Red blotchy skin...can it be fixed?

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

Hi i am naturally very fair (scottish mother) and have always had a reddish tinge to the skin on my cheeks as i had bad bad acne as a teenager. Just recently my skin has got loads worse - even hubby noticed this morning and asked if i was well!!!

My cheeks are really red, making the rest of my skin look even more pale.

I low carb so no sugar, i eat loads of green veggies, drink litres of water a day. I wash just using water but am a bit rubbish at skin care generally - i use no 7 serum. I dont wear make up but am considering this to improve the look of my skin.

Am i missing a trick?

[Barbie1]

Hello,
I'm a skin care therapist, beauty therapist, makeup artist...Yada Yada Yada

Tell me more about you skin, what happens after you wash it..does it feel tight?

Any oil in places?

Sensitive?

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

Hi thanks Barbie, i have oily skin and if i use anything on it it gets very tight - hence only using water. I have a greasy forehead and at 36 have only in the last few years stopped getting acne - pregnancy sorted that one!

I had a very expensive facial at the start of this year and they said i had dry skin and that i should use their very expensive facial wash as i had removed the dermal layer but in all fairness i didnt feel any better for it.

I use no 7 serum which makes my skin feel nice but nothing else - far too lazy and busy.

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

I dont think its sensitive but then as i now a sahm i dont bother with make up etc but i wish i had the time as everyone looks better with a bit of slap on!

[BeeeeAve]

Could it be rosacea?

[Barbie1]

A dry skin wouldn't be oily what a waste of an expensive facial!

However an oily skin can be dehydrated.

A dehydrated skin is lacking water (obviously)
Telling signs of a dehydrated skin are:
Redness
Tightness after water
Oily patches
Dull, sallow skin
Flaky patches
Prone to breakouts
Wrinkles
And skin that doesn't bounce back.

To address this first you need to lock in the moisture. The oil production you are experiencing is the skins natural defence.

[Tate15]

If it is just your colouring and not rosacea try applying a tiny amount of everyday self tan with your moisturiser to even your complexion out.

Play do a daily one and if you dilute it even further with moisturiser the light shade should work.

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

So i need to moisturise? I drink atleast 3l of water a day as low carbing.

The fake tan is a great idea. I bought a nivea bb cream today to see if i can even out my skin a bit. Will try that first and then the fake tan if its not enough. I dont think its normally this bad but i have started eating dairy again and i wonder if there is a link?

[Barbie1]

is this you?

look at the link...if that's you then you should visit your gp

If not then there is plenty to help reduce the redness rather than trying to cover it.

A dehydrated skin needs moisture. It's not enough that you drink water (although that helps) you have to keep moisture in the dermis.

So...cleanse.
Get rid of all the oil and gunk. You don't want to seal all the yukky stuff in as the bacteria will cause more Problems.

Exfoliating.
Start with a general scrub, mix 2 parts scrub with one part cleanser to make it softer on your skin.
Twice a week to start and then three times. In the shower is fine if you are pressed for time.

Moisturizer.
I would be tempted to use a serum and then mosturiser but this will probably be toouch for your skin to cope with for a while.

I would recommend la Roche posay lipikar baume ap+ this will soothe the skin and put moisture back. A little goes a long way.

It will take about three weeks to notice the difference.

Then, and only then consider cosmetics to alter the appearance of the skin

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

Thanks Barbie, i dont think that is me but i will try all your other recommendations thank you. Now i am getting older i need to be more proactive. I used to look after my skin but then i had babies and ran out of time!

[Nabootique]

A great serum for redness is S5 Calm serum. I get ruddy flare ups around my nose and cheeks, especially at this time of year and I love this stuff.

[Pupsiecola]

When you said Scottish mum my first thought was Rosacea too. I had no idea that's what I had four years ago. I saw my GP who referred me to a dermatologist. Understanding my skin and the triggers has been key and it's now mostly under very good control.

[desperatelyseekingamovingdate]

My skin isnt so bad today, but i am still very pink in my cheeks as ever.
Pusiecola - what are your triggers? I had a look at the link and the night before i had eaten spicy food and had alcohol. If i drink too much (rarely now) i do get very red skin. The stuff i bought for my face is the wrong colour - too dark arrgghh and it was the lightest one they had.

Off to google the serum

Thanks all

[Pupsiecola]

Red wine
Spicy food
Extremes in temperature (hot bath, cold wind etc.)
Intense exercise
Sun
Also have very very sensitive skin.

I wear factor 50 much of the year. The only one of the above I ignore is intense exercise. I do that 4 to 5 times a week and it makes me feel fab.

LRP products have been amazing. Do think about seeing your GP. I have red in my hair and freckly skin; I am a stereotypical Rosacea sufferer.

[HopefulAnxiety]

Water without any moisturiser is almost certainly drying your skin out - water is surprisingly drying!

Your skin definitely sounds dehydrated to me, Barbie has good advice. I would err on the side of caution regarding a scrub since they can be irritating - the Superdrug Vitamin E facial scrub uses oats as the scrubby bits so it is gentle.

[HopefulAnxiety]

Also yes to sunscreen! Sunscreen in moisturiser or foundation is not enough, use a separate one. Korean/Japanese ones are amazing, otherwise Neutrogena Sheer Dry Touch.

[GrinAndTonic]

I've got Irish/Danish heritage (so really the same thing) and I have red blotchy skin too. I tried everything under the sun and bought every product to no avail. Then I discovered the wonders of Asian Beauty. I use a combination of snail, vitamin C, licorice and honey and the redness has subsided dramatically in the past three months or so. There is a thread (of five) on MN which is how i found out about AB.