I can't tell what skincare I need.

[1984isnow]

I am overwhelmed by the choice of skin products and information, and I've used a lot of products which are just a bit meh, so hoping to get some recommendations

I have textured skin, blackheads on my nose. It's normal to dry (not flaky/rough dry, just can be a bit tight). It also isn't very plump, particularly around the mouth and eyes (late 20s if relevant).

My main issue is the texture. I use scrubs so my skin feels soft, no rough patches, it's just uneven. Most products seem to be about getting rid of dead skin, but mine is a mixture of small spots and more tiny bumps and dents (can't think how else to describe it). So maybe I need something to 'plump' out the dents?

I've had a browse at some youtube videos, but then I look at the description and it's 10 high end products. Honestly, not about to spend half my wage on this if I can avoid it.

I am trying to use up some of my products to not be wasteful, so at the minute I am using:

Superdrug vitamin e scrub or a tea tree scrub
Weleda skin food at night, and day if not wearing foundation
Simple moisturiser
Sanctuary oil cleanser and simple miscellar water to remove make up
A loreal gel face wash (can't remember the name but its pink and says jasmine somewhere on the packaging)

All these products are fine and dandy, but nothing special. My skin is cleansed/scrubbed/moisturised straight after using, but it's not really improved in any way.

I don't want to wade in and buy more stuff without recommendations so I hope I can be pointed in the right direction.

Some things I'm thinking of trying, after googling:

-Vitamin C moisturiser (any particular one?)
-Salicylic acid -good for texture and blackheads, apparently drying, so can I just double up the moisturiser?
-Bentonite indian healing clay. I'm not really sure why, I just read a lot of rave reviews about this and it seems like an all round good mask to use for clear skin

• Possibly a chemical peel from the Ordinary

I've used glycolic acid in the past and I had a bad reaction to it, so would this rule out other acids? I got really painful boil like spots, so have avoided trying similar things so far

The best advice I was given was to refer to Caroline Hirons cheat sheets. It details everything you need to know
www.carolinehirons.com/2013/06/routines-cheat-sheet.html
Please get rid of the foaming cleanser and scrubs though. You don’t want to strip the skin with the wash, or cause micro tearing with the scrubs.
Its perfectly possible to have a good routine without spending millions on it. Superdrug Naturally Radiant, The Ordinary, Inkey List are all well priced but effective ranges. No one product will change your skin, its more about consistency, properly cleansing, moisturising and using spf everyday.

Thanks, I've had a read of that page. That will be helpful as I can pick out some different items for the different 'stages' she has listed.

I use a gel wash currently, but had no idea about the scrubs!

I am about to have a look at her other links as well, particularly the acids as I don't know if the bad reaction to glycolic acid rules out the others.

In terms of my skins texture though, I'm just not sure where to start. It's not down to dry/dead skin, or acne (atleast I think). Some of it could be clogged pores but some of it looks like its just my skins 'shape'. I'll post some photos

For the texture I would look at salicylic acid (my personal favourite is the Paula’s Choice BHA lotion) and it sounds as if your skin may be dehydrated so I would try a hydrating serum, something with hyaluronic acid might help draw water into the skin and plump it up.

I definitely agree with the suggestion of reading Caroline Hiron’s blog (Sali Hughes and Nadine Baggott are good too), you know your skin best so are best placed to work out what it needs. And yes to daily spf, it’s so important!

Hopefully you can see what I mean, I'm no

On my forehead, there's a few type of dimples, and generally it's just uneven. I don't think they're pores.
On the photo some of them look like blackheads, but there's nothing there. I think it's just the shadow of how the skin sinks slightly.

Same with my chin.

There's a few of these clustered in various areas. I'm not sure what type of product would be suitable. I'm not sure if exfoliating will help, or if it's a 'plumpness' issue

For bumps/clogged pores/blackheads you need a BHA eg a salicylic acid toner and/or cleanser. Paula's Choice ones are very good or yes, The Ordinary or Inkey list on a budget. There may be some peeling or redness as your skin gets used to the new ingredients but over time they will help a lot.

Vitamin C doesn't help the above issues but will brighten skin and help to fade scars or dark marks over time.

Agree with the advice to stop using physical scrubs. Lactic acid and PHAs are gentler alternatives to glycolic for smoothing the surface of the skin. The Ordinary do a good lactic acid.

Meant to say I'm not sure what these 'spots' are called..

