Acne :(

[DearDinah]

Can anyone recommend good makeup to cover acne riddled skin with.
I've read catherine Hirons blog, I've seen a nutritionist i know I need to be sugar free, dairy free, wheat free, oil cleansing but at 11wks pregnant it's not going to happen, food is my enemy so I need to eat whatever I can stomach, I bought all the special oils before getting pregnant & they all say seek advice before using if pregnant, which I did & the advice was don't use. So my only option to stop myself crying all the time about it is to cake it over in make up...sorry for this rant but I'm pretty down about it now. I'm more than happy to be pregnant of course but I don't think I'm going to be blooming any time throughout.

I think you might be better off looking at a new skincare routine as no matter how expensive the foundation, it's pretty obvious when it's being used to cover acne. I've never understood why some beauticians claim that putting more oil on skin cures oily skin.

Have you heard of Paula Begoun? She's done a lot of research into skin are over the past twenty years and some of her recommendations are really sound. Have a look at this link www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/acne/_/all-about-acne

Although that's from an American site she does have a UK site too. I use a few of her products and they're really good. For some reason in the UK most anti-acne products have irritating ingredients like alcohol in them, which will only make matters worse. Paula's don't.

hi deard
I think we have spoken about this before, I too suffer with this. How many weeks are you now?

I recommend avoiding anything with any type of oil, esp' caster oil.

Use sainsburys own brand t-tree and which hazel face wipes and an oil free moisturiser such as nutrogena, I also like their face wash. When Im very dry I use a bobbi brown moisturiser but only on my cheeks, nose and a separate eye cream by bobbi too.

Cleanse twice a day and take care not to remove all your natural oils or your face will dry out, so every so often I skip cleansing which leads me on to using only mineral make up. Power and concealer. I find stress flares my skin up, do you know what triggers yours. The pg def' has not helped!

The only oil I use is an eye make-up remover.

I think its key not to overload the skin with products, no oil and don't overdry. its a balancing act. hth

I get awful hormonal acne too, both when pregnant and not, but always bad in the first trimester. I found Paula's Choice products as Cariad suggested and they are amazing. I use the 2% bha gel and it totally got rid of the cystic acne on my jawline. I can't recommend her products enough -and that was after 10 years of trying everything known to mankind, including medicated stuff from the dr, antibiotics and changing my diet.

On her website she also gives info on what is good and bad for your skin if you are prone to acne. I thought oil wasn't great either as Cariad said as it can feed the acne. Also normal exfoliants aren't great for your type of skin as they cause inflammation so her products contain chemical exfoliants instead. Definitely check her out - her products totally changed my skin.

Just watch out as there are some things that are said not to be recommended in pregnancy. Im not an expert but think retinol containing products are bad as it's vitamin A. Salicyclic acid taken orally is not allowed but the jury is out if you read the various advice about putting it on your skin. It's in the product I use (the 2% gel) - I checked with my midwife and she said it was fine as long as I didn't overdo it as the concentration was so low.

I know how down you can feel when your skin is bad, especially when you are surrounded by 'glowers'! Mine was awful when I was pregnant with my DD. Just remember that you still look beautiful and you are doing a truely beautiful thing!

I've always had acne problems which have just gotten out of control during pregnancy. I've just started using mama mio gorgeous glow face wash and within days it's clearing up and make up is starting to go on more smoothly.... It's not cheap, but it's helping so I won't think twice about buying it again.

I've been using Liz earl for the past couple of years and it's great. My skin is really badly effected by my hormones oily one day dry the next and it really balances it out. Mac or Bobbi brown foundations give good coverage if you want to cover it up. I know thus stuff is expensive but the cheaper cleansers just dry my skin out.

Have you seen this salcura I've been using it for a while & it's great. The spray is the important bit. It's suitable for pregnancy & breast feeding & I think it does a 30day money back offer if you don't like it.

Thanks for the advice ladies. I did try some Paula's choice products & they made a difference for a short while but then it came back, I was a bit worried about the ingredients in acne products being pregnant.
Will have a look at salcura, never heard of that before, heard good things about MAC, I've got odd coloured skin too so it's hard to find a good match.
Thanks for the understanding, reading my post back I was afraid I was coming across a bit moany, but it's getting me down now, I don't want my picture taken anywhere & really wanted to remember pregnancy in a good light and yes my other pregnant friends look glorious! I just feel a mess.

If it helps, here's what Paula has to say about skincare in pregnancy. You may find that it's fine to use the products you were sung before. I've continued using the BHA lotion but stopped the retinol moisturiser.

www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/pregnancy-menopause/_/pregnancy-and-skin-care-which-products-are-safe

For what its worth Liz earle stuff has three types of oil in it, when I checked with them they said its not suitable. I got a gift set for xmas which I cant use.

Thanks white blossom I'll look into it.

I've had acne prone skin for years, and also it has flared up in pregnancy. Certain products can make skin worse, but I think if your skin is bad, make up can make you feel so much happier, and the products I currently use have never made my skin worse.

Max factor do a good cover up (Pan stick) and also I quite like their liquid foundation - I think it was professional finish I used to use. Quite a few people I know use this and also say it's a favourite of theirs having tried many.

I currently use Benefit Hello Flawless liquid foundation, which feels slightly lighter on the skin than the Max factor one and contains SPF which I like, but comes in a very limited selection of colours. I use MAC pressed powder over this which come in a fantastic selection of shades and lasts much longer than the benefit one, and this helps to keep the coverage and to stop any shine. Both are quite pricey, but personally I think it's worth it, but the Max factor ones are half the price and still very good. I still use the Pan stick from Max factor with the Benefit and MAC foundation and powder. They all last quite a long time (up to 6 months) and that's using them at least once a day.

Having tried nearly every product out there in terms of skin cleansers, I think facial washes are better than cleansers applied with cotton wool or any wipe based cleansers, and really, there is not much between them all - so I wouldn't spend big money on them. Clean and clear daily facial wash is quite good. I think it is important to get a non-greasy good quality moisturiser if you have dry skin as so many moisturisers can make spots worse. I like Biotherm aqua source moisturiser best but this is not cheap, but I just love how it makes my skin feel. A cheaper option is Simple light moisturiser, which is only about £3 and is much better than many more expensive products, but when my skin is 'playing up' I use the Biotherm.

I can second max factor oil free foundation, just brilliant. Im on my second bottle.