Do we really need all the skincare products professionals claim we need?

[ChampagneWorries]

I hate my skin. I have dark circles, lines round the eyes when i smile, spot issues etc…

So i have had numerous facials by a beautician who looked at my face and told me what my skin needs.

So the conclusion is I’m to …

• Pre Cleanse
• Cleanse
• Use a daily exfoliant
• Apply anti aging eye cream
• Toner
• Serum
• Moisturiser

All of the above twice a day. These are what a Dermalogica skin trained beautician as advised. All the products above are around £60 each.

I still get spots, redness, blemishes etc.

So i decided i would try an even more premium brand La Mer…

So i bought their cleanser - too harsh
Used their lifting contour serum (it was fine but i still got spots) its also really expensive
Used their eye cream that claimed to reduce dark circles - i didn't notice a difference.
Bought the creme la mer and soft moisturising cream ( they take a while to sink in)

I still have spots, blemishes, marks on my face etc..

So now i have bought La. Prairie Skin Cavier White eye and face cream.

This claims to reduce redness, dark circles, blemishes the lot…

Now i ve been using this a week and now i have sore areas on my face and my skin feels tight. Its extremely heavily fragranced.

Im 33, yet people often think im around 37. Dark circles run in the family.

My mum is very obsessed with not looking old and is always comparing herself to people her own age who she feels look alot older than they are. This obsession with not looking your age has really rubbed off on me over the years.

So do you all use toners, serums etc every day?

Im thinking of just using a cleaner and then moisturiser and thats it, will i regret it in years to come?

I agree that a lot of it is luck/genetics. Factor in diet and how much/little water you drink.

I feel very lucky to have even tempered skin. It looks and feels the same whether I wear a £30 moisturiser or an own brand Superdrug moisturiser.

However, I have worn moisturiser on my face since the age of 15, and have always been meticulous about removing make up before bed.

Dark circles are related to circulation, not skin

Apart from lack of sleep & genetics dark circles can be caused by a number of things: allergies, allergic rhinitis, excessive alcohol consumption, iron deficiency/ anaemia, sun exposure, irregular pigmentation, dehydration, malnutrition etc

take your pick.
I can tick at least 4

On the PCOS note - I have it too and was spotty for ages. Dianette really helped (a type of contraceptive) and its well known to help women with PCOS and acne. The problem is you can't take it long term apparently because the risk of blood clots is slightly higher than with other pills so my GP wouldn't give me any more.

The best thing about going to a dermatologist is that they will really look at your skin and tell you what will work for YOU - and it will work out loads cheaper than what you've been doing up to now!

I have a cream cleanser, one moisturiser with a serum under it at night. I don’t bother with eye cream and just add same moisturiser lightly. I have a good complexion. Toners are a rip off.

Are eye creams a rip off?

I ve just been using the calming cleanser and la mer moisturiser and the soreness has gone now.

@ChampagneWorries

Are eye creams a rip off?

I ve just been using the calming cleanser and la mer moisturiser and the soreness has gone now.

I think they're just not necessary, unless your eyes are reacting to your normal serum and moisturiser.

I love skincare and I've got quite good skin but I've scrapped my routine for just skin+me subscription at night and SPF the next day. I've been using it for 6 months and I love it.

I use absolutely nothing apart from water. I've got better things to spend money on than all these creams, serums, lotions. I was asked at work about my age and one girl was shocked at how old I was and wanted to know what I used as I definitely didn't look my age. I have bags and little blemishes but I'm 47 I'm not bothered

No, you don't need a ton of expensive skincare products. And no, I don't use that many myself. I tend to go for quite simple and effective fragrance-free products. Works for me. I use:

Morning:

• Cleanser with salicylic acid (The Inkey List or Cerave)
• (Sometimes) Niacinamide (The Ordinary)
• SPF50 (La Roche Posay)

Evening:

• Cleansing oil and cloth to remove makeup
• Cleanser with salicylic acid (The Inkey List or Cerave)
• Squalane serum (The Ordinary)
• (Sometimes) Night serum (The Inkey List)
• Moisturiser with salicylic acid (Cerave)

I hate to be an arse, but you have been had - a dermatologist once told me that all we can do to our skin is keep it clean and put on some cheap cream like astral or nivea if it feels dry - and always sunscreen all year round - otherwise eat well, sleep well,and drink water - the state of your skin is down to your genes, not smoking or drinking lots of alcohol and not allowing sun damage - plus your age, which you can do nothing about

Its just too much isn't it? So very many chemicals? What's a "usual serum" and why have one? You'd be better off not wearing makeup and not putting 102 different potions on the sensitive skin of your face...

Hyram on YouTube did a good post about dark circles. I've always had then and now my eyes look sunken too, the only thing that makes a difference is colour correcting.

I always suffered blemishes but noticed a difference using niacinimide in my morning routine.

This thread is making me feel like I've been ripped off, even though I buy only cheap products and have researched ones that work! I love the aldi q10 day cream with spf. I put that over the cerave day cream with HA, and a cheap eye cream from bodycare. At night I just cleanse with nivea miscellar water and alternate the ordinary retinol and neals yard beauty sleep serum (that one's quite pricey but the smell relaxes me and I've fallen for their marketing). Having said that my friend has amazing skin and she only ever uses water, we're both mid thirties, she's a new mum so less sleep than me as well.

