I’ve been using Biologique Recherche PIGM 400, Allies of Skin Vitamin C Serum, Sunday Riley UFO, and La-Roche Posay Anthelios SX Daily for SPF in the AM. Sometimes I use Fresh Deep Hydration Cream prior to the SPF. In the evening, I’ve been using Fresh’s Rose Hydration Serum or CosRX Snail Mucin with Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream.
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Usually it’s Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel (sometimes with my Foreo – that give such wonderful results) or sometimes Peter Thomas Roth Anti Aging (I don’t for a second believe that it’s “anti aging” but I like how it cleanses). Day and night I usually moisturize with Embryolisse applied over Youth to the People facial oil. I generally use Clarins eye cream (the one in the red pump container – the name has changed). Every now and then I’ll use a sleeping mask or REN Wake Wonderful. And for facial SPF, either Australian Gold tinted (though it stains my masks and looks grubby) or Lise Watier SunSmart (that’s what I’ve been using for months now partly because of the mask issue and partly because it’s such a terrific product).
Biologique Recherche PIGM 400 and LRP Anthelios ✊
Are you using an rx tretinoin, Christine?
Morning, if not putting makeup on and staying home:
– Hada Labo HA Hydrating Lotion
– Lâncome Hydra Zen or Avène Hydrance Hydrating Mist
Before makeup:
– Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream
– (Hada Labo HA Hydrating Lotion)
– Hada Labo Koi-Gokujyun UV gel SPF50+ (or Lâncome Hydra Zen if in a hurry)
– Garnier Ambre Solaire SPF50+ sunscreen
After makeup:
– Softymo Speedy cleansing oil (not the best one I’ve tried) or La Roche Posay Respectissime waterproof eye makeup remover (not a favourite, I’m trying to finish it off so I’ll alternate), and/or Avène cleansing mousse
– Hada Labo HA Hydrating Lotion
– Avène Hydrance Hydrating Mist
In the shower:
Physiopure cleansing foaming gel -whenever I can remember or during my period! This one is a reminder never to buy stuff “recommended” by the person trying to sell it to me & ALWAYS read the labels – in fact it’s best to avoid ALL shops where I can’t read the labels myself, given I have trouble saying “No lady, I don’t need that, thank you very much”.
After showering:
– Avène thermal water
– Hada Labo HA Hydrating Lotion
Before bed (still very much into a summer routine due to the unusually extra sunny weather, autumn didn’t last a week in Portugal!):
– Shiseido Beneficiance eye cream
– (Hada Labo HA Hydrating Lotion*)
– Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (trying to finish it off as it does zero for me, I’m ashamed when I think of how many I’ve bought over the years when deep down I’ve always known it does zilch for me!)
– Avène Hydrance Hydrating Mist* or Shiseido moisturiser (beige-ish pot)
– if I need a heavier moisturiser in some places, I put on a Japanese cream which says “[something in Japanese I can’t read hahah!] Moisture” on the label, I’m trying to finish this off so I often use it on my elbows too.
– * when feeling like I can’t be bothered or just plain tired I’ll skip everything but these two.
I wish I could go back in time to when it didn’t take much for my skin to be happy! Nevertheless I’ll be reading what others write carefully! I love to read about products others have been using for ages and can’t live without, or what to pass!
How do you like the Avène thermal water? I’ve been so curious to try it but I wasn’t sure if it was worth buying.
It’s beyond amazing! I’ll be honest, when you put it on under “normal conditions” you kind of wonder if it’s working…! But if you go to the beach and you turn a bit red, or if you went overboard with something and your skin’s a bit irritated, those are the times you realise it’s actually brilliant. Specially when you go to the beach, it works really fast to sooth the skin and all that redness goes away in no time. I also use it on my hair after heavy treatments, after waxing… haha! I use it everywhere really!
I can’t recommend it enough but every now and then you can get two for the price one, so I’d try to get it then. The one from Vichy feels like regular water and my skin’s not impressed with it, so make sure you avoid the temptation (I often see them together).
I’m using dr brenner vitamin c , biologique recherche p50, paula choice bha, la roche posay retinol eye cream, ambi face cream, aromazone cream and squalane oil from aromazone too.
Caudalie Vinoclean Makeup Removing Cleansing Oil
Soy Fresh Face Cleanser
Volition Skin Rhythm and Balancing Serum (Night)
Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Face Butter
How’s the Caudalie cleansing oil? Is it a pain to get all off?
I am really trying to simplify my routine. In the morning I wash with Ethique Bliss Bar, apply Melano CC and Timeless CoQ-10 serums, and sunscreen. At night I double cleanse with Iunik Calendula Complete Cleansing Oil and the Bliss Bar and then apply 0.25% tretinoin and a moisturizer containing niacinamide and peptides. Plus Bite Agave Lip Mask (old formula) on my lips.
Any advice for Tretinoin? I’m planning on getting a prescription when the weather stops being so summery. I need to get rid of sun spots caused by a drug.
The bywords are low and slow. Start with a lower strength and don’t apply it every night until your skin gets used to it. Whether that’s every other night or less often depends upon your reaction. It’s a long term treatment and it could take months to build up to nightly use with a strength sufficient to treat your sun damage. You will certainly want to keep up your hydration routine and you will need to use your sunscreen everyday. There is plenty of advice on how to incorporate tretinoin into your routine on the internet but if you get your prescription from a dermatologist, follow her advice. Again, it is a long term proposition but so worth it!