Quite in shock about scrubs to be honest! Had no idea they were bad for the skin

I have areas of skin that are similar to that around my mouth, not the dimples but the sort of bumps (I have a few holes that look a bit like your dimple things from where I picked my chicken pox but I don't think those can be fixed). About 12 years ago I did some temporary work in sales for a beauty therapist and she said that the skin around my mouth is congested. Over the last few years I've started to pay more attention to my skin and it has really improved. This is what I use..

Wash with pixi glow mud cleanser. I only really do this on the days I wear make up - very rarely, or if I've travelled on the tube or my face feels particularly dirty. Most days I just splash water on my face. If I use the mud cleanser I always put moisturiser on afterwards as it's quite drying.

Tone with pixi glow tonic - this stuff is great, it's a liquid like a normal toner but it's got glycolic acid so it exfoliates too.

Use a vitamin c serum most nights. The brand is called balance and I bought it in Savers.

Every so often use retinol oil from the ordinary before bed.

Always wear SPF 50 on my face in the day time.

When I get breakouts (I get big hormonal cysts and spots) I use acnecide.

I don't have a strict routine but at a minimum will do the pixi toner at night, followed by vitamin c serum and the spf in the day time. Everything else I adjust according to how my skin is.

Thanks harriet, I have tried a few different glycolic acid products and they all gave me really painful bumps, like deep rooted spots but with no head. It seems to be recommended a lot so I wish I could use it.

It's strange as I'm generally not sensitive to painful breakouts.

I wonder if mine is scarring from picking too I never paid attention when I was younger, so I can't remember if I've always had it or not.

I'd never heard of Inkey List before so I'm going to have a browse of their products too.

We spend our 30’s and 40’s trying to undo the damage we did to it in our 20’s - no sun protection on the quest for tanned skin, stripping skin with foaming washes, sleeping in makeup. But it’s like most things in life, if I knew then what I knew now...
My skin doesn’t really like glycolic either, so I played around with different brands and other acids. My skin loved the old Sunday Riley Good Genes formula with lactic acid, but (£££) but they had to change it to glycolic, then I tried Paula’s Choice which has been a game changer for me. I sweep it over my t-zone and my jaw line on a cotton pad where I get the most congestion and it’s been brilliant. I’m on a bit of a budget at the moment but will continue to repurchase, although it’s not that expensive and LookFantastic nearly always have discounts.
You can get a customised plan from The Ordinary with no obligation to purchase. I vaguely remember the same from The Inkey List on Boots website. Then you can take or leave what they say, but it gives a good idea of what to use and when.

Following this with interest. To the pp who posted the cheat sheets, Wow! I had no idea about them!

I really feel for you! When I hit early peri menopause my decidedly average skin went into full rebellion - oil and dry at the same time, adult acne, tired eye skin.... My normal 'blah' just wash and moisturise routine just did sod all to this.

Recently I've got into YouTube (yeah, late starter!) And I heard about Korean 10 step skin care - stay with me now, it's not as complicated as it sounds.

Basically every night, use an oily cleanser, then wash with a water based cleanser, use a liquid gentle exfoliant (I use hyleronic acid), then a spritz of toner. Next comes serums (retinol ones are great for skin tone, uneven texture etc), then your eyer cream and a night cream (so something a bit richer than a day moisturiser) . About twice a week, after your cleansing and exfoliating stages you use a moisturising face mask, or swap one (just one!) Of those for a gentle pore clearing mask (aldi charcoal one is great 😁)

I thought it wouldn't work because it would make my oily skin worse! Completely the opposite, after a hellish week where every clogged poor came to the surface and needed to be gently cleared out... My skin is sodding amazing... It's smoother, it's plumper, the dry patches are gone and the oilyness is actually more balanced so my make up doesn't got greasy with an hour!

This doesn't have to be expensive, I use Aldi, boots, and if you have a TK Maxx you can buy serums and moisturisers at really good prices!

It's a bit of a faff for the first week as you go through the steps.... But now I don't even think about it as I have all the steps lined up on a shelf in my bathroom.

Oh yeah and the morning is easy, wash your face in the morning, SPF screen and them light moisturizer.

Good luck x

Honestly, get in touch with the monkeys at the ordinary and they will really help you out. Its the abnormal beauty company. 👍

use a liquid gentle exfoliant (I use hyleronic acid)

Hyaluronic acid is not an exfoliant.

SPF screen and them light moisturizer.

SPF comes after moisturizer.

Good to know, just goes to show YouTube doesn't teach you everything!

If you want to use an exfoliant, use it evening not morning and use glycolic or lactic acid.

Hyaluronic is a humectant moisturising tonic really.