I don't really have wrinkles except for lines in my forehead that my mother lectured me about when I was 15 ("stop crinkling your forehead like that!")

Anyway, I've always been a fan of Chanel cosmetics, now more Bobbi Brown but when it comes to skincare I've tried the fancy stuff and always come back to the drugstore stuff.

I wash my face with liquid Noxzema (the pump). I like Fructis Garnier moisturizer, specifically "Garnier SkinActive Clearly Brighter Brightening & Smoothing Daily Moisturizer SPF 15"

Philosophy. I ADORE their moisturizer. I am using a different one currently, from ItWorks, my daughter sells the brand. It is as good as Philosophy. And a little cheaper too. I also started using Goop foundation/powder. It is a fabulous sunscreen along with being an excellent foundation. I thank the genetics Gods regularly. I have skin like my mom, very very sensitive/dry but very little wrinkles. Mom is 82 and uses moisturisor every day x2. And she always has her face "on".

Mine is a multi-step process. I live in a humid area but still have very dry skin. Eucerin Professional for my body a few times a week and Neutrogena oil after my shower on the other days. My face, neck, and chest get pampering.

If I wear makeup, I first do an oil cleanse using baby oil/mineral oil. The next, or first, step is a generic version of Cerave Hydrating cleanser. Then a hydrating toner from Asia. I like Hada Labo Premium from Japan because it has urea which both exfoliates and hydrates. The various hyaluronic acids are the BEST at plumping and I could use this as my moisturizer during the day. It's so good that I'd give up all the other steps if I had to choose. For daytime, I use a Vit C serum from Timeless to address sun damage and Garnier Moisture Bomb spf 30. For night, I pat on Cerave Renewing Serum because it has a very mild retinol for addressing wrinkles. I'll top that with Cerave cream as a night mask, a few times a week. Also a few times a week, I'll use Stridex in the red box for a mild chemical exfoliation for sebaceous filaments (the bane of my existence) and 2-3 times a month I use an AHA peel from Korres, which is pretty mild in the AHA realm. It does a great job addressing the filaments and rough skin I get.

Since starting to incorporate the above in January, my face & neck look and feel SO MUCH BETTER. I'm not 100% compliant anymore and I can tell. My advice is to incorporate hyaluronic acid. For wrinkles, daily sunscreen and tretinoin have the most impact. Tretinoin is pretty harsh when you first start and I'm trying the mild retinols, first. I'd love to try LED light therapy.

Angie from Hot & Flashy on youtube has a lot of anti-aging info. She's been experimenting with a bunch of stuff over the years and ALL IN, which I'm not even at 48. FWIW, she reviewed Clinique's Take the Day Off balm and loved it for her night routine.

OMG Alex, I have to re-read what you wrote a few times and take notes. I am two years older than you and have to get with the program. No wrinkles yet, but I feel the clock ticking.

Pond's. I've used Lancôme and Clinique, too, and L'Oreal, but I always come back to Pond's. Lately I've been adding Cetaphil on some areas that are probably excema, and after about 12 weeks that has subsided and I use it only occasionally now. Also, drinking water to moisturize from the inside.

I've always been told that I look younger but the last couple of not-fun years have taken their toll. Too much sun, stress, iffy diet, no skincare, etc. I started it as a self-care thing and the hydration has been wonderful. For the first time in memory, no more tight feeling after cleansing.

Hada Labo Premium. You can find youtube videos about hydrating toners but I learned about them on Reddit's Asian Beauty. Lots of crazy buying there so you have to weed out that enabling.

Gentle cleansing supports the skin barrier.

Hydration is key. Young, middle, older. We all benefit.

Sunscreen. First line of defense for all ages.

Used in moderation, mild chemical exfoliants help skin cell turnover without damage from over-exfoliating. You get brighter, smoother skin.

