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

[botemp]

Thread 1 Thread 2 Thread 3 Thread 4 Thread 5 Thread 6 Thread 7 Thread 8 Thread 9 Thread 10
Thread 11 Thread 12 Thread 13 Thread 14 Thread 15 Thread 16 Thread 17 Thread 18 Thread 19

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?

I love the gif too, the young folks are onto something with the whole communicating through memes.

I just saw this the other day. They mix all the various serums into one bottle according to what you need.

Decided to lay of the over the counter stuff until I've got more time to research properly. ordering another full size PC BHA and now resisting the urge to spend all my money on other cult beauty buys. If anyone could recommend a very lightweight foundation or CC cream please do

at the gif, this is what I think you should do re Lisa’s lipstick Bo

Out not sure how easy these are for you to get hold of but I’d recommend NARS pure radiance tinted moisturiser, bare minerals complexion rescue or IT cosmetics CC cream.

The IT cosmetics has the most coverage, bare minerals is very lightweight and NARS in the middle. I found it hard to get a spot on shade match in the IT cosmetics though, the other two have more choice especially NARS.

I've read through most of the info sheets and I'm currently working my way through earlier threads and I would love some help with my skin care routine please. I thought I'd start with my am routine over the next few weeks then move onto pm.

I'm 45 with combination/normal skin and find my T-zone gets visibly oily within a couple of hours of cleansing etc. I'd love to get that more under control but my main concern is ageing. I have very few lines at the moment but I could do with losing weight and worry that weight loss, together with impending menopause, could age me significantly.

My current routine is:
Murad Vit C or Oskia cleanser / Elemis or Eve Lom balm cleanser
Bare Minerals Skinlongevity Serum
Elemis or Clarins day / night moisturiser

I never wear SPF during the winter so I guess that's the best place to start. Frezyderm and Ultrasun have been mentioned on previous threads or is there something else I could try?

My serum has almost run out and reading the Anti-Ageing sheet, that recommends Vitamin C followed by Hyaluronic Acid (or similar). Timeless Vit C seems to be recommended by lots of posters. Regarding HA, I have a bottle from The Ordinary out of an advent calendar. Given I already have it, is it an ok product to use up rather than binning it (I've heard mixed reports on it)?

Hmm, I've just cottoned on there's avobenzone in the primark cleanser I've never seen that before and am wondering if it's a mistake? Would be really odd.

Welcome, Tattie, what you're currently using is probably nice to use by not very useful for anti ageing. Sunscreens mentioned and Vit C are a good possible step, I'm unfamiliar with the HA serum it seems to work for some not as well for others. Just introduce it on its own first so you know before introducing anything else. Retinol or prescription tretinoin would be something to work towards after phasing out any products you now use containing common irritants.

@EnidButton that's what I'm trying to do
I almost dream of (hate the word!) a curated shelf with all my holy grail products blissfully lined up
I'm still on the 2 out, 1 in with products and have these empties to show for it

Must admit I am wanting to buy another new cid blush as I actually used mine up  but I have FAR too many blushers. Working on a makeup geek one, then I have bare minerals and colourpop to use up

@Tsmummy08 I love that Perricone no lipstick

I'm wondering if anyone could help me please, I'm not sure if this is the right place however it's worth a shot!

Recently my skin has become very sensitive , I've been using sanex gel to wash with however my face is burning when I use it and it becomes extremely red for hours after. I used some cucumber to cool off and also applied some aloe but it's not helping.

Any ideas of what I should use to wash my face with and a decent moisturiser for after please? Problems are redness, bumps that come up the next day and irritation. Thank you in advance!

I obviously can't diagnose anything, Moonlight, but it does somewhat sound like rosacea flaring up for the first time or that your skin barrier has been compromised, does Sanex contain sodium lauryth (or laureth) sulfate, or other sulfates? Does Rosacea run in your family/are you fair?

Safest cleansers are probably Avenue extremely gentle cleanser or la Roche posay Toleriane dermo cleanser, probably best to switch to the sink to use tepid water rather than washing in the (hot) shower and just being very gentle with your skin. Eucerin Ultrasensitive moisturiser in rich or normal dependant on skin type. LRP Toleriane sensitive ultra moisturisers are also good but the Eucerin has some specific ingredients for redness in it. If your skin is really very aggravated and damaged it's helpful to use LRP Cicaplast B5 balm to help recovery.

Client how did you go through a gel so quickly, out of curiosity, how much do you use?

@botemp probably a palmful? It's quite a small bottle which is why I went for the big one this time! My hair is shoulder length ish now but it's v v thick and soaks up product. Never gets greasy
Probably not a true usage as I bought two bottles and was swapping between as they had different scents

Thankyou for your reply and advice on what products may benefit me, I will have a look at the products online.

I have checked the label and Sanex does indeed have those ingredients in it, I presume they are bad for some skin types?

I am fair, I should have said I was diagnosed with Lupus back in 2019 however the doc isn't sure if it's just a lupus rash or Rosacea so I'm pretty much on my own with getting rid of this redness.

I've stopped wearing make up for now as I am trying to get my skin back under control so I am so glad I have found this thread you've helped so much already.

