Looking younger with zero skincare?

[ZforZebra]

I was in the line in a crowded restroom. At the sinks were a group of 3 women, all friends I presumed as they were chatting while washing their hands. One commented that the moisturizer the other had recommended was great and she was really seeing a difference in her skin. The third piped up that she “never used anything but soap and water and still looked ten years younger” than the other two. The thing is…she absolutely didn’t. She actually looked considerably older (assuming they were all the same age). I often see women on MN saying they look 10 years younger than women who have basic (cleanser, moisturizer, maybe SPF) skincare routines. In real life everyone I’ve seen who claims to only use water and soap does not look younger than their age, most look about their age or older. Has anyone seen someone in real life (not MN) who really does look 10+ years younger and uses no skincare products?

I look better (but not younger) when I don't use skincare because ALL skincare (except antibiotic cream) sets off cystic acne. So I have some sympathy with this woman. Would rather look old than awful.

@xPaz this! I am really happy to have skin that looks good for my age. I’m not trying to compete with the skin I had 10 years ago.

Also agree with PP that the current expectation and reality of skin/style at different ages has changed - most women generally look and probably feel younger than their grandmothers or mothers did at the same age.

But so far, in response to my original question it seems that generally women who truly use zero skincare (water and/or soap only) look at best about their age, otherwise older.

SPF specifically is the worst. I only wear it when I'm likely to burn, and always pay for it with 2-3 months of cysts

Totally agree r.e. delusion - must be nice! It’s also totally harmless and doesn’t affect my life if someone thinks she looks younger than she actually looks. I just find it funny that it seems to be nearly everybody on S&B (perhaps it’s the anonymity).

I see it on the reddit skincare addiction sub a lot too. So many people genuinely convinced they look 25.

This is me at 51. I think I look ok. Possibly not younger, but fine except for my jowls. I plan to live with them, though.

I definitely don't look my age, people say it frequently but I personally don't think it's just down to my skin.
It's my hair, weight, the way I dress etc

My skin care routine is definitely on the cheap/basic side of things!!

@CamoFlamingo Quite a lot of dermatologists do not recommend physical/manual exfoliation - the fact it’s called a scrub and you’re using it on your face… there’s plenty of views online and even a legal case about it. Most skincare experts would favour chemical exfoliation so AHAs and BHAs.

https://www.glamour.com/story/st-ives-apricot-scrub-lawsuit

@BansheeofInisherin you do have lovely skin! What do you use? Or not?

My mum doesn't put anything on her skin except a basic moisturiser with SPF, and she looks younger than she is imo. She also doesn't ever wear any make up at all.

But she also doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, has a healthy diet, and has never been someone who sits out in the sun.

Thank you. I had terrible acne all through my youth, so am enjoying my skin now at this ripe old age.

I use 0.025% tretinoin twice a week- get it cheap from overseas but you can get from Skin and Me- and then just a cheap moisturiser like Neutrogena with SPF or Oil of Olay, and a basic face wash like Simple or Nivea. I just don't believe in expensive skin care but I am a fervent believer in tret.

I do have jowls but I have strong views against injectables, so am going to just try to lose some excess weight. (Also gosh my roots).

One of my male coworkers told me that he started moisturising after he said he noticed how his dad looked noticeably older than his mum (both same age). He put it down to his mum moisturising.

I also think people look better with less makeup. I am not good with makeup so I was looking at Trinny Woodall's page with makeup videos to try and learn something. Then I realised I preferred the "before" pictures!

I think it's is mostly genetics as amongst my siblings we don't look our age. But at the same time it's not a big deal or something we think about even when asked.

I don't bother with expensive brands or scented products for the face as I am very low maintenance and just use water and soap and moisturiser - any soap however mild leaves my skin feeling very dry. I'm one of those people that has to use moisturiser immediately.

I don't have a great diet and don't drink enough water, that's my reason for putting it down to my genes.

Ok so I don’t wear make up (when I do it’s just mascara and concealer) and wash my face once a day in the shower with bar soap. I don’t use moisturiser as I don’t believe it has magical anti-ageing properties, it’s just something to fix dry skin, which I used to get sometimes but haven’t on my face for years.

I use SPF50 suncream religiously in summer but see that as basic health like brushing teeth. I don’t believe there’s any benefit in SPF in the winter, health-wise it’s more important to take Vitamin D for lack of sun!

