Skincare routine advice for mid 40s, normal to dry skin ageing

[rainydaysandmondaysagain]

I’ve been using up (my ridiculously enormous and pretty ancient stash of) skincare and now I’m coming to the end of the pile I’m realising I still don’t really know what works and what is just pretty/smells nice.

I’m happy with my cleanser, which is a cheap and cheerful Superdrug hot cloth cleanser that does the job well.

I use LRP Cicaplast as a night time moisturiser, and like that very much, so that will definitely be an easy re-purchase.

I’ve been using LRP Mela B3 serum underneath it at night for a while, and have previously had a load of Beauty Pie serums, and have zero idea if any of them have ever done anything for me.

In the morning I use something with SPF - I’ve used various Beauty Pie ones, and also various LRP ones. They all seem…fine? In that I don’t burn.

I am nearly at the end of a bottle of Liz Earle toner, which again seems OK - does it do anything, who knows?

My skin is pretty normal, leaning dry. I’ve never got spots. Sometimes I get redness, particularly on my chin. My main concern now (mid 40s) is wrinkles - particularly my forehead which is very mobile! My neck is a sore point too - especially since I’ve lost quite a bit of weight. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, and when I do, I almost never wear foundation, so I’m not too bothered about how creams etc sit under that.

I can’t believe that after decades of buying and trying stuff I still don’t really know what I want or need. The Cicaplast Baume is staying because it makes my skin feel gorgeous! And I might repurchase the SPF version for day time, as I’ve used that in the past and enjoyed it. Bit heavy for summer though.

But what else should I be looking at, at this stage of life? I have read about milky toners, are those worth trying? What serums are genuinely good for beginning-to-age skin? I feel a bit lost!

Hi. Honestly you're not as lost as you think! You already have a solid base with a cleanser you like, a good barrier moisturizer at night, and SPF in the morning. For your main concern of wrinkles/forehead lines, retinoid at night as it's the most evidence-backed ingredient for collagen stimulation and cell turnover. Start low & slow a couple of nights a week. For the redness on your chin, niacinamide in a serum is worth looking at because it calms redness, strengthens the barrier, and works on early pigmentation all at once. For neck specifically, whatever retinoid you add to your face should go on your neck too. For milky toners, look for ceramides (but they're supplementary rather than essential). Hope this helps OP!

I have similar skin to you. I like the Beauty of Joseon probiotic SPF cream as a lighter alternative to LRP in the summer.

Serum-wise I use a vitamin C serum in the morning and Estée Lauder advanced night repair at night as a good all rounder.

If you’re happy with your hot cloth cleanser I’d stick with it!

I honestly don’t think skin needs more than cleanse, serum, moisturiser, unless you have specific concerns you are targeting. Agree with PP that retinoids are the most effective for anti ageing based on the research.

Oh thank you! I just looked up retinoids and there are so many products. Is it a case of just picking something not too strong to begin with?

Medik8 crystal retinal is a great product that really helps my skin. I got a small tube to try with an offer and have used ever since. I’ve never had any irritation and am working my way up through the strengths. I highly recommend it

Thank you, I’ll look that up!

i would add vit C to your regime and a retinoid for the evening. Start with a lower % of vit C and over time work your way up. Same with retinoid. Or get tret from somewhere like skin and me.

As you don’t wear foundation, a tinted spf would also be quite nice. I love the one by supergoop.

Do you have any vitamin c recommendations? I did try a Garnier serum a while ago but it made my skin very red so I gave up on it.

My favourites are Farmacy 10% waterless vit c and timeless vit c. The timeless one is a dupe for skinCeuticals (but a fraction of the price). Others which I’ve tried are medik8 and nip and fab which are both fine but the first two are the best for my skin. I’ve not used timeless for a while and don’t think you can actually get it in the uk anymore.

I would start with a lower concentration if it’s irritating your skin. I made that mistake once with Medik8 and ended up all red and swollen. I would go for a lower % like the farmacy one. You have to have a read as many of them don’t list what % they are.

I would add Medik8 Crystal Retinol 3 in the evenings and Medik8 C-Tertra Advanced in the morning. After cleansing, before moisturising. Go slow with the Medik8 until you can use it every day, then you can move up the strengths.