Suddenly sensitive skin, please recommend products

[ScarfOfSexualPreference]

I'm 29 and my skin has really changed over the last year. I've always had combination/oily skin, always looked shiny on the nose and forehead, and pretty much always used the same products- Bodyshop cleanser, toner, SPF day cream and night cream for combination skin. But not regularly really, only when I decide to 'sort myself out' beauty-wise which never lasts (never worn makeup really, only for nights out).

Recently I've been losing weight, changed my diet completely, am drinking lots of water and I know my nutrient/vitamin intake has improved 100%. I started my normal routine again- and it hurt! Sensitive skin all of a sudden! I've been looking into brands and several things are giving me a reaction, just now tried a sample of this L'Occitane face mask and had to rub it off straitway- it stung!

I've sucessfully used Clarins sensitive stuff, but it's just too expensive for me. And the Bodyshop Aloe range is ok but I'd like to try other brands and find the right fit. I've decided to stick with Liz Earle hot cloth cleanse and toner, it's lovely, unless I discover something cheaper!

So I need- day cream with at least SPF 15, night cream, face and body suncreams (an all-day one for the face would be ideal if anyone knows of one!) eye cream, cheaper cleanser/toner. Any recommendations of tinted moisturiser or something light like that would be wonderful! I've tried Garnier BB cream but it stung AND it was too dark- I'm pale as milk!

Bump....

I have similar combination/oily skin but also have on off eczema (still flares up when stressed etc after plagued through childhood) and I find my skin can have a reaction even to things I have previously slathered on before.

I would try baby skin care stuff - sudacreme very thinly applied and rubbed in so not white is a great primer esp on shiny areas. Bepathen in great as a lip balm on sore lips and I rub it on sore skin at night.
I also use the basic cleanser & toner from Tesco (blue bottles) but stay away from wipes as even baby ones make my skin sting. Cheap enough for trial and error?
I mostly use an Oil of Olay skin cream with SPF30 which my mum (beauty junkie) passed on to me, but I suspect that may be pricey. I have also got Boots own 30 spf for my 16 mo DS.

My "sore skin" days require hydracortiszone cream or ointment. It is not a good idea to use it alot because it can thin the skin - however I have had to use it on and off for years (now 36) and cannot really see any thin bits. However must make sure I have warned you there. It;s an over the counter one from Boots - but if you say you want it for your face they won;t sell it to you for the above reason.

Sorry bit of a ramble - and probably doesn't answer your question - but I find that if I sort out the sore times, I an use pretty much anything on my skin - maybe that is the same for you?

Thanks so much for replying! After all that, I decided to take the very expensive route just in the hope of feeling, well, normal again. I got some Clarins sensitive day cream and night oil, used it last night and today I seem to have little bumpy spots on my cheeks! I very rarely get spots and when I do they are on my chin. So back to the drawing board..

I'll try baby stuff, though I tried Sudocrem on my face once and it felt awful but I'll try Bepanthen. I've been using Liz Earle skin cleanser and toner but it's so expensive, I'll certainly try the Tesco ones. I have some of the Superdrug own brand hot cloth cleanser coming as it was on offer, apparently my sensitive-skinned mum can use the vit E stuff. I can't use wipes at all, actually even when my skin was just bog-standard combination I couldn't stand any wipes, and actual baby wipes sting like mad!

I'll take a look at Olay, I'm babysitting extra this week so can buy a few things to try. I did get Boots own childs SPF 30 this week for me as I need something and someone on another thread said children's creams tend to be more rigerously tested etc.

I do have some of this odd gel stuff from the DR that I got for the rest of my body as I suffer from occasional really dry skin/exzema. Never used it on my face though, it's incredibly thick and greasy and my skin barely soaks anything in! I don't think it's hydracortizone or anything, can't check at work now but I'll take a look.

Thanks for the ramble anyway, very useful! I just need to consider everything. I'm going to return the Clarins stuff if it doesn't improve, they said I could as they had no testers.

I have had similar reactions to products (including shampoo etc) over the past couple of years. Through trial and error, I have found out that I cannot use products with parabens, SLS, lanolin or silicones in, which narrows the range somewhat. All of those things are in most ranges that you can buy at Boots, John Lewis, Debenhams etc. I usually google paraben free whatever it is that I want and see what comes up in search engines.

Be cautious of products calling themselves hypo-allergenic - they aren't usually in my experience, or organic - they usually give me a reaction too.

The ranges from this company here have been pretty good so far - they are mostly free of all of the things I listed above.