My skin - corpse like

[TableDesk]

Hi,

My skin really from lockdown or so has taken a battering. But the time has come to try and look after it a bit more.

I use liz earle hot cloth cleanser, alpha h liquid gold & olay retinol moisturiser. Minimal makeup.

However the dark circles under my eyes are horrendous. My skin looks dull and corpse like and I think theres pigmentation?

I've had a really shitty time recently, and sleep has been hard to come by. I've upped my water intake. What else can I do? I feel like my gran has better skin at 91 than I do at 37!

Its that bad that I'm actually going to attach a picture - something I never ever ever do, as this is how desperate I am!

Thanks

[Bunnymumy]

Perhaps something that says 'added radiance'. Like a daily use moisturiser or cleansing wipe.

And a light tinted moisturiser for going out.

For the eye bags I think good night sleep, plenty of liquid and maybe a cucumber or teabag mask or two might be your best bet.

[applepineapple]

Are you wearing an SPF if you're also using Retinol?

[TableDesk]

I use Avene cleanance SPF 50 most days

[msgloria]

I'd second a good tinted moisturiser. I like NARS. Also, a bit of light bronzer swept in two back to front '3' shapes, from your temples, under your cheekbones and down your jawline, plus a bit of blush on your cheeks, works wonders. Benefit does a really light bronzer that is good for pale skin.

[Londonborncatty]

I think you’d be surprised at what many of us look like without a bit of false tan and make up. Maybe have you iron levels and vitamin D levels checked. If everything is fine, I think you’ve sometimes got to fake it to make it. Get your make up and only look in the mirror when smiling! I don’t say this flippantly, your skin looks fine to me, but it’s hard to see that sometimes when you’ve had a tough time. I hope things are improving for you.

[Lovelydovey]

Lots of fruit and veg and oily fish (or a good multi vit if this is difficult). I’m also permanently anaemia and my dark circles look much better when my iron count is higher.

And would also use a gradual tanner and a topical vitamin C.

If you want to go hardcore would recommend dermatica for a bespoke prescription.

[Elieza]

Are you taking exercise? That may help with the sleeping.

[TableDesk]

All so very kind, I really appreciate it.

I think when you're feeling a bit shit about everything in your life, have a Nosey on Instagram and bam! It's like someone has slapped me round the face with a kipper. My logical head tells me it's all filters & show but.... the face staring back at me from the mirror says otherwise.

I usually wear glasses but because of face masks steaming up, I've been wearing contacts more recently. I think it's also left me feeling exposed, like I've nothing to hide behind.

I have endo & heavy periods, not to mention the hair thinning & chin hairs appearing, so will def get my iron levels & vit d checked.

Am Googling Dermatica as we speak - thanks

[Ineedflour]

There was something similar in The Times yesterday. 'Covid face' is a known problem. As far as I remember, the main recommendations were the usual: water, exercise, sleep, meditation. Might have been something about collagen too, but it was primarily about needing to treat oneself right internally and wait for external improvements to follow.

[bunnyonthemantle]

I don't think your skin looks bad but I think those hollows under your eyes are not going to shift without tear trough filler tbh. It's to do with your facial structure. If they're a recent thing it may be that you've lost volume in your face in general which can happen in your thirties and the natural hollows under your eyes are more pronounced.

[Londonborncatty]

@TableDesk Honestly, we would all look weary if we took a no make up, no filter, no smiling photograph.
I think you need to look after yourself, be kind to yourself, tell yourself that you are great and stay off social media for a while.
Take care.

[ChiaraRimini]

Your skin looks pretty good to me except the rings. IDK if the rings are pigmentation or shadow, but the right colour corrector/concealer can work wonders. I'd try a light BB cream then layer on the concealer. Boots 17 do a good cheap cream one.

[mallowa]

it's most likely to be your lifestyle, e.g. stress. I get similar when stressed out! It goes when I am feeling more chilled and looking after myself etc. Treat yourself well, go to bed early, find fun things to look forwards to, exercise and reduce stress as much as possible.

[TableDesk]

Very much could be lifestyle related . My anxiety is at 11 & I've lost nearly 2st in 8 weeks because I just cannot eat. So the poster saying about loosing volume could very much be right.

I just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel right now and coincidently am crying a lot daily, which may also be something affecting the under eyes.

I think I don't like myself very much right now as I've basically been ghosted & am trying to work out what I did. To the poster who said to treat myself, bed early & fun things to do, I could hug you right now. I have basically become a crying, stressing recluse. Would you once believe I was bubbly & dare I say it, vivacious!

