I decided to write about skin care after talking with a couple of friends about our own routines and our skin issues. There is so much information out there and it can sometimes be hard to know what to do or not to do. This is my attempt to bring a little clarity to this issue for those of us with mature skin.
I find the term “anti-aging” to be rude and quite frankly silly. If you’re not aging, then you’re dead. Because we will all leave this earth one day, there is no reason to fight what comes naturally. However, we also don’t have to put up with not being happy with some of the things that happen to us as we’re aging. Often, our skin changes as we get older; sometimes for the better and sometimes not. One of the things many women complain about is dull, lackluster skin and dryness.
Technology has found its way into skincare. There are a variety of devices on the market to help your skin or deliver the product more efficiently. That’s another post for another day. Science is now a huge part of skin care as well. Your skin care regime can be a simple or complicated as you want it to be. It can also be as expensive or budget friendly as you choose. There are so many products that target so many different skin issues that there is no reason to suffer from bad skin. You may have to do some trial and error to find what works (or doesn’t) for you.
Below, I will share some popular and effective products in various price ranges. I will also share with you what I am using as well. Fair warning-I love skin care and am not opposed to trying new products!!
I am not a skin care expert. I am a skin care user and everything I say is my opinion. You may have different skin, different skin care concerns and different experiences!
For reference, I have normal skin. For most of my life, I had the typical combination skin-dry on the cheeks, oily in the T-zone. However, the one gift that the end of menopause gave me was normal skin!
Cleansers
Cleansers come in all prices ranges from drug store to very expensive. It has been my experience that you can get an excellent facial cleanser at a drug store price.
There are so many types of moisturizers for all types of skin conditions. For mature skin, I recommend a cleanser that is hydrating above all. You can also get hydrating cleansers that have “treatments” added to them like hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid and squalane.
I am currently using:
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser and Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Makeup Removing Gel Cleanser. I use the CeraVe in the morning and the PTR at night afternoon using a cleansing oil or micellar water to do an initial makeup removal. I don’t feel like any makeup removing cleanser removes everything so that is why I use both doing a double cleanse.
Toner
This is a product that has some controversy. Some skin care experts say it’s not needed at all and others say that it’s a necessary step. I like it because I feel like it prepares my skin for the next products.
Toners have gone from being alcohol, stinging, skin drying products that I grew up with in the 1970’s to products that are calming, restorative and also contain treatments. Again, the price ranges are inexpensive to pricey.
The toners I typically use are: Dickinson’s or Thayers. Both are available at the drugstore. I have tried some pricier ones as well and found that the drug stores ones work just as well.
Serums
In the serum category, there are some you can use both AM and PM, some you use only in the AM and some you only use in the PM. Some serums that you use during the day like retinol or Vitamin, you must absolutely wearing sunscreen. Remember, the goal is to take care of your skin!
This is a category where the prices start to increase even for brands considered to be drug store. What serum you use is totally related to the skin care issue you want to address. It could be hydration, fine lines and wrinkles, acne, hyperpigmentation and the list goes on. Under this category you find your retinols, vitamin c, hyaluronic, acne, and skin renewing.
I am currently using: Paula’s Choice Vitamin C Booster and Murad Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum during the day. At night, I use Clarins Double Serum, Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum and Paula’s Choice Exfoliating Serum. The two murad products are sample sizes that I am trying out. I like them both but will probably look for something else to try. I don’t use the two retinol products on the same night; I alternate them. I really like La Roche Posay products and have heard some wonderful things about their retinol product.
Eye Creams
This is another category that lends itself to some controversy. Some that there is no reason that you can’t just use your regular moisturizer under your eyes. Others say that that eye creams contain more emollients for the thin, delicate skin under the eyes. I do use an eye cream and am ambivalent about it. The cream feels great under the eyes but I’m not sure that it does anything!
