🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Happy Snail Year, Bring Spoons!

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Thread 1 Thread 2 Thread 3 Thread 4 Thread 5 Thread 6 Thread 7 Thread 8 Thread 9 Thread 10

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?

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.

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JANUARY 2018: Thread 11! we're getting old. A recap of The Snailies categories for those still meaning to get round to them:

🐌🐌 THE SNAILIES 2017 🐌🐌

The Well Hello There - newest and latest find that gets your motor running

The Flusher- money spent on this product would have been better put to use by flushing it down the toilet

The Jack & Rose- the product you’ll never let go of because there’s plenty of fucking space for the two of you on that piece of wood. Damn you, James Cameron, for breaking my poor little tween heart.

The LTB- it all seemed so promising, everything was going so great, then they turned out to be a narcissist gaslighting bastard

The Child Prodigy- that one product that’s annoyingly good and isn’t afraid to be smug about it

The Worker Bee- never the centre of attention but has been steadily chugging along like no other

The Troll- the one where you repeatedly asked, ‘Is this doing anything?’, but continued to use it anyway…

The Flabbergaster- that one product or technique that wasn’t really supposed to be used like that or delivered well beyond your non-existent expectations

The Sinner- oh, admit it because we’re all guilty of it, what did you do or use that wasn’t all that sensible like take an acid bath and had the disastrous results you really knew to expect

Thanks so much for your advice Bo. She’s def keen to try a retinol product for her eyes, so the Verso one has the edge there (plus I’m being seduced by their website…), but that AOX gel looks interesting.

I have a barely used LRP hydraphase eye gel that I think is similar to the Bioderma one? Was planning to pass this along to sis anyway as it seems to give me puffy eyes. Guessing this is an HA effect? I don’t seem to get on very well with anything HA based, frustratingly.

Sunscreen is a work in progress with my sister! She uses a CC cream with a high SPF, but I am trying to get her on to a really good separate sunscreen in time for spring. I ordered the Biore rich watery essence off the back of these threads and love it (my first non-greasy SPF!), but it might be a bit drying for her?

I’m also using the Eucerin 5% (baaa) and really liking it, but I fear it may not have enough shelf appeal for my sister! She’s got plenty of moisturisers anyway, so I’ll worry about that at a later date. Though Hada Labo toner sounds like a good addition.
She’s got a couple of serums on the go with vit c and retinol – the 111 Skin Y Theorem Repair and Kat Burki Retin-C Treatment. These are totally new to me, any thoughts? Switching to the Vichy would certainly be economical!

JD I loved those books as a child! Think they remade the tv series fairly recently...

Just looked, it's on iplayer, no idea how close to the books it is but it looks fun. 🧙🏻‍♀️

My eyebrows are scabbing and itchy
Can't get the area wet until the scabs have flaked off. Attractive

Thanks bo I'll have a look at that avene cream for my scalp. Has anyone here tried pureology? Although I've read some reviews of people saying it made their scalp itchy .

User from that description they are more likely filaments as they aren't raised bumps. There's ALOT of them though!! Hopefully the bha will help in time.

Bo is it normal for skin to feel a little tight when first introducing the bha? It did subside and there was no stinging and just a little bit of redness which again subsided.

All of my friends use nothing or very little on their skin and none of them have any of these issues! So annoying

enid lovely recipe I will try that soon. I really like the Betty crocker gluten free brownie pack one but the Tesco gluten free brownie pack was bleurgh.

mint I used the PC BHA extra strength for the first time the other day and it also made my skin tighten after a couple of hours.

I've just used the normal one you have this morning and it feels fine but Ive already layer it with moisturiser, primer and foundation.
I love how they both feel a bit kind of oily, not drying, alcoholy (not a real word I know) or chemically (probably also not a real word)

I ended up getting the Vichy 89 or whatever it is. Not sure if it will actually feel like it's doing anything but will report back. I basically just want it to increase the plumpliness and juiciness. Which sounds wrong, but you know what I mean!

My tarte order is here! And no customs charges
Going to slap it on my face, not sure the horse will appreciate it but I'm desperate to try it

Hi everyone. I dip in and out of these threads and find them fascinating. Difficult to keep up! I'm on specifically to ask a question about BHA. I'm currently using Cosrx BHA blackhead power liquid on my t zone to deal with blackheads (mostly all gone thanks to advice on this thread) and open pores (still there). My bottle is almost finished and I'm wondering if anyone could advise if I should switch to Paula's choice BHA or that French one which is difficult to get hold of but seems to be the gold standard BHA. I can't remember the name of it! BR something I think.
The Cosrx was initially amazing but stopped being so amazing after I used it for a week or two. I would love to reduce my open pores on my nose if possible.
My current regime is-

