Fantastic Skincare: Skin (almost) sorted- decent fucking summer fucking clothes would be fucking nice. Don't ask us about our hair 🐌

[botemp]

Thread 1 Thread 2 Thread 3 Thread 4 Thread 5 Thread 6 Thread 7

I am very slowly working on consolidating the gathered information from previous threads into easier to read formats but it’s slow going. If you wish join us on this thread I would suggest reading thread 1 and at the very least the following info sheets (provided they apply to you):

Where to Start

Basics of an Actives Routine

Skin Types vs. Skin Conditions Info Sheet

Anti-Ageing Info sheet

Adult Acne Info Sheet

For those who are taking a peek and wondering what this all about, we mostly discuss a bit of advanced skincare here with a perspective of seeking out the right ingredients (rather than the latest new shiny product and all its empty promises) 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. Newcomers are always welcome but please note the following:

Questions and asking for help on this thread is encouraged, however, we can’t give you a specific routine to follow and hope it works out for the best. There are no overnight miracles in skincare whether it be in the form of products or techniques. It’s about perseverance, understanding your skin, assessing its needs and responding to that in a diligent manner.

These threads were created to help those who want to learn for themselves. We’re a group of interested and invested skincare nuts happy to offer tea and sympathy and dole out advice. Everyone’s journey with skincare is different, what is universal and binds us is that through actually learning about the different active ingredients it helps us get to know our skin and help us adapt as it will change many times throughout our lives - with seasons, hormonal changes, ageing, genetics etc. It's in everyone's best interests to get to know their skin and to keep reviewing those changes with the confidence that comes from the gathered knowledge here. We really encourage you to spend the time reading through previous threads and linked info sheets that the many contributors have taken the trouble to share.

By no means are we experts, we're only a bunch of amateurs that can only respond by suggesting what we would do in your place, for any severe conditions please seek out professional help.

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If you pose a question and we need more contextual information to answer properly we may ask you to fill in the following form. Please only use this form when asked, unsolicited forms will be deleted. Responses to the form can be found here

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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.

MAY/JUNE 2017: It’s summer and some of us are hourglasses (and otherwise beautifully shaped) that desperately need to bitch and moan about the severe lack of clothes available to us. Also, some of us are recovering from a ‘fine’ butchering to our hair. Don’t ask. Some of us suffer from all of the above. At least the weather is good, wear sunscreen.

Ten-0-six!! Yes, stank and stingy.
I had boots cucumber cleanser toner and moisturiser as a first foray.
And flex - yes I think my very fashion-conscious older brother had this (and Paul Mitchell too, which I used to nick)
Afro comb yes, and Dax black and white.
Rollerball lipgloss and electric blue mascara- yes!!!
And oh yes, I forgot Miss Selfridge make up, it was great. I absolutely loved that shop, it was where I first bought clothes...used to haunt it for hours....
And I used to covet my older wealthier cousins make up stuff, occasionally she used to give me stuff...I still search for a dupe of a boots 17 eyeshadow that she gave me called bubbling brown sugar....
Mint I don't eat much wheat but mainly because I try to low-carb/no sugar, so find that cuts out wheat a lot by default.

mint I don't cut out wheat

I need to get my hair restyled. It probably needs a good 5 inches off but ill miss my swishy dead easy for work pony tail. Plus all the hair horror stories of this thread have made me nervous

Reductions on some beauty box collections here
https://www.latestinbeauty.com/collections

The reason I asked about wheat is because I've recently started to follow the fodmap diet and one of the things is to avoid wheat so wondered if any of u could recommend a nice bread alternative as all of the 'free from' Ines I've tried are bloody vile! I like crisp bread but find they are best for a snack with a spread rather than sandwich type fillings.

Olli do u know anything good to put on a piercing that's misbehaving? I have a cartilage piercing and it's been a year in October but it still keeps flaring up every couple of weeks and becomes extremely sore, red and weepy! I bathe it in salt water but wondered if there was a good cream I could use?

Me again . Has anyone tried the new maui moisture range of shampoo and conditioner now available in boots?

Salt water only really. I would possibly use a chamomile tea bag as well
Here is some good info http://www.piercingbible.com/troubleshooting

Ime mint, its v NB to clean the piercing items themselves.

I generally find with a few cleanings the item stops irritating.

I don't have any cartilage piercings though.

Btw I bought the nars ...

