AIBU to think I will never find good skincare for my very sensitive skin?

[Moreorlessmentallystable]

I am so fed up at this point. I used to be able to use any over the counter products, for a while in my 20's alternated between Clarins and Clinique with cheaper drugstore products. Now since my late 30's nothing works for me. Every moisturizer, balm, or make up product gives me rashes of red bumpy skin, sometimes stings and feels like a mild burn. I am taking treatment for rosacea but even with the treatment every time I try a moisturizer or wear make up I get a flare up ..even non fragranced stuff, some moisturizer brands I have tried in the last 2 years: L'Oréal, Simple, No. 7, Garnier, Clinique, This works, Soap and Gory, Clarins, Nivea, La Roche Posay, Vichy, they ALL have irritated my skin horribly..I see recommendations of vitamin c serums, which tried and can't use, same for HA creams or gels or even SPF (I have even tried the one prescribed for sensitive skin, called sunsense)! Is there anyone here with very sensitive skin that can recommend some products? I am particularly worried about my inability to use any sunscreen...

Sounds to me as though you’ve damaged your skin barrier. Trying lots of different products is not really good for anyone’s skin.

A lot of the brands you’ve mentioned irritate my fairly hardy skin. Simple skincare is anything but!

I would go back to absolute basics. Just cleanse and moisturise for 2/3 months with the same products and see what happens to your skin. Then you can start adding other products if your skin needs it.

I would recommend a balm cleanser. There are loads out there, but I use The Inkey List Oat Balm Cleanser. Removes all make up, oats are soothing for the skin and the balm is really nourishing. Moisturiser, I would use something really light and simple. Curel Moisture Milk is great.

For SPF, I use La Roche Posay spray. Really light and no cream to clog up your skin.

I’d also advise asking on the Style and Beauty board. Posters will be happy to recommend products to help.

With rosacea don't use anything containing alcohol.

Re sensitivity - your moisture barrier has probably broken down. Stop all products, use lukewarm water and a bit of sudacrem at night (if you can tolerate it) to let it heal.

With sensitive skin, you need to use as little as possible.

Aqueous cream is worth trying if you need something to help remove your make up - available from pharmacies. It's a cleanser and emollient that broken skin can tolerate.

Only once your skin is healing should you consider adding in another product - and stay away from actives for now.

You might be able to graduate up to a sensitive micellar water for cleansing (I like garnier oil based) and cereve cleanser - the green one.

Keep your face shaded from the sun for now with hats and sunglasses. I have super sensitive and reactive skin and always got in with Clarins Uv+ protect even when my skin is bad, but they've changed the formula and I've yet to try the new version. I did find Simple did a spf which was OK though.

An unscented organic rosehip or lavender oil is good for moisturising sensitive skin and I also find lush dream cream brilliant except on my very worst days (its made with oats and lavender)

Agree with the poster saying use as little as possible.

I'd use lukewarm water and a flannel. You don't want the water to be too hot or too cold. I'd even filter it tbh. Some house water has high levels of chlorine, fluoride etc, metals.

Be really gentle.

Try something like a simple unfragranced light moisturiser.

I've actually had success with very dilute sea salt (no additives) and luke warm water. There is some evidence online for this helping with things like eczema too.

My DD went through a phase of having such reactive skin. She uses Avene cleanser (with white emollient version) and the basic unscented cerave moisturizer.

I have used this Avene cleanser myself and it is very soothing. Maybe this may be an option.

I know it is like a viscous circle trying to find the right product, but even my quite normal skin does not like frequent chop and change.

Alltruist , via Amazon

Rosehip doesn't agree with some skins.

I cannot use it as it flares up my excema, so I would just say to OP to be cautious using this oil.

I react to nearly everything as well.
But I'm fine with a very simple routine of Cerave oil cleanser & the Cerave cream in a tub. If I deviate ( as i did recently to the Cetaphil Rosacea Range) I react.
The simpler & low tech the routine the better.

I have all the problems you have with my very pale, very sensitive skin. Especially the burning/ stinging with most products. Dermalogica is the brand I now use. Special cleansing gel, skin smoothing cream in sumner and intense moisture balance in winter. They do spfs separate which I love, they can be mixed with the moisturiser. I get it from jersey beauty website mainly - they let you pick samples of other products so you can try out the range. Good luck!

Does your skin also feel dry with poor texture OP?

I've had loads of trouble with my skin - I don't really get breakouts but I have rosacea as well and I have a weird "worst of both worlds" skin type - I have the dryness of dry skin but the textural issues of oily skin 🙄

It sounds like a gimmick, but I have over just the last couple of days stopped using moisturiser altogether and I am feeling a difference already in both feel and appearance.

