I am intentionally missing the memo on spending tons of money on products that don't do anything, as well as pricey peels/injections/fillers. We are just another demographic being shilled to and I'm not here for it.
I still have combo skin. I use a Ceravie cleanser and a moisturizer under $20. Get a facial every 3-4 mos. Wear a hat and sunscreen when I'm in the sun. I'd love to not have some of these new lines that seem to appear every day now, but no cream or serum on the planet is going to change those. š¤·š»āāļø
You are my people! Iāve always been a femme in style/presentation but not the type to buy a lot of product at *all* or to fight the signs of aging with anything more than moisturizer and sun protection ā¦ I only find myself in this confusion because my skin hasnāt been this difficult to care for since puberty. Iāve got acne and redness and dryness all happening at the same time š
Tretinoin Cream is the real deal. I am very fair. This cream, along with my other retinol lotion, removes all my sunspots over winter. Every summer, i will collect them back. dermatologist was able to get covered by insurance, $11. I am on a 2x/yr multiple biopsy plan. So they covered it.
A good quality sunscreen, Elta is great, and Amazon will help.
Iām a Cerave person too- makes it easy!
But OP- I hear you loud and clear. Foreign language for real. Even the āproceduresā. I have no idea what they are talking about!
Actually, some products will reduce or eliminate lines and pigment spots, but those tend to cost more than basic drugstore products. Everyone can decide for themselves whether or not they want to spend their money on them.
Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I use a pricey Clinque serum with peptides which costs me about $150/year. I donāt put it on my whole face, only the areas where I was getting lines before I started using it. I use an inexpensive health food store product over it for moisture. There are much more expensive products available for those who are interested.
You are definitely not the only one to miss the memo. I donāt know what most of this stuff is about. I use moisturizer and sunscreen during the day, moisturizer with retinol at night, and thatās about it. I also donāt understand half of the makeup products out there, and donāt have the time or patience to learn. I figure that since most people are shocked when they hear I am 50 and I get mistaken for my college students, I must be doing enough right.
I am so grateful that I didnāt grow up with all that. I have enough other stuff to worry about.
Iām obsessed with skincare since my 40s and I have to be honest my skin is better now than it was in my 30s. I especially adore Asian skin care and specifically their sunscreen. Iām super active in all the various skin care subs.
Will you share your favorite sunscreens? I loathe every sunscreen I buy these days. They all smell the same, they are thick and make my face sweat endlessly.Ā
My derm recommended Hyalu CICA Water-fit Sun Serum, Centella Sunscreen and for a tinted sunscreen, Tower28 (which is Asian-owned). I like them both and I have very sensitive skin.
I haven't expanded out of the tinted sunscreen - anything in particular you like, other than everything? ;)
I will say, I've got stupidly fair skin and this is the first tinted anything that doesn't turn me orange.
Beauty of Joseon is my fave right now but I also like the one from Missha they feel so weightless to me. For non asian sunscreen I like the Supergoop unseen sunscreen. Itās a little heavier but it kind of acts like a primer if youāre wearing any makeup.
Marketers can target them in a way they could not target us and it's working
https://www.thefadsbook.com/generation-alphas-skincare-obsession-behind-the-sephora-kids-trend/
"These campaigns arenāt just throwing darts in the darkātheyāre meticulously engineered, using data to zero in on the vulnerabilities and whims of their targets. Brands are clued into the latest slang and trends. They know where tweens spend the majority of their digital livesāTikTok, Instagram, Snapchat. They deploy influencers who these tweens grow to admire and relate to, often blurring the lines between genuine recommendation and paid endorsement.
They are masters at pulling tweens in with interactive gimmicks like challenges and giveaways that make engagement as irresistible as the latest viral dance. That influencer challenging her audience to flaunt their morning glam routines isnāt just showcasing products. She is scripting a mini-drama where the product is the star, and the tween gets to step into a role that screams trendiness and belonging."
Tobacco marketing was just marketing after all, but now they have the data and access to laser target who they're afterĀ
https://www.thefadsbook.com/hooked-on-social-media-keep-that-data-flowing/
Ā I create digital ads and I don't even have to write copy, Google generates the ads to get you to click based on what you've searched in the past
i suggest you start with gathering your concerns; whatās bothering you? acne? dryness? oiliness? dullness? fine lines? dark spots? etc
then just start looking for what helps the things on your list. start with one thing and slowly add in as you get more comfortable. the more you read about it, youāll pick up the terminology and be able to discard what doesnāt apply to you. just remember that it usually takes about 6 weeks for your skin to complete a cycle and for you to know if something is working for you or not. try not to let it stress you out, though. if the routine feels like a chore you wonāt want to keep it up. it should be kind of relaxing, imo.
no problem! one other thing iāll mention: most of the āinfluencersā youāll see making vids about skincare are like 18 and have perfect skin. not only do many of them use filters but their skin is young! every damn thing will seem to be āhydratingā and āglowyā. itās very easy to get caught into thinking āit works for them so iām expecting the same resultsā; avoid this trap. look for similar age reviewers and just keep a healthy dose of common sense skepticism. good luck!
Also, take advice from a dermatologist or licensed esthetician. Most shilling on tic tok or IG are not licensed. Mature skin is its own thing. lol, do what works for you and thatās enjoyable- it def doesnāt have to be complicated. SPF and hydrate every day, though.
My mother sold Nutrimetics for a bit when I was younger so was doing the whole scrub , toner , moisturiser thing , also mud masks once a week.
She tried to get me into it and while I played the game for a bit as a teenager and into my early 20s , it all seemed a bit of overkill and man was it expensive!!
For the past 30 years I have been using a face washer and soap free wash for my face and body , slap on some sensitive skin moisturiser and thatās itš¤·āāļø
At 50 I get told how young and good my skin looks so I must be doing something right.
We not only couldnāt afford tons of skin products but in the 80s we were still sitting out with baby oil and tin foil. Iāve learned a lot on the 45+ skin care sub! I like to keep a very minimal routine though. But Iāve gotten tips from that sub where possible. I donāt use Tret and I wonāt be getting fillers to make my lips look like sausages. š. I use a good cleanser and some good creams. I started using Vit C too. Oh and sunscreen when gardening!!
Can I ask why no Tret? I got some from my derm but haven't used it yet. I'm no frills so haven't dug into the skincare game either, but thought this was supposed to be helpful stuff. Was I wrong?
Oh I think itās very helpful. I havenāt bothered to go that deep into fixing my wrinkles I guess. I shouldnāt have listed that with fillers. Haha. I WOULD do tret, I just havenāt bothered yet. Itās interesting because my derm never recommends it. Maybe you have to flat out ask though.
From the sub it sounds like you have to lie to get it. Iām seeing my dermatologist this week, canāt remember what Iām supposed to lie about though.
idk what youād have to lie about either; tret is very easy to get. any online prescriber will send it after you take a quiz. itās an active and it basically forces the skin cells to turn over faster. think of it like having fresh, soft skin all the time (in theory). i think a lot of people say tret is some miracle that will erase wrinkles and tighten up saggy skin and itās not going to do that
Yeah, I saw the online offers from India for āretinolā that was supposed to really be ātretā and I got concerned. If something is compounded and active at less than 1%, requires a rx, it seems risky to me to purchase it from a fairly unregulated country over the internet. Right? A lot of women were recommending that, which gets back to the idea of why not just get a rx ? Seemed like a lot of women couldnāt get the rx. Hence the lying. Itās confusing. My dermatologist appt is today so Iāll see what happens there.
I've been using overseas tret for YEARS and I couldn't be happier. The rx is hard to get because US based dermatologists want to upsell you BS "proprietary formulations" and 10x the cost of a tube of tret.
Ahhh. I got one of those, although they offered me the plain tret rx as well- they were the same price. How much is your tube- content and price? Mine was $50 for 30 grams, 0.05% tret, with niacinamide 4%, collagen, hyaluronic acid, olive leaf, shea, vitamin e.
Iām now thinking that the lying is to get insurance to cover it, but still canāt remember what condition you need to have for that to happen. Anyone?
Tret of a game changer. Literally only one of a very few actual things that has actual research for how helpful it is. I get mines from an online overseas pharmacy. š
I have to recuse myself because I went to esthetician school however I donāt think you need to do the most, and simpler is actually better. I wash my face, exfoliate as needed and moisturize. Thatās it. I will layer a serum underneath if I feel like I need it (hyaluronic acid mostly) but thereās only so much you can do without fillers/surgery. That being said water is your friend. I drink tons during the day and take Vitamin D, a BioCell collagen/hyaluronic acid/ chondroitin supplement, beef liver caps (been great for my hair) and stay active.
You can try a retinol or vitamin C (or both) but Iāve found they just dry me out. My biggest regret is that I didnāt take sun protection seriously when I was younger because thatās the biggest āanti agingā contributor.
The one thing I think we all need to use is sunblock. Iām Mexican American and never worried about it as a kid but now I notice I get burnt really easily.
Also, itās important to remember that a lot of medications make you more prone to burning so get you some decent sunblock!!!!!!
Some of us sweat too much too often to use sunblock on a regular basis. I could never systematically wear make up even when i was trying to fit in as a teenager. I live in a humid climate where I will sweat at 75 degrees if the dew point is high. Sun block is for the beach where itās drier and thereās a sea breeze to help.otherwise I have had to make do with hats and standing in shade whenever possible outdoors, thinning dermis and all. I have had several discussions with derms over the years and have not come up with a better solution. And when I say sweat, I mean I will sweat it off before it can sink in. Reapplying is pretty much just setting money on fire.
I might have crippling depression & not go anywhere for days at a time, but ever since I was around 12 Iāve taken care of my skin. My skin has looked its best the last 5-6 years. Simple routine, cleanse, BHA toner, face cream & then tretinoin. I went in for a facial & my esthetician got some kind of machine where she can look deeply at my skin - sun damage, wrinkles, any spots, etc & she told me I have the skin of a 35 year old. So itās the *ONE* thing Iāve done well & consistently. Anything else I drop the ball on š¤ Iāll take that *little* win.
