🐌 Fantastic Skincare: The Snailaversary and Winter is Coming, Luckily, we're Part Sheep 🐑

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I am very slowly working on consolidating the gathered information from previous threads into easier to read formats but it’s slow going. In order to make use of the below form and join in 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

NEWish since previous threads:

Understanding Which Sunscreen(s) to Buy

Do I Really Need to Wear Sunscreen Every Single Day of the Year?

NEW since the last thread:

A Damaged Skin Barrier - Now What?

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.

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.

OCTOBER 2017: It's our snailaversary ! Our baby ripe toddler skins are about a year old now, or rather getting together on these threads about a year ago. I can't believe we're all still finding things to chat on about between the hair disasters. I know I always encourage a bit of catching up at the beginning of the new thread with how everyone's skin been progressing over the last couple of weeks/months but now I'm demanding more and would really like to hear how everyone is doing a year on now, or however long you've been with us. Basically, pledge your undying love for these threads

NB: I've removed the form from the OP as I felt there really wasn't a need for it anymore. I think I've also answered enough of those forms in their previous incarnation for a lifetime so it may just be a selfish decision but it's been made

Ollivander how are you liking your mirror? Is it good for the darker mornings?

I am very interested in the dupes for ANR too, I like it but haven't bought it for a good while as I have been exploring other types of skincare.

Have decided not to purchase any more new TO products for now. I still like the glycolic, the Matrixyl for layering over retinol, and their old 2% retinol, but other than that, I haven't found any jewels and I am trying not to buy too many new things. I have the EUK which I am now layering over BR P50W twice a week. Haven't noticed anything wonderful happening but I will keep it up anyway! Have ditched the Vitamin C 30% and my skin feels better already. I will either try the Drunk Elephant next month or revert to LRP Redermic C10 as I know that suits my skin.

I love the mirror! It's brilliant, really pleased with it

Great stuff, I have ordered a similar one and have high hopes!

Thin, I think the Missha dupe for EL ANR is called Time Revolution Night Repair. I know it has been in and out of my basket on Ebay for a while now :)

Happy snailaversary! I pledge my undying love for these threads, I've spent an enjoyable weekend getting caught back up. I think I last posted in June but have been lurking since and so I thought I'd do a round-up, I've been going quite slowly with introductions and I'm using up quite a stash of existing products so I'm a bit behind the product curve, most of my list will be old-hat to you!

JUNE TO MID OCTOBER EMPTIES, TRIALS AND PLANNED PURCHASES

My skin is late 30s, combination/dehydrated/sensitive/bit of redness

Empties -
Emma Hardie cleansing balm - I had used many pots of this without issue but the last pot broke me out with spots on my chin, know this was common reaction from this thread. I wondered if they'd changed formula, but nothing stood out as being different in the ingredients. Maybe just my skin changing over time. The EO definitely made my redness worse which is a good reason not to RP even though smell is lush!.
Alpha H liquid gold - another product that used to give great results, maybe my skin has changed or maybe my benchmark for great results had moved due to this thread! I also don't think my skin likes GA with hindsight. No RP.
There have been other empties but these are the only ones worth mentioning iro this thread.

Trials:
Melano CC vitamin C - I finished this and loved the effect on my skin, it got rid of my post-spot pigmentation on my chin. Only draw back was slight flushing on application - probably due to fragrance. So when that was done I moved onto:

TO Vit C - 23% - my goodness - this is like rubbing sand on your face. Beyond texture issues, I had no stinging or irritation issues, I mix three drops of this with three drops of Hylamide Sub Q and pat on to lessen the grittiness. Wasn't quite as wow-ed with this as I was with the Melano. Will try other brands next - I've kept a list as I've gone along.

Elemental Herbology overnight souffle - I got a sample of this - I didn't like the feel of this on my skin on initial application or the smell, so I moved onto

Face Theory M10 relaxing night cream - unscented - also don't like the smell of this, very "oily" but only just started using it so will see how I go - I read the comments about the inconsistencies in formulations from FT so will bear that in mind.

