Skin care 101
August 8, 2022 11:34 AM Subscribe
I'm in my mid forties and I barely use anything on my skin except moisturiser. I feel I need to up my game, particularly as pigmentation is starting to be a thing. No idea where to start, though, and I'm overwhelmed by options. Can you help get me started? What one or two things should I prioritise?
- If you think I should see a professional, how do I find a good one?
- I'm in Europe
- I'm half Asian, if that makes a difference
- If you think I should see a professional, how do I find a good one?
- I'm in Europe
- I'm half Asian, if that makes a difference
Do you wear an SPF every day? That's the single biggest thing you can do for your skin.
posted by cakelite at 12:18 PM on August 8, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by cakelite at 12:18 PM on August 8, 2022 [8 favorites]
Response by poster: Do you wear an SPF every day?
I do.
posted by Omnomnom at 12:25 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
I do.
posted by Omnomnom at 12:25 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
I was recently in your position, and found a couple of dermatologists' YouTube channels to be very helpful in sifting the wheat from the chaff. I remain on alert for potential industry/sponsor bias, but they are pretty good about revealing their influences. They are both US-based, but Dr. Dray, at least, often discusses non-US products.
Like the above commenters, I have settled on a vitamin C serum in the morning and retinol in the evening, based on the info I've gleaned from these channels.
Dr. Dray
The Budget Dermatologist
posted by tentacle at 1:05 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
Like the above commenters, I have settled on a vitamin C serum in the morning and retinol in the evening, based on the info I've gleaned from these channels.
Dr. Dray
The Budget Dermatologist
posted by tentacle at 1:05 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm half-Asian too. I find that a lot of products are really harsh on my skin, so I do try to order Korean or Japanese beauty products which are gentler. Brands like Cosrx and Hada Labo are affordable and have been pretty easy for me to acquire online (I'm in Canada though, fwiw).
There are a couple of things that have really transformed my (extremely finnicky) skin, but the most important has been the "double-cleanse" (a mainstay in the Asian skincare space). I cleanse with an oil-based cleanser first and then a light cleanser (what you'd more traditionally consider as a cleanser, like foaming or milky) second. The reasoning behind this is that a lot of products, like sunscreen, are oil-soluble so it's more effective to cleanse with an oil first. Then you wash away the oil with a more traditional cleanser. I also agree with the others that a vitamin C serum + retinol would probably be good picks for your skin as well.
posted by thebots at 1:23 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
There are a couple of things that have really transformed my (extremely finnicky) skin, but the most important has been the "double-cleanse" (a mainstay in the Asian skincare space). I cleanse with an oil-based cleanser first and then a light cleanser (what you'd more traditionally consider as a cleanser, like foaming or milky) second. The reasoning behind this is that a lot of products, like sunscreen, are oil-soluble so it's more effective to cleanse with an oil first. Then you wash away the oil with a more traditional cleanser. I also agree with the others that a vitamin C serum + retinol would probably be good picks for your skin as well.
posted by thebots at 1:23 PM on August 8, 2022 [2 favorites]
Some active ingredients to look for: retinol/retinoids, vitamin C (both mentioned before), niacinamide, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). Some ingredients that may help hyperpigmentation specifically: hydroquinone, arbutin, licorice root extract, kojic acid, transexamic acid, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), azelaic acid… Lots of others out there that may or may not do anything. The Ordinary is a brand to look for that has effective ingredients at an affordable price but it’s not very luxurious, other brands may be gentler on your skin or feel better or what have you. I’ve found /r/skincareaddiction helpful in the past but the quality has gone down. Looking through posts there may still help though.
posted by music for skeletons at 2:21 PM on August 8, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by music for skeletons at 2:21 PM on August 8, 2022 [5 favorites]
I am here to recommend Dr. Shereene Idriss. She busts a lot of skincare myths (hello hyaluronic acid), and also recommends what active ingredients actually are worth it and work.
posted by nanook at 2:31 PM on August 8, 2022
posted by nanook at 2:31 PM on August 8, 2022
I haven't found a new one since my old one moved out of town, but my old dermatologist was GREAT at that sort of thing (and always sent me home with a bog bag of samples).
