Liz Earle or The Ordinary skincare?

[Opheliasgoldenwine]

I've never had proper skincare before. I have a Nivea moisturiser and take my makeup off with a baby wipe. I have very dry, pale skin with forehead/smile lines (despite being young) and redness around the nose. Both of these brands seem good value for money and I don't want to spend lots if I don't get on with the product so can anyone recommend either brand or a different one that's not too expensive and if they have any good products for dry skin? TIA

Get la roche-posay toleraine cleanser, a hydrating toner (search Korean 7 skins), cerave moisturiser and a really good SPF that you're comfortable to use every day. Look for the skin care thread on here with the elephant in the title - the first page has links to lots of lovely skin care advice.

The independent did a budget skincare article the other day - I posted it - I'll find it and bump the thread for you.

Oh Cerave do a hydrating cleanser that people say is great too. It's probably a good bit cheaper than la roche posay.

This is the budget skincare article, was just reading it!

www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/fashion-beauty/skincare/best-skincare-products-under-10-a8732811.html

Liz Earle every time!

I have dry skin. I use which ever cream cleanser takes my fancy. Followed by rosehip oil, the ordinary moisturiser and then la Roche tinted 50 plus.

The Ordinnary is superior in quality- by a long stretch.
Liz Earle is full of fragrance, a massive problem for skin.

I used LE for a while until I discovered TO - I wouldn’t go back. I’m 40 with oily/combo skin, acne scarring, large pores, sun damage & wrinkes. The whole shebang!
Current regime
Am:
Hylauronic acid
Buffet (top half of face only as causes peach fuzz growth for me)
Cerave spf

Pm:
Cerave cleanser
Glycolic acid
Hylauronic acid
Buffet
Granactive retinol 2% in squalane
Cerave moisturiser
Sometimes - rosehip oil.

I have some LE toner left over that I use for 7 skins some days but I’ll be getting a Korean brand next time. I’m also drinking 2l of water every day.

There has been a real improvement in the clarity and texture of my skin but I’m going on to tretonoin to speed up the progress.

Liz Earle is full of fragrance, a massive problem for skin

I completely disagree, I have used Liz Earle for 20 years and never had any reaction to it. By contrast any shampoo or conditioner whether cheap or expensive leaves my neck and face red blotched despite not actually going near my face. It is not the hot water from the shower either.

Liz Earle has won over 125 awards. There is one cleanse and polish because it suits all skin types.

Superdrug does do an incredible budget dupe of it but I couldn't get on with the smell.

The ordinary does seem really good but there seems to be a lot of steps. For simplicity Liz Earle is cleanse, tone, moisturise. Job done.

Shampoos and conditioners contain a whole different realm of ingredients, many of which are known irritants. You can’t compare shampoo with skincare. LE products do contain perfumes, which are fine with many skins but cause irritation to some.

TO looks overwhelming and faffy but with a bit of reading and understanding, it’s not toncomllex and it literally takes 5 minutes to apply the layers.

• too complex

I'm a huge fan of the Ordinary, but it'd be a big step to go from what you do now to using their products (you could buy a lot of products depending on your skin's needs).

Step one has to be to step away from the baby wipes! Cleansing properly is the first, most basic and most essential step to helping your skin. Get a bunch of cheap flannels (Ikea / Tesco / other supermarket), and a hot cloth cleanser, and cleanse your face properly. This will leave your skin better able to absorb your moisturiser and is far more important than the moisturiser itself.

I'd suggest getting a cheap but effective range of skincare products (like from Superdrug) then once you've established a skincare routine look at scaling up to other products.

With dry skin, you'll see a huge difference if you use an oil. Cleanser - serum - oil - moisturiser is ideal, but just do cleanser - moisturiser if you don't want the faff. But definitely do cleanser!

https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face-Skin-Care/Face-Wipes/Superdrug-Vitamin-E-Hot-Cloth-Cleanser-200ml/p/282702

https://www.superdrug.com/Save-up-to-1-2-price-across-Skincare/Superdrug-Vitamin-E-Serum-50ml/p/297409

https://www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face-Skin-Care/Face-Oil/Superdrug-Vitamin-E-Skin-Oil-30ml/p/282710

I https://www.superdrug.com/Save-up-to-1-2-price-across-Skincare/Superdrug-Vitamin-E-Radiance-Face-Cream-50ml/p/282708

I have extremely dry and sensitive skin and absolutely love liz earle

i would start with something simpler, as kaldefotter says, because using baby wipes has probably dried and irritated your skin and it might not take kindly to having essential oils (LE) or active ingredients (TO) put on it. If you start a multi-step regime and suffer a reaction or irritation it will be harder to identify what is causing it.

