Sephora

Lram361 · ‎10-14-2023

Hi!

So im looking for recommendations for myself I have dry, oily skin. Also very sensitive. My t zone is sometimes oilyy sometimes super dry. I have tried so many products. I'm seeking advice on skin care and makeup products. Help a sister out please! Thank you!

CynthieLu · ‎10-22-2023

There's some great recommendations and ideas here @Lram361. As a sensitive skin girlie I'd suggest checking out SkinFix or CeraVe 🩵

WinglessOne · ‎10-15-2023

Hi @Lram361 ! I also have combo skin, though mine’s mostly dry; my oily zone’s just on and around my nose, but that area’s a full blown grease puddle if I don’t keep it under control. And my skin’s quite reactive/inflammation-prone, with sensitivity to various ingredients and excessive pressure/rubbing. I have to be gentle when applying skincare and makeup to my skin.

What’s your current skincare routine (brands + product names)? You might need a moisturizer that’s better at preventing water loss than whatever you currently use. Or you may need more humectants and hydrating ingredients in your routine, like hyaluronic acid (which is in nearly everything these days), polyglutamic acid, PCA or sodium PCA, peptides, urea, trehalose, carrageenan, etc.

Also, do you happen to know what exactly your skin’s sensitive to? Example: my facial skin haaaates lavender in all forms (oil, extract, and even water); that stuff’s my nemesis, causing scaly flaky dry patches and red bumpy burning skin. My facial skin reacts similarly to nearly all essential oils. Depending on your sensitivity, you might need at least one product that contains soothing ingredients like licorice root, heartleaf, centella asiatica, allantoin, etc. Hypochlorus acid can also be quite soothing; that’s what I call “the anti-everything ingredient,” since it’s anti fungal, bacterial, viral, and inflammatory.

I don’t want to recommend products without knowing what you already use, though, and what you may be sensitive to. 🙂

Lram361 · ‎10-22-2023

Sorry it took a bit to respond. So, in the past I've used clinique, origins, youth to the people and la roche posey. I have tried aveeno as well. To be honest, I don't know what I'm sensitive to I just know with some products I turn red on my cheek area and depending on the products they may burn. I try to use non perfumed products. I've tried the Tacha water based moisturizer but that does burn my face as well.

WinglessOne · ‎10-23-2023

(Thanks for the tag, @CynthieLu 🙂 )

@Lram361 I’m curious about exactly which La Roche-Posay product(s) you tried that irritated your skin… anything from their Toleriane line? Those specific products play nice with many people’s sensitive skin. Doesn’t mean EVERYone can safely use them, of course.

Maybe you should start over with a simple, very basic skincare routine. Something like…

Night:

Gentler cleanser - something that doesn’t leave your skin feeling stripped, parched, or “squeaky clean.” Have you ever tried a Cetaphil cleanser? They make several, including a new Cetaphil Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser that might work for you. I’d also suggest La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser, except I don’t know if that’s one of the LRP products that irritated your skin. My usual nighttime facial cleanser is Abib Calming Facial Soap Heartleaf Stone. (Despite the name, it’s not a true alkaline soap since it doesn’t contain lye.) Also consider e.l.f. Pure Skin Cleanser which is a cream cleanser. For makeup removal prior to cleanser, I use either The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL , Paula's Choice Omega + Complex Cleansing Balm 3.5 oz/ 104 mL , or sometimes Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water.
Moisturizer - two reliable basic options are Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion and Vanicream Moisturizing Cream. The cream is thicker/richer than the lotion, and both products contain petrolatum which is the most occlusive (water loss preventing) skincare ingredient on the market.

Morning:

Gentle cleanser if needed - some folks don’t need to wash their face in the morning. I usually don’t; instead, I just gently wipe my face with a wet plush microfiber cloth (like a Makeup Eraser). If I do need an AM cleanse, I use either The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm, e.l.f. Pure Skin Cleanser, or Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water—and I target the cleanser just where I need it, such as around my eyes.
Moisturizer - can be the same one you used at night. Or you might even be able to skip this step if you use…
Broad spectrum sunscreen (minimum SPF 30) - apply generously to all skin exposed to sunlight (eyelids, ears, behind ears, nape of neck if exposed, etc.), all year long, regardless of weather or season. Can be chemical/organic, mineral/physical (zinc oxide), or a hybrid sunscreen; one type’s not necessarily better or safer than the others, and all 3 work largely the same way. And some sunscreens contain good moisturizing ingredients (dimethicone, shea butter, squalane, etc.), so they can easily double as moisturizers. Which sunscreen’s right for you depends entirely on your personal preferences. La Roche-Posay makes some very good ones, but I don’t know if you’ve tried one that irritated your skin. If you like a dewy skin finish, I’ve been testing The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30 1.7 oz / 50 ml with very good results: it’s completely invisible on my medium-deep skin tone, doesn’t pill on me, and it doesn’t feel heavy or too greasy on my face.

Let your skin get used to that very basic routine for a few weeks. Then you can add one product to your routine to address an issue—perhaps oil control, if you find your oily zone’s still overactive. My first recommendation there would be a niacinamide serum. I’ll warn you right now that The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum might make your skin burn; that’s a common complaint I hear about it, and I experienced it firsthand (which surprised me because I’ve never been sensitive to 10% niacinamide). Other options to consider are Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster 0.67 oz/ 20 mL and The INKEY List Niacinamide Oil Control Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL . Those 2 brands also make higher % niacinamide serums but don’t start off with those; your sensitive skin might not tolerate that much of this ingredient. Stick to their 10% versions instead.

Might also help to keep a journal of exactly which products you’ve used that irritated your skin. Then you can start looking for common ingredients among those products; this might help you narrow down what’s ticking your skin off. That’s how I figured out lavender beats my skin up.