🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Vanities Are The New Shelf Porn

[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?

So You Want To Buy A Retinoid - A Guide

MAY 2020: We're in lockdown and it's doing weird things to our faces

Received Skin + Me.

What's the deal with the packaging? who was the tube made for? Superman? It's like kryptonite.

Skin and me have prescribed 4% az acid, 4% niac, 0.04% tret

What's the use by date on it ilovemydog?

I got an email today to say mine is en route. As suspected it's 0.04% retinol plus the nia and azelaic.

I've start using Neostrata tinted SPF again. I used it about 3 years ago and went through 3 or 4 bottles. I can't remember why I stopped. Quite possibly had some sort of reaction that was likely caused by something else because I would have been in my experimental phase then .

Anyway, I applied it this morning and it went on fine. I remember why I liked it so much. But it is hard to get a lot on because it's so very runny. It's a really small bottle too which is annoying. I don't mind the £££ if it's protecting me, especially now with retinol use.

Same Queen.

Bo it was early Sept when I had my fillers so a while ago now, she did say I likely wouldn’t need them again for 9-12 months so I’m still on schedule - but I’m definitely noticing my mouth drooping again especially on all these video calls

Ts I had issues with Vit C until I discovered Timeless, all the other ones I tried made me itchy and were a bit sting-y like Timeless is for you. IME it’s worth trying a few as long as you’re not spending too much money, though there are some people (Enid possibly?) who can’t tolerate vit C at all.

FINALLY sorted with Skin+me, they’ve upped me to 0.04% tret and if that goes ok they’ll bump me up to 0.06%. I’m going to try using the weak one on my neck & chest seeing as it’s such a low dose of tret, I’ve not tackled the tube yet but will report back later.

@ilovemydogandMrObama I initially couldn’t open it. I genuinely thought they accidentally wielded it shut.

You little clique, be kind to those on the outside and share with us a picture of this impenetrable fort that is the skin+me packaging already.

Tsm, yes the essential citrus oil is not great as it's phototoxic and limonene is a potential irritant but other than that without knowing the pH it's probably ok.

Has anyone on here tried an at home light therapy mask? Specifically red and infrared LED?

Also, SPF - I have recently discovered Skinnies from NZ and it has changed my life. Wondering if there are any other converts on here?

Lockdown has been really friendly to my skin. I have had much more time for skincare and started to really enjoy it again. I recently discovered Boots collagen sheet masks for £1.50 a pop. They're lush and come with loads of the serum in, so I can put the excess on chest, shoulders, and arms - makes my skin feel amazing.

@Outtheforest - The rash shirts are great, like you say, so I don't have to worry. The younger DCs will wear them, but DD1 (14) thinks they are too, 'babyish,' and she now steals my LRP Factor 50.

@Pupsiecola - The expiry date on the Skin + Me is 22/07/2020. Have you managed to get in the tube yet . I quite like the Neostrata which Bo recommended, but think I like the tinted Heliocare a bit better?

Mara, infrared would be really damaging to the deeper dermal layers of the skin not sure why anyone would voluntarily expose themselves to that when wearing sunscreen to avoid it at all other times. Red Led light mask, I'm not convinced the at home devices perform as the research that's been done on it. Especially the cheapy ones, although I doubt you're getting anything good for thousands either 🤷 The blue ones for acne do tend to work well but that's a much simpler function as the light kills p. acnes bacteria on the surface.

I've got the Heliocare here too ilove but I prefer the Neostrata. I'm using the Heliocare on my neck though.

Skin+Me arrived today. Yes, I see what you mean about the packaging!!!!

I got into my Skin+me tube ok but then had no idea how to get the product out, following my debacle with the questionnaire it won’t surprise you all to hear my reading and comprehension skills can be a bit lacking After going back & actually reading the instructions properly I cracked it.

Has anyone had a nosey on their website? Some fairly sound advice on there about cleansers, SPFs etc - quite a few mentioned that are used/recommended on here. Probably not really needed by any of us but for a skincare newbie or someone who’s got no idea what to use in a routine with tret etc it seems helpful.

Pictures for Bo

You pull the tube apart which I managed ok, then twist that silvery bit till you hear a click and use the amount of product that’s been dispensed. I was trying to twist the silver tube till I read the instructions properly

Sorry that should have said I was trying to press the silvery bit down rather than twist it!

I must be going gaga Sallie. I can't see any of that info re SPF etc on their website.

@botemp - you finally got your photos.

@SallieSallow - you twist it really hard, and get several days all at once

It’s here Pupsie
blog.skinandme.com/

Yes MrObama I did think it was rather spurty not too keen on the texture either but will put up with that if it gives results.

