🐌 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

Botemp - I know you were curious about dermatica and the hydroquinone - they sent me a follow up consultation questionnaire and asked for more photos and I asked for it taking out. They’ve sent a new prescription with niacam... (apologies I forget how to spell it), in place of it because I asked. Not sure what they would have done if I hadn’t asked, I just wanted to share that they do listen and whilst it might be a bit one size fits all, apart from my own daftness not protecting my mouth in the early days, the formula is good and my skin feels nice.

Thanks for that Duchess. I'm a lot less concerned with Dermatica with the theory it's not standard Tret so the risks are a lot lower. Did the hydroquinone work well for you in the end?

MrObama moistuiser is such a tough one, I'm half convinced only prune like people have a love for them... There are some that I like for the sensorial textural aspect of it (Malin + Goetz vitamin E and the Pestle and Mortar hydrating one) but my boring LRP sensitive really does do the job best 🤷

Pupsie, I don't have an opinion either way between Dermatica/Neostrata. I think you'll remember my surprise at you signing up for tret at the time (I was stil under the impression it was normal Tret like skin and me) thinking it may be too much considering your history with Retinoids so in that sense I'm inclined to say don't push it considering previous issues.

I suppose it just comes down to preference and cost, Dermatica does add up but Neostrata isn't a bargain either. You could use up the skin and me on the body.

Yes Bo but there is so much talk about 'tret face' that one expects to go through a tricky stage so it was worth a try. It did take a couple of years to work up to the Neostrata and I could then tolerate it really well hence trying the Dermatica. I still suspect my skin doesn't like Azelaic Acid and that's not helping at all. I tolerated the 0.025 well and said here that I felt it had improved the appearance of pores on my nose. I'll have a think about it.

@Pupsiecola what has the skin and me got in it? I'm using it and love it

botemp yes I think the hydroquinone worked quite well - I still have a shadow of pigmentations. But it’s on my brow bone and I’ve been relatively cautious with how much I’ve applied near my eye. I do want to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion - I’ve learnt so much from these threads.

Queen it's

Tretinoin 0.04%
Niacinamide 4%
Azelaic Acid 4%

I'm not fussed about using it on my body. I've still got probably half of the first one. You're very welcome to it if it's the same as yours.

Skin +Me have increased the dose and now am on .009% Tret, 4% Niacinmide and 4% Azelaic Acid.

Definitely like the texture better than Dermatica.

So so glad I got high SPF before coming on holiday to Scotland where is has been raining

@Pupsiecola happy to cover postage and yes, it's the same

Thanks Queen but no need. DM your address and I'll stick it in the post.

Ladies, can anyone recommend a gentle (ish) yet effective acid toner to use daily? Nothing that will potentially damage the skin barrier if used daily.

I’m coming to the end of my Paula’s choice 10% Glycolic toner which is designed to be used weekly. Can’t say i’m wowed and i’ve been using it for months now.

I use that once per week, PC 2% BHA a couple of times per week, and just started Dr Dennis Gross gentle peel pads a couple of times per week, so i’m using an acid 5 times per week - I don’t yet use retinoids as IVF is pending. I feel like I want to use something daily. Those peel pads are quite expensive and i’ll go through them quickly if I use them daily.

My main concern is evening out skin tone. I’m using a Niacinamide serum or some Niacinamide drops in squalene most evenings.

Also, Oskia Vit C capsules - I think they’re crap Give me Timeless Vit C any day. Been using them for a month now. My skin looks better when I use Timeless.

Interesting re. S&M - I got my second one yesterday, still 0.018 - very low compared to what you (and others) have been given Pupsie. I've experienced stinging/redness when I use other actives, so have ditched any thought of using vit C (sadly) but have no peeling/flaking at all. OTOH my skin looks pretty good just using S&M every night (with a Sunday break).

I've always thought we probably have similar skin types so wonder if the 0.04 is just too strong? The 0.05 Retirides always tended to make my face fall off tbh and with the added azelaic the dose you're on has the potential to be pretty irritating. You could ask them to reduce it maybe? Did you try the 0.025 Dermatica? That wasn't irritating for me IIRC....

TS yes I did use the 0.025 Dermatica for a month before they increased the dose. (S+M have sent no email to see how I've been getting on which I think is just plain rude).

I think I am going to let me skin settle until September and then start the 0.025 again because I did really like that and had no issues. I was able to use it with the Vit C too which my skin really likes. I have some P&M retinol oil which my skin also loves and I might use that through August if I feel ready to.

Good plan :) Yeah I loved the P&M Retinoil too, used that for 2 summers without any issues, switched to Retirides in the Autumn. TBF Dermatica didn't send an email either, just upped the dose from 0.025 to 0.05. If they had stuck with 0.025 for a few months I'd have carried on with them I think, as that seemed reasonably tolerable.

