to think that spending a lot of money on face creams is pointless?

[MaMaLa321]

I'm in my 60s, and, for the last few years, have been spending a lot on face creams to try and keep wrinkles at bay (unsuccessfully). Like £50 a pot. My skin is ordinary, aging, skin.
At the beginning of lockdown I started using an all purpose cream that costs £7, and I don't honestly see any difference to the effects from the more expensive cream.
Do posters think it's worth buying expensive face creams?

It depends on the context. I don't buy expensive anti age creams, though i do use a bit of retinol. But my face cream is expensive because I have rosecea and sensitive skin so am limited as to what I can use. When I find one that doesn't irritate, I stick with it. Even simple irritates my skin for some reason, as does E45.

However I do think ageing is genetic, though you can accelerate it by smoking or tanning. My family always look younger than they are. My mother is mid 60s and people often say she looks almost half that. I am coming up to 40 and look a lot younger - people never believe me when I tell them. I don't have any fine lines at all. My grandmother barely had wrinkles at 80 and my mum's hair is still mostly black. It is a bit weird to be honest. We all have the same medical conditions too.

I do think you can help yourself more with lifestyle than creams. I don't drink, have never smoked, eat a lot of fruit and veg and drink a lot of water. I never tan and have never sat out in the sun without factor 50.

I will add that I don't use moisturiser my skin flakes off, it is really dry. I don't really want to try and push through, leaving flakes of skin everywhere to see if my skin improves.

I use aldi too.

It was worth spending money for me.
I don’t wear makeup, and went through phases of either just washing with water, or using supermarket-bought cleansers and moisturisers - own-brand, simple, nivea etc.
My skin was awful. So, so dry. I had rough patches and even flaky patches. I’d slather moisturiser on a few times a day but it was still dry. And so many wrinkles and fine lines.

My sister decided to help, and I learnt about the skin barrier, rosacea and all sorts. Now I have a skincare routine that actually doesn’t work out that expensive, but my skin is amazing in comparison. For example, my night moisturiser is around £33, but lasts a couple of months. The day one is similar.

For me, it’s been very worth it!

I've used Aldi creams before and they bring me out in whiteheads, it just shows that one size doesn't fit all, there's something out there for everyone expensive or not. I also like Nivea vitamin C sleep cream.

The only range I found made any difference was the Skinceuticals ones. They are ridiculously expensive so I now make my own.

I have some skin damage from when I was younger but I don't need to wear foundations any more and my skin is soft and well balanced.

Serums have more active ingredients than moisturisers so best to spend more on a serum

I find the idea of just using water on your face quite disturbing. Even if you don't wear make up, sweat, dust, dirt etc still build up. I remember the first time someone showed me that using a milk cleanser - put some on my (I thought) clean face, then wiped it off with a cotton wool pad. The pad was totally brown. Clearly dust/sweat etc rather than the dark colours of make up. I have never got into bed at night without cleaning my face in some way since.

my skin is probably okay with very basic routine. But it definitely is brighter and healthier looking with the use of carefully applied products.

I always laugh at people who say you can see botox. No, you can't. You can see bad/over done botox. Well done botox is subtle and at best, you might think the person looks well.

It' like people who say fake tan always looks fake. Again, no. Bad fake tan is obvious. good fake tan, well applied, is not.

I find the idea of just using water on your face quite disturbing.

You wouldn't want to be anywhere near me then, I only ever wash my face with a flannel and warm water. Sorry if that disturbs you

For me it's about prevention rather than cure. Have a good routine and good creams at an early age and you're laughing. Start up late and try to use fillers, repair the damage etc, I think it's a hiding to nothing.

I've used good creams since I was in my very early 20s, I'm now 50 and my skin is still good. My resting bitch face has no crows feet, lip lines etc. My 11s are visible but that's more genetics as my Mum was the same.

I have tried Aldi/Boots when I've been a bit skint, I may have not noticed a difference initially but after a while I notice my skin drying out, getting patchy etc. When I go back to using Estée Lauder it looks so much better

@RunningFromInsanity

For the last 15 years my mother has been using an expensive ‘anti aging’ cream on the left side of her face and normal moisturiser on the right. After 15years there is no difference between the two sides.

Wow, I commend her, offering her own face up to science!! Did she want to know if it worked or not/

I switched to Aldi 2 years ago, it's just as good!

Drink loads of water and wear a high SPF is probably the most effective ‘skincare routine’. I’m also a fan of cheap moisturisers for that reason, It’s moisture, nothing more.

