Anyone else with rubbish skin no matter what you use?

[midnightmoomoo]

Just that really. It's occurred to me that no matter what I use......cheap/expensive/double cleanse/acid tone/serum etc etc......my skin is just generally crap. I'm spotty, my skin is congested but sensitive too so I need to be careful what I use. I'm quite pale so any marks or spots show up. I'm early 40s and I'm just fed up with crappy skin! I take evening primrose, eat well and drink lots of water, and I've always looked after my skin. Why can't I have clear, glowing skin???!

I had rotten skin for years and nothing much helped. It was all hormonal. I've not had a period for at least 9 months now, so I think I'm pretty much done (having come through the hot flush phase) and my skin is sooooo much better. So, for me, it was simply hormones that were to blame and nothing topical worked.

Daisy, I haven't found any 2,5 % here either (Sweden). However 5 and 10 % are readily available so I bought the 5 % cream. It has worked much better than I thought it would (I stand corrected in other words!) and hasn't irritated me - but I do use sheet masks and rehydrating serums. Then I stopped chemically exfoliating for a bit so my skin could calm down, started using a retinol cream and oh my lovely Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence.

SUDOCREM! Dries up spots and even gets rid of dark circles. I use it as a face pack once or twice a week and any other time for random breakouts. I then use an emollient cream when I have washed it off/it has soaked in. No other chemicals for me! Emollient creams are great make up primers too X

Could you reduce the amount of products you use on your skin? Pare back your routine to the very basics? Eg cleanse once a day, use hot flannel, moisturiser. That's it. And use really gentle products like Avene for sensitive skin with a short list of ingredients. You may find this helps!

I have learnt over the years that less is more.....

Sudocrem gets rid of dark circles? As in puffy or bruised?

You know when it's dark from no sleep or whatever it apparently brightens round that area

The only thing that stopped my adult acne was the Yasmin pill. I don't take it now, but it's not come back. The odd spot, yes, but not the faceful I did have. Not saying the topical applications suggested wouldn't work for you OP, but some people are just prone to hormone related spots I think. It only gets fixed when you change something on the inside.

Thank you everyone for so many ideas for me to think about and try.

I get spots around the chin at PMS time and use 10% benzoyl peroxide. One tube lasts me years.

I doubt anything would work for my dark circles (permanent ones, not down to lack of sleep) so I'm interested in the Sudocrem claims.

I used to suffer with poor skin (not acne, so not quite the same,but hopefully my experiences will still be useful) and used to waste loads of money on useless products, but am now a convert to the following:

The only way to tackle something like this is to go to a good dermatologist. I don't know where you live, but I'm near Banbury, and visit Dr Jonathan Bowling privately at the Oxford Manor Hospital from time to time. He seems really good and was Head of Dermatology at the Radcliffe hospital for years.

I'm sure you can get recommendations for good dermatologists wherever you are.

He advised very strongly to stop wasting money on stuff on the Boots' shelves that makes false claims re clearing up skin and to stop believing what I read in women's mags re "wonder" products.
For my deep-pored skin, I get Retin-A cream on prescription (£30 a tube) which has really helped in smoothing my skin. I'm not saying it would necessarily do the same for acne - it might?- but an experienced dermatologist is the one to tell you.My skin was a little sensitive to it to begin with but it soon grew used to it, and this is apparently common.

He said that diet/creams have very little effects on skin. Problems are sometimes caused by hormones, which may need to be tackled with medication. Smoking/sun/environmental assaults are obvious external factors which lead to skin looking dull/wrinkled, but it doesn't sound as though that is your problem specifically.

Anyway, all I can urge you to do is research and find one really good consultant dermatologist and follow their advice.

Good Luck! Hope you gain more confidence through the process whatever the results.

Sorry should have said in 5th para above , diet /face creams (other than Retin-A) have very little effects on skin. Retain-A is apparently the only cream to have proper scientific research behind it.

I follow an Asian Beauty routine and my skin is pretty damn good.

The routine consists of,

Cleanse
Actives
Hydrate
Occlusive
Treatments

How many ingredients you use in each step is up to you. I swear by Vitamin C, Retinol, Niacinamide and Vitamin E. Plus, snail gel, luffs me snail gel!

cecile Vitamin C has a stack of research to support its benefits.

