suncream, zits and wrinkles: rolling skincare thread?

I got the biore off amazon recently and it had a really strong alcohol smell that I don’t remember it having the last time I bought it

E, you might like this article about good genes and trying to find dupes: https://www.fanserviced-b.com/the-hunt-for-a-good-genes-dupe-17-lactic-acid-reviews/

Basically, she thinks using gg as a “special event” product and a cheaper lactic acid daily, is the way to go if you don’t have the $$ to drop on it regularly

isn't Glycolic the main active in gg? that article talks at length about lactic acid rather than glycolic.

They changed the biore watery essence formulation end 2017 I think? The reviews have not been as good, and yeah complaints about the smell.

The sunplay skin aqua sunscreen (also Japanese) has been my go to for the past couple of years. They have a few different formulas based on skin type, but all of them are super light and non-greasy.

Xp no it’s 5% lactic acid at a really low pH

Roz, I might try that Cosrx snail mucin essence. Is it sticky? some reviews say so but I think people sometimes review the idea of something rather than the reality. i use that Pynkyang Yul toner and might get the mist version of it.

The GG that's sold in the UK is a Glycolic based thing. I think it might be a different formulation.

https://www.spacenk.com/uk/en_GB/skincare/treatment/serums/good-genes-glycolic-acid-treatment-MUK200022775.html

Yeah it must be bc that link redirects to their home page and if I search gg this is the one that comes up and it’s lactic acid

https://www.spacenk.com/us/en_US/skincare/treatment/serums/good-genes-treatment-MUS300023215.html

Very weird. It’s raved about everywhere so I’m surprised I haven’t heard this before. Can you c&p the ingredients list?

SUNDAY RILEY
Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment

INGREDIENTS
WATER/ AQUA/ EAU, DIMETHICONE, GLYCOLIC ACID, SQUALANE, CAPRYLYL CAPRYLATE/CAPRATE, PPG-12/SMDI COPOLYMER, POTASSIUM LACTATE, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, PROPANEDIOL, STEARIC ACID, GLYCERIN, PPG-24-GLYCERETH-24, BIS-STEARYL DIMETHICONE, OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA FRUIT EXTRACT, SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE EXTRACT, CYMBOPOGON SCHOENANTHUS OIL, PEG-100 STEARATE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/ SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, CETEARETH-20, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, CHLORPHENESIN, XANTHAN GUM, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, CITRAL, GERANIOL, LIMONENE

& you can get The Ordinary 10% lactic acid with pepperberry in the UK/EU so it can't be because of restrictions on LA.

That’s a totally different formulation. So weird.

really weird considering how much people love it in North America.

jed, the cosrx snail mucin is a little bit gooey and syrupy, but dries down pretty quickly - definitely not sticky once absorbed. It's very soothing and hydrating imo, but I can see how others might not love the texture.

i don't know why it's marketed as an essence though, it's closer to a gel or something.

“ The Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment (which is still available to buy in the U.S.) was pulled from shelves in the UK at the beginning of the year due to its lactic acid content. The Scientific Committee of Consumer Safety law states that products must have a pH level greater than 5 to be sold in the UK and EU.”

I just ordered a small bottle of the infamous biologique recherche p50. Think I might try those garden of wisdom lactic acid pads mentioned in the gg dupes article next.

I partly gave up on the ordinary and just went to my doc and got an rx for tretinoin/stieva-A (generic retin A) and clindoxyl, which use at night after washing my face. Still cleansing with Avene gentle cleansers. I use a Hado labo hyaluronic serum and the Ordinary Squalane for moisturizer. It’s definitely improved my skin after a month+ so that’s cool.

Though I’ve worn an spf tinted moisturizer for years or used mineral makeup, I’ve always had a bit of a reaction to it - I have yet to find an SPF I like and don’t react to :/ Canada has different rules for approving spf so options are limited... I just want to protect my skin dammit! Will keep trying...

