Are you addicted to beauty products? If so, please join - we are "Beauty addicts anonymous" 💜

[Experiment627]

This is "Beauty addicts anonymous", a wonderful community of beauty product addicts & we have been going a hot minute... some may say we are enablers... many would say that they are much more intentional about their stashing and usage since joining this sisterhood.

It’s a mystery! I haven’t used anything different on my skin at all, no change in detergent, fabrics or anything. My phone is clean and DH doesn’t have stubble or anything that would irritate. It would be easier if there was something different as then I could just omit it.

@WellTidy… Sounds like a dermatologist is a great idea!!!

@WellTidy that does not nice! 💐 I think seeing a dermatologist is a good idea.

Forgive me Father for I have sinned...

I mean @WellTidy that does not sound nice!

A few empties to report:

• Superdrug B creamy foaming cleanser: really like this as non-drying and also contains salicylic acid so smoothing too.
• Bare Minerals smoky violet eyecolour: so much fall out this is not working for me! Not sure where I got it from but I am chucking as just too messy to use
• The Body Shop the spirit of moonflower home fragrance oil: so this dates back to around 2005/2006 and has long been discontinued. I really liked the smell at the time.
• Tisserand sleep better pillow mist: I really liked this, quite subtle despite the sandalwood. That said I think just regular lavenadr oil drops work best for me.

Sorry to hear about skin problems and hope improves soon.
Argan sugar scrub - was fabulous. Very effective and only about £4.
Clarins my favourite shower gel, so mood enhancing.
Elemis resurfacing face wash - but drying, not sure if would repurchase.
Blue Lagoon lip balm v v old, think purchased in Sweden. Was fine.

21/100, 4 sachets.

Nice here purchases @Experiment627

@WellTidy hope you feel better about your skin soon!! Im still under a derm for my Eczema, and im through the worst. I know it just skin, but it really took a toll on my self confidence.

Ive replaced my ColourWow Dreamcoat today, 2 freebies and discount got me!!

Pom - interesting to read your thoughts about the Elemis dynamic resurfacing cleanser. When I don’t have skin problems, I use that cleanser twice a week and really rate it. But I will be try and be a bit more aware of when my skin might feel dry. I am so used to having dry skin now that I don’t really think about whether any products, especially one that I only use twice or so a week, are making it drier.

Quite a few empties this week, including 2 full size products (though my stash doesn't feel like it's shrunk much!)

Clinique Repairwear Sculpting Night Cream - I like to use this on my neck, it's nice and thick and I think it helps.

Pure SPF15 Day cream - I got this free in the summer from Ocado and like it, nice gentle day moisturer. I got a new one in my M&S advent calendar which I've just started using and I'm sure they've changed the formula as the scent is much stronger now and I don't like it as much.

Apothecary Body Wash - nothing special, wouldn't buy it.

Origins Checks and Balances face Wash - I used to use this a lot and had forgotten how much I like it. I like the feeling of washing my face and this is a lovely gentle, creamy cleanser that doesn't leave the skin feeling dry. I've got a ton of cleanser to get through, but this is back on my wish list.

Fragrance Society Hand and Nail cream - texture ok, but smell was too powerful for me.

Stress Checks Hand Cream - didn't like the scent, it smells like their antibacterial hand gel.

L'Occitane night cream- this was nothing special, wouldn't buy.

Clinique All About Eyes gel - used to love this, but now I'm getting older it's not rich enough for the skin around my eyes.

Not empties as such but biting the bullet and just binning:

• Ultra Violette Queen Screen - just slides off my face by mid morning but I valiantly ploughed on and used 80%

• Sheiseido Waso Colour Smart Day Moisturizer - not so smart, makes me look a vibrant orange

• Superdrug SPF15 day cream - no issues with texture or greasiness but I’m kidding myself if I think SPF 15 is enough

Can you tell I’m on a mission to find an SPF day cream?

[quote Experiment627 ]@WellTidy that does not nice! 💐 I think seeing a dermatologist is a good idea.

Forgive me Father for I have sinned...[/quote]

The magic cream has cleared all the acne up, but (as before) left my skin very dry and flaky. I’m putting my usual moisturiser on pretty much every half hour and it’s soaking in so quickly. So that is well on the way to being an empty. Hopefully I am sorted for a while!

