from perfume today.
Happy Easter.
Very cold this morning. Cold yesterday. Winds to make you mad. All supposed to shift from today. I’m in Clinique Aromatics Elixir because it fits Mother Nature’s fickle mood.
I should be thankful it’s due to get a bit warmer. Instead, I’m just impatient. I like to think of myself as capable of great stillness and patience but not right now. I’m just twitchy.
Anyway, my twitichiness has led me to thinking about my skincare routine. In general I like it. My skin seems reasonably happy even though the central heating still comes on for part of each day, drying things out.
I have a good mild cleanser, a lovely hyaluronic acid serum that doesn’t cost the earth, a couple of nice day creams (one with vitamin C), and a lovely, rich night cream. Oh, and good high SPF.
I no longer do oils as they seem to clog my pores (I’m sure you wanted to know that).
So, where is this going?
Well, I would like to know what you are doing with your skin. The same routine for years or do you chop and change with frequency? Is it different winter vs summer?
Which products do you love and buy over and over? What new things have you discovered? Do you have one or two hero products?
I just need some new ideas – some different paths to go down. Particularly with regard to sun/dark spot care.
Maybe I’ll end up returning to what I’ve been doing but it’s time for a bit of a digression.
Pics: mine and pexels
I make my own face oil : Dr Adorable Papaya Oil ( great for Of Color skin, with a few drops of carrot seed oil and Vitamin C atop that. Hyuralonic serum at night. Followed by Vanicream. Seems to be working well
Oils and my skin do not get along. Yes, I know there are oils in creams but that seems to work ok.
I’m over 60. My daily ‘go to’ things are simple. #1. I exfoliate my face 2X per week in the shower with a ‘Japanese’ wash cloth-it’s a nylon-ish cloth I use with Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleansing Gel. #2. While my face is still damp after washing/showering, I apply The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum. #3. Over that, while still damp, I apply L’Oreal Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition creme which is a great dupe for the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base and a helluva lot cheaper. That’s it. I rarely wear makeup (work remotely). At night, I use the Neutrogena gel to wash my face and again, apply The Ordinary serum and a bit ( a little is really ALL you need) of #4. The Ordinary argan oil to areas that get really dry. If I am especially dry, I use the L’Oreal again on the very dry areas AFTER the argan oil. If I wear any eye make up, I take it off with Simple Micellar Water. Been doing this for ages and I still get compliments on my skin.
Oh! Forgot! Anything with kojic acid in it is great for dark spots. I think the last thing I used, a long time ago was Skinceuticals Discoloration Defense. It’s $$$ ($115) but it eradicated a quarter sized dark spot on my left cheekbone and the spot never came back.
Thank you!!! I will try kojic acid. It’s one of the few things I haven’t tried and I’ve tried a lot. I have some big spots on my arms that I would really like to get rid of.
How are you doing? I hope life is treating you kindly.
If you mean me, Maya, life has not been very kind lately. FYI-if you do get something w/kojic acid, make sure it has a high percentage and be warned-the spots will look worse before they look better. In my case, the dark spot turned darker, the treated area got brown and rough, but then that gradually sloughed off to reveal a new, pink, clear patch of skin where the dark spot had been. Took about a month all told.
Thank you for the info. It’s good to know that it would be worth the wait. I can do that.
Yes, I meant you. Go to youtube Jimmy Cliff Better Days are Coming (Croonedaway). It brightens things for me for a while. Jimmy Cliff did the song in Jamaica in the 1970’s when things were really bad there. Croonedaway’s channel shows a bunch of clips in England – definitely from some time ago that are a lot of fun. Might make you smile.
Thanks, Maya! I’ll listen to it on repeat.
: )
🙂
Will look this up. My skin doesn’t like retinoids.
I live somewhere that is stupid humid so getting too dry except when spending too much time in central heating isn’t really an issue. I do layering too — different things at morning vs night.
Yeah I’m afraid I am not much good on the skin care advice, but I will be reading avidly..
I’ve come to enjoy skincare almost as much as perfume.
My requirements: vitamin C, retinaldehyde (milder than retinoids, more effective than retinols), ceramides/peptides, and SPF50. I use several products from The Ordinary and Prequel, plus K beauty. And it’s dry as hell here so there’s a lot of moisturizing layers.
I’ve tried peptides and my skin goes ‘why, what did you want to do that for?’ I have no idea why. Indeed, we have opposite issue to you with regard to dry atmosphere — we get 40% more rain than London.
I’ve used several different things through the last six years. Used a lot of Trinny London (high quality ingredients, nice colorful packaging, but pricy, and now being hit with tariffs here in US) so I recently switched it all up to a K-beauty brand Innisfree. I use the hyaluronic green tea lotion, night cream, cleanser, and an spf. Additionally, I’ve been using Timeless 20% vitamin c serum for many years. I also have some hyperpigmentation spots, and nothing has budged them. Not hydroquinone, not retinol, not IPL. So I’m resigned to just leave them alone.
I love K beauty — waiting on my Stylevana order for sunscreen and various other items.
I have a Trinny eye shadow I really like. Not tried her skincare. Will have a look.
I love the TL eyeshadow and have several of them. My favorite skin care products of hers were the cleansers and Plump Up hyaluronic serum. You can do a Match2Me test on her website, and it will give you your skincare regimen.
I chop & change Willy nilly.
Inkey List, Beauty Pie & The Ordinary all go through being used. This winter I’ve been using Boots No7 Future Renew. It’s been a revelation! The day cream SPF40 is enough for winter as I’m lavish with it & don’t like too many layers. The Night Serum is enough with my prescription tretinoin from Renew & Me.
When the weather warms up I’ll use up all my Clinique Moisture Surge range & a stand alone SPF 50
One day I’ll try Beauty Pie. It looks so tempting — and so much fun.
The fragrances are terrible imo. The skincare is excellent & the cosmetics are generally good. Eyeliners, eyeshadow sticks & lip liners are fantastic
You smell fabulous Cinnamon, can’t go wrong with Aromatics Elixir.
Sorry, can’t help with the skincare.
Portia xx
Every time I put AE on I’m bowled over.