My skin is such a mess

[IAmAPaleontologist]

I'm so run down at the moment, I'm knackered, I have eye bags down to my knees.

What can I use?

I don't wear make up. Ever. I have occasionally flirted with the idea and bought stuff. I used that garnier under eye stuff with concealer for a bit but frankly I can't be arsed.

I used to moisturise daily but the last tub of cream I got (think they are olay, it was on offer) started making my skin all greasy feeling so I stopped.

I've now not used anything for yonks but feel I really need it right now!

Ages ago, must be 3 years ago or something, I product tested a fabulous Origins serum for MN. I was in a similar state of knackeredness and it felt so lovely on my skin. I just looked it up and it costs £50 a bottle.

What else can I use? What serums and things are good but rather less expensive?

IMO creams and lotions are just an extra.

The most important thing for good skin is lots of sleep, good food and water.

i have crappy skin really- quite oily, spots often - but if i eat well and drink lots of water and get sleep - then I can look so much better.

My current faves are The Green People products though. I use the Gentle Cleanse Gentle Cleanse and sometimes follow up with the Day Solution moisturiser Day solution

i hate wearing make up so perhaps everyone has got used to my'natural look' ha ha.

Sadly sleep is hard to come by .

I eat ok though have a tendency to shove crap in my face after long shifts, and now I'm back in uni rather than on a ward where the staff kitchen is over the other side and no drinks are allowed at the nurse's station I should be back to drinking enough too.

Definitely no make up. I really can't be bothered and I don't see the point. But sometimes I feel that something to help me out might not be a bad thing

I think you should need to start an active and healthy lifestyle. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day and do some workouts. It will help you have a beautiful skin. Protect your skin from sun damages by using a good sunscreen. I don't wear makeup too but this routine helps me a lot.

Oh yes I'll start going to spinning classes right before my 13 hour shift! and I'll leave that woman whose baby is crowning and my postnatal who is on pain and wants drugs while I go get a glass of water.

On my days off I do go running when I can. And I do drink water. But I am a student, I have study to do and this weekend I have 3000 words to write so I will be mostly sitting at a desk.

If you can't do lifestyle changes I would go down the make up route.

I read 'The Beauty Myth' and remember the writer saying that expensive lotions and potions do v. little except make us poorer.
Make up does at least do something where you can see a difference (not that she was advocating spending £ and time on it).

So Nivea do a decent tinted moisturiser for under £5, so you'd be doing two things at once with that product. Then perhaps some cheap mascara, cream blusher and a tinted lip balm and your done!

Problem is, on this board, it's a slippery slope once you start I find (Ms Wolf prob not v.happy with me now)...

Oh I absolutely do not intend on doing make up.i just want a skin serum or moisturiser that doesn't cost the earth and isn't heavy or greasy. I tried tinted moisturiser or bb cream or something a while back but I hate the feel of it on my skin.

Is your skin oily, dry or combination? It's hard to recommend moisturisers without knowing. You could try basic Nivea for dry skin, Boots own for combination skin (there's an unscented one in a blue bottle) or something from the Body Shop's teatree range for oily skin. You also need to make sure you clean your face well to get rid of daily grime, sweat etc. I'd just use a gentle cleanser (Simple or something-formulation doesn't matter too much-I usually use creams/lotions). Rub it into your skin then use a flannel to wipe it off. You can do it in the shower.

Drink plenty of water.

That is the lowest maintenance 'routine' I can think of!

The only way I know to reduce the appearance of eye bags (not dark circles) is to put a tiny dot of concealer right at the bottom of them-so don't try and cover the whole thing, just right at the bottom and blend. That way you're minimising the shadow it leaves and it makes them look better. But if you don't want to wear any makeup at all then you'll just have to put up with them. No moisturiser or serum will get rid of them.

prettymel is right about exercise by the way, although your sarcastic response suggests you think otherwise. You don't have to join a gym or do vigorous workouts. Just walk as much as possible (sounds like you have plenty of walking at work anyway), take stairs instead of lifts etc.

well if it was me I would give myself a pamper day when you get the chance. Face pack, hai mask and a lovely bath. No matter how hard you work, you need to make time for yourself or you will burn out. Just a thought, you sound a bit stressed tbh. Maybe it would be helpful if looked at what you have on and manage things so it includes a bit of me time? You deserve it

I often work 13-14 hour days plus travel but I still get some exercise in - either I run like you or go to a class / swim at 6am or at, say, 9pm. Kills to begin with but the benefits soon start to show - better skin, more energy etc.

A basic skin routine would be to use a cleanser - any cleanser for your skin type - apply with hands, massage in & then remove with a hot, wrung out flannel as per PP.

Then moisturise. Boots have that range that people rate - different name for each skin type / age I think but I know someone who worked on that advert where the women couldn't look in the mirror for a month and she said you totally saw a difference. Mid range - say around £20 a bottle I think?

Use an exfoliator a couple of times a week followed by a mask and you'll soon see an improvement. But yes yes to sleep, lots of fruit and veg and water also.

I'm not trying to be a martyr, I know a lot there are of course lots of people working longs days. I'm just in a slump. My commutes a long, fitting things in around them is pretty impractical, dh works away a fair bit too so usually if I'm not finishing late then I can't fit exercise in because I have to be back to pick the dcs up from childcare.

