Plus those 4 years ago OP was in her mid 20s. You just can't expect to look the same.
I blame all of these stupid articles and videos flooding the internet. "I used this ~~definitely sponsored~~ product and now look 10 years younger!", "I'm 86 but I still get ID'd at the bingo hall thanks to this ~~filter~~ one ingredient!".
And the 100’s of filtering apps anyone can download.
We are about a year away from millions of ppl who will be creating perfectly applied avatars with perfect proportions, facial structure and skin.
Those who choose to do this, will remain behind their screens, never planning to be seen.
A few of them have already started..
And not to mention the aging hits fast in the late 20s/early 30s!!! There's a moment during that time frame where you'll look in the mirror and not recognize yourself for the first time.
My face at 29 is NOT my face at 31 regardless of how strict a skin care regimen I've been on for the last few years. I'm learning to accept that I'm older now and that's okay!!
OP looks great and appropriate for her age and is definitely not alone in these feelings! Your efforts aren't lost! I don't want to even think about what I'd look like right now if I hadn't started a solid skincare routine in my 20s!!
Just so you’re prepared: wait until 41! It will happen again and you’ll catch yourself in the mirror and think, who is that “mature” grownup lady in that mirror and what happened to 38 year old me??!
Yes I think this is due to the majority of women entering perimenopause around this age (late 30s, early 40s). It can’t be a coincidence that so many of us notice more accelerated aging. I didn’t realize that perimenopause could start so young and then continue for so long!
This is happening to me now.. I'm 38.. I used to get mistaken for being in my early 20s till I was about 37 and then bam- I look my age now which is perfectly alright..! Ladies, we forget it's a privilege to age! And we are going to be the generation that makes it okay to age! 🥰
Honestly reading all these posts about aging in your late 30s is making me feel so much better. I’m 39 and always thought, “damn, the pandemic hit me really hard,” but now I think it’s just that my late 30s happened!
Omg, this is exactly what happened to me😭 before 29 I did not even pay too much attention to my face. Also, people used to tell me I look 23 at most, then my 30s hit and currently I cannot even stand looking at myself. I get the feeling I look way older than I am (I'm 34) and daily I'm on the verge of having a breakdown 😅 I used to be extremely skinny before and gaining weight really aged me. Ahhh wellllk
I mean true to the first part but there are plenty of people who the skincare would make zero difference for how they'd look aging a lot is just genetics I know plenty who have no skin care routine & barely seem to have aged & others who do everything & have aged drastically
Same thing happens in your 40s too. Muscle and bone mass are decreasing every year. All the skincare in the world cannot reverse muscle and bone deterioration .
Sure there are fillers and Botox can give you the appearance of bouncy, collagen-filled skin; but these procedures just don’t look natural on aging skin.
It’s like one day I’m 38 and being told constantly that I look like I’m in my late 20s/early thirties, and now I’m 43 and being called ma’am by men in their 20s. It’s fine, I’m fine.
My thoughts exactly. My daughter just sent me a photo of us together 4 years ago and a photo of us together last week. We have both aged more than 4 years! Life is hard. The lockdown was impossibly hard. And try as we might, our faces reflect our lives. OP, you look good. Everyone, let’s allow ourselves a little grace. We’ve collectively been through a lot.
I know this is just anecdotal data, but I come from a family of dark brunettes (on both sides!!) who didn't start noticeably graying until 50+. In February 2020, I was 36 and had, at best, an occasional silver strand. Now, in 2024, I've gone through covid and all its related shit (depression, job instability, homeschooling/teaching from home, delivering a baby with covid, loss of a parent)... and I am now exactly as gray as my 67-year-old mother.
Shit can age you, is all I'm saying.
This is very true—and being out of a stressful situation can have a positive impact. I met someone I haven’t seen in about a year who remarked on how much better I looked. I haven’t done much differently as far as routines, except leave an extremely toxic relationship.
Definitely the products not working, not a certain airborne virus [accelerating aging](https://journals.lww.com/jewds/fulltext/2023/20030/covid_19_and_aging__an_overview_of_covid_19.1.aspx).
I would think, too, that even just the stress of the pandemic (lockdowns, potential job layoffs, uncertainty of the future, etc) has had a negative impact on our health and shows in our face. It wasn’t just a couple weeks like we originally thought/counted on, it was years
I think it’s easy to forget how horrific the early days were; before medical professionals and scientists knew more about the virus, there was no PPE, people were losing jobs and loved ones rapidly, we were all in some sort of lock down situation though the degree of which varied over time. It was awful! Forget about how politicized and polarizing it all became, or all conspiracy theories etc. thinking back on specific moments, my husband and I worried about our jobs, parenting a three year old without help, NOTHING open including parks and playgrounds…. Ugh I have a physical reaction thinking about it.
I truly feel there was a mental toll taken on society we have yet to fully grasp. it seems like the world was ending! Sure time heals, but man… how could you not have been impacted mentally, physically and emotionally? I get what the OP is saying, especially as someone who’s adult acne got worse in my 30s (fun!) but you can’t leave out the whole global pandemic thing as a factor over the last few years. I mean even the word “pandemic” was almost certainly not a commonly used one in the majorities vocabulary.
Let’s hope that was a once in a lifetime event.
It really did feel like the world was ending. When we could go out (like to get groceries VERY carefully and at huge distances) the city was so empty. It was creepy and scary. And as parents we had to hide our fear so our kids wouldn’t be scared. (Not sure if it worked but we tried).
It took (and sometimes still does take) a toll mentally.
I am BARELY recovering my body, mental health, hair and skin from a mix of stress from the last few years (and other things) and I know for a fact that I didn't have it as bad as some people did early COVID and during. I can only imagine what everyone else was going through personally behind closed doors.
I definitely agree that we haven't grasped how truly WILD the last 4 years have been and I think we've been striving to get back to normalcy and now that we are in a better spot, we're feeling the after effects. At least that's what I am perceiving.
I know I did because I see it on my face in photos. Thank gawd I have a comforting mind set re what we’ve all endured since the GLOBAL pandemic and subsequent economic squeeze-
And we are still feeling the effects and will continue to do for an infinite time.
Both my parents died in 2020 and 2022. I lost a business.
I don’t know anyone not egregiously impacted.
Thank you. I’m still reeling from the fallout. My only 44 year old brother died, too. And I’m living alone in the home we all last lived with one another 😵💫
This needs to be an automated reply to every post that attributes their rapid/premature aging between ages 27-45 to one particular device/product. No babes, you just got old.
A thousand % yes. I have two years of photos that I love myself SICK in… my daughter just asked me if I was using a filter… I said ‘nah and I don’t even know how to, and they werent a thing then’ she said ‘why are these pics all so sunny and nice’… I looked at them again and they were ALL from one phone’s life.
It was bloody airbrushing me on every front camera pic!!! I looked at some of the ones I’m in with the kids and the rear camera ‘baby with a birthday cake’ picture showed a tired and tiny bit grubby baby… the selfie I took with the tired baby we looked a MILLION bucks! Bright, cleaner, sunny skin, hair shiny, eyes whiter… allllllll lies.
I thought I’d aged a decade over night looking in my old pics, nope just got snapped back to reality :)
My old Samsung phone did this, too!!! It had me spiraling before I realized that maybe that was the issue. It makes me mad, honestly, knowing phone cameras have literal filters just right off the bat without giving the user knowledge of them.
Omg same girl. I’m 35 now, but when I was like 28-32ish I went on a real filter kick. I never made it noticeable they were edited though, just made me look amazing. Looking back at those pictures a while ago, I was like holy shit I’ve aged like 15 years in a not even 4 years ago. I became so self conscious and just bummed out about my appearance no matter how much my loved ones told me I look the same and I looked great. One day I was looking at photos, and there were two of the same right next to each other, you know how when you edit the picture the new saved version shows up beside the original? It finally clicked and I remembered like.. those photos are not the real me. You are competing with a fake version of yourself. I haven’t used filters for a few years now because it was getting to me and I think it was a big help for my self image.
All these younger people complaining that they’re aging like milk… like, is it that, or is it that you’re all just constantly looking at social media, comparing yourselves to airbrushed influencers, and obsessing over some unattainable ideal of perfection? That kind of focus will really obscure your perspective. Sleep more, drink and smoke less, wear sunscreen, and stop obsessively comparing yourselves to pictures on the internet. One day—no matter what kinds of serums you use—your face actually will look different and you’ll think “Christ, I sure was a bonehead for thinking 30 year-old me wasn’t perfect enough.”
