Does anyone else have skin like me.....

[Indecisivejo]

Ok so I'm a fair skinned red head and my skin has always been naturally sensitive but over the years has become even more so and I would now describe it as hypersensitive/reactive. It's also dry and feels 10 sizes too small if I don't put moisturiser on straight after showering/cleansing (happens no matter what cleanser I use so isn't from using anything too harsh and I don't use foaming) but my skin often looks shiny through day but isn't at all oily it still feels tight and uncomfortable even when shiny (extremely dehydrated I guess) I also get spots still, sometimes whiteheads and sometimes those sore red lumps, sometimes both together :( and often get more rashy type clusters of spots. I cannot use anything fragranced on my face. Make up is very hard work, cannot wear foundation it looks awful on me but tinted moist looks shiny and gives no coverage. Cannot wear powder no matter which one! I'm using no7 intelligent colour which is best of a bad bunch. Oh and mineral foundation is a NO NO.
does anyone else have freaky skin like this? What do you use?
(My skin cannot tolerate lots of products so can't do the whole cleanse,acid,hydrate,serum,cream blah blah lol)

omg I've written an essay

Following with interest my skin is the same and I too use intelligent colour in medium but have started to use benefit foundation which is really nice but I can feel it there unlike the intelligent colour.

My skin has been a bit like you describe recently, very dry and dehydrated, but still with spots and the under the skin spots you describe. I hadn't assumed that was s reaction but just my skin now to be honest. I've started taking evening primrose oil and cleansing more deeply in the hope it improves as well as using a heavier moisturiser and BB cream for coverage at work. It is still not good but better than it was.

I have, in the last year at night started using muslin clothes and coconut oill to cleanse my skin and then moisturizer then I know skin specialists are going to be horrified I slather Vaseline on. My skin is so much more settled in a morning and has stopped feeling tight at all.

Not exactly the same - I guess none of us are but pale, dry-ish aging skin which is now highly sensitive too. It initially flared up while trying various random products on my face and never went away. (Cheers for that, beauty industry though of course my fault for being a gullible idiot.)

I've not being able to work out what sets it off so I just use as few products and ingredients as I can. If I cleanse and moisturise with almond, coconut or wheatgerm oil I can then get away with a sunscreen and a little foundation too. I use an extra moisturiser a couple of nights a week - there are a very small number I trust.

I don't worry too much about not tolerating acid toners, serums etc as I think all that is mostly bollocks. But if I couldn't take a sunscreen then I would be pretty pissed off.

I have really similar skin although not the sensitivity, just the dry but still shiny part. Are you washing your face in the shower OP? As it's likely that the water is too hot and drying your skin even more.

I personally find Ultrabland by Lush a really good cleanser, I give it a good massage in and then gently rub off with a warm flannel. I'm also using their Eau Roma Water toner at the min but that might not be so good for you with your skin being sensitive.

I did have a good look through old threads yesterday and saw that a moisturiser by Eucerin was recommended a lot - I've ordered it to try so would have to report back if it's any good. It's this one: www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=6765&storeId=10052

My skin is really suffering at the minute with the cold weather and if I apply foundation it just flakes and looks pretty horrid. But normally I find if I can get my skin moisturised enough I can tolerate a bit of foundation and enough of a dusting of powder on top to stop the shine.

Yup, all of that, plus my face feels itchy and hot and I go red stupidly easily. Doc says rosacea "tendencies" but not actually rosacea. I use Rosacea Care products and Ultrasun sun products. Not perfect but better than most as non-fragranced.

Mine is the same. In a way it's better if I do nothing at all to it. It is dry in some areas but I also have a shiny forehead. Then bumpy spots under the skin on my temples. If I use moisturiser I get spots. I only wear foundation if I go on a rare night out.

So glad I'm not alone! It's just horrible isn't it!

Me too, Doing. My skin is best when we're camping as I fuss less with it. I am in my 40s and had terrible skin in my teens. I think all the harsh spot treatments I was prescribed in the 80s has resulted in a kind of product overload and made my skin hyper sensitive.