Peaks and troughs this studying lark and at the moment I'm in a bloody deep trough and study, placement, piles of deadlines, crazy timetable, small children and no sleep are taking their toll. We run March to August before we get any break which is a flipping long time!

However tired and busy you are, being bitchy and sarcastic to people who are trying to offer you support doesn't make you look very good.

SO - you want your skin to look nice but you don't want to spend much money or exert much energy, yes? I offer you: Avene products. They are lovely and light and gentle, nicer to use than Origins and much cheaper - and they were on 3 for 2 at Boots recently, so might still be. I am a total convert.

And a bit of blusher never did anybody any harm. Benetint is expensive but lasts forever, feels really light and non-makeuppy and just gives your face a bit of a lift.

Olay total effects 7 in one does a serum/moisturiser combined in pump action bottle. It has SPF 20 and sinks in very well. Take it down to your neck and chest as well. Even if you use no other make up - a tinted lip balm may bring a cheer to your face. Also you might try one of those exfoliators. They have them in Boots and Superdrug. If you take baths you can put it on whilst in the bath and then wash it off afterwards.

Whilst studying, give yourself a 20 minute break and just go for a brisk walk taking a water bottle with you. It is helpful when your mind is just full of cotton wool and you hit a blank.

Superdrug Naturally radiant range does a good serum and a mask (can also put that on in the bath and then washoff afterwards). Try a wash off cleanser even though you don't use make up.

Good luck with your studies. You are doing yourself a favour if you drink more water - a dehydrated brain is no good for anyone!!

I see the problem with exercise. But (there is always a but) it helps you deal with the cr*p too. I am a convert to 30 day shred, which takes 27 minutes in your own home and only needs you to have a bit of space near you television and some handweights. It talks a lot about daily etc but in truth anything is better than nothing. And you get damn thirsty so it makes you drink too!
Otherwise, keeping the skin stuff simple and not bothering with make up will help too. Lots of good advice already on that. A gentle exfoliant will help too. Maybe one of the microfibre face towels you get from Amazon very cheaply. They helped my skin and work fine with a cheap cleanser.
Good luck

Cleanse and moisturise twice a day, just use a nice cleanser like Avene, follow with a tinted moisturiser for day, and a richer cream for night time.

I agree that if you want nice skin it takes a bit of effort - I never used to wear any makeup , now I wear a little every day and it makes a huge difference, I look much more awake and presentable and never have that grey and dull look I used to have. It doesn't have to be a huge faff - I just wear a little foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix serum) applied with fingertips, a little cream blusher from Clinique, and an eyebrow taming mascara thing by Sleek at Superdrug. Just 'me but better'. I never wore makeup pre kids, and the makeup I wear now isn't noticeable but definitely makes me look more youthful and glowy.

In terms of magic potions - cleansing your face gently twice daily and massaging in a moisturiser is more important than the specific products you use. But if you want a 'treat' product, I'd recommend Neal's Yard Rose Facial Oil. It smells lovely and seemed to make my skin tone more even. Just apply a few drops after cleansing face at night, massage in and follow with a basic moisturising cream.

And please don't be sniffy about people who wear makeup - it takes me less than 5 mins, costs hardly anything and makes a huge difference. And I have a hardcore job and two toddlers.

I don't get the impression the OP was being sniffy about wearing makeup, more realistic that she's unlikely to stick to using it.

I think if you've always worn makeup it's hard to understand that for some people it's just not something you do from habit. I have never acquired the makeup habit, and at my advanced age, I don't think I ever will. For me makeup is something you do maybe twice a year for a big evening out.

For me, wearing makeup when I've tried it in the past hasn't really helped with crappy skin - partly because I get big lumpy spots which just look more obvious and ugly when coated with concealer etc. The only thing that's helped with dull looking skin for me was a lavender colour corrector from the Body Shop - unfortunately they stopped making it years ago and I've not seen a replacement. It was just purple goo that you smeared on your face and it made me look pink & healthy instead of grey & yellow.

Have had a bit of a breakout recently, and went & bought a facemask (Quick Fix Facials, Purifying Charcoal Mask for congested & lifeless skin, black tube with white & blue lettering from Boots on their 3 for 2) which seems to have helped - I stick some on before I go to loo and clean teeth, and that gives it the 5/10 mins you're supposed to leave it.

I find that a facemask feels nice (at least for a few hours afterwards) and does seem to help my skin a bit when it looks tired.

Duh ThisBitchIsResting I totally failed to read your post properly! Sorry. Misread that you'd only started wearing makeup after kids.

OP - re study and fitting it all in, if you have stuff to memorise, then I used to find helpful to pick a small bit, writing it on a card, and then taking a 5 min break where I went off and did something physical that didn't involve talking to anyone so I could just repeat it to myself and check the card briefly if I got stuck. So I could go load a wash in, or do some sit ups, whilst still having my mind on studying IYSWIM? Writing the card for me to check seemed to be important, otherwise I lost track and just got frustrated, and getting up and moving around woke me up a bit.

Have to say am in awe of your schedule. Sounds incredibly tough.

Oh gosh I'm not sniffy about make up, I'm just not a make up person.

Shall take on board cleansing advice and have a look at some suggested products.

Oh and I managed a run today. Though only 643 words. ds1 vomming, dh now in bed feeling crap. Do they have deadline sensors or something?