I've tried everything I can think of for my dry skin but nothing has helped

[trk98]

I've had extremely dry skin for as long as I can remember. Over the past few years, I've been doing everything I can think of but nothing has improved. I drink a lot of water, eat alright, cleanse, and moisturize daily but my skin remains too dry to be helped. A big problem I have right now is that I can't even cover up the redness with foundation because every one I try looks cakey on me - even the ones that are moisturizing and/or meant for dry skin. I've tried Urban Decay's Naked Skin, Nars Sheer Glow, Makeup Forever Ultra HD in its liquid form, Makeup Forever Mat Velvet, Tarte Rainforest of the Sea, Cover FX Natural Finish, The Body Shop Fresh Nude, Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Hydrating Foundation, and almost everything in the drugstore - all made me look cakey. I do moisturize and prime before putting anything on and a good chunk of those were recommended to me by a Sephora MUA. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I feel like the issue is my skin itself because there are just so many foundations I've tried but I can't afford La Mer or any of the expensive skin creams raved about.

[JPO1]

Check beautypedia.com and make sure the products you use dont contain bad ingredients. After that get you a good AHA exfoliant.

[ASHtronautt]

Dry skin over here too girl.

Writing you a book, but figure it's all worth sharing! I have super sensitive, dry skin, with acne scaring, and fine lines now as I'm getting older (27). If I use one wrong thing I breakout and get red, cool right?

Skincare first, makeup second for sure! I have used quite a few of the foundations you mentioned. I have also had the same issues with finding a new foundation this past year and these are my holy grail products: BareMinerals Liquid Pro foundation with a LIGHT dusting of their mineral foundation in my matching color. Things to avoid: Setting powders...they will dry you out, cake you, and accentuate imperfections. Also avoid primers. They have always dried me out, and given my foundation a really disgusting "crackle effect". Using a damp beauty blender helps to pat foundation on top of the skin, vs. using a brush which can lift up those flakey dry patches, and make your foundation look rough.

Back to skincare though. Honestly, starting with changing your soap is huge -- try using a makeup remover on a cotton pad first, then cleansing with CeraVe hydrating cleanser. It isn't an oil based cleanser (which has always made me feel like i was just smearing dirt around on my face), and will leave you feeling clean and soft without feeling stripped. I usually do a quick wash to get majority of my makeup off, wipe with the remover, then wash again.

You can also try incorporating Korean products, which are super gentle and amazingly effective if you find the right brands! They're also easy on the wallet :)! Innisfree sheet masks are the bomb. The CosRX AHA/BHA whitehead/blackhead spray toner is my favorite. Ive tried their other toners and this one has always worked best for me. cleanse, spritz this on, use an oil under your eyes and in dry patches, and then finish with an absorbent moisturizer. I LOVE CosRX rice based overnight cream as my daily. It isn't heavy like a sleeping mask, doesn't sit on top of the skin, and wears really well under makeup.

Skincare Recap:

CeraVe Cleanser - Drugstore

Neutrogena Makeup Remover (or try a Micellar water for sensitive skin) - Drugstore

CosRX AHA/BHA Calrifying Treatment Toner Mist - Amazon BUY FROM SELLER

Biossance Squalene + Vitamin C Oil - Independent website

(or $$$ Sunday Riley: Luna Sleeping Oil - Sephora...a brand preferred to La Mer)

CosRX Nourishing Rice overnight mask (as a moisturizer) - Amazon BUY FROM SELLER

Innisfree sheet masks - Amazon BUY FROM SELLER

Makeup recap:

NO primer

BareMinerals NEW Liquid Pro Foundation

Light dusting of B.M. matching powder foundation

NO setting powder (Hydrating alternative - Can use Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray)

Hope this helps your dry skin journey! I have wasted so much money on expensive shit that doesnt work and recommendations from the Sephora MUA's. These have been the things that have works best for me, keeping me hydrated, helping reduce redness/wrinkles/acne scarring, not irritating my skin, or clogging my pores.

[oh2me]

Thank you for taking the time to write this! I absolutely love it and would definitely like to hear more from you as far as thoughts and opinions! Do you blog? Haha. Anyways will def give these products a try! 

