🐌 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

Sadly the cute puppies are not mine, they belong to a friend and are about 2 years old now.

I have bad news on the eyebrow extensions front, I’ve had to give up for today. It was extremely time consuming and fiddly and I completely botched the first attempts including scratching my eyelid with the tweezers. I started to get the knack and managed to get a top and tail one on brow and it looked ok but as soon as I went through with the spooly most of them fell off. I gently rubbed with my fingers and more fell off. So there is no way they’d survive washing my face or even sleeping I don’t think and it’s absolutely NOT worth the time and effort as a one off wear for a night out etc.

I think my issue is that my brows are so non-existent (see pic which was meant to be ‘before’) I was having to create an almost entire brow from scratch rather than building up existing hairs, and the glue just didn’t adhere well to hairless skin, even though I’d used the prep stuff.

I might have another look to see if I can find a salon that does them as I did like the look IF they would stay on. Mind you, no guarantee that salon ones would stick either, I think I’m just too ‘browless’ and there’s nothing there in the first place to actually extend.

Have you always had smaller brows user or is it from plucking? Just wondering if you'd have some success growing then using something like Rapidbrow.

Glamorous question alert. 🚨 One of you had a sore nose from blowing it a while ago and used something b to soithecand heal it. Was it lanolin or Cicaplast that helped please?

*growing them

Enid I used the lansinoh you recommended on my sore nose when I had an everlasting lurgy before Christmas, it worked a treat.

I’ve never liked full or thick brows, I think because mine are so dark they’re very ‘dominating’ when they’re full. So yes I did start plucking as a teen and got them to the stage where they were thin but a normal length and a nice shape, and I no longer needed to pluck them at all. It’s only in the last few years I’ve lost the tails and now seem to be losing the tops near the nose, presume it’s age related.

After my experience with rapid lash (remember I said I started growing little hairs under my eyes even though I only used the stuff on my upper eyelashes?) I’m too scared to use anything like that on my brows, I can see me ending up with a hairy forehead or something

That isn’t a great pic (bad lighting) and doesn’t show how dark my brows are, they are properly jet black rather than dark brown, same with my lashes.

Mine are really dark and thick (but shaped). I quite like them but know what you mean about them dominating. I plucked them into tiny sperms in the late 90's so the horror of that encourages me to keep them near their natural fullness. I remember you saying about the Rapidlash now!

I'll slap some lanolin on my nostril now thank you. There's a sore crusty bit.

Sorry meant to add, thyroid issues can cause the loss of eyebrow tails. Don't know if that's something you could look into.

Just popped onto the thread to say - next time anyone questions using daily SPF... point them to the below article. Even my 5yo now understands why I cover I cover her in SPF on a moderately sunny day. Small victory!

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sun-skin-damage-photos-uv-spf-protection-skincare-lotion-a8180141.html?amp

Enid mine are like little sperms now I’ve always had quite hooded, deepset eyes (even when I was young) and a small forehead so think the thick, black brows made me look scowly/angry.

I had my thyroid tested a few years ago when I first started to gain weight and it was on the low side of normal but not bad enough for meds apparently, I might get it checked again. I have loads of hair on my head though, and I’m starting to get a moustache and chin hairs Several friends who are older than me said losing brows and gaining chin hair is a sure sign of peri menopause, and I’m the right age so just presumed it was that.

Oh yeah I've seen that truck driver, he's been on the Internet for years. Mad, isn't it?

User I have deepset eyes too. I probably do look a bit scowly. I'm embracing my strong Irish (ta Dad) eyebrows anyway.

I have painted my nails a shiny glossy navy blue in the hope it'll detract from my poor looking skin. Green veg, lemon water and early nights for me.

user you have beautiful eyelashes.

I've bought a couple of trial size Paula's Choice products. I think the Neo Strata retinol is too strong for me for now.

I'm also brewing my first batch of kefir. Anyone tried it?!

I'll have to google kefir pupsie

user my brow replies make me sound like an arse. Your brows don't look like mine did when I over plucked, honestly. These were proper 90's stick thin things.

