I shopped, but what, does what? Skincare for 40 year old!

[toastyarmadillo]

Okay I have been avidly reading every thread I can find on skincare.
I'm 40 next month, rarely wear make up and have combination skin.
I'm hoping to reduce lines and even out my skin tone.

I have bought a few products, but I don't really understand what they do and when I should use them. Can anyone help me work out if I have everything I need or if I need anything else?

The ordinary buffet
The ordinary Moroccan argan facial oil serum
No 7 protect and perfect night cream
No 7 protect and perfect intense advanced serum
No 7 protect and perfect intense eye cream
Okay even and smooth day cream
Avon tinted moisturiser SPF 20 (I planned to use this as a sunscreen)
The ordinary lactic acid
The ordinary vitamin c
The ordinary matrix
Lush ultrabland

Have I got everything I need, the no 7 stuff is sample sized but everything else is full size.
Thank you for any wisdom you can offer, I'm a complete novice and only used soap or micellar wipes to cleanse until now

It's the ordinary matrixyl

Personally I think you have far too many products!

The main one that jumps out at me is the sunscreen, it doesn't look high enough for UVB. You want something high in UVA and UVB protection and to wear it every day.

Can you recommend one please.

I have so many because I recieved the no 7 stuff in an advent calendar, he avon stuff i bought before I thought about serious skincare, I purchased the ordinary stuff after reading a thread on here. Is there a magic order to use them in?

Introduce one product at a time, so start with cleanser at night, wiped off with a warm, wet flannel.

I have no idea about those products individually, so can’t advise when to use them!

My routine is:
AM
Micellar water
Serum
At the moment spot stuff on a breakout
SPF
Make up

PM
Micellar cleanse
Balm cleanse
Acid toner
Serum
Night cream

If I put too much on, my skin freaks out!

Twice a week I have started to substitute retinol instead of the acid toner, but putting it on after serum.

If using vit c, acid tone or retinol, you really need an SPF of 30 or above.

Biore Watery Essence spf 50. It's a light lotion.
Theory on spf among skincare bods is that no combined makeup +spf will ever give enough spf because we don't put enough on.

Am I correct in thinking it's worth investing in a toner next as well as decent sunscreen

No to toner!

Unless you are 'acid toning' but you have lactic acid already.

Ive been using no7 p&p since my 20s. My skin is pretty decent.

Now late 30s

That’s so much stuff!
My routine:
PM gentle cleanser then Paula’s choice 8% bha
AM Sometimes gentle cleanser or water followed by Paula’s Choice retinol 1% then a foundation with sunscreen.

Which one is the toner out of my haul? None are called lactic acid either?

Would cleanse with ultra bland, facial serum, moisturiser be a starter routine?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3173461--Fantastic-Skincare-Hairmageddon-looms

Read these threads and all the marvellous advice sheets Bo has put together for different skin types.

Yes to a gentle toner in the mornings and acid toner in evenings. You do say you've The Ordinary Lactic acid in your haul!

I would use up the No7 serum and replace with the Buffet when it's gone or use one at night and the other in the morning.
You could add some oil to your No7 night cream.
I would definitely get a better separate Sun screen and I would add retinol and glycolic acid, these two to be built up and used on alternate nights.

How I put my skin care regime for my skin together was by reading up loads, taking screen shots of any advice and products that were applicable to my skin. Putting together some info and introducing products slowly.

As for been told you've too many products, rubbish, you can use lots of products once they suit you and you know how and with what other products it's ok to use them with.

A good starter would be cleanse, vitamin C, either serum, eye cream (you could use matrixyl here too) moisturiser and spf.
Evening double cleanse if wearing make up. Lactic acid (night only) matrixyl, serum night cream/oil.

Start with this before introducing other products and see how you get on.
Also niacinamide (the ordinary) would be worth considering at some stage.

Me again sorry, forgot to say you need to build up lactic acid use, so start off slowly every few nights other wise you could peel and react a lot!

Second the recommendation for Biore Watery Essence sunscreen, it's the lightest I've found and not at all greasy like most sunscreens. I've replaced my moisturiser with it and use it all over my face and neck every morning.

Gosh keep it simple you need

Am
Vitamin C (look at Skinceuticals CE Ferulic)
Any moisturiser
Hello are SPF50

Pm
Retinol
Pai oil

Good lord, that’s a lot of stuff! Go easy. You may end up with problem skin if you overwork it, OP.