Any red skin miracles?

[Grumpymiddleagedwoman43]

My skin has been getting more and more red and sensitive every year since hitting 40. I have loads of bumps and lumps under the skin too, it's never smooth any more.

I'm at a loss and wondered if there were any tips/products mumsnetters could recommend?

At the moment I cleanse with Rose water, use CeraVe retinol serum day/night, use factor 50 daily under my makeup, and use a rosewater gel cream by nivea. Diet is very good, though I could eat less sugar (don't want to though!)

I cover it with make up, but would love to feel more skin confidence without it.

Or is it just time to accept my lot?! TIA 😊

I have similar skin and second the Dr Jart Cicapair, Cera Ve gentle cleaners and Azaelic acid (the Ordinary one is cheap to try).
I use a tinted moisturiser or tinted sunscreen and the red patches aren't very noticeable.

Looks like rosacea

See you GP

Get referred to a Dermatologist is it's stubborn

Stop the retinol and see a doctor if the redness is still there after a week or so. Rosacea will require antibiotics to clear it. You might also want to try taking a gut treatment such as PuraU to reduce inflammation - that has worked wonders on my daughter's teenage acne.

I agree

Dermatica and Skin & Me offer online prescription creams which should help, you submit close up photos then their dermatologist analyse then prescribe according to the issue

I had similar and used the Dermatica online dermatologist. Their rosacea formula worked like magic. Drop any retinols until you’ve got it sorted.

Use as few simple products as possible.
No need for lots of products. I use simple Cerave oil wash & cream. Do try Soolantra at night. It might well help with bumps first. Azaleic acid is useful for reducing redness but I would initially try the Soolantra alone first.

I have had an ongoing issue with redness/inflammation/itchiness for almost a year. I’ve been to the GP 5 times (different ones), and now have a referral to a dermatologist. Though that isn’t until July - and that’s a private derm so dread to think how long it would be on the NHS…

So far, strong anti histamines combined with e45 dermatitis cream and a scant amount of hydrocortisone for a few days every few months when it gets very bad helps. Can’t wait to see the derm to try and get it sorted once and for all - only 2 more months to wait 😬

Dermatica has been a game changer for me. Happy to pm you before and after pics if you let me know, not quite brave enough to put them out in public

The rosacea prescription from them is basically a mixture of soolantra and metrogel I believe, with azeliac acic to soothe and help scarring

I have rosacea and it looks like that. I noticed you use a couple of rose things - rose is the very worst thing I can put on my face as it flares up terribly!

Alcohol can also irritate it.

Consider whether this might be the pustular form of rosacea.

I thought I had bad and sensitive skin, it would flare up quite rapidly but it was actually rosacea. Solved immediately with antibiotics (for the anti inflamatory effect not because it's a bacterial infection) and controlled with diet, stress minimisation, etc.

La roche posay cicaplast is amazing for red skin