🐌 Fantastic Skincare: Bear Shaped Pseudo Face Vibrators, Don't Ask us What They're For(eo) 🐻

[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

@SallieSallow How are the brows?!

4 days post-treatment and mine are flaking a little now and lightening (thank goodness)! I haven't washed my hair yet but will need to over the weekend - the hardest thing has been not getting sweaty/exercising. Will do some light weights today but the HIIT will have to wait :)

I've fallen into a Korean skincare rabbit hole lately and I just wondered if anyone on this thread has any recommendations for a K-beauty body lotion? Trying not to go too bonkers but I do love a good body lotion. Any suggestions?

Hi Ts I’m past my 2 weeks now, but I did find the stick on protector thing pretty good - I did only wash my hair once though and I’m not a exerciser due to joint problems so it wasn’t hard for me to keep them dry.

All my flaking is done but they’ve faded massively I had a few days when they were perfect but they’re now a bit too light, I sent the practioner a photo and she said that’s normal & they may well go darker again over the next couple of weeks but if not she’ll sort it out when I go back for the final adjustments.

Hi FreshFace I don’t have any recs but I’m not a massive user of k-beauty, I only have one COSRX face serum in my current routine and don’t think I’ve tried any body products that I can recall.

Not much else to report here, I’m keeping my routine very basic (no tret/ret/Vit c or acids) due to brows though I think I’m allowed to use them again now I’m steering clear to be on the safe side and using foreo on lower face and neck only.

Very interesting to hear about the brow experiences. I've looked into it once or twice but still have yet to be convinced, my brows are generally good but in my teenage years I over plucked the front so I wouldn't mind a few drawn in hairs there and the ends seem less apparent but I actually think that's down to loss of volume in the temples than that I need longer brows. I just don't want anything that looks too manicured and that seems to be the default.

Freshface, it's been a while since I was very into k-beauty and it was never all that exciting with regards to body skin. I did use something called snow white or something like that, it looked good to me Vitamin c, niacinamide, iirc but it was a tiny bottle and turned out to be for lightening the skin in between thighs because that is apparently very ageing, the ad for it was horrific by Western standards. I think there are some vitamin c scrubbing pads that are quite popular that you use in the shower, I think they were by wishtrend or sold there anyhow. I also know that a lot of people like to use a Japanese lotion (ha toner) all over their body, it's a giant bottle and very cheap the name is escaping me, cat used it, something with a K, Kikuma something, I think.

Vichy has a new serum that looks good, called B3 in the liftactiv range. Vitamin c derivative, niacinamide and tranexamic acid. It's another one that looks very much like a Skinceuticals product.

Thanks for the body lotion replies. Think I might just stick with what I know in that case. Off to investigate the new vichy serum now...

Speaking of body lotion, can't remember who it was now but whoever got the Drunk Elephant AHA body lotion, any feedback on it now that you've used it for a bit?

Kikumassamune. Or something like that! Smells like foam bananas, no idea what it's meant to do but my skin really likes it

Eye makeup for a shoot this week, came out half decent for once. I got the katie Jane hughes brushes and really like them

What Vitamin C is everyone using now? Since I ran out of Timeless I keep meaning to do some research and never get round to it. I’d rather not pay Skinceuticals price if I can avoid it.

@TattiePants

What Vitamin C is everyone using now? Since I ran out of Timeless I keep meaning to do some research and never get round to it. I’d rather not pay Skinceuticals price if I can avoid it.

I haven't found one yet but I think botemp was using the geek and gorgeous one?

I'm on this currently as I keep going back to it. Smells amazing and my skin really likes it. Can't find how much vitamin c it has in it but probably not much!
https://www.elementalherbology.com/products/cell-nourish-serum

Hi would you mind if I joined? I’d really like feedback on my routine, as I have quite dry cheeks but oily t zone and some mild redness.
I use:
Salicylic acid cleanser from Superdrug (a copy of cereve, I think)
Dr Sams Brightly serum (for redness - works well but very expensive for azelaic acid)
Grape seed oil for cheeks and dry areas
LRP spf 50 Shaka fluid/ultra sun

At night:
P50: 3 x per week; not sure if this is now too strong and drying and dare not ask the people in libertys/France when I buy it.
Cicaplast

Sometimes Eucerin 5% urea cream if dry and flakey.
Any suggestions to switch any products? I am nervous of retinol and haven’t tried any yet because I don’t want to exacerbate the redness.

Thanks @NotMyCat. I remember looking at G&G but it was the 15 Euro delivery for orders under 25 euros that put me off. I’d be interested to hear if you rate it @botemp and if there are any other g&g products worth trying.

Do you have rosaceae or think you might have it Southbucksldn?

