Dry skin!

Exuberant

I'm a 19 year student and lately I've been having the most annoying dry skin on my face! My skin is dry and flaky before putting on make up, then when I apply foundation it just becomes so much worse! Exfoliating doesn't seem to help, it's just making it worse! I use St.Ives exfoliator, Ponds moisturiser with SPF 15 for extra dry skin and No.7 cleanser and toner...For the past 2/3 weeks I've barely worn foundation and I hate seeing my pale, patchy, dry skin all the time! Help! Any recommendations for moisturisers or foundations that would react well with dry skin would be greatly appreciated!

PlayGirl

Try putting bepanthem (sp?) the nappy rash cream all over your face before going to bed at night.. I find it very good when I have very dry skin or spots.

Also, don't exfoliate every day, this can dry out your skin more.
And maybe try a different foundation, I'm not sure on the best for dry skin though.

Exuberant

PlayGirl wrote: »

Try putting bepanthem (sp?) the nappy rash cream all over your face before going to bed at night.. I find it very good when I have very dry skin or spots.

Also, don't exfoliate every day, this can dry out your skin more.
And maybe try a different foundation, I'm not sure on the best for dry skin though.

Thanks very much! I'll try that cream out. Yeah, I find foundations so tricky to get. Currently using Rimmel Match Skin Perfection and it doesn't work with my skin at all!

Tayla

Vichy Nutrilogie 2 is brilliant for dry skin, normally my skin is fine but every so often I get these dry patches that nothing can get rid of apart from the Vichy.

It's around €20 for a jar but if you went into a pharmacist with a little container they'd probably give you a sample which would last for a few days, you should notice the difference straight away.

They do one called Nutrilogie 1 aswell which is for dry skin but i've only ever tried the one called Nutrilogie 2 which is for very dry skin.

http://www.vichyusa.com/nutrilogie-2-nourishing-moisturizer-cream.htm

tan11ie

Firstly OP you need to distinguish if you have dry skin or if your skin is dehydrated, there is a difference.

How much water do you drink a day?
Do you smoke?
Do you drink tea or coffee, if so how much?
Are you in an environment with air conditioning all day?

All the above contribute to dehydrated skin..

Before you go running off and buying new creams and using new creams (that may well make your skin worse off) I'd suggest you pay a visit to a good beautician she will do a consultation and advise you on your skin type..

Also foundations are directed at skin types to so until you know exactly what skin type you are I'd hold off buying a new one.

Azureus

DOnt mean to hijack the thread, but like the OP I've been having the same problem for the last week and dont know what do to about it!
My lips are in bits, cracked sore and dry, a problem Ive never had before apart from maybe the odd time in very harsh weather, and even then it would just take a bit of balm to fix.
At the moment nothing is working, and my lips and cheeks are like a desert! Must try Bepanthen I drink water like a trooper, the only thing i can think of is that Ive moved into a new apartment that warmer than the last place, so maybe its the change of environment (no heating on though, its just a warmer block). If that is the case, does your skin settle down when its used to it or will I have to constantly up my moisturising?

As for going to a beautician, is there any you wold reccommend? Or can you pop into beauty salon for a skin consultation?

lil-ms-vodka

Are you using a primer under your foundation, also what brand of foundation are you using daily as some really dry out your skin

youngcardinal

i had this problem too but you could dampen your face with water, maybe after a shower or in the morning, and then put some baby oil on a cotton pad and dab it on your face. you might look shiny for a few minutes but it works for me

Exuberant

Tayla wrote: »

Vichy Nutrilogie 2 is brilliant for dry skin, normally my skin is fine but every so often I get these dry patches that nothing can get rid of apart from the Vichy.

It's around €20 for a jar but if you went into a pharmacist with a little container they'd probably give you a sample which would last for a few days, you should notice the difference straight away.

They do one called Nutrilogie 1 aswell which is for dry skin but i've only ever tried the one called Nutrilogie 2 which is for very dry skin.

http://www.vichyusa.com/nutrilogie-2-nourishing-moisturizer-cream.htm

Thank you very, much, I'll try get a sample from my local chemist and see if it's any good! My mother loves Vichy products and her skin looks great.

tan11ie wrote: »

Firstly OP you need to distinguish if you have dry skin or if your skin is dehydrated, there is a difference.