Most eye creams are made to reduce lines, puffiness and dark circles. There are different price points for eye creams and this may be an area where money matters. I’m not sure because since I’m ambivalent about eye creams I don’t spend big money on them. I recognize that I might not be ambivalent if I tried eye creams at a higher price point!
I am currently using: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream I am definitely non brand loyalist to eye creams. I have tried several including ROC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream, Inkey List Caffeine, Origins Ginzing and may others.
If you have an eye cream that you love or even like, please share it in the comments.
Moisturizer-Day
Here again, we have many choices in this category. There are creams and gels, all sorts of added treatments and sunscreen or not.
What you want in a moisturizer is a very personal choice. I also look at texture. I tend to prefer creams to gels. Gels feel very sticky to me. I also don’t like sunscreen in my moisturizer. However, if you are a person who forgets their sunscreen then I suggest you get a day time moisturizer with sunscreen in it.
As with the other categories, moisturizers are priced from drug store to insane!
I am currently using LaRoche Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer. Unlike other products, I am currently quite loyal to this one. My friend, Michyle bought this, tried it and didn’t like it and gave it to me. I love it and have re-purchased it at least 3 times now. It leaves my skin feeling hydrated without feeling greasy and it doesn’t mess up my makeup.
Moisturizer-Night
Full disclosure-I don’t think that you actually “need” a night time moisturizer. If you use a day time moisturizer with sunscreen then you should have a different night time one. However, these days night time moisturizers are formulated to tackle all sorts of skin issues while you sleep. This is the time that you can use a very heavy, hydrating product so that your skin can really absorb the hydration. Again, you can find a price point that fits your budget.
I am currently using Confidence in your Beauty Sleep by It Cosmetics. I have just started using this cream but so far I really like it. It is creamy and goes on really smoothly. I am not brand loyal in this category and have used several others in various price points in the past. Those include Origins Night a mins which I really liked but felt was pricey, Oil of Olay Regenerist which was just okay for the price even though it is considered drug store and Ren Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm. This one is really thick is feels too heavy for nightly use but I do like it when my skin feels like it needs more hydration or feels sensitive.
One thing I try to do when possible is that I like to purchase a small or trial size to try out a product I haven’t used before. I really like when brands offer a travel size of their product.
EXTRAS
So this next product is something that is absolutely not needed but can help with skin care issues. Sleep Masks!! Unlike the typical masks where you put them on and then wash off, sleep masks are intended to stay on all night.
Sleep or overnight masks are an added skin care enhancement. They as well address various skin concerns but because they are kept on for several hours they have the opportunity to really do the work.
I was introduced to these masks when I was receiving beauty subscription boxes several years ago. I currently have in my rotation: Youth to the People and Watermelon Glow. These overnight masks are not intended to nightly use. They are to be used 2-3 times per week.
Daily Necessity
I could not do a post about skin care and not talk about SUNSCREEN!!! This is what I consider to be the last step of my daily skin care routine. Again, there are too many to talk about. You have to find what works for you. As a brown skinned woman, a priority for me is that the sunscreen cannot leave any white or gray cast. It cannot interfere with my makeup if I’m wearing any. My choice which has been my choice for many years is Black Girl Sunscreen. When I first found this brand, it was only available online. It is now available at Target and Ulta and it may be available at other stores as well. They also have a body spray and a matte version.
I was also recently inspired to try the Goop GlowScreen and I really like it. It comes out kind of bronzy so it blends with my skin nicely. This sunscreen is rather pricey so I don’t see myself changing long term but I do like having options.
Recently, I learned that to get the SPF number on the bottle you have to use a teaspoon worth of product. The good news is that you don’t have to carry around a teaspoon with you. You put the screen screen on 2-3 fingers which comes out to about a teaspoon. I started doing this and at first it felt like a lot but now its really easy and it blends in nicely. The key is to get a sunscreen that works for you.
Thank you for coming on this skin care journey with me. I hope that you got some useful information and that this information isn’t too overwhelming. If you have questions or information to share, please share in the comments.