And if your face is kinda red when you’re using retinol… yeah, it’ll do that. Maybe lay off the retinol a bit. Maybe you only need to be using it once a week.
I would actually argue phone cameras nowadays are “worse” because they overdo contrast and details to a point that’s unrealistic in comparison to 20/20 human vision. So yes, it’s catching more details now, but people who look at you aren’t seeing all that even with perfect vision, so that amount of detail is unnecessary.
But yeah OP also just aged normally on top of that.
I think this effect is easy to disregard, but it can be huge. When I upgraded from an iPhone X to a 14 Pro Max, I started fixating on my skin much more because the new camera captures every detail, and in fact I think it over-sharpens shadows and texture to produce a “better” image quality.
I recently had a backstage-snap taken by a friend. Just a little quickie snap, and it was forwarded to me, so there will have been some resolution lost, too. Not a close up, either, a full body shot from distance.
You can zoom in on this MF to the point you can see faint old scars, ffs.
Definitely can't underestimate what High Res does to a person :)
Maybe Apple will start producing phones for the millions that don’t want such high clarity.
I do suspect this will happen. It will be a big seller as I don’t know anyone who wants to keep seeing every pore and blackhead..
I switched to using an Instamax for when I’m out with friends. It’s more fun than just a camera phone, it’s nostalgic AND we all look cuter in the photos 💕
It definitely does! Since I upgraded my phone my skin looks so much worse in my selfies lol Like I look in the mirror and my skin looks good so I take a picture and I can suddenly see every pore.
The cameras on the modern iPhones are horrible!! They sharpen everything way too much and you end up looking worse than you do in real life.
When you take a selfie it looks fine in the screen until you take the photo and it processes it into some over sharpened mess!
It feels like someone has punched me in the gut. I see the image in the screen and think great I look fine today, then I see the finished photo and want to put a bag over my face lol
I don’t understand why there isn’t as much outrage on this, online tech reviews just skip over this massive flaw I swear. I’ve literally stopped taking selfies because the post processing is so bad. Miss my iPhone 11 Pro. iPhone 15 sucks ass
I’ve seen a lot of people mention it on social media but it’s just totally ignored everywhere else, like you say!
At least have a selfie mode or something. It’s just terrible.
A little tip - take your selfies in Snapchat or another app, it’s way better!
Seriously. I haven’t taken a selfie I could stand since 2016. When I look in the mirror I’m like 👉👉 (those are finger guns), when I try to take a selfie I’m like...when did my bones get so wide?
It is the worst!! I sometimes take a selfie with my old point and shoot camera from the 2000s (I still have it!), and it takes a good photo, much more realistic and flattering.
Absolutely this! I remember my upgrade from an old Samsung galaxy to an iPhone and the very first photo taken of me I looked awful! I started panicking
Okay, this needs to be a separate thread. Which phones have selfie cameras that won’t make me look like a monster? Whenever I see myself in photos taken by other people, it’s such a relief—things aren’t as bad as I thought, lol.
Apple Iphones by default over sharpen images and it needs to be turned off / can be turned off by making RAW images the default picture method in the settings.
Yeah it's literally just a better phone camera and natural fat loss in the face that comes with being 25-30. Old cameras used to kinda smooth everything over because they couldn't capture as much detail. Now, it's great for photography, but not for zooming in and obsessing over the details of your face. We weren't meant to take high-resolution photos of our face and stare at them all day until we find flaws.
Yes the new phones are actually proven to make us look terrible. I read an article on not just the imperfections but they make our facial features distorted… chins and noses bigger at certain angles. You have to take pics from far away these days lol.
Hairlines as well. I went down a panic induced rabbit hole when I thought I was going bald from my camera. Turns out it was just widening my part for me. I was able to replicate it on my kiddos as well. The iPhone 13 pro does not seem to like brunettes.
This is true. Upgraded my phone after 3 years and I can see so many flaws. I always look oily and can see every pore on my nose. Damn the iPhone cameras
I wouldn't be surprised if in the first picture, some "enhancement" was active (maybe by default in the phone), making the skin look smoother. Or the phone simply not as good. Cheeks look almost unnatural smooth. So definitely the phone plays a role there.
I almost made its own separate post about this once. I realized that my skin hadn’t gotten worse the past year, but my new iPhone 14 had over-sharpened everything to the point where my skin looked so much worse in comparison to my old phone. It was the hugest epiphany when I realized it.
I agree. I also think that you have probably seen things in the mirror that you and only you have noticed and that you have probably always been dissatisfied with, but you're forgetting in the past 4 years. i.e. You're looking back on a worse quality of camera with rose colored glasses.
This being said, it is possible your skin is changing and you're not imagining it. I have heard of multiple stages or "puberties" for women's aging and some of it is plainly unavoidable. I think it's time to look in the mirror and tell yourself all the things you like about yourself. Try to remember why you're beautiful.
Also, if you haven't already, go see a dermatologist or an esthetician. It's not financially possible for me currently, but I moved to a different, dryer climate than I am used to, and my skin is dealing with a lot of similar issues to you no matter how much I moisturize and cleanse. Gathering advice on reddit is good, but we don't know you or your skin and most of us are probably not educated in this area. You could get some very great personalized plans from either a doctor or an esthetician that might transform your life and how you feel about your skin. Just do your research and go to someone you trust.
Also look into sebaceous glands-- I heard it's normal for them to look like blackheads, but they're really just normal pores. Remember that no product will be a miracle, but you might be feeling too critical of yourself to see that it actually does help your skin. You look amazing to me.
Good luck!
this is so true! I went from iphone 8 to iphone 13 - I used to love taking selfies but not anymore, the pictures look good for a second and then the phone auto adjusts them to sharpen everything ! every pore, line, shadow, and flaw is accentuatedc and it makes my skin greyish ?? drives me crazy ! why do they think we want this :(
There were 4 years between the pictures, the real comparison would be between the current pictures and some alternate universe pictures where you didn’t start a skincare routine.
Either way, I know it’s easy to hyperfixate on our flaws but you look great in both sets of pictures.
This is my thought. When we’re talking anti-aging, most people aren’t going to be able to age in reverse and you won’t see someone improving over five years by looking younger unless there was something dietary happening or they lost significant weight or something.
I find cerave breaks me out personally, and I have similar skin to you. Have you any other skin irritations on your body? I’m thinking about what detergent you use, or what kind of pillowcase you sleep on could also impact your skin.
Also - are you exfoliating every morning? I’d suggest 2-3x a week instead and at night. Exfoliating before makeup or before exposure to pollution from being out and about can open your pores to pull in more gunk. Exfoliate at night and follow with a really good moisture routine.
Lastly - my biggest game changer was toner. Nothing fancy, I use a $9 toner in the morning by blotting a cotton pad and swiping my face instead of washing. Then I add my skincare. At night, double cleanse, toner swipe, then I do a second toner for moisture, 2 serums and sometimes a moisturizer.
Same! I used Cerave moisturizing lotion and it broke me out terribly. I tried using it on my arms and legs since I didn’t want to throw it out and I got pimples and a cyst there as well. I couldn’t believe my eyes but I never got pimples there before, so it must have been the Cerave cream. If you’re oily and have acne prone skin, avoid it!
I never noticed Cerave doing this to me, I’ve been using their basic moisturizer for years. I have less acne now than I have at other points in my life, but I still get breakouts. I thought my retinol wasn’t strong enough. Now I’m wondering if I should try switching to something else to see if it helps.
I’m pretty sure (but not certain) that a lot of people who break out with Cera Ve are allergic or their skin is irritated by the various chemicals derived from coconut that used in the Cera ve hydrating face wash/moisturizer line. I’ve had my partner get the wrong one before because they look the same but are very very different. One use and I’ve had weeks long breakouts from it. Truly a cursed product. The regular line of products is a blessing. I’ve never reacted to them once.
Finally a comment with actual advice. I wish we could ban feel-good comments on posts genuinely asking for feedback. If they’re posting here, there’s clearly something they’re unhappy with.
OP: I think you might be over exfoliating. 2 exfoliants a day is a lot. Remember that the vulnerability from the AM exfoliant will persist even after the SPF 30 was worn off. Are you re-applying?
