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.

I'll expect to see them on eBay later tonight then Hollin!

yongnian hi yes that was my angry red nose but no itching or psoriasis or dermatitis ever mentioned or diagnosed. No cold extremities or circulation issues either despite spending periods of time in very cold places.

I have had via my GP an official diagnosis of rosacea although he just looked and asked questions rather than doing tests.

vaz - a few clarifications:

-Do you use acid toner twice a day and after that add glycolic a few times a wee mistake in PM?
-When you use retinol does this also follow after above acid toner?
-The 15% glycolic also comes after acid toner (Bravura/ Aveda)?

Salty the more I think about it the more annoyed I am at your behalf. Could you go back and demand a referral to a derm or see another GP who would grant you one?

My Sulwhasoo ampoule samples are coming to an end and I feel like getting something else to apply on top of TO Matryxil in the PM. Since we've been discussing copper peptides I was thinking of this -
http://eu.m.iherb.com/pr/Mizon-Original-Skin-Energy-Peptide-500-1-01-oz-30-ml/69169
But don't know if it really makes sense on top of the Matryxil (which does not contain copper peptide at all, interestingly enough).
It also comes in an ampoule "cream" version but that has -cones.
Or I could RP the Benton Snail/ Bee or look for something from Manyo....?? Ideas??

Ok salty thanks, I remember the picture but was confusing the other issues with another poster then.
Sooo.....I was diagnosed with rosacea almost a year ago (and had probably had it mildly much longer). By point of diagnosis I was having burning cheek flush in the evening that was very red, sometimes almost purple, slightly swollen too and with the tiny little red bumps.
Also had seb derm but won't go into that as it sounds like you don't.
Was given rosex gel. GP slightly more helpful than yours (which wouldn't be hard!) - wanted to prescribe antibiotics but was still breastfeeding so couldn't.
So, started on the gel and researched my own self-help stuff. Read that the following could be helpful:
Flax seed oil supplement
Vit B12 supps
Rice bran oil (food grade v cheap) for a double cleanse
Avoid hot water or rubbing face.
So was going along with these things and the gel seemed to help a little thought there was no outstanding improvement, it has to be said, though I had been warned it was a long haul and management was the thing.
About 8 months later I happened across a thread on MN about how an allergy to the tannin in Oaked red wine can be v similar to rosacea symptoms....am v fond of red wine and so decided to give non-oaked reds a whirl as I knew red was one of triggers for flushing..so, switched to burgundy/Pinot noir/Beaujolais. The difference was virtually instant. No post-glass flushing, no swollen purple cheeks...nothing.
Skincare wise, the other thing my skin has really liked is niacinamide- to the extent now I just have some tiny red patches in the centre of my cheeks and around base of nose/across bridge - easily covered with a green corrector concealer and a bit of concealer or tinted moisturiser on top. Cheeks have also seemed to like Vit C (at a different time of day from the niacinamide as that reduces the efficacy of the vit c) and I also swap in the 1% BHA Calm from Paula's choice (also just got some samples of the serum from that range that bo mentioned but haven't tried it yet) as the salicylic acid is good for rosacea. (Crushed up aspirin as a mask also good). I also have a Cattier pink clay mask which is quite soothing.
I do also have some azelaic acid waiting in the wings to try, have heard good things about that.
Cleanser wise, I've been using and really like Uriage roseliane milky cleanser, however may go to LRP toleriane cleanser next. I spray first with thermal water which skin also seems to like. I am also strict about spf 50 (I like the bioderma photoderm one)
So my skin has pretty much gone from raging rosacea to it being a virtual non-event inside of a year. I don't even use the medicated gel anymore.
Things I also tried:
Moogoo demodex rosacea powder (in case I had the mites) - don't think I did have the mite version.
Manuka honey - taken internally and as a mask.
Wow, that was long but it has been a bit of a long process, and I hope there might be something there that's helpful - feel free to ask more if you want, am a bit virus befuddled so possibly not very clear.

Just looking at the cicaplast, is it the pro recovery one or the soothing repair balm please? Marks from spots take ages to fade with me so fancy giving this a try! Thanks!

