Help me with my big, wrinkly but spotty face

[lizardqueenie]

Back from trip away with DD & Dh, just downloaded the photos- you know people have that moment where they see a photo & decide to loose weight, well I had that but also I need to sort my skin out!

I'm having monthly breakouts on my neck/ throat, chin & cheeks- horrible little red dots sometimes with tiny whiteheads. At the same time if that wasn't enough my skin has started to look old & my eyes look a bit "sunken".I lent forward into the mirror the other day to squeeze an offending spot & my far kind of caved around my eyes- when did this happen??! I looked like a pug dog!

Anyway enough moaning, I don't have a huge budget for this but do have bday & Xmas money left over i could throw at it- any ideas? Anyone else just want to come & weep with me? I am on the weightloss wagon- doing slimming world with good success so that should help my face get smaller- what can I do about everything else? Other than a skim of polyfiller?

have you tried peeling? its not as drastic as it sounds and has worked miracles on my skin I look all clean and glowy, no spots and i swear some of my wrinkles have actually gone, pores are minimal too. there is a thread somewhere about it with lots of detail, worth a look unless you have super sensitive skin. there is also one about a derma flannel which folk swear by for making them all glowy.

I have been a Liz Earle fan in the past but I don't think I was consistent enough with it maybe. I do like the feel of something you can rinse off but maybe I should give LE another try. I use a netrogena daily scrub (think I heard about it on here) started using that after the spots became a problem. Then weekly use a sanctuary warming deep cleanse mask.

Moisturiser wise I have been using a boots one for oily skin which is ok. I also use a mac primer when I'm at work to hold my mac up on, think its called prep & prime, has a bit of a funny shimmer to it.

I think I feel like I probably should make a bit more of an effort with it all.

Ooh where should I look for the advice on the peel Step? Skin
Isn't really that sensitive.

Well worth reading. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/a1696650-If-you-want-exfoliation-better-than-a-peel-imo-get-a-dermaflannel My skin got worse before it got better but I'm seeing great results now. After 10 years of anti biotics for my spots, I'm starting to wean off them and my skin is holding out so far.

Thanks Charliefox these look quite interesting! Do you just pop it in the normal wash? Could be quite a good combination with C&P. I ended up using my own flannels with C&P I didnt really like the muslin cloths.

I think you can wash it but it says defo no fabric softener. It recommends a hand rinse through with anti bac hand wash stuff.

Ah ok- sounds interesting. Maybe I should give this one a go.

Anyone have ideas on better moisturisers I could be using- something for spotty but getting wrinkly skin?!

I find REN to be very good.

The glycolactic mask is ace

Their moisursers too :)

Pricey though.

Off to google REN now, thanks Chandon. I actually think i might have seen some of their products in the larger boots near where i work- or am i imagining things?

I got a lot of info from Lisa Eldridge's video on her favourite skincare products (there are two parts). Since then i've stopped using moisturiser and swapped to a serum instead. It seems to be really helping my skin, though it still has a long way to go! I'm hoping to get the overnight Dermalogica serum next, when I have some cash to spare.

Spots and wrinkles are the bane of my life too... It used to be just spots.....

My GP says that spots around jaw line are hormonal, and losing fat will help as hormones are stored in fat - so you're on the right track. Maybe have your hormones checked, bloods drawn on day three of your cycle. You may be poly cystic?

If I want my skin to look good I diligently use cliniques three step cleanse tone and moisturise, and try and cut out the refined white foods.

Get a few samples before you buy at the counter. I find the number three salyciliate acid toner a godsend.

WW Those Lisa Eldridge videos are great! Thanks for the link, lots of good advice on there for make-up too.

Venus yes mine seem to appear not the week of my period but the week afterwards if that makes any sense at all.

Havent used clinique in years, I don't know why. Think it was one of the first skincare range i used. i wonder what you can use to hold back the wrinkles, particularly the under eye hollowness frightens me as it is suddenly there, but that wont make oily skin worse. Off to google clinque now too.

Your breakouts could be due to sensitivity and sometimes natural products with plant extracts or essential oils are the worst things to use. Perhaps try avene sensitive cleanser £8 with a muslin cloth gently and sensitive moisturiser with to see if it settles. Then if not add in la Roche effecar duo £12 good for spots both are available at boots brilliant products but not very glam.

I've been using the Bravura DermaFlannel on my face & am very impressed. Thinking of getting another flannel for my body. My face looks so much brighter the next day & help to bring the hidden spots to the surface. It's good :)

Oh Lisa Eldridge is AMAZING, but is dangerous if you don't want to spend. I love watching her tutorials, she's so calming and nice to listen to, but if she's using a product I have to try very hard not to buy it...........

I've been using the proactive system (you can buy on line & from Boots)
A cleanse/polish thing, a lotion & a moisturiser. I had hideous spots & wrinkles. Have been using the products for about 2 months & the difference is amazing! No more antibiotics for me. (Am 45 & have had spots since I was 13)
I'd really recommend proactive...best products I've used.

I buy salycic (sp?) acid from Bravura, I am loving their products at the moment also a fan of the derma flannel my skin feels really clean and pores reduced, glowy too. just need to get rid of a couple of dark circles under eyes and a few sun spots need to fade and i will dare to do without foundation! there is a thread http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/a1432574--sounds-klaxon-30-GA-peel-shizzle-that-you-can-do-at-home here

I buy salycic (sp?) acid from Bravura, I am loving their products at the moment also a fan of the derma flannel my skin feels really clean and pores reduced, glowy too. just need to get rid of a couple of dark circles under eyes and a few sun spots need to fade and i will dare to do without foundation! there is a thread [[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/a1432574--sounds-klaxon-30-GA-peel-shizzle-that-you-can-do-at-home here]]

bugga, forgot to convert link, try this

If you have white heads you are dehydrated.

I would go to a Neo Strata consultant and get a programme going. You have to put water based products into the upper layers of the skin though, I would not be using oil free for now.

Avene used to do something called Diacneal.
It did what it said - good for spots, but was also good anti-ageing - retinols and so on.
So two birds at the same time.
They might have replaced it with something newer.
Worth a look.

It's TriAcneal now.
Or try the Ystheal/Eluage range.

Murad also does a range that treats acne and wrinkles at the same time.

Ooh lots of lovely replies and a break from potty training

Thank you for all of the recommendations of products, planning to go through them all look at reviews and ££ and make a decision.

Coffee & lurking that sounds like the kind of duo type products i am looking for. Dont get me wrong, my skin isnt quite hanging off of my face yet but Id like to keep it as smooth as possible whilst not contributing to the greasiness. My Nan has amazing amazing skin and she is 80 next year so hopefully some of those genes will have worked their way to me.

WasWats interesting what you say about being dehydrated, think that could be a key here, this problem has started since i have returned to work and i am probably not drinking as much water as i should or i was when I was at home. plus week before last I had a stomach bug and couldn't even keep water down, couple of days later the breakout started.

The central heating has probably been blasting in your face at work / car / home so that will be taking the water out.

Have you ever tried La Roche Possay? They are fantastic products and fairly reasonable.

No have never tried that WasWats, just done a quick google and prices dont seem to be too bad.

From listening to the Lisa Eldridge videos I would say that I do have oily skin but get dry patches sometimes on my cheeks/ also a funny dry patch just at the top of my brows. I think i am going to need to change my foundation too- my MAC studio fix (power formulation) just isnt good for me anymore, it highlights all of the lumps and bumps, lines and dry bits and maybe my skin isnt oily enough any more to make it work like it used to. It ends up looking quite cake.