Improving skin

[Lazyi]

Hello!

I am a fit and healthy 43 year old, who is looking much more tired and old in the face than I want to. I have pale skin.

I want to look “glowing”, with skin like my 4 year old. I use basic cleanser and spf moisturiser. I am considering CACI or micro needles, but I have no idea where to start. I know nothing about skin care, and very little about make up… am I better off using some sort of tinted moisturiser? I’m very clueless, so please be fool proof in your help! Thank you!

I use a balm Cleanser or an oil to remove Spf.

I use Tret which is vitamin A and helps cells turnover faster improve skin appearance. You take a picture of your skin and Dermatica send you a tube of formula every 4-6 weeks. This makes a huge difference to my skin.

I use a nice rich moisturiser like La Roche Posay then a few drops of squalene or vaseline.

In the morning I wash with water, use vit c serum then my Spf.

I swear by Erborian CC cream instead of foundation.

Skincare is really personal, unfortunately it is a bit of trial and error but experiment gradually so you don't harm your skin.

Medik8 , Inky List, La Roche Posay, Naturium, beauty of joesson are my favourite brands.

If you do want to try Dermatica this gives you a discount and gives me £5 off too

Try personalised skincare for just £2.90, plus 25% off your next month.

Head to www.dermatica.co.uk and checkout with code Y2K0NE
www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/Y2K0NE

Are you drinking enough water? Being hydrated makes a difference, and since my 40s, I found if I have a boozy night it really shows on my face.

My staples are double cleansing at night (so use a balm or oil to remove make up or spf, then cleanse again with a face wash or cream). In the morning I cleanse once, follow with a light exfoliating acid toner (I use medik 8 press and glow), vitamin C serum, eye cream, moisturiser and a separate face spf (there's not enough spf in moisturiser to last a full day without reapplying), and in the evening after cleansing I use retinol or skin & me (similar to dermatica as mentioned by PP), followed by a facial oil. Skin care is really personal though, I started off reading Caroline Hirons blog when I wanted to up my skin care game. It's important not to overload your skin with lots of new products at once though, try introducing one new thing at a time.

what's your budget level? not skin care but as a quick pick me up i love the Clarins tan drops (mix in with a bit of moisturiser). they don't make you look tanned as such, just kind of give the skin a nice little glow. Pixi Vitamin C serum gives a nice glow i think and it's not too expensive. start with that maybe and a nice moisturiser and go from there. and pick yourself up a creme blusher in a pinky red, amazing how much a bit a colour on your cheeks can make you look healthier. i would echo the Caroline Hirons - she has bits where she tells you what you need for a basic routine. nothing is going to mask a lifestyle that's crap for your skin, tho.

Hello! Thanks so much to you all for responding.

@yogaretreat - I have signed up. What am I actually going to be getting? Is Tret a toner/serum?

Have I understood this right:

Lifestyle:
Drink lots of water

Night:
Clean 1 (can I use miceler water?)
Clean 2 - face wash
Mosturise

Day:
Clean with face wash
Toner - optional
Serum - optional
Eye cream - optional
Moisturizer with SPF OR Moisturize then SPF
Foundation or CC cream - optional

Anyone else have thoughts on moisturizer/SPF combined? I would rather do as little as possible, so a combination sounds better (lazier) to me.

@phoolani - please can you link to the tan drops, as I got a bit confused.

Last question - do you think it makes a difference?!

Thank you all!!

Hello!

So you use the formula you get from Dermatica after you cleanse, then you moisturise after.

Yes you can use micellar as a first cleanse but you should make sure you wash face after.

In summer I don't use a moisturiser then an Spf, I find an Spf only works well for me.

If i didnt do anything to my skin it would be fine, my face wouldn't fall off... But finding great products that work for me means my skin really glows and I get told a lot I look "healthy"

If you really enjoy skincare as a self care moment you can use a lot of lovely products and really feel pampered. If you aren't bothered and you just want functional, cleanse, Tret, moisturise and Spf will be all you need.

Sorry i meant to say the Dermatica formula is the texture of a cream, you use two pumps.

Tret is a prescription cream or gel that you can order online from dermatica or Skin and me. They start you off low and build up. You use it after cleansing when your skin is completely dry and ensure you moisturise afterwards.

You only use it at night and you must use SPF during the day as it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun. It can make your skin flake initially but after a few months of using it you will hopefully find your skin looks better and fine lines are reduced. It can slow down the signs of ageing.

If you can afford it I'd get a hydra facial and then ask about products specifically for your skin. I was over using products on my face (mostly too much retinol) and it make my skin thin. I now only use it twice per week and my skin is much better. I cleanse (no.7 balm) morning and night, use a vitamin c oil, good moisturiser and under eye cream. I'll use a hydrating facial and a very mild Derma scrub every 10 days. I derma plane my own skin (you can buy the blades in superdrug.

@bubbles2023 - thank you. Can you tell me how a hydra facial is different from any other?
Can I get one on wowcher, or does it need to be somewhere special?
I need someone who will be simple and honest with me, as this is all new to me!

@Iusedtobedontcall and @yogaretreat - thank you so much for answering my newbie questions... I know lots about fitness, nutrition and excel, so if I can return the favor, please let me know :-)

I have been using Tropic skincare for a couple of months now and the other day caught sight of myself in a friend’s well lit mirror and I noticed my skin looked so much brighter and healthier. I too am very pale. I asked my husband if my skin looked different and he said it looked really good but didn’t know how to explain to me! I buy from a friend who sells it but you can buy direct. I know MN doesn’t like MLMs but the quality of the stuff is amazing.

If you have signed up to Dermatica you will be likely put on tretinoin - even a small dose at first may cause irritation and peeling for a while until your skin tolerates it. It's great stuff, but just be aware that your skin may look worse before it looks better. I would recommend starting about twice a week at first and building up to using it more often.

With using tretinoin, you can have a really simple routine and still get good results but you have to be a bit patient.
I would also recommend a gentle cleanser and moisturiser that suits your skin type (do you have oily, combination or dry skin?)
Make sure you use a high strength SPF everyday if you are using 'active' ingredients like tretinoin to protect your skin from sun damage.
Another active ingredient would be Vitamin C serum, an antioxidant that can help even out your skin tone.
Also using a gentle liquid exfoliant will help to slough off dead skin, something like a glycolic acid (or salicylic acid if you have oily skin) but go gently with these if you are using tretinoin because they can increase the irritation.

Basically it's a bit of trial and error and will take a while to figure out what works for you, but once you have a routine that works you will see the results.

My basic routine is:

Morning -
Vitamin C serum
Moisturiser
SPF 50

Evening -
Cleanse
Moisturise
Tretinoin ( I have worked up to using this 5 or 6 nights a week, and on the other nights I will use a glycolic acid instead.)

I sometimes use another serum aswell under my moisturiser at night (like a niacinamide serum).

Four year olds are choc full of human growth hormone and haven’t gone through puberty. I’d scale back your aspirations a bit to well rested 27yo.

Honestly hemp oil changed my life. I put it on at night. I also use some acne medications for breakouts but the hemp oil at night time, in a cheaper moisturiser, like one from Aldi.

I get it from Amazon, it's about a tenner a bottle and lasts ages. I also used this on nappy rash and it's like magic.

@FormerlyPathologicallyHappy … you’re right! I’ll take that!

Is this a good spf:

Garnier Ambre Solaire Anti-age, Face Protection Cream SPF50, Super UV, 50ml