r/SensitiveSkinSurvival

Or the bath towel? How often do you change it out. Saw disposable face towels and wondered how everyone else does it. Seems wasteful to use these disposables but it does sound nice to have a clean one each time. Using separate face towels sound good too but then twice a day adds up to a lot of laundry.

I’ve tried so many different leave-in conditioners on my dry curly hair and keeping getting breaks outs of acne on my shoulders from where my hair touches my skin. Any sensitive skin people also have this issue? Any suggestions on products to try?

Hi everyone! I have been researching skincare for eczema-prone skin and wanted to learn from people with lived experience.

I’m curious:

what’s your current go-to night cream?
what do you like about it?
what’s the biggest frustration with it?
if you could design the perfect eczema night cream, what would it be like ?

I’m here to learn rather than promote anything, and I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences

Thank you in advance!!!

So i bought a bottle (the ordinary) years ago and just never tried it. I have dry, eczema-prone skin so I was thinking it was too abrasive for me (still think so)
But i tried it on my feet with dry cracked skin. I had read people keep it on overnight but i was hesitant. I knew i needed to patch test cos i react to skin products even made for sensitive skin. It kinda burned some small cuts i didn’t know i had on my few but i am shooketh that it like removed a lot of the dry skin that i just wiped with a soaked pad for a couple minutes. Gonna wash off but like that worked too well like i feel like i used acetone (smells strong) but it looks good. Just woried I’ll wake up tmr to some horrible reaction since i didn’t actually patch test. Any one with any experience?

Edit: i think what i’m trying to ask is if you use it and for whAt? I am considering using it for suspected KP on my skin if i don’t react to it on my feet (will check tmr and washing off rn)

I’ve been using a cleanser, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, and sometimes acne treatments, but my skin looks more stressed than better. I don’t think every product is bad but maybe the combination is too much. Has anyone fixed their skin by cutting products that didn’t work well together?

I have a history of mild perioral dermatitis, so I try to go no-makeup as much as possible. But obviously, there are some occasions where I want to use some.

Until recently I was using MAC prolongwear concealer for small coverage as it’s what I’ve used for years. But I’ve come to think that it’s way too heavy and harsh for my skin.

Someone recommended BareMinerals Tinted Moisturiser, but I find it really sticky and dries out my skin even more. Maybe it’s the SPF.

Anyone got any good recs?

I’ve been on a hunt for a moisturiser that doesn’t break me out or clog my pores. I’m extremely prone to closed comedones and I’ve been suffering with closed comedones for years now. I’m currently using Adapalene to get rid of them but I’ve realised most of the products I’ve used contributed to my pores getting clogged and I’ve been eliminating them slowly out of my routine. I’ve used so many moisturisers over the years but the only one that has worked for me so far is the Ordinary nmf + beta glucan moisturiser. I’m confident that my routine isn’t clogging my pores but it’s winter where I am and a gel moisturiser isn’t cutting it and something to keep my skin hydrated and moisturised

Here is a list of moisturisers I have tried that didn’t work for me:

Dr Althea 345 relief cream(new version)- gave me cystic acne

Dr Althea aqua marine cream- clogged my pores

Anua 100+ pdrn cream- gave me cystic acne

Krave beauty oat so simple water cream - clogged my pores

Purito oat in calming gel cream - clogged my pores

Naturie skin conditioning gel - congested my skin(left an oily film on top)

From doing a bit of research I’ve found that my skin is extremely reactive to oils and fatty acids. So I’m currently looking for a moisturizer that is completely free of oils and fatty acids especially squalane and coconut oil and its derivatives.

Any one with recommendations that could help me?

Hi! I’m concerned about my skin barrier as I use retinol / Tretinoin 2-3 nights a week.
Summer makes my skin extra sensitive. I tend to have large pores so I need an exfoliant or pore refining product /toner that is SUPER gentle & non-irritating for very dry mature sensitive skin. 😘

