What 3 things (not surgery) that have noticeably improved you skin?

[Totallybannanas]

I have so many cream and potions and I am a sucker for any new beauty product on the market. Half the time I'm not sure if any of it actually works but keep using it anyway. What 3 things would you say have actually improved your ageing skin? I religiously take collagen, but not sure if this is working and have started tret but forever have dry patches. I also wear sunscreen.

Lots of water
Collagen supplements. I started taking it about 12 months ago, and all my little fine lines have faded or gone.
No alcohol (admittedly this is easy for me, as two glasses of anything alcoholic and I have a three day hangover 😵‍💫)

I know lots of people use serums, specific oils etc but i honestly think that if you use any cleanser and moisturiser that is suited to your skin type, that's probably enough.
And of course, an spf.

How do you all not spend all your time on the loo when you drink more water? I'd love to but honestly I'd be in there all day!

Some sunshine (with spf course) / going outside!

On holiday in a warm country my skin looks considerably better than winter UK. No circles, more glowy.

not skincare: sleep / hydration / no booze / semi-regular sauna OR sunny weather.

skincare: balm cleansing / tret / sunscreen

Not using anything but lukewarm water to wash it in the morning. As soon as I stopped using a morning cleanser, the tone and softness improved drastically.
Daily sunscreen.
Water.

Double cleansing in the evening. SPF. Regular exfoliation (sometimes a peel in a salon)

A proper cleanse with an oil, balm, melting gel, cream or lotion cleanser and a hot damp flannel every night and morning without fail. Never wipes and never micellar water.

A good all-rounder serum on the morning and a retinol serum at night.

An acid toner.

Those three things hugely improved my skin.

(I also use a day cream with SPF which I do think is massively important and would always recommend, but that’s a preventative thing rather than something where you see an improvement - with SPF you’re not reversing or correcting anything, you’re slowing down or preventing any damage.)

spf every day summer @ winter
moisturiser with ceramides & hyalauronic acid (I use Cerave)
Retinol

Using oestrogen vaginal cream added to my normal moisturizer.

Retiring
Not wearing Make up every day
Boots no 7 skincare

The boring things- sleep, water, exercise.

I have "combination" skin which is horribly oily apart from my cheeks, which are dry. It's rubbish 😅

What has helped me most is using very gentle products instead of those specifically designed for oily skin, which tend to be harsh.

Sometimes, in the late afternoon, cleaning the oil off my skin with micellar water.

And putting on some kind of spot-preventing serum or cream every evening, occasionally Differin.

1. A totally "clean", nutrient-dense diet with lots of veg, salad, avocado, salmon, eggs, nuts, nut butter, extra virgin olive oil etc
2. Water
3. Exercise and fresh air

I'm being serious.

Second to that:

1. Moisturising with castor oil every other night
2. Moisturising with retinol every other night
3. Microneedling

SPF 50 every day, drinking enough water, good diet, getting enough sleep (sorry that's 4)

Zero alcohol( over 10 years)
HRT
Tret

Going for a run or an hour on an exercise bike. Working up a good sweat that opens all my pores.

A steamy bath or a sauna.

Switching to decaf coffee.

I started retinols in Jan I am early 30s and I am a convert. I use the Ordinary 1% in squalene.
I also really like the collagen masks that melt into your face
I have used Liz Earle since I was a teenager for cleansing and moisturising and it has never let me down.
I like the Botanics overnight face oil too

All the boring things too like more sleep, good food, SPF and less booze...

I'll add, I've had chronic insomnia for 4 months (and am still in the trenches with it) and my skin is glowing! I think my diet, lifestyle and skincare has overcome the negative effects of the lack of sleep.

I take bovine and marine collagen op, it's helped my skin, but my most noticeable improvements are elsewhere.

I would struggle to limit to 3 things, but after decades of dry flaky skin (also cystic acne rosacea, I feel for my younger self!), my biggest improvements were from my skin care routine - balm cleanser, glycolic acid, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, thick moisturiser filled by a balm moisturiser. I do this morning and night. My skin is the happiest it's ever been and feels great.

Product- Elemis pro collagen night matrix (or ultra smart night if you have the money)
Diet - lots of water, marine collagen daily

• Microneedling (just HA) no more fine lines and pores reduced).

• Skin + Me (had bad acne before using but also helped even skin tone).

• Botox (so smooth, only get it maybe every 9 months as I don't mind movement and some lines, but I really do get it for the skin smoothing effect)

Bonus one as definitely makes a difference is injectable skin boosters

Facial oil. Most serums are just oil, you can buy a big bottle of squalene oil cheaply and it’s not irritating or heavy

Definitely these. I've used factor 50 religiously since was about 11 and I look significantly younger than my age. Sleep and no alcohol help a lot too. Can't say I've managed to put down my chocolate long enough to test that one though!

Sleep makes a huge difference and i like to convince myself that my religious use of sunscreen is effective but who knows, I have no comparator.

in terms of products the three things that make a noticeable difference are:

botox
ceo glow serum and
Clinique clarifying lotion

Microneedling is fantastic