Easy skincare

[Larabelle6]

37 and looking to start some kind of skin care routine…

Can anyone advise the best place to start? Ideally something reasonable priced that can be applied 1-2 times per day?

Basics would be:

Something to clean your face (Cleanser)
Something to moisture
Some to protect from sun

Inky List, cerave, La Roche Posay are excellent affordable brands. Just start with those three products consistently and then you can layer in more if you enjoy it. If you don't then just stick with them!

Morning - water and a washcloth
Cerave factor 50 day

Evening - cleanser and a wash cloth
Cerave cream

You could add vit C serum, hyrolonic acid, tretonin depending on any issues you have.

Thanks for replies. Just any ordinary supermarket bought cleanser?

1. Suncreen (and a good pair of sunglasses)
2. Good cleanser and make-up remover. (I use the bioderma micellar water, cetaphil cleanser. and waterproof eye-makeup remover if necessary. Many people like oil cleansers)
3. Moisturiser

Everything else are fancy extras. Retinol, Vitamin c and chemical peels are something I have managed to incorproate into my routine. The ordinary and also inkey list products usually aren`t the most elegant (cosmetically. Often greasy, pill etc.) but they are a great starting point imo. The comparably low price point means that you can experiemnt with active ingredients, see whether they generally agree with you etc.

Dont forget to patch test and dont introduce several new products at the same time.

Depends on your skin.

I have moderately to fairly (<= when I`m stressed) sensitive skin, I suppose.

But there must be some ingredient(s) that make the vast majority of cleansers (even gentle LRP toleriane and the cerave ones!) sting. So I stick to cetaphil.
I also stay away from fragrance.

Some trial and error probably can`t be avoided. Can you get testers?

If you want the best skincare tor your skin personally you can't just accept the recommendation of products off strangers. You need to research product ingredients and "actives" such as retinols, bha, acids, vitamin c etc that suit your skin type.

A basic routine would look something like

Cleanse (double cleanse if you wear makeup)
Retinol
Barrier serum
Moisturiser

Morning
Cleanse
Moisturise
SPF

It's a bit trial and error as cleansers come in many forms like:

Foams
Washes
Oils
Balms
Gels

I have dry skin so I always use an oil or balm, key is massaging for about 45 seconds and then emulsifying it with water and rinsing with a flannel gently. That's enough for me but others like to follow up with more of a face wash.

A great all purpose one is the Dr Sam Bunting Cleanser it's not the cheapest but it lasts ages and is really good in my opinion.

A cheaper one would be Inky List Oat milk Cleanser.

I'd always say add new products gradually, and be patient.

Base Skncare is fantastic. I found them off a recommendation on here and really happy with the simplicity of the kit

Thank you all. Can definitely get some testers 😀