Counter for skincare not makeup?

[ISeeTrees]

I haven't been to a big department store for a while but I really need some skincare advice and am wondering if there is skincare advice rather tham just make up?!

I've tried the online ones like skin&me but I'm never quite sure how to describe my skin! I want someone to look at me and maybe ask a few questions and advise on the products they think will work/help.

Mid thirties and visibly aging which I can cope with but the general tone/texture of my skin has also gone to shit. Melasma, red/uneven patches and weird lumps that never turn into spots but just sit there all over my cheeks/chin/forehead! Massive pores (I think). Does anywhere do this and is anywhere particularly good? Thanks!

Clinique or Clarins in a dept store or No7 in Boots will give skincare advice.

If you have a Dermalogica store near you, they're all skincare.

Thanks both! I don't have a dermalogica store anywhere near that I can see @PoachedScrambledBoiledFried (also your name made me have scrambled eggs for lunch!)

@IncognitoUsername I used to use Clinique but haven't for a long time now- it seemed to go up a lot in price and stop working so well for me at the same time. Perhaps I was just using the wrong stuff.
I did wonder about No7- I like the make up, is the skincare decent?!

@ISeeTrees Personally I love No7 - it works for me and is less expensive than some other brands.

I'd go to Space NK rather than Boots. I find their salespeople pretty helpful.

I mostly order it online in order to save some time going to the store and I do maintain a good skincare routine so there are many products, like
Morning:
Using micellar water to wash your face,
Cerave cleanser,
Garnier spf
Evening:
Vanicream moisturizer,
Tretinoin (0.1) from skinorac
Sebamed clear facial gel

Having just had a very positive Space NK experience, I agree with @yourlittleworldfallingapart . What's also nice about them vs a department store is they will advise on multiple brands which is great. I love a department store, but usually it only works if you already have a brand in mind as each concession is dedicated to that brand only. Boots, nice though they are, tend to be a bit clueless.

You can also try a few of the online ones to get some ideas. I have found The Ordinary's website quite useful as a way to sort of understand the terminology around my skin (and DS' skin). The Clarins website is also useful.

I have also found tik tok surprisingly helpful for ideas. If you type in what your problem is and type it in and add "Dermotologist" you'll be surprised how much you get. Obviously, all to be taken with a pinch of salt, but provides a framework.

For the record, I think Clinque is hugely over rated and I've long thought it only works on some skins, usually younger ones. In my 30s, Clarins really worked well for me but it is pricey.

@UmberMoose do you not clean your face at night? That's the most important time to clean it - to remove make up, pollution and SPF.

OP - I missed that you'd said what some of your challenges are. I am not an expert but it sounds to me like some kind of BHA/AHA cleanser might work for you to really clear out your pores - used at least a couple of times a week. There are loads of perfectly good ones on the high street from brands like Cerave, Neutrogena etc.

I'd also recommend a vitamin C product - start small as they can be a bit stingy - but they are great for helping to protect and provide a more even skin tone, especially ones with a small exfoliating impact. The Inkey List one might be a good intro vitamin C serum for you.

A light, hydrating mosteriser and SPF on top. Again, loads of great high street brands for this like the ones I mentioned above or La Roche Possay is really popular. I like Elf myself too. If you're less worried about money, I do think the clarins moisterisers are really good and very accessible.

Another vote for Space NK - or Sephora if you’re in London or Manchester.

I ju just logged onto the SpaceNK website and they have a live chat option - might be worth it as a first step to help narrow down your thinking?

I am not an expert but it sounds as though the redness and lumps you describe could be rosacea. If so your GP can prescribe a cream that will help.

Thanks all for the advice! A live chat option might be worth a try, I'll Google space NK! I've tried to use online quiz type services before but I really am a bit clueless with what my "problems" are- it doesn't look like rosacea from images but it is red, bumpy and just generally looks really dull?! My forehead has never been a problem area but all of a sudden it's spotty and uneven. I have scarring in the firm of red marks where old spots were, plus the melasma which is new but darkening/spreading across my cheek bones.

I tried a vit c serum for a while, it didn't seem to make much difference. Typically I hot cloth cleanse once or twice a week, use glycolic acid a couple of times a week and the odd bit of serum under my moisturizer. I tend to use the Super drug range for the above. Rarely wear make up and always remove it properly when I do. I'm happy to stick to a routine I just can't seem to get the balance right.

For example, I don't even know if my skin tends towards dry or oily. In winter I suffer with dry skin but then it's like I overdo the moisturizer so it clogs and gets spotty.

@GerbilsForever24 the routine you outline definitely sounds doable- how long shall I give it before assessing if it's working for me?

I like la Roche posay tolerance but the effaclar duo dried out my skin terribly and brought me out in a sore rash, it took ages to feel better and when I think about it, hasn't looked the same since. I wonder if my skin is a bit more sensitive than I realised!