I totally agree w what u said above about low and slow. Ive used for years and still cannot tolerate every night definitely not in winter. Do not put it on wet skin. Use a little. U do not want to glop it on! Use a sunscreen during the day and stop using it a week or two before u will b out in the sun (like beach vaca). It really will make u super sensitive to the sun. Same goes for stopping before any major skin treatments or waxing. If ur skin can tolerate-take it down ur neck and chest. Finally i like using a good facial oil about 10 mins after applying. I personally like sunday riley juno. Good luck!
Thank you! I used a retinol serum and a retinaldehyde eye cream last winter and my skin was actually good with it, but I do need something stronger now. I was looking in the mirror today and what used to be freckles looks like massive spots now and I’ve been a bit upset over it tbh.
You can’t get tretinoin over the counter in Portugal so I’m kind of waiting for summer to be over to take the plunge and see a professional! Look at me, complaining about too much sun when a few weeks ago I was complaining about summer being over!
I have a very well structured skincare.
Daytime:
-> Clay mask: Thursdays and Sundays, Paula’s Choice Purifying Clay Mask
-> Cleanser: Paula’s Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser
-> SPF: Paula’s Choice Hydralight SPF30
End of `workday`:
-> Makeup remover: I workout in the evenings, so I remove my makeup before that. I wash my face with a cleanser and do the rest of the routine afterwards. Currently I am using Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Cleansing Balm as double cleanse.
Nighttime:
-> Treatment: A couple of days a week I apply brevoxyl peroxide after showering (I splash my face just with water) and let it sit for a couple of hours before washing my face before sleep (currently using Paula’s Choice 5% Extra Strength).
-> Scrub: Thursdays and Sundays, Paula’s Choice The UnScrub (not my personal favorite, I just got a bottle free with order).
-> Clay mask: Thursdays and Sundays, Paula’s Choice Purifying Clay Mask
-> Cleanser: Paula’s Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser
-> Toner: Paula’s Choice Advanced Replenishing Toner
-> Exfoliant: A BHA exfoliant Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (currently the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid, which I constantly get free travel sizes of). A AHA exfoliant on Thursdays and Sundays (Paula’s Choice 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant).
-> Treatment: A vitamin C serum Thursdays and Sundays (currently Drunk Elephant C-Firma). Retinol on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (Paula’s Choice 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol); currently I am also using on those days the 10% Niacinamide Booster, but just because I got one for free and I’m using it up, I never saw significant results from it.
-> Moisturizer: Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask (usually I would use it only twice a week, and another moisturizer, but I have this opened for a long time and I want to use it up)
Morning: Mario Badescu rosewater toner, DermaE vitamin c weightless moisturizer spf45.
Night: Damp microfiber cloth, DermaE universal cleansing balm, SheaMoisture raw shea soap, DermaE vitamin c concentrated serum, IT cosmetics confidence in a cream.
If I wore eye/lip makeup I use micellar water to remove it first, right now I’m using Korres but it’s DC’d so I’ll have to switch when my bottle is up.
Daytime: Cleanse face with Aveeno Calming Foaming Face Wash, tone with The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, apply The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream to eye area, and Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen spf 30 if going out, FAB Ultra Repair Cream if staying in.
Nighttime: If I wore makeup that day, I first take off mah face OTD with Simple Face Cleansing Wipes (baby oil for my waterproof eye makeup), followed with a double cleanse using FAB Face Wash, then I use Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic Acid & Retinol Eye Serum, The Inkey List Retinol Serum on face and neck, The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% w/Vitamin F and The Ordinary Buffet, a bit later, Youth To The People Eye Dream Cream and Hada Labo Skin Plumping Gel Cream during hot season with some of The Ordinary Marula Oil worked in, in winter, I use Drunk Elephant Protini Peptide Cream. At bedtime, either Laneige Gummi Bears Lip Mask or Jack Black Lip Balm.
You guys are making me feel much better about my $100+ Dermstore cart waiting for Black Friday sales 😂
My skincare routine is basically La Roche Posay Toleriane cleanser, micellar water if I wore makeup, and La Roche Posay lipikar lotion. I almost never do anything in the morning- if I do it’s just plain water on a makeup eraser and the lipikar.
Your skin probably doesn’t need so much stuff yet, thank your lucky stars and your parents for that! Make sure you add sunscreen though and keep it off your eyelids!
You know, I was looking for something like the La Roche Posay Toleriane cleanser to wash off my makeup without too much hassle but ended up getting the Physiopure cleansing foaming gel instead on advice from a “professional” (even after I told her I was using retinol)!
I’m never setting foot inside a Portuguese pharmacy without reading reviews first and making a list ever again (and sticking to it)! This is definitely the sort of thing I prefer to buy in Spain because you can browse by yourself, read the labels, hold it in your hand and decide without pressure from anyone.
Morning: Quick wash w iS Cleansing Complex or Toleriane, spritz on a Korean Galactomyte/rice water toner, 1/3 of a Vichy Vit C w peptide ampoule, have a coffee, finish w moisturizer w sunscreen right now using 111 Y Theorum day cream from an Allure box
Night: Double cleanse w/ a balm (PF 3 in 1 cleansing balm or ELF and Toleriane or iS), U Beauty Resurfacing Compound, LRP Redermic Retinol yeux, followed by Augustinus Bader Rich Cream and a spritz of a good night fall perfume..
My skincare routine is fairly simple:
Cleanser: CeraVe’s Hydrating cleanser
Skin Doctors Age Defying Oil
Weeleda’s Skin food (very impressed with this one)
Glow Labs Night time moisturiser (before bed)
The morning routine:
CeraVe cleanser
Olay’s Regenerist Day time moisturiser
La Roche Posay’s Sunscreen
Sometimes Nude by Nature’s Airbrush Primer.
These are the products I am using at the moment. I have a whole big bag of different skincare products that I have collected on sale that I use when one of the above is finished.