being frightened off the cost of skincare

[MrsKravitz]

Even when standing in front of regular brands in the supermarket? The cost of the "whole set" freaks me out. Is it false economy to buy any old cheap crap and will my face pay for it at the end?

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

WTF is the whole set? I get a bar of glycerine soap for a couple of euros. That's how much I am prepared to spend on skin care.

[MollysChamber]

The cheaper option would be a budget cleanser, splash of cold water instead of toner and a decent moisturiser. The moisturiser is the most important product unless you have very oily skin in which case a good cleanser is probably the priority.

[MrsKravitz]

Cleanser, any extra serums etc and moisturiser. Of course, then you have day and night ones . Bloody hell. And then there are ones that I no longer qualify for because I am too old. Apparently.

[dreamingbohemian]

What kind of skin do you have?

I have very sensitive skin and have to shell out a fair bit, unfortunately. My best friend can wash her face with bar soap with no problems.

Generally you don't need that much though, a gentle cleanser, a good moisturiser.

[WorzselMummage]

What scares me about skincare is that people who spend a load of money on it usually have worse skin than people who don't.

[worraliberty]

I wash my face with water..cleanse it with a baby wipe and if it's a bit dry, I pop some vaseline on it before bed.

Job done.

[MrsKravitz]

Never found a decent moisturiser. Grizzle.

[dreamingbohemian]

Oh don't bother with day and night, that's marketing

[OrangeHat]

My skin is a lot better since I laid off the products. (I have combination sensitive skin - very pale).

I use "simple" stuff for the bits I do use - moisturiser and cleanser. They aren't too pricey.

[MrsKravitz]

dreaming I have regular 46 year old skin, with make up.

[MrsKravitz]

Bit dry these days tbh

[OrangeHat]

It's all the same stuff really. I am using DDs body lotion for ezcema on my face at the moment (as it's just there) and it's fine. Vaseline is also good as worra says if you have dry skin.

I fannied around with clinique etc for years but really it's all much of a muchness.

[sparkle12mar08]

The key to skincare is doing it regularly. A £2.99 moisturiser from Tesco will do the same job as a £200 Creme de la Mer, as long as you use it regularly. And if you learn a decent basic facial massage technique you can gicv yourself a mini facelift everyday in under ten minutes.

[ifancyashandy]

A dermatologist told me the Simple range was fine. Not pricey at all. But aged 46, I would probably buy their most expensive moisturiser.

[tinker316]

I use simple wipes at bedtime & every other night johnsons facial scrub.
In the morning a splash of cold water-then e45 cream as I get very dry skin.
I get asked 4 I.d all the time & people can't believe how I don't look my age! Which is 31 (in 10 days!!)

[MrsKravitz]

I have noticed that since using the cheap stuff, my makeup doesnt sit on my skin very well

[Scholes34]

I use soap and water (Dove is particularly lovely a creamy), plus Simple moisturiser, which is absolutely fine. What I am prepared to pay money for is a decent handcream - currently pay through the nose for Clarins, but is well worth it.

[dreamingbohemian]

Ah, if you don't have really sensitive skin, or super dry or oily skin, then you can probably use fewer and cheaper products with no worries.

I don't think there's a lot of difference in creams, they all moisturise, it's more about how they feel to you (are they too greasy, too perfumed, etc.)

I love the Avene moisturisers, they sell them in Boots (at least in London) they are a bit more expensive (£10) but they are very soothing, not greasy, absorb well under makeup.

[dreamingbohemian]

x-post

If your skin feels a bit dry you could also use a tinted moisturiser instead of regular foundation, will feel lighter on your face as well.

[MerylStrop]

IMO you only need one decent moisturiser (and Simple was recommended to me by a dermatologist too, though I am currently using Wish Upon a Jar by Soap and Glory, which is fab), sunscreen, possibly some kind of exfoliator (scrub or flannelly thing) and possibly a cleanser if you wear a load of makeup. I hate cleansers myself and only use water.

I luurrrve products though, but it is an expensive habit that I am trying to kick.

[MerylStrop]

Also agree Avene is v good.

[ScrambledSmegs]

You don't need 'the whole set'. I saw a dermatologist about 5 years ago with problem skin (dry patches, greasy bits, sensitive and acne?! I was blessed) who basically stripped my skincare list back to the bare minimum. She was very scathing about toner in particular, said that a splash of cold water was far more effective.

Re: moisturisers. I know they are all basically the same thing, just dressed up with fancy packaging and ridiculous claims. However, my mum has recently started using an expensive cream by (by L'Occitane I think) and her skin does look visibly more plump and fresh, so I'm going to have to sit on the fence on that one!

[MrsKravitz]

Honestly Ive tried loads of cheap moisturisers and they are awful. I bought one yesterday and my skin just feels odd. Lucky it was less than a pound.

[porpoisefull]

I wash my face with soap in the shower, stick a bit of moisturiser (DS's eczema lotion) on it occasionally if it feels dry and that's it. No one's ever been able to explain to me why toner is anything but a clever scam to make money.

Start the cheapest simplest way you can and only add any faffy stuff if you find you need to. The only things that will damage your skin in the long run are sun exposure and smoking.

[MollysChamber]

It really is worth finding the right products. I am quite evangelical about skincare.

Skin does tend to become drier as you age. A night moisturiser can help - they tend to be much richer then day ones.

I use a wash off oil cleanser, a gentle toner, a good serum and a basic day moisturiser with spf. On very sunny days I use a separate factor 50. I also use a night moisturiser as well. If I didn't use the serum I would go for a decent anti-aging moisturiser instead but the serum is more effective. Oh, and an eye cream.

It literally only take a couple of minutes a day.