Feel a mess - skin, hair etc......

Citygirl1

Hi, this is a rant really and also to ask for some advice. I just don't feel good about myself at all. Last year at this time I felt that my hair and skin was pretty healthy, I was going through the menopause then but now I feel I am going through another stage of it and this is how I am at the moment.

My hair is fine and dry at the ends (I do colour it) yet it is very greasy. Its always been on the greasy side but not as much as this since I was a teenager. I now feel I need to wash it every day. I have a sensitive scalp and usually use Simple shampoo. My current hairdresser advises me to use a spray conditioner that you leave in so that it won't weigh my hair down. She says I don't need to use treatments as this will be too heavy for me, yet my previous hairdresser always said to use them but when I did they made my hair flat after a while. I now colour my own hair to save money and this seems to be working for me, its just the greasiness has come back and my hair seems more fine, my hairdresser says its my hormones and advises me not to use straightners on it which I don't now but, although my hair is naturally straight, just lately it has a kink in it that I can't seem to get rid of with blowdrying alone.

My skin has always been dry but now I am having hot flushes my face is constantly sweaty yet it is still dry too if you know what I mean. I used to feel good wearing my Clinique gentle light foundation, it made my skin near perfect, but now it has been discontinued and I don't know what to use. I have recently bought a No7 powder to try and soak up the sweatiness which did work at first but now I feel my skin doesn't look as good as it does with a glowing liquid foundation but I can't find one as good as the gentle light one. I know the look I want but I can't seem to create it now.

I have a sensitive skin and have to be careful which skincare I use. I like to use Simple wipes at night but I don't know what to wash my face with in a morning, I don't really want to buy another product as I am trying to budget.

All my clothes seem basic and I am wary of buying things incase they don't suit me. I am at the age where I don't want to look too old yet don't want to look like a teenager.

Has anyone got any advice on how I can get out of this rut and feel more like myself again?

Dawning

Hi Citygirl.
I haven't got any answers for you, just wanted to let you know you're not the only one, I'm feeling the same way. I've decided to tackle it with one thing at a time, rather than trying to do a major makeover all at once. I'm trying to sort out my work wardrobe at the moment, so I feel a bit better about myself at work. No confidence any more, feel like a total frump, dont know when I let myself go - or how - all I know is I have done and I am a mess!

For your skin, it may be an idea to start right at the beginning with your current routine and see what needs changing there. If you can improve your skin condition make up is going to work better for you. Just a comment, my skin is sensitive (but not dry) and I find that no brand of cleansing wipes works well with my skin. Are the Simple wipes definitely working well for you? They can be very irritating and you can inadvertenly be rubbing and pulling your skin a lot more than you realise.
I'll be following your thread with interest.

fizzytrinket

have you tried the ocm for your skin? i think it is fab.i would never use wipes on my skin. far too harsh.

go to some makeup counters and ask for samples of foundation. look at primers and illuminating bases too. do you use touche eclat? i swear by this.

Citygirl1

Hi there, thank you for your reply. Its awful to feel like this isn't it? Just out of interest, what is your current beauty regime? I do have a Clinique cleanser but tend to use the wipes down to laziness to be honest. I did get a muslin cloth recently to use with the cleanser and that made my face feel fresh but a friend of mine says you shouldn't wipe anything off your face as it can pull and she just uses face washes. I know what I love and prefer (Clinique cleanser) and its £15 which puts me off buying it a lot but then again it does last for ages. I wish I could find an alternative to my gentle light foundation.

Citygirl1

fizzytrinket wrote: »

have you tried the ocm for your skin? i think it is fab.i would never use wipes on my skin. far too harsh.

go to some makeup counters and ask for samples of foundation. look at primers and illuminating bases too. do you use touche eclat? i swear by this.

Hi, sorry but what is ocm? I have had some foundation samples but they don't seem to work on me. Ideally I want a Clinique one that has some glow in it but can't seem to find one the same.

fizzytrinket

i use a mix of sweet almond oil and castor oil to take my makeup off, including mascara. i use a muslin cloth to get the oil off. i dont wipe my skin but use circular motions. it suits my skin and doesnt make it irritated.

ive started using skinceuticals products. i'm at an age now where i need things that work i've been using them for about 6 months now and i've seen a marked improvement in my skin :T

Dawning

I never had much trouble with my skin until the last 6 years or so. the main thing for me is that I don't pay any attention to brand loyalty. I mix and match products from across all ranges and all I care about is how they make my skin look and feel, and the price is also an issue these days.

