If you you’re over 44 couldn’t wear moisturiser and had dry skin..

[Ahumanjellyfish]

That’s me. I have just been really poorly with covid too and I look like a bag of spanner’s. I walked past a friend recently who ask another friend what is wrong with me.

I’m not planning to be youthful forever, just with work stress and covid I feel I have significantly aged. To top this off I have been to millions of dermatologists over the past 28 years, tried an array of creams and my skin hates them all. I end up a flaking bloated mess. I run humidifiers when I can. My atopic reactive skin has a hatred of all moisturisers.

My eyelids are heavy, I’m sagging around the mouth (jowls), I look tired and heavy in the face. I’m usually pretty active and healthy though chocolate and some processed foods have sneaked in after being ill.

I’m wondering whether to try profhilo / with the theory if i hydrated from the inside out it won’t aggravate the top layer of my skin that is intolerant to topicals: I but woke in the night recently and frightened myself at my reflection. I know it’s not everything and I’m blessed for being well now. So I’m not losing sleep over it just frustrated at the dramatic change and that I never seem to look awake and well. I just wondered what everyone recommended, if anything aesthetics or make up wise (?)

Good to hear you're feeling better. Have you tried the oil cleansing method? I use almond oil (you can add essential oil if you can tolerate that). Once clean, I use a couple of drops of oil to moisturise. I never use moisturiser.

@dotdotdotdash this sounds like a great idea, but I have I think skin just doesn’t want anything on it 😭 it’s only happy when I am on holiday in a hot humid country …, now there’s a thought.

❤️for posting though x

Aldi rose oil. If you can find it

Hyaluronic acid is very moisturising but isn’t a cream, might be worth a try?

Cheap one - theordinary.com/en-gb/hyaluronic-acid-2-b5-serum-100425.html?dwvar_100425_size=30ml&quantity=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-JacBhC0ARIsAIxybyNB8CPmaUdLErn0OddyxXG9Z_fnGdEoB15hDy-3-WUuT-F1blqId7AaApl7EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Expensive one (so worth it!) - www.lookfantastic.com/medik8-hydr8-b5-serum-30ml/11795629.html?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&thg_ppc_campaign=71700000088329924&adtype=&product_id=11795629&gbraid=0AAAAAD-fXio1jdsrqoTmYm5WUhHFXWyAX&gbraid=0AAAAAD-fXio1jdsrqoTmYm5WUhHFXWyAX&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-JacBhC0ARIsAIxybyMRxhRmQWO4GTtQszkcnwv7HYNYllxU05xYBYGbtoA4uJX4g7w_XP0aAvOwEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Have you had a diagnosis of what skin condition you have? If so- there is likely a support group online. Eczema society, rosacea support group etc. There might be a general skin support where you could share photos and maybe get advice for moisturisers. Have you had allergy tests to see if there is a preservative or something in the creams that you react to?

Hyaluronic acid? I have sensitive skin and this doesn't flare at all. Just feels like you're putting water in it.
theordinary.com/en-gb/hyaluronic-acid-2-b5-serum-100425.html

Can your skin tolerate anything at all?

raw aloe Vera? Could that work, it’s incredibly moisturising. Or olive oil, coconut oil, mashed up avocado.

sorry if this is obvious and you’ve tried this sort of thing before.

Collagen supplements with biotin / vitamin c and hyaluronic acid could be beneficial; hydrating and treating skin from inside out?

led light treatments can be excellent for treating problematic skin too - I think red light is the one for hydration, it’s used for rosacea treatment so must be safe - obviously find a reputable, experienced clinic with good reviews.

I've found Dermol the best product for my dry horrible skin, works great under make up too x

@Googlecanthelpme i was considering the red light I saw one advertised in boots, would you recommend this? Collagen supplements I thought about but couldn’t work out how these would work (I’m being dumb but wouldn’t the collagen be broken down with digestion)? ❤️ though, I’m going to give them a try if you recommend them.

@anon2022anon interesting I’ll try and see what happens I saw some as a tester and put it on my hand was too scared to put on my face but maybe I’ll try! Thank you 🙏

@MarmiteCoriander great recommendations! I’ve had allergy tests and they came up with no immediate reactions. I def have rosacea too but the dry type but I don’t think that’s my underlying issue. I develop flakiness and dryness after using a product. It happens on my lips too so o can wear any lipstick or lip balm or my lips crack and peel. Horrific I know 😭

@Eastereggs1 🙏 really kind of you to post these links, I’m slightly terrified but will give it a try thank you.

Thank you so much 😊

I think you've had some good tips for general skincare already, but I was going to say that I wouldn't recommend the profhilo, and if you look at past threads it seems to be hit or miss as to whether it makes any difference.

Cheek filler might help with jowls. Though I'd try the other tips first.

I would have Seventy Hyal over Profhilo!

Hyaluronic acids you purchase are only topical and won't penetrate beyond what is already dead/dying.

I would have an injectable booster, everyone knows about profhilo but there are now better ones on the market at a fraction of the cost

I think first we need to find out if you have dry or dehydrated skin.
Different things.
Then we need to know if you have certain sensitivity to particular products.

As a back to basics, I'd suggest misting your skin as and when practical to do so. With purified water, chamomile tea, something very gentle. See if that makes a difference. If it foes , you need to increase hydration with the gentlest of products, maybe a serum, containing glycerin or hyaluronic acid. You'll have to try a few. But always apply to damp skin.

Also try almond oil as an experiment. It is a light oil. Dab the tiniest bit, gently, all over. See if that helps in any way.

If your skin starts looking healthy, find a gentle exfoliating toner, the gentles possible, no glycolic acid or anything strong. Lactic acid should be OK. Hopefully no negative reactions. You need to exfoliate the skin really. And it doesn't sound like you can have a proper cleansing routine while skin is so fragile and reactive.

Drink lots and lots of water.

Be gentle, patient and keep it simple. You can then move to using actual moisturisers from a brand specifically aimed at sensitive skin.

Try rosehip oil op it's fab!

I have insanely sensitive skin. I can’t even use the normal sensitive skin ranges that people love so much. The only brand I can use is REN (their Evercalm range). It’s amazing and my skin rarely gets red and spotty.

Aqueous cream? Literally the least reactive product available; my mum had similar-sounding issues and this was the only thing that she was able to use, both to wash and moisturize. Also echo another PP's suggestion of coconut oil.