🐌 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

Thank you @botemp, I really appreciate the help. No I haven’t posted since the thread before so been a while (skin can be allergic to some make up and suffer with psoriasis). I will go and take a look at them

Thanks @ilovemydogandMrObama I am just trying to decide between the medik 8 or the garden of wisdom one so your recommendation may sway me. Having looked at the price of the r-retinol I think I’ll start with the indeed labs. Thank you

@Littlemissindecisiveagain Medik8 is 7% active ingredient Vs 3% in the GOW which is probably worth taking notice of. Will point out that I used the previous version of the c Tetra and it's the same formulation but was at 3% then so that is a perfectly good amount and up to you whether you prefer going in more cautious at a lower percentage would be preferable or not.

Ah thank you @botemp, in that case I will start with the gow and move up to the medik8 if my skin is fine with it. Thank you again

Hi lovely people. I'm wondering if anyone who used Dermatica or Skin + Me recently knows what the approx time to delivery is at the minute? Thanks so much

Hi all. I have been reading this thread with interest and the previous thread but this is my first post. My skin is in a terrible state and I would be grateful for any advice that you can give especially Botemps.

I am early 50s and have been neglecting my skin for years but always managed to just about get away with it. However a lot of ill-health over the last year or so has really aged my skin and I have now got a lot of issues going on - deep lines and wrinkles, sun damage, enlarged pores and on top of everything else, a suspected skin cancer (BCC) which I have been waiting months to have removed. I think I have combination skin, I don't get many spots and it is not overly sensitive. I am in the UK and work almost full-time so mainly indoors.

I have got a very basic skincare routine going which comprises cleansing with Cereve hydrating cleanser morning and night plus LRP Anthelios 50+ SPF in the morning and Cereve Moisturising Cream at night.

I will post some photos which show how bad things have got. I think I need to try actives but don't know in which direction to go. Any advice would be much appreciated as I feel in despair atm. Thanks.

Me again with more photos

Welcome beebop and Chip, sorry no help on the Dermatica and Skin+Me lead times but by the sound of it skin+me was less busy so quicker but Dermatica was something like a week.

Chip, sorry you've been having such a hard time I'm also sorry as I'm not much use, I'm afraid, on account of the suspected skin cancer. I know active ingredients (which work by speeding up cell division) don't cause skin cancer but I know too little of their safety when you have (suspected) cancer. It's really something to discuss with your treating dermatologist as I don't know enough about it and I wouldn't want you using things unknowingly that could make it worse.

If my experience is anything to go by, Skin + Me was about 3 days from the time my photos were accepted to receiving the tube through the door.

Dermatica was way more difficult as they asked for different photos, then didn't respond for about 2 weeks. Once they accepted the photos, it was another 10 days or so?

Think it's mixed here, but I much prefer Skin + Me, not just as they are way more responsive, such as emailing them, you get a response fairly quickly, but the texture and dare I say, quality, of the cream works better for me.

Am still however constantly on the lookout for the holy grail of sunscreen....

Still no luck MrObama? What impossible criteria is this holy grail supposed to meet and how many have been tried so far? IME every season has a different list of demands, so really you're looking for roughly four holy grails...

Bo Have tried most, and the ones on frequent rotation are:

LRP Anthelios - Quite runny
Neostrata Tinted - Also quite runny but good for summer
Isdin - Quite thick consistency. Use mostly for outdoors exposure
Bioderma Tinted - Good everyday SPF, but not great if need foundation.
Altruist - Good for body, but too white for face.
Heliocare Gel - Good SPF, but a bit pricey for everyday use.

Ideally would like to find a neutral high SPF that is light that can go on under foundation as there is talk that I may actually have to meet people face to face soon

Haven't tried Altruist Fluid. Wasn't keen on the Anti Red as it came out green and then gave me a rather orange hue

Yes IIRC Skin+Me was about 3 days and Dermatica around a week.

I’m on to my second dose of S+M which is 0.04% tret. I still prefer the texture/dispensing system of Dermatica but my skin seems to have got used to the azelaic acid in S+M so I’m still a bit on the fence as to which one to stick with.

MrObama have you tried Purito SPF yet?

Hi Chip. I'm sorry to read about your skin worries. Assume you are currently under a derm? Very conscious of potential skin cancer here as it's in my family. Did you notice it and get it checked out or did a doctor pick it up? I get my moles checked every couple of years and due to Covid am overdue. Need to get on that. Do keep us posted on your progress.

Finally my skin has almost settled down. Had a zoom call with my team today with an external trainer. When we were doing the introductions and I said I'd done a business studies degree at 45 she remarked that I've obviously found the fountain of youth lol. Everyone else in our company is late 20s/early 30s so that gave me a little smile.

In fact pretty much all my friends are 20s, 30s or 40s. I need some older friends to balance things out!!

I've got an Altruist Anti-Redness here if anyone wants it. My goodness I looked like I'd been tangoed. I've only used it once. I went through a stage of trying several SPFs in quick succession a few weeks back and I do wonder if that was the cause of my spots. Either the SPF formulations themselves or not cleansing thoroughly enough.

Ilove my new and favourite go to for this weather is the Vichy Ideal Soleil SPF50 and I'll definitely repurchase it.

