Skin is the worth it's ever been since I started a propper routine.

[Lottiebugz22]

I do the routine of:

Double cleanse
Acid tone
Spray hydrate
Serum
Moisturiser

My skins just a spotty mess now.
Anyone else find the more products they use the worse their skin goes?

My skin has never been better since i stopped using so many products.

All i use now: natural face soap aimed at spotty skin, use plain table salt as a face scrub, tone with rosewater / ACV / a few drops of pure tea tree or lavender EO. Nivea moisturiser (white tub not blue), although i would like to invest in a better one.
Eye cream, eye makeup remover as needed.
Facemask once in a blue moon.
Early 30's suffered acne since age 13 and never been better. And i know its not just cause im getting older as it will flare up if i sleep in makeup etc.

Re: the table salt. I had a real A-HA moment with that. Kept using salt water gargles to heal mouth ulcers and sore throats and it always amazed me how well it worked so thought i would gently try it on my face. Just a little paste of plain cheap table salt gently rub in and rinse off. It works. I tried passing this trick on to a colleague and she laughed mockingly and said "I dont know how i feel about that" to which i replied but you are happy to inject botulism into her face?! If it doesnt cost £££££ in a fancy packet from her dental technician then it mustn't work....

I have seen an improvement in my skin since using a skin routine. I find that when I use a new product my skin needs time to adjust and supposedly it's referred to as purging - completely normal apparently.

I use the simple micellar cleanser or Nip and fab cleanser - once or twice a week I'll use an exfoliating cleanser (currently the Ayurvi tumeric cleanser)

I just use rose water as a toner - it smells fab and does the job!

I use the ordinary caffeine solution for my eyes

I use Eclat Beauty (Amazon it!) vitamin C and it's amazing for pigmentation scars!

I use hylaronic acid (eclat again) and this is amazing for keeping your skin hydrated

Next step for me is SPF - any good one will do tbh

Then I use the Glowlixr mask for my moisturiser. It's amazingly hydrating and is a fantastic base for makeup users!

Sorry for the essay! I'm just obsessed with skin care atm.

@foreverhungry2409

Rosewater does indeed smell divine! You tried orange blossom water? Also smells lovely and is very gentle.

You seen James Welsh's skincare channel? He's really good. Im keeping an eye on products to save up for...

@Wavescrashingonthebeach I haven't tried orange blossom water but maybe I'll give it a try and mix it up a little!

And no I haven't heard of it! There's so much in terms of skincare that's out at the moment I feel like I can't keep up

Sorry but that's way too much .

Stop it .

Watch Dr Sam Buntings very simple gentle routines on YouTube

Skin and me and Dermatica are great

don't rate Hirons style routines I'm afraid

Pixi is seriously nasty. Get on prescription retinoid and use Cerave .

Cheaper and guaranteed better skin

When I first started a acid for my facial routine- it caused a lot of spots for a week or two. Then it was immaculate.

Your acid is clearing up the skin and balancing it. I would not discontinue until I use something a month.

For example, this year I jumped on the bandwagon of facial oils. The first two weeks caused lots of spots, 7 months in, I have no issues no matter how much I use.

It really took a month to get used to oils but I prefer it due to less fillers.

@Wavescrashingonthebeach can I ask what brand natural soap you use & what brand of rose water?

When I first started a acid for my facial routine- it caused a lot of spots for a week or two. Then it was immaculate.

This happened to me too - purging as someone mentioned above. I stick to once or twice a week max though.

I use Boots own brand glycerine and rosewater toner when I don't use a glycolic toner. I think it costs about £1

I do love Liz Earle flower toner (orange flower water or something) but I only acquire it because I use C&P and buy bundles when they're on offer and so you automatically get a toner. I wouldn't buy one.

I hate the feel of micellar water and the residue it leaves. If I'm travelling I might use it, but I need a wash after.

I think some people confuse "acid" toners with the old fashioned "astringent" toners from the likes of Clearasil and Clinique. Acid toners are strong stuff, sure (depending on the concentration) but they aren't stripping in that sense. They have replaced the old scrubs (eek) in what they do- gentle exfoliation. (As opposed to sandpaper and grit exfoliation in the olden days)

I like CH, I love her wit and her sassy attitude, but I prefer Nadine's skincare advice.

I do think we could leave her appearance out of it though. I don't expect my optician not to wear specs or my gynaecologist to show me his (!!) perfect fanny. There is also an amazing dermatologist acne specialist who is an acne sufferer herself so no, her skin doesn't look perfect. Her advice however is.