My skin has become very sensitive and temperamental over the past couple of years, and a product that it likes one day can be a product that it hates the next.....:mad:

So this is my current routine, it's been a lot of trial and error (and expense) getting here, but I'm happy with this right now:

this is night time routine :-
To cleanse, I use Calmin cleanser, specially made for rosacea and sensitive skin. It's expensive but it comes in a big bottle that lasts a couple of months at least. This is a brilliant cleanser, it removes make up quickly and easily and also removes the very tenacious sunscreen that I use. It can be rinsed off, or it can be removed with a damp cloth. I rinse it off, my skin reacts badly to being rubbed even very gently. I also really love the Alpha H Balancing Cleanser - they make two and the other one is too harsh for my skin. I generally like Alpha H products, and I buy them via Quidco from QVC. The QVC 30 day refund policy means that if my skin reacts to the product or I just dont like it, I can return it and get my money (Less postage) back.
After taking my make up off with either of these two, my skin is clean, it feels soft and isn't red or tight. Thats what I want from a cleanser - something to remove my make up and sunscreen that doesn't irritate me.

I then tone with rose water on a cotton pad.

I then use an AHA/glycolic lotion, usually alternate nights. Even though my skin is sensitive it gets on well with this product. I use Alpha H and Paula's Choice.

For moisturiser I use Avene, or Eucerin Q10 or their Hyaluron Anti Age one.

Morning Routine

In the morning I just rinse my face with water, or if I've had a hot flush sleep :eek: and feel a bit sweaty I use the Alpha H cleanser.
I tone with rose water
My spf 30 sunscreen is also a tinted moisturiser, so my routine in the morning is quick. I'm fair skinned and sunscreen is a must for me to avoid further sun damage.

Eventually I will add other products,specifically a retinoid to help with anti againg, but my skin is settled with my current routine and I don't want to mess it up again yet.

I've noticed since my skin became sensitive, I've been unable to find any oil that my skin tolerates in large amounts. So I can't do the OCM, and have to be careful with all 'natural' products that contain things like jojoba oil or lavender etc...If the oil is near the bottom of the ingredients list it's usually ok though.
Also, being under bright halogen or flourescent lights causes me to have an itchy red flare up.
The hardest thing about finding good skin care is that our skin really is very individual.

My advice would be for you to sort out a good cleanser. Definitely try the OCM, it works so well for lots of people (not me though, sadly!).
Sorry this is so long!

maman

Good thread Citygirl, I know exactly how you feel. It's like being a frump but invisible at the same time.

Like Dawning, I only wash my face with water in the mornings that's enough to wake me up! I'm not loyal to any brand and I'm currently using a Body Shop pomegranate (?) face wash at night which is good if you need to budget.

I'm working on one thing at a time too. I started with cutting down on wine (too many calories and not a solution) and now I'm on to sorting my diet. I know this isn't strictly a menopause thread but I just feel so ugly with a thickening middle which I've never had in my life before.

Hope you don't mind me asking a question. I've found that I look too 'made up' when I use foundation so I don't bother. I just have a 'natural' look with some mascara and lipstick. I'm fine through the summer with a tanned face but about this time of the year I start to look washed out and grey and I so admire people looking effortlessly made up. Maybe I'm buying the wrong product or applying it badly. If any of you were starting to use make up for the first time, where would you start? I can afford to treat myself but I don't want to buy expensive mistakes if I can avoid it.

gwen80

I agree with the other posters, face wipes are very harsh. I think they usually contain alcohol which strips the skin.

In my experience, 'Simple' is usually anything but. The best skin and haircare products I have found in at least the last two years have all been 'no nasties' ones. Unfortunately I have a stash of 'nasties' products which I'm trying to use up before I start my new 'no nasties' routine, but then 'nasties' products don't seem to adversely affect my skin to a great extent. If I were you, I'd be looking to use some gentle natural products avoiding SLS and other nasties.

Gwenx

fixx

Citygirl1 wrote: »

Hi, sorry but what is ocm? I have had some foundation samples but they don't seem to work on me. Ideally I want a Clinique one that has some glow in it but can't seem to find one the same.

fizzytrinket wrote: »

i use a mix of sweet almond oil and castor oil to take my makeup off, including mascara. i use a muslin cloth to get the oil off. i dont wipe my skin but use circular motions. it suits my skin and doesnt make it irritated.

ive started using skinceuticals products. i'm at an age now where i need things that work i've been using them for about 6 months now and i've seen a marked improvement in my skin :T

OCM is "Oil cleansing method", as fizzytrinket is doing. There's a good website here: http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/ and an MSE thread (very long!) here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/917733

I agree with suggestions to try OCM and also no-nasties toiletries - but you will need to experiment to find what suits you.

Amanita_2

fizzytrinket wrote: »

ive started using skinceuticals products. i'm at an age now where i need things that work i've been using them for about 6 months now and i've seen a marked improvement in my skin :T

I'm also a convert. I've been using them for about 2 year now and my skin has never been so good. I used to love the Intense Line Defense but it seems to be discontinued now.

Where do you get your products from? I've been using a supplier in Northern Ireland but I'm keen to try and save a few £££.