🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Is Everyone Having Botox Without Me? 💉

[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

December 2019: Time for The Snailies way more reliable and better than the MN recommends annual roundup (yes I'm still bitter about them quoting me in isolation and making me sound like a wanker please don't revoke my special image allowance privileges, MNHQ )

Also: Thread 20 in time for 2020!!! Ahem, where are my presents?

Thanks @SallieSallow I’m still putting it (Moisturiser) on after 20mins, the flaking is increasing but still not too bad.

I’m going to a hot country in about 6 weeks time, do I need anything else apart from the factor 50 and a wide brim hat?
I’ve always used a high factor on my face when away but it’s obviously more important now with the Tret...

does anyone feel like offering an opinion?

I was using Bravura lactic or glycolic acid 10% every other night, leaving it on for 15 minutes. But have stopped while I'm using tretinoin.

if I do it on non tret nights, will my face fall off? I feel the need for some exfoliation!

Karcheer, ideally, in a head girl type of way, you'd stop using Tret 6 weeks before a hot country holiday. 2 or 4 weeks prior helps a bit too. If you want to continue using it you can, but you need a proper upf sun hat (like the global babe one although cheaper options are available) and you're going to go through a lot of sunscreen and your face isn't going to feel very nice at the end of the day with the amount of product if you're reapplying every two hours (as required) and it'll require a good oil cleanser to get off. That's assuming you'll be outdoors for most of the holiday but not sunbathing, if say you're heading to the Middle East and basics going from one air-conditioned space to the next in a UV protected car it's a different experience and that protocol is only required when you're out in the sun. If you're intending to sunbathe against better judgement, I'd go cold turkey 6 weeks prior.

Bernard, I'd say not to use when introducing Tret, I even dialled back vitamin c when introducing it. 10% glycolic is really high and the skin barrier is especially fragile with Tret introduction, you're at the risk of extending the discomfort of Tret introduction rather than letting the skin acclimate at its own speed. I got a little silicone scrubby pad from Primark (they look like the foreos but without the machine attached and a little handle to fit between your fingers) to give a really gentle exfoliation while cleansing in the morning when I was looking dusty and it would successfully dislodge most of that. I use it to do a quick clean of small makeup brushes now, so not a wasted purchase after Tret either.

Hi all, I'm new on this thread but wanted to ask your advice about my skincare routine. I'm 40 and always follow the morning / evening routine as outlined on the fact sheet. In the evenings after cleansing I normally alternate retinol (retinol serum as opposed to prescription retnoid) and glycolic acid followed by matryxl / peptide serum. However I'm pregnant now and I've stopped using retinol due to the Vitamin A. Is there anything I can use in substitute? I'm noticing my skin feels worse without the retinol

Thank you! X

Congrats on your pregnancy CouldBe As to your query, it somewhat depends on what you're missing now from the retinol. Be it aiding with acne, exfoliation, smoothness, blackheads or something else. Matryxill/peptides are a reasonably good alternative for retinol but lacking in evidence and you're already using that. There's also bakuchiol now but I'm if more iffy about the evidence behind that than about peptides but potentially worth a shot. If you can be more specific about what you're missing from retinol I can probably be more specific about a suitable replacement.

Well to be honest, I just feel like my skin is looking older!! Haha! I know that could just be time of course! But I only stopped retinol in October and I feel it's made a really difference. Skin just seems less smooth, less radiant, less of a good base for make up if that makes sense.... unless that's just the effect of early pregnancy!

thanks for the advice bo, I've ordered a little silicone pad and will do some gentle manual exfoliating (which feels all kinds of wrong after several years of chemical exfoliating!). But you're right, my skin is seriously confused at the moment, and I think I need to dial back the vit c too.

I have retinol peeling
Been using it for maybe 14 weeks and this is the first time. Around my nose creases and the corners of my mouth

It's the weather Client, get some cicaplast on it. Slap on some lip balm generously before applying retinol to avoid further irritating mouth corners, cicaplast on nose creases.

CouldBe, okay tough one, appearance of ageing could potentially be dehydration or just pregnancy hormones as I find it hard to believe you'd lose retinol results so instantly in a short period of time. For the rest, smoothness, radiance, makeup not going on as smoothly, would have me looking at the acid exfoliator you're using, maybe it was fine ticking alongside retinol but not substantial enough on its own to achieve previous results. Which one are you using? Thinking maybe a lactic acid daily serum/toner or a urea moisturiser may be a good alternative/accompaniment.