I disagree about not being able to observe that Hiron's skin is not that great. I judge hairdressers who have dodgy cuts or hair that is not in great condition. Their trade is about looks. And in Hiron's case, she has guru status, that would lead you to believe that her skin would be in great nick. She has made a load of money after all.

Opticians wearing specs, or your other reference are of course completely different.

Yes, I now use only a very very mild soap and nothing else.

Skin is clear.

@Teal99 yes I agree. If you set yourself up as being good at something then why wouldn’t you apply it to yourself?.

Same as if I saw a dentist with black rotten teeth I’d think something was amiss.

My skin has been the best it's ever been since switching to the Clinique 3 step and drinking lots of water. I've just added their repair eye cream as I'd noticed my fine eye lines looking more pronounced. The main issue seemed to be that I'd got lazy with my night time routine. Now I'm back to using the 3 step twice a day it's much better around my eyes and the rest of my face is fine. I started a thread on it and Clinique wasn't viewed favourable and I was told I needed acids and serums. My budget doesn't stretch to much beyond my 3 step really. I enjoy the little samples in the bonus time though. I don't smoke and rarely drink so that helps I think.
OP I've no experience of the products you are using but it sounds like you need to simplify your routine.

Did you start all the different products at once? You are supposed to introduce one new product/method to your hair/skin every 2 weeks. It gives your skin time to get used to it, and makes it a lot easier to identify what works and what doesn't.

Alot of people these days read about "OMG SO LIFE CHANGING" products and want instant results so they overload their skin with too many things. I did the same many times and noticed a lot of people on these forums doing it too.

Take 5 steps back and go back to basics: cleanser, moistures and sunscreen. Go with products that always worked for you, even if they were cheapo drugstore ones. Then start slowly, acid once a week for a few weeks for example and move on to next step if you dont have problems. Then you can switch to twice a week or try a different product etc. If you have the patience you can do even better and patch test a product for using it only on a small section on your face first.

When I first discovered the Ordinary I went nuts and bought ALL THE THINGS. I was full of acne for about a 1.5 years and was completely fed up and and a miserable mess. I stopped everything and went back to the 3 step routine I used for decades a teenager. My skin cleared up and I started the Ordinary again, very carefully and slowly this time. Now I have a whole shelf full of their products that I use every day and my skin is completely clear, moisturized and my acne scars are finally fading. It's literally the exact same products I was using before, the only difference is that I didn't freak my skin out this time and gave it time to adjust.

Check out reddit skincare for more info about this and everything skincare related. Go-to the "wiki" or "about" (on mobile) section and you will find a wealth of information.

Another one who has better results from something more basic. Good cleanse and moisturise. I really rate some of the cheaper stuff - Waitrose own night cream, the old school basic Olay stuff. Saved my skin and my wallet!

I must say Olay Moisturiser find way too harsh.

@Tinks15

Sorry for delay! I cant remember the brand of the soap sorry, it was just a natural vegan face soap so very few ingrediants.

The rosewater i get from an ethnic shop very cheap it says Cortas on the bottle, the orange blossom water is the same. I think theyre Iranian. Beautiful stuff

www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=166584/Cortas---Rose-Water/Unlisted-Brand/Skincare---Face

This

You may be horrified, but I only use soap and water and the occasional bit of moisturizer and my skin is very good. Why put all those expensive toxic chemicals on your skin?

Hirons has worked wonders for my acne prone skin which was breaking out like crazy after 4 years back to back pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, I follow her principles, not the products she recommends.

I like ethically produced natural products so I double cleanse with some Lyonsleaf beauty balm and Evolve gel cleanser. Glycolic toner works for me (although I appreciate its not for everyone) and I use The Ordinary retinol at night. Morning is Evolve cleanser, any moisturiser (I'm using up things I have before buying), Upcircle face serum and SPF.

Through pregnancy and breastfeeding, I had wonderful skin. Used the Lyonsleaf beauty balm as cleanser and moisturiser, SPF and nothing else. No breakouts but unfortunately the hormones have returned

I second the recommendation for Lyonsleaf beauty balm. Wonderful stuff. After a year of using a small collection of the Ordinary products, as recommended for my skin type and including acids, I developed horrible perioral dermatitis. After using nothing but the Lyonsleaf balm to cleanse and moisturise and a dab of their zinc and calendula cream on the dermatitis, a few weeks later my skin was totally clear and glowing. I'll never be sucked in to a long-winded, multiple step skincare routine again; using natural products that respect the skin's natural moisture barrier (plus a good, gentle sunscreen every day) is key imo for healthy skin. Now that my skin is healed I use an Ordinary retinol once a week or so with no problem, but steer clear of acids and just gently exfoliate with a muslin when I clean my face.