Cheaper alternative to DHC skincare for sensitive/acne-prone skin?

giantmutantbroccoli

I'm looking for a cheap (but still good!) alternative to the DHC 4-step skincare range. I get acne, but if I use anything that dries my skin out I also get eczema, and I'm pretty allergic to most strongly fragranced stuff. I've been using the following from the DHC range for the best part of 2 years now and it works wonders, but I'm sure there must be a cheaper alternative!

For those who don't know who/what DHC is, it's a japanese company that's started importing into the UK:
http://www.dhcuk.co.uk/DHC/Category.aspx?Catalog=DHC+UK&Category=Skincare/4StepSkincare

I use:
the deep cleansing oil - an olive-oil based cleanser.
The pure soap - I'm pretty sure this is just plain glycerin soap.
The balancing lotion - says it's a toner but it just seems to be a light emulsion of water, oil and probably some minerals.
I also use the water-based moisture occaisionally but I'm not too impressed with that - so far body shop's rose flavoured day cream seems to be doing the trick and hasn't given me any bad reactions.

I'm thinking I could probably replace the lotion with an emulsion of evening promrose or starflower oil and water, maybe with a bit of aqueous cream to hold it together (it's very watery stuff). The soap, well, just about any decent plain glycerol soap would probably do the trick. But I have no idea where to find a good, cheap oil-based cleanser. It has to be fragrance free, and can't be one of those vicious cleansers that strips your skin. Anyone got any ideas? And does anyone know a good reliable, preferably online, place to get glycerol soap?

claireac

Have you had a read of the oil cleansing thread? I think you'll find it very interesting and relevant.

It's here:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=917733

giantmutantbroccoli

Thanks claireac, I've just had a look, not seen that before. The oil cleansing method looks interesting, but I'm very wary of trying out a completely new skincare regime. It's taken years for me to find something that works, and generally the things that don't work don't just 'not work' if you get me, they usually make it a lot worse. The doctor's put me on topical antibiotics, which work well in conjunction with the DHC stuff but not so much if I use anything else.
The oil-based cleanser DHC sell contains some sort of detergent that binds the oil to water so it washes off. Ideally I'd like to find something in the same sort of vein.

I've found a shop online that sells plain glycerin soap fairly cheap - £1.32 for 100g, and it's made in Chorley.
http://www.droyt.com/droyt-unperfumed-glycerine-soap-100g.php
The DHC stuff is £6 for 80g!:eek:

CompletelyLost

I know this site is for moneysaving, but I think that when you have sensitive skin that's prone to reacting to different things, your best bet is to stick with what you know works.

The chances are that by the time you pay for a load of cheaper alternatives, you might as well have just bought the more expensive option that you know works. So really, sticking with it is the most moneysaving option, iyswim?!

I have exactly the same problem as you (acne which turns to eczema) and my face is one of the areas that I do not experiment with anymore. It's just not worth it.

giantmutantbroccoli

CompletelyLost - I know what you mean but I'm not really looking to experiment, I'm just looking to cut my costs. Enough cleanser, soap, lotion and moisturiser to last me 2 months costs £42.50 which, to me, feels rather expensive. I could try just using their oil cleanser and replace the other stuff, but it bugs me - I feel like there should be something simpler (and cheaper) available.
I have really bad skin on my hands as well, I wear nitrile gloves at work and have to wash my hands a lot, and my skin started drying out and cracking. It's normally pretty dry on my hands anyway, but I'd started getting these fissures in teh skin that went really deep and were very sore. I tried a few expensive (unscented) handcreams, including e-45, but nothing did the trick. Then I found a giant jar of ancient zinc and castor oil cream when I was visiting my parents, and thought what the heck, I'll try that. I used it ONCE and my hands are no longer sore or cracking!
I'm kind of hoping someone will point me in the direction of something similar, but for facial cleansing.
I also feel vaguely guilty knowing that my soap has more airmiles than I do

suki1964

I can understand your fears on changing to something else as its taken me years to find a regime for my skin as well

Looking at your cleanser its Olive oil, coconut oil and a bit of rosemary oil, stuck together with chemical compounds to improve the shelf life

The OCM is olive oil - fresh - no chemicals

Coconut oil can be used as well - the extra virgin stuff - once again no chemicals

The OCM can be done with ANY oils. Plain olive oil would be as gentle as anything you are using now - more so as there would be no chemicals in it. The castor oil is used as a real deep cleanse for the more congested skin - there is no need to add it at all.

Im not saying for you to go ahead and use the OCM, Im just pointing out to you that the OCM is much more gentle and natural then what you are using now. Google the OCM, theres a lot of info and testimonials - good and bad

I have Roseacea and Seb Derm. Anything that contains lanolin, alcohol,fragrances, soap, etc etc etc plays HAVOC with my skin leaving it raw, dry, scaley, itchy - either one at a time or all together. Since I have stopped buying skin care products and use the OCM my skin is manageable - mostly perfectly normal

giantmutantbroccoli

Thanks suki, I have had a look at the OCM thread but I don't think it would be suitable for my skin. One of the (many) skin treatments I've tried involved using olive oil as a light moisturiser and I found it doesn't agree with my skin if it stays there. I used it on my hands and they came out in nasty red blotches, used it on my face and my acne just went crazy - that last happens with pretty much all oils. I'm glad to hear it's working for you though.

