People with great skin: How do you get great skin?!

[Ponocky]

I'm 30 and I look, quite frankly, haggard.

I've never had good skin. I first got acne when I was 8 and only really got any control over it when I was about 28, but that seems to be slipping. I found products using glycolic acid really helped control my oily skin which in-turn resulted in less spots and blackheads. I've continued using it but it's not helping these days. I look gaunt, grey and my complexion is rubbish.

I've always hard dark circles under my eyes too. I try to drink at least 1 litre of water a day as I've heard hydration helps this problem but I've never seen a noticeable improvement. I also use a caffeine under eye roller thingy but it also does nothing.

I eat healthily and exercise regularly. I don't get as much sleep as I'd like as I'm a full time working mum to a nearly one year old.

Any tips from people with dewy, glowing, pore-less skin would be very much appreciated. TIA!

I forgot to say I smoke, drink, eat whatever I like and am probably carrying an extra half stone, so it probably is genetic.

In the nicest way OP if you look haggard you might be a bit underweight for your height?

I’m certainly no kate moss w perfect features but I do have beautiful skin.
Skin care is definitely a hobby of mine. I’m 30 without a blemish or hint of a wrinkle.

1 First and foremost : SUNSCREEN!! Any derm or esthetician will tell you thus..this is a MUST. sun damage accounts for a staggering 90-98 percent of skin aging. Zinc sunscreen is the best and safest broad spectrum protection you can get. Spf 30-50 and really coat your face.
And you need to wear it everyday. Inside and out. UVA (the rays that age you) are constant throughout the year, throughout the day, and penetrate through windows and clouds. So get used to wearing it all day everyday, and re-applying. If you don’t do this, no amount of potions creams or magical food will do shit. You also need to protect with hats and clothing.

1. Get a script of tretinoin (retin A) from a dr. It’s been proven time and time again to increase cell turnover revealing new fresh skin and reduces and prevents wrinkles and acne. But apply right before you turn the lights out, wash off in the morning, and wear not only sunscreen but hats and sunglasses.

If you have sensitive skin you can start with retinaldehyde over the counter first.

3At night I oil cleanse (on the days I don’t apply retin a) and use Shea butters, olive oil, emu oil, and seal it all in with Vaseline every night. It’s the ultimate occlusive and that’s the entire point of moisturizers , to prevent trans-epidermal-water loss.it makes sure nothing evaporated and can really sink in while you sleep. Buy Vaseline, not just any old petroleum jelly.
If you want to increase absorption, look into Derma rolling at home.

4 In the morning I oil cleanse w micro cloth again, apply a serum, a moisturizer (I like cerave and skin medica) and then my sunscreen.

5 I eat a lot of fresh eggs, tons of veggies, bone broth, nuts and seeds, fish, and I’ve cut out dairy and sugar. SUGAR DESTROYS COLLAGEN.

6 Weight training has been shown to be beneficial for skin and collagen production, so I work out everyday that I can.

I’m also a huge fan of sculptra injections because it stimulates your own collagen for long-term natural fullness.

The only thing I found that got rid of my acne was a trip to the docs and a duac prescription. Changed my life completely within a week.

I think it's luck although I do cleanse and moisturise every night and have done since I was around 16 . I also don't smoke or drink much and wear make up every day or something to protect my face . Im fair so not a big sunbather either . I don't have any wrinkles or lines on my resting face and I'm 44 this year .
My skin is dry though so I've never had spots or anything that can mark the skin .
I also drink a fair amount of water and exercise daily and don't drink caffeine .. maybe it's not luck .. who knows 🤷‍♀️

A lot of it is genetic, and about that you can't do anything! The poster who suggested you might be a bit underweight could be on to something. While you are in the healthy range, so am I at the same weight and four inches shorter, at 61 (post-menopause obv).

Can't claim to be totally wrinkle free, but skin tone is even and I am told I'm ageing pretty well.

I drink gallons of water, 4l a day mostly through habit. I have great skin on my face. All I use is micellar water and blue Nivea.

The skin on my neck however is fucked and I look about 80.

So basically I think it's genes.

Glycolic acid is what they use for skin peels, so if you are using products with that then you really should be using a good moisturiser as well, especially if your diet is very low fat - your skins natural moisturiser is oil and it sounds like you have very little of that in reserve and are stripping out more with your skin products.

Same as a lot of other posters. Routine, no sleeping in make up. SPF and highlighter 😊

Face massage every night and morning (oil and serum) until I feel my face tingle and a bit plump.

Its good genes, I drink, smoke, have 2 stone extra padding, still got great skin. Apparently. Other people tell me this, I don't much care.
For info, I use a flannel and simple soap.

Drink loads of water, get lots of exercise and I use the Clarins range, have done since my early twenties. I'm looking a bit weathered now but my skin is generally clear and healthy looking and I look around five years younger than my age, ten when made up on a good day.

@Ponocky with you and following with gusto!

I think you are probably very slim for your height and generally very slim people can look older. I’m late 50s but look younger. My tip is sunscreen all the way. I’m not slim but eat quite well. Sleep and keeping stress levels down also helps.

