I am 52. Now to get glowy skin

[Gateoverriver]

I cleanse, tone and moisturise. I scrub twice a week and I also use a facial oil at night a couple of times a week yet my skin looks dull. I’ve tried hyaluronic acid. Did nothing for me.

I have my own central heating and my flushes do occasionally cover my face. I don’t want to look sweaty. Just glowy and healthy.

Tret is magic. I get it overseas. There are many threads if you search. I am about the same age and happy with my skin.

Chemical peels and retinol really helped my skin.

Do you exfoliate??
Drinking water and cutting back on sugar always makes my skin look better

I've started using a couple of drops of facial oil with my morning moisturizer too.
And look at what foundation you use, I switched from one which was very matte to one that's more glow-ey.

Tret. I use dermatica.

The reason your skin isn't looking glowy is that basically the top layers of your skin are made up of dead skin cells, which are never going to look very glowy. As we get older and our metabolism slows down the skin cell cycle slows down and dead skin cells accumulate and make our skin look dull and uneven.

You need some 'active' ingredients in your skincare which will penetrate to the deeper layers of skin and actually do something, like exfoliating these layers off and encouraging newer skin cells to the surface.

My glowy skin came from using these active ingredients in my skincare - vitamin c serum, retinol and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs).

Retinol increases cellular turnover, which basically sloughs off dead skin cells on the surface of your skin allowing the newer skin cells to show. It's one of the best ingredients to use on your skin.

Vitamin C serum brightens and evens the skin, and over time can help with things like pigmentation.

AHAs are liquid exfoliants which also help to remove dead skin cells by dissolving the 'glue' that holds these dead skin cells together. If you have oily skin try a BHA instead.

All of them can be a bit irritating to use at first, so I would introduce them slowly be patient as it can take some time to see good results.

Also, do you use any sunscreen? If not then you should, especially if you are going to use active ingredients, as you need to protect your skin from sun damage.

Tret

Laser

Good exfoliator like the Ordinary Bha/AHA or Paula’s Choice or on the higher end - UBeauty resurfacing creme.

and yes retinol or tret. I second recommendation for Dermatica.

It starts from the inside and is not just about what creams you use...

Meaning: no smoking/alcohol, eat lots of fruits and veg and drink enough fluids, get enough sleep, manage stress.

Beyond that, a day cream with built in SPF to protect from the sun/pollution.

I never found the need to buy mega-expensive products.

I just get reasonably priced organic/vegan products from health stores that don't have too many aggressive ingredients.

I am 52 and my skin is in good shape. It also improved massively when I moved out of polluted London and settled in a much smaller town with less traffic.

The environment is a big factor too.

As above, you need retinoin to give the glow. Hyaluronic acid will attract moisture to your skin but not keep the cell turnover that gives the flow. I use Dermatica, you send in pics and they do a personalised prescription. Here is a referral code to get it for £2.90 the first month and 25% off the months after that. It's usually £20 a month but it always lasts longer than a month (closer to 6 -7 weeks for me) and and you can delay the next delivery any time.

Head to www.dermatica.co.uk and checkout with code 05VJVG
www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/05VJVG

Disclosure - I will also get 25% off next month if you use the code.

Face oil every day (I mix pure rosehip and avocado oil) and use that under a rich moisturiser. My skin looks pretty good :)

Similar age, and I’ve also started tret following a recommendation here. Unlike all the inactive creams I used to use, it’s beginning to have a real impact. including, slowly but surely, on some pretty bad sun damage blotches. It is worth doing.

As pp above, here’s my referral code, if you want to try it, and huge good luck 😊

Try personalised skincare for just £2.90, plus 25% off your next month.
Head to www.dermatica.co.uk and checkout with code WK37EQ

Am always banging on about Tret here but that's because it is the only thing that works and is proven to work.Other than tret I just use an ordinary sunscreen and moisturiser. No expensive creams or serums. Two step skin care.

What is tret?

Tretinoin. Prescription strength. The gentler variety is retinol which is over the counter but will likely not do much for your skin and is usually packages in expensive creams.

Everything @Farmageddon said is spot on, great post.

I can't use Tret and an AHA as it makes my skin feel tight but Tret is enough for me. I have to add loads of hydration in as I'm on the dry side.

Love oil cleansers, laniege creme skin toner, I use thick moisturisers and squalene type oils.

Spf is also so important it's a bit of trial and error finding your one but if you have budget the Dr Sam one is great. I use the tinted one and it's just excellent I have the subscription. I don't use foundation anymore.
If you fancy trying it this gives £10 off i.refs.cc/Qm9026nu?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjoxNjA4MTgyMjkzfQ%3D%3D

(I get £10 off too)

For those who use hyaluronic acid and retinol, do you use them together, or one one day the other the next for example.

i've not heard of tret, but will look it up - again, do you use it I'm it's own or with other things?

Please can I use someone's tret referral code?

I've recently gone back to at night using a cheapy facial oil first and then the blue pot Nivea. Made a huge difference to my skin.

I often use hyaluronic acid in the morning and Tret at night but you could use them at the same time

@Snapfel

I've been using Dermatica for two years, very happy with my Tret

www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/Y2K0NE

People dusmiss it and the skincare industry certainly doesn't want us to believe it, but plenty of exercise, a good diet with lots of fruit and veg and lots of water makes an enormous difference to skin .

Does retinol not really help? I just bought some retinal from medik8 in the lower concentration because I have sensitive skin. I read on here that we should build up before trying tretoinin? I'll use the cream I've bought as it was expensive but should I continue building up retinol before trying tret or move straight to it?

Thanks all for your suggestions. Will read properly later today.

My diet is good as is my water intake so no concerns there. I also do wear a sunscreen.

@MaireadMcSweeney
I used Medik8 for two years before starting on Dermatica Tret so yes I think it is good to use Retinol first. It just started to get expensive for me as I built up to using Medik8 most nights and the tubes are very expensive compared to my Tret