🐌 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

It feels sticky, doesn't really absorb but instead just sits on the surface. But if I go back to my pre-roaccutane routine my face is too dry.
I wash my face morning & night - if I don't it still feels sticky. Have tried using just water but it doesn't remove all the product off my skin unless I scrub it with a cloth & use quite hot water, obviously I don't want to do this.

Ah sorry, NC fail. I am MorningStar.

mudlady/morning star have you tried a different serum, rather then the LRP one? I find some serums can have a sticky feel and it’s trial and error. I would take that step out and see how you skin feels. If you need that additional step of hydration, you could try a different hylauronic acid serum.

Its a while since I’ve been on too. As Bo says the old timers are pretty settled with their routines.
Morning routine - cleanse, Dr Sam gel cleanser or cerave SA at the moment. Vit C serum, medik 8 at the moment, followed by Dr Sam gossamer tint spf 50. No need for any moisturiser.
Evening routine, simple cleansing oil followed by cerave hydrating cleanser, then skin +me Tret, niacinmide and azelaic acid, followed by cerave nighttime moisturiser.
someone said my skin was “glowing” the other week so I’ll take that! (I’m not convinced it is but perhaps I was well rested that day 😄)

Bo you mentioned Beauty of Joseon spf, which I got my son for Christmas along with other bits from Stylevana. Hes liking it. He’s into his skincare and ingredients in a big way. I bought Nivea spf in a pump (forgot the name) that you suggested bo and he’s liked that one too.

How do you like Stylevana Jedstre? I had been contemplating putting an order in around black friday but the reviews weren't great and general consensus on the AB subreddit seemed to be paying that bit extra at Yesstyle saves your sanity. Yesstyle sells a baby beauty of Joseon SPF btw, I need to get it next time I order it looks so cute (and will be good for short trips away). How did your DS get into skincare, is he following your lead or is the more predictable culprit of Tik Tok the reason?

Mudlady/Morning Star, it does sound like you have that dry skin that struggles to absorb anything now. You could try a gel cream like the Neutrogena hydroboost (the fragrance free one for dry skin) as your moisturiser or as a layer under moisturiser but I'd probably have a go with Eucerin Urea 5% face cream first, that usually does tend to help with this issue, sort of keeps the protective crud of impenetrable skin at bay, or softens it anyhow.

I tried to place an order with YesStyle last week but it objected to my delivery address for some reason, so in irritation I went with Stylevana instead. Despite having read some less than glowing Trust Pilot reviews. The order only totalled around £50 so I felt it worth the risk.

Now let's see if it arrives! 😅

happy new year if it's not too late to say this!!!

Just back from California visiting my mother.

Stocked up on:

Timeless Vit C - amazing stuff. Got the 20% and wish I got more bottles.
Vanicream Daily Moisturiser - Perfect. Use it at night as it's slightly too heavy for day time, I think
CeraVe 30 Sunscreen - not impressed. Really heavy and sticky, and tbh most of my American friends/family stock up on sunscreen in the UK/EU

First time of using Stylevana Bo but everything arrived, no problem. I probably ordered around October time for Christmas and it took maybe 4 weeks to arrive. DS just been reading up on his ingredients and listening to his DM 😇he’s not into tik tok. We’ve successfully treated his acne last year, with epiduo and a 3 month course of antibiotics which really helped. He continues with his epiduo and a good routine around it. We saw the GP recently and she gave him a little goody bag of LRP and cerave sample bottles. He was over the moon 😀

Well done for not raising a Tik Tok zombie, Jedstre. It's great that he's into skincare like that. Most of the complaints did seem to be from people ordering around BF and then it not showing up for months, I think it just gets too busy then with the amount of orders and then CS is overwhelmed and useless. I do suspect they were previously known as Sassa, also based in Hong Kong that also had a really mixed reputation and then just a bad one. Yesstyle does seem to arrive quicker, I think I had it within two weeks but depending on when you order it can arrive quicker. Anyhow, I'm now invested in the Yesstyle loyalty program so I'll probably stick with them. Hope it all goes smoothly for you @StrychnineInTheSandwiches .

Happy New Year to you to MrObama, have you ever given the Geek and Gorgeous C-glow a try yet? They have a UK based shop now. I prefer it to Timeless and Skinceuticals. How was California, I only hear grumbles from people who have visited recently.

Hello all and happy New Year!!

I've found a LRP sunscreen which is very hydrating, doesn't give me spots and doesn't make me white
Also using some of the Dr Sam products - the Flawless neutralising gel in particular has been great for my skin.