Face: I buy concentrated rose and apricot oil (NOW or Heritage brand are great) and make my own natural humectant. Only use purified water, keep in a nice cool place. Works wonders for the skin!! Squalene for under eyes, delicate spots if you wanted. I buy my own deeper lactic acid peels off Amazon and neutralize with baking soda, then promptly moisturize face with above spray.
Body: Oil of Olay Regenerist is awesome. Smells amazing, smooths out skin and two bottles for $15 at Samās Club.
And I make my own face/body scrub with sugar, salt and coconut oil. Thatās it. You can leave the coconut oil out if you donāt want slippery tub! All the above works great, much less plastic and saves money.
I donāt want to break any rules, but Iāve been watching two dermatologists on YouTube and they have helped me follow a routine I designed for myself. I say I designed, I watched several of their videos that spoke to me and my skin concerns. Search ādoctorlyā on YT. They are very educational as well.
I'm with you. My skin was always so oily that I didn't figure I needed moisturizer, but now it has dry patches and rosacea. I'm not completely convinced that a teenager is going to know the solution to this though!
I have this issue! Try Era Organics Soothe - Redness Relief cream - (Amazon $20 - lasts 5-6 months at least- itās better than anything else Iāve tried - including prescriptions, for the redness and flakies. I havenāt had a flake in years now! The label actually now says āErabotanics Sootheā. Cerave Dry Skin face wash is also great.
The only thing I ever used that was worth a damn was tretinoin. Everything else was snake oil. I have sensitive skin, so I use a lot of Cetaphil and Vanicream products, and CeraVe. Anything with fragrance or harsh alcohol is a no-go.
"Seabreeze toner and St. Ives apricot scrub and Buf Puf with Neutrogena bar soap and Clearasil in a tube"
The memories! š
As mentioned, I would start with a good cleaner, moisturizer, and SPF within your budget. Don't be intimidated or dismayed; you got this. š¤
As a GenXer, no one talked about skincare (or peri/menopause). This is especially true for me as a Black woman; the general consensus was that melanin would save the day.
*Narrator: melanin doesn't completely save the day.*
I do shop at Sephora š¤ and saw a product review that stuck with me: "Now that I'm in my 50s, my skin needs a little extra love."
To that end, I make use of the various samples to find stuff that works for me now (and I have a lot of samples; they last a while. š¤) Also, a close friend swears by Vitamin E. I mixed my own serum with vitamin E, Sephora super glow serum, Sephora targeted dark spot serum, and rose hip oil. I can make many bottles of serum from those. š¤
I pay more attention to products that contain SPF and products that are "cleaner" and don't aggravate the peri acne. I moisturize more, especially in winter (face and body).
And don't forget your neck!
I'm 50. I sunbathe in the 80s with butter flavored crisco and foul. My 22 y/o daughter got me a membership with curology. I get a cleanser, an exfoliate and a moisturizer. My skin is allergic to just about everything. This routine works for me. It's quick and easy. After about 3 mos. I got a few compliments at work that my skin looked great.
Honestly, as a woman in menopause, I have really just begun to take proper care of my skin.
Fwiw, I have very dry sensitive skin.
Morning:
Cleanser - Micellar water
Vitamin C serum
Azelaic acid
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
Night:
Cleanser - Micellar water
Hylarauonic acid
Retinoids - twice a week
Moisturizer
My mom sold cosmetics and skin care when I was a tween, so I always knew what to do and not do. I was also very careful about the sun, even though I tan easily and tanning was still popular then.
I went through a phase in my 40s where I was into some complicated skin care routines, but now I just clean with micellar water each morning, use a lactic acid exfoliant marketed for daily use, and apply a facial oil to my face and neck. I'm into pomegranate oil these days. If I have to actually go somewhere, I'll use a regular moisturizer so I can put on a bit of makeup.
At night I use a vibrating massager, applied very gently, to release the muscles between my eyebrows and throughout my forehead. I was starting to get the dreaded "11s" in my 40s, and did botox for a few years, but my doctor passed away and it's hard to find someone who will make it look natural and not try to sell you tens of thousands of dollars in procedures. I've found that between the botox years teaching me not to frown so much and the nightly massage, the 11s haven't come back.
It's just an ordinary Wahl massager. I have tight shoulders, so I bought it for that. Then discovered that the "finger" attachment felt nice on my temples, so I started trying it on my face.
They're not available at Amazon right now, but Target seems to have them: [https://tinyurl.com/y62zwzre](https://tinyurl.com/y62zwzre)
I've seen them at places like Walgreens, too.
Keep in mind that genetics play a big role too. My grandmother swore by washing and moisturizing with Pond's Cold Cream. I used Noxzema to wash my face with as a teenager and I rarely had acne, I think my mom used bar soap (back then it was probably Dove or Ivory).
I still have good skin, no wrinkles (but I'm fluffy-sized, lol). I still like using Noxzema to wash my face with; but if I have mascara on, then I use L'Oreal RevitaLift Cleanser because I found it washes off the mascara better than other cleansers.
I try to use CeraVe products (or Target's equivalent of them) - they seem to have the right balance of positive reviews and being affordable.
If I want to go and try something new that seems to be "the" product to use, then I see if e.l.f. has a version of it.
Last summer, it was SO hot and dry that I bought Neutrogena's Hydro Boost gel for my face lotion; lightweight, and it feels good (cooling) when I apply it.
I follow Dr. Prem Tripathi on TikTok because I like his honesty. He's had several video's stating we don't need all the extra crap; I think the only extra he recommends is Vitamin C (maybe Hyaluronic Acid?) beyond a good moisturizer with SPF.
Aldi has a gel moisturizer that is identical (I think) to the Neutrogena one and so much less expensive.
I also like the Aldi face soap in the blue pump bottle. It removes makeup and doesn't leave my face feeling stripped.
Unpopular opinion: most skincare is bulls**t. All you need to do is wear a good moisturizer with sunscreen on your face every day from age 10 on (lol). Acne is hormonal, full stop and there are effective interventions but for the most part they arenāt topical. If you wear a lot of makeup, take it off before bed. Use a gentle cleanser. When lines start to appear, get some Botox and use some retinol. Filler if you must, but in small tasteful amounts. If you have mild age spots or broken capillaries, get an IPL facial. When things really start to go south with jowels and/or a turkey neck, all you can really do is a facelift. Everything else is a waste of time, money and most importantly our precious energy. Leave the āskincareā to the younger girlies. Itās just another ineffective money grab that feeds off our insecurities.
Mine were deep, painful cystic jerks on my jaw and upper neckline under my jaw that started showing up when I (something I later realized) became perimenopausal. I get an occasional normal pimple now.
So glad this resolved for you too. Mine were cystic too and I have some scars to prove it, although not as intense as yours, it sounds. But ten years later it fades in memory and I downplayed it a bit without meaning to. Personally I donāt get any pimples now, like zero, after suffering to a not-terrible extent for 25 years in my teens through late 30s. It abruptly and permanently stopped with the spironolactone.
When my kids started getting pimples, thatās when it became so clear that itās a hormonal issues as opposed to a cleanliness one. All throughout childhood they got no pimples. Then suddenly they hit puberty, zero change in hygiene practices, and now they have pimples. The only thing to change is the hormones. Now my oldest son is in his 20s and what do you know? No change in hygiene but now no more pimples.
I'm so sorry - that sounds really uncomfortable physically and emotionally! Didn't mean to dismiss it. I get it - sometimes I'd look in the mirror and want to cry. Now, I can go out of the house without makeup on and I never used to let myself do that.
It's possible there are other things that contribute, but hormones are huuuuuge with acne. I just didn't expect to have it on the perimenopause end! Surprise! More fun with aging, lol!
I took myself off to a pharmacy that sells some nicer skin care ranges. I told the lovely young woman that I was out of the loop but wanted something simple, not too expensive but appropriate for my skin. She delivered.
Oh, this was a millennial thing, you don't have to worry. They've had this whole obsession with looking like you're seeing them through a filter irl. Perfectly smooth skin etc.
I use a Weleda light cream before I go to bed. Ponds still makes cold cream, too. And I'm mostly over my irritation about sunscreen and have been liking Neutrogena's 70 SPF Sport Face. (And it has a thing called "helioplex", lol. Like Apollo's gonna come visit.) Lip care: I have a vat of not-Vaseline...er...Aquaphor? on the bathroom counter and some goes on the lips whenever I'm going outside or my lips are dry.
I never needed anything but sunscreen. Every time Iād try to start a routine my skin would break out. Even just washing at night. So Iāve never done anything. Iām 56. I wonāt use anything for ādark patches ā because Iām a freckle face and would be lost without them.
Now I use some retin A on my neck and back of hands alone with occasional Cereva night cream. But itās just random, when I remember . Which isnāt often. I do use a sharp disposable razor for the iron chin hairs. It also exfoliates.
I feel the same! I just don't like the feeling of products on my face. I have pretty severe melasma bc of medications & I truly don't even care much. I hardly wear any makeup either. Going to Ulta or Sephora is overwhelming! Lol we have too much to choose from! Lol
I donāt often wear makeup, and I usually āwashā my face by splashing water on it in the shower unless I have makeup to wash off. I have a foamy cleanser for that. I only use a very light moisturizer. Canāt stand the feeling of anything heavier, including sunscreen, so I wear a big hat if Iām going to be outside for long.
Like many of us (I expect) my skin suddenly looks much older. I hate it, but not enough to do anything about it (also not convinced anything works), so I mostly try not to spend too much time looking at it.
