<p>I have noticed a lot of wrinkles appearing on my face- the forehead, the crow’s feet and now, worst of all, around the mouth. I am 54 yrs old- the mouth wrinkles have really become noticeable. </p>
<p>I have never used creams but I do wear makeup. Any recommendations on creams that help diminish the appearance iof wrinkles, or make up tips to help them appear less. </p>
<p>I have always had oily skin- but now it is less oily, although not dry. Any help will be appreciated.</p>
<p>I am no expert on this, but I’ve looking into it quite a bit lately and products with retinol are the most talked-about strategy for wrinkles. For those who want to go to a dermatologist and get Retin-A, that’s supposed to be very effective. I’ve been going the over-the-counter route and have seen some positive results. I like Philosophy Booster Caps (pre-measured little packages). <a href=“http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P184112[/url]”>http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P184112</a> I’ve also tried a sample of a retinol product made by Skinceuticals, which I like.</p>
<p>You may want to read what cosmetics claim debunker Paula Begoun has to say about treating wrinkles on her website <a href=“http://www.cosmeticscop.com%5B/url%5D”>http://www.cosmeticscop.com</a>. I believe that Ms. Begoun gives excellent advice on a wide variety of cosmetic concerns. As BlackeyedSusan says, the gold standard in non-surgical wrinkle treatment is a topical retinoid. They are prescription only; a generic (tretinoin) is available. Ms. Begoun will also tell you that you need to be diligent in applying daily sun protection.</p>
<p>In addition, a good moisturizer will help diminish the appearance of fine lines. You need to be careful that you do not use one that is too heavy for your slightly oily skin. Most cosmetic companies seem to believe that if you are over 40 or so you have very dry skin that needs to be treated with heavy moisturizers. Many of us over 40s do not have dry skin. Using moisturizers designed for so-called mature skin can cause us to break out. Paula Begoun has many recommendations for appropriate moisturizers for your skin type. Her book, Don’t go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me is a great resource. </p>
<p>There are also silicone based products that are designed to fill in wrinkles before foundation is applied. They are like spackle for your skin. Paula has several recommendations.</p>
<p>My own suggestion is to try to increase the humidity level in your home. I see a big difference in the appearance of my skin in winter vs. the rest of the year. I think I look older in the winter. I am 55. I used to have very oily skin. Like you, my skin is now less oily. I’d describe it as slightly oily in the T-zone and normal elsewhere. I have very few lines on my face, which I ascribe to good genes and diligently using SPF. However, I think the lines I do have are more noticeable in the winter. I know it is because the air in my house is too dry. I need to do what my mom does, i.e. place pans of water in front of all of the heat registers. So far, I’ve been too lazy to do it. I also have the excuse that my husband and my cat would probably frequently spill the water. Maybe, you’ll be smarter than I and take my advice :). </p>
<p>I find that I sometimes need to use moisturizer during the cold months. I use Olay Definity Intense Hydrating Cream under my eyes year round. It has an almost gel-liike consistency. It’s less expensive than using a specialty eye cream. (Paula will tell you that there is nothing special about eye creams. They just give you less product for more money than other moisturizers!) During the day I usually find that my sunscreen (Olay Regenerist) has enough moisturizing power to do the trick. At night during the warmer months I usually need nothing more than the emollient that is in Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle or the emollient in the generic tretinoin I’ve been using for the past 6 months. (I alternate the AHA and the tretinoin. They are not supposed to be used together. I’ve read that AHAs prevent retinoids from working.) In the winter if I notice my skin feeling tight I lay off the AHA and the tretinoin for a day or two and use The Definity cream instead.</p>
