What's made the biggest difference to your skin?

[december2020]

My skin is struggling. It feels dry, flaky, blotchy and gross with a hint of oily.

I've got rosacea (seem to have developed it around my 20s) but I probably have bad skin habits too.

I do wash my face, use toner, face oil and a cream almost daily and always wash any make up off.

So inspire me, positively or negatively, what's made the biggest difference to your skin?

@Iamtired123

Cutting out dairy completely

I what ways has this helped Iamtired? What has improved?

Cleaning my skin with Cerave cleanser and a warm washcloth every night. I rarely get spots since starting this regime.

Cerave moisturising lotion has been great for me. As has not cleansing in the evening as this freaks my skin out. I use glycolic pads in the morning.

People say I look young for my age, but I think it’s all the boring stuff that I do like eating well, spf, drinking water, 8 hours sleep, exercise etc. I don’t drink or smoke and don’t have much sugar at all.

I used retin a for about 18 months and didn’t really see a difference. I was a bit gutted to be honest as it is meant to be and has been properly proven to work. Might give it another go but it was a bit of a faff building it up, backing off, my skin would be horribly dry if I over did it and looked awful.

I have been using ‘the ordinary’ chemical peel once a week and their matrixel serum every night. Have noticed a difference

Double cleansing with balm cleanser (for second cleanse)
Cutting down sugar
SPF

I have rosacea too that is quite bad feeling but not horrendous looking iykwim! I am 41 and use cetaphil gentle cleanser, avene skin recovery cream (if in a flare up) or cerave moisturiser and roche posay spf (all year round), and glossier primer. It's pretty much under control but if I go properly mad on sugar or white bread or don't drink enough water it flares up so my go to then is to lather on the skin recover cream. I have combination skin leaning towards very dry

Cutting out alcohol. I do still have the odd celebratory glass but don't drink ordinarily now. I'm 45 and did this a year ago. It has definitely made a difference.

Agree with compass. I use skin and me for tret and I look better than 4 years ago which will do me! It's also cleared my acne

38 now (second pic) , 23 in the first pic

Applying moisturiser to wet skin. Seriously a game changer for me for flakiness, try eucerin. It works pretty well on tret skin. Neutrogena hydroboost face wash is really good as well.

These are wonderful, thank you!

Today I'm going to up my water intake moving forward, I definitely don't drink enough of it! I definitely need to look at some diet changes as well.

Checking out tret! Would an every day retinol work as well?

Honestly, my skin improved hugely when I stopped cleansing in the morning and just splashed with lukewarm water. Immediately I had smoother, less spotty skin with more even tone.

@Phyllis321

Honestly, my skin improved hugely when I stopped cleansing in the morning and just splashed with lukewarm water. Immediately I had smoother, less spotty skin with more even tone.

Yes, my skin is better the less I do to it.

I wash/remove makeup with aqueous cream and a warm flannel at night and just water in the mornings. Whenever I resolve to take better care of my skin it goes horribly wrong.

Oh yes, I never cleanse in the morning. Warm water, nothing else.

I have rosacea. Biggest change for me was using dermatica for a prescription for it. I buy one tube at £23 about every 3 months. Happy to pm you pictures if you want to see the changes (if that's even possible)

@december2020

These are wonderful, thank you!

Today I'm going to up my water intake moving forward, I definitely don't drink enough of it! I definitely need to look at some diet changes as well.

Checking out tret! Would an every day retinol work as well?

Over the counter retinol would be a good place to start - it's basically the weaker distant cousin of tretinoin and other prescription Retin-A's.

You could try an over the counter retinol for a while to get your skin used to it and go from there. Some people are happy enough to stick with retinol and can't be arsed with the faff that is 'getting your skin acclimatised' to tretinoin.

Those of us who have come out the other side and use it regularly and see the benefits tend to be quite evangelical about it but it's not for everyone, and like I said before isn't a miracle worker - it's not a quick fix, and wont solve extreme jowling or anything like that.

But my skin is brighter, clearer, plumper and more glowing than it was a few years ago. That's good enough for me to make the effort.

Accutane.

-Drinking lots of water
-Eating a healthy balanced diet
-Exercise
-Good, but not ridiculously expensive moisturiser
-Remembering to take my makeup off at night.
-Having a good night's sleep
-Not being a teenager

'but I think it’s all the boring stuff that I do like eating well, spf, drinking water, 8 hours sleep, exercise etc'

Yes, it can get boring, but it really works! I think you need a consistent skincare routine (products that suit your skin, including daily SPF and starting a retinol) and a consistent lifestyle routine (water, fruit and veg, sleep, exercise, watch your sugar etc). Possible the number one best thing I've done for my skin (dry, dehydrated, prone to flakiness) is double cleansing

• hiding my magnifier mirror
• Dermatica prescription (niacinamide, clindamycin and tretinoin). I think this is a good half way house for Tret. I found Retirides, bought in Spain, pretty harsh whereas Dermatica seems more gentle and easier to tolerate but is more than an OTC retinol (very hard to work out what you are actually getting interns of potency).

@CompassPoint I recently started using tret with Dermatica - do you put it around your eyes? I'm never sure if you're meant to or not (I haven't yet) - and if not, what do you use around your eye area?

Thank you!!

CeraVe wash and moisturiser,it's transformed my skin.

Using biologique recherche products. I have tried all the high end brands but this is the only one that had actually made a difference to my skin. I look younger now than I did 10 years ago as I did not have good skin naturally. People always thought I was older than I was and was at a funeral recently and everyone kept going on and on about how I hadn't aged in 20 years (the last time I saw some of them) . I obviously have but really it was something no one ever said to me prior to using the products. I used to wear v heavy makeup and now none at all unless I am going out and even then just a skin tint.
They are v v expensive but worth every cent if you can afford them

For me, la Roche posay products. They are expensive, although boots usually have them on about 25% discount (still more than some more basic products though), but they are the only thing I have used that really work but are also gentle and non irritating.

@treetops46 yes I do, although there is a disclaimer on the tube that you aren't really supposed to. I use it all around my eyes, not on my actual eyelid but down from my brows to the eyelid crease line, at the outer edges of my eyes (ie crows feet territory) and underneath up to the lower eyelid crease line.
I am very, very careful not to get it in my eyes, I've done that by accident and it hurts like heck!