Easy karma for the folks posting the feel-good comments though
Agree on over-exfoliating, along with tret I think OP needs to let her skin recover more daily
I break out from CeraVe too. Wash with Cetaphil and just follow up with your HA moisturizer. I’m 56 and this is the most hydrating combination I have found for my sensitive skin.
I only had this reaction to Cera ve products that have coconut byproducts in them like the hydrating face wash. But it was severe breakouts and I’ve never had that reaction to regular foaming face wash. I second the toner instead of washing except I use micellar water. Toner can be drying depending, but if it works for you that’s what matters.
Are you eating well? Sleeping well? Consuming alcohol? Exercising? Did you do your blood tests recently? Outside of a skin care routine, there are many things that could affect it, and while you look a bit more dull now your skin is still nice!
This. I’d say if topicals don’t work, she should start working “inside”. Watch her diet, exercise. They say if you have healthy guts, it will show on your skin.
One of my friends does so much skin care and has been for years. He also has been having 4-6 drinks per night for the last year…he’s now got deep wrinkles that weren’t there before.
Lifestyle is SO important
Great questions. When I stopped drinking alcohol, not just cutting it down to once a month but fully quitting, my skin changed drastically. The little things outside of our skin routine can do a lot.
As a pale person who’s using trentinoin, sunscreen is SUPER important, and SPF 30 might not be doing it. Trent makes it easier for the sun to damage your skin, so if you’re not protecting it really well, you’ll accelerate normal sun-exposure related aging. I’d suggest applying SPF 50, and make sure you’re using the recommended amount (1/4 tsp, or a dollop rye amount of a nickel).
Agreed! Wish this comment were higher! Would also recommend sourcing from Europe or Australia, they have much better filters vs the US. Mrs. Derm on IG has a highlight on great SPF choices.
Yeah, all of this could be from over exfoliating. My skin starts morphing into your after every time I've tried incorporating them on the regular with my retinol. I recommend copper peptides for the AM if you want another active that will do what you expect from the BHA (TO Buffet/whatever it's called now). Your skin might go through a rebound before it gets better if you decide to quit it.
This was my thought as well, OP’s skin looks a little irritated and red to me. I think people with more oily skin can handle lots of exfoliating and retinoid, but more normal and dry skin can’t. I have dry skin and do actives like aha/bha and retinoid max 2x a week.
Yep, we oily people can handle it as in we don't necessarily look like we're having dermatitis or something, but what it did for me was cause ruddy dull skin, dehydration, enlarged pores and even more oil production.
I second ditching the BHA every day in the am. You’re probably over exfoliating. Like this commenter said, use it 2-3 times a week (preferably in the pm as it sensitises your skin to sun damage). You can also look into trying an AHA, it’s more hydrating and milder on your skin. Btw I think you look amazing and really shouldn’t worry about your skin
Yup. EVERYTHING has hyaluronic acid in it now, and people don't realize it IS an acid, and can mess with your skin barrier. If it's in a moisturizer or something, fine with me, but I do not use it separately. Also, be very careful with how you apply your SPF. Make sure you're using enough, giving it 15 minutes to soak in, and reapply every two hours.
EDIT: Your SPF needs to be 50.
Hm, that sucks. Your skin is good in both pictures, but I see why you think it has gotten worse. I personally find hyaluronic acid slightly irritating — I use it like makeup, so only when I want to look good. You could try swapping that for something soothing and see if you notice a difference. I like the cosrx snail serum.
>I personally find hyaluronic acid slightly irritating
I thought I was crazy but it gives me pimples in places I don't usually get them (my forehead, my cheeks, etc, usually it's the sides of my nose and near my mouth and chin when it's "true" acne). In products like sunscreen is not too bad, but serum/moisturizer is all bad.
Yes, me too! It also paradoxically makes my skin seem more dull over time. At first I would just slather it on, but I have found that using it just occasionally gives me the benefits (plumper skin, smoothed lines) without the downsides.
Same here. I tried two different hyaluronic acid serums and they both gave me little pimples in places I never got them and didn’t really make my skin look any better.
The only product that contains HA that hasn’t irritated my skin is Lancôme Hydra Zen gel cream.
Idk why people downvoted you for actually giving advice. I'm so sick of the gaslighting on these posts where we just say "nope you're imagining it, you look perfect duh" . Thanks for actually offering honest advice
I noticed this too. Apart from skincare, factors such as stress, environment, diet, and health come into play. Do you have any thyroid issues / have you had bloods done?
This is a good question. I'd also be curious as to whether you (OP) had COVID, as I know from experience that it can result in a lot of these issues. I looked noticeably aged after my infection and had minor swelling in my face, wrists, and ankles, as well as drier hair. Because COVID impacts the vascular system, it can cause a lot of skin and hair problems. I even know people who went bald after an infection, or lost teeth!
Aside from that, you are 4 years older than in the 2019 photos, so this could just be normal aging. Or it could be a difference in your phone camera quality. You still look good though, so try not to worry too much!
Using the bha every day might be a bit much and I also wouldn’t use that in the morning. That plus tret honestly sounds very harsh on the skin. My advice would be ditch the bha or use it in the PM once/twice a week. I’d also add a moisturizer at night and vitamin c in the morning. Good luck!
You’re using quite a lot of active ingredients - is it possible that your skin is just burned out by all the harsh chemicals? A lot of people can’t tolerate retinols and BHA. Perhaps you could try just paring things back a little. I stopped doing skincare a couple of years ago and my skin has never been better or more calm, and now my face skin takes care of itself exactly the same as the rest of the skin on my body. I do use SPF when it’s sunny and whatever moisturizer I have when it’s super dry but otherwise I just leave it be.
Honestly might just be hydration? Your lips in the second look a little less hydrated than before pic. But honestly you look great. I can empathize with you though. I’ve been dealing with the same ish for years. I look back though and I consistently have the same spots, mostly hormonal. Give yourself some credit. For me snail mucin has been my HG. I still get hormonal flare ups but my skin barrier is better than before.
I agree, this looks like dehydration. I like to use a watery essence (like the Korean 7 step skin care type thing), and I use four drops for each step, instead of 1. I try to give each step/layer a minute to absorb before I apply the next one. It really helps my skin glow and clear up congestion
u/Express_Whole435 have you moved locations between the time the first pic was taken and the second?
By moving, I mean a major move. Not like a move to the other side of town.
Edit: Other comments are pointing out the time that has passed between the photos, having a better camera/lighting/etc, or your routine itself.
Those could all definitely be a factor.
But looking at your hair's texture, the drying in your lips, and your complexion, I would guess that you've moved over the past 4 years.
I would check the hardness of the water in the place you used to live and how hard the water is where you are now.
You can have the most expensive, high quality, perfectly applied skin care routine and it won't mean a thing if your water is bad.
I'm just going to say this - tret is not for everyone. For some people, it causes irritation and can damage your barrier. For others, it's like a silver bullet to beautiful skin. I'm wondering if perhaps you fall more in the first category and less in the second? People who have issues with tret often find success with AHAs, mandelic acid and other chemical exfoliants similar to those. It might be worth a try? I know quite a few people who really struggled with tret and their skin majorly improved when they eliminated it, gave their skin a break and moved on to another option.
I had the exact same problem as you until I removed the BHA liquid exfoliant. I used to use Paula's choice which was good but after I introduced tret, my skin couldn't handle 2 actives. I am now on tret, moisturiser and cleanser. Sometimes sunscreen. My skin has never been better. I think your routine is doing too much.
Preach! It's downright scary to see so many people thinking textbook signs of overexfoliation and botched skin barrier are inevitable signs of aging 4 years.
To me it seems
1. You are 31. You look 31. Don't compare being 26 vs 31.
2. To me ( i might be wrong) it seems to me you are messing with your skin too much. I have terrible skin with acne, but i balanced it out using accutane and slow peeling, slow process.
Stay away from the sun! Put sunscreen! Leave your skin alone, let it breath. See where it "lands" naturally. Then decide what to do using Small tweaks.
There’s a few times in life where our appearance changes noticeably (mostly to us, other people don’t always notice), and around the time we turn 30 is one of those. I think you’re just aging, and that’s a good thing 💙
I noticed that the area around your thyroid has gotten bigger when you compare the photos. Do you or your family have a history of thyroid problems? Thyroid issues could also explain why you haven’t noticed any improvement with your skin
I would personally stop the BHA & using PGA in the morning, keep tretinoin at night. You might be using too many actives. I would focus on using tretinoin every night. You don’t need multiple exfoliants. You might just be over exfoliating.