Face creams are pointless imo, yanbu.

In the morning I use cheap and simple sun cream - straight from a bottle that's meant for all over body wear. In the evening I use cheap and cheerful coconut oil which I buy from the cooking section of Aldi. My skin is fine!

I think there's so many variations
From genetics to lifestyle to hormones to skin type. Then there's your skin might look ok but could it look better? Are you wanting to help prevent ageing, look less oily, improve redness etc etc etc
For me I want to protect my skin and help ageing so that's SPF and retinol. Which also means I need to cleanse, and moisturiser because retinol can make you flaky
Also have hormonal acne and wear makeup so that's a factor too
Plus stuff like city or country, cleaning mud or pollution off!

'I find the idea of just using water on your face quite disturbing. Even if you don't wear make up, sweat, dust, dirt etc still build up'

I dont get it either. I wouldn't dream of getting in the shower and washing my body with water and nothing else. How can you thoroughly remove sebum, sweat, dirt etc with only water? I'm certainly not saying you need a posh fancy cleansing oil or anything, I just dont see how water could be enough to keep your skin healthy

I always laugh at people who say you can see botox. No, you can't. You can see bad/over done botox. Well done botox is subtle and at best, you might think the person looks well

I disagree. You can see Botox, even when it's well done, it's just less obvious. I have seen really bad ones where you spot someone on the street and they have that telltale frozen expression.
But I have also seen some well done ones which you have to look carefully to see it's Botox. You can still see it though.
A couple of women at work regularly get Botox, and like everything else they do / own, it's done at a naice place by a highly qualified practitioner. When you spend time with them you can see their faces don't always move "right", it's subtle but it's there.

YANBU definitely. I use Boots Soltan factor 50 facial sunblock as my daily moisturiser. It's a lot cheaper than expensive anti ageing creams.

I also use olive oil as a serum and and a not top of the range Olay night cream at night.

I rub my face with water in the shower, and I occasionally put a light moisturiser on.

I don't get spots or blackheads and my skin feels fine. I go with 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' I guess.

I also quite often don't wash all over my body with bodywash or soap - just the bits that seem dirty.

I think you can generally tell if people have had Botox. I have it myself and this doesn't bother me but I'm not secretive about it.

A pp is right, it doesn't make you look younger. I'm 40 and I look 40, but I'm not trying to look younger. It does make my wrinkles disappear but that doesn't make me look 25, it just makes me look like a 40 year old with fewer wrinkles.

No cream is going to make you look younger either. Youthfulness is about various factors and your face is just one of them.

I think you can generally tell if people have had Botox. I have it myself and this doesn't bother me but I'm not secretive about it.

A pp is right, it doesn't make you look younger. I'm 40 and I look 40, but I'm not trying to look younger. It does make my wrinkles disappear but that doesn't make me look 25, it just makes me look like a 40 year old with fewer wrinkles.

No cream is going to make you look younger either. Youthfulness is about various factors and your face is just one of them.

@Lottapianos Each night I use a creamy Nivea cleanser and cotton wool to remove make up and dirt etc, then warm water in the shower. Dry my face with a clean fluffy flannel or towel. Then I use Nivea Soft moisturiser and go to bed.

I used to use face washes but they're so drying and chemically, my skin was constantly flaky and gritty so I stopped. Now it feels and looks so much more even.

@JamesZebra

sorry pressed submit before I had finished. My point was in the past I have used cheap brands and a lot of them are full of rubbish. They pack products out with really cheap ingredients that are not great for your skin. I invested in a better quality product and 1 I use much less so it lasts longer and 2 you can see the difference in the results. I personally think you have to find what works for you but sometimes you get what you pay for,

And what you pay for in expensive products is frequently the cost of advertising and packaging as opposed to better 'quality' products.

@Lottapianos

'I find the idea of just using water on your face quite disturbing. Even if you don't wear make up, sweat, dust, dirt etc still build up'

I dont get it either. I wouldn't dream of getting in the shower and washing my body with water and nothing else. How can you thoroughly remove sebum, sweat, dirt etc with only water? I'm certainly not saying you need a posh fancy cleansing oil or anything, I just dont see how water could be enough to keep your skin healthy

Mine's perfectly healthy thanks. I don't have a sweaty or greasy face. A face is hardly an armpit, with aponine glands is it? Warm water works for me, skin is in great condition.