Basic, inexpensive and effective skincare regime

[PseudoBadger]

I am now 43 and need to start taking better care of myself. Fair to say I do minimal facial care at the moment....
I wash my face with face wash and flannel, and then apply moisturiser. I use tea tree oil for any spots that appear.
I am short on time and cash so need good value for money products, and an idiots guide to what I need to use!
I think I have combination skin and have occasional blackheads and spots. A few wrinkles.
Can anyone help?

You are the same age as me and I too have combo skin, though I don't really get many/ any breakouts. I am a bit of a skincare fiend so here are my recommendations.

When I'm flush I love:

Cleanser: Clarins One Step Cleanser or Eve Lom Hot Cloth Cleanser.
Exfoliator: Elemis Papaya Peel or Matis Gentle Peeling Cream. When I fancy a scrub I use Clarin's Fresh Scrub. I boost cell turnover with Pixi Glow Tonic.
Mask: Eve Lom Rescue mask or Eve Lom radiance transforming mask. I also use Clarins Beauty Flash Balm for a pick me up.
Serum: Matis Oxygenating Serum
Moisturiser: Clarins Hydro Matte or Elemis Shine Control or Clinique Dramatically Different Gel
SPF: Eucerin Dry Touch SPF 50 or Freezyderm Tinted SPF 50

When I need to save cash I use:

Cleanser: Simple Micellar Water or Simple Cleanser & Toner
Exfoliator: The Ordinary Glycolic Toner or Nip n Fab's Glycolic pads
Serum: Kaeso Beauty Anti Ageing Serum
Mask: Kaeso Beauty rebalancing mask or their firming one
Moisturiser: Garnier Organic Rosy Glow Cream for a moisture hit (if you are very oily I wouldn't recommend this one) or Clinique Dramatically different gel
SPF: Garnier Vitamin C Serum Cream with SPF 30

The Kaeso stuff is from this really great professional beauty skincare brand I discovered on Amazon. The products are fairly affordable and they do a line called rebalancing which is perfect for combination skin, in fact it is aimed at our particular skintype. You can buy a set which includes cleanser, toner, mask and moisturiser for about £24, here's the link:

You can also purchase the Kaeso products individually too;) I also recommend their anti-ageing facial serum, it's lovely and contains hyaluronic acid and lots of other goodies.

Hope this helps;)

Sorry, forgot to include the link to the Kaeso stuff, got a woolly head today, here it is:

www.amazon.co.uk/Kaeso-Rebalancing-Exfoliator-Cleanser-Moisturiser/dp/B004Y77PYE/ref=sr_1_3?crid=P9QK4Y1W8475&keywords=kaeso+balanced+set&qid=1679313509&sprefix=keaso%2520balanced%2520se%2Caps%2C242&sr=8-3

Basic? @Minirrriot

Similar age to you OP and I'm not a spender on skincare.

Cleanser - Superdrug vit e hot cloth, just use a flannel, I don't like the cloths that come with it
Occasional exfoliation - Superdrug naturally radiant glycolic
Serum - Simple hyaluronic and vit B
Moisturiser- thin layer of LRP Effaclar Duo for the hormonal spots and then either a cheaper night cream like Nivea in the blue pot or in daytime biore SPF 50 and revolution pro miracle cream

Then makeup on top. I don't generally wear much tbf.

Lol, yeah I know, I am a bit of a skincare nut so I suppose what I posted may be a bit faffy. Though in my defence, the Kaeso stuff you can get as an all in one, so it does do it all and it's pretty straightforward.

Some good recommendations though @Minirrriot I'm going to take a look.

The Superdrug Vit E and Naturally Radiant ranges are very good, and great value.

I use La Roche Posay Toleriane as an everyday cleanser or Superdrug Vitmain E hot cloth cleanser to take make-up off
Simple micellar water
Don;t currently use a serum but am planning on finding one
Boots no 7 moisturiser but am thinking of switching to Olay when it runs out.