[Anonymous]

Hi, I have been struggling with extremely dry and eczema prone skin since I was born. I recently stumbled upon a lotion that has literally saved my skin. First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Cream. It is a skin SAVIOR. It hydrates and even in some places helps with my eczema spots. Though it is a little pricey at $30 for a small pot of lotion, it is 110% worth the investment. It will help with your skin being more hydrated for when you want to put foundation on. I would also recommend Fresh's strawberry exfoliating scrub. It is very gentle on the skin of the face and will leave your skin feeling very soft.  

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trk98 wrote:

I've had extremely dry skin for as long as I can remember. Over the past few years, I've been doing everything I can think of but nothing has improved. I drink a lot of water, eat alright, cleanse, and moisturize daily but my skin remains too dry to be helped. A big problem I have right now is that I can't even cover up the redness with foundation because every one I try looks cakey on me - even the ones that are moisturizing and/or meant for dry skin. I've tried Urban Decay's Naked Skin, Nars Sheer Glow, Makeup Forever Ultra HD in its liquid form, Makeup Forever Mat Velvet, Tarte Rainforest of the Sea, Cover FX Natural Finish, The Body Shop Fresh Nude, Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Hydrating Foundation, and almost everything in the drugstore - all made me look cakey. I do moisturize and prime before putting anything on and a good chunk of those were recommended to me by a Sephora MUA. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I feel like the issue is my skin itself because there are just so many foundations I've tried but I can't afford La Mer or any of the expensive skin creams raved about.

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[trk98]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I started a skincare routine with some of the things and my skin is looking noticeably better. As for foundation I finally found the one which is the Tarte hybrid foundation and it's great for my dry skin!

[crystalcake]

You definitely do not need anything like La Mer to help dry skin. If anything, I would avoid it like crazy because of some of the drying ingredients in it (fragrance, alcohol denat.).

I have dry skin, but I used to have TERRIBLY dry skin and no foundation looked good. Over the last 6 months or so I've really repaired it a lot. What helps is being very very gentle to your skin. It sounds like there may be something irritating in your cleanser or moisturizer that is making your skin red, if it's been persistently red for so long.

Things I use/do:

- no fragrance in any of my skincare. I also avoid alcohol ingredients

- my skin personally clogs up if I use facial oils like argan or marula, so I have to find hydrating via other sources

- layering hydrating things! rule of thumb is thinnest formula to thickest

- I personally don't use a cleanser in the morning, I just rinse a little with water. I feel like this has helped a lot with keeping my skin not-dry in the morning before applying makeup

- also cakey foundation could be from using too much as well? or maybe too-thick of layers? I found that when I did a very thin layer, my foundation was much less likely to cake up

Anyways, my current daily routine:

- cleanser (with water in the AM, with Clinique Take the Day Off and First Aid Beauty cleanser in PM)

- Clinique Even Better Essence for dry skin, pat this in

- while skin is still moist, First Aid Beauty hydrating serum (you can use any serum in this step, I recommend anything with hyaluronic acid)

- spritz skin with water (currently using La Roche Posay because I have a bottle to use up)

- you want to sandwich anything with hyaluronic acid with water because it draws in moisture. if you live in a dry area, the hyaluronic would draw the moisture FROM your skin instead of INTO it, so you want to make sure your spritz after your hyaluronic serum.

- once dry, I do First Aid Beauty facial moisturizer

- if my skin is feeling super dry, I add Clinique Moisture Surge mask on top, sometimes mixed with my Stratia Skin Liquid Gold serum.

A couple times of week I alternate between Stratia Skin Mandelic Acid and the CosRX BHA. Both are light exfoliators and help with any flakiness. 

I think in general, you need to baby your skin! Very soft touches, no hard washcloths, etc. etc. Maybe even check to see how hard or soft your tap water is that you're using.

[jozkid]

@trk98 That sounds so frustrating. I noticed you mentioned your skin is red. Could you maybe be trying too many things? It could indicate an allergic reaction to something or simply too much manipulation. Do you exfoliate a lot?  It could actually have the opposite effect if done too often 

I agree with the oils recommendation. I cleanse with Farmacy Clear Bloom cleansing oil (Sephora no longer carries but is available on Farmacy website). I also use some type of facial oil every night. I really like Caudalie Overnight Recovery Oil. It leaves my face super soft. Another good overnight treatment is Korres Greek Yoghurt Sleeping Facial. Super gentle and leaves your skin feeling wonderful. I think you need to try and get the dryness taken care of before you try and cover it. If you need some coverage try a BB cream that will help keep you moisturized as well. Don't try to take on all the problems at once. Good luck, doll!

