Routine for early 40s

[Needanewnamenow]

I seem to have lost my way a bit with my skin care and wondered if anyone had any recommendations for a simple routine for someone early 40s with sensitive acne prone skin. Retinol is not an option for various reasons but is there anything else anti aging I should be thinking about?

I'm 44, with oily & sensitive skin.

I use Simple cleansing lotion then Simple toner.
Then I apply Clinique smart repair serum everywhere except my cheeks. It's expensive but lasts for months & months as it's extremely concentrated.

I then use Boots No7 Protect & Perfect spf15 day cream in the morning or Boots Protect & Perfect night cream in the evening.

In the summer I use Boots No7 facial sun lotion instead of the day cream if I'm going to be outside for any length of time...

That's it basically.

Obviously I then apply makeup usually primer & bb cream not foundation.

There is only sunblock/retinol or tretonoin for anti-aging creams. You can use a red light led mask for collagen production or dermarolling if you watch an instruction video on YouTube because you can damage yourself if your not very careful.

I always promised myself a phenol peel if it all went tits.

Thank you both, that helps me get started. I know there are limited things for proper anti aging, I should add I'm not trying to reverse existing aging (I'm pretty wrinkle free) but anything I can do going forward.

I don't want to hijack your thread (well maybe I do :) ) but I'm the same age, but with dry skin. Any advice welcome.
At the moment I use the no.7 blue face wash, the no.7 blue serum and the Revitatlift moisturiser in the morning. I think I may be missing hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, which everyone should be using apparently.
I do use Tretinoin occasionally (Retirides) but have noticed no good effects or bad reaction either.
I'm pretty bad at doing anything at night, but if I do, I use the no.7 night cream. Their day creams are too light for me in the winter, but the night creams seem good.

@Needanewnamenow

Thank you both, that helps me get started. I know there are limited things for proper anti aging, I should add I'm not trying to reverse existing aging (I'm pretty wrinkle free) but anything I can do going forward.

Wrinkle-free in your 40s, how did you manage that?

I wear makeup every day (not loads - a light foundation, eyebrows and blusher) so use a cleansing oil to take it off. I was using DHC cleansing oil which is fab but it's quite drying so I've switched to the Sanctuary one which Sainsbos sell and it's a bit richer. Both you apply to dry face and massage for a min then splash off and it emulsifies with the water. I follow with Avene foaming face wash which is super gentle, alternated with Nip and Fab Glycolic Scrub every other day.

Moisture wise I use La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF50 daily, the comfort dry skin version. It feels light but moisturising enough and a fine base for makeup. I'm 40 and started wearing daily sunblock when I was 30 and it has definitely had a huge impact so start now! This combo keeps my grumpy rosacea prone skin fairly happy as long as I avoid sugar and alcohol I like a good scrub but I think salycilic acid is better for rosacea skin, weirdly, so will prob switch to a non scrubby salycilic thing instead of the Nip and Fab at some point. And I want to add a hyaluronic serum for under my moisturiser, probs the Ordinary. If my skin feels parched and sad I slather it in Nivea blue pot, I swear by that as an overnight fix.

I am 40, have no wrinkles and drink like a fish - I put it down to genes and sunblock.

Sorry for multi post - actually peptides are more exciting than hyaluronic acid so I shall be purchasing The Ordinary's 'Buffet' serum. I used the Olay Regenerist moisturiser for years for its amazing peptides so need some peptide action back.

My blue serum has peptides so that's good. I've tested the Olay Regenerist in the shop many times, but find it a bit sticky.

The main thing you can do to prevent aging is SPF! At any age

I am 46 and recently discovered double cleansing. It really works well on my skin!
At the moment I am using a cleanser from Lancome to remove the make up, followed by a Boots Vit C face wash. Every other night I use either the No7 Microdermabrasion scrub or a No7 hydrating mask. After scrubbing or washing off the mask I apply an acid toner, then an eye gel again from No7 and a Vitamin C moisturizers (but I don't remember the brand).
In the morning I just wash my face with the face wash and apply Chanel CC cream with spf.

