New skincare routine

[withgraceinmyheart]

Hi

Can anyone help me help me with a new skincare routine? I have no idea where to start.

I currently use Johnson's baby lotion as a cleanser, whichever toner is cheapest and the nivea moisturiser that comes is a big tub.

All worked fine in my 20s but now I'm nearly 35 and my skin is dull and uneven, with a bit of rosacea and I've got lines of my forehead and under eyes.

Where do I start looking for new products and what should I prioritise?

Thank you!

It’s such a personal thing. And I am by no means a skin care expert but I did go through what you are describing a few years ago/similar age and feel like I’ve come out the other side of it.
I started using sun block every day. Not any sun cream though as they are so heavy and sticky, I use heliocare fluid cream and it works as a primer/light bb cream for my makeup too. This is around £25 for a small tube but it lasts Months.
I also started using a glycolic acid toner. I use Pixi Glow but I’m aware of super drug dupes. This exfoliates so brightens and prevents spots.
Last of all (and not what you asked) I started using a lighter foundation. It makes me look much fresher. Before this I was layering on more and more makeup to counteract the dullness and going backwards.
Hope this helps for now before someone with more experience comes along.

A good place to start could be the body shop, vitamin e or aloe range. The camomile cleanser balm for nighttime.

You can usually buy a pack of range cleanser, toner and moisturiser for reasonable price.

Get that routine down with SPF in the day also then start introducing specific serums and treatments like a liquid exfoliant. Keihls or Paulas choice depending on budget (they are my favourites). The drop of light body shop range does have some good items for dullness to.

Some may recommend the ordinary but I think it's poop.

Do you drink plenty of water? Sleep enough? Eat a varied diet? These things are the most important for skin.
So many people on here seem to use acids on their skin, I prefer using oils such as coconut or vitamin E. I think it’s better to moisturise than strip the moisture away. But I’m no expert

You can go online to deciem website and email them your concerns and they get back to you with a regime to suit, their products the ordinary, are quite inexpensive and I like them, also the inkey list website you can have an online chat and an advisor will recommend products, they are also inexpensive. Of course you can take their advice and buy similar products from another brand, I found both really helpful, I've started a lockdown regime with some products from the ordinary and I'm really impressed.

I’ve found azeliac acid excellent for my rosacea and you can get it inexpensively from The Ordinary. I also use their niacinamide and granactive retinoid and have found them to make a real difference. The big one for me though as other have said is sun cream, every day.

I would buy a facial cleanser, if you like a lotion based cleanser you could try the avene tolerence cream cleanser, it’s lovely and really gentle. I’d also check the ingredients of the toner you’re using because some toners can be very harsh on the skin and that could be making your rosacea worse, especially if they contain alcohol high up the ingredients list. If you like a toner step then I’d go for a hydrating one, if you do want an exfoliating one then tread carefully and maybe only use it a couple of times a week. Then I would also add in a serum, something gentle and hydrating to use before your moisturiser, and the last step should be an spf. You could also consider a retinol product for the evening to help treat the lines etc, but I know that some people with rosacea can’t tolerate it at all. If you’re on the dry side you could try a facial oil. Basically it comes down to personal preference and how well your skin is able to tolerate different products.

I’d also recommend having a look at Caroline Hirons’s blog, she has a cheat sheet on routines which is a really good guide for explaining what goes where etc, but I wouldn’t try and adopt her routine as it’s very full on! Also I don’t know if you listen to podcasts but Sali Hughes did a podcast episode on looking after rosacea prone skin recently, I’d really recommend giving that a listen.

I follow the advice of Dr Sam Bunting on her youtube channel for my bumpy, lacklustre skin and rosacea:

1. V gentle, non foaming cleanser- I use the cerave in the green and white bottle.
2. Active layer - used to be niacinamide from the ordinary, but now use vit c (but my skin was too sensitive at first so used the niacinamide)
3. Gentle moisturiser - I use avene skin recovery cream.
4. Spf - neostrata sheer physical protection. Great sun protection and with a slight tint so dont have to wear foundation most of the time.

My skin has really improved since doing this and looks so.much brighter.

But seriously I would check out her youtube channel, she has loads of good advice.

Thanks everyone! Loads to look up and experiment with.