Skincare help

[Shelltee79]

Spoiler

I am a 45 year old woman who knows absolutely nothing about skincare!🫣 My momma told me years ago to start moisturizing and I still looked young so I ignored her😬 Over these last few years I’ve definitely realized why she told me to start moisturizing! The laugh lines are showing up! So I bought all of the things but now I have no idea in which order and when and how and yada yada lol please help me!🙏🏼🩵 This is a picture of everything I’ve been buying up and using🥹

 

[WinglessOne]

Hi @Shelltee79 and welcome to the world of skincare! Before I start, I’ll say that none of your products—or any products, really—will completely stop or remove laugh lines. Those and undereye lines, among others, happen after repeated facial expressions. The only way to truly avoid lines is to stop making facial expressions, and who wants that boring of a life? 😂 There are ways to reduce the appearance of lines, but just remember to keep your expectations realistic. 

Oh, and Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Glow Serum with Hyaluronic Acid & Niacinamide isn’t a skincare product. That’s a makeup primer. You’d apply that right before your makeup—or apply it alone to act as makeup for a glowy radiant look. 

It’s hard to see each product in your photo, so a few may be missing from my suggested skincare routine… 

PM:

1. Cleanser (nightly) - Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover (if you wore makeup that day) followed by La Roche-Posay Toleriane Cleanser. 
   
   
2. Exfoliate (1-3 times a week) - The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner. I know TO suggests using this daily, but don’t do that or you’ll over-exfoliate and break your skin barrier, which leads to all kinds of badness.
   
   Once or twice a month, replace this glycolic acid toner with The Ordinary AHA 30% Peeling Solution. Never use both products on the same day. And be sure to leave that peeling solution on your face no longer than 10 minutes. I use it a couple times a month and sometimes let it sit for just 5 minutes before rinsing off. 
   
   If you want, you can exfoliate in the morning instead of at night. Just don’t do it twice on the same day. 
   
   
3. Treatments (as needed) - frequency and order of application is entirely up to you. I see COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, Beautycounter All Bright Vitamin C serum, The Ordinary Niacinamide serum, and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid serum; those are fine to layer atop one another. Or you can use some of them at night and others in the morning. And you don’t need to use ‘em all daily if you don’t want to. 
   
   Note that hyaluronic acid is a humectant: it draws moisture into skin. The product you apply afterward may also be drawn a bit deeper into skin than usual. Pointing this out because some folks (like me) find TO’s Niacinamide serum irritating, and applying it right after a hyaluronic acid serum would worsen the irritation. If your skin tolerates that niacinamide serum, then no need to worry. 🙂 
   
   I also see some kind of saffron mask in your photo. If it’s a rinse-off mask, then you might wanna start this “treatment” step with that mask, and then follow with whichever serums you want. 
   
   
4. Moisturize (nightly) - I don’t see a full face moisturizer in your photo, but this is where you’d apply one. I highly recommend you add one to your routine if you don’t already have one. 

AM:

1. Cleanser (optional) - some folks don’t need to use cleanser in the morning. If you do, the LRP one might be fine, or you could even just use the Clinique makeup remover instead. Depends on your skin’s AM needs. I’m in my 50s with mostly-dry combo skin and usually just gently wipe my face with a wet plush microfiber cloth (like a Makeup Eraser). If I do need an AM wash, I use a very gentle cream cleanser, cleansing balm, or micellar water just on the parts of my face that need it (usually around my eyes). 
   
   
2. Treatment (as needed) - here’s where you’d use whichever of your serums you want in the morning. Consider using your vitamin C serum here instead of at night. I haven’t looked at that specific serum’s ingredients but, in general, you’ll get more antioxidant bang for your buck outta vitamin C in the morning, since your skin’s more likely to be exposed to pollutants/oxidants during the day. Still, you can use that serum at night if you’d rather. 
   
   
3. Moisturize (daily) - apply a moisturizer here. This is also when you’d apply that Dr. Brandt eye cream; I recommend applying it after your full face moisturizer. 
   
   
4. Sunscreen (daily) - I don’t see one in your photo. You absolutely need one if you’re using AHAs (such as glycolic acid), which make your skin more sun-sensitive. But even without AHAs, you should use a sunscreen (at least SPF 30) to all skin exposed to sunlight and reapply it throughout the day, all year long, regardless of weather or season. UV rays can cause wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, worsen acne and dry patches, and do more serious damage such as cancer. Some sunscreens that contain at least one good moisturizing ingredient (dimethicone, squalane, argan oil, shea butter, etc.) can pull double duty as moisturizer, so you could even cut that step from your AM routine. 

I see a Thayers product in your photo but didn’t include it… I assume that’s a bottle of witch hazel? Some people use it as a toner. If that’s how you use it, then you’d apply it after cleanser either morning or night. 

[Shelltee79]

Oh wow! Thank you so much for this!! I’ve already taken screenshots lol you’re so amazing for taking your time for me like this! Bless your heart! I hope you have an amazing week!☺️