Facial treatments

[Slyvestersmouth]

Hi, I am 30 but feel that my skin looks much older. It's flaky and dry (so, so dehydrated looking and improving my diet and increasing my water intake don't seem to be making any difference) and fine lines are becoming more and more prominent. I also suffer from hormonal spots all around my jaw line, though these are less of an issue generally.

I have reached the stage now where I feel I've tried everything I can do myself, so I'm starting to look at beauty treatments. This is an area I know very little about and my budget is fairly limited but I can save up. So I want recommendations please of what type of treatment might be best for me.

I have been reading and thinking microdermabrasion might be what I'm after but would love to hear from others who have experience of this, or of any other type of treatment that they think I should look into.

Hopeful bump.

Have you tried avocado oil as a moisturiser at night? It sorted out my dull, flaky skin.

The Ordinary is fantastic as well. So many of my friends are converts. Can't comment on microdermabrasion though, sorry!

Thanks! I haven't tried avocado oil but I'll give it a go. I've actually seen some improvement using milk on my face. I read that online and tried it out and was pleasantly surprised.

I've had trouble with rosacea for the best part of a decade. The best my skin has ever looked has been after a facial, specifically from Espa. I would avoid microdermabrasion at all costs. I think it's more likely to cause more damage than good. I think gentle exfoliation is fine though!

Try Retonal.

Ooh thank you for the warning blitzen! I will look for something else then. I don't think a facial will do enough for me, the dryness is bad but it's the fine lines too that are bugging me. And they are many.

I have a retinol thing, it seemed to be drying my skin out more, maybe I should use it just a few times a week instead of every night. It's all so confusing. I was reading the Botox thread on here earlier and started thinking about that but I think it's too drastic for me lol. Even the idea of a facial scares me a bit.

I know what you mean, sly - I felt the same but I have found facials and massages really relaxing. I agree with helly that retinol works on fine lines but I think you have to be careful with it (and I don't think it can be used during pregnancy). I do enjoy using serum or facial oil under moisturiser. Without it my skin feels tight and dehydrated. Btw I am 34 with sensitive skin prone to rosacea but also struggle with the fine lines creeping in! Especially my frown line!

Ok I will definitely keep up with the retinol but maybe use it less often like I said. Sorry to be annoying but do you know if retinol is safe for using around the eyes? That's where my lines are worst.

Serums...facials... oils... It's a whole new (and probably expensive) world out there for me! I really hope it helps.

I never wear make up usually but was feeling particularly shit the other day so I put on a little foundation and some eye make up.
OMG. It was like a horror show. The dry flakes of skin all over, the foundation emphasing every wrinkle and line. That's what really inspired me to start looking for something more drastic and lead me to finding microdermabrasion (which I definitely won't do now).

I love microdermabrasion but I definitely wouldn't recommend it if you have dry and flaky skin. I imagine you would be left feeling quite sore and red. Definitely continue with the increased water intake and use moisturiser day and night and a serum underneath. It's not too expensive - all 3 cost around £15-£20 and will last a month and I smother on my night cream - just look for offers. Garnier do a nice collagen mask which is really moisturising and the face oils are good. Just smother on as much as you can at night. You can also buy hydrating masks. Use BB cream instead of foundation until the flakiness goes. x

Do you know if your skin is dry (lacking oil) or dehydrated (lacking water?) It can be hard to know the difference but it really helps.

If dry then you need to add oil, avocado oil as recommended above is really good, if dehydrated then you need moisturiser. Applying a hyarulonic acid before moisturiser would help too. Any kind of flaky skin will also be helped by using a muslin cloth to take off cleanser in circular motions and a glycolic acid applied twice weeklyish for gentle exfoliation.

What kind of foundation did you put on? I have dehydrated skin and find water-based foundations a no-go on my skin, they end up patchy, sinking into any fine lines and showing up dry patches.

Hi Jasmine, not sure if the foundation is water based. It's Vichy dermablend fluid corrective foundation. It's the most expensive foundation I've ever bought... I thought it would be good but really am a novice in this area.

I would say my skin is both dry and dehrydated. It's dry and flakey on the surface, but it feels kind of tight and looks dull all the way down if you see what I mean. It feels dehydrated. I've been drinking lots of water and trying to get more good fats in my diet and stuff but doesn't seem to have helped.

