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 have suffered with acne from the age of 10 to the age of 24. Not so long ago I was applying steroid cream to my face as it was the only thing that calmed it down.

I switched about a month ago to lush "ultra bland" face wash and "eu Roma water" toner and use nothing else, my skin has transformed. Still the occasional spot but nothing like before and my skin is no longer a rashed mess from all the strong products I was shoving on it.

The face wash took a whole to get used to as it's like a balm and you have to wipe it off with cotton pads but my skin feels so clean and soft after using it.

If you are stuck in a corner I would recommend giving the above products a try.

I find it is to do with diet! And drinking lots of water.

I used to get acne and lots of spots but i cut out dairy and now i rarely get them. I will get them if i eat lots of sugary and processed foods maybe but when i eat lots of fresh fruit and veg my skin clears up.

Also i think being outside and the sun helps. This time of year after a long winter i always feel my skin doesnt look as nice as in the summer time!

Roaccutane as a spotty teenager to cure acne. It was literally a miracle cure for me.
Liz Earle cleanse and polish, toner and moisturiser since my early 20s.
Lots of water, limited alcohol, no fizzy pop.
As much time spent outdoors as possible.
Sun cream as soon as the sun makes an appearance.
Tinted moisturiser rather than foundation.

It's bad news for me then. I'm adopted and I'm not sure how lucky I am with the gene pool - I've met my mother but it is hard to say really as she was on (probably still is) a lot of anti psychotic meds.

Anyway - my skin is dehydrated. I use SPF and have just ordered one which I hope will be good due to a recommendation here. I have weird skin/oily/combo/and dry. Very odd. I have BIG puffy bits under my eyes. I think this is inherited but I also have a very stressful job. I have also took ADs since teens (in 30's now).

Product wise I use a lot of Ordinary stuff but not impressed. I'm just gotten demonologic skin smoothing cream and plan to get the serum on pay day. I use a dermogolica cleanser but TBH don't rate that as any better than the expensive ones. I also use Kheils Avocado eye cream. I'm not sure how good it will be long term, but it is moisturising but looks like snot. La Pose Rosey (sorry for spelling) eye cream is in my view, el crappo. I try to exfoliate once a week too but I'm always done in. So, I am going to make it my mission to try and get a facial once a month.

Has anyone here tried microdermabrasion?

:)

@dustbunny can I ask what cleanser you use?

I'm 52 and have good skin. Lots of sleep, no smoking, don't drink, lots of water. I wash my face with Tesco face wash then rinse with cold water. I use vitamin E oil at night and various (cheap) moisturiser during the day with Ritalin in it.

There’s a youtuber called (wait for it...) Hot and Flashy. If you can get past the completely ridiculous name she has some really interesting advice regarding retinoids, how to get rid of eyebags etc. And her own results are nothing short of astounding. She is based in the US so perhaps easier access to things like tretinoin etc but the principals (if extreme) are good.

Oh, also on YouTube - Dr Sam Bunting is great - impartial, sensible, accessible (UK based and doesn’t only go on about ridiculously expensive products)

moisture moisture moisture. both by being well hydrated and by layering products. also acids, other actives and retinol.

basically you need to develop a fastidious interest in reddit skincare addict and caroline hirons !

I do have great skin inherited from my mum. I only use facial wipes, sun screen in the summer and no make up. I own quite a few lotions and potions but forget to use them!

I think Hot and Flashy on YouTube is great. She has some sound advice on retinoids and shows photos from before and 6 month in to usage. She also documents her laser usage and the results she's had. All very interesting.

It's a shame that whilst the sun may give us a glow in the short term, it's the single most ageing thing we can expose our skin to. I look so pale today but will still continue with the SPF 50 and hats in the sun.

Clarins glow drops (face self tanning drops) are amazing for adding a bit of colour.

I have great skin and still get IDed all the time at 30. I have fine hair and brittle nails, but fantastic glowy clear skin so at least I got something

I drink GALLONS of water. Literally, pints and pints of it. Love it. I think this really helps with what jane Austen would call your ‘bloom’ - it makes the skin glowy and fresh.

