Fantastic Skincare - Snail Optional 🐌

[botemp]

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For those who are taking a peek and wondering whether previous threads are worth reading, we mostly discuss a bit of advanced skincare here with a perspective of seeking out the right ingredients for our particular skin 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 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 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.

Arrrrrrrrgh why is everyone so scared to rec me anything
Yes I was thinking vit c but I'm sure that's one that definitely requires regular spf right??
Apparently the niod naap (which I'm also pondering over) doesn't need spf (so the lady from VH told me)

I have the lrp cicalplast.....what exactly do you use it for Enid?
I use it on my son if he has any irritations or cuts and grazes

Cause you'll come on here and say "my skin's misbehaving". I'm sure this is old ground but is there no spf you can tolerate daily since it is the most important anti ageing step? You could be the first to review NIOD naap on here

Ha ha but then it would be my own fault even if I blame you
I'm one of those who doesn't believe in spf during winter time, I think skin needs sun (don't shoot me) I do however think it's important during the summer months especially as I'm a fair redhead!

Glad people are liking the cicaplast! (think it was Stainless that recommended it to me first) The mark left by the Big spot I had on my cheek last week would've taken about 3-4 months to go normally. Blob of that on top (after zineryt got rid) and it'll be gone by Wednesday. So a week. Mint I'm very pale and get pigmentation marks left by spots that last months. I use the cicaplast to help heal spots when they're 'finished' and it gets rid of the redness/marks.

JD I used it twice but then got a spot where I'd used it so I wasn't sure if the silicone had caused it or something else so it's waiting until that area is totally clear again (almost!) to try again. I wasn't sure if it did much but I bet it'd be good on the flaky bits to stop foundation sticking. So I'll let you know when I've weighed it up properly.

(What is supposed to be on that mug emoji?? It looks like a cannabis leaf to me!)

Twas such nice weather today I forgot all about the Sunday Supplement It's not much this week but it's down below.

umbrella as JDSTER mentioned sunscreen is always the last step of your skincare routine (although there are schools of thought who think that it should be the first after cleansing but this doesn't work well together with an actives routine) then followed by any makeup product (primer falls in makeup territory).

Enid, well there's that new Erborian black cleansing oil that should be available in the UK but is pricier there than from EPP. Also, was looking into this for Stainless' DD with eczema but it may work for others too as an oil cleanser, the Avene XeraCalm A.D Cleansing oil. Officially for the body (and therefore super cheap for a giant bottle) but it's super gentle and I keep seeing it as recommended for face where it's great at sunscreen/makeup removal for eczema prone skin. Am thinking of getting it for the body for myself as I really like LRP Lipikar cleansing oil/gel but that has SLES in it, which I'm ok with but would prefer something without and the Avene is.

Speaking of, Lego, if you have bacne or similar I'd stay away from anything soap based as that will be high pH and therefore give the acne inducing bacteria more opportunity to proliferate and the drying effect can increase oil production. So something soap and SLS free is probably the best way to go, French Pharmacy has strangely a lot of cleansing oils for the body like the LRP Lipikar and the Avene, Eucerin also does one called something pH 5.5.

I can only read the single spreads, not the double spreads JDSTER. Much thanks for the recap OTYT. Appears some cosmo journo has been lurking on this thread too . I was mostly curious about how they tackled the influencers and 'dishonesty' topic. I'm just waiting for the journos to start denouncing the online influencers as 'fake news' any day now...

usedup, JDSTR has given you some great advice, the only thing I would add is that AZ and BHA kind of work in similar ways so having both in a routine may be overkill in that sense. I'll have a proper look at what you're using all tomorrow but do share JDSTR's concern that you've introduced a lot all together considering how short ago the SA was introduced by TO (I think a month ago?) and it appears this was all one order? How much time have you left between each individual product for introduction?

Well Shop, if you really really love the Toleriane Fluide you can buy it severely marked up from Chanel with some white tea extract added to it and about 10mls less which is why I think they called it Solution 10 whilst laughing to the bank...