And discovered that cerave moisturiser gives me spots (even though it feels nice on my skin).

Still using my Bear - like to feel it makes a difference (and hoping it does too!)

@botemp - the g&g is sold out! We had a great time in California, although think the kids squinted the whole time as they couldn't get used to the sun . But insanely expensive. Even breakfast at a bog standard diner for the 5 of us was never less than $100 .

@SophieLion - happy new year to you too! What LRP sunscreen are you loving?

Can't remember if I have asked on here or not, and if I have, can't remember the response but what is the opinion of Tretinoin World? Seems legit, but wondering where they get their supply and if it fell off a lorry

I've bought from Tretinoin World on a few occasions and all was fine. Speedy delivery, product as described etc. Two tubes of tretinoin lasts me almost a year, so I'd rather buy from them rather than sign up to Dermatica or Skin and Me.

I presume they import their stock. But I'm not sure how they circumvent the legalities of tret being prescription only in the UK.

Yes, MrObama, grumbles have mostly been about how expensive everything is (and then having to tip handsomely on top) and how much homelessness there is.

I've only ever seen tretinoin world mentioned on S&B so orders do seem to arrive. I think there is some loophole though, I remember the UK could get it through Indian pharmacies but other EU countries could not when you were still in the EU, I assume it's a similar setup. Their website does seem to be missing some basic information I'd want before putting in an order with any assurance but I think it's more likely that they'll disappear due to legal issues than that it's a scam.

HNY to you too, Sophie, lovely to see you again. How's the hair doing? I'm also still happy with the bear, and I know it still does do something as I occasionally slip up and then when I start using it again I'm always super pleased with how I look, it's good for the ego at least 😃

Happy New Year everyone, rather belatedly.

Has anyone got an LED mask? I got the DDG one for my bday in October. I'm wondering if it's causing a little redness/irritation around my nose. I didn't take it skiing at xmas and it cleared up. Used it a couple of times last week and it started again. I know the weather is up and down and very cold at the moment, and I can't find anything online linking the mask to this sort of reaction...

The only thing I can think of is that potentially having something so close on your face that will generate some heat, not a lot, but perhaps enough to be irritating with rosacea?

Have you seen any positive results from it, I'm still not entirely convinced they do a whole lot.

Thanks for the recommendations @botemp, I went with the Neutrogena, mainly because I could get it locally & not have to wait for delivery/it to be in stock. Skin feels much more comfortable & less sticky... at least for now. If previous experience is anything to go by, I'll be needing something different in a few months once my skin has settled down.

Regarding the bear (and similar devices), how often do you use them? And how soon did you see a visible difference?

I have also recently invested in silk pillowcases, mainly to try to reduce my perimenopausal hair breakage & frizz, but I'm hoping it might help to put off the onset of wrinkles too.

I'm not sure if I've used it enough Bo. I've had bouts of not using it for a couple of weeks. I do like it because it's only 3 minutes, and I lie on the bed after my shower and it's quite relaxing! I have a couple of friends who say it's made a different to their skin. I think I'll give it a rest, change nothing else and then give it one last try. I've scoured reviews and have found some negative ones but nothing about irritation. It's around my nose, and also around my lip line. This could also happen due to the cold weather, but not this badly.

I've not been consistent with my Bear but would like to get back to that. It's so hard to find the time, or at least it feels that way.

Placemarking!

Hello ilovemydog, it's LRP Antihelios Hydrating cream. Might be too hydrating for a lot of people but for my skin it's great.

Hello Bo! I normally do my Bear in the evening but did it just now (first thing in morning) and my face feels pleasantly energised and I feel much more awake. Wish I had more time in the mornings ....

Hello mudlady, ideally I would like to use my Bear every day but in reality it's more like every other day or sometimes every two days. How many times a week do you use it Bo?

Hair is good. Actually in UK and going for a haircut today. I've concluded that (for me anyway) the haircut is the most important thing - products and techniques don't cut it (pun not intended ) if the haircut is bad.

How is your hair doing? Am I correct that you were growing it a bit? Or perhaps I've made that up!

Hey Ninny! I was also looking at the LED mask a while ago. Think there is one that is good for acne. Very interested to hear more. What is your skin aim with using it?

Do you use it on just cleansed face then Ninny? I know in clinical settings they apply an antioxidant serum when applying LED therapy to minimise the more destructive light aspects of LED (similar to just visible light, don't panic, but it is a more localised/intense treatment).