No, we don't need most of the products that marketing campaigns try to sell us. Many adverts follow a simple formula:
(1) Tell you there's a problem;
(2) Demonstrate how the problem vanishes using their product;
(3) Talk about things with made up scientific words (trademarked too sometimes);
(4) Show a smiling face.

If these products were truly needed, they wouldn't try so hard to sell it.

Back in the day, it was sold as a (twice a day) three-step process:

1. cleanse
2. tone
3. moisturize

Then they admitted toners weren't really necessary.

Seeing these 7-step processes (or what seems like 78 in some cases!), I just feel (a) exhausted and (b) sorry for the poor skin.

If your skin is reacting - spots, redness, dryness - lay off the micellar water. Swap to a creamy cleanser.

Micellar is quick and easy to use, but I have found my skin reacts to it after a while as if I was washing my face in dishwashing detergent. I also have an expensive Lancome micellar water that was a gift with purchase number that the saleswoman said should only be used very occasionally, 'like on holidays,' she said. The Garnier one I've used has no alcohol but still left my gorgeous skin flat and dull last year, so I have nixed it for regular use of any sort. YMMV.

As in life, I think you will find kind, honest professionals and/or salespeople, and others keen on commission who will forcefeed you an entire range. Less is more, with skin, in my view.

@milkyaqua have you heard of the Korean 10- step routine! I wouldn't have space!

I agree, keep it simple, face wash, moisturiser and if you want maybe a targeted serum.

And spf

Oh dear I'm adding steps!

It took me ages to find the right creams etc.

My routine:

Am:
Cleanse with nutrogena (spot control)
Tone - Florence Big C
Moisturise- olay 7 in one
Spf - la roche possay factor 50 (non condenomic)

PM
Cleanse - neurogenic
Alternate nights tone - Florence big C or L'Oréal retinol serum
Olay 7 in 1
Olay night cream on forehead
No 7 eye cream

I still get spots but find the retinol etc helped lines a lot.

The spf is amazing stuff, my skin looks 900x better

As others have said SPF daily moisturiser important, retinols (especially at night) and I recently read Aloe Vera is good for dark circles and lemon (worth a try as both of these are quite cheap!)

Ingredients is key.
Watch some Nadine Baggott videos. She explains very clearly what the ingredients are, and what they do. Many of the poshest skincare products main ingredients are as cheap as chips and you can get a generic version for a fiver.
She says you only NEED five steps
In the morning:
Cleanse
Vit C
Hydrate (hyaluronic and/or moisturizer)
SPF

In the evening
Repeat as above, except replace the vit C for a retinol and obvs no SPF.

The Vit C and retinol are optional but WILL over time (retinol is a long game thing) make a difference.

If you want to add other serums/actives like a glycolic etc then do so.

You don't need to spend on cleanser or moisturizer. Most moisturizer has key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerine. Both are cheap.

Companies like The Ordinary and The Inkey List go for the products containing one key ingredient and only costing you a fiver. That's why so many people these days are talking about 16 step routines. Personally, I can't be faffed with that (and am unimpressed with TO anyway) and prefer one serum containing everything that costs me £40 to 8 different ones but that's me.

Micellar is ok for taking makeup off but then skin needs a second cleanse as Micellar leaves a film. I'm using it at the moment because I'm on holiday but it's not nice stuff and most dermatologists don't like it unless you cleanse your skin afterwards.

No moisturizer will have enough SPF, or rather, we don't put moisturizer on our faces like we do an SPF.

I agree with pp about companies selling you a miracle. People go on all the time about how company X can be emailed and they'll send you a list of what you need. Well d'oh.

The brands you mentioned are all probably not the best for your skin type. Using too many products is counterproductive on sensitive and acne prone.
I ‘reset’ my skin by using Dr Hauschka ampules www.drhauschka.co.uk/media/image/a6/c3/e8/[email protected] Dr Haus
(The same range eye ampules are also good as a refreshing, brightening treatment. Never found eye creams, retinol etc helpful).
I did a course of this a few years ago and ever since my skin is less reactive and I don’t get acne. I only introduce one new product at a time and don’t use all one brand at a time as find that doesn’t work as well for me either.
Had great results with:
Antipodes face wash - really good for acne prone sensitive skin.
Whamisa toner (deep rich, pat on with finger tips x2)
Dr Hauschka Rose day cream (light version depending on skin/weather).
I use sunscreen only if I’m going to be mostly outside (too irritant to use if not needed).
Gently exfoliate twice a week (any but I mostly either use Clarisonic exfoliating brush or Pixie Glow toner - using Pixie as it’s ok but a bit over hyped, not sure I would repurchase) & apply a mask once a week (REN).
Smoking, alcohol, diet (meat, sugar trans fats), lack of sleep all have a big influence. Oily fish (or flax seeds) water, fruits, veg or salads.
Dark circles could also be deficiency improved by vitamin K supplement.

I use nivea day cream after my shower and that it is - always being told l look v young for my age but then so did my gran and so does my mum.
Honestly l think it is down to your genes and all the products in the world won't make a difference.

I love Nivea day cream but it makes me itch

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

I love Nivea day cream but it makes me itch

Why do you love it then? Just wondering?