Confused about skincare

[Twotwinpeaks]

I’m 40’s and autistic (which I think plays into my overthinking here!)

I have probably 10-12 different facial products. Serums, creams, vit c, retinols etc.

I never know if I’m doing skincare regimes ‘right.’ I’ve seen on social media people which hundreds of products in their cupboards. (Wow!) These questions are more relevant for folks with many different lotions and potions. I’d love to know:

a) How do you know which products ‘work’ as I presume you might be layering them in some form with other products? How do you figure out which combinations work well?

b) How long do you use a product for before making your assessment if you’ll buy it again/keep using it?

c) Do any products cancel each other out? For example, using different combinations on different days, do any of the chemicals react with each other if used in the wrong order? (Is there a ‘wrong’ order?)

d) Do you rotate your products on a daily schedule or just pick up the first product you fancy that day? As some labels say ‘use 3 times a week’ rather than ‘use daily.’ Do you really keep track of which days you use what? (If so, I’ve gotta be upping my game!)

I have all these questions whizzing around in my head! I feel like I need a degree just to understand how to effectively slap a bit of stuff on my face. 😂

Do most people just ‘get’ what you’re supposed to do or is there a lot of self-education needed?

(Feel free to tell me I’m overthinking it all!)

I was in exactly the same place as you until a couple of years ago when I bought the Caroline Hirons skin care book, explained everything and really helped me get my head round the basics. Her insta is a bit annoying though

I use two products. Prescription tretinoin and Simple or Olay moisturiser.

I’ve found myself stressed and overwhelmed with skincare too recently. I’ve somehow ended up with a cupboard full of cleansers, moisturisers, oils and serums and can’t decide what to use, when, or how to combine them. I then did a Skin&Me consultation and got a whole box of stuff that they say should become my new routine. But then what will I do with my other stuff?

I’ve decided to go back to basics, box up a lot of the bottles and jars in my bathroom and just use a really lovely cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen and (morning), and cleanser, serum (for my sun damage) and moisturiser stop worrying about it for a while. I was finding it all quite addictive and spending a fortune. It needs to stop.

Well, really nothing is proven to work except tret and sunscreen. You don't need to spend a fortune on snake oil peddled by the beauty industrial complex.

There’s SO much info out there and so easy to overbuy product.

I’m a big fan of Doctorly on YouTube and they’re generally my only go-to when it comes to building routines.

I (mid 30s, showing first signs of aging, normal to oily skin) keep it fairly simple:
Morning:
Water-based cleanser
Vitamin c serum
SPF 30

Evening:
Double cleanse first with oil-based cleansing balm then water-based cleanser
Retinol 5 nights a week, salicylic acid serum 2 nights
Moisturiser

I think you have to trial a fair few products until you find what suits your skin and once you have it stick to it! Consistency is definitely key.

I am in my 50s and have zero wrinkles with tret, sunscreen and an ordinary moisturiser. I am not trying to sell you all tret, btw. I get it from family overseas.
I do have jowls because not much helps with that.

I agree keep it simple. I use a microfibre cleansing cloth, if you don't wear makeup it's all you need, followed by a moisturising serum as I have dry skin and a simple day cream and if I'm leaving the house soltan facial sunscreen.

In the evening same, unless I've worn makeup when I use a cleansing oil and then the cloth. Follow with tret and a night cream, currently Nivea.

It's so easy these days to buy skincare. Here is something that I follow:
Morning:
Using water to wash your face,
Sebamed clear face gel,
Eucerin oil control dry touch
Evening:
Cerave moisturizing cleanser,
Tretinoin (0.1) from skinorac
Sebamed clear facial gel

I use a basic cleanser and currently have a snail essence serum and a vitamin c moisturiser and always have an SPF
Sometimes I'll have a Vit C serum and a normal moisturiser and I always use a retinol and eye cream at night

I agree that it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed by choice these days. At its most basic, all you really need is a cleanser, moisturiser and SPF. To take it up a step, a simple routine could look like:

AM: cleanser, vitamin c serum, moisturiser, SPF
PM: cleanser, retinol, moisturiser

That’s basically all I do, although I use an AHA exfoliating toner twice a week instead of the retinol. I don’t have acne so prefer to stick to a lower % retinol than tret. To answer B, I tried a different vitamin c serum this month as my preferred one was out of stock, but three weeks in I’m fairly sure I’ll go back to my regular brand.

Ok so when I started looking at skin care just recently in my mid 50's , it was very confusing. So I read on here, and followed links and worked out what I needed

Getting old, post menopause, with dry skin and fine lines , every link said hyralaurinic acid so that went on the list

A good moisturiser, my price band , Nivea QT was mentioned post after post so I added that ( just Im cheap and use Lidl )

Then for me, skin getting saggy, calogen is required, according to everything I read so I have added that

Im so not ready for retinol ( I never do suncare ) and as for tret - not only had I never heard of it, now I have I dont think I need it - Im growing old, Im letting the hair grey naturally so whats the point?

As for acutal cleansing of the face, well thats entirely up to personal preference, I used to always use Liz earle but now it doesnt suit. But I like "washing my face' so Im now using a foaming cleanser - cheap as chips and doesnt leave the skin feeling dry

I'm in my 40s, and honestly, up until recently, my skincare routine was pretty basic just a simple cream, and that's it. However, as I started paying more attention to my skin, I realized not all skincare products are as beneficial as they claim. In fact, I discovered some are pretty overrated. For example, makeup removing wipes seemed convenient but turned out to be harsh on my skin, causing more dryness and irritation. Facial oils, which I thought would be nourishing, ended up making my skin feel greasy and worsened my breakouts. And those trendy sheet masks? They were fun but didn't really do much for my skin in the long run.

After learning more about what works and what doesn't, I shifted to a simpler, more effective routine. Now, I focus on a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser and a non-comedogenic moisturizer. I've also incorporated a chemical exfoliant with AHAs and BHAs a couple of times a week, which has made a noticeable difference in my skin's texture and brightness without the harshness of physical scrubs. Instead of falling for the latest trends, I've found that sticking to basics is the best approach. Read this article about overrated skincare products, and you'll understand all.

I use skin+Me for the Tretinoin as you can only get it on prescription. I also use it because it simplifies my routine my skin+Me daily doser also contains niacinamide and azelaic acid so it treats finelines and wrinkles, and helps with skin texture and redness. So I use that at night followed my a moisturiser which I put on about 30 mins later. In the morning I just use a vitamin c serum with spf.
From what I can tell from the article reading I do about anti aging the main things is spf daily of factor 50 and Tretinoin at night.

Code below for a month of skin+Me for free just p&p 3.50

www.skinandme.com/?promocode=LAURENS5YP3

You're not over thinking it. It is really confusing. But it doesn't need to be. You don't need hundreds of different serums. By all means do it if you want to but it's not necessary.
I use:
*a good cleanser (Liz Earle or La Roche Posay)
*A sunscreen as my moisturiser during the day (Vichy)
*A La Roche Posay eye cream (I don't think this is necessary but I like it)
*A retinol moisturiser at night which also has vit C in it (Beauty Pie)

If you do want to layer lots of products, the Ordinary website has lots of advice about which products work well together and the order you should apply them.

Yeh I used to use ordinary earlier