Putting moisture into my face and keeping it there!

[Octocat]

I'm looking for a serum that will plump up my face and neck with moisture, which I can then seal in with a moisturiser. Give me your recommendations! Happy to be a bit spendy, only caveat is I don't like skin products with silicone in.

Bonus suggestions of treatments for sun spots also very welcome, again, no silicone please. I can see the Medik8 one gets great reviews, but I hate the feel of it on my skin, it's very drying for me.

The no7 serum was actually great for me, I don’t usually love no7 but it really sat well. Also the blue Vichy serum (god I miss that, must look it out again!!) Actually go Vichy first!!

Biossance Squalane and Vitamin C Rose oil. It is pricey but I find it excellent. An oil, not a serum, but very moisturising. The vitamin c should help with sun spots too.

Thanks to you both. Sorry, I should have said, the other caveat is that I'm not looking for an oil, I don't like them.

I like Marine Hyaluronics by the Ordinary because I find most serums too sticky (silicone seems to reduce the stickiness but I also avoid that as it gives me milia). But the biggest difference for me is misting my face with water after the serum and before the moisturiser. If I miss it my face definitely feels dehydrated.

Hyaulonic acid serum really works for holding moisture in.
i have the ordinary atm.
i layer it under my night cream
i have very sensitive skin and no reaction to this.

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m slathering stuff on before bed and waking up like a dry autumn leaf.

This one is good for sun spots:
https://theordinary.com/en-gb/alpha-arbutin-2-ha-serum-100401.html

Are you using a good night cream? I assumed your question was for daytime. Is your cleanser drying? Do you exfoliate?

I'm using good creams, I think, not specifically night cream but I have Caudalie, Elemis and Ole Henriksen that I swap in and out.

I do exfoliate, although maybe I need to look at what I'm using now I'm menopausal, I've used the Clinique one for years, the one with the green lid.

Cleanser, I mostly use the Caudalie cleansing milk, the almond one. Sometimes I don't cleanse before bed though, if I haven't worn make up or spf.

Thanks @Shetlands , have you found that works for you?

Try using a specific night cream if you're waking up dry. I like the M&S Formula sleep cream. I don't know which exfoliator that is as Clinique has a few, but check it's not for oily skin. I think updating as you get older and your skin changes is a good idea. The active ingredients and purpose are more important than the brand.

If you don't cleanse every night does that also mean you don't moisturise every night? It sounds like you need to overhaul your regime and be more consistent with it, rather than just finding a hydrating serum.

I've only recently started using it and it appears to be working! I'm using it daily just on the bits where sun spots are starting to show and I use their GF15% daily on the rest of my face and neck. I also have several of their other serums, which I use probably weekly and some of the retinol at night - working my way up the scale on that!

Try this budget option

https://www.yesstyle.com/en/tcuc.GBP/coc.GB/info.html/pid.1132864358?sv1=affiliate&sscid=31k9vcw36&utmmsource=shareasale&utmmedium=affiliate&utmmcampaign=2433711

Admittedly my skin care has taken a nose dive these past few weeks as I’ve had a hideous cold and not only is my skin red, dry, flakey nose due to constant nose blowing - I actually look like a bag of spanners BUT this stuff literally helped massively after one overnight application and it’s under £12.

E45 Face Hydrating Serum

My nose looks better, all dried skin gone by the morning and has even out my skin and after 3 days of usage my skin feels so much better / plump / moisturized x

IME the ranges advertised as ‘hydrating’ instead of ‘moisturising’ work best as they are more about getting water into the skin instead of oil. However, they often have silicone to help with absorption which causes pilling.

The best I’ve tried for everyday use is the Geek & Gorgeous moisturizer in a tube. It’s a light cream with little bits/ balls in that kind of burst onto the skin as you rub it in. It’s this one

Their Vit C serum got great reviews so I tried it along with a few other bits, and this moisturizer was the stand out (I tried a few serums, a mist and something else). I usually use a hyaluronic acid serum, then a mist, then a finger tip / 20p size of this cream. No pilling!

The brand is relatively new and a bit like The Ordinary - quite cheap but very ingredient led. Def worth a try and see if it works for you.

Another really good one is Dr Jart Ceramidin - you can try it at Boots. It may feel like it’s too rich but it definitely delivers both hydration and moisture

So a moisturiser is an occlusive - it will lock in any moisture /hydration you’ve added to your face rather than do the hydrating.

You want to use a hyaluronic acid which is a humectant, it holds more times it’s weight in water so apply it to a damp face. A mist would work well here. So you need to be misting before and after the hyaluronic acid.

I can’t see that you’ve posted your exact routine but from what you’ve said in the morning you’d want to cleanse, exfoliate, mist, hyaluronic acid, mist again, moisturise and then SPF if you’re wearing it. Same for the night routine minus the SPF.

@MrsRandallFraser What do you recommend as an exfoliator for a 70 year old face and do I need to do that morning and night?

Ive been using Elizabeth arden Prevage serum for a few months and am very impressed, it initially seemed very hydrating but seems to improve everything.

It is very spendy but you use a tiny amount, a pea size at most. 30% off for mothers day.

If you’re not using one and you’re happy with your skin, absolutely no need to add one in. If it isn’t broken and all that…

If you did want to though, I’d start with a gentle one, like a lactic acid. The Ordinary do a couple I believe. Start a couple of evenings a week and see how you get on and work up to using it daily.

Thanks - my skin had always been quite good with not many wrinkles but I now have some age/sun spots, the wrinkles are becoming visible and I'm on a mission to take more care of myself. I'll try the lactic acid as you suggest and see how it goes. I'm really impressed with The Ordinary products.

If wrinkles are your main concern then you might want to consider a retinol in the evening instead of exfoliating. If you were happy with the way that was working and still wanted that exfoliate step you could add that in the morning routine instead.

I'm using retinol at night - working my way up in strength so I'll do the exfoliating in the morning. Thanks for your help! 💐

Are you putting it on damp skin?

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I need to make sure I'm starting with damp skin, it makes sense what PPs are saying about that. I like the look of that Geek & Gorgeous product, and it's cheap! I did use Hada Labo for a while, but didn't really like the feel of it.

For a mist, would the Elemis Apricot Toner work for that, or does it have to be something specifically called a moisture spray?

I think - ahem - that I also need to get better at cleansing AND THEREFORE MOISTURISING every night.

If you already have the Elemis spray, definitely use that!

Going forward through, any sort of moisturising/hydrating spray would do. One of my favourites is the Heritage Rosewater & Glycerin spray - a bit cheaper than the Elemis too! The Curel deep moisture spray is lovely. As is the Pixi milky mist.