Renova and Esoterica. Estee Lauder Night Repair around my eyes. In the past I have used Avon's Retroactive and liked it.

I have oily, acne prone skin, a few age spots and melasma which is why this works for me.

Gina, I'll echo your first line with a slight change, LOL.

"Now that I'm in my 50s, my once perfect skin is not so perfect anymore".

I have been doing a fruit acid peel series, usually 4 weekly sessions once a year at my aesthetician; mild exfoliation is key I think in order for your products to be efficient at their maximum. I will have collagen facials twice a year in addition to the peels;
heck, I have no time to lose, my clock is ticking....

I use gf collin products that are sold at the salon; mid priced, the line works well for me.

I have friends who swear by facials. I'll be getting one over Thanksgiving weekend. Eileen what's melasma? My mom used to use Esoterica. Do those faders work on spots?

Melasma is the dark spotting that pregnant women often get due to hormone changes. I got it before I was ever pregnant, it got worse with pregnancy, of course.

Esoterica is the OTC version of fade cream. It fades melasma, some scarring, age spots, etc. Not as good on age spots as the other areas. A combination of Retin A and the fade cream does a good job on age spots. I guess laser treatments work best.

I don't have much in the way of wrinkling due to my oily skin and avoidance of the sun since my mid-twenties.

My friend (we're both over 40) has such a nice complexion---I'm almost envious. She has dark hair and zero blemishes. I have light hair, freckles, and a ruddy complexion.

Last night we went out to dinner and I asked her---"Hey, that's a nice shade on you. Is it powder or creme?

She said it was neither. HUH!!!!!!! Said it was just lotion. LOTION!!!! Said she didn't wear foundations of any kind. Just lotion. WHAT KIND of lotion, I quizzed. She humhauled about it being one of those cucumber/melon thingys. Didn't seem to be anything special.

I still can't believe it. She does wear a lot of eye makeup. I know that she doesn't drink an excessive amount of water. Must be hereditary.

I like oil of Olay, also use Noxema.

Drink lots of water.

browntoestoo - I also have Melasma, it started showing up after I had my daughter almost 20 years ago. I was using Estee Lauder's Maximum Cover foundation and it covered it completely, I loved it so much. Early this year I went to purchase another tube of it and there were none to be had, they discontinued it. I was just SICK about that.

After painfully searching for something even near to the coverage the Lauder had, I'm now using L'Oreal Visible Lift Extra Coverage foundation. It's not near as good but so far it's the best coverage I can find. If you come across anything better please let me know. Melasma is such a hassle!!

I was reading on a medical message board a long time ago about using fade creams for Melasma. They said that if you use fade creams and then stop using them, the Melasma returns even darker. With the Lauder foundation I didn't feel the need to use fade creams because it covered it so well, but now I'm thinking about using them again. Hopefully I'm not going to make it worse.

I've never resorted to the laser treatments because my doctor told me once I go back out into the sun the Melasma will just return anyways, so I didn't see any sense in wasting my money.

Any tips would be appreciated. : )

Any sun exposure is going to darken the melasma, whether you've used a fade cream or not. It is necessary to always use sun screen if you go out in the sun and a brimmed hat. I have used fade creams off and on. Yes, it returns, but not any darker. The key is to stay out of the sun and stop using birth control pills if you use them. Laser treatments can backfire and cause worse darkening in some skin.

I found the combination of Renova .1% and 2% OTC hydroquinone cream (prescription is 4%) to be very effective. The Renova actually peels the darkened skin off. I use the same L'Oreal Visible Lift Extra Coverage makeup sometimes. It does do a great job of coverage but feels a bit heavy for me. I really do not like to wear foundation at all. It aggravates my acne and oily skin.

Here is a good website that talks about some other treatments.

Here is a link that might be useful: melasma

Ever since I was 14 and read my first article about sun damage, I have faithfully stayed out of the late morning/early afternoon sun, and used a good sunscreen all other times.

Because of that, and probably because of heredity, I have good skin. I use The Body Shop's Milk Thistle cleanser for dry skin, along with an eye cream and face cream.

During the day, I use a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen.

Nearly all of our skin damage is caused by the sun. It amazes me at the number of people who still don't take care of themselves.

Yes, the sun is the main culprit of skin aging (but not skin sagging - that's gravity, which we can't fight unfortunately).

I saw a recent "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" where the "fixer" was a middle-aged man who had worn a beard and mustache for 30 years. He had wrinkly eyes but when they shaved off his facial hair the lower half of his face was as smooth as a baby's bottom. Obviously protected from the sun all those years.

I am 41. Mysteriously I started to have acne breakouts recently. That bothers me to no end. Although I have been using acne lotion (Neomedrol) for the last 20 years for small spots of acne, it seems that it no longer works for me. I started to have dry, flaky skin. Then I tried the L'Oreal Renovist Glycolic Acid Peel, and it worked wonders in removing the dead skin cells, and also prevented further breakouts. I am using it once a week, to keep the skin clean and smooth. Since I have highly sensitive skin, I do not use any creams or lotions. They tend to make my face oily and lead to breakout. The best way is to stay out of the sun, which I have been obsessive about since my late teens. So, fortunately, at this point, I don't yet have any visible wrinkles on face eyes, and face (except on the forehead). I believe the best way is to eat lots of vegies and fruits, drink lots of water, have plenty of sleep, and in addition, find a skin care regimen that is best for you. I am constantly in the search of it... By the way, I am now using L'Oreal Happyderm foam face wash. It is excellent. I just love it! It is so soft and make the skin really clean, but does not dry it at all. The ideal way is to use the glycolic acid peel once a week, and wash your face twice daily with Happyderm.

