Cold Cream- Brands and advice!

[ShrinkingViolet]

Now I'm going to hunt down some witch hazel! If someone in the nordic countries have a tip where to find some, please let me know. Have been to the major shops, the pharmacy and the afro-american shops already.

M

Okay, after a short googling frenzy I found two Scandinavian suppliers of witch hazel, this one and this one.
I'll definitely order from one of these. I usually use Mellisa skin tonic which contains witch hazel but I'd prefer the more concentrated kind.
By the way, I have a vintage beauty book which has diagrams of how to apply cold cream, they're rather funny, I'll see if I can post pictures of them later!

 

[Smuterella]

oh thanks, that would be great. I'm thinking of citching the OCM in favour of cold cream soon as the OCM isn't getting rid of my blocked pores and everyone says the cold cream does

 

[RitaHayworth]

I bought some witchazel the other day - is it meant to smell slightly unpleasant?

 

[SarahLouise]

I bought some witchazel the other day - is it meant to smell slightly unpleasant?

I thought that too. Everybody else seems to like the smell but I think it's horrible!

 

[Mary]

I like the smell. Mine smells like cold green tea.

I actually found this amazing webpage called shenet.se about old beauty recipes. It is in Swedish but has this translator so you can use it in english to. Haven't tried the English version so I can't recommend it to you.

But let me know if you wan't a recipe or want to know everything about an ingredient or the history of coldcream or anything. I'll be happy to translate. They have 69 coldcream recipes and lots of dry shampoos and well everything.

M

 

[Smuterella]

cold cream recipes? to make you own. sounds fabulous!

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I adore the smell of witch hazel...always have. It reminds me of being little too!

 

[dollydaydream]

Am I about the only person who didn't realise witch hazel had a smell? lol

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

Cleansing cream instructions from an early 50's beauty book

Okay, so the text is in Danish but I thought I'd post it anyway as at least a handful of you will be able to read it.

Basically it says that a good cleansing cream is made of mineral oil and paraffin and that you should always work you way upwards with light, circular movements, never downwards, leave on the cold cream while you brush your teeth, then wipe off with kleenex and follow with a toner, following the same directions.

... this one is my favourite, don't you just love the expression in her eyes in the middle picture? lol

Just ask if there's something if you'd like to have translated.

 

[epr25]

What are they talking about with the mummy lady. I am assuming this si some sort of mask?

 

[Lulu-in-Ny]

I swear by Pond's and Bigelow's Rose Wonder. I just alternate them.

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

What are they talking about with the mummy lady. I am assuming this si some sort of mask?

It says to apply a mask once a week if you're over 25. I have no idea what the point of those bandages is, though ... it just looks really really strange.

 

[RitaHayworth]

It says to apply a mask once a week if you're over 25. I have no idea what the point of those bandages is, though ... it just looks really really strange.

Gosh - walking around the house with a face mask on is one thing....looking like that is something entirely different!

fftopic: I had a green face mask on one night and walked out of the hallway into the living area, where my dog was laying in her bed. She noticed me and kind of glanced at me briefly, and then away. She then turned back at me to stare at me! Perhaps the face mask creeped her out!

 

[Miss 1929]

My cat noticed the Queen Helen Mint Julep Mask too!
Our critters are smart.

 

[Last_Chael]

I went the Dove "Deep Cleansing Cream" tonight - apparently Dove replaced Ponds in Australia.

Then I put the Nivea on - it was a little greasy when I was done - and I was worried of having more oil than the Exxon Valdez. But, half an hour later. all had blended in! No tight feeling, no red blotches, no feeling of any effects wearing off quickly.

Im going to make a blend of olive oil and castor oil and give it a try!

Thanks for that tip, I searched ebay for Ponds but could only find it in the international section. I didn't really fancy paying $20 to ship it over here!! I'll have a look next time I go shopping!

I've read through this thread, and I'm very keen to try the cold cream method! I suffer from psoriasis (though it's almost in remission! yay!) so I have very dry skin. I was on the pill for a while, which helped clear up what acne problems I had, but had to go off it due to mood issues. Sinc eI've been of fit, my chin in particular has decided to break out quite frequently!

Alot of people have said this really helps clear up blemishes, what about skin pigmentation? I've been looking for something to help with skin pigmentation (all over, not jsut on my face) as I now have both pale and dark spots all over me from where I used to have the psoriasis. It's really only noticeable in certain lights, but I'm very aware of it! I've also seen a few people with pale skin saying that the cold cream helps their skin to be clearer, so I'd love to try this for my pale skin woo!

RitaHayworth, I'm really interested in your hair care routine! I also have naturally curly hair, which likes to frizz up at the most inconvenient times! I'd love to hear more (though perhaps not in this thread!)

 

[RitaHayworth]

RitaHayworth, I'm really interested in your hair care routine! I also have naturally curly hair, which likes to frizz up at the most inconvenient times! I'd love to hear more (though perhaps not in this thread!)

Sure. Drop me a PM with any questions you have. Hopefully I can be of some assistance since I seem to have tried everything with my hair.

 

[Smuterella]

i wish i had the energy to read through this whole thread....but its toooooooooooooooo long I keep thinking there should be little summaries of these threads written, aah if I had the time....

I have just bought some cold cream and some witchhazel (having ditched the OCM as apparently it makes my pillow smell "funny"). I have an oily T-zone - with blocked pores on the nose, and yet with OCM the skin on my nose is flaking. Is it best to only use witchhael on the T zone, and then only occasionally?

 

[ITG]

Smuterella,

I'm not sure what OCM is (I missed something somewhere I guess), but creams you typically want to use on dry skin and use lotions for more oily skin. Being that cold cream is a cream you may consider not putting it in your t-zone area, especially if you start breaking out in that t-zone. Just something to consider.

Not sure what the flaking is from. It's possible the witchhazel could be drying you out too much.

My skin was drying out recently. I thought it was the microderm abrasion treatment I was doing but then I realized it was the new cleanser because it has a built in toner. I was putting toner on in addition to my cleanser that already had toner in it. Doh! Now my skin is back to normal. I have a little bit of an oily t-zone too so I was surprised to have peeling skin since I hadn't been out in the sun. The other thing, make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can cause your skin to get dry as well.

 

[Miss 1929]

More cold cream, please!

At almost the end of my first jar (about two months?) I have found that the cold cream is making my oily parts LESS oily! I guess on the theory that my skin was producing too much oil because I was stripping it too much.
I would say cut the witch hazel use in half, or dilute it a bit with water, or mix it with rosewater and glycerin. I alternate the WH with the RWG which seems to be working for me.
Definitely the blocked pores are getting better with the cold cream too. And if I do get a blocked one the plug works its way out easier and doesn't get all infected as before.
I am a total convert! And I would have said I had oily, acne-prone skin before this!

 

[RitaHayworth]

I have just bought some cold cream and some witchhazel (having ditched the OCM as apparently it makes my pillow smell "funny"). I have an oily T-zone - with blocked pores on the nose, and yet with OCM the skin on my nose is flaking. Is it best to only use witchhael on the T zone, and then only occasionally?

OMG! My nose, with the OCM was flaky too!! I thought maybe the ratio was not right and perhaps I needed some more olive oil.