Coco I feel your pain. I struggled with this for years (and still do). The only thing that really works is the stuff you get on prescription. I've had a retinoid cream and another cream that combines an antibiotic and peroxide. If you have actual acne (which is basically what any spots are) this stuff works. The vast majority of the stuff you buy over the counter in a pharmacy won't work for acne. I find that if I'm using prescription creams, which I generally apply at night, I can then use moisturising serums etc so that the acne is kept under control but my skin is not too badly dried out. I first went to my GP, make-up free to get something for my skin when I was in my last 20s and he asked me, why did you never come before now? It was a really good question and I said I just always thought it would eventually get better. Its a complete myth that acne-prone skin is the problem of teenagers, it generally starts then but it will persist as long as you have sex hormones in your system. Get to your GP if your skin is really a concern.

I actually found the more I put on my skin the worse it was! I have very sensitive skin and I'm sure now that I was actually reacting to the chemicals in all these 'clear skin' products all those years, even the gentle ones. I started using Neil's Yard products (so more natural and not packed full of chemicals) last year and my skin is better than it's ever been, not 100% perfect but really rather good now after struggling with it for nearly 20 years.

For acne you need Beta Hydroxy Acids, these clean out the pores as well as exfoliating the top layer of the skin. Salicylic acid is the most common one but it needs to be a decent percentage to have an effect.

Azelaic acid is also effective for acne.

I second the rec to see a (good) dermatologist. Could your spots be rosacea? Often get this with sensitive skin but looks just like spots. If your skin is sensitive, I would only be using stronger products under supervision.

Cleanser la Roche physiological gel to ttdo Clinique
Toner nip fab pads
Moisturiser goat milk Kate Somerville plus hydraluron

Night as above but use alpha h liquid gold twice a week

Plus contraceptive pill
Skin is nearly perfect after 20yrs of seeing dermatologists etc with bad acne

I learnt so much from Caroline hirons

I had awful acne in my teenage years and tried everything: skin care routines, topical treatments from GP, antibiotics, the pill, spirolactone. The only thing that worked was roaccutane prescribed by a dermatologist.

I now get the occasional spot but nothing else that can't be sorted by general skincare.

I think using eleventy zillion different, harsh products might be part of your problem.
I would strip everything right back and go very gentle, have you heard of moogoo?
I had to completely change what I do with my skin and hair, no more SLS, no mineral oil, no silicone, .... Both my hair and skin are loving the new gentle approach!

This may sound weird but what helped me was by using this tea tree deodrant on my face before I go to bed each night. It's a Dr Organic one from Holland and Barret and is just essential oils and aloe vera, no nasties.

Other things that help me are -
Green vegetable juice daily
Lots of coconut water
White tea (not the 'normal' kind)
Using avocado oil on my face

Also Neutrogena pink grapefruit face scrub is good, but it contains salicylic acid so if you have sensitive skin like me, then it will probably burn for a few minutes afterwards.

And maybe switch your makeup to a more natural/oil free range? Expensive but a small price to pay ITLR.

I'm pretty hacked off with my skin which has improved a lot with proper skincare but still needs some improvement to be perfect so I have finally caved in and bought liquid gold which I'm hoping will perform miracles.

I had bacne on and off for years, realised it always cleared up when I stayed off the dairy. So I really cut back on that, just had ice cream every now and again for a treat. Bacne pretty much cleared up, but I got a horrible, horrible cystic breakout on my face (after a dairy binge) that left dark bumpy scarring over one cheek.

Liquid gold (used on alternate nights with the Alpha H micro exfoliant) did clear the scarring for me, don't use it regularly anymore but it is great for getting rid of marks on pale skin that are there already.

Now I give dairy a total swerve and use a salicylic peel (I like Bravura) a couple of times a week, ditto a clay mask and my skin is very clear now. Also use Deciem Retinoil at night.

Have also cut back (but not cut out) fructose/sugar as that helps too. Notice now that if I eat too much fruit (especially grapes) I get itchy heatspots on my upperarms- that's my sign to reign in the sugar for a few days and take some probiotics, add an extra peel to the weekly routine to be onthe safe side. Like a pp said, I think it's due to too much sugar throwing my system out. So just a bit of a general overhaul to lifestyle and skin routine go hand in hand.

I have watched the Dr Sam Bunting videos suggested, and with advice from you lovely people have come up with a plan. I'm going to use Avene Gentle Gel Cleanser, Effaclar Duo cream and Toleriane moisturiser. The Toleriane was reduced in Boots which was handy and the Effaclar was on offer. Will keep using my Liz Earle Superskin moisturiser on my neck.
I have packed every other product I have into a shoebox and will hide in my wardrobe to resist the temptation to meddle! I agree with those who have said not to use too many products and I KNOW my skin is happier with the 'less is best' approach but you know what it's like.......!
I don't wear much make up usually but will keep an eye on what I do use and replace with non pore blocking alternatives as they run out.
Planning on being strict with myself and doing this till the Easter holidays, hopefully by then things will have improved!!!
Thank you all again for taking time to help!