My skin is awful - what skincare range and routine would help?

[SoftKittyWarmKitty]

Over the past couple of years my skin has been getting worse, and I think it's partly my fault as I've never stuck to a decent skincare routine, just using whatever's cheap . I also think it's partly my age (39) and partly hormones. My nose has always had massive open pores on so I'm used to them now and don't think they'll ever reduce, but recently I've had a lot of small spots on my forehead that are a bit sore and itchy. I don't think it's an oily area, in fact it sometimes looks a bit dry, especially where spots have been. My forehead is pretty spotty at the moment . I also get similar spots on my cheekbones near the hairline just in front of where my ears are, and I also get them on my chin especially around the jawline. On the apples of my cheeks I sometimes get larger itchy spots that are a bit like hives. These are really itchy, raised and red but only last a day or two. I'm lucky as I don't have many wrinkles yet but obviously want to try and prevent any more from developing just yet.

At the moment I use Boots eye make up remover pads to take off eye make up (have used these for quite a few years as they take waterproof mascara off well), then use a cream cleanser on a cotton pad for the rest of my face (at the moment I'm using a 99p Wilkos cleanser ). I have a tub of Nivea that I'm currently using as moisturiser but I don't like it tbh as it's too thick. I don't use toner, night cream or eye cream.

I have no idea where to start and need some help. I'm willing to pay for the right products if it helps my skin to improve - I'm 40 in six months and would prefer not to look like a spotty teen by then. Any suggestions?

I would invest in a much better cleanser. I think that Créaline is excellent at getting all the dirt off and it doesn't irritate.

And please stop putting Nivea on your face, it's far too heavy.

I would start by checking that the sore red spots aren't a sign of rosacea, rather than acne - I have sensitive, rosacea prone skin and sometimes get spots like that on my jawline. If it is that, your GP can prescribe antiobiotic cream to clear them up, and you should switch to a skincare line aimed at sensitive skin like Avene or La Roche Posay or Liz Earle.

Or it might just be that using a cream cleanser then putting a layer of Nivea over the top is trapping gunk in your pores and making you break out, in which case I'd start with a good facial somewhere, and see what the facialist says.

But yay for the lack of wrinkles!

Strip your skincare right back to cleanse tone moisturise. If you want to still be able to buy at more cost effective prices then try the Simple range - pretty much all chemists and supermarkets sell it. Buy yourself some cotton/muslin face cloths and be religious about cleansing - full routine morning and night. Still use your boots eyemake up remover (I'm guessing the blue no7 one - it is very good) before you cleanse, then cleanse your skin thoroughly and use one of the cloths dipped in hot water to remove it. Dip the cloth in cold water (ie run under cold tap) and place over your face to close your pores. Then tone, then moisturise (really massage the moisturiser in to where you have wrinkles and where you are likely to get them).

You need to do that routine for at least a month so that you can access what your new skincare needs are and get the right product to address it - do too much at once and you will confuse your skin and you won't know what specifically is working for you (which = lots of wasted £££££).

I don't think price matters - in fact, I've read in a few places that the cheap stuff normally has fewer chemicals than the expensive and is therefore sometimes better.

I find the superdrug own brand skincare stuff really good.

When I started using this scrub from Boots people actually commented on how great my skin looked - and it does! I get a lot of spots and it really helps control them.

So I'd recommend cleanse with wash-off cleanser, tone, moisturise and use that scrub once a week.

I started off with Liz Earle products but soon realised that they work because you are using a warm muslin cloth to remove them and this gentle exfoliates.

Now I use any cleanser that doesn't irritate my skin - Olay is good so is Garnier and remove with a muslin cloth.

I am using Olay's new eye make up remover in a white tube -it's a cream and removes even the toughest waterproof mascara while being very gentle too - again, use with a warm muslin cloth :)

If you can afford it I swear by dermalogica products, I have had crapppy skin most of my life.
I have been using their products for a year and my skin is the best it's ever been.

It does sound like a hormonal thing going on too - wouldn't hurt to take B vitamins and perhaps evening primrose or borage oil which is v good for skin? Number 7 do a really good micro-exfoliator in the Total Renewal range too. Bio-oil is great for everyday as well as it doesn't leave any shiny residue so you can apply it and then just blot off the excess when you are ready to do your make-up.

If you have irritation around your hairline, I would revisit whatever hair products you're using. I find overly perfumed shampoo etc wreaks havoc with my skin.

I use the St Ives blemish control scrub in the shower with a hot flannel most mornings, and find that combined with Weleda almond oil day cream it's really helped with the weird dry bits/spots combination I get in the winter.

I'm the same age as you and I had some similar issues. The first thing is that pores aren't windows or doors, you can't 'close' them, but you CAN clean them.

I poured over this site and took her advice, bit the bullet and bought the Emma Hardie balm cleanser (although she also recommends boots organics balm cleanser if you're on a budget, which I am, but I ignored it haha). I've added a glycolic liquid thingy (alpha-h liquid gold not too bad on ebay) and an oil and my skin is currently amazing, I almost don't recognise it as mine! The cleanser seemed SUCH a ridiculous waste of money, now I view it as a necessity!

If you find you need more, a BHA (as opposed to an AHA) will clean INSIDE the pores to help with that issue - I've got some from paula's choice, and she writes about it too so you can read about it. www.paulaschoice.co.uk/

Good luck!

Kitty, retin-A lotion has been absolutely amazing for my skin. It comes in different formulations based on your skin-type but it really does work wonders for pores and making your skin look more even. You need a prescription for it and you must wear a good quality sunscreen and stay out of the direct sun (you should anyway--La Roche Posay Anthelios is excellent) but it's a wonder product. Great for acne and wrinkles too.

Use a gentle cleanser like Cetaphil and a light moisturizer (The Boots ones are good and inexpensive). I wouldn't go near Nivea or cream cleanser unless you have really, really dry skin (if you have large, open pores I'm guessing you don't). Drink lots and lots of water and take a fish-oil supplement. Healthy fats are your friend. Good Luck.

Yr description makes those spots sound like roseacea, that's exactly how mine manifested itself. What's sorted mine is oil cleansing method - do a search. Instead of fighting my skin by stripping it of grease and then making it over- compensate, now it is much more balanced and I've not used the special roseacea gel jn over a yr.

I agree with sassy it does sound like rosacea,I have it and have used the antibiotic gel from the gp but this stopped working after 6 months,am now about to try the ocm and have bought a glycolic product to help too.

Thanks so much everyone, this thread has been really helpful to me. I've looked up rosacea and the symptoms describe my skin, so I might take a trip to the GP next time I have a flare up.

In the meantime, after spending half an hour in Boots reading skincare packaging, I've bought some Soap & Glory products - a cleanser, a scrub and a moisturiser (on 3 for 2 ). I've also got some muslins for the cleansing bit. Hopefully my skin will start to improve but if not I'll try the Avene or La Roche Posay products.

sounds great! It might be worth holding off on the scrub for a few days though, in case it aggravates the irritation you've already got. The S&G hot cloth cleanser plus muslins will give you light exfoliation naturally.