If you're heading towards 50, come and share your skincare regime please!

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Mine is non-existent. Facecloth and water at night, micellar water and moisturiser in the morning. I exfoliate once in a blue moon, use Clarins Exfoliating Toner now and again. And go through phases of using Lancôme Cream Cleanser but really that's about it.

I'm getting older and had best start giving my skin more time. I've noticed that my foundation sits in patches on my cheeks and seems to absorb into my chin. I've been using Benefit Porefessional. Need to sort the foundation issue but suspect skin condition is the problem.

Can anyone recommend products or where to start please?

Thanks.

I'm not an expert but similar age to you so kind of marking place. I've been taking Krill oil recently as I read good things about it online. Can't say I've noticed any difference tbh! Only things that have made any difference to my skin is drinking lots of water and eating a low carb, high fat diet ( avocados, nuts etc)

Am coming closer and closer to trying the dreaded Botox as I think it's the only thing that will make a real difference...!

TBH if what you do works, keep at it. Less is more with skin care imo.
If your cheeks are dry then use an exfoliator once or twice a week. I think it's best to use one that's cream based and like a mask rather than a scrub with beads in as they can irritate the skin.
I'm older than you but am told (!) that I look much younger than I am , and I think it's down to sunblock for the last 25 years (spf 25 or 40 every single day under foundation), no booze and a healthy diet.
My skincare is easy- Clinique take the day off balm, Olay 3 point regenerist unperfumed cream (use the same for day and night) any old micellar water in the morning to cleanse and that's it. Sometimes I will use rosehip oil at night if my skin feels dry which is rarely.
I also eat a small avocado almost daily, oily fish 2-3 x a week and snack on walnuts.

Watching with interest as everytime I look in the mirror I feel my face looks very jowly only the jowls seem to begin just below my eyes....
I think I need some miracle tightening cream thing, was wondering about Revitalift?

I am 50 and love a good skincare thread!

The best thing you can do for your skin is double-cleanse with a hot cloth and use an acid toner. (the acid toner is what made the most mahoosive difference to my skin)

Any old moisturiser that suits your skin will do. I like an oil at night, but tend to use Argan or Frankincense by Neal's Yard. Rosehip just isn't enough for my skin. (as Caroline Hirons famously said, once you get past 35 a couple of crushed rosehips just ain't going to cut it for most people) If I don't use an oil, I use astral cheapo blue pot. In the morning at the moment I'm using Boots Vit E. Your moisturiser can be the cheapest thing you can buy, as all it's doing is adding moisture (no shit!)

Use a serum. Stay out of the sun, use a high factor suncream.

Use a treatment (masks, retin A, a couple of times a week)

Check out the Amazing Faces threads from last year for lots and lots of products to try!

Micellar wipes. And 5% benzoyl peroxide gel. That is it. EVERYTHING other than that - serums, moisturisers, etc. breaks me out in huge spots. I get tons of spots as it is - hormonal. I can't even use foundation, any type. I get more spots. I use a little BB creme if going out among people sometimes but then I get more spots.

I give up.

I'm 43, my skin changed a few years ago and I need lighter coverage (BB cream rather than foundation), daily mild acid pads for exfoliation and glow, and either hyaluronic acid or urea containing light moisturizers or serums.

I'm heading towards 60 so gather round you young people

Firstly I wouldn't bother with Botox. Once you're into your fifties it's the sagging and the loss of jawline that get you more than the wrinkles.

My other recommendation - based entirely on own experience - is not to throw too many products at your face. My skin became hyper sensitive around the menopause and the more new things I tried, the worse it got. So now my regime is very simple: cleanse and moisturise with oils, always, use sunscreen and .... er.. well that's it. Apart from eating well and avoiding the booze and all magnifying mirrors.

I'm 50 and I'm currently using Eve Lom and really, really happy with it. I'm using her hot cloth cleanser (which is the nicest cleanser I've ever used) and then Radiance Cream for daytime and TLC cream at night. My skin is very dry so I need fairly rich moisturisers. I don't ever use toners or clarifiers or anything similar.

I have also liked Sunday Riley Juno, but it has a strange smell (although not as odd as Artemis which is oddly lasagne-ish). I'm not sure it was worth the quite staggering amount of money though.

I'm like you and tend to be a bit slapdash with exfoliation, although whenever I do it I remember how nice it feels afterwards.

I get a lot of compliments on my skin, but I'm not sure how much of that is good luck and how much good products.

I am a couple of years away from 50 - I don't know how I got so old!

My routine is very minimal.

Wash with soap - either Dove or savon de Marseille bar.

Night time - every other night I apply Epiduo - for the acne. I don't use it every night as it makes my face too flaky.

Daytime I sometimes use a moisturiser - usually Green People Day Solution - but recently purchased No7 Protect and Perfect tinted sunscreen. It is really nice actually. Am no make up fan - but it just evens out my skin tone - and I know it is providing me wtih sun protection and moisturising.

