Horrible skin

[AppleHEAD]

I have verybsenaitive, red, spotty and dry skin. Kind of flaky around my nose and very red in places. Then I occasionally (well quite frequently) get spots on my chin mostly.
I have to be very careful about what I use because most products make my skin very sore.
So
I use Clinque Take off the day cleansing balm followed by Avène Extremely gentle cleansing lotion. Then I use La Rosay Posay Cicaplast to moisturise as at night I use Clarins Blue Orchid.
No matter what I do my skin is still red but I can manage that with make up and when it's really bad a big hat.
But lately it's been very flaky around my nose and as you can imagine exfoliating is painful.
I was using Clearasil super fruit cleansing pads but I can't find them anywhere. One pack on eBay recently went for £20.
Is there anything else I can use.
I've tried pixi and nip and fab but they all make my skin hurt.
So what can I use. I can't apply make up to flaky skin ahhh

Thanks for reading and sorry I'm such a drama queen

I think Op the least amount of complicated skin products the better, I general do not use water on my face so I wouldn't use a face wash, water can be very stripping, I don't use a toner as once again it strips all the moisture out. I don't use a cream with SPF, I know you should but it makes my skin flare up and tbh I'd rather risk the sun then have a face full of eczema! The products I use are aimed at dry/sensitive and I dodge anti aging products like the plague. Too many chemicals! Essential oils are a no go to as strong products even if they are natural can irritate. Anti spot and acne products drain all the natural oil out of skin so I don't use those either! Phew, that was long! 😂

Oh yes,I don't use SPF either,sure way to flare up my skin,I wear a big hat and stay in the shade!

I can't remember if the aloe cream has SPF,I have a feeling it does and i just used the night cream even for the day as it was light enough and not greasy.

OP, you are using quality products and are clearly prepared to invest a little in skincare. I think you'd be surprised how cost effective a private consultation with a dermatologist could be and more effective than throwing yet more product at already sensitised skin. All you need to do to self-refer is call your local private hospital (Nuffield/Bupa etc) and talk the the receptionist. They will tell you the names/numbers of the practising derms there and you can google them to check their various areas of expertise,
What you are describing could be rosacea which often develops as we approach menopause. Worth ruling it out as it can be made worse by the wrong regime.
Wishing you well. Misbehaving skin can really grind you down.

I personally don't have any advice for you OP but you could check out the amazing skincare guru Caroline Hirons on her blog...she has recommendations for every kind of skin.
You could be reacting to ingredients in the skincare you are using - wipes and witch hazel, which were recommended above, can be incredibly harsh as can anything with alcohol in them.

Try cleansing with Cetaphil, but instead of washing off, remove with a face flannel or muslin. This helped my skin hugely - both spots and flakes. Cetaphil also do a moisturiser that is very gentle. I found it a bit rich for my skin, but it might work for you.

Jmangle I think I do need to see a dr.

Monkey. I really do need to see a dr.
It looks awful but also it just hurts so much. Today it's still painful.

Dame and buster I find anything with SPF agony. I use it on the rest of my face just not on my problem areas. I keep out of the sun and always wear a hat.

Silver I got a free Alpha toner at Christmas it was very good I will have a look into the products.
West I do really like Caroline Hirons and I have looked before but I think I need a proper look at what she says.
Thanks X

I would definitely stop using the clearasil, it's harsh and will strip your skin. Not good for sensitive skins!

Have you tried cleansing with oil or a cream cleanser? It sounds counterintuitive with spots but you need to give your skin a break from all the chemicals. Regular olive oil will remove make up if you massage it in and a cream cleanser will also remove make up but much more gently.

As a pp said, using a face cloth to wash off whatever you're using to cleanse is a good idea. You'll ensure you get every scrap off and you'll gently remove any dry skin too without using a harsh exfoliator.

Basically go back to basics and give your skin a rest from complex things. It may become less red and less spotty. If it doesn't, at least you can try new products knowing you're starting from scratch with them and not with sore inflamed skin.

But I think a derm appt would be beneficial too.

Captain I agree re Clearasil but the ones I was using were very mild. Buy sadly no longer available.
I'm trying to make sure I use a soft cloth when I cleanse.
Definitely heading to a dr soon.

I found Ultrabland by Lush really helped my skin, it's very thick and moisturising.

It looks like you already have a good cleanser but instead of exfoliating layer this on and gently buff it away with a warm cloth. Or wear it as a mask.

Have you heard of Neem oil? Smells disgusting, but it's anti fungal and bacterial like tea tree oil but not at all drying.

Can u post a pic of your skin?

You are using too many products from different ranges, OP. You need to stick to a single range to minimise the potential irritation of products reacting with one another. You should probably see a dermatologist to get the redness under control.

Bobochic

I've always thought it was a myth, and a bit of a marketing con, to use all products from the same range. Use the cleanser/moisturiser/exfoliator that works best for you.

However it is probably best to change one thing at a time so you can see what exactly is making an improvement/difference.

I once had an allergic reaction to a house I was staying at (I think it was mould) and my skin started flaking terribly. I switched to using a cleansing oil (the body shop has a good one) in the evening and then used a gentle cream cleanser in the morning. But the biggest help was nivea creme. Just the basic kind in the blue container. It was the only thing that stopped my skin from flaking and then I was eventually able to go back to using my regular moisturizer.

Miss I will look at neem oil I'm.quite good with oil.
Mint.... I'd rather not it's scary.
Bobo the problem is that I find the Clinque cleansers lovely but the moisturisers agony. My skin is very odd

Anna I think I've tried nivea but I can put on a bit and see. I can usually tell quite quickly.

I got some aloe Vera stuff from body shop so I will see how that works.

Thanks everyone I really appreciate all your help. I know it's only skin but it's such a pain

It's not "only skin" it can be agony, bring your mood way down and itch like crap!

As someone who has eczema/sensitive skin, I hardly use anything makeup/cleansing wise but have found Suneeta products very soothing. Recommended by a Mumsnet user! You can order small sample sizes of most things so good just to try.

Also, look at Purepotions products. A lot of people swear by the Skin Salvation Moisturising Ointment. They also do lip balm, Bath and Body Oil etc. You'll find it in their Dry Skin product range on their website. I'm sure it wouldn't irritate your skin so worth ordering a small pot to try.

It really isn't a con or marketing trick to use all products from the same range, especially if you have sensitivity issues. Mixing chemicals on your face at random is a very bad idea.

When my skin is have the 'rage' I use Astral too, it's thick and soothing and comforting!

I had this problem too, for the first time in my life as I headed towards menopause. And I did finally go see a private dermatologist, pricey but oh so worth it.
I would say in general my advice would be exactly opposite to everyone else here . The most neutral possible thing to put on your skin is plain water. The doctor gave me some tablets and some creams specifically to clear a bout of rosacea and since then I don't put ANYTHING on that stays on, no creams, no scented anything, no acid anything, no scrub anything. Actually really nothing touches my face except water. No soap of any kind either. Just water. And not too hot water in the shower! At first it felt a little dry but after a few days my skin seemed to settle down by itself.

Naturally my biggest problem was makeup remover (only for eye makeup I can't do foundation, blush, all that stuff without terrible reactions) I finally found these pricey MakeUp Eraser cloths on Amazon that do the trick with plain water. I can't put things on my face; my skin just seems to want to breathe and be left alone (Freudian or what?).

I would try doing nothing to your skin for a week or two.

Was the best thing I ever did for my skin! Now just wash with water when I am in the shower and use a gentle moisturiser.

I have sensitive skin and the less I put on it/do with it the better

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