Thoughts on moisturisers and skin care?

Gargravarr

Gargravarr

Our resident snake charmer
Joined
Jun 13, 2020
Location
lutruwita
The apothecary appears to have been silent for 10 years, I wonder why?

I figured that so many of us have devoted $$$ to soaps and hardware, but little mention is made of other care products for the biggest organ in our bodies. (Put it away, I'm talking about your skin!) I'm probably not alone in having paid insufficient attention to this for most of my life, which is probably why I look like a man in his late 50s. (Full disclosure: I am a man in my late 50s.)

So, without further ado, here's my current (very simple) homebrew moisturiser recipe, which is very much a work in progress.
distilled water (77%)
glycerol (5%)
emulsifying wax (5%)
almond oil (12%)
preservative (I use Phenonip/Phenoserve), essential oils or fragrance if required.

Heat the first two (aqueous phase) ingredients and the oil phase ingredients separately to 72ºC, making sure all wax particles are dissolved, then blend the two mixtures together with a stick mixer for a few minutes. Whizz briefly every minute or so as it cools, then blend in preservative/fragrances.
 
...And not forgetting sunblock, 365 days/year. I currently use La Roche-Posay Anthelios invisible fluid SPF50+
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I've used aftershave for the last 11 years - that is an improvement for me.

Oh, and sunscreen for the past 5 - again, significant improvement!
 
I always use a balm/moisturiser after a shave no matter what. No need for expensive products with promises of the fountain of youth. Your local grocery store or pharmacy will have everything you need. The key to good skin is to be consistent in this approach. Even non shave days, cleanse and moisturise the face. You can do this in the shower. Being consistent in this approach your skin will balance out its sebum production helping to keep the skin from being oily or dry.
 
rhodes96 said:
No need for expensive products with promises of the fountain of youth. Your local grocery store or pharmacy will have everything you need...
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Indeed: a few years ago I had a brief sojourn in the burns unit at Royal Adelaide Hospital, and the guys there highly recommend the Sorbolene type moisturisers for the recovery process. They probably don't come any cheaper than that (unless you go for a homebrew approach).
 
As someone with older sisters, I've been using moisturisers longer than I've been shaving. The only two aftershave products I own are a block of alum and a Chatillon Lux splash, both of which are only used after exceptionally bad shaves. My daily skincare routine is cleanse, moisturise, and sunscreen in the morning.
 
Incidentally, in case anyone's tempted to try my nostrum, I should mention that next time I make it, I plan to cut back a bit on the glycerol, and I will probably introduce a small percentage of tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) and hyaluronic acid. If I hit a combo that works well, I'll post it here. I probably won't add anything more than that, since that'll be diverging from the purpose, which is simply to replenish moisture (ie water) in the skin and keep it there.

There are so many products on the market with ingredients that are supposed to magically transform you into a sixteen-year-old, I'm not even going to attempt to fill that space.
 
I use a few drops of serum before bed, that's about it. Simple and works great!

Here's my homebrew recipe:
- 95ml distilled water
- 5ml glycerine
- 1g hyaluronic acid (I get the premium 1000+ kDa molecular weight powder)
- 10g MAP (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate), the most stable vitamin C product for use in a water based serum
- 10g niacinamide powder.
 
My son is not a fan of aftershaves or scents I've discovered.

Based on the SOTD pics and comments here I've convinced him to at least use this post shave -

1d45706f76a244aab22d3ffb8cd65261-original.webp


Relatively cheap, very available and cannot hurt.

Not surprisingly @Gargravarr after using this my son looks like a 20 year old.

Previously, before using it he looked like a 19 year old.
 
Mark1966 said:
My son is not a fan of aftershaves or scents I've discovered.

Based on the SOTD pics and comments here I've convinced him to at least use this post shave -

1d45706f76a244aab22d3ffb8cd65261-original.webp


Relatively cheap, very available and cannot hurt.

Not surprisingly @Gargravarr after using this my son looks like a 20 year old.

Previously, before using it he looked like a 19 year old.
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I compare it to my Proraso White Balm in texture and performance with the Proraso having a nicer scent but at twice the cost. I make sure to grab a few whenever its on special as its light and great for those post head shaves. (y)
 
As someone in the haircare and skincare industry, I cannot stress enough the importance of sunblock and staying hydrated.

