🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Happy Snail Year, Bring Spoons!

[botemp]

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

Pupsie I did notice my typo but didn't want to post yet another correction. I need my own personal edit button.

I need to do a couple of frugal months. Think I've been comfort shopping and eating the past few months.

I'll keep my fingers crossed you don't get little cheekbone fringes user

Seriously, it's not that powerful, it hasn't got any drug type ingredients like the very £££ eyelash growth serums. It shouldn't work really but it does. Give it a few weeks before judging though, they take a while.

Thanks for your input on The Ordinary Jedster & userallusedup. You are right i heard good things about it from other threads which encouraged me to try it. That said i tired LRP from MN threads and didn't rate it much & didn't repurchase.

Hmm, wondering if I should bother now
I am concerned about ageing lines (almost 33) and hormonal acne on my chin but otherwise skin ok. Can you make any other suggestions that might be worth trying out?

Thanks

Am back from Paris, didn't buy much skincare. A Rene Furterer dry shampoo bought on a whim (I know it's a popular one so had some faith at least) when the Klorane was sold out turns out to be excellent and I actually prefer it to the Klorane as it gives better texture.

Eucerin 5% Urea hand cream has been a bit of a lifesaver as I suddenly started developing some eczema or similar on the side of one finger and thumb. Still trying to figure what caused that, but at least the Eucerin is keeping it under control and it's almost gone now.

Penny, LRP is good for the basics but I'd never want my entire routine from them. Have you read through the relevant info sheets in the OP yet? Think Sunscreen first and foremost, and a Retinoid product would be where I'd start in your case, adding in Vit C and possibly BHA at later stages if necessary.

I have finally worked my acne out
Been tracking it on my period app, and it seems to be the week before my period it starts or the week of my period. Makes more sense now

Welcome back bo hope you had a lovely time. I also LOVE that eucerin hand cream u have 2 tubes of it one at home and one in bag, it's the only one that doesn't sting my sore hands!

Acne has a bit of a lead-up period of approx 2 weeks before it surfaces so I'm guessing it's around ovulation time then. Any particular craving around that time?

None that I can think of! Chocolate but that's more the day before my period. I'm not on hormonal contraception either (copper coil)

IIRC ovulation is highest estrogen levels (but those are built up gradually) and then a spike in the Luteinizing Hormone to release the follicle, which releases a lot of progesterone. Then it shifts the cycle to more male hormones, which are usually the culprit of hormonal acne (testosterone usually).

Spironolactone tackles that as it's an anti-androgen but just wondering since your acne isn't extreme if it's worth exploring with diet by eating low-glycemic at that time period or a supplement with anti-androgen potential like spearmint (or drunk as a tea, but you need to drink quite a bit of it throughout the day). Check with GP or equivalent obviously, think there are some contraindications with spearmint.

Happy to give spearmint a go, I have lots of it in tea in the cupboard! Nothing to lose anyway

labmuffin.com/spearmint-tea-can-relieve-hormonal-acne/

You have to make sure you get the spearmint only, a lot of them are blends. I always get mine from a specialised tea shop who uses it in a blend but will sell it separately to me.

I've had a look and found some, and there's also spearmint capsules which I guess might be worth a try

Welcome back Bo

Penny very few of us here are brand loyal, I think most of us have products across quite a few ranges so I definitely wouldn’t go all out buying everything from one. I did that with The Ordinary and regretted it. I agree with Bo to have a look at the information sheets, if you want to buy for example a retinoid and a sunscreen then we can give some reviews of what we use and our skin types. Your skin sounds like it’s pretty well behaved though so definitely go carefully and gradually with new products as you could end up upsetting it by introducing too many new things at once.

Got a message saying my it cosmetics cc cream is being delivered tomorrow, I hope I don't miss it! 😬

Also penny this video series by Dr Sam Bunting (Harley Street cosmetic dermatologist) is also a good introduction to the various actives:-

www.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/video/the-science-of-skincare/

I've ordered the Merumaya balm instead of my usual Emma Hardie. The Feel Unique site kept going wrong during checkout so I thought feck it and got the M balm off Amazon instead. Fingers crossed I like it. It's half the price of EH which would be brilliant.

Btw have we synced cycles again? 🧐 I'm beyond grumpy and crampy today but at least it explains last week's mild anxiety and spots.

I'm due in 6 days!

I've literally just come off

Just looked at that merumaya balm (just curious lol) but luckily it contains parfum/fragrance (luckily because now I'm NOT tempted!)

Welcome home bo I posted on 01/02 re my eyelids if you have any pearls of wisdom please?

Day 1 here so not quite synced then. I'm so moody! 🥊🤐

I went to 3 shops at 4pm on a chocolate hunt and the arseholes were all closed. Loathe Sunday opening hours. Won't they think of the hormonal??

I didn't spot that Mint. Hopefully it'll be fine. You've used the Merumaya balm haven't you Olli? Is it very frangranced?

Sorry, missed that JDSTER, was it overnight after the waxing? Am not a big fan of waxing the face (and a big no-no with prescription-grade retinoids, though the beautician should have asked before starting/booking) as it can cause slackening of the skin, especially the delicate eye and nasolabial area.

Generally eyelids have their own ecosystem as it just draws actives from the surrounding area to it and keeps itself lubricated with oils. Is it feeling dry as well? There aren't many products out there that are deemed safe to use all over the eye, and generally, I believe anything you do put on there disperses away anyhow. It's kind of a tricky area, maybe some sort of technique would be worth pursuing, just trying to think of what. Jade rollers and other cooling massage equipment is usually to reduce swelling, but it sounds like a lack of collagen thing, which I think was a general growing concern for you, is it really just the lids or is the area itself perhaps losing some of its support structure that's making the lids appear more crepey as surrounding volume is perhaps retreating? Maybe microcurrents are something to look into, the science is iffy but it does seem to give results with continued treatment (in derm practices, opinion seems more divided over at home devices).

Missed you in between there too, mint. Good to see everyone was helpful in getting you a new base, it would probably have been my suggestion too, not that I've ever used it but then I'm not much of a base expert. How are you faring with the BHA so far?

I'm due tomorrow but I think I'm going to be late, doesn't feel like it's about to happen for whatever reason. Not that there's much logic to it.

I love the merumaya one, smells fragranced but has never irritated me