My last text (unread) I sent really says a lot about how I feel about myself right now. I am for saying 'be kind to yourself' but it's hard to practice sometimes.

Is it because I'm fat?
Is it because of my ovaries & endo?
Is it because I don't have a job right now?
Is it because I have a child?
Is it because I'm not smart enough?
Is it because I'm not attractive enough?
Is it because you're embarrassed of me of how I look? How I act?
Please tell me what it is that is wrong with me

Relationships board is that way, I know

Thanks all

[Bunnymumy]

Maybe he is just a dickhead op. Well, no 'maybe' about it if he just vanished without the common decency to draw a line under things.

The crying will defo be going for your skin. Always dried mine out something awful.

On the silver lining side- you've lost two stone! Weyhey :)

Once you start feeling better you'll realise the shitehead did you a favour by buggering off. You aldo lost another 10-15 stone by getting shot of the dead weight that is him.

[Bunnymumy]

And just to say pp- what lovely shaped lips you have. Bit of red lippy on them and you'd soon replace him!

[anditgoeson]

Use a good but gentle exfoliator. I use one from superdrug own range which is fab. I also use a gentle salt scrub once a week from l'oreal in a little tub. I also use l'oreal 35 wrinkle cream..I have really sensitive and eczema prone skin and it is the only thing that hasn't irritated my skin and it is fantastic!

Drink lots of water and sleep fairly flat on a pillow. When I sleep flat it really reduces my eyes bags (I discovered this after several nights of sleeping with no pillows, because my kids pinched them).

And I agree with the tinted moisturiser idea too. And that most of us look washed out with no make up on. If I dont wear makeup everyone asks me if I'm ok 🤣

[anditgoeson]

Also you may laugh but face yoga is amazing, google Danielle Collins.

[FilledSoda]

I see good skin and gorgeous full lips .
Lots of us have the under eye shadow and in a photo at that angle without makeup we'd all look very similar .
One eye cream actually worked for me , the retinol is important

[FilledSoda]

When you have a broken heart it colours your outlook on everything.
Thinks will look up I promise.

[LadySeaThing]

Op you have lovely clear skin and beautiful lips. The crying, sleep issues, lack of nutrition and anxiety are what is causing eye bags so please hold off on fillers! You need sleep, water, salmon, Avocados, gentle exercise that gets you a bit red-faced (like walking up a steep hill) and MAGNESIUM. I’ve had severe anxiety, it depletes your magnesium levels (honestly, this is science not woo and on advice from my Gp) and a magnesium supplement should really help.

For products, Superdrug glycolic overnight peel for radiance, and benefit dandelion blusher (or look for a cheaper alternative in the same colour). It revives all corpse-like skin! Try a lavender bubble bath, or sleep spray or drop of essential oil under your pillow, to help you sleep.

Right now, make yourself a cup of tea or similar and read something funny instead of torturing yourself on insta. Or look for pics of celebs without make-up to see the difference between airbrushed looks and how people really look.

[Sasuma]

Honestly agree you have lovely skin - if you’re comparing your skin with filtered/made up faces on Instagram etc you’re comparing apples and pears. Look at some influencers’ videos of them doing make up from scratch and you’ll see that they also have ‘normal’ skin with marks, blemishes, scars, wrinkles, dark circles and the rest!

Definitely just try and be kind to yourself, even just a little thing each day - nice bath, spend time painting your nails or whatever it is!

[TheDaydreamBelievers]

OP I really feel for you, sounds like crappy times have just piled up for you recently.

I agree with a lot of the advice above but think you should focus hard on doing all this stuff FOR you. What I mean by that is that when we are feeling low and self critical it's easy for our thoughts to be "I need to eat healthier to stop me looking shit" "I need to stop crying cause its giving me these huge eye bags". It becomes another stick to hit ourselves with. What I would want for your is to tell yourself "I'm eating well because I deserve to feel good inside and out" "I'm going to pop on some nice make up because I want to feel 100% today" etc.

Definitely step back from instagram. I recently checked out a filter that a literal Victoria's secret model uses on every photo. It made me look like a totally different person. That's the level of editing going on!

[Elzbells]

If you like Instagram check out knee-deep-in-life. Very funny take on all those filtered, impossible to achieve insta models!

Water does help, as does just a bit of self care and taking time out for yourself.