Cicaplast - I use it and love it for every use that's been suggested, using it at mo on my nose overnight as it is sore from blowing it too much.

Sample of DHC cleansing oil - liked it so I've bought a couple of mini sizes to try once I've finished current cleansing oil so I can give it a proper test.

Kiehls Ultra Toner - I've had two samples of this and my skin liked it as an extra hydrating layer, just pat it on with my hands. Going to ask for it for my Christmas.

LRP Anthelios Anti Shine Fluid SPF30 - bought this hoping it would be a winter replacement for my loved LRP Ultra Light SPF50. But it's not. I gives me a bad white cast and it irritates my skin by evening. I also tried sample of:

Bioderma Photoderm SPF30 Matifying Fluid - it went on beautifully but again I was irritated by evening - maybe too mattifying or maybe it's the fragrance in it.

Rice bran oil (Alfa One) and jojoba oil (MV Organics) - I like them both, I have eczema on my eyelids and they are very soothing for that, I mix them with cleansers, put them on my hair, I love a multi purpose product.

Planned Trials
I have samples of the Verso Eye serum and the LRP Redermic R Eye to try when I've finished my current eye cream. I have also bought trial size of PC Skin Perfecting BHA to use once I've finished my Clinique Mild Clarifying lotion.

Planned Purchases
Nothing sensible - i'm lusting after Aurelia Body Oil and maybe their new body cleanser. Has anyone tried the new body cleanser and body serum?

Special mention - a link on a previous thread (maybe to Fifty Shades or Snow White and Asian Pear) recommended tapping on products rather than rubbing. I am finding that by doing this I am using a lot less product and I don't think my face is suffering any detriment by using less, so I suspect before I was using too much product.

I just wanted to finish off by saying thank you for the continued advice and opinions I've read on these threads. Long may they continue!

Thanks for your reviews Tree I might give the melano Vit c a try as it’s inexpensive too, will wait for a while though as just started differin so want to let my skin get used to that before I try anything new.

Does anyone have any opinions (good, bad or indifferent) on the First Aid Beauty range? I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole and watched several beauty bloggers (names escape me now) who recommended the cleanser and moisturiser to counteract peeling/flaking skin from retinol, or just winter skin in general. I’d not heard of it before but the whole range seems to have generally positive reviews on Amazon etc and I was thinking of trying the cleanser.

Happy 🐌iversary! I'm very glad I posted on the very first thread and had no idea it would still be going a whole year later! I've learnt lots and can now do a quick scan of the I grediants list and know what to expect from a product. It's saved me lots of time and stopped all the wastage. I used to have dozens of things that had only been used once then rejected. Can't say it's saved me money but at least now I feel confident about my purchases.

Also, my skin is still far from perfect but I now know what works when I do get break outs. I think the most important thing for me is I feel like I'm in control of my skin health again, there's no anxiety attached to it.

But mainly and above all, it's just really nice to have a friendly place with familiar 'faces' to chat and share things with.

*ingredients 🙄

My New Snail Year resolution is to check before posting and stop triple posting.

So, last week I did my annual stock up of the things I use regularly. Boring stuff like conditioners, deodorant, body wash, toothpaste etc but also got some LRP water sprays, Toleriane cleansers, Cicaplast, Eucerin 10% cream, hand chemistry moisturiser, nail envy, eyelash and eyebrow serum, Essie Good to Go top coat, lansinoh lanolin (holy grail product), invisi bobbles and Bumble and Bumble dryspun spray. So the bathroom cabinet looks like a mini branch of Boots.

From Lush I got some more Big shampoo (used too much the other day and hair went like straw, less is more), American Cream conditioner, Twilight bath bomb and a sample of the Sleepy cream. It's supposed to really help with sleep but I'm sceptical.

