How to improve my skin in my 40s (pic attached)

[Bookwest]

I used to have nice skin, pretty pale but ok and the texture was fine.
Now my skin is permanently red, almost blotchy and not a good texture.
Would retinol help? I'm wary of using strong products because I don't want my face to get redder. Really I'm just worried that my face is going to get more red each year until I'm a red faced old woman.
I would say my two main problems are redness and the texture looking less smooth.

I have tried mirvaso and soolantra for redness, neither of which have helped.

Oh and I'm not going to be able to regularly use expensive products so would appreciate any tips for affordable products. Thanks!

What do you currently use? I'm very much a fan of less is more approach. I use a traditional cream cleanser (or baby lotion) rub it all over my face then wipe off with cotton wool, then I use a really nourishing cream like Nuxe comforting face balm or Astral. I do not use anti aging products as my skin is really sensitive to chemicals in them. I would consider my skin to be in good shape.

Hi! I’m sorry I cannot help but just wanted to say that I have the same.

I’ve had clear, lovely skin for years, hardly any problems during puberty.
Now suddenly in my 40s it’s just awful.

Do you find it’s worse at any particular time? I sometimes wake up with blotches and if I FT with family they ask if I’m ok, that how bad it is!

I haven’t found a solution yet- mainly as I haven’t really looked. But we have moved recently and have much better light in the bathroom - and im just realizing how bad - all over my face this blotchiness is!

Could it be Rosacea? Have you seen your GP?

I don't use much at the moment to be honest. La Roche Posay moisturizer in the day and sometimes Cetaphil at night.
Most days I don't wear make up but if I do it's Lily Lilo mineral foundation.
I normally just use water for washing, no cleansers.

Is it thread veins? It's a bit hard to see from the photo but I have rosacea and redness and have had some laser treatment which has improved it a lot. It's called Excel V and was £400 so not cheap but the only thing that has worked for me.

Try Apot Care Vit B3 for redness.

@BusterGonad

Could it be Rosacea? Have you seen your GP?

The GP prescribed the soolantra and mirvaso (both rosacea treatments) but they didn't make any difference. The mirvaso actually resulted in massive flushing.

Changeandhelp to be honest the redness is fairly constant. However red wine definitely makes it worse so I avoid that now ☹️

@MerryPoppings

Is it thread veins? It's a bit hard to see from the photo but I have rosacea and redness and have had some laser treatment which has improved it a lot. It's called Excel V and was £400 so not cheap but the only thing that has worked for me.

There are definitely some thread veins on my cheeks but not all the redness is due to that.

I'm pleased to hear that laser has worked for you. Is that permanent or will you need top ups? I'm completely clueless about laser, if it was a one off big cost I might consider it.

I’d personally go and see a dermatologist or skin specialist who can tell you exactly what is going on and can tell you what you should / shouldn’t use.

In general terms an active product like retinol would help improve the look of skin but it really depends on any underlying issues, so I’d wouldn’t just start using it without knowing if it’s suitable.

Retinol can also make skin a bit worse before it gets better and it takes months for any real difference - its a fantastic product but is not a quick fix. So if you’re going to invest the time and effort in a product it is worth checking it will work for you first.

Def recommend seeing a dermatologist not the GP, no offence to them but they aren’t specialists. It might be a little pricey but you’ll only need to see them once for guidance and it’ll be cheaper than buying a load of products you end up throwing / giving away

Perhaps a dermatologist visit would be a good investment, I hadn't thought of that.

you don't say how far up the age range you are (e.g. 41 .v. 49) if closer to the top end then are you peri-menopausal? I ask because I am 48 and have started with the exact same thing recently, it looks like its hormonal for me and gets worse if I eat spicy or too much food and drink alcohol :( two of my favourite things, eating and drinking! but also sometimes flushes for no apparent reason.

I have tried using primers etc for redness but nothing really seems to help at this point, I hope you manage to find a solution

I use azelaic acid for redness and it takes a couple of weeks (dilute it with moisturiser first) to make a difference and now I use it every morning.
I also use cicaplast at night.
For me it was sun damage so now I use spf 50 everyday - it took about 3 months to see an improvement.

Hi there, I feel your pain. I was in exactly the same situation recently (age 45)
I have paired back my routine, just using Eve lom cleanser & cloth (I know it’s expensive & hear there are other good alternatives including Aldi) and cerave moisturiser. I have also really upped my water drinking to 2+ litres a day which has made a huge difference to skin & how I feel too.

Good luck x

Just came on to say avoid alcohol and spicy food (hard I know)
Also use some kind of barrier cream under makeup as well as SPF (the cold weather could be making it worse).

The ordinary AHA BHA peeling solution 1xweek and something to lighten your skin tone e.g. vitamin c serum should sort you out x

I suddenly had redness and blotchiness in my mid-late forties. It happened after a reaction to a product, but that may have been a coincidence . Looking back I wonder if it was due to hormonal shifts. It did all calm down again, I am in my fifties now and my skin is fine.
I used the month long calming night treatment from Dr Hauschka. That did help. Then just minimal everything, treating my skin gently.
This is the month long treatment, for when skin is out of sorts. www.drhauschka.co.uk/facial-serum-ampoules/sensitive-care-conditioner/

Do you wear spf? Might stop it from worsening and probably not worth spending on anything else unless you are going to protect your skin with spf. Retinol and certain vit c serums are the only things proven to work but a good overall routine can help them to work better (eg no point using retinol on skin that isn’t properly cleansed and you will need a moisturiser after) if you don’t wanna spend much I would look at the inky list, boots ingredients and the ordinary in that order for me.

Laser is a permanent improvement but you can get new thread veins so might need more treatments. But it made a big difference to me that no creams have been able to do.

My friend has just bought the give me skin care range as its reduced to £25 but I'm not sure what it's like that has retinol in it and it's 5 different creams, she said its brilliant

From my own experience, drink lots of water - that's never a bad idea, generally.

And cos my skin gets very dry and feels rough textured, i use a gentle face peel mask.
It's a Superdrug Naturally Radiant Glycolic thing, that you leave on overnight.
It's very gentle, otherwise I wouldn't be able to use it, but it is very effective; my skin would go a bit doolally, if it wasn't.

The La Roche Posay moisturiser I use has an SPF of 30, so quite high.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I'll have a look at the products mentioned.

I’m a skin therapist. I would advise against buying retinol off Amazon and slapping it on - please don’t do that, it’s very risky.

I can’t see the photo very well but your skin looks sensitised to me.

Find someone near you who specialises in skin and have a consultation (they are usually free). They will be able to suggest something by having a proper look at your skin.

If you're under a dermatologist, ask for epiduo. It has dramatically improved the redness and texture of my skin. Rosalique is an excellent primer specifically for red skin too. Good luck. It's self esteem destroying!

@Itsnotover

I’m a skin therapist. I would advise against buying retinol off Amazon and slapping it on - please don’t do that, it’s very risky.

I can’t see the photo very well but your skin looks sensitised to me.

Find someone near you who specialises in skin and have a consultation (they are usually free). They will be able to suggest something by having a proper look at your skin.

Thanks for this - do you mean someone like yourself rather than a dermatologist? I've never heard of a skin therapist 😳

My skin was like that for years. I took the plunge and went to see a skin specialist and did a course of Epionce peels and it has completely changed my skin. I also use all the epionce products but they are very expensive!