Tattie, yes I'm using the Geek and Gorgeous C-glow. I actually like it better than Timeless, not sure how easy it is to get to the UK though with Brexit but I think there was a seller in the UK now but it's always oos. Anyhow, it's super cheap so VAT on top isn't that much but it's the shipping that is off but I ended up ordering it from Beauty the Shop in Spain as I needed something else there and I think they ship to the UK too at reasonable prices.

Very pretty makeup btw Cat is Pat McGrath doing anything spectacularly cheap for Black Friday again this year?

X post with tattie and also meant to say welcome to south and of course you're free to join

Nothing that I have seen! I went to TK maxx yesterday and got this palette, plus pic of some of the haircare stuff

Thanks @botemp, shipping from Beauty the shop is half the price of g&g so might give it a try. Do you think it’s as fresh from Beauty the shop as G&g say in their website they manufacture fresh every few days? Wondering if it’s worth ordering 2 bottles and keeping one unopened in the fridge.

The one I received had a slight tint of yellow so I guess it wasn't absolutely fresh but it doesn't seem to have coloured much in the fridge but I do take out a week's worth at a time so I'm not exposing it daily which probably helps. Realistically it lasts a couple of months so it might go off about halfway through the second bottle in the worst case scenario? It's so cheap though you can probably use it more liberally and do much of your upper body if you get the sense the oxidisation process is accelerating.

I think there were black Friday offers on BTS if you haven't seen it yet, I'd have to check my inbox.

Oh I have hit the Black Friday sales hard already
Only curls hard hold gel
Laura mercier ambre vanilla gift set
Kyse perfumes, scrubs and body soap
TK maxx as above pics!
Body shop almond body wash and body lotion

I think that's it....

I don't know what happened but I didn't receive any notifications for a while and I lost the thread.
I came to say cult beauty is running 25% off everything, code CBBF25.
@botemp It was me who bought the drunk elephant aha lotion and I do like it I, used it most nights and my skin does feel better. Also it's very comfortable to use, sinks right in. I plan to get it again on sale.

@botemp
Thanks for the quick response
Azelaic acid was recommended by a medic informally to me and so yes I think I have a mild version of Rosacea.
I can control it with azelaic acid and Erborian CC cream seems to manage it ok-ish (and I only use microscopic amounts).
I was wondering what you guys think and if I should use a retinol or something else or if you could tweak my routine?

Thanks Pigeon it was that cult beauty offer luring me in. Need to find something else to buy on there now to qualify for free shipping otherwise the discount is a bit useless, can only think of stupidly expensive love of my life chantecaille mascara though 🤦

South yeah, you do sound very classic rosacea. I don't know how feasible it is to get it diagnosed but it might be worthwhile if you can get a prescription for Soolantra (topical ivermectin 🙈 won't stop you getting COVID) as it not just manages the rosacea it just makes it disappear for most so long as they use it. I know some have been able to get it through an online prescription/pharmacy thing when their GP/local NHS has been useless.

I would say P50 probably is too strong for the cheeks, maybe use a wet cotton pad for now and switch to P50W when you get a new bottle. Mineral SPF also tends to be better for rosacea prone skin but if you're fine with what you're using now stick with that.

Retinol, I'd be cautious, probably a bit of a wild card unless you're happy to fork out £££ for Medik8 R-retinoate (not the intense one) as that's very gentle but still effective. If you were on Soolantra than retinol isn't as scary of a proposition and you can use any of the higher strength ones on the market, possibly even prescription strength.

South I have mild rosecea. Diagnosed around 12 years ago but haven't had a flare up for a long time (only one tricky skin episode when I went to strong with my Retinol after building up gently for years!).

Yes to Soolantra. Also, I've just RP'd this Face Theory Azelaic Acid for the 4th time. I really like it.

Also South do you know what your triggers are? They're often red wine (and other booze), extreme weather changes (especially heat), spicy food and exercise. I try to avoid all but the latter because it has so many benefits so I'm not willing to ditch it.

@botemp I don't want to advocate for buying stuff, but if something is on the list for a while and a sale comes, it's a good time to get it. 😃

Thanks all
@botemp: I will pick up Soolantra next time I go to Southern/Eastern Europe as I have been wondering about it. Good idea about diluting the p50 - I don’t want to waste it! I have a pasty complexion which doesn’t agree too much with mineral sun cream.
@NinnyNewName: my triggers seem to be heat or cold which are difficult to avoid….and thanks for the azelaic acid suggestion as it is a reasonable price.

Quick CGM interlude for anyone running out of products not me then
Boucleme have 25% off on their site
kiyo beauty have 25% off everything coming on Friday

As you were