suncream, zits and wrinkles: rolling skincare thread?

when i was in hawaii i got an awful 3rd degree burn (from hot oil, not the sun) but there were tons of aloe plants everywhere and so i just put that on it constantly. i have no scar from it (which is amazing, it was a huge burn).

guys i just made my first sephora order. now i know what youre all talking about with the samples you get. excited!

also found out there is a sephora right here in little rock. who knew?

I get little bumpy spots on my forehead, you can't really see them, but they still piss me off. I have very short hair, don't use gel, wash hair with Vosene and face with witch doctor face scrub every day... but they don't go away!

What to do?

it may be from heat/sweating? try to stay dry. or you may be over-cleansing/scrubbing.

sunny i didn't know you were in little rock! one of my good friends lives down there

So hydroquinone is supposed to be evil and carcinogenic right? I am trying to fade a couple discolored spots on my legs (leftover from ingrown hairs) and I'm wondering if this is a bad idea...

it may be from heat/sweating? try to stay dry. or you may be over-cleansing/scrubbing.

If you're using all that stuff regularly then yes, I think that could be your problem. I would avoid using anything abrasive on them.

No no all he said was he uses a certain shampoo and a witch hazel toner, that's not much at all -- in fact, only one facial product!

Bodrick, impossible to say, really, but start trying things. Is your pillowcase clean? Do you touch your face during the day? Drink a few glasses of water a day? Maybe try giving up caffeine for two weeks and see if that makes a difference, etc etc etc. Think of it as an exciting experiment.

Or stop the witch hazel and try an exfoliant like the St Ives apricot scrub -- it's not fancy and some people don't like it, but it's not a bad start. (I don't want to give anyone sticker shock by recommending a $30 tub of something.)

A little bit of baking soda mixed with soap/cleanser does a nice job of gently exfoliating. That apricot stuff has really large granules and I heard that's not so good for skin, being so abrasive. Also bs is so cheap it's almost free.

iirc, Colette taught me this trick!

Is your friend as sweet as you, Surm?

Yeah, I love the St Ives for my face, but then I use corn meal on my body and that's even scratchier (I love scratchy). I think Julia told me about the baking soda! It's a Chicago thing, apparently. But the baking soda is too fine for me and I never feel smooth after using.

Ouch!

No no all he said was he uses a certain shampoo and a witch hazel toner, that's not much at all -- in fact, only one facial product!

Ah, I didn't really read it and thought Vosene was some kind of American cleanser that sounded very chemical!

St Ives apricot scrub -- it's not fancy and some people don't like it

Why not? (ah I see that this has been answered) I think I can get that here and if it's good for blackheads?

Actually what is good for blackheads and sensitive skin?

A little bit of baking soda mixed with soap/cleanser does a nice job of gently exfoliating.

Wouldn't it burn the face off you? Ah, I see not.

I am like Laurel, I prefer something that has a bit of 'bite' but sadly that wreaks havoc on my skin. There was a very good exfoliator a while ago that I stole from someone, I wonder if I can still find it and buy more.

I with Laurel on this too. I like feel like im taking a few layers of skin off.

has anyone ever had a lactic peel? there is some spa offering them for $50 for the month of july which is half of what it usually costs, but i'm afraid my skin is too sensitive. it's supposed to be less intense than a glycolic peel though.

listen dudes, i like the scratchy and i like the feeling of taking off dead layers of skin, but liking it doesn't make it good for my skin. i only use baking soda on the face because it's sensitive. on the rest of me i would happily use a sandblaster, but i settle for some crappy scrubbing thing i got at marshalls.

let me add that i enjoy exfoliating so much that i bought the god-forsaken ped-egg, and it wasn't tuff enough for me! in fact, it sucked and didn't take off but the top layer of dead foot skin. not recommended!

I'm thinking with my results from the peroxide set that my skin doesn't need DRYING, per se, but it does need sterilization ALL THE TIME. It's just so prone to infection and dead-cell/oil build-up, it has to be germ- and sweat-free as much as I can manage. The scratchier exfoliators take off the right amt of skin for me, I think. Not for everyone, though, for sure.

this afternoon, i got the aveda pads that rrrobyn (fellow sensitive-skin sufferer) mentioned upthread. the combination of sunscreen/chlorine/saltwater/sun has really done a number on my complexion, so i'm hoping these will help sort things out. definitely pricey, but the saleswoman recommended tearing them in half and then using a cotton ball to soak up leftover product once the pads are gone.

yeah, i cut them in half. discovered also that i can only use them like twice a week because they were causing sensitivities blargh. but they still work.

i need to do some kind of experiment where i go live in a dry climate for a few months or damn even a few weeks and see what happens to my skin. i wonder if it wld be good? i have never lived or even visited anywhere that didn't have some kind of humidity and/or regular precipitation!

i figured i'd try using them 2-3 times a week... really hope they don't end aggravating the problem.

