|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Author |
Message |
|
|
 |
Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:04 am  |
Hi Sally,
Vitamin C: Be careful.... often times the serums (even from SkinCeuticals) are oxidised and oxidised ascorbic acid is pro-oxidant (the opposite of what you want and what you're paying a lot of money for!). If the colour is any darker than the palest champagne, toss it.
I'd suggest you try Paula's Choice Resist Antioxidant Concentrate (available at paulaschoice.co.uk). It contains several stable (won't oxidise) forms of vitamin C along with lots of other antioxidants. It's my favourite.
Retin-A/Renova: You could see a private derm in the UK. No referral is required but you will have to pay for the consultation. Unfortunately though, Retin-A is only available in the gel form here, so unless your skin is very oily it's not ideal.
I have purchased Retin-A from inhousepharmacy.co.uk before (as have many others here and on other forums). They only ever stock the real-deal and no prescription is required (they ship from Vanuatu). If the value of your order is over £18 (which it will be with the brand-name product) and customs spot it you'll have to pay the VAT plus an £8 handling fee before they'll deliver it to you.
Another option is alldaychemist.com which sell mostly generics, often manufactured in India. I'm not keen on using these generic prescription products as you can never be completely certain as to the quality of the product. The bases are also quite different to the bases of the brand-name products, and the base ingredients can make a big difference to the overall effectiveness of the product.
You could also look at an over-the-counter retinoid. I quite like Paula's Choice Resist moisturiser, which contains antioxidants and a high dose of retinol. I use it nightly under the Resist Serum and the combination works really well for me.
Another brand to look at is Avene. They make several products including Eluage and Diacneal that are readily available in the UK. Eluage contains 0.05% retinaldehyde (a very potent form of retinol) in a creamy base. Diacneal, while sold as an acne treatment, also works well for anti-aging purposes. It contains 0.1% retinaldehyde and 6% glycolic acid.
Eye cream: Not necessary IMO. All the products I use on my face can be used around the eye area too. My attitude is if it's not good for my eye area then it's not good for my face. I use my face sunscreen around my eyes, as well as the Paula's Choice products.
Frown lines: Not much you can do about those with topicals really. They may fade slightly over time but the results won't be dramatic. Your best bet here is Botox.
Day/night cream: For day, a good sunscreen, many of which are moisturising is all most people need. Anything that "firms" is only a temporary, cosmetic effect. Your skin will start to firm over 6 to 12 months once you start using retinoids and antioxidant serums.
For night, your retinoid of choice. If you end up ordering a prescription retinoid and IF you are very dry after applying it, wait 30 minutes then apply something bland like Cetaphil Cream which is now available in the UK from most pharmacies (often behind the counter). If you were to use the Paula's Choice Resist moisturiser or either of the Avene products I mentioned, you probably wouldn't need an additional moisturiser.
You might also consider the regular use of a mild glycolic acid product. It will help to remove dead skin cells that can make the skin look a little "blah". It can also help with collagen building (firming the skin). Again, Paula's Choice makes my favourite, the 8% AHA Gel.
Hope that's helped a little  |
|
|
|
|
| Sun Apr 28, 2024 4:27 pm |
If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.
Click Here to join our community.
If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site. |
|
 |
|
|
|