I have a new bottle of The Ordinary squalene and couldn't remember what I was supposed to use it for. Moisturizer it is. One day I am going to do a deep dive about asian beauty products. I am going to be within walking distance of a large japanese grocery/drugstore for two months soon and want to be prepared. I started looking at the reddit thread on it and saw 50something year old man on there with such nice dewy looking skin

So, I am trying to revamp my routine a bit and try out a bunch of new things. I got the Kose Speedy Cleansing Oil, Mizon black Snail All in One Cream and some konjac sponges. I don't think I need a new cleanser. I have too much stuff I need to get through anyway (cerave, perfect whip, alpha skin). There is a Face Shop near me and a place that has a bunch of Hada Labo with testers so one day when I am prepared to focus I want to try to compare some of the other oil cleansers and moisturizers.

I am also interested in some of the MIssha stuff I see come up a lot. But I have some of the L-Ascorbic Acid Powder from The Ordinary I should probably start using (mixed with the squalene oil I had not clue what I was using it for).

I am also really interested in Tretinoin but need to use up some of the retinoid The Ordinary products first.

oh wait, I did not get the mizon black snail thing. I got the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream. This snail stuff is confusing.

forgive me for being a 3 yo about it but i find the whole snail phenomena gross and hilarious

i should i find out what studies I can participate in where I just put random shit on my face.

When I was a kid I used to help my mom take the eggshell membrane out of eggs so she could put it on her face.

wow

xps re Missha, I have this & can strongly recommend it. Really nice coverage and light.

Yeah, I might splurge on a time revolution thing from Missha. That brand seems to constantly get very good reviews.

I think I am going to get the Skin Aqua spf 50 gel too (rec'd above). I try not to have too many products at once around but I am trying to have a lot of spf around all the time now (in my bag, in the bathroom, by the front door).

The Ordinary’s Buffet serum is really good, and it was even better at 23% off when I bought it :). Skin definitely feels smoother and softer and just looks overall better.

i finished a bottle of the Buffet but didn't feel any way about it. If it was on sale again, I would probably pick it up but I didn't love it like a lot of people do.

I do like this snail stuff a lot though.

Looooove the Buffet but it has turned out to be a bit too dry for winter weather so I added one of their moisturizers--I forget which one. Something I don't love but I want to use up.

I put Aveeno body lotion on my face for YEARS and it was the only thing that didn't burn my skin, and now if I do give in to the dryness and use it, I get breakouts the next day. (It still doesn't burn me though.)

Though I’ve worn an spf tinted moisturizer for years or used mineral makeup, I’ve always had a bit of a reaction to it

I completely gave up on sunscreen for my face. It all burns like blazes. I wear floppy hats while gardening & at the beach, instead.

I cannot be at the beach without a hat and sunglasses. If it's too choppy to get in the water without a hat and sunglasses, I constantly have my hand shielding the sun and squint until I get headaches.

Wearing a hat saves me SO MUCH fatigue and sun stress. Just having the sun's rays not hit directly on my head is amazing.

Agree
I’m out there with an umbrella if I have to.

People who enjoy laying out in full midday sun are a mystery to me

I can handle it on my body but not my head & face. I've noticed in the past few years that I find it really fatiguing, which I don't remember happening when I was younger. I used to spend a lot of time outdoors but it's been a while, I guess.

Speaking of aging I thought I was having hot flashes for a while, and it's possible that I was, but they seem to have been exacerbated by stress, because I quit my job and they've stopped. I think? Also I skipped my period for like 5-6 months and had OFF THE CHARTS breast tenderness (I spent most of the summer wondering if I were pregnant but too avoidant to test it, also it didn't seem likely bc I have an IUD so w/e but the symptoms were just weird) and then bled for two weeks straight, which made me go to the doctor where they said nothing is wrong, that whatever it is, I'm fine. So this is going to be fun.

Oh dang this isn't no boys allowed. Oh well. Sorry, anyone who didn't come for the menopause diaries.

People who enjoy laying out in full midday sun are a mystery to me

― just1n3, Tuesday, 21 January 2020 23:53 (yesterday)

I am this person but I live in Scotland so I take whatever sun I can get. Also, I have psoriasis and the sun has a magical effect on it.

What does the snail serum do?

