Would it be the Dermalogica wrecking my face?

[OhCobblers]

I started the OCM this year with bio oil which left my skin lovely and soft and feeling clean before bed. In the morning I used a new cleanser (can't remember which but it contained Rosehip oil).

Ever since lots of little spots have broken out. some quite big and bumpy. Lots of "congestion" as the beauty therapists say. I stopped using both and have completely switched to Dermalogica inc moisturiser but not seeing much improvement. Apart from the odd spot now and again I've not had this problem before at all. Some look quite big and dark that i seem to use a concealer every day when previously it's been occasional use.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to help clear it up?

Most rich moisturizers break me out. OCM in a horrible way. It's called "comedogenicity".
I had to become very restrictive with my routine - less is more.
A dermatologist once said that the cosmetics industry is built around a simple principle/vicious circle: buy products to strip your face of oil, then buy products to slather the oil back on. Repeat endlessly.

Safe choices (for me): Eucerin products, La Roche Posay Toleriane Riche.
I tend to pick oil-free versions of make-up, if possible.

Thanks Doñana I wish i had never started with it, it's been months now.
I don't really know what I can do to calm it down? Can't really afford to keep switching products and i don't think it can be the Dermalogica? Or perhaps that's more hoping as I've bought so many items!!

Would love to hear if anyone else has any ideas?

I basically quit everything, except one moisturizer in the morning (depending on season, Eucerin 5% currently) and a normal creamy makeup remover in the evening. My skin calmed down gradually when it wasn't exposed to oils any more.

You don't want to hear this, but I had to eBay my Dior products and bin a lot of others. Can you go back to what you were doing before all the problems started? It was awful to realize that "taking good care of my skin" actually was causing acne, but that's what it was. And scrubs and toners were making it flaky and irritable.

There was a thread here recently about someone having similar problems with Dermalogica products.

OCM messed my skin up for months! Big red spots that left big red marks behind!

Have you found anything that helps with the marks left behind plaingirly?

What Dermalogica products are you using?

Dermalogica is actually helping my cr@p skin, what are you using?

Pre-cleanse, special cleansing gel followed by micro-foliage.
Have just started using the dynamic skin recovery moisturiser. Im still getting dry skin at the end of the day though?

Micro foliant obviously!

I have used Dermalogica for a year due to my oilly acne prone skin. It helped my breakouts but unfortunately gave me red dry itchy patches on my face. I had some Aqueous cream which i use on my daughters eczma and its calmed down my skin so much, you can wash your skin with it just like a soap and use it as a moisturiser and its under £5 for a big tub

Seh2. Aqueous cream was originally formulated for people who were unable to wash regularly, due to medical conditions. My dad is in very slow renal failure, has diabetes and uses a type of cream, similar to aqueous cream, called Dermol. If he runs out he was told to Aqueous cream to tide him over until he gets his Dermol. This was on the say so of all 3 of the dermatologists he sees.

I'm currently using aqueous cream instead of soaps/face washes and my skin is experiencing a transition breakout (breakouts caused by changing from one product to another). These should settle down in time though.

I use Dermalogica ultra calming cleanser...the special cleansing is too drying.

I can't tolerate Dermalogica I found it very harsh. I've got a very gentle cleanser (can't remember its name, not a big brand) and use Simple moisturiser.

a lot of the big brands like Clarins, Chanel etc have perfumes which are a trigger for sensitivity for me.

The Dermalogica Microfoliant gets mixed reviews on Makeupalley. Quite a few users with a lumps&bumps/ cystic acne reaction.

Like I said, a lot of cosmetics industry is built around luring you use over-harsh product to cleanse, then forcing you to re-moisturize (which will result in too much oil - which may cause acne), then having to use harsh cleaners again. It's important to try to find the balance.

Dermatologists generally see very little difference between various emollients. The big guns that actually do something to your skin are Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids, isotretinoin=Roaccutane), salicylates and corticosteroids. All of them can cause problematic side effects (like stinging, drying, thinning and scarring) if used incorrectly. Almost everything else is marketing hype.

So I'm trying to stick to simple emollients, paying attention to comedogenicity. Added urea seems to work on my skin, rehydrating it and controlling flakiness, so I love emollients that contain urea/carbamide.

OCM messed up my skin big time too and I never even had spots before I started doing it! I switched to using The Body Shop's aloe range and have had fab skin for the last 6 months or so - wish I had discovered it years ago.

Here is a good look at the much-maligned mineral oil.

