First skincare routine for male, early forties

[RedMapleLeaf]

Just that really. I suggested he use moisturiser with spf but it made him sneeze.
Not sure how to describe his (male) skin condition, but I could answer questions!

Well good on him for sneezing as SPF in moisturiser is useless and offers little to no protection (certainly not the advertised amount). Anyhow, basic routine would be the same for a man as a woman (who doesn't wear makeup):

AM:Cleanser (preferably a gentle cream based one), Moisturiser, separate SPF
PM: Cleanser (preferably an oil based one), Moisturiser

Don't use either cleanser in the shower, water is too hot, sink with tepid water is your friend. Oil cleanser goes on dry skin, cream on slightly damp. Clean flannel every day.

That's it really, if he shaves he gets a bit of exfoliation in otherwise it's worth considering getting an (AHA) acid toner in (though might be worth it for the rest of the face anyhow if he has a lot of dry patches).

BHA if he has blackheads/breakouts/oil control issues.

If he has anti-ageing concerns, a Retinol and Vit C.

Possibly an HA hydrating toner if he's dehydrated (most of us are but he might just be lucky).

Get the basics sorted before attempting any of the additional stuff, introduce everything gradually, 1 product per 2 weeks (cleanser is a quicker assess and along with SPF should be the first things sorted) cease to use with any signs of irritation and start again with a new product. Avoiding fragrance, essential oils, alcohol (den. - fatty ones are fine), and mineral oil tends to help with avoiding the more common irritations.

Purging can happen with acid toning but should not persist, it takes 6 weeks to truly evaluate the effect of any product, longer still with anti-ageing ingredients.

LRP should suffice for the basic routine. The Ordinary and Nip+Fab/Bravura/Paula's Choice for the rest.

Thanks, I was hoping you'd reply. I'm not sure what some of the abbreviations stand for.

But. I am hugely shocked that my SPF 30 moisturisers have not been doing what I thought they were doing! It's very frustrating all of this. You read that the best thing for anti-aging is drinking plenty of water and sun protection, only to find out that SPF in another product isn't correct!

Also, what budget brands would anyone recommend? Personally I use a mix of Boots No 7 and supermarket own brands.

AHA- Alpha Hydroxy Acid (common ones are glycolic, lactic)
BHA- Beta Hydroxy Acid (salicylic)
Vit C- is Vitamin C
HA- Hyaluronic Acid
Alcohol den.- Alcohol Denatured

Does LRP not count as budget? Sorry I'm not based in the UK and don't have access to Boots and Superdrug (or supermarkets) and everyone's interpretation of budget differs somewhat. Have a look on the giant wall of text on this post for a few recs, don't know if they're budget enough but think there's a few in there.

The SPF in moisturiser is a marketing gimmick mostly, user error means you're never putting on enough to reach that protection never mind the fact that it's unlikely to be a meaningful broad spectrum protection. It also assures people buy both a night and daytime moisturiser (usually from the same brand).