r/40and45PlusSkinCare

I have to ask, are people still buying from standard US peptide websites for their skincare? I use GHK-Cu and just recently switched to the grey market after a friend recommended a group to me where there are way cheaper sources than what I am used to.

I literally went from paying $700 for 10 vials down to $60 for the exact same amount. How are these domestic sites allowed to mark things up that much? Are the US sites actually safer to buy from, or is it just pure profit? I guess I’m trying to get a 2nd opinion because I thought $700 for a kit was normal for so long.

So, I've been quite sick for a couple of years and only started recovering a few months ago...I gained a lot of weight and then lost some of it but now I'm beginning to see jowls. They aren't huge but they're definitely there and they are the ONLY thing I can see when I look in the mirror and all I want to do is cry. I just had my first PRP/microneedling session last month. I realized I didn't tell my doctor to focus on the jawline. Can PRP/MN help with beginner jowls? What else can I do to help with this? Topical stuff? Serums? Red light? Other treatments? I won't go for a facelift so that isn't an option for me.

Do peptides really work for skincare or am I going to waste my money? The results on here look too good to be true

This might be a stupid thing to ask, but I am completely new to all of this so I just really need some advice. I have been looking into the whole glow effect and GHK-Cu stuff, but I am still trying to wrap my head around it.

For those of you who use copper peptides, what actual benefits are you seeing and feeling in your skin? What specific differences have you noticed, and how long did it take for you to start experiencing them?

Also, I was told to compare prices because there are a bunch of different types of sites selling these with completely different price tags. If it is allowed here, I would love some advice on that too. Which specific copper peptide do you use and how do you navigate the pricing without getting ripped off? I just need a solid starting point.

Hello! I know skincare is so often focused on our face and so I’ve had a hard time finding honest recommendations for body lotion! Search didn’t turn up much, so apologies if there’s a post I missed.

With summer here, I’m showing more arms and legs and looking for a truly hydrating lotion that can penetrate well and doesn’t feel oily. Anyone use something they love? Bonus points if it’s not heavily scented and can help with razor burn.

Anyone else look in the mirror and just feel like your skin looks kinda flat? I'm 44 and I swear my face used to have some kind of natural luminosity without even trying.

Now no matter how much I moisturize or how many serums I pile on everything just sits there. My complexion looks muddy, tired, almost grayish especially under fluorescent lighting at work.

Makeup used to help but now it just clings to texture and makes things worse. I'm not chasing 25 year old skin I just want to look healthy again.

What actually brought the life back to your face? Open to literally anything at this point whatever worked for you. Thanks

43F and my skin just looks exhausted, it didn't used to be like this. Through my 30s my skin was fine with minimal effort but something shifted in the last couple years and now no matter what I do I look washed out and tired. Even when I feel great and well rested my face doesn't reflect that anymore. My routine is solid, gentle cleanser, vitamin c in the morning, tretinoin at night, moisturizer, SPF every day. I've been consistent for over a year. My skin has no major issues but it's just dull, flat lifeless. no glow, no radiance. Like the light has been sucked out of my face. I notice it most in photos next to other women my age who somehow look healthy and alive and I look like I need a vacation.

I've tried everything topical at this point. hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, glycolic acid, lactic acid, every vitamin c serum at every price point, Overnight masks, facial oils, peptides, collagen creams. some things helped for an hour or two but nothing gave me that lasting glow. I've spent more money than I want to admit chasing it.

So if you're over 40 and you went from dull and tired to genuinely glowing I need to know what you did. Not the generic "drink water and sleep more" advice please. The actual specific thing that made the difference, a treatment, a device, a supplement, something internal, a professional procedure whatever it was. I'm ready to try something different because what I'm doing clearly isn't enough anymore?

Dumb question maybe but i am starting to think half my routine is working against itself and I had no idea. I've been using a vitamin C serum (Timeless CE Ferulic) in the morning and The Ordinary niacinamide 10% at night and someone in a comment section told me those two don't play well together? I looked it up and got like 10 different answers so I still don't know. I've also been layering The ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% peel with my tretinoin on some nights because I figured more exfoliation equals better results. My skin has been super irritated lately and now I'm wondering if I've been sabotaging myself this whole time

My full routine is: AM: La Roche-Posay cleanser → Timeless Vitamin C → The Ordinary HA → CeraVe moisturizer → Elta MD sunscreen PM: oil cleanser → La Roche-Posay cleanser → tret 0.025% → The Ordinary niacinamide → CeraVe PM And then 2x a week I swap the tret for The Ordinary AHA/BHA peel

How am I supposed to know which of these ingredients are conflicting or if im using them in the wrong order? I dont have a chemistry degree and i feel like i need one just to wash my face at this point lol. Is there like a resource or a chart somewhere that tells you what you can and cant mix?

Hello!

I was recommended this for crepe skin on my decolletage, I use it at night 7 days a week and layer Gold Bond over it, some said it would sting a bit but it didn't sting at all. I use sun block 50 every single day.

Last night i applied as normal but noticed I looked a bit red and irritated just below my neck. And it did definitely sting! I've been using it for ca 8 -9 days.

Any idea if this can be due to the product reacting to sun irritation or do I need to cut down on days I'm using it? Thx!

I turned 40 recently and I feel like someone swapped my face out overnight and didn't tell me. Like… where did this dryness come from? My pores look different. My skin texture changed. Things that worked for years just… stopped.

I grew up not really having a skincare routine at all — nobody in my family talked about it, and honestly I had other things to survive. So figuring this out in my late 30s and into 40 has been a whole education.

The biggest thing that caught me off guard was how much hydration started mattering. I used to be oily. Now I wake up looking like a crinkled paper bag if I skip moisturizer. Nobody warned me about that transition.

Also hormones doing WHATEVER they want. Breakouts + dry patches at the same time? Make it make sense.

For the women in their 40s here — what was the one skin change that hit you hardest and caught you completely off guard? And did you actually figure out how to deal with it, or are you still in the trenches like me? 😅

Hey all. 46 here and skin has lost its firmness and glow lately. Started low dose GHK-Cu a few weeks ago and seeing smoother texture plus better tone. Added a bit of MT2 for natural color without much sun.

Anyone else in their 40s+ try these and notice real improvements? Tips welcome. Thank

I'm 42 and living alone, and i’m trying to deal with wrinkles that are getting harder to ignore. everyone around me seems to have their peps figured out but i’m not even exaggerating when i say i’m running out of cash for rent trying to stay consistent with my skin routine. i really want to stick to high quality american made stuff because i care about what i'm putting in my body, but the cost for the vials and the shipping is legit making me go broke.

the total is basically the same as my rent at this point. i’m terrified i’m gonna be forced to stop entirely because i can’t swing these payments anymore, and i really don't want to lose the progress i've made. what are you guys doing to stay on it without losing your place? i’m trying to prioritize my health and my skin but i can’t go homeless over a few vials. smh.

I’ve been looking into PRP for skin lately and I’m finding it surprisingly hard to get a clear sense of what to expect.

A lot of the before/after discussions either make it seem like a big transformation or barely noticeable at all, and I’m guessing the reality is probably somewhere in between.

I don’t mind gradual improvement, but I also want to be realistic about whether it’s actually worth the time and cost.

For anyone who’s tried it, did you personally feel like the results were meaningful, or more subtle than expected?