I sound like a broken record, but whoever are waiting on form replies I'll get to it tomorrow, I promise! Tune in tomorrow for a repeat of this announcement

The bug again, yongnian . I'm highly suspicious it's returning to me too and wondering if it's a thing with that bug. I thought I was done with it over the previous weekend but I'm getting that same fatigued feeling again hence no replying to forms. Thanks for the comprehensive rosacea review btw, I'm sure it'll be very helpful to many .

Think it's the normal La Roche Posay B5 Soothing Repair Balm, cad186 but I'm sure Enid will answer too. vaz119, this is probably worth you looking into too, it's very similar to the Kiehl's moisturiser ingredient wise although it's a bit on the heavier side as a moisturiser.

For ampoules I've been looking at Graymelin and Swanicoco, Aurora. I also really want a FTE from Swanicoco but it's ridiculously expensive, not quite SK-II but like half of that . I like the look of that 500 ampoule though, maybe even more than the 100 version. There is that $5 off coupon for iHerb I put in the Sunday Supplement which will probably bring it to the price on eBay .

I was actually doing some research into copper peptides for hair growth today since I know my eyelashes and eyebrows respond well to it (the Chantecaille brow one despite not so great as a makeup product has been delivering on the hair growth front and crucially facilitating new hair growth near the nose that I assumed gone forever). Supposedly women with hormonal issues (and when the hair loss is attributed to that) respond well to it and I've now found an American product (can be used for eyebrows and lashes too) which frustratingly is very expensive to buy here but only $18 there... Apparently it's like greenish blue goo, which naturally means I want to try it

Dulci, how's the Gosh eyelash serum doing? Has it been enough time to evaluate yet?

I'm pretty sure Trinny uses some sort of blurring filter too, Pupsie. A few of her videos come up on my suggested videos now and then ever since I looked at one when you mentioned it many threads ago. She's an absolute nuisance when it comes to skincare, she can barely pronounce the ingredients never mind understand what they're supposed to do, simply rattling on an interpretive version of someone else's explanation but it's all very entertaining if you ignore the inaccuracies. She already looks quite plastic/filler like despite it being on the conservative side (to each their own, not a judgement just an observation in the context of this filter talk) but she looks even more unreal than you'd expect when bare skinned but it might just be down to the fact that she's filming on a phone, a lot already have those filters without you even setting it up or being able to disable it. I can adjust mine and if I tune it up to the max I no longer have a nose .

yong and bo sorry you are feeling shit! DH has a very slight cold during the weekend and now it seems DS1 has it...

Yeah thanks for such comprehensive info yong - since you mentioned aspirin mask and Manuka honey, may I add you can add the honey to the crushed aspirin? Just don't do this mask too often, it's quite harsh IMO, so save it for SOS.

bo have a look at this -

manyo-factory.com/en/shop/product/bifidalacto-complex-bifido-lakto-kompleks-soderzhanie-fermentov-bifido-i-laktobakterii-90

Galactomites, pumpkin ferment, copper and other peptides galore.....

And of course their eyelash serum is stuffed with peptides! When are we off to Korea???

I don't know about that one, it's an EL Advanced Night Repair dupe, I think Vanity Rex reviewed it and was somewhat tepid about it. I'm also somewhat tepid about ANR so I think a tepid version of an already tepid product just isn't going to excite me but who knows it might just be amazing in that idiosyncratic Korean way.

I really was hoping they'd send us our tickets for Korea by now, there are other people in our lives who need to deal with our beauty tour absence after all and I suppose we have to think about them too.

Ah sorry to hear that bo..think mine is a different bug (last one stomach, this one chest) but nonetheless including the sinus infection at Christmas, I think I've only managed about 2 weeks clear out of the last two months...moan moan. I blame the human germ factory herself, pesky toddler.
Fascinated to hear those saying cica is good for spot scars. I've found it great for my seb derm but not done anything for hyper pigmentation . Good product though and one I will keep to hand.

... and we have to time to trip with the Lumea schedule now on top of all things. Heaven forbid we take it along and it be mistaken for a weapon

Don't know if it really a dupe of ANR (which did not agree with me at all) because the INCI list looks much much better

I need that research budget already!!!!

Yes bo I agree with what you say about Trinny. I don't often watch her full length videos. She does make me laugh though and she is totally hyper most of the time; must wear her poor assistant out!

