Suddenly dry and uncomfortable skin

[ShinySquirrel]

Help please!

I've always been acne-prone, into adulthood, but that's been sorted for ages. I've hit 40 and my skin has dried out. This is so alien to me that I don't know what to do!

I use a cleansing balm to remove make-up (Home Bargains knock-off version of the Body Shop's camomile balm, which would be my first choice but I'm using up what I have before I go back to it) followed by the hydrating Cerave cleanser.

I have various serums that I rotate, mostly from the Ordinary or the Inky List. I like hyaluronic acid. I have a few hydrating toners too - the Pixi rose toner, and I love the way the Boots traditional rose and gyclerine one plumps out my skin. That's nice to use at bedtime.

My moisturiser is either La Roche Posey effaclar which I'm now finding too harsh and a bit stingy, or their cicaplast balm which I tend to use sparingly on problem sore bits. I have an Inky list basic vitamin e one too.

I'm finding my skin is feeling sore and dry by lunchtime and I can't wait to finish work, get home and take my make-up off and apply moisturiser. The relief from that doesn't last long.

It's more of a dry feeling than the skin looking dry, or feeling dry when I touch my face with my fingertips, although I do have a bit of flaking.

What do I do? Is there anything I can spray my face with midday, over make-up?

My budget is Inky List/The Ordinary level. Grateful for any suggestions!

What serums are you using? What ingredients?
What is your diet like?

It could be one ingredient causing a reaction.
I'd try upping the good oils in your diet, and reducing the skincare to a minimum of ingredients.

A Q10 and hyaluronic acid serum at the moment, both Inky list.

My diet is full of good oils and fats as I eat low carb to manage my type 2 diabetes, and have done for a number of years, before my skin changed.

I am on medication which can cause drying but again, I've been on it for years.

Classic Nivea creme is the only thing I've found that really works for my dry skin. Yes it's heavy and thick but it just seems to work, I think it's probably the lanolin. It's cheap too so worth a go at least.

If it is just dry skin, then it might be the medicine.
I think often eczema is contact dermatitis, and handwashes is the worst for me. Soap is fine.

I've looked (quickly) at the ingredients of the Effaclar. Ditch it.

I had not long started using the Inkey hyaluronic serum and it definitely dried my skin out so much so my chin was becoming flakey. I’ve stopped and it’s back to normal

What version of LRP Effaclar are you using OP?

Have you considered it might be due to perimenopause? It can start 10 years before menopause and one symptom (of many) is dry and itchy skin. If it is, it may help to treat the cause instead of the symptom. Check out Dr Mary Claire Haver, ObGyn and menopause specialist on Instagram or on her website for many tips on how to help with symptoms.
As for a range of creams to try, La Roche Posay is brilliant and well priced for the quality. Eau Thermale d’Avene is another range that’s great for dry and sensitive skin. More expensive but lasts ages. Do you use skin actives? I would cut all of them out and start introducing them again slowly to see if one of them is bothering your sensitised skin. (I have super sensitive skin and have to be v careful with the products I use, or only use them a couple of times a week eg retinol/retinal). Also skin actives can interact, so read the ingredients list carefully and learn what does what. Thankfully, most websites actually list the skin actives separately for each product, which makes life easier.

The effaclar duo, the one aimed at blemishes. It definitely doesn't suit my skin now.

I was half-dreading this suggestion - it could very well be peri menopause-related. I've had chemotherapy in the past and was told it could mean earlier menopause for me, so stands to reason that peri could be kicking in now too. I've had a hormonal cancer so there's absolutely nothing I can do - can't have HRT, can't have any kind of supplements that mimic hormones. I will check out your recommendations though, maybe there is something that might help.

I'm going to go right back to basics and keep using the Cerave, no actives. I found some jojoba oil before and that's always been very gentle on my skin.

I'd say that's your culprit right there, OP!
It is my understanding it's specifically aimed at oily/combination/acne-prone skin, and it appears you've got quite dry or leaning dry, and that's what wrecked your sking barrier.

I can see you've already stripped down your routine and removed all actives, my suggestion would be to use your LRP Cicaplast Baume B5 or get the Avène Cicalfate+ (can be picked up fairly cheap when on offer, just shop around) as a last step both morning (before SPF) and night, as it will help repair your damaged skin barrier, just keep slathering it on.
Use it as the last step at night AFTER your face oil as it will seal all that goodness in forming an occlusive layer to soothe and protect skin as you sleep. Just try and do your night routine about an hour before going to bed, so it all has time to sink in and settle (so it won't rub off on your pillow instead).

And definitely throw away that Boots toner (if I found the correct one) - it's got Isopropyl alcohol and parfum in the ingredients - big no-nos as both are very drying and irritating! Because those were definitely stripping down our skin! AND it has a paraben in it 😵yikes! (ingredients decoded here)

Oh, and ditch the Effaclar Duo - give it to someone with teenagers.

Good luck!

You can buy pure glycerin. Curalene Pure Glycerin - Curalene (£1 from the pound shop)
Any toner will be drying to some effect, but I've been known to use witch hazel.
The fewer things you put on your skin the better. i use Johnson's baby lotion wiped off then rinse with water, but that's me.

Jojoba oil should be fine.