Extra gentle face scrub?

[PurpleMcPants]

My skin is quite sensitive and I went swimming last week and reacted to (presume) the chlorine in the water, face went red and sore. It's been left very very dry and rough, I have flaky skin patches all over. I've just been moisturising so far but I think I need some sort of gentle scrub to get rid of the flakiness. I don't ever usually use anything because of sensitivity, so any recommendations would be great?

I use a konjac sponge, it's very gentle and doesn't feel 'scrubby', if you know what I mean. You can use it with plain water or your usual cleanser.

You might want to give Hydrolauron a try, it's a serum you put on under water-based moisturiser to increase your skin's ability to absorb the moisture. I use it in the morning if the weather is very cold and windy, or at night under a sleeping mask for the double whammy!

Tbh the most gentle thing is a soft rub with a warm face flannel.

Just make sure it doesn't have microbeads. They are really bad for the environment.

You could try a gentle massage with oatmeal, or crushed/ground aduki beans (an old body shop favourite from the pre-microbead era - no longer available - you have to do your own.)

When I have become flaky after sunburn, I use aloe vera gel (from health food shops - no need to sell your soul to forever living). I am quite sensitive and find this calming.

Sometimes I use an asprin in a little warm water with a drop of olive oil but you would need to check your sensitivity to asprin first.

Avoid anything with nut oil in.

Boots do a cheapie called Simply Sensitive Cleansing Jelly Ball Scrub. It is in green packaging and has no microbeads. Am finding it is the least abrasive scrub to use.

Ball scrub!

Ground almonds in whatever oil you have to hand. Just massage over your face gently and rinse off.

Thank you everyone, I've got some ground almonds and some oil (would coconut oil be good?) I'll try that later and take a trip to boots tomorrow if that doesn't help.

Although am slightly worried by the thought of ball scrub!

God you lot are awful, I have had the Ball Scrub on my bathroom sink for weeks and never noticed. Now it will be all I see.

I've not used coconut oil, but if it's a similar consistency to olive oil etc then it would be fine. I can't remember the recipe as such, but probably a couple of teaspoons of oil with enough almonds to make a paste. You can add a drop of essential oil if you have any eg lemon, lavender.

Coconut oil is more like butter, and goes hard in the fridge.

Be wary of almonds if you have hayfever in spring. Birch pollen hay fever is related to food pollen allergy syndrome/oral allergy - some foods have the same allergen. Almonds are one of them. Nut oils make my skin red and flaky.

I don't have hay fever and have never had any problems with nuts as far as I know. My skin reacts to things like strong cleaning chemicals (just the vapour, not actually getting any on my skin). I've reacted to a pillow once on holiday but on the whole don't have any issues with fabric softeners for example. I must have other triggers too, but haven't narrowed them down. I don't use anything other than Nivea cream on my face usually

I have only discovered it recently.

My skin goes red at the drop of a hat - shampoo, moisturiser, curry, wine and evening . I have not had a problem with chlorine, but had terrible trouble with a swimming pool that used ozone instead.

I use Dermalogica microfoliant on my allergic temperamental skin and find it is great. I wish it was cheaper though :(

cherylene, I get it with wine too and have figured out I'm sensitive to the sulphites (also get very out of breath and struggle for a day afterwards).
Skin has gone mad tonight, I'm covered in sore red blotches and I've no idea why.

I have that with wine too, it brings on my hayfever symptoms so I get really sniffly, sneeze and get a blocked up nose.

I wouldn't use almonds on sensitive skin, the oils can do more damage than good. Warm water and a soft cloth or your usual cleanser with a little caster sugar in it. The sugar granules will start to dissolve as you scrub so no danger of over exfoliating.

Wine contains histamines. It enhances reactions to things. I have had my best reactions to food when drinking wine.

Skin has gone mad tonight, I'm covered in sore red blotches and I've no idea why.

You didn't use the almonds did you? Bradley's sugar suggestion sounds very sensible and easy to hand. I would do absolutely nothing to it and let it sort itself out. Maybe ask the chemist about anti-histamines if you are itchy or anything. Then just warm water and a soft cloth until it has gone back to normal.

I haven't tried anything yet, I'll wait until it has all calmed down again properly. I've got otc antihistamines, I usually take one when my face swells up (geez, I'm making myself sound like a hideous monster!) but I think it's actually the cold making it sore at the moment. Maybe I should slather myself in Vaseline to protect it when I go out!

Hope it sorts itself soon.

The best gentle home made scrub I've used is simply a little bicarbonate of soda mixed with water and gently applied. If you've got essential oils you like you could add that too to make it smell nice.