AM cleanse with Simple purifying cleanser
Cosrx on t zone
Hada labo gokujyun premium HA on fine lines around eyes, mouth and neck
TO Vit C 30%
Simple clear skin oil balancing moisturiser (best moisturiser I've ever tried for oily skin)
TO niacinamide on nose
Biore UV perfect bright milk (love this)

PM at around 6pm double cleanse with L'Oréal facial cleansing oil then Simple cleanser
Cosrx on nose
TO buffet all over avoiding t zone

Before bed tretinoin cream 0.1% (private dermatologist px)
Using up night creams from Christmas beauty advent calendars
TO rosehip oil all over avoiding t zone

Any advice? Thanks so much.

neon, whilst not perfect, the it cosmetics CC cream is pretty close to an actual sunscreen. It's SPF50 so realistically you're getting the minimum SPF15 in (but it's really paltry but 'ok' for winter UVA protection).

I've just had a look at those two products . I can only judge by the ingredients but it's snake oil central, and at those prices it's insane. Can I ask if she's spending those amounts on ineffective skincare why isn't she exploring cosmetic dermatologist options (doesn't need to be botox)?

mint, have you ever explored baby shampoos? I think you just need something really gentle, especially since you shampoo regularly. A bit of tightness is normal with BHA (it tackles oil) but make sure you don't use too much, a few drops only.

Hello, hello . I would consider switching out the CosRx BHA as they've had some pH issues in the past where it was a bit high to be active. Paula's Choice is definitely a step up in that regard and a sample/travel size is easily bought.

The French one is Biologique Recherche P50 (or a variant, W, V, PIGM). It's not a BHA but a PHA but some (P50, PIGM, and V, IIRC) have BHA in it as well, so in my case where it's just there to keep pores clear it does the job fine but if I'm having some sort of breakout or product reaction the PC does a better job in that situation. Anyhow, it's not really recommended to use BR P50 with prescription tret so I'd just ignore it.

Thanks tant and bo

Bo yes I have tried baby shampoo but don't find them effective on my hair, my hair is very tricky because it is very straw like and coarse but it also gets greasy very quick and I have to wash daily for my scalp otherwise the flakiness and itching in particular is bad. I'm yet to find one that cleans adequately but doesn't dry it out or strip colour! I also struggle with conditioners, I can't just use it on the ends as my hair is dry and coarse from the roots too

Thanks Bo. I'll go for the PC one next. I've heard so many good things about this product so looking forward to trying this.
While I'm on this thread/MN a lot (off work recovering from upper blepharoplasty surgery!) I have a kind of face care/skin care question. Has anyone ever had any success with eye drops to reduce the redness in the whites of their eyes? I think a bright, white sclera is very youthful and as I've aged I've found my whites are more pink and red. The fact I'm in front of a PC most of the day in work doesn't help. I use Rhoto eye drops which are Japanese I think and they work fairly well but they are quite difficult to get hold of. Any suggestions? I'll start a general thread on S&B if we feel this is outwith the remit of this thread 😁
Oh and obviously I don't intend on using drops for the next few weeks while I'm recovering from surgery.

I've never used them myself they're quite clear and white all by themselves. I tend to attribute that to diet, it's not that they looked bad but when I was bogged down with internal inflammation (either from illness or just not optimal diet) I'd have a lot more redness and my pupils were a bit 'cloudy'. It's hard to tell, they're very dark brown but now you can actually see a myriad of colours in them where before it was just all sort of muddy dark (but not as dramatic as I'm making that sound, I'm not a child of Satan AFAIK).

The Rohto Z Pro are supposed to be the best and come in different grades of clarity, I believe. I think there's mint or menthol involved so not exactly pleasant to use. I've had them earmarked as 'interesting' but no need/possible gift. Are those the ones you're using? You could also check the Japanese cosme.net site to see which ones are currently ranking up top, I'd go with Japanese above others as they're supposed to be the best.

bo, I know, eye-watering! Possibly literally too, what with all the essential oils. Although tbf, she was given the more expensive one free after a Space NK cock-up. But I dread to think how much you have to be spending to get that free! Anyway, I'm keen to get her to spend a bit more wisely. I don't think she's ever looked into procedures, not sure why. I'm loath to set her off down that path in some ways, but what would you recommend? She's mainly worried about lines under eyes/early crows feet, overall texture etc is good. And I'll recommend the IT CC, thanks.

Well, I can see why SpaceNK was giving it away! I doubt anyone is jumping on that stock .

I'd look into laser or possibly microcurrent (but laser would be my personal first choice). Anything that stimulates collagen production in that area and then support that with active skincare ingredients that do similar (like Vit C in the AOX and Retinol in the Verso, and SPF and dark sunglasses obviously). Botox would obviously be a quick fix but you need someone with a bit of specialty around the eye area and I think it's much more an option for those prematurely ageing than those seeking a reversal, purely on the aesthetic front.