I watched Dr. Sam's night time routine earlier. I've actually tried to focus on how I apply my products these last few days. I've been rushing things so I've slowed down a bit. My skin is feeling really good atm. I think it likes the TO Azeliac.

Niacinamide is Vit B3, Panthenol is Vit B5. so they're not that far off each other and have similar properties. They're both pretty beneficial and I guess it's very much what you respond to better. It may also be the case that the percentage of B5 in that LRP balm is very high.

I have to say Nia is having a bit of a 'moment', it used to be a very cheap unmentioned ingredient (like B5 is now) but the AB focus on it has amplified its importance as that's carried over. B5 is also an anti-ager so that always gets more spotlight. I'm sure it'll happen to B5 too, it's pretty much inevitable we start seeing a focus on all the individual Vitamins I really need to get started on my Supercharged Beta Booster Serum with Beta Glucan, B3, and B5 before then

Bo good question about the Gosh serum. It's been 3(?) weeks now and I think it is helping, but I don't have those crazy long Latisse lashes that some get. I noticed that I'm not losing lashes as often as I used to so that's something (I wasn't losing loads but it occurred to me yesterday that I haven't noticed losing a single one for weeks!). I'll stick with it I think. I apply semi-religiously - 5/6 out of 7 evening p/wk. The mascara was awful, too wet a formula, didn't like it at all. Currently using the serum and Chantecaille Faux Cils and no plans to change.

I'm in Amsterdam and Brussels in 3 weeks for work and will have an afternoon free in the former, a couple of hours in the latter. Any tips for any lovely shops/shopping areas like Yvonne to check out that I can't get at home? More for Amsterdam tbh but would take all suggestions. I reckon you've probably got a fair idea of what I might like from the other thread! Not looking for anything in particular, just newness and inspiration

Aurora, should we subject Dulci to DD?

I'm not a big fan of Brussels for shopping, but the nicer/independent boutiques are easy to locate and don't take much time. Head for Rue Antoine Dansaert which is just behind the Bourse/Stock Exchange much prefer it to the stuffier high end shops around Louiza (though there are a few nice shops there too but tastes generally run very conservative there).

Amsterdam used to be easy, Negen Straatjes was pretty much the place to send people to but it's becoming more and more gentrified pushing the smaller independent retailers elsewhere in a more sprawled manner. De Hallen/Hannie Dankbaarpassage will probably be a good place to divert to after the Negen Straatjes. I think the concept stores are always the most interesting to go for inspiration, there's Hutspot, T.I.T.S., Cottoncake, Doordeweeks, and a few more. The Petite Passport blog will have plenty of addresses to explore, she's a travel writer for a lot of newspapers and magazines here and always has a good finger on the pulse. She might have some better suggestions than my apathy for Brussels too .

Kiki Niesten is a high-end contemporary boutique in Amsterdam (Celine, Marni, etc.) but they have a permanent outlet of sorts which is always well worth a look www.kikiniesten.nl/kikisstocksale. Also, check their Instagram for inspiration and prices.

Found this Manyo Travel Set on ebay, Aurora. It has a half size version of the Bifida and the Niacin I had been looking at before and a few other products that I wouldn't say no to. Very tempted.

I have applied my TO HA/B5. 6 bottles to go

Aurora

Sorry i probably never explained that very well 😊

I use the toner morning and night. But on the nights where I'm doing the acid gel or retinol stuff then no toner at night (only in the morning after cleansing)

Does that make more sense?

Does that make sense?

Sorry.. No idea why that last bit posted twice 😕

Thanks botemp on the cicaplast recommendation... I'll definitely look into that... More moisturising wouldn't be a bad thing in winter!

Remind again me what The concealer is called please?

Fizzy Glad it helped. The cicaplast is a surprise isn't it? I wouldn't use it all over personally as it's heavy and I can't really use Shea butter but for marks it's amazing. Have you tried the Colorphlex yet?

Anyone watch the latest CH vlog? Interesting to see how firm she is on her skin in routines, maybe I'm just soft!

THE concealer
http://www.allbeauty.com/1099082-sisley-eye-concealer-with-botanical-extract?ref=%7Badtype%7D&utmsource=%7Badtype%7D&utmmedium=FREE&&currency=GBP&country=48&&gclid=CKHqqOTU7dECFRKeGwodUVwNTw