Help give me radiant skin

[SRK16]

I’m a new mum and I have not been taking care of myself. I look like shit. My skin is dull and dry, and my under eye area has become so dry it has cracked, so it looks more wrinkled/dark than it should.
My current routine... clean with microcellar water, moisturise with l’embrolyse. Once a week I do a scrub with st ives. I would love to get regular facials but not an option at the moment!
I was looking at buying some stuff from the ordinary but I don’t understand what any of it is 😭
Is the ordinary good? What will give me glowing skin?!

I can’t spell. Micellar. Embrolisse.

Drinking water really helps me. I also use a hydration serum before a good moisturiser, twice a day.

I don’t rate the ordinary products.

I use Liz Earle, the products are botanically based and lovely. I get a hot cloth cleanser, toner and moisturiser for £45 and they give you 2 other products, so last month I also got an exfoliate and gel mask.

Firstly I’d clear up the cracked skin with Epiderm cream (the thick gloop not the lotion).
I’ve recently discovered Elemis pro collagen and it’s given me fab skin

Not all but some of the ordinary products are good. Once the cracked skin is cleared up I would use a cream hydrating cleaner after the micellar water, then try the HA by the ordinary and the Buffet. I like there moisterizer too. If you want glow I would add a vit C serum at night before your moisturiser. I would also use an acid exfoliator (Elemis Papya enzyme peel is fab) once a week/fortnight

SPF 50 for the day.
Only wash your face at night. Try rice bran oil and a warm flannel.
Put a serum with hyuralonic acid in it over the SPF in the day. Then put that on again at night.

Double cleanse
Glycolic acid once or twice a week
A serum suited to your skin - I'm quite blemish prone so I use Niacinamide. Vitamin C is universally good for a glow - heard great reviews of LaRoche Posay vita c serum but never used it myself

Retinol at night

And ditch the scrub! Seriously. You do not need it.
What you need is to improve the barrier layer of your skin, not scrub it all off.

Second ditch the scrub. You need to double cleanse though, micellar water isn't enough. Use that first then wash your face properly using a flannel. Cerave is a great cleanser. Good tips already given for following the cleansing part, but you definitely need to start double cleansing.

I don't think the op skin would be ready for any glycolic acid.
Perhaps a gentle retinol at night, if she is using spf 50.
Less is more OP. Think of building up your skin's barrier.
And if you can get to see a really good facialist she will put you on the right track.

Water! Drink plenty of it honestly it works wonders for me and changes my dull crappy skin to fresh and it looks so much better for it.

Also if you are breastfeeding don’t forget your supplements, no judgement if you aren’t but I needed them when I was or skin went flaky, I would use some moisturising tissue masks and lots of serum, oil etc underneath moisturiser and don’t forget eye cream and light exfoliation. I would use gentle products liberally rather than use chemicals and if really dry consider cream cleanser

Thank you all!
I use an SPF in the day already and drink loads of water, but I haven’t been taking any supplements and was anemic in pregnancy. Pretty sure I still am and I know I have low vit d.. just started taking vit d and will order a multivitamin.

Double cleansing seems like something I can manage! I will investigate serums- maybe vitamin c?
What does retinol do?
What’s the difference between retinol and the different types of acids? How do you know what to go for?

Also- I am prone to rosacea so am nervous about acid type things.. I think I would need to try something gentle first?

Acids are chemical exfoliate, so they do the same job as your scrub but they are more effective and shouldn't damage your skin like a harsh scrub might.
Retinol triggers skin cell turnover.
If you check out Caroline Hirons she has chest sheets on acid and retinol.

Do you mean acne rosacea? If so retinol should be good for you. Also niacinamide.

I would recommend watching YouTube videos of Dr Sam Bunting. She is a dermatologist who really seems to know what she is talking about so far as skin care is concerned and how to use acids and retinoids. She has done a few videos with Caroline Hirons and the advice they give is really good.

Double cleansing in the evening (for me Body Shop Chamomile balm & then Cerave Hydrating cleanser) & then Cerave cream in the big tub at night, Cerave eye cream may help the undereye area too. All Cerave products have ceramides & hyaluronic acid as ingredients. Cerave cream cleanser & a nourishing toner (body shop pink one is fab) & then Hyaluronic acid + Cerave lotion (with or without Spf 25) & LRP Shaka Fluide spf 50 in the morning. Sorted my damaged skin barrier after going too heavy-handed with glycolic scrubs. I've been able to re-introduce some acids & Vit C which my skin couldn't tolerate for ages. It has taken a good few months but my skin is great now.

I think I can’t use retinol while breastfeeding, but I’ll put it on my list for when I stop I guess. I have a bunch of stuff in my online basket so hope it helps!
Thank you all

I have rosacea and I use superdrug oil cleanser in the morning as a face wash, followed by the ordinary hyaluronic acid and nivea moisturiser. In the evening, body shop camomile balm cleanser, the ordinary azelaic acid, nivea night cream. My skin is the least "rosacea-y" it's been in years.