I'm allergic to my facial products, really struggling :-(

[localfluff]

I've never been one for lots of makeup, but need to wear something so I don't look like an anaemia ghost.

I'm reacting to my products with allergic conjunctivitis and it leads to eye infections, so I can't risk it.

Currently using: avene ultra sensitive facial cleanser, boots no17 primer and a foundation powder and an eyebrow pencil. No eye makeup. I'm struggling to find a moisturiser so my skin is dry and irritated.

Please, please can anybody recommend anything I can do? I'm getting to the point where I can't use anything on my face apart from water. I use a bar shampoo as normal shampoos set my eyes off as well. I can't have anything with sls, parabens etc. in.

Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions for a facial cleanser and a moisturiser? I'll use natural/homemade stuff even. I also need a hypoallergenic foundation powder.

I'm allergic to the baby shampoo because it has sls in. I buy special bleph cleanser pads which are good, but can be drying. I was allergic to the boots blepharitis foam cleanser as well.

Sorry to say this op but have you ever done an elimination diet? All this inflammatory skin and eye stuff reminds me of the opportunistic low-level infections and generalised unwellness you can get with undiagnosed coeliac for example.

I try to avoid dairy. I drink oat milks, but don't avoid dairy as an added ingredient in things. I avoid cheese (not always successfully) and dairy yoghurts.

I've never cut out gluten.

I get sinusitis if I have dairy, that's why I've cut right down on milk.

Perfumes and chemicals make me sneezy and dizzy and my eyes run. I also get headaches with them.

There was a Blepharitis thread a couple of days ago. Someone posted the name of a cleanser that removes eye make up and the secretions causing issues. It was recommended especially for Blepharitis. Let me see if I can find it.

I have very sensetive eyes so just avoid make up. I find the sephora cleansing oil very good, it does not make your skin greasy. I have also started to use a tiny bit of bio oil on my face a few times a week so will look into a proper facial oil. Could you try rose water as a cleanser, agrees with my daughter who has mutliple allergies and cant actually use water on her face at all. Oh and if I do need to use eye make up Sephora is the only one which doesnt irritate my eyes at all

weldricks.co.uk blephasol duo. Recommended by opticians apparently. I was thinking of ordering it. Although mine flares up in hot weather generally. I use a drop of baby shampoo in a cup if cooled boiled water and a Q tip to clean the eye margins and this really helps. Other than that I use Clinique make up which doesn’t irritate too much.

Stay away from an foaming cleansers. Double cleaning with a scent-free oil-baed baum followed by a cream cleaner would be much better. I genuinely think this will be a good method to try. Oil is so soothing on the skin.

I also suffer with conjunctivitis and avoid most eye make-up. I rarely wear make-up fullstop because I don't like how it feels on the skin.

I have become increasingly sensitive to all sorts of products but can now use E45 cream after not being able to tolerate it for years. I also use Simple moisturiser although that can be slightly stingy.
One thing that makes a huge difference to me is to always use lots of moisturiser before a shower. So I aim to not let my face get too much water on it, and then moisturize right afterwards, and if I have time, again half an hour or so after that. A bit of a faff but it seems to help.
I also try not to have the shower too hot as that makes me face feel quite tight afterwards.

DD2 and I both have skin that dries out with just water. We use Aveeno as a moisturiser and coconut oil to cleanse and moisturise at night.

I have sensitive skin and The Body Shop Cleansing Camomile Cleanser is amazing on my skin- I don't wear moisturizer either due to sensitivity but I don't need to after the cleanser, its so moisturising on its own. However I don't know the extent of your allergies so maybe speak to someone in The Body Shop first. But I would highly recommend it

Dermalogica ultra calming skin care.

Having troublesome skin is so distressing. The sad thing is you can get loads of recommendations, read up on the products and pin all your hopes on it and yet it still provokes a reaction. I've wasted a fortune over the years. I've found Sukin (bargain at Boots) and Pai (more costly) both really work for me. Pai do a trial pack including cleanser and moisturiser and if you chat to them online and explain your issues, they send you trial sachets so you don't waste money on stuff that is like napalm on your skin. Lilylolo is also good but only if your skin is nice and smooth or it sits in every dry patch.

Good luck finding something that works for you.

If you’ve got blepharitis, stick to Blephasol or the ready-to-go Blephaclean wipes by Thealoz, you’ll find them in most opticians (you may also be having issues with dry eye if you have bleph, if so have a chat with tour optician about preservative-free drops to rebuild your tear film, dry eye & bleph go hand in hand for my patients a lot of the time!) For skin, stick to things like LRP’s Cicaplast (mentioned upthread by a PP) or Avène’s Skin Recovery Cream, I have very sensitive skin that breaks out at the drop of a hat & those are the only things that get me through this time of year when the air con is on full blast. One thing that may sound bonkers but is worth a go is putting a shallow bowl of water near your radiator in your bedroom at night - some skin issues can be irritated by the air drying out with the heating being on, so that can help rebalance the moisture levels slightly if you don’t have a humidifier. It’s helped a lot for me!

Can I ask op what were you using before as a moisturiser.

I have also become allergic to a brand I have used for years because they have changed the ingredients

Hi OP, have you tried Clinique products? I have seriously sensitive skin and am ok with their skin and cosmetics products.

I was coming on to ask something similar

I have tried all kinds of stuff though I don't have blepharitis, but I get eczema on my eyelids.
I have yet to find any eye creams that don't make my eyelids go mad after a few days.
However the following do work for me as moisturisers:
Pure Nuff Stuff Cream Dream Unscented (I cannot use anything with essential oils in). They do sample sizes.
La Roche Posay Toleraine (and I think I got a sample size from Ebay)
Clinique does work but I've struggled to find a moisturiser (they are either too light or too oily). Their eye cream doesn't work. They will do you a sample of more or less anything at their counters.
Eucerin (I use a huge bottle from the US after getting some while on holiday, but I think it's similar to Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm).

For cleansers I use Simple foaming wash or a very low-additive goats milk and honey soap from a local soap company. I have also used coconut oil (with a hot cloth). Sounds like the hot cloth might work for you.

I find Boots very allergy-inducing overall - I've never had anything from them I can wear anywhere near my eyes..

I have given up wearing eye makeup but I also had to stop wearing foundation/BB cream because it was irritating my eyes which basically means I never wear makeup.

I do have a La Toleraine mascara which I might try again without any base/primer round my eyes in case it will be OK. But I feel my rather middle aged, and somewhat small, eyes look odd if I do that.