🐌 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

@botemp, can I ask, i have the nuface, which I think is good, but do you have a view on if the bear is superior? I guess its newer tech, just can't decide if irs worth the investment?!

Torres, the Bear is more powerful, but I've never used Nuface so it's difficult to say if it's worth the additional investment. I think it also has the added benefit of the vibrations so you know when you're properly connecting and when not and the vibrations also supposedly stimulate collagen. It's easy to get caught up in our excitement, for sure, but I'm not sure whether there's a big difference between two, I did think the before and afters for the Foreo were more pronounced where with Nuface they were never convincing enough for me to pull the trigger. There were some influencers promising to compare the two, I think labmuffin and hot and flashy had mentioned it so you could wait it out.

Tsm, it's no issue to use it on a botoxed area (just not immediately after for like a day or two), there's even some theory that stimulating the muscle is a good thing since Botox paralyses it but what the exact theory is I'm not sure, I just know it's fine to use on those areas.

I am attractively peeling. When does tret peeling eventually stop?! The red mark is because I managed to scratch my face in my sleep

bo, quick question, please. Is there any particular reason you like the Vichy Mineral Water best? I've previously had the LRP (didn't find anything about it, just felt like I was spraying water on my face) and the Avène, which I did find kind of soothing but not sure if that was in my head. Will be ordering some things later so I was wondering if the Vichy might be nicer/better in some way. I live in a very hard water area - oh I've just realised when I had the LRP the water softening crystal thing under the sink was new and when I had the Avène the crystals needed replacing. I think it's time to do that again anyway.

Hmm, my peeling never looked like that Queen, the peeling only happens when introducing or leveling up IME. If you're peeling on a familiar strength it may just be too much?

Apileofballyhoo, I think it's just personal preference. Avène left a film for me, LRP I love the nozzle but I find Vichy more soothing overall. I doubt there's any real difference, I'm using LRP now with the Bear because I had to buy it locally in a shop and Vichy is stupidly overpriced there and tbh the difference is nothing I could accurately describe 🤷

QueenPaw I've had peeling exactly like that with tret. It was still in "real life" and I decided I couldn't be out and about with it so I buffered my tret until I became more used to it. I think had I left it, it would have finally stopped on its own though.

By buffering I mean I cleansed, applied the superdrug pure serum then 30 - 60 mins later applied tret then an hour later put on a fairly light moisturiser
After a month or two I would either drop the serum or the moisturiser depending on how my skin felt.

I now mostly apply tret to clean dry skin and leave it but sometimes I will apply early in the evening and top with an oil if I feel very dry. Or apply the serum beforehand. Though I'm using a niacinimide serum atm as I believe its meant to help the tret do its magic.

I have very dry skin prone to KP unless I keep on top of it.

@botemp they've upped my tret so I'm guessing it's that! It's only ever on my chin

I wonder if I'd feel a film with the Avene if I watched out for it. I do with the LRP cleanser so I can recognise a filmy feeling on my face! I must check the prices and if the Vichy is a lot more I'll just get the Avène, I think, because I thought it felt nice, whether that was just in my head or not, I'm not sure!

This is my latest

Wondering about the Tret dose now. My face feels as if it's been in the desert, like when I used to visit family in New Mexico. Really dry and parched. May just dip my head in the tub of CeraVe

Anyway, am wondering at what stage they will stop increasing the tret (am on .027) What is a good maintenance level?

I did the barrier repair too, our skin seems similar. I use the CeraVe moisturising lotion in the big bottle, and the PM sometimes, the lotion is kind of light and I feel like it's an extra hydrating layer under the PM, but I'm thinking I'll get the cream too. I can't get the superdrug in Ireland so I used Vichy 89 but I couldn't see it was doing much. I use the Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser. If the only difference is the TO I'd ditch it. I just read something earlier today that bo said many moons ago about the wrong weights of HA being potentially irritating. The CeraVe hydrating cleanser stung my face! I don't think I'd chance the SA.

I'm sure bo will be along with words of wisdom! Sorry not very helpful.

MrObama, I don't know what they will increase it to, but generally 0.25 or 0.05 is the maintenance level for anti ageing purposes.

Keep, hi again , yeah I'd say the SA cleanser is definitely not great for you, it's really meant for oily spotty teenage skin not someone with a fragile barrier (and dry skin?) Ditto on the body shop charcoal wash, I suspect it has disrupted the balance and set you back and paring back is the best strategy.

Hyaluronic acid is a difficult ingredient if your barrier isn't performing optimally. They can end up drawing moisture out of your skin instead of into it, so I'd lay off it for a bit.

