When you wake up looking like a bag of spanners.....

[Newseeker]

What do you do?

My skincare is shit, make-up looks shit and I feel like shit. Hello 54.

It’s my birthday and I’m looking awful. Using Liquid Gold, Ren bioretinoid, Clinique intense surge and Dermalogica stuff but my face is pimply, red and pissed off. Much like myself.

I bought bareminerals original powder and an expensive kabuki brush and all that buffing is stretching my skin every which way.

Please help, I didn’t used to be this vain but I’m not used to looking this crap.

If my skin has a reaction I use Aveeno moisturiser for a while. It is very soothing.

Just use Lush Ultrabland for 3 months-absolutely nothing else.
My skin went from spotty mess to clear .
Yiu really dont need all that stuff

Yes, over-exfoliation is highly likely.

Today I’ve
Warm-flanneled
Dermalogica ultra-calming mist
Dermalogica ultra-calming Serum
Dermalogica skin barrier repair

YSL Fusion Cushion foundation

It’s happy so far.

I’ve also used a body moisturiser on my limbs which I’ve never really ever done. I’ve taken myself for granted for so long. Today seems like a good day to fall in love with myself 😁

This poor old face and body isn’t going to get any younger so I might as well embrace it and find a way of looking after it better. I’m rather ashamed I have taken it all for granted for so long. I’ve never really had to work hard at it. Yesterday everything just fell off.

Alcohol & sugar is very bad for the skin. Try cutting those out completely & see if it makes a difference. Central heating is very drying too. Try putting on a repairing night cream to get some moisture back in & plump out those lines!

BTW I am 53 and used Clarins for 30 years. I'm a bit poor at the moment so using Ciel Aqua from Lidl, reminds me very much of Biotherm which is lovely too. But if I indulge myself in gin & chocolate, my skin is dreadful the next day.

I’ve found my skin reacts like yours when I’ve used products on it, and the only way it improves is to lay off all products completely and just use plain old soap and water, clean flannel or face cloth daily. It’s the chemicals causing your skin to be inflamed, try using sudocreme all over at night as this will reduce the redness and irritation almost straightaway. I then just use sudocreme on the odd spot now. I thought as my skin was spotty and oily it needed a ‘routine’, but I just keep it clean now and use a salicylic acid toner after washing, simpler the better for skin that reacts sensitively I find. Good luck, it’s so disheartening to have skin that behaves like it doesn’t realise your still a teenager but less is more I find 🙂

Thank you, I’ve written to Kiehls to say their midnight oil causes inflammation and I’ve sampled a stupidly expensive foundation.

But how are you sure it’s the Midnight oil causing it?

Chardonnay’s - normally I put it on and go to bed but tonight I did my routine earlier as I’m tired and it’s itching my face like mad and swelling up a bit. Normally I wouldn’t notice as I go straight to bed.

You say routine so I it could be any other product you’ve used.

No, the routine bit is fixed and fine, the midnight stuff is a new addition to the routine

Sometimes OP products that suited your skin for a while are no longer suitable so can make your skin worse.

Wet flannel - you need to properly cleanse all the crap off your face from overnight
Dermalogica ultra calming serum concentrate - never used this but its a decent brand so stick with it if it suits you
Dermalogica skin smoothing cream - never used this but its a decent brand so stick with it if it suits you
Bareminerals powder not great for mature skin so ditch this as it shows up every line and crevice
YSL fusion cushion - never used it but should be fine

PM routine
Alpha H balancing cleanser - this has aloe vera in it which for me would give me an allergic reaction ie red raw skin
Ren bioretinoid anti wrinkle - personally I'm not too fond of REN
Kiehls Midnight discovery - its an oil and would make my skin break out and go red and blotchy if used often.
Alpha H Liquid Gold - I used this with good effect for about 6 months but no longer need it - I now use Paula's choice 2% salicylic acid
Clinique Intense moisture Surge cream - I love this so yes stick with this

I would probably just use the Dermalogica items from the am in the pm for at least a week or 2 to let your skin calm down a bit.

My mum gets away with a wet flannel and nivea and has great skin. I however have not been blessed with the great skin genes, although I am blessed with her young looking skin genes.

To keep things really simple I would probably recommend Murad Vit C cleanser and La Roche Posay Toleraine moisturiser. Both are mild and effective and last for ages as you only need small amounts so are very cost effective imho.

Good luck in your quest for good skin.

I can only recommend from my own experience of trying out various products when I also woke up one day and my skin had gone to pot.

Tant - thanks for your comments. The Toleraine sensitive moisturiser has shea in it which I can’t use.

The Clinique Intense got binned, it stinks of alcohol and is drying my skin out.

I'll persevere with the Dermalogica routine as it's really calming.

It is harder at this time of year in the UK, IMO

I feel tired and keep pinching my face in the cold weather, against all the rain and cold wind (dog walks...)

Funnily, after a cold wet walk.my skin glows

I tried the acid thing (liquid gold) and it gave my skin red patches the next day...

For me, less is more. Sadly, as I love beauty products!

Someone upthread mentioned Aveeno. I would recommend the colloidal oats cream (not lotion). It’s like laying your skin in a plumped up pillow. Really gentle and soothing. Aveeno Cream with Natural Colloidal Oatmeal 100ml, on offer at Boots now gets excellent reviews. I’d use something simple like this, stop everything else and let your skin recover.

Read more at www.boots.com/aveeno-cream-with-natural-colloidal-oatmeal-100ml-10100541#Flt3BczcTE79MHbp.99

10things - yes, I agree. Less is definitely the way for me to go. I’m sad too, I’ll save the smellies for hand and body lotions maybe.

Well, if you binned Clinique intense then clearly that was a part of your routine as well and you then binned it for being irritating.

Your skin doesn't heal overnight.

You seem to have a knee jerk reaction and go round buying, slapping on and binning and blaming your skin reaction on one product.

Chardonnay - I can’t really be bothered to justify myself to you.

Suki - thanks, I use Aveeno handcream, it’s great. I didn’t know they did a face range.

I used to work with someone who had perfect skin. I saw her, for the first time in 15 years + before Christmas. She STILL has perfect skin. She uses water splashed on her skin and a face clothe (or she did, when I asked her years ago) and what used to be Oil of Ulay (Olay now, that watery one). Now, she may be genetically lucky but I’m a firm believer in not overworking hair/skin etc.

OP, go gentle and very very simple. Try the Aveeno.

😊. It’s not specifically Face. But you must get the Colloidal Oats CREAM. It took the fire out of my son’s acne after a Clinique disaster.

OP, I have no skin in this.

Your post to me displayed the same sort of reaction though.

Good luck in your trials and errors, it’s how all of us do it.

Chardonnay - that’s a very good point. My apologies 😊 I’m very frustrated by my once-fabulous face taking a nose-dive overnight during my birthday week and I’m getting more frustrated by my attempts to fix it overnight. It’s all about trial and error as you say. Sorry again.

Forgot to mention LRP Cicaplast Baume, someone else did earlier on. It’s amazing though, it really helps sore skin and it’s antibacterial.
I have a cold and the skin around my nose was so sore last night from blowing it 3000 times yesterday. Smothered my face in the LRP last night and I’m back to normal today. It’s really soothing.

ididnthearanything if you are still on this thread, may I ask what sort of things your dermatologist suggested, as my skin sounds exactly like yours was.
I understand what s/he suggested was specifically for your skin, but just to get an idea would be helpful. I'm on the verge of making a derm appointment (not sure who to go to though - I'm in London if anyone has any suggestions), but can't decide if it would be worth it. How do they analyse your skin?