40 and suddenly look like shit. Could I get a skin intervention?

[ShimmeringIce]

My skin has never really troubled me, but since turning forty it seems to have gone downhill fast
I have a minimal skincare routine, cheap-but-with-spf moisturiser, scrub off make up with micellar water at night. I feel like I should be buying The Ordinary, and maybe retinol, and serums??
Hoping the pics will show all my lovely lumps and bumps, red veins(?) and new under-eye wrinkles where I store my eyeshadow...
Any suggestions please?

First thing is you need to be cleansing your face properly. Micellar water to remove makeup will be leaving your face manky.

Get a bunch of flannels (cheap from Ikea, or a Tesco, or wherever), and a balm, oil or cream cleanser. Starting with a properly clean face is far more important than the products you use afterwards.

Ok, sounds simple enough! My forehead is oily but round my nose can get dry. Do I need a balm, oil or cream?
Actually, I’m not sure I’d feel very clean using oil! Quite like being ‘squeaky’ clean

If you apply a balm or oil cleanser, you use a hot damp flannel to wipe it all off. Leaves your face clean, but won’t leave it tight and dry. I love Emma Hardie balm cleanser, but I use the Body Shop camomile balm cleanser usually, since it’s a third of the price anyway (plus I only buy TBS stuff at 30% or 40% off).

I also get dry skin around my nose, and a glycolic toner will sort that out (eg Pixi Glow Tonic, or the Ordinary also have a glycolic that’s under a fiver).

You could get a serum like Buffet from the Ordinary. If your skin is dehydrated or dry, I’d very much recommend an oil, like rosehip oil. Oils are good even for oily skin, it stops your skin overproducing oil. Then a nice night cream (with no SPF) that suits your skin’s needs.

Work your way up to retinols slowly (probably starting with a retinoid, if you’re buying from the Ordinary), and don’t introduce too many things at once! Just start with good cleansing, and introduce new products over time, to be sure they’re agreeing with your skin.

I found hitting 40 had me realising I had to start putting some effort into my skincare. I have sensitive skin so use a Simple face wash. I use The Beauty Kitchen Seahorse Plankton moisturiser in the morning and the facial oil only at night. I do a pink clay mask once a week followed by an overnight mask cream (Dr Botanics 'Po'). Then a sheet mask once a week (a hyaluronic one).

This all sounds like it might work some magic! I’ll try not to go crazy. Is one new thing per week slow enough?
Thank you!!

Yes, one thing a week sounds good. Also, work up the frequency of acids or retinols. I use glycolic every day, but you won’t want to start out doing that. And keep up with your SPF in the day, especially, if you’re starting on retinol. Best of luck!

Vit c in morning.
Retinol at night.
Acid toning.
SPF every day.

Simples 😁

Most of the products above you can get a Superdrug for a fraction of the price and cruelty free. I use the naturally radiant hot cloth cleanser, glycolic acid pads, followed by Aldi day and night creams with spf/ retinol respectively and my skin has never looked better

I know there is a trend for hot cloth and oil/balm cleansing, but its really important to actually wash your face both morning and night, with something that foams and needs to be rinsed. The formulation should be suitable to your skin type, there is something for everyone. Oils and balms are good to dissolve makeup and dirt only. Afterwards, you actually need to wash.

Your skin sounds combination. Make sure you buy products that are clearly marked as non-comedogenic, as they don't block pores.

For morning I would suggest a serum and/or lightweight cream and then a proper SPF block, 30 at least (not a moisturizer with added SPF as you may not be using enough to get the sun protection you need).

For bedtime routine, I suggest a face oil instead of night cream. Makes a difference to my skin. Check out the ones for oily skin. You can alternate between using an oil and a retinol product at night, as retinol should not be used every night for a start.

Get a good eye cream. Also, try leaving the Apivita Ginseng eye mask overnight, and you will wake up with brighter and hydrated eyes, diminished dark circles.

Have a clay mask once a week.

Use a face scrub with acids once a week.

I use pharmacy brands almost exclusively and I rate lierac, uriage and darphin. I also have firm favorites from korres and apivita, when it comes to cleansers and face masks.

