To find skin routines a con?

[pinkbottle48]

I remember we use to be always told to cleanse, tone, moisturise. Now we have to double cleanse (two different cleansers), tone, moisturise, prime, serum, facial oils, BB cream, night cream, eye cream (obviously not all in that order).
AIBU to think we being conned into buying more and more or does anyone actually find it works?
At the minute I cleanse (once), moisturise, eye cream and occasionally prime. It cost me enough but when I see other ladies with lovely skin/make up I do wonder is it their skincare routine?

I have a loose routine i guess. I cleanse every night to remove make up and moisturise/eye cream/use lip balm before bed. Then in the morning i give my face a quick rinse with just water. Moisturise again and then put make up on. Cleanser is garnier micellar gel, moisturiser from lidl and eye cream from £land new #6 range. Only 26 so no issues with wrinkles yet. When these products run out i generally try something new. Sometimes i use sheet masks, maybe once a month and occasionally if skin is feeling very dry i use facial oil from superdrug.

A lot of it is over priced rubbish. But if you do your research certain ingredients can be helpful.

The most important thing is a decent cleanse ( double cleanse is just a fancy way of making sure you do a good job) and sunscreen in the day time. This doesn’t have to be ridiculously expensive or high factor - just use enough to make it effective ( most people go too expensive and then use it sparingly which is a mistake).
Everything else is peripheral. Moisturiser only makes a real difference if you have dry skin. A basic moisturiser after a good cleanse just makes the skin feel nicer.

There are a few proven ingredients for anti aging which can help but should be used carefully - vitamin c, retinol/reton a. If you care about that sort of thing check out things like Caroline hirons, and beautypaidia to make sure you are getting a decent product and not getting ripped off.

But if you stick to cleansing and sunscreen you won’t go too far wrong.

Honestly, I think you are spot on OP. I am totally bewildered by all the different creams and reccomendations. I just wash my face in the morning with soap and moisturise.
I think so much is down to genes and lifestyle.

I love my skin routine. I love that moment of mindfulness in the bathroom when I can just be on my own and play with my products, with no fucker else bothering me.
My mum taught me to cleanse tone and moisturise when I was about 12.
I'm a holistic therapist and my favourite treatment to do is a facial. I have seen people's skin issues improve with my help.

If it's not your thing of course YANBU. Who cares?

I think it's one of those things were correlation doesn't always equal causation.

Someone might swear by their routine of virginal yak milk and have great skin, but the great skin might just as likely be genes/environmental/many other things. Or, it might be the yak milk. Who knows.

I'm cynical though as I feel like I took every bit of advice from clear-faced people I could find for about two years, and in the end it was the good old roaccutane that worked

I used to think this but I’ve started a decent routine since I hid my mid-30s and my skin is much brighter. It’s noticeable if I don’t do it for a few days.

I cleanse, then use glycolic pads in the evening followed by some serum. I then cleanse and moisturise in the morning. So the only additional step in there is the pads, as I would have washed my face and moisturised before anyway.

I tried retinoids and the like but they made me break out. I love the glycolic pads and serum though (both Nip + Fab).

Well you don’t have to buy lots of expensive lotions and potions if you don’t want to.

Personally I like having a skincare routine. I enjoy the process, especially in the evening as a wind-down before bed. I like choosing myself new products and trying them out. My skin genuinely looks better since I’ve started using acid toner as well.

And what the duck is a "double cleanse"? I don't double cleanse any other part of my body. I just wash it and moisturise (mostly because I like the feel).
I do use a moisturizer with SPF though.

I wash with a cleanser, tone (to wipe off any make up left behind) and I moisterise. I’m in my 30s. I wear full make up so I have to have a routine! Also have oily skin. I haven’t bothered with eye cream. Tried a sample Estée Lauder one for a couple of weeks and zero difference!

Op, you say skin routines are a con and in the same sentence say you only cleanse, moisturise, use eye cream and use a primer. Is that not a skin routine?

I should also says few extra pounds help, there's no wrinkles on a balloon

@ttcat "no wrinkles in a balloon"

Love it! 🤣🤣🤣

Absolutely agree. I do unfailingly use a cleanser and can’t recommend Lush Ultrabland enough, it’s the only beauty product I’ve ever used where I can say I notice a difference in my skin and I’ve tried many in the Clarins/Clinique price range. Lush not budget prices but lasts ages, goes a long way. Then I use whatever cheap tube of Nivea or Dove moisturiser they have in Home Bargains. Make my own brown sugar and oil scrub. Starting to get age spots so will be using a basic sunblock every day from now on.