That's all.

hi have tried everything and thought liz earle was the answer with the cleanse and polish but i went to my local beauty clinic as my complexion was looking ruddy
anyway i tried for one month a range called dannone monteque king range ( order on line)
i bought a few products including the cleanser and it has really made a difference my skin is more even/no more blemishes and feels lovely
admit its not cheap but at the age of 51 wanted to something to make a difference i also dont drink or smoke and have increased my veggies and water intake
best of luck xx

Nothing will stop wrinkles except not moving your face or using sun block from the day you were born, forever . But smoking, drinking, sun and a crap diet do take their toll.
I think dermos say 90% of ageing it down to UV light.

Jowls- keeping your weight in check is important because excess weight gives you those awful neck bracelets and rolls, and 3 chins.

If you are thinking of Botox, it might be fillers you need because these can lift the jowls up.

I'd not agree with giving up on foundation. Nobody looks good with thick layers of it but unless you have deep crevices on your face, a good foundation that reflects the light can take years off- BB creams tend to be very 'flat'.

I'm 50 in a couple of months .
I don't wear much make-up, not for work (except my eyebrows enhanced with ybf pencil.
Occasional mascara, never foundation. Sometimes bronzer.

So, on make-up days, I use Camomile Butter (Bodyshop) with a muslin cloth.
Nightcream- Soap&Glory (the bubbly one, SpeedPlump) and eyecream (Superdrug Radience)

Wash off foaming cleanser in the shower and Superdrug moisture/serum (not greasy)
Once a week, M&S scrub/thermal mask in the shower.

Lots of water, never smoked, no alcohol, not much sun. Good genes.

C'est tout!

Careering far too fast towards 50.
Day- Splash of water then Factor 50 suncream.
Night- Argan oil massage for a few minutes then wash off.
Lots of water, fresh air and thank you dmum ( who is 80 and still has v good skin)

Morning - cold-pressed honey for cleansing, Moogoo Scalp Cream for moisturiser.
Not fancy but has been keeping the seborrhaic dermatitis at bay for the last year. If I try a new cream it comes back after a couple of weeks.
Evening: remove make up with Simple cleanser as it's the only one that doesn't give me sore eyes. I usually just wear eye make up (daily fiundation causes seb derm) so don't bother with moisturiser. On rare full make up says I'll use the scalp cream agsin.
Age 52, my skin is a sensitive pain but it looks good because I don't mess about with it.

You just use plain honey on your face? Why? Is it not incredibly sticky? How do you use it?

It is sticky but you rinse it off. Wet face with warm water, rub a scoopful over face and neck, rinse off.
I started it when I came across a treatment for seb derm using a honey mask (that was sticky!) then coconut oil. It cleared it up whereas steroid cream only worked for as long as I kept using it - and I wasn't keen on using it pernanently.
Anyway, it sounds mad but it works.

Loads of replies to read and absorb - thank you! Real life took over this evening so I'm only getting a few minutes to check in now. Will have a proper read in the morning but a couple of questions for now ...

Acid Toner - what does it do and why use it? If I have dry cheeks will it dry them even more?

Foundation .... I've been happily using By Terry Cover Expert but they added SPF and the shades changed. The shade By Terry told me is closest to what I was colour-matched with has orange tones so I need to find an alternative. Have liked Diorskin Nude but got a sample of Diorskin Forever in a magazine. Tried it today and it's not bad. It's a matt finish though ... is that a bad idea at the ripe old age of 48 or should I be looking for a dewy, youthful finish ?

The honey sounds amazing. I used to know a lady who soaked oranges in water and used it on her face morning and night.

Thanks all ... will read properly tomorrow, am exhausted now!

I'm 49 and have always had a fairly minimal regime - I definitely agree with "less is more", and I can't see the point of stripping everything out of your skin and replacing it.

So I cleanse with plain water and a facecloth (not a foundation user, so there isn't much to remove). I've used a moisturiser since my mid-20s when I started to get dry patches, then added a serum and eye cream about ten years ago.

Brand wise I tend to stick to Olay, or Boots Protect & Perfect. Although I did treat myself to the M&S Advent Calendar last Christmas and am working my way through all sorts of pricey skincare samples. None have made a massive difference versus what I was already using.

I have a little bottle of the Pixi Glow tonic from the Advent Calendar as yet unopened - supposed to be a wonder-product, but like you OP, I'm worried it will dry my skin. Why do I need it??

I'm very harrumphy about acid toners too. Admittedly I couldn't use them anyway - skin too sensitive and I know some people rave about them. But I don't see the point of loading your skin with yet another product just to remove dead cells that are going to drop off anyway. I can't help wondering whether that layer might be there for a reason.

Confession: I still bought some to try once, even though I knew it might set my face on fire. Yes I'm that big an idiot. But when I read the warning about sun damage - the most ageing thing of all... well that put the tin lid on it. I poured it straight down the sink, unused.

