimmune issue I found was called Progesterone Auto-Immune Dermatitis which seems to just be a different form of dermatitis so not Seborrheic but is your body's reaction to progesterone.

I think when I was looking into that there were other references to Auto-Immune Dermatitis but can't be sure. There is a hell of a lot of information out there but it does seem that because the ethology of dermatitis is unclear there are a lot of different interpretations regarding it. I think thats actually what I found a bit depressing/overwhelming.

I actually found this blog though which I would recommend to people regarding Seb Derm and Acne. The writer is someone who has seemingly solved his own skin care problems through investigation into ingredients would probably fit in on these threads and in reference to Seb Derm he basically gives similar advice to what was said on here. He's in the US but he seems to use Cosrx, Paula's Choice, Benton. Might be useful supplementary reading for anyone.

First ever post so bit apprehensive but hoping for ideas. Always used SPF on my 70 year old skin and middle to top-end skin stuff, now mainly in to NIOD, TO, Kiehls. However, sun pigmentation on left side of face (through window as passenger in car? Be warned) when examined in magnifying mirror reveals blackheads embedded, aaargh. I'm 70 not 17.

Any solutions, help, advice would be very gratefully received.

Ooh my holy snails sample has arrived. Off to plaster that on my face

wilting! How much did you use, weren't you the self-confessed binger you only need a few drops. Cotton should be damp, not wet, excess water squeezed out.

mintleaves, the PC CALM redness relief serum mentioned upthread in Sasha's second product proposals would probably work well for you too. You should be able to get a sample first to try.

bellissimiaow, I'm still waiting on which pads PersisFord is using so once I've done her form, I'll get to you over these next few days.

Sasha sounds like you've formed some well thought out plans, my only advice would be with the vaseline to make sure you're not trapping anything irritating. I've actually linked to some articles from that blog before, it is informative but the general push to buy things on certain posts drives me bonkers and whilst it's well researched I do always wonder how accessible it is for those new to skincare (and I am always somewhat wary about bloggers providing evidence by trawling PubMed to back up their narrative since as a layman it's pretty hard to properly peer review scientific papers). But, yes, generally good reading.

Dulci, much like Enid. I avoid refined sugars and the 'natural' sugar substitutes (with some exceptions, but they're still fast sugars in my book) but not naturally occurring sugars. Whole fruit I eat without issue but am more careful with the high sugar ones like bananas, grapes, exotic fruits, etc. but I think that's more of a thing if you have health related insuline issues. Juice only as a very small part of a vegetable juice, but not on its own.

When I went no sugar I ate less fruit initially but didn't omit it completely and I usually try to eat it with some form of complex carb rather than on its own (but again more a thing that works for me than any science based thing, though I'm sure it's based on something I've read about better absorption and inhibiting insulin spikes)

user...591, it's kind of hard to respond without knowing what you've tried/used so far for pigmentation. Ingredients usually used for sun pigmentation are Vit C, Retin-A/Retinol, Niacinamide, Liquorice Root Extract, Arbutin, Kojic Acid, AHAs, Hydrquinone (though not available OTC and even then rarely used), etc.

Exciting, Hollin, what's the Snowbang supposed to do again? I just remember it has a pretty label

Link to blurb and ingredients
https://www.holysnailsshop.com/products/snowbang-essence#

feels v light and comes in a mist spray, it's a decent size sample and the mist is very fine which I like. Smells vaguely chinese herbal/medicine like

Not much, honest bo plus I did squeeze the pad thoroughly, but have to admit it had been soaked. I have a sample bottle so just tipped it ONCE on v damp pad.

Does it linger In The skin cause another small burn like mark popped up this evening? I used it Monday!

Hmm. Might just go buy more bha. My skin loves that stuff.

I dipped my damp pad in Think I'll find a little syringe to try and use drops. No Rudolph nose today. Used Corsx on nose tonight and first time use of the Azz. Have put it just on lower right cheek where I have slight pigmentation spots left and congestion under the skin. Hadn't realised it's prescribed at 15% and 20% for acne. The description in the medications book looks promising. It says it's prescribed for mild to moderate acne when the patient has shown sensitivities to BP and retinoids. Which is me. Although no acne atm. So although it's a lower dose, I have high hopes for this one.

User Step away from the magnifying mirror. What does your skin look like in a normal mirror? How does it feel?