New stuff- Maui shea butter hair mask, Bioderma shower oil (tried today, stopped the irritated feeling my shaved legs sometimes get.), NYX Angel Veil primer, Real Techniques base brush and concealer brush, mini RT beauty blenders, Chanel rouge shine lippy in Fiction, Essie varnish in Wicked (hoping it'll look like my fave Nails inc Victoria).

And some chocolate.

Enid, I was waiting all this time for the third post and I can't believe you left out the beloved Cicaplast on your thread toast

Yeah, the Missha is the most famous ANR dupe but it's not that amazing (the First Treatment Essence is though), but then again neither is ANR tbh. I have to have a good look again as the INCI I saw for Lancome was weirdly split into two, an INCI for the concentrate which I think is part of the general INCI so it's a bit confusing. Anyhow, people who like ANR and similar usually are quite happy with anything hydrating. A sample of ANR is usually easy to source as well from an EL counter.

On the back of Olli's mirror, I've been stalking eBay for similar.

Thanks Bo still undecided whether to buy the bottle of Genifique Sensitive tomorrow! Woke up with 2 little red spots on my right cheek but that does happen anyway sometimes so it's not necessarily the GS that's caused them, I did use the Clarins exfoliater yesterday as well though had no pink skin again this morning, I started back on my pill today so I will see what tomorrow brings.

Thanks for all the mirror talk, you've reminded me to put mine on charge I've got a simplehuman and I love it. Daunting to see your face magnified x5 at first but if you get your makeup looking good at that magnification your makeup will look brilliant in real life. 😂

I've been lusting for forever over that winged version from simplehuman but I'm not quite ready to spend 500 quid on a mirror, no matter how lust worthy it is.

How long have you been using the Genefique now? Would you be able to get another sample to be sure it's not causing any reaction, is it on special offer or something that you have to buy it tomorrow?

I meant to order the Olli mirror too, need to sort out my dressing table first, it’s got hideously cluttered again

Thanks Bo I don’t have very sensitive skin so have ordered a FAB cleanser and ultra moisturiser in travel sizes so only a couple of £ on Amazon. I like the cerave cleanser for normal/oily skin but think I could do something gentler for winter/with differin. I also like my Eucerin moisturiser but the FAB one was recommended specifically for dealing with ‘retinized’ skin so thought it was worth a try. I would happily repurchase the cerave night cream but am unable to find it anywhere these days, used to be available on amazon prime with free shipping but no longer

😂 they are expensive I think mine was £150 but I do love it even if I don't like looking it my skin in it sometimes. It's brilliant for dark mornings. Don't think I could cope with one that magnifies more than x5 though.

No there's no special offer, I was just passing through town so thought I'd pick it up. I do still have quite a lot of the sample left tbh, I did consider getting another sample instead but there's only one shop in town that actually had any samples in so I'd feel a bit embarrassed getting another if the same woman is on the counter I've used it once a day and started it on Friday. Every day since then I've woken up with pale/calm skin just got the 2 little red spot things this morning.

Have you tried the Cerave Hydrating Cleanser User I use that one and I have rosacea so I'm super sensitive. It's the only cleanser I use now.

The new LRP Toleriane Hydration cleanser is also meant to be similar to the Cerave cleanser so potentially of interest too? Yes, I believe the moisturiser is a Ceramides one IIRC with the right ratio for barrier repair. The again, so is the Eucerin so will be curious to hear how one fares over the other.

I'd try to get at least two weeks use out of it before purchasing, Thin. I haven't really checked the price on it, but the US price appeared a bit eye watering for what it is.

And just to pretend I'm not mad for lusting after a mirror, it is really pretty right? Turns out its actually only 400...

