can anyone recommend a good moisturiser for spotty skin?

[gaggiagirl]

My pot of day cream has ran out and I doubt it was helping my spotty yet dry acne scarred sometimes sensitive skin (yip its that odd)
So can anyone suggest a good moisturiser that isn't going to make my spotty forehead greasy and more spotty? Thanks in advance.

[Fuckitthatlldo]

You need to look for a moisturiser that is non comedogenic - ie it won't clog your pores.

Cetaphil moisturiser is good for acne sufferers.

Vichy Normaderm global hydrating anti imperfection care contains alpha and beta hydroxy acids, and so helps clear pores while it moisturises and hydrates.

Avene moisturisers are non comedogenic, even their rich ones that are aimed at dry skin. If dryness is an issue then you could try their rich compensating cream.

HTH

[Fuckitthatlldo]

Also, I know this isn't what you asked, but if you're suffering with spots and acne scarring then you could try Avene's Triacneal.

It has retinaldehyde, which is a vitamin A derivative, and glycolic acid, and so deeply exfoliates the skin, clearing spots and reducing scarring.

It's potent stuff and can be irritating if you use too much too soon. Skin needs a chance to acclimatise to such active ingredients, particularly retinoids such as retinaldehyde. So I would start to use it (only at night as uv rays prevent it from working properly) just twice a week for a couple of weeks. Then try using it every other night for another couple of weeks. Slowly build up to using it every night as your skin tolerates it. You may experience some initial redness and tingling - this is temporary and is just your skin getting used to the product.

You can also experience an initial flare up of spots as the retinaldehyde draws clogs under the skins surface to the fore. But once those are out of the way you should see a huge improvement in your skin. Give it six - twelve weeks - the results are not immediate - but Triacneal really does work if you stick with it. Dermatologists often recommend it as the only over the counter product worth its salt for dealing with mild to moderate acne/break outs.

The most essential thing to remember when using it is that you need to use a sunscreen every day - retinoids make our skin more sensitive to the sun. And again, you'd need to find one that is non comedogenic so it does not cause clogged pores and breakouts. Peter Roth do good, non comedogenic sun screens. So do La Roche Posay.

[gaggiagirl]

Is the cetaphil cream available at boots? The Vichy one sounds nice too thanks fuckit I'm going to hit the shops tomorrow.

[Fuckitthatlldo]

Yes you can find all the moisturisers I recommended in Boots. None of them are particularly expensive either.

[gaggiagirl]

Wow you really know your stuff that's amazing thank you would I best off hitting the internet for the avene products I'm willing to give anything a go.

[Fuckitthatlldo]

Check your makeup if you use it too.

Lots of foundations, concealers, e.t.c. contain pore clogging ingredients like mineral oil.

Swapping to non comedogenic make-up may make a big difference to how your skin behaves. Although I realise replacing make-up can be an expensive business!

[Fuckitthatlldo]

Don't worry, Boots stock Avene too. The larger stores tend to stock a more comprehensive range though.

[gaggiagirl]

Ooh big boots shop for me I'm happy to replace all my make up if it will help my skin I turned 30 last year and my face has been ruined ever since so maybe its time for a big change.

[Fuckitthatlldo]

I recently made all these changes myself.

I never suffered with loads of spots, but still I was prone to them and there always seemed to be something coming or going. If I had an important event coming up I would be praying that my skin would be clear for it, and at 37 I just got fed up with it all and decided my skin care regime needed a overhaul.

I did a lot of research over the net (Dr Sam Bunting's blog was particularly useful) and began to use Triacneal and only non comedogenic moisturisers and sunscreens.

I'm three weeks in now and already I can see a difference in how my skin looks - it is more smooth and even textured. Small areas of redness left behind by old spots have cleared quickly, and although I am still purging out the odd small blemish here and there, my skin looks really healthy and glowy.

If there's one thing I can't stress enough though, it's go slow with the Triacneal. I started off over keen and just slapped it on every night. I ended up with red, irritated skin that felt sore and stung whenever I put anything on it. You really do need to allow your tolerance to it to build up gradually.

[gaggiagirl]

Just ordered the triacneal from the good old boots click and collect it had great reviews but I'll certainly take it easy and maybe use it on Monday night after work (I'm off til the following friday)then if I break out I can hide in the house. I'm glad your skin is improving too I hope it does the same for me. I'm also going to get the Vichy stuff when I go to collect the avene.

[Nagoo]

placemarking for payday :)

[YourHandInMyHand]

Another vote for Cetaphil. Was recommended to me by my GP and I've since thrown out any other face creams and won't buy anything else.

[gaggiagirl]

Yourhand have you used the cetaphil face wash I was wondering if that's worth a punt.

[YourHandInMyHand]

No not tried it, am tempted though too.

[cocolepew]

Marking place for payday too!

[EverybodysStressyEyed]

i find the avene anti rouge face mask works well when i'm particularly red

i'm going to try the cetaphil now though!

[Fuckitthatlldo]

Also gaggia, despite what some websites advise, don't just spot treat with the Triacneal. Clogs and blockages can be developing and becoming infected in the pores for weeks before they become noticeable as blemishes on the surface of the skin, so you really need to treat the whole face if you really want to get a handle on things.

Also retinoids are proven to be effective in anti aging as well, reducing fine lines and encouraging collagen production. And you want to enjoy the benefits of that all over your face.

[QuinnFabray]

I have oily, congested spot prone skin, and have pretty much sorted it out now. Personally, my skin doesn't tolerate glycolic acid or retinol products. It either becomes more spotty or too red and dry. Salicylic acid works wonders for me, so I use products with that in. La Roche-Posay Efflaclar range is my favourite (also available from Boots! )

It's trial and error really. Took me a while to figure out what works. So if the first thing you try doesn't help, there are alternatives.

I also really like the Clarins Lotus oil as a night time moisturiser.

I use Cetaphil cleanser in the morning.

And gentle but double cleansing in the evening, then toning ( a further cleansing step really ) has really helped to sort my skin out. I use a cream hot cloth type cleanser, twice - once to get rid of make up, once to clean the skin, then a toner ( the la roche posay one has salicylic acid in ) to make sure all residue is off my face.

I use La Roche Posay Effaclar K cream as a daytime moisturiser, this has salicylic acid in it too.

I didn't like the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser, it breaks me out. The soap and glory peachy one is good, and the clarins extra gentle cleansing cream.

[QuinnFabray]

Sounds like your skin might be dehydrated and sensitive rather than oily though, reading your original post.

The La Roche Posay physiological soothing toner is really lovely too, for sensitive skin, and the Cicaplast Baume is amazing. Very healing and soothing.

Also, I still recommend the cream cleansers, and the Clarins facial oil.

[Fuckitthatlldo]

Yes Quinn I like the Clarins Lotus Oil too. It feels like a real treat but doesn't clog the pores.

Out of interest, how long did you stick with the retinol? Becoming more spotty and being a little red and dry can be initial side effects that last for a few weeks, but things should get better once your skin acclimatises. Some people do have more of a reaction than others.

[LaurenLaverne]

Your skin sounds similar to how mine used to be. www.acne.org/ has lots of ideas of products to try and how to use them. I think the real turning point for my skin was using a few drops of jojoba oil, as described on acne.org. Its so much softer and spot free!

[gaggiagirl]

I used to use the clarins oil when I was younger and had very dry skin QUINN Your right i may have sensitive skin I'm deathly pale (friends call me nosferatu)and that usually means sensitive skin i guess. I was a bit scared of using oils in case of further breakouts but I'll give anything a go.this week I've been using raw honey all over my face 20 mins a day no change yet though.

[Fuckitthatlldo]

I think skin that is prone to breaking out is sensitive by its very nature anyway.

[CoffeePleaseSir]

I have really sensitive skin am marking my place fantastic advice on here, thank you

[gaggiagirl]

Hey ladies Cetaphil products are on a 3 for 2 at boots at the moment don't know how long it will last for perhaps we should stock up.