Redness on my cheeks and chin

[evertonmint]

I'm 36 and realised I need to up my game a bit with skincare. So I have recently changed from my regular wash and moisturise, with occasional facial, routine to a slightly more focused one - am using a cleansing lotion and muslin cloth rather than foam cleanser and splashing water, added Peptabright for the brownish sun spots I have mainly on my nose, but still using my old moisturiser until that runs out as it seems reasonably good. My skin is already looking brighter and feeling softer :)

Anyway, now I'm actually taking proper notice of my skin and properly looking at in the mirror twice a day, I have noticed that the sweep across my cheeks, from nose to hairline, and my chin are all an underlying pinky red colour - not in a healthy way, more in a damaged sort of way. I look like I am permanently windswept I guess. It's not irritated or sensitive, just an underlying redness.

I was told at my last facial in January that my skin was a bit dry and a bit dehydrated. I didn't realise they were different until she explained it, but I just stuck with the dry skin moisturiser as I didn't want to spend more money as I had my Christmas credit card to pay off! I'm now in a position where I've done a bit more reading about skincare and am up for spending more money but I'm stumped as to what the redness if and what may help it...

Is the redness a sign of dryness or dehydration or something else? Any recommendations?

Could be the start of rosacea.

Often starts with this sort of redness. Mine did. I didn't and still don't get the spots with it. Just a bright red face neck chest and upper arms. Looks like sunburn.

GP can confirm it for you. And it may be worth a course of antibiotics to get it to recede. And possibly a topical lotion.

Avoid harsh stripping skin care of any kind. No exfoliating either. Wear sunscreen all year round.

I find I react to products containing phenoxylethanol as a preservative and methyl paraben. And makeup with silicones ie dimethicone and nylon 12 all makes my poor face almost purple.

If you look for organic and mineral cosmetics you can avoid most of the above.

Mineral makeup can work well. Sadly for me my face is now too sensitive for that too. It's the brush application I can't do. But it may be great for you if you don't have any stinging or burning with the redness. They also generally have some form of SPF.

Gentle and natural products and as few as possible. And see your GP.

Oh this could be a light bulb moment! Just googled rosacea and I look like the photos of mild rosacea. Also lots if the symptoms fit with me - I flush/blush incredibly and embarrassingly easily, am half Irish (which apparently is quite common with rosacea), and I have a lot of the eye problems too - gritty, watery, itchy eyelids. Would never have thought the two were connected, but they clearly are!

Thank you! Its mild for now thankfully but I will investigate further and then start trying things. I will be religious about the sun cream from now on too!

I'll make an appt with GP too

Everton. Itchy dry eyes can be part of it too. Sounds like it is.

Do have a go at oral antibiotics while its mild. My first course of AB took the redness completely away for about a year (until pregnancy...).

If you catch it early and keep on top of it, it may never develop beyond mild and occasional redness.

Mine is now so bad and extensive because I couldn't take ABs during pregnancy (two pregnancies) and BFing so essentially several years without being able to treat it.

Sadly now ABs and most creams have little or no effect at all. It's a pain.

Some foods are triggers so look into that too. It's different for everyone. Sunshine is often touted as the biggest trigger but for me it's very cold windy weather (handy in this part of the world!!).

I hope you find something which works for you. And don't be put off by taking ABs for several months at a time. It beats being a tomato any day of the week.