Mustbe I’ve never tried the hydrating cleanser as I read some reviews when I was first looking at cerave stuff that said it was really aimed at very dry skin, (which I don’t have, I got peeling/flaking from retinol and am expecting I may get the same from differin but my skin is normally oily and not sensitive) & caused breakouts for those who were more on the combo/oily side. I should maybe try it, but it’s got expensive too. I’m starting to wonder what’s going on with cerave, seems to be a dearth of it available at reasonable prices/shipping (if at all!) at the moment

M bo I almost posted again before but knew I couldn't until someone else had. Thought I'd killed the thread with my 'haul'. I bought 4 big tubes of Cicaplast btw.

I did the biannual bathroom cabinet and dressing room clear out today. Got rid of some half empties, packaging and things I am never going to use and bought years ago. It's now just stuff I regularly use and back ups. Couple of new products to try. Doing make up tomorrow, there's a lot of things I kept after the last clear out that still haven't been used so they can go. I love a good declutter.

I was looking at some string lights that you stick around your mirror. They come in cold white and warm white but could only see them on US Amazon. Might look a bit untidy though that's the only thing. Not sure I want wires draping around. Some better lighting will be great in Winter. There's a few weeks here where there's about 2 hours of actual daylight.

IKEA recently started selling these led panels that are potentially quite good, you'd have to have the space for them but they mimic daylight really well. They suggest you can arrange them on a blind wall and pretend it's a window but I do see potential as a make-up set up to light you up from all sides. Let me see if they have a decent pic as the regional settings will most likely mess up anything I link.

These are the ones, remote controlled and dimmable but after seeing the prices I think the winged mirror is probably cheaper...

Staying warm is overrated Bo I might see if I can get another sample! I don't think this one will last 2 weeks, more like 1.

User I know it's supposed to be for very dry skin but I just have sensitive skin that can get dry and I don't find it stops my dryness at all. I still have the same amount of dryness as I did before I started using it over a year ago. I just sort the dryness out with moisturiser. I just like the fact that the Cerave feels super gentle on my skin, it doesn't sting my rosacea when I'm flushed and a lot of other products do. Price does fluctuate a lot though, I'm sure I bought my first bottle for about £13 and now it seems to flit between £17.50 - £20 it does last around 3 months though so it's not too bad.

I don’t know why but the LRP toleriane cleanser has never appealed to me, someone (can’t remember who it was or even if they still post) mentioned it leaving a film on their skin and it put me off.

I’ll see what the FAB one is like and then maybe think about cerave or LRP. The beauty of the FAB one was it came in a travel size for £2 as an add on item with amazon prime, I wish more ranges would offer travel/trial sizes.

I love both the mirror and the ikea lights, especially using the panel lights to make a window. I worked late tonight and it was dark when I drove home, so depressing Both are a bit outside my budget though.

user we have similar skin type. I've found LRP toleriane leaves a bit of a film. I don't mind it at night oddly but I really don't like it as a morning cleanser. I've got cerave cleanser which reminds me of cetaphil. I've also got the new LRP cleanser to try. I'm just finishing off a bottle of toleriane so I'll post once I've tried it

They're a bit daunting bo Huge!

I have this illuminated mirror from boots which I really like

www.boots.com/no7-illuminated-makeup-mirror-exclusive-to-boots

And my Dad who is very un-Diy-like made for my DM a row of bulbs on a straight board of wood (then painted it white) (like they have in a theatre) to put above a bathroom mirror. I have a feeling it might have then been installed by an electritian but it looks amazing and I was shocked when I asked where they'd bought it from & that he'd actually made it himself
I will try and get a photo to post and a proper explanation of how he made it.

My poor skin hasn't had much love in the last few days because I've been up very early and home late and exhausted, but at least I havent been wearing any make up to take off, apart from the concealer on the still massive spot on my neck.

I've ridden the horse for 3hrs today and had to soak in the bath after
A little stiff now!

I felt a bit sorry for my skin so I've cleansed it, applied salicylic acid on my spot followed by lactic acid then retinoid to make up for the last couple of days