🐌 Fantastic Skincare: We're So Drunk We're Seeing Elephants 🐘

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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

WRT to The Ordinary/Deciem:

Most of us had long since stopped using it, partially due to the inconsistency of formulations and the worrying behaviour of the CEO on Social Media.

For more info on the latter, overview here

A good overview of alternatives is here

Since that compilation, other brands like the Inkey, Revolution Skincare, QRXLabs, and Alex Steinherr x Primark have launched with similar products/concepts.

From the limited experience on here, the Vitamin C 23% and Azelaic Acid from Garden of Wisdom (at Victoria’s Health) is well liked and much preferred over TO versions.

OCTOBER 2018: In other news, we’re two years old this month! We’re so old- Drunk Elephant is finally available in the UK, but all this celebration is probably overshadowed by the fear that our beloved LRP Toleriane Fluide may have been discontinued

Do any of you use a deeper cleansing shampoo every now and then? I use pureology but sometimes my scalp flares up which I'm thinking is because it needs a deeper cleanse as pureology is sls free? I don't use products so it's not a product build up, I'm not sure what it is that suddenly makes my scalp go itchy and flaky and as you all know I've tried dozens of shampoos and conditioners! Pureology strength cure seems to be the most tolerated by my hair/scalp but feel I need something to use for few washes when I get a flare up. I bought redken scalp relief but I'm not liking it. Any suggestions?? Thank you!

I don’t have any recs Mint I only use Eucerin shampoo on my scalp (co-wash the lengths) followed by the Eucerin scalp tonic. I don’t get itching or flaking as long as I stick to that routine but I think you’ve already tried Eucerin haven’t you?

Just Pantene micellar shampoo or Lush Big (sea salt) shampoo because neither contain silicones so they're good for a deep clean. Is it Psoriasis Mint? Sounds similar from what you describe. T-Gel is best over counter stuff I think although it stinks 😷 or I've head a lot of good things about the Body Shop's ginger shampoo. If it is bothering you it could be worth asking the gp about it.

Sallie yes I've tried the eucerin, loved it at first and finished a whole bottle but it stopped being effective for me and now if I use it my scalp flares up.

Enid I've tried Pantene one, I actually used to swear by their clarifying shampoo but they discontinued it and none of the others work for me and/or irritate my scalp. Body shop ginger shampoo was my perfect shampoo years ago but now it makes my hair like straw and again flares my scalp! I think I have mild psoriasis and have tried those shampoos from the gp which are bloody awful! Unfortunately I'm just one of those people who can't tolerate a lot of products and when I find something that doesn't cause much trouble I have to learn to stick with them lol.

The pureology strength cure seems to be one of very few that I'm ok with but my scalp still flares up every now and then, usually around time of month or when I'm stressed. Just need to find something that I can tolerate for these instances that will calm my scalp but not ruin my hair 🙄.

Thanks for helping ladies x

Yes the clarifying Pantene one was brilliant. There are other treatments you can get on prescription for it but not sure what would work best. It's one of those things that should be easy to treat but is very tricky as it seems to vary so much person to person. Have you tried just shampooing your scalp/roots and letting the rinse take it through the rest of your hair? So the ends aren't getting rubbed with shampoo just rinsed with it?

Sallie, have you started zapping your face yet

JDSTER, have you bought yours yet

I did remember that there was a poster on here who pops up every now and then that had really good results on the jowls by doing in office microcurrent treatments and using the Nuface in between. Though IIRC most sagging was down to weight loss rather than exclusively age.

Enid it was wasn't it! I don't know why they always discontinue products that so many people seem to love!
Yeah I do tend to only shampoo the roots, I massage my scalp well and then as I'm rinsing it runs down my ends to clean them. My hair is coarse and rough to touch but my roots often gets that horrible coated feeling like it's got a build up but I don't use serums etc so I'm not sure what causes it. I've never found anything that makes my scalp clean and my hair feel like silk 🙄. Was considering trying davines products but they are £££ so am wary.

no I haven’t Bo but I’m working away again this week. When (if!) I get into a routine with it I’d probably take it with me though the gel will be a pain if I’m flying, but I’d rather not start whilst I’m away in case of any reactions.

I’m also not 100% sure if the hand chemistry HA gel is suitable, I looked up the ingredients and there are no oils but emollients were mentioned. And of course I haven’t got round to ordering any other gel yet either...