I've started looking at this:

www.sknclinics.co.uk/treatments-and-pricing/laser-resurfacing

No idea if it's any good. And it would be way out of my price range

I'm guessing a facial would be a lot cheaper. I don't even know where to get a facial. I need to do more googling.

www.amazon.co.uk/s/?hvlocphy=9046630&hvptwo&hvnetw=g&keywords=retinol+serum&hvadid=259135583509&index=aps&hvpone&ref=pd_sl_3g0186l2xs_b&hvlocint&hvpos=1t2&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt=b&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&hvtargid=kwd-176265299&adgrpid=57191337110&hvrand=2612437198032540245

I’ve bought this - viola retinol serum and can see a difference already. It’s fab

Thank you dancing!

Hi, I would suggest finding a cleanser that works for you (I can highly recommend Bobbi Brown soothing cleansing oil but I’ve also recently tried the dupe for Liz Earle’s cleanse & polish, Aldi version and it’s fab). I’ve also heard great things about the Camomile cleansing balm from The Body Shop but I’ve not tried it yet. I’ve been using Superdrug’s Glycolic pads on a daily basis and have noticed a remarkable difference in my skin, along with Retinol Reface from Indeed (Boots) about 5 times a week. I’m really intrigued about Trilogy’s Rosehip seed oil (Google it, might be just what you are looking for, I am waiting for next month to purchase, bought too much this month lol). For night creams I adore L’Occitane Divine cream but have just recently tried the Sleep cream from M&S (recommend on here) & I’m very impressed (the day cream has fab reviews aswell). It’s a minefield that’s for sure. Good luck 😀 (for info I’m 46 & have classic combination skin but dry in winter, fine lines on forehead & around eyes. Glycolic & retinol have made a real difference for me)

sylvester Actually I've just looked at the ingredient list and my favourite is water based, but with dimithicone as the second ingredient so maybe that's why it sits better than the more watery and too expensive mistake laura mercier one. Didn't want to mislead you.

Applying a hyarulonic acid before moisturiser would help too

Yep ^^ this has been a game changer for me. The Ordinary one is only about £6. With this and oils, my skin is tons better.

@Slyvestersmouth have you tried embryolisse lait concentrate cream? I have recently started to use it and it's really soothing and hydrating. Much cheaper in France as available everywhere but also available in boots.

Wow thanks for all these ideas. I haven't tried much of anything. As I said, I really am a novice. I have a retinol thing (it isn't a cream but I don't think it's a serum. It's more kind of like an oil). And I use spf30. I usually clean my face with distilled witch hazel but after reading about it on here I bought some of that miceller water stuff.

Washing my face with milk definitely helped the dryness somewhat, but that's coming back. Really don't think that the recent weather is helping with that. It's been very changeable day by day here, sunny and bright one day, downcast and cold the next. Today I've been slathering my face in a vitamin e and evening primrose oil cream that I found lying around.

I've been drinking water by the gallon over the last few weeks. I'm running to the loo constantly but my face still seems dehyrdated, under the dryness. I don't understand it. Dry, flaky skin I can sort of manage, but this deep down dehyrdated feeling I just can't seem to fix. I'll look up all the things mentioned on here and buy a few. I think I have a hylaronic acid (sorry I know I've spelt that incorrectly) serum or something somewhere. I'm sure I bought one the last time I had a skin freak out. I'll see if I can dig it up.

The dehyrdated feeling...I used to get it the next day after drinking alcohol. I don't really drink alcohol now though so I really can't work out the cause. It's like a tight, dry, cream-wont-reach-it kind of dryness. Doesn't seem to stop me getting spots though.

If that retinol oil stuff can get rid of my emerging crow's feet and laughter lines I will be over the moon. I never thought I'd be looking into things like laser and Botox, especially at the age of 30, yet I've been googling it again.

It's like a tight, dry, cream-wont-reach-it kind of dryness

When my skin is like this, the only thing that really softens deep down and makes my skin feel elastic and dewy again is Dr Hauschka Rose Day Cream. Glorious stuff!

Dr Hauschka Rose Day Cream

I will try it. Thank you bette!