Dull, grey skin...feeling old :(

[Blithereens]

I'm only 32 but my skin is starting to make me look much older. I don't have wrinkles, but my skin is just grey-looking and dull and has dry patches as well as blackheads and the odd spot!

Background: I suffered terrible acne as a teen and young adult, until I was put on RoAccutane. This performed the miracle of ridding me of the spots, but I do still have discolouration scars (not pitting) and my skin still marks very easily if I get the odd zit. It's very sensitive and 'burns' easily if I use harsh chemicals.

At the moment I cleanse with babywipes and moisturise twice a day with Estee Lauder Visible Difference, and exfoliate with St Ives several times a week. I get enough sleep and drink plenty of water. After I came off RoAccutane I had lovely, glowing skin for years, but it's all gone down the pan since I hit 30!!

I feel like the wipes aren't enough, so I'd like recommendations for a gentle but thorough cleanser, maybe with exfoliating properties, and maybe some sort of brightening serum? I've heard good things about Liz Earle and Clinique, any thoughts? When I look in the mirror I feel like I'm in black and white!

Baby wipes are awful on my skin, really harsh!

I use a cream cleanser, massaged into dry skin then wiped off with a warm flannel. I then splash face with water because I don't feel clean unless I do .

Mornings my face gets rinsed off in the shower then wiped with eau micellar on a cotton wool pad.

Moisturise morning and night, apart from one night a week where I use alpha h liquid gold.

My skin looks better than it did when I was washing it twice a day with face wash.

Oil cleansing method was the worst thing I have ever done to my skin, I really wanted it to work as well

Babywipes just don't clean your akin properly i don't think. I've used Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish in the past and found it great but it was just too expensive to keep using. I've recently been using Superdrug!s own hot cloth cleanser and it's fantastic. My skin seems more "glow-y" and def. not so dull. I'll definitely be trying other items in the range.

IMO exfoliating your skin that often won't be doing it any favours. I know there are some massive exfoliation fans on here who will disagree utterly with me, but my skin is super sensitive and if I exfoliate more than once in a blue moon it makes it far more prone to issues for weeks and weeks afterwards. When I do exfoliate I use a non-abrasive one like this clarins one which brightens up my skin.

Baby wipes are also usually quite harsh and stripping (I use them for getting horrible stains out of the worktops!).

I used Liz Earle for ages, then had a random reaction to it and have never been able to use it since, but I think it's good. Although I'm sure there are cheaper versions that are often recommended on here - somebody will link, I'm sure. I use a one step cleanser because I am bone idle. I also really really rate using a facial oil at night. I alternate bottles of trilogy rose hip oil and lotus oil - I always feel like by the end of the bottle my skin has kind of got used to the product and the results aren't as good, and switching seems to improve it. That is entirely likely to be my perception rather than reality though!

cross posts - it was the superdrug one I was thinking of.

I agree the wipes aren't working properly, but when I started using them it was because my skin wouldn't tolerate anything else except Lush's UltraBland, which I loved the results of but just found using it to be such a sticky faff! It took me longer to clean off my hands than my face

What cream cleanser do you use, Freakoid?

John Thanks for that, I will look at the Superdrug one! The Liz Earle does seem very pricey

Are you drinking lots of water?

Hopefully I got into the habit of it when my skin was flaking everywhere and now I find if I don't do it, the blackheads build up.

That Clarins cleanser you linked to does look really nice!

Bits, loads! I rarely drink anything else tbh, even given up the booze to see if that helps.

i've started using the sbc range from qvc and my skin is looking brighter. i'm 34 and i just looked old all of a sudden. i do think it has improved in the last few weeks.

I'm not that fussy about the cream cleanser, just use whatever, but at the moment I'm using an eau avene thermale one I got free when I bought another product and it is lovely.

Are you getting enough sleep? I've noticed I look so old and washed out by not getting my beauty sleep since having my second baby.

I get plenty of sleep. If I look like this now I dread to think how it'll be when I have DCs. I'll scare them

Haha. We probably all need a decent tan.

Thanks for the advice, ladies! I'm off to Superdrug to get the hot cloth cleanser, for a start!

Blithereens, I'm currently on Roaccutane (and very encouraged that your spots went away!). Skin is very sensitive and dry at the moment so am using La Roche Posay toleraine cleansing cream which is very gentle.

You're exfoliating your skin far too often, weekly is sufficient.
Baby wipes are not good for your skin, abandon that!
Oil cleansing method for cleaning skin.
Moisturise using a natural product such as shea butter.
Get facial for blackheads.

Video it was like a miracle! I had a very strong dose and had to stay on it for six months. The side effects were nightmarish (I had nosebleeds, blackouts, total loss of night vision, the works!) but it was WORTH IT. Enjoy the journey to clear skin!

I LOVE the Pure range from M&S - it's very Liz Earle-esque and really is fantastic! Used alongside the Soap and Glory 15 minute face peel (used once or twice a week) it's improved my quite oily skin no end. I can't recommend it highly enough.

something like the body shop camomile cleanser, wiped off not scrubbed, then a very gentle face wash and a good moisturiser and possibly a serum, I am currently using a body shop vitamin e one and its nice. the secret is routine, a regular routine night and day but not wipes they are the devils work a toner too is good something like a micellar (sp) liquid then exfoliate once a week and use a face mask weekly too.

Okay I got the Superdrug radiance hot cloth cleanser (on half price, sweet!) and rushed home to try it like the very cool and interesting person I am. I thought it wouldn't make my face feel properly clean but on a first-use basis it's AMAZING. I loved the way the muslin cloth felt, and the smell and texture of the cleanser are lovely too. Have to wait and see if it helps or if I get a reaction, but using it was lovely!

I'm going to see how this works out for a week or so, then start implementing your other suggestions too.

Glad to see you've ditched the wipes - ditch the St Ives too.

I really like Caroline Hiron's blog for advice on routines and products. Can I suggest a balm cleanser (e.g. From the Balance Me range in Waitrose) too? The new Body Shop 8 hr Vit E serum is really nice and not too spendy.

Any chance you're low on iron? My skin is tired, grey and old looking when my iron is low.

I would perhaps try some facial oils.

The most effective are the pure organic oils. Things like pomegranate and raspberry kernel oils. Rosehip is often recommended for scarring.

I would also recommend oil cleansing but without the caster oil. Just a pure oil such as rice bran oil (good for removing makeup) or hazelnut (high in protein).

That said as you've had roccutane and acne, I don't know how you feel about putting oil on your skin.

I would avoid anything harsh. And avoid toners (full of alcohol or alcohol derivaties -harsh drying).

I suffer from rosacea (different from acne) and the medical advice is to avoid all oils on face. However I've found that using oils and cleansing with oils has improved my condition no end. I tried it out of desperation and actually found using oil free products was making my skin so much worse.

I can fully understand if you don't want to try any oils. That said pomegranate and rosehip oils can reduce redness and scarring.
Don't buy expensive blended luxury oils. No need buy basic pure unblended organic ones. I get mine from Akamuti www.akamuti.co.uk
Very reasonable prices.

I've used Liz Earle in the past. Very good. Don't use the toner. Just the polish and cleanse and moisturiser. Very calming and nice on skin. A few too many chemicals for my liking though which is how I started OCM and pure oils.

I really like the superdrug hot cloth cleanser too. I use Aldi serum and moisturiser as I have oily skin and it's the only one I've found that is moisturising enough without breaking me out in blackheads.

I find Elemis Pro Collagen Cream Cleanser is great when my skin is looking grey and old. India Knight was raving about a (£££) skin reviving mud pack in ST's Style on Sunday.