skin gone completely to pot

[mustbetimeforacreamtea]

Always had sensitive skin with tendency to be dry. So as a teenager I never had amy issues with spots. Now I'm peri-menopausal I'm finding that I'm constantly spotty and that moisturiser just makes my skin worse. I've never used more than gentle soap and water on my face. I don't get on with foundation so on the rare occasions I wear makeup I use a tinted moisturiser, but I now find that when I put it on my skin just goes very flakey and so I end up just wiping it off and not bothering.

Has anybody else experienced this and how have you tackled it?

I have dry, sensitive skin too. Never had spots as a teen, but since my 20s (I'm now in my late 30s) I've been prone to one or two BIG, under the skin spots. Tried all sorts but lately I've been using Superdrug's B range and my skin has been lovey (if I do say so myself) for weeks now
I find that I have to apply foundation pretty much immediately after moisturiser, rather than waiting a few minutes, which I think is advised. I suppose that effectively turns the foundation into a tinted moisturiser really.

I tried using La Roche Posay - it made my skin feel better but I was still getting increasing numbers of spots on my chin/ nose, so I went to the docs. I got Quioderm (benzoyl peroxide) and a mild hydrocortisone. It seems to have sorted the spots out, and I find that using a mineral foundation (I use Lily Lolo, as Bare Minerals caused irritation) is OK now.
I don't tend to use makeup every day though - only a bit of mineral concealer to cover the dark circles, broken veins etc

Thanks for the replies. Is there a thread better suited to this query as I guess S&B might not have many posters with this experience?

You need aloe products from The Body Shop-the calming cleanser which you massage into your skin to remove make up, wipe off with a warm muslin cloth then repeat. You could also try the Camomile cleansing balm which you use in the same way. Then use aloe day and night creams. I treat doors with a dab of witch Hazel at night.

I would steer clear completely of soap, even a gentle one will have detergent in it and be too harsh for facial use.

The aloe products and double cleansing will sort out your flaky bits.

Mustbe. I'd go have a look on Caroline Hirons blog. She totally changed my approach to my skincare regime. I use Ultrabland from lush as a general cleanser. It's super cheap, very gentle and non irritating. My aunt also uses it and she has really sensitive skin. Steer clear of foaming cleansers as this makes the skin more alkaline which acts as a breeding ground for bacterial. I'd stick to oil or balm cleansers taken off with a hand hot flannel. Double cleanse if needed.
I'd also steer clear of mineral oil(some people disagree) but there's a big section on her blog about why she thinks it's not great for the skin and she can explain it better than I ever could on here.

I have bad acne scarring and am prone to breakouts around my chin area and this has really helped me.

I've only just discovered Caroline Hirons and her recommendation of double cleansing has transformed my skin, she really knows her stuff.