Are we all ruining our skin with our so called skin care ?

[Elasticatedwaist]

I’ve had time on my hands today and ended up idly reading up on skincare ingredients. I always use a cleanser , moisturiser sometimes a serum but without really knowing what’s in them . So I looked into the ingredients ( I know I’m late to the party !)
At first I read about how vitamin c , hyaluronic acid , vitamin A etc etc are good for your skin. Then I got a bit bored and googled ‘ is vitamin c actually bad for your skin ?’ And did it For all the things that were supposedly good . By the end of it I didn’t want to put much of it on my face and it got me thinking that we might all be doing more harm than good with all these products .
I know uv protection is important but still , I mean , I’ve seen many men ( and some women ) who wash and go with fine looking skin .
What do you think ?

I'm somewhere in the middle of this debate. My skin doesn't like a lot of products or layering and can react to different things, but I can't get away with no routine either. If my skin needs soothing then I'll use almond oil to cleanse, but equally I like the Elemis cleansing balms when my skin can tolerate them. I wear some make up ever day, so need to clean my skin at the end of the day. I can go dry, or go spotty so for me it's finding a balance as my skin can be temperamental.

I can't use acids, my skin doesn't like them and I struggle with SPF although the one in a white tube from qvc seems ok so far (name escapes me....sun something or other). So while I use quite a simple regime I still enjoy the ritual of doing it morning and night. I think it's a case of using what you need to maintain your skin at its best and that means what works for one person won't work for another. There's no right or wrong, just personal preference and possibly budget for some.

I absolutely think there is something in this.

From my 40's I started using much simpler more natural products.

Just discovered the Zoe Bee creams a few months ago - Shea butter based so much richer than I would choose - and they are wonderful. My skin is better than it's ever been & I got some for dd as she is just starting her skincare routine. Raw, vegan, natural etc is a much better place for her to start than stuff at boots.

Oh yes coconut oil - brilliant on my hair - tames and softens.
But awful on my skin made it red and blotchy.

SPF every day all year. Because the sun still affects skin in winter and through glass and through clouds! I find it extraordinary that women will skip that when it's the number one skincare product you need. And every dermatologist and skin expert says that.

My skin is absolutely bloody terrible without my routine. It took a fair bit of trial and error to work out what products work for me, but my skin is better than it's ever been and old scars have improved massively too over time. I use tretinoin and niacinamide every night, timeless vitamin c, e and ferulic acid serum every other morning and a glycolic or salicylic acid toner other mornings depending on what my skin is doing, plus an avene moisturiser that has very few ingredients. I also use sunscreen every day, use the odd face mask if I fancy a bit of pampering (either a sukin hydrating clay mask or my favourite antipodes manuka honey one), and I wash my face with a very gentle soap free cleanser. I have an oil and hada labo light hyaluronic acid lotion that I add in if my skin is feeling like it needs it in the winter, and Dr Hauschka clarifying day oil for if I'm feeling a little oily, usually around my period. I don't bother with eye creams unless my hay-fever is playing up, then I use an anti-irritation one (SVR topialyse, it is really good, makes my eyes a lot less sore and puffy).

Some lucky people are blessed with good skin and can get away with keeping it minimal, some of us really do need a proper routine to have reasonably healthy looking skin.

If I put coconut oil near my face I'd have big painful cystic spots the size of marbles everywhere. Everyone's skin is different.

I disagree that minimal only works if you have good skin. All things considered I have ok skin but it's far from perfect. The point we're trying to make (well I am at any rate) is that for some of us, a complicated routine made our skin worse.

I have keratosis pilaris, and combination perimenopausal skin. In the morning I use a wash off cleaner made for teenage skin, then Ordinary Buffet and their moisturiser. Evenings, micellar water to remove makeup and then a rinse off cream cleanser, followed by a retinol serum and cheap night cream. SPF also once out and about in sunshine again. Still get some hormonal spots, and have fine lines, but reckon not bad for 48 and I don’t spend a fortune on skincare. Most of it really is down to general health and genetics.

Reckon my skin is better now than when I used to spend heaps on high end products!

I’ve had all sorts of skincare over the years, toners, facial sprays, acids, serums, yadda yadda yadda. Always had sore, sensitive skin, breakouts, dry patches etc etc

Now I stick to cleanser (used with a face cloth) eye cream and moisturiser and my skin is fine. Still get the occasional spot but I just leave them

I once had flu, proper bedridden flu, and skin care was the last thing on my mind. When I eventually got up, I looked a bit peaky, but my skin was clear and even toned. I think we are suckered into buying more and more layers. My best skin is when I keep things simple.

I am terribly lazy with skincare. Basic make up remover, then wear tinted moisturiser every day. Sometimes moisturise at night. Skin can be a bit dry but looks good, very rarely get a spot. Every time I decide to take more care and use proper products more regularly my skin breaks out.

I think its a virtuous circle though, my skin is generally ok, so I can use less product, which helps it stay ok.

Glycolic, retinol and vitamin c have transformed my skin. If I just used soap and water with no moisturiser my face would crack and fall off, it's always appalling after being unwell and doing no skincare.

I started developing hormonal acne around a year ago at the age of 24 so I simplified my routine and find it works really well for me.

I use CeraVe face wash and moisturiser and eyecream which I love. I feel like they have really repaired my skin's moisture barrier as my skin feels more balanced rather than dry and tight. All winter I have not suffered from flakey skin like I used to. I also use SPF 50++++ everyday.

