I'm still here just busy, tend to be busy from now until mid-July traditionally and this past week were our national elections that ate up more of my time than I'd like on top of that.
Welcome, MaryLennoxsScowl, WanderingNotLost, and 2babas2cats. I'm running behind on things on this thread so I'll get to you as soon as I'm able.
Before I forget, Enid, did you ever source the B5 toner as I've found another that actual sounds like a better fit (from memory) from Neutral (same brand that does the hypoallergenic washing powders and cleaning products) but I'm not sure on the availability in the UK. They have a toner with Panthenol high up in the INCI that's also hydrating with the help of glycerin and allantoin. Their face wash is also pretty good and similar to the Decubal one I mentioned eons ago for anyone interested (think they may be the same as they're both from Denmark), it's a hydrating non-stripping face wash that's very suitable for allergic skin and has a bit of niacinamide in it too. It's one of those foams that's manually created rather than by an irritating surfactant.
Neutral Skin Tonic INCI: Aqua, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid
Dulci! Don't you know whenever anyone speaks disparaging of P50 a little skincare nerd angel dies
! It's a bit horses for courses, as with any skincare product. I wouldn't want to be without it anymore as it keeps my skin balanced, texture and tone very even, and keeps the dry patches away, also can't remember the last time I had a spot since starting to use it (full disclosure: only had them very rarely) and when I did it disappeared quicker than anything else I ever used. I definitely notice when it's no longer in my routine which is the best litmus test for these type of things I suppose.
WRT to Vit C alternatives, and the Clinique one. About Clinique I can be brief: low %, silicone suspension (stable but it sort of makes the gimmick with the dispensing system superfluous), high price for a limited supply (it's coming up as €28 for a 7(!) day supply here, a giant tub of L-AA powder is only about €10 and would last you months). Had it been a water-based serum with a novelty dispensing system then I could see the point but since they're using a silicone base they could have just made it without all the faff. TsnMummy08, were you the one that was using the Skin Actives/Active Formulas one? That's still on my list of interest and is similarly priced to TO but similar to SkinCeuticals in formulation. Wondering if you were still getting on well with it?
Also came across this easy DIY recipe for Vit C (will be making it for body purposes) that makes a short supply (a week or thereabouts) without needing to invest too much initially.
TsnMummy08, I sometimes mention the Eucerin UltraSensitive as an alternative to LRP Toleriane Fluid but beyond that I'm not too familiar with the Eucerin range as most contain fragrance.
californiaburrito, wrt SPF suggestions for someone with normal/dry skin, preferring a lighter formulation, Biore is probably not the best choice. You can have a look at Bioderma's Photoderm Ultra-Fluid (similar to Anthelios but with less irritation supposedly), Darphin's new Intral SPF, the Shiseido Senka Mineral Water UV Essence SPF50+ (but see below for drawbacks) or similar from Japan. However, if you're truly sensitive (to chemical sunscreens) it may be easier to seek out a mineral one instead.
Speaking of the Senka as asked about upthread by wellhellothere1, it's the one I've been testing recently after questions on here and is Bo approved
. There are a few things to consider, it contains avobenzone which is unstable on its own (releasing free radicals when broken down by the sun) but not when well formulated with other sunscreen filters. More crucially with avobenzone, it's not to be used on children. Nothing to truly concern yourselves over (many EU sunscreens and makeup products contain it too) but just don't use on DC. Also, the Senka is not water/sweat resistant so really only of interest outside of summer.
On to Biore: just to correct JDSTER slightly to avoid misconceptions, the new formulation is not waterproof, it's water resistant. Meaning a bit of sweat or a light drizzle won't impact the integrity of the protection but it remains a 'commuter' sunscreen that won't serve you well at the beach or similar.
Initial reviews I've seen say there's a slightly noticeable difference between the formulas but not enough to truly impact wearability. mifffy2, as far as I'm aware the 90g version was a limited edition and isn't available in the new formula (yet). Amazon.co.jp sells the Biore 2017 version with their global shipping program but the relatively high shipping costs (think it was in the €13 region for me for an order under 1kg, possibly drops to €10 for under 500g, was here within 3-4 days though) means it's only worth pursuing if you buy several items (once you figure out what is and isn't available through the global shipping program). They automatically remove local (Japanese) taxes and add UK/EU ones if you go over the threshold (think it's £20 in the UK) so it's a bit of a calculating exercise. ebay (Japanese sellers) or the UK amazon are usually easier, there's a few shops that sell it but usually at around $18.