FFS I need a moisturiser for spotty yet ageing skin

[ratatouillepudding]

Please help! I need a night cream that won't break me out/clog my pores but WILL help my poor ageing face. Late 30s. My skin is kind of dry and dehydrated on my cheeks, shiny on my nose and spotty on my chin. Yes it's delightful. Please help. I recently tried Dr Jart ceramidin cream but clogged up my face no end. TIA

I would be tempted to stop all acids and serums etc and Choose a facial oil . The less ingredients the better . Boots botanic or a simple rosehip .

I would do:

Vichy gel cleanser or a light milk cleanser
Paula's Choice BHA exfoliate 2-3 times per week
Hada Labo moisturiser or something quite light
Couple drops of a facial oil like Lapis by Herbivore

In the morning Spf

Cor blimey ditch the retinol!
A gentle cleanser, and by that I mean nothing that foams.
DHC would be good. Rosehip oil at night.
Only wash your face at night. In the morning just splash with water in the shower. Else you will strip off all good work your skin spent all night doing!
You want to add to the skin in the morning, more rosehip oil then SPF.

See this is where I get very confused. Some people say definitely no oils, not because oil is bad for acne per se but because oils technically damage it by oxidising (?) on it? And that hydration is more important than oil for your skin, because if skin is dehydrated then it produces oil to compensate and that can cause spots, and putting oil on it doesn't hydrate it? And that retinol is one of the only evidence based ingredients that tackles spots and wrinkles. Then other people say the exact opposite. What is one supposed to believe? 😭

I feel for you other person - I have a similar skin type - superficial oiliness but my skin is basically a bit dehydrated, used to have acne but I have eliminated it due to a) trial and error b) seeing a dermatologist and c) KISS acronym - Keep it simple sweetheart. But I have had acne from 12 to about 32 (I am 43 now).

This is what works to me:
-Keep sugar to a bare minimum - it does cause inflammation in the body, so best rid of

• Use a gentle cleanser - Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser works for me
• My dermatologist actually suggested no moisturiser for me which I did not use for years, but have now started a Pai one and eye cream (both quite light)
• Feed your skin from the inside - B5 supplements, omega 3 both regulate sebum production

Good luck OP - If I were you I would give your skin a break from all the non-essentials (retinols, Vit C etc).

If you use retinol it needs to be at at least 1% to make a difference and must be used at night with spf 50 (at least) during the day. Also, less is more with retinol so if you’re doing it every night then switch to every other.

Also one of the only moisurisers dermatologists consistantly recommend is CeraVe.

My routine for my combination skin is a bit korean style in that I have many steps and use high protection spf

Mornings:
Cleanse
Face Wash
Vitamin C serum
After it dries CeraVe moisurising cream
CeraVe eye cream
After it dries neutrogena spf 110

Once my spf dries I think about priming skin for make up.

At night (alternate days)
Either:
Cleanse thoroughly
Face wash
Retinol in the eye area
Face retinol

Or:
Cleanse thoroughly
Face wash
Vitamin C serum
oil

‘ I use a retinol every other night alternated with a vitamin c.’

Stop doing that, vitamin c is for day time and retinol should only be used 2-3 times a week (at night only).

Cerave cleanser and moisturiser have done wonders for my skin.

I have similar skin. The only thing that keeps my skin clear is using Cetaphil gentle cleanser every morning / night to cleanse and then using moisturizers and treatments only on some days / nights, because most moisturizers will clog my pores if used often. Currently I alternate: LRP Redermic R (retinol), Clarins Double serum and Clarins Multi Active Jour for all skin types.

Checking in to also moan about my skin and all the options... Totally agree with those who have said the moisturisers for oily skin don't touch the sides, and the richer ones give me spots. Someone on another thread recommended Disciple Good Skin and Dreamy Skin. I am tempted... disciplelondon.com/collections/the-range/products/discovery-kit

[quote Lockandtees]@GrumpyHoonMain does the spf block pores and cause spots on sensitive skin? I don’t use an spf for this very reason. Also, do you use it every day regardless of whether or not you’re going out? Now that I work from home I don’t normally leave the house until midday so it would seem odd to put an spf on in the morning. But I do wear make up for my endless zoom meetings so I couldn’t really put spf on top of that when I go out at lunch time.[/quote]
Everyday and no if you double cleanse it doesn’t block pores. I have fairly greasy skin especially along the t-zone due to my pcos but I’ve stopped getting any and all spots.