Watching my nose with trepidation now.

Ok, the pads I have are the glycolic acid fix ones.

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it already, but Boots have 3 for 2 on skincare at present, I got the LRP Anthelios sunscreen, Toleriane cleanser, Vichey serum on it. Lots of other products mentioned on these threads are included too. If you stack with the current points offers & the store vouchers etc (if you get them) it works out really good value. Yesterday I got 2 bottles of the Vichy serum & a bottle of the Toleriane cleanser on 3 for 2, cost £45 but I also got over £13 back in store points on my card by judicious use of vouchers & they have an triple points offer on at present.

Could someone clarify (or link) for me - which is the exact product I should be looking for, in a stronger BHA please? I've been using the PC 2% BHA (the liquid one in the light blue bottle) since about November, 2-3 times a week, sometimes every night, but it's done absolutely nothing for my pores. (No irritation either though.) I thought these was a stronger one but I can't see it now.

Lego, I bought of travel size of this

Jeez Enid!!

You dabbed lightly tho yes? >hopeful

Thanks Wilting, I've ordered the trial size. Want to get my t-zone pores sorted before I try any other new products. After that, for me it will all be about brightening, prevention (both facial) & the bothersome skin on the rest of my body.

Wilting Um...I kind of wiped it on. No noticeable effect so far and it's been almost two days. Phew.

Initial impressions of the Az are good. Nothing massive obviously but an annoying small hard lump that has been hanging around for 3 weeks has almost gone. I applied extra to that bit. Will put it on both lower cheeks tonight.

Also, how come when a beauty journalist recommends a product, it sells out from all online stores within about 2 hours? Surely there can't be hundreds of people instantly buying it? Do they only stock a dozen of each thing? It's annoying. I like to have a think about it for at least a day before buying, but then it's all gone. It must be people just blindly buying.

I made the mistake of putting a bit o the p50w on again tonight but that's too soon isn't it?

Also where I put the Az on (lower cheeks and chin) was ok until I dabbed a bit of cicaplast on about 20 mins later and now it's feeling a bit tingly stingy.

But my legs burned after shaving and aveeno which they don't usually do maybe I'm just hyper sensitive.

Gah. Feel like getting back in the shower and washing everything off. Including the horrible mousse I put in my hair. 😩 I'm all stingy and tight and yuck feeling.

Looked in the mirror and where I have applied both azelaic acid and cicaplast there were bright pink welts.

So I've washed my face in LRP toleriane and just put the tol fluide on with a few dabs of cicaplast. Really hope it's calmed down by the morning.

There's something in the azelaic acid and the cicaplast that reacts badly together. The raised red splodges are only where the cicaplast was. Used Az last night with no problems. Used cicaplast lots of times with zero issues. So weird.

I'm finding the talk about seb derm very interesting. This probably isn't very helpful but I suffered with the same thing alongside acne for many years, but didn't actually realise what it was until I finally managed to get a referral to a derm who diagnosed me. I always consulted dr google too and originally thought I had perioral derm too.

The main issue he wanted to sort was the acne, then he said he would look at the seb derm once I'd finished the first lot of treatment. But a very strange thing happened and the Isotetrinoin I took for the acne also cleared up the seb derm! The dermatologist was baffled and said he'd never had that happen before. It's been 10 months since I finished my treatment and my skin is still clear. So I just wanted to say push for a referral and there can be light at the end of the tunnel. Unless I'm just a bloody medical marvel

This picture came up on my Timehop app the other day. Before and almost at the end of my treatment. I lived with it for a decade and now it feels so strange to think my skin was ever like that. Hope this is ok to share but I'll get it deleted if it offends anyone!!

Thank you, Bo - here's a quick breakdown of the routine
AM Niod Saccharide Spray, CAIS 1%, Hyamide, Kiehl's Powerful Strength Line Reducing Conc, Charlotte T's Magic cream
PM Spray as above, Hyamide, sometimes TO Rosehip or Marula Oil. Just finishing Kiehls Clearly Corrective Dark Spot stuff.
Should I get more of the Clearly Corrective for the sun damage or ? And which non gucky SPF is the best, do you all think?
Enid: You so made me laugh about the magnifying mirror. Some days I look 50, other days definitely 70 in an ordinary mirror - probably depends on whether I'm wearing glasses!