Mudlady, Sophie, you're meant to use the bear daily for six weeks at first (I think, maybe it's less) then every other day/three times a week. It's usually in that phase that I fudge it, in the first phase it's fine if you miss a day here or there, as long as you keep it up the next day it's easy enough IME but if you miss a day in the every other day schedule you kind of forget when you last used it really quickly.

Yes, Sophie, for acne Blue LED definitely has good evidence. I think for anti-ageing it's a lot less evidence and only for a very specific wavelength and not all manufacturers disclose it. I remain skeptical about them to a point, I do think they have some effect but on its own it probably wouldn't amount to much, it's really an add on.

My hair is okay at the moment, I went through a whole shedding phase which was demoralising but luckily it's grown back in and then some. I tried out that Ordinary multipeptide hair density product alongside my usual medication (which does the necessary work, obviously) and it's a great boost. It doesn't give extra hairs or growth or anything but it does make the fine baby hairs stronger and more dense. And then I'm also a convert to K18 which has kept the rest of my hair strong but I'm also having the anecdotal experience (it's not advertised for it at all) to absolutely minimise my hair shedding. There's hardly anything in my brush when I brush before shampooing or anything clogging up the drain. I used to be able to fashion a Barbie or two with a new wig with the amount of hair I lost during a wash. So actually my hair is better than it has been in quite some time, it's just okay as the ends are a bit thin from the hair shed phase, it would be easily fixed by going shorter but I just hate dealing with my hair short and I've just been cutting off 3cm a month, with the next cut this month the thinner ends will be gone entirely. I might be able to grow it longer after that, normally it just doesn't go past bra strap length due to breakage but maybe with the K18 I can get longer? Not sure I suit very long hair though.

I agree a good cut it pretty important, I'm still happiest when I cut my own hair and it makes me annoyed with hairdressers all over again as it's not that hard

I'm using the ordinary hair serum too, and the curlsmith am and pm ones
Got a cut booked here in March
https://instagram.com/hairkingcallum?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

What is the Curlsmith am and pm ones Rebel?

Am

https://uk.curlsmith.com/collections/hair-treatment/products/scalp-stimulating-booster?variant=41638543098017

Pm

https://uk.curlsmith.com/products/full-lengths-density-elixir?variant=41638531039393

I've had hair loss due to my meds so throwing everything at it!

Yes I think it's 6 weeks or 2 months for daily Bear use at the beginning Mud (like Bo says). I normally do it in the evening and quite like this little me-time plus psychologically I feel I am doing something to make myself look a little better.

That sounds rough with the hair shedding Bo but glad it's doing better with the K19. I've gone through these phases too where I am literally pulling out small clumps when I wash. It's very disconcerting and no idea why it happens (although I find washing my hair such a time-consuming faff now - mainly the drying part - that sometimes I'm a week between washes and it's definitely worse then. Apparently the pores in scalp get blocked and then the hair falls?!).

I want to try K18 but can't justify buying it yet as got other similar products. I love the Curlsmith bond salve - have the best wash days with it.

Thanks for that Rebel, I'm trying to figure out what the two science ingredients are on the booster 😂 such odd marketing but I think it's the glucolonactone and lactid acid, so it's a mild exfoliator. The other one seems similar to the ordinary one.

Is the bond salve a bit like their version of Olaplex 3, Sophie?

I think some shedding is normal and seasonally dependant but there's also hormones at play. I had a horrible storm of one following the other (not sure which one was which though) and my hair was thin at my roots at the front and the thinning of ends, and somewhat full in the middle . I have actually looked into led devices for hair growth stimulation but it's a huge investment when if you look at the parts it really can't cost much to put together.

Bo I'm pretty sure the instructions on the DDG LED mask said to use on clean dry skin but I shall investigate further.

Sorry to hear about the shedding. I was going to the salon in Bristol (very well known!) but my hair became very problematic. They would thin it out every time and the cumulative effect made it impossible to do anything with. I actually went to a chap yesterday and had a really positive experience. We've taken quite a lot off the length and reshaped it too (I sort of had a reverse mullet or what they call the wolfie, which is very on trend, but not what I wanted!). It's already clumping so much bette. It's taken a loooong time to realise it's better long, with LONG layers (again, they cut the top layers too short). I'm also almost 2 years into growing out the greys. I just have a few lowlights to blend as I'm only about 10% grey anyway. What a difference a good cut makes!