[appleblossom7]

Tons of water. Estée Lauder micro essence+ La Roche-Posay Rosaliac Serum [when I have redness] + aqua belif or Dr. Jarts Water Drop + thin layer of Dr. Jart Ceramidin [daytime] after initial moisturizer is absorbed OR Josie Maran Argan Oil [nighttime]. Aquaphor thin layer when face is very dry.

[MissPuff]

Have you tried out some korean skincare items? K-beauty is all about that dewy look and a lot of that starts with super hydrated, bouncy skin. You don't have to do that slightly overwhelming 10 step process, but I've found incorporating some korean style products has helped improve my skin so much. I would suggest incorporating a toner/essence step and a serum step before moisturizing. I am a big fan of facial oils too, but for reason, I feel like you're more in need of hydration since you moisturize everyday.

Toner and essence goes on after cleanse and truly feels like a drink of water for your face. People are mixed on toners, if I'm in a rush, I'll skip this step and just use essence. I never skip essence, my skin just feels too dry without it. After essence, that's when I'll put on my actives (serums/facial oils), then after everything sinks in, put on moisturizer, maybe some more facial oil (esp in winter).

For serums, look for products that have help hydrate. You might also want to look into acids, cakey looking foundation could be a skin texture thing too so a little chemical exfoliation can help remove dead skin and clear minor congestion. 

And remember, skin results takes time! Don't give up on something too quickly (unless it's an irritant, then chuck it out the window 🙂 ) Even minor improvement can take a couple of weeks so...patience 🙂

[3CallaLillies]

I also have dry skin. Recently I started using Skinny & Co.'S Skinny Coconut Oil to my moisturizing regime. It seems to help. I also now use a primer on my face after I moisturize but before I put any makeup. Maybe consider giving that a try. I hope you find a solution.

[srgntfox]

I feel exactly the same way that you do! My skin is soooo dry that all foundations look caked and emphasize dryness. I have just recently gotten into a good routine and it has made a world of a difference. I use the eau rose toner from LUSH and Ponds face cream two times a day. I slather the moisturizer on super thick. I've tried all types of high end moisturizers and legit nothing is as good as the cheap Ponds. I didn't think the popularly suggested First Aid beauty moisturizers didn't do anything at all! I also use the Philosophy microdermabrasion stuff in the shower three times a week and daily I use a cleanser from Benefit. The biggest issue for me has always been foundation. I've tried tons and tons of high end. And none have ever worked. Last week on a whim I bought a neutrogena hydro boost hydrating tint foundation from rite aid on sale for ten bucks. It is literally the best foundation I've ever purchased. I have NEVER had foundation that didn't cling to dry patches and looks gross. This foundation is that good. I also sometimes if my skin is really bad I will use the Dr Jart tiger grass green tint stuff. It covers my redness and evens my skin pretty well but doesn't cling to any dryness! Good luck!

[makeitup305]

@trk98 I would say to make sure there's no alcohol in your cleanser, which can be a problem sometimes. You can incorporate a serum (before your moisturizer) and/or a facial oil (after). You can use a gentle exfoliant a couple of times a week to get rid of any flaky skin. There's some overnight hydrating face masks unavailable on the market as well.

[NorEsBo]

I super feel you on this one. This is what worked for me I eliminated soaps altogether and I use Simple cleansing oil to cut back on unnecessary ingredients. For moisturizer I use Maracuja oils and LOccitane comforting cream. I use Fresh sugar mask when my skin gets kinda flaky and I've finally gotten to the point where I don't literally have skin coming off my face. You're obvs gonna try different things out to see what works for you but I would def start with eliminating soaps.

[1Patricia]

Your dermatologist can prescribe special lotions that might help.

[SydBristow]

This is my world too, it's a constant battle.

For me, the right cleansers have helped. Anything that made my skin feel stripped or tight is just too much. Cleansing oils like Tatcha, micellar water like Bioderma, even Clean Green by Farmacy are all great options.

Chemical exfoliants like PTR 10% or Drunk Elephant glycolic are great for refreshing the skin. I never use physical scrubs.

For redness a green toned concealed helps, I know from experience. Also, I just started using Urban Decay Optical Illusion primer and it not only has moisturizing properties, but it makes my foundation go on smoothly even in some of the rougher areas.

good luck!