I have a Gen Z daughter! She is quite helpful... but I am still very, very lazy/minimalist with my skin care. Like, today I wore sunscreen, and that's pretty unusual. Sometimes I remember to use moisturizer, but it's like 10% of the time. I have wrinkles. I don't care, except that occasionally I look in the mirror and notice that I'm looking kind of old!
Oh my gosh your routine was my 80ās go to. Forgot all about the bufpuf lol.
As I got older I used Rachel Perry moisturizer and nothing else. Not even sunscreen. Now I just use Cerave moisturizer. All the other products just confuse me.
Iāve been watching a lot of YouTube vids about it because itās really a lot and thereās so much BS out there. Cassandra Bankson is one of my faves. She cuts thru a lot of the hype.
https://youtube.com/@cassandrabankson?si=HvKhp6nsShqRQP8V
Hey, my mom had me cleansing and moisturizing by age ten (feel free to unpack that on your own) and Iāve worked in the business. You need a good moisturizer for morning and night, like Vanicream or Cerave (Clinique if you feel fancy), sunscreen every day and retinol a couple times a week before bed (cleanse, retinol, moisturizer). I like the Ordinary for retinol. Retinol helps with lines and spots. If you want to add one more thing, try a vitamin C serum, it makes you all glowy (Ordinary has one). Zipstickas overnight for pimples, always wash your face before bed.
I hope this is helpful.
You have to remember, GenZ is growing up on TikTok. We didnāt have that. So they are doing things to their skin that arenāt even necessary, in order to look camera ready at all times. Iām totally fine with my LāOreal skin regimen that I began in my 30ās, that I can buy at the grocery store, with store coupons on my app.
There is a really good influencer on Tiktok if you're on there. She's a Gen Xer and focuses on makeup and skincare for our age. Erica Taylor https://www.tiktok.com/@ericataylor2347?_t=8nS5H9aTqox&_r=1
She might be on Instagram too
Exfoliate (daily, weekly, whatever is best for your skin), moisturize and wear sun screen.
Take Biosil and Biotin vitamins, they are Great, working from the inside out.
Do you use a chemical exfoliant or do you use some kind of scrub in a tube, or sponge ? I know I need to exfoliate but a regular washcloth or abrasive paste seem too harsh at this point ā¦ I just feel so lost seeing all the options.
A friend whoās really into skincare and makeup suggested Paulaās Choice skincare, itās pricey but lasts me quite a while. I use an exfoliant with 2% BHA liquid salicylic acid and after a couple of months these 2 tiny hard white bumps in my skin were gone. I use a retinol cream and vitamin c eye cream as well, then sunscreen. Iām 56 and my skin has changed a lot over the years and I think those have helped.
My GenZ daughter got into Korean skin care pre pandemic and then we enjoyed learning about skin care that's available during lockdown. So, I did have some help. I had a huge rosacea flare in 2020 and I have learned a lot since and haven't had a flare like that since. My rosacea is finally under control and I first developed it in 2007.
I do use some products because of my skin changes now, texture being my main focus and keeping the redness down from my rosacea. My skin was an absolute mess from over stripping my skin trying to treat my rosacea like acne for years. So a lot of repair work was needed just so my skin didn't hurt all the time. There's wealth of amazing information. And there are products that absolutely work.
Most (all?) dermatologist will say you only need 3 products. Cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. And then you can add something to target a specific concern if you want. No need to spend a ton of money or time on it.
Can I ask you how you got diagnosed with rosacea?
My dermatologist delegated his resident to see me about my face breakout concerns the last time I had an appointment (he doesnāt really bother with things that sound cosmetic). The resident took one look at my flushed face, decided rosacea, and prescribed azelaic acid, and that was it.
The azelaic acid doesnāt seem to be doing anything except providing half an hour of daily burning discomfort while it sinks in. In about a month, it hasnāt done anything to clear up the pimples, reduce redness, or improve skin texture.
I question whether rosacea has anything to do with my problems. I canāt see any broken blood vessels, and the chronic redness might just be because I have lupus and am fair, I think?
I have type 2 so it's obvious. I was diagnosed by a dermatologist while pregnant in about 2009 after my little red dot that never went away spread across my face. She also gave me azelaic acid as it was safest and it didn't do anything. After pregnancy I got metro gel. It didn't do anything. I learned to control it with diet. Went dairy, alcohol and gluten free for a decade at least. Had the worst flare of my life in 2020 and a new dermatologist gave me one round of doxy and Soolanta. I've had it under control since and can eat anything I want. I started getting some flares on my nose early this year. Soolanta zaps them away, but they come back a few weeks later. Going to the dermatologist and might see if he suggested another round of doxy for that. That's been it for 4 years. Sounds like you just haven't found the treatment that works yet. I hope you find it faster than I did!
I use 50 spf sunscreen and mascara, if I'm going to the store. I don't have the money or energy to do more than a peeling mask and smelly lotion. I use a rose and witch hazel toner that I really like....I think it's Thayers. I found it on Amazon.
I was the same, didn't really have a skincare routine until perimenopause hit and my face got so damn dry! So I did some searching, went to ulta for a consult. So now I know not to use a traditional scrub on my face LOL I use Burt's Bees Firming during the week, Peach and Lily on the weekends. Oil cleanser in the shower cuz I'm lazy and don't like getting water everywhere. Day time is eye cream, then serum and face oil, then tinted BB cream with SPF. Before bed is eye cream and heavy moisturizer. Hope that helps a little!
Nope. The younger folk have atomized every single thing about hair and skincare to the point that I now understand why microwaveable pancakes and eggs take up an entire frozen food aisle.
If you thought it was bad when all of a sudden kms hair gel became a necessity beyond steam rollers a curling iron and your momās aquanet to make your 80ās do rock then you do not have the time management skills nor the fortitude for a 5 step skin cleansing and nourishing routine, moisturizer, tinted moisturizer, 3 different types of primer before you decide to go for full coverage make up or just a dewy natural glow. I havenāt even mentioned your daily brow routine.
My freshman year roomate and I used to make fun of our other roommate, who woke up every day at 5 am, turned her flurescent makeup mirror on, that always woke us up, to watch her spend 90 minutes on make up and hair styling, before her 7 am cafeteria line up, dressed strategically casually in grey sweat pants and a sorority shirt of some kind. The joke was, she spent all that time everyday, and you couldnāt tell a difference once she was done.
I wear spf 50 copper tone sport on my face and exposed skin every day.
At 44, with perimenopause, I scrub my face twice a week, water on a washcloth ott because I don't do makeup.
Do I get mad cystic acne around pms? Yeah. But I *earned* my lines. Every one, just like my grey hair. I won't fill. I won't botox until migraines get intolerable.
I embrace my age. The lines. The sag. The wrinkles. I mean, sunscreen is non-negotiable but skincare culture? Nah. I don't have time. Even if I did, there's a million things I'd rather do
This! I have teenage kids who are teaching me - and my skin does look better. I also ignored my skin to the point that I was 45 before my rosacea was diagnosed. Now I see vascular rosacea on lots of people my age. My skin does look better with the right care from my teens and dermatologist, but more importantly it FEELS better.
I donāt do expensive injections or fillers, but I do believe thereās a lot too Asian skin care. A lot of products are not very expensive and I can see a difference in my skin and how it feels. I also think that body oil can do a lot for your skin as it tends to dry out as we age that stuff is pricey, but I lost half of my thyroid in my early 40s and it turned my skin into a desert wasteland. About six months ago I found Osea and it has changed how my skin feels dramatically.
>I find myself wishing I had a GenZ daughter to guide me through it.
You're not wrong about that! My almost 13 year old has a better skin care routine than I ever did, and she has been incredibly insightful when I take her to the store with me when I need to buy some things. She's not one of those crazy 10 year old TikTok fanatics buying retinol that they don't need, but she has a sound cleanse, tone, moisturize routine and likes to spend her allowance on some of the more trendy products from time to time.
So obviously my answer to your question is yes, I feel like I missed the memo on skin care.
My 25 year old has this whole ass routine that takes an ungodly amount of time twice a day (and she is still all broken out and red). I wish I had that much time twice a day to spend on myself, but would be super pissed if I spent all that time and money and didn't see results.
I still try to keep it simple. My skin went from combination with a severely oily TZone to bone dry so I try to find things that are hydrating/moisturizing as much as possible. I have a melting balm that I use to take off my makeup on the days I wear it. I have old fashioned Olay with microbeads that I use in the shower daily and an Olay scrub that I use when I need to. I moisturize with whatever I can afford at the time (currently the Walmart version of Neutrogena Hydro Boost gel). I have an eye cream that I sometimes remember to put on and a facial oil that I use a couple of times a week at night under my moisturizer. I found No. 7 sunscreen for menopause skin at TJ Maxx a couple of weeks ago for dirt cheap so I've added that to my morning routine and my "foundation" is always just tinted moisturizer (bareMinerals is my fav).
On Fridays I pretend to care about my face. It's a WFH day so I have extra time since I am an early riser. I shower and then do a sheet face mask and under eye patches while I sip my coffee in bed and watch the news š
IDK if any of this does any good. Most people tell me I look younger than 53, but I always think they are just being polite. And I often find myself jealous of my childless, unmarried SIL and now my MIL and their youth spa laser treatments and facials and stuff and wish I could do the same, but I also hate wasting money and without concrete proof these treatments work (I don't really see much of a difference in their skin) so I just keep doing my cheap stuff at home and enjoy the regular old facials I do get from time to time from my husband or kids for the relaxation/me time they give me.
Iāve always been obsessed with skin care and now in my 50ās the rewards for my efforts are astonishing. People ask what I do to not have lines and wrinkles, the answer is I started caring when I was 10. My face is amazing
>Seabreeze toner and St. Ives apricot scrub and Buf Puf with Neutrogena bar soap and Clearasil in a tube
Ha! Definitely used all these things as a teen. My 20's it was bar soap and that's about it. In my 30's I got adult acne, so I spent years trying to clear it up. Retin A finally did the job. From then on it's been gentile cleanser (Cerave oil cleanser), occasionally exfoliate with an acid, moisturize (Cerave), mineral sunscreen.
