I'm in my late twenties and want to start taking care of my face, where do I begin and what should I use?

[mummymummypony]

Its not that I haven't been taking care of my face already, but I would like to do more than moisturise daily.

I have developed huge bags under my eyes from an erratic sleep pattern over the last few years, and would love to know what you ladies use to cool and soothe the delicate eye area, as well as what eye creams are best for keeping the thin skin around the eyes hydrated. Under my eyes isn't so much dark as it is swollen and puffy with a touch of grey.

What face creams can you recommend? Right now I use the same cream I use for the rest of my body, but would like to upgrade to something better and something that can help prevent wrinkles.

Does Sudocrem really make a good makeup primer?

My suggestions would be the book Pretty Honest by sali Hughes and have a look at Caroline Hirons website she has cheat sheets on the right hand side

I really like Clinque's All about eyes cream and second reading Caroline Hirons blog.

Ah, the late twenties, happy days...at your age I used Nivea Q10 and at night used nivea blue pot cream under my eyes. At mid forties I am still not very wrinkly round the eyes.
Please don't forget your neck and moisturise it every time you do your face.
You can massage the under eye area to help with bags.

Consider using a sunscreen on your face every day. I've used Clinique's City Block under make-up for years and it has helped to ward off the wrinkles.

Definitely sunscreen, high UVA protection EVERY day. It prevents sun aging.

Caroline hirons is very good.

La roche posay do very good cleansers & moisturisers.

Thanks ladies!

I didn't realise anyone had responded so had abandoned this thread

You've given me some great tips on where to start. Will investigate and see where it takes me. Unfortunately I can't use the sunscreen as I need as much sunlight as I can get from UK weather or suffer from low vitamin D for the rest of the year. I might be able to get away with it on the hottest days of the year but that's about it.

I will definitely be investing in some of the Clinique City Block and will try out the eye creams to see which is best for me.

I have always had problem skin so have tried just about every skincare product going, cheap and expensive. The best I have found, and have never gone back from using, is Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser, toner and moisturiser. It's so gentle but effective. Also , Sudocrem is good for spots over night but certainly not for under makeup!

Just marking my place!

I'm 32 but feel like I've aged ten years in the last 2. :(

Agree with the sunscreen recommendation. Can you not use a supplement or get the sun elsewhere on your body? Because it really is the no 1 thing that will prevent wrinkles. Soap and Glory do a Spf 50 one (think its called make yourself youthful or something) that is very quickly absorbed and can be worn under makeup.

I'm mid 30s and have been using Nivea q10 for the last 10 years ish, my skin seems to be doing ok. I'm less wrinkly than many of my peers but that's also due to things like good genes and not smoking.

My other tip would be sunglasses whenever it's sunny. People used to laugh at me for being a poseur and wearing sunglasses in winter: not sure why you wouldn't if it's sunny?!? Squinting and screwing up your eyes is not good at any time of year.

I do the sunglasses thing too, no wrinkles here!.

Sunscreen. SPF50 everyday.
Supplement with Vit D.
The rest is whatever keeps your skin comfortable.

Yes to a daily high SPF moisturiser and sunglasses.

Forget sunbathing! I was a vampire in my twenties - never sunbathed , always wore factor 50 and wore sunglasses always - and its paid off in my late thirties.

For me, puffy eyes are never really reduced by masks and creams. Getting enough sleep, drinking loads of water and avoiding booze and caffeine are the only things that help, but I appreciate that might be a boring lifestyle at your age .

I used Origins eye creams at your age. Nice and light and easily absorbed.

sunscreen as mentioned.
don't smoke.
eat properly.

what else would help:
-choose correct parents

• never show any expression

clearly you can only do three of these!

no cream or potion does anything. We would probably have heard a lot about it if a miracle had been discovered.

Have to disagree with the sunscreen, sorry!
I can recommend coconut oil daily.....that is a natural sunscreen anyway.
Also a vit d supplement.....but a high one.

Coconut oil is a natural sunscreen?

Sounds like Internet (non)Science to me.

Oil Cleansing Method for taking your make up off at night, then moisturize with Camellia oil, it is suitable for day and night. If you want something more intensely moisturizing for night, I'd suggest Tamanu oil.

My sister is three years older than me, but looks waaay younger. I look older than I am.

We have similar colouring, skin tone, etc. The difference? I have smoked since in was 13, I used sunbeds a lot in my twenties, and I rarely used sunscreen.

My sister hates the sun, slathers on protection, couldn't lie still long enough for sunbeds and has never smoked.

The result is that she is in her mid 40s, but everyone thinks she is 35-36.

Gah.

Daily SPF - have been wearing since 18. Now into my thirties and still wrinkle free ish.
I don't have as much disposable income these day so have have abandoned the posh brands like clarins Esstee Lauder etc and switched the French pharmaceutical brands like la roche posay and Vichy. Just as good and half the price - feel unique is a good site to get them from.
Spend on what you leave on ie moisturiser save on what you take off - cleansers - I use boots no 7 hot cloth cleanser when I get a £5 off voucher.
Once I am done baby mKing I am going to experiment with retinoids but staying awY for the time being

Oh agree with verge tere about the sunglasses. I always drive with sunnies whatever the time of year. I have no crows feet. Reccomend getting an eye cream with SPF too. There aren't many for some strange reason - dermalogica ( a brand I have mostly gone off) do one that is good - total eye care so I still use that.

coconut oil is a sunscreen??

That's from one of those websites written by the super-stupid who think all chemicals are bad.

no evidence at all that I can find. Happy of course to see a test for it showing if it blocks any UV rays worth mentioning.

www.alternet.org/5-top-consumer-product-myths-debunked