Skincare routine - so embarassed and ashamed :(

[SuperPixie247]

As the title says, I am ashamed to say I have no skincare routine at all. I went through a period of never washing my face at all (due to depression) and now my skin is awful. Most days I slap a load of makeup on top of yesterdays

My DM has offered to buy me some nice skincare for Xmas but I have no idea where to start. I watched some videos recommended on here but was so confused. If anyone can help me, I would be incredibly grateful.

I wear full coverage makeup. My skin is dry and uneven in some areas but greasy (?) in others. I'm 27 so fine lines and wrinkles not at the forefront of my mind as such, I just want some decent skin on my face.

I would be so so grateful for help here. I can kind of see an end in sight to my bad habits but not sure how to get there exactly!

@TibetanTerrier

Go for a simple routine to start with, just cleanse, tone and moisturise. Like someone else has suggested, my vote would be for Liz Earle products. Cruelty-free products with good, clean, natural botanical ingredients that suit any skin type and any age, and a brand that has garnered countless awards over the past 20 year. I think you'd find these would turn your skin around within a few weeks. Once you've got into a cleanse, tone, moisturise routine and seen good results, you can start looking to add a face oil, serum etc., but if you get too complicated too soon I think you're likely to find it isn't enjoyable and puts you off. Good luck whichever products you choose!

LOL clean is marketing BS and botanical ingredients can be highly irritating . As can essential oils and other natural nasties .

I have no skincare routine. I think it's genes.

I use Nivea when I remember about once every two weeks and get Botox

Got Botox at 38. I'm 41 now but I'm thinking of just getting a fringe as I don't like how it changes my face. I only have been getting it once or twice a year, prob not enough to make any real difference.

What I would say though is that when I drink enough water it does make my skin better.

All you need is a cleanser , sunscreen and moisturizer .

La roche Posay .

Then introduce retinol and night .

Everything else is marketing BS .

You don't need Caroline's book 😂 or anyone else's .

Watch Dr Dray / Dr Sam Bunting / Dr Natalia on YouTube .

@SprinkleOfInsanity

Hi *@SuperPixie247* I have sent you a PM regarding some amazing products

Why are you trying to sell shitty MLM here? Not ok

Agree with PP - not having a skincare 'routine' is absolutely nothing to feel ashamed about!

One of my good friends is a board certified dermatologist and these are the tips she always gives to people who are interested in a simple routine.

In general the most important steps to a skincare routine are as follows:

Morning

• rinse your face with water or use a gentle cleanser (CeraVe or Cetaphil are highly recommended).
• moisturize (This is a tip from me, not my friend: La Roche Posay, Keihl's and Avene are all moisturisers that work well for my combination sensitive skin)
• SUNSCREEN!!!! At least 30SPF in the winter, ideally 50SFP in the summer.

Optional morning step - Vitamin C of some sort (most skincare brands have some these days). It works with your sunscreen to better protect against UV damage.

Throughout the day - reapply sunscreen. Since you wear makeup maybe a powder or spray on sunscreen would work for you during the day.

Evening

• Cleanse 1: BioDerma SensiBio H2O or Clinique Take the Day off are both great options. I love the feeling of the Clinique stuff but I find I skip it if I'm tired, so I usually have some micellar water on hand as well as it's a bit quicker.
• Cleanse 2: Same cleanser as the morning
• Moisturise (same as morning)

Optional evening: Retinol. I use Skinceuticals but again, lots of brands have good retinols nowadays.

In summary that is four 'definitely have' products: micellar water/oil cleanser, basic gentle cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen. And two 'optional' products: VitC and Retinol.

Other general tips:

• Don't skip your sunscreen! Mineral Sunscreen is a good option for people with sensitive skin.
• Really, don't skip the sunscreen
• Always, always take your makeup off at night
• When starting new products add them to your routine one at a time and ideally with two weeks between each product. It allows your skin to get used to each item and if you have a reaction to something you'll be able to identify which one it was. Though I'm sure if you wanted to start a gentle routine with cleanser/moisturiser/sunscreen all at once you'd probably be ok - but if you decide to use retinol and VitC don't start them at the same time.
• Don't fall into the trap of feeling like your skincare all has to come from the same brand!
• Start gentle, it can be tempting to dive right in with harsh acids or strong retinols but it's often better to start with lower concentrations of active ingredients and work your way up.
• More expensive doesn't mean better!
• 'All natural' also doesn't mean better!

And finally - Don't beat yourself up if you miss a step for forget to wash your face one night. Skincare is a marathon, not a sprint, so find something that works for you and stick with it the best you can .

^ 👏🏼 🏆

The best my skin has ever been has been since I switched to warm water and a Norwex microfibre cloth. Moisturizer with spf in the morning, moisturizer with retinol at night. I’ve no idea whether I’d get the same result from any old microfibre cloth but I would develop sensitivity to the mildest products before the end of each bottle. This has streamlined my routine to the point that I’m super consistent about it, which I think is what makes the difference over anything else.

Warm soapy flannel, rinse, moisturiser.

I’m in my 50s and I’ve never had a skin care routine other than washing my face but I’ve never worn make up . My daughter has dry , sensitive quite problematic skin and she uses La Roche Posay products , they are not overly expensive and seem to work well . Seriously @SuperPixie247 don’t waste loads of money by buying lots of expensive stuff it’s really not necessary .

L’occitane do a gorgeous simple moisturiser that is not at all greasy so works for combination skin (crème comfort—feels so good you’ll remember to use it!).

Vichy cleanser is awesome. Micellar water is great. I would also get a Vichy spot stick (MAGIC) and a pile of moisturebomb masks.