@ttcat Enjoy a few burgers and look young. That’s a routine I could get into

Oh and micellar water is good for toning down over the top eyebrow tint

As someone who didn't bother with any kind of routine for a few years, I would say looking after your skin does make a difference! Beyond washing and moisturising and a bit of eye cream, I do think a lot of stuff is unnecessary.

Yes! I am 40 never used anything on my face other than water. Use a baby wipe to remove makeup then rinse with water. Never get spots have very clear skin. People are always asking what products I use. Same with my hair I have shoulder length very straight shiny hair people always ask what I use on my hair. Supermarkets own brand shampoo and conditioner! They always think I use some expensive salon stuff but I really don't!

@Andro - ‘micellar’ water as in water from your cellar with a typo or there is a thing called ‘micellar’

I wash my face with water and use a non expensive moisturiser. I've never had a skin routine, wouldn't even know how to cleanse and have never had an issue with my skin

Yes, it’s a con. I’ve saved a small fortune by only using soap and water. Since reaching my sixties, I just put on a bit of supermarket moisturiser after sunbathing or if my skin feels a bit dry. I think it helps that I’ve never worn make up, so my skin has never been plastered in chemicals and gets plenty of fresh air.
The single best thing for skin is to be a non smoker. There are shocking photos of pairs of identical twins where only one smoked - the smokers look ten years older and are far more wrinkled than their twins.

@elspeth

I think my skin looks better when I have a routine. I reckon glycolic works as does vit c on my pigmentation.

Some of the advice makes me think of the Simpsons, where the alien overlords convince humans to vote using complete nonsense

Well, my acne and acne scars have massively improved since I started using LRP Effaclar products, but I just wash with the face-wash then use the Duo serum. I got told off at a beauty counter for not using moisturiser after the serum, but I don't think I need it. I'm not convinced the face-wash is 100% necessary either!

When I was a student nurse, I had an 8 week placement on a dermatology ward. The consultant told me that the best skin care regime (to combat aging) to was to limit sun exposure, wear a factor 30 spf (min), not to smoke and the rest was down to genes. He also said that there was only so much cream could do and aqueous cream, Nivea or astral was as good as anything and that all the claims other creams were made were statically dubious due to the sample size. He said retinoids did help marginally but only those prescribed as those you can buy over the counter had such small doses. He also said that unless you were meticulous with spf when using retinoids you caused other issues and he tended to only use them for acne treatments - he did have a thriving private practice which was focused more on aging skin. That was advice given to me 30 years ago but i've stuck to it and it seems to have worked. However I still think a lot of it is due to genes, my dad had few wrinkles, I'm the spitting image of him and have few as well yet my sister, who takes after my mum ( who was very wrinkled and hated it) has far more wrinkles yet follows a far more expensive skin care regime than me.

It's all a con. I've found all you need for good skin is to drink enough water. For me, that's 3l a day.

I have good skin and have always been complemented on it. It must be genes too though as I used to joke it's all the vodka has pickled me lololol. I do get people telling me they think I'm about 23-25 when I'm 37. They never believe me at first. I still get carded for alcohol.

I never used to remove make up, now I just take it off with a wipe or face wash in the shower or sometimes misceller water & cotton wool. I've also got one of those no product make up remover towels that I sometimes use.

I then just moisturise with whatever I'm currently using. I loved benefits' cream but it doesn't have SPF and I'm not buying it separately which is how they sell it. I rarely use eye cream. I also rarely moisturise at night.

I try to eat lots of antioxidants though as well as drinking the water.

It's not all a con. Certain parts are expensive and unnessecary but I've never met anyone with "great" skin past the age of 40 who doesn't do something kind to their skin.

I double cleanse because it makes my skin look better. It might not work for some but for me it's noticeably brighter the next day. I use sunscreen religiously and at almost 40 the effects are noticeable.

It's an expensive game if you blindly buy everything hyped and recommended. If you work with the skin you have and find a routine that's right for it, it's nothing but another way to feel good about yourself. I love having glowy, fresh skin. I love knowing that I take care of it. This whole "I never wash my face except on Christmas and Birthdays" competitive stuff is as ridiculous as the other end of the "buy everything and expect miracles" spectrum.