@TheDaydreamBelievers

The main thing you can do to prevent aging is SPF! At any age

I went through a phase of doing this every day religiously, but now I'm working from home and nowhere near a window, don't get out at all quite often...

@user1471523870

I am 46 and recently discovered double cleansing. It really works well on my skin! At the moment I am using a cleanser from Lancome to remove the make up, followed by a Boots Vit C face wash. Every other night I use either the No7 Microdermabrasion scrub or a No7 hydrating mask. After scrubbing or washing off the mask I apply an acid toner, then an eye gel again from No7 and a Vitamin C moisturizers (but I don't remember the brand). In the morning I just wash my face with the face wash and apply Chanel CC cream with spf.

This is quite a complicated routine, I'd say. I'm going to look up the microdermabrasion scrub. My skin feels so much softer when it's exfoliated, but people say the old-fashioned scrubs are bad for you and the nip and fab pads do nothing for me.

Boots protect and perfect range has retinol in it so beware of that fact OP as you've stated you want to avoid retinol. However, it will be a milder form of it so may be just what you're looking for.

@FlyingByTheSeatof

Boots protect and perfect range has retinol in it so beware of that fact OP as you've stated you want to avoid retinol. However, it will be a milder form of it so may be just what you're looking for.

The green range is for people in their 30s though, isn't it? I thought you were on the blue at mine and OP's age?

“I went through a phase of doing this every day religiously, but now I'm working from home and nowhere near a window, don't get out at all quite often...”

I recently saw a skin specialist who said we also need SPF to protect against light from screens (computer, phone etc). So depressing! Anyone know if this is true?

To the PP who asked about my wrinkles, a combo of good genes and spf I think! Also as pretty pale skinned I've generally stayed out of the sun anyway. That said, I do have lives in my forehead but I've had these since my teens so I don't really consider them wrinkles.

Thanks to everyone else who has commented, I will look up your recommendations!

Although I'm 40s I still use protect & perfect as my skin is young looking, almost line free & the ranges for older skin are too rich for my oily type of skin.

I think Ive benefitted from always using a moisturiser containing at least spf15 since I was about 19 & wore oil of Olay!
I also never went abroad on beach holidays until my mid 20s & wore spf30 at least in the summer sun. I never used sunbeds or smoked either.

@Gwenhwyfar sorry but Boots No 7 only has one protect and perfect range (green)

The other ranges are Lift and Luminate (blue) and Restore and Renew (pink)

I realise you said you can’t use retinol bit Tretinoin from Dermatica has been a life changer for my sensitive acne prone skin. I use the 0.025% and worked it up very gradually over 6 months. Had a horrible purge for the first few months and now it’s brilliant. Aside from that I keep it very simple. Jojoba oil as a moisturiser and Cc cream with spf 15 (I use full sun block in the spring and summer but I have read that 15 is fine for the winter).

I'm same age too. I try to avoid products that aren't cruelty free so use liz Earle hot cloth cleanser, then her toner and moisturiser followed by SPF. I do this twice a day and have done for years. It's great and definitely keeps me break out free and wrinkles reduced.

[quote FlyingByTheSeatof]@Gwenhwyfar sorry but Boots No 7 only has one protect and perfect range (green)

The other ranges are Lift and Luminate (blue) and Restore and Renew (pink)[/quote]
That's what I said. Someone suggest Protect and Perfect and I replied that the green range (i.e. Protect and Perfect) was for younger people as far as I could remember.

Find an spf50 that you love and use it every single day.

I rely on the SPF in my foundation. I check it has some of course. Is this enough?

I have really oily skin too.

I double cleanse and use an exfoliant and face mask once a week on different days. I use buffet and lift and luminate at night. Day time niacinamide and what ever moisturiser l have to hand.

I have laughter lines around my eyes and a slight wrinkle on my forehead. My jawline is getting a bit slack though and my decoletage (sp) isn't great ..use factor 30 min on that area.