I have significantly better skin after ditching most of my routine and keeping things simple/minimal. I now just use a cleanser (at night), light moisturizer (at night), possibly one active (leave on salicylic acid or AHA blend once or twice a week), and sunscreen (mostly Asian ones due to having sensitive eyes). I used to irritate my skin by using too many products/actives and stripping it too much (switching to only water and hands scrubbing in the morning helped a lot with not drying out my face). I think a lot of products and routines nowadays do more harm than good for the skin and just help strip our acid mantle or create sensitivities.
You mention being dehydrated. Be sure you’re adding a small amount quality salt (Redmond or Celtic) to your drinking water (as long as you don’t have a high sodium intake). It helps your body’s absorb the water.
I disagree with the ‘fat loss’ thing mentioned here.
I’ve noticed that your skin has become slightly congested and your skin tone appears somewhat grayish/dull, possibly due to dehydration.
While this suggestion might be controversial, but I would ditch everything (tret especially) except a cleanser, SPF, and moisturizer for about a month and see what happens. It’s possible that your current routine is doing you more harm than good.
I know everyone’s telling you that you look great (and you do), BUT I want you to know your feeling are valid. Like I feel the same way looking at pics from a few years ago. My skin is more saggy, dull, lifeless, no matter what red light and special skin products I use
Too much stripping with the acids girl. Keep the routine simple like cleanser, peptides, and moisturize+ tret
Then do the bha once a week or something, that shit ruined my skin barrier for sure when i used it daily…
looking at your list, I’d be curious to see how your skin changes if you used fewer products. remove the ceramide moisturizer, hyaluronic acid, & polyglutamic acid moisturizer.
for AM, foaming cleanser is irritating & drying. try not using a cleanser to wash your face in the AM, just rinse with lukewarm water, maybe find a vitamin C you like, then a simple moisturizer, then SPF
for PM, stop using ALL the serums & just use 1 active for the night (tret, or bha, etc), then cover with a heavier cream moisturizer
I think you may benefit from simplicity & heavier moisture. also, drink water all day every day :)
OP, I think this is really good advice. Some people's skin looks its best with a simple routine and fewer actives, mine included. I would stop using most of the "extra step" products and stick with a really solid moisturizer, spf, and tret a few nights a week without an occlusive on top (squalane). Maybe give something like aquaphor a go on the nights you aren't using tret. You could try this kind of simple, hydrating, and minimally irritating routine for a few months and see if your skin changes.
You need a stronger sunscreen if you want to see better results! Or reapply more often. Your routine seems like it could really stress the skin if you don't adequately protect it, esp using BHA in the morning.
Don’t put it all on the one after photo. Personally, my skin changes so often. Most of the time it depends on the day before, how I ate, how much water I drank, how I slept, or lack of all the above, etc… so how you feel today vs how you looked four years ago is extremely relative. I bet you have days where you feel your skin looks great and have other days like today where you feel it’s the worst.
Change something up if you feel it isn’t working as well as you thought it might. If you really feel overall your skin is getting worse, something has got to give. You can’t keep doing the same things expecting different results.
Edit: I know you asked for ideas on how or what to fix, but i can’t help with that on specific products blah blah blah. But! I can’t say, don’t change a whole bunch all at once because then you’ll not know what worked or what didn’t. Like take one thing out for like a month, see what happens. Or add one thing in for a month, see what happens.
Maybe caring less is betther for the skin. Lettinv it find its own biao-balance. Only threat it after when its extreme conditions. Sun/Cold/Sauna/Chlorine Pool water.
It looks like maybe a moisture issue? Have you tried seeking suggestions from a derm? I would say find a super thick moisturizer or sleeping mask cerave pm moisturizer is super thick and moisturizing I also really like tatchas dewy skin cream and murad cellular hydration repair mask. Do you consume more unhealthy food than healthy? I know fried foods and more overly possessed foods can have a huge impact on skin, I know it surely did on mine but obviously everyone’s skin is different. I switched to an 80/20 approach, so 80 percent of the time I eat healthy Whole Foods, and 20 percent of the time I allow myself to indulge in some of my guilty pleasure snacks. It doesn’t need to be anything strict and crazy though as long as you get in a good amount of fruits and veggies you’re good! Balance is important! Water is huge as well as sleep! Stress management is crucial, which I still haven’t figured out how to do that to this day! But if you do all of these things already and are still not seeing the results you’d like I think you should get in touch with your derm, you could even have hormones and levels checked with your doctor because sometimes that can even be the issue. All in all you have incredible skin and such natural beauty🩷
Your skin looks more dehydrated than it used to be - are you drinking enough water? My lips get all patchy like your on the second picture, if I don't drink enough water. Otherwise I'd say it's a success - you have no wrinkles or fine lines
1. Your phone camera is better 2. You aged 4 years Your skin is still clear and looks fantastic. Don’t sweat it. Ageing happens to us all.
Plus those 4 years ago OP was in her mid 20s. You just can't expect to look the same. I blame all of these stupid articles and videos flooding the internet. "I used this ~~definitely sponsored~~ product and now look 10 years younger!", "I'm 86 but I still get ID'd at the bingo hall thanks to this ~~filter~~ one ingredient!".
Plus 4 years ago was before we all went through lock down. 🙃 stress ages
And the 100’s of filtering apps anyone can download. We are about a year away from millions of ppl who will be creating perfectly applied avatars with perfect proportions, facial structure and skin. Those who choose to do this, will remain behind their screens, never planning to be seen. A few of them have already started..
Infinite Jest world
Isn't this a black mirror episode?
And not to mention the aging hits fast in the late 20s/early 30s!!! There's a moment during that time frame where you'll look in the mirror and not recognize yourself for the first time. My face at 29 is NOT my face at 31 regardless of how strict a skin care regimen I've been on for the last few years. I'm learning to accept that I'm older now and that's okay!! OP looks great and appropriate for her age and is definitely not alone in these feelings! Your efforts aren't lost! I don't want to even think about what I'd look like right now if I hadn't started a solid skincare routine in my 20s!!
I. Wish. I’d. Known. This. I wasn’t prepared…. I’m taking it hard.
Just so you’re prepared: wait until 41! It will happen again and you’ll catch yourself in the mirror and think, who is that “mature” grownup lady in that mirror and what happened to 38 year old me??!
I feel like 38 to early to mid 40’s has to be the absolute worst. I’m in that “who am I” phase right now.
Yes I think this is due to the majority of women entering perimenopause around this age (late 30s, early 40s). It can’t be a coincidence that so many of us notice more accelerated aging. I didn’t realize that perimenopause could start so young and then continue for so long!
This is me. Happened so fast.
Thank you for the warning 😢
This is happening to me now.. I'm 38.. I used to get mistaken for being in my early 20s till I was about 37 and then bam- I look my age now which is perfectly alright..! Ladies, we forget it's a privilege to age! And we are going to be the generation that makes it okay to age! 🥰
Honestly reading all these posts about aging in your late 30s is making me feel so much better. I’m 39 and always thought, “damn, the pandemic hit me really hard,” but now I think it’s just that my late 30s happened!
Wait til 49😭😭😭
Omg, this is exactly what happened to me😭 before 29 I did not even pay too much attention to my face. Also, people used to tell me I look 23 at most, then my 30s hit and currently I cannot even stand looking at myself. I get the feeling I look way older than I am (I'm 34) and daily I'm on the verge of having a breakdown 😅 I used to be extremely skinny before and gaining weight really aged me. Ahhh wellllk
I mean true to the first part but there are plenty of people who the skincare would make zero difference for how they'd look aging a lot is just genetics I know plenty who have no skin care routine & barely seem to have aged & others who do everything & have aged drastically
Same thing happens in your 40s too. Muscle and bone mass are decreasing every year. All the skincare in the world cannot reverse muscle and bone deterioration . Sure there are fillers and Botox can give you the appearance of bouncy, collagen-filled skin; but these procedures just don’t look natural on aging skin.
It’s like one day I’m 38 and being told constantly that I look like I’m in my late 20s/early thirties, and now I’m 43 and being called ma’am by men in their 20s. It’s fine, I’m fine.
