🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Hairmageddon looms...

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Thread 11

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.

I am very slowly working on consolidating the gathered information from previous threads into easier to read formats but it’s slow going. 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?

FEBRUARY 2018: The month of February sucks. Period. We’re sick of winter and the state of our finances, some are embracing frugality (in different shapes and forms) but water bills and car maintenance are ruining our buzz. Hair appointments need to be made despite the palpitations of fear that the mere thought incites. Oh, and skin texture. As you were...

Pupsie it was Bo who mentioned Skinpep first but I don't think she's tried anything as the p&p to anywhere outside of the U.K. is really expensive. I ordered the trial sizes of the HA and Vit c serums, I like the HA one (watery gel, not oily or sticky) but only used it a few times so too early to tell results wise. I've only just started using the active formulas Vit c & didn't want to start trialling another one at the same time so that's in reserve for now. I might order the eye patch though, it's only a couple of £ and p&p is free within the U.K., comes via first class post.

I don't think I've had hotter than usual showers Enid and I don't get my face wet at all unless washing my hair which is once every 5-6 days. On non-hair wash days my showers are just good all over washes from the shoulders/chest down - I don't linger! I feel the cold terribly though & have my central heating cranked right up, and heating on full blast in the car too, so think it's just the extremes of heat and cold causing problems. Just wish the Beast would bugger off back to Siberia, it's meant to be spring tomorrow

The skinpep gel patches have snail in them! We're practically obliged to buy them. 🐌🐌 The HA puts me off slightly but the skin on my nose and around eyes doesn't behave or react like the rest of my face so should be alright.

Sallie I'll have to try more tepid water. Terrible for turning the shower up. Spring is coming, promise. The blackbirds have started singing at dusk again for the first time since Autumn.

Sorry thought I had responded on here already, I've either dreamed it or wrote out a long post and then forgot to post it

Needless to say my short term memory and ability to prioritise is a bit shoddy at the moment. Will catch up properly later, have the hair appointment of doom this afternoon, strangely not nervous. Will catch up properly and answer anything outstanding later.

👋🏻 newish to style and beauty threads and am feeling inspired to sort my skin out! It’s not that bad but could be better. I’m 35, with some fine lines round the eyes and a couple of deeper lines above eyebrows. I’ve got combination skin and rich products cause me to break out on chin and jaw, occasionally forehead. I am happy to spend on skincare, but not above £75 per product.

I have emailed The Ordinary for their recommended regime and they have suggested:
AM: buffet followed by hyaluronic acid 2% + B5.
PM: buffet followed by granactive retinoid 2% in squalane then Rose hip seed oil
So I will get all of these. But I am a bit confused: are they moisturisers or do I need keep applying a moisturiser on top?

• Can anyone recommend a good cleanser for combination skin? Currently using a neutrogena spot stress control one which contains salicylic acid. Is there something better?
• I’ve read great things about a Paula’s Choice toner which magics away spots and blackheads. Worth a try? Will it do bad things when combined with The Ordinary products listed above?
• Finally, should I up my SPF game? I have been relying upon SPF 20 in moisturiser on days when I’m not sitting in the sun. Should I wear a daily SPF? If so any recommendations for something that won’t make me break out and that is good under makeup? I wear a very light foundation.

Hi peony
There is a lot of love on here for La Roche Rosay toleraine dermo cleanser (which I also use and like and wash off with a flannel and warm water)
and yes Paula's Choice 2% BHA liquid is great stuff which I also use.

I also have combination skin and my moisturiser of choice is La Roche Posay Toleraine fluide non oily emulsion.

I use The Ordinary Retinoid 2% granactive (without the squalene)
The spf I use for which there is a lot of love is LRP antihelios 30spf and I have their spf mist spray for those days when you get caught out in the sun.

re PC BHA they sell tester sizes which are worth getting first I tend to get mine from Lookfantastic because they have free shipping and quite often (like now in fact) a discount.
I have learnt that my skin doesnt like oil every night about once month is about all it can tolerate and only if I'm feeling particulary dehydrated, it breaks me out gradually.

I have TO buffet (its very sticky but great in the pm after I use my retinoid if im feeling dry I personally wouldnt use it before my actives) but I'm currently using NIOD MMHC which I really like and this I do use before my retinoid and after niod my copper amino

Hi Peony, Like Tant, I'm really liking the La Roche Rosay toleraine cleanser. I use it with Vichy thermal water.

Bo had sent round a great video (with the French facialist) showing how to wash your face properly. I'm following this and think it makes a huge difference to my skin and how clean and soft it feels. I have no idea how to put links but you should find it on the previous thread.

Enid - thank you. You sound absolutely lovely Not sure it's control but sometimes I do pick spots when I'm stressed. Mainly it's because I think I can actually get rid of the spot!!!! Which is the stupidest thing of all because I always make them worse!!

I've been using the Vichy mineral 89 HA for a week now and going well with it. At the end of next week I will start with my TO retinoid 2% as I opened it a month ago, used it once and it only has a 6 month shelf life.

Then I need to buy a new vit C. Toying between the Skinceuticals one, the Drunk Elephant one and the Vichy. Might get the latter first purely on basis of cost and ease of availability here.
Has anyone used the SC and the DE one and can compare them?

Sophie yes I'm also doing what the cool French lady advised in Bo's video link.

I think the thermal water enid enabled upon us that she uses in the video seems to make a positive difference.

