Stripped back skin care routine

[NinetySixer]

Over the past couple of years I have developed a long winded skin care routine. The problem is that I’m not sure whether it’s entirely necessary. In addition to this I travel lots for work and I’m getting tired of lugging a huge and heavy toiletry bag around and hate the environmental impact of using so many products.

I’d love to hear people success stories of stripping back their routines.

Mine is currently:

AM
Cleanser
Dragons Blood Serum
Eye serum
Moisturiser

PM
Cleanser
Pixie Glow Glycolic
Vit c Serum
Eye serum
Retinol
Moisturiser

Plus face masks and exfoliating when needed.

For context I’m late 20s with good skin that get somewhat dry

I just wash my face with an Easter Lauder face wash (which will be changed to a vegan and cruelty free one when it runs out). I use ren clarimatte toner a few tones a week.

That’s it. My skin looks really good.

I tried stripping back mine out of curiosity and my skin looked crap for a bit, then good, then pretty good.

But I'm now used to having absolutely perfect, flawless, glowing skin 100% of the time, so I went back to my more comprehensive routine, and back to getting stopped in the street to be told how flawless my skin is. Which is still a novelty, as is walking past mirrors and seeing perfect skin.

To be fair, my routine takes less then ten minutes, although does take an hour to give retin-A time to work on the nights I use it, but I do other things during that time.

What are you using eatenbydinosaurs?

Also late 20s.

Am. Face wash, toner (if I’m not rushing), eye cream (if I’m not rushing), vit c gel moisturiser. Sun cream during the summer.

Pm. Face wash (face wipe if I cba), toner, eye cream (if I remember), vit e gel moisturiser.

Face scrub every couple of days (or once a week because I forget/cba).

My skin is good apart from the odd spot sometimes (good going really as it is can get quite oily). No wrinkles yet - I’ll probably get stricter with it once they appear.

Purple

I use the same products morning and evening broadly speaking

AM -
Double cleanse (African black mud soap)
Toner (rosewater)
Facial oil (Measurable Difference Jasmine Oil)
Hyaluronic acid (The Inkey List)
Eye cream (Kiehls Midnight Recovery eye cream)
Facial moisturiser (Ponds Clarant B3)
Sunscreen (Canmake Mermaid Gel)

PM on Retin-A days -
Double cleanse
Very thin layer of facial moisturiser and leave to dry.
Retin-A (prescription strength, Tretinoin) leave to work for an hour
Facial oil
Hyaluronic acid
Eye cream
Facial moisturiser
Layer of Vaseline all over face and neck.

PM non Retin-A days -
Double cleanse
Toner
Facial oil
Hyaluronic acid
Eye cream
Facial moisturiser
Layer of Vaseline all over face and neck.

Before Retin-A I used to use glycolic acid as a toner every other evening, but my skin will not tolerate it now, and for me it's rendered unnecessary by the Retin-A.

I also used to use a Vitamin C facial oil, but my derm recommended taking an effervescent vitamin C everyday in a glass of water instead, and it seems to work much better for me, plus my whole body is getting the benefits of the addition vitamin c, not just my face

Oh yes, and the Kiehls Midnight eye cream is a bit meh. Smells amazing but I wouldn't repurchase. The L'Oreal Cell Renewal eye cream a friend gave me which I was using before was bloody amazing, but again, I wouldn't necessarily repurchase as I am trying to move my purchases away from L'Oreal.

I'm so shocked at this. I'm in my 50s and often get compliments about my skin.

I wash night and morning with Dove soap, then moisturise with Nivea. Job done.

@BobbyBrewstersMagicTorch all depends on your skin
I won't use anything that foams because it disrupts the skins barrier which for me gives me flaky red patches. Plus it wouldn't shift my makeup
And I use a BHA product for acne

If you've got decent skin that you can throw anything at, it's easy! If you have acne prone/dry/mega oily skin then it's a lot harder. Plus I want to use stuff for anti ageing and I use SPF every single day

Dinosaurs, are you the person who posted this routine on another thread? I bought most of the products (although just The Ordinary retinol in squaline rather than prescription retinal) I wanted to try out most of the products anyway but wasn't sure what combination to try so thought I'd try yours! My skin is looking beautiful after a few weeks.

