Skin is getting worse with my ‘good skin regime’

[Barem]

As I’ve hit my mid thirties I decided to start taking proper care of my skin.
I’ve always had reasonably good skin without putting much effort into it.
The past year I’ve started to cleanse, tone and moisturise but as I’ve increased my routine (I’ve read multiple reviews recommending to) my skin has got terrible! I’m getting spots on my chin, cheeks and forehead.

At present my night time routine is-

Pixi Double Cleanse
(Occasionally) Lush Lavender Toner Spray
The Ordinary Retinol 0.5 in squalor
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair
Elizabeth Arden Good Night Sleep cream

Three weeks ago I had a treatment of BioHydroderm but I think it’s too late to be getting side effects from that?

Does anyone have any advice on whether I am over doing my routine or if my choices are bad?

Why are you putting so many creams on at night? Did someone advise you?
I’d ditch the toner too. I don’t think that’s recommend anymore.

I think you are overloading with product.

Stick with the retinol. That is good and will help with breakouts. Then if you feel you need something after that a simple moisturiser.

Stop using it and see if the symptoms subside. Reintroduce one thing at a time for a week each exclusively and see what the trigger is. My moneys on the moisturiser being too greasy for your skin. I took about a year trying to find one that moisturised but didn’t cause spots. Finally settled on Avon Anew stuff surprisingly enough!
Keep the moisturiser you have (if it’s that which is the problem) as you could try it again in winter when our skins all dried up and needing a bit extra

Skin can also ‘purge’ while it gets used to new products but it does sound like you have picked up a load of random things and made a new regime for yourself

You need to know your skin type and chose ‘ingredients’ rather than products. For example, if you have acne/oily skin then the ingredients you need would be things like salicylic acid, niacinamide, acid toners. If I had all your night creams and moisturisers my skin would probably break out like crazy too.

Your regime has to be tailored around your skin type

I agree, with the previous posters, I think you need to cut back on your routine and reintroduce new products one at a time and see how you get on. Don’t get sucked into the belief that you need to use lots of products.

I has taken me years in trying to find a routine that works for me. I’ve tried Liz Earle, Body shop, Superdrug, la Roche posay etc and gradually found products that suited my skin.

Keep up the routine and don’t less this out you off.

This happened to me OP. I’ve stopped almost everything and I’ve gone back to cheap cleanser, I’m now having to using prescription acne cream around my chin, retinol around my eyes and SPF each morning.

So there was nowtwrong with your skin in the first place?

Go back to what you were doing.

Are you using spf with the retinol?

I would use the same brand for everything
Cleanser
Toner moisturiser etc

All the creams you are using may be too rich for your skin. So stick with the brand you like the most, or feel has been most effective.

As soon as I load too many things on, I break out too. I also tend to be led by things on here so have been in the position of doing too much.
What works for me (aged 40) is:
Am: splash with water
Simple moisturiser
SPF 50
Pm: Supersrug hot cloth cleanser
Paula's Choice retinol

Occasionally use TO sal.acid.

Too many products can cause confusion for your poor skin!

I'd expect it was the night creams you're using. Most moisturizers which don't specifically say they're formulated for acne-prone skin just give me acne.

I don't have much luck with retinols either. They make my skin much worse. I'm not convinced by all of this stuff about purging - I've never seen any science for that; it sounds more like folklore.

You are using way too much stuff!
They have similar benefits so you do benefit the EL and the retinol.
Cut back and make sure you use a high SPF in the morning!

*don’t need!

How often are your using the retinol? I wouldn’t use it every night. And as it is in squalene I wouldn’t put anything else on top of it. It’s too much.

I have never been keen on the EL ANR. Always felt a bit like it just left a layer of silicone on my skin. Maybe drop that for a couple of weeks and just use the night cream on the nights you don’t use the retinol and see how you get on.

What is your morning routine? Are you using spf? Any acid toners? Salicylic is great for skin that can be a bit spotty. I use Paula’s Choice BHA - just twice a week around my nose which is where I get spots. I just buy the travel size as it lasts ages. Lots of people like glycolic acid - again I would only use a couple of times a week at least initially.

Thank you! That’s good advice. I’ve read a lot of beauty blogs which recommend to double cleanse, time and put on a serum or oil before moisturising so I’d jumped in without trying it all individually! I’ll cut back ☺️

Thank you!

Thank you that’s great advice, I have been using all parts of the routine every night so I’ll reduce them.
My morning routine is much simpler, cleanse and moisturise. I don’t always use an spf so I will invest in one and try the salycilic to see if it works with my skin ☺️

Retinols give me terrible break outs too.

Honestly I'd cut it all out. I use a hyaluronic acid hydration cream and then squalane over the top day and night. I'm 33 and have no wrinkles yet.

You've stripped your skin of the good bacteria and oils. You'll get a break out as soon as a tiny bit of dirt hits a freshly cleansed pore!

Why cant you just cleanse and moisturise at night too?
You are putting too much crap on your skin.

Beauty blogs are made to sell you stuff you really don't need.

I use simple face wipes and that's it. Mid thirties no wrinkles.

Oh and facial scrubs in shower each morning

How long have you been using the retinol? It's notorious for causing issues to begin with but it's worth it after six months. Might be worth dropping to 0.1 retinol and building up as that's what you are meant to do. Also how long have you had that retinol in the glass bottle? The ordinary are brilliant but retinol is meant to oxidise every time it comes into contact with air (so I've read) so you may need to replace regularly. The ordinary is cheap enough.

OP, was there anything wrong with your skin that you were trying to address?

or did you look at a beauty blog and fall for the sales pitch?

Even a truthful beauty counter person will tell you, it's mostly genetic.

i don't know why anyone puts these products on their faces unless there's actually a concern which the product will address.

my best mate used to work on beauty counters and even they will tell you - when off duty! - that these things are about luck and genetics and the posh cream is often very similar to the cheap cream in different packaging.

as for SPF, obviously it depends what your life is like, but if you spend most of it indoors and have a standard routine of walk to station or drive to work, sit indoors in office etc then don't worry re daily SPF.

I had access to certain products at about 90% off when bestie worked on those counters so I've had some lovely smelling things as gifts, but my skin is fine, it remains the same. My late father had baby soft skin at 75 and before he died, everyone thought he'd married a much younger woman because mum has a baby face too.

they're big fans of Astral. I like Body shop Aloe Vera. Probably doesn't make much difference in the end.

You definitely do need to wear a daily spf if you are using retinol. (Or to be honest if you care about skin ageing).
UVA rays are the same strength all year round and are present on cloudy days.