I’m mid-40s and certainly don’t look older than my age, no wrinkles, get the occasional spot! Could perhaps be taken as a bit younger but if so that’s because I’ve been lucky in going grey late rather than my refusal to buy unnecessary (for me) skincare products.

I don't think I look younger than my age, but people have been genuinely surprised when they find out I'm in my mid-50s. That's might be more down to life stage than skin though, I had DC quite late so most of the people that I know through school are nearly a decade younger on average and probably just assume that I'm the same age as them.

I think I do look a bit younger than my Mum did at the same age though, and that's mostly down to lifestyle. She was a very keen sailor and still a keen gardener so her face was exposed to the weather a lot. She tanned rather than burned in an age where looking tanned was trendy, so she didn't use sunscreen unless she was in a very sunny place. She didn't sunbathe, but was naturally outside a lot. Whereas I get seasick and have hay fever and don't like the feel of the sun on my skin to the point that I will cross the street to be in shadow for as little as a five minute walk. Also most of my interests are in indoors, and I worked in an office. So in my whole life I've only had a small fraction of the sun exposure that my Mum has had.

I think I would look pretty terrible and have sore skin if I just used soap and water. I have awkward skin, very dry and also reactive to a lot of ingredients, so I have a simple routine that has worked for decades and I stick to it because my skin feels sore if it gets too dry. I have always used a moisturising sun screen all year round since my 30s. Basically my skin routine is based around comfort and convenience but it's a nice side effect that it results in good-looking skin.

Society is kinder to women in their fifties who remain slim, dress well, still look attractive.

And in fact women who were beautiful to start with are perceived to have aged less. It's not that they've aged less, it's that they're still beautiful but with signs of ageing and that is ''nicer to look at''.

Some of the older women who have youtube channels about ageing well et cetera such as Angie Hot and Flashy and Dominique sachses (?) their ''secret'' is not that they've somehow hacked ageing, it's that they were both beautiful to start with

I've been pondering this further. I only started taking skincare seriously (previously used to cleanse and moisturise a couple times a week) when I turned 30 and felt my skin was looking dull and just generally shit. I'm now 32 and I tried having a night skincare free to give my skin a break but when I woke up my skin didn't feel as soft/nice as it usually does on a morning.

I think it's just genetic tbh.

I'm 46 and people think I'm a lot younger. I've never been particularly careful about skincare, and often use things like face wipes.

Unless you're severely wrinkled, the 'issues' topical skin care addresses aren't the main age signifiers. Crows feet, fine lines, 11s etc appear in your late 20s/30s but it's clear people in that age group aren't 50. The difference between a 30 year old and a 50 year old face is how far the skin has moved from its original position creating looseness and sagging. No skin care will prevent or address that as its down to genetics, weight and the amount and quality of collagen you have. Skin care can make you look less dry and more glowy, but not younger.

I'm 51 and I do look a lot younger than my age. It's been said to me many times by many people. Was asked for ID for booze only a few years ago.
It's genes.
My mum is 83 and has almost no lines and little sagging.
Luck of the draw.

The soap and water brigade are usually over simplifying it, and often being smug with it to be honest. Some will look younger by virtue of coincidence and also use soap and water, some won't. I don't think any of it really means much.

Unsurprisingly we all have different genetics which dictate what our skin is like, the start of the ageing process and so on. We also will all have had different levels of exposure to the things that age us across our lives regardless of what topical things we do or don't put on our faces.

I'm mid thirties and often confused for a bit younger (eg when I say my age there's often a comment that I look younger than that) but I don't think that means I look better- I still am not going to be approached to model in a million years, nor look particularly fantastic on any given day that's for certain. I find the comments a bit tiresome and don't get any kick or thrill out of it. Age and beauty/looking good aren't always the same thing.

I could start up on soap and water and I'd look the same. The only thing that makes me look healthier and reduces fine lines is hydrating myself and my skin.

"But I think if you dont use SPF it is very unlikely you are going to look younger than your age."

I disagree. There have always been people who aged well because of good genetics and using SPF regularly is a relatively new thing.

Well, some people obviously do look younger than their age, but in general I think you're right.
There was a Twitter thread recently about how we think people in the past looked much older at a given age and that a small part is improved health, but it's mainly changing fashions. It was followed by loads of quite old looking people posting photos of themselves looking 'young'.

My skin is ok for my age. All my friends say mine is ok. I'm not wrinkly. I just use a basic moisturiser.