I did some googling and found articles such as this: Why I stopped using moisturiser on my face.

I'm looking into some hydrators, I'm not the biggest fan of humectants but I'm looking to try La Roche Posay thermal water which is touted as being suitable for the most extremely sensitive of skin. I can actually feel for the first time in literal years, my skin doing its own thing. I have spent years moisturising my skin with the thickest balms, layering them with hydrating serums, and never getting anywhere. I always assumed I had to moisturise religiously precisely because of the fact that my skin never seemed to get even the tiniest bit oily.

I also agree with going back to basics and starting out with a thorough but gentle cleansing routine, then adding in only what feels absolutely necessary (if anything at all)

Have a look at Alumier.

I do also have a personal theory regarding especially rosacea prone skin and moisturiser - apparently people with rosacea have a naturally slightly compromised acid mantle. Most moisturisers contain a pH of around 7, but skins pH sits at around 5 - 5.5.

If you're constantly slathering your skin in products that are above the natural pH of your skin, it kind of makes sense that this would actually further compromise your skin's natural defences.

I have seen E45 have bought out a facial moisturiser...I have the same issues , but my eyes swell up if I use many products. At the moment REN seems to be ok but who knows if it will be for long . I have so many products that I can't use xxxx

Hear me out..........moisturiser originally was just 'animal fat' (beef tallow) and since products have been commercialised and we have become more culturally sensitive to animal products, it is now just a concoction of chemicals and carcigens and no wonder it flares up people's skin

There are some companies who are back to using beef tallow for moisturiser - and it is so unlikely you would be allergic to it. If you can eat a burger or a steak, you can use this.

Some examples:

www.hayesmeadow.com/product/hayes-meadow-soothing-skin-cream/

www.drgusnutrition.co.uk/pages/tallow-shopping-page

www.fiercenature.co.uk/products/natural-body-balm

I swear to god it works wonders - and you can also just use beef tallow from the supermarket for a quarter of the price

texastallow.com/pages/about-tallow

What supplements do you take? I only ask because I had terribly sensitive skin, had awful rosacea and couldn't put anything on but the ones designed for eczema sufferers. Turns out my vitamin D levels were exceedingly low, which accounted for my high levels of skin irritation and very slow healing.

I now take more that the daily recommended dose and my GP monitors my levels. It's weird (well it seems so to me) but it has made a huge difference to my skin and health in general.

FYI you can buy these super-soft flannels at Primark called Magic Erasers, 3 for £3. You use them with water and they get all the makeup/dirt off. They're amazing. Brilliant when you can't use soap etc.

Base Skncare is very good for sensitive skin. They don't use any "filler" ingredients and I found it was these extra unnecessary ones that were giving me skin issues. It's very gentle stuff (gentler than simple ime).
I will try and add a link: www.baseskncare.co.uk/

True, I'm ok with it and have highly reactive skin and a touch of rosacea, but that's why I said to strip skincare back to nothing bit lukewarm water until its healed and then introduce one thing at a time, slowly. It will be a bit of trial and error.

Also, if you buy bamboo flannels (see amazon) they're super soft and gentle. They're marketed for babies and stay soft after washing.

Have you tried moogoo?

Avene, as suggested above, especially the skin recovery cream.
I was so relieved to find something that didn't sting and irritate when I first used it that I bought the cleanser and moisturiser too.
I am afraid of trying anything else now in case it aggravates my skin.

I have very sensitive skin too and cannot use anything you’d find in a Boots or duty free shop. All the major brands are off limits.

So, I usually just use water to wash my face unless it is actually dirty (ie dirt from gardening, or been very sweaty). If dirty, I’ll use a teeny tiny bit of Dr Organic tea tree facial cleanser. This is maybe once a week ?

Winter I moisturise with Awake Organics frankin-sense brightening serum.
Rest of year I moisturise with Jason pure aloe Vera gel.

If my face feels a bit oily or I need a toner/make up remover I use Eclat rosewater on a cotton pad and wipe my face.

Makeup is PHB mineral powder compact - corn starch and silica based. Or their tinted moisturiser. Used rarely on special occasions.

Thanks. Can't use oils including essential oils or even have an oil diffuser next to my bedside...this gives me the worse rash even if it does not touch my skin 😞

This could be me! I get a malar rash and other th an that v v reactive and sensitive skin anyway.

I reacted to CeraVe which people will suggest to you. I have found success with Cetaphil cleanser and their SPF50 moisturiser. I also have a light mask (red blue and green) to combat various things - ageing, spots etc. which I got as I react to all serums etc 🙃 but early to say whether it works or not as only got it last month.

This could be as it's always worse in winter, my diet is very good (if I may say so myself) but probably not getting enough vitamin D.