Dry (face) skin help needed!

vanilla8

Superdrug have a cheap vitamin e oil that I use at night.

jenniewb

Thanks so much everyone for all the great suggestions I'll be working through those bit by bit (I know that chopping and changing too much can result in my skin throwing a skin-tantrum so gotta go slowly).

I have found the source of my problems (or what I think is the source). Recently I had the the boiler repaired in my flat. I rent so am not in control of what happens when and it had not worked well for 10 years. I have had no hot water from my bathroom sink (unless I manually turn it on, messed around with the on/off switch and wait 5 mins for it to heat up- I usually shower in the gym and washed up every few days.) I had fpr the past 10 years always washed my face in cold water. Got used to it, didn't complain for anything to be fixed because I had gotten used to it.
Then the boiler got changed to a new efficient one! I rent so it's not up to me to mess with this; I've been told "don't turn it off" as a rule and warning and though I worry about the bills even more now; I don't want to get in trouble for turning off the boiler just to wash my face. The cold tap doesn't work properly (drips) it wont get fixed any time soon because it's a big job (apparently the taps need to be repaired completely) so I have had to use warm water -I can turn down the boiler, I just can't turn it off.


It means that twice a day I am washing my face with warm water and I am pretty sure this has caused my dry skin. I've always had dry skin and it flares up when I don't keep an eye on it so I am not confused by what is happening as I recognise it, just was confused to why it was happening. My normal winter products are not enough so needed to step it up a level.


As my skin is very fickle (even Vaseline gives me spots around my lips if I use it for more than a week on chapped lips. It does work well to protect chapped skin but I have to treat it with caution as with the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream, but I can use this for a few days or so if things get really painful; at the moment they're just a bit too tight and slightly itchy with the tightness!).
I'll need to tread carefully because my skin is fickle but you have all given me so many great and different suggestions that I should be able to find a few products in there I'd imagine.


Thankyou

A.Penny.Saved

I have had dry flaky skin since I was 16 and it got very bad when I was 21 where my skin felt like it would split open if I moved my face. It was so tight at that time that there seemed to be no moisture in my skin at all.

All of this is caused by hyper permeability of the digestive system which produce immune complexes which in some people such as you and I affects the skin primarily. In other people it affects their lungs (asthma) and others joints (arthritis) and potentially other less common auto immune reactions. Lack of or insufficient sebum production is a big factor so supporting the skin with a suitable replacement can be very helpful. About a year ago I purchased some 100ml oils from nhr organics and they really helped my skin. None of them is below 50% full so far after 1 year. I did read about oils online and purchased the ones which sounded like they might be suitable. I got some organic Vitamin E in a small 100ml bottle which they sell discounted just before Christmas along with their essential oils. That day of discounts has passed now about a week back.

All organic. I got some Rosehip oil which I did have some doubts about because online it did mention that it can cause spots which I occasionally get but I have not really had much in the past year. Taking into account the large amounts of oil I have used on my skin, it has been very good, much more supple and smooth and a lot less dry. I got some Hazelnut oil which works fairly well and I did start with this but have since moved to Rosehip oil on my face except for the T zone. On the T zone I use Jojoba oil. I do have some Shea butter which is usually very hard except for in very warm weather. It does make the skin very soft and smooth. I do have some Almond oil but I did not get on well with that. It made my face sting a lot, especially after shaving. The other oils, Rosehip especially works considerably better.

I found that Coconut oil to be useful, it does not sink in well and tends to sit on the skin and provides a very good barrier very similar to natural sebum.

I find Rosehip or Hazelnut oil works well, putting plenty on and allow to sink in which it does fairly well. Then use some paper towel to dab off any excess to reduce the shine and then apply some coconut oil and then use some more paper towel to dab any excess to get it so it provides a close to normal appearance and it provides a nice barrier against moisture loss. This works very well for me.

I did try mixing some oils such as shea butter, coconut oil, Jojoba in a saucepan and empty into a jar but I have not bothered in a very long time. I now just use from the bottles as needed.

I used to use the commercial moisturisers but stopped because of the petrochemicals which are harmful and perpetuate the problem. Paraffin is cheap and used in just about every cheap/low cost skin care product these days and experience shows me that none of it benefits my skin. Lanolin is another horrible thing which adversely affects my skin. That cheap E45 junk contains it and that stuff makes my skin horrible, shiny and my skin texture changes in a horrid way. I will never use that junk again. It's oils all the way for me until I solve the problem which I will do in the next few months.

I would recommend that you get the smallest amounts you can to try a few different oils to find out which works well on your skin. There are some very nice natural oils which are very beneficial to the skin, just watch out for impurities, mixed to lower costs and preservatives which should not be present in decent quality oils. Commercial products are loaded with additives to prolong their shelf life and are harmful to the skin. I have found that it is far better to use natural products and avoid all the commercial products. I used to plough through commercial products and even the cheap ones work out expensive due to the quantities used as they provide no lasting benefit. They are designed to require people to use them as fast as possible to maintain the moisture content but perform very badly in my experience.

