What do I need?

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I’m approaching my fourties but not there yet. My only beauty regimen is that every 4-7 days I wash my face with a rose scrub I got for free from blink brow bar and once every few days, I use a La Roche Posay hydraphase intense mask that I bought on sale from boots because it was reduced to clear and sounded almost fancy

I am not happy with the way I look (my body has changed a lot after having children and I’m struggling with the new me), I can see my face ageing badly and don’t know what to do. So I had this crazy thought that I should have some Botox done and then realised that there might be less extreme options to help me bring back some years? So I was thinking to see a consultant, someone that could look at my face for a couple of minutes and say: get this treatment done (like a chemical peel or whatever), then use this cream/serum/etc every day and actually have some great results. Or maybe they might say Botox might actually be a good idea as I have really bad wrinkles around my eyes and on my forehead from squinting all the time. My eyes can’t stand day light, even on a cloudy day I’m better off wearing sunglasses.

Can you recommend someone in London?
I came across someone called Sam Bunting but not sure she is what I need? I’m not rich so I don’t want to be sold lots of expensive creams that do nothing.
I need an overhaul.

Anyone?

Why bother seeing a consultant when a good skin regime would benefit hugely? I like Origins. Basically I clean my face by rubbing baby lotion all over, then remove with damp cotton wool pads, then I use an eye cream (currently Origins Plantscription) then in the day I use Origins A Perfect World SPF 40 and at night High Potency Night A Mins.
I think after a few days your skin will plump out and look and feel better, it must be very parched!

Just to add you don't need expensive creams, I've only bought Origins as I had a few pounds spare, Nivea Q10 is very good, as is Nivea soft, even Aldi do a Caviar(?) range which is raved about.

A consultant is just going to sell you expensive creams. Just eat well, exercise and keep skin hydrated. Aldi Lacura Q10 is good for budget option, I agree origins are great, but relatively pricey, I use oil rather than moisturiser cream (apparently better for dry skin) I can recommend simply Argan, it lasts ages and my skin looks fab on it.

I think from your starting point, paying to see a consultant would be a bit excessive. You could just introduce a skin care regime and see how that goes. Personally I like Liz Earle, it's very moisturising which is good for older skin. Just using any moisturiser twice a day would be better than nothing though!

Sorry I should add - I have 1 acne cyst on my face, had it since giving birth. Most of it was removed by surgery as the cyst broke and spread - long story but basically the consultant that did the surgery left some of it behind and that flares up once in a while - luckily at some point I can squeeze it out and then it becomes dormant for the better part of the year but ideally I would like to know if there are creams/oils that I should avoid because of the risk of upsetting my dormant cyst

In terms of Botox, is that worth trying, does it really slow the ageing process or should that be a different thread?

Also, what is a skin care regime?
Morning scrub/exfoliate, tone and hydrate by way of cream/serum?
Evening cleanse and hydrate?
Have I got this right?

Cleanse, tone and moisturise morning and evening. Minimal cleanse in the morning, and always wear SPF.

Sam Bunting charging £425 for an initial appointment. I will have to regroup on that unfortunately.

Maybe start with cleaning your face more than once a week. If it's just a random scrub, I doubt it's doing much good. I actually think physical scrubs don't do a lot, it's all about chemical exfoliation. If you don't want to pay for a dermatologist (which is what I'd recommend, my sister is one), then:

• Cream cleanser like Liz Earle, or the Clinique take the day off balm, remove with muslin cloth and give your face a gentle 'buff'
• Cold water, then dry
• Toner - I like the Elemis Balancing one.
• Exfoliating pads 4x a week (Nip and Fab do great low cost ones)
• Serum - if you don't know what your skin type is then start with something like Vichy 89 which is very simple and just hydrating, plumps the skin
• A decent moisturiser - I'm not sure about anti-aging products, but for something low cost, Olay Regenerist is always raved about. If not, go to Estee Lauder, Lancome or Clinique counter and see what they recommend or if you can get a sample.

Start with that and see what you think after a few months. No harm in getting a touch of botox, but a basic skin care routine (yes the above is basic) is the very minimal you can do to look after yourself.

Ps please don't put baby lotion on your face - It's not going to cleanse and you will be very lucky not to completely congest your face and get your acne back. Start using a proper cleanser every single day - you need to buff away the old skin cells and build up of sweat/pollution

spanishwife Many thanks for the advice, much appreciated!
Yes, I want to see a dermatologist too ( I wasn’t sure whether I need a dermatologist or beautician), I just don’t know which one. I have contacted a couple Burton and her colleague are definitely out of my budget, I can’t spend more than £150 for a consultation. I’ll keep looking and search forums for recommendations.

Not burton duh, I meant Bunting

Honestly, I would go somewhere like Space NK where they have loads of brands and do a skincare consultation. Get samples before buying anything, then you can always hunt out cheaper alternatives if need be. My regime is quite similar to pp, but just to give you an idea of different products/ranges:

Morning

Cleanse - Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip - remove with flannel in the shower
Pixi Glow Tonic
Estée Lauder ANR serum
Clarins moisturiser - it’s been repackaged and I can’t quite remember the name, but it used to be Hydraquench

Evening

Remove makeup with micellar water - whatever’s on offer
Cleanse - Chanel oil currently, but I also like Emma Hardie balm, again, remove with flannel
Pixi toner again
Superdrug Pure serum
Botanics facial oil
Botanics night cream

Once a week I use a clay mask (L’oreal) in the bath, and follow up with the Origins Drink Up overnight mask. My night products are cheaper, and work just as well as the more expensive day ones - I find cheaper things make my skin too greasy in the day, but that’s fine at night. I also tend to do the night stuff about 6pm, because if I left it until bedtime I would be too lazy!

If you were unhappy with your skin even though you had a good skincare routine I'd suggest spending money on a dermatologist, but why not try some basic skincare for a couple of months and see if things improve, you might be able to save a few hundred pounds?

I get a lot of compliments on my skin and I use a cream cleanser morning and night, followed by suncream or nightcream. I exfoliate and use a face mask weekly, and drink a lot of water. I don't think you need a lot of products, or expensive products.

Regarding the cyst. I can't imagine a dermatologist will tell you anything you can't find out online for free.

Spanish baby lotion is my one must have, I wipe it off with a damp cotton pad, anything else just aggravates my dry skin. I've used it for about 25 years and my skin is soft and spit free. It's the bomb in my book.

I just wanted to provide an update - so I have bit the bullet and went to see a therapist at Teresa Tarmey (which I have come across by googling Caroline Hirens after reading about her in here).

I basically had a 1 hour facial and a consultation for a fraction of what some dermatologists I have contacted would have charged.

I am very happy with my choice, the therapist I saw was very knowledgeable and she explained at length what she thought can be done to improve my skin and why.

She has recommended a simple skin routine and some products (fairly priced and I didn’t feel for a moment pushed into buying from there).
The skin routine is very simple:
Morning: gentle cleanser and mineral spf 50
Evening: gentle cleanser, hydrating cream and a retinoid cream every other night.

She has also suggested fractional radio frequency for improving the appearance of my scar. I took her advice and googled the procedure and I must say if there before and after photos have not been altered - I’m sold!