Serious Ageing since economizing

tugrin

Help
I used to spend a lot on good face creams and wrinkle treatments and my skin was excellent for my age right up until the menopause and not that bad after BUT since I have had my LBM and had to take a serious look at my finances or go under this is of course one area where I just had to cut down. I have really tried with Lidls and Aldis anti ageing creams even Morrisons and Tescos but my face seems to ageing before my eyes! Brown spots are appearing (no I dont sunbathe and yes I do use sunscreen) and my eyes are looking really dry and wrinkly. Do I have to give up and just accept that now I am in my 50s its not worth bothering now I cant afford the good stuff - I feel so depressed about this - I have nere been a beauty and my skin was the only really good thing I had. Now I seem to have crumpled up blotting paper that sucks everything in but stays looking the same. DOES ANYONE out ther have ANY suggestions PLEASE!

BlondeHeadOn

Do you have a local college near you that does cheap facials by students? That can be really good and moneysaving.

Or go round the local beauty salons and ask to be put on their mailing list for offers etc. - mine does email newsletters every month which have good offers for facials in it (e.g. a mini facial for £10). Mine will also drop me an email if it's a 'quiet' day for them, on the basis that doing a cheap facial is better than doing no facial...

Creams for age spots and wrinkles: I really like the l'Oreal Solar Expertise facial sun cream (factor 30), which I find great for plumping my skin and keeping age spots at bay. It's about £12 a tube but it lasts a long time, and I use it instead of moisturiser during the summer months so it doesn't work out expensive. It's easy to pick up in Boots or online. That's my biggest summer skin saver!

I'm over 50 too, and have found that these methods are really helping my skin stay good (so far).

HTH

tugrin

Hi Blonde
Thank you for the tips they all sound good. Dont have a college near home but do near work so will log on to them and see what deals they do.
Do you find the Loreal cream keeps your skin moist? I bought Superdrug's anti ageing sun cream and it just feels like egg white has dried on my face afte it has soaked in.

BlondeHeadOn

Yes, that's why I like this sun cream - I use it instead of a moisturiser in the summer, it keeps my skin moist (but not sticky or greasy) all day.

They do a factor 50 version as well, which I find not so good - doesn't sink in so well, and not so moisturising. They also make a matte version now as well - I've not tried that, but that might be good. The ordinary facial factor 30 one is the one I use.

Make sure you get the right one, as they have a lot in this range now - for body as well as facial, and it's the facial one I like. The right one is this one here:

http://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/skincare/sun-care/solar-expertise/active-anti-wrinkle-and-age-spot-sun-cream-spf-30.aspx#tab:expertAdvice

You may have to search around for it, but I've bought it in Waitrose before now so it is widely stocked.

Even if you buy it and don't want it as a moisturiser as well, it's a good sun cream for the price so if all else fails you can still use it for that! So not money wasting.

HTH

Bronnie

There's no doubting menopause affects the appearance of your skin as do your genes. ( How did your mother's skin age, for example?). My blonde friend with finer drier skin than mine, aged more quickly and my thinner friend with less natural plumpness to her face did too. (The old face or a*se dilemma!) However the fight back goes on!

I use almond oil every night on my skin for cleansing and (apart from sun protection) reckon this is the single best thing I ever did to keep my skin plumped and dewy looking.

I use Boots P&P day and night cream (always bought when there's a deal on.) Because the almond oil helps my skin maintain it's natural balance, and not get "stripped" by commercial cleansers, I scarcely need any extra moisturisation, I use the day and night creams for their firming properties mostly and I only need a very small amount. I reckon a jar of day and night cream used daily lasts me 4 months now.

Regular gentle exfoliation and home-made face mask treatments (lesson learned had some recipes on her SummerSolstice Sensation thead a week or two ago) also help.

Also make sure you get plenty of good fats in your diet, don't smoke, drink lots of water, the usual blah blah

Mojisola

All great advice from Bronnie. If the almond oil doesn't suit you, try rose hip oil - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_hip_seed_oil -

Rosehip Seed Oil(Rosa Affinis Rubiginosa) contains Vitamin A, which helps to delay the effects of skin aging, assists with cell regeneration, and promotes collagen and elastin levels to increase. This results in firmer, smoother, and more youthful skin with greater elasticity. Rosehip seed oil also contains a high amount of essential fatty acids and Vitamin E, which further promotes healthy skin. In particular, it is rich in linoleic and linolenic acids, which are important skin nutrients.

ali-t

OP, the other option is to go back to what you were using but put your efforts into finding the products at bargain prices. Then you will have the best of both worlds as it is a false economy to be buying stuff that doesn't work for your skin and having to keep buying more.

glowgirl_2

ali-t wrote: »

OP, the other option is to go back to what you were using but put your efforts into finding the products at bargain prices. Then you will have the best of both worlds as it is a false economy to be buying stuff that doesn't work for your skin and having to keep buying more.

Great advice, its so hard to find something that you are actually happy with, there are a huge amount of codes and discount sites on line a couple of hours searching could really be worth it:) Out of interest what were the products you liked? I'm on a lot of beauty sites regularly and I'll keep an eye out:)

ali-t

glowgirl wrote: »

Out of interest what were the products you liked? I'm on a lot of beauty sites regularly and I'll keep an eye out:)

I was thinking the same Glowgirl. Another product junkie here at your service OP if you want to share what works for you :beer:

lessonlearned

Hi Tugrin

Agree with other posters, using stuff that doesn't really suit you is just a waste. Try and stick with your favourite products that suit you. Can you get offers and can you economise elsewhere to help with funding.

Bronnie is right about the oil cleansing - you skin won't feel tight or need much in the way of moisturiser so your posh cream will go further anyway. Homemade facials and homemade treatments using essential oils work out very cheap and can be targeted to your skin type. (See Summer Solstice thread for recipes).

Also taking a supplement like evening primrose oil really helps - allow about three months for it to work.

Don't go for too low fat a diet, skin needs oils and fats to hold moisture.

As a matter of interest what were your favourite creams and anti-wrinkle treatments. I've used my own home made natural products for years with good effect but am thinking about trying some hi-tech hi-science products soon. (I'm nearly 60 now).

tugrin

Thank you girls for all this really helpful stuff - I have been so down about this but felt like a wuss because I wasn't being a hard-core MSE-er and just getting on with it.
I absolutlely love a difficult to find Nuxe cream called Aroma-Vaillance with matrixyl for dry skin. I was getting it online because nowhere outside London seems to carry the brand now although I originally found it in a big branch of Boots. It really moisturised AND seemed to do wonders for the age spots. It was about £26 a pot last time I looked and I have tried others with the so called miracle tri-peptides but whatever is in matrixyl it beats them all.
If you really do know your way around the cosmetic sites then yes please - all offers of help accepted.