Dry and sensitive skin, face cream wanted - superskin dupe/cheaper alternative?

[Catscookbook]

I have very dry, sensitive skin, and I’m perimenopausal/getting wrinklier. I love Liz Earle superskin but it’s rather pricey and I like to slather it on, so it’s costing a lot!

Does anyone have a good suggested alternative please? I have Beauty Pie but haven’t been massively impressed with the face creams I've tried before.

Thank you!

Lifelong dry flaky eczema prone face very sensitive
I use the ordinary face oil then Dr jart+ vital hydra solution a little goes a LONG way

I have sensitive, acne-prone skin and I really like The Ordinary Squalane, which is a plant oil. I used to love Neal's Hard Rose Facial Oil, but TO is a lot cheaper

Cream-wise, I am very loyal to LRP - their Toleriane moisturisers are always effective for me, and there's different options for ding on whether you want less viscosity/lighter texture etc.

I also currently like Neutrogena Hydraboost Cream Gel (the fragrance-free one), which is cheap and doesn't seem to irritate my skin.

Weleda Skin Good, as mentioned above, smells incredible but the essential oils may irritate some sensitive skins.

La Roche Posay
Avene (when skin is particularly bad)
Kiehls ultra cream in the tub (£££)
Lumene
I'm similar to you and rotate between these. Currently using Lumene and I really like it. The one with orange not blue branding.

Thanks everyone, so many great suggestions to work through!

@HumanbyDesign
Refined petroleum products are used simple because they are pretty much the cheapest softening agent you can put in skin care products and give the illusion of "moisturing" but over time they are the exact opposite and are absolutely Not skin friendly!

Can you point to the sources for this info, please? I can't find the evidence online to back this up, and I have a vested interest in knowing the answer to this one as I find Vaseline etc extremely useful 😊

I used Nivea for years. I’m 60 with hardly any wrinkles.

Nivea Soft has been a revelation

I LOVE Nivea Soft, it does such lovely things to my skin but after a week I end up itchy, such a shame as it's fab.

I've been using Cetraben on the advice of a consultant dermatologist since 1988. Works for me as I'm told I look a lot younger than 72....

Have you tried the Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin moisturiser? Really bland and basic, comes in a tube. One of the few moisturisers that doesn't irritate my skin or eyes at all (and I used to use Liz Earle).

Refined petroleum products (paraffin, vaseline, mineral oil etc.) are good emollients. They will moisturise the skin and they do form a barrier which helps prevent moisture loss. But, there is plenty of evidence (anecdotal and otherwise) that they can be irritants in some, may cause dermatitis in some and they do clog your pores and can cause breakouts. In addition to that, they can be flammable and pose a risk if they are used regularly. Lots of people have died after going up in flames when using these products. Also, they are obtained from petroleum, so contribute to fossil fuel overuse.

They are adequate skincare products, but there are better (subjective I know, but this is my opinion) alternatives available. Natural fats and oils are just as (if not more) moisturising and there are plenty that can form barriers on the skin. We don't need to use these ingredients, they are used because they are cheap.

But, I have been using this on recommendation of a friend for the last month. Plant-based etc., doesn't have paraffin or mineral oil and has oat oil which is so good for irritated and dry skin. It is quite thick so I stick to this at night, but it doesn't feel at all heavy on the face and isn't greasy. My skin has been looking fab - and because it is quite cheap for a fairly big pot I will probably stick to this one!

face cream

As above. Skincare products using liquid paraffin are a) safe b) effective c) are so far removed chemically from petroleum that you're comparing cheese with elephants.

Remember folks, the opposite of clean beauty isn't dirty - it's science 😏

https://cosmetics.specialchem.com/inci-ingredients/paraffinum-liquidum#:~:text=This%20medical%2Dgrade%20mineral%20oil,cosmetic%20and%20skin%20care%20products.

And you're far far more likely @HumanbyDesign to have a reaction to a "natural" skincare product than anything containing paraffin.

Do you have a source for the pore clogging? At least one well known study found the opposite.

Super sensitive and dry skin here...sometimes so bad it can barely tolerate tepid water.

I find cereve too harsh for my skin, but la roche posay is very good.

I also rate The Ordinary hyaluronic moisturiser & Lush's dream cream.

Dream cream I use as a general moisturiser but in winter the skin on my face also likes to drink it in, it's rich & made with lavender & oats which are very soothing.

Coconut oil is also good when my skin is very dry.

I find natural oils such as coconut completely useless, to be honest! give me Vaseline any day.

That Arcade pot (photo above) gives me a nosebleed because of the typesetting on the label. It would have been just a tiny tweak to stop the word "oil" appearing on its own on the bottom line 😁I'd have to hide it from view!!

Cerave for me too

I never use water on my face, just cleanser.

Who are these people who’ve died? I’ve never heard about them. I use oil based emoillienrs on prescription all the time. Still here.

Nivea dry/sensitive. It’s often only £2.50 but at £4.99 it’s still a bargain. I ditched all the more expensive products for this.

https://www.boots.com/nivea-daily-essentials-light-moisturising-day-cream-for-dry-and-sensitive-skin-spf15-50ml-10081022?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--LIAs---_-PMax:+UK_Smart_Shopping_LIAs_Toiletries&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADrIajXH3IZQvfx_9Nbmmzmjp9P7e&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInIX3xNeFhAMVm5GDBx21ZAe1EAQYAiABEgLK6fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow there have been cases of people dying in house fires where the fire service investigation has thought that the fires may have been linked to skincare products exacerbating the flames. (nail polish remover, hairspray, perfumes etc)

In other words, flammable substances aren't good when housefires break out. No shit Sherlock.

But despite what pp would like us to believe, we aren't about to spontaneously combust for using Nivea.

When my skin can't tolerate water, believe me, cleanser is like acid!

Avène Cicalfate. Miracle stuff for dry and sensitive skin, French skincare without the price tag! My only regret is not finding it sooner as it’s genuinely the best moisturiser I’ve ever owned

Lots of cream irritate my skin but this one is great for me www.purenuffstuff.co.uk/products/Unscented-daily-face-cream-UK