Also, CouldBe, are you using a vit C?

It's horrible weather! I'm on 0.05 now every other day

Yep I’ve got tret face again since the temperature has dropped, I probably shouldn’t even call it tret face as I think it’s actually winter face and nothing to do with tret.

Bo do you think one of those silicone exfoliating thingies would help or would it to be too much for my skin given I’m using P50 every second night?

They're really rather harmless on the face, what they mostly do is dislodge the upper layer of crud that's already broken down but are hanging on for dear life. It's not like manual exfoliating at all really, I just used it on a wet face, cleanser squirted onto the pad and rub it in gentle circle with no pressure. The alternative of using a dry towel on a dry face with gentle rubbing was much harsher and unpleasant (to me).

I was thinking of ordering the Retin a
Tret . But really don’t fancy ordering from a foreign site putting my bank details in xAny suggestions for UK .

Thanks Bo I’ve ordered a cheapo one from amazon.

Connie my tret comes from Spain but I have a friend who goes regularly so buys in the pharmacy and brings it back for me. I have seen websites mentioned here where you can get it but would not like to vouch for them being secure or not. There is a UK online derm you can get tret from but it’s a subscription service rather than buy as you need, a couple of people from this thread have/do use it and as far as I know they find it reliable/reputable/secure and not too expensive.

www.dermatica.co.uk/

Thanks @botemp I was wondering if I should stop so I’ll calculate Exactly 6 weeks and stop then.

@SallieSallow my skin is so dry, I think part of it is tret but part definitely due to cold windy dog walks.

@Connie5858 I use dermatica and getting on well with it.

Read this article in the NY times today about quitting elaborate skincare routines, I suspect it'll be one of many. Complicated skincare definitely seems to be losing its lustre, much the way the overheated makeup market incited fatigue over the last year or so.

Thank you for your replies. I will take a look at dermatica.

Interesting Bo hopefully Deciem are taking note, I remember when I first joined this thread I’d got about 20 of The Ordinary products in my routine - though they weren’t really in a ‘routine’ as I didn’t know what to do with half of them

Hello all :)
I, ahem, got one of the LE lipsticks, in Skyscraper Rose and wow, so glad I did - it's just stunning. I've never seen a colour quite like it, the depth of pigment is bonkers but it's the least drying matte lipstick I've ever tried. REALLY lovely - thanks to you all for enabling my sheepleness, baaaah!

Also got the Timeless Vit C after my DE ran out. It's as I remembered, but has the new pump bottle, which is much easier to use and, I'm hoping, will prevent early oxidation. It's not as moisturising as DE but I've been using TO Marula oil on top. The marula has also been helpful as I've finally stepped up to using tret every other day and am very flaky (time of year, weather etc).

Queen Allbeauty is really good for random stuff like those AA oils - I've got a couple of unusual perfumes from them recently and they stock Perricone No lipstick, which I wear daily, for a decent price.

Ts 🐑 🐑🐑 but glad you love it, think Enid was enabler in chief for this one though! I want to buy more but waiting to see if any new shades come out.

AAAAAAAH! Stop mentioning the Lisa Eldridge lipsticks, I can't justify them after buying the Pat McGrath lipsticks and the major (mostly lip) haul from Tom Ford at 70% in the closing down sale of a department store. Only so many lip products I can tolerate owning at one time. If she comes out with new shades, I'm doomed 😱

that gif!

TS That colour looks gorgeous! Glad you're a fan too.

I've been doing an epic bathroom declutter. It led to me also doing my makeup etc. So satisfying but I'm now sure I don't need anymore lip products anytime soon.

The Fenty gloss that I wasn't sure about is becoming a favourite. It's so low effort and adds a bit of polish to a look. Looks great over a pink/berry lipstick. It gives me 90's vibes texture and smell wise, which I like.

I've narrowed down all my bath and skincare products so they can be seen properly and will actually be used. I'm going to stop searching for the next best thing and focus on using up the products I already have.
Sounds obvious when I write it out. 🙄 Getting to the point where I've found most of my 'holy grail' products. Anyway hopefully it'll mean I can halve the amount of 'stuff' I have now. Less is more and all that.

The gif, the gif! I have made note of the Lisa Eldridge lipsticks to maybe surprise my daughter for her birthday. Don't wear it myself.