I turned 40 about a month ago and people guess my age at around 27-28. My skin is very pale and my mom always knew to keep me away from the sun. So far no Botox, injectables or anything that requires anesthesia. I am not against them, I just haven't had the need to go as far. I have done lasers (out of curiosity, but they turned my skin extremely red and dry), I do microdermabrasion once a week at home and I recently bought the NuFace TSV which I'm absolutely loving. As far as skincare, I invest in a good sunscreen (Murad City Skin is my staple to use under my makeup) and on those rare occasions when I go out in the sun I use a good waterproof formula like Shiseido's Wet Force, use sunglasses and a hat and stay mostly in the shade. Sun damage is responsible for most of our skin problems so I think SPF is the most important skincare product at any age. And please reapply every 2 hours if you are exposed directly to sunlight or UV artificial light.
I've been using prescription Retin A at night since my 20s because I had a battle with acne when I was younger and I kept using it to keep my skin smooth. The rest of the skincare I use depends on what I need and not necessarily my age. I struggle with texture issues and now I'm starting to see some firmness issues (mostly in my eye area), but as far as dark spots and wrinkles, I've either been lucky or whatever I've been doing has worked so far.
I think you should focus on your skin issues (wrinkles, dryness, dark spots, adult acne, dullness, uneven tone, uneven texture, firmness, etc.) and find a routine to target them. Know your skin type first (are you sensitive? Acne prone? Etc.) and then keep trying products until you find what works. Focus on some issues first and then target the others. Aging is part of life and after 30 you're always going to have something.
I don't use one brand exclusively, I have favorites from many brands. And sometimes my skin needs something new and different so when I run out of a product and I'm not exactly thrilled with the results, I stop buying that product and try something similar from a different brand. You don't need 15 products either. Just those few that help with your skin concerns. In my case those are cleanser, toner or essence, targeted treatment or serum, moisturizer, eye treatment and spf. Sometimes they are for am/pm use and sometimes they are to be used once a day like Retin A.
Before I forget, the makeup that you use is also important. Find something that works with your skincare and not against it. I try to keep my daytime makeup to a minimum and add items with spf when possible.
Sorry, long reply. I hope this helps.
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