Makeup suddenly doing this?

[Almost30s]

Hello! Throughout my life, I’ve had normal skin with a dry, sometimes flaky nose. Around 2-3 years ago, I started having symptoms of PCOS/ENDO (now both treated) and ever since my skin has steadily become an oil slick.

It wasn’t too bad - I used my regular foundation but just added setting powder to my t-zone. However now, even setting powder won’t stop the oil from shining through. Makeup has started separating too, so not only does my head look like a disco ball shining in the night, it looks patchy too.

even when not wearing makeup, my face actually feels wet by the end of the day 🤢

Is there a way I can reverse this or do I have to go buy all new matte foundations/concealers?

Few points:

• I moisturize every 2 days because I found daily made this issue worse
• This is what my foundation looks like after 3-4 hours.
• It’s not a primer/foundation base issue. Both my primer & foundation are water based, so there’s no incompatibility there
• My PCOS & ENDO have been treated so whatever is happening seems to be here to stay

I am very sympathetic. Very. Oily skin is difficult to manage. I use blotting papers throughout the day. I also use a setting spray which I think helps a bit. I’ve never found that primer has helped, oddly enough. I use a mineral foundation, which I think helps a bit.

Put translucent powder on before your foundation, and use blotting papers throughout the day.

I say this hesitantly… spearmint tea MAY help (have a google). But you may well want to chat it through with your doctor first in view of the other health issues you have.

What do you do for skincare? My skin can look like this if I don't exfoliate (I use AHA). Also if you don't moisturise enough your skin can overcompensate by producing more oil, so not moisturising daily may be having the opposite of the desired effect.

ETA - your skin can change as you age, so you may need to change things up every so often (unrelated to any specific issues)

I have PCOS and find my skin gets oily. The way I combat it is to only wear make-up when I'm going out somewhere and my skin gets to breathe so it's not getting clogged up.

I moisturise every day, with a light moisturiser, and wash my face with a face wash for oily skin (I really rate cliniques face wash for this).

I would recommend buying the best water-based foundation you can get-I use YSL and find it sits really well on my skin but this was after some trial and error.

I’m not sure what you mean about your PCOS having been treated. My understanding is it is a lifelong thing and there isn’t treatment - some supplements can mitigate it but that’s all. Have I missed a miracle cure?

How are you cleansing your skin? Over cleansing can increase oil production. I recommend Cerave for oily skin, it cleans without stripping.

Came here to say this. My skin used to be like this and melting through any base, but is so much better since using acids. I've tried a few but particularly love REN tonic and glow recipe watermelon AHA night treatment.
Definitely look at incorporating them slowly if you don't already use them, my skin is so much better now and I don't wear foundation most days at all now as I just don't have the excess oil and my skin looks so much better.

My skin has been like this since I was about 12, it's awful so I do sympathise. I'm not sure of your age but could it be a hormonal change such as perimenopause?
I've started using retinol serum, you might find that helps. I haven't noticed a difference yet but it supposed to help refine pores and can dry the skin.
Could also be your moisturiser or cleanser, I have to be very careful with anything creamy as it makes the problem worse. I try and stick to face washes and light gel based formulas.

If you're stripping your skin with harsh products and not moisturising enough your skin will go crazy with oil production.

Stop using any products that are supposedly for oily skin. I can guarantee they'll be making it worse.

Try moisturising more often, and at night use a face oil on top of your moisturiser to trap it in your skin.

Sounds counterintuitive, but using oils at night (like decleor) can help balance ouly skin. And as someone else said, acids. The Ordinary AHA + BHA is good and affordable. Makeup, I swear by Clinique almost powder foundation

Skincare routine is

• Elemis Melting Balm Cleanser
• The Ordinary Exfoliating Toner
• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum
• Elemis Marine Cream Moisturiser

Every 3-4 days, I’ll use an exfoliating mask that actually has tiny beads to help really scrub off the dead skin. I’ve trialed moisturizing everyday vs moisturizing every 2 days and the results are the same tbh

Sorry, by treated I meant the cysts had been removed. I still have PCOS, but the “flare up” symptoms that accompanied these skin changes have been dealt with. Apologies, should have been clearer

I cleanse every night with Elemis Melting Balm, and if I feel I need a bit more, I’ll use a Micellar water

I’m 27, so I don’t think it would be peri, and I haven’t changed my cleanser & moisturizer.

