WTAF is going on with my skin? Can skin just change what type it is???

[IHeartKingThistle]

I need help!

My skin has always been oily - I had acne till 24. Since then I have had clear skin (yay!) and I have been using Clinique 3 step for years (number 3 ) and it's been great.

I've had a couple of busy weeks lately and had let the skin routine slide a bit. But instead of spots I am a mass of flakes! It's horribly dry and flaky and feels itchy a lot of the time. I have been (gently) exfoliating the flakes away then slathering with moisturiser, but within hours the flakes are back - forehead, nose, the sides of my nose where my glasses sit, patches on my cheeks and under my mouth and chin. Even my eyelids feel dry. It's been over a week.

Could I just be reacting to something, or can skin just decide to be a different type one day?! I'm 35 now - am I ageing?

Any suggestions appreciated!

I think it's generally true that skin does change with the natural hormonal changes of getting older (and I'm not talking about the menopause but just the natural shifting around of hormones in the body). As a result people do frequently get drier skin as the amount of male hormones decreases and the production of sebum slows down.

If you haven't been using any new products/ or any products differently it sounds like that's what it could be? Unless you've been in significantly different weather conditions (i.e. been out in the cold? or in air conditioned rooms when you're not used to it?) Or unless your diet has changed recently? You say you've been stressed and we often eat differently/ sleep differently when stressed?

If little else has changed then it could indeed just be your skin type changing a bit with getting older, and it might be worth rejigging your skincare routine - focusing more on moisturiser/ hydrating serums etc.

The Clinique 3 step notoriously has harsh cleansers in it - so maybe you could start with trying a gentler cleanser, and then keeping the toner/ moisturiser for the time being?

Likewise, depending on what toner you're using from the 3 step system - then often have a very high alcohol content, which would be fine when you were oilier skinned but possibly too harsh now? Again, possibly worth looking at others instead?

Stress is a major trigger for skin issues. It greatly affects the gut, so I would definitely start with gut support (which you might not think of straight away when dealing with skin), so probiotics, bone broth and fermented foods. Avoid gluten and dairy for a few weeks and see if it gets better.

Give the oil cleansing method a try, with castor oil and jojoba, plus moisturize with carrot or camellia oil. Hope this helps!

What those two said^

Also, thyroid problems can cause skin to become very dry, have you been having any symptoms like tiredness, weight gain, constipation, aches, feeling cold, lifeless hair, fluid retention, mental slowing, depression, that sort of thing?

Very interesting, thank you!

I was on a bit of a health kick in Jan/Feb- exercising, eating really well etc. Then work ramped up and I got crazy busy and DH was away a LOT with work so it got put on the back burner a bit. Been eating more rubbish and drinking more caffeine, which I don't usually. Also bread! So my IBS has flared up too - I wonder if it could be linked? I have been tested for thyroid because of those symptoms before Mrs Lettuce, but came back normal both times.

The Clinique cleanser and toner are getting rid of the flakes but I think they might be too harsh for me at the moment. Time for some skincare shopping maybe!

Thanks for replying.

Just updating to say argh! It's worse! Switched to a gentle exfoliating cleanser, ditched the toner, loads of moisturiser, as much time as I can without makeup and it is so so bad - visible flakes in massive scaly patches hours after cleansing, itchy and hot, and areas around my mouth and on my neck where it looks like the skin's sort of pulling. It looks awful.

Back from visiting family today so will be eating better from tomorrow. But I think I might need to get it checked out at some point. My eyes have been really sensitive too and apparently that can also be a symptom of thyroid problems, so I think I'll ask to be tested. Also constantly cold.

Any advice greatly appreciated before I turn into a lizard!

How about a hydrating serum? Your skin could be dehydrated. I use Vichy Aquilia Thermal. When I had problem skin a few years ago I switched to Body Shop Aloe range, which helped to calm.

I would suggest you stop putting anything new on your skin and go to the Dr.

Sounds like you may have eczema, poss triggered by stress. Good luck.

If you are flaky, don't exfoliate, even gently. It makes them worse.
The only thing that has helped me is products with urea, my favorite is Eucerin 5% urea cream. Urea is a natural exfoliant and this product has always sorted out flaky skin for me. I also got rid of foaming face cleansers. Compact and loose powder also made my skin much worse.

Because you are itchy and hot, should you see a GP or a dermatologist? Sounds like some kind of inflammation, and I think a professional should check that it is not an eczema or psoriasis that needs medication.

How old are you? As I have gotten older, my skin has become drier. I had very flaky skin in my early thirties. Aging, drying skin care regimes, too harsh cleansing, winter and central heating caused it, I think. Stress is a major trigger for skin problems, our body produces cortisols when stressed and I got perioral eczema one year after having worked really intensively. But this sounds different.

Couldn't read and run. I've been suffering from red patches down the side and bottom of my nose which flaked no matter how much I moisturised, also spots and redness over my chin and sometimes my cheeks. turns out I have rosacea. yours sounds like it could be.
have a look at rosacea uk website but get it checked out by your doctor. different creams/ washes could make it worse. I was recommended eucerin. it's improved but not gone yet. I'm 41 and put it down to aging
good luck.

Skin type doesn't change overnight, it sounds like dermatitis of some kind. Could be stress. It could be a reaction to your skincare products, especially ones like clinique no3 as it contains lots of alcohol and salicylic acid which are very irritating and drying. Years of using this could well sensitize your skin and damage it.

If you have flakes on the usually oily parts of your skin eg forehead and nose it could be seborrhaeic dermatitis which needs a steroid cream.

Definitely see your GP and get properly checked out.

See your GP pronto. I went through similar last year. Spent lots of money and time on various products. It got progressively worse.

By Christmas I'd have enough and saw my GP. I was diagnosed with perioral dermatitis and put on a 6 month course of antibiotics. I was also told that my throwing the kitchen sink at it with products had probably made it worse. My skin is remarkably better now. I can only see some redness if I am make up free now.

I did lots of research into the condition and various products. I no longer use shampoo and conditioner with SLS and I've stopped using shower gel and changed my toothpaste and various other products that were full of nasties.

Hope you get this sorted soon.

Oh wow some great advice, thank you! OK I will give my skin a rest today and see what happens, and I'll get a GP appointment when the kids go back to school.

I don't think it's eczema - DS has had very severe eczema and mine isn't quite the same somehow. Not as red I think. I rreeeally hope I don't have to take antibiotics as my stomach is fragile as it is.

I'm 35. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to stop Clinique 3 - it's what got rid of the acne, but I haven't had acne for years!

Will Google everything that's been mentioned. Thanks so much.