Have finished:

• Paula's Choice ceramide enriched firming eye cream. Liked this a lot, nice creamy texture, didn't irritate the skin, the packaging is great, is it magic? No but I'd consider repurchase.

• Drunk Elephant Protini Powerpeptide resurf serum. Was really looking forward to trying this, glad I got the 5ml size in a trial pack rather than full size, as it really didn't wow me. It's a light overnight serum with lactic acid (I think) and peptides but nothing special.

Also finished a few bath bits but not so exciting (Badedas bath foam was a blast from the past which I enjoyed).
Have started using Skin and Me so on very very low dose of tretinoin so will see how that goes for a few months.

This week's empties - the serum is my usual nighttime one. I have a couple more in stock. I do like it, it feels quite nourishing.

I have started another hyaluronic acid. I think it does make a teeny difference to the wrinkles. Either that or my eyesight is just getting worse.

The shower gel is a bit meh. I prefer bar soap anyway.

This thread has inspired me to sort out all my skincare stash and actually start using them! Some empties to share from this week:

REN evercalm cleansing milk used at bedtime, leave skin nice and soft, wouldn't rush to repurchase given above mentioned stash but it's on the maybe list.

Augustinus Bader rich cream from the John Lewis advent calendar. Used as a night cream once on my face, woke up with spots on my cheeks. Used up the rest on my chest but definitely would not buy this.

Dr Jart mask can't remember where this was from: advent calendar or a GWP? Nice enough, skin feels a bit gloopy afterwards and I can never work out with these masks if you're supposed to wipe it off or try to rub it all in!

Forgot the photo!

@WellTidy - I am very shocked at how quickly this “acne” has cleared up. That’s actually not normal with topical treatment. What is this magic cream? Is it a steroid? I am beginning to wonder if your “acne” is around your mouth & chin area. Could you possibly have perioral or seborrhaeic dermatitis?

I got a fringe cut in about a month ago and it has made me so crap at sticking to a skincare regime, I can't bear the thought of letting my fringe back down on my forehead when it's had all its lotions and potions put on it but if I sleep with it clipped up then I wake up looking like Cindy Lou Who. A first world problem but a problem nonetheless.

Empties this week.

The REN, standard issue, I'm starting to think there's some kind of portal in my bathroom that is just producing these sample sizes endlessly, I seem to have them wherever I turn yet I've only purchased from REN twice. How?!

Glossier Brow Flick. Absolute HG product. I would push my own grandmother out of the way for the last one of these. I draw my eyebrows on every single day and this is the best product I've found in 20 years. Stays one even after swimming. I buy in twos (it takes me to the free shipping threshold) and when I open the last one I order two more. I live in fear of them discontinuing it.

@Justilou1 the cream is epiduo here which is 0.1% adapene and 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. I was prescribed it by the GP in September when I had this for the first time.

It isn’t on my chin at all, it is only on my cheeks. Predominantly one cheek, but definitely both. Not on my nose, chin or forehead.

I was told to apply only once a day, in a thin layer, at night, and to use nothing else on my face. It took five days to have any impact but by the end of day seven (both times) it had disappeared and when I did apply the cream, it stung a bit, so I stopped. It has left my skin very dry indeed, and so I am trying to moisturise with hyaluronic acid serum. That seems to be doing a better job than the moisturiser.

I’m really interested in your take on it.

@daisyjgrey I love your description of your first world problems 🤣🤣🤣

daisy I have never, ever, purchased a REN product and yet I have loads. I don’t even rate their products!

@WellTidy - Rightio… forget what I said about the perioral dermatitis. It’s not that. (Thank goodness. It’s a bugger, and the reason I’m all over this skin treatment issue. My daughter and I ended up with this due to a dodgy GP - overseas - prescribing extremely strong steroid cream to clear up what was undoubtedly just seasonal hayfever rash. Took years and finally topical immunosuppressive cream to finally get rid of.) Meanwhile, it sounds like you have typical rosacea cooking up and this would be a treatment I would recommend. (Also has fabulous anti-aging benefits thanks to the retinoid component, so YAY!) I would try and stick with this cream because retinoids come with a shitty period of peeling and irritation, but that is honestly how they work. (They encourage a faster cell-turnover by gently irritating the deeper layers of the skin - and encouraging collagen production at the same time.) The Benzoyl Peroxide component is also drying, but it floods the bacteria cooking up in the pores with oxygen, and they don’t love that. It is a very drying ingredient and once your acne is under control, maybe you could discuss switching to an Adapalene-only cream to use daily as a preventative treatment and treating individual spots with a separate Benzoyl Peroxide cream if necessary. I imagine that would be less drying in the long run.
When you introduce a retinoid, it IS a rough start if you have to use it every day for acne purposes. You can also sometimes get a period of breakthrough acne (often called a purge) when everything that’s been cooking up underground is forced to the surface. This is a good thing in the long run, but disheartening if you’re not warned. I’m pretty sure you were told to use gentle cleansers, not scrub your face and ensure you use a high spf every day. (Vital with retinoids due to “thinner” skin - very lazy, layman’s terms.) I would recommend something VERY simple (and unconventional) like a very simple hyaluronic serum (Boots GOW, The Ordinary, Inkey List) held in place with a very thin layer of Vaseline while you are getting used to this medication. If you want to add actives down the line, I would gently introduce Niacinamide. I would avoid vitamin C, etc for the time being.

