No buying unnecessary toiletries in October

Itzybitzy

UU

Skin Therapy Body Wash, 70ml - WNBA, didn't smell of anything! Just like the body lotion
Garnier Intensive 7 Days Ultra-Softening Lotion, 6ml
Gucci Premiere Perfume Sample - WNBA, maybe a little too grown up?

noelphobic

maddiemay wrote: »

I have excema and allergies. I found Body Shop and Lush were great at giving decent sized samples to try, also the SA's at Clinique, Clarins, etc. But best not to go at really busy times if you can help it. My other strategy is to buy small GWP sizes of things I want to try from *bay. I no longer use wipes, I have spent a fortune over the years, find one that is OK then they change the formula, now if I am being woefully lazy a face cloth wrung out in hot water does a reasonable job, (not a substitute for a proper cleanse, but better than nothing for my skin). I live in the sticks nowadays, but I read that all the major supermarkets now sell their ranges of more gentle formulas, often diffusion lines from well known names. Beat of luck if you decide to experiment more.

I've got ezcema, rosacea and adult acne - not the best of hat tricks! I have had samples from Lush in the past. I will try some of the others that you mention - I've always thought that if I go near a Clarins or Clinique sale assistant they will run a mile as they will be worried other customers will think I use their products and will be horrified at the results lol!

I do get magazines when they have good freebies but I've pretty much given up hope of finding anything that works for me. Sometimes my skin spontaneously clears up for a few weeks. It did that recently and was really good - no dryness, no spots and the redness was much reduced. However I am now going spotty - and the spots seem to last for weeks - plus it's going a bit dry and the redness is coming back. The frustrating thing is that when it gets better it doesn't seem to be related to anything I'm doing different. So I can be using really 'good' products and it can be in an awful state or I can be neglecting it shamefully and it can be really good, or vice versa.

I was under a dermatologist for a long time and he was really good but nothing ever really helped.

I try not to use wipes too often. It's only when I'm running late or feeling really lazy. Sometimes when my skin is at its worst I try to wash/cleanse as little as often - sounds gross I know but when it's being especially reactive it can actually be painful to do anything to it and it makes it worse.

I am always disappointed when people rave over something and I think this may be 'the one' and then find it's useless on me. The latest examples of that have been The Green Balm and a goats milk range that one of my FB friends sells. I got a good sized free sample of the goat milk cream when my skin was especially bad and it didn't help at all. I was using the Green Balm on my dry patches and that didn't help at all either.

When it's exceptionally dry then no creams or lotions seem to help at all. They just sit on top of the dry patches and don't absorb at all. Exfoliation doesn't help either.

Sorry for the long rant!

noelphobic

VALM wrote: »

I agree with you there about experimentation. Did the Dermalogica work for you though?

I started using it on holiday, which wasn't the best time as my skin would obviously behave differently in a hot and humid environment. I found the moisturiser very greasy and nothing special. The cleanser and toner were OK, but again nothing special. There was sachets of pre-cleanse and some kind of redness reducing potion but there wasn't enough of either of them to form an opinion either way. I used the moisturiser up on holiday but the cleanser lasted for a few weeks after I got back and still have loads of the toner. My skin did get better after my holiday but started deteriorating again while I was still using the cleanser and toner. I really don't think stopping the moisturiser made a difference either way.

So, no, I don't think Dermalogica is 'the one'. It would have been annoying in some ways if it was because they have changed the formulation of some of the products (my kit had been purchased 2 years earlier from a Groupon offer!)

I would only buy Dermalogica again if there was a similar offer or came free in a magazine etc.

Present regime is Murad Essential C facial wash, Dermalogica toner and Neal's Yard moisturiser (which is hopefully nearly finished!) I haven't been using a night cream for a while so have started using a Boots one and I have a day cream from the same range for when Neal's Yard runs out. I also have a Boots anti-redness serum which I've only used once so far. I'm trying not to change too many products at once but it's difficult when things run out around the same time. I don't think the present deterioration is related to changing products though.

I have got a Murad wrinkle reducer serum that I got free and not used that yet. It's 7ml and I looked at their website and the 30ml one is £179 :eek: At that price it should make me look 18 again - although that wouldn't be great because I had very greasy skin and bad acne at 18

noelphobic

one in to report - Colgate Max White One 19ml. Facebook freebie. This is a nice size for a weekend/holiday bag. I have bits and bobs of toothpaste but not a major stash. I'm presently using Arm and Hammer bicarb toothpaste and it tastes VILE!!!!! I am very proud of myself for persevering with it but would definitely never buy again. I have also ordered several items online yesterday but will 'confess' to them when they actually arrive. I have been very bad this month so will aim for a no buy month next month - will be my birthday in November so I may end up with some ins anyway.

kiplingmonkey

seasideDreamer wrote: »

A few UUs.. Lush bubble slice and a Bomb Cosmetics baby ur a star one and the very last dregs of some snow fairy i saved for use with a Lush bath bomb.

Well I think I'm able to declare I've graduated:j I dont have any toiletries stashed and the makup will probably last me forever but I don't buy it, its been years since I brought any so I think thats okay:)

Many congratulations - have added you to the list of graduates :T

maddiemay

noelphobic wrote: »

I've got ezcema, rosacea and adult acne - not the best of hat tricks! I have had samples from Lush in the past. I will try some of the others that you mention - I've always thought that if I go near a Clarins or Clinique sale assistant they will run a mile as they will be worried other customers will think I use their products and will be horrified at the results lol!

