Please help. Super dry skin!

[RachieMunchkin]

So I have this problem, I have really dry skin near my chin and eyebrow area, I’ve tried a lot of moisturizers, I wash my face twice a day and moisturize twice a day, but in between then, my face always tends to dry out and flake. I’m not too sure if it’s the ingredients in the moisturizer, or if I’m not using the correct moisturizers. I do have a skin care routine every weekend, I’ve tried the water based moisturizers, and they sting. I really need help trying to find what the problem might be, it’s really frustrating. I’m no expert on skin care either.

[CRJG]

Spoiler

[WinglessOne]

@RachieMunchkin  Sounds like you have mostly-dry combo skin like me: I saw you mention you have an oily nose. Me too! Folks have recommended some good products so far. Has your skin improved since December?

Further down this thread, I saw you mention your current (well, as of December) routine: 

Spoiler

If you haven’t yet, try replacing the St. Ives scrub with a hydrating/moisturizing cleanser that isn’t a scrub. Your dry flakes are likely caused by over-exfoliation: the flakes are a sign of irritation and a damaged skin barrier in your case. You can still wash twice a day—and you probably should since you have an oily zone. (I used to wash just once a day; turns out that was making my skin worse.) Just use a gentler non-exfoliating cleanser. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser is a good inexpensive option. Something else you can try in the morning is IT Cosmetics Miracle Water Micellar Cleanser 8.5 oz/ 250 mL : it's a cleanser, toner, and serum in one step. I use it on mornings when I have medical issue flare-ups and can’t stand at the sink or in the shower long enough to wash my face with my gel cleanser. It’s also a good for washing off bacteria post-exercise. 

You also mentioned you’re stationed in Japan and can’t read Japanese, so you prefer to order products you can’t easily find there. Ulta carries various brands Sephora doesn’t, like CeraVe, and they ship to APO/FPO. Target also ships to AFO/FPO. 

Back to exfoliation: using an AHA exfoliant on damaged skin can make it worse, so I advise against that until your skin’s in better shape. AHA removes the top layer of dead skin cells. Your skin barrier is made of dead skin cells. Remove them too often and you’ll break your skin barrier. (I suspect that’s what happened with the St. Ives scrub, among other damage that scrub can do.) Plus, glycolic and lactic acids can be VERY painful on damaged irritated skin. If your skin’s less flaky by now and you haven’t tried an AHA, I recommend the very gentle FIRST AID BEAUTY - Facial Radiance Pads. Use them just once a week for a while. If your skin tolerates them, you can increase usage up to 3x a week. 

The Body Shop Drops of Youth Peel contains a lot of alcohol, plus several fragrance/perfuming ingredients. Using it even just on weekends could be further irritating your skin. That’s another product to consider removing from your routine. 

The CEO Oil is a good product, assuming your skin isn’t sensitive to vitamin C. Have you found a cream moisturizer to top it with daily? I saw some good suggestions in this thread. My daily moisturizer is Youth To The People Superfood Air-Whip Lightweight Face Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid 2 oz / 59 mL which works great on my dry zones and oily zone. In winter, I layer it over an oil with no problems. 

If you still have flaky dry patches, try topping them with a thin layer of Aquaphor Ointment or some other petroleum based product. Aquaphor is my favorite occlusive moisturizer: it acts as the skin barrier you’ve broken and allows your skin to heal. You don’t need to put it on your whole face (though I sometimes do, in very cold windy weather; I live in Chicago); just apply it to your damaged areas each day for a week or longer. Contrary to popular belief, petrolatum and mineral oil are not bad for skin. They’re great for barrier-damaged skin. When I need Aquaphor on my face, I apply it over my cream moisturizer. 

I hope your skin’s in better shape—if not now, then soon! 

[heartsmyface]

@WinglessOne   I love the FAB pads!  They’re so gentle!  

[scarletb]

@RachieMunchkin One thing I would try is not washing your face in the AM.  I just rinse off with lukewarm water. Which is another thing - make sure the water is not too hot.

[heartsmyface]

@RachieMunchkin   Okay, so first thing first- What are you using to wash your face twice daily?  You want to avoid anything that foams or lathers with dry skin.  even still, if your skin is flakey you may wish to wash your face only once daily.   An oil or balm cleanser will be much more gentle and won’t strip your skin of its natural barriers.  
Also, using a product with ahas will help exfoliate your skin while allowing it to retain moisture.   
A moisturizer is a good idea but may not be enough. Maybe try to incorporate a facial oil into your routine.  This will help A LOT with flakiness as it will minimize the appearance of any present flakes and will help prevent any future ones.  It will also create a fake barrier for your skin to help it heal, reduce sensitivity and hold in moisture.   