AND the twig

Thanks olli and wilting

I don´t really have strong early skincare and makeup memories. My mum was always a bit conflicted about it all. She had some, but it was only ever worn for special occasions. Later on in life, she did wear more but still comparatively little. She would never wear anything like foundation or powder, the mere suggestion almost taken as an insult. I think I was allowed to play (or I just stole it and declared it mine, far more likely) with a Helena Rubenstein lipstick in a very vivid red this is getting very psychoanalytical now as I seem to be perpetually repurchasing a version of this shade.

Skincare, everything was Hauschka or Weleda with my mother. Sometimes the Body Shop migrated in but she always stuck with the others. My first 'set' was the Weleda Sensitive Skin almond line. Still grab the cleanser sometimes, it's an easy one to travel with.

First proper makeup bought for me was a Chanel travel set, bought on the flight after spotting it in the on flight magazine I felt like the height of maturity flagging down the stewardess and her card with a credit card. I still have it, it still hasn't gone off strangely enough but I haven't touched it in years. Lovely pink tones that were all creamy and could be used on lips, cheeks, eyes, etc.

I always wanted a vanity case Pupsie! I think at some point I managed to convince my parents to get me one but it was a shitty soft case one, but I had barely anything to put in it and was never allowed to take it along travelling!

Scents I can do, despite being the registered perfume offender my mother wore Shalimar on special occasions, still can't stand the smell. Her everyday scent I liked though and will incidentally pull it out of the back of the cupboard for nostalgic reasons or a bit of quick comfort, Bulgari Au The Vert. I'm also a sucker for anything orange blossom/neroli, my mother used to put orange blossom water (cheap as and great on strawberries too) in the ironing water and it smells amazingly lovely. My grandmother used to spray 4711 around like it was a room spray and on all linens and handkerchiefs. She had nicer makeup, at least it was all still in really heavy metal compacts and very shiny and covetable. Don't think I ever saw her wear any of it ever though. She wore EL Linen too, wonder if they still sell that. She had a few very impressive looking perfumes but she also did this thing with layering it between scented body powder, I don't remember exactly what but it was a far subtler finish than what you have these days where someone either wears it very discreetly in targeted places or they're an choking hazard overwhelming cloud of scent.

Yes, yong, Vichy seem to upping their game but as far as I can tell beyond the really pretty thermal water and the Mineral 89 are the only fragrance-free products in the new line up. Their slow-age had me intrigued with an LHA acid and probiotics also present in EL Advanced Night Repair and had a play when I was in Belgium. It's not overwhelmingly fragranced like their other stuff but it's still detectable. Their SPFs always come in high on the beaute-test rankings too.

Bali, it's not a new hairdresser is it and ehm... there's been a few non-hair disasters too. They're just being kind to us victims by not shouting it out loud.

mint, no, I don't see the point of cutting out any food groups unless you're shown to be allergic/sensitive to it through medical testing or there's a known correlation between certain foods and a disease/condition. Just don't bother with 'free from' products, ime diet foods are the worst nutritionally and rarely do they taste better than cardboard. Just look at a wheat alternatives like rye, spelt (although this is similar to wheat and sometimes classed as a subspecies), buckwheat, barley, etc. The alternative species usually have a lower protein content so they're less fluffy and bouncy and some find them harder to digest so I'd always suggest going with sourdough fermented bread over yeasted to avoid those issues.

No, same hairdresser. I do think I need a new hairdresser though. She's great but I want something fresher. She's an old school friend so it's awkward

Emma I've been using the La Roche Posay Hydraphase serum (Hyaluronic Acid) for a couple of weeks. Put on damp face, 2 drops of The Ordinary Buffet serum, then LRP Toleriane mosturiser or The Ordinary Rosehip Oil. Sometimes, I don't need the moisturiser or oil as my skin feels so soft just after the HA and Buffet.

Another HA which I've seen recommended lots of times is Hadalabo JAPAN Skin Institute Gokujun premium hyaluronic solution 170ml (on Amazon for approx £10.

Quite sensitive skin but have had no adverse reactions at all. The TO Squalene oil is recommended as a great moisturiser too.

Their Niacinamide+Zinc is good for spots/oiliness/large pores etc although it doesn't seem to suit everyone. I'm also waiting for their Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F - the gentlest of their Vit C products (oil based serum) which is for "Dullness, dry skin, fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, hyperpigmentation, uneven tone and texture "

If you want, you can email [email protected], giving all your skin info and ask for a recommended regime. They sell many, many brands so it doesn't have to be just the TO products (although I asked specifically about them).

