Foundation for very sensitive skin. Help!

[FelixFelix]

I've asked for foundation help recently and got some good recommendations but I'm still on the hunt. Hopefully others can help me find the holy grail

I am pale and have perioral dermatitis, so have weird allergic reactions to random cosmetics and I have to be very careful what I use. I'm currently on antibiotics for my acne which I've had for about 10 years, and it's almost cleared up now (yippee!!) but I still have a red nose and chin so need at least a medium coverage. It's also cleared up my dry skin but now I've gone the complete opposite way and it's quite oily, but I can usually control it with a bit of loose powder.

I used to use Vichy Dermablend when my acne was bad, but it's far too dark for me now. The same with La Roche Posay's version. No 7 is too dark for me. I am allergic to Estée Lauder DW, and last week had a sample from MAC which was the perfect colour match and looked good but I've had an allergic reaction to that too. I think I'd like to avoid the likes of Chanel etc. as it seems to be these type of high end cosmetics I'm allergic to. I'm not sure what the specific ingredient is that causes a reaction. I have also tried various mineral foundations and had reactions to some. I didn't react to BareMinerals but it doesn't work for my skin type at all.

Anyway, can anyone recommend any good foundation which is good for very sensitive skin, but has a wide range of shades? (ie. super pale!) A brand similar to Vichy or LRP would be great. I'm really struggling to find anything. I live in a big city so have access to most shops/counters.

Sorry it's long

Revlon? I use that and I have sensitive, reactive skin.

I'm surprised no 7 is too pale as I accidentally bought the palest one when I usually use one up and it was white. They also do the adapting one that adapts to your tone. I'm highly allergic to lots of things but I'm safe with no 7.

Dragons I should have said their shades seem to be too warm for me rather than dark. I think I have quite a cool skin tone and a lot of foundations look orange on me because of that.

Dame which revlon one do you use? What's the coverage like?

I have eczema and a whole heap of allergies, and my face is particularly sensitive. I have tried and binned so many foundations but Clinique has been the only one I have never reacted to. I use one for very dry skin as I get flaky patches, and it covers well enough to disguise redness and blotchiness too. Superbalance I think it is but will check.

Clinique is usually pretty good for sensitive skin.

You said you've tried BareMinerals - did you try their powders or the new BareSkin foundation? The powder foundation makes me so itchy because of the Bismuth Oxychloride, so I'm not a fan, but the BareSkin foundation apparently only contains the bare minimum of ingredients, so there are no silicones, perfume, parabens or oil in.

I'm not a massive fan of the foundation as it clings to the dry bits of skin and fine lines, but maybe it works for you. I found that it looks a bit cakey if using more than one small drop of it and the brush they recommend with it (the one with the reservoir in the middle) isn't really worth it.

Laura Mercier might have some tinted moisturisers/foundations that will work for you - some are perfume free, silicone free and allergy tested. They do have the ingredients lists on their US website so you could maybe get an idea of what would suit you.

Thanks for the replies

I used to use Clinique actually so I might see what they have at the moment. I think it was the anti blemish range I used.

I didn't know BM had a new range out. I've used my old BM stuff today just out of curiosity as my skin isn't dry any more (i had dry patches when I first bought it) and it looks alright. It always feels a bit cakey on my face though with the powder so I think I prefer a liquid foundation. I'll look at the new stuff though.

LM was another one on my list to try. There's a Space.NK in town - do you know if they would give me a sample to try? I've decided not to buy anything without trying it for a week first in case I have a reaction to it.

FelixFelix, if you can get to a Space NK, get them to try Chantecaille Future Skin on you. It is prohibiltively expensive but very good for sensitive skins, and comes in many shades. It is oil free but moisturising. You can read reviews for it on Space NK's website.

Crikey Leo it IS expensive! Worth a try though isn't it.

It is! BUT I think if you suffer badly almost any price is worth it (if poss)! I would, however, ask them to either try it on in store, or better still (esp if, like me, you tend to develop issues over days, not hours) ask them to put some in a pot to try over 3 or 4 days. If they say no and can't accommodate you with a sample, you could ask them to agree to a refund if you react (pretty sure cosmetic companies are legally bound to issue a refund in case of a reaction). One thing I will say - and I hope it will be okay for me as I rely on it - is that Chantecaille are supposed to be going paraben-free so the formula is likely to change. The current one only has two parabens (and I actually think parabens are far less problematic than some of the junk companies are replacing them with!).
Let us know how you get on! Sensitivities and allergies are miserable (not to mention painful!)

Yes it takes about 5-7 days for me to react. It's annoying as I always think I've found the perfect product then BAM I will see if I can get to Space.NK next week to try it. Thank you

OP-Revlon colour stay, comes in 2 choices, for dry or oily/combo skin. Good range of colours. Buff I'd very pale but I think there's paler ones too.

Sorry, coverage is fantastic, best long lasting foundation I've used.

Thank you, I've heard good things about that revlon one but couldn't remember the name! I'll look that up too