Getting that fresh faced look back? How?

[MirrorHope]

I'm thinner than I've ever been but so is my hair. I have greys but very few (actually zero) wrinkles - two kids down, a stressful job, two renovations, bereavement, awful pregnancies and aftermaths - etc etc marriage - you name it - I was told today how fresh faced I look in an old photo of myself. I was fatter and had more hair.

What can I do? Obviously I've just aged really badly and it's hit me now - I have no wrinkles - just thinner hair and can't do much with it.

I also am juggling so much stuff. I know I can't reclaim my youth - but to look at my face I don't have wrinkles so what is it that ages you? How do you lose that fresh look? Can you get it back?

Liquid Gold and a Retinoid (I use prescription strength but the ordinary is probably a good starting point).

Hair and nail vitamins are probably worth a try too.

Thank you! Never heard of liquid gold. Will look into it.

They do say that when you reach a certain age you have to choose between your arse and your face.

Not helpful

It’s very boring but getting lots of sleep, drinking water and eating well are the best remedies. I also swear by a good layer of Nivea from the blue top before bed.

No, I don't think you do have to choose face or body past a certain age.
That's certainly not what I've found. With excellent nutrition, good lifestyle, great skincare and retin-A you can have both

What I have found to be more and more true as I age though, is that you get out what you put in, and consistency is key.

So:

Are you getting enough protein, or is your diet carb heavy?
Do you have enough vitamins C and D and Calcium?
Do you have enough and correct ratios of omegas 3, 6 and 9s?
What's your skincare routine like? As Molton suggests, do you use a retinoid?
Do you workout?

As this post shows, I rarely get enough sleep (its night here, I have insomnia) but I still look fresh faced and glowing in the mornings. Getting anything sensible out of my before coffee is a whole other matter .
I think if you've got great nutrition, lifestyle and skincare, you can get away with the odd vice at any age without it really showing

Slippery's advice about nivea blue is excellent too. I use a layer of Vaseline instead as the last step of my skincare at night, (as my occlusive) to sort of lock in all my skincare and make it more effective.

I second Liquid Gold, also retinols and hyaularonic acid can help.

I think my skincare regime is hopeless. Basically a standard face wash and Clarins moisturiser - active? Day and night cream.

I exfoliate once a week using a ESPA polish.

I don't work out enough - I used to last 6 months stopped and putting weight on.

I eat too much sugar.

I'm low on Vit D and Iron but I supplement.

I don't supplement omegas.

I need to look into retinoids -

What is an ideal skincare regime - should
I seek out pro facials?

Sleep
Drinking plenty of water
Sunblock - I like this La Roche Posay one in a stick as it's so easy to reapply (but I don't usually wear make-up)
Sheet mask once a week - I like the Garnier ones
Eating a varied and balanced diet with oily fish, fruit, and vegetables
Remember to apply hand cream to your hands up to the wrist and your elbows every day / after putting your hands in water
Remember to apply lip balm every day / after cleaning your teeth

Curling your eyelashes and using mascara, and getting your eyebrows sorted (and kept up) can also help. and lip balm every day.

Also making sure your clothes are in good condition - cut off any loose threads, sew on missing buttons, polish your shoes, throw away anything that's lost its shape or colour or doesn't fit or suit you (or cut it up for cleaning rags / make it a kid's painting overall), iron your clothes.

In my personal and in no way medically proven opinion, drinking too much milk dulls your skin or gives skin issues.

Cutting down on added sugar and processed food will improve your skin more than any product. Stock up on healthy foods that you like, especially those that contain iron, vitamin D, or omega oils.

For Vitamin D and exercise, perhaps use this month of holidays to get outdoors and active with your DC? Doesn't have to be fancy, maybe just getting into the habit of going for a walk together once or twice a day, or going to the park to kick or throw around a ball? If you like swimming, perhaps aim to take them twice a week this holiday (if you have access to a pool, of course).

You may well have already spoken to a doctor or nutritionist about your iron deficiency, but it's worth mentioning that drinking tea can deplete you of iron so if you do drink a lot of tea perhaps look into that, and also ways to make sure the iron supplement that you take is having the maximum effect.

