Forever Shiny Forehead Help

Nachtvlinder · 2023-02-03T23:42:30+00:00

My skin's combi with dryness, redness around nose and upper lip area, and with a darker shiny forehead (near the hairline). I catch myself noticing my shine in window reflections and its affecting my self-esteem. I no longer have a mirror in the house due to this. (Also, afflicted with sebborrheic kerotosis on face too.) In the main, I use from The Ordinary: retinol; Niacinmide; Azealic Acid Suspension 10%; Vit. C Suspension 10%; Natural Moisturiser for day, Caffiene Eye Serum and NIOD neck gel and I have the Cerave Cleanser. Can you advise how to lessen the shine, please. I'd rather use a product to eliminate this rather than masking this which I've used a mattifying product for.

CheeseMeltCracker · 06/02/2023 02:37

I find that niacinamide gives me lots of benefits but creates this weird smooth shininess. Actually now I think about it, it’s put me off using it for weeks.

I’m naturally very shiny, and find that primers work well for special occasions, but day to day when I don’t want to clog my skin, I use those little oil absorption sheets.

WhiteNoiseMoreToys · 06/02/2023 02:44

What is it about the shine that bothers you? I thought shiney = healthy skin. Isn’t that what a ‘dewy’ look is?

AquariumLife2023 · 06/02/2023 09:58

If your skin is shiny but you touch it and there is no oil, it's from over exfoliation.
I have this when I use that red 10 minute solution from the ordinary and when I do a multi step facial a couple of times a week I end up with a shiny forehead. I actually like it!
You can apply translucent loose powder to mattify it if you wish, but I think it looks healthy and taut.

Original poster

Nachtvlinder · 07/02/2023 22:47

Thanks for your replies. I used to use the absorbent sheets back in the 80s growing up. I've always have had this issue since I noticed this in my youth. I don't exfoliate at all, but using the retinol might be too harsh on the skin after long term use. I'll stop that for now.

OP posts:

RosetteNebula · 08/02/2023 08:19

Not exfoliating for a while should help. I'm also in the shiny forehead crew from using tret even though I haven't used it for months. I love exfoliating though.

Tamarindtree · 08/02/2023 08:25

Salicylic acid swipes across your forehead will reduce shine.

Don’t over do it.

Snowisfallinghere · 08/02/2023 08:48

A good place to get info on this stuff is SkincareAddicts on Reddit. The people there are quite nerdy about skincare and very knowledgeable.

Anyway, I had this issue and it wasn't greasy, just smooth and shiny. When I researched it, all logical answers said overexfoliation. And when they say exfoliation it includes chemical exfoliation as well as physical exfoliation.

I was using Cerave salicylic acid cleanser, retinol 1% at night, and vit C 10% in the day. I was also giving my face a gentle scrub with a silicone exfoliating pad too. So I stopped the Cerave salicylic acid cleanser and now I only use that once or twice a week when I'm in the bath (I also use it for bumpy skin on chest and arms when I'm in the bath). I also stopped using the silicone exfoliating pad. My shininess issue immediately resolved itself after stopping those two things.

Looking at your list of products I think you're using a lot of "actives" including at least two acids (Vit C being ascorbic acid) and that's probably quite harsh on your skin and having a chemical exfoliation effect. Which Cerave cleanser are you using?

Personally I'd cut down to just one active in the AM and a different one in the PM. So pick just one from retinol, niacinamide, azealic or vit C for the morning, and a different one for the evening. And use that one thing as well as your cleanser, moisturizer and suncream. See how it goes. (For me, retinol in the PM and Vit C in the AM has been the best skincare routine I've ever had so far, my skin is better than ever with this combination and it's very simple)

If the shininess improves after a couple of weeks or so you can always reintroduce more if you feel like you need it, and stop again if it's too much for your skin. And if your Cerave cleanser has an active like Salicylic acid then that might also be a culprit and you'll have to try a more gentle cleanser too.

gwinny · 08/02/2023 09:22

WhiteNoiseMoreToys · 06/02/2023 02:44

What is it about the shine that bothers you? I thought shiney = healthy skin. Isn’t that what a ‘dewy’ look is?

Some people will be convinced forehead shine = botox

ArianahX · 08/02/2023 19:58

If you don't like the shine, use a mattifying primer (after serum moisturiser & spf but before or without foundation). Don't use powder as well as primer though.

Original poster

Nachtvlinder · 09/02/2023 22:03

Snowisfallinghere · 08/02/2023 08:48

A good place to get info on this stuff is SkincareAddicts on Reddit. The people there are quite nerdy about skincare and very knowledgeable.

Anyway, I had this issue and it wasn't greasy, just smooth and shiny. When I researched it, all logical answers said overexfoliation. And when they say exfoliation it includes chemical exfoliation as well as physical exfoliation.

I was using Cerave salicylic acid cleanser, retinol 1% at night, and vit C 10% in the day. I was also giving my face a gentle scrub with a silicone exfoliating pad too. So I stopped the Cerave salicylic acid cleanser and now I only use that once or twice a week when I'm in the bath (I also use it for bumpy skin on chest and arms when I'm in the bath). I also stopped using the silicone exfoliating pad. My shininess issue immediately resolved itself after stopping those two things.

Looking at your list of products I think you're using a lot of "actives" including at least two acids (Vit C being ascorbic acid) and that's probably quite harsh on your skin and having a chemical exfoliation effect. Which Cerave cleanser are you using?

Personally I'd cut down to just one active in the AM and a different one in the PM. So pick just one from retinol, niacinamide, azealic or vit C for the morning, and a different one for the evening. And use that one thing as well as your cleanser, moisturizer and suncream. See how it goes. (For me, retinol in the PM and Vit C in the AM has been the best skincare routine I've ever had so far, my skin is better than ever with this combination and it's very simple)

If the shininess improves after a couple of weeks or so you can always reintroduce more if you feel like you need it, and stop again if it's too much for your skin. And if your Cerave cleanser has an active like Salicylic acid then that might also be a culprit and you'll have to try a more gentle cleanser too.

Thanks for your tips. I use Cerave Foam Cleanser for Normal to Oily. It doesn't have salicylic acid in but it does have niacinamide in it. From my list I don't use all these at once, but I do use a AM and PM regime for one of the ones listed, and then a moisteriser on top. After a while, I'll switch it up.

There are one or two days at night when I don't bother putting the serums on as I get too tired after a long day, just I just wash my face with the cleanser. Pat dry. Sometimes, I believe letting my skin breathe without anything on it.

I think my forehead may appear prominent in that it catches the sun really easily, and that makes me think the tan creates the shine. I'll take a pic of this tomorrow in the daylight to show it's appearance.

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