Please take a look at my skincare regime and tell me if there's anything missing

[naturelover]

Morning - wash face in shower with Simple foaming cleanser, then use Eucerin SPF15 moisturiser

Evening - Cleanse & Polish, followed by Liz Earle moisturiser

Twice a week I use gentle Avene face scrub in place of Simple cleanser.

Once a week a Liz Earle mask in the evening, either the deep cleanse (if I have PMS/spots) or the brightening one.

I am resolutely low-maintenance (believing, rightly or wrongly, that no cream can perform miracles) and a strong believer in lifestyle and genes having a bigger impact on ageing.... however, I do wonder if maybe a serum or facial oil every day could help.

I am 39 and my skin is pretty good - I reckon I look my age.

I'm a big fan of facial oils or serums. I'm an oil in winter/serum in summer type.

I like liz earle super skin or decleor aromessence. Find it really protects in winter under the moisturiser.

The only thing to think about is whether the water in the shower is drying. I have normal but sensitive skin and hard water makes my skin taut, so I've never used water on my face since I was about 12 except for a damp cotton wool pad to remove the last of a milky cleanser.
I totally agree with you re. skin care coming from lifestyle and diet etc. Do you use any products with sunscreen every day? I've always used City Block (Clinique) for over 20 years now,so sunscreen really is a must even if you do nothing except walk from the car to the office because it's the low does UVA/UVB over the years that does the damage.

Yes annhathaway I have used a daily moisturiser with sunscreen since my teens. But equally I don't avoid the sun and enjoy having a bit of a tan in the summer...

I will look into the superskin and decleor, thanks Laurie. I keep seeing ads for the Sanctuary facial oil, which is affordable. Anyone tried it?

Stop getting a tan on your face anyway! You also need to use an SPF25 at least and apply enough.

REN Omega 3 facial oil is quite nice too.

I'm with Ann, I've not used water on my face since I was a teenager because it makes it feel dry & tight. Nor alcohol.

Also, like Laurie, I'm a fan of oils and serums. If I need a toner I use Roberts rose water which has no alcohol in it.

If I were you I'd be using a rich night cream like Neal's Yard Frankincense Nourishing cream or Guinot Intensive Nourishing cream, and also regular oil treatments and serums to keep your skin moisturised & prevent lines.

I don't think you can prevent lines with creams- they are caused by loss of collagen and this is accelerated by sugar in the diet ( lots of articles on this from dermos- online.) The majority of lines are caused by sun damage. It's not lines that are so ageing it's folds and jowls and these sometimes happen with yo-yo diets, as well as normal ageing.

Another vote for liz earle super skin , just gorgeous and a little goes a long way. My skin has transformed and not a single dry patch even with central heating on a lot. I alternate it with moisturiser at night time

Have you looked at Caroline hirons blog? Lots of info there.

It's literally life changing.

I only started yesterday though so no change yet.

Linky

I don't think you can prevent lines with creams

I disagree, lines are partly caused by the thickening of the dermis, and by loss of water and oils held by the epidermis. Dry air, central heating, wind and water can dry out your skin, which is why I don't use water.
There's loads of info available from dermatologists emphasising the importance of moisturiser to hydrate your skin.

However, I agree that you can't prevent sagging and jowls with cream, and that that sun damage is a major cause of lines.

Yikes, that blog... lots of info but I'm way too low-maintenance to have such a regime! And I talk as someone who has religiously cleansed and moisturised since I was a teen. I hoped that was enough.

I should probably increase my SPF in summer. And eat less sugar - good tip. I have such a sweet tooth but I do believe 95% of my diet is good. I have never smoked and hardly drink (about 5 units a month!)

On the upside, my weight has always been stable, apart from two pregnancies.

I like the idea of a facial oil - will look into that.

Thanks everyone

You can prevent your skin drying out by applying moisturiser, but dry skin doesn't mean wrinkles- it means dry tight and maybe flaky skin.
I'm not convinced wrinkles are caused by thickening of the dermis- if they are, it's a reaction to sunlight as the skin protects itself ( leather skins??) and the collapse of collagen in the deeper skin layers- that's why injected volumisers like Restylane work because they plump the skin back up .

Sorry that was a typo, it should say "lines are partly caused by the thinning of the dermis" (what you referred to as "loss of collagen").

My point was that lines are also partly caused by loss of water & oils held in the epidermis. Dry skin is not just more susceptible to cracking & flaking but also to thinning. That's why it's important to keep skin moisturised from without.

But at the end of the day, if someone has a shit diet, smokes, sunbathes, no amount of topical moisturiser is going to help.