Yes to cleansing your face in the mornings as well as evenings. But avoid foaming cleansers; they’re not kind to your skin.

www.carolinehirons.com/2011/07/cleansing-cheat-sheet.html

I had a facial once in a spa (I was dragged). My skin looked really good though. Maybe book on for a facial and ask what a good routine would be for you to do at home.

And drink lots of water and sleep well.

@kaldefotter I am surprised so many people trust a glorified aesthetician on how to care for their skin! Foaming = bad, is just horribly wrong. Caroline Hirons is not a doctor.

Your skin is the biggest organ. Rely on dermatologists for advice and directions. Not aestheticians.

If someone had seen a dermatologist, I’d never suggest they ignore that advice and go with advice from a beauty therapist. But nobody’s talking about skin so bad that a dermatologist’s advice is required! And I’m not sure why you’re so defensive about foaming washes.

I remember when I used to use Aapri exfoliating scrub and Clearasil on my skin. We’ve come a long way since, and we know how to be kinder to our skin. There’s a reason why scrubs went out of fashion, and it’s not just due to micro plastics.

Drink the recommended amount of water daily. Your skin is the biggest organ on your body and needs to be hydrated sufficiently to maintain elasticity and for other core functions to work correctly.
A good skincare routine is great, but if your skin is dehydrated, it can only go so far.

@kaldefotter the mistake is right there: you don't have to have very bad skin to consult a dermatologist. They are not only for infections and skin diseases. Plus foaming doesn't mean it's not kind to your skin, there are many different ingredients. Both are false assumptions.

We’re in the UK, and we don’t tend to visit dermatologists if we have healthy skin and we’re just looking for skincare advice.

Anyway, to the OP, I hope you enjoy developing your skincare routine. I agree with lotsofsausage that Superdrug has lots of good products that are reasonably priced.

I agree with @kaldefotter. Cleansing balm + warm damp flannel worked wonders for my skin. I like the Body Shop camomile balm or Clinique Take The Day Off. Massage it over your face and remove with the flannel. Be warned - It's like slathering lard over your face, so it seems counter-intuitive, but it leaves my face feeling soft and properly clean.

Oooh feeling a bit overwhelmed now actually!
I do still use St Ives scrub (and the really scrubby one!) didn’t realise it was a no-no

What vit C and retinol are people using/ recommending?

@ShimmeringIce - given that you're starting to get thread veins, you might want to bin your scrub! Skin at 40 is much less forgiving than teenage skin.

Using a flannel to remove your cleanser will exfoliate your skin somewhat anyway. If you need more exfoliation, consider introducing an acid, like lactic acid, once or twice a week.

Don't get overwhelmed! Just start out with a basic routine, see how your skin's doing with that, and work out what you'd like to tackle next. It's completely fine to stay on a basic routine, or work up to a more elaborate routine over several months. See how you go, and if you enjoying trying more skincare products then do. But you don't have to.

Retinol - indeed labs is a great place to start. Lots of people still rate the ordinary but I'm not a fan. I prefer QRXlabs and the inkey list. If you want to spend more money, Neostrara, Obagi and Zo skin are gold standard.

I'm still searching for a great vit c. I'm currently using GOW but doubt I'll repurchase.

I swear by using organic products like Neal's Yard and Dr Hauschka. Gentle but very effective. Being scrupulous with a regime is key and I definitely notice the difference when I haven't done a really thorough cleanse for a few days. Hot cloth cleansing is the way to go but replace the cloths every couple of days or use a fresh one every time.

I have gone the other way with skin care

The whole process of stripping oil from your skin, then reapplying oil/creams etc seems silly

I just wash with warm flannel with plain water, then apply moisturiser (spf in summer, in winter a slightly richer b5/hyaluronic based one. I wear hats outside when it's sunny) and just leave my skin alone (no make up, no evening routine)

What helps my skin most is fresh air and exercise and eating well and leaving it alone

The "less is more approach"

Got flannels today, I’ll have more time later in the week to look at Superdrug, but I’m ordering some vitamin c oil from Amazon in the meantime.
Scrub is going in the bin! (Or maybe I’ll use it on my hands and feet)

For a cleanser for skin that’s a combination I massively recommend Temple Spa dual act wet and dry cleanser for combination skin. I have tried and reviewed a lot of skincare products and I love this. I not get t zone spots anymore or any weird dry bits. Seems very balancing.