My skin is awful! Please help.

[Jezabelle]

I need to sort my skin out. I am 37 and I think I'm starting to look old. My skin is definately dry, it often feels dry and has dry patches around my nose. I get quite a few spots too, mainly around my chin. I'm sure this is caused by hormonal inbalance.

I have been having big money problems lately and haven't really felt able to spend any money on myself. I have a rubbish moisturiser and haven't had any face wash for over a month. My SIL usually gets me a nice face wash at Christmas but didn't this year. So, I want to sort my skin out on the cheap! I'm thinking up to £20 on face wash and moisturiser. Thought I might get a St Ives scrub too as I remember these being good from years back.

Any recommendations much appreciated. I am in your hands and will do whatever you say!

Hey Jezabelle, your skin sounds similar to mine, spots included! Here's what I use and it works for me:

Morning - cheapo Nivea cleanser, remove with either damp cotton wool or flannel/muslin run under warm water. Give dry skin on nose a right good scrubbing.
A couple of drops of Superdrug Vitamin E oil (£2.99), pat all over face and neck, leave to soak for 5 mins
Astral cream (about £5 for medium size tub) all over face and neck, leave to soak in about 10 mins if poss, then on with makeup.....
I also use Dermalogica Solar Defence Booster SPF30, either under Astral or mixed in with Astral, but of course you can skip this, it doesn't add much in way of moisture, just SPF

Night - Hot Cloth Cleanser, I use No7 which costs about £10 but Superdrug do a Vitamin E one which is about £5, I'm sure it's perfectly fine. Scrub those flaky bits good and proper with muslin or flannel!
Few drops Vitamin E oil, same as in morning
Then either Astral or Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter (about £3)all over face and neck. I sometimes use almond oil (about £2) at night instead of moisturiser but have found it left skin feeling a bit tight, so prefer to use cream

That's my regular routine. There are a few little extra treats I use, nothing massively expensive, so let me know if you want more info

this is great.

liz earl cleanser with the superskin moisturiser or oil to use at night, you can buy trial sizes. Bare minerals has stopped me from getting spots which i would get from other 'wet/liquid' foundations i think they used to block my pores, the concealer isn't too great sits in my lines so i use benefits erase a paste under my eyes, make sure you moisturise well be using mineral foundation.

thanks all. I always associate Astral with the old! Ok, I realise I'm no spring chicken, (37) but thought it was more for OAPs! However, at that price I'm willing to give it a go. It's encouraging to hear that your routine works for you JosieRosieand that you have the same skin type.

DDD, I remember being interested in the oil cleansing method some time ago but for one reason or another never gave it a go. Is this something you use? How long have you been using it and does it really do as it says on the tin?! Any info on this method would be great as I'm seriously considering it. Also, is it just a cleanser, (so I'd get a seperate moisturiser), or does it cleanse and moisturise?

miche, think these products are out of my price range unfortunately . I'll look into the trial size though.

I second the recommendation for the no.7 cleanser. watch out for when Boots are giving the "money off no.7" vouchers, which they are at the moment. this halves the price. i find this cleanser really good and it suits my sensitive skin more than the liz earle one. the cloth that comes with it is too small though and a bit scratchy so I use a flannel or some old liz earle cloths. (you can buy the cloths seperately at liz earle if you like)
also look at your diet to improve your skin. eat plenty of protein and good fats in the form of oily fish and nuts. my skin's improved immensely since i've started taking fish oils, so much so I've switched to cheaper versions of much of my skincare. the one thing is spend ££ on now is eye cream, which i get from clinique when they have the gift-with-purchase.

I have been oil cleansing for over a year or so. My skin is similar to yours. I am 40 but this system really cleans my skin, and gives it a lovely glow. Got rid of most off the spots too.

Never had a spot in my like till I had DD at 33, then my skin went all teenagy!

I use bio oil at night, that really has made a difference to the quality of my skin.

My life, not like, doh!

I am also 37 and suffer with spots on my chin/jawline (and have done for as long as I can remember ).

I found a solution about 12 months ago and the difference is amazing. I now use Benzoyl Peroxide (on my chin/neck/jawline only) but as part of a particular system of washing and moisturising designed for acne (check out www.acne.org for the full description). I honestly can't praise it enough.

As for cost, I buy the Benzoyl Peroxide from online chemists and it costs about £5 for a tube which lasts for about 2 months and then I also use the Boots no7 basic foaming cleanser (£8) and Boots no7 basic day moisturiser and night moisturiser (£10 each) - I replace these every other month maybe but always buy them when they are on 3 for 2 offers so it costs me about £18 usually every 2 months or so.

Quite reasonably priced and very effective - I get a spot about once every 3 or 4 months now (compared to having at least 1 huge spot on my face at any one time), the rest of my face is now generally soft and not dry as I moisturise twice a day and my confidence is SO much better now

my skin had been absolutely dreadful for months, dry and peeling at the top of my forehead plus red and blotchy. i tried loads of thingd, including the famed eve lom cleanser. made a marginal difference.

then i tried this stuff.... origins make a difference . my mum gave it to me last christmas, and it had sat unused for almost a year. after using it once, i could see a difference, and after a week or so of use, my dryness has cleared up completely and i am a lot less red and blotchy.

i have been using it with this origins cleanser but i'm not sure whether it helps or not, i think it is really the toner that has helped.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I'm going to try the oil cleansing method to start with and then move onto the other recommendations if it doesn't work for me.

Just wanted to ask DDD, where do you buy your castor oil? Just had a quick look online and there's a massive difference between the price of organic and not organic. Does this matter and do you use organic? Is it important to buy from a well known seller as you can guarentee what's in the bottle, or just the cheapest? I'm thinking of just buying a 100ml bottle as I'm guessing this will last for quite a while? So,if that wasn't enough questions for you, where do you get your Bio oil?! TIA. x

I have always got them both off amazon, or ebay, same with the bio oil. If you buy from a reputable seller with good feedback you shouldn't have any problems. I just buy the cheapest. The bio oil is cheaper if you buy a bigger bottle and it is gorgeous smelling. Massage onto your face at night.

Do be prepared for a few spots when you start, it really clears your skin out.

On the days I don't oil cleanse I just use aqueous cream to de-make up.

Thread on oil cleansing.

Thanks DDD. I'll order some oils and check out that link tomorrow. Am knackered and late nights aren't good for my skin!