<p>I’ll confess that despite the wonderful reports on the efficacy of retinoids, I haven’t been all that impressed with what it has done for me. I will say that my skin feels smoother, but I can’t see a difference in my appearance. Maybe it’s because I don’t have a LOT of sun damage. (Anyone my age has some. After all, we grew up in a time when kids were not slathered in sunscreen before going out to play! I had a year-round tan when I was a kid. Like all the kids I knew, I played outside almost every day 12 months of the year.) I’ve used sunscreen religiously since my 20s and I have been using AHAs for 20 years. I don’t have any discoloration on my face and I have very few fine lines. I have one faint line (a crow’s toe, ha, ha) next to my left eye and the first fine lines are showing up under both eyes. I do have smile lines on both sides of my face. They are what I’d like to get rid of! I don’t think the tretinoin is going to do anything for them. I’m hoping that perhaps using the tretinoin consistently will slow down the accumulation of more lines aound my eyes. Since I’ve only been using the stuff for 6 months, I’m reserving judgement. (Warning - many people cannot tolerate retinoids aorund the eye area. I have a very resistant skin type that can handle them.)</p>
<p>In the end, I think that all of us have to make peace with the inescapable fact that we are getting older. I want to look as good as I can, but I have accepted that my skin is going to continue to look older as the years go by. I’ll use sunscreen, moisturizer, and other topical products to keep my skin as healthy as possible, but I have personally drawn the line there. I will not use Botox, cosmetic fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm, and I most definitely will not go under the knife! My acceptance of my own aging body is defintely a work in progress - it’s hard in our youth-worshipping culture - but, I’m trying :)!</p>
<p>I can tell you what my dermatologist recommends for aging skin. Apparently there are a small number of ingredients that have been shown to be effective. One of them is the active ingredient in this:</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, 1-Ounce Bottle: Health & Personal Care](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Skinceuticals-CE-Ferulic-1-Ounce-Bottle/dp/B001CJJ5SQ]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Skinceuticals-CE-Ferulic-1-Ounce-Bottle/dp/B001CJJ5SQ)</p>
<p>It’s expensive, but a bottle lasts for about 8 months. I use it in the morning, and when I started I saw a definite improvement in my skin. I’m not sure it reduces wrinkles, but it made my skin somehow look brighter.</p>
<p>She also is a fan of retinoids, either prescriptions like Retin-A or generics, or this over-the-counter products, which is stronger than the retinols but easier to tolerate than Retin-A; it comes in different strengths.</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Avene Retrinal Cream 0.1 1oz: Health & Personal Care](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Avene-Retrinal-Cream-0-1-1oz/dp/B000R8Z7BC]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Avene-Retrinal-Cream-0-1-1oz/dp/B000R8Z7BC)</p>
<p>The third product, of course, is sunscreen, SPF at least 40, all year around. I’ve been using this on her recommendation:</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.eltamd.com/ProductDetail.aspx?p=6]EltaMD[/url”>http://www.eltamd.com/ProductDetail.aspx?p=6]EltaMD[/url</a>]</p>
<p>or their moisturizer with SPF 40. The moisturizer comes in a pump, and they changed the design a while ago, and there are some problems with the new one. Until they change it back I wouldn’t buy it. It stops putting out sunscreen after only about 10 days.</p>
<p>I love the Elta sunscreens. They are not at all greasy or sticky. I’ve tried many kinds, and almost all of them either make me break out or feel awful.</p>
<p>Can you use retinoids if you have rosacea, or are they too harsh?</p>
<p>I’m thinking Frownies:
[Frownies</a> on… frown lines gone](<a href=“http://www.frownies.com/]Frownies”>http://www.frownies.com/)</p>
<p>I use creams called Skin Effects (might be one word) sold only at CVS pharmacies. They are a fraction of the cost of any other creams. I’m not sure they make the wrinkles go away…but they are terrific anyway. I have the daytime and nighttime creams. My normally dry skin looks great.</p>
<p>patsmom, I’m not sure about retinoids/rosacea. I have very mild rosacea, and years ago a dermatologist prescribed Retin-A and metrogel. My skin looked great. But I don’t think retinoids are prescribed for rosacea any more.</p>