My skin is shit and I don't know where to start to improve it

[Dullygreygirl]

I am so fed up of my skin it is dull, rough, feels incredibly coarse to the touch and gets very dry but also gets very oily at times. I get three or four spots a month around my period, which is annoying, but I'm not sure qualifies as acne?

I have no skincare regime (just wash my face in the shower) and I know I need to start. This is where I am totally, utterly lost. There are so so many skincare brands and while I'm happy to invest in good quality products like Dermalogica or Clinique etc, I really can't afford to waste hundreds trying them all out.

I would love to see a dermatologist for advice, and would love a facial to kick start everything. But again have no idea where to find good ones?

Where do I start?

Can anyone help?

Ok, great, thank you.

So ideally should all moisturiser I buy from now on have SPF in?

I don't wear make up every day. Maybe 2 days a week?

I think lots of people will differ on this, I use a moisturiser then a tinted moisturiser with spf, i'm still looking for one that doesn't make me feel like I have a dirty face if that makes sense!

You can use any type of flannel (check out the bath area in the supermarket) Sainsbury's do good ones but anything will do. Liz earl hot cloth is fab. get lots of them and then wash regularly (very hot) so you always have a clean one to hand. It's the gentle polishing that helps clean dirt off and stimulate the skin.

Has anyone tried using bio-oil on their face?

I started using this about a month ago and my skin has never been better.
It's smooth, glowing and I don't have dry patches / oily T-zone like I used to. I use it at night and underneath my day cream and my foundation sits much better, looks better and lasts all day. I still blot my T-zone at lunch time but my skin looks fabulous.

After trying every product under the sun and nothing working, I was despairing with my acne and dull skin. I tried every product, every natural soap, every type of everything.

The only thing that worked for me was the caveman regimen.

Sounds crazy, horrible and nasty but you just stop washing your face. No water, no soap, no makeup, no touching your skin, no nothing. Just leave it. The first few days are generally horrible but after that your skin freshens up and starts looking beautiful. You don't wash it again. Ever. It becomes self-cleaning.

Messing with the pH level and oils of the skin by using products can damage it and make it lose its natural beauty. Not to mention it being expensive.

I know people will think it is disgusting. I thought it was disgusting. But it transformed my face and has made my life one hell of a lot less stressful.

With regards to diet, lots of healthy fats are important. I notice a different in my skin when I eat Salmon, avocados, nuts, seeds etc.

Exercise can really get your skin glowing too.

As above, a good facial oil can work wonders. Ren do a lovely one with Omega 3 in but there are cheaper ones.

I know it's a pain to read conflicting advice but I'd be very wary of scrubby exfoliators, they often do more harm than good.

If you wash your face with a hot flannel (massage in cleanser of choice be it cream/oil/balm and then wipe off with flannel soaked in hot-ish water and then wrung out) you'll find that this takes care of a lot of the build up of dry skin.

Acid exfoliators (don't be alarmed by the name!) are really good though. They're a liquid that you apply to your face every other day and it shifts any dull skin cells.

Keep in mind that finding a regime that makes your skin glow might take a bit of time to perfect, what works for one person might not work for you.

And don't be afraid of facial oil. My dry skin loves having oil massaged into it in the evening after cleansing.

The caveman regimen - is that an actual thing?!

I think you must have been lucky MMM, because I don't see how that would work for anyone except by fluke.

OP - it's better to use a flannel on your face (as previous posters have mentioned) than a scrub. Scrubs are ok for body but the skin on your face is more delicate. It doesn't need anything more than gentle physical exfoliation (as opposed to acid exfoliators, I won't get into that as I've no experience of it).

I second anyone that mentioned hot washcloths and clarins, and also avoiding soaps although I do use Clinique mild liquid wash. Clarins multi active lotion is amazing, I use this with decleor rose d'orient or the neroli oil and clinique moisture surge.

You could also make a brown sugar scrub to use with your hot flannel. They work just as well, if not better than exfoliants and are chemical free and better for the environment. You can add coffee grounds for an antioxidant boost. If you'd rather buy than create an exfoliant, philosophys micro delivery peel is the tits, Cliniques exfoliant is ok (not the seven day scrub, its not good enough at all, get a proper one) And for dry skin some aloe gel, this stuff is magic. It helps clear breakouts, smooths lines ect.

Go to some beauty counters and ask for samples before you commit to buying a specific skincare regimen, Over the years I have noticed that I prefer certain products from certain manufacturers rather than the whole range from one brand.

Basically cross posted with squoosh there - sorry!

I'm a big fan of the Superdrug Radiance hot cloth cleanser - it's a good place to start as it's cheap (and if I'm not mistaken it removes the need for a separate exfoliator).