Pics 📷 FINALLY! why has no one mentioned airport security will mistake that for a pocket vibrator

I can't figure out how that's supposed to even work. I just hope it works well once you've figured it out. Alhough going by MrObama it could be another premature ejaculator 😣

@ilovemydogandmrobama2 could she be persuaded to wear a regular tshirt if planning to be in the water long/on a boat etc. At least that would offer some protection. Otherwise obsessive applying of factor 50

I'm now jealous of skin + me purely for the packaging, how does that work it looks like an inhaler tube

I guess I must be be very weak because I had to put all my strength into the bottle to pull it apart initaly. Which is why I thought they had accidentally welded it together .

I actually find the twisty thing quite easy to use but that’s because I look at the day markers to make sure I only get one day.

@SallieSallow

Yes it does seem way more moisturising than dermatica but I like that as I have rather dry skin, may be a bit of any issue for those with oilier skin though.

And I did see the blog and all the recommendations look rather reasonable. It’s nice to see as so many other skincare brands do love to push out articles with very dubious advice.

Bo - it probably won't be going in anyone's carry on luggage. Can you imagine being asked to take it out and show it to airport security?

@Outtheforest - DD1 is religious about Factor 50 on her face, but putting it on her body would be what the teenage influencers on Instagram are saying. Skin + Me It is essentially a tube, but what's so confusing is that one is expecting a pump. So you try to take one part off, and it reveals a steel tube, so you figure that it's the wrong end, and then try to wrestle the other end. Once you take the top off, you twist the steel tube which has 30 increments (daily dose). The smell is just sort of neutral.

Anyone wondering in this heat about putting on SPF before bed? It's still so bright.

I've just been exploring this fantastic thread and all the wonderful advice for faces. I already take all my facial products down to my decolletage but what do people use on the rest of them? I spend more than I ought to on my face already so the less expensive the better. I tried the Palmer's lotion with AHA recommended by Sali Hughes but it didn't seem to do much.

I’m enjoying the neostrata too- thanks Bo. Though agree it is quite runny...
Really intrigued by skin and me and tret. Just need to decide I definitely don’t want another baby and I think I’m going to join in!
So timeless vit c is great- question: how much better is skinceuticals ce ferulic? Stop thinking about it- it’s not worth it? I think I’m getting sucked in by insta blogs...
Also- @LivingMyVestLife I like paulas choice 2% bha body for a bit of acid toning and I already use an oil wash in aveeno. They’re easy switches for an oil and an acid that feel like regular body wash and moisturiser. I wonder if there’s a decent body vit c that doesn’t cost a bomb?

For body I'm a fan of
Bioderma shower oil for washing and shaving legs
Sanctuary wet skin because I HATE moisturising my body and you just slap this on wet skin
I use soap for under my arms
Soap and glory clean on me if my upper arms get a bit bumpy
Frank coffee body scrub
Then bath stuff - Olverum bath oil, wild and wood bath milks

Haha MrObama, you're a fully fledged member of the living in perpetual fear of the sun club. No SPF for bedtime though, I just tend to do my routine as late as possible. You could always consider getting some uv resistent glass installed

Is DD interested in fake tanning at all, you could get her the Bondi sands gradual tan with spf15. It's a bit low in terms of protection but better than nothing.

Welcome vest, for aha body lotions I like the alpha skincare (not to be confused with alpha h) glycolic bodylotion but I have to order it from the US via Amazon. It's not crazy expensive though despite coming from far but not Palmer's price point. Neostrata is more expensive but easier to get hold of, they do a 10 and 15% glycolic body lotion that are great too. They also do a bionic (I think) one for more mature skin which is even more £££. Face theory also have a 9% glycolic body lotion, but it's quite low pH so it's very strong (stromger than the alpha one, not sure about Neostrata) and potentially irritating. Think the first order with them is 30 or 40% off with a code so it's quite affordable (they do discounts all the time).

For BHA/lactic acid to tackle keratosis pilaris I use the Cerave smoothing lotion. Which works really well but by Cerave standards it's on the pricier side, still relatively affordable though.

Vitamin C, well timeless sell a really large size bottle too. But it's probably cheaper to go the DIY route, I wouldn't suggest it for the face as it keeps for only a week so not easy to make such a small amount accurately but for the body that's less of a challenge (if a bit of a hassle). Reliable recipe here.

The LRP lipikar body lotion has a heap of niacinamide if you're on the lookout for that.

I'm a big advocate of cleansing oil as they don't dry your skin out. I like Avene xeracalm but everyone else on here loves the Bioderma.

And if you want to blow budgets, Biologique Recherche do a body and a scalp version of the P50, but it's much stronger. Which is why most active bodycare tends to be on the expensive side, you need much higher concentrations in larger formats.

Mummying, Skinceuticals is marginally better but it really is marginal. There's a slight extra edge of brightening that you don't get with timeless but it's not really noticeable unless you compare them side by side and no one else but you will notice. I don't feel it's worth the price hike, personally.