Wash face with cold water and nothing else in the morning. At night, cleanse with either Bioderma Micellar Water or Cetaphil. Then either a nip & fab glycolic wipe/pad thing, or AHA soufflé 12% glycolic (I use this about twice a week). At night I use a serum, usually the Boots No 7 one and any night cream I have to hand. In the morning I use Una Brennan Superfacialist Rose moisturiser. The glycolic stuff has made a huge difference to my skin, as has Bioderma.

OP
If you have tried the Dior why not try Dior Star? it's lovely- light to apply but good coverage and has a satin finish- not matte but not greasy.

Another 50-year-old here. My skin in fact seems pretty good, it it's the sagging jowliness I find hideous. The only solution to that would be a balaclava.

Routine, such as it is - morning wash face in the shower, then moisturise with Nivea Q10. I've had more expensive moisturisers, like Elemis or Clarins, but they don't seem to make much difference. Sometimes Bing on some super drug vit E on a serum too, but not entirely sure what the point is. Evening I use micella water, maybe a nip/fab acid pad thing, or some glycolic serum,,then an oil or night cream.

The acid stuff does make my skin smooth, but I have to use it sparingly or it gets v tight. Ditto anything with retinol in - causes redness and flaking.

I know I should use sunscreen, and probably a serum in the mornings. Can anyone remind me what they're actually for?

Reading with interest as turning 50 this month.
I am trying double cleansing and currently using astral moisturiser. My skin is v sensitive and hasn't reacted to it yet (2 weeks in). I may go back to l'oreal age protect for day wear. I am interested in acid toners but so far have just used DD's acne toner on my nose to clear pores.
I am trying to eat more nuts and fish but never manage to drink enough water in term time because I am a teacher and can't leave class to go to the loo.

Don't be put off by the word "acid" in acid toners, the "acid" content is minimal, and what they do is gently resurface rather than scrub 10 layers off like a traditional (and very damaging) scrub/exfoliator will do.

Glycolic acid toner for dry and wrinkly, salicylic acid for spotty oily.

People buy £££££s acid toners, but the best I have used was Olay Anti ageing toner (not all toners say they are acid toners btw- like this one doesn't) and it cost £3.99. I currently have Nip and Fab pads, but unless they are on a mega offer at Superdrug again I won't bother, I prefered the Olay. Boots Time Delay Toner is also an acid toner.

Most skincare gurus say if you want to splash the cash then do it on a serum rather than anything else. I am currently using Superdrug Pure at night (about £3 and it does what it says on the bottle- it's a hydrating serum, not a miracle worker, but adds a bit more moisture- on the old Amazing Faces threads last year this was reckoned to be a dupe for, but nicer than, and cheaper than, Vichy Aqualia and various other £££s serums) I aim to try the Aldi ones when am next in the UK, which are apparently amazing for the price. Under makeup I tend to stick to Protect and Perfect- again, having tried all kinds of far more expensive ones, this remains the one that I definitely notice the absence of.

The only (relatively) expensive moisturiser which has ever made a difference to my skin is Neal's Yard Frankincense Nourishing. I have tried Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine (full of silicone and just pulls half my face off, nice smell though) , various £££££££s Dior ones (ditto, nice smell and fancy box, but the aim of a moisturiser is to moisturise and a £2 pot of Astral does that)

I think Micellar water is reputed to be OK for taking the makeup off, but you then need to cleanse your skin as well for optimum effect. I have a bottle of Darphin Micellar that I got in one of those beauty box things and it's nice enough, but my skin is definitely not clean after it.

Facial wipes are apparently a huge no no as just full of chemicals and very harsh. I think, as far as cleansers go, anything is fine and does the job if you wash it off with a hot cloth rather than cotton wool/tissues. If you prefer a facial wash, you need a non foaming. I have used and loved both the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and the Elemis pro-radiance but am now using Superdrug Vit E and it's just as nice. And about £15 cheaper. The Body Shop Chamomile cleansing butter is perhaps my favourite cleanser, but am not in the UK and have currently run out.

I've tried retinol but like a pp, my skin is just too sensitive. I did do the Glycolic peel thing (a thread called schizzlers or something, a couple of summers ago) and that definitely made my skin brighter.

Herbaceous

Sunscreen is what it says on the label! You ought to use sunscreen from your teens. All ageing is caused by sun- it destroys collagen deep in the skin, so skin sgas, and also causes wrinkles and age spots. Use at least spf 25 and up to spf 50 every day.

Serums- I think a lot of rubbish is talked about seums, imo, they are just yet another means of getting money out of us. They supposedly have smaller molecules that penetrate the skin more than a moisturiser, but all any product does unless classed as a medicine, is put some barrier between your skin and the air, to stop water evaporating. Serums that contain silicone make your skin feel smooth but they won't give any permanent benefits.