I made some guesses and added your profile to The Ordinary! . They actually have suggested a Squalane cleanser rather than a BHA one. Might be good - DS uses that one and it does seem to be nice. This is what I'd suggest:

Evening: cleanse using the Ordinary Squalane cleanser OR if you're already doing a cloth cleanser, use that (do you use a balm or something with your hot cloth? M&S does a few options for balm cleansers and people on here rave about the ELEMIS (v expensive though) one. The Body Shop also does a cheap and cheerful camomile one which is actually very nice).

Online, this sort of red bumpiness gets lots of hits for Azelic Acid - so perhaps try one from The Ordinary or Inkey list as an evening serum.

Then a moisteriser - personally, I don't rate the Superdrug range. I've tried a few of them and they're just not great. For evening, I think a good option is the Neutrogena moisterisers - I use the super hydrating one it's very light though, sort of gel like so I like it and it doesn't make my skin feel at all oily - I accidentally bought the regular moisteriser from this range recently and actually, have been using that at night instead and it's been fine too. Another one you might like is the Sali Hughes by Revolution options - she's got a couple of good options that are all quite light I think. [Actually - I just looked at the website link above, it might be worth having a little look round her website as it's quite good at explaining ingredients etc]

Then in the morning, I would just splash your face with water. Then a light vitamin C serum - I just remembered that Sali Hughes also does an intro one. I've never tried it because I'm up to the pretty much highest level of vitamin C possible and I think hers is much lighter, but it might be a good intro option for you. Then a good moisteriser on top, with SPF. As I said, I use the Elf Hydro Boost but any high street option would be good. If you don't want to buy all new at this point, perhaps stick withy our existing Super drug one for a while.

I would expect it to take a couple of weeks to see a real difference, but if it's right for you, you might see very subtle improvements after a few days. Nothing huge, but more in how you feel.

Oh wow @GerbilsForever24 you legend! Thank you so much, that's my bath time reading sorted!

I've read about squalane before but wasn't entirely sure what it did..

I've been using the superdrug hot cloth cleanser with a muslin but I've almost run out- I'll have a look at the balms and I think the body shop is still open in my town- unlike marks!

Also have the naturally radiant SD moisturizer- it's fine but I'm not sure it actually does anything so it might be time for a change there too. I've wondered about cerave but open to Neutrogena. I'll throw a bit of cash at it if it's worth it but I'd rather spend more on "actives" rather than basics. I think I chucked the vit c serum a while ago so I'll have a look into this too.

Guilty of the worst crime- not using SPF- I will remedy this. I wondered about that new cream Louise Redknapp is pushing for melasma. I don't think it'd bother me as much if the rest of my skin wasn't such a mess but it's become so prominent this year. One step at a time!

Thanks again 💐

Have a look at local salons/ clinics and see what brands they use. Do a bit or research on the brands and see which one you might like to try and book a consultation. You won’t get results on things like melasma with otc skincare. Alumier, Environ and Obagi are a few good brands.

Yes, I think get the basics sorted, THEN start thinking about more aggressive actives to target specific aspects. If you change everything at once, it's harder to tell what is working and what's not.

A lot of daily moisterisers have an spf in them. I have to admit that's always been my preference. The Elf one I use has SPF 30 I think. I don't think the Neutrogena ones do (hence I use at night) but CeraVe definitely does. I used theirs before but personally didn't like it - but it is very popular. Frankly, I used the Nivea Q10 with SPF for years. It did the job, I just didn't like the feeling of it. Totally random and when I was skint, I sucked it up because it was very effective!

@Thumberline it seems to be a lot of Dermalogica/Temple Spa round here (I don't like temple spa) but if I can't get anywhere going it alone (with @GerbilsForever24 holding my hand 😂) I'll look a bit further afield!

Totally agree re not changing everything at once- it would be hard to know what works and also if I end up reacting to anything that would be tricky to pinpoint as well. I think my current moisturizer might have spf15 which isn't really worth bothering with and I only put it on at night 😳 don't really do anything in the morning! I think 30 is sufficient- I'll have a look into the Nivea actually as I usually get on ok with that. DP uses cerave and seems to like it so I could always trial it for a few days to see what the texture is like!

Time to do some shopping 😊

Spf at night is not great for.your skin so skipping that alone, even spf 15, will probably help with clogged pores.

I had the red bumps on cheeks and forehead which left scarring - I didn’t think it was rosacea either but did the skin+me assessment and it turns out it is. Not sure how far you got with it, but you submit photos so they can see the issue. Skin+me has absolutely resolved it. I’ve been using it for about 9 months now, it took about 3 months for the bumps to go and the scarring has now all gone. I still get the odd one, but it goes very quickly. I’d tried lots of skincare counters before this and was just sold more and more products which didn’t clear it. Also, if you’re of peri/menopausal age then skin changes are common, particularly rosacea.

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