Dry and flaky skin in the face

[neks]

Hi! Can anyone suggest to me a good product for my tight, dry and flaky face? My face wasn’t like this before, used to have an oily to normal skin. Now it’s super dry that i can feel its tightness (specifically in the mouth surrounding area). Tried a lot of moisturizer but nothing worked. Thanks! 

[KKM2022]

Bioelements is amazing. I have rosacea and sensitive skin. Bioelements, though not sold here, saved my skin! You can buy it directly from their website. I started with starter kit (green bottles). You get a oil cleanser, toner and  moisturizer. It's amazing.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@neks You might also want to look into a face oil.  I really like The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL  

[WinglessOne]

Hi @neks ! What's your current skincare routine (brands + product names)? Sounds like you may have added something to (or overused something in) your routine that broke your skin's moisture barrier, so your skin can't retain hydration anymore. 

If that's the case, your skin needs something to act as a protective barrier while it heals. Try this very simple routine for a few weeks: 

Spoiler

Night 

1. Gentle hydrating cleanser - consider CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Paula's Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, or Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser. You'll probably find CeraVe, Cetaphil, and Vanicream at your local drugstore. 
   
   If your skin's painful (stinging/burning), try The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL  as a cleanser and/or 5-10 minute soothing face mask. When my skin's in painful bad reaction mode, I start with The Inkey List oat balm, let it sit on my skin for 5-10 minutes, then gently massage a bit of my CeraVe cleanser directly over it and rinse everything off. 
   
   
2. Moisturizing balm - the ideal would be a petrolatum-based balm, since petrolatum's the most occlusive (water-loss preventing) skincare ingredient available. Petrolatum acts as a skin barrier to protect damaged skin, allowing that skin to heal. You can use plain ol' Vaseline (or another brand of petroleum jelly), CeraVe Healing Ointment, Aquaphor Ointment (if you're skin-sensitive to lanolin, avoid Aquaphor), or any other petrolatum balm. Apply a thin layer to your face—just as you would any other moisturizer—while your skin's damp. This will help to seal in hydration instead of dryness. 
   
   If for some reason petrolatum doesn't agree with your skin, you can try a thick silicone based balm instead... perhaps Aveeno Eczema Therapy Nighttime Balm (either the regular or baby version's fine) or Vanicream Moisturizing Ointment (formerly known as Vaniply). 

Morning 

1. OPTIONAL: gentle cleanser - try skipping the AM face wash unless you absolutely need it. The less you do to your skin while it heals, the better. Consider very gently wiping your face with a wet plush microfiber cloth—something like a The Original MakeUp Eraser Watermelon MakeUp Eraser  . If you need a cleanser in the morning, you can use the same one you used at night, or just use a gentle cleansing balm like The Inkey List's or Paula's Choice Omega + Complex Cleansing Balm 3.5 oz/ 104 mL . 
   
   
2. Moisturizing balm - same one you used at night. 
   
   
3. Broad spectrum sunscreen - we should all wear sunscreen daily anyway, but it's especially important while your skin's damaged because UV rays can worsen the damage. Use a sunscreen that's at least SPF 30, applied generously to ALL skin exposed to sunlight (eyelids, ears, behind ears, nape of neck if exposed, hairline, etc.), regardless of weather conditions. The only time not to wear sunscreen during daylight hours is if you're not leaving home at all and you're not sitting near a window at home. The sunscreen you choose can be either chemical or physical/mineral; both types work mostly the same way, and neither of them needs to "sink into" your skin in order to work. Do you already have a sunscreen you like? 

Avoid chemical exfoliants and physical/scrub exfoliants: resist the urge to exfoliate the flakes away. Exfoliating your skin in its current damaged state can make things worse. 

Hope your skin feels better soon! 

[neks]

Thanks so much! Been using cetaphil cleanser. I really don’t know what’s causing this. I will try your recommendation and hoping for the best. 

[lavendersmoke]

It might be the cleanser, I'd recommend switching to a different branch and seeing if your skin improves. In the mean time, a heavier moisturizer could fix the issue assuming you have dry/drier skin to begin with. I have really dry skin and my HG moisturizer (day + night) is the Drunk Elephant Lala Retro™ Nourishing Whipped Refillable Moisturizer 1.69 oz/ 50 mL but it can be too heavy if you typically have normal or especially oily skin. In which case I'd suggest their Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Firming Refillable Moisturizer 1.69 oz/ 50 mL or the Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin ™ Moisturizing Cream just to really pack in moisture and repair your skin.