@BobbyBrewstersMagicTorch but that's the thing, as YesQueen rightly says if your skin is good to begin with, then soap and but nivea is going to be fine, but that's genetics, not a simple routine.
Saying you're shocked by that would be like saying you're shocked that some people have to take ten prescription medicines per day when you don't have to take any, iyswim

@thethoughtfox yes that was me, I am a creature of routine That's great news! I'm really glad it was useful

Thank you so much. My sister wants the details too. I was too scared to try the vaseline. What are the benefits? I was worried I might be too greasy as my skin is already quite oily - although it has felt more balanced since I started this. I also chose rosehip oil instead of jasmine as I read it helped balance oil.

I use :
a Konjac sponge in the shower and some cleanser . I have 2-3 on the go.
Oil based one ( B by Superdrug) a Miceller Gel ( Primark) or a solid bar (black one cannot remember name) depending on how my skin feels

Superdug Optimum 40+ moisturiser

Night time- (I don't wear make up) either BodyShop camomile balm or Optimum night time balm with a hot cloth
or Aldi Charcole Miceller

M&S 8 hour cream or Elemis PCMN night (trying to use up)
Eye cream is Optimum Superdug

I'm 53 and I look lush (no-one believes me when I tell them my age . They're either fibbing or it's my good genes -on Dads side )
I don't smoke or drink and I've been vegetarian nearly 40 years .

This is quite enlightening reading. Now wonder I look shit and old. I wash my face with dove soap too and use cetaphil moisturiser all over my face (often on body too).

I wonder if skin is mostly genetic though. Are all these products really making a difference ?

You're very welcome thought its made my day that you found it useful thank you .
The Vaseline acts as an occlusive layer, it sort of locks in all of your skincare and makes it work better. I was pretty skeptical about trying it, I thought I'd turn into a giant walking zit, but its amazing. The molecules are apparently too big to be absorbed by your skin, so it won't cause breakouts or make your skin more oily, but you do need to put it onto clean skin after you've done your evening skincare routine, as if you don't it can trap any grime from the day, and the grime can then cause spots, extra oiliness iyswim.

There was a thread recently where others tried the Vaseline slug life with great success, just so you know I'm not crazy or maybe to disguise the crazy I'll see if I can find it and link in a minute

Dinosaur can I ask regards the Vit C ... I'm using a face one by the Inkey List as I'd read it was good to help reduce the effects of skin sensitivity to the sun that retinol can often give you .... is this true or have I just fallen for "buy another product " hype?!

Also in terms of retinol I'm using Inkey List again and using every 2/3 evening and have been since Christmas. Do I need to use more often? Thanks!

I'm one of those annoying fuckers with great skin at 38 that constantly gets told she looks early 20's lucky people who just uses soap and water. Nothing else. Not even foundation. I drink plenty of water though so my skin is hydrated.

Shazafied I think if you can do the soap and not much else you have genetically good skin, and I used to think I'd never have perfect skin as genetically my skin is pretty crap, even with excellent diet and loads of water drinking.

My skin, to my continued shock, is now utterly flawless 100% of the time (even in the brutal Arizona weather here) and its entirely down to my skincare products. They're what make the difference, for me at least.

tellme well according to my derm, who is not usually full of shit and doesn't hawk any products on the side (which I think is always a good sign, I won't use a derm who also sells products) then no, its not a con. Vitamin C does work well in conjunction with retinoids, and its great for your skin anyway.

Personally I prefer taking the effervescent tablets, but if I was using an over the counter retinoid rather than prescription Retin-A I'd use facial vitamin c rather than drink it, if that makes sense.

Yes, if I were you I'd try upping it to say three times per week for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. I use my Retin-A every other day, and that seems to give optimal benefit, so I'd probably aim for the same with retinoid too

Here's the Vaseline thread...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/3602246-Vaseline-on-face-before-bed

GiggleMcDimples

Thanks that's good to know. Il definitely start to gradually up the retinol then

Thanks for all the reply’s. It’s making interesting reading.

I’ll start stripping back products as the run out and see what happens.

Dinosaurs, you are a star. I actually went make up free on holiday last week and my husband - who is not very observant - keeps commenting on how my skin looks nice.

Don't use glycolic and retinol the same night, use alternate nights.
Use vitamin C in the morning after cleansing. I'd drop the Dragon blood and add in hyaluronic acid, a spritz before and after, and a good all around serum with peptides like The ordinary Buffet.
Spf is the best anti ager there is and if you're using retinol and not using spf you're wasting your time as retinol without sun screen damages your skin.

The best active ingredients are spf, vitamin C, retinol and hyaluronic acid.

Join Caroline Hirons skincare freaks page on Facebook but make sure you do your own research on there, don't just try stuff because someone else recommends it, find what will suit your skin type.