Bo unfortunately the fodmap diet has helped massively with my pain so the 'free from' range is helpful for me, although I'm not bothering with any breads and I am actually allowed 1 slice of normal bread. The wheat free biscuits and treats tho are great! I ate 'normal' food for two days and was in agony.

mint have a look at the low carb boot camp threads on here - they have loads and recipes and suggestions for all low things low carb and for what to eat instead of bread. I am a massive breadie at heart, ate it every single day of my life.....but don't even think about it these days (apart from in France!)
bo ah I had a very similar sounding Chanel palette also bought on a flight, my first to France alone as a teenager - boy did I think I was Trop chic! And I still have it too, and I don't think it's unusable either (though I wouldn't). If you like orange blossom, have you tried the one by couvent des minimes? It is lovely. Love the sound of your grandmother's treasure troves!

When I was choosing my MAC lipstick I asked the assistant whether she thought I was warm or cool toned, skin-wise. Her reply: we don't think like that at MAC. We think if you believe you look good in something you will.

I'm all for confidence, but surely there's a line between that and being delusional?!

Sorry, emma8t4, missed your response in between all the lippy and nostalgia chat. Yes, the Decleor has a lot of potentially irritating essential oils and if you don't know what's irritating you or causing inflammation I think it's always best to err on the side of caution and avoid them. Since you're spot prone at the moment, it's probably an idea to look into a cleanser with BHA in it. Will also help with the pores a bit, there's the CosRx Low pH Cleanser, and the Medik8 Beta Cleanse amongst others to look at. The Neutrogena one is often recommended for spotty teens but it tends to be too drying for adult skin. Any changes hormonally by any chance, as jaw area is more of a traditional hormonal area?

For hydration either a hyaluronic serum or gel (which can be worn under moisturiser/oil/spf) is best. The Hada Labo is cheap and plentiful, the Premium version mentioned is good if you're massively dehydrated and sits between watery serum and gel, texture wise. The Hylamide SubQ would be a good easily accessible one to look at. I think the Vichy 89 has the potential to be great but it's new and I've only played with it on backs of hands so far.

Acid toner (in the form of AHA) can help with dehydration as it's a humectant but for just dehydration, the effect is only marginal. Unless you have legitimate cell turnover issues (as in skin really is slow in shedding it) I'd leave the acid toners be for now and focus on a simple routine of cleansing, layers of hydration, and SPF. The Niacinamide from TO is probably worth trying, it'll help with pores and spot control, though it doesn't seem to be universally loved by everyone and IME the effect sort of wore out after a while, which theoretically shouldn't be possible but it managed to do a lot in a short period of time to then do nothing .

SPF, depends on needs and sensitivities. LRP Anthelios Fluid XL is usually the starting point but doesn't work for everyone. What's your experience with SPF so far?

Well... ehm... good luck Bali mildly terrified for you, there's a reason I refuse to work for friends and family exactly for those reasons, expectations on both sides are always way off, ergo it always end in disaster. A friend shared this with me the other day and had to think of you, goatorganicapparel.com/ - local-ish startup apparently, a bit too androgynous too damn big for me but nice basics in organic linen and cotton for not too outrageous prices. The Dutch version of 'lentil weavers' is 'goat wool sock wearers' hence the name. Unfortunately, they don't sell skinnies

Sorry, mint, not all that familiar with fodmap. What I meant to say was, unless you have a legitimate allergy to look a bit further afield than the 'free-from' labels. Oatcakes are dirt cheap but as soon as they get advertised as gluten-free and 'super nutritious' it's suddenly a whole different type of food with a price tag to match, but if you check ingredients you'll find similar products outside of the shouty labels iyswim. Like yong says it's also good to start looking at alternative foods rather than a direct replacement.

If I remember, I'll take a pic of the Chanel palette and see if we were seduced by the same one, yong. I remember it had a particularly frosty pink in there that I favoured and is very much a colour of that time, I sincerely doubt it was very flattering though.

I'll have a sniff at Couvent de Minimes. Is it the body products or perfume? The latter I can't do, as everything smells like toilet cleaner on me. Yes, my grandmother had lots of little treasures, she was very much about the little things as they had to flee the colonies after WWII with only the things they could carry on them. So small things were always beautifully crafted and intricate. She had the most amazing manicure set in a gorgeous leather case and a giant collection of pill boxes I'm pretty sure she didn't have some sort of habit and I loved playing in her bedroom. Gorgeous dressing table setup and she had an amazing wardrobe and jewellery collection too. She was very unprecious about it all so I could always play to my heart's content and pretend to be trop chic!