An occlusive layer at night helps prevent hydration loss. This can be seasonal. Vaseline, Aquaphor, various "healing" ointments, and thick creams. It's trial and error so samples or small tubes are convenient for testing. I pat in Cerave cream hoping that the ceramides are doing something ;) Cerave PM is well liked with the addition of niacinamide.

If your face/neck is sensitive to a product, try it on your body. Post-shower is the best time!

I like this blog for info on certain issues. Simple Skincare Science.

Edit: Yes. Drinking water! That's our main beverage. It doesn't help my dry skin but it's the only thing that really quenches thirst.

My mother still uses Ponds. Neither water or soap EVER touches her face. I listen to my mom :-)

i also really like the Simple brand. I use their facial wipes to get makeup/mascara off in my first go round.

I recently picked up a bottle of TJ's midsummer night extra dry moisturizing cream herbal aloe unscented. Whew! 3.99 and seems identical in feel and quality to CeraVe which I've used for years. Not the face though.

Mtn, is sunscreen 15 enough? I also apply Aveeno 70. I like the idea of a less expensive moisturizer. My other issue is aroma. I like very light or no scent products, for me and for DH who can be allergic to strong aromas.

Fyi anyone reading, Neutrogena clear skin acne free sunscreen spf 55 made my face break out with big cystic type acne. So disappointed as I was hoping it would be great.

Bumble, CeraVe made my skin drier :(

I tried CeraVe, and, well, you know how scents react differently on different bodies? It smelled like I'd been in a smoky bar. Didn't smell that way in the jar, just on my skin!

I used Basis and Simply as facial cleanser for years, but recently I tried a bottle of something called Micellar, with a cosmetic pad, to remove makeup in one swipe. It's very effective. The label says you don't have to rinse, but I do. Then I do a quick buff on the parts of my skin that are flaking, then quick Pond's moisturizer and Cetaphil on top of that in the trouble areas. Because one area is around my eyes, I've noticed that my nascent crow's feet have diminished lately!

Eld, I am totally with you on scents. The Garnier is not a strong scent at all, It may come in higher SPF. I also like Aveeno Positively Radiant, SPF 30.

You may find this article of use: https://www.today.com/style/20-anti-aging-products-dermatologists-actually-use-themselves-t110345

Lastly, and this is a bit off topic ... I have started to look for beauty products based on the EWG ratings. It is really a bit alarming how little oversight there is of cosmetics. I have discarded anything with a "red" rating and am trying to buy "green" products but some faves are yellow.

https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/#.W2MaMdhKi8o

The American government doesn’t require health studies or pre-market testing of the chemicals in personal care products, even though just about everyone is exposed to them. Through Skin Deep, we put the power of information in consumers’ hands. When you know what’s in the products you bring into your home and how those chemicals may affect your health and the environment, you can make informed purchasing decisions — and help transform the marketplace.

I've tried so many expensive creams/moisturizers over the years. I switched to No 7 Lift & Illuminate after using the products in London. I've been very pleased with the results. I buy the combination pack with the serum, day and night cream, so it sounds expensive, but it's three products. The day cream is SPF 30.

https://www.target.com/p/no7-lift-luminate-triple-action-skincare-system/-/A-52458813

I can tell you what I wouldn't recommend - Murad products. I've tried several over the last 6 months or so and I'm not satisfied with any of them. Then I looked at Mtn's EWG link (thank you for that) and many of the Murad products are in the red range anyway - so definitely a no-go. I've been using up what I have left and half-heartedly browsing for something new, but I obviously need to accelerate my search. I was thinking about trying the Origins brand.

My choices are limited by fragrance (very scent sensitive) and I won't buy anything that isn't cruelty free. Add those criteria to the EWG database and I might be left using organic avocado oil on my face (haha).

Yes, I came across the EWG database a while ago. I am trying to wean myself off anything "red", but finding green products that perform is not easy.

I use Cerave at night too.

In the morning I use a hyaluronic (sp?) acid serum and a moisturizer that was recommended here by Oakley that I can’t remember the name of! (I’m not at home, I’m at our beach house, where I have an Aveeno moisturizer.)

