Hydrating serum - alternative to Vichy

[SteakDiane]

Lately my skin has been really dehydrated. I have mild rosacea and it looks much worse when my cheeks aren't well hydrated, so I really want to stay on top of it. I have found Vichy Aqualia serum good, but it's £25 and I go through it fast. Can anyone recommend a decent alternative for less money? I've tried the Superdrug one everyone loves, The Ordinary and Hada Labo lotion, but they don't seem hydrating enough.

Not answering your question but there are several listings (from reliable sellers) for around £15 on ebay.

CeraVe Skin Renewing Cream Serum?
Maybe add a few drops of the Ordinary Hyaluronic acid if that's what you've got.

How about an oil instead? I have dry skin and it never looks good unless I include a facial oil in my skincare.
I'm currently using a cheapo vitamin C one, which is bloody brilliant actually.

Sorry should have added that I put hyaluronic acid (I use the Inkey List's one) over my facial oil, and then my face moisturiser on top of that, so
facial oil > hyaluronic acid > face moisturiser

Good to know about the ebay listings! Thanks. I never think to look there for skincare.

And the CeraVe serum sounds interesting. Slightly worried about using anything with retinol on my skin though as I think it triggered rosacea before.

Dinosaurs, would an oil help with dehydration? I didn't think they did, but I have used and liked oils in the past, and my skin is combination rather than dry. Then I read various skincare experts being a bit scathing about oils, so I obediently stopped. I get so overwhelmed with all the advice out there! Which vit C oil do you use? And do you rate the Inkey List HA?

Steak yes, I think it would help. I have dry skin which breaks out at the slightest opportunity, and its really helped mine. I've changed my skincare completely as "conventional" skincare wisdom just wasn't working for me, the skincare threads on here and the skincare addiction sub on Reddit had revolutionised my routine.
I now use cleanser (black mud soap) glycolic acid (The Inkey List) facial oil, eye cream, hyaluronic acid then facial moisturiser in that order.

I do only use the glycolic acid at night, in the morning I rub a cooled green tea bag over my face in the place of toner which works amazingly well for me. I live in a dry climate so if I'm not careful my skin gets very dehydrated.

The thing which has made the most difference though is putting a thin layer of Vaseline on my face and neck before bed. I resisted trying it for ages as I was worried about looking like a walking zit, but after a lot of rave reviews from skincare folks I tried it and never looked back, my skin has never been clearer, softer and better. I don't get spots ever anymore, and my skin isn't dry, dehydrated, oily or anything other than perfect. For the first time in my life, I still feel shocked and suspicious every time I look in the mirror.

I know what you mean about being overwhelmed, it feels like a bit of a mine field at first, or a black hole!

Yes I love the Inkey List's HA, its the best I've tried on my skin. The face oil I use is Global Beauty vitamin C oil, it was v cheap in our town drugstore so I thought I'd try it

I've just had a look and the main three ingredients of the Vit C oil I use are jojoba oil, carrot seed oil and orange oil. I'm pretty sure it doesn't have many Vit C benefits as it's in a white frosted glass bottle, so the Vit C would probably have denatured/whatever the term is by now, but it really is a fantastic facial oil.
Another thing, have you tried Niacinamide? I have very mild rosacea and it really helps even out my skintone to the point where its completely uniform. My facial moisturiser has niacinamide as its primary ingredient, but you can get it in serum form too.

Thank you for all the info. Lots to think about. I've been wondering about black mud soap for a while, think I'll give it a go. Can't seem to find the Global Beauty oil, but I might try just pure jojoba oil. Especially after the thread recently about it helping sebaceous filaments.

I use La Roche Posay effaclar duo and that has niacinamide, but could perhaps use a nia. serum too. That was one of the few Ordinary products I liked, but after months of it being out of stock I gave up.

The most overwhelming thing for me is the sheer number of products that seem to be required! I find it such a faff restocking them all and making sure I'm using in the right order etc. Plus the more products I layer, the worse my makeup goes on. And getting carried away with different "actives" really messed up my previously unfussy skin. I'd love a really simple routine. But trying to treat rosacea and dehydration and congestion and (ideally) ageing seems to involve a lot of ingredients.

I admit the vaseline thing sounds a bit extreme for me! If only in terms of hair and pillowcase washing. But it is fascinating. Do you know why it helps so much? Locking moisture in? Wondering if there is a junior version I can try...