As for the burning, burning is usually the result of having a compromised skin barrier (from washing too much or over exfoliating) or an allergy or sensitivity to an ingredient.  Perhaps after a period of a week or two of babying your skin to ensure its not stripped,  you can reintroduce your current moisturizer and see if it still causes burning.  If it does then it’s the culprit.  
If none of these tips help alleviate the issue you may need to see a dermatologist and rule out eczema or psoriasis.  Good luck. 

[SpankyBuns]

Don't use toners and harsh scrubs. Have you heard of dermaplaning, get a tool name Tinkle, on a clean dry face go over every where, neck to if you want, it takes off the vellus hair and the dead skin under it  ( making your serums and moisturizers more effective, because you don't have the blocked dead skin and hair in the way). You can have this done by your estistisian for $120 or so but I like to stay at home,  and keep my money. After that rinse and coat your face with vitamin C and do a hydrating facial sheet mask or a Tacha face mask, lay down, maybe even mask your hair, put on a shower cap set your timer for 15 minutes and relax. When time is up hop in the shower rinse off, pat dry face lightly and use a nice moisturizer. Your face for a few hours may be red, it's all that beautiful fresh skin, and don't forget night routine is so important , wash, serum, and night dream, don't use harsh products, your're skin is the largest organ of your body treat it well and stay protected from the sun. Blue Lizard will stop those sun rays. Hope all this helps, feel free to contact me with any questions. 

[heartsmyface]

@SpankyBuns @RachieMunchkin   I wouldn’t recommend vitmain C to anyone who says their skin is sensitive and burns.  Vitmain C is an active ingredient that’s common skin irritant and tends to be drying.  If she’s got skin barrier issues it’s going to make matters worse.  

[SpankyBuns]

@BeautyHeartFace I have super dry skin as well this is what works for me, if you use a mild vitamin C, it is not a problem... at least not for me. And as I  also said cover with a moisturizing sheet mask. It feels so fresh!

[Boudreau]

Hi there!

I recently learned that for my own skin, that sometimes washing it multiple times a day can actually lead to dryness in "thinner areas" - such as forehead, chin, etc....Instead, it sometimes works best to use a toner in the morning as opposed to washing your face. It is also important to make sure that you are using a hydrating face wash that won't dry out your skin while still keeping it fresh (it's best to avoid any kind of scrubs or exfoliating washes during this time as they can increase dryness and actually irritate your skin). 

I float between toners, but one that recently came out that has worked itself into my routine is the LANEIGE - Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer This product doubles as a toner and a moisturizer and I have fallen in love with it! As I have most of their other products. Personally, I use this most nights, but I have sometimes also used in the morning in place of a face wash. Another essential for me is DR. JART+ - Ceramidin™ CreamThis moisturizer is the holy grail of moisturizers. It is very thick and creamy - so a little bit truly does go a long way. I find that this works best for me when I apply it to my whole face, but I have used it for dry spot patches as well. Some people find the scent of the cream overwhelming, but personally, I actually find it very soothing. I also love the facial masks from Dr. Jart+ of the same line. The two other toners I go between every morning are FRESH - Rose N’ Shine Skincare Set and CAUDALIE - Moisturizing Toner I have used both of these products for years and I always find myself going back to them in times of trouble. 

So overall, my two cents is: try to avoid using harsher face washes - maybe just avoid washing your face in the morning at all and stick only to a toner. Go for some super moisturizing products all over your face (extra spot treatment if required) and drink lots of water. 

I hope this helps! I know how frustrating dry skin can be 😞

S

[lmaster]

@RachieMunchkin I personally would recommend using some hydrating and moisturizing sheet masks, then add some hyaluronic acid serum THE ORDINARY - has reasonable prices so far my favorite moisturizer for dry skin is CAUDALIE - Vinosource SOS Intense Hydration Moisturizer

[AshGarcia]