How much water do you drink a day?
Do you smoke?
Do you drink tea or coffee, if so how much?
Are you in an environment with air conditioning all day?

All the above contribute to dehydrated skin..

Before you go running off and buying new creams and using new creams (that may well make your skin worse off) I'd suggest you pay a visit to a good beautician she will do a consultation and advise you on your skin type..

Also foundations are directed at skin types to so until you know exactly what skin type you are I'd hold off buying a new one.

I definitely get my 2 litres of water a day, I don't smoke, I drink maybe 2 or 3 cups of tea a day though. How much of an effect would this have on my skin? And we just have a couple of fires on in our house since the weather changed from glorious and sunny to horribly and rainy!

Would a consultation with a beautician cost a lot of money? It does sound like it would be quite helpful!

lil-ms-vodka wrote: »

Are you using a primer under your foundation, also what brand of foundation are you using daily as some really dry out your skin

I normally use Gosh velvet touch primer, but haven't used it in almost a month I'd say. Curently I'm using Rimmel Skin Match Perfection foundation in Ivory (it looks like a far darker shade though) and it just dries out my skin like crazy! But as a student with no job, I can't afford expensive brands as foundation is something that you have to purchase so regularly!

youngcardinal wrote: »

i had this problem too but you could dampen your face with water, maybe after a shower or in the morning, and then put some baby oil on a cotton pad and dab it on your face. you might look shiny for a few minutes but it works for me

I love this idea! It seems easy and very doable, I'll definitely try this out

Thanks for all your suggestions!

Teyla Emmagan

Firstly ditch the toner OP, it's very drying.

I don't think I'd bother with a beautician, your local chemist should be able to help. I have had dry skin always but one year it basically turned into scales it was so dry (the skin on my face was actually tough, was disgusting). An environmental thing, but this stuff sorted me out in a few days:

http://www.e45.com/

It's an emollient for problem dry skin, it's cheap as chips and amazingly effective. Slather it on at night and you will be only gorgeous in a few days.

cailineile

Op, please don't put baby oil near your skin, it is a by product when refining petrol and effectively you are putting petrol on your skin, it is a mineral oil, not a natural oil, if you are thiniking about oil, go toyour health food shop and ask them for sweet almond oil, (less than 5 euro) , aromatherapists use it as a carrier oil... this would be much better...
jojoba oil, wheatgerm oil, etc are also good and are natural products

Shmatter

cailineile wrote: »

Op, please don't put baby oil near your skin, it is a by product when refining petrol and effectively you are putting petrol on your skin, it is a mineral oil, not a natural oil, if you are thiniking about oil, go toyour health food shop and ask them for sweet almond oil, (less than 5 euro) , aromatherapists use it as a carrier oil... this would be much better...
jojoba oil, wheatgerm oil, etc are also good and are natural products

There's nothing wrong with using baby oil if you need it for your skin, and if you think it's the same as putting petrol on my face, would you advise people who use baby oil to switch to petrol?
http://colinsbeautypages.co.uk/mineral-oil/

cailineile

Shmatter wrote: »

There's nothing wrong with using baby oil if you need it for your skin, and if you think it's the same as putting petrol on my face, would you advise people who use baby oil to switch to petrol?
http://colinsbeautypages.co.uk/mineral-oil/

I would not advocate the use of petrol. However, working in the refining industry, I know far too much about it... so I don't and won't be using it..


Adios

dublingal80

Hi OP

I have the exact same problem with my skin, always dry, from as long as I can remember. What I would suggest is firstly, maybe exfoliate only once a week, or if you dont find an exfoliant any good, get the exfoliant gloves (can get them in pennys for a couple of euros) and get a gentle face wash and use that

Then for moisturising cream i would get either silcocks base or aqueous cream. These both can be used as a moisturising cream and a facewash, and carry it with you during the day and pile it on when ur skin starts to feel dry

When my skin gets really bad I have creme de la mer that I use. I know its mega expensive but its a cream that really works for me and i use it only when i really really need to use it. But if i dont use it on time, my skin can get very very dry and red and sore, and in those circumstances i would use the tiniest amount of hydrocortisone cream, literally for a couple of days until its under contrl and then start on the normal moisturiser

If you have tried everything and nothing seems to work, try talking to your locan pharmacist, they might be able to help out

Elli-May

Was having exact same problem as you last week. Went into Lush and bought Oatifix fresh face mask. Was about 6 euro so definitely worth a try. Made my skin soooo much more moisurised. Smells so nice too!