Other than genetics, your lifestyle and the Aussie sun are the main culprits for skin health and aged appearance. At the very least, get a cleanser and moisturiser suited to your skin; guys tend to have oilier skin so unlike shaving soaps don’t get something too rich. You’ve invested in great post shave care; it’s really no different with skincare. The ingredients are largely the same.

So for basics:
cleanser, moisturiser, sunblock. You can get moisturiser and sunblock combined if you’re lazy but those are usually chemical sunblocks and a proper sunblock will be a physical barrier. (tldr chemical sunblocks converts the uva/uvb rays into something not harmful)

Intermediate and beyond:
Toner - Used after cleansing, it’s a mild acid that chemically but gently exfoliates skin over time. $

Vitamin C - the benefits of this anti oxidant are proven for skin anti ageing. $$-$$$

Vitamin A - proven to increase skin cell turnover and can improve appearance of fine wrinkles. Takes getting used to as it makes skin sensitive at the start. Only use at night. $$-$$$

all in all, don’t have to spend too much on fancy schmancy ingredients like peptides exotic ingredients.
 
I find that using a moisturizer causes me to break out and in general feel super oily. It's the same with Nivea Sensitive Post balm which seems to leave my skin feeling kind of tight or something that just makes my face feel weird and oily.

Do you find your homebrew goes on without feeling oily nav1?
nav1 said:
Here's my homebrew recipe:
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The ingredients seem like they should definitely not cause oilyness, but what do I know.

For reference I'm a student in my early 20's, I'll take what lived experience I can get. Should I be putting on sunscreen everyday even if I'm only going to be outside for periods of less than 30 mins, transit, between classes, work etc? If there's one thing I truly hate, it's putting sunscreen on my face, it's an experience I always dread doing but I'm sure it's something I could get used to :)
 
Castcore said:
I find that using a moisturizer causes me to break out and in general feel super oily. It's the same with Nivea Sensitive Post balm which seems to leave my skin feeling kind of tight or something that just makes my face feel weird and oily.

Do you find your homebrew goes on without feeling oily nav1?

The ingredients seem like they should definitely not cause oilyness, but what do I know.

For reference I'm a student in my early 20's, I'll take what lived experience I can get. Should I be putting on sunscreen everyday even if I'm only going to be outside for periods of less than 30 mins, transit, between classes, work etc? If there's one thing I truly hate, it's putting sunscreen on my face, it's an experience I always dread doing but I'm sure it's something I could get used to :)
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It's all about balance, try to use the lightest moisturiser you can find. Much like blades, razors and your face, YMMV. Some guys just have oily skin all the time. Do you use a cleanser? Sukin makes a charcoal cleanser which is decent for oily skin as its not overly stripping. It's funny that way when you take away too much oil your skin overcompensates by becoming more oily. As for breaking out after using a moisturizer, it is usually a reaction to the preservative or excipients.

And yes sunscreen all day every day! UV rays are everywhere even if you're in the shade they're bouncing off every surface.
 
neongas said:
...
And yes sunscreen all day every day! UV rays are everywhere even if you're in the shade they're bouncing off every surface.
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^^^^^^^^
What he said.
Take it from someone who has had 8 melanomas removed so far, and another one to go next week.
Experiment a bit and find a sunblock you can live with. That one I mentioned near the top of this thread is the lightest and most comfortable I've found so far.
 
I just use a cheap sorbolene from the chemist/Aldi/Woolies. I found that if I shaved and didn't use it, the skin on my face would tighten like a drum. The caustic ingredients strip your skin's oils and the abrasion from a straight razor require some sort of post shave attention.
 
I just use a cheap sorbolene from the chemist/Aldi/Woolies. I found that if I shaved and didn't use it, the skin on my face would tighten like a drum. The caustic ingredients strip your skin's oils and the abrasion from a straight razor require some sort of post shave attention.
 
Those with oily skin, the key to reduce your oily skin is to keep your skin hydrated and moisturised. Don't give your skin the opportunity to dry out and produce excess sebum. When you wash/cleanse your face, don't forget to moisturise afterwards!
 
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