Olli, you can try the Melano CC Essence (Vit C) for red marks like that I've found that the most effective. I like TO Vit C better for an overall Vit C but that was better with the immediate aftermath of spots.

mint, you'll struggle with Vit C, the L-AA forms are off the table as it will be too sensitising (the lower percentages will all be in silicone bases or crazy expensive and unstable) and it won't fix what you're trying to fix. Again, I won't rec anything either because I think using high % actives on compromised skin are a bad idea until that's sorted.

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT

Lots of TO lately for reasons I'm not entirely sure... anyhow I fully understand the objections here and there and have been critical enough myself. Was interested to hear Beautypedia (of Paula's Choice) have now tackled it, haven't had time to read through it yet but a good resource nonetheless despite their various biases.

Sorry, I can’t get it up for the Ordinary

The Ordinary Skincare Review | 22 Products - I am side eyeing this a bit, the information given is mostly accurate (in some places less so but nothing completely off the rails) but how someone managed to thoroughly test 22 products in a relatively short time makes me take most of the personal impressions with a grain of salt, so fine for learning about the products and if you want to watch a really, really, long video.

The Ordinary: Beautypedia Reviews

BBB Beauty Business News - quote of interest (vaguely related to the Cosmo article) from Cocoa Brown's CEO:

“Brands copy us now all the time. They try to do what we did with Cocoa Brown when we initially started…working with bloggers to try and grow their brand. But that game is dead now there’s absolutely no authenticity left in that business. When I started Cocoa Brown, bloggers still had credibility…they were telling the truth about the products that they tried. Now, the value of a blogger endorsement is nothing – there are no bad reviews anymore.’

I am staring lustily at all these custom services... I'm desperate for the Lancome Le Teint Particulier custom foundation machine to pop up on this side of the ocean already as that sounds like the answer to all my foundation colour/consistency woes. Now, over in OZ they can get Lipsticks customised or even better, getting that discontinued shade again

Harvard Scientists Discover How to Repair DNA Damage and Reverse Cellular Aging — What It Means for Skin-Care - so the DNA trend is continuing to push forth possibilities with an application for skin care and skin aging- it all sounds too good to be true but if it is...

(I always though it looked like a cannabis leaf too and blamed my liberal surroundings for it but I think it's supposed to be the MN logo.)

Thanks for the Sunday Supplement Bo
😲 At the Chanel, I have 3 including the 1 I'm using which should last a while as I'm still loving the Facetheory night cream so only use it during the day.

Mint - if you're a redhead then you don't need sun for vitamin D we can happily produce our own

Oh Chanel! I love your make up but you are taking the piss! Excuse my French. £58!

And it has shea butter in it so would be no good for me personally anyway.

Thank you bo and for the SS.

Ha ha olli, it's not necessarily for the vit d I just think a bit of sun is good for the skin plus I just feel too clogged up/irritated using spf every day even in the winter.

Thanks bo, I will definitely give vit c a miss then.

Sigh. Botemp I have had that vit C bookmarked and now you've practically forced me to buy it easily persuaded
Where does it go in my routine, and am or pm?

Thanks Bo, I wasn't tooooo bad at introducing everything at the same time. I bought & started using the retinoid, nia and rose hip oil before Christmas, and I've used hylamide subq for a couple of years, so it's only az acid and SA that are very recent. I started using SA as soon as it arrived which I think was around a month ago then added the az acid about 2 weeks ago. In that same order I got more nia and retinoid as well has the moisturising factors and the Vit c which haven't made it into the line up yet, though I'm going to try Vit c tomorrow morning.

JD I mainly use Tarte tinted pressed finishing powder to mattify, as I've got medium skin so the non tinted ones give me a bit of a white powdery cast. IT cosmetics bye bye pores is good too but it shows up very pale on me, I still sometimes use it and then put bronzer on top - hence the 'heavy' makeup I end up with!