Whilst I think there is much to be said for OTC skincare, when you're at the point where the 'decline' is already established it's a far longer slough to get back and see improvement and that is only really done with tretinoin and SPF. Hot and Flashy recently released a video showing her 5 yr progress with tretinoin (the strongest topical available), I haven't seen it yet but she did mention previously that it took about 3yrs to see signs of reversal in another one. As much as I love the Verso (and I can't remember who it was who did have really good results with it on here with more advanced skin than mine, much to their own surprise) it's not going to magically reverse the situation overnight or even months. Whilst they have a bit of science backing the claim that their version of Retinol is 8x stronger than normal Retinol, which brings it closer to prescription strength, it's tiny studies and I take it as marketing for now.

I'm mostly asking as your sister's purchasing past would suggest she's a bit of a marketeer's dream that buys into 'hope' quite easily but then moves on to the next promise when it doesn't deliver. Without the patience and trust in some backable science, she may still end up wasting her money if it's treated in the same way.

wellhello what have your Doctor or Opthamologist said about your red eyes? Have they recommended anything?

As for PC BHA I am quite happy with both of my purchases so far but it's only been a few days. No harm in trying out the tester bottles from lookfantastic with free delivery and 20% off, at least it was when I purchased them last week.

I agree some patience and research would go a long way. I think that’s what she’s hoping I will provide, as I’m much more sceptical. And poorer! I think it can be hard to get out of the hopeful impulse purchase cycle though. I used to wonder who the hell bought all these potions, until I started asking my own sister about her skincare! Definitely a marketeer’s dream. I can see that cosmetic dermatology would represent a better investment. I know nothing beyond tentative research into botox for fine lines (they run in the family), but I’ll look into laser treatments.

Do you think the Verso is a good way of working up to tretinoin? I was thinking she should aim for prescription strength stuff ultimately, but obviously that has cost and irritation implications. Wondering the same for myself too, especially after your mention of the ‘decline’! At the moment I take TO 2% retinoid up to the proto-crow’s feet area, and haven’t had any problems, but I should probably get a specific product. And can tretinoin be used around the eye contour, do you know?

Soaper Duper hand cream is half price at Tesco

I'm back as posted too soon and lost half my post
Tarte order
Shape tape concealer - the MUR is almost a direct dupe with a touch less coverage and the MUR is slightly more hydrating
Shape tape hydrating foundation. Holy grail so far applied beautifully, perfect colour, no dry patch issues, and feels like I'm wearing nothing
This is in daylight in the car, I don't think it looks like foundation but just nice skin!

Olli Thanks for the Tarte review, I'm going to check out the MUR concealer next time I'm in town.... I've been on puppy duty for the last few weeks and can't leave the little stinker for too long at the moment! The foundation looks lovely :)

Wanted to ask opinions on Stila Stay All Day foundation: I'm not normally one for a longwear/full-coverage base, but got a sample and was quite impressed by how nice it looked on me. Does anyone else here use it? My normal go-to is Armani Luminous Silk.

Thanks for the Soaper dooper heads up. I just ran out. It lasts aaaages!

Totally forgot about the mur concealer when I was in town. Have made a note to get some on Thursday. That foundation looks incredible! What a perfect match.

Is the soaper duper hand cream good? I LOVE the shower gel, won't use anything else now but have never tried the hand cream.

I've just ordered a new shampoo and conditioner 😏🙄 I'm not going to say which ones yet though incase one (or more) if you say oh that's crap 🤣. However I will let you all know once I've used it a few times, either recommending it or warning you not to bother (I hope not the latter!)

Also meant to say I completely finished my tube of eucerin face cream this morn and have another ready and waiting, it's not often I finish a moisturiser completely AND repurchase! I hope the love continues....

The hand wash is really nice. I love the vanilla/shea one. Our local Tesco has the whole range in the clearance section though! Noooo! Will have to buy online if they stop selling it. It's my favourite now.

neon, ah sorry, 'decline' really isn't a good term to use. It isn't really decline, just skin not performing at rates that it used to.

Tret can be used around the eye but you have to be extremely careful and build it up and only really advisable to those that are proven to handle tret well elsewhere first. Definitely, only under the guidance of a professional, it comes with a lot of irritation and possibly not the best to use during the summer months, so the constant stop and start approach may actually be more counterproductive than a product like Verso provided it works for you.

I'm not sure if the Verso is a good way of working up to it, it all converts to retinoic acid (which is what tret is) but if the concentrations are high enough is a bit of a long shot. I do intend to try the Medik8 version of Retinol Retinoate, which is slightly pricier than Verso but reviews so far seem to indicate it packs more punch.

Olli, could the MUR version be used like the Nars creamy concealer or is it much more full coverage than that?