Sensitive Skin Problem
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free skin care · Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:01 am

Such problem troubles me alot. I'm always so easy to get a "red" face without a cause. Needless to say it creates embarassing very often. Sad

I've tried numerous products so called for sensitive skin. Their claims may be coming from no harm or intensify my sensitiveness, but no chance for improving it. I'm still hoping there is something in the world can really read my mind and do magic on me. Is there any suggestion?

free skin care · Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:27 am

Here are some lines I would suggest for sensitive skin: My number one pick would be Primavera, then Dr Hauschka, Jurlique, Lavera, and Weleda. Each of these lines includes a variety or products with great ingredients which help soothe sensitive skin and actually help improve the skin's condition. You may want to chooes a few products from each line that would best suit your needs. I would stay away from products high in preservatives, chemicals, fillers and other irritants and try to stick to organic and natural ones instead. I'm sure you'll see a noticeable difference once you make the switch; I know I did.

free skin care · Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:33 am

I have rosacea and I am fifty. I have found that over time, my rosacea and redness became worse.

These are the tings that I have found most useful to avoid increased redness:

1. Use sunscreen every day, all year. The sun's UV rays will cause redness to worsen over time.

2. Exfoliation is a sticky issue. Few people would argue that some degree of exfoliation is necessary, but with sensitive skin, it can just exacerbate the redness over time. I avoid AHA including glycolic acid, BHA, manual exfoliation, microdermabrasion, Retin-A plus any retinoid products, etc. I REALLY want to exfoliate, but even a washcloth upsets my skin. I am still searching for a product that exfoliates, but does not cause increased redness over extended use.

3. Use a gentle cleanser.

4. Be extremely careful with anti-aging products as these may irritate sensitive skin.

5. Avoid alcohol - based products on the skin.

The above steps should help to protect your skin and to prevent any further damage that may increase redness.

To help with already existing redness, I have found the laser to be effective. I was treated with the V-Beam about five times and get yearly follow-ups for maintenance. Many people do not see significant results until the third treatment or possibly even the fifth treatment.

The laser will substantially reduce the redness by 60 - 90% for most people, but unfortunately not everyone benefits from the laser. Sad

If you follow the above guidelines in combo with the laser, you should be able to keep the redness at bay.

Try to decide what triggers increase redness and avoid those products and situations. I have found that AHA, hot showers, the sun, and alcohol consumption are powerful triggers for me, but they differ for everyone.

I, also, use Metrogel consistently every day and that seems to help me.

free skin care · Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:56 am

Thanks ladies!

Charmed1, do you mean you use Metrogel as your moisturiser everyday?

free skin care · Sat Aug 26, 2006 11:14 am

Hello,

I have ultra, ultra sensitive skin. I know how miserable it can be. These are some of the things that have helped me.

I agree with Charmedl about the exfoliation. I just can't do it on my sensitive skin and so I don't. Not to worry if you can't. My skin looks far better without the exfoliation than when I used AHA's etc. Some people are just too sensitive and I'm one of them. If you really want to exfoliate go slowly using the gentlest of exfoliating products.

Although I use some Primavera, Jurlique, and Dr. H. skin care I feel that you have to be careful with the alcohol used in some of their products. It is irritating to some sensitive skin types and I'm one of them. Although this alcohol is from fermented grain it still can be greatly irritating to some sensitive skin. Be careful with organic skin care lines. Although they are much better for sensitive skin they can still contain ingrediants that have the potential to irritate. Try buying samples of these products and see how your skin responds to them.

The less you do to your face, the better.

I have found that many of Primavera's pure base oils to be one of the most excellent products I have used on my skin. They are certified organic oils with nothing else added. Just one ingredient!! So pure, nourishing, soothing to the face.

I have found Emu Oil to be a God-send for sensitive skin. Highly anti-inflammatory, deeply moisturizing and soothing it calms down any kind of irritation that may have developed. Whenever my skin is just plain out of sorts due to using irritating products or environmental factors I head for the Emu Oil. Wonderful!!

Hope this helps.

free skin care · Sat Aug 26, 2006 11:35 am

To answer your question:
I cleanse, tone with a Mist, dry my skin, apply Metrogel, let Metrogel sit, absorb, and dry for a few minutes. Then I use a moisturizer, after the moisturizer, I use a sunscreen.
Hope this helps a little.

free skin care · Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:06 pm

Charmed1 wrote:

To answer your question:
I cleanse, tone with a Mist, dry my skin, apply Metrogel, let Metrogel sit, absorb, and dry for a few minutes. Then I use a moisturizer, after the moisturizer, I use a sunscreen.
Hope this helps a little.

I can't even use Metrogel, it made everything worse at least for me. Crying or Very sad

free skin care · Sun Aug 27, 2006 6:03 am

i couldnt use it either Metrogel made me flush more.

free skin care · Sun Aug 27, 2006 7:26 am

About the Metrogel ~

I think that is what makes sensitive, reactive skin so difficult. It is extremely hard to find products that work and if a product works for me ~ it may not work for someone else.

Even worse, a product can make my skin look great one day ~ to the point where I receive compliments. But, a week later, following the exact same regime, my skin will be red, flushed, uneven and reactive! Shock

Then, I will search for a new product, only to have the same thing happen.

Eventually, I will go back to my old "stand by"! This product makes my skin feel great, but, does not help the redness at all. So, my skin feels comfortable, happy, and soft ~ but ~ the redness comes and goes. My skin is plumped, wrinkles hardly exist ~ but, the redness...

That is why it is so important to find your "reactive" triggers and avoid them, if possible.

It is so weird, one would think that at fifty, I would have my skin care down pat ~ but, products that seem to work well one day, may not work as well the next day. (very frustrating)

Even my old "stand by" of 10 years does nothing to alleviate the redness. In all honesty, my reaction/redness is probably caused by other things (like something I ate or drank or the weather) but, who knows!

I do know that sun damage over time makes it much worse.

On the left side of my face (from "driving in my car" sun exposure), I am much more reactive and uneven in my skin color, almost blotchy at times. Also, warmth/heat makes it worse, so sleeping om my side with my face squished in a pillow probably does not help! Now, the right side of my face can look close to perfect ~ pale and porcelain at times. The left side of my face never achieves that ideal ~ it can be calm and semi - normal, but, never close to perfect.

So,I know that sunscreen is essential!

I am sorry, I am venting ~ yesterday and all last week, my face was fine. Last night it went very reactive and I really don't know why!!! No, I didn't consume alcohol, spicy foods, or get sun exposure ~ it just went crazy!!!

free skin care · Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:25 pm

I heard a lot about how La mer is super perfect for sensitive skin. Has anybody tried this? Plus, what if I got irritation around my eyes?

free skin care · Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:16 pm

Charmed1 wrote:

I am sorry, I am venting ~ yesterday and all last week, my face was fine. Last night it went very reactive and I really don't know why!!! No, I didn't consume alcohol, spicy foods, or get sun exposure ~ it just went crazy!!!

I wear sunscreen and a hat and try to stay out of the sun until late afternoon. Some of the triggers with Rosacea can be stress and I've become reactive before coming down withe the flu, or stress (posative or negative).

free skin care · Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:31 pm

Charmed1 wrote:

I have rosacea and I am fifty. I have found that over time, my rosacea and redness became worse.

These are the tings that I have found most useful to avoid increased redness:

1. Use sunscreen every day, all year. The sun's UV rays will cause redness to worsen over time.

2. Exfoliation is a sticky issue. Few people would argue that some degree of exfoliation is necessary, but with sensitive skin, it can just exacerbate the redness over time. I avoid AHA including glycolic acid, BHA, manual exfoliation, microdermabrasion, Retin-A plus any retinoid products, etc. I REALLY want to exfoliate, but even a washcloth upsets my skin. I am still searching for a product that exfoliates, but does not cause increased redness over extended use.

3. Use a gentle cleanser.

4. Be extremely careful with anti-aging products as these may irritate sensitive skin.

5. Avoid alcohol - based products on the skin.

The above steps should help to protect your skin and to prevent any further damage that may increase redness.

To help with already existing redness, I have found the laser to be effective. I was treated with the V-Beam about five times and get yearly follow-ups for maintenance. Many people do not see significant results until the third treatment or possibly even the fifth treatment.

The laser will substantially reduce the redness by 60 - 90% for most people, but unfortunately not everyone benefits from the laser. Sad

If you follow the above guidelines in combo with the laser, you should be able to keep the redness at bay.

Try to decide what triggers increase redness and avoid those products and situations. I have found that AHA, hot showers, the sun, and alcohol consumption are powerful triggers for me, but they differ for everyone.

I, also, use Metrogel consistently every day and that seems to help me.

Excellent post Charmed1, I think that you should submit this to the EDS faq section! Smile

free skin care · Sun Aug 27, 2006 5:17 pm

TheresaL ~ Thank you ~ I have just lived with rosacea for a long time.

Rufus ~ Maybe it is stress ~ I am a teacher and the first day of school is tomorrow, I have been preparing like crazy and I am stressed!!! I am teaching 3 subjects ~ World History, Psychology, and Government!!!

itisme ~ I have used La Mer and it is very comforting and soothing ~ I just don't think that it helps the redness. Actually, the regular Creme NOT the eye cream is very good for irritation around the eyes.

free skin care · Sun Aug 27, 2006 6:16 pm

Charmed1 wrote:

TheresaL ~ Thank you ~ I have just lived with rosacea for a long time.

Rufus ~ Maybe it is stress ~ I am a teacher and the first day of school is tomorrow, I have been preparing like crazy and I am stressed!!! I am teaching 3 subjects ~ World History, Psychology, and Government!!!

itisme ~ I have used La Mer and it is very comforting and soothing ~ I just don't think that it helps the redness. Actually, the regular Creme NOT the eye cream is very good for irritation around the eyes.

Both my parents have Rosacea and I really started to suffer after a hysterectomy. Every time I get an attack I have to back off of everthing I use and pare my skincare down to next to nothing til I improve.

Stress is a biggie cause people figure only bad stress would be a trigger. But the stress you've described is just the type of thing that would get my skin going. Teaching is more than just talking at the front of the class, there is so much preparation involved.

free skin care · Sun Aug 27, 2006 7:24 pm

Hi

To add a bit more to Charmed's excellent post. When searching for a gentle cleanser, stay far away from anything with a sulfate type detergent in it. Sodium Laural Sulfate (SLS) is the worst, but Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Aluminum Lauryl Sulfate are also bad. Some people have trouble with essential oils in their cleansers...although it doesn't bother me much. But just pay attention to the ingredients in the products you use. And just because a skincare line says that a certain product or line is "for sensitive skin," take that with a huge grain of salt.

I do know one person who got her rosacea into complete remission for years, by using a gentle, detergent-free ph-balanced cleanser, plus CP serum and emu oil. Nothing else. Her skin stayed healthy for years until she started experimenting with retinoids, and I think she accidentally used a cleanser with some bad ingredient in it.

I highly recommend Ultra Emu oil for its anti-inflammatory nature.

Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:22 am

be careful.most makeup remover oil will cause ur spot and makes ur skin sensitive.

free skin care · Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:34 am

parsleythyme wrote:

be careful.most makeup remover oil will cause ur spot and makes ur skin sensitive.

I have VERY sensitive/had extreme rosacea skin, use remover oil and have no "SPOTS" nor does it make my skin more sensitive. ' Rolling Eyes

'
Anyhow on a real note, I use Obagi gentle was or cetaphil and they work very well. IPL's every six months have done wonders. I am now able to use my IS Active again every night and use both proheal (for rosacea skin) and Super serums. I also use the occasional Obagi Action, great for the flare up. My baby quasar helps keep it calm also.

free skin care · Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:09 pm

I have sensitive skin too, and I found that using Camellia Oil as a moisturizer and cleanser helped tone the redness down. RyF has high quality organic camellia oil.

free skin care · Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:59 pm

I too have rosacea, and I cannot over emphasize how important my dermatologist has been. However, not all derms are created equal, so it is important to have a good one that understands the disease. With time, you will figure out what triggers your skin. For me, it is sun, heat, alcohol in cosmetics, stress, poor diet, and probably number one for me is chemical sunscreens. If you are trying out new products, even if they say they are sensitive skin, pick ones that have the very shortest list of ingredients.
I have a standard cleanser that I know I can come back to to calm down my skin when it gets upset, but I am searching for one that will also improve my skin. I recently added vitamin C to my routine, and my skin LOVES it. I use PSF 12%. The PSF R and R toner also really seems to settle my skin. And metrogel is an indispensible part of my routine. Be prepared for lots of trial and error, and take everyone's advice with a grain of salt (including mine! Very Happy

) What I mean is - everyone's skin is different, and I personally feel that a rosacean's skin is even more individual in what makes it happy. You just need to find what works for you.
Good luck!

free skin care · Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:08 pm

Elizasue, when you mention poor diet, what does that mean in your case? Is there a standard good diet for rosacea skin or is that individual too?

free skin care · Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:15 pm

Poco Loco - I am mostly a vegetarian(I do eat fish), I eat lots of veggies/fruits, don't eat lots of processed food, do most of my own cooking, etc. I find if I get really busy for a week or two and eat lots of starchy, prepared food my skin takes a turn for the worse. Not really scientific, just my observations. But it makes sense to me when I think about it. whole foods are better for your body, and your skin is the biggest organ you have, so it makes sense to me that it would reflect when you are not as good to yourself. I do think I have read that diet can influence rosacea, but so far as I know nobody has done any studies on it.
HTH

free skin care · Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:04 pm

That makes sense. And I know that Perricone says that an anti-inflammatory diet will help the skin. I just don't happen to think that his is the only path to anti-inflammatory. I agree that a whole foods diet like you describe--even with lots of starches like whole brown rice etc--can bring down inflammation. He is more into low-carb eating, which I can't do. So I refuse to belive in it. Laughing

Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:49 pm

Charmed1 wrote:

I have rosacea and I am fifty. I have found that over time, my rosacea and redness became worse.

These are the tings that I have found most useful to avoid increased redness:

1. Use sunscreen every day, all year. The sun's UV rays will cause redness to worsen over time.

2. Exfoliation is a sticky issue. Few people would argue that some degree of exfoliation is necessary, but with sensitive skin, it can just exacerbate the redness over time. I avoid AHA including glycolic acid, BHA, manual exfoliation, microdermabrasion, Retin-A plus any retinoid products, etc. I REALLY want to exfoliate, but even a washcloth upsets my skin. I am still searching for a product that exfoliates, but does not cause increased redness over extended use.

3. Use a gentle cleanser.

4. Be extremely careful with anti-aging products as these may irritate sensitive skin.

5. Avoid alcohol - based products on the skin.

The above steps should help to protect your skin and to prevent any further damage that may increase redness.

To help with already existing redness, I have found the laser to be effective. I was treated with the V-Beam about five times and get yearly follow-ups for maintenance. Many people do not see significant results until the third treatment or possibly even the fifth treatment.

The laser will substantially reduce the redness by 60 - 90% for most people, but unfortunately not everyone benefits from the laser. Sad

If you follow the above guidelines in combo with the laser, you should be able to keep the redness at bay.

Try to decide what triggers increase redness and avoid those products and situations. I have found that AHA, hot showers, the sun, and alcohol consumption are powerful triggers for me, but they differ for everyone.

I, also, use Metrogel consistently every day and that seems to help me.

I totally agree...I think the biggest downer about having rosacea is that what works for me may not work for you. Sad

Case and point my brother also has rosacea and you might think that being closely related we would have similar types of rosacea...but that's not true, he can't even use Metrogel while I can. Confused

It's very frustrating indeed!! I have recently discovered Calendula Gel and it seems to work beautifully for calming/healing my hyper skin...in conjunction with the Metrogel it appears to be a winning combo!

free skin care · Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:05 am

I don't have rosacea but my skin can get reactive and a little red from time to time, especially with certain combinations of food, drink, etc. The big trigger that helped my skin immensely was Decleor Gentle Soothing Cream. The changes did not happen overnight, but gradually overtime my skin became less red and reactive. It's now to the point where I don't notice it anymore.

Over the years, as I wanted to add more active anti-aging ingredients to my routine, I have slowed down with the Decleor Gentle Soothing Cream and started using ADCE and Rosehip Oil. I still always reach for the Gentle Soothing Cream if I notice a bit of a flare-up or a little redness...which happens rarely these days or if need some extra moisture over the ADCE during the drier, winter months. I also like to use it (or the Rose d'Orient Oil) after a JB Apple Peel.

free skin care · Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:40 am

In my opinion, every products caused redness to sensitive skin type for the first attempt even with the mildest product, at least I am. What I can say is if the redness didnt come with irritation or itchy, I can continue using it, normally I will notice no redness when I used the product for the second time.

And, I dont think there is product in this world to change our skin type from senstitive to other types.

Ya, I really understand the feeling, most of the time, I suffered too. So, my solution is "find products that really suit you and use them till the end of world". I know, practically, it is difficult to do so as we are always tempted to try new products, hoping to improve our current conditions.

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