My advice would be to start very gently with a basic, gentle cream (not foaming) cleanser such as Cerave, using a clean flannel every time. Follow with something like Superdrug’s hydrating serum and an unfragranced day cream/moisturiser, perhaps Avene, LRP or Cerave. I also like Olay Total Effects. A toner isn’t essential, although you’ll probably want to add one (or more) in due course.

You could also use something like LRP Cica Bauer or Avene Cicaplast, at night, on any particularly dry or irritated bits. These are not moisturisers though, so you will need to use a moisturiser as well.

Once your skin has ‘settled’ you will know what you’re dealing with and can add in more products to your routine according to the concerns you have. You can read up on TO so you know what you want to try - eg you’ll probably want to use an acid for exfoliating. But take it gently! You can move on to a Korean ten-step regime later!

soup
The essential oils in Liz Earle can cause massive problems for some people.
If you are looking to find some simple steps then unfragranced is a good idea.
The cleanse tone? moisturise is totally outdated now.
I think the simply pure range from Superdrug is great - ingredients that have proven to work.

The Ordinary, much better value for money, better selection of products you can pick and mix.

LE C&P irritates my skin badly.

@Opheliasgoldenwine - what do you plan to try?

I've just started Liz Earle and I am loving it. I was terrified as I used to have acne and finished roaccutane in 2017, I've been scared to use moisturiser in case I go greasy but in my 30s I can see my skin deteriorating. Well I love it, I used to be so lazy, I hate splashing water in my face first thing and before bed, there's something really relaxing about the cloths and less mess. No spots thus far. The difference in my skin in 3 weeks is astounding! It takes my make up off beautifully. Not keen on the smell of the moisturiser but it's light and a brilliant base for my make up.

@etnagreen can I ask why toning is outdated? I love the feel of a toner! What is the done thing now?

Hi all,

Thank you so much for taking the time to recommend products. I'm planning on using Superdrug's range to begin with as I agree jumping from baby wipes to a whole regime might be too much. I'm going to start by using proper makeup remover and then use the Superdrug cleanser, essence lotion and vitamin E serum. Not sure which order that is supposed to go in though! Once I make sure I will stick to a regime I'm looking at some of the things in The Ordinary but I thought I heard the company was going bust?

There were rumours about the company going bust but afaik they’re not true. The company founder died this week though. There was some sad and disturbing footage of him recently that showed him speaking very irrationally and I think he admitted to substance misuse but might have ft that wrong.

The order you've listed them inn is right. But get a really good SPF and wear it every day! It's the biggest anti aging thing you can do.

I also vote for the ordinary for when you get to that stage. I use their HA, Marula Oil and Rosehip oil and have for years - though the Marula is recent addition. I don't rate their moisturer but you can't win em all.

They really are such good value for money and reliable (I may feel like a scientist in the bathroom with all my little pippet bottles).

I use both - Liz Earl hot cloth cleanser every night, followed by The Ordinary serum (then any cheap night cream!)

Retinol serum at night to help with blackheads and dissolve the dead skin, Hyaluronic acid serum in the morning under moisturiser to help with moisturising

And my tip to understand the complicated Ordinary stuff is to go into one of the shops (at a time when it's quieter) and speak to the staff about your skin type/what you need. It's worked for me.

ps Sadly I believe the founder of Deciem (the Ordinary) was found dead in his flat a couple of days ago

I recently decided to get real on Skincare

I am nearly 40 (few years off)

I chose La Roche Posay Effaclar

because I have oily combination skin and recurring sebaceous hyperplasia

I've got their cleanser toner and moisturiser now, and it's early days but I like it

I second LE I have oily, spotty and the wrong side of 40 skin, I love the simplicity of LE and the smell. My skin looks better than it ever has.

I think LE is rubbish- sorry. I hated the C&P- thick, smelly, not nice.

TBH it's the polishing action that cleans your skin. You can use any balm to get the same effect- Boots No 7, Superdrug, Waitrose own Simple range- about £5.

Your skin is being cleansed by the hot cloth and the rubbing action.