You're welcome . I love the black mud soap, mine was just one from the local health food store but DH loves it as a body soap, so we go through it pretty quickly.
I'm in the US (Arizona) but I can't find the Global Beauty oil on Amazon UK, it seems to be a drugstore/dollar store brand here, all their products I've tried have been brilliant though.

Actually now you mention it since using the Global Beauty oil all my sebaceous filaments on my nose are completely gone, I thought it was the glycolic, but maybe it's the jojoba instead.

I think the Inkey List do a niacinamide serum, I haven't tried it as I'm a bit worried about overdoing it as my face cream has it, same as I'm currently too chicken to try retinols!

Yes, the long routine is a nuisance, I wish it was simpler too as I feel like a bit of a diva with all the products now but it works wonders in a way no simple routine ever did for me, so its worth it.

I only wear a tiny bit of foundation/concealer under my eyes and on the very top of my cheekbones now to conceal dark circles, other than that I wear blush or bronzer, and eye makeup, but no other face makeup any more as I don't feel I need it now.
That said my skincare routine makes one of my concealers pill horribly, and I've narrowed it down to the HA being the pilling culprit.

The Vaseline acts as an occlusive, and helps to lock in your other skincare and moisture and help them work better, plus it keeps dirt/grime out of your pores and helps to restore your skins moisture barrier. Vaseline itself is non comodogenic as its molecules are too big to penetrate the skin, so the only way you'd react to it is if you have sensitivities to its formula, which is very rare or so I'm told. One thing I have learnt is that it needs to go on clean skin immediately after I've done my nighttime skincare, and ideally just before bed as the one time I put it over uncleansed skin it sealed the grime in, and so I did get some spots.

The downside is changing my pillowcase daily, although I'd started doing that anyway to help my skin, and of course looking slightly slug like isn't great, but DH finds it hilarious so at least its bringing joy

Also, I started with just putting the Vaseline under and around my eyes, over my eye cream to test it as I was ultra suspicious. It really is a weird miracle though, I tried that Nivea blue tin stuff before and got loads of spots, but plain oil Vaseline works brilliantly.

I've been using Avene Hydrance intense rehydrating serum on my rosacea prone skin with no problems. I bought it for a 3 for 2 offer in Boots so can't remember how much it was sorry. Its very gentle.

Superdrug do something similar to Vichy Mineral 89. I was meh about mineral 89 tbh. I just got Pyunkag Yul essence toner yesterday and put it on under just sunscreen this am and my face has felt lovely all day.

Avene could be a good alternative, thanks Banhaha. Looks like it's available quite a bit cheaper than the Vichy. It doesn't seem to have hyaluronic acid in though. I always presumed that was the key ingredient, but maybe it's something else in the Aqualia that my skin likes.

Do you know what the Superdrug 89-alike is called ballyhoo? They have so many options! I'm guessing the essence toner is similar to the Hada Labo essence? I had such high hopes for that, but it doesn't seem to plump my skin at all, just feels sticky on it.

Dinosaurs I am definitely considering the Vaseline wonder cure, but might need some time to get used to the idea! Actually, this has reminded me a friend with difficult skin used to do that every night when we were younger. I couldn't get my head round it at all then (still in grease = bad way of thinking) but sounds like she was ahead of the curve.

I would love to get my skin to a state where I'm comfortable without foundation. Tbh it probably makes my skin look worse half the time at the moment, bc it highlights the poor texture. But I worry about looking red and/or shiny by the end of the work day without it.

I'm going to order jojoba oil and black mud soap and will report back!

Steak yes! My grandmother uses to use it and as a teen I was horrified! I still can't get round the grease is for engines not faces mentality, but it the results are phenomenal .

I didn't think I'd ever be at a stage where I was comfortable without foundation, but after a while of the skincare plus vaseline I realised my skin looked worse with the foundation. Now its glowing and even toned all day, it doesn't get dry, doesn't get oily, does get dehydrated, never gets spots, it just looks great and the same all day.

Its almost surreal and I still can't really believe it. I look like me but photoshopped .

Good luck with the black mud and jojoba, I hope they work for you!