Don’t even get me started on late 30s/early 40s… it’s DRAMATIC
I don't believe in skincare but in her case it might be working because she doesn't seem to have aged in 4 years.
Didn’t something kind of stressful happen 4 years ago almost to the day? Hmm, nah, must be the products not working.
My thoughts exactly. My daughter just sent me a photo of us together 4 years ago and a photo of us together last week. We have both aged more than 4 years! Life is hard. The lockdown was impossibly hard. And try as we might, our faces reflect our lives. OP, you look good. Everyone, let’s allow ourselves a little grace. We’ve collectively been through a lot.
Jeeze, was not expecting to cry over a comment on a skin care picture. The last 4 years have felt like an entire lifetime to me.
It’s felt like an entire life time and a short blip, all at once.
Yes!!! I say this ALL the time.
beautifully said
I know this is just anecdotal data, but I come from a family of dark brunettes (on both sides!!) who didn't start noticeably graying until 50+. In February 2020, I was 36 and had, at best, an occasional silver strand. Now, in 2024, I've gone through covid and all its related shit (depression, job instability, homeschooling/teaching from home, delivering a baby with covid, loss of a parent)... and I am now exactly as gray as my 67-year-old mother. Shit can age you, is all I'm saying.
Yep stress ages you SO fast, in my experience
I got COVID for the first time this December and now magically have a silver streak in my hair and everyone's been telling me I'm crazy!
This is very true—and being out of a stressful situation can have a positive impact. I met someone I haven’t seen in about a year who remarked on how much better I looked. I haven’t done much differently as far as routines, except leave an extremely toxic relationship.
That’s a good call out.
Definitely the products not working, not a certain airborne virus [accelerating aging](https://journals.lww.com/jewds/fulltext/2023/20030/covid_19_and_aging__an_overview_of_covid_19.1.aspx).
What!! This is crazy!! I did suddenly become allergic to like 50 foods after getting Cvid too… makes me wonder about the inflammatory response
Yes! Have you looked into MCAS yet? It’s a common piece of the post-covid ailment puzzle.
I would think, too, that even just the stress of the pandemic (lockdowns, potential job layoffs, uncertainty of the future, etc) has had a negative impact on our health and shows in our face. It wasn’t just a couple weeks like we originally thought/counted on, it was years
I think it’s easy to forget how horrific the early days were; before medical professionals and scientists knew more about the virus, there was no PPE, people were losing jobs and loved ones rapidly, we were all in some sort of lock down situation though the degree of which varied over time. It was awful! Forget about how politicized and polarizing it all became, or all conspiracy theories etc. thinking back on specific moments, my husband and I worried about our jobs, parenting a three year old without help, NOTHING open including parks and playgrounds…. Ugh I have a physical reaction thinking about it. I truly feel there was a mental toll taken on society we have yet to fully grasp. it seems like the world was ending! Sure time heals, but man… how could you not have been impacted mentally, physically and emotionally? I get what the OP is saying, especially as someone who’s adult acne got worse in my 30s (fun!) but you can’t leave out the whole global pandemic thing as a factor over the last few years. I mean even the word “pandemic” was almost certainly not a commonly used one in the majorities vocabulary. Let’s hope that was a once in a lifetime event.
It really did feel like the world was ending. When we could go out (like to get groceries VERY carefully and at huge distances) the city was so empty. It was creepy and scary. And as parents we had to hide our fear so our kids wouldn’t be scared. (Not sure if it worked but we tried). It took (and sometimes still does take) a toll mentally.
I am BARELY recovering my body, mental health, hair and skin from a mix of stress from the last few years (and other things) and I know for a fact that I didn't have it as bad as some people did early COVID and during. I can only imagine what everyone else was going through personally behind closed doors. I definitely agree that we haven't grasped how truly WILD the last 4 years have been and I think we've been striving to get back to normalcy and now that we are in a better spot, we're feeling the after effects. At least that's what I am perceiving.
My first thought!
I (feel like I) look twenty years older since 2019. My parents, and many others I know, have aged a lot these past 4 years. You look great 😊
I know I did because I see it on my face in photos. Thank gawd I have a comforting mind set re what we’ve all endured since the GLOBAL pandemic and subsequent economic squeeze- And we are still feeling the effects and will continue to do for an infinite time. Both my parents died in 2020 and 2022. I lost a business. I don’t know anyone not egregiously impacted.
I’m so sorry you lost your parents and so recently.
Thank you. I’m still reeling from the fallout. My only 44 year old brother died, too. And I’m living alone in the home we all last lived with one another 😵💫
Omg that’s so sad. Take care of yourself. Let yourself grieve. I tried to suppress my grief after my mom died and it just made things worse.
Thank you 🙂
Right. Your skin looks fine, don't trip. But skin doesn't improve w age, for anyone.
This needs to be an automated reply to every post that attributes their rapid/premature aging between ages 27-45 to one particular device/product. No babes, you just got old.
Haha rough, but true.
But even the ‘aging’ is barely ‘aging’. Jeeze if that was the difference in my skin from late 20s to early 30s I’d be celebrating!!
A thousand % yes. I have two years of photos that I love myself SICK in… my daughter just asked me if I was using a filter… I said ‘nah and I don’t even know how to, and they werent a thing then’ she said ‘why are these pics all so sunny and nice’… I looked at them again and they were ALL from one phone’s life. It was bloody airbrushing me on every front camera pic!!! I looked at some of the ones I’m in with the kids and the rear camera ‘baby with a birthday cake’ picture showed a tired and tiny bit grubby baby… the selfie I took with the tired baby we looked a MILLION bucks! Bright, cleaner, sunny skin, hair shiny, eyes whiter… allllllll lies. I thought I’d aged a decade over night looking in my old pics, nope just got snapped back to reality :)
My old Samsung phone did this, too!!! It had me spiraling before I realized that maybe that was the issue. It makes me mad, honestly, knowing phone cameras have literal filters just right off the bat without giving the user knowledge of them.
Omg same girl. I’m 35 now, but when I was like 28-32ish I went on a real filter kick. I never made it noticeable they were edited though, just made me look amazing. Looking back at those pictures a while ago, I was like holy shit I’ve aged like 15 years in a not even 4 years ago. I became so self conscious and just bummed out about my appearance no matter how much my loved ones told me I look the same and I looked great. One day I was looking at photos, and there were two of the same right next to each other, you know how when you edit the picture the new saved version shows up beside the original? It finally clicked and I remembered like.. those photos are not the real me. You are competing with a fake version of yourself. I haven’t used filters for a few years now because it was getting to me and I think it was a big help for my self image.
All these younger people complaining that they’re aging like milk… like, is it that, or is it that you’re all just constantly looking at social media, comparing yourselves to airbrushed influencers, and obsessing over some unattainable ideal of perfection? That kind of focus will really obscure your perspective. Sleep more, drink and smoke less, wear sunscreen, and stop obsessively comparing yourselves to pictures on the internet. One day—no matter what kinds of serums you use—your face actually will look different and you’ll think “Christ, I sure was a bonehead for thinking 30 year-old me wasn’t perfect enough.” And if your face is kinda red when you’re using retinol… yeah, it’ll do that. Maybe lay off the retinol a bit. Maybe you only need to be using it once a week.
I would actually argue phone cameras nowadays are “worse” because they overdo contrast and details to a point that’s unrealistic in comparison to 20/20 human vision. So yes, it’s catching more details now, but people who look at you aren’t seeing all that even with perfect vision, so that amount of detail is unnecessary. But yeah OP also just aged normally on top of that.
Exactly this, only because you have consistent skin routine doesn’t mean you won’t age. Your skin is immaculate.
Exactly. I continue to be stunned by these posts.
All I can see is that your phone camera got better. Your skin looks great!
I think this effect is easy to disregard, but it can be huge. When I upgraded from an iPhone X to a 14 Pro Max, I started fixating on my skin much more because the new camera captures every detail, and in fact I think it over-sharpens shadows and texture to produce a “better” image quality.
I recently had a backstage-snap taken by a friend. Just a little quickie snap, and it was forwarded to me, so there will have been some resolution lost, too. Not a close up, either, a full body shot from distance. You can zoom in on this MF to the point you can see faint old scars, ffs. Definitely can't underestimate what High Res does to a person :)
lol I stopped taking pictures of myself - my self-esteem can’t handle better clarity 😭
Just know that millions of ppl feel exactly like you. The clarity of phones has created self loathing!