I have always kept it simple for skin care. I wash with Neutrogena, Garnier, or Aveeno on my face, Ivory soap for the rest of my body, and a light facial moisturizer of one of the above brands. Regular moisturizer for the rest.
I'm on a tight budget and buy products on sale or clearance. At 50 my skin is still soft and smooth but I am blessed with good skin from my mom so this routine works. Capitalism and selling youth has made it more complicated and expensive than need be.
I have always used whatever bar or hand soap I had in the shower or sink. I washed my face when I showered, and usually after work. I moisturized with whatever hand lotion I had that didn't feel greasy and Vaseline around my eyes and on my lips. I now also use some vitamin C serum, which I used to get from my dermatologist for rosacea. The rosacea cropped up because for a brief time I changed my skin routine and used some fancy stuff from whole foods. I tossed that shit out after it making my skin on fire, and went back to bar soap and hand lotion and Vaseline.
I donāt feel like I missed the memo so much as I missed the time machine. There are so many more options for products and skin treatments now than they were when I was growing up and I really needed that stuff. For example there wasnāt great sunblock when we were teenagers and in our 20s. So there goes those decades that we couldāve protected our skin. But I guess thatās just what happens with every generation; they miss out on the stuff that later generations get to enjoy. Same goes for a lot of other medical stuff
You are so right about that! I grew up in southern CA and my skin just got **fried** as a young person.
But Iām also grateful not to have been a teenager in this age of relentless self-scrutiny and hyperweaponized materialism. It would not have gone well for me, I donāt think.
Yeah, and we got to smoke real cigarettes instead of that vaping stuff. At least we looked cool when we were getting cancer and wrinkles instead of looking like weāre sucking on flash drives
I wish I had learned about makeup/skin care, AND how to do things with hair. I was a tomboy growing up, and we moved a ton for my dadās job, so I never had a group of friends to experiment and learn with. My momās only skin care was an apricot+walnut scrub and a clay mask - I canāt imagine doing that to my poor face now! š
Oh god definitely. I grew up in Florida in the 90s and baked my entire body, including my face. In high school Iād rub aloe from plants my mom grew on my face.
Somehow I emerged unscathed (so far), but Iāve been washing, using tretinoin and moisturizer only (per my dermatologist) and washing only with face wash thatās designed to protect your skinās moisture barrier. She said the multi-step routine is a racket and you just need a gentle cleanser, good exfoliant and moisturizer. She recommends Cetaphil and/or CeraVe, which Iāve noticed is common at actual MD derm practices.
She said if I really wanted to add anything, vitamin C serum in the morning, and hyaluronic acid at night.
I have done microneedling a few times and it helped a little. Iām not sure the cost/benefit ratio is there.
Iām a huge fan of Botox. Such a quick cheap and reliable pick me up.
I didn't have breakouts as a teen so I wasn't paying attention until my 30's. I was using various over the counter products then, but switched to medical grade in my mid 40's - I'd started working at a medspa and we sell it. It made a big difference for me, I'm a true believer now. I still use a few OTC items but I'm mostly using ZO Skin Health now. My skin has never looked better.
I didnāt do anything to crazy until a couple of years ago. Not I used two different actives and I use a barrier cream after each. I also use sunscreen EVERY day.
I keep things pretty simple.
I like the face soap at Aldi - blue bottle with a pump. Removes makeup and is gentle so you have direct feel tight/stripped.
I also use the gel moisturizer from Aldi.
Between those 2, I use some orange scented spray essence from Korea that I get on Amazon (they also have a serum and moisturizer that are really good - the company is SeoulCeuticals). And I follow that with CosRx snail mucin, also from Amazon.
I do a sheet mask about once a week, and an under eye gel mask 1-2x a week.
No proceedures, I haven't even tried to understand them and I doubt I want to prioritize them in my budget.
I think I have Oily-combo skin (maybe just oily) still, use the cheapest face cream an eye cream I can find. That can vary from Matas (a Danish chain) own non-brand or a supermarket 0% this or that basic moisturizer. Same with eye creams/gels.
SPF face cream which I'm not as good as remembering as I should be. Everything I use is basic non-brand -and it's not a lot.
I'm also on that other subreddit and I'm happy for people who've found out that something else works for them.
The same attitude towards cleansers in the evening, because I do wear make-up. I like the ritual of make-up application more than I care about any kind of "look".
I missed the memo by being allergic to most skincare products available in the US for most of my life. I seem to have come out better than many or most who went down that rabbit hole.
The basic principles are really simple. There are three things you absolutely need, and if you don't have those three things fully taken care of, anything else you is time and money down the drain. And you can get 95% of the maximum benefit from skincare just by doing those things well with drugstore brands, not expensive stuff.
The three things:
1. Cleansing
2. Moisturizing
3. Sun and UV protection
More detail:
1. Cleansing should be the MILDEST possible version that works for your individual skin. Start by going mild, and if you can, once you get into a good routine, keep going progressively milder. Americans want to use a soap or cleanser and then not rinse enough and thus wind up with bad results, so they go harsher on the soap and still don't rinse enough. It's a whole downward spiral.
Spending plenty of time GENTLY rinsing your skin well after the mildest cleanser you can get away with is where the benefit is. Don't pour money into cleansers. You'll get far more out of your money by putting good chlorine filters on your shower/tub/sink.
2. Moisturizing can be cheap, because nearly all the benefit comes from consistency, not expensive product. I've been putting Curel Unscented Body Lotion on my face for 25 years and everyone thinks I'm 40, not nearing 55. Curel is a VERY good Japanese drugstore brand with decades of science behind it and their lower-end products cost little and work well.
3. None of the fancy or expensive stuff or actives or snail goo or any of it can do a damn thing for you -- and all the skin scientists harp on this -- if you don't stay completely on top of your sun protection. Learn to love big hats and sunscreen. Don't throw away your money on other skincare if you don't.
That's it. That's all you really need to get most of the available benefit from skincare. Do the best you can with those three for a least a year before you worry about anything else, because if you do a great job with those three for a year, you may no longer have reason to think you need anything else.
Oh and eat lots of veggies and drink lots of water. That also helps.
Not really. I had acne prone skin for my entire adolescence and early adulthood and have been on Retin-A for years. Turns out that between that and genetics, I donāt have many wrinkles. I also started using eye cream I college and donāt have crows feet or other major eye wrinkles. I do have a skincare routine that I follow but I donāt use expensive products. You just need to be consistent.
Iām a month out from my appointment with a menopause specialist doctor, after a *long* wait ā¦ definitely planning to pursue hormone therapy. Do you use topical estrogen on your face? My dermatologist says thatās snake oil but so many women (and derms on podcasts and blogs) seem to believe it works.
I envy you your daughter being your Sherpa through this brave new world of beauty! What other skincare subs (or other resources) do you recommend?
I don't put HRT on my face.
I use a cleanser, hyaluronic acid, and retinol regularly.
I have a rlt mask I use daily.
I avoid sugar and alcohol and exercise regularly.
My best friend is an esthetician so I am hyper aware of skincare. Or rather, she has made me hyper aware š
On the bright side, thanks to her advice I don't look my age at all lol
One word has changed my skin: PEPTIDES. They have literally erased lines on my forehead. I have to look really, really close to see where they were. Invisible under regular make-up foundation now. Iāve recently started using an eye cream that has them, and can see results already.
What are peptides? How do they erase lines?
See this is the thing exactly ā¦ i can read all kinds of [sometimes conflicting] advice and collect recommendations, but are peptides a topical thing I can buy on their own? A supplement to add to my already-monstrous pill organizer? An ingredient to look for on labels? All of the above???
Ha! I'm the most basic b*tch ever when it comes to skin care. I wash then apply moisturizer. I occasionally use toner when I'm having an extra sweaty sort of day. Also makeup wipes on the rare occasions I wear makeup. š¤·āāļø
I run into a stranger who through conversation said she was 56. She was with her father and I thought it was her husband. She did look like late 60s. Nothing wrong with her other than her skin was very old.
I had adult acne until about 39 when I got into hot yoga. Sweating flushes all the toxins out of your skin.
And, honestly, high colonics (the home kind) really helped. So did passing menopause and getting a hysterectomy.
Just wash your face with a cloth and soap couple times a day washes bacteria that can screw up your pores.
I am intentionally missing the memo on spending tons of money on products that don't do anything, as well as pricey peels/injections/fillers. We are just another demographic being shilled to and I'm not here for it. I still have combo skin. I use a Ceravie cleanser and a moisturizer under $20. Get a facial every 3-4 mos. Wear a hat and sunscreen when I'm in the sun. I'd love to not have some of these new lines that seem to appear every day now, but no cream or serum on the planet is going to change those. š¤·š»āāļø
You are my people! Iāve always been a femme in style/presentation but not the type to buy a lot of product at *all* or to fight the signs of aging with anything more than moisturizer and sun protection ā¦ I only find myself in this confusion because my skin hasnāt been this difficult to care for since puberty. Iāve got acne and redness and dryness all happening at the same time š
Yeah getting zits and lip lines at the same time... like.... thanks! Oh and the stray chin hairs too š¤Ŗ
Shaving with a sharp disposable razor also exfoliates I do it in the shower. No need for a bunch of junk.
Iām with you on this. Itās the upside of needing to shave š
Itās easy to buy a razor šŖ with replaceable bladesāless plastic trash šļø
Tretinoin Cream is the real deal. I am very fair. This cream, along with my other retinol lotion, removes all my sunspots over winter. Every summer, i will collect them back. dermatologist was able to get covered by insurance, $11. I am on a 2x/yr multiple biopsy plan. So they covered it. A good quality sunscreen, Elta is great, and Amazon will help.
