🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Jump through flaming hoops, repeat, 'Beauty is Pain', and acces to this thread will be unlocked

[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

Hi @botemp thank you for the welcome! From reading the advice on the OP, it seems that mineral is the best option in terms of not wanting to absorb chemicals into the bloodstream, but I may have read this wrong. I already have an under active thyroid so I feel like I need to pay attention to what I’m putting on my skin. I’m happy with a factor 30 and make up isn’t much of an issue at the moment due to working from home!

Oh and Skin type is combination - not had any horrible skin experiences so far other than getting an SPF from Amazon that I’m sure was a fake

I have just bought the Sam Bunting gossamer spf which is a mineral sunscreen. It only came today so I have only used it once. The tint 01 is pale and doesn't really show. It made my skin look very shiny so I cant imagine being able to wear it by itself. It sits well under the foundation I've got on today, I will give it a bit longer to see how it goes and report back but first impressions are very positive!

Interesting cad, I wasn't aware she had a mineral SPF now.

Oliver, Clinique do a very nice mineral SPF in 30 and 50 but it's quite pricey as the bottle is micro sized. Nice mineral SPFs tend to be expensive, unfortunately. Other recs are the Neostrata SPF, the heliocare fluid (this has fragrance), and the Avene mineral is pretty good to provided you're quite pale yourself. Bioderma also does a tinted one called nude touch but you have to be slightly medium or above for that. It also contains salycilic acid and I don't know if you're avoiding that with pregnancy (it's a personal choice). There's a Japanese one I like as well but I think the price on that has sky rocketed, it's the Pigeon UV mineral spf50. There's also another Japanese chemical one called Mommy! Spf33 (I think) and you can apparently eat all the ingredients in that (it's meant for children and so it's fine if they accidentally lick each other, but it's quite a nice SPF actually).

Wrt absorption, yes, some filters are absorbed but it's in such small amounts you'd never use enough in a lifetime for it to pose any sort of safety risk. It's really not something to worry about but I can totally understand that with pregnancy and a thyroid issue you'd prefer the better safe than sorry route.

Thank you @botemp - I’ll go and have a look! Such a great thread.

@botemp - The Paula's Choice C arrived, and the smell was fine. Realising that loss of smell can be a symptom of Covid, had DS have a whiff as he tested negative yesterday (he gets tested at school every week), and he said it smelled the same as LRP Dermo Cleanser.

Got the big tub of CeraVe out as really dry...

My body skin has gone really itchy this week. Slathered myself in the palmers AHA lotion and now I smell... grim

Welcome Oliver. Fabulous name ♥️

Thanks MrObama, although, considering the smells that can waft around boys and their bedrooms that they don't seem to notice, I'm not sure how reliable that report is 🙈

I often find the products everyone goes on about being super smelly never really smell that bad though 🤷 people say P50 stinks but it smells fine to me...

Glad to help, Oliver

Does anyone have any recommendations for an eye shadow pallette for hazel eyes? Which are good brands? I typically use the Bobbi Brown shadow sticks. Dusky mauve makes my eyes pop.

Dust mauve rather. @QueenPaws any recommendations?

Oh FGS Dusty.

You might like this one
https://www.elfcosmetics.co.uk/bite-size-eyeshadow/29924.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkPCp09W07gIVi57tCh2PIAqZEAQYASABEgLnRfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or this
https://colourpop.com/products/making-mauves-mauve-eyeshadow-palette

As for brands I like
Anastasia Beverley hills (soft glam is my fave)
Natasha denona
Elf
Colourpop

@botemp - Fair point. Somehow DS can smell onions from a kilometre distance, yet his sports kit he cannot detect anything . All of them are still going to school, but DD1 is going twice a week. She has gone onto a low dose of anti biotics for her skin which is a rollercoaster. One thing the GP suggested, and was a bit surprised, was for her to ditch dairy for a period of time to see if this made a difference in her skin. We are mostly diary free, and I'm vegan, so won't be difficult.

But did get DD2 to smell the Paula's Choice C and she couldn't smell anything, so hopefully this will be more accurate.

Actually put on SPF 50 today as despite the snow this morning, the sun made an appearance, although me and DD1 mostly spent the day going back and forth to the tip in preparation for the building work in next few weeks. Doing a ruthless declutter. .

Sorry to hear about the COVID VillageFete and Duvet and hope you are fully recovered (or will be very soon)

Hello Oliver. I tend to dip in and out of this thread but you are right: it is a great thread.

No worries Bo. You didn't hold a gun to my head! I'm just cross that I couldn't get my payment through on cult beauty as I suspect I would have had my bear ages ago if I'd ordered with them. Just checked the courier site and my bear is still in Basildon (UK)..... . I have ordered some extra Mineral 89 to use with the bear too (when the serum3 runs out).

bo thanks for the heads up. I should have specified that im planning to make labmuffins home made vit c serum for the intrim
None of the sub£20ish ones are grabbing my interest as yet and as I've blown the budget on the bear I thought this would do be for the mean time.
I have made it in the past and it is as good if not better than the inkey list one I'm using now. (Which is actually really annoying as it has a 15min wait time before the next product can go on)
But I possibly would have tried a bit neat on my face just to see.... I have an indestructible face, years ago when I was one for using wipes I used bleach wipes for about 3 weeks before I realised what I was at. All I had to show for it was really soft skin its tempting at times

For when I do have money again I'm thinking now about the medic8 pure c15. It used to be called ce theon if anyone has tried it? I'm reading glutathione is good for dark hyperpigmentation.

mrobama factor 50 and massive sunglasses here. If it wasn't for the 7 layers it could have been quite the day

Yep! Lots of "stinky" skincare smells fine to me.....maybe I burnt my olfactory system off with the bleach

Strike through fail. I'm not going to start wiping my face with bleach wipes again. I've already brought the fact I've put lube on my face to the thread I am not wiping my face with domestos (it was a mistake almost 20 years ago )

I'll take a look, thank you Queen.

Oh I forgot these @NinnyNewName
https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/viseart-petit-fours.html?variant_id=30903

Hello all, newbie here
I am attempting to now take care of my skin, I am 38 and used Aldi/No.7 moisturiser in the day up till now - Ive read Caroline Hirons advice, watched her videos but now feel a little out of my depth.

She talks about using serum - is this vitamin C or is that something else?
There seem to be about 7 stages for morning routine and 5 for evening? I am slowly going through her videos and trying to work out what would be suitable for my skin/price range/provides results.

Also does anyone have experience of using Beauty Pie, whether their products are worth joining for?

Apologies if these questions have already been asked - there are a lot of threads now!

Hi and welcome KingsArmy, I'm not the biggest fan of CH's advice. If you just want to enjoy skincare as a sensorial thing and have it do something (temporarily) and don't mind spending a bit of money on it and enjoy constantly trying new things under the banner of self care than her recommendations are useful, we tend to be a bit more minimalist and a bit dull on here.

So I don't really know what she'd mean with serum, with CH it can be anything really. Or the many steps. As a basic outline of an actives routine (which focuses on evidence based products that will improve skin, which most follow on here) would be:

AM

Gentle cleanser (just water if dry)

Vitamin C serum

(moisturiser if dry)

SPF

Cleanse (sometimes double, oil base followed by gentle cleanser but it depends on individual)

Retinoid (though usually not every night, alternated with something else like an acid toner or serum to target something specific)

Moisturiser (order can vary with retinoid, depending on form and/or skin sensitivity)

And then it'll be slightly altered to individual need and skin type.

I have no experience with Beauty Pie, while it sounds good I think in the long run its probably more money than it's worth with the whole subscription setup. Again, it's something that plays into constantly wanting to try new things which can be fun but isn't that conducive to healthy happy skin, slow and steady is the way to go rather than chopping and changing in search of this miracle product, they don't exist IMO.

Sorry missed marking PM routine as such, but should hopefully be clear that you don't wash everything off when you've just applied it

Thankyou for your reply. It does feel very overwhelming and confusing for a complete newbie. I just feel so clueless with everything and overwhelmed with product choice. I have definitely been sucked down Caroline Hirons' hole. I do not mind spending a bit of money on something if it is actually going to do something beneficial to my skin but I guess therein lays the problem - I will not know its effective until I've bought it!

Do you include a separate eye cream or just incorporate a good moisturiser around the eye area?

Is the Vitamin C serum an all over cream or just for specific areas on the face?

The evening retinoid, do you buy that in a cream/liquid/wipe?

Would you also then look for an evening moisturiser also with retinoid in it?

As I thought with Beauty Pie, I have not joined and was cautious of doing so due for reasons you also mention.
My skin would fall into the normal category, not dry and not overly oily. I am developing wrinkles and creases and unfortunately look like I am frowning continually - are there any products you would recommend ? This advice is most helpful and appreciated !

just re-read - definitely could of worded being sucked down CH's hole slightly better