Help me with fine lines and wrinkles

[Tattedbeauty320]

I am new on here but to be honest I am only on this site to look for one thing or rather something for me that is going to go ahead and start helping my skin with all these fine lines and wrinkles as you ladies call them. I call them "Omg Im getting old. I've already started getting wrinkles" and I'm not even 30 yet. I will on the other hand be the big ole dirty 30 September so I want to start way ahead of time so I don't have to worry about "fine lines and wrinkles just yet"! I am terrified of getting older. My mom started to tell me even at 18 years old that it's never too early and you are never too young to start prepping your skin for when you get older and if you start now then you won't look like me who is 56 that looks 156. She always told me to start early but I didn't listen so now I'm about to be 30 😭 I just want to try and find a product that is not ridiculously out of this world priced so I can start using it everyday because the first wrinkle I see I'm probably going to cry. #Helpmewithantiagingfinelinesandwrinkles

[WinglessOne]

@Tattedbeauty320  The best preventative anti-aging skincare product is broad spectrum sunscreen with minimum SPF of 30, applied each day your skin’s exposed to sunlight (outside, indoors near a window, driving or riding in a car, etc.), and reapplied every couple hours, regardless of weather or season. Many “signs of aging” are really sun damage. Do you already use sunscreen? 

Other than that, there are things you can do to reduce the appearance of wrinkles: 

• Keep your skin well hydrated with humectant ingredients (hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, sodium PCA, honey, etc.) found in products like The Ordinary "Buffet" 1 oz/ 30 mL  , The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Hydrating Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL  , First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Hydrating Serum  , e.l.f. Hydrating Water Essence, and several others. Apply this type of product to damp skin. 
• Use a moisturizer occlusive enough to seal in that hydration. Without knowing your skin type/behavior, it's hard to recommend a moisturizer. But petrolatum is the most occlusive moisturizing ingredient available, making it great for dry skin; it's in some CeraVe and Vanicream moisturizers, as well as Aveeno body lotions (which work well as facial moisturizers), and you can even use something like CeraVe Healing Ointment as a full face moisturizer if your skin's damaged or excessively dry. On my combo skin, I use Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer morning and night. It relies on squalane as a moisturizing ingredient. 
• Retinoids can help. Most folks will recommend tretinoin, which requires a prescription. But OTC retinol, retinaldehyde, and adapalene products are also effective. I currently use Avene RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream each night, though my goal isn't wrinkle reduction. (I use it to reduce hyperpigmentation and skin texture, plus light acne control.) 
• Sleep on your back. I'm a side sleeper and occasional side-to-back sleeper (I sometimes roll onto my back in my sleep), so this one's hard for me. I recently ordered a wedge pillow I hope will help me sleep on my back, more for health than cosmetic reasons. But yeah, sleeping on your back keeps your pillow from repeatedly smushing your face, which can cause wrinkles over time. 
• See a dermatologist for more options. If you really wanna knock out lines, ask about cosmetic procedures. Botox and dermal fillers are options, but there may be other procedures to consider. A derm can also recommend a skincare regimen and tell you which other ingredients to look for, like other things that can build or maintain collagen in your skin. 

[Tattedbeauty320]

No, I haven't used sunscreen since I was really really young like I'm talking baby young. I am over half Cherokee Indian and Alaskan Native so I don't burn I just tan. I haven't had a sunburn since I don't know when. Me my mom my sister everybody in my family doesn't use any kind of sunscreen or anything like that when we go out so we just I mean we've always tan we we've never burned like most people do. I know that's not good for my skin but I've never burned more you know I mean I have burned when I was younger but when I got older I just started tanning like I wouldn't get any kind of sunburn or like redness any kind of redness to my skin or anything like that that indicated any type of sunburn you know so that's why I've never use sunscreen since I've gotten older and I'll be 30 in September and yeah I need to start now with you know that anti-aging and all that goodness! I used to go to a tanning bed all the time so I haven't done that in over probably 10 years now so I ain't going to the tanning bed anymore but I was about to go ahead and get a package or as subscription at my local tanning salon this month actually I was going to do it this week actually not just this month this week I was going to start this week so I can get my preteen going before summer time but I don't think I'm going to do that now. I'm seriously taking everybody's have I sinned I need all the advice I can get right now like my mom she she honestly and she she'll tell you herself she's 56 and she looks like she's 86 because she's never used any type of sunscreen or anything like that she's always went tanning I mean she is always went on the riverbank to tan while her husband fished and she uses you know the stuff that helps you tan quicker easier and darker whatever that stuff she's always used that type of stuff. I on the other hand have only use that stuff while I was going to a tanning bed not for outside but I most definitely won't be doing any of the sorts from here on out thanks to you ladies. 

