🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Heatwave, schmeatwave, we've got our trusty SPF50 and are donning wide brimmed hats

[botemp]

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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

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?

NEW SERIES:

So You Want To Buy A Retinoid - A Guide

JULY 2018: Sorry, terrible title, I haven't been keeping up but I assume Dr.Sam’s new cleanser will have some fans on here.

My previous name was
Purple15
I have had loads of recommendations from you and I’m following them all
I have alternated between
The LRP antheos fluid
And now I am on the
.Biore aqua rich 50
I find the LRP is a bit flaky (if that’s what to call it) like bobbly.
Previously you told me to pat the Lrp which is better. But I do prefer the Biore.

Ah, ok, hi, former purple You were on prescription IIRC (epiduo I think?) and some the ordinary bits? Good to hear you're still faring well with it all.

JDSTER, can you chime in as I know you've used both, would the Biore perfect milk be a less shiny finish than the watery essence?

Enid it's just sachets of the Vichy clay mask but I think they're fairly generous so should get a few uses out of them on my snout 🐷 🐽

Not JDSTER but I found the Biore brightening spf (in the little pink bottle) very mattifying, so much so that I had to stop using it as it was making my skin look too dry and flaky.

Botemp Gosh I cant believe your attention to detail. Its prescription differin that I am on.

Just seen that Brendan from Deciem is at it again, having a rant about Beautylish this time and also some comments about Victoria Health and GOW - though there's so much gibberish rantiness it doesn't actually make that much sense

Hi everyone. So I've come to the end of my Dr Sam's cleanser and my skin is breaking out ffs! I also didn't think it was very cost effective.

Like @Pupsiecola I've just trialled the GOW daily cleanser since I was ordering more niacinamide, and I've found it leaves my skin tight (my skin is oily) and its irritating my eyes, despite my best efforts to wash my face with eyes tightly shut....bit gutted I really wanted to like it.

Have to go back to LRP Toleriane Dermo as it's all I have left and haven't got time to order anything new before our hols. I'm now debating the LRP Toleriane cleanser (not Dermo,) that SallieSallow and JDSTER have mentioned. Not used easypharmacie before, how's their delivery? I can't seem to find it anywhere else.

Blimey Violet Dr Sam's cleanser doesn't sound cost effective at all, it can't be more than a few weeks since she brought it out

I love easyparapharmacie, I pay with PayPal and stuff usually turns up in 3-4 days for me, though the website says to allow 6-7 working days. I can't remember which courier company they use now, but I've never had a problem with them. It's £2.90 for delivery but free over £29 so I wait until I need quite a few things to place an order.

Hey everyone. I was away for a couple of weeks and then really busy with house/kids stuff.

I have ventured into Lixirskin-land and have been using the range for 8 whole days now since I got home from my hols. Cult Beauty had an offer on and I was unable to resist. I got 20% off.

So I have the cleanser (I like this but tend to just use it for a morning cleanse or second cleanse in PM), the vitamin C paste (weird but I am liking it. I apply it before my shower if I am not washing my hair and then rinse it off when I get out. If I wash my hair then I apply it after the shower and leave it on for 5 mins or so while lashing on body lotion/hair serum. My skin feels really nice after it actually. I used the Vichy vitamin C for a few weeks beforehand and really didn't like it, primarily as the smell made me gag!

Then for PM I have the universal emulsion and the night switch PHA/AHA drops. I will use that nightly for 3 weeks and then move to retinol for 3 as this is kind of what they recommend (I don't have the Lixirskin retinol drops so I will revert to my P&M superstar).

My skin is not over-oily in the morning and makeup feels great on. My skin looks nice and bright, too.

Early days but I thought I would chime in on the brand before doing my end of month round-up, which for me has become bi-monthly!

I also picked up some cheap and cheerful skincare in Spain, in Mercadona supermarket of all places. About €30 all in and I got some interesting face creams, eye patches and body lotions. Plus plenty of Nenuco cologne and other infant fragrance sprays :D

There was a Sephora in El Corte Ingles and I splashed out on Ceramidin liquid as I had not brought enough moisturiser with me. It is quite watery and did me fine on the hot days there. I can see it working well with the Ceramidin cream in winter months. I also got two lanolips flavoured lip balms (heavenly) and a Sephora brand oil-in=mousse body lotion. Again, nice and light for the hot weather we had there.

Thanks for the info Sallie. Yeah it's literally a month and I was using a bit less than what's recommended on the bottle! Initially I really liked it as my skin felt clean but once the delivery is added on it's getting a bit pricey and then there were the spots. My skin hasn't been this spotty for ages! They're in places were I don't usually get them so it's ringing alarm bells. The rest of my routine is stopping them getting angry and they do seem to clear quick, but more come up!!

Miffy that sounds like a great haul, I didn't manage to buy any skin care on my Spanish trip I had planned on buying some tret at least.

Violet yes I'm finding the Dr Sam's not very cost effective as I'm using at least 10 x the amount compared to my beloved Murad clarifying cleanser which is a mere squidge the size of a small aspirin if that even. And Easiepharmacie are great with a fairly quick delivery as I recall.

Connie Ultrasun face is very matte so worth trying.

Sallie Ooo now I have to find and read what twaddle Brendan has been spouting this time

Olli On the wild off chance you have insomnia and happen to see this in the next half an hour ( long shot) Which shade of the new Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away concealer would you go for? I'm trying to choose between 1 and 2. Both described as fair with cool tones but 2 has some pink in it. I would go for 1 but a swatch I saw looked almost white and I want it for blemishes as well as under eyes. I'm buying it now so might've bought it by the time anyone reads this but any input welcome. www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/magic-away-concealer-1-fair.html

Ok I went for the number 1 and because it's 4am I also bought the new powder. That I don't need. And is over priced.