LadyMayBelle

Sounds mad, but I cleanse my face and then with cotton wool, rub oliver oil on it, leave for a bit then rinse...works wonders!! A friend of mine in her 50's told me about it as she does it regularly...cheap and effective.

Prob best to do it a few mins before you shower otherwise you'll smell of olive oil

Storminateacup

Exuberant wrote: »

I definitely get my 2 litres of water a day, I don't smoke, I drink maybe 2 or 3 cups of tea a day though. How much of an effect would this have on my skin? And we just have a couple of fires on in our house since the weather changed from glorious and sunny to horribly and rainy!

Would a consultation with a beautician cost a lot of money? It does sound like it would be quite helpful!

While drinking 2 litres of water is very good, the amount of water that you drink rehydrates everywhere else before it gets to your skin, so realisitically, even though you drink the recommended amount of water every day, it doesn't nessessarily mean your skin wont be dehydrated.

Would you find that your skin feels very tight after a warm shower? Would you drink alcohol? Do you use an SPF? Is your moisturiser hydrating??

Is there very fine lines appearing on your skin?

SarahBeep!

I swear by Elizabath Arden 8 hour!

MiniSquish

I have this at the moment too. So depressing, my skin definitely isn't dehydrated or anything and I switched foundation and moisturiser to see would it fix the problem but no still there. After I moisturise at night (I use a thicker moisturiser) my skin normally feels a little better but a few minutes later its the exact same and I just don't know what it is!

ladypip

My friend had this problem a few years back and couldn't get to the bottom of it we were living together at the time so she started using my skincare stuff which is all natural Burts bees and the likes. Her skin got better really quickly and she now uses nothing but natural products.

Have you been sick recently? used antibiotics? anything that changes the balance in your body could make you sensitive to chemicals. If nothing else works try Burts Bees products.

Storminateacup

Also - I found that St. Ives really dried the hell out of my skin. I used a microdermibrasion exfoliating scrub from them and I had the worst skin afterwards. It felt like my entire face was being stretched.

tanya2007

x2 e45 cream i use it when i get dry patchs on my cheek clears it up in a day or two

Cocolola

I used to have the exact same thing as you OP, it's awful. No amount of moisturiser or exfoliating would work. However, I did a fair bit of research and reading of reviews and changed my products. (Makeupalley is a great place to read reviews)

I started using the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (link to their site). It's a cream that you massage onto dry skin and then using a hand-hot dampened muslin cloth, wipe it off gently. The cloth acts as a gentle, but very effective exfoliator (christ I sound like an ad for them but it's true!). Use this morning and night. I will never use another cleanser again, it's that good. I can only get this online though but it lasts ages so works out fine for me.

Then after seeing the Pixiwoo sisters on YouTube recommend it, I got Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream (link to Boots UK site, don't think you can buy from it). This stuff is the business. Costs nothing for the tiny amount you need to use. Can be found in Boots, Superdrug and other pharmacies. Definitely recommend it.

Between the two of them, my skin has gone from what you described to actually being quite clear and glowy and most importantly, not flaky. However, if I feel I need a little extra boost, after cleansing I use a bit of Laura Mercier Perfecting Water Rich (link to the Makeupalley review). This was quite a few bob in Brown Thomas, be warned. Supposedly it "over hydrates" your skin temporarily allowing your moisturiser to work better or something. Sounds daft but I find it works. I'll either put the Oilatum on over this or for a bit extra at night, massage in some Clarins Huile Santal, a facial oil that I am also convinced played a part in getting rid of the dryness. And I've had it for years, so it's paid for itself at this rate.

As to makeup, one of the best drugstore foundations that I found and love is Bourjois Healthy Mix. Seriously, it's amazing. It's got decent coverage but never goes cakey or weird around the nose, which I had problems with, and leaves your skin really dewy looking. It's around €15 I think. It's the only foundation I've ever repurchased.

Anyway I hope you find something that works for you, give the Oilatum and Bourjois foundation a shot if you can as they're the cheapest and most accessible of the products I've listed.

Cocolola

EDIT: Sorry double-post

dmckenna50

Same problem as you OP. I had been using that St Ives scrub for years but it was doing nothing. Switched and switched moisturisers and nothing was working.