I'm gravitating towards mineral oil/petroleum based products these days, as natural oils, including organic olive oil we helped to harvest in Tuscany, tends to cause hellish cystic acne. Plant-based ingredients are getting too much hype - they actually sensitize many people as they tend to contain more allergens than purely synthetic petrochemicals. Ask any dermatologist ;)

I was completely won over by Dermalogica at the beginning, I felt I had found the answer to my problematic skin at last. But after a bit of time I started getting bad breakouts, cystic spots and congested spotty patches on my cheeks. Id spent a small fortune on products. I decided to email Dermalogica direct & they were actually very very helpful, but after a few emails & me sending her a photo of my skin she was pretty much sure that the products I had been sold were not the ones for me, too harsh. She listed all the new recommended ones (mostly the ultracalming range) but to be honest I was so sickened having already spent so much I decided not to bother. After alot of research online I have now stripped right back to basics, I use a tree tree cleanser from Boots, aloe vera gel as a moisturiser & aspirin face mask every now & then if I sense my skin starting to play up. I darent tempt fate but my skin is currently really clear no longer irritated. It seems less really is more.....

Dermalogica is the skincare range of the International Dermal Institute so it is not a brand that is trying to lure you into using something that is no good for you.

If you read this it will tell you all about it.

I honestly think that it sounds like you have congested your skin with the OCM (it's not for everyone), and that the dermalogica is bringing all the congestion to the surface. How long have you been using it for? It will take a good few weeks to sort it out.

I'd stick to the special cleansing gel - maybe use a mild toner afterwards, and a light moisturiser. It sounds like the dermalogica one you are using might be too heavy. Active moist and skin smoothing cream are both good.

If you don't want to splash out on more products then steam can be very helpful - cleanse your face then hang it over a bowl of hot water for 15 mins (towel over the head etc), then use a toner and moisturiser.

Also make sure you are drinking enough water.

Hope that helps. (I am a beauty therapist and trained in Dermalogica and other skincare ranges)

I heart dermalogica

You can be allergic to any moisturiser etc. I can't use any of the ones that state on the packaging that they're for sensitive skin - for some strange reason I react to anything by Simple and Botanics, almost anything that claims to have no colours or perfumes and almost anything labelled as for sensitive skin.

I love Neutrogena products and use their hand cream on my face and lips and even on ezcema. I use the basic pink Oil of Ulay. I use original green Fairy liquid. I often use Johnson baby products. I can't use much in the way of scented and fragranced products so I tend to stick to what I know is safe for me and for some reason I'm luckier with the older stuff like the pink Oil of Olay than the latest versions.

You have to trust your own judgment, you could certainly be allergic to Dermalogica - Simple makes my face actually crack and bleed within 3 days, took me ages to twig that it was Simple - I kept using more to try to cure the problem!

I agree with KindleMum. I am allergic to all sorts of face products even . If I were you I would try and leave your skin alone for a while. A basic moisturiser and cleanser that you know your not allergic to. Maybe even Aveeno cream or E45.
I have spent years using all sorts of stuff/regimes and mostly they end up bringing me out in spots. I now use a very small amountof a foaming cleanser I am not allergic to which I rinse off and the old fashioned nivea moisturiser for night and a La Roche Possay or Neutragena one for daytime. My skin is in far better nick than it ever has been. Once a week I use a neutragena exfoliator when in the shower.

I've never really stuck with a particular cleanser before, just bought whatever was on offer, but I did use Nivea as a moisturiser for years with no problems.

Decided that I should use "quality" products as I'm getting on a bit and had always read rave reviews about Dermalogica. The new moisturiser has only been used in the last few days so it's not that. It could be the micro foliant as I used that at around the same time as I was using the bio oil but imagine I should use some sort of exfoliant?

Would be so gutting that all the money I've spent on new products would be wasted! As an aside what can I use on a spot when I feel it's coming? I hear sudocrem is good for drying it out??

Thanks so much for all your opinions and recommendations.

I've tried many different skincare brands over the years and have always had spotty skin. I've decided that I'll use the moisturiser that makes my skin 'feel' nice and smooth and the cleanser that makes my skin feel clean, as I really think my spots are hormonal rather than only related to my skincare.

I also suffer from breakouts on my chest and back which again seem to be hormonal (change with periods, pregnancy, pills etc!) and I don't use any of my face cleansers/moisturisers on my body so that also makes me think that skincare doesn't make the biggest difference with my spots.

Anyway, I don't think that's been much help to you and there's some other good advice on this thread, but I hope you find a solution that works for you!

If you are getting a lot of spots, you could try moisturisers aimed at hot climates, they tend to be less oily. (I think Clarins used to do one)

Toothpaste or savlon great on a big spot. Or magnesium sulphate paste.

Put them on at night and in the morning it will be less red etc