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've found you ladies! I have got so much catching up to do

Enid yes it was me who was using Cicaplast on acne! Stopped after you mentioned the shea but I may give it a go again.

I have figured out it was the HA that was causing my new breakouts. Stopped using it and I'm back to normal now!!

Also for (interior/product) design, Frozen Fountain is always worth a nose as is the Droog shop. There's a few shops around the van Woustraat too that have more of the uniquely curated items. Gathershop (started by an English woman) features a mix of emerging designers (products/clothes/accessories) and a bit of vintage. Anecdote and Amator are two emerging Dutch clothing brands in the Negen Straatjes which are probably worth a visit. As is Sky-Amsterdam though it'll be more familiar brands. There's plenty really . A lot of people from abroad like Scotch & Soda but it's not really my thing...

Our version of Selfridges, de Bijenkorf, has been starting to showcase some Dutch emerging talent lately too, Sies Marjan is one to look out for (think one of the bigger dept. stores in London will carry him too by this point). Can't remember if they carry Claes Iversen yet, otherwise check out his online shop .

^ Sorry, that's for Dulci.

Good to know you figured that out Storm, I believe Enid's been having success using it as a spot treatment, was that how you were using it too?

No I had been using it as a moisturiser bo but I think I am going to start using it again just in areas of scarring and see how it goes!

I have the nia to try but may hold off. I stopped using the PC acid and TO HA, skin cleared up somewhat. Started using PC again and has been fine so am going to continue with that.

I need to join you ladies with the lumea!

Was it the TO HA + B5 that was causing the breakouts? I've always been really hesitant to rec that one unless someone was super oily but it seems to be causing many issues except with a few. May stop reccing it altogether.

We'll be back to the Lumea on the 15th (or in my case tomorrow to the neglected bits).

So lubey are you saying the itchy patches flake, esp when something irritates? If so, and you suspect rosacea as well, that really does sound like seb derm (but please don't take my word for it, best confirm with GP obvs). I was getting mine in my eyebrows, hairline and odd patches either side of my mouth. GP suggested clotrimazole as it's a fungal thing...gave temporary relief but didn't actually clear it up...another poster on here enid? suggested Daktarin cream available over counter, which was helpful. I also found really layer the hydration helped and keeping water well away - so at one point when particularly angry, I was layering rice bran oil over it before cleansing (sounds counterproductive but bear with me) in order to give skin a waterproof layer, then I found that a cicaplast type cream was really soothing (I use one by topicreme but LRP do one that lots of people swear by on here). Touch wood, this has really calmed it and it's well under control at the mo.
And for all the rosacea red-wine lovers, do try a non-oaked red before the painful step of having to give up entirely !
Interesting what you are saying about genetic link lubey - my father has the same reaction...and rosacea...

Thanks yongnian, I was noting the non-oaked thing in your last post, I hadn't realised that was the aggravating factor. I am going to do an - ahem - highly scientific experiment with some cabernet sauvignon.

Interesting re the genetics - a lot of my father's family have it and I was always told it was down to 'Celtic blood' (they are Irish/Scottish), but took that with a pinch of salt at the time.

Seems to be a lite version out now:-

www.sebastianprofessional.com/en-GB/products/styling/potion9-lite

Yeah interesting how many people have problems with the TO HA B5.
I can only repeat how impressed I am by TO Matryxil and how moisturizing it is, so that might be worth a try.

bo I think yong has become quite the expert and deserves to shed the title of trainee plus a diploma
So happy you can now help others, Yong! Hope more people will see improvement like you have

The 15th it is! Wednesdays are usually a good day for me

Great stuff, thanks as ever Bo. Appreciate your suggestions.

By the way, I didn't realise scotch and soda was dutch! Think there's one on carnaby street (maison Scotch is the women's stuff I think?). Anyway, making a list now

Is the PC redness calming serum better than the Pai [[https://www.paiskincare.com/products/instant-calm-redness-serum-sea-aster-wild-oat?variant=26946007879 one]
I haven't found the Pai one to have made any difference to my Rudolph nose at all

Firstly thanks Bo for taking the time to write a response and a very helpful one at that!

My skin was in a bit of a state at the start of last year (with stress mostly but eating crap too) and the Chantecaille was a desperate attempt in space nk one day to fix it! (with my xmas money I must have been feeling flush! [embarrassed] ) Its more than i'd usually like to spend on what is really only a moisturising calming serum but I was desperate and depressed! I do really like it but I'm certain there are things that would work as well for much less!

Aurora...thanks for the reply also about the acids!. I actually thought they were only very mild acids and was using them mostly to 'rebalance' the skin a bit after cleansing. I have used the bravura london glycolic acid 10% which you 'paint on', leave for about ten minutes then wash off and really liked it but i'm lazy and I couldn't be bothered with this extra step at night, which was why I then bought the bravura London glycolic gel which you can leave on overnight. I like the results I get from this which I use 1-2 times a week....is this all too much acids?

The Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence looks interesting. It was the CosRx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence I was meaning....is there much difference between these?

If I'm looking to fade post spot red marks is vitamin c or niacinamide better (or a combination of both, but not together)? if that makes sense. I was also interested in the cicaplast the Enid mentioned for ??marks?? but when I went looking in boots today there was a couple and I wasn't sure which one

The sunscreen is something I know I need to do much better at! But I'm better than I was (baby oil on holidays and sunbeds in my younger days. I should really count myself lucky my skin is not in much worse condition than it is. i'll look into all 3 but if I'm slightly clog prone is there any better of the 3?

and lastly, if I'm layring serums, does HA go first before other 'hydrating serums' or after them just before moisturiser?

