What has worked for your ageing face?!

[RetailBeans]

At 42, I feel like the skin on my face is ageing rapidly. What creams/potions/treatments have you tried that have really worked to make you look less wrinkled/tired/dead? I have had Botox before but it wears off so quickly.

What collagen do people recommend?

No tips from me, but my mother has a very wrinkly face - heavy smoker, fairly heavy drinker, chronic sunbather, very stressful life - but she was extraordinarily beautiful in her youth. And by comparison with her sisters, my mil, her sisters in law, she is still easily, dramatically more beautiful, even though she is definitely more wrinkly than any of them. Not just me who thinks this - DH, my friends, my cousins - it's very noticeable.

What I mean is, all the lifestyle tips are probably true, but don't get too hung up on skin etc, as beautiful is beautiful irrespective of wrinkles and grey hair. And btw, this does not come from a place of blind love for my mother - she is a very damaged and difficult person!

Mainly, not giving a shiny shite about it.

@Blueyrocks I agree with you, a truly beautiful face tends to stay beautiful. At one of my friend's weddings, I noticed a woman, she was older & overweight. She had the most incredible cheekbones & eyes & stood out amongst the sea of 30 yr olds. I asked the bride later who it was (an aunt) & she said everyone always notices & asks about her.

@sundayfundayclub Yes, an older male friend of mine told me once if 20year olds thought you were beautiful when you were 20, 60 year olds will think you are beautiful when you're 60. And that everyone knows beauty when they see it, irrespective of age.

I use bio oil on my face every night. I look fine. I’m 60 and I probably look 60 and I’m actually good with that. I think women are bullied into hating themselves by a multi million pound industry which depends on our insecurity.

I swear by Sunday riley ceo serum, im luckily not too wrinkly so not sure what its like for those but I do look glowing and lit from within!

Agree that its ok to be/ look old. I say that from within a secure long term partnership not sure id be so cool with it if i was on the dating scene.

Agree with this. Only things that work are consistent effort, and adequate sleep, which is the one area I need to focus on.

Taking the mirrors down.

Another that says food, hydration, spf but as important in my eyes is sleep. I’ve dry skin so use hydrating products over wrinkle free claiming ones- I love avene, le Roche posay and Cetaphil. Make up wise I look at cc creams and a good primer so you’re getting all the goodies and I live by mac face spray

I'm a few years younger but have really not taken care of myself until recently, and my skins quite nice now. I've got botox in all the key areas, tiny bit of lip filler,
I use a face cleansing balm from Elemis, I follow up with Hyalauronic acid morning and night. Tone a few times a week (sensitive skin!) But morning and night I slather my face in nivea soft. My skins pretty good now

My mother was beautiful all her life, even as a much older woman. She didn't have Botox injections to make her forehead smooth as a Victorian corpse, or have her cheeks or nasolabial lines etc stuffed with filler. She didn't get her acid mantle singed off with Tret or other topicals, or use any of the products recommended in S&B threads for 'ageing' faces. She wasn't a particularly nice woman, but she was beautiful and took care of her skin with moisturiser.

The products by Harley Street formulations. A total game changer.

Botox is good BUT you have to choose your clinic and physician VERY carefully because it's so ubiquitous now that it can be over diluted or administered incorrectly with poor results. Ask to see the unopened vial, its expiry date and ensure the correct number of units is administered for the treatment area. Injectables is a horribly unregulated industry and this is why any hairdresser or so-called 'professional' can inject you with Botox or filler. That's scary. I would also stay well away from fillers as it does not dissolve and simply migrates to other parts of your face.

At a minimum:

• a great cleanser
• Vitamin C serum
• hydroxy acid to exfoliate
• retinoids
• peptides
• Factor 50-100 sunscreen

Optional: a monthly HydraFacial with microneedling

Mine had a face like a slapped arse. I’m not sure what your point is?

I thought my point was quite clear. Beautiful women often remain beautiful women as they grow older, without all the interventions deemed necessary by middleaged women on S&B threads. HTH.

What about us unbeautiful women? Do we just accept our fate? Or can we do what suits us to help ourselves, without judgement?

Less is more in my view. You don't need loads of expensive lotions and potions or to inject yourself with all sorts of things.

You need lots of water, healthy diet, no smoking or alcohol. Hat in the sun. Start with the basics.

I use a normal moisturiser with SPF (never used to use spf but have moisturised since I was 11). I upgraded to Nivea Q10 a couple of years ago as I was finding my skin was getting drier. I have very sensitive skin so stick with what I know.

I've never smoked, rarely drink, but drink lots of water (and always have done)as it's the one thing I like since they replaced sugar in almost every squash with artificial sweeteners and I don't drink tea or coffee. I cleanse every night with a hot cloth cleanser, normal cleanser in the morning. I get out in the fresh air as much as possible, even in the rain.

I tried retinal and wanted to rip my face off (going out in the freezing cold was bliss on my burning face). Worst decision I ever made.

I have a phobia of needles, so botox, fillers, surgery is off the cards. I'm 47 with very few wrinkles if any (only when I'm tired do you see them).

I'm surprised my years of caning it in my 20s and 30s haven't caught up with me. Think I stopped at the right time though.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum is a recent discovery and it's the only thing I've ever tried which has made a visible difference. I'm ok with looking older because I am older (I miss my nice smooth neck though!)

I use Differin, an Omnilux red light mask, and I use spf and wear a light foundation most days so my skin is quite protected in the sun.

However. I have been through about five years of extreme stress and grief and loss. It really shows on my face. I’ve never tried injectables but I am considering a facelift. All I see at the moment is the pain on my face and it upsets me. I want to reset my face. Reset my life.

Stress & illness is a big one for impacting how well you look actually. Not always in our control either.

Stress and illness really, really need an enormous injection of good food. And, if possible rest and sunshine.

What worked for me was loving the face i have.
And e45.

Exercise, loads of water and plenty of sleep.

I still look like a collapsing laundry pile though, so maybe don't take my advice!

Wonderful. Wrinkles don’t equal ugly.