Bo there’s a thread I’ve been posting on runnng at the moment titled ‘Nuface mini anyone used one’ where people are sharing their experiences (good, bad and indifferent) one poster has shared a photo and she looks great. She said 4-6 months before she noticed anything so think we’re in for a long haul. I’m going to get cracking this weekend.

Water softener

^ just as a reminder to myself to post about them later. 1% battery

We wait with baited breath Enid

I have ordered my nuface. Gone the whole hog and got the whizzy one with eye attachment. Give it a few months and I’ll be unrecognisably taut and youthful

Found a new foundation I love! CYO lifeproof

JDSTER when will it arrive? I’m starting on the road to youthful taughtness tomorrow

I’ve never heard of that brand Olli off to have a google now.

It arrives Tues sallie. I’m working so might miss it so it’ll be later in week when it gets an outing.

DH will be . I definitely won’t divulge the price or he’d be

Sallie God I can't remember!

I think I was going to say that I think 50% of S&B problems can be solved by a water softener if someone lives in a very hard water area. Spent a few days in a hardcwater area again and my hair isn't as shiny as usual and won't do what I want it to do. It was also static as heck until I poured spring water over it. My skin went tight and papery dry. I think how soft or hard your tap water is makes a much bigger difference than anyone realises. Not so much here because we've discussed it before and it's why some of us like the spray water, but generally. Maybe you get used to it and adjust after a while but I'm surprised at how noticable the difference was.

So. If anyone has particularly hard water and issues with skin or hair, try a water softener or test the theory with cheap spring water for a couple of weeks.

Think that was it. Pretty sure I'm repeating myself too so, sorry about that. 😬

Btw I bought some cicaplast face wash today! Sls in it but a quick test and it didn't foam up much. Also one of the LRP Lipikar products but can't remember which one. For the body, high in Shea butter so thinking it'll be good for arms and shins. and my bum

Bought from a proper traditional pharmacy shop. It had such a lovely confirming feel to it. I'm very grateful for Boots etc but the small independant pharmacies have a real quality to them that you can't get with large chain shops.

Hi Koko 👋🏻 I'm useless at this time of night so will just say welcome and I'm sure someone better than me will be able to help you soon.

confirming = comforting

👑👑👑👑

Koko, Retinol and AHA (specific glycolic) aren't the best choices for someone with Rosacea. Vitamin C can be irritating as well, often a derivative is the better choice but it's less effective. You don't mention SPF, have you been using one daily, it's very essential in those with Rosacea.

WRT to the temples, in all honesty it just sounds like you've lost volume due to lack of collagen production. The crinkliness suggests that elastin production is down as well. The temples are one of the first places ageing tends to happen in this way, what age are you approximately? For whatever reason I'm remembering you as not being that old at all, so it sounds premature. You can attempt to salvage it a bit with actives but I doubt it would suddenly recover with the previous volume that was there, temple fillers are out there for this specific purpose if it really bothers you.

The relaxed and smiling pictures don’t look anything ‘abnormal’ koko just regular ageing that seems to happen almost overnight, in my experience, around the eye area. Remember it looks worse in a photograph than real life. I had LVL done on my lashes once and before and after pics were taken. I was at what looked like ageing and loss of firmness around my eyes but that’s not how people see yoy when they’re looking at the whole of your face.

It looks like some sun damage around your eyes where there’s a bit of pigmentation. Keep up SPF and extend it right around the eye area and wear big sunglasses of course in the sun to prevent further damage. Nothing I can suggest that’s a quick fix. Are you using an eye cream to at least hydrate the area? I don’t have dry skin at all and personally haven’t found an eye cream that does anything noticeable around my eye area. Some people like kiehls avocado eye cream to moisturise and hydrate. You’d need to test it first, given your rosacea, but kiehls are good with samples.

Koko I second JDSTER almost word for word, including never having found an eye cream that really does anything in the long term.

Also agree with Bo regarding being very careful with actives, acids, retinol etc if you have rosacea. I’m currently using a very mild Vit c and retinol but I do not have rosacea so I’d be wary about recommending.

That’s interesting Enid I had no idea if my water was hard or soft but the google tells me it’s soft. Kind of thought it would be as I’ve never had an issue with limescale etc. My skin and hair were at their best when I lived in a country that did not treat water at all, though it was a pain not being able to drink it.