Turning 50 - what can I do to make myself feel better

[birdsintrees]

I’m fifty soon. Not been feeling great about it but have decided to use it as an excuse to do lots of beauty stuff. I’ve contacted someone to try Botox for the first time. Got some nice oil and cream to try and sort my hands and nails out. My hair is alright at the moment, I have a good hairdresser. Don’t know what else to do really, I’ve never really bothered. Get a make up consultation? I don’t wear it at the moment but maybe something basic? Would love any suggestions to get me to feel a bit better about being fifty years old (why does it feel so much older than 49?!)

@doublec- thank you. I have the dumbbells with adjustable weights rather than individual ones (storage space, price) so I can get up to about 15kgs per dumbbell loading on all the weights I have. This is good for movements like squats and split squats, bent over rows and I can work my arms , shoulders and back muscles pretty well with what I have (much lighter than 15kg though!) It’s not really heavy enough to make RDLs or deadlifts work for me but I still feel the benefits.

Good luck with your ongoing recovery.

OP, I think it’s worth channeling Ian Dury when he sang, ‘every bit of clothing ought to make you pretty.’ Today I am wearing 501 90’s, a black ringer t shirt, a fancy pair of Pantherella socks and a pair of loafers in a sort of snakeskin leather with a sizeable buckle. The shoes make me consider getting a belt in a similar finish later in the year, and there’s a party coming up to which I plan to pair them with a dress I like but which hasn’t had an outing since June. I’ve got my hair in a ponytail, cos I don’t want to wash it yet, with a narrow hairband and subtle makeup. I feel a bit 90’s minimalist, a bit Carolyn Bessant! I’ve done my steps and my weights workout, I’ve organised a good high protein dinner for me and the fam and I’ve got book group later. It’s just an ordinary day but you can sort of make those days shimmer a bit as well!

You can do an online questionnaire to see what products suit your skin.

I use their Rosemary face wash, glow toner, Vit C Tetra, Vit c day cream and I have their Hero face mask. I don’t use their retinol products as I use Tret.

' I feel a bit 90’s minimalist, a bit Carolyn Bessant'

Yes me too, I've just bought a single breasted 90's beige trench coat which I plan to wear with a black turtle neck. Mind you at just over 5ft I might accidently look more like Columbo!

@birdsintrees You can buy Medik8 online from them or stores like J Lewis stock it.

It's retinal and is stronger than retinol but there are lots of strengths with it- I started a 3 and am now moving up to 6 (it goes right up to strength 20.)

I’d recommend concentrating on your fitness for feeling good about life. Also investing in high quality skin care, for me Elemis is brilliant. I wouldn’t do loads of things just give yourself time and space to experiment.

Ok so we’ve got:

exercise
skincare
lover 😀

any suggestions on how I find the right skincare? Soooo many options. I’m using high street stuff just now.

Find a lover tips also welcome….

I keep skincare quite simple.

Am: Cetaphil cream to foam cleanser, a Medicube zero pore pad, I alternate between the ordinary alpha arbutin serum and medicube PDRN pink peptide serum and then CeraVe moisturising cream. I use a lovely factor 50 sunblock called Ultra Violette, which is more like skincare. It smells gorgeous.

Pm: I just use double base and the Cetaphil cleanser to double cleanse. Renew and me nightly active serum (tret) and then the CeraVe moisturiser twenty minutes later.

You don't need to spend £££ on skincare.

I use a supermarket cleanser that is under £5- it's an unperfumed cleansing lotion. I've read so many beauty eds agreeing- no point spending a fortune on something to remove make up. Sometimes I use a cleansing balm- like Elf- around £10. I double cleanse than use a facecloth (clean each day) run under warm water to remove the residue.

Next step is (sometimes) a serum but not every day. You can get decent ones from L'Oreal, Olay etc.

I use Olay Regnerist moisturiser (from Amazon £14) then under make up sun block- Ultrasun or La Roche Posay spf 50 - they are around £30 but last for ages.
You need a moisturiser that contains niacamide and peptides.
At night I apply Medik8 Crystal retinal + more moisturiser. Medik8 is my most £££ item and it's £50 but there are offers now and then to save £10ish.

Cheaper brands that do all of this are The Ordinary (Boots, J Lewis) and The Inky, Boots No 7 etc.

I've changed from buying mainly Clinique skin stuff (£50 a pot) to cheaper brands and can't see any difference at all.

I don't use any Vitamin C stuff which some people do. It's too harsh for my skin (acidic) and makes it sore.

