In desperately asking for help for my face?! (The whole shebbang- make-up/routine.)

[goatbame]

I've always had lovely, clear skin. Not a spot. Not a dry patch.

Hit 35 and started getting rosacea. And acne. And greasy spots. And dry spots. And scaly spots. What the hell?!

I used to use Lancôme foundations, now they just go cakey and weird.

I exfoliate (although i have to be careful because of the rosacea.) I've tried every new sodding skin care routine.

I've tried the new 'amazing' foundation Il Makiage. Nope.

I can't go out without foundation now, I look like an 80 year old drunk. My nose is bright red and shining, and kind of scaly no matter how much I go to it.

It's making me throughly miserable. People comment on it.

HELP ME.

I need a routine and a foundation (has to be online, no access to a shop.)

Try Estée Lauder double wear foundation. I have oily skin and acne, both side effects of the mini pill, it's the only foundation I've used that lasts all day and has good coverage plus stops your skin from looking oily. You can buy online from boots or Debenhams or direct from Estée Lauder.

Hi go to the doctors and they can prescribe a topical anti bacterial lotion that will help.

I'm sure you know that rosacea needs to be treated gently - no harsh scrubs etc. I believe clinique do some rosacea friendly moisturiser etc. Also you can get colour correcting makeup - for redness you need green. Clinique do a green moisturiser for this but lots of people do green colour correction (like concealer)

Can you get a referral to a dermatologist? Your gp might be able to help, they can refer if it’s affecting you like this.
On the skincare front it’s trying to find what works for you and keeping it simple. I have combination acne, redness and dry skin. Sudocrem can also do wonders for various things. I put that on at night and use Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser in the morning as it’s lovely and gentle. Then a vitamin c serum followed by nip and fab teen skin moisturiser when it’s dry. I’m not a teenager but that what works for me.
I found switching to powder foundation helped make everything look better and wait at least 30 minutes after putting on moisturiser then 30 minutes after primer (the smash box green primer is excellent for redness). You can also get blotting paper if excess oil is a real problem but once you’re into a good skincare routine it should calm down. Bare minerals is also a good starting point for makeup as their range is designed to be gentle on skin.
Make sure you use the hot cloth cleanse to take it all off at the end of the day as well.

I've been to a dermatologist. I've had anti biotics and that acid cream. Neither worked. Maybe I'll go again.

I use a green cream under my foundation and it helps a little.

I've used Liz Earle for years and it seems to be ok.

One thing I've not tried is miceller water. Worth a shot?

I've tried three different power foundations it not Bare Minerals, are they really better than others?

They don't seem to give enough coverage and go weird in my nose creases.

You need to get the rosacea under control. Look into laser or sea buckthorn oil - both are effective for it. Some rosacea is caused by dermodex mites so look into special facial washes for that too- you can get them from amazon. I’d try those things first. It can take time to experiment and see what works for you as skin problems are so individual. Good luck!

Coverage isn’t as good on bare minerals but won’t make anything worse and is still a lot better then nothing for me. Once my skin was more under control I switched. I use Mac currently but switching to urban decays new one, I use it alongside a full coverage concealer and the urban decay naked one has been my best one currently but I use a fair bit. I also have the finishing powder from beauty pie that adds a little coverage and stops the oil very well. The smash box primer gives the smoothest finish especially when I have dry patches then I touch up during the day with some powder. Also setting spray helps with creases. Took years of trying various things to get it down.
I had such a bad reaction to micellar water so I can’t comment on that.
If you can send someone else for samples or maybe try asking online I know Mac and bare minerals give you a 10 day supply of foundation providing they have stock.

I would give your skin a break from beauty routines, cleansing, makeup, everything and just apply some gentle cream with soothing skin healing ingredients such as dexpanthenol (vit b5)

La Rich Posay do a good B5 healing balm

Try using calming products for a while. I love Avene Tolerance Extreme range, particularly the cleanser www.escentual.com/avene/tolerance-extreme/avene0091/ and the emulsion moisturiser www.escentual.com/avene/tolerance-extreme/avene0124/

Also have you heard of fungal acne? Also called pityrosporum follitculitis. Have a Google. Can explain sudden adult acne and the usual acne treatments won't help and can make it worse. My acne and rosacea are both about 95% gone after following a fungal acne regime. The two products I recommended above are fungal acne safe but you also need to treat it with Nizoral on the skin which contains ketoconazole which kills the problem.