It's really soothing and rehydrating. My wife bought a toner from a Korean skin-care importer, and somehow won a three year supply of a 10-step luxury Korean beauty routine, including three brands of snail mucin. I use them one of them shaving, or after being out in harsh weather. The texture's endearing and very snaily.

ok, sounds good.

how on earth do they harvest it?

Ostensibly by letting them crawl on special screens in a dark room, but I mean...

the snail stuff isn't that pricey considering I went into sephora for the first time in awhile and was surprised how all skincare seemed to be $40+. It feels very nice on.

re: being in the sun. I really like the beach and water activities and the laying out is an unfortunate byproduct. Especially, if I go with people who want to stay all day at the beach and I don't want to be the person that makes people leave. I just spent 6 hours each day of this 3 day weekend at the beach and I am exhausted but I was enduring the length for other people who were super stoked regardless of the weather. Like jed mentions some people live for the sun.

I’ve been using the Biologique Recherche p50 and it’s pretty good - not mind blowing - but I think I need the hardcore 1970s original formula bc the regular version doesn’t even tingle a little bit

My skin issues right now (the same ones I’ve had for ages)
Closed comedones that won’t surface around my chin and jawline
Broken capillaries across my cheeks
Big under eye bags
Sunspots

My actual skin *feels* really hydrated and smooth though

I was just in the store checking for decently priced mineral sunscreens before ordering online. Banana Boat has "reef safe" ones but they still had avobenzone in it which was really tripping me up. I finally found one of the Banana Boat spf50 kid/baby ones that was mineral decently priced like $7 for 6 oz. Going to give it a try.

I still have bad dry skin around my mouth issues that started with the retinol. I think I made it bad again by using spf lipbalm and since I am allergic to like 95% of lipbalms/lipsticks i think that set it off again.

Mine does too and that's the thing. The surface and texture is good, maybe very good, but eyebags and sagging jawline etc are pretty much unfixable other than surgically.

xp

Jawline thing is the thing I would do were I down with plastic surgery, which I am pretty sure I am not

I have gotten good at wearing sunscreen! But I want to switch. I am p much exclusively going for UVA protection and I understand that avobenzone (the "best" UVA blocker approved in the US) is actually just not that great at UVA protection compared to stuff that's in use in Europe and Japan, and ALSO that SPF only refers to UVB and not UVA??? Wild!

I want to try one of these magical beloved cult Japanese sunscreens, ideally something fragrance free (so prob not the Biore Watery Whatever). My face is on the oilier side of normal, I never have problems w dryness so I don't mind trying something w alcohol.

Has anyone tried either the Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel or the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk? Or does anyone have any other suggestions? I get the impression that PA+++ is enough and I don't really *need* ++++, and I also have a moderately resilient face (I like to think) and so my biggest priority is weightlessness and invisibility and a barely there feeling, ideally with a bit of waterproof-ness as well since a lot of the time when I'm outside these days it's bcz I'm running errands on my bike and thus sweating

I am also a little oily, and also mostly indisposed to fragrance. I use (and love) Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel SPF50 + PA ++++ . I am not aware that of an aroma - if there is one there it is very faint, and it recedes quickly. Other posters might weight in too, because I could just be habituated to a thing I wear every day?

In other news, I completely quit any skincare routine three months ago. I just wash my face with water, morning and evening, and I slap on sunscreen when I leave the house. I am sandpapery and old, now.

I got the eltaMD UV Clear and I loooooove, but it is zinc-based so I dunno about the PA stuff.

Xps that nivea one gets a lot of good reviews from skincare enthusiasts

I've tried the Skin Aqua - they have a few different formulations and all of them are really light and non-greasy and highly recommended (the one I'm currently using is in a pink bottle). iirc the one that's more waterproof/sweat-proof comes in the yellow bottle.

ok I just sprung for the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence, it's sweat/waterproof (where the Nivea is not) and it's supposed to go on clearer than the gel. Fingers crossed!!

Dhc cleansing oil is changing my life

One of the best - been rotating between that and banila co’s clean it zero for a few years now (basically buying whichever one happens to be in stock or on sale when I run out)