For moisturisers however I am willing to pay more and I reckon you can't go far wrong with La Roche Posay or Avene as they are formulated for sensitive skin.

I'm very low-tech when it comes to skincare as I think that diet, lifestyle and genes play a big part, so I keep it pretty simple:

Cleanse with hot cloth twice a day
Moisturiser with SPF every morning
Moisturiser without SPF every evening.

The Caroline Hirons blog is overwhelming to people like me :)

I look at my mum with her good diet and long-term-without-fail-cleanse-and-moisturise-twice-a-day routine and I reckon she's got the right idea. She looks good for her age despite smoking for the middle 20 years of her life.

I have difficult skin. I have been a guinea pig for friends and family, who all insist that they have found the latest, greatest (and usually achingly expensive) product that will 'fix' it. All kinds of acids, creams, lotions and potions, flannels and scrubbers, exfoliators and soothers, clarisonics and cloths have been tried. All kinds of diets too.

The only thing that really works is to go for a run three times a week, and to run so hard that I go red in the face. I look ridiculous, like a jogging tomato. I then drink a couple of pints of water. My skin is amazing for at least 48 hours afterwards and absolutely glows.

Look fantastic have 15% off with LOVELF if you fancy getting yourself some new products

Escentual has up to 1/3 off French pharmacy brands such as Bioderma, La Roche Posay, Vichy etc. All great brands.

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I find my skin is best if I do nothing with it except wash and moisturise and drink plenty of water and although I'm a bit vain, I do look pretty good for my age (mid 40's but normally get taken for mid 30's although that may just be genetic luck)

I never use soap or any cleanser but wash with water every morning and bedtime (face under the shower). However, I also very rarely wear foundation.

I always moisturise but use a E45 cream or similar. I have dry skin but I find if I don't moisturise, it cracks and I start getting spots.

Occasionally, I try a facial wash or scrub but tend to find my skin soon looks worse and I ditch it and go back to wash and moisturise. Soap is terrible for my skin.

It starts from inside first: lots of fruit and veg.
I actually drink the resulting broth/water from where I drain my veg after cooking it.

I eat fish x3 a week and take fish oil supplements.

Lots of water.

Minimise alcohol and refined sugars. I don't drink unless social and even then, maximum two small glasses of wine.

sPf 15+ even in winter. I use nothing less than spf30.

Body shop gentle cleansing foam is brilliant.
Eye cream essential and every night ...you must use.
Aldi face serum underneath a more expensive moisturiser.

Plus I exercise 3x a week.

I'm almost 40 and look 30 with a clear complexion. I don't even bother with foundation (much) so use a BB cream for everyday coverage as my skin is great condition.

Nothing less than the above I'm afraid.

I second holly on the running. It really works!! Get all that extra oxygen and blood pumping to the skin.

Yep, I do agree that exercise gives me a glow and also seems to make my skin softer, which is lovely. Frustratingly I'm not very well at the moment and not really able to push myself exercise wise but still maybe brisk walking would help, even if not running?

I'm trying to take a photo to see if anyone might 'diagnose' what products would be worth a try but the webcam and my phone cameras are both pretty crappy. The colours don't look right.

My skin was crap as well, even 2 years after stopping smoking, using loads of products etc, still crap.
My sister in law suggested cutting out dairy and in a few days I seen a huge change, my skin is actually smooth!! My skin on my body is much nicer as well, if I eat anything now with dairy in it unknowingly, I can tell within about 10 mins, my skin starts itching around my jawline and I'll end up with a spot.
I would try changing your diet first before splashing out a small fortune on products.

Try a balm cleanser from john lewis, something like emma hardie or merumeya.

Don't wash your face under a shower, too hot and too much water.

Do wear a sunscreen every single day. Even winter.

I also found cutting out oranges/OJ/satsumas etc made my skin break out a lot less.

I don't have any citrus now (except lime in a G&T!), so for juice I try and have apple. I notice it straight away if I have OJ (well, usually the next day).

I love the Sanctuary range for washing, toner and exfoliating (the blue range) and Loreal for moisturiser. I use an Estée Lauder serum and Estée Lauder eye cream. The combination seems to work. Good luck.

My skin was hideous. I had awful cystic acne.

I now use super drug hot cloth cleanser and cetaphill cleanser

I acid tone with clearsil fruit pads and nip and fab pads. I use aldi serums, an aldi oil and whatever moisturiser I fancy.

I also use retin A and liquid gold every now and then.

SPF every morning with ultrasun but a bit expensive really, but the others make me oily and I have dry skin.. well had dry skin

I have had one spot in two months :) My skin is soft and plump and no spots!!!!!

Head on over to style and beauty and read the amazing faces threads. They really know their stuff.

Caveman regimen! I've heard it all now

If your looking for something cheaper try the body shop ranges!