I beat you all... my eyebrows are scabbing and peeling
And incredibly itchy! Still no getting them wet

Pupsie Am I presumptuous in thinking you're an Archers fan? 🐑 🐐 🐄

My skin is looking awful. Dry, thick, oily, grey. Suppose I'm ill but still. Yuck.

Bagel I can honestly say I have never listened to an episode in my life? Why? Are they all over Kefir? It first came to my attention in 2015 when I went to a weekend seminar in Manchester with Metabolic Effect t and Jillian Teta (the latter is an expert in gut health).

😂 it's been one of the storylines in the last few months. Tom Archer trying to set up a new product line of kefir for the unappreciative locals!

Enid you don’t sound like an arse at all, my brows are pathetic little things hence all the faff of trying to stick hairs on them. I’m going to describe them as tiny sperms from now on

Pupsie I’m very lucky with my lashes, and often get asked if they are false even if I’m not wearing mascara. Just as well really given all my brow angst

I’ve just googled kefir, I don’t like milk or yogurt so don’t think it would be something I’d enjoy. I’m a Very Special Snowflake when it comes to food though

My chest/décolletage area is acting up. I can’t use any actives on the skin there as it’s super sensitive and I come out in a rash but the texture is really bumpy. Is there anything I can do? My face has become quite tolerant to treatments and indeed has vastly improved over the last year or two. My neck is fine too.
I have a small scar at the base of my neck where I had a basal cell carcinoma removed 12 years ago. Closer to my boobs I can feel tiny lumps and bumps that I know could be improved if I could tolerate retinoids there. Right now I cleanse with LRP lipikar in the shower, apply spf AM and a soothing cream like First Aid Beauty or Cicaplast at night.

Does it feel dehydrated or dry at all Miffy? Just wondering if a shower oil might be something you would like. I find moisturisers too heavy for that area and they give me rashes but the shower oil is really nice and light but enough to moisturise. Not sure about bumps though. (Can't See them on pic btw)

Sorry that's not much help.

No it is not dry or dehydrated, just v textured. In the first photo all those tiny marks are actually bumps :(

It is beginning to get me down as it just makes me feel old and crepey.

I might try the bioderma shower oil just to see if it helps.

I have always had quite sensitive skin, I come up in a rash easily, I get hives that come and go, can't bear the feel of wool against my neck/chest etc. As my face has improved SO much I am now hoping I can do something else for my chest. I used to have dermatitis but that has now gone too.

Evening all! After a very protracted absence, I'm back. Not sure I can possibly catch up but nice to see the thread still going strong, familiar names and some new ones!
Just popping my head round the door briefly now as it's late but will post more soon.

Elspeth, currently on the train to Paris for the week as I type not going to promise any shelf porn from the pharmacies though, don't need much at the moment so don't think I'll be spending much time there. Will be stopping by the Biologique Recherche mothership for some P50, contemplating getting the body version too.

user, what a shame it didn't work out after all that effort. Did it look good though before it all disappeared? I get what you and Enid mean with the dark brows overpowering your face (slightly hooded eyes here), it's why I'm hesitant to get them done professionally (but I will book in once back from Paris). I'm a shade or two away from black (still read as brown though) and the Groucho Marx look is never far off, easily done with just a brow pencil, especially noticeable in pictures. I feel I suit a slightly sculpted manicured brow best (rather than groomed which is that variation of the Sharpie brow in my mind, and fluffy untamed just looks unkempt on me).

Pupsie did you get the Clinical 1% from PC? Be advised, it's supposed to be very strong.

My mother had a Kefir phase, can't remember if it came before or after the Kombucha phase. I liked the Kombucha, never liked Kefir.

Miffy, not my area of expertise at all and don't want to needlessly alarm, but is it not worth checking with the GP there's nothing else going on. Describing a skin texture with lumps and bumps would have me a bit concerned as in other areas (like breasts) that could be an indication of cancer. Assuming it's all safe and nothing but a bit of reactive skin, would a high urea cream maybe be an option?

Welcome back Yong! Good to hear from you again, all well with the horses and moving into the new home?

I have slapped the makeup on ready... start my new job today. Eeek!