(NB: I do not know how it works in Europe [presumably better] but my US insurance only paid for the regular dermatologist visits because I was already seeing them for psoriasis and contact dermatitis.)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:58 PM on August 8, 2022
(NB: I do not know how it works in Europe [presumably better] but my US insurance only paid for the regular dermatologist visits because I was already seeing them for psoriasis and contact dermatitis.)
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:58 PM on August 8, 2022
Like thebotssaid, Korean and Japanese products have done wonders for me.I live in US and I bought The case full of Seoul from Costco few years back.I can’t tell you how much it helped transform my skin.I had lot of pigmentation from my twenties and they are almost gone.They don’t sell those in a set anymore but they are available in Amazon.It guides you through your skincare routine.I followed that routine religiously and I saw big improvements within a week.check out the review..
I love this rice cleanser.I still use them.
if you can’t get them, you can follow the same routine with different products .I am doing the same now as I can’t find them anymore.btw,another Asian here.
posted by SunPower at 5:18 PM on August 8, 2022
I love this rice cleanser.I still use them.
if you can’t get them, you can follow the same routine with different products .I am doing the same now as I can’t find them anymore.btw,another Asian here.
posted by SunPower at 5:18 PM on August 8, 2022
the consumer side is pretty well-covered, but i'll probably do a second comment once i have another think about it. for now though, since you indicate an openness to see professionals as well, i would support any plan to start a maintenance regime that includes regular facials (once a month is okay already even if there's a preference for one every 3 months). much of the active ingredients mentioned already should also be something you're on the lookout for.
However, the big plus for facials is the different delivery mechanisms for the various solutions. These days it can be a real blurry line with that and surgical treatments, so the first thing to look for is dermatologist certification the moment you're looking into treatments that includes subdermal injections (e.g. those plasma reinsertion stuff, or 'vampire facials'). But before crossing that line, facials are great for deeper deliveries of serums and more extensive exfoliation/rejuvenation processes. At the very least I recommend any basic facial that includes 'extraction', which is a manual/mechanical clearing out of your pores of white/blackheads. More thorough types includes vacuum suction or microdermabrasion.
Consumer-level exfoliants can pair well with regular facials, but if you do have facials, you can also be a little lax with that bit at-home, while maintaining your other moisturization routines. I just realized I didn't explain why this is important, but basically you're at the age your cell turnover rate slows down, so this helps to boost the skin's performance for a bit. If you're exploring retinols and vitC to begin with, a well-prepped skin at this age should include one that's gone through an exfoliation step anyway, or else much of the product won't go too deep.
But of course, that said, much of this doesn't last very long (especially serums especially in terms of anti-aging and/or hydration), but the cell turnover bit I'm quite keen on, and this part really does help the uptake of everything else in the routine.
posted by cendawanita at 1:29 AM on August 9, 2022
However, the big plus for facials is the different delivery mechanisms for the various solutions. These days it can be a real blurry line with that and surgical treatments, so the first thing to look for is dermatologist certification the moment you're looking into treatments that includes subdermal injections (e.g. those plasma reinsertion stuff, or 'vampire facials'). But before crossing that line, facials are great for deeper deliveries of serums and more extensive exfoliation/rejuvenation processes. At the very least I recommend any basic facial that includes 'extraction', which is a manual/mechanical clearing out of your pores of white/blackheads. More thorough types includes vacuum suction or microdermabrasion.
Consumer-level exfoliants can pair well with regular facials, but if you do have facials, you can also be a little lax with that bit at-home, while maintaining your other moisturization routines. I just realized I didn't explain why this is important, but basically you're at the age your cell turnover rate slows down, so this helps to boost the skin's performance for a bit. If you're exploring retinols and vitC to begin with, a well-prepped skin at this age should include one that's gone through an exfoliation step anyway, or else much of the product won't go too deep.
But of course, that said, much of this doesn't last very long (especially serums especially in terms of anti-aging and/or hydration), but the cell turnover bit I'm quite keen on, and this part really does help the uptake of everything else in the routine.
posted by cendawanita at 1:29 AM on August 9, 2022
This cheat sheet on how to build a skincare routine from Caroline Hirons is really good place to start, can't really recommend her cheat sheets enough in general.
posted by Adifferentbear at 3:59 AM on August 9, 2022
posted by Adifferentbear at 3:59 AM on August 9, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by heavenknows at 12:15 PM on August 8, 2022 [1 favorite]