Advice for Sensitive Skin, help needed!!

[Georgia1309]

My brother (16), has an extremely sensitive face. He has been struggling with acne for a while now. It is all scaby, dry, raw, and almost wounded looking. Additionally, he shaves over it almost every morning, not helping at all. We have tried so many moisturizers, but they all burn him, EVEN CeraVe and Cetaphil. Any moisturizer recommendations?

[ManiBanani82]

Have you tried the #Blume products?  I gifted them to my nephew and he loves them !  They are super gentle but very effective

[WinglessOne]

@Georgia1309  Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion. It’s a lightweight moisturizer with a good simple formula that tends to work well for sensitive skin. There’s also Vanicream Moisturizing Cream which is a thicker version of the lotion. 

Also, if your brother’s seen a dermatologist for his acne (if not, I recommend he talk with his parent/legal guardian about it), they should be able to suggest more moisturizers or other options. 

[Georgia1309]

Thanks! We have some a dermatologist multiple times, although no matter what they suggest, he says it all burns his skin! 

[WinglessOne]

@Georgia1309  Quick BIC tip: remember to “@“ the person you reply to so they’ll get a notification. Otherwise they might never see your reply. 🙂 

Aw, sorry he’s having so much skin irritation. I have rather reactive/inflammation-prone skin, and when it throws a big tantrum, it initially burns/stings no matter what I put on it. That stinging usually lasts just 2-10 minutes though; it’s caused by me rubbing product onto my face, no matter how gently I do it. Once I’m done rubbing, the stinging/burning subsides. I wonder if your brother has the same experience: maybe everything burns at first and then calms down later. Then again, I do know someone whose skin won’t tolerate CeraVe Moisturizing Cream because she’s sensitive to one of its ingredients, so I don’t doubt your brother could have a similar issue. 

If no moisturizer plays nice with his skin, he could try using plain ol’ petrolatum as a moisturizer. That’s the most occlusive (water loss preventing) skincare ingredient on the market and, contrary to myth, it doesn’t clog pores or damage skin. A thin layer of Vaseline (or other brand of petroleum jelly) applied to damp skin can work very well as a moisturizer. If CeraVe products irritate your brother’s skin, then he probably shouldn’t try CeraVe Healing Ointment… my personal favorite petrolatum balm is Aquaphor Ointment, which isn’t quite as greasy feeling as Vaseline but does contain lanolin; some folks are skin-sensitive to lanolin. 

Another option is Aveeno Eczema Therapy Nighttime Itch Relief Balm. It contains colloidal oatmeal, one of my skin’s favorite soothing anti-inflammatory ingredients. Also contains a ceramide and relies on dimethicone as a moisturizing ingredient. 

I hope your brother finds something that helps soon!