I get dry patches and have oily nose too. One thing that I like to do to buff out dry/dead skin while pampering with ultra moisturizing oils is use Fresh Sugar Scrub https://www.sephora.com/product/sugar-face-polish-P12295?skuId=1933696 I ran out of it this weekend doing exactly that and have another jar in my shopping cart. I buy the giant one, but now they have a small one that is great for trying out. This stuff is so much better than St Ives. I used to use the drug store stuff like that when I was younger, and after using the good stuff realized how damaging those rough nut shells are on your skin. This is much gentler while getting the job done and will make your skin so soft, smooth and hydrated. PS - getting a little of this scrub on your lips and rubbing them together makes a really fantastic lip scrub too. I told a Sephora employee that I do that and she said she did the same 😉

Something else I do is add a drop or two of Josie Maran Argan oil https://www.sephora.com/product/100-percent-pure-argan-oil-mini-P425901 to my daily moisturizer if I'm feeling dry or after doing a mask or other treatment. I've also put a dab on my finger to just massage right onto a dry patch as a spot treatment. I like this one because it's 100% Argan oil without any weird chemicals or additives/preservatives and because I can put a little on the ends of my hair if it's looking dry!

[naturalooks15]

I would avoid using harsh scrubs (St Ives) for at least few days and re-introduce it later if you like once your skin is not so dry. St Ive's is too harsh for me on face, personally but some people do like it. 

1. Just wash with a gentle cleanser

2. Second I'd add a HA serum like Drunk Elephant B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic Acid 1.69 oz/ 50 mL or The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Hydrating Face Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL

3. Plus Squalane oil (TO, Inkey list, Indie Lee etc.) and

4. moisturizer with ceramides Drunk Elephant Lala Retro™ Nourishing Whipped Refillable Moisturizer 1.69 oz/ 50 mL or The INKEY List Ceramide Hydrating Night Treatment 1 oz/ 30 mL

[EliseDavidson]

Hey girl, I also deal with some dry patches especially in the winter. This is what i use to help my skin. The CeraVe hydrating facial cleanser is really nice for my dry skin and it is pretty cheap. I also really enjoy the Belif moisturizing bomb it is also really good. Another thing I use when my skin is really dry is the Clinique overnight moisture surge mask. I hope this helps!!

[Jan2826]

Use the first aid beauty cream

[Anonymous]

Same happens to me. I think it may be just the weather. I frequently moisturize during the day. Water creams are good too.

[jjc1208]

skin gets drier during the winter months, I would suggest to apply a hydrating moisturizing day and night, top with SPF during the day.

On top of that, bring an emollient with you, like a heavy duty cream and apply to areas that's dry throughout the day. 

[kohreeen]

Hey there! I normally have oily skin but during the winter season I tend to get dry spots near my chin and cheeks. I have tried out a Korean skincare routine, but it’s a bit too much moisture and I find it a little suffocating on my skin because you later on so many products but I found that this trio really helps me with the dry winter weather! 1. belif Hungarian Water Essence 2. belif Peat Miracle Revital Serum Concentrate 3. belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb One or twice a week I also like to do a face mask to add moisture into my skin as well, good luck!

[greeneyedgirl107]

@RachieMunchkin I rec integrating a facial oil into your routine.  I love  The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL .  Good luck!  What products are you currently using, btw?

[RachieMunchkin]

Daily: St. Ives apricot scrub, and then moisturize with the C.E.O Vitamin C+ Thurmeric Oil. I was using the Neutrogena water gel moisturizer(I don't remember the exact name) but the water moisturizer really stung my skin whenever I used it. Saturdays: The Body Shop Drops of Youth Liquid Peel, Glamglow Thirstymud, sometimes the Boscia Charcoal Peel (but only if my blackheads/pores are big), C.E.O Vitamin C+ Thurmeric Oil

[heartsmyface]

@RachieMunchkin   Ahhhhh!!!!  you’ve almost certainly stripped your skin!  Nix the St Ives from your routine.  The apricot scrub contains tiny sharp apricot pit particles that shred off the top layer of skin and damage the underlying skin in the process.   It makes your skin look and feel good but it creates micro tears in the fresh layer which is  mostly likely why you’re feeling burning with water moisturizers. 
If you like physical exfoliants and scrubs the fresh sugar strawberry exfoliating face wash is wonderful and much easier on your skin.  The sugar crystals are rounded and you have full control over how much of a scrub they give you dependant one how much water you use.  I wouldn’t use it for a week or so, until your skin barrier has healed but it’s a far better option.  If you’re alright with not using scrubs at all then try an enzyme peel once or twice a week.   Tatcha makes a rice one and Amore Pacific makes one as well.  

fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash 4.2 oz / 125 ml TATCHA - The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme PowderAMOREPACIFIC - Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder