Flakey & Oily Skin
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:07 am

Hi, I'm a brand new poster here. I've done a fair amount of searching and haven't found an answer to my question.

My husband has oily, large pored skin that is also dry and flakey. This isn't a T-zone situation where some skin is oily and other skin is dry, the places where it's oily it is also dry. He's been to a dermatologist and had topical creams prescribed, but they don't really work. What I've found has worked is products with AHAs. Right now I'm looking for new products for him, as I don't think he should continue using Origins.

Can anyone direct me to products that would be good for him? He wants only 2 steps (cleanser & moisturizer), and he strongly prefers a cleanser that works up a nice lather. I think we'd both prefer something that isn't hideously expensive.

I'm rather fond of PSF for myself, and use Green Tea Cleanser, vit C, BHA and HA Serum, but our skin types are completely different. I was thinking maybe Papaya Cleansing for him and Moisture Balancing Lotion or Balancing Oil, but am unsure if there's a better alternative.

TIA!

Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:37 am

I did a better search last night and found one relevant post. I closed the window, and I can't find it right now, but will edit this post later to add the link. Hopefully this will come in handy to anyone else with this particular problem.

I'm going with my gut and ordering the PSF Papaya gel, then hoping I can get him to mix 2 ingredients together: the HA serum and PSF ALA complex. I'm also really curious about the Suki line, so I might order a sample pack.

I'll try to remember to update this in a few weeks with any progress we've made.

Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:50 am

Welcome to EDS, Firelily! wave

It almost sounds like seborrhea or possibly something like excema or psoriasis. Did the Derm mention anything like that? Is there also redness and/or scaliness?

free skin care · Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:23 am

havana8 wrote:

Welcome to EDS, Firelily! wave

It almost sounds like seborrhea or possibly something like excema or psoriasis. Did the Derm mention anything like that? Is there also redness and/or scaliness?

I was thinking something medical as well...possibly fungal.

You might want to consider having him try washing his face with a diluted amount of Nizoral dandruff shampoo...you can usually find it any drugstore.

Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:41 am

Thanks for the welcome, Havana!

I think the derm said it was seborrhoeic dermatitis, aka cradle cap. There is definitely some redness...possibly scaliness is what I'm calling flaky? There will be a bit of flake that looks like it just needs to be brushed off, and it turns out to be a bigger patch than expected, if that makes sense.

So far the only thing that's worked for his scalp is anti-dandruff shampoo with SA, and I've noticed an improvement in his facial skin with AHAs. Unfortunately none of the prescription creams and shampoos he's taken have worked.

ETA- Also, thank you for reminding me that this is a medical condition, I had stopped thinking of it that way since it wasn't responding to allopathic treatment. My search of the board should be much more efficient now. I guess I'm right to get him away from those SLSs!

Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:41 am

It totally makes sense, Firelily. SD can be so very trying.

DH's brother keeps his SD scalp problem in check by mixing Nizoral, as Bethany mentioned, with Head & Shoulders Seborrheic Dermatitis Intensive Treatment shampoo. I think it might be called "Intensive Treatment" with "Seborrheic Dermatitis" in smaller discreet writing below. He mixes the two together in his hands before applying, leaves it on for 4 or 5 minutes and rinses. If he does this for a few days in a row, he can get away with weeks or months before it flares up again. Occasionally, depending on the time of year, etc. he might need to do it once a week or once every two weeks to keep it in check.

For his face, a couple of basic things he's been using in the last year have been helping to keep his SD in check. The first has been Skinoren which has the Azaleic Acid used all over with a tiny bit of Camellia Oil over top or Camellia Oil mixed with Rosehip Oil (2 to 1). His skin has been looking great for about a year now and any flare-ups have been mild and short-lived. The Camellia Oil is wonderful and works for my excema too.
http://www.netpharmacy.co.nz/111.html?search=skinoren
http://www.naturesgift.com/carrier_oils/Camellia-Oil.htm

Another thing you might want to try is a mild retin product. It actually helped a lot but since I can't get him to commit to sunscreen there was no point in him using this.

I also shared some of my Chamomile Rose Face Cream from Greenridge Herbals with him and after much eye rolling due to the "rose" part Laughing

, he started applying it sparingly on areas that looked as if they might be starting to scale up or that might be getting red. Totally helped and in fact, he ended up buying a full jar on his own.
http://www.greenridgeherbals.com/index.php?i=moisturizers&view=0

Beyond that, he uses a mild cleanser and a facecloth for mild exfoliation in the shower. Sometimes he will use a mild scrub.

The improvement wasn't instantaneous but still pretty quick IMHO. It has also worked out to be far healthier for his skin, affordable and sustainable as a low maintenance routine. (The doctor prescribed stuff wasn't working for him either.) He calls himself my guinea pig Cool

but his skin looks really great now and he finds this little routine manageable.

Maybe there is something in this routine here that you could try or modify for your husband's SD?

Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:36 pm

He seemed somewhat open to the idea of mixing 2 ingredients to produce a moisturizer at first, but then when I showed him the Chamomile Rose Face Cream he was all over it. And now I'm drooling over their products too! Laughing

He approved the PSF Papaya Cleanser, so we'll see how that goes. I'm excited to be getting him away from the Origins! I know the cleanser that he uses now smells and feels great, but the SLS makes me (and probably his skin) cringe.

I don't think there's any possibility of getting him to use sunscreen on a daily basis so retins are right out.

Maybe as he gets into this routine, and his skin improves (I hope!) he'll be willing to add in another step or two.

Thanks for all the help, Havana! Very Happy

free skin care · Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:42 pm

Thanks for the information, Havana. I've been struggling with seborrheic dermatitis for several years and it gets worse and better with a randomness that infuriates me.

I've tried just about everything I could get my hands on, including Nizoral shampoo, with mixed results. AHAs used to help but now they just seem to make any irritated spots a nice, bright red. I've had the best luck with Protopic (tacrolimus ointment 0.1%) that my derm prescribed. It is usually indicated in the treatment of eczema and is a tantalizing mixture of "0.1% w/w of tacrolimus in a base of white petrolatum, mineral oil, propylene carbonate, white wax and paraffin". In other words, sticky as all get-out and quite occlusive.

Every night in the shower, I wash with Dove soap and a fairly rough wash cloth, paying special attention to my trouble spots (creases between nose and cheek and in eyebrows). If things look fairly non-flaky when my face is dry, I just apply moisturizer or whatever serum I think appropriate. If skin is still noticeably flaky, on goes a thin coat of Protopic. In the morning, another wash with Dove and scrubby washcloth, and my face looks smoother and a lot less flaky. I'll be good for another week or two, and then have to repeat the Protopic application.

I keep hoping to find a magic potion that will get rid of this problem (and eczema and psoriasis) for good but I guess I just have that &#$@!! type of problem skin.

free skin care · Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 pm

Oily skin can use BHA for exfloliate the skin everyday. It can eliminate the dead skin cell on top of skin.

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.