Skin care regime

[Beautifulmonster87]

I’ve never looked after my skin really as tbh I’m just lazy but as a tired 35 mother, I am looking awful now! I have combination skin.. oily but dry in places, crows feet, wrinkles and dark circles! I have no regime in place and don’t even know where to start! When I put my Clinique foundation, I tends to look caky as I need a primer. I always worry I’ll be ripped off at makeup counter if I want to go to one for an overhaul! HELP!!

If you're on a tight budget, Aldi do great skincare creams; their Caviar range is much loved, people rave about it. Their Q10 creams and serum are well thought of too and cheap as chips.
I also find Lidl Cellular Beauty creams good and they're obviously cheap too.
It'd be a great idea to exfoliate 2 or 3 times a week. Try and use a glycolic one- Aldi do a great glycolic toner and also glycolic pads every now and then but sadly, they're not permanent stock. Otherwise, The Ordinary do some chemical exfoliants for very reasonable prices that are very well reviewed. Try and avoid the beady or grainy exfoliants if you can but if they're all you can find or afford, go ahead. Exfoliation gets rid of dead skin cells and products are then more effective!
What I'd recommend for your oily bits is a Niacinamide and Zinc serum. They are generally cheap enough and loads of brands do one but I like Deceim's The Ordinary one best. Superdrug do a good, cheap one too. You pat it on after cleansing/washing and let it sink in before adding anything else. It'll reduce the oil and shrink pores over time. I also recommend a hyaluronic acid serum, for all skins, but it'll work wonders on your flaky bits. Again, The Ordinary, Superdrug etc., do a hyaluronic acid serum.
If you can only cope with washing your face, then moisturising and you can spare the coin, I find L'Oreals's Revitalift Lazer Renew cream great but it is expensive. Look out for it being 30% off at Tesco's and places every now and then, or, if your in the UK, Amazon sometimes has it at near half price. The full price in Ireland is 29.99 Euros and I wouldn't pay that but I have often bought it at around 20 Euros because it is really good! If you have oily skin and just want to put moisturiser on straight away, always put it on when your skin's still damp. That traps the water and I also find that if I do that, the cream sinks in rather than "sitting" on my skin in a greasy film! Yuk!
Don't spend much at all on face washes or cleansers, as you're only taking them straight off again. I mostly use a Top to Toe Baby Wash from Tesco's at 79 Cents. It was recommended to me after my eyeballs got inflamed and sore ( ouch!!) as it's so gentle. Gentle cleansing is always best anyway!
God luck OP, and have fun!

P.S. If you buy pineapples ever, don't throw the peel away as there's a substance in pineapple that's a brilliant exfoliant. Rub the peel on your face after washing, then rinse and apply your other products. It's totally natural, very effective and you get to eat the middle of it too!

@2Gen

If you're on a tight budget, Aldi do great skincare creams; their Caviar range is much loved, people rave about it. Their Q10 creams and serum are well thought of too and cheap as chips. I also find Lidl Cellular Beauty creams good and they're obviously cheap too. It'd be a great idea to exfoliate 2 or 3 times a week. Try and use a glycolic one- Aldi do a great glycolic toner and also glycolic pads every now and then but sadly, they're not permanent stock. Otherwise, The Ordinary do some chemical exfoliants for very reasonable prices that are very well reviewed. Try and avoid the beady or grainy exfoliants if you can but if they're all you can find or afford, go ahead. Exfoliation gets rid of dead skin cells and products are then more effective! What I'd recommend for your oily bits is a Niacinamide and Zinc serum. They are generally cheap enough and loads of brands do one but I like Deceim's The Ordinary one best. Superdrug do a good, cheap one too. You pat it on after cleansing/washing and let it sink in before adding anything else. It'll reduce the oil and shrink pores over time. I also recommend a hyaluronic acid serum, for all skins, but it'll work wonders on your flaky bits. Again, The Ordinary, Superdrug etc., do a hyaluronic acid serum. If you can only cope with washing your face, then moisturising and you can spare the coin, I find L'Oreals's Revitalift Lazer Renew cream great but it is expensive. Look out for it being 30% off at Tesco's and places every now and then, or, if your in the UK, Amazon sometimes has it at near half price. The full price in Ireland is 29.99 Euros and I wouldn't pay that but I have often bought it at around 20 Euros because it is really good! If you have oily skin and just want to put moisturiser on straight away, always put it on when your skin's still damp. That traps the water and I also find that if I do that, the cream sinks in rather than "sitting" on my skin in a greasy film! Yuk! Don't spend much at all on face washes or cleansers, as you're only taking them straight off again. I mostly use a Top to Toe Baby Wash from Tesco's at 79 Cents. It was recommended to me after my eyeballs got inflamed and sore ( ouch!!) as it's so gentle. Gentle cleansing is always best anyway! God luck OP, and have fun!

Wow thanks how lovely are you! Funnily enough I already wash with my sons top to toe wash!! I’ll definitely look out for what you’ve recommended. So kind of you x

Ah sure it's no no bother at all OP, I'm only glad to be of some help!
Thanks for saying I'm lovely, you've cheered me up!

@2Gen

If you're on a tight budget, Aldi do great skincare creams; their Caviar range is much loved, people rave about it. Their Q10 creams and serum are well thought of too and cheap as chips. I also find Lidl Cellular Beauty creams good and they're obviously cheap too. It'd be a great idea to exfoliate 2 or 3 times a week. Try and use a glycolic one- Aldi do a great glycolic toner and also glycolic pads every now and then but sadly, they're not permanent stock. Otherwise, The Ordinary do some chemical exfoliants for very reasonable prices that are very well reviewed. Try and avoid the beady or grainy exfoliants if you can but if they're all you can find or afford, go ahead. Exfoliation gets rid of dead skin cells and products are then more effective! What I'd recommend for your oily bits is a Niacinamide and Zinc serum. They are generally cheap enough and loads of brands do one but I like Deceim's The Ordinary one best. Superdrug do a good, cheap one too. You pat it on after cleansing/washing and let it sink in before adding anything else. It'll reduce the oil and shrink pores over time. I also recommend a hyaluronic acid serum, for all skins, but it'll work wonders on your flaky bits. Again, The Ordinary, Superdrug etc., do a hyaluronic acid serum. If you can only cope with washing your face, then moisturising and you can spare the coin, I find L'Oreals's Revitalift Lazer Renew cream great but it is expensive. Look out for it being 30% off at Tesco's and places every now and then, or, if your in the UK, Amazon sometimes has it at near half price. The full price in Ireland is 29.99 Euros and I wouldn't pay that but I have often bought it at around 20 Euros because it is really good! If you have oily skin and just want to put moisturiser on straight away, always put it on when your skin's still damp. That traps the water and I also find that if I do that, the cream sinks in rather than "sitting" on my skin in a greasy film! Yuk! Don't spend much at all on face washes or cleansers, as you're only taking them straight off again. I mostly use a Top to Toe Baby Wash from Tesco's at 79 Cents. It was recommended to me after my eyeballs got inflamed and sore ( ouch!!) as it's so gentle. Gentle cleansing is always best anyway! God luck OP, and have fun!

Great post! I haven't anything to add other than I totally agree with not spending a huge amount on cleansers as you wash them off, although you want one that doesn't leave your face feeling "stripped" afterwards. Oil cleansers that emulsify are generally good and effective ( superfacialist from Boots is excellent)

I generally use a flannel to take off cleanser and that goes a long way to help exfoliate skin.

I also really massage any skin oils/ moisturisers I use into the skin to get the blood moving, which I'm sure helps.