can someone reccommend a product to make me look better please?

[lizandlulu]

i am a motehr of 2 and work outdoors, i have done since leaving school at 16 and am now nearly 32. my face is looking decidedly rough i work in a dirty environemnt too and my skin can look congested.

my skin is dry, can be flaky and sensitive, but not overly so. i am starting to get fine lines and have high colour. i dont want to end up wit skin lke leather. i neverl ook radient and bright

i use a facial wash and decleor hydra floral face cream every day, but think i need something else and wondered if any of you know of any wonder products? i dont mind the price. i am willing to spend if it is really good.

can anyone advise me?

blimey are you a farmer?

no i work in a scrap yard

are you using a sunblock every day? I'd say that's the main thing- how about cityblock (clinique) ?

no, i THINK the cream has spf in it, but i dont actually use a seperate sunblock

I used to work outdoors a lot as well (not in a scrapyard!) and have really pale skin, didn't wear enough sun cream when younger and now it's sunblock and water all the way

has definitely helped with the congested-ness (if that's a word) and stopped me looking so 'ruddy'

Olay Regenerist Three Part Treatment Cream is lovely - I'm using it as a night cream and massaging it in before bed. I've also used it as a face mask and it's lovely and brightening.

Yes to SPF in the day though - I'm not using one at the moment and think I probably ought to (am much older than you!).

Products with AHA (alpha hydroxy acids = glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, mandelic acid) would do the trick. You will need to spend some money to make sure there is enough % in the product to make a difference.

I'd recommend some brands but I don't live in the UK! I'm sure someone else can though.

You will need to use a decent sunscreen and a hat though.

Otherwise I love Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - its amazing! But expensive so ask for a sample first to make sure you like it.

I would highly recommend taking a look into the dermalogica range, having worked with a number of products as my time as a therapist, this range always gave good results.

The two products I would recommend taking a look at would be the daily micro exfoliant, a powder that you mix with water for a gentle yet effective exfoliater and the multi vitamin power recovery mask.

The mask is really a wonder product, I use it on burns, sunburns, insect bites the lot.

Wow! What a fascinating job! Yes, you definitely need sunscreen. Even in winter.

thank you for all the recomendations! the estee lauder night repair sonds good, i like the word repair

I don't think hydra floral has SPF in it.
I'd go to a decent beauty salon, maybe one that does decleor or dermalogica and start a regular maintenance programme with them. I'd be careful with starting anything with aha in it coming into the summer months, it will make your skin super sensitive to the sun.
If you have high colour, don't do too rough a treatment, that will make it worse. I think dermalogica do a cream for treating and preventing high colour on cheeks.

Olive or avacado oil are good for nourishing the skin overnight and will be greasy enough to let you do a facial massage for 5 mins or so before sleep.

a brown paper bag?

This cream is great, you use it day and night for 3 weeks and it really makes a difference, at least it did for me anyway.

Sorry to disagree -i didn't find soap and glory good or estee lauder advanced noght repair. Maybe i'm looking for a miracle. Currently trying Snoxin. Will report back

lizandlulu- have just discovered a very cheap but face-changing discovery! Superdrug Vitamin E Hot cloth cleanser is blissful to use and leaves my skin clear and supersoft (no more flakiness!!).

I follow this with a night cream from the same range and my skin has never felt better! Lancome expenses are gone forever-woohoo!

Firstly, you need to use a sunscreen with a very high SPF and reapply after lunch.

At night before you apply a night cream, massage an oil into the skin; avocado, almond, coconut - whatever you fancy. You can pick them up at a chemist. This should keep them skin moist and reduce some of the inflammation.

Use a sunscreen every day, use almond oil with the OCM - basically what itdidn't said!

gossipmonger i might LOOK like a brown paper bag soon if i dont get myself sorted

apple99 i actualy have some of that in the bathroom, but was slightly scared of using it as it said something about sunsensitivity on the packaging.

doublehotesspresso the hot cloth cleanser sounds good, i do use a muslin cloth with my face wash, i prefer a wash of cleaser rather than a cream cleanser, but would try it if it is good. is the cream perfumed?

No it's unfragranced and hasn't given my sensitive skin any problems yet.
The hot cloth thing has been a revelation for me......... no more pricey stuff for me!

Liz it sounds like you have the start of rosacea, and certainly a high degree of sensitivity.

I have suffered from rosacea for some time, and have tried every product known to man.

However, I always go back to Liz Earle. Although I just just the cleanse and polish and then a moisturiser, nothing else. LE stuff does not have an SPF in though, so you would need to get that too.

However, I find my skin's condition is always affected by diet, stress, and weather conditions. I would take the time to do a bit of a food diary and see if your skin is better or worse after certains. I find tea and wine are the worse culprits.

Good luck.

Be careful with some sunscreens, especially chemical ones, as they can really aggravate sensitive skin. Mineral or physical sunscreens can be better. Or a hat.