If you are a bit older what do you actually spend and use at home for your skincare?

[glassglob]

If you are late 30's to late 40's can you share your at home skincare and also roughly what you spend. I am really interested injectables or "tweakments" you get done at a clinic although you can list them of course but more in what you use at home yourself so for example at home devices.

I have always spent a bit more on things like actives such as copper peptides and tretinoin but saved money on cleansers and moisturisers. However I recently realised my cheap as chips balm cleanser was stripping my skin and causing it to dry out so tried a sample size of the Elemis Pro-collagen cleanser and am really liking it. I also tried a sample size of the biologique recherche P50 Lotion and also am really enjoying and am finding better results than with my usual Alpha H Liquid Gold.

Another beauty splurge been my current body LED mask which I enjoy using and this year at Christmas I spent £240 on products from NIOD.

I don't spend a lot on myself in other areas but I enjoy skincare but should I really become a "luxury" skincare woman? Are these products actually better? I don't really know what is normal either as a lot of women I know spend a lot on nails and eyelash appointments and get botox but don't really spend much on skincare. Others seem to use Medik8 exclusively which is quite spendy.

@EverybodysALebowski Do you think the Medik8 Crystal Retinal is better than tretinoin or do you think its only better for people who can't tolerate tretinoin?

I haven't tried tret so I can't say. I was a little nervous about it so thought I'd go with this first, and I'm happy with gentle, gradual improvement, which I have definitely seen. I did use adapalene like 10 years ago (mid 40s) when I was struggling with hormonal acne and was happy with that, didn't have any purging etc just good effects on the acne and generally on the skin. But I stopped getting over to the US as often (which is where I got adapalene), plus the acne was gone, so I looked at retinal/ol/oids instead.

Maybe look at Nadine Baggott's reels/videos on tret and retinal/retinol? She's the only one I really trust (most of the time) of the various people who review skin care products, esp for my age group (mid50s onward), and I find she gives solid and forthright recs at all price levels, which is refreshing.

superdrug brightening serum with hylaronic acid and vitamin C at night, wash face with dove soap, use boots no 7 microdermabrasion skin renewal at least 3 times a week. Leaves skin feeling like glass. Apply olay seven signs of ageing spf 30 in the morning.
I'm 52. Over the years I've spent 💰💰on pricey high end brands and have realised that they're all a bit of a rip off and the cheaper brands do the exact same thing with the exact same or better results for far fewer pennies!

Thanks eager to try this out

Retinol (Medik8) is usually for those who can't tolerate retinoid (tretinoin).

Although I've peeled from both, so you may as well go in at low-strength tretinoin between 0.01-0.025%. It's effects are longer lasting.

Adapalene is also excellent. It acts as an anti-ageing retinoid and an alternative and option between retinol and tret. Usually for acne-prone skin though.

Monderma, Skin+Me and Dermatica do all the retinoids at custom strengths. Just ask them for low strength otherwise they prescribe standard to presumably batch orders.

Ah cool well I've been using tretinoin 0.1% to 0.05% for decades now so best to stick with that I guess!

Even better if you've built up tolerance! Has it reduced the size of your pores and completely improved the tone of your skin after so many uses?

Well I started in my teens for acne and I've just stayed on it ever since, that did however get me into a routine of using SPF every day quite young so I've never have too many issues with pigmentation or pores as the tret has maintained what I had better than otherwise I think. My friend started a couple of years ago after having finished with breastfeeding and she had an amazing improvement in her skin texture and tone over time and she was just using the 0.025%.

This gives me hope to continue the same for long.

How interesting!

Drink loads of water
Put Rosehip oil on your face
Eat healthy natural food
Take collagen

Oh and am 49.
Get lots of compliments on my skin.

Love the age related humour in this thread! We’re all as old as we feel imo (I’m 60 going on 35..).
My skin is having a lovely ‘glowy era’ (fortunately), and I mostly put it down to a healthy lifestyle and avoidance of stress + an uncomplicated skincare routine that’s consistent every single day; morning cleanse with The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser, then application onto slightly damp skin of Hyaluronic Acid Serum drops from the same range, then Trinny London BFF lightly tinted SPF30. On a day when my skin feels a bit needy (tight or dry), I’ll apply a few Clarins Treatment Oil drops to my skin before the TL. At bedtime I’ve long reduced my routine to two steps and thrown out all the lotions and potions that smelt great and felt nice but made zero difference in the longterm to how my skin looked. We all want stuff that WORKS! Now, after cleansing, I simply use a personalised formula from Monderma (as do my two daughters) and swear it has more or less removed all excessive pigmentation from my face and given me a smooth, even skin tone - I’ve spent a lot of my life in hot countries (under baking sun) - with consistent use. Daily SPF crucial however as it can really make your skin photosensitive and likely to burn more easily. At home Skincare at any age should be straightforward and effective imo.

I'm 42, and reasonably happy with my skin at the moment. I don't use any botox/fillers etc, just skincare. My routine is usually:

Cleanse: M&S balm/Cerave oil cleanser
Serums: Vitamin C (am), Geek & Gorgeous retinal (pm)
Moisturise: G&G and spf always

I'm thinking about starting tret once I work through my current stock of retinol, I only get the odd spot these days but they tend to leave red marks which take ages to fade, and I hope tret will improve the look of that. I like to keep it simple!

Influencers have a vested interest in selling us skincare serums (retinols, retinals plus all the trending, hyped ingredients etc) and telling us how good specific items are as they’re generally paid a one off fee, or ongoing amounts by the brands they’re working with and sent ‘sponsored’ (free) products. Do be wary of buying products simply because someone you’ve never met or (worse) a celebrity endorses them. The most effective products (customised formulas) use prescription strength, pharmaceutical grade ingredients backed with sometimes decades of research papers and science. No guesswork from our side. No ifs and buts. They’re proven. It’s why Monderma, Skin & Me etc have such rising popularity as we can see from all the skincare threads on MN. Custom skincare works. (Said like a true convert of many years standing!)

I'm 44. I've always moisturised my whole life - nothing pricey just Loreal or Garnier from the supermarket. I had a facial when I was 18 and she told me go start using anti ageing cream so I used under eye cream from Loreal.

When I hit late 30s it all started to feel mor dry so I switched things up.

My routine now is:

Boots Simple cleanser or a cleansing oil
Toner - would like to try Byoma Milky Toner
Inkey List HA serum - wasn't sure about it but I do rate HA serum and its not mega pricey
Elemis procollagen under eye serum - bought it for £10 on Vinted.
The Ordinary Moisturiser as its really thick and good in winter. Will just use something cheaper in summer.
Using up some No 7 eye cream
Rosehip oil
SPF 50

I will probably move onto retinol or tret.

I do face yoga which I really rate. Also strength training really helps neck muscles. And getting enough sleep.

I also have the facial spa that is like rubbing an electric tooth brush over my face. I do that once a week to exfoliate.

Do you take collagen everyday?