Moonlight, SLS/Sulfates aren't 'bad' perse, they're just overly efficient for most skin and strips out all the healthy bits alongside the dirt. It tends to progressively leave your skin depleted and in a downward spiral. With rosacea and/or lupus it's definitely one to avoid. Knowing about the lupus, I should stress the importance of daily sunscreen (and religious reapplication when outdoors), it's important anyhow but with lupus you really need to be on it as the disease makes you photosensitive and you need to follow higher SPF guidelines than the rest of us, so SPF50 instead of SPF30 as the minimum. A mineral based one is probably best to avoid further angering the skin, but try to get the cleanser and moisturiser working for you first.

I use about a coin size, Client, but I don't have that much hair and it does get weighed down easily. It'll probably be 2022 before I finish my bottle of similarly sized gel...

Also, Moonlight, skin on the body is the same on the face, it just can handle a bit more, so may very well also be irritated, just not as apparent or as far along. It's probably sensible to switch to a cleansing oil, like the Bioderma Atoderm, in place of the SLS shower gel.

I use two handfuls of conditioner to condition and also a palmful of mousse too

Haha my hair would be slicked down to my head with that much product. Not much wave, it would probably be pretty straight and would never dry... The only product I can use more of is Devacurl wavemaker, although I'm still petrified every time I use it as it seems like way too much but my hair loves it.

Given I can't sleep, I was thinking about my "ideal" skincare shelf
So when I have finished using up everything I'm narrowing down to my HG products which are ...
I really want to just have products I LOVE even if they're a bit more expensive what is happening to me

Face

Boots expert sensitive eye makeup remover
Balmology cleansing balm
Beauty kitchen cream cleanser
Boots botanics all bright cleanser
Kikumasmune high moist toner
Paulas choice BHA
Murad revitalixir serum
La belle lune facial oil
Retinol (I use one from Spain at the minute)
Verso retinol eye serum
Alpha H essential hydration moisturiser
Cosrx pimple patches

That pretty much covers everything I need for all seasons I think, I just need to find an SPF to settle on

Body wise I'm narrowing down to

Bioderma shower oil
Aromatherapy associates shower/bath oil
Olverum bath oil
Sanctuary wet skin moisturiser
Childs farm for my occasional eczema
Salux cloth
Flexitol heel balm
Dettol soap (I have HS so use this under my arms!)

I don't need much else apart from the odd coffee scrub, nail polish remover, deo and boring bits like that

Bo that GIF thank god I don't suffer from epilepsy otherwise I'd be having a full on seizure

I'm going to check out that balm though from Primark Bo looks interesting. The only balms I have left are mini Emma Hardie one's. Considering balm is a first cleanse anyway hopefully the Primark one will do, so long as I don't come out in a rash.

I'm using up all sorts of cleansers at the moment. I have quite a collection of mini's knocking around.

Face is stable though at the moment. It used to be so sensitive. I still have flushed cheeks but they are more pink than red.

ClientListQueen So much conditioner - my hair would drown in all that. I can only apply the tiniest amount. I then apply after that once I'm out of the shower Aveda damage therapy which is amazing and makes my hair so soft and looks smooth in a good way, not heavy at all.

I use a ridiculous amount of conditioner. Huge handfuls. I'd love to have hair that just needed a bit. It's a pain in the bum.

Good list Client I'll have a think what mine will be. Love the 'two out, one in' policy.

(Also in an effort to buy less. I went through my emails today and unsubscribed to most of the beauty (and clothes) ones. We'll see how long this lasts. )

Sallie thankyou I'm ordering to my mum in the UK who is visiting next month so I can get anything I'll have a look at those

I can relate to the excessive conditioner use, I need a good handful to get mine not dry and frizzy which is very upsetting as its bloody expensive here because its only aimed at the expat market, breaks my heart everytime handing over the equivalent of £15 for a bottle of aussie or elvive. Maybe I should start rocking a pixie cut

Thanks for the advice @botemp. My plan is to introduce retinol in the next couple of months. A couple of questions if that’s ok.....if I find a Vit C and HA that I’m happy with should I use them am and pm? If so, would I still use them in the evening once I introduce retinol?

If I wanted to eventually change my am / second cleanse cleanser, what would you advise for my 45yr old, combination/normal, non sensitive skin? I see Cerave is recommended a lot but is that better for drier skin than mine?

Vitamin c usually in the morning, you can use HA am and/or pm, just layer over Vit C. Kind of depends what form of retinol you'll use but you can layer HA under or over it, will be a different answer for prescription tret.

Cerave is fine for most skin types, cleansers aren't that skin dependent, it's frequency that differs more than product. There's slight advantages and disadvantages to certain cleansers for certain skin types but, more often than not, it's down to personal preference in most cases.

Ah yes but @EnidButton and @ClientListQueen my hair looks lank like crap the next day so I need to wash it everyday really. Fortunately my job requires me to tie it back so I can get away with not washing it for days, although I tend to shower as soon as I get home unless I'm knackered.

I don't have a dream list but I think I'd like La Mer moisturiser and a super duper serum, no idea what though

Out this website is helpful if you’re trying to find a colour match.

findation.com/
It’s a bit of a minefield buying foundation online, I rarely ‘in person’ shop for it as I hate big department stores & usually get lucky probably because I’m not pale, though the IT cosmetics shade I was using wasn’t that great a match for me (bit too dark) though I didn’t realise it at the time.