Oh JD I missed your question! I like the retinol, it's def stronger than the 2% I've been using. More silicone feel as opposed to the very fluid 2%

I ended up buying the Dr Jart Ceramidin Cream from Sephora in Madrid, plus a few extras: sheet mask, lip balm, Deep sleep spray thingie but DD spiked a horrible fever and developed tonsillitis so we spent most of the weekend in our AirBnb, poor kid :(

However, the cream is lovely - feels really rich and is just the consistency I've been looking for - although my throat is starting to itch

Hi skincare experts! I'm new to this board and i come to you in desperation!

I have chronically dry skin. It doesn't seem to matter what i put on...Within 10 minutes i get that feeling of tightness and when I attempt to put makeup on it just cracks and looks awful.

I was recommended the Neutrogena Water Gel so yesterday I bought the exfoliating face wash, micellar water and water gel cream. I used them this morning and my face burnt. My colleague commented that i looked sunburnt today - it was just the products! I can still feel it burning now. So, my details:
Skin type: Very dry. Visible pores. Sensitive

Approx age (range): Nearly 40

Primary skin concern: Dryness and sensitivity

Routine : Usually water and moisturiser

Makeup : I'd just like to be able to wear foundation without it drying up my skin.

Things I've tried in the past with disastrous results: Neutrogena, Olay

Things that are really working well for me now: NOTHING!

Any dietary/health concerns/pregnant: No

What I'm willing to spend on a single skincare item: Up to £20. Anymore would be a struggle.

*I specifically want recommendations for dry sensitive skin. Cleansers/toners/moisturisers and makeup.

Thanks in anticipation!

Althea take those products back to where you bought them and tell them you had an allergic reaction and would like a refund!

Althea
For a start I would go la Roche posay toleraine dermo cleanser. Remove with tepid water. Moisturiser - la Roche posay toleraine fluide. They're buy one get one half price at boots at the minute and designed for sensitive reactive skin

Then probably a hyaluronic acid but Botemp is better than me at recommendations for that! (It's not an actual acid, it adds hydration)

I didn't think i could return them, mint. I presumed it was just hard luck if you end up having an allergic reaction to something. I bought them from Boots; are they good at accepting items back?

Thanks for the recommendations ollivander. I'll look into those products. I think the Neutrogena micellar water contained hyaluronic acid which has made me a bit nervous to use anything with that in again. It's unfortunate that i used all three products together so i don't know if it was one of them in particular that caused this reaction.

I've slavered vaseline on my face tonight to try to get some relief from the burning dryness. It's probably not great for my skin but it's all i could find!

Micellar water of most types burns my skin TBH and I don't have particularly sensitive skin. You would be best doing the la Roche posay to settle your skin then hopefully botemp will have some recs for you
If you don't want the LRP moisturiser then maybe get two cleansers as they're on offer and have a look at face theory Unscented moisturiser or I have Avene hydrance which they do in a light or heavier version
I think French pharmacy and bland is the way to go for cleanser and moisturiser

Althea 100% yes boots are really good with that, I've taken loads of stuff back due to reactions! Just walk up to till with products and receipt and say I'd like a refund please as these caused an allergic reaction. There should be no problem at all.....however if for some reason they give you any trouble just call boots customer care and they will give you a reference number to get the refund.

Thank you so much. I've written your recommendations down and will be going to boots tomorrow to look for them. There are so many products, it's difficult to choose so to have a recommendation is really useful.

Good to know, mint, thanks. I'll take them tomorrow. I never would have thought to take them back.

I had burning and itchiness from the Garnier micellar water and then broke out. I feel like they're basically just liquid face wipes in that they don't do much in the way of proper cleansing and yet are too harsh.

Chuck done cicaplast baume in your basket whilst you're there for the extra sore bits. Get the smaller tube, it'll last ages. The La Roche Posay toleriane range is good for sensitive skin. The normal toleriane moisturiser might be a good one for you. LRP is on buy 1, get 1 half price atm or Escentual has a third off if you don't mind waiting for delivery.