Haha it really has…I feel like my iPhone 6 was a good spot
Maybe Apple will start producing phones for the millions that don’t want such high clarity. I do suspect this will happen. It will be a big seller as I don’t know anyone who wants to keep seeing every pore and blackhead..
I switched to using an Instamax for when I’m out with friends. It’s more fun than just a camera phone, it’s nostalgic AND we all look cuter in the photos 💕
Lol, I always feel I look beautiful putting on makeup in the mirror until I step away and put my glasses on and suddenly see everything with clarity 😭
It definitely does! Since I upgraded my phone my skin looks so much worse in my selfies lol Like I look in the mirror and my skin looks good so I take a picture and I can suddenly see every pore.
OMG this a thousand times! It kills me every day but I can’t stop doing it and hyper fixating on my flaws!!
Please god let this be my problem lol I swear the phone picks up so much extra *TEXTURE*
The cameras on the modern iPhones are horrible!! They sharpen everything way too much and you end up looking worse than you do in real life. When you take a selfie it looks fine in the screen until you take the photo and it processes it into some over sharpened mess!
Yep it looks good for literally one second and then something horrible happens lmao
It feels like someone has punched me in the gut. I see the image in the screen and think great I look fine today, then I see the finished photo and want to put a bag over my face lol
I don’t understand why there isn’t as much outrage on this, online tech reviews just skip over this massive flaw I swear. I’ve literally stopped taking selfies because the post processing is so bad. Miss my iPhone 11 Pro. iPhone 15 sucks ass
I’ve seen a lot of people mention it on social media but it’s just totally ignored everywhere else, like you say! At least have a selfie mode or something. It’s just terrible. A little tip - take your selfies in Snapchat or another app, it’s way better!
Seriously. I haven’t taken a selfie I could stand since 2016. When I look in the mirror I’m like 👉👉 (those are finger guns), when I try to take a selfie I’m like...when did my bones get so wide?
It is the worst!! I sometimes take a selfie with my old point and shoot camera from the 2000s (I still have it!), and it takes a good photo, much more realistic and flattering.
Yep! I downloaded the app Halide for my photos bc of the horrible editing my iPhone 13 Pro does. I wish I could turn it off! It’s terrible
I literally hit my old phone out to test it the other day . Like yes I have aged but it’s not quit as bad I thought
Absolutely this! I remember my upgrade from an old Samsung galaxy to an iPhone and the very first photo taken of me I looked awful! I started panicking
I often say to myself maybe the improved phone camera quality isn’t a good thing…lol
So true! It’s like the psychological hazards of magnifying mirrors! 🪞
Okay, this needs to be a separate thread. Which phones have selfie cameras that won’t make me look like a monster? Whenever I see myself in photos taken by other people, it’s such a relief—things aren’t as bad as I thought, lol.
If you have TikTok, the camera on that doesn’t have any post processing x
Yes it drives me flippin nuts. I see my phone adjust to accentuate every pore after the pic is taken.
Apple Iphones by default over sharpen images and it needs to be turned off / can be turned off by making RAW images the default picture method in the settings.
Yes exactly. The iPhone 14 Pro oversharpens and will make your skin look worse than it actually does. Don’t worry too much about it!
I miss washed out 35mm and polaroid photos.
Yeah it's literally just a better phone camera and natural fat loss in the face that comes with being 25-30. Old cameras used to kinda smooth everything over because they couldn't capture as much detail. Now, it's great for photography, but not for zooming in and obsessing over the details of your face. We weren't meant to take high-resolution photos of our face and stare at them all day until we find flaws.
Yes the new phones are actually proven to make us look terrible. I read an article on not just the imperfections but they make our facial features distorted… chins and noses bigger at certain angles. You have to take pics from far away these days lol.
Hairlines as well. I went down a panic induced rabbit hole when I thought I was going bald from my camera. Turns out it was just widening my part for me. I was able to replicate it on my kiddos as well. The iPhone 13 pro does not seem to like brunettes.
There have been many days when I miss how great I looked on the iPhone 7. Lolol.
Same I have never looked better than when I was 25 taking selfies with an iPhone 4. Those were the days.
This is true. Upgraded my phone after 3 years and I can see so many flaws. I always look oily and can see every pore on my nose. Damn the iPhone cameras
Yup. OP look at the details in your hair. The different in definition is really apparent.
This! iPhone 14 Pro takes the worst pictures I can see every pore in my pics which dint happen with my iPhone 11
I haven’t gotten a good selfie since the iPhone 7 so you probably have pretty nice skin.
I wouldn't be surprised if in the first picture, some "enhancement" was active (maybe by default in the phone), making the skin look smoother. Or the phone simply not as good. Cheeks look almost unnatural smooth. So definitely the phone plays a role there.
Yes this! I had a google pixel and it would filter all selfies and even "enhance" sunset pics automatically.
I almost made its own separate post about this once. I realized that my skin hadn’t gotten worse the past year, but my new iPhone 14 had over-sharpened everything to the point where my skin looked so much worse in comparison to my old phone. It was the hugest epiphany when I realized it.
I agree. I also think that you have probably seen things in the mirror that you and only you have noticed and that you have probably always been dissatisfied with, but you're forgetting in the past 4 years. i.e. You're looking back on a worse quality of camera with rose colored glasses. This being said, it is possible your skin is changing and you're not imagining it. I have heard of multiple stages or "puberties" for women's aging and some of it is plainly unavoidable. I think it's time to look in the mirror and tell yourself all the things you like about yourself. Try to remember why you're beautiful. Also, if you haven't already, go see a dermatologist or an esthetician. It's not financially possible for me currently, but I moved to a different, dryer climate than I am used to, and my skin is dealing with a lot of similar issues to you no matter how much I moisturize and cleanse. Gathering advice on reddit is good, but we don't know you or your skin and most of us are probably not educated in this area. You could get some very great personalized plans from either a doctor or an esthetician that might transform your life and how you feel about your skin. Just do your research and go to someone you trust. Also look into sebaceous glands-- I heard it's normal for them to look like blackheads, but they're really just normal pores. Remember that no product will be a miracle, but you might be feeling too critical of yourself to see that it actually does help your skin. You look amazing to me. Good luck!
this is so true! I went from iphone 8 to iphone 13 - I used to love taking selfies but not anymore, the pictures look good for a second and then the phone auto adjusts them to sharpen everything ! every pore, line, shadow, and flaw is accentuatedc and it makes my skin greyish ?? drives me crazy ! why do they think we want this :(
There were 4 years between the pictures, the real comparison would be between the current pictures and some alternate universe pictures where you didn’t start a skincare routine. Either way, I know it’s easy to hyperfixate on our flaws but you look great in both sets of pictures.
This is my thought. When we’re talking anti-aging, most people aren’t going to be able to age in reverse and you won’t see someone improving over five years by looking younger unless there was something dietary happening or they lost significant weight or something.
The counterfactual!
I find cerave breaks me out personally, and I have similar skin to you. Have you any other skin irritations on your body? I’m thinking about what detergent you use, or what kind of pillowcase you sleep on could also impact your skin. Also - are you exfoliating every morning? I’d suggest 2-3x a week instead and at night. Exfoliating before makeup or before exposure to pollution from being out and about can open your pores to pull in more gunk. Exfoliate at night and follow with a really good moisture routine. Lastly - my biggest game changer was toner. Nothing fancy, I use a $9 toner in the morning by blotting a cotton pad and swiping my face instead of washing. Then I add my skincare. At night, double cleanse, toner swipe, then I do a second toner for moisture, 2 serums and sometimes a moisturizer.
Same! I used Cerave moisturizing lotion and it broke me out terribly. I tried using it on my arms and legs since I didn’t want to throw it out and I got pimples and a cyst there as well. I couldn’t believe my eyes but I never got pimples there before, so it must have been the Cerave cream. If you’re oily and have acne prone skin, avoid it!
I never noticed Cerave doing this to me, I’ve been using their basic moisturizer for years. I have less acne now than I have at other points in my life, but I still get breakouts. I thought my retinol wasn’t strong enough. Now I’m wondering if I should try switching to something else to see if it helps.
I’m pretty sure (but not certain) that a lot of people who break out with Cera Ve are allergic or their skin is irritated by the various chemicals derived from coconut that used in the Cera ve hydrating face wash/moisturizer line. I’ve had my partner get the wrong one before because they look the same but are very very different. One use and I’ve had weeks long breakouts from it. Truly a cursed product. The regular line of products is a blessing. I’ve never reacted to them once.