@Onadifferentuniverse

‘ I use a retinol every other night alternated with a vitamin c.’

Stop doing that, vitamin c is for day time and retinol should only be used 2-3 times a week (at night only).

Cerave cleanser and moisturiser have done wonders for my skin.

Skincare routines for maturing darker bame skin often needs to be diffent. Vitamin c serum has it’s biggest impact when used at night because it doesn’t break down under the sun. So I try to use it at night as much as possible.

You need the hyaluronic acid hack - I got it from My Skin Story on Instagram, she used to suffer very badly from acne but with various things has transformed her skin.

After cleansing, dampen your face, I use rosewater spray but I think normal water is fine.

While your skin is still damp, apply hyaluronic acid. This will provide hydration without any oiliness.

Finally apply a small amount of moisturiser to seal in the hydration (and also SPF).

I tried this because it makes sense to me - moisturisers dont actually add hydration, they just stop moisture from escaping. But people end up putting in loads of moisturiser in the hope of stopping dryness and add oiliness. Since doing this my skin is so much more glowy and hydrated without much actual moisturiser or oil at all.

Basically I think the problem is similar to one pp who said that the moisturisers for oily skin often aren't moisturising enough but others are too greasy/break me out.

This in particular is why you need hyaluronic acid.

I have combo skin that leans dry. Its also sensitive and spot prone. I’ve stripped my routine right back to a hydrating cleaner, hyaluronic acid and moisturiser and its much clearer and not as tight. I dont use any actives, retinol, vit C etc. Tried them all, skin went ballistic!

Cleanser**

Thank you all for your further responses, it's actually really helpful. I'm starting to think about trying the cerave stuff.

Still a bit confused whether to stop retinol and vit c or not. I have tried ordinary Buffet in the past which has hyaluronic acid in it, I think I have some left should I be using that? What are peoples views on squalane oil over the top of hyaluronic acid? I've heard it's good for skin??

What spfs are people using? I must say I have avoided them because they all feel like they block pores or make me shiny, and like pp said it can feel pointless when it's so grey outside and I might not even leave the house... I tried a LRP "gel" one for oily skin the other week and really hated it, it was thick and hard to rub in, not what I expected at all, I was hoping for a light gel/water texture.

I have spot-prone skin that also gets dry and is showing signs of ageing. I find Avene skin recovery cream excellent - moisturising enough but doesn't cause congestion. I layer it over cheap Superdrug serum for extra hydration. I've never got on that well with lrp products. Cerave makes me break out and doesn't feel moisturising enough for me. I've used squalane oil before but find it sits on top of my skin rather than sinking in.

I use Biore watery essence SPF (I bulk buy from highly rated eBay sellers or on Asian beauty sites). It has that light gel texture, no white cast and is a good base for makeup. Definitely recommend.

Btw, I also use retinol (2 or 3 times/wk) but had to drop vit c when I started. Even on alternate nights, it seems to irritate my skin. I prioritised the retinol as I'm more concerned with texture/ageing than brightness.

I have this type of skin and found Elemis pro-collagen marine cream didn’t clog. Either the day or night version. But I’ve since moved onto prescription skincare from Dermatica.

@Lockandtees Yes absolutely. I think tretinoin in particular is the only thing that actually changes the structure of your skin or at least deals with issues at a deeper level

How much more effective is tretinoin than retinol 1%? I have the latter. Maybe I should try dermatica. Most of the time I don't have terrible spots but I just cannot get rid of the clogged pores and bumps.

Thanks for all the suggestions... I've got a list to work through

Spend the £20 odd pounds a month on one of the monthly subscription dermatologist websites...you don’t have to stick with it permanently but honestly it will be a whole lot more help than using random stuff that may have worked for other people but doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Dermatica is what I’ve been using and my skin is a lot better.

At ypur age all my spots were caused by using foaming cleanser. Simce I stopped that, I barely have one.

I use La Roche Posay Toleraine cleanser washed off with water. There are other ones and people prefer other ways of taking it off.

Moisturizer is my least important thimg. I think cheaper ones can be fine.I don't have a favourite. Currently trialling Eucerin Alto. It's nice.