Why does every moisturiser burn my face??

[flintstonewall]

I've tried lots of moisturisers and they all burn my face.

It's like a tight, sunburnt, angry, itchy feeling and my skin actually hurts and is red for days after.

It can very from very mild to full on symptoms like the above. I think it's my skin causing the variation in symptoms, not the moisturisers themselves. As sometimes the same bottle can cause minimal symptoms and sometimes really bad reaction.

I've tried all different kinds of moisturiser, even sensitive skin types, so called hypoallergenic etc. Have tried about maybe 15 different brands.

I'm 34 and getting fine lines and my skin is drier and definitely in need of hydration so I feel I need moisturiser, but how do I use it when it feels and looks like a chemical peel gone wrong?? At least right now anyway, it's at it's worst.

I don't have much money to waste on constantly trying products.

Does anyone have any advice..

Previous poster beat me to it. Nivea blue pot definitely works for me. Not the stuff in the tube. That has lanolin and burns. My skins the same and have always used Nivea..cheap and soothing.

@IMONTHETOILET

I'd suggest going to see a dermatologist to check that it isn't a skin condition causing the issues.

What cleanser do you use?

It might be that you are damaging your skin barrier with a harsh cleanser/exfoliater and that in turn is causing the issues with your moisturisers. I'd suggest using a very mild cleanser and then something like the Eucerin moisturiser suggested by others but then putting La Roche Posay Cicaplast over the moisturiser. Cicaplast is honestly a magical product that is great for so many things and it will help heal your skin.

Agree with all of this.

I am allergic to cetearyl alcohol (this includes stearyl and cetostearyl alcohol). It is a usually very well tolerated ingredient and it is in nearly ALL moisturisers (and anything creamy).

I currently use a body lotion on my face as I haven't yet found a face moisturised than doesn't contain any of my allergens and also agrees with me (my skin is super sensitive on top of the allergies and I have rosacea).

I use this:

https://www.lookfantastic.com/bioderma-atoderm-ultra-soothing-cream-very-dry-skin-500ml/11532406.html?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&thgppcccampaign=71700000088329924&adtype=&productid=11532406&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiNaxgbP59QIVEoFQBh3TzAKdEAQYAyABEgICCPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I agree with PPs though. It does sound very much like a damaged skin barrier more so than allergy.

I've been using clinique dramatically different moisturiser for almost two decades. Every now and then I think I'll try something else and it ALWAYS causes dry, red skin. Sometimes it's fine for the first couple of days, but invariably my skin reacts. The last thing I tried was the ordinary - brilliant at first, but within a week my skin was sore, bumpy, dry and red - luckily they offer a money back guarantee.

Recently I (by chance) discovered that washing my face with oilatum cream is a miracle worker for preventing the dry sore skin that I usually get in winter. I've been using it for weeks now and had no adverse effects (if I'd applied it direct to my skin as a moisturiser, I think it would have caused clogged pores). In the past I've used grapeseed oil from the supermarket to oil cleanse, but the oilatum has been a game changer.

Agree with pps though that it might be worth asking for a referral before experimenting with any new products.

I get this I use Olay sensitive the yellow basic one it's the only one that doesn't sting.

Are you using an exfoliator or face scrub on your face?

My skin was the same and it was the beginning of roseacea. Tried all roseacea and hypoallergenic brands and what worked in the end was avene skin recovery cream. Funny people are recommending e45, both myself (face) and son (eczema on body), went through hell when we tried it, then was on here and on a poster's advice looked at the packaging and it uses the words 'can even be used on sensitive skin'. Meaning it isn't fully for sensitive skin as every pharmacist proclaims it to be!!!!

And best of luck OP, I know it's awful trying to figure this stuff out!!

I think you should try and see a dermatologist. I’m actually wondering if you don’t have perioral dermatitis or maybe seborrheic dermatitis. You should probably get a referral from your GP.

Moo goo moisturisers are very good and are made for sensitive skins.
Holland and Barratt, some independent chemists and now Lloyd's now sell I think.
I use the very gentle Full cream moisturiser on my face. It is brilliant.
I think you can also buy it on Amazon.

Try using vaseline at night and just wipe off the following day

OP, I had this a few years back. My skin was so sore / inflamed / damaged that I ended up at the GP. It turned out that I needed to stop using everything except an emollient called diprobase for moisturising and another hydromol for washing. We basically set down with the list of stuff the GP could prescribe and chose these because they had the fewest irritants in them. After about 6-8 weeks my skin was back to normal but I am very very very careful what I apply to my skin now and I cannot wear anything with SPF.

Cerave or e45.
When I had a reaction to some eye cream once, my skin kept reacting to everything I put on after except e45. Eventually someone told me to switch my make up to mineral based (like bare minerals) and now it's fine again.
They recommend mineral make up after some cosmetic procedures so worth a try.

Cetaphil. My skin burns like a bugger as I’m using retinoids.
Cetaphil is the only one that doesn’t sting. I can’t use any ‘sensitive’ ranges apart from that.

The French pharmacy brands are brilliant for this. They even have face washes that are wipe off, you don’t even need water.

Look up la Roche posay and avene.

My skin always flares up around winter, but also there are a lot of creams my face doesn’t like.

I use la Roche posay Toleriane range when it’s particularly sensitive.

I can’t use anything with vitamin E which is very common in skin care products, particularly anything to do with anti-aging. The name to look for on the ingredients list is ‘ ‘tocopherol’. It’s VERY common in sunscreen products, I’ve yet to find one I can put on my face.

@ForkedIt

I can’t use anything with vitamin E which is very common in skin care products, particularly anything to do with anti-aging. The name to look for on the ingredients list is ‘ ‘tocopherol’. It’s VERY common in sunscreen products, I’ve yet to find one I can put on my face.

La Roche posay do a sunscreen, it suits my face. Maybe have a try

OP mentions specifically that she has already tried Cerave and La Roche Posay, so recommending those brands is probably not very helpful.

Could it be that your skin has been too stripped by the cleanser and toner you are using? I used to get this, but since switching to a more gentle cleanser and toner, my skin doesn’t seem to sting when I moisturise any more. Must have tried 100 different moisturisers before that.

I went through a phase in my 20s when my skin reacted terribly to everything. The only things I could use were E45 and Aqueous Cream.

@G5000

OP mentions specifically that she has already tried Cerave and La Roche Posay, so recommending those brands is probably not very helpful.

I must have missed it! Apologies 😑

What else are you using?
It sounds like at some point you've damaged the skin barrier.
Which cleanser?
Any actives recently?

Could part of the reason be that your cleanser is stripping your skin of all it's natural oils and compromising your skin barrier? I've heard good things about cerave range of products for sensitive skin.

Apologies, just seen that you've already tried cerave.