Hello, I’m new here. Reading as much as I can and trying to figure it all out.
I’m mid 30s and my skin seems to have aged dramatically in the past year. I’ve gone from slightly on the oily side to seeming dehydrated all the time. The fine lines are setting in and I’m realising that I must have spent most of my adult life pulling a WTF face (11 lines ).
I’m currently breastfeeding and, all being well, expect to be ttc/ pregnant/ bf for the next few years. I know this rules out retinol. Is there somewhere I can read which products are safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding?

Welcome Holly, it's difficult with ingredients in pregnancy as there's no general consensus beyond retinol not being safe (also hydroquinone but that's prescription only here). It somewhat depends how deep you dive down the nasties and toxic natterers rabbit holes, but generally the ones of notice and to weigh your own decision on are certain chemical sunscreens (mostly the old generation that you find in cheaper formulations but it's generally easier to just avoid all and with the heightened risk of pigmentation during pregnancy physical sunscreens make a lot of sense anyhow), BHA (some dermatologists say it's okay up to 2%) and beyond that it tends to be a lot of junk science which is probably best avoided just in case you pull more WTF faces

MrObama, have you tried Frezyderm velvet yet? It's pretty much the consistency of a primer and barely detectable once it's on.

Thank you Pupsie Bo and Sallie - have ordered all of your suggestions .

@ Pupsie about the Tango'ed comment. After applying the Anti Red Altruist my DCs said I looked like an Oompa Loopma . Such a shame as I love the ordinary Altruist for the DCs and for body parts - just not face.

MrObama I hope you find The One. I like Purito in winter as it’s more moisturising, I use frezyderm in summer. One layer of the clear one as primer and one layer of the tinted as foundation. The tinted one is too dark for the very fair skinned though according to the reviews of it here.

I’ll pass on the altruist Pupsie I’m medium skin tone so it likely wouldn’t make me orange but seeing as I don’t really have redness in my skin suspect it might make me even more yellow/sallow than usual

Oh and what a great compliment Pupsie I look horrendous on zoom/teams etc but it’s my saggy misery mouth that’s doing it, no idea when my fillers will be allowed again though

My neck doesn’t look good either but my neck skin is way more sensitive than my face so not much I can do about that as can’t use tret etc there. Might ask my aesthetician about that once I can see her again.

Thank you @botemp I am looking for a new sunscreen at the moment so I will read your files carefully. I've been using physical sunscreens for years anyway and don't have a problem with them.
As for the rest, I will see what I can find out and report back.

Thanks Bo and Pupsie for responding to my post. Apologies for the delay in responding but I have had a really busy few days at work.

Bo, I appreciate that you can't advise on actives whilst I have possible skin cancer. I do have some basic questions about cleansing and moisturising which I hope you will be able to assist with but I will put these in a separate post, probably tomorrow.

Pupsie I noticed a small mark on my face about a year ago and when it was still there after a month, I went to see my GP. She referred me to a dermatologist who I saw in early October. He said that he thought it was a basal cell carcinoma which he assured me wasn't serious but it would need to be removed as it was likely to keep growing. Unfortunately the wait to have these growths removed on the NHS is 6 - 9 months and because of Covid the delay is even longer than normal. I don't have any moles but my skin is very pale with freckles. I burn very easily in the sun and whilst I now use SPF every day, I was a lot more casual about it in my youth. Unfortunately in my case, the damage has already been done but i have made sure my children know about the importance of SPF.

Hi chip I have done some work with a few NHS dermatologists and I’ve heard them say that BCC are such slow growing lesions that they don’t worry too much about them to be honest. That’s not to say they shouldn’t be removed of course.

Do you wear makeup? You’ve mentioned wearing an SPF so I always double cleanse to make sure all traces of SPF and makeup are removed at night. I use an oil cleanser to remove makeup and follow with something similar to the cerave. The cerave moisturiser is a good bet because of the addition of niacinamide which is good for strengthening the skin barrier and can help minimise pore size (over the long term).
You obviously are now aware of the importance of a high spectrum SPF, particularly vital for you as you’ll be more susceptible to further BCCs.

Have you tried Vitamin C yet? A good antioxidant that works very well under SPF in the morning. A lot of people on here like Timeless vitamin C and E ferulic acid (available on Timeless-uk.com).

Well, think I may have found, 'The One...' Altruist Fluid SPF 50 pretty much ticks most of the boxes. Good consistency, light, transparent, doesn't irritate eyes, doesn't break the bank. And the charitable side of the business is lovely. It may not be the greatest sunscreen ever, but it works and is affordable as an everyday workhorse. and a good base if I ever have to see anyone closer than a Zoom meeting

I really liked Purito , and when I win the lottery, will probably be my sunscreen of choice, but a bit expensive for everyday. Loved the feel of it and ingredients are really great quality.

What did you pay for the Purito I paid around a tenner last time (including shipping from S. Korea) I just checked and it's still roughly that price on yesstyle. The Bioderma Cicabio is very similar (I suspect purito based it off of that) and also usually around €10. Although, I'm assuming you are using the centella green one, which is the one most of us use here.

I paid around £15 for my Purito SPF on the Timeless website but just seen it’s £20 now so will be using Yes Style when I repurchase

#PandemicProfiteers

(though I do understand there's obviously extra difficulties maintaining healthy stock levels at this time, but I'm still going to be iffy about all the price increases)