Since age 13 I have struggled with products which turn my face bright red and produce poisoned spots (father had rosacea). So ...
Cleanse: get a small glass jar with lid & layer of cheap honey in it; add clean water and shake. Use with cleansing pads at night + rinse with more clean, lukewarm water.
Moisturise: Nivea Daily Essentials Sensitive Day Cream with 15SPF (Tesco have it at £2 on offer until 28/1).
Foundation: Almay - online from USA not cheap but works
Eye liner: buy charcoal capsules (for sonstipation) from Boots. Open one and mix black soot with a little clean water - put in a tiny makeup sample pot with lid to make paste. Dry out by leaving lid off. Dip thin brush in clean water & use; dry out again (mine goes about a month safely this way).
Eyebrow pencil: go to £1 shop - never had a problem with cheap ones.
Perfume: never get any on your hair or near your face as you may breathe it in. Careful with products on your hair for similar reasons.
These measures work for me and I hope for you - money is not the answer (over 59 years I have tried all kinds of expensive products).
Night cream: I can't help as I use the Nivea at night too.

Oh and foundation (also fungal acne safe) Maybelline 24hr superstay is amazing, really good coverage - I even use it as a concealer - but also not too heavy or cakey. Also sometimes use Bare Minerals matte foundation powder, this gives a lovely finish but not such good coverage. Also fungal acne and sensitive skin safe.

And Maybelline is only £9.99 and currently two for £12 at Boots.

Go to your GP - I had similar and it’s eczema! I avoid make up unless going out socially or to work, I use Simple face wash and Aveeno cream. I don’t use anything exfoliating creams. Personally Bare Minerals works for me make up wise but it’s trial and error.

GP first.

I too started to suffer dreadful skin at around 34. After many doctor visits a dermatologist nurse friend told me to ask for oxytetracycline . I have never looked back. I only take it now if I have a flare up .

The exact thing happened to me, as soon as I hit 35! Bang! Rosacea and spots appeared. I’ve got mine fairly under control by using the Kalme products, absolute life saver for me! I also use the aveeno cream for my face when it’s extra dry as I find the day cream not the most moisturising! I also find my diet affects it, if I have a sugar binge for a few days my face starts burning. It took me about a tear for everything to calm down and learn my triggers, but like I said google the Kalme products and read all the reviews.

Nothing works like Accutane. It's very strong medicine, I can't even vouch for how safe it is, but if you want truly amazing skin and you have Rosacea, that is the only thing that actually works, in my opinion.

I have rosacea and was advised by a beauty therapist to stop trying so hard! I was scrubbing and buffing and trying different masques and various other products most of which cost a fortune and nothing really worked. She advised me to keep my skin and make-up routine very gentle, be sure to avoid products with alcohol and to stop exfoliating because it just encourages the skin to thicken. Not to use make-up wipes or products that you wash off because the water is drying to my skin.
I started using Simple products, eye makeup remover, cream cleanser, toner and moisturiser and my skin is now so much calmer, less prone to break outs, the redness has reduced and the scaly patches have disappeared.
I use Bare Minerals powder foundation which I doubted would give adequate coverage but it does and it stays put all day and doesn't go lumpy and cakey around my (slightly oilier) nose the way liquid foundation used to.
Having a diet that is low sugar and generally avoiding processed food has also helped.
Good luck with finding something that works for you.

The ordinary stuff is amazing and affordable. I use a garnier charcoal face wash, tone with the ordinary glycolic acid, the use the hylaronic acid, the buffet, and followed by the vitamin c suspension, for eyes I use the caffeine solution for dark circles and alternate nights I use a rose hip oil all over. Also weekly I use the peel mask. They have numerous different things to try and each one is tailored to specific stuff. A jade roller might help too. I hardly need foundation now but I use revlon colour stay when I do and NYX hd setting powder. Revolution do an amazing concealer for £4 too.

Thank you everyone! I'm actually in the States so find some things easier to get and some impossible.

I'm going to par the routine right down, I've been a bit of a beauty box subscriber so have tried lots of different things, that probably hasn't helped!

I've got this green benotite (or something) clay mask which seemed to help yesterday. I HATE the feeling of it tightening though.

I would be careful of anything too drying as it won't help sensitivity or rosacea and could send your oil production into overdrive which isn't great for acne.

Clinique 3 step cleansing routine
Cc cream tinted moisturiser

Look up Dr Sam Bunting's youtube channel (she is my dermatologist). You have exactly the kind of skin she specialises in. Ie adult female skin with acne/rosacea.

You may also find soolantra helpful. It's a fairly new topical treatment for rosacea.

I've been using this; www.boots.com/beauty/skincare/facial-skincare/serum-and-treatments/your-good-skin-balancing-skin-concentrate-30ml-10233368

Alongside the your good skin exfoliator, and my skin has never been better.

The only foundation that I have found works for me is No7. Every other one I've found goes cakey and dry-especially around my nose and forehead! www.boots.com/no7-protect-and-perfect-advanced-all-in-one-foundation-10268069

I have rosacea, and tried all the antibiotics and creams. Eventually I got prescribed Soolantra, which is the one referred to above that works against Demodex mites (it contains Ivermectin). It's worked far better than anything else I tried.

Yes not many people know that people with rosacea have 4 times the demodex mites on their skin than non sufferers. Now not all causes of it will be this but it’s certainly worth trying!