If you can afford it, get your hair trimmed so that the ends are thick; that's a very youthful look. And look for recommendations of volumising shampoos and quick, simple ways to style thin hair for every day (e.g. blow dry upside down...)

I don't know how old you are, but once I hit 40 my hair thinned out a lot - could you perhaps get a blood test? It's very common for women as they age to lose iron, which affects the hair. That's what happened to me.

Ah I see you've already mentioned Iron!

Botox
Good vitamin supplement
Grooming
Being happy and content

I think my skincare regime is hopeless. Basically a standard face wash and Clarins moisturiser - active? Day and night cream.

OK, so you need a better routine, more on that below.

I exfoliate once a week using a ESPA polish. Your body, yes? Not your face

I don't work out enough - I used to last 6 months stopped and putting weight on.

Could you fit in 20 mins of yoga a day? You could do it in your garden if you have one, and with your DC. I've done yoga with my DC since toddler-hood, there are some great mum + tot routines on YouTube . Plus its a great habit for your DC to grow up with.

I eat too much sugar. If you supe up the rest of your nutrition it will be easier to reduce the sugar as you'll have more energy anyway. I didn't find cutting out sugar completely made any difference, but I don't have much anyway and my nutrition is otherwise pretty good. Plus I like the occasional cake and I'm all for everything in moderation.

I'm low on Vit D and Iron but I supplement. There's a free app called "Chronometer" which measures your daily intake of vitamins, minerals, carbs, protein etc. Its a bit of a faff to set up, but very easy once you get going and helps you be much more aware, I find, of trying to balance your diet without supplements. Or at least improving your nutrition overall

I don't supplement omegas. Ground flaxseeds have made an enormous difference to me, they have to be ground so that your body can absorb them properly, but they're tasty and cheap too. I add them to everything now. A good balanced omega supplement (make sure its balanced 3, 6 and 9) should make a huge difference to hour skin and how you feel quite rapidly.

I need to look into retinoids
The Ordinary do some good, cheap ones which are a nice starting point.

What is an ideal skincare regime - should I seek out pro facials?

No, I don't think pro facials are much cop tbh, once you know what works for your skin, which takes a bit of trial and error, and a bit of knowledge of ingredients, you can do it yourself much more effectively.

Basic skincare AM -
Double cleanse (I use natural African Black Mud soap), toner (something not harsh, I use rosewater), facial oil, hyaluronic acid, facial moisturiser, sunscreen. Then makeup if you wear it.
PM routine -
Double cleanse, toner (glycolic acid), facial oil, hyaluronic acid, facial moisturiser, occlusive layer (I use Vaseline).

I have found that the skincare powerhouses are:

retinoids/retin-A
glycolic acid (The Ordinary and The Inkey List do good, cheap ones). If you're starting a retinoid or retin-A, cut this out until your skin has properly adjusted to the retinoid.
hyaluronic acid. Very, very moisturising, but needs to go on a wet face, so after you've applied facial oil or moisturiser as it pulls moisture into your skin, and it can't do that if there isn't any moisture to pull.
facial oil. Some say it should go after your facial moisturiser, but my derm is very pro it going before, and before does work better for me.
occlusive, this locks everything in and makes it all work more effectively. I use a thin layer of plain old Vaseline, some use Nivea blue pot, or Weleda Skin Food. Both of those break me out though, so I stick to Vaseline.
sunscreen. I use Canmake Mermaid Gel (cheap on Amazon) as its non drying and non greasy, but Biroee Watery Essence is also excellent. Asian brand sunscreens are light years ahead of most Western ones in terms of consistency and quality.

Oh, sorry about the hideously long post!

On the days I use retin-A (every other day as its prescription strength and my face would look like a dinosaur's butt if I used it every day) my PM routine is:
Double cleanse -> very thin layer of facial moisturiser -> wait until face completely dry -> retin-A -> wait one hour -> facial oil, hyaluronic, faci moisturiser, Vaseline as normal.