Keeping out the sun/ off your face is the most important- 80% of ageing and wrinkles is UV light.

Ok great, I’m using CreaVe already so that’s one thing sorted 😀

Keep your skincare simply but invest in some good serums, they make all the difference. The ones ones with proven scientific evidence are vit c and a but lots of other can improve the look of your skin. It really depends what your main concern is. You only need one or two serums really and a cheap moisturiser, cleanser and decent spf.

I felt awful turning 50 too, looking back I’m not sure why tbh. I focused on my health and fitness which if nothing else diverted my attention and gave me goals to work on. 3 years later I feel good.

I’ve tried every skin care serum under the sun and I keep coming back to Trilogy Rosehip oil. I use it after toner and before moisturiser.

That's simple??!!!!

It is fairly simple I think particularly the night time bit. It has made quite a difference, as I was doing very little before and takes about five minutes tops Honest 😄.

My skincare:
night time - wash face with Bioderma Atoderm face and body oil. Use hot clean flannel to wipe over face especially eye area to get rid of all mascara and following ophthalmologist’s instructions to keep eyelids clear of clogging oils.
Dermatica Tret and niacinamide serum (it’s an all in one)
Cerave cream if my skin feels dry; Cerave lotion if not. Apply Cerave to neck, chest, arms, shins

Morning: clean hot flannel over face, especially eyes
insert contact lenses.
Cerave if feeling dry
SPF 50- Roche Posay, or Purito, or Bioré, whatever is on special offer, they’re all nice and they all work.

my makeup/base layer is also SPF- Altruist ant-redness is one I’m using now. Eborian CC cream also good and for more coverage, NARS Radiant Tinted moisturiser, which is a bit more winter wear for me.

I get Botox on my 11s about every 9-12 months and I have experimented with other areas. I had it once in my crow’s feet. I don’t mind my crow’s feet but when I got them done my husband said I looked really nice. (Unprompted and unadvised that I’d had an injectable.) So I might add that one in next time.

Good skincare will help the texture of your skin and give yo a nice light-reflecting glow, which you can further enhance with makeup. But it won’t remove 11s.

I use my dentist. Half her practice these days is injectables. I don’t fancy fillers as they don’t metabolise away, whereas Botox does. But obviously, lots of people are very happy with their fillers.

. I don’t fancy fillers as they don’t metabolise away

@BigSkies2022 They do. They are hyaluronic acid and dissolve over time.
I've had them for years - very lightly- and they last about 12-18 months.

I stand corrected. Where do you have them?

Have a look at the Cosmetic Skin Clinic Harley St, run by Dr Tracy Mountford -before and afters, videos and loads of info on the site.

I had fillers today, on my nasolabial folds and marionette lines. They are indeed hydrolonic acid, a substance we produce naturally and they do metabolise away , they can also be dissolved.

she didn’t just inject into the lines, she added filler to the bottom of my cheekbones, to add volume, into my chin, under my jaw, and under my lips, to lift my face, and soften the lines, and then the lines .

im absolutely delighted with the results, this is me straight after, no make up, I’m 57. The result is very natural and as I don’t have Botox, I don’t look like I’ve had anything done

it will soften over the next 4 weeks and give the final look and I will go back at that point to have a check and see if anything else is required.

Im 69 and for me keeping my weight healthy and a good hairstyle makes me feel better.

Every morning I use Clinique moisture surge, put make up on and style my hair, if not going out then something comfortable but make an effort with clothes if going anywhere. It makes me feel good to have made the effort. At night I use clinique night mask after cleansing

Walking the dog is the most exercise I get daily but hes a huge lab so its miles!

I get botox between my eyebrows and fillers on the corners of my mouth so they point up and happy instead of down and sad. Its taken my marionette lines away.

I feel better in my 60s than I did 50s.

Sorry meant to say, those results look great!

Hello Venus, those are great results, very pretty indeed. I mean, of course you look like you have something done, in the sense that anyone who knew you would look at you and think, ‘wow, Venus looks so well and uplifted.’ But that’s grand, isn’t? I will show my dentist these pictures ( and check out the website recommended) and maybe next year I will try it out myself. Thank you.

I have Botox
I’m 55 and I do not have any face of 2 halves, I bloody love it

These are such good results

@Venusunbroken You look great, How much filler was used? And did it cost you a fortune? I have 1 syringe (1ml) that does my nasolabial folds and marionette. In the past I've had 1 ml each side for cheeks.
One place charges £600 for 1ml. Another is £350.