to ask you to educate me about the whole "skincare routine" thing? I look like a swede that's past its best :(

[Greensleeves]

Always been a soap 'n' water girl, not had any major skin problems since my teens apart from cold sores and the odd breakout due to stress etc.

I'm 41 and I'm suddenly noticing LOADS of new wrinkles, I've always had a deep line in my forehead (since I was 16!) but now there's another one above it, fine lines around eyes, tear troughs, starting to get wrinkles around my mouth now as well. I'm not particularly vain (and am fugly anyway) but for some reason it's bothering me. Probably because I'm also perimenopausal and just feeling a bit old and out of sorts.

I have the following products (Christmas gifts, mostly: Garnier Skin Active Micellar Water, Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Complex, Olay Firm and Lift night cream, day cream, eye renewal gel and face wash, a Lush citrus sandstone soap that exfoliates REALLY aggressively, various Simple face washes and a tub of coconut oil.

So...what do I do with them, in what order, how often etc? And is it possible to improve my grotty old face, or should I just accept it?

Lol at this, am very much in the same boat and staring at concoctions in the cupboard. One thing I have started is using an spf 30 moisturiser every day, in a bid to stop the situation spiralling further! Better late than never I hope...

Use miceller water to clean off face make up if you wear it,moisturise morning and before bed.Once you get into a routine it will become the norm

So do you use the micellar water instead of washing? And should I use any of the anti-wrinkle stuff?

Sorry I'm being thick!

So I use an exfoliator, then boots no7 triple action day cream and then night cream both for 30 year old and plus every day and it seems to have helped

Drink at least 3 litres of water a day. It starts off sounding like madness but once it becomes habit you'll really notice a difference all over your body; I bloat less during my period now I drink more (sounds like madness but true).

Watch Caroline Hirons on YouTube and listen to her advice; she's a skincare genius.

Learn to double cleanse.

Moisturise but use the right stuff for your skin; The Ordinary is very good and if you email them with concerns, skin type etc they will advise you where to start (and their products are ridiculously cheap).

Cleanse with whatever product
Use regen firming then night cream at night and eye cream
Use moisturiser in morning post cleansing
Use lush on body and coconut oil on dry spots of body and lips
Hth

Watching with interest (sorry no helpful advice ) I have huge bags under my eyes (not so much bags as a whole set of luggage) - have been putting some eye cream stuff on them but it doesn't seem to have made much difference.
I've also suddenly got spots - I'm 59, what's that all about ? - nasty sore spots on my chin
I wish I could peel my face off and start afresh.

I'm 50.

I had to start the whole, face peel/mask and morning/night routine.

I've tried elemis, but have settled on Superdrug's Retinol range.

I use a few the Ordinary products, which are good.

You need Retinol and collegen.

You cleanse with the M Water of a night. Use the face wash of a morning, but you might find it drying. So you can use the M Water instead. Your Olay product goes over your day cream.

Okay so I’m sure someone will disagree with me but personally I would advise:

Don’t put the coconut oil on your face.

Wash your face with a face wash morning and evening. Just use the micellar water for removing makeup and then wash your face. Use the day cream and night cream after. Don’t exfoliate too often, and if it’s very scrubby I would avoid it.

I would also recommend a serum - Superdrug do some lovely ones for about £2 that are very moisturising. I would aim to hydrate your skin as much as possible so don’t strip away natural oils by exfoliating or tugging too much.

Pixi glow tonic! It’s wonderful!

This is what I use. Morning, wash with Your Good Skin face wash, then wipe over Nip and Fab Pad. Then number 7 serum and number 7 moisturiser. Evening: wipe off makeup with The Good skin cleansing wipe, Number 7 serum, number 7 night cream.
Works for me.

I second that you've suddenly got to look at your lifestyle.

I just throw in the Garnier Face Masks, or Superdrug's.

Because I'm skint.

If you go on The Ordinary website, they build a routine for you.

I definitely need to drink more water. And I don't sleep well, I guess that doesnt help either

So do you exfoliate every couple of days or so?

Exfoliate! 2/3 times a week, get your cell renewal going and nice smooth, refreshed skin.

I don’t use moisturiser contrary to common advice, a serum is enough for me. Depends on your skin type.

Cleanse thoroughly (double cleanse every evening), exfoliate regularly, use some sort of serum/moisturiser that suits your skin and it’ll make a big difference after a couple of weeks.

I wouldn't exfoliate at all. I have super oily skin that needs a lot of attention or it misbehaves. I double cleanse using Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser or Superdrug's own version, and I find the double cleansing means I don't need to exfoliate.

Pixi's Glow Tonic is fab and does the job of an exfoliator without dragging anything over your skin, but use it sporadically because it can be very drying.

Don’t do aggressive exfoliation though, not sure about that Lush thing you’ve got. I use dermalogica microfoliant which is pricey but lasts six months. Even gentle circular motions with a flannel will help.

At night I cleanse with Boots No 7 Hot Cloth Cleanser (smells lovely, lasts FOREVER) - rub it all over my face, get all the crap off, wash off with flannel cos the cloth that comes with it is rubbish.

Then I alternate between a glycolic acid gel (Superdrug, about £3, green tube) which I rub on, or The Ordinary's Buffet serum (about 7-8 quid).

Then Body Shop Vitamin E serum in oil, because I have a stupidly dry face.

In the morning it's just water and a flanner, then a day cream with SPF in (I like No 7's creams but they're expensive, Superdrug has some excellent ones for cheap).

@Greensleeves either or really,It'sa quick alternative.The anti ageing stuff use morning and night

Don't exfoliate- use an acid toner like Pixi Glow or any of a million others on the market. I like the Nip and Fab Glycolic pads for ease and the Okay anti wrinkle for cheapness.
Micellar water is apparently a bit Emperor's new clothes and not much better for your skin than those wipe things.
Double cleanse with ANY cleanser. Cheap as chips, olive oil out of the kitchen, whatever. You're washing it off in the end so it's £££s down the plughole!
Pay more for suitable serums for your skin type. Ask on the fantastic skincare threads.
Cleanse, acid toners, serums and actives, moisturiser (again, any old thing will do, the aim of a moisturiser is not to turn back the clock, that's what your serums and treatments are for). If you like them, a facial oil on top of your moisturiser - again one suitable for your skin (rose hip is massively popular but my skin is dry and rose hip does nothing for example)

The things which have made the most difference to my skin?
Acid toner
Vit C serum (Vichy do an amazing one that transformed my skin in a day, not joking)

Does double cleanisng just mean doing the process twice with the same product - or do you use different products ?
I seem to keep buying those cleansing wipes you can get (Olay, micellar water etc) are they any good or is it better to use a bottled cleanser and cotton wool pads?

Lush sandstone is a body or hand one, DO NOT use on your face, it's really rough!

By exfoliate we mean chemical exfoliation with AHA/BHA or Retinol, not exfoliants such as facial scrubs which should be avoided like the plague. I have a 6 step routine now which I'm really happy with but it took alot of research (and cash) to find out what worked for me. My skin really benefited though. Caroline Hirons is a good starting point although I'm very wary of the more expensive products she recommends. Her website is great though for getting an idea of what sort of routine you need for your skin type. I use a fair bit of Korean skincare which is amazing. If you can search out the Korean skincare thread on style and beauty (was a while ago) there was a wealth of information on there

Double cleansing is usually an oil based cleanser followed by a foaming cleanser, especially important if you use sunscreen

Anyone got good recommendations for under eye lines?

@BartonHollow I've been using the nip and fab under eye no needle fix, (and night cream too) and it seems to have made a difference!