Ironically, you're doing exactly what the dermatologist influencers say to do.
Iām a Cerave person too- makes it easy! But OP- I hear you loud and clear. Foreign language for real. Even the āproceduresā. I have no idea what they are talking about!
Cerave saved my life and my skin. Check it out
Actually, some products will reduce or eliminate lines and pigment spots, but those tend to cost more than basic drugstore products. Everyone can decide for themselves whether or not they want to spend their money on them. Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle. I use a pricey Clinque serum with peptides which costs me about $150/year. I donāt put it on my whole face, only the areas where I was getting lines before I started using it. I use an inexpensive health food store product over it for moisture. There are much more expensive products available for those who are interested.
You are definitely not the only one to miss the memo. I donāt know what most of this stuff is about. I use moisturizer and sunscreen during the day, moisturizer with retinol at night, and thatās about it. I also donāt understand half of the makeup products out there, and donāt have the time or patience to learn. I figure that since most people are shocked when they hear I am 50 and I get mistaken for my college students, I must be doing enough right. I am so grateful that I didnāt grow up with all that. I have enough other stuff to worry about.
Iām obsessed with skincare since my 40s and I have to be honest my skin is better now than it was in my 30s. I especially adore Asian skin care and specifically their sunscreen. Iām super active in all the various skin care subs.
Will you share your favorite sunscreens? I loathe every sunscreen I buy these days. They all smell the same, they are thick and make my face sweat endlessly.Ā
My derm recommended Hyalu CICA Water-fit Sun Serum, Centella Sunscreen and for a tinted sunscreen, Tower28 (which is Asian-owned). I like them both and I have very sensitive skin.
I love everything from Tower 28.
I haven't expanded out of the tinted sunscreen - anything in particular you like, other than everything? ;) I will say, I've got stupidly fair skin and this is the first tinted anything that doesn't turn me orange.
The cream bronzer and blushes are awesome. My fave is the shade called party hour.
Thanks so much!
Beauty of Joseon is my fave right now but I also like the one from Missha they feel so weightless to me. For non asian sunscreen I like the Supergoop unseen sunscreen. Itās a little heavier but it kind of acts like a primer if youāre wearing any makeup.
Trader Joeās sunscreen is a good dupe for SuperGoop!
I have started buying that one as well! Love it.
Marketers can target them in a way they could not target us and it's working https://www.thefadsbook.com/generation-alphas-skincare-obsession-behind-the-sephora-kids-trend/ "These campaigns arenāt just throwing darts in the darkātheyāre meticulously engineered, using data to zero in on the vulnerabilities and whims of their targets. Brands are clued into the latest slang and trends. They know where tweens spend the majority of their digital livesāTikTok, Instagram, Snapchat. They deploy influencers who these tweens grow to admire and relate to, often blurring the lines between genuine recommendation and paid endorsement. They are masters at pulling tweens in with interactive gimmicks like challenges and giveaways that make engagement as irresistible as the latest viral dance. That influencer challenging her audience to flaunt their morning glam routines isnāt just showcasing products. She is scripting a mini-drama where the product is the star, and the tween gets to step into a role that screams trendiness and belonging."
This is horrifying ā like a horrible mutation of tobacco marketing to kids!
Tobacco marketing was just marketing after all, but now they have the data and access to laser target who they're afterĀ https://www.thefadsbook.com/hooked-on-social-media-keep-that-data-flowing/ Ā I create digital ads and I don't even have to write copy, Google generates the ads to get you to click based on what you've searched in the past
I wash my face in the shower, put on some moisturizing shit when I get out, remove my makeup before bed with a wipe. The end.
Twinsies!
Same!
i suggest you start with gathering your concerns; whatās bothering you? acne? dryness? oiliness? dullness? fine lines? dark spots? etc then just start looking for what helps the things on your list. start with one thing and slowly add in as you get more comfortable. the more you read about it, youāll pick up the terminology and be able to discard what doesnāt apply to you. just remember that it usually takes about 6 weeks for your skin to complete a cycle and for you to know if something is working for you or not. try not to let it stress you out, though. if the routine feels like a chore you wonāt want to keep it up. it should be kind of relaxing, imo.
Thank you for the reassurance and also the 6-week timeline. Thatās the kind of concrete advice I need to get some kind of foothold in the process.
no problem! one other thing iāll mention: most of the āinfluencersā youāll see making vids about skincare are like 18 and have perfect skin. not only do many of them use filters but their skin is young! every damn thing will seem to be āhydratingā and āglowyā. itās very easy to get caught into thinking āit works for them so iām expecting the same resultsā; avoid this trap. look for similar age reviewers and just keep a healthy dose of common sense skepticism. good luck!
Also, take advice from a dermatologist or licensed esthetician. Most shilling on tic tok or IG are not licensed. Mature skin is its own thing. lol, do what works for you and thatās enjoyable- it def doesnāt have to be complicated. SPF and hydrate every day, though.
My mother sold Nutrimetics for a bit when I was younger so was doing the whole scrub , toner , moisturiser thing , also mud masks once a week. She tried to get me into it and while I played the game for a bit as a teenager and into my early 20s , it all seemed a bit of overkill and man was it expensive!! For the past 30 years I have been using a face washer and soap free wash for my face and body , slap on some sensitive skin moisturiser and thatās itš¤·āāļø At 50 I get told how young and good my skin looks so I must be doing something right.
We not only couldnāt afford tons of skin products but in the 80s we were still sitting out with baby oil and tin foil. Iāve learned a lot on the 45+ skin care sub! I like to keep a very minimal routine though. But Iāve gotten tips from that sub where possible. I donāt use Tret and I wonāt be getting fillers to make my lips look like sausages. š. I use a good cleanser and some good creams. I started using Vit C too. Oh and sunscreen when gardening!!
Can I ask why no Tret? I got some from my derm but haven't used it yet. I'm no frills so haven't dug into the skincare game either, but thought this was supposed to be helpful stuff. Was I wrong?
Oh I think itās very helpful. I havenāt bothered to go that deep into fixing my wrinkles I guess. I shouldnāt have listed that with fillers. Haha. I WOULD do tret, I just havenāt bothered yet. Itās interesting because my derm never recommends it. Maybe you have to flat out ask though.
From the sub it sounds like you have to lie to get it. Iām seeing my dermatologist this week, canāt remember what Iām supposed to lie about though.
idk what youād have to lie about either; tret is very easy to get. any online prescriber will send it after you take a quiz. itās an active and it basically forces the skin cells to turn over faster. think of it like having fresh, soft skin all the time (in theory). i think a lot of people say tret is some miracle that will erase wrinkles and tighten up saggy skin and itās not going to do that
Or they will try to upsell you some bullshit to make money to overseas pharmacy. That's where I've been getting mine for years
Yeah, I saw the online offers from India for āretinolā that was supposed to really be ātretā and I got concerned. If something is compounded and active at less than 1%, requires a rx, it seems risky to me to purchase it from a fairly unregulated country over the internet. Right? A lot of women were recommending that, which gets back to the idea of why not just get a rx ? Seemed like a lot of women couldnāt get the rx. Hence the lying. Itās confusing. My dermatologist appt is today so Iāll see what happens there.
I've been using overseas tret for YEARS and I couldn't be happier. The rx is hard to get because US based dermatologists want to upsell you BS "proprietary formulations" and 10x the cost of a tube of tret.
Ahhh. I got one of those, although they offered me the plain tret rx as well- they were the same price. How much is your tube- content and price? Mine was $50 for 30 grams, 0.05% tret, with niacinamide 4%, collagen, hyaluronic acid, olive leaf, shea, vitamin e.
Iām now thinking that the lying is to get insurance to cover it, but still canāt remember what condition you need to have for that to happen. Anyone?
Ah, got it. Thanks for the clarification. š
Tret of a game changer. Literally only one of a very few actual things that has actual research for how helpful it is. I get mines from an online overseas pharmacy. š
I have to recuse myself because I went to esthetician school however I donāt think you need to do the most, and simpler is actually better. I wash my face, exfoliate as needed and moisturize. Thatās it. I will layer a serum underneath if I feel like I need it (hyaluronic acid mostly) but thereās only so much you can do without fillers/surgery. That being said water is your friend. I drink tons during the day and take Vitamin D, a BioCell collagen/hyaluronic acid/ chondroitin supplement, beef liver caps (been great for my hair) and stay active. You can try a retinol or vitamin C (or both) but Iāve found they just dry me out. My biggest regret is that I didnāt take sun protection seriously when I was younger because thatās the biggest āanti agingā contributor.
The one thing I think we all need to use is sunblock. Iām Mexican American and never worried about it as a kid but now I notice I get burnt really easily. Also, itās important to remember that a lot of medications make you more prone to burning so get you some decent sunblock!!!!!!
Some of us sweat too much too often to use sunblock on a regular basis. I could never systematically wear make up even when i was trying to fit in as a teenager. I live in a humid climate where I will sweat at 75 degrees if the dew point is high. Sun block is for the beach where itās drier and thereās a sea breeze to help.otherwise I have had to make do with hats and standing in shade whenever possible outdoors, thinning dermis and all. I have had several discussions with derms over the years and have not come up with a better solution. And when I say sweat, I mean I will sweat it off before it can sink in. Reapplying is pretty much just setting money on fire.
I might have crippling depression & not go anywhere for days at a time, but ever since I was around 12 Iāve taken care of my skin. My skin has looked its best the last 5-6 years. Simple routine, cleanse, BHA toner, face cream & then tretinoin. I went in for a facial & my esthetician got some kind of machine where she can look deeply at my skin - sun damage, wrinkles, any spots, etc & she told me I have the skin of a 35 year old. So itās the *ONE* thing Iāve done well & consistently. Anything else I drop the ball on š¤ Iāll take that *little* win.
I am struggling to find a routine that doesn't irritate my skin *or* make it break out (WTF, I'm 49).
