Stupid skin; need moisturizer that won't break me out..? (light, Sally, tingling)

[ShinyHappyLucy]

I use only coconut oil and have amazing skin.

[D217]

I can't do regular moisturizers, for some reason they make my skin red and prone to breakouts.


I've been using aloe vera gel w/ shea butter for years now w/ great results.

[Sally_Sparrow]

Originally Posted by AnonChick

1. Oil doesn't hydrate skin. Oil oils skin. Your body excretes sebum, which is an oily substance, but is -not- oil. If you are prone to cystic acne, then you are prone to infections of the sebaceous glands - the glands that produce sebum. The infections show up as pimples and red, "angry" looking skin. The more you try to dry it out, the more the glands will strive to replace what you stripped away. So don't try to strip the oil. You're already doing that, which is why you have flakes. The flakes are dried sebum mixed with dead skin. Exfoliating will just create more dry sebum and mix it with more dead skin. Stop exfoliating.

2. Change your cleansing product to a mild cleansing milk or cream. Non-foamy. Get samples from Clarins of their cleansing milks. The one with the Alpine Herbs is gentle. Use a dime's sized dollop and smear it over a wet face. Then wipe (not scrub) it in circles over your skin with a wet, tepid washcloth. Rinse and wring the washcloth, and wipe some more. Rinse and wring and wipe again, and repeat until the cleanser has been rinsed off your face, taking the surface dirt with it. Use a q-tip with a little olive oil to loosen mascara and eyemakup prior to washing your face, if you wear them.

3. Put that "BB" cream in a cabinet for a few weeks. Get a real actual moisturizer - a lotion if you prefer a light touch, but NOT one with a sunscreen. This - in my opinion - is just a really bad idea, to rub sunscreen into the pores of your face, when you already know you have problems with acne. Instead, get a foundation with sunscreen in it, and use that OVER the moisturized face. Again, you can use a foundation lotion, or if you want to give it a try, get a sample of Bare Minerals foundation powder with the SPF 15 or 20 or whatever it is (I don't use sunscreen on my face at all, ever, it makes my eyes water, and my nose drippy, so I'm not sure what the SPF is on the Bare Minerals that has it).

IF you use a toner, just swipe it with a 100% real cotton ball or cotton pad.

Avoid anything with mineral oil/petroleum in it, and avoid anything with lanolin. Petroleum/mineral oil are water-proof, which means they coat your skin so that nothing can get in, and nothing can get out. Which means, any dirt in your pores will stay there and fester. Lanolin is one of the most common allergens in the cosmetics industry - it's basically the dander off sheep's wool. These are "emollients" - which means, they temporarily soften the skin. But they ultimately cause more problems than they solve, so I'd just stay away from them entirely if possible.

If you are able to find an unscented moisturizer, you could try adding 2-4 drops of pure essential oil of lavender to the bottle (1 drop per 1/2 ounce of moisturizer) and giving it a good shake when it's new. Lavender, besides smelling nice, soothes enflamed skin. It's considered a "specific" for first and second degree burns, in the medical aromatherapy world, and it's often included in natural acne treatments.

Thanks for all these tips! I have lavender already, use it for many things, and would love it in a moisturizer.

I like the idea of moisturizer first then foundation after but I get so overwhelmed shopping for foundation. That's why I was using the BB cream instead, it provides just enough coverage but not "makeup" looking. I have tried the bare minerals before and wasn't crazy about it.

[Dorthy]

I used to use pure jojoba oil and it never broke me out but as my skin has matured, it just doesn't do the trick anymore. It's not moisturizing enough..

Currently I use Burt's Bees "Acne Solutions" Moisturizer along with Gabriel Moisturizing Liquid Foundation. Neither one of them break me out and my skin feels moisturized.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by Sally_Sparrow

Thanks for all these tips! I have lavender already, use it for many things, and would love it in a moisturizer.

I like the idea of moisturizer first then foundation after but I get so overwhelmed shopping for foundation. That's why I was using the BB cream instead, it provides just enough coverage but not "makeup" looking. I have tried the bare minerals before and wasn't crazy about it.

Shopping for foundations can be a chore. For your skin situation, your best bet is -probably- going to be a liquid (as opposed to a cream) that has no mineral oil and no talc. Take an hour or so at your local big-name department store, to get some ideas of that -kind- of foundation will suit you best. Don't go with the expectation of buying - go with the expectation of learning about them. You'll probably end up buying one anyway but just don't expect it that day. Make it just an adventure for its own sake

My recommendations for counters to explore:
1. Origins - lower price, fewer allergens, least likely to trigger a breakout.
2. Clarins - medium price, few allergens, can trigger breakouts but not common.
3. Clinique - I include this with a caveat - I can't stand this brand, I'm NOT prone to breakouts, and it made me break out. But Clinique customers are die-hard fans, so there has to be a reason why. Worth investigating, if only to rule it out. Moderately priced.
4. Shiseido - a little on the pricey side, some people don't respond well to it but most people who've tried it love it. I loved it but couldn't afford it anymore so I switched to a combination of MAC, Origins, and Bare Minerals, with an occasional treat of Clarins.
5. Dior - just so you can say you did. I don't recommend it; it's WAY overpriced, sub-par ingredients, and loaded with allergens and irritants. For dramatic color, go with MAC. But hey you're at a department store and there's a Dior counter. Might as well have the counter girl smear a little something on your jawbone

[Opsimathia]

Originally Posted by Sally_Sparrow

Thanks for all these tips! I have lavender already, use it for many things, and would love it in a moisturizer.

I like the idea of moisturizer first then foundation after but I get so overwhelmed shopping for foundation. That's why I was using the BB cream instead, it provides just enough coverage but not "makeup" looking. I have tried the bare minerals before and wasn't crazy about it.

Mix your left over bare minerals or any mineral makeup with aloe gel and its a water based DIY BB cream.
Add more mineral for more coverage.
Aloe helps hydrate and fight acne without adding oil.

[4vr21]

cetaphil works for me

[Sunnny]

It may help you to use a product that does not contain mineral oil or petroleum / petrolatum. Ingredients matter.
Check out Arbonne International. The corporate website has a Consultant referral locator. You should be able to request a sample by e-mail from there when you describe your specifics.

Also, Benzamycin, available from a dermatologist, has worked miracles for a lot of women. Also, I've seen vitamins do some amazing things for skin as well. Good luck, and please let us know what works for you.

[TabulaRasa]

Honestly, the best moisturizer I have ever used on my combination skin that can be prone to breakouts is basic, cheap, drugstore Johnson & Johnson Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer. I don't know how they formulate it so that it both moisturizes and fights acne, but it does both. I've used it since I was a teenager (I'm 36 now), and every so often, I'll try out another product, something trendy, or more mature, or something other people have raved about...but I always come back to it, b/c it works so well for me.

[tiffanypri]

You can visit my blog: http://yourhairstylist.blog.com
Just copy/paste the url

Here you can read what I have posted about hair and skin care that I have found that works really well.
Just click on the links to the products that I have already found the lowest prices on.
I hope this helps!