I go to a beauticians in the North and one day they had a promotion on Decleor products, they're all natural and have a different routine for every skin type. There was an expert on hand and she gave me a mini facial and told me that I shouldn't be using scrubs because my skin was too sensitive so it was irritating it. So as an exfoliant, I use the Decleor Pytopheel twice a week. It goes on like a cream, kinda dries and then you rub it off, it's really strnage come to think of it but it works a treat for me! As someone else said, you shouldn't exfoliate every day because you're taking away all your sins natural oils too regularly. I also use the Decleor cream cleanser and they have this night balm, I use the Rose D'orient one for sensitive skin but then a moisturisng day cream. All in all, I really like the products! They aren't the cheapest and I'm still working off free samples(!)

Another thought regarding your foundation, try switching to a tinted moisturiser for a while? Just til your skin gets back to it's beautiful ways! And then I would suggest NOT getting a MAC foundation. I come from a house of 4 girls, we all tried the MAC foundation but it just doesn't last. I recommend a Estee Lauder double wear, but the light one because it has more moisturisers in it for the likes of us!

And try in general not to use anything too harsh on your skin because it will irritate it.. Hope this helps!

MiniSquish

I started using Aqueous Cream at night and then in the morning. You can buy it in the chemist, its really cheap. I think its for eczema and the like but I find that it works really well and already my skin feels softer.

fghijkl

I started using Aqueous Cream at night and then in the morning. You can buy it in the chemist, its really cheap. I think its for eczema and the like but I find that it works really well and already my skin feels softer.

+1 it's only about 5 euro for a massive tub, can get it in boots. It's absolutely Brilliant!

stik

I developed very dry skin on my face some years ago and tried all sorts of creams etc. but the routine I have now has cured it and is keeping the dryness at bay. I use aqueous cream to wash my face and then apply Eucerin face cream and the Oilatum Natural Repair cream together. All three products are quite cheap and last for ages. I also use Vichy Aera Teint if I need foundation.

fordey101

Go into your nearest branch of the body shop, they have a moisturiser called Vitamin E intense moisture cream, i SWEAR by it! now its not the cheapest at 17 euro but it will last you ages and give your skin some relief. The entire Vitamin E range is all for hydration of the skin, they do little free skincare consultations in store (cleanse, tone, serum, eye cream, moisturiser, spritz) of any skincare range you like so maybe book in for one of them. Im a student but i work part time in the body shop so im always up for helping out a fellow student

Hope this helps! x

convert

I used St. Ives exfoliator once and ended up with really dry skin - it was just far too harsh for me. I can't use any foundation by Maybelline either (even tho' they have a colour which really suits my skin tone); it just dries out my skin completely.

OP, I'd change exfoliator, and only exfoliate once a week at the very most, and try changing foundation. I currenly use L'Oreal perfect match and my skin has improved hugely. And using smashbox primer is great, too. (I tried Gosh (which is about half the price), and it just didn't work with L'Oreal make up at all )

Also take a look at what your facewash - if you have sensitive skin that can play a big role in the health of your skin, too.

And moisturiser is hugely important, too. I currently use Neutrogena and find it fantastic - it's the only one that will work with dry skin without making it greasy, either.

Drinking lots of water instead of coke, coffee, tea, etc. is very good, too, as it helps rehydrate your body.

pencilsharp

Azureus wrote: »

DOnt mean to hijack the thread, but like the OP I've been having the same problem for the last week and dont know what do to about it!
My lips are in bits, cracked sore and dry, a problem Ive never had before apart from maybe the odd time in very harsh weather, and even then it would just take a bit of balm to fix.
At the moment nothing is working, and my lips and cheeks are like a desert! Must try Bepanthen I drink water like a trooper, the only thing i can think of is that Ive moved into a new apartment that warmer than the last place, so maybe its the change of environment (no heating on though, its just a warmer block). If that is the case, does your skin settle down when its used to it or will I have to constantly up my moisturising?

As for going to a beautician, is there any you wold reccommend? Or can you pop into beauty salon for a skin consultation?

Alot of beauticians offer free skin consultations. The one near to me in Dublin 15- Body Connections offer free skin consultation and you don't feel under any obligation to buy any of their products and they don't only recommend the products they stock (which are quite expensive) but also recommend cheaper alternatives!! If your near that area you should really try them out!