🍆

Can the lrp toleriane cleanser (not dermo) be used over eyes? The description says avoid eyes but I like to take my cleanser over them.

I am starting to run low on my nars tm! Although I'm sure it will still last me ages as I only use a small blob, will definitely repurchase this. Less than a year until I get married now! Want my skin to be the best it can be by then, have switched my routine up a little and am happy so far but I'm sure I've now just jinxed myself as always! Am tempted by that Vichy clay mask, am wondering if that would be good applied to breakouts and left on over night (literally just on breakouts) and am considering medik8 c tetra (been thinking about this for ages)
I also need a new shampoo and conditioner, have been using pureology strength cure and have been liking it, no scalp issues with it either but lately it seems to have made my hair feel quite straw like. I tried their hydrate line but that one flared my scalp up terribly. Hmmm 🤔

Enid, I used to have a different CT concealer, can't recall what it was called, and I had it in 2, don't think that would suit pale Celtic skin, so 1 sounds the best choice. You do have to use her stuff up quickly, my concealer started turning ashy in colour a few months in and then due to consistency couldn't be used anymore well before the 6 month expiration date. Between that and the CT manipulative PR strategies across social media, I never bought anything from them again.

Re. Brandon T, GoW, Beautylish etc, a lot of ppl on the Ordinary FB group and others are switching (or at least trying) GoW. The Azelaic is popular as it's silicone free, the Niacinamide also seems to tolerated better than the TO version, probably because it's a lower %. Also quite a lot of Qs on IG about why they don't do the Leaping Bunny certification, which they don't have, and is free apparently.
It will be interesting to see where TO/Deciem is in a couple of years.

I'm somewhat torn between wanting to know what's happening now with all the Brandon nonsense but I assume mostly it's all kind of tragic.

I think e-commerce brands have to be cautious in this day and age, fast growth isn't necessarily a positive as it would be in traditional retail. Beauty has seen a massive growth and that attracts investors with little knowledge of the field when I think for many consumers fatigue has started setting in, in the manner it's presented by influencers, the hypes, etc. It really feels like it's a bubble set to burst and I'm not sure how well some will survive. We're nearing a 2yr anniversary with this thread in the autumn and I think for many on here there has definitely been a trend of less products and less experimenting with the next new wonder product, granted it's the approach I advocate for but I do think it's also a larger general trend against mindless consumption and an increasingly more informed and critical consumer.

just to chip in about the Dr Sam cleanser.

I don't find it cost effective either. I need to use 2 generous pumps even when I haven't been wearing much make up.
Also the other day I used a liquid BHA product after cleansing which needed to be applied with a cotton pad. There were quite a few dark smudges on the cotton pad even though I had been sure my face was clean. I'd only been wearing SPF and some bronzer that day too.
So I don't think it will be a repurchase for me.

Enid I was an insomniac last night too, it's so frustrating isn't it, sadly I wouldnt have been able to help you with your colour choice. I hope yours matches. I'm sure it will.

Ps Happy Belated Birthday

I'm back from my hols and enjoying the slight tan I managed to get from all the swimming I did. The rest of the time I spent mainly in the shade or wearing a hat if walking around.

I'm too scared to use BHA incase it rubs my tan away

mintmagnummm I like to use cleanser on my eye area too. Most I have tried say not to. I don't wear eye make up, only under eye concealer so I do a quick sweep over then wash off with flannel around the eyes first, then the rest of my face. The Toleriane Dermo cleanser and moisturiser both say to avoid the eye area, but I've had no reactions to them. I'm currently using up my Toleriane ultra (bought by mistake!)) Fluids just on my eyes as a light eye cream, including the lids and no stinging or puffiness.

I could probably do with a 1st cleanse but I'm wary after using the DHC and getting some big spots so I use one cleanser with a flannel.

I'm hoping that since my eyes seem ok with other Toleriane products that they will be ok with the non Dermo cleanser.

The Brendan Rant came up on my Facebook, but this is the gist of it if anyone can be bothered with him.
www.zadidoll.com/2018/08/deciem-drops-beautylish.html

I'm not buying anything from Deciem again, now I've discovered the bioderma atoderm spray I can finally ditch their HA body spray. I'm using up the NIOD Sanskrit cleanser and hylamide cleansing oil then that's me done with them.

I will be forever grateful to Deciem though as it was through my over purchasing of TO that I found this thread but I agree with Bo that their bubble is going to burst.

I feel the brand encourages an over-complicated routine & fair enough TO is cheap but not when you're buying several products and then most of them either go off very quickly or don't give any results. I think most people have wised up to them now & not just us here on this thread as I rarely see them mentioned on S&B at all now, and when they are it's often negative.

I use my toleriane hydrating cleanser round my eyes - not extensively as I've already oil cleansed to get eye makeup off, but I don't make a point to avoid the eye area with it and I've never had any irritation.

Oh and one more thing about Deciem - Nicola Kilner the CEO who was sacked earlier this year is back with all forgiven by the looks of it. So bizarre

Thanks violet I may give it a go. For a first cleanse have you tried Clinique ttdo balm?

Thanks to you also Sallie

Thank you Tant I think my body clock is wonky. Been like that from birth. Last night was particularly bad though. But it does mean I have lots of lovely shiny parcels coming tomorrow so swings and roundabouts. 💄
Glad you had a fab holiday!