I watched a video recently where it was explained that good old fashioned Glycrein does the same job as Hyaluronic Acid (in that it attracts and holds moisture to your skin) So a bog-standard bottle of Glycerin or it's often Glycerin & Rose Water will be cheap as chips and really good for your skin. Put it in a spray bottle, mist lightly over your face and then apply your moisturiser/night cream. That's what I'm going to do anyway!

If you like a basic routine, I'd consider looking at the products you're using and see about swapping them out?

eg what face wash are you using? I think a balm cleanser or similar is gentler on slightly older skin - the Body Shop camomile one is good. I think here are lots though (I use a ridiculously over priced one that I just love and can probably never give up. Even though I know it's ridiculous). Or even a simple micellar water is a good choice although I'm not convinced bout micellar water for make up removal.

ditto moisteriser. What are you using? For cheap and cheerful I like the Nivea range for day and Neutrogena hylaronic acid products at night. Elf gets rave reviews from beauty editors and I just bought one to try and it's pretty good. Slightly more expensive but also a beauty editor favourite is Cera Ve.

I would add a serum as the most important shift. I have very dry skin so my serums are probably not your preference but I like the neutrogena hylaronic acid one (although it's more expensive than it looks as it doesn't last that long) and I always always use a vitamin c serum in the mornings - The Inkey list one is a good cheap one although I've heard good things about The Ordinary too.

You should also have an SPF. In your moisturiser and ideally after. I've used the Inkey List one which wasn't bad and I use the Body Shop vitamin C one which I like a lot. But it does get more expensive as it's quite a small tube for about £15.

Thank you very much everyone. I use a neutrogena foaming/mousse face wash, and Olay anti wrinkle day cream. I can afford to go up a level from these. I will take a look at the brands recommended, and add a serum in too.

I would get rid of the foaming face wash, they are often drying, and go with a cream/balm instead.

Thank you!

If you don't mind the smell of rose, Super Facialist Rose Hydrate creamy cleanser is frequently on sale and is terrific. Doesn't dehydrate and gets sunscreen off at the end of the day, very gentle. Big tube for £6 when it's on sale, which it frequently is. Also, if you don't mind the smell of citrus, the Super Facialist cleansing oil lasts forever and is a great first cleanse in the evening if you wear makeup. Currently on sale for about £8 lots of places.

You can search youtube for recommendation videos, usually something along the line 'best drugstore/supermarket [insert product type]' covers affordable options available in boots/superdrug.

Have a look at face theory. Good products, generous sizes, reasonable prices and smell lovely. Plus if you don’t get on with a product, you can return for a refund

I’m 47. I’ve tried all sorts, but got dermatitis recently and pared it all back and my skin has never been better! This works for me:
wash with Cerave cleanser (the foaming cream one) am and pm.
Am: Cerave hyaluronic serum (this is enough for me as I don’t have dry skin) + spf if I’m leaving the house (Biore watery essence)
Pm: Cerave moisturising lotion (the ‘pm’ one)

If I’ve worn make-up I use the Body Shop camomile cleansing balm to remove it and usually don’t need a moisturiser after that

Super simple, and cheap! Most skincare is bollox/ just a way to get you to spend money

Watch Nadine Baggott's 5 ingredients video.

Think ingredients not products or brands.

You "need" a cleanser, a product that hydrates, an SPF.
You might like to add an anti ageing product like a retinoid. And a vitamin C.

None of these need to be expensive. Cleanser goes down the plug after 30 seconds and while I'm the first to love a luxury balm cleanser, I know it's a waste of money. It's there to do a job- take your make up off, and clean your skin. It's not on long enough to do anything else. Any brand that claims otherwise is lying.

The best hydrating ingredients are glycerine and hyaluronic acid. Both as cheap as chips and these days in everything.

PS if your skin is oily/blemish prone, you might like a salicylic acid toner. Superdrug own brand, Nip and Fab etc both have exactly the same ingredients as the far more expensive Paula's Choice. For drier and more mature skin, a glycolic acid .