What's your skincare like in your 40s?

[OldMaaa]

After years of being a total beauty magpie, and wasting so much money on endless beauty products, I finally feel like I have a solid routine that doesn't cost the earth and is a relatively well put together routine. That being said I'm by no means an expert and always love to read about what skincare others use.

I'm 41 and I have normal/dry skin, very fair and quite freckled (some genuine freckles that developed when I was a toddler and some sun damage from being careless when I was younger).

This is my routine.

AM Routine

• Byoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser or Dermatica Squalane Cleanser
• CeraVe Vitamin C (every other day)
• Byoma Balancing Mist followed by their Milky Toner.
• CeraVe Lotion.
• CeraVe AM SPF 50.

PM Routine (Evening)

• Double Cleanse with Dermatica Squalane Cleanser followed by Byoma Jelly Cleanser
• Tretinoin Night (every other night) - Dermatica Tretinoin/Azelaic Acid/Tranexamic acid
• CeraVe Moisturising Cream.
• On non-Dermatica nights I use the Milky Toner followed by Cerave Cream.

For lips I used Aquaphor Lip repair religiously and also Bepanthen.
Beef tallow (got for Christmas and probably won't repurchase) and Bepanthen on my hands (or sometimes foot cream!!) and I sleep in a cheap pair of silk gloves.

Things I'm considering adding at some point: squalene oil, facial massage (I already do a bit of this but not really consistently).
Possibly something with peptides and/or niacinamide (I have the Ordinary Niacinamide but I find since starting tretinoin it makes my skin feel sensitive - I've tried it once or twice - so I'm avoiding it for the time being).
Oral collagen (I'm on the fence about this!)
Equally I don't want to overdo it and stress my skin, and undo my efforts thus far, so I'm happy where I am at the moment, and the fact I'm not spending a fortune on skincare. But the beauty magpie in me will always wonder what else I could add, but I'm working on ignoring it.
I am also tentatively starting to use red light therapy a couple of times a week (when I remember) but very cautiously due to using tret. I have a Current Body mask I brought during covid.

I think my skin is in pretty good shape and I'm definitely seeing improvements since using tret but I'm probably not at the stage of seeing max results (I started just before Christmas on 0.05%). I have had minimal unpleasant side effects, although a fair bit of peeling initially.

Future goals are to have some treatment for a couple of small patches of broken capillaries I have on my face, but I've read mixed things about the effectiveness of the treatments available so I'm a bit on the fence about it.

My best move was cutting out face wash and switching to a cream cleanser.

I just use a Garnier Rose cleanser, but it is rated as 'clean' on the Yuka app.

Byoma milky toner.

Serum to lock in moisture - I liked the Inkey List but have also been using Simple serum.

I flip around with moisturisers. I was using The Ordinary HA Factors with photoceramides but its far too heavy in summer, so need an alternative next summer.

SPF factor 50.

At night I use facial oil (when I remember)

Just started oral collagen, my bosom area looks smoother? I dunno.

I've not gone down the route of tret yet, but that is probably next on the list. And better sleep.

I have kept reasonable care of my skin. I had a facial when I was 18 courtesy of my DF and the beauty therapist told me to start using anti-ageing cream 😂 so I have always moisturised.

I don't think I look 46, people are always surprised.

Wash face about twice a week with simple shower gel, Dove sunless tanning moisturiser, Botox every 6 months, nearly 49, I'm told I look much younger, never done much more, only wear makeup other than power, blusher and mascara to go out, out.

Yes I use this all the time. Amazing what you can learn / find.