Thank you for the retinol suggestion!! I’m always on the lookout for new serums anyway so I’ll definitely look into that. Especially how I’m getting some fine lines 🙈

I don’t use any products for oily skin. All of my products are advertised for dry to very dry skin. I don’t even own any matte foundations - just 1 matte setting powder 🙈

I used to moisturize every night and did so for years but around the time this began happening, I noticed daily moisturizing made it worse. I’d put on my serums & moisturizer at night like normal and wake up with so much oil, I could make breakfast on my face

I have super oily skin as well OP and I just gave up on make up as it slides off my face. I just embrace skin care and have found that my thick oily skin has aged really well compared to other women my age and as I was always good about spf and was able to tolerate tretinoin my skin tone is really good and I don't need foundation anyway.

Another tip is to use an LED mask as that tends to be a little drying.

No experience of PCOS skin, so i will say this is caveated with it might not work as it seems to be more hormones related.
But back when my skin was dehydrated from me not drinking nearly enough water, it would do this with foundation, and honestly still does on the VERY odd occasion I try and use it, albeit nowwhere near the same extent. It's like my skin can't breath.

What's worked for me is:
Drinking more water
Learnt to spot conceal properly - I have coloured concealers for redness etc, I'm matched exactly with the concealer I use (NARS) and watched a ton of YouTube tutorials. I now only spot conceal then use a powder on top. Not a foundation powder, as they break me out - just a setting powder

I wish I could go without makeup - that would be my goal! Unfortunately I have rosacea, and when it flares up, it’s really bad. People recoil and ask questions about it all the time; “Does it hurt?” “Can I touch it?”

Wearing foundation at the very least is just more comfortable for me to avoid all that. It’s really embarrassing for me otherwise 😭

Maybe you don't need foundation and/or powder?
Try for a week without.
I had problems getting my foundation to look good and making it last all day on my face. So I stopped using it. At first I had to get used to what my face looked like without foundation/powder, but now I have not used foundation or powder for several years. Very happy.

Just read your update, OP!
Disregard my advice, and of course do what you feel comfortable with!
I hope it will work out for you.

Had oily skin all my life. Things that have helped over the many many years:

• Ageing
• Dermatica tretinoin and niacinamide
• Gentle cleansing, no harsh exfoliants - treat the skin as if it's dry and sensitive. Currently using CeraVe oil cleanser and CeraVe hydrating cleanser
• CeraVe PM moisturiser
• Using a face mist to refresh during the day
• Blotting sheets
• Keeping hair off face
• Bare Minerals mineral foundation (needs natural oils to look it's best)

Is this at night? Right I'm not an expert, but I'd try either skipping the hyaluronic acid or applying it in the morning only. Physical exfoliants like the ones with the beads cause skin damage, so I'd stop that too and just use the AHA, maybe every second night as using it daily can be quite harsh. I also like the REN AHA, and the Alpha H Liquid Glow.

Also how long have you been using your 'regular foundation'? If it's like 10 years, chances are you do need to rethink, as teenage skin and skin approaching 30 need different things. I use BB cream rather than heavier foundation as I'm getting older (have a port wine stain so appreciate the need for coverage, but concealer on the bits that really needs it works for me)

For makeup you want to stop the oils coming up through so a setting spray before foundation or mattifying primer (or both) is worth a go

Here's a good video

https://youtube.com/shorts/mZ2sk0rPUBg?si=bMvbD9TnSbBKWsbi

I've used the Elemis marine Creme moisturiser and it's too oily for me. You should try one for oily skin, like a gel.
Agree with the comment that the scrub exfoliaters just aren't on par with the acid ones. Get yourself some AHA :)

This happens to me if I mix oil base with water based makeup without giving each time to set. Since you’re using water based, have you added oil based? Or is it possible now your skins more oily it’s causing a breakdown of the makeup
if that’s the case I’d try to switch to oil based makeup or something that’s going to block the oils in your skin from coming through?
I don’t have very oily skin but tried a la Roche posay oil reducing moisturiser by accident and it took every drop of oil from my face - so that could be worth trying!
your skin care routine sounds like you’re adding a lot of oil to your face too with the balm the acid and the moisturiser. I’d switch to a gel cleanser
And maybe change serum too.