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?

Thanks!

Ooh, why should scrub-type exfoliators be avoided like the plague? I was going to use the Olay Firm and Lift one which has exfoliating particles in it

Check out The Skin Nerd - she's an Irish based skin consultancy. Her team do online consultations and then they recommend products based on your skin's needs. Really knowledgeable and she's on TV a lot, does articles in newspapers about skin, products etc.

www.theskinnerd.com

Caroline Hirons has a lot of advice and she mainly advises against harsh exfoliators that contain micro beads or crushed kernels because they irritate the skin. Another person who reccomends the pixi glow tonic

suziepoozie what are the names of the serums in superdrug please?
My skin has suddenly gone awful, but I know it's the cold!

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?

I don't know about all of these products, but this is how I would probably use what you were given:

Evening: massage a lump of coconut oil all over your face to remove makeup and clean it (including your eyes if you wear eye make-up). Remove thoroughly with a muslin or flannel dipped in warm water. Then the Olay night cream.

Morning: wash face with one of the face washes, apply eye gel, then Wrinkle Relaxing Complex, then day cream. Make sure the day cream has SPF - I'd say at least 20, but most creams get away with 15.

I have no use for micellar water, personally, but it might come in handy when travelling on short breaks.

Things I would say this routine is still missing: a night time serum (to be used before the night cream), possibly a night time oil (to be used after the night cream). And maybe a daytime serum - I am not entirely sure what the Relaxing Complex is or does - it sounds like some sort of short-lived filler kind of thing, maybe?

Hope this helps.

I have huge bags under my eyes (not so much bags as a whole set of luggage)

Sorry this made me laugh so much.

Back to reading the thread now for ideas to save my own skin.

Forgot to say, I would also ignore the aggressive Lush exfoliant. And you could also do with using an acid toner or (non-scratchy) exfoliant every few nights - a few drops on cotton wool rubbed all over face and neck, or buy a tub of pre-soaked pads. Definitely make sure you use sun protection the following morning.

I imagine the Superdrug serum mentioned by pp is the Pure range, for the price it's really nice. One of my repeat purchases.
Be wary of contacting anyone like Victoria Health. They'll just tell you you need 8 different The Ordinary products.
Am interested in the No Needle eye stuff, I like the No Needle serum a lot.