[Tattedbeauty320]

To be honest with you my skin is kinda all over the place. It really just kind of depends on the day truthfully. Like one day it will be super super super dry and cracked looking and then it will be oily as all get out the very next day or sometimes it's both so with me it just depends on the day. 

[WinglessOne]

@Tattedbeauty320  What's your current skincare routine (exact brands + product names)? Sounds like you have either combo skin or very dehydrated oily skin, and whatever product(s) you currently use aren't hydrating or moisturizing enough for your skin. 

A good anti-aging skincare routine can be quite simple and inexpensive: 

1. Makeup removal (PM) - can be an oil cleanser, micellar water, cleansing balm, etc. I use Paula's Choice Gentle Touch Makeup Remover (the liquid, not the wipes) for eye makeup and The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL for nearly everything else, including tinted moisturizer or tinted sunscreen. (I don't wear liquid or cream foundation.) A drugstore micellar water like Simple's, Garnier's, or Bioderma's might work well for you. 
   
   
2. Gentle cleanser (PM, and maybe also AM) - something that won't leave your skin with that stripped "squeaky clean" feel. You don't want anything drying out your skin. Many folks love cleansers by CeraVe (especially their Hydrating Cleanser) and Cetaphil. I shower at night and use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar on my face and body. In the morning, I either gently wipe my face with a wet microfiber cloth or use Paula's Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser, depending on what my face needs that morning. You might find you can get away with washing just once a day (at night). 
   
   
3. Moisturizer - apply it while your skin's still damp. Earlier I mentioned I use Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer each day and night on my mostly-dry combo skin. A similar product many people love is CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion (can use day or night, despite the product's name). CeraVe Moisturizing Cream can also work well for combo skin. The CeraVe and Vanicream options all contain ceramides which are great moisture-boosting ingredients. If your skin likes shea butter, consider The INKEY List Peptide Moisturizer 1.7 oz/ 50 mL : shea butter's not moisturizing enough for my skin, but it works well for some other folks. A pricier option is Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Firming Refillable Moisturizer 3.33 oz / 100 mL (there's also a mini size, I believe), but a very good and cheaper dupe is Acure Radically Rejuvenating Whipped Night Cream. 
   
   
4. Broad spectrum sunscreen that's at least SPF 30 (AM) - EVERY skin tone needs sunscreen, not just folks who burn easily. 🙂 Contrary to popular myth, a deeper skin tone doesn't prevent sun damage or skin cancer, and a sunburn isn't the only sign of sun damage. Which sunscreen's right for you depends on your personal preferences: matte vs. natural/radiant vs. dewy finish, tinted vs. invisible vs. "eh, a little white/grey/purple cast doesn't bug me," and chemical vs. mineral. My current favorite chemical sunscreens are OMI Verdio UV Moisture Essence (a Japanese sunscreen) and Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ . For mineral sunscreen, I've had good luck so far with Saie Sunvisor Radiant Moisturizing Face Sunscreen SPF 35 1.35 oz/ 40 mL and various CoTZ sunscreens. If you're going to splurge on any product in your skincare routine, make it sunscreen—though a good one needn't cost and arm + leg. 

Try that basic routine for a few weeks and then reassess your skin. If your face still gets super dry or you notice other issues you want to address, consider trying different products in the above categories or adding a step to your routine, like a treatment step (between cleanser and moisturizer) for something like a hydrating serum.