I feel a bit daft that I never checked the ingredients on the DHC stuff. I just had a look now and looked them up to see what they do:

Sorbeth-30 tetraoleate = a hydrophillic emulsifier (i.e. it allows water and oil to mix, and is attracted to water). This is the stuff that allows the cleanser to be washed off. I think this is the main feature that I like about this cleanser, the fact that when you've rubbed it in you can just rinse it away and don't end up with a heavy residue left on your skin.
Pentylene glycol = moisturiser, preservative and mild anti-bacterial properties.
phenoxyethanol - Kills bacteria, and is a solvent. Didn't find anything dangerous about it.
Tocopherol - Vitamin E also acts as a preservative
Stearyl glycyrrhetinate - has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and increases the solubility of oil. It's extracted from licorice.
There's also the coconut oil (processed), olive oil and rosemary oil.
None of the ingredients look to me like anything to worry about, and I'm pretty sure that all the anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial stuff in there is partly what's helping my acne.

Looking at your cleanser its Olive oil, coconut oil and a bit of rosemary oil, stuck together with chemical compounds to improve the shelf life
The OCM is olive oil - fresh - no chemicals
Coconut oil can be used as well - the extra virgin stuff - once again no chemicals
The OCM can be done with ANY oils. Plain olive oil would be as gentle as anything you are using now - more so as there would be no chemicals in it.

Some chemicals (assuming you mean synthetic substances ) can produce less of a reaction than some organic substances. I've lost count of the number of times I've tried various organic, natural acne/dry skin treatments only to find out that the ingredients make my skin 10x worse - flax oil, olive oil (if it stays on my skin), garlic (that was Lush, don't know what possessed me to put anything that strong smelling on my face lol). I'm not saying synthetic chemicals are always better, but the chemicals=bad/no chemicals = good thing is my personal bugbear

suki1964

Good to see you have started your own research

Acne doesnt do well on the OCM thats been pretty well documented so yes - dont go there

I dont think I said anywhere that the chemicals mentioned in your ingredients were "bad" I just for quickness said they were a bunch of chemical compounds to improve the shelf life.

The only diffence I would say is for the OCM you need to use a hot cloth to wipe off the oil - it doesnt just splash off.Its certainly not left on - unless of course you are using oils to moisturise

I know if you go back and look at the OCM threads here theres another oil cleanser people use - hom? or something? That too has the emuslifiers to help with the rinsing off


However as completelylost has said, if your skin is really that reactive and you
have found something that does work - STICK WITH IT

jenniewb

I don't have acne prone skin (its mega mega dry and gets only random spots if I use the wrong skin care products). I'd say consider what you have- 4 products, for 2 months at around £22 a month or £5 a product- tbh most high street brands will set you back arund £5 a product so not going to be able to mention any well known brands for much of a reduction.

But then again, I do seem to get through my products at a far slower rate then you.

I use (or have been using) the Clinique liquid soap which is lasting me getting on for 2 years now. The 200ml bottle (you really only need a tiny bit) was around the £15 mark.

I would recommend the garnier facial wash for troubled skin, its in the naturals skincare range and is blue. I used it when I was away on "holiday" (seeing family) last year and didn't pack my skincare stuffs and it was actually quite a good product. Think its about £3 a bottle?

Toner, I use facial wipes, get them on offer, one to two a day sets me back around £2 to £5 a month depending on the offer. Failing that cotton wool pads plus toner (and it is tricky getting the right type) I use Lush and find its great. Boots No7 toners are not so bad either- very mild, maybe ask if either Lush or Boots can do exchanges if the product does not work for you?

Moisturiser, I use Lush, I love Nuxe but Lush is a good compromise costing me £15 and now in its 3rd month I use that once at night and a sample of Kiehl's Ultra facial Moisturiser (very light very easy to use and great as it was a free sample). I have mega dry skin yet my moisturiser does last a while. I read somewhere that you can plough on loads but your skin will only utilise what it needs, the rest just dries off in the air so maybe experiment with how much your using, see if you get the same results.

Spot treatment, Garnier Naturals do an excellent roll on which is blue and looks like the eye roll ons. It works really well and within days my spot has gone (as long as I stop doing whatever caused it in the first place I get no more for a while!)

I'm not sure what the difference is between the lotion and the moisturiser though.

CompletelyLost

giantmutantbroccoli wrote: »

CompletelyLost - I know what you mean but I'm not really looking to experiment, I'm just looking to cut my costs. Enough cleanser, soap, lotion and moisturiser to last me 2 months costs £42.50 which, to me, feels rather expensive. I could try just using their oil cleanser and replace the other stuff, but it bugs me - I feel like there should be something simpler (and cheaper) available.
I have really bad skin on my hands as well, I wear nitrile gloves at work and have to wash my hands a lot, and my skin started drying out and cracking. It's normally pretty dry on my hands anyway, but I'd started getting these fissures in teh skin that went really deep and were very sore. I tried a few expensive (unscented) handcreams, including e-45, but nothing did the trick. Then I found a giant jar of ancient zinc and castor oil cream when I was visiting my parents, and thought what the heck, I'll try that. I used it ONCE and my hands are no longer sore or cracking!
I'm kind of hoping someone will point me in the direction of something similar, but for facial cleansing.
I also feel vaguely guilty knowing that my soap has more airmiles than I do

Sorry, I hope I didn't seem totally unhelpful. I can understand you want to save money if you can I guess that over the years I have spent £100s on products that don't work, that when I find something that works I stick with it because my skin has made me feel so desperate sometimes. For me it has got to the point where the price doesn't bother me anymore - so long as it works! But I really do have problem skin on my face. I tend to scrimp and save on other beauty products (deodorant/body lotions/etc) to make up for the expense.

Just a thought (as you mentioned the zinc cream having worked for your hands) is there a chance that you might be deficient in zinc? I know they made a huge difference to my skin when I started to take them.

Good luck on your quest, anyway. Let us know if you find a cheaper alternative that works

summerday

I have found the Boots Lutsine range good. It's 'specially designed to help combat problem skin that is dry due to spot therapy treatments, clanses skin without drying, ultra gentle and suitable as part of an acne maintenance regime'. (quoted from packaging).