Thanks again for anyone who takes the time to reply...it really is much appreciated

mintleaves - don't know about cab sauv but Pinot noir grape/burgundy/Beaujolais were what was recommended as not having the allergen in (will trawl for the thread)...and yes, the Celtic connection features high in the rosacea stakes - mine comes live and direct from west of Ireland
Aww shucks aurora, if I hadn't have cleared up my rosacea so much, I'd be blushing by now ....I'm glad if my year-long skin odyssey is of use to anyone else...

My god, do you know my nose has completely changed shape as a result of these threads it was obviously really swollen with oil. I had no idea am clearly an idiot

Am getting on really well with LRP redermic gor eyes, so am going to buy TO retinoid and a bit c formulation. (Def better than the hylamide subQ I think)

Reading how hydrating Aurora finds matrixyl makes me think my lipid barrier must still be under par, so might throw the NMF in there also... anyone used it?

Thanks yongnian - have noted. The cab sauv reference was just because have a bottle of special 'unoaked' cabernet sauvignon which has been sitting in the cupboard for years a while, mostly because I thought cabernet sauvignon was meant to be oaked and was therefore slightly suspicious of it. But the ones on your list might be a safer bet for my experiment and I can save it for when I'm convinced of its beneficial rosacea qualities!

@yongnian

'So lubey are you saying the itchy patches flake, esp when something irritates?'

Yep that's exactly it, it will start off with a hot/burny/irritated even redder than usual patch - which if I intensively moisturise right away and keep doing so, then will a few days later all flake off the red patch in one large bit of dead skin. It heals easier/faster

If I don't moisturise in time then it will hang around longer and flake off gradually over a week or so

I get that effect on certain patches in the middle of my forehead, in between eyebrows, eyebrows themselves (and inner eyelids) and cheeks, also a small patch either side of my chin

I can usually avoid that level of severity happening now I'm a lot more careful but yeah, the threat is always there.

Be interesting to see what my GP says

Hot and flashy gives mixed reviews of TO

Lubey that sounds exactly like seb derm to me too. You could try an athletes foot treatment (eg I was prescribed daktarin gel) or a topical steroid (less effective) but def best to see GP as you really don't want to aggravate. You could try taking vitamin d as web derm usually occurs in the winter when daylight is limited. Taking vit d may help to counter that. Good luck, it's a horrible condition when it flares up

Just to add re the genetic thing, with seb derm (don't know about rosacea) there is a genetic predisposition. Both my dad and I have a tendency to it but my brother apparently doesn't, so its a predisposition rather than foregone conclusion - in case you're worried about kids.

That video is interesting wilting. Wow she used a lot on her hand - I barely use that amount on my whole face and neck. Plus she rubbed it for 30 seconds?! Perhaps why she had so much stinging and burning?

Right, I'm getting annoyed by TO boxes littering the place up. Happy to send on the things that haven't worked for me, to try out. If anyone is interested in the Azaleic Acid (tried 2x), Caffeine Eye serum or Nia + Zinc PM me and I'll send it on. Also have an SR Vit C + Ferulic serum tried 2x and kept in the fridge if anyone wants to try it.

That lite version doesn't even resemble the original Potion9 in the slightest. #profiteers

Yes, Yongnian deserves some sort of badge/star/accolade/diploma of choice for her doctorate in Rosacea and Seb Derm. She may just have to do with snotty toddler tissues.

Yeah, I think Maison Scotch is the women's, one of my main issues with them is actually their pretence to being a Parisian/French label but for me they lack the natural finesse and editing those labels have.

Skinful, yeah PC definitely a more desirable product if I compare the INCIs (doesn't guarantee anything but it is a good indicator).

Yeah, the Benton is quite different to the CosRX, vaz, the latter being predominantly snail. The Benton has the benefit of a whole range of other actives like bee venom, propolis, azelaic acid among others. Texturally I suspect they'll be different too (Benton light and CosRx more like a traditional serum).

Start with Vit C for spots (in the AM) then look at Nia (for the PM). It's the LRP Cicaplast Repair Balm B5. The Biore is probably the least likely to clog but the current formulation isn't sweat or sebum proof (new one to be introduced within the next month or so will be).

If layering serums, most potent serum goes first (so like Retinol, Vit C, etc.) then the weaker supportive players like HA follow.

Wrt to acids, I don't have any personal experience with Bravura but from what I understand of it, it's not that effective or strong (though the peels used to be but newer regulations changed that iirc). What would you want from an acid in terms of performance/use?

wilting, I remember that weird realisation, also if you tackle the inflammation in your face you suddenly realise you have a much slimmer face. It's rather odd. I don't know if anyone appreciates those type of videos but there's a very satisfying, if horribly gross, one on clogged noses getting unclogged in super zoomed detail.

NMF? Remind me what you mean with this, please?

H&F video definitely interesting, hadn't heard the tip of incorporating it into a moisturiser yet. I think it's a tough product, and agree she uses a lot more than I do but don't think that would have solved her sensitivity to it. Funny to hear her share my suspicion that they pumped the % up so high as the likelihood is you're not getting a direct delivery of the qouted %.