Thank you @Justilou1 so so much - I will come back later and ask for further advice if you don’t mind! Skin is super dry and a bit tingly, but not flaky, today. I have fewer fine lines though, which I am loving!

@Justilou1 there is so much I’d like to ask!

I had this cream in the cupboard after the episode in September, so I used it this time without consulting anyone, and just did the same as I did then. I got it on prescription from a private GP (my employer provided this) and I’m no longer employed by them, so I don’t have the ability to follow up with the same person.

I was told not to use anything except water on my face until it cleared up, so that’s what I did this time. And then told not to use this cream in an ongoing basis. But … can I? To try and keep it under control? And if so, how frequently? I love the anti-aging effects it has had.

Notes about the hyaluronic acid. I’ve been using masses of Estée Lauder advanced night repair (I think the active ingredient in this is hyaluronic acid?) to counter the dryness over the last day or so, but I will get a simpler (and cheaper) one.

Any recommendations for a gentle cleanser please? I normally use Elemis dynamic resurfacing cleanser (twice a week) and Estée Lauder perfectly clean foaming cleaner at other times, but I’m guessing neither are gentle enough.

I also need a better SPF I think. I use Clinique city block and I’m wondering whether I need something that isn’t from a beauty counter.

Thank you so much in advance!

I like the Emma Hardie one but is expensive- Protect and Prime

I was thinking of buying the City block one

@WellTidy, I personally wouldn’t use that particular formulation forever. It’s kind of a nuclear combo of two strong medications. The Benzoyl Peroxide is extremely drying. (And bleaching, too…) My suggestion would be to either go to your Gp and request a prescription for Differin or even Tretinoin. If that doesn’t work for you, Google “Differin” UK, there are a few places that offer online “doctor” consults so you can get a script. (Boots do it). You could (and should) use that every night (with sunscreen!!!) all over your face and then if you feel a spot coming, you can have a separate benzoyl peroxide cream to dab onto individual spots rather than smearing over entire face. *I would make sure to tell them that you have used this Epiduo and that it was a great success, but was too drying. You’re interested in using a retinoid as a preventative, and you will treat affected areas separately if necessary. (Probably would tell them that you think the combination all over your face is too drying, but not make a big deal of that but.)

As for how to treat your skin in the meantime, just keep using that cream until YOU feel confident that it’s doing it’s job. If you’re wondering how to clean it, I would suggest something very gentle like Cetaphil or Cerave. Neither of those will remove makeup or sunscreen, so I would consider using a cleansing oil or balm first. Actually, even though I am not one for suggesting that people use products from the same range all the time just because they match, I’m thinking the Curel range (Boots) might work for you really well as it has ceramides in it. Ceramides are great applied topically over retinoid as they help transport the medication into the cells more effectively, and they also help repair the skin barrier. Their foaming cleanser is probably gentler than Cerave or Cetaphil and lasts for ages! Their moisture milk has glycerine (soothing and hydrating) and is very light - almost liquid, but super-effective. I would still put an occlusive layer over the top at night though…They also have an awesome-sounding ceramide mist you could soothe and hydrate your face with during the day. I am certain that there are also alternatives for these products, but I do know these well, and they were originally made for adults, kids and infants with super-sensitive skin, and they are fairly inexpensive - especially for the quality. *BTW, I know I mentioned a cleansing oil or balm. I would suggest that you keep facewashers, etc away from your face to avoid irritation. Just use your hands for cleansing.