To think that skincare is a load of old rubbish?

[GodivaEater]

It dawned on me today while in Boots that the size of the men’s toiletries bit was one aisle and the women’s stretched into the dozens. And then I thought- men for the most part just wash their faces and then get on with their day. Your average man does not use serums, toners, face masks, moisturisers, nowt.

So why do we as women believe we need all this shit? Why do we buy in to all this shit? Why do some of us spend so much money on this shit? (That includes me in the past). And isn’t it all making our skin worse? You rarely see men with bad skin. Ask the average woman however and most reckon we/they need to sort their skin out.

The older I get the more I think that skincare is a load of bollocks and that most of us don’t need to buy in to any of it. And I say that as someone who has struggled with acne and horrible oily skin for 20 odd years.

Thoughts?

I love a long hot bath. I also like breathing so my face is not under the water. so how does that add wrinkles to my face?

unless you really hate the next generation ( like many on here) then a five minute shower is plenty.

I am in my fifties and have wrinkles. to avoid them means being dead at 25 or the silly cow surgery faces you see on the slebs. No thanks to either.

Your absolutely right. I've spent fortunes on the latest this, that and the other 'claiming' to do amazing things for my skin when in actual fact it's just agrivated my skin and sent my pores into meltdown.

Then I discovered Pears soap. That's all I use and my skin had thanked me for it.

All your cells in your body get replaced constantly, after about 7 yrs all cells will have been renewed (or am I remembering this wrong?)

Still, scars and sun damage are still visible after 7yrs so how does that work?

Still, skincare is a con, mostly

clairetree1 - that’s not quite true. All skin will benefit from gentle regular cleansing (hygiene) and protection from the elements. Clothing and SPFs are at the more extreme end of the protection spectrum but a basic face/body/hand/foot cream routine both provides ongoing comfort and has a cumulative effect at keeping skin healthy and comfortable.

I saw a friend yesterday whom I hadn’t seen for 20 years. We are the same age (52) but she looks 10 years older than me and most of my friends. Different lifestyle, different skin...

Sunscreen is definitely a must that people forget about - I think that makes a difference almost as much as genetics, in the long run

Also not smoking, taking your makeup off in the evening. The other stuff is variable - oily skin often doesn't need extra moisture but dry skin certainly does

I used to like Dior Equite range back in the 90's, then I went through Clinique (harsh and never suited my skin), and similar brands.

I now wash with anything mild, and moisturise with Dr Hauschka Rose Cream and rosehip oil along with sunscreen. I like the odd thing from The Ordinary during winter months, but generally keep it simple now and my dry skin is the best it's looked in years.

The belief about oily skin not needing moisturiser is erroneous. If skin is oily then one reason is that it is overproducing oil. You need to use something to 'tell' it that it doesn't need to produce so much. This could be via the oil cleansing method (for which no extra moisturiser is needed...sounds counterproductive, but works!), or just by using a very light moisturiser (I like Liz Earle's, but we are all different).

I definitely think that at the very least everyone needs to moisturise their neck (doesn't have to be with a special neck or even anti-ageing cream - just whatever moisturiser you are using on your face will do), hands, and eye contour area (and again the creams you use for these do not have to be expensive or fancy - if they have an SPF in then that is even better but you do not have to spend a lot at all), as these are the areas that show your age - arguably even more than your face.

a basic face/body/hand/foot cream routine both provides ongoing comfort and has a cumulative effect at keeping skin healthy and comfortable.

fine, do it if it provides you with some sort of comfort, no harm in it, other than financial, but certainly no cumulative effect, how could there be when you lose the entire layer you have just applied the product to, within a few days.

I definitely think that at the very least everyone needs to moisturise their neck (doesn't have to be with a special neck or even anti-ageing cream - just whatever moisturiser you are using on your face will do), hands, and eye contour area

I disagree, so it if you want to, but the only reason you do it is because you want to, it certainly won't make any difference at all to anything.

Even when I was better off I felt moisturisers selling at £30plus were rip offs aimed at women's insecurity . I've got dry skin but all I've ever used is drop baby oil & E45 wash in bath & any moisturiser under £10. Now use Waitrose baby butter on face & neck. I'm 51, no wrinkles, no age spots, rest of body skin supple etc. Stopped the E45 & baby oil once: skin went really dull & flaky.

clairetree1 all skin absolutely needs moisture. By that logic, I should just stop drinking water then 🙄
Our bodies are made up of water, our skin has a moisture barrier and doesn't just magically renew itself everyday. If that were the case we would all look 16. The older you get, the slower cell renewal/turnover is.

I haven't swallowed any advertising mumbo jumbo thanks, I understand cosmetic ingredients and research what I am putting on my face. I don't need to spend a lot of money to have a good skincare arsenal. What the hell does dead skin have to do with moisturisation anyway?!

I partially agree,good skincare doesn’t = expensive
CeRave is excellent
The ordinary retinol is excellent
Neutrogena hydro water gel is v good

Elaborate and complicated skincare routines that involve many, many millions products. Different products for face, body and hair and the implication they are all different and you need them all.

For decades now I have used water to wash and basic moisturizer, I oil cleanse when I remember. That’s it. I get lots of compliments on the condition of my skin. I think it’s more down to genes, not smoking and eating a good diet.

I agree. My grandma always used Ponds cold cream cleanser and Ponds moisturiser and she had absolutely beautiful skin right up until she died in her late 90s. My mum has always used Nivea, just the one in the blue pot, at night, and Astral in the morning and she hardly had a wrinkle in her mid 70s. I have never used anything fancy, just a basic face wash and moisturiser, and toner when I remember, and my skin is good, I have never suffered from spots and don't yet have any wrinkles at 44. I never ever buy masks or scrubs or anything. I do suffer from dry skin so I always use a moisturiser, without fail.

I just use whatever is cheapest and my skin is great. I’ve never really had spots just a few here and there, I look much younger than I am. I don’t sunbathe often but have done in the past and don’t smoke, I have great genes as my gran and mum have always looked much younger despite smoking (my mum was a heavy smoker). I don’t think it’s products that matter but the luck of the draw. I’m 41 and have no lines at all but I have noticed my cheeks look a bit less full now and I barely do any type of skin care regime.

Honestly, no, I don’t agree. I spent my whole life being a soap and water girl, only wear make up for special occasions, and fortunate never to have a problem with acne.

And then I hit my mid thirties and suddenly my face looked so old, and I decided to experiment with “skincare”. Not hugely over the top, but cleanse, tone, eye cream, serum, moisturiser. And within weeks I looked so much better. I got ID’d buying alcohol for the first time in a decade (at the age of 36!) I don’t do it religiously, and I’d never get Botox etc, but seriously, I am never going back!

And I’ve just posted on a zombie thread 🤦🏻‍♀️

I agree that most of the skincare products women are told they need are unnecessary, but each person is different. I don't use anything special, just soap and water to wash and then an exfoliating scrub, finishing with a moisturiser. If I didn't use those products I would have horrendous skin. As it is, it's not too bad.

I agree with you @GodivaEater.

But as someone with rosacea, it’s embarrassing and upsetting when people ask what’s wrong with your face because it’s so red - I’m currently using a lot of products on my face and it seems to be making my face better, although it’ll never go away completely. I suppose it’s like people with clear skin telling those with acne they need to wash more - I don’t, but I do need something to target the problem areas.

OMG!

ZOMBIE 🧟‍♀️ ZOMBIE 🧟‍♂️ ZOMBIE

How annoying n

Creams are ok but botox is a million times better!