skin help - I warn you it's long!

LittleMissAspie

You'll probably get a different answer from everyone you ask, it really is trial and error to find something that works for you personally.

My skin is similar to yours - oily and dry at the same time, and all red and blotchy. It looks similar to rosacea pictures. I also have huge pores that I hate.

I like using natural oils to moisturise, they seem to be better than commercial moisturisers. I like raspberry seed oil for the morning as it sinks in really well and I don't look greasy later on. Then I use coconut oil at night time, it doesn't sink in quickly and I get very shiny but it's very soothing.

Fresh Farmacy soap from Lush is good for the redness. I'm currently using it with an exfoliating pad that I got from the Body Shop but the pad isn't making any difference to my blocked pores. I tried OCM but I don't think the hot flannel is good for my skin, it makes me even redder.

bratz81

Hi LittleMissAspie,

thanks for the reply. Yeah, everyone has a different tip, and everyone is different I didn't like the OCM method as the flannel was too hot for my skin too, but also, it did seem to work well apart from that. Mind you, not having the hot flannel meant I couldn't rinse the oil off that well, so it all went downhill from there

I'd never heard of raspberry seed oil, but something non-shiny would be great. Where do you get it, somewhere like Holland and Barrat or something?
I have some moisturiser in the house which is working ok for now, so will probably finish it off first, but good to have tips on what to try next.

LittleMissAspie

I get my raspberry seed oil from https://www.essentialoilsonline.co.uk. They can be a little more expensive than other sites but they seem to be good quality, lots of their oils are unrefined and they say where each oil comes from. The 50ml bottle lasts over 6 months.

The coconut oil I'm using is actually Waitrose's baby massage oil and it's partially hydrogenated so not entirely natural. http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Baby-Solid-Coconut-Massage-Oil-Waitrose/27870011 But it was only a couple of quid so I wanted to try it out rather than buy a big pot of Coconoil and find it wasn't any good. I think the hydrogenation just makes it more solid at room temperature, you have to rub your fingers on it to get it to melt.

bratz81

thanks LittleMissAspie, will have a look at that site. Can I ask why you picked raspberry seed oil over others, is it that it's specially formulated for combination skin, or was it trial and error just?

annakat99

Hi bratz81,
your story sounds very familiar... about 4 months ago my skin went from 'normal' - clear, youthful, even-toned, rare (hormone-related) spots... to what I like to think of as 'difficult and confused' - spots (red, sore, large white-heads) in places I'd never had spots before e.g in my eyebrow or the middle of my cheek! My t-zone went oily (apart from my nose which is dry) and my cheeks went red and sore and itchy.

I swear by Lush skincare, I've used their stuff for 5 years or so, it smells wonderful and seems to work really well for me. The 'natural' aspect is also comforting. The skin is the body's largest organ. I try not to put anything on it (chemicals etc) that I wouldn't be happy putting into my body.

I chatted to one of the sales assistants who suggested a few new products to me, and also suggested avoiding washing my face with face wash & water.

In the evenings, I don't use water at all. I use Ultrabland as a cleanser, it's a really gentle oil / butter based cleanser that cleans off make-up / daily grime really well without being at all harsh (it's actually really nourishing). I clean the ultrabland off my face using Eau Roma toner (lavendar and rose waters - very calming) on cotton wool pads followed by moisturiser. In the mornings I just splash water on my face, or use a bit of fresh farmacy soap (mentioned above by someone else) if I want to feel 'cleaner', and then moisturiser (I use Steam Cream moisturiser, it's light but works really well). I also use one of their masks with exfoliating bits in it once or twice a week (Oatifix or Buche de Noel).

I'm still getting the odd spot, but my skin feels so much better I can cope with them a little easier. Resisting the urge to squeeze is harder - my skin doesn't heal as fast as it did when I was a teenager! I've just turned 30...

A couple of people have suggested that this is something that happens with age, sort of like puberty or menopause. You have to change your skincare routine regularly to match the phase that your skin is in at the time. You also can't expect instant results from a new regime as your skin needs time to balance itself after big changes. Trial and error till you find what suits you at that point in time - I hope your difficult phase will settle itself down soon.

xxAnna

olgawilson

Hey!! Try using this anti wrinkle moisturizer its safe..It contains sunscreen and clears away dry and dull skin and greatly improves skin texture and tone, to unblock naturally and cleanse pores, to improve oily skin or acne. Surely you'll like it.

bratz81

annakat99, thanks for the reply, it's nice to know it's not just me having this problem!
I used the Ultrabland cleanser from lush before, but found it too nourishing if I recall, however my skin has totally changed now so it could be worth another shot, must see if I can get a sample from them perhaps.

At the moment, I'm not wearing any makeup, apart from some mascara, and not using anything on my face apart from moisturiser. Splashing with water in the mornings, and just using a facial wipe to remove the mascara, and splashing with water. So far my skin has calmed down a bit, less dry and congested, so now that it's 'evened out' and balanced a little I'm going to hunt for a cleanser that suits me.

tiddlyteri

I have something similar, i have VERY oily skin on my nose and forehead and constantly getting spots espically blackheads, i use a brand called MUDRAD, it is not too expensive but it does work alot!! it is very good. Or try something with te tree oil in as that is good for the skin to. :-) hope this helps :-)