I'd suggest getting the Eucerin urea 5% face cream and using that for a bit as your moisturiser as it has great humectants and light exfoliating properties. If you need more, add a hyaluronic acid free hydrating serum, indeed labs do one.

Superdrug do a tranexemic acid thats done wonders for the sun spots on my hands especially, about £8.99 and often on offer.

It's good to hear people are pleased with the bear! How do you know when it is running out of battery? Does it flash or anything? I hope it doesn't suddenly stop in the middle of a session.

Has anyone used La Roche Posay Invisible FLuid SPF 50 wotsit as their sunscreen with tret?
I'm sure this question has been asked before, in fact it may even be me who asked it, so apologies in advance. I've tried a search on the thread but couldn't find it.

Can anyone please help me with a super basic skincare regime to help me through the last 1.5months of isotretinoin? I'm going round the twist with it.

Never had 'acne' or oily type skin but lots of recurrent pimples with no active spots, no scars etc. my skin isn't flaking or peeling but is incredibly dry and looks dehydrated; it can be a little bit red across my cheeks and even simple products can leave me feeling slightly tight.

Using a really moisterising or heavy cream on top of serum isn't even touching the sides.
Anything I use tends to leave me looking like a shiny film, but dry skin if that makes sense? like its sat on the surface.
Have yet to find any SPF that doesn't leave me looking greasy, but still using religiously and just shine thank god for face masks

I'm using a mixture of LRP, avene, vichy 89 and superdrug simple serums. I did use vichy vitamin C until that ran out as my derm said my skin was okay but I think it may have been making me feel prickly if thats a thing
Any recommendations to help me out please?

Sophie, I've yet to recharge it, you can find the charge level in the app.

Popular, LRP isn't that popular on here for daily sunscreens, so I don't think so. I could only tolerate physical sunscreen when I started on Tret.

Tough Smudgey, I'm really not familiar with isotretinoin routines aside from people swearing by Cerave Moisturising Cream (in the tub) and reapplying it religiously throughout the day, but I use that too (just not in those amounts) and it's not that rich so I don't know what the magic is there.

It does sound like you're super dry, to the point where skin is so closed off it's not even able to absorb products, does it help at all to apply to damp skin?

@botemp, thank you. Could you recommend any? Or (sorry if this info is already on here) direct me to some that people like?

What would you like from it, skin type, is it sensitive/have you had bad SPF experiences, budget (taking into consideration you'll use one bottle a month, roughly), etc.?

I've tried cerave in the tub and feel as though it leaves a greasy film on my skin. It definitely doesn't sink in and will eventually pill and leave visible white flecks if that makes sense.
Skin isn't sensitive, just super dry and dull, the cheeks are slightly tight and red but due to no moisture I feel.
I've used LRP, avene, photoderma and biore spf and all of them leave me looking so shiny and with a white cast too.
I can go to any budget really, as long as I can buy it online for delivery to UK. I am expecting that my routine will change again in the next 2 months due to coming off tablets. Its a mine field! Dermatologist just says 'oooh I know, it can be hard' which isn't much use.

Yeah, it makes sense as nothing seems to be absorbing at all, it's why I asked if applying on damp skin makes a difference as that can sometimes help with absorption. What are you using to cleanse, and are you doing that twice a day?

You could try Skinceuticals triple lipid restore, it's £££ but moisturising without being heavy, it's a bit more sophisticated about absorption.

In terms of sunscreen I'm assuming you have the same issues of it not absorbing, are you using mineral SPFs?

@botemp re sunscreen:
Skin type - sensitive, prone to reddening, dry
Dermatica said you must use mineral/physical rather than chemical - but I think I read here or on another thread that that isn't mandatory?
So far I have tried:
Skinceuticals Ultra spf 50 - started out okay, then my face started to sting
Ultrasun - skin tight and shiny
Boots soltan - horrible, thick, shiny
Heliocare 360 mineral tolerance - Started with this when started on retinol. I really like this on my face, and the slight tint as I don't wear foundation, but it's started to sting on my red patches
Biore watery essence - didn't like.
I would like a slight tint (fair skinned) as it evens out my skin tone, but depends what's available.
LRP Anthelios - I liked this, but it's chemical and Dermatica have scared me off the chemical ones (perhaps inappropriately?)
Budget - would prefer 20 max but depends on
Many thanks, and sorry for being a fusspot:-)

My daughter was on it and was prescriped a body lotion called Propyless. The moisturising ingredient is propylene glycol (I believe,going from memory) so I think that's one to look for. It's light but deeply hydrating. I've used it too when my skin was dry due to cortisone cream and it's great. It's quite dear but cheaper here with prescription.