🐌 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

Martinisarebetterdirty
DS had quite a large abdominal surgery in Oct. The wound wasn't closed until Dec.
Once the stitches healed and the scar wasn't raw, his surgeon recommended massaging the scar quite firmly twice a day with a thick moisturiser. I've been using Embryolisse. He suggested 5 mins each time, but realistically with a child I aim for more than 1 min. Its now turned quite silvery and is very supple.

I think the plasters are probably your best bet, but we couldn't use them because of the type of DS wound so I just thought I would mention this as another option or something you may be able to do afterwards or while you are waiting for the plasters.

Sallie I really was planning for botox on my eyes but only due to lockdown I thought to try something else. Definitely best to start once you know you will have the time to do it daily. I'm under no illusion that if I stop for a week it will all slide back down on my eyelashes again(am I winking or did I forget to bear that side this morning )
But the outlay was possibly the same price as a round of botox and I think, I can't say for sure as I've never had it, its done a similar job.
I'll keep going and see how the forehead and droopy mouth go...I could be seeing a practitioner yet.

Thank you @70sduvet that’s really kind of you. You are all so generous with your knowledge

I'd have to echo what 70s has said about the effects of the Bear wearing off if not used daily - I stopped using it last Monday as my tret flare-up meant the HA gel was too stingy and my skin has definitely sagged a bit... back on it today :)

Good service from S&M too - they're sending me a lower dose tret (0.024%) FOC to start back on and have said I can stay on that indefinitely until I'm ready to increase the dose. Looking back on the photos sent last week, I was very pink!

What do people think of the bear mini? I see it just goes up to 3 while the big bear goes to 5, but I'm wondering if that would make a big difference?

I don't know tbh, strength shouldn't make such a big difference, it would just take longer to see results and more effort to maintain them.

The full size Bear isn't that big though so assume the mini is actually very much mini. It's supposed to be to target specific areas instead of the whole face (eye and mouth area iirc). I'm not sure how long the programs are either, if they're shorter or the same length that would be annoying as you have to cover the same area with a smaller tool.

When I looked at it was a €50 difference between the mini and the bear and going small seemed expensive in comparison but I think the price difference between them is larger now.

ballywhoo
I was going to choose between the mini and the nuface as they were a similar price. Then botemp directed me to this thread. I did a bit more research and eventually (a few days later) bought the full size bear.
From videos on YouTube I can use the big bear in similar ways to the mini, and have followed some mini tutorials but was swayed by the more power now and the fact it could do the whole face rather than just eyes and mouth.
And for me it has worked.

It was a bit of a jump in price though. I managed to get a 20% discount so keep looking for offers and it doesn't seem as bad

Evening everyone, I am reading the threads but don't post much. I hope you don't mind a question.
I can't remember where the vitamin c discussion settled or if it did at all, but I checked skinceuticals c ferulic and it's on sale now for as low as £93.
I checked the ingredients and I find that it's similar to the Paula's choice vit c 15% ( as in the main ingredients are identical but in a different formulation). Now the Paula's choice one is on sale as well and comes at £40. I don't know what to do, is the skinceuticals formulation superior, does it give better results? I'm not sure I can tell just from the ingredient lists anymore.
I have a darker spot under my right eye that seemed to vanish when using timeless (I got to use only one bottle before it disappeared) and now I see it's comming back.

I briefly got excited thinking you said Timeless was coming back, but it's the dark spot

I haven't used both so difficult to say, Paula's Choice is 20ml instead of 30ml but probably still comes in cheaper. I suspect the pH is higher, otherwise they'd be infringing on the Skinceuticals patent so therefore would potentially be less efficacious (or the pH is much lower but it would be really irritating and I don't think that would be PC's MO) . If you're buying from PC direct they do offer a 60 day money back guarantee if you use it and don't find it good (it's on sale here at PC for the equivalent of £40 not sure if it's the same in the UK) so you could try that first with little risk involved.

@botemp Thank you, I also wish it was the timeless Vit C coming back, not my dark spot :)))
So Skinceuticals still has a patent on this... I assumed it's very old now and maybe it expired...unless it's forever?!
I am using now C.E.O. serum from Sunday Riley (from a Lookfantastic box, I would never buy it at the asking price) and I don't see any improvement.

Nope, they're still suing everyone, they have a patent until 2025. So four more years of premium prices

Thanks for opinions about the Bear. As consistency is key I know I'd be less impatient every day covering more of my face faster, that's definite. I'll hold off till I can find an offer of some sort. I'm getting a nearly horizontal line near my mouth where marionette lines would normally be vertical. Mainly because I sleep on that side and obviously smush my cheek into the pillow. Lockdown and spending more time looking down at books or screens hasn't helped I'm sure.

Has anyone tried Vic C serums from the k-beauty brands?

skinsider.co.uk/by-wishtrend-pure-vitamin-c-15-with-ferulic-acid/

skinsider.co.uk/by-wishtrend-pure-vitamin-c-21-5-advanced-serum-30ml/

The wishtrend ones are very unstable and often arrive oxidised (especially in summer) and if they don't, they're known for staining your skin orange. There's a Klair's one that uses derivatives, I think that one is meant to be okay, but the percentages are quite low IIRC, so sort of good if you struggle to use vitamin c but are really determined to anyhow.

Oh, they did look promising on paper...
Thanks for the heads up.
I will get the Paula's Choice in the end I guess...I begrudge paying the skinceutical prices even on sale (for now anyway).

I have just resurrected my Tia Viso that I bought many many years ago. Can't afford the bear atm so will stick with this and see what happens.

@Apileofballyhoo, there's 20% off Foreo on Skincity this weekend and should be free worldwide shipping at this amount. (Think you are in Ireland, right? Otherwise, not sure if the UK site also has the same offer).

www.skincity.com/en/foreo/bear-fuchsia-1-pcs

Thanks so much bo - out of stock! I've put in an email notification in case it comes back in. You're a star.

Ah sorry it was in stock when I posted.

Oh weird I just clicked and it's in stock for me and I can check it out and everything

Their customer service is really lovely though, so may be worth contacting them if it seems it's weirdly in stock for me, but not you.

If I select the Netherlands it's in stock, it's the UK and Ireland that are out. The price is given in Sterling too. Don't know why it's set up like that. I only clicked NL to see the euro price though the sterling conversion works out cheaper again. Just wondering if I'd get caught for customs or something. It's in my basket because I added it from the NL version. I'll email them. I'll try going to check out and see if it will allow it, if not I'll email them.

It's in stock if you're in France too, and I could go to checkout but the address must be in France. Still in basket switched back to UK Ireland, attempted checkout and it said it was out of stock. I've emailed them now. I asked about Brexit too while I was at it. The Sterling price comes out at €215 ish which is very close in price to the mini.

How annoying, they do have a live chat and phone they man on the weekends IIRC, they don't reply to emails on the weekend (but are quick on weekdays).

I might try phone or live chat tomorrow. It's very strange!

@botemp and anyone else who is interested, I'm so worried about red patch + increased hyperpigmentation from my Dermatica prescription that I'm going to post a photo.
I'm on tret and niacinamide.
Red patch top third, brown splodge bottom third of cheek. The tiny brown splodges are freckles:-)
Please be gentle. I've had a tough few years of physical illness and I look it - @QueenPaws you look incredible by comparison.