Can someone recommend a very basic face cream for my very sensitive skin

[JustlookingNotbuying]

Not sure what has happened to the skin on my face recently but it has so much hyperpigmentation and a real redness to it (although not sore).
I do have sensitive skin and I think that combined with being in peri (I’m 49) and perhaps things like Hyaluronic acid in my current creams are exacerbating the redness (no idea what is causing the hyperpigmentation as I have never been a sun worshipper!).
I need to go to basics and start using a very gentle day and night cream with basic ingredients.
Can anyone recommend any good ones? I use cruelty free products.

Have a look at la roche posay or cerave x

Cetaphil

The body shop aloe Vera range is my go-to when my skin is sensitive

Colloidal oat is good for redness; I think Aveeno do face products now (their hand lotions are excellent,) and contain oats.

...yes, the BS aloe stuff is also good.

Epaderm or the really basic e45

I would use Aveeno until things settle down, but be aware it doesn't have any SPF in it.

Other ones I rely on are Simple, or Olay Complete.

The main thing would be to look for a moisturiser rather than an anti ageing cream as it will typically be less aggressive.

Avene and La Roche Posay are both good, and I like Cerave cleanser.

Given your description, it might be worth seeing if you have rosacea as opposed to generally sensitive skin.

Roadwork has been fantastic for my menopausal skin. It’s very basic, no smell and is very moisturising. It’s also cheap and I use it everywhere.

I honestly don’t know why I bothered to spent a fortune in skin creams over the for years.

Cetaphil dry skin face one. Really basic, really nourishing and rich but doesn't just sit on top as a greasy layer.

I've heard good things about le Roche Posay spf for sensitive skin but never used it. I'm using a Nivea face one at the moment which is good but can be a bit irritating to sore patches.

That should be *Epaderm not Roadwork 😂

Hi OP you might already be planning this but just in case, I wanted to recommend buying the smallest sizes of things to test them out before committing to a big bottle, as if you are hyper sensitised you might find even some of the really gentle creams aren't suitable atm. Eg Cerave is great for lots of people but unfortunately gave me hives. I use Cetaphil quite well but I know some others can't tolerate that, depending on what their skin is sensitive to.

You could try straight coconut oil first if you want to go super basic, it can be quite soothing and anti inflammatory if you can tolerate it.

I used the Simple Rich Moisturising one (the classic one in a bottle) for years on my sensitive skin - super basic, sold everywhere, nice and cheap. Used it day and night. When my skin was really unhappy I used Epaderm as a night cream instead

La Roche-Posay or Avene. Both have been absolute game changers for my really sensitive skin. I use La R-P effaclar mat during the day and 'h' at night as they help with spots but there are other ranges that deal with redness etc.

I went through a phase of applying all the things that were supposed to be good for my skin and it hated it and decided to react against just about everything. I pared right back to just an eye cream and moisturiser. It tolerated Body shop aloe Vera and slowly settled back down. I’ve since added serum back in but avoid most other stuff.

CeraVe is miraculous.

I tried La Roche Posay and it was the worst cream I’d ever used. My face was bright red. I tried to persevere for a few days in case I just needed to get used to it but it was awful.

If it is rosacea, Soolantra is very good apparently.

Olay sensitive lotion

I have awful allergies to all sorts of thing but can use Sainsburys Little Ones Sensitive Baby lotion. And it’s on £1.

My sensitive skin absolutely loves Superdrug's Vitamin E range. The moisturising creams are my essentials, and I add the night serum in over the winter months. I cleanse with Cerave gel wash but when my skin is a bit dry feeling, switch to the vitamin E hot cloth cleansing balm, which I use with a soft flannel instead of a rough cloth.

I swear by CeraVe I have dry very sensitive skin which is prone to redness
Since using CeraVe, my skin has never looked better

Haha, I had a Google for Roadwork skincare, funny enough, couldn’t find any trace of it.

Astral cream - I’ve used it for years and it’s the only one which makes my skin feel soothed (and it’s inexpensive too)

Thanks all, I will go off and have a little look at the recommendations.