Grown-up skin care- Advice needed please

[ArsesonFire]

I'm in my early-30s and I feel it's time that I had a grown-up skin care routine and products. I've made some head-way but would appreciate some more advice and recommendations please.

The more grown-up parts of my routine now consist of:

• Glycolic overnight gel used twice per week
• Charcoal face mask used twice per week

The lass grown-up parts, that I'd appreciate advice on are:

• Deep exfoliation with St Ives scrub once a week, do I need to do this?
• Twice daily washing with Clean and Clear face wash, are there any more grown-up face washes to use? Or should I stick to this?
• Twice daily moisturising with Nivea Day Cream (SPF15), I had a tester pot of Avon Anew which was nice but are there any others that I can buy in store?

Most of my skin care routine hasn't changed since I was about 13 but I'm conscious that I'm ageing and my skin's changing or will change.
My skin's quite oily but clear. I have very very dark circles around my eyes. I don't have any wrinkles. I want to look healthy, not necessarily 'young'.

I can afford up to £10 for a moisturiser, that kind of price range.

Any advice would be most gratefully received!

Too much exfoliation really
I would abandon the deep scrub as not needed as you're using the glycolic

Face wash - I would swap to a hot cloth cleanser with a flannel. Superdrug do one, or the body shop. Also sanctuary (from boots), boots botanics, so there's a few in that range

If your moisturiser is working then stick with it :) you could add in a serum if you wanted to

hollin Thank you! I've not really come across a hot cloth cleanser before.

Am I right that serums have 'active' ingredients and that's what makes them different from moisturisers? What kind of serum should I go for? They 'target' different things don't they?

Excellent advice from hollinhurst.

A serum is a texture that can penetrate the very surface of the skin, so it used to target issues, whereas moisturiser sits on the top and should be chosen based on skin type. Some moisturisers will contain "active" ingredients, but unless it's some kind of acid, which you already have covered, it won't be doing much.

Noo, St Ives is terrible!

I hope you have good (spf50) sunscreen? A moisturizer combo will not be sufficient once you use chemical exfoliation, or even before that, so I would sort that out first if all. Japanese sunscreen is great and relatively cheap.

Once you're using proper sunscreen, you need an oil cleanser to get it off - I think the hot cloth ones above are oil-based. Many people swear by double cleansing, which means following up the oil-based cleanser with an ordinary one to make sure your skin is clean. There is a very strong case for using a low pH second cleanser, to protect your skin's moisture barrier. Cerave makes a cheap one.

I think a gentle exfoliating cleanse with a flannel thoroughly rinsed off twice a day is all that skin needs. What it looks and feels like comes from the inside: exercise, good nutrition and avoidance of too much sun, alcohol or fags.

But you want a 'miracle' in a bottle I suppose? Just remember all moisturisers do is temporarily prevent water loss from the skin, and you can do that with Nivea/Tesco's own.

Oh you're all wonderful, thank you. I must get some proper sunscreen.

And thanks for explaining what serums are

I don't drink much. I don't smoke and I exercise regularly. I could eat better but I'm okay so I feel like I'm doing things right on the inside!

Hot cloth cleanser you basically get a blob, massage over (dry) face. Wring out a flannel in fairly hot water and use that to remove it

This serum is nice, they do others and are often in TK Maxx https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B006ZZC6QK/ref=mpsa11ait?ie=UTF8&qid=1468244515&sr=8-1&keywords=balance+serum&pi=SY200QL400__

if you wanted to try a different moisturiser, I've used these. They're basic, cheap and do what they say on the tin!
I think the frankincense and rose is their best seller. I bought because they were cheap and if it was crap I was planning to use it as hand cream_
http://www.amphora-retail.com/index.php/creams-gels-and-balms-aromatherapy-creams-c-101112101107

Oh and oily skin likes oil. Weird I know
But if you scrub and strip skin it starts panicking and churning more oil out
Mine is combination and I use REN omega 3 serum oil and it settles my skin down a lot

Other tip is if you're a bargain hunter and have time, go and root in TK Maxx, take your phone and google the product I've had some amazing bargains. Or shop off their website for higher end stuff at lower prices
I can't afford masses of expensive products but it looks like I can because I buy it all from there!

hollin Thank you. I love TK Maxx for bags and shoes but I've never really looked for skincare.

All the advice above has been great! Ditch the St. Ives (or perhaps use as a body scrub), start using SPF 30/50 on a daily basis, try a more gentle face wash such as a milk or a balm (anything like liz earle cleanse and polish, clinique take the day off balm or superdrug hot cloth cleanser, etc).
I would also suggest for you to try some Olay moisturisers, they are fairly priced and have some great anti-ageing ingredients such as peptides, niacimide, etc. Most of the time they are in promotion at Tesco or Boots.
Unfortunately no solution yet to fix dark circles, so invest in a good concealer instead.

go Thank you. I'm off shopping for this stuff at the weekend.

I know there's no fix for dark circles, sadly. I drink lots of water and try to get enough sleep but there's not much you can do about your genes!

Collection's Lasting Perfection something something concealer is great, though - and cheap!
I always use hydrating serums around my eyes, in the vain hope of reducing my dark circles. It works for some people