Peony yes to higher spf, if you're using actives it should be at least spf 30 and ideally spf 50 in summer, though 30 might be ok if you have an indoors job and don't spend much time outside. Personally I wouldn't risk it but I spent most of my life not using any sunscreen at all, ever, so I'm a bit paranoid now about doing more damage. Also recommending Paula's choice 2% BHA, I'd use it alternate nights with the retinoid. And hello and welcome

Sophie the only one of those Vit cs I have used is Vichy and I wasn't keen, I found it made me oilier than usual under makeup and it made me itchy BUT I think mine might have gone off. You're meant to use it within a month once open, keeping it in the fridge extends the life but I stupidly didn't realise until it was too late.

Hope everything went well at the hairdressers Bo

Enid I think the poor birds round here are too cold to sing but good news I am WFH tomorrow, if the weather doesn't improve I won't be leaving the house again until Monday I'm ordering the Skinpep eye patch, the snails have sold it to me 🐌🐌🐌

Hi again Tant
As I am about to start using my TO retinoid 2% (Although I have with squalene), I just wanted to check that I use my HA after the retinoid. And it's still ok to use moisturiser and eye cream on top?

Keep seeing references to the TO buffet (strange name!). I know it contains peptides but what exactly does it do? General anti-ageing or moisturising too?

Sallie - thanks for the Vichy vit C info. I think most other people were positive about it so interesting to hear your experience. I don't tend to wear foundation, tinted moisturiser etc during the day so being a bit oily wouldn't bother me (I don't think). Don't want to be itchy though. Although noted yours might have gone off!!!! I might ask my local pharmacy if they have any samples of it.

Does anyone else have any particular recommendations for the vit C?

Yes, hope the hair looks lovely Bo and that everyone else is keeping warm in the UK

Sophie I think it all depends on how sensitive your skin will be with the retinoid. If you find you are quite sensitive ie go red and peel then use an HA before if you like.
I'm not sensitive to it so I would add an HA after the retinoid then a moisturiser. (in my case i just put on my lrp moisturiser)
Plus the newer retinoid with the squalene oil is meant to be not so harsh on more sensitive skin but still as effective.

Eye cream should ideally go on straight after your active ie retinoid and always before your main moisturiser etc so it penetrates directly to the eye area esp being so much more expensive than an ordinary moisturiser which will just create a barrier for the eye cream.

Bo yes hope the hair went ok and you're not sobbing in a bathroom corner refusing to leave for the next 6 months

Curse is broken as my hair cut went brilliant I did briefly break into a nervous sweat when there was mention of layers and I feared Enid's layer trainwreck but it turned out beautifully. It's super shiny and swishy at the moment and I'm much tempted by the new product line he had from Kevin Murphy despite it being advertised as skincare for your hair but it's given me back the fullness and lustre it once had, before hormones fucked it all up. Managed to get a fab pair of men's trousers for myself at H&M after but I'm now running on empty. Will attempt a proper reply tomorrow.

Waves at all the newbies, the short version, the Ordinary is very quickly losing the limited favour it had on here, the economic arguments just aren't winning out against the inconsistency in performance and formulations. It's not the amazing gushing whatever it's made out to be.

Please read through the info sheets linked in the OP as most posed questions will be covered there.

And ahem, Enid, is not the original thermal water fanatic, it's me, and has been for quite some time, way before that video ever saw the light of day but a French person did show me the way to thermal water goodness even if the Vichy is a rampant adulterer

Bo hurrah for sexy hair again, yes you're quite right you have always been the thermal water fanatic, and whoever finally enabled me tipped me over the edge to buy it, for that I am grateful.

Thanks everyone! So in addition to all The Ordinary products, I need LRP toleraine Dermo cleanser, Vichy thermal water, Paula’s choice 2% BHA. And LRP suncream - but which one? There seem to be a lot of antihelios products?

For cleanser is there anything good for combination skin that can be used in the shower? Not sure I’ll end up doing any flannelling in the morning scramble to get out the door...

That's great news about your hair Bo now the curse is broken I'll make my appointment soon, not that a lot can go wrong with having the ends trimmed but I'm still paranoid.

I'm a thermal water lover too, I think a few people were using the LRP one when I joined but it was definitely Bo who got me on to Vichy. I like them both though.

Sophie I'm using bioderma cicabio spf 50 at the moment and really like it. From LRP Anthelios I've had a tinted spf 50 which was meant to be anti shine but I found the texture a bit heavy/sticky for all day wear (I have oily skin) but ok if just going out for a couple of hours. I've also used Anthelios spf 50 facial mist/spray which was fine, did make me a bit shiny but I only used it as a top up if I was outside all day in sunny weather. A lot of us here have used various spfs from a Japanese brand called bioré (available on eBay and Amazon) which are non-sticky and quite primer like under makeup so good for oily/combo skin. They are spf 50 but we've been discussing recently that they may not offer enough all day protection in summer, especially if you spend a lot of time outside or are getting hot and sweaty/exercising.

I love my Murad anti blemish face wash although I often rinse my lrp cleanser off in the shower without a flannel.
I use lrp if my skin is feeling on the dry side and murad the rest of the time.
and if I'm really pushed for time I use lrp or simple micellar water on a cotton pad.

or just a spritz of thermal water towel off

Hi Tant, I think you meant to address the SPF info to Peony, not to me (although it was interesting reading).

name confusion all round here, it was me that addressed the spf info to you Sophie and yes it should have been for peony

Excellent news on the hair curse being broken. Let's hope it has as mine is next week. 😱

Sallie Hooray for a cosy weekend ahead. Let us know what the 🐌 patches are like.

I think the LRP thermal water is the only skincare item that I used before these threads that I still use and love. Although I still feel mildly daft each time I buy it as I know it's just water...but it works.

What's the weather like over there bo? Very glad your hair was a success. Send me good hair vibes for next week.

Sophie Stick a 'stop poking' post it on the mirror.

Bo or anyone who can, can you please link to that video again (thermal water cleansing etc) I cannot find the old thread! Thank u

Found it finally!!