Haha Pupsie, wasn't Mac one of the first to start the whole warm/cool thing in their confusing foundation shades? Whilst I do get the idea that you can make any colour work if you're determined enough, it does require a bit of skill and insight into colour theory. A natural eye for colour helps too but I think on a consumer level it definitely makes it far easier to shop within a selection where it's not dependant on other compensating measures (like a brighter blush to liven up a muted lip). Her reply reads more like, 'We don't like to think at MAC.'

Thanks bagel

botemp wow thanks for all the info, yes I'm much worse around that time of the month. Funnily enough my skin looks a lot better at the minute, stopped washing in the shower, started using a face cloth and at night I'm using an oil based cleanser to remove make up first before a second cleanse.

SPF, err I usually wear a tinted moisturiser during the day with spf in but that it. My skin isn't particularly sensitive, I've never had a reaction to anything just seem more spot prone ATM.

I just got a load of perfume post. Why are my perfume tastes SO expensive?!

Thanks Yong And bo

Can I ask about occlusives? Is that what you put on after serum and moisturiser to lock it in? I read about it on here and only had Vaseline to use, but I think it does make a difference. It feels weird slathering your skin in Vaseline though, what does everybody else use? Ideally budget-friendly.

Yes, Harry, occlusives are basically a seal that locks in moisture by creating a film that sits on top. Sometimes a moisturiser functions as such, it just depends on the type of ingredients. Oils are often considered to be occlusive but most facial oils don't really rank all that highly (hence where you use it in your routine isn't as crucial as it's made out to be). The ingredients are ranked by their ability to inhibit Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL), Mineral Oil (which Vaseline is pretty much all comprised of) is one of the highest ranking ones for avoiding TEWL. As long as you have no issues with using it, then there's absolutely no problem continuing to use that. Jojoba and Squalane are alternatives and usually quite affordable too. It works best in conjunction with some sort of humectant though, ideally with lipid restoring ingredients like Ceramides and Niacinamide.

It sounds a bit like onset adult acne, emma8t4, keep your routine as minimal and 'clean' as possible and see how it develops. So simple gentle cleansers, hydration serum/gel, SPF in the AM and maybe something like the Cerave PM lotion at night. No shower routines, or scrubs, etc. I know you mentioned liking the Neroli oil from Decleor but I'd avoid using this for now on account of the essential oil content.

Thanks for prompt reply botemp. Sorry if this has been asked before but do you work in the industry? You are so knowledgable! I do have acne, mainly on my chin so I haven't tried the Vaseline on there due to fear of blocked pores etc. Would the jojoba/an oil be ok on acne prone skin? Currently use the Cerave PM face moisturiser as a moisturiser,

No, not in the industry, never have been. I just read too much skin care related stuff To prove I'm a non-expert, just realised I kept writing mineral oil when it should be petrolatum (which is what Vaseline is made up of, same source but from a different point in the extraction process). Anyhow petrolatum (aka petroleum jelly) is the 'best' performing occlusive followed by a few others including mineral oil (others are dimethicone, lanolin, coconut and various facial oils). Provided you don't have issues with the ingredient (coconut and lanolin can be particularly problematic) it shouldn't cause clogging theoretically. Most prescriptions are petroleum jelly based because it effectively seals in the active medicine so well and rarely causes allergic reactions/irritations as an ingredient on its own. Acne/oily skin usually has more issues with the heavy feel of it than anything clogging up the skin. Jojoba and Squalane are less occlusive and therefore less potentially problematic if there is a clogging issue but there would still be an issue if it doesn't interact with your skin well and there's just no predicting for that, so it's a case of experimentation I'm afraid. Can you try a bit of Vaseline as a patch test and see how you go?

Yong Earliest makeup memories are of playing with my mum's Estee Lauder lipstick and slathering my little brother with her EL foundation in an effort to make him look like Mr T from the A-Team (early 1980s) - mum was highly unimpressed She wore Youth Dew when we were young - it still reminds me of her and I love the Amber Nude version that Tom Ford did some years ago.

I remember sharing some sort of makeup subscription thing with my best friend when we were maybe 13 or 14 - it was all fairly crap and I moved onto Rimmel and the Body Shop when I was 15.... Dewberry perfume anyone?!

Mint yes I avoid gluten - it seems to give me, ahem, digestive "issues" these days!!