Advice on the best facecare

[jessmay]

Hello! I wanted some advice on a good face care routine / products to use.

I have just passed 35 and have pretty good skin but am starting to show a few lines around the eyes and want to try and avoid looking old! I am ashamed to say I use cleaning wipes and that's about it. Without makeup my skin is uneven, dull, open pores and also dark circles under my eyes.

I really wanted to start to look radiant and glowing! I don't mind spending a bit of cash on getting the right products or miracle creams.

I have quite normal skin with no issues but it can get a few hives on it if I put anything too radical on it. My complexion is quite yellow as I have Mediterranean heritage and I also have freckles.

Cor...this post makes me sound a state! would love some advice though

Wear sunscreen on face but don't forget the backs of hands. Moisturise face, neck and décolletage. Never quite convinced that there are special creams for each age of skin, just find the moisturiser that works for you. I do not use a moisturiser at night, and have only found it recommended by someone flogging a product, but if it makes your skin more comfy then go for it. Dermatologists say that spending less time in the shower will do as much for keeping skin moist as tons of cream.

Tinted moisturisers/BB creams are good for everyday use but you do have to shop around, some are thin, others almost kabuki-like. I could kill Nivea for changing the formula of their tinted day cream.

I've strayed a bit from the face, I see.

I don't have perfect skin - but the best way of keeping it in some semblance of order is to keep things simple.

Wipes are a bit of a no-no, I have heard. They are okay as a one-off - I have used them for removing makeup after a big night out. But in general i find that a plain, simple face-wash works best. I tend to use Cetaphil wash if no make up, or a Boots sensitive skin soap free wash if I have worn make up (as the cetaphil does not remove it very well).

Moisturise according to skin type - mine is oily - so i use a Green People day cream - contains an SPF but isn't too sticky at all. I don't always moisturise - depends how my skin feels after washing.

Eye/neck creams/serums - dunno. I haven't ever used them but I suspect that really, less is more.

Facial massage and vitamin C are good for glow. I've been using Body Shop Vitamin C capsules and they've definitely perked up my dull (not enough sleep) skin.

If you don't want the faff off make up removal, then cleansing or double cleansing something like Superdrug Naturally Radiant hot cloth cleanser is good at doing the job in one go and you get nice exfoliation from wiping it off. The muslin cloth you get with it is okay, but a flannel is even better.

I use Boots Botanicals foaming face wash and BB cream or their hydrating moisturiser for daytime.

Warm water and coconut oil at night.

Not a clue if it does any good tbh but it makes me feel better about my dull, spot riddled skin.

I've never looked back since I've converted to an all natural basic skin care. Removing make up and washing the face at night with the oil cleansing method, good instructions found here www.fushi.co.uk/healthy-lifestyle-news/oil-cleansing-method-for-glowing-skin/. Then my favourite moisturising treatment at night is rosehip oil, and in the morning I like to use moringa or tamanu oils, I sometimes also add a drop of lavender, geranium essential oils. My skin has never looked better

I like Clinique's Take Off The Day Balm for makeup removal and general cleansing. I hear that the Bodyshop cleansing balm is also very good (and almost certainly cheaper.)

I do a double-cleans once a day (at night before product application) with a non-foaming liquid cleanser and a Boots No 7 cleansing brush (budget Clarisonic option.)

You say that your skin reacts badly to anything "radical." Most of the best so-called "miracle" products have ingredients that do something to the skin: perhaps a bit of glycolic acid to exfoliate or something like that. And the effects of these products are fairly minimal at best. I would recommend good gentle cleansing and physical exfoliation in conjunction with a gentle moisturiser at night and sun screen during the day. Nothing is going to actually remove those wrinkles around your eyes. All you can do is have the freshest, most radiant skin possible and prevent further damage.

Thanks all! So you don't hold much sway in the more expensive lotions and potions? A friend of mine uses Lancome creams and swears it's why she looks so young?

My sin tends to be fine with creams but it reacts a little to a lot of humf and bumf. Toner really stings my face (not sure if it does everyone's?) and if I mess around with it too much it goes a bit red for a while.

the wrinkles are quite small now, but I am finding makeup tends to clog under my eyes (maybe need to change concealer?) and eyeshadow can also get a bit stale looking.

I think there are some good products out there that cost a lot, but there are a lot that don't. Depends on how hi-tech you want to be most of the time. Start out with a good routine and you can always add to it later.

I think thats the fear, that I buy the wrong one that's expensive and makes no diferrence!

I always look at reviews from multiple sources before buying anything new, and find reviews by people with similar skin to mine, because everyone is so different and some people will post bad reviews when actually it seems they were allergic to an ingredient, etc.

I'm 33 but most people think I'm 27ish (a few people have asked whether I was still at university when DD1 was born). I've always used Clarins moisturiser. I use that every morning (I don't use face wash in the morning) and at night I take my make-up off with Avene cleansing milk then rinse with water, sometimes moisturiser too. Once a week I use a Clarins oil (I have the one for oily/combination skin but there are also formulas for dehydrated and dry skin) overnight. I also take a cod liver oil supplement everyday and a perfectil multivitamin. I drink 2 litres of water and eat an avocado a day too. Diet is very important IMO.

My mum has only ever used Lancome (I remember going to the counters with her as a child) and she looks fantastic, so your friend might be onto something.

Oooh, yes to fish oils! I take omega 3 and eat a lot of salmon, and drink about 6-7 pints of water a day.

Loafers is right, skin care can't perform miracles -- the best way to improve your skin is to eat well, get your vitamins in, drink enough water, get enough sleep. I say that knowing how difficult it can be (can't say I always do!) but it's the unfortunate truth.

Otherwise I'm a big fan of Avene products, they are very gentle and good for sensitive skin (I sometimes get hives too). I use the gentle cleansing lotion and also the micellar cleanser -- it's not a toner that stings, it's a very gentle liquid that is great for your pores (I can't get facials and previously had lots of clogged pores and blackheads, this got rid of them). They do some nice moisturisers too. You can get them all at Boots usually.

A good source of info for skin care products is Paula's Choice website. She does sell her own line but also has great impartial reviews of most products. (The main limitation being that it's an American site so you might not find everything on there in shops and vice versa.) She has a long history of writing about skin care and cosmetics from a pretty cynical and honest POV. She's very good at pointing out things like "this supposedly soothing balm has peppermint oil in it, which is an irritant" or "the supposedly main active ingredient is so far down the ingredient list that it probably isn't present in adequate amounts to do anything." She will also point out when the pH of a product isn't correct for expected benefits or when packaging may sabotage the efficacy of a product.

With her guidance, I was led to try the Olay Regenerist range, most of which she rates quite highly.

If your skin is sensitive then I recommend that you try one new product at a time. If you go in for a whole new regime at once and break out, you won't know which element is the problem.

Fab, thanks!!!