To wonder why women buy into all this stuff?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

So I've been using the same £3 moisturiser that I have since I was 18. It's served me well but I decided that I need to invest in one with sunblock and thought I might go for a higher brand.

I went to Boots to the Clinique counter £39.99 was their cheapest moisturiser with spf and apparently I will also need primer, face wash, and I couldn't even get a sample to try before I buy.

I headed over to olay but was overwhelmed with the huge selection and ended up buying a £13 boots sanctuary moisturiser with spf. Realised when I got home it's perfumed so I'm not sure how well I will like it.

Looking online at the Clinique range there's absolutely loads of very expensive products that claim to reduce redness, reduce uneven skin tone, dark circles, I'm surprised they haven't just got an ugly face cream. There's also a million different make up products, my little make up bag looks really inadequate now.

Looking at the men's there's maybe 5 or 6 products.

Surely we don't need all this stuff? Dps face looks fine and all he does is splash it with water each day!

Absolutely wasn't trying to slate women treating themselves. Everyone has their indulgences, mines the Next homeware department. And my house still doesn't look like one of their displays.

It just seems to be very much you NEED this, and then start to think about all your imperfections. Where would it stop?

Mainly genetics and lifestyle, not the products you use. I have very dry skin so I exfoliate twice a week and use coconut virgin oil on face and body- its sublime!

I also use dds factor 60 now and again, as I am naturually pale and need it!

Meh I pluck my own eyebrows, shave my legs when I can be bothered, and I use radox bubble bath :/

I did have a facial once as part of a hen do, I looked exactly the same but she did tell me I needed a £70 eye cream, I did not buy it.

Most products that claim miracles would need a pharmaceutical licence (and therefore only available on prescription) if they actually did what they said. Sunscreen is good but you don't need to spend £40 on one.

All I have to say on the subject is this:

Have you seen Joanna Lumley?

She uses Astral. Go figure.

I went to a spa last week (Christmas present voucher) and had a facial. The girl asked what "products" I used on my face so told her - simple range from boots. At the end of the facial she wrote me a prescription (ha!) for some cleanser that cost £48.99 for a small bottle and I was told darkly never to use the simple range again as it strips your skin. What utter crap!

You might not need it. Some of us need all the help we can get. And women like it.
Who are you to tell them they are buying into something you have decided is worthless or beneath you?

PhaedraIsMyName I know there was a test of Nivea against Creme de la Mer once, and Nivea won.

Personally, I use Johnson's baby lotion to cleanse the face (it works really well for me), followed by a facial oil of jojoba with a drop of rosehip.

I've got to keep it really simple as I have Roseacea.

I do use a factor 50 sunscreen, sunshine can really cause the redness to appear.

Most of the expensive creams have been shown as being no better than the basic brands; they're just selling the hope that this cream will knock loads of time off your face/body/etc.

Astral is the best.

I vary what I use. I like clinique, clarins etc. no 7 is good,. I now use any moisturer not worrying about spf but use no7 facial sun protector. I have loads of creams to use up.

Eucerin do a (supposedly) mattifying facial sunscreen in factor 30 & 50. I'm contemplating buying some as I also find most blocks too oily. Perhaps this would be a more economical alternative to expensive all in one face cream.

Be wary of daily sunscreen unless you're actually needing it to prevent sunburn. You need that vitamin d you get from normal exposure to sunlight.

Astral. 99p for a weeny little tub that lasts forever.

Nothing like it. I have the most awkward skin in the world, and I will never use any other moisturiser except a small nightly dollop of Astral, ever again

On the occasions I put on moisturiser, I use simple.

yes, yes, yes I know. moisturise every day, but it makes me all spotty, so I moisturise when my skin feels dry.

Soap and water all the way here. On hen dos etc when I admit that, it doesn't go down very well.

I love high end beauty products. I don't feel I need them, I don't feel my face will fall off if I don't use them but I like them.

That's why I 'buy into all this stuff'.

""Have you seen Joanna Lumley?

She uses Astral. Go figure.""

She also has facial peels and other salon treatments. Her make up artist uses top end products, she might slap on Astral before she leaves her house, but there is a lot more on her face.

Peels and microdermabrasion makes a bigger difference than products.

Most of the Clebs that claim to use cheaper products have high end facial treatments.

They also follow a strict lifestyle routine. You can't cut corners over 45.

exactly "birds". probably gets lots of things to try out.

You can get your sun exposure on other parts of your body like forearms. I use any old cheap SPF moisturiser at about a fiver a time (boots botanics, simple or aldi)

I'm 40 and look under 30. I don't see the need for expensive products.

Went shopping with a friend who was looking to buy anti cellulite creams, Conversation between my lovely friend and boots lady went like this
Friend 'I'm looking for anti-cellulite creams'
boots lady 'Ooh, we got this one'
Friend 'I'm already using that one but I haven't seen any effect'
boots lady 'but this is the newer improved version, its twice as good'
Me 'isn't twice a good as 'no effect' still no effect?'
Friend bought the cream
I banged my head on the wall!

Love my friend but seriously these expensive creams are just a big marketing success.

Some creams and serums can really improve the surface of your skin.

No cream can shift cellulite.

Fryone you got it! Hope MN don't get sued. I got Creme de la Mer as a birthday present- what a disappointment. It was supposed to be the day version but it was so heavy I could only use it at night. I prefer Nivea.

Um, it's perfectly safe to name expensive products that you thought were a waste of money.

Well, a lot of women don't 'buy into' this stuff at all.
I use superdrug own brand or nivea, my skin is fine for my age. I have heard good things about Aldis own brand of skin care as well, so might well try that eventually
There's plenty of economy brands around that seem to do the job.
As far as perfume goes I use Ted Baker body spray at £6.50 a bottle. It's lovely and light, actual perfumes smells too strong to me, a personal preference.

Well, I'm 46 but have no wrinkles and have been using an SPF since I was about 20. I also suffered from very bad spots in from my teens so used a AHA cream in my 20s as I read it helped (they weren't available before then) . I started using a cream with low levels of retin in my 30s.

I now use a cream with AHA/retin in at night only and 15 SPF in the day (45 in summer) My skin is fantastic. Go figure!!!