[mjaros]

Hey there!

I've totally been in your position. This past winter my skin was unbearably dry throughout the day, to the point where it would itch, and I developed what I liked to call a "red beard." All around my smile lines I had bright red, flaky skin that would not go away. It took time and testing out a lot of skincare products until I found ones that worked with my skin the best. Once I created and stuck to a routine, my "read beard" has pretty much disappeared. 

Makeup wise though, the biggest tip I can give you is to cut down on the foundation. I know, I sound crazy, but I too thought that foundation would be the only thing to cover up my redness. It wasn't until I cut back to using BB creams daily that I noticed my skin changing for the better, mostly because I was letting my skin breathe. The constant caking on the foundation then setting it with powders was irritating my dry patches and making it worse. 

However, when I do wear foundation the best I've found to wear is the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea and Smashbox studio skin 15hr wear. I like to use a hydrating primer underneath, such as the Smashbox hydrating primer, First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Priming Moisturizer, Laura Geller Spackle Hydrating Primer, and Becca's Backlight Priming Filter.  Then use something like Benefit's Pore-fessional on my nose. 

Something else that I like to do to be a little extra is use a hydrating mask before I start my makeup (like if I'm prepping for a big event.) My favorite to use is the Glamglow Thirsty mud. It truly is amazing and works wonders as a sleeping mask. 

Hope this helps! 🙂

[jennyexiled]

I've also had to stop wearing foundation daily due to my dry skin. I use Urban Decay Naked Skin One & Done Hybrid Complexion Perfector instead and it's really helped with my super dry skin. I don't get as much coverage, but my skin is better so it doesn't matter. Win-win! 

I also use Milk Makeup's Hydrating Oil Stick and Dr. Jart+ Water Drop Hydrating Moisturizer. At night I try to slather on something like The Estée Edit Pink Peony Overnight Water Pack when I remember. 

After years of fighting acne it feels weird to be slathering oil on my face, but it really has helped with my dry skin and I even have less breakouts now then I did before! 

[veronika23]

Hi @trk98!

I have dry skin too and one product that has made a difference is Consonant HydrExtreme. It's a bit expensive but worth every penny in my opinion. It only has 2 ingredients and feels like water. You can put it direct on your skin or mix with your moisturizer. A little does go a long way so the bottle should last you a while. You would use it right after cleansing before applying other products. If you live in Canada it can be found at Sephora, if you are in the US I think Costco might have it (cheaper price).

I also really love Omorovicza's Thermal Cleansing Balm. It's another expensive product, especially for a cleanser, but I buy from the UK and that brings the price down a lot.

If you could only change/get one thing I would really recommend the HydrExtreme. It's definitely an HG product for me. It took away the dry patches and flakiness I had.

Hope this helps as well.

[mrsbaine]

I think it's a skincare issue too. You may need: 

- oil/cream based gentle cleanser: these won't strip your skin. First Aid Beauty makes a lovely cleanser as does Tata Harper (I like their oil or refreshing cleansers) 

- moisturizing serum: Dr Jart Ceramidin is a good option. Also along the natural route many oils are good active moisturizers/serums. I personally love May Lindstrom's The Youth Dew or another good option is a Herbivore Phoenix Oil. 

A thick evening moisturizer: you can even look at balms with Shea butter. Brands like May Lindstrom, or Mahalo make them. 

I've used Rosewater over foundation to moisturize during the day. That also helps keep cake face away. 

[curlieq]

i second the phoenix oil suggestion by @mrsbaine ...this stuff is amazing and has helped my very dry skin tremendously. don't be afraid of oils, but do experiment a little to see what type is best for you. i find phoenix to be too heavy for day use, but slather it on at night.

once i found a good cleanser that didn't strip my skin bone dry, my dryness improved tremendously and products overall just worked better. finding the right products and right routine can be frustrating, so be patient. (my current routine is a rotation of gentle cleansers in the shower, ole h. truth serum followed by sunday riley's c.e.o. moisturizer for day (this stuff is thick and my skin drinks it up). at night i rotate routines, but most nights i apply a hydrating serum followed by herbivore's moon fruit and then phoenix oil. shiseido's ibuki sleeping mask is also full of awesome moisture. i'm always looking for products with hyaluronic acid derivatives. 

be careful about exfoliating too often and with too harsh of a product. this will dry you out like the sahara if you're not too careful!