Emmeke Emmeke
2 years ago

Trying to find a routine for aging skin with dry patches and fine lines

Hello! About one month ago I asked for your opinion about the skincare routine at that time, which included a lot (way too much actualy!) exfoliating. I had irritated skin, skipped some products for two weeks after your very helpful advice and sticked to only moisturizer and cleanser. The irritation is gone, I incorporated again Vitamin C and a niacinamide serum and twice a week a retinol product, but somehow my skin is not quite happy. In the morning it can feel a little dry, especialy around my mouth, but a little oily around my nose. And I don't now if it is my imagination but it seems my (enlarged) pores and fine lines look more visible lately and in general my skin looks a little dull in my opinion. Can you please advice me one more time? Thank you <3

A bit extra information: I am in my mid fifties, originally from Northern Europe, but I live now in a mediterranean country with lots of sunshine throughout the year, have fair to medium skin. Addition to my routine: every day I add rosehip oil from The Ordinary as a last step of my PM routine.

Every day as a last step of my PM routine I add The Ordinary Rosehip oil.
AM - Everyday
1
Hydrating Facial Cleanser CeraVe - Hydrating Facial Cleanser
2
Minéral 89 Probiotic Fractions Recovery Serum for Stressed Skin with 4% Niacinamide Vichy - Minéral 89 Probiotic Fractions Recovery Serum for Stressed Skin with 4% Niacinamide
3
C-Firma™ Fresh Day Serum Drunk Elephant - C-Firma™ Fresh Day Serum
4
Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 Paula's choice - Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50
5
Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defence SPF 30 Drunk Elephant - Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defence SPF 30
PM - Everyday
1
Rosehip Cleansing Oil Q+A - Rosehip Cleansing Oil
2
Minéral 89 Probiotic Fractions Recovery Serum for Stressed Skin with 4% Niacinamide Vichy - Minéral 89 Probiotic Fractions Recovery Serum for Stressed Skin with 4% Niacinamide
3
Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer with Ceramides Drunk Elephant - Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer with Ceramides
PM - Twice a week
1
Redermic [R] Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Treatment La Roche-Posay - Redermic [R] Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Treatment
Dry skin Wrinkles & elasticity loss Uneven skin tone
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Great news on the irritation! Three thoughts on the more recent developments.

One, I would recommend a double cleanse in the evening, particularly if you're using sunscreen or make up during the day. You could use the same Cerave cleanser.

Two, skin cells turn over slower with age. Where a baby's skin would have new cells in 2 weeks, an adult in their 50s would take about 7 weeks. So it may just be a case of having to wait a bit longer to see results, particularly if you've had a compromised skin barrier recently.

Three, if your skin continues to be dry, you could also try a moisturiser based on occlusives rather than the Glycerin-based Paula's Choice one. But I'd wait a while before doing that.

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Thank you very much for your reply! So I have to wait a little more and be patient.

A moisturizer based on occlusives sounds too heavy for me. Although I notice that in cooler weather the Paula's Choice moisturizer isn't that sufficient enough anymore, I am hesitating to use a heavier one. I don't like the greasy or thicker feeling that much (I tried a few before). For quite some time now I am struggling to find a nice one and since there is so much out on the market, I find it sometimes confusing and also difficult to find good products that work for me. That's why I am hapy to have found this community! <3

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I don’t think you need two products with SPF

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I would look into Skin Cycling on YouTube. watch some videos by dermatologists since they explain it pretty well. It helps with maximizing ingredients without over-doing it. I also posted my routine on my profile if you wanted to see. Your products look good tho!

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I am going to have a look. Thank you!

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I'd recommend to skip the morning cleanse. You can take a look at WIMJ cleansing guide: https://whatsinmyjar.com/skin-concerns/all-about-cleansing-wimj-cleansing-guide. Cleansing gently and not too much is one of the most important things to avoid irritations and increase tolerance to actives.

I'd dial back the Vitamin C serum: for example, use it every other day and add a bit of extra moisturization to the areas where you feel most dry. It could be a simple fragrance-free vaseline as the last step in the PM routine, or a balm like this: https://whatsinmyjar.com/product/la-roche-posay-cicaplast-baume-b5-for-dry-skin-irritations.

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I feel like I have a bunch of Personal Skincare Assistants backing me up! It is all very helpful in finding a solid routine. Based on what you write, Maria, and after reading the cleansing guide, I skip the morning cleanse and stick to just one cleanser (the CeraVe one) in the PM routine. So no double cleansing anymore. Saves time & money 🤗

The vitamin C also every other day. I try to find a good moisturiser. I like DE’s Lala Retro which I am using now, but it’s a tad on the pricey side. I will have a look at the dupes! We’re getting somewhere 😀❤️

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