I do get magazines when they have good freebies but I've pretty much given up hope of finding anything that works for me. Sometimes my skin spontaneously clears up for a few weeks. It did that recently and was really good - no dryness, no spots and the redness was much reduced. However I am now going spotty - and the spots seem to last for weeks - plus it's going a bit dry and the redness is coming back. The frustrating thing is that when it gets better it doesn't seem to be related to anything I'm doing different. So I can be using really 'good' products and it can be in an awful state or I can be neglecting it shamefully and it can be really good, or vice versa.

I was under a dermatologist for a long time and he was really good but nothing ever really helped.

I try not to use wipes too often. It's only when I'm running late or feeling really lazy. Sometimes when my skin is at its worst I try to wash/cleanse as little as often - sounds gross I know but when it's being especially reactive it can actually be painful to do anything to it and it makes it worse.

I am always disappointed when people rave over something and I think this may be 'the one' and then find it's useless on me. The latest examples of that have been The Green Balm and a goats milk range that one of my FB friends sells. I got a good sized free sample of the goat milk cream when my skin was especially bad and it didn't help at all. I was using the Green Balm on my dry patches and that didn't help at all either.

When it's exceptionally dry then no creams or lotions seem to help at all. They just sit on top of the dry patches and don't absorb at all. Exfoliation doesn't help either.

Sorry for the long rant!

Oh poor you, you have copped for a triple whammy:(

I have been fortunate not to have had acne or rosacea. For what it is worth here are a few bits of information that I have gleaned.

Have a look at the cheat sheets here :- http://www.beautymouth.com/

I am not advocating you buying any products, she works with high end stuff, but there is a lot of really useful information here, she herself has recently developed adult acne. One of her main recomendations is massive amounts of fish oil 7 or 8 gm per day. She also mentions which ingredients can irritate

I am lucky I have really good skin (genes) but from time to time have awful reactions, red weeping sores etc. I always go back to basics, cleanse and moisturise with oil, pure, natural, organic is possible, no perfumes, not even essential oils. I have used Almond, Jo Fairley (Beauty Bible and Beauty columist) says if push comes to shove we can get away with cleansing and moisturising with olive or jo joba oil, and toning with cold water or rose or orange flower water. Don't be worried about using oil if you have acne, as long as it is plant oil and NOT anything petroleum based, plant oils don't block the pores in the same way. Don't exfoliate except with a flannel of muslin cloth, your skin needs to be treated as gently as a baby's skin.

Somewhere I have books by Liz Earle (prior to her making and selling skin care) she suffered from excema, and Bharti Vyas, I will have a look through and see what other bits of wisdom I can dig out. But I really would say don't buy any more skin care ranges for a while.

Sorry if this is all too much information, but I have been down the route of spending a fortune, hoping the next cream/cleanser etc would be the one.

dolly84

noelphobic wrote: »

I started using it on holiday, which wasn't the best time as my skin would obviously behave differently in a hot and humid environment. I found the moisturiser very greasy and nothing special. The cleanser and toner were OK, but again nothing special. There was sachets of pre-cleanse and some kind of redness reducing potion but there wasn't enough of either of them to form an opinion either way. I used the moisturiser up on holiday but the cleanser lasted for a few weeks after I got back and still have loads of the toner. My skin did get better after my holiday but started deteriorating again while I was still using the cleanser and toner. I really don't think stopping the moisturiser made a difference either way.

So, no, I don't think Dermalogica is 'the one'. It would have been annoying in some ways if it was because they have changed the formulation of some of the products (my kit had been purchased 2 years earlier from a Groupon offer!)

I would only buy Dermalogica again if there was a similar offer or came free in a magazine etc.

Present regime is Murad Essential C facial wash, Dermalogica toner and Neal's Yard moisturiser (which is hopefully nearly finished!) I haven't been using a night cream for a while so have started using a Boots one and I have a day cream from the same range for when Neal's Yard runs out. I also have a Boots anti-redness serum which I've only used once so far. I'm trying not to change too many products at once but it's difficult when things run out around the same time. I don't think the present deterioration is related to changing products though.

I have got a Murad wrinkle reducer serum that I got free and not used that yet. It's 7ml and I looked at their website and the 30ml one is £179 :eek: At that price it should make me look 18 again - although that wouldn't be great because I had very greasy skin and bad acne at 18

Funnily enough I read this and was about to comment then I read maddiemay's post and she said the same as I was going to. Oil, whether it is jojoba, olive or some other type, it is very soothing and you don't need much in the way of moisturiser afterwards.

noelphobic

thanks Maddiemay and Dolly84. I had heard of the OCM and probably should give it a try. What puts me off is that I've heard you can get bad break outs when you start, although I know it would be worth it if it improved after that.

I'll stick with what I'm doing for the time being and see how it goes. I will definitely give the OCM a go at some point though, definitely before I buy any more cleansers.

I have only been using the anti-redness serum for a day or two but I have noticed that my skin seems to feel softer. Too early to know whether it will help with the redness though. I only get the redness on the T-zone but that is also where I get problems with acne and eczema - I have lovely cheeks though

tokkiandoliver

Congrats seasidedreamer!!

tokkiandoliver

UU:
L'occitane citrus verbena shampoo & body wash - travel size. given to me in the most recent gift swap.