Yes, Indecisive, it's very depressing. In my 20s, I never suspected I'd still have spots in my 40s. Annoyingly, whenever I make an appointment to show my GP how bad it is, it clears up!

See my problems started when I became a qualified beauty therapist! I started trying lots of different products, I used soooooo many in such a short space of time that now my skins barrier is destroyed

Have you changed your diet?

Sounds like inflammation to me.

Eat more neutralising foods.

Sounds like me and my skin op.

I have tried various products and what works for me now is:
Cleanse- avene extremely gentle cleanser
Oil- almond oil (from cooking aisle in tescos)
Moisturise- avene

Done.

My skin is the best and most stable it's been in 12 years. I got bad acne-cystic spots 5 years back I suffered for years and then gp put me on a topical antibiotic which cleared it up (cannot remember the name).

Avene has controlled the redness and keeps it calm. The almond oil has been a great find- my skin doesn't feel oily at all but it has managed to keep my very dehydrated uncomfortably dry skin lovely moist smooth and plump all winter. Definitely worth a try and hasn't irritated my super sensitive skin either. I can't recommend it highly enough

Good luck

Zippyswife Avene was terrible for me :( as was la Roche posay.

Sounds like Rosacea to me. Might respond to a more holistic approach with systemic antibiotics and very gentle skin regime eg, rose hip oil, avene moisturiser.

Weird coincidence maybe but I developed Rosacea when I was using no 7 intelligent foundation too. I wondered at the time if it was something to do with all the silicone type stuff in it

Ohhhh nooooo what other foundation can I use then?? I've tried them all and all awful on me plus my skin went crazy from trying all diff ones!

Oh my goodness really I have seemed quite blotchy since using it.

It initially flared up while trying various random products on my face and never went away

I started trying lots of different products, I used soooooo many in such a short space of time that now my skins barrier is destroyed

This exactly. Mine has never recovered from Retin A. Let this be a cautionary tale!

OP I scrutinised everything I put on my face to see what I could tolerate and ended up going the (largely) natural route. I know the ingredients I can't use and those I am generally ok with. I now completely avoid silicones except dimethicone (and not that if high up in the ingreds list) and some oils. You need to identify which ingreds are ok/not ok for you. Good luck.

Have you tried rosex? That was the only thing that tackled my rosacea and then I have maintained the equilibrium with the avene and almond oil. Every now and then my skin with flare up (like now- just had a baby last week) and I need to get back on the rosex but generally speaking my very dull routine tends to keep it at bay.

No I haven't tried that, are there different varieties?
Which Avene ones do u use? And do u always use almond oil every morn n night under moist?

If you are a beauty therapist did you learn about using cleansers with a ph of 5.5 or less? Sorry - don't want to assume anything or come across as patronising!

You sound very similar to me and selecting the right cleanser is more than half the battle! I double cleanse with an oil based cleanser first then a water based cleanser that has a ph of 5.5 or less. The damage high ph cleansers can do to the moisture barrier is huge!

My skin was similar and the best thing I have ever done is oil cleansing method with avocado oil only. Then use it afterwards as a moisturiser (like a serum sized amount) Nothing else while it calms the inflammation down; no caster oil (too astringent), no essential oils (make me break out), or anything. If you need sunscreen just use zinc if you have to. I was a sceptic, but my skin has never looked better and I'm 41. Once you calm the inflammation, you might be able to use some mineral makeup and some normal basic moisturiser (I use the sensitive one from Aldi if I need sunscreen now, and it seems ok,) It will take a few weeks to settle down, but honestly, your skin will be so much better if you cut out the products and chemicals. Eating (a lot) less sugar and carbs also makes a huge difference to my skin.

Have you tried either the a'kin or goodness range. I suspect you'll have to order in the net but these are great on my dry and spot prone skin.

I use a'kin cleanser for sensative skin and rosehip oil plus either a'kin or goodness moisturiser.