Style, what do i buy for my face? I am generally neither greasy nor dry, but I do work out a lot so I am frequently sweaty.

I want to keep from getting wrinkles, and have never applied cream or lotion except for in the incident of sunburn.

What should my regimen be? (I am poor, btw.)

Gentle cleanser, antioxidant (Vit. C or copper peptide serum), sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, Rx retinol (retin A, tazorac, etc.).

But mostly sunscreen. A#1 ultimate most important thing!

why am i breaking out on my forehead? just tiny little bumps. this never, ever happens. i am concerned.

My skin got really bad lately and I realized I had forgotten to change towels, sheets, as often as usual because of not being at home all the time now. So when I start getting little bumps and annoying redness it's usu b/c of linens and things that touch my skin.

yeah that can make a big difference - did i already talk about how you can add 1/2 tsp of bleach, heavily diluted in a small container of water (like a small plastic container from yogurt or whatever) and add that to the soap while the washing machine is beginning to fill up, then add clothes - doesn't affect coloured fabrics and kills bacteria/mildew/etc - esp good for washing towels and sheets.

my skin is ok these days tho still not perfect or anything and still really sensitive. i find i can only use the aveda salicylic acid pads once every two weeks, and i should probably not wear make-up but i mean damn i work in an office and also like to look somewhat polished despite my hippie leanings. using the weleda salt toothpaste has made a noticable difference in breakouts around mouth though!

rrob, those aveda outer peace pads have really worked well for me. i've cut them in half and use a half every day or every other day, and so far no irritation or dryness or anything of that nature. these plus my sulfur cleanser have been keeping my skin in pretty great shape despite the heat and humidity.

i'm currently debating whether i should buy a tinted moisturizer or a primer to help even out my skin tone...i don't want to wear foundation every day, but i need something to help smooth over my pores and give me a more even look. any suggestions?

Re bleach: Hah, for years I only bought all-white sheets and towels and Tshirts for sleeping in, expressly for the purpose of bleaching them at every wash. I stopped somewhere along the way b/c of the lure of polka-dotted bed-set but I do wash all household linens in hot water.

i'm glad to hear it, lauren!

i would like aveda to make their super-sensitive skin moisturizer with a slight tint, that wld be nice

a friend gave me some of her nuxe (french, expensive) mattifying moisturizer to try and even tho it is all 'botanicals, high-quality, blah blah blah' my skin went a bit pink and i got a couple (minor) pimples by the end of the day eeesh botanicals whatever

bell i have been using laura mercier tinted moisturizer and i really like it. not too heavy, and seems to maintain a nice look all day w/out looking too makeup-y.

also they have good shades for fair skin.

laura mercier website just made me feel highly under-makeuped

I've been really frustrated all summer with breakouts under the corners of my jaw and in my cleavage.

THEN I read somewhere that I might be allergic to perfume.

Mystery solved.

Last time I tried natural scented oils I broke out as well. Any suggestions?

Put the scent somewhere else, I'm sorry to say. I can't wear it on my head or ears or neck or chest either. Wrists are okay usually, back of knees, armpits seem all right. That's it for me.

For tinted moisturizer usually I just mix a little foundation (usually only for special occasions) with my regular moisturizer = not having to purchase another product + color is right.

hmmm. glad that perfume issue does not happen to me. i am feeling rly greasy this summer, though. i keep forgetting to blot during the day and then at 5:30 i'm a mess!

Good idea, Laurel. Thanks. I put it in my hair sometimes, too.

Sorry my suggestions are so limited. I don't like putting perfume in my hair but I should try dabbing a finger of scented oil into my part or somewhere on my scalp. It would make hair greasy in large quantities but maybe a little dab underneath....

Not a tinted moisturized, but I like MAC's studio fix as an alternative to foundation (to which I too am averse). It goes on powder-ish and but gives coverage somewhere between a powder and a liquid/creme foundation.

Most of all I like that I can wear it just on my cheeks--which need help in the evening-out department--but can skip it everywhere else. It matches my skin tone well enough, and is sheer enough, that it doesn't leave a line of demarcation.

