Confused. If I tell you what skincare stuff I own, can you tell me when/how to use it? Please

[Cinderariel]

So, I have Rosehip oil, Baby Bottom Butter, 5% glycolic acid cream, glycolic acid 20% sizzle, hyaluronic acid, ROC retinol day, night and eye cream, hyaluronic acid day cream, Sudacrem and tea tree oil. The MN shopping list. Probaby a couple of hundred quid of stuff - but I just don't know where to start..

I am 37 and have every nearly every skin complaint going - dry cheeks, undereye circles, wrinkled forehead, blocked pores around mouth, spotty chin, pigmented patches, tiny broken veins etc etc

So I wash my face with Cetaphil (OCM was somehow not my friend) And I then stare into my bathroom cupboard and think... hmm. No fecking clue what to put where, when and how.. so I just put on some bottom butter stuff and go to bed.
What would you use/ditch etc and how would you use it?

[Cinderariel]

Advice would be very gratefully received. x

[NigellasGhost]

I would definitely carry on with the Cetaphil, I reckon it's great.
But if you are wearing makeup, get that off first with something a bit more heavy duty -for example this, which is the best thing ever and THEN second cleanse with the Cetaphil. First step for you is to go to bed every night with absolutely clean skin. (And in the morning cleanse with just cetaphil).

Back to the evening... after cleansing, use one of the acids.( Alternate them).Then eye cream and moisturiser. Get rid of the bottom butter and sudocreme (unless you have a baby or want to use it for your legs/hands etc).

Same thing in morning after cleansing, except possibly a lighter moisturiser...

[NigellasGhost]

oh and drink loads of water if you can, and take fish oil supplements.

I've heard rosehip oil is great for large pores but haven't tried it yet myself. If you use that, I would apply a tiny bit after the acid. BTW all this is assuming the acid is not a moisturiser but a toner. Not sure what sizzle is, is it like Liquid Gold (which I highly recommend)?

[Cinderariel]

Ah NigellasGhost, thank you! No idea what liquid gold is (sounds like dodgy nightclub poppers, but am assuming that its not....?!.)I'm on the fish oil (yum. mackerelly burps) but now I need to go and buy something else.. ga!

[QuinnFabray]

I would use the bottom butter as a cleanser to clean off make up ( if you use it ), massage into face, wipe off with hot water and flannel or muslin cloth. I would use the Cetaphil as a cleanser in the morning, when you don't have any make up to remove.

Hyaluronic acid as a serum, underneath moisturiser, day and night. Basically, if you put HA on, then it attracts moisture and makes your moisturiser work much more effectively, very hydrating.

20% glycolic peel once a week.

Rosehip oil as a night time moisturiser.

Roc or any of the other moisturisers as a day cream ( see which one you like the best, or use alternate them every few weeks ).

Tea tree oil or sudocrem on any random spots.

Did I miss anything out?

I'd add in a toner too.

[NigellasGhost]

this is liquid gold
yes it does sound a bit dodgy! it's basically glycolic acid and you say you have that anyway though.

LG and the Emma Hardie cleansing balm are my absolute best items in my skincare routine. You can definitely do what Quinn suggests though and use the bottom butter instead as a cleansing balm. I would then make sure you wash with the cetaphil though as it sounds to me that something like that might be clogging up the pores?

[QuinnFabray]

A toner used after the bottom butter cleansing will make sure any excess is off, and leave your skin squeaky clean. Bottom butter is nearly all olive oil, that's all. I've not had any problems when I've used it, and I have the cloggiest pores around. I like La Roche Posay for toner, but even the cheap Simple one works okay.

[QuinnFabray]

Nigellas, the acid is a weekly treatment rather than a toner.

[Cinderariel]

Thank you ladies. I am now thoroughly educated. I'm off to become a creature of rarefied beauty

[Maraki]

If I were you I would start simple, get dryness under control and then introduce the wrinkle treatments gradually.
I would get a gentle makeup remover if you wear makeup. My personal preferences are liz earle cleanse and polish and baby oil for eye makeup but its up to you. Cetaphil wont take makeup off completely. Use ceraphil at night if you dont wear makeup. No need to cleanse in the morning.
Then Use hyaluronic acid serum morning at night, as somebody said, this will make your moisturiser work harder.
Use ROC retinol in the morning, but if you are dry as you say, you probably need something gentler and more moosturising for now. Retinol dries skin out although its brilliant for wrinkles.
Same in the evening: you need a night time moisturiser or an oil to moisturise. I swear by Clarins but this is a matter of personal preference.
Once your skin is no longer dry, start using glycolic acid peel weekly. Apply hyaluronic acid immediately. Some use sudocreme afterwards but it does clog up pores and cause spots, so be careful.

In a nutshell: I think you got some super products and that your skin can't hack them all and needs a break. Start gentle and introduce acids, liquid gold, retinols, peels, etc gently and gradually.