Skin care - need a 'wonder brand'

[permaquandry]

Been using Clarins for a few years. Although my skin feels nice and is probably better than using cheaper brand, it STIlL lacks elasticity and radiance.

Can anybody recommend a tried-and-tested range of products for slightly oily but dehydrated, 35 year old, pale skin with freckles and fairly deep pores on chin/nose? (Sound lovely, don't I?) Ta everso.

Hi there!

Creme de la mer do a range for oily skins...their products are fab!

Check your diet - add loads of veggies, cut out sugar and you will be amazed. If your diet isn't up to par no skin cream in the world is going to make your skin look good.

Thx for the replies. I was afraid of hearing that madhousewife but I think you've hit the nail on the head. I don't eat any fruit and I eat a lot of cake/chocolate (I mean, A LOT ).

I eat plenty of veg, drink at least 5 large glasses of water per day and max 2 coffees. So maybe it is the amount of sugar I consume that's causing my lacklustre skin?

I am slightly underweight, so my skin has no 'plumpness' either. I worry that if I cut out all the rubbish sugary stuff, I lose too much. (Goes off to find an apple and cancel my pastry order......)

La Roche Possay is good, and not too expensive, but yeah, sugar is awful for skin.

Hi there, your skin sounds quite similar to mine. I have just started using a new range of products but it's too early to say if they are good or not however I'm feeling very hopeful that I may have finally found the answer to all my skincare issues. www.skinessentialsbymariga.com. I filled out the skincare analysis form on her website and sent photos of my skin to her and then she emailed me back with an analysis and recommendations. The good thing about her is that she doesn't try to get you to buy all her products upfront, she recommends the ones most beneficial to try first and also advises which of your current products you should keep using or chuck! I had been using Liz Earle and while she said I could still continue with the Superskin moisturiser she told me to stop using the Cleanser and Toner.

What is elasticity and radiance though?
Usually no one brand is good for everything or everyone.

Trying to decide what you need and then finding (for me) the best and cheapest product to give me it is key.
I thought I was doing a better job spending more and more money but it was money down the drain.
I spent ages on Eve Lom and blamed all the spots etc on make up and diet again, again, again.

Aha is good for sun damage, brightening and supposedly is pore refining. I have been really happy with the peter Thomas Roth 10% glycolic acid moisturiser

Lush seems to do wonders for my skin, the staff in the shops are very helpful and let you have decent size samples to try too.

Liz Earle, i will never use anything else now, i look 10 years younger than i dd in January before i started using it

I'm another Liz Earle fan but yeah, diet is key and getting enough sleep (often difficult with young children!). Do you use a gentle facial exfoliator once or twice a week? That should help too. Also try a facial oil, really massage in the products.

I dont think there is such a thing as a wonderbrand unfortunately, each brand does a great product, it all depends on your budget - I have same skin as you but am particular in that I won't use anything containing silicone, mineral oil or parabens, so that's most boots/dept store brands......
just started using a clarisonic which helps, am also on the face peel thread, and great believer in face oil at night.
Currently my routine is coconut oil for make up removal, then antipodes face wash with the clarisonic, then a combination of aesop/antipodes/dr alkaitis products interspersed with Suti and whatever else I'm testing (I review beauty products)

liz earle cleanse and polish is fab and not too pricey, I also advocate using a water based serum before your face cream, am and pm

origins

I use such a mix of stuff, some no 7, some soap and glory, some origins, some elemis.

Maybe instead of cutting out things (i.e. cake!!) try just adding good things - that way you won't feel like you are denying yourself. My diet can get pretty horrendous when I am stressed and busy at work - loads of diet coke and chocolate during the day and loads of wine at night. I started adding something called supergreens (capsules or powder that you add to water or juice) that contains spirulina, wheat grass, and a few other amazing ingredients and I did get loads of comments from people saying I looked a lot healthier and my skin has been better.

Have to say I'm a major Clarins fan and do have good skin . Have you reviewed which Clarins products you're using at one of their contours recently?
Their new Vital Light range is aimed particularly at radiance , for example.

Btw don't work for them - in fact my real top favourite is Sisley but they are outrageously expensive and Clarins more affordable. I personally have no time for Liz Earle at all though these things are very personal .