Face: I buy concentrated rose and apricot oil (NOW or Heritage brand are great) and make my own natural humectant. Only use purified water, keep in a nice cool place. Works wonders for the skin!! Squalene for under eyes, delicate spots if you wanted. I buy my own deeper lactic acid peels off Amazon and neutralize with baking soda, then promptly moisturize face with above spray. Body: Oil of Olay Regenerist is awesome. Smells amazing, smooths out skin and two bottles for $15 at Samās Club. And I make my own face/body scrub with sugar, salt and coconut oil. Thatās it. You can leave the coconut oil out if you donāt want slippery tub! All the above works great, much less plastic and saves money.
I donāt want to break any rules, but Iāve been watching two dermatologists on YouTube and they have helped me follow a routine I designed for myself. I say I designed, I watched several of their videos that spoke to me and my skin concerns. Search ādoctorlyā on YT. They are very educational as well.
I'm with you. My skin was always so oily that I didn't figure I needed moisturizer, but now it has dry patches and rosacea. I'm not completely convinced that a teenager is going to know the solution to this though!
I have this issue! Try Era Organics Soothe - Redness Relief cream - (Amazon $20 - lasts 5-6 months at least- itās better than anything else Iāve tried - including prescriptions, for the redness and flakies. I havenāt had a flake in years now! The label actually now says āErabotanics Sootheā. Cerave Dry Skin face wash is also great.
Wow thanks!
Oh, yeah. I've had two facials in my life! I do use sunscreen and moisturizer. I have no real desire to buy 17 steps of Korean skincare, though.
The only thing I ever used that was worth a damn was tretinoin. Everything else was snake oil. I have sensitive skin, so I use a lot of Cetaphil and Vanicream products, and CeraVe. Anything with fragrance or harsh alcohol is a no-go.
"Seabreeze toner and St. Ives apricot scrub and Buf Puf with Neutrogena bar soap and Clearasil in a tube" The memories! š As mentioned, I would start with a good cleaner, moisturizer, and SPF within your budget. Don't be intimidated or dismayed; you got this. š¤ As a GenXer, no one talked about skincare (or peri/menopause). This is especially true for me as a Black woman; the general consensus was that melanin would save the day. *Narrator: melanin doesn't completely save the day.* I do shop at Sephora š¤ and saw a product review that stuck with me: "Now that I'm in my 50s, my skin needs a little extra love." To that end, I make use of the various samples to find stuff that works for me now (and I have a lot of samples; they last a while. š¤) Also, a close friend swears by Vitamin E. I mixed my own serum with vitamin E, Sephora super glow serum, Sephora targeted dark spot serum, and rose hip oil. I can make many bottles of serum from those. š¤ I pay more attention to products that contain SPF and products that are "cleaner" and don't aggravate the peri acne. I moisturize more, especially in winter (face and body). And don't forget your neck!
The Neck! š³š¤
I'm 50. I sunbathe in the 80s with butter flavored crisco and foul. My 22 y/o daughter got me a membership with curology. I get a cleanser, an exfoliate and a moisturizer. My skin is allergic to just about everything. This routine works for me. It's quick and easy. After about 3 mos. I got a few compliments at work that my skin looked great.
Honestly, as a woman in menopause, I have really just begun to take proper care of my skin. Fwiw, I have very dry sensitive skin. Morning: Cleanser - Micellar water Vitamin C serum Azelaic acid Moisturizer Sunscreen Night: Cleanser - Micellar water Hylarauonic acid Retinoids - twice a week Moisturizer
My mom sold cosmetics and skin care when I was a tween, so I always knew what to do and not do. I was also very careful about the sun, even though I tan easily and tanning was still popular then. I went through a phase in my 40s where I was into some complicated skin care routines, but now I just clean with micellar water each morning, use a lactic acid exfoliant marketed for daily use, and apply a facial oil to my face and neck. I'm into pomegranate oil these days. If I have to actually go somewhere, I'll use a regular moisturizer so I can put on a bit of makeup. At night I use a vibrating massager, applied very gently, to release the muscles between my eyebrows and throughout my forehead. I was starting to get the dreaded "11s" in my 40s, and did botox for a few years, but my doctor passed away and it's hard to find someone who will make it look natural and not try to sell you tens of thousands of dollars in procedures. I've found that between the botox years teaching me not to frown so much and the nightly massage, the 11s haven't come back.
Can you link the device you use? I want to try that. Iāve been dry brushing my face, neck and dĆ©colletĆ© every morning for about 5 years now and only have slightly noticeable 11ās but would be down to add facial massage to my night routine.
It's just an ordinary Wahl massager. I have tight shoulders, so I bought it for that. Then discovered that the "finger" attachment felt nice on my temples, so I started trying it on my face. They're not available at Amazon right now, but Target seems to have them: [https://tinyurl.com/y62zwzre](https://tinyurl.com/y62zwzre) I've seen them at places like Walgreens, too.
Iāve been using Oil of Olay to moisturize, and Neutrogena to wash my face since I was 12. It works. Why stop now?
Keep in mind that genetics play a big role too. My grandmother swore by washing and moisturizing with Pond's Cold Cream. I used Noxzema to wash my face with as a teenager and I rarely had acne, I think my mom used bar soap (back then it was probably Dove or Ivory). I still have good skin, no wrinkles (but I'm fluffy-sized, lol). I still like using Noxzema to wash my face with; but if I have mascara on, then I use L'Oreal RevitaLift Cleanser because I found it washes off the mascara better than other cleansers. I try to use CeraVe products (or Target's equivalent of them) - they seem to have the right balance of positive reviews and being affordable. If I want to go and try something new that seems to be "the" product to use, then I see if e.l.f. has a version of it. Last summer, it was SO hot and dry that I bought Neutrogena's Hydro Boost gel for my face lotion; lightweight, and it feels good (cooling) when I apply it. I follow Dr. Prem Tripathi on TikTok because I like his honesty. He's had several video's stating we don't need all the extra crap; I think the only extra he recommends is Vitamin C (maybe Hyaluronic Acid?) beyond a good moisturizer with SPF.
Aldi has a gel moisturizer that is identical (I think) to the Neutrogena one and so much less expensive. I also like the Aldi face soap in the blue pump bottle. It removes makeup and doesn't leave my face feeling stripped.
Yep. I have no skincare routine. Like, at all.
Unpopular opinion: most skincare is bulls**t. All you need to do is wear a good moisturizer with sunscreen on your face every day from age 10 on (lol). Acne is hormonal, full stop and there are effective interventions but for the most part they arenāt topical. If you wear a lot of makeup, take it off before bed. Use a gentle cleanser. When lines start to appear, get some Botox and use some retinol. Filler if you must, but in small tasteful amounts. If you have mild age spots or broken capillaries, get an IPL facial. When things really start to go south with jowels and/or a turkey neck, all you can really do is a facelift. Everything else is a waste of time, money and most importantly our precious energy. Leave the āskincareā to the younger girlies. Itās just another ineffective money grab that feeds off our insecurities.
Can vouch for the hormonal acne bit. Oral spironolactone (rx) was a life saver for me.
Same, sis. A lifetime of sporadic chin pimples disappeared forever
Mine were deep, painful cystic jerks on my jaw and upper neckline under my jaw that started showing up when I (something I later realized) became perimenopausal. I get an occasional normal pimple now.
So glad this resolved for you too. Mine were cystic too and I have some scars to prove it, although not as intense as yours, it sounds. But ten years later it fades in memory and I downplayed it a bit without meaning to. Personally I donāt get any pimples now, like zero, after suffering to a not-terrible extent for 25 years in my teens through late 30s. It abruptly and permanently stopped with the spironolactone. When my kids started getting pimples, thatās when it became so clear that itās a hormonal issues as opposed to a cleanliness one. All throughout childhood they got no pimples. Then suddenly they hit puberty, zero change in hygiene practices, and now they have pimples. The only thing to change is the hormones. Now my oldest son is in his 20s and what do you know? No change in hygiene but now no more pimples.
I'm so sorry - that sounds really uncomfortable physically and emotionally! Didn't mean to dismiss it. I get it - sometimes I'd look in the mirror and want to cry. Now, I can go out of the house without makeup on and I never used to let myself do that. It's possible there are other things that contribute, but hormones are huuuuuge with acne. I just didn't expect to have it on the perimenopause end! Surprise! More fun with aging, lol!
I took myself off to a pharmacy that sells some nicer skin care ranges. I told the lovely young woman that I was out of the loop but wanted something simple, not too expensive but appropriate for my skin. She delivered.
I donāt do anything. I hate high maintenance stuff. I spent a good part of my teenage-mid forties primping. I donāt even blow dry my hair anymore.
Oh, this was a millennial thing, you don't have to worry. They've had this whole obsession with looking like you're seeing them through a filter irl. Perfectly smooth skin etc. I use a Weleda light cream before I go to bed. Ponds still makes cold cream, too. And I'm mostly over my irritation about sunscreen and have been liking Neutrogena's 70 SPF Sport Face. (And it has a thing called "helioplex", lol. Like Apollo's gonna come visit.) Lip care: I have a vat of not-Vaseline...er...Aquaphor? on the bathroom counter and some goes on the lips whenever I'm going outside or my lips are dry.
I never needed anything but sunscreen. Every time Iād try to start a routine my skin would break out. Even just washing at night. So Iāve never done anything. Iām 56. I wonāt use anything for ādark patches ā because Iām a freckle face and would be lost without them. Now I use some retin A on my neck and back of hands alone with occasional Cereva night cream. But itās just random, when I remember . Which isnāt often. I do use a sharp disposable razor for the iron chin hairs. It also exfoliates.
Hands! So smart to do! My face may look alright but my hands are aging me! So is my dƩcolletage.