@CoffeeInAnIV

First of all, don't feel ashamed. Skincare routines are luxury but there are some things that are important. Start there.

Cleansing is super important. I'd recommend a Micellar water (Garnier with the pink top is good) to get even stubborn waterproof mascara off. It's good practice to cleanse again with another cleanser but you could leave it there.

Moisturise. Important! Preferably one with an SPF 15+ in. Two basic steps that are manageable and low cost and if you can stick to them, they make all the difference. Right now even cleansing and moisturising is a new routine so stick to that unless you have specific skincare issues.

You shouldn't leave micellar water on your face. It can cause a reaction as essentially, it's detergent.

I would
Use a miscellar water to get rid of the make up then wash your face using one of the cerave facial washes.
After that apply some moisterizer

In the morning wash your face with cerave, apply moisterizer and spf.

I would keep it very simple until your into a routine. I would also avoid botanicals, essential oils and fragrance, all of which can sensitize your skin.

I just wash my face with some cleansing foaming gel stuff. right now I have some Neutrogena from the supermarket. Sometimes I just use liquid hand soap. I wash my face two or three times a day, a habit I started when I was younger and had acne (not that it helped). Now I do it because my face just feels greasy, and a clean face just feels so good. Can't imagine just splashing water on in the morning. My face is only and crusty when I wake up.

I have various skin potions and moisturizers but can almost never be bothered with them. If I wear makeup I take it off at the first opportunity. Might put on some moisturizer in the winter.

I'm in my 50s and people usually think I'm younger.

TLDR: just wash your face and put on some moisturizer if it feels dry. Nivea hand cream is good. Sunscreen is important too.

Thank you all SO MUCH and apologies for coming back late to the thread.

I really value all the comments and ideas. It is definitely a good idea to start with a more basic routine and then build up if I like so thank you for that

The book that was mentioned, I think I had watched a few videos of hers that was recommended on here but it seemed so confusing to me!

Wow we’ve got to the stage where women have been so bombarded with bullshit messages they are ashamed of having no skincare regime

Do NOT be ashamed and seriously it sounds like you have enough pressure without worrying about this kind of crap.

My skincare regime over 42 years has been to moisturise only when I shower with whatever I last picked up in the shop. Take off any excess eyeliner with baby wipes.

That’s it! And my skin is fine, no real wrinkles or any issues.

I’d stop with the full face every day if you can?

You shouldn't leave micellar water on your face. It can cause a reaction as essentially, it's detergent.

Yes, I find it really good but essentially it is just soap, so I soak a cotton pad (I use those reusable ones, they are excellent) with water and just go over my face again to rinse off the micellar.

OP this isn’t something to be embarrassed or ashamed about.

Don’t get sucked into things like “use this acid, then you need xyz to restore balance”.

Get a face wash or a wipe off cleanser, get a moisturiser, according to skin type. Cheap is fine.

As it's a present, why not go for something that you'll really enjoy using to get you into the swing of things.

For me the game-changer was Elemis Pro Collagen cleansing balm. They're doing a gift set right now of three small ones so you could try the different scents. The texture is gorgeous, it will work on both the dry and the oilier areas, and you can leave it on for longer as a mask if you want.

Toner is a faff I have never understood.

Exfoliating once a week will probably be good for you.

Use a decent moisturiser. I swear by Elemis products and love them all, but something like Nivea is fine.

@stevalnamechanger
LOL clean is marketing BS and botanical ingredients can be highly irritating . As can essential oils and other natural nasties

I don't think a company not using questionable ingredients or harmful irritants is "marketing BS", but then I have very sensitive, reactive skin so need to steer clear of chemicals and known irritants. And yes, some people can react to essential oils and other natural ingredients, but then anyone can develop a sensitivity or allergy to any ingredient at any time, so every product can be nasty for someone. I still recommend Liz Earle as producing mild, gentle, extremely effective products, which is why the brand is one of the most successful British brands in the world.

Liz Earle cleanse and polish is the only thing I've ever reacted to, and I can use strong acids without blinking
Clinique take the day off balm is bland and unlikely to irritate

Having a skincare routine isn't a luxury, per one poster, and it doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming.
Wash your face first thing in the morning with a PH balanced fash wash, wipe on some toner with a cotton pad, day moisturizer and sunscreen (even on cloudy days).
Repeat wash and toner at night and use a night moisturizer with retinol.
If you are unsure about which products to use go to a Boots or John Lewis, anything with a substantial beauty section and ask for advice. There's usually a lady floating round that can talk to you about products and can test them for you.
On top of that, drink lots of water and try to have a couple of makeup free days.

Figgyboa why would you take advice from a sales assistant when you can get free advice from top derms on youtube from the safety of your own living room :D

Dr Davin Lim
Dr Dray
Dr Natalia Spierlings
Dr Anjali Mahto
Dr Emma Wedgeworth

Non derm, but great advice
Dr Sam Bunting

@stevalnamechanger, absolutely nothing wrong with taking advice from derm experts on YouTube. I personally am not familiar with any of them and I don't particularly use you tube so it wouldnt be my go to. I was just offering a suggestion to OP.
Not that it really matters but I wasn't necessarily referring to a sales assistant, in most department stores there are independent ladies to offer advice and do make up tests etc.
I know for me, getting the right products for my skincare was trial and error. Some times it good to be able to test/see how it feels on your skin and discuss in person

Has anyone used retinol? Does that make a difference?

1996: omg that clinique liquid stuff is like paintstripper, wtf

2020: put acid on your face, you're worth it