50% Genetics. My mothers side have lovely skin and I got it too.

50% Sunscreen 365 days a year and not smoking.

Thats what I reckon anyway in a very unscientific way.

I have a friend though who looked young for her age and drank and smoked with abandon. She claimed it was because she was a bit fat. "Its the layer of fat, it pushes the wrinkles out"

She may be on to something because im a size 14 and never look haggard either.

Triple the water intake I’ve got very clear skin use spf 365 days a year. Eat a good diet plenty of veggies and protein plus good fats. I’m never ill either.

Why not try experimenting with some foundation that's safe for oily skin -- even just in certain places as a concealer if you don't like the feeling of it all over? Lots of people are convinced they can't because of experiences 10 years ago, and skin changes over the years. If you're drying out your skin with acid anyway, it really should be fine. I have very oily skin and acne, and a dermatologist told me I could wear oil-free foundation if I wanted to because it was unlikely to make a difference (which I've found to be true through trial and error). I use No7 Beautifully Matte foundation because I need the full coverage to cover redness, but something lighter, formulated for oilier skin, might be your best port of call. The loose BareMinerals powder might be a place to start.

I honestly think it is mainly down to Genetics/luck. It certainly is in my case anyway as I'm rubbish at taking care of my skin. My skin was quite oily when I was younger and I guess would still be classified on the oilier side now, but this is good as it means now at 41 I don't have many lines or wrinkles.

I do cleanse morning and night but don't use anything special; at the moment I just use micellar water.

The only two factors that might make a difference is 1) I don't wear foundation, just a little concealer under my eyes and 2) I take a daily multivitamin supplement.

dustbunny1900 can i ask what sunscreen you use? I've been meaning to get biore watery essence but i don't knowing that's a zinc one or not, I don't know much about sunscreens.

To some extent I think great skin is down to pot luck. But I think there’s things you can do to make the best of your lot.
Drink hot water with lemon often, eat well and take outdoors exercise.
PM - I use Superdrug hot cloth cleanser. I remove any stubborn eye make-up with a baby wipe. At the moment I’m following this with The Ordinary retinoid emulsion. I’ve also tried Nip and Fab Dragons Blood facial pads and Liquid Alpha Gold. Once settled on my skin, I apply a good night cream (Currently using a Clinique one)
AM I use Clinique liquid mild facial soap, followed by their mild clarifying lotion and I use a La Roche Posay moisturiser which contains hyaluronic acid and has an SPF 20.

Yes, a lot of it is genes. I am 50 and have really good skin and it's mostly down to genes but helped by not ever having smoked, kept out of the sun, lots of water and a good diet. I also use home made moisturiser made by a colleague so no artificial chemicals on my face. I have never cleansed my face (steam from shower works fine) but then I don't wear make-up.

I'm 41 & do get complimented on my skin.

I've always worn a daytime moisturiser with at least spf15 since I was a teenager.
I've actually worn moisturiser since I was 10.

I don't smoke, drink or use sunbeds.

I use Simple cream cleanser & toner.
Then Clinique smart repair serum.
Then either Clinique Superdefense spf 20 oily to oily combination skin day cream OR a Boots No7 night cream & Clinique smart repair eye cream.

During the day I use a primer on my t zone & then put Boots no7 BB cream all over as I'm quite pale.

If I'm in the sun for over an hour I use Boots no7 spf30 facial sun lotion.

It's not all genes! Cleans with a warm washcloth (no product) in the morning. In the evening cleanse with pure coconut oil (rub on face, leave for two minutes, wipe off with warm washcloth). Put on a mask once a week (aldi charcoal mud mask is what I'm using for my oily skin, it's a miracle product and better than masks 8 times the price).

As for moisturising, maybe a serum and then spf30 in the morning. It's an absolute must to wear sunscreen every day, all year.

I used to have shitty, patchy dry AND oily combination skin and now it looks ace.

I think when it comes to products simple is safest. Anything complicated with probably irritate your skin. When it comes to skincare expensive products are not good products - find what works for you. The beauty industry want to sell you a 12-step programme costing hundreds of pounds but it's not neccessary.

Ps cheap, simple and skin-friendly products which will make your skin look great:

Coco Vita Coconut Oil (3.99 for 500ml) - for cleaning, as coconut oil doesn't moisturise

Altruist spf 30 (4.99 for 200ml) -sits well under make up and contains no nasties. Developed by a dermatologist.

NHS My Trusty Hand and Face Oil (7.99) - Also developed by THE dermatologists. Best oil I have put on my face.

Aldi Charcoal Mud Mask (5.99 for 75ml). - dupe for the Glamglow mask, but actually better.

Nivea Soft (1.99 for 75ml.) - the original, the best. The blue one is good too but too thick for face.

:)

^^ Above that should be "NHS dermatologists" rather than "THE dermatologists". Bah.

I think a lot of it is genes. Mine didn't start to improve until peri menopause.

Dustbunny your regime is impressive but I missed the first part where you said you were 30.
At 30 you ought to have perfect skin.
Wait till you are 60+ like me and then shout about it! But I do agree with your regime. I've used sun block since being 35 and it really does help along with a good diet etc.