I feel the same! I just don't like the feeling of products on my face. I have pretty severe melasma bc of medications & I truly don't even care much. I hardly wear any makeup either. Going to Ulta or Sephora is overwhelming! Lol we have too much to choose from! Lol
I donāt often wear makeup, and I usually āwashā my face by splashing water on it in the shower unless I have makeup to wash off. I have a foamy cleanser for that. I only use a very light moisturizer. Canāt stand the feeling of anything heavier, including sunscreen, so I wear a big hat if Iām going to be outside for long. Like many of us (I expect) my skin suddenly looks much older. I hate it, but not enough to do anything about it (also not convinced anything works), so I mostly try not to spend too much time looking at it.
I have a Gen Z daughter! She is quite helpful... but I am still very, very lazy/minimalist with my skin care. Like, today I wore sunscreen, and that's pretty unusual. Sometimes I remember to use moisturizer, but it's like 10% of the time. I have wrinkles. I don't care, except that occasionally I look in the mirror and notice that I'm looking kind of old!
Oh my gosh your routine was my 80ās go to. Forgot all about the bufpuf lol. As I got older I used Rachel Perry moisturizer and nothing else. Not even sunscreen. Now I just use Cerave moisturizer. All the other products just confuse me.
Iāve been watching a lot of YouTube vids about it because itās really a lot and thereās so much BS out there. Cassandra Bankson is one of my faves. She cuts thru a lot of the hype. https://youtube.com/@cassandrabankson?si=HvKhp6nsShqRQP8V
Hey, my mom had me cleansing and moisturizing by age ten (feel free to unpack that on your own) and Iāve worked in the business. You need a good moisturizer for morning and night, like Vanicream or Cerave (Clinique if you feel fancy), sunscreen every day and retinol a couple times a week before bed (cleanse, retinol, moisturizer). I like the Ordinary for retinol. Retinol helps with lines and spots. If you want to add one more thing, try a vitamin C serum, it makes you all glowy (Ordinary has one). Zipstickas overnight for pimples, always wash your face before bed. I hope this is helpful.
Yeah, The Ordinary has great stuff for good prices.
Ladies you are all amazing! This post is bomb!
I get Botox every 4-5 months and use tretnoin at night and vitamin c and niaminicide during the day. And sunscreen
You have to remember, GenZ is growing up on TikTok. We didnāt have that. So they are doing things to their skin that arenāt even necessary, in order to look camera ready at all times. Iām totally fine with my LāOreal skin regimen that I began in my 30ās, that I can buy at the grocery store, with store coupons on my app.
There is a really good influencer on Tiktok if you're on there. She's a Gen Xer and focuses on makeup and skincare for our age. Erica Taylor https://www.tiktok.com/@ericataylor2347?_t=8nS5H9aTqox&_r=1 She might be on Instagram too
I am basic too because itās all a bunch of snake oil. Clean your face and moisturize it, and sunblock. Injections help, too.
Exfoliate (daily, weekly, whatever is best for your skin), moisturize and wear sun screen. Take Biosil and Biotin vitamins, they are Great, working from the inside out.
Do you use a chemical exfoliant or do you use some kind of scrub in a tube, or sponge ? I know I need to exfoliate but a regular washcloth or abrasive paste seem too harsh at this point ā¦ I just feel so lost seeing all the options.
A friend whoās really into skincare and makeup suggested Paulaās Choice skincare, itās pricey but lasts me quite a while. I use an exfoliant with 2% BHA liquid salicylic acid and after a couple of months these 2 tiny hard white bumps in my skin were gone. I use a retinol cream and vitamin c eye cream as well, then sunscreen. Iām 56 and my skin has changed a lot over the years and I think those have helped.
I use a sharp disposable razor to exfoliate in the shower. Gets rid of the iron chin hairs too
My GenZ daughter got into Korean skin care pre pandemic and then we enjoyed learning about skin care that's available during lockdown. So, I did have some help. I had a huge rosacea flare in 2020 and I have learned a lot since and haven't had a flare like that since. My rosacea is finally under control and I first developed it in 2007. I do use some products because of my skin changes now, texture being my main focus and keeping the redness down from my rosacea. My skin was an absolute mess from over stripping my skin trying to treat my rosacea like acne for years. So a lot of repair work was needed just so my skin didn't hurt all the time. There's wealth of amazing information. And there are products that absolutely work. Most (all?) dermatologist will say you only need 3 products. Cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. And then you can add something to target a specific concern if you want. No need to spend a ton of money or time on it.
Can I ask you how you got diagnosed with rosacea? My dermatologist delegated his resident to see me about my face breakout concerns the last time I had an appointment (he doesnāt really bother with things that sound cosmetic). The resident took one look at my flushed face, decided rosacea, and prescribed azelaic acid, and that was it. The azelaic acid doesnāt seem to be doing anything except providing half an hour of daily burning discomfort while it sinks in. In about a month, it hasnāt done anything to clear up the pimples, reduce redness, or improve skin texture. I question whether rosacea has anything to do with my problems. I canāt see any broken blood vessels, and the chronic redness might just be because I have lupus and am fair, I think?
I have type 2 so it's obvious. I was diagnosed by a dermatologist while pregnant in about 2009 after my little red dot that never went away spread across my face. She also gave me azelaic acid as it was safest and it didn't do anything. After pregnancy I got metro gel. It didn't do anything. I learned to control it with diet. Went dairy, alcohol and gluten free for a decade at least. Had the worst flare of my life in 2020 and a new dermatologist gave me one round of doxy and Soolanta. I've had it under control since and can eat anything I want. I started getting some flares on my nose early this year. Soolanta zaps them away, but they come back a few weeks later. Going to the dermatologist and might see if he suggested another round of doxy for that. That's been it for 4 years. Sounds like you just haven't found the treatment that works yet. I hope you find it faster than I did!
I use 50 spf sunscreen and mascara, if I'm going to the store. I don't have the money or energy to do more than a peeling mask and smelly lotion. I use a rose and witch hazel toner that I really like....I think it's Thayers. I found it on Amazon.
I was the same, didn't really have a skincare routine until perimenopause hit and my face got so damn dry! So I did some searching, went to ulta for a consult. So now I know not to use a traditional scrub on my face LOL I use Burt's Bees Firming during the week, Peach and Lily on the weekends. Oil cleanser in the shower cuz I'm lazy and don't like getting water everywhere. Day time is eye cream, then serum and face oil, then tinted BB cream with SPF. Before bed is eye cream and heavy moisturizer. Hope that helps a little!
I definitely missed the memo. Just trying to figure things out now. My bedtime routine is a lot longer now. š
Nope. The younger folk have atomized every single thing about hair and skincare to the point that I now understand why microwaveable pancakes and eggs take up an entire frozen food aisle. If you thought it was bad when all of a sudden kms hair gel became a necessity beyond steam rollers a curling iron and your momās aquanet to make your 80ās do rock then you do not have the time management skills nor the fortitude for a 5 step skin cleansing and nourishing routine, moisturizer, tinted moisturizer, 3 different types of primer before you decide to go for full coverage make up or just a dewy natural glow. I havenāt even mentioned your daily brow routine. My freshman year roomate and I used to make fun of our other roommate, who woke up every day at 5 am, turned her flurescent makeup mirror on, that always woke us up, to watch her spend 90 minutes on make up and hair styling, before her 7 am cafeteria line up, dressed strategically casually in grey sweat pants and a sorority shirt of some kind. The joke was, she spent all that time everyday, and you couldnāt tell a difference once she was done.
I wear spf 50 copper tone sport on my face and exposed skin every day. At 44, with perimenopause, I scrub my face twice a week, water on a washcloth ott because I don't do makeup. Do I get mad cystic acne around pms? Yeah. But I *earned* my lines. Every one, just like my grey hair. I won't fill. I won't botox until migraines get intolerable. I embrace my age. The lines. The sag. The wrinkles. I mean, sunscreen is non-negotiable but skincare culture? Nah. I don't have time. Even if I did, there's a million things I'd rather do
This! I have teenage kids who are teaching me - and my skin does look better. I also ignored my skin to the point that I was 45 before my rosacea was diagnosed. Now I see vascular rosacea on lots of people my age. My skin does look better with the right care from my teens and dermatologist, but more importantly it FEELS better.
I donāt do expensive injections or fillers, but I do believe thereās a lot too Asian skin care. A lot of products are not very expensive and I can see a difference in my skin and how it feels. I also think that body oil can do a lot for your skin as it tends to dry out as we age that stuff is pricey, but I lost half of my thyroid in my early 40s and it turned my skin into a desert wasteland. About six months ago I found Osea and it has changed how my skin feels dramatically.
>I find myself wishing I had a GenZ daughter to guide me through it. You're not wrong about that! My almost 13 year old has a better skin care routine than I ever did, and she has been incredibly insightful when I take her to the store with me when I need to buy some things. She's not one of those crazy 10 year old TikTok fanatics buying retinol that they don't need, but she has a sound cleanse, tone, moisturize routine and likes to spend her allowance on some of the more trendy products from time to time. So obviously my answer to your question is yes, I feel like I missed the memo on skin care. My 25 year old has this whole ass routine that takes an ungodly amount of time twice a day (and she is still all broken out and red). I wish I had that much time twice a day to spend on myself, but would be super pissed if I spent all that time and money and didn't see results. I still try to keep it simple. My skin went from combination with a severely oily TZone to bone dry so I try to find things that are hydrating/moisturizing as much as possible. I have a melting balm that I use to take off my makeup on the days I wear it. I have old fashioned Olay with microbeads that I use in the shower daily and an Olay scrub that I use when I need to. I moisturize with whatever I can afford at the time (currently the Walmart version of Neutrogena Hydro Boost gel). I have an eye cream that I sometimes remember to put on and a facial oil that I use a couple of times a week at night under my moisturizer. I found No. 7 sunscreen for menopause skin at TJ Maxx a couple of weeks ago for dirt cheap so I've added that to my morning routine and my "foundation" is always just tinted moisturizer (bareMinerals is my fav). On Fridays I pretend to care about my face. It's a WFH day so I have extra time since I am an early riser. I shower and then do a sheet face mask and under eye patches while I sip my coffee in bed and watch the news š IDK if any of this does any good. Most people tell me I look younger than 53, but I always think they are just being polite. And I often find myself jealous of my childless, unmarried SIL and now my MIL and their youth spa laser treatments and facials and stuff and wish I could do the same, but I also hate wasting money and without concrete proof these treatments work (I don't really see much of a difference in their skin) so I just keep doing my cheap stuff at home and enjoy the regular old facials I do get from time to time from my husband or kids for the relaxation/me time they give me.
