Looking for the simplest possible moisturiser - allergies

[YellowHighlighterPen]

I have dry/burning/red eyes and have been back and forth to various opticians/hospital clinic for years. My optician has suggested using nothing at all on my face and just the one type of eye drop as a last resort before looking to prescribe steroid drops. I think it's about 50% better but my skin is so dry now.

Does anyone know of a good moisturiser with a very short list of ingredients please?

You can try Liz Earle - it's a very natural brand and very gentle on the skin

Superdrug simply range

Go for some medicated range or pure aloe vera gel would work too if you put the leaf in fridge for at least 2 hours before applying on the skin. Its organic with no side effects

Could it be SPF causing the eye problems? I had on going issues with irritated eyes until I figured out that moisturiser/BB cream with SPF was causing it.
I use Simple Water Boost moisturiser now and when I need something richer I use a night cream as they don't have SPF.

La Roche Posay Toleriane
Cerave (unfragranced)
Avene
Clinique is unfragranced but full of chemicals which might irritate.

Steer clear of Simple (it isn't) and anything with essential oils (can be very irritating, DD had some Dermalogica, great stuff but has ginger oil in it- nightmare)

@Shinygoldbauble

Could it be SPF causing the eye problems? I had on going issues with irritated eyes until I figured out that moisturiser/BB cream with SPF was causing it. I use Simple Water Boost moisturiser now and when I need something richer I use a night cream as they don't have SPF.

I think this is definitely part of the problem but in the longer term I have to use an SPF because I've had a basal cell carcinoma removed from my face in my 40s.

@TheSilentStars

La Roche Posay Toleriane Cerave (unfragranced) Avene Clinique is unfragranced but full of chemicals which might irritate.

Steer clear of Simple (it isn't) and anything with essential oils (can be very irritating, DD had some Dermalogica, great stuff but has ginger oil in it- nightmare)

Yes I looked at the ingredients list on Simple face cream - it was enough to make a cat laugh!

I'm going to make a list and go to Boots later and just try to narrow it down by number of ingredients. Thanks for these suggestions.

My skin is very sensitive, especially my eyelids. I never actually put cream around my eyes but if I use certain creams on my face I get red/sore/crusty eyelids.

I've recently found La Roche Posay and it's brilliant for my skin and completely non-inflammatory and feels good when it goes on.

Vaseline for nighttime.

Do you use a mineral SPF or a chemical one, OP?

@YellowHighlighterPen I have the same allergies as you, I cant put anything on my face except CeraVe cream, a big pot for about 15€ so really affordable too. I'm currently waiting for an appointment with an Allergologue/Dermatologist for a million (ok 90!) patch tests, I feel your pain 🙁

Elave
It's an Irish brand and specialises in products for children/ adults with very sensitive skin.

Child's Farm Baby Moisturiser- I have ultra sensitive skin around my eyes and I can use this.

The ordinary- pure hyaluronic acid abs some oils for overnight, or their moisturiser theordinary.deciem.com/product/rdn-marine-hyaluronics-30ml?redir=1

Very good simple and cheap

I love Lush: Celestial.

I’ve never found a moisturizer with spf that I can get on with. I use separate products. It’s trickier to find a SPF that doesn’t irritate me but I’ve had good success with la Roche Posay and oddly enough Laura Mercier Protect Primer. I use the primer at the moment.

@Apileofballyhoo

Do you use a mineral SPF or a chemical one, OP?

I have no idea what the difference is tbh. I use Nivea face in the summer but only below my eyes www.chemist.co.uk/nivea-uv-face-shine-control-spf-50.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhs79BRD0ARIsAC6XpaVbTFdlHWVz52Uncd_wAlbezXtjaOAFrimgpomrQXNyDnSNrkKgN1EaAi8CEALw_wcB and either the Aldi caviar one or something from Lidl/Aldi with an SPF in winter

I think I have a combination of age-related dry eye (diagnosed) meibomian gland dysfunction causing the dry eye probably, blepharitis (diagnosed) and a couple of episodes of iritis (diagnosed) thrown in for good measure. Weirdly, my eyes were fantastic before I had to wear glasses. Then they started playing up. A colleague of mine was the same (early 30s). I used to look at her eyes with envy in meetings but when she started wearing glasses, they went all red and irritated looking as well.

Cetaphil

No idea on ingredients, but I use the original Olay (or Oil of Ulay, as I still think of it). I find most moisturisers thick and gloopy, leaving skin feeling clogged and heavy but that's really light. Good luck with your search, OP.

Ah I see. Mineral SPF is zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide and chemical can be quite a lot of different types. Mineral ones sit on your skin like a shield that reflects back the UV light and chemical ones absorb it somehow but break down themselves in the process, hence reapplying if you're out in the sunlight.

Mineral is generally recommended for sensitive skin. Zinc oxide kills my eyes though. I use La Roche Posay sensitive eyes sunscreen. It's quite heavy, though if your skin is dry it might be ok. Octocrylene (sp?) is a chemical sunscreen that also kills my eyes. Pretty sure it's in the Aldi ones.

To get the protection stated on the bottle you should be using 1.25ml for your face - so a 50ml tube should last you 40 days, and that's without reapplying. If you're using less than this you might only be getting SPF 10 despite using a SPF 30 product. Also, SPF refers to the UVB rays (the burning ones), not UVA (the aging and cancer ones) so you need to make sure you're protected from both, and a moisturiser with SPF might not be doing this.

Most advice is to not rely on a moisturiser with sunscreen in it but to use a separate sunscreen product.

Forgot to say UVA rays can be strong in the winter as well as the summer.

I use cerave in the morning and Cetraben at night. Both very simple and cheap.

That's a pretty comprehensive understanding you have there ApileofBH . Thanks for sharing. Looks as if my best bet is to go for a zinc or titanium oxide - maybe try one of each and see how I get on. The only sun cream that didn't sting was whatever they used on Pampers Sunnies wipes back in the early 2000s but I've not been able to find out what that was since it's been discontinued.

cerave is great for my very sensitive skin
I use eye drops for Glaucoma with no problem around the eyes

It's hard work finding a non stinging one, to be honest! Even the LRP irritates when I'm cleaning it off at night though it seems fine all day. I found Bare Minerals Prep Step (I think that's the name) good but it's a 40ml bottle and quite expensive. Also it's really runny, as it's a makeup primer rather than an actual sunscreen (it does have full UVA protection) so I found it hard to tell if I was actually using the right amount.

I've seen people recommending Australian Gold for sensitive eyes too. Avene do a tinted mineral and plain mineral but the tinted is supposed to stain clothes and only comes in one colour and the white one is supposed to leave you quite ghostly. I've thought of buying both and mixing to a colour I can live with.

I just bought The Inkey list mineral SPF30. The tint is not too bad - I don't wear makeup and I'm quite pale - but I only tried a tiny bit on my forehead so I don't know if it would be obvious if I use the right amount and I don't know if it will sting. I think it was €14 or thereabouts for 60ml on look fantastic. As opposed to €25 for 40ml for the Bare Minerals.

The LRP often is on offer in Boots, I usually get it for €14. They have a mineral SPF50 foundation now but it really is foundation, and it's far too heavy coverage for me, especially if I used the proper amount.

Oh I just thought - my local chemist gave me LRP samples so possibly if you ask you can get a sample of the sensitive eyes one to try out.