Driest face ever

[LaBellezza]

I have the driest skin you could imagine. And I’m literally going crazy. I don’t know what to do. I haven’t been able to wear foundation all winter because it looks horrible on me. I just bought a ton of skin care products and new primer and foundation during the sale in hopes that I can wear foundation again and now my face is pealing like mad. I bought the Tatcha Polished to exfoliate with and it’s supposed to be gentle but it burns my face. I’m not sure if I should keep using it and I bought the Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk Intensive Hydrating Treatment. Someone please help!

[alexasteph]

@LaBellezza Do you have any medical conditions or allergies that could be contributing to your dry skin, or are you taking a medication that may cause dry skin? I’m sorry if that is too personal a question but sometimes what’s going on on the inside is seen and felt on the outside. Echoing what some others have said, I’d defintely stop with the Tatcha. I have found that line to be too much for even combo skin.

What are you currently using to cleanse your face, not exfoliate? 

[LaBellezza]

I do have medical conditions that are definitely contributing, I have PCOS which causes dry skin and acne and I'm on medication which causes dehydration.  I have allergies but I don't really know what I'm allergic to so I try to use "clean" products because I think I'm sensitive to parabens. I wash my face with micellar water so its gentle.  I use good products.

[alexasteph]

@LaBellezza So it’s defintely a battle for you then! It can be tough to find good products when you’re dealing with things fighting against you. 

I think physical exfoliants should be a no-go for you, they can be really harsh on sensitive skin. Until your skin starts to feel better, I’d stay away from chemical ones too. 

I don’t know if the micellar water is fully cleansing your skin either. It’s marketed as an “all in one,” but it’s really just a makeup remover. The gentlest cleanser I have found is L'Occitane Shea Cleansing Oil 6.7 oz/ 200 mL which might be good for you to try. I think regular old JOSIE MARAN - 100 percent Pure Argan Oil will be better than the Milk to help heal your skin. It won’t happen overnight, give it time. I think the Milk is a fine product, I like it quite a bit! But the original stuff is fattier, which damaged skin wants. 

Hopefully that’s a bit helpful! 

[suzyo]

@LaBellezza How are you using the argan milk? I either mix it (in my palm) with another moisturizer in the morning, or I apply it on top of my moisturizer at night. It's not enough on it's own though. 

[LaBellezza]

Most nights I have just been putting it directly on my face.  One night I tried it with Argan oil on top like the directions suggest you can and last night I tried it with my Bioderma night cream.  Most people that reviewed it said that it worked better alone so I have just been trying it alone.

[suzyo]

@LaBellezza I have super dry skin and the argan milk was never enough on it's own for me. I think it's best when accompanied with another product. Aside from using oils, the only other suggestions I have are using a hyaluronic acid serum underneath moisturizer, and chemical exfoliators as opposed to physical. Those things really work for me, at least. If you need recs for those, I would suggest TARTE - Mermaid Skin™ Hyaluronic H2O Serum and GLOW RECIPE - Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask

[grizzlymaze]

Id honestly ditch everything else for now and calm your skin down with a few weeks of good old Nivea Creme. Nivea makes a wonderful night mask too, and this is a great time to heal your skin whilst you are resting. Nivea is extremely cheap, it has been extensively compared with La Mer due to the ingredients and how well it performs, and I have never come across anything better to re-hydrate parched skin. Be sure to use a mild cleanser (something like Philosophys Purity),drink lots of water, perhaps add in some flax seed oil and Biotin supplements, and dont skimp on your sleep! Good luck!! 🙂

[GG84]

@LaBellezza

TATCHA - The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder

Is that the Tatcha product you are saying is burning your skin? 

Whenever I have any dry skin issues what so ever, I slather my face with Farmacy Honey Savior All-in-One Skin Repair Salve 1.6 oz/ 46 g

If I've had a cold and my nose is dry, this takes the dryness away ASAP or any kind of skin irritation in general this is my go to. 

[LaBellezza]

Yes, it was the Tatcha that left my face burning.  It didn't burn while I was using it but after I washed it off.  I'm not going to use it again for a while while I give my skin a chance to adjust to the Argan Milk for a bit.  I will keep the Farmacy product in mind next time I'm in store as I'm always in need of things to cure my dehydrated skin.  Thanks

[LaBellezza]

I have only used the exfoliant once a few days ago and I have been using the Milk everyday. The Milk doesn’t really feel like it’s absorbing into my skin. It kinda just feels like it’s sitting on top. The rest of the products I haven’t tried. I’m still using my regular stuff. Washing with micellar water, moisturizing with Bioderma and Josie Maran Argan Oil. Just using the Milk at night.

[veronika23]

I would wait and not exfoliate again until your face feels better... and maybe even drop the argan milk for the moment. Just so your skin can feel better again. And you didn't use your new primer and foundation either right?

[LaBellezza]

No I haven't used any of the other new products. I wasn't going to use them until the dry patches go away.  I don't have any rashing or inflamation just a lot of dry patches that are flaking really bad and my usual redness around my nose. 

[veronika23]

@LaBellezza  oh ok. Gotcha. I've tried a lot of products and my favorite one for dry patches is Consonant HydrExtreme. It's very lightweight, only has two ingredients and really does help. I even used it on eczema patches on my body.  It's pretty expensive but you don't need much so it should last you a while. Sephora Canada carries the product but I don't think they do in the US. I know some people in the US found it at Costco for a very good price though. Not sure which country you are in so wanted to mention both. I think I read somewhere that someone wrote to the company and they sent her samples so you can always give that a shot. That would be my top product recommendation. Drink plenty of water, don't exfoliate too much and only wash your face with cleanser at night. Just water in the morning should be fine. If the problem continues it might be worth seeing a dermatologist. Hope you can find something that works for you!

https://www.sephora.com/ca/en/product/hydrextreme-P404434

[veronika23]

@LaBellezza  did you use all of these new products at the same time? When you start a new skin care product you should only add one at a time. So if you thought you'd start fresh with a new routine and tried a bunch of new products the same day that could be what's causing that reaction. Do you have products your skin is used to? If so go back to that for now and wait until your skin feels better to try these new products and to exfoliate again. I have dry sensitive skin and I only wash my face with water in the morning, no cleanser. I also only exfoliate maybe 2 times a week and stick to natural based brands as much as possible. A good product for dry skin is Consonant HydrExtreme. It only has 2 ingredients so less chances of reacting and it helps with dry patches too.

I'd say give your skin a break. You can't rush it. I know it sucks but when you try all these new things at once you can start reacting and then you won't know to what.  One thing at a time. 🙂  That's what I would do anyway.

[TrysBeautyItems]

@LaBellezzaUnidentified Skin burns when the barrier is compromised. It's not necessarily the product nor ingredients, rather being defensive in its current condition.

What exact products were you using before purchasing more?