I was really bored on my lunch break and bought a bunch of stuff from Origins. It was all much better than expected and I like the smells when you use a bunch together. There is some sort of microdermabrasionawesometimesupercub scrub that I am in love with. And I bought a bunch of mushroom dr. weil stuff because i read his book when i was like 15.

oh and I bought some loose powder which I like, because I don;t think I have had powder in about 8 years.

i got this mattifying tea tree oil moisturizer @ body shop yesterday. it really does feel mattifying! will see how long it lasts... i've been feeling so greasy this summer so i hope this helps cut that.

you're welcome

does not work for the sensitive skinned, have tried

tea tree? i just felt like i needed to strip off summer gunk.

(my breakouts are rosacea style bumps, not uh 'traditional acne')
i think tea tree does work as an anti-bacterial! but obv again it depends on yr own personal sensitivities to stuff

i don't really have "acne" either. i think it's just a little bit of congestion in the pores or maybe from summer sweat? it also may just be that it was my off-week for the birth control.

i have never tried cleansing oil -- should i? i loathe the word cleanse but i will get over it if the product is good and affordable.

Yes definitely, I had a sample Sephora sent me and I was really impressed.

There are also lots of oil based balms out there right now for double cleansing. I'm using a cheap drugstore balm for the 1st and then a gentle non-foaming cleanser afterwards. The Elemis cleansing balm is fantastic but expensive.

Caroline Hiron's did a collab with pixie that has an oil based balm and a cream cleanser that is really great.

I too like Supergoop's Unseen Sunscreen a lot. It's what I'm using at the moment.

https://www.pixibeauty.com/collections/cleanser/products/double-cleanse

Xps Beauty of Joseon makes a great Korean sunscreen - very lightweight, doesn’t sting my eyes, no white cast.
https://www.yesstyle.com/en/beauty-of-joseon-relief-sun-50ml/info.html/pid.1107744417

ive gone all Korean in my skincare. They got me. Snail goop for days.

my boring skincare gamechangers are cetaphil foaming facewash, and the cetaphil oil-free sunscreen moisurizer … i think my skin is finally almost uh normal

have you tried supergoop unseen sunscreen?

^^ Still haven't been in the Sephora here yet. Only been to Westfield a handful of times since it opened but the line was at least 15 tweens deep every time. No way, no how. I love the damn store but I'm not waiting in line lol.

Came her to say that Geek and Gorgeous is an amazing skincare brand. It's similar in concept to the ordinary or inky list but I've started a using a few of their products and I LOVE them.

https://geekandgorgeous.com/

Ahhh I started using one of their moisturisers (Hydration Station? maybe) a while ago as it's nice and light. No SPF though. What products do you use?

The vitamin c and the A game which is their retinal. I need to find someone going to Spain who can get me some otc tretinoin. I got an Rx from my derm but it's £100 to fill it here so I'm using this in the meantime and so far I love it. Will check out that moisturiser next time I need one though I love the Sali Hughes one I have ATM.

The philosophy lip serum is legit

Stuff I like and have been using, nonexhaustive list

- Sunday Riley aquamarine melt cleanser. I usually use DHC cleansing oil but this is lovely too, very gentle, whatever they put in it is relaxing, melts to an oil-like texture.

- Boots dermacare kp exfoliating cream. I was watching some instagram reel about body exfoliators and they recommended some product that I was interested in getting but it’s US only and I’m not jumping through hoops like that in the tariff era. Fortunately I was in boots the next day and saw this cream which had 99% of the same ingredients and which is fantastic. Does everything it claims to. You do need SPF on exposed skin though.
https://www.boots.com/boots-dermacare-kp-exfoliating-cream-200ml-10339708

- La Neige Cica sleeping mask, just very good like all their stuff.

- Philosophy Microdelivery Resurfacing Solution, only been using a short while but seems pretty good

I continue to stan for Japanese sunscreens. So many good ones, and not too pricey even ordering from the US.

Do you rinse-off or cloth-off that Sunday Riley cleanser? I’m having to hunt around a bit to find one to take off with a cloth these days - they are still available but seem to have fallen out of fashion a bit. And I like them!

Depends how I feel, I have some Lisa Eldridge cloths but I’ll also just rinse it off with my hands in the shower if that’s when I use it. It definitely works well with a cloth. Didn’t Eve Lom cleansers come with a muslin cloth for this purpose?

Yeah, Eve Lom was the OG. Liz Earle copied, then so did everyone else. Cleansing balms tend to be better at removing makeup than the old school creams, but the best thing is the cloth is gently exfoliating. I never bother with an AHA or similar because of that.