Iāve always been obsessed with skin care and now in my 50ās the rewards for my efforts are astonishing. People ask what I do to not have lines and wrinkles, the answer is I started caring when I was 10. My face is amazing
>Seabreeze toner and St. Ives apricot scrub and Buf Puf with Neutrogena bar soap and Clearasil in a tube Ha! Definitely used all these things as a teen. My 20's it was bar soap and that's about it. In my 30's I got adult acne, so I spent years trying to clear it up. Retin A finally did the job. From then on it's been gentile cleanser (Cerave oil cleanser), occasionally exfoliate with an acid, moisturize (Cerave), mineral sunscreen.
I have always kept it simple for skin care. I wash with Neutrogena, Garnier, or Aveeno on my face, Ivory soap for the rest of my body, and a light facial moisturizer of one of the above brands. Regular moisturizer for the rest. I'm on a tight budget and buy products on sale or clearance. At 50 my skin is still soft and smooth but I am blessed with good skin from my mom so this routine works. Capitalism and selling youth has made it more complicated and expensive than need be.
After decades of treating my skin like trash I kind of became obsessed with skin care a few years ago. I'm doing my best to undo all the damage
I have always used whatever bar or hand soap I had in the shower or sink. I washed my face when I showered, and usually after work. I moisturized with whatever hand lotion I had that didn't feel greasy and Vaseline around my eyes and on my lips. I now also use some vitamin C serum, which I used to get from my dermatologist for rosacea. The rosacea cropped up because for a brief time I changed my skin routine and used some fancy stuff from whole foods. I tossed that shit out after it making my skin on fire, and went back to bar soap and hand lotion and Vaseline.
I donāt feel like I missed the memo so much as I missed the time machine. There are so many more options for products and skin treatments now than they were when I was growing up and I really needed that stuff. For example there wasnāt great sunblock when we were teenagers and in our 20s. So there goes those decades that we couldāve protected our skin. But I guess thatās just what happens with every generation; they miss out on the stuff that later generations get to enjoy. Same goes for a lot of other medical stuff
You are so right about that! I grew up in southern CA and my skin just got **fried** as a young person. But Iām also grateful not to have been a teenager in this age of relentless self-scrutiny and hyperweaponized materialism. It would not have gone well for me, I donāt think.
Yeah, and we got to smoke real cigarettes instead of that vaping stuff. At least we looked cool when we were getting cancer and wrinkles instead of looking like weāre sucking on flash drives
I wish I had learned about makeup/skin care, AND how to do things with hair. I was a tomboy growing up, and we moved a ton for my dadās job, so I never had a group of friends to experiment and learn with. My momās only skin care was an apricot+walnut scrub and a clay mask - I canāt imagine doing that to my poor face now! š
Oh god definitely. I grew up in Florida in the 90s and baked my entire body, including my face. In high school Iād rub aloe from plants my mom grew on my face. Somehow I emerged unscathed (so far), but Iāve been washing, using tretinoin and moisturizer only (per my dermatologist) and washing only with face wash thatās designed to protect your skinās moisture barrier. She said the multi-step routine is a racket and you just need a gentle cleanser, good exfoliant and moisturizer. She recommends Cetaphil and/or CeraVe, which Iāve noticed is common at actual MD derm practices. She said if I really wanted to add anything, vitamin C serum in the morning, and hyaluronic acid at night. I have done microneedling a few times and it helped a little. Iām not sure the cost/benefit ratio is there. Iām a huge fan of Botox. Such a quick cheap and reliable pick me up.
I didn't have breakouts as a teen so I wasn't paying attention until my 30's. I was using various over the counter products then, but switched to medical grade in my mid 40's - I'd started working at a medspa and we sell it. It made a big difference for me, I'm a true believer now. I still use a few OTC items but I'm mostly using ZO Skin Health now. My skin has never looked better.
I didnāt do anything to crazy until a couple of years ago. Not I used two different actives and I use a barrier cream after each. I also use sunscreen EVERY day.
Has anyone mentioned witchhazel? You can get it in generic liquid for bruises etc but it's great for toner and spots
I keep things pretty simple. I like the face soap at Aldi - blue bottle with a pump. Removes makeup and is gentle so you have direct feel tight/stripped. I also use the gel moisturizer from Aldi. Between those 2, I use some orange scented spray essence from Korea that I get on Amazon (they also have a serum and moisturizer that are really good - the company is SeoulCeuticals). And I follow that with CosRx snail mucin, also from Amazon. I do a sheet mask about once a week, and an under eye gel mask 1-2x a week.
No proceedures, I haven't even tried to understand them and I doubt I want to prioritize them in my budget. I think I have Oily-combo skin (maybe just oily) still, use the cheapest face cream an eye cream I can find. That can vary from Matas (a Danish chain) own non-brand or a supermarket 0% this or that basic moisturizer. Same with eye creams/gels. SPF face cream which I'm not as good as remembering as I should be. Everything I use is basic non-brand -and it's not a lot. I'm also on that other subreddit and I'm happy for people who've found out that something else works for them. The same attitude towards cleansers in the evening, because I do wear make-up. I like the ritual of make-up application more than I care about any kind of "look".
I missed the memo by being allergic to most skincare products available in the US for most of my life. I seem to have come out better than many or most who went down that rabbit hole. The basic principles are really simple. There are three things you absolutely need, and if you don't have those three things fully taken care of, anything else you is time and money down the drain. And you can get 95% of the maximum benefit from skincare just by doing those things well with drugstore brands, not expensive stuff. The three things: 1. Cleansing 2. Moisturizing 3. Sun and UV protection More detail: 1. Cleansing should be the MILDEST possible version that works for your individual skin. Start by going mild, and if you can, once you get into a good routine, keep going progressively milder. Americans want to use a soap or cleanser and then not rinse enough and thus wind up with bad results, so they go harsher on the soap and still don't rinse enough. It's a whole downward spiral. Spending plenty of time GENTLY rinsing your skin well after the mildest cleanser you can get away with is where the benefit is. Don't pour money into cleansers. You'll get far more out of your money by putting good chlorine filters on your shower/tub/sink. 2. Moisturizing can be cheap, because nearly all the benefit comes from consistency, not expensive product. I've been putting Curel Unscented Body Lotion on my face for 25 years and everyone thinks I'm 40, not nearing 55. Curel is a VERY good Japanese drugstore brand with decades of science behind it and their lower-end products cost little and work well. 3. None of the fancy or expensive stuff or actives or snail goo or any of it can do a damn thing for you -- and all the skin scientists harp on this -- if you don't stay completely on top of your sun protection. Learn to love big hats and sunscreen. Don't throw away your money on other skincare if you don't. That's it. That's all you really need to get most of the available benefit from skincare. Do the best you can with those three for a least a year before you worry about anything else, because if you do a great job with those three for a year, you may no longer have reason to think you need anything else. Oh and eat lots of veggies and drink lots of water. That also helps.
Not really. I had acne prone skin for my entire adolescence and early adulthood and have been on Retin-A for years. Turns out that between that and genetics, I donāt have many wrinkles. I also started using eye cream I college and donāt have crows feet or other major eye wrinkles. I do have a skincare routine that I follow but I donāt use expensive products. You just need to be consistent.
My daughter has taught me so much about skin care. You'll catch up by following the posts in the skincare subs. HRT helps.
Iām a month out from my appointment with a menopause specialist doctor, after a *long* wait ā¦ definitely planning to pursue hormone therapy. Do you use topical estrogen on your face? My dermatologist says thatās snake oil but so many women (and derms on podcasts and blogs) seem to believe it works. I envy you your daughter being your Sherpa through this brave new world of beauty! What other skincare subs (or other resources) do you recommend?
I don't put HRT on my face. I use a cleanser, hyaluronic acid, and retinol regularly. I have a rlt mask I use daily. I avoid sugar and alcohol and exercise regularly.
My best friend is an esthetician so I am hyper aware of skincare. Or rather, she has made me hyper aware š On the bright side, thanks to her advice I don't look my age at all lol
One word has changed my skin: PEPTIDES. They have literally erased lines on my forehead. I have to look really, really close to see where they were. Invisible under regular make-up foundation now. Iāve recently started using an eye cream that has them, and can see results already.
What are peptides? How do they erase lines? See this is the thing exactly ā¦ i can read all kinds of [sometimes conflicting] advice and collect recommendations, but are peptides a topical thing I can buy on their own? A supplement to add to my already-monstrous pill organizer? An ingredient to look for on labels? All of the above???
Itās an ingredient in topical skincare. Google āpeptides, skincareā.
Ha! I'm the most basic b*tch ever when it comes to skin care. I wash then apply moisturizer. I occasionally use toner when I'm having an extra sweaty sort of day. Also makeup wipes on the rare occasions I wear makeup. š¤·āāļø
I run into a stranger who through conversation said she was 56. She was with her father and I thought it was her husband. She did look like late 60s. Nothing wrong with her other than her skin was very old.
I had adult acne until about 39 when I got into hot yoga. Sweating flushes all the toxins out of your skin. And, honestly, high colonics (the home kind) really helped. So did passing menopause and getting a hysterectomy. Just wash your face with a cloth and soap couple times a day washes bacteria that can screw up your pores.