Skin care for the clueless?

[DrLucyVanPelt]

Hoping for some wisdom on skincare. After trawling various brands I'm more confused than ever!

I'm nearly 41 and have noted a real deterioration in my skin over the past year. Not sure if it's hormonal or just getting that bit older.

I had terrible acne as a teenager, and since roaccutane, skin has not been perfect but fairly clear and manageable with basic input- cleanser, moisturiser and done.

Skin now seems to be dry in places and feels tight, but also really prone to breakouts now. Also noting enlarged & blocked, pores, start of fine lines and it's just dull!

Trying to drink less alcohol, more water, balance diet.

When I look at changing up skincare there seems to be so many options, different skin types, multiple 'steps' and I just give up and also worry about making an expensive mistake with something that doesn't suit.

I have a Beauty Pie subscription and have tried their Super Healthy Skin range but not noting a huge change. Have used Clinique and Clarins many moons ago.

Any recommendations for brands or products gratefully received!

Add a vitamin C serum in the morning, and (slowly) a retinoid at night.

I'm a broken record, but skin needs: to be clean, hydrated and protected from the sun.

Then you can think about adding other stuff.

If your skin is still prone to breakouts, you might like a product with salicylic acid in it. CeraVe cleanser for oily skin, the La Roche Posay Effaclar range etc. Maybe you need a more hard working moisturizer?

What products are you currently using?

I could have written this post. Like you I struggled as a teen and into my twenties and roaccutane on the whole sorted me out.
Right now I'm almost embarrassed to go anywhere as my skin is shocking. So scared of trying new skincare products in case they aggravate it further.

Having said that, currently looking at Inkey List as their oat cleanser is supposed to be good.
Join Caroline Hirons skincare freaks (think that's what it's called) on Facebook as there's lots of good advice there.

Lots of luck

Hi OP, I'm 39 and noticed my first fine lines last year (the crepiness crept up!). I now have a more hydrating cleanser, and have incorporated retinol into my routine. I'd recommend:

Bioderma micellar water
Cerave hydrating cleanser
La Roche Posay toleriane sensitive cream
Hero sunscreen
Beauty of joseon retinal eye cream (night only)

For liquid exfoliation, I like The Ordinary lactic acid 5% and Farmacy deep sweep bha toner.

Love Hero mighty pimple patches for spots and uneven texture.

I'm on the same journey and have decided to stick to 'high street' brands that aren't too sickening to just bin if they aren't working.

So far I'm getting on really well with:

Morning:
Boots No7 Vitamin C serum
Garnier Vit C moisturiser
Amber solaire super UV 50 spf

At night, I'm slowly starting with Boots No7 lower strength retinol every few days and the only expensive product is an Espa night moisturiser but TBH it's not that brilliant so I'm going to try another Booots one after it's finished.

All generally under a tenner.

I've had a few bad ones along the way but as they're affordable I just bin them. It made the trial and error phase much less stressful

Thank you for the replies. Definitely right about the crepiness creeping up on you... bah.

I will have a look at the suggestions, some brands I haven't come across so thank you. Will take a look at the FB page too.

At the moment I'm using:

• Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin cleanser (foaming in a pump)
• Moisturiser from the same range

-A No7 tinted moisturiser with SPF in the morning.

I tried Beauty Pie Super Active Capsules (small orange ones) but found they stung, which didn't improve with use, so binned them.

Not that keen on the Beauty Pie subscription model, but would stick with it if I found something that seemed to be working. Possibly time to stop it and look elsewhere, as you do feel tied into it.

I get concerned that products for breakouts will be drying, and anything too oily/rich for the dryness will make breakouts worse. Definitely dont want to worsen things if I can help it, but guess you have to try new things to know!

If your skin is dry, I would stop using the foaming cleanser. They are usually better for oilier skin, and I would also avoid micellar water.

For your morning routine, try a hydrating cleanser like Cerave, then follow with something like Curel Deep Moisture spray, then a hyaluronic acid like Hada Labo premium lotion, then another quick spritz of the moisture spray. The finish with moisturiser and SPF. Fine lines are often caused by dehydrated skin.

If you have sensitive skin, I would do this for 4-6 weeks to see how it works for you, then add a vitamin c serum before you use your moisturiser which should help brighten your skin.

High street skin care is very good now and you really don’t need to spend lots of money, especially on cleansers and moisturisers. Look for moisturisers that contain ceramides and peptides which will protect your skin barrier. The only thing I spend money on is active ingredients like glycolic and retinol.

I would establish your morning routine for a good few months and then come back and ask for advice on introducing a retinol product in your evening routine. I might avoid Caroline Hirons Facebook page as well. Over the years she has become an advocate of complicated routines and expensive products!

@SpottyCats thank you for the advice, that sounds like a good plan, and nice and simple to boot.

I agree with @SpottyCats
Also about Caroline H.
Years ago she used to pop onto threads here and was great, really great, and her skincare knowledge is second to none.
Sadly, she's gone the way of most influencers and while you'll get decent skincare advice from her SM, you'll also be told you need to buy her "curated" beauty boxes and 437 expensive serums.

(I did buy my 20 year old dd her skincare book at Christmas so I'm not a CH hater, but I steer clear of the influencer bit)

@DrLucyVanPelt skincare should be simple, but consistent. The results come from finding out what works for your skin and sticking to it. It might take months of trial and error to build up a routine, but it will be worth it in the long run.

@BlindurErBóklausMaður I’m not an expert by any stretch, but I am really interested in skincare and enjoy learning about different ingredients and what our skin needs. A few years ago there were some amazing experts like Caroline Hirons and Nadine Baggott. I don’t follow either of them any more. Too many ads and I don’t feel like I can trust their recommendations any more.