One other thing, you need vitamin D to absorb calcium, so if your vitamin D levels are low, chances are your calcium levels may be too.
Calcium is fairly easy to get through diet, I eat quite a lot of tofu, and drink fortified cashew milk, which covers my RDA . I'm not low on vitamin D though.

You don't need to do a huge skin care routine. Too many products will be just as bad as not bothering, especially if your skin is not spotty or overly dry/oily without all the goop. I do second (or third) the suggestion of a sunblock or at least moisturiser with sunscreen in it. Also a brightening serum; I especially like Korean ones. That's it apart from good makeup removal hygiene and moisturiser! Taking a multi vitamin has helped me a lot, but I have IBD so my gut doesn't work to absorb nutrients.

Nioxin shampoo is great for thinning hair, as is taking pregnancy vitamins.

I do think that plumpness in the face is very youthful (hence puppy fat) and that sadly as you age the "your face or your arse" adage is a bit true. I think a lot of very slender celebrities have facial fillers to achieve that youthful volume.

Blusher really helps avoid that "grey" look.

Thinning hair is very aging. Like you I'm not grey but my (lack of) hair makes me older. I wore a wig for a fancy dress thing and everyone said how much younger I looked!

A lot to absorb here - I'm going to read through and respond.

But on a quick scan - yes I got recommended an exfoliater/polish for my face when I went for an ESPA facial and I do it once a week on damp skin.

I have this :
PREMIUM Retinol Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin E, Anti Aging Retinol Serum for Wrinkles, Fine Lines & Sensitive Skin, Hydrate & Brighten your look! 100% Satisfaction

From Viola Skinn just under £15 on Amazon.

How often should I use this....I have IBS and struggle to absorb.

I don't drink tea.

I wear a b12 patch (vitamin) all my vitamins are low.

I'm wondering if to get a pregnancy vitamin then top up with iron and D. Like pregnacare because I can get the omega one with it?

I have an under active thyroid that I take levothyroxine for and I take Ferrograd C

Good quality sleep, fruit and veg (especially greens), very little sugar and alcohol. I always look my best no matter what weight I am if I've been sticking to the above for at least a couple of weeks.

As I'm sure you know hair thinning is a common side effect of hypothyroidism. Could it be worth a chat with the GP about making sure your levels are as good as they can be?

If you have IBS and all your vitamins are low it sounds like improving your health is the priority and topical treatments could maybe be a second stage.

OK, ditch the E'spa exfoliation stuff except on your body and feet. Switch to an acid toner instead. Glycolic acid is brilliant and will make a visible difference within a use or two.

Do you take an IBS specific probiotic supplement? I don't have IBS but they've made life changing (no exaggeration) differences to friends who do.

No, don't take an prege supplement if you aren't pregnant, look for a multivitamin and mineral one which states that it covers 100% of your RDA of all essential vitamins and minerals.
That way anything you get from your food can help to top up your levels, and between the two hopefully you will be hitting close to your RDAs even with your IBS.

I've just had a look Mirror and that serum looms like a good one.
Have you started using it yet? If not I'd start with twice per week, then three times per week after a couple of weeks, then every other day. I wouldn't personally use it everyday, but some people find their skin can tolerate every day.

If you are using retinoids/retin-A you MUST use sunscreen every single day. They make your skin much more sensitive to the sun, and aside from negating their effects you can end up with very nasty burns from what would have been mild sunburn otherwise.

And no, if you just want reasonably good skin you don't need anything more than a simple skincare routine.

If you want flawless, glowing, lit from within, perfect 100% of the time skin then you need to invest more effort into your routine.

When I started putting more effort into my skincare (my routine still only takes ten minutes in the morning, and evening unless you count leaving the retin-A for an hour to absorb) my skin went from good/OK, looked nice with makeup to absolutely perfect all the time.
I can workout and have sweat streaming down my face, and ten minutes later my skin is back to glowib and even toned again. I never get spots, my skin stays perfect all through the day (even in the harsh Arizona heat here) its never dry, oily, always even toned, always lit from within. I don't wear facial makeup anymore, not even undereye concealer.

So no, good skin is down to good diet, genes and a simple routine, perfect skin needs more effort .