I never sit in the sun, ever. I’m very pale and use an spf year round.

I don’t use too many products and have used pretty much the same since I was a teen - simple moisturising facewash in the shower, miceller water and liz earle cleanse and polish to remove makeup. I’m quite lazy about sleeping in makeup though at night I slap on body shop oils of life, but plain rosehip oil works just as well. I also love pixi glow tonic for a quick boost. Origins ginzing eye cream is fab for brightening eyes.

Also - If you used to be anorexic and are still quite slim for your height, getting in some more healthy fats will help. I do think after your late 20s being a bit on the rounder side helps your skin, but just adding olive oil, oily fish etc to your diet should help plump up your skin a bit.

Loads of water
Loadsa veg
Loadsa sleep
No alcohol
Don't smoke
Don't sunbathe
No sugar
Good moisturiser
Exercise outdoors
A minimal skincare routine

A lot if it is genes though

buffalo I use thinksport , or badger (badger sunscreens are a bit greasy though) EWG website has a great rating system that covers safety (like making sure no retinyl palmitate is in it) and uv protection, so they have great recommendations too

eggs I use cerave hydrating cleanser (when I don’t oil cleanse with olive oil) I love their products!

Heh, yea I know 30s still young but I live in the states right now so all my fair skinned friends have many lines even in their 20s! The ones who sunbathe and drink mostly

To add to my above post - I drink like a fish and eat a lot of crap but the water and sun avoidance seem to cancel that out

I have good skin and that's despite spending my much of my twenties and early thirties in hot countries with no sun screen and never using any moisturisers. My mum's skin was the same, so I do think it's largely down to genetics. But I have always drunk a lot of water, and have a pretty good diet so I think that helps. I do think most skin care ranges are complete rip offs to be honest, the best thing to improve your skin is through dietary means.

I have to be honest, I'm more impressed (and interested) in people who have great skin age 45 plus as it shows they have really taken care of themselves and their skin (and have a few good genes thrown in).

Not so hard in your early thirties really. In fact my skin was bullet proof then. I didn't do much and it was still all glowy and commented on.

Genetics and not seeking the sun - and perhaps being vegetarian in the main.

I have fair skin, didn’t have teenage spots, have no visible pores and it is fine.

I wear makeup which I remove with Simple Cleanser - and I moisturise with Simple moisturiser before applying it.

Other than that zilch: no expensive creams and potions, no special this or that for this area or that. I could afford those but couldn’t be bothered faffing around and have better things to do.

I don’t smoke and hardly ever drink but I don’t get as much sleep as I should nor do I drink much water.

I think it is largely due to genetics.

I think it’s genetics and staying out of the sun.

I get told I have great skin. I think it’s mostly that I have dry skin so I don’t get spots and I’ve akways used some sort of spf moisturiser since I was 16 so not many wrinkles.
My diet could be better and I like a drink so I’m not helping myself (don’t smoke though).

People on here are saying that good skin in your 30s is easy but I'd disagree, I'm a keen make up artist (once for a job the rest for fun) and I'm often amazed at how rough people's skin can be, and I mean the younger generation!

@Dustbunny1900 have ordered that cleanser

The biggest and best thing you can do is use a hydrating toner. It makes your skin feel great, fine lines are minimised because the skin plumps up and you won't look so tired, I promise. It just evens out your skin tone, balances dry patches, soothes and calms the skin.

I use Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner but there are many others - and available from some uk stockists or from eBay. Make sure there's no alcohol and no witch hazel. It's not meant to be a cleansing toner as we're used to in Western skincare.

On clean skin, put a few drops on your fingertips and pat in. Do several layers, I usually do 3-4. Follow up with a moisturiser like La Roche Posay Toleriane moisturiser.

The Toleriane Dermo Cleanser is good too or Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser.

Gothamista does great videos on skincare. 4_

Sort out the hydration and it will put your skin in a much stronger and balanced position, in order to tackle other issues.

Weirdly this advert is in another thread too.

...on