Then I use La Rosche Posay effaclar duo+ on my chin and jaw morning and evening to prevent breakouts.

Then every other evening I use Avene Triacneal Expert which contains retinaldehyde and it is absolutely incredible. I have gone from getting a new painful cystic spot nearly everyday to getting one spot maybe every 3-4 weeks which is how my skin used to be as a teenager. I love using it as I can wake up the next morning and literally see a difference in my skin, it looks brighter and clearer.

I really like this routine as I think it is simple but with two products that both actually work. I used to use hyaluronic acid, rose oil, AHAs, face masks, glycolic acid, etc.

One thing I've found is that product is product. I accidentally discovered that a random lip gloss gives me an Instagram worthy sheen to my cheeks and eyelids, and tames rogue eyebrows. Looks like a glossier advert but cost me nowt.

So much hype, so much marketing. I do love products and shopping etc but I'm unconvinced much of it is different to all the other stuff. I go for texture, fragrance and packaging. I think the ingredients obsession is the result of women with Internet access ending up down a rabbit hole.

Like anything, I think it’s fairly obvious there’s a middle ground AND one size does not fit all.

my skin is dry and prone to cystic hormonal acne (go figure)

A ‘complicated’ routine (which seems to be the only alternative advocated, by some, to soap and water) would be terribly aggravating for my skin.

My actual routine , which prob looks complicated if all you use is soap and water, is perfect FOR ME.

I use pretty high end products (zero spend on makeup, possibly because my skin thanks to great skincare is soo good).

I use the type of pricey, vegan, ‘natural’ skincare (Sunday Riley, Herbivore, Emma Hardie) that is often derided for being no better than Vaseline.

It’s awesome stuff, for me.

I curate my products carefully. Some of the above brands break me out badly in the wrong product. Some high street brands (in fact most) are the same.

I Use very limited products from a curated selection of brands I know and trust.

I add or change things very rarely.

I use a Vit C oil; a light retinoid; a very expensive moisturiser that I swear by. NO cheap moisturiser has ever come close for me; I’m not a snob and would spend less on it if one worked in the same way.

I use high factor spf; I live in london; I have to double-cleanse.

I also eat incredibly well. This helps. It’s 60-70% of the issue imvho.

But no, for me, soap and water would be either a disaster or just nowhere near good enough.

Horses for courses!!!

Curating skin care?

Ooh what is it Morris?

When I was depressed all I did was wash my face with water, my skin ended up being clear and my acne scars went away. I’ve not washed with face was since

@HepburnKNotA definitely. I have around 10 holy grail products that I always use because they work and I can switch up between winter and summer

I must admit from my 20s to last couple of years I used all sorts of things from cheap to eye watering pricey. You name it, I most probably have tried it.

I'm the tail end of late 40's and I have dry skin which can be prone to redness and flaky bits and it was just getting drier no matter what I did or used and the old wrinkles round the eyeballs were getting more pronounced.

Last year I thought "why the bloody hell am I wasting all this money and time?? how many steps did my skin really need and were all the stuff in the products hurting my skin?!!"

So once I ran out of something I decided not to replace it. I started off using sweet almond oil (about £5 for 250ml) as a cleanser (with hot flannel to wipe it off) then looked for a cheaper moisturiser tailored for old farts dry skin (40 to 55 yr olds) which I found in the form of Victoria Beauty.

From January this year if I wear make up (rare) I hot cleanse using sweet almond oil; if I haven't worn make up I now use Friendly shea butter soap (£4.99.Going to last me AGES) and a konjac sponge (£6 for pack of 3) to cleanse my face. I don't used tone anymore as I wash and warm up my face in the towel I dry it off with and then finish off with Victoria Beauty Folic acid face cream which is for mature skin (£6.50). Every other day I use sweet almond oil as a night moisturiser.

Skin is VERY happy now. No dry or flaky bits, no red patches and simple and cheap. Eye wrinkles are back to normal. Might look at a different moisturiser for the evening but can't be buggered at the moment as what I'm doing seems to be working and I'm not paying out the nose ever again.

Also I drink a LOT of water so drinking even more water to try and plump out the skin would mean me being constantly peeing every 15 mins! (and my bathroom is rather nippy this time of year!)

DP last week even stroked my skin as he said it was looking lovely so I must be doing something right!

Drink more water, eat foods rich in nutrients and exercise. Some of it's also genetics. Black don't crack after all.

I have only ever washed my face with water and havent used cleanser and toner. They irritate my skin and I feel as if its bad for me. I will use moisturiser and sun cream but wash them off with water and the end of the day. I might use a very gentle cleanser if ive been wearing makeup but eye makeup remover is perfect for the whole face as its very gentle! I do get a lot of compliments on my skin and I rarely have spots!

By ‘curating’ Chardonnay I obviously just mean ‘carefully selecting some and rejecting others’. I obviously don’t mean I have a small museum dedicated to my incredibly uninteresting skincare choices!!

It’s just a word.

Interesting question. I think it depends on so much. I can't get away with the simplest routine anymore as my skin gets extremely dry. That said, about five years ago I was putting anything and everything on my skin (I subscribed to a beauty box) and I ended up with adult acne that persisted for years.

My mother has amazing skin but she also doesn't drink, avoids the sun and never smoked. My lifestyle has not been the same as hers so my skin needs a bit more TLC. I'm still afraid of botox or any of that but I'm happy to use good quality products on my skin to boost hydration. I see a noticeable difference with a facial oil alone.