My daytime moisturizer and makeup have SPF.

Everything’s well and good now, but when the cold, dry weather hits, my face dries up like one of those dried apple dolls.

So a lot of people tend to think that this is bunk, but I swear by Krill Oil. I take 1000 mg a day and not only does it help with some athritic type pain and stiffness I have but my skin isn’t dry the way it is when I don’t take it. The same holds true with my husband. I’ve never seen anyone’s hands get so dry In the winter time. They’re literally like sand paper but a couple weeks after he started taking the Krill, his hands were normal again.

I use these and buy them on Amazon. They don’t smell (to me) and they aren’t hard on my stomach way a normal fish oil suppliment was.

https://www.amazon.com/Antarctic-Strength-Omega-3s-Astaxanthin-Softgels/dp/B00IP1E3O0/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1533264884&sr=1-5&keywords=Krill+oil

ETA: Moisturizers have their place, but dryness can be caused by a deficiancy as well.

I use Neutrogena hydro boost gel. It has hyaluronic acid which reduces wrinkles and plumps them out. I'm told often that I look much younger than my years. Other than that I use Oil of Olay every day of my life. Started at age 15 and put it on after my shower. I never ever use soap on my face. I use mineral oil pads.

I’m actually tempted to try the Krill oil even though they need a proofreader.

I also use the EWG website and agree with Mtn that it's tough to find good green products. I ordered some Beauty Counter products (makeup) from Goop but was not wow'd. I found 100% Pure Coffee Bean eye cream when it was produced in a glass bottle years ago. Loved it but then they switched to plastic - I was disappointed they gave up glass but like the cream. I've tried high-end, low-end in the search. Last purchase was Nourish products and I do like the eye cream. I always look for fragrance-free as well.

100% Pure

Nourish Organic

Has anyone tried any of the Drunk Elephant products? All 100% fragrance & cruelty free. I might buy their "The Littles" starter kit, which is travel/sample sizes of 8 of their most popular products.

Eld, are you sure your face is dry and not dehydrated? I posted about my dry skin woes couple of times earlier this year. I tried various things and had a modicum of success for limited amounts of time. Then I read up on dry vs. dehydrated and realized my face is dehydrated, not actually dry. In looking at the link Alex9179 provided, I found a great description and what to do about it.

https://simpleskincarescience.com/dehydrated-skin-moisture-barrier-acne-fix/

Thanks, Blue, no I just have dry skin, dry hair, dry eyes. All my life.

I use CeraVe PM for daytime. Only wear the AM if I'm going to be outdoors.

Sueb, I’ve never seen that ad! I hate when things are misspelled. LOL, But my husband’s practitioner who is into nutrition and holistic care has recommended this brand to us and the quality is extremely good. We use several of their products and have been taking the Krill 3-4 years now.

Dry skin can respond very well to addressing dehydration and I believe that I tend toward both. My face is no longer a flakey oil slick. It took 2-3 months to see marked improvement but shorter to feel a difference. I use heavy duty moisturizers, and an occlusive in the winter, all over for dry skin and don't see that changing.

I recently started using rosehip seed oil as my moisturizer. I use CereVa cleanser. I kept reading/hearing about oils and I thought no way could I moisturize with oil. But it absorbs and does not leave my skin greasy. I apply to damp skin. I don't use foundation with sunscreen (I actually don't use foundation only concealer as needed) or in moisturizer. I prefer to use a suncreen on it's own and one that is mineral based, not chemical.

smhinnb, I used Drunk Elephant Protini last winter and loved it. Really loved it. You only need to use a little so the the container lasts a long time. Which is a good thing considering its $65. Its too rich for me to use in the summer, though.

I've been using CeraVe PM. CeraVe AM makes me breakout. PM is OK but not a favorite.

Alex, what heavy moisturizer and occlusive have you had success with? Thanks.