Best of luck.

pinkmami

After months of dry skin (plus I have eczema) I have finally cracked it!


I now use:


facial wash every couple of nights: Avon's Reversalist range (got a £10 14 day sample kit)
Nivea facial wipes
Olay total effects day & night cream for sensitive skin & the serum


And as a base for the dry areas I use some Argan Oil from Home Bargains. Works for me so I'm sticking to it!


Have to say when I started using the Olay it did sting at first and I stuck with it, and I won't look back now.

judyjetson

My favourite go to cream when its dry to the point of soreness is Barefoot Botanicals SOS cream. I put a thicker layer on at night and there really is a difference next morning, plus it doesn't hurt or sting already dry and tender skin. Smells amazing as well. There's also a face wash but I haven't tried that.

Liz Earle c&p irritates my face when it's dry, I think it's the eucalyptus in it - it makes my skin feel hot and tender.

jenniewb

pinkmami wrote: »

After months of dry skin (plus I have eczema) I have finally cracked it!


I now use:


facial wash every couple of nights: Avon's Reversalist range (got a £10 14 day sample kit)
Nivea facial wipes
Olay total effects day & night cream for sensitive skin & the serum


And as a base for the dry areas I use some Argan Oil from Home Bargains. Works for me so I'm sticking to it!


Have to say when I started using the Olay it did sting at first and I stuck with it, and I won't look back now.

Can I just ask about the Argan oil? Some oils (in fact most I seem to find) are not 100% oils, they tend to have a dimethicone base or similar. Do you know what the ingredients in the oil you use say if they are on the bottle/container?

A.Penny.Saved

jenniewb wrote: »

Can I just ask about the Argan oil? Some oils (in fact most I seem to find) are not 100% oils, they tend to have a dimethicone base or similar. Do you know what the ingredients in the oil you use say if they are on the bottle/container?

If you buy the organic base oils which are used for mixing with essential oils for massage into the skin, then you are almost guaranteed that they will be pure and without any nasty surprises. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for! Pay cheap and compromises have to be made in the ingredients. Is your skin worth treating properly or damaging/abusing with commercial products where their priorities are not your skin, it's about their costs/profits and shelf life.

Preservatives which are usually needed to give long shelf lives are not beneficial to the skin. Natural whole oils are often antibacterial which might be why I have not experienced spots by using them a lot. You could also mix in any suitable essential oil which might be beneficial to your skin as well as giving a nice aroma. Essential oils such as Lavender and many others. You can custom make something which works well for your skin and matches it's needs rather than products which are designed to cater for a wide range of people and not working well for anyone.

As I mentioned, a small 100ml bottle can last a very long time. I am still using bottles that I purchased last christmas. Chances are they should last until christmas 2015.

apple_muncher

I know what you mean about washing in cold water! I do this too - in the kitchen. Then I use extra virgin olive oil as a moisturiser. I reckon the coconut oil might be even better. I avoid as much petroleum-based stuff as possible.

And I made my own face and body scrub: 1 cup fine sea salt + 1/2 cup evoo.

Your skin shouldn't react to the coconut oil or evoo as they are both natural.

Hope you find a solution that works for you, as spending the day scratching your face is not good!

pinkmami

jenniewb wrote: »

Can I just ask about the Argan oil? Some oils (in fact most I seem to find) are not 100% oils, they tend to have a dimethicone base or similar. Do you know what the ingredients in the oil you use say if they are on the bottle/container?

it does contain it. I paid £1.99 for a small bottle in HB. Worth a try for that as I've paid a lot over they past few yrs trying to sort it out! But no one could sell pure argan oil for that price!!!


But as I said it works for me and my skin is lovely and clear. I did try sweet almond oil but I found my skin was too dry at the time. Its OK once my dry eczema patched are well hydrated using Epaderm from the GP, but on its own its no good for me I'm afraid.

zssandor

jenniewb wrote: »

Probably down to the weather and air-conditioning as much as stress, my skin is so dry its flaking off my face!


It feels tight after using my usual facial wash, I tried using the Liz Earle cleanse and polish and my skin stung after using it so it's not only dry but sensitised.


It's not worth a GP visit (unless it starts to bleed...) and I'd rather not use the petroleum based creams because they just make my skin feel stuffy and suffocated and I pretty much always end up with painful spots after using those sorts of creams. I've no idea though if there are any products out there that would help because my normal facial moisturiser isn't touching the sides. I've laid off any anti-aging serums until my skin feels better, over the last 2-3 weeks my skin has gotten drier and tighter and more uncomfortable.


Anyone else had dry skin and know what works? Unless I know it will cause me spots or is out of my price bracket I am willing to give anything a shot if it will help my skin feel less like it's going to peel off my face!

Aloe Vera has healing properties for the skin. It is a known vulnerary and is great for applying topically to burns, abrasions, and psoriasis. Aloe acts as an analgesic and acts to help relieve pain of wounds. Aloe Vera is also an antipruritic which relieves or prevents itching. It is good for acne prevention. More:contact me!