Good point. They didn't check either which is probably even worse because at least S+M didn't up the dose. Had Derma asked if they wanted me to I'd have said no thank you, not for 2-3 months. I'll feed that back to both.

Fete, what exactly do you want? A potential replacement for the Dennis Gross pads? I'm not a big proponent of daily acid toning 2x a week
3x max tends to be the sweet spot for average skin (less if sensitive and you can increase frequency if dealing with very oily acne prone skin but it usually means you need to go in with more advanced/prescription stuff rather than using lots of acids as a coping mechanism). It sounds a bit like you're yo-yoing between extremes now, very gentle to very strong but not really finding a balance. What are your plans WRT potential pregnancy, do you want to continue using BHA as dermatologists have differing opinions on use of that during pregnancy? Depending on your skin Azelaic is a good one for during pregnancy but it's not really a traditional exfoliating acid.

Saying that, we pretty much all use the same acid toner on here (Biologique Recherche P50 or a version of it), same as we do vitamin C as it seems to be the best option around, but it's not the easiest to obtain (to start off with in the travel size) and it does contain BHA although the starter version doesn't.

My beautiful brushes have arrived, I can't wait to t try them!

Hi @botemp I am enjoying the DDG peel pads, they are the ultra gentle ones yet still seem to be fairly effective (Mandelic and Lactic acid based) But they’re just so expensive to use long term.

The PC BHA, I only really use along my jawline/chin a couple of times per week. I could live without this, but now and again I get some congestion there. IVF is still pending as North Cyprus won’t let me in God knows when i’ll get there.

Ideally i’d like to start something I can use regularly, and when the time comes, continue it in pregnancy. Would love to try P50, but was concerned as I assumed they all had salicylic in. I wouldn’t want to take a chance in pregnancy with it (If I ever bloody get pregnant )

The W version is without salycilic acid, it does contain a salt form of it but it's not the same and it's there in a tiny amount and it's just SA that's been marked as potentially harmful during pregnancy, the derivatives are fine. For the rest it's lactic and malic acid with PHA which will definitely make it punchier than the DG pads. Also has niacinamide in it so it's fairly full of beneficial ingredients.

I usually recommend getting the travel size (which is hard to get online in the UK) before moving up but since you're likely to use it for longer it shouldn't be an issue to buy the normal size. I think it was embassy of beauty that sold it online in the UK, or named something like that . You have to do a questionnaire which will result in a suggestion of an insanely expensive routine, just ignore and get the access.

Yes Bo and Village it’s embassy of beauty that sell P50 in the U.K.

embassyofbeauty.co.uk/

Your have to create an account and fill in a survey, they will then recommend a routine for you. Unless you want to spend £500 plus just ignore that and purchase whatever it is you want. P50 is not not cheap and the p&p is a rip off too but it’s the only U.K. stockist I’ve found.

Sorry should have said they don’t do travel sizes so you’re looking at £70 odd including p&p. It is amazing stuff though and does last a long time.

Not much to report here, I’ve been using dermatica 0.25% tret with no issues. Waiting on drop no 2 of S&M which will be 0.04% tret (I postponed the delivery date as don’t want a stockpile). Second drop od dermatica 0.05% is now due in late August so will make a decision in Sept as to which one I’m sticking with.

My only recent purchases have been another rose gold semi permanent hair dye and a repurchase of my DHC mascara.

Queen think we need to rename you BrushQueen or maybe StorageQueen

Ooh Biologique Recherche has an SPF 50 now, can anyone who can log in tell me how extortionate that is? Well to be fair they do offer free shipping over £150, Sallie, clearly you need to be spending more

What was the alternative someone else found with glycolic in it? I thought it was Prose but that seems to be haircare. I did see that Dr Francis Prenna Jones formula was in the Cult Beauty sale but still ridiculously overpriced (I remain curious if it's any good though, all coverage of FPJ is suspiciously positive).

I got a sample of the good molecules priming moisturiser which feels really nice, v lightweight
Will give it a go under makeup

Tuts not tits my keyboard has been a nightmare since an update...

When I bought P50 from embassy of beauty (maybe 6 months ago) I don’t remember it being a particularly arduous process and didn’t get recommended other products. As sallie mentioned, you can’t get a travel size.

I’m using P50 around twice a week and dermatica Tret/niacin 5 times a week. I’ve just finished the 0.025% and moved on to the 0.05%

I’m booked up to a virtual master class with Sali Hughes this week. It’s an Estée Lauder event but it was only £20 a ticket, £15 redeemable on Estée Lauder (I’ll buy a mascara) and a decent goody bag as well. Looking forward to it

I did wonder what tits was all about Bo

The spf 50 is £151 but at least it would qualify for free shipping...