Hyaluronic acid serums need to be used on damp skin otherwise they don't work. It's the moisture on the skin's surface that "catches" the HA and makes it work. Wrt pilling- it's the silicones in serums that make other products pill. If you wait longer before using anything else, it helps to prevent pilling.

Oils should be the final step in a routine. If your skin is dry/dehydrated then a richer oil like avocado might help.

The Effaclar is probably drying out your skin as that's its aim.

Do you moisturise after your serum? Serums aren't meant to replace moisturisers, but any old suitable moisturiser will do tbh.

Canterbury oils do nothing for my skin as a last step, regardless of which one I use, but work brilliantly as one of the earlier steps in my routine.
My dermatologist is also in favour of using them in the early stages of a routine, but my best friend's dermatologist is adamant they should be used as the last step.

There is so much conflicting advice its hard to fathom, but I've resorted to trial and error and just going with what works for me.
Using HA on top of an oil with moisturiser on top has been revolutionary for me, not quite as revolutionary as Vaseline, but good none the less.
Prior to that I struggled to get HA to work for me despite resorting to some inventive solutions such as apply immediately after a sauna, (possibly because I live in a dry climate?) but it pills no matter how long I left it, despite avoiding silicones.

Ah hang on I see what you mean Canterbury I wonder if my HA has silicone in then?

www.superdrug.com/Skin/Face-Skin-Care/Face-Serums/Superdrug-Simply-Pure-Hydrating-Serum-50ml/p/342700

The Pyunkang doesn't feel sticky or tacky to me. Pilled a bit under an oil this pm but didn't pill at all under sunscreen earlier. I'm not sure if it's actually doing anything to the look of my skin but it feels lovely.

I also swear by Vaseline for my super dehydrated skin!
I suffer from rosacea, and thyroid issues at the moment, which have caused my skin to dry out terribly.
I layer, layer, layer, and adore my serums.
I use two layers of Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner which i bloody love. Two layers of Hada labo hyaluronic serum follow, then one layer of Cosrx snail mucin essence.
I then apply a pea sized amount of superfacialist vit c serum (which is thicker), followed by a drop or two of squalene oil patted in (an essential step).
My skin is now hydrated, plump and glowy.
I then apply a dot of Sebamed Clear Face Care Gel. This awesome gel really hydrates and soothes, as it contains aloe vera amongst other things, but is non comedogenic.
My hydrating foundation goes on last, either Cyo lifeproof foundation or no7 hydraluminous.
I do set with powder (Etude house zero sebum powder), as I hate a tacky foundation feeling - but I am not all dried out, flaky and resembling a lizard later in the day.

In the evening, I still layer my serums, but add the glycolic nip and fab pads after double cleansing with oil first.
I also use TO retinoid 2% two or three times a week.
The Vaseline comes as the very last step, a thin layer on the face to seal in all that moisture. It leaves my skin so soft and glowy, although I absolutely hate it when my cats have been on my pillow

I may have spent too much time on the Reddit skincare and AB forums, but I have learnt so much.
I am 47, and my skin hasn't looked so good in ages!

Have you tried the Vichy Mineral 89 instead of Aqualia? It is cheaper per ml and still hyaluronic.

I forgot to say I liked the Avene Serum I suggested earlier so much I got the Hydrance emulsion to go with it - that has Sodium Hyaluronate in it (not sure if that's the same as the acid you mentioned and it is low on the list). I've only been using that for two weeks instead of the Cetaphil I've been using previously and my skin feels comfier but I don't think that's been long enough for me to recommend it to you.

They had some redness relief stuff (Eucerine do some as well) but I never know if that works or is just green.

Whales I use the effaclar as a sort-of moisturiser after serum, plus an eye cream at night. My skin gets quite oily so I don't need anything rich and so many moisturisers make me congested/spotty. I try to apply HA products to damp skin, but don't always tbh.

bally hmm, that's the superdrug serum I have. I find it okay but not amazing. Def less hydrating than Aqualia for me. I might try the Pyunkang Yul essence though.

Thanks for sharing your routine beautifully. Another Vaseline convert! I'll have to try it, though the cat hair thing has probably set me back a few paces. Interesting that you use the Pyunkang Yul essence too. That Sebamed gel sounds ideal, and good price too. Do you find glycolic acid and retinoids okay for your rosacea then?

Oxana thanks for pointing out the cost per ml! I thought Mineral 89 was more expensive. Can anyone who's used both compare?