I discovered Skinbiology.com a few years ago and was very interested in the information regarding copper peptides and skin regeneration. The lines between my nose and mouth were beginning to age me for the first time, so I tried their Protect & Restore Classic Cream with copper peptides. After a couple of months it truly made a huge difference! I barely notice those lines anymore and I'm 46 now. I also have always battled acne and my aging skin doesn't tolerate some of the products I used to use. I use Proactive system every other day and Paula's Choice Beta Hydroxy Acid on the other days, followed by the Protect & Resotre Cream before bed. That's my winning combo!

Gina, I moved from CA to the midwest about 10 years ago, and I notice that my friends in CA now have a lot more wrinkles than people my age in the midwest.

The sun is of course a culprit, but the other big culprit is the dry air on the west coast.

There are non-comodogenic sunscreens that use a transparent form of zinc (Vanicream is a brand that I've used successfully on my sensitive skin).

Also, you really need to find a moisturizer that doesn't make you break out. Have you tried plain old Cetaphil lotion?

I use an AHA product on my face at night, and then use Cetaphil lotion during the day. It's very good for sensitive skin, and it doesn't have a heavy texture.

Here's a link to the Vanicream sunscreen. I break out and/or have eye irritation with most sunscreens, and I don't with this product.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vanicream sunscreen

YES! Sun care is the most important thing. Once you have found that perfect sunblock for your skin, the rest is easy. I wish I had known this in my twenties and I could have saved my skin from a lot of environmental damage.

browntoestoo, have you heard about this product called Meladerm? I SWEAR by this stuff. I used it to lighten some age spots on my hands and even my husband was shocked how much they faded. I know melasma and age spots are different, but I think meladerm is supposed to lighten all kinds of pigmentation.

Also, my sister's doctor had given her a product called triluma for her melasma several years ago. I did help her a bit, but I think she was allergic to it so had to stop. You can also look into this. But I believe it requires a prescription.

If you are looking for triluma, their website is www.triluma.com.

The Meladerm website is from a company called Civant. I found it through google.

Here is a link that might be useful: Meladerm

I'm 51 and I use Skinbiology copper peptide, MD Forte Facial Creme III, St. Ives Apricot Scrub, and plain old olive oil for a moisturizer, plus I do flexeffect facial exercises. Sunscreen is a must and you should try to find one you can wear.

I swear by the olive oil. Both eating it and rubbing it on is good. I once burned the area under my eyes with a skin cream and olive oil healed it overnight.

i think i am past middle age but i am new to this board. my name is brenda, i live in maryland way out in god's country. i have below the waist length hair and it is now turning silvery everyday. i use sunsilk shampoo and conditioner for my hair. i switch off and try others but i really like sunsilk, it doesn't leave my hair flat and it smells good. i also have baby fine hair and it helps keep static out in the winter.

I also have baby fine hair, and I thank you for the recommendation of the Sunsilk hair products. As a mature person, are there any skin care products that you like?

As someone new to this site, I hope you'll take a look at the Kitchen Table forum, which is a place many of us enjoy for discussions of everyday topics:

Here is a link that might be useful: other GardenWeb forums

I'm loving this stuff: Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum. I bought a 3.4 oz. size at Costco. My skin feels like velvet and looks wonderful. I also use Retin-A at night.

Here is a link that might be useful: Olay

barnmom- I agree! I am in my 50's and started useing the Regenerist last year and also the 'Roc' retin A. I use the small disposable 'Buff-Puff' pads once a day. My skin is so much smoother and clearer now! It really has made a difference. I am outside alot- barn/horses/ high-dry altitude. I have had several nice comments. It is making me really trying to do it everyday! Now- I want a REALLY, REALLY BIG jar of it- to put all over my body- maybe I could be 30 again!!lol

I alternate between Olay Regenerist and a formula from My Doctor
which is Retin A and Hydroquinine. I could not use the Doctors formula every night or my face would peel.
I got laser treatments to get rid of brown spots.
Now I am looking for that airbrushed look. I use Dior
foundation then Lancome Photogenic translucent powder over that. And yes, It really does look good in photos.
I would like to know if anyone has found a good mascara?
Or Matte eye shadow?
sheshe

Cleansing your skin each and every day is VERY important. If you don't clean your face, your chance of developing skin issues such as acne and blackheads increases dramatically. In fact, dermatologists say that cleansing is just about the best thing you can do for your skin. The Meaningful Beauty Age Maintenance System comes with a non-irritating cleanser that refreshes and cleans your skin; however, it does not strip away essential oils that your skin needs in order to thrive. It is non-foaming, incredibly creamy and will leave your face feeling extremely soft!
Aveda