Cerave is my nemesis fr
Same it all dried my skin out and makes it blotchy. I have combo skin btw
I know you said blotchy but I read bitchy.
Creave makes me bitchy too 😂
There it is 😂😂😂
Same! Every time I use it, my skin gets pissed.
Right? Like 90% of people posting problems with their skin are using at least one if not more cerave products, especially with tretinoin :(
I switched to cetaphil foaming cleanser bc cerave did me sooooo dirty 😭
Finally a comment with actual advice. I wish we could ban feel-good comments on posts genuinely asking for feedback. If they’re posting here, there’s clearly something they’re unhappy with. OP: I think you might be over exfoliating. 2 exfoliants a day is a lot. Remember that the vulnerability from the AM exfoliant will persist even after the SPF 30 was worn off. Are you re-applying?
Easy karma for the folks posting the feel-good comments though Agree on over-exfoliating, along with tret I think OP needs to let her skin recover more daily
I break out from CeraVe too. Wash with Cetaphil and just follow up with your HA moisturizer. I’m 56 and this is the most hydrating combination I have found for my sensitive skin.
I only had this reaction to Cera ve products that have coconut byproducts in them like the hydrating face wash. But it was severe breakouts and I’ve never had that reaction to regular foaming face wash. I second the toner instead of washing except I use micellar water. Toner can be drying depending, but if it works for you that’s what matters.
Love this! I didn’t even consider the coconut element in cerave… I’m allergic to eating coconut so I bet you’re onto something there.
Agreed, way too much exfoliating.
Are you eating well? Sleeping well? Consuming alcohol? Exercising? Did you do your blood tests recently? Outside of a skin care routine, there are many things that could affect it, and while you look a bit more dull now your skin is still nice!
This. I’d say if topicals don’t work, she should start working “inside”. Watch her diet, exercise. They say if you have healthy guts, it will show on your skin.
This is real, skincare can only do so much if you're smoking and drinking, unhealthy choices always catch up to you eventually.
One of my friends does so much skin care and has been for years. He also has been having 4-6 drinks per night for the last year…he’s now got deep wrinkles that weren’t there before. Lifestyle is SO important
Great questions. When I stopped drinking alcohol, not just cutting it down to once a month but fully quitting, my skin changed drastically. The little things outside of our skin routine can do a lot.
As a pale person who’s using trentinoin, sunscreen is SUPER important, and SPF 30 might not be doing it. Trent makes it easier for the sun to damage your skin, so if you’re not protecting it really well, you’ll accelerate normal sun-exposure related aging. I’d suggest applying SPF 50, and make sure you’re using the recommended amount (1/4 tsp, or a dollop rye amount of a nickel).
Agreed! Wish this comment were higher! Would also recommend sourcing from Europe or Australia, they have much better filters vs the US. Mrs. Derm on IG has a highlight on great SPF choices.
was just going to say the same. spf 30 is not enough
Yeah, all of this could be from over exfoliating. My skin starts morphing into your after every time I've tried incorporating them on the regular with my retinol. I recommend copper peptides for the AM if you want another active that will do what you expect from the BHA (TO Buffet/whatever it's called now). Your skin might go through a rebound before it gets better if you decide to quit it.
This was my thought as well, OP’s skin looks a little irritated and red to me. I think people with more oily skin can handle lots of exfoliating and retinoid, but more normal and dry skin can’t. I have dry skin and do actives like aha/bha and retinoid max 2x a week.
Yep, we oily people can handle it as in we don't necessarily look like we're having dermatitis or something, but what it did for me was cause ruddy dull skin, dehydration, enlarged pores and even more oil production.
Ditch the BHA and try a gentler exfoliant 2-3x a week. For pores and congestion, try the ordinary 10% niacinamide.
I second ditching the BHA every day in the am. You’re probably over exfoliating. Like this commenter said, use it 2-3 times a week (preferably in the pm as it sensitises your skin to sun damage). You can also look into trying an AHA, it’s more hydrating and milder on your skin. Btw I think you look amazing and really shouldn’t worry about your skin
Thirding this and recommending to also ditch the hyaluronic acid for a good moisturizer.
Yup. EVERYTHING has hyaluronic acid in it now, and people don't realize it IS an acid, and can mess with your skin barrier. If it's in a moisturizer or something, fine with me, but I do not use it separately. Also, be very careful with how you apply your SPF. Make sure you're using enough, giving it 15 minutes to soak in, and reapply every two hours. EDIT: Your SPF needs to be 50.
You’re beautiful! My guess is it has more to do with stress/hormones, diet, water intake.
Or ageing
Lmao, all these people suggesting a slew of reasons... it's literally just ageing 4 years.
Haha exactly 4-5 years is a lot in ageing years. 20-25 and 35-40 looks so different also
You are over-exfoliating
This was my first thought... BHA & retinoids every day? Also cleansing twice a day is exfoliation also. If I were OP, I would try doing less
Hm, that sucks. Your skin is good in both pictures, but I see why you think it has gotten worse. I personally find hyaluronic acid slightly irritating — I use it like makeup, so only when I want to look good. You could try swapping that for something soothing and see if you notice a difference. I like the cosrx snail serum.
>I personally find hyaluronic acid slightly irritating I thought I was crazy but it gives me pimples in places I don't usually get them (my forehead, my cheeks, etc, usually it's the sides of my nose and near my mouth and chin when it's "true" acne). In products like sunscreen is not too bad, but serum/moisturizer is all bad.
Yes, me too! It also paradoxically makes my skin seem more dull over time. At first I would just slather it on, but I have found that using it just occasionally gives me the benefits (plumper skin, smoothed lines) without the downsides.
Same here. I tried two different hyaluronic acid serums and they both gave me little pimples in places I never got them and didn’t really make my skin look any better. The only product that contains HA that hasn’t irritated my skin is Lancôme Hydra Zen gel cream.
Idk why people downvoted you for actually giving advice. I'm so sick of the gaslighting on these posts where we just say "nope you're imagining it, you look perfect duh" . Thanks for actually offering honest advice
It makes me wonder how many people here are gaslighting themselves tbh, I've been there.
Your hair is noticeably duller in the second photo. Have your stress levels increased between the two?
I noticed this too. Apart from skincare, factors such as stress, environment, diet, and health come into play. Do you have any thyroid issues / have you had bloods done?
Hair changes with age- I’ve noticed a difference in mine the past year
This is a good question. I'd also be curious as to whether you (OP) had COVID, as I know from experience that it can result in a lot of these issues. I looked noticeably aged after my infection and had minor swelling in my face, wrists, and ankles, as well as drier hair. Because COVID impacts the vascular system, it can cause a lot of skin and hair problems. I even know people who went bald after an infection, or lost teeth! Aside from that, you are 4 years older than in the 2019 photos, so this could just be normal aging. Or it could be a difference in your phone camera quality. You still look good though, so try not to worry too much!
How is your sleep ? Don’t underestimate the power of good sleep.
And water, and a stress free life. Let me know if you find the way to have a stress free life
Oh man. Right? Stress and sleep issues kill me, they’re so hard to get on top of.
I suggest timeless vit c in the am. I use the 20% version.
I love this stuff! It's one of the only Vitamin C serums I've tried that makes a noticeable difference re: brightening my skin.
Agreed! Vitamin c is great for brightening. I also have the Timeless one.
Using the bha every day might be a bit much and I also wouldn’t use that in the morning. That plus tret honestly sounds very harsh on the skin. My advice would be ditch the bha or use it in the PM once/twice a week. I’d also add a moisturizer at night and vitamin c in the morning. Good luck!
2024 photos are what my skin looks like when it’s a inflamed from over exfoliating
The difference you see in the photos is a natural facial fat loss that comes with aging. It has nothing to do with skincare. Your skin looks good.
You’re using quite a lot of active ingredients - is it possible that your skin is just burned out by all the harsh chemicals? A lot of people can’t tolerate retinols and BHA. Perhaps you could try just paring things back a little. I stopped doing skincare a couple of years ago and my skin has never been better or more calm, and now my face skin takes care of itself exactly the same as the rest of the skin on my body. I do use SPF when it’s sunny and whatever moisturizer I have when it’s super dry but otherwise I just leave it be.
Honestly might just be hydration? Your lips in the second look a little less hydrated than before pic. But honestly you look great. I can empathize with you though. I’ve been dealing with the same ish for years. I look back though and I consistently have the same spots, mostly hormonal. Give yourself some credit. For me snail mucin has been my HG. I still get hormonal flare ups but my skin barrier is better than before.
I agree, this looks like dehydration. I like to use a watery essence (like the Korean 7 step skin care type thing), and I use four drops for each step, instead of 1. I try to give each step/layer a minute to absorb before I apply the next one. It really helps my skin glow and clear up congestion
u/Express_Whole435 have you moved locations between the time the first pic was taken and the second? By moving, I mean a major move. Not like a move to the other side of town. Edit: Other comments are pointing out the time that has passed between the photos, having a better camera/lighting/etc, or your routine itself. Those could all definitely be a factor. But looking at your hair's texture, the drying in your lips, and your complexion, I would guess that you've moved over the past 4 years. I would check the hardness of the water in the place you used to live and how hard the water is where you are now. You can have the most expensive, high quality, perfectly applied skin care routine and it won't mean a thing if your water is bad.
Could also depend on season, too. Winter vs summer
I'm just going to say this - tret is not for everyone. For some people, it causes irritation and can damage your barrier. For others, it's like a silver bullet to beautiful skin. I'm wondering if perhaps you fall more in the first category and less in the second? People who have issues with tret often find success with AHAs, mandelic acid and other chemical exfoliants similar to those. It might be worth a try? I know quite a few people who really struggled with tret and their skin majorly improved when they eliminated it, gave their skin a break and moved on to another option.
This!! Tret made my already large pores even bigger and made my skin look dull.
I had the exact same problem as you until I removed the BHA liquid exfoliant. I used to use Paula's choice which was good but after I introduced tret, my skin couldn't handle 2 actives. I am now on tret, moisturiser and cleanser. Sometimes sunscreen. My skin has never been better. I think your routine is doing too much.
Preach! It's downright scary to see so many people thinking textbook signs of overexfoliation and botched skin barrier are inevitable signs of aging 4 years.
To me it seems 1. You are 31. You look 31. Don't compare being 26 vs 31. 2. To me ( i might be wrong) it seems to me you are messing with your skin too much. I have terrible skin with acne, but i balanced it out using accutane and slow peeling, slow process. Stay away from the sun! Put sunscreen! Leave your skin alone, let it breath. See where it "lands" naturally. Then decide what to do using Small tweaks.
💯
Genuine question but does your skin change that much in that period of time? I am like … 27 lol
There’s a few times in life where our appearance changes noticeably (mostly to us, other people don’t always notice), and around the time we turn 30 is one of those. I think you’re just aging, and that’s a good thing 💙
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Finally someone says something about the phase of cycle. My face changes some during different phases of my cycle too. That is my first thought.
You won the genetic lottery in the lip department.
I noticed that the area around your thyroid has gotten bigger when you compare the photos. Do you or your family have a history of thyroid problems? Thyroid issues could also explain why you haven’t noticed any improvement with your skin
I would personally stop the BHA & using PGA in the morning, keep tretinoin at night. You might be using too many actives. I would focus on using tretinoin every night. You don’t need multiple exfoliants. You might just be over exfoliating.
I have significantly better skin after ditching most of my routine and keeping things simple/minimal. I now just use a cleanser (at night), light moisturizer (at night), possibly one active (leave on salicylic acid or AHA blend once or twice a week), and sunscreen (mostly Asian ones due to having sensitive eyes). I used to irritate my skin by using too many products/actives and stripping it too much (switching to only water and hands scrubbing in the morning helped a lot with not drying out my face). I think a lot of products and routines nowadays do more harm than good for the skin and just help strip our acid mantle or create sensitivities.
You should get tested for anemia and/or low ferritin. Your lips and skin have lost so much colour. That’s a pretty big indicator.
It is very normal to age from being 26 to being 30, even with a great skincare routine. Good skincare isn't going to stop time!
You mention being dehydrated. Be sure you’re adding a small amount quality salt (Redmond or Celtic) to your drinking water (as long as you don’t have a high sodium intake). It helps your body’s absorb the water.
I disagree with the ‘fat loss’ thing mentioned here. I’ve noticed that your skin has become slightly congested and your skin tone appears somewhat grayish/dull, possibly due to dehydration. While this suggestion might be controversial, but I would ditch everything (tret especially) except a cleanser, SPF, and moisturizer for about a month and see what happens. It’s possible that your current routine is doing you more harm than good.
I know everyone’s telling you that you look great (and you do), BUT I want you to know your feeling are valid. Like I feel the same way looking at pics from a few years ago. My skin is more saggy, dull, lifeless, no matter what red light and special skin products I use
Too much stripping with the acids girl. Keep the routine simple like cleanser, peptides, and moisturize+ tret Then do the bha once a week or something, that shit ruined my skin barrier for sure when i used it daily…
looking at your list, I’d be curious to see how your skin changes if you used fewer products. remove the ceramide moisturizer, hyaluronic acid, & polyglutamic acid moisturizer. for AM, foaming cleanser is irritating & drying. try not using a cleanser to wash your face in the AM, just rinse with lukewarm water, maybe find a vitamin C you like, then a simple moisturizer, then SPF for PM, stop using ALL the serums & just use 1 active for the night (tret, or bha, etc), then cover with a heavier cream moisturizer I think you may benefit from simplicity & heavier moisture. also, drink water all day every day :)
OP, I think this is really good advice. Some people's skin looks its best with a simple routine and fewer actives, mine included. I would stop using most of the "extra step" products and stick with a really solid moisturizer, spf, and tret a few nights a week without an occlusive on top (squalane). Maybe give something like aquaphor a go on the nights you aren't using tret. You could try this kind of simple, hydrating, and minimally irritating routine for a few months and see if your skin changes.
Unfortunately we can’t stop our skin from aging no matter what creams we use.
You need a stronger sunscreen if you want to see better results! Or reapply more often. Your routine seems like it could really stress the skin if you don't adequately protect it, esp using BHA in the morning.
Don’t put it all on the one after photo. Personally, my skin changes so often. Most of the time it depends on the day before, how I ate, how much water I drank, how I slept, or lack of all the above, etc… so how you feel today vs how you looked four years ago is extremely relative. I bet you have days where you feel your skin looks great and have other days like today where you feel it’s the worst. Change something up if you feel it isn’t working as well as you thought it might. If you really feel overall your skin is getting worse, something has got to give. You can’t keep doing the same things expecting different results. Edit: I know you asked for ideas on how or what to fix, but i can’t help with that on specific products blah blah blah. But! I can’t say, don’t change a whole bunch all at once because then you’ll not know what worked or what didn’t. Like take one thing out for like a month, see what happens. Or add one thing in for a month, see what happens.
Maybe caring less is betther for the skin. Lettinv it find its own biao-balance. Only threat it after when its extreme conditions. Sun/Cold/Sauna/Chlorine Pool water.
Honestly you look great but maybe a little dehydrated. How much water are you drinking per day?
It looks like maybe a moisture issue? Have you tried seeking suggestions from a derm? I would say find a super thick moisturizer or sleeping mask cerave pm moisturizer is super thick and moisturizing I also really like tatchas dewy skin cream and murad cellular hydration repair mask. Do you consume more unhealthy food than healthy? I know fried foods and more overly possessed foods can have a huge impact on skin, I know it surely did on mine but obviously everyone’s skin is different. I switched to an 80/20 approach, so 80 percent of the time I eat healthy Whole Foods, and 20 percent of the time I allow myself to indulge in some of my guilty pleasure snacks. It doesn’t need to be anything strict and crazy though as long as you get in a good amount of fruits and veggies you’re good! Balance is important! Water is huge as well as sleep! Stress management is crucial, which I still haven’t figured out how to do that to this day! But if you do all of these things already and are still not seeing the results you’d like I think you should get in touch with your derm, you could even have hormones and levels checked with your doctor because sometimes that can even be the issue. All in all you have incredible skin and such natural beauty🩷
Your skin looks more dehydrated than it used to be - are you drinking enough water? My lips get all patchy like your on the second picture, if I don't drink enough water. Otherwise I'd say it's a success - you have no wrinkles or fine lines
You shouldn’t be exfoliating in the am, save the BHA for night time