I have always had quite sensitive skin—neither oily nor dry—ever since my teenage years, and it reacts incredibly quickly to certain strong products, though surprisingly not to others you would expect it to. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had these persistent under-the-skin bumps that have no pus and cannot be popped. Some are red and some are skin-colored, but they aren't itchy at all, and even when I tried fungal acne treatments, they did absolutely nothing. Nothing worked for years until 2021 I stayed with a relative who recommended her face cream called ETIN, which she got from those Afro Asian hair stores. I was extremely reluctant because nothing ever worked and almost everything broke me out, but when I woke up the next morning, about 50 percent of my facial bumps were gone. Within a week or so, my skin was pretty much completely clear, and it continued like that for weeks. However, when I researched the cream, I discovered it actually contained betamethasone; it wasn't a large amount, but it is a topical steroid, and I'm honestly unsure how it's even licensed to be sold in a regular cream on the shelf in England it doesn’t warn you it’s in there as well !! . Eventually, I realized I didn't want to rely on this cream since steroids aren't good long-term, but when I tried new creams, most made my skin worse, and the ones that worked okay only lasted about two weeks before the bumps started breaking out again.
After that, I started looking into active ingredients and topicals. I tried using AHA and BHA actives, but they completely wrecked my skin, so I can't tolerate them and never use them now. I then tried Tretinoin, and at one point Adapalene, which worked great and gave me a similar clear effect. My routine for the past three years was to use a simple moisturizer like Cetaphil Sensitive on the days I used topicals, and then go back to my etin moisturizer on the other days, occasionally switching up the retinol. Last year, I tried regular Epiduo, and it made my skin look like glass—completely clear—but the results eventually mellowed out. I thought I’d give it another go this year, but I moved up to Epiduo Forte, which has been working okay but nothing exciting; if I use it more than twice a week, my skin really doesn't like it. What confuses me is that while some of these bumps are clearly clogged pores, most definitely are not, so I don't even know how Epiduo managed to clear them up in the first place.
On top of that, I am extremely sensitive to the sun and heat, breaking out into bumps if I'm in a lot of heat or out in the sun too long. When I have an extremely big sun allergy breakout, a 3-day course of steroid cream on my face is the only thing that gets rid of it. I used to use hydrocortisone, but that stopped working, so now I have a tube of betamethasone that I save strictly for extreme summer breakouts. This summer has been unbearably hot, so my plan is to use it for 3 days one week, wait maybe 10 days, and do it for a single day to maintain it until summer is over. Otherwise, there is no way I can even wear makeup or show my face without people constantly pointing it out and saying, "Oh, there’s a rash on your face," which feels like a typical heat rash looming mixed with bumps.
Lately, I’ve also been getting 15-minute laser resurfacing facials by Skin Laundry for the past two months. It’s worked nicely overall to get rid of congestion and give my skin a nice glow, but it’s expensive and not sustainable, so I'm just using a short course package I managed to get for a good deal. For my daily routine, I always try to avoid using my go-to ETIN moisturizer regularly because I’m not a fan of the ingredients. Right now, I'm using a simple base moisturizer like Adex Gel with Epiduo every now and then, and only going back to ETIN for a night or so.
Ultimately, my main point is: what the hell is up with my skin, and why can nothing tame it? Do I have some sort of inflammatory skin condition, because why else does it only calm down with the input of a steroid cream? I’ve tried looking into my diet and saw a post about a low-histamine diet, but the foods on there don't seem to trigger me, so it made no sense to completely change my diet for it. I even tried taking an antihistamine daily for two weeks straight to see if it would help, but absolutely nothing changed. I just feel completely trapped and don't know what's wrong with my skin, and I would love to finally get to the bottom of it. Yes I have good. Weeks but ultimately it’s the same issue. Also yes I’ve tried korean skin care. I’ve done everything under the sun hydrafacial you name it ! to heal my maybe broken skin barrier or whatever this is - 2 weeks of stripping down to basics or just Vaseline / water & nothing.

My current face wash is the blabs matcha

I’m looking for a skincare routine based on real experience, not paid promotions or affiliate recommendations.

My skin type: Normal to Dry

My skin concerns:
Whiteheads (closed comedones)
Old acne marks
Dull and uneven skin tone

I’m looking for honest recommendations for:
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid
Lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer
Sunscreen with no white cast

Any other products that genuinely helped you with similar skin concerns.

I have already ordered Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh Rice + B5 SPF50+ PA++++ (Blue Version). If you’ve used it, I’d love to hear your honest review.

I’m also seeing a lot of ads and recommendations for the Pakistani skincare brand NEUE. Has anyone here actually used their products? Are they genuinely effective, and if so, which products would you recommend? Are there any products from the brand that should be avoided?
Apart from NEUE, I’d also appreciate recommendations for other authentic skincare brands and products that have given you real results.

Lastly, where do you buy 100% authentic skincare products? There are so many fake products being sold through Instagram pages and random online stores that it’s hard to know who to trust. Please recommend reliable websites or sellers that you’ve personally had a good experience with.

Please recommend only products you’ve personally used or have long-term experience with. Thanks in advance! 🙏

Skin Type/Concerns: Dry, very sensitive, eczema-prone. I suspect my skin barrier might be damaged too? because my face frequently feels hot, red, sometimes bumps or hives or acne flare ups and tingly/stinging after washing it and putting on products. but idk if that’s because of water temperature or my skin reacting to whatever I’m putting on my face.

Current Routine: Aveeno Oat Face Wash, Aveeno Face Lotion, and VSP Botanics Mineral Sunscreen

My Goal: I want soft, clear, dewy skin, and to stop the stinging. I want to move away from US products and I want to try international skincare from France, Korea, the Middle East, Africa, or Greece, and/or I want to try raw, natural botanical ingredients.

Location: Massachusetts

Does anyone have any recommendations for products or advice for a morning and night routine?

Edit: this is the only forum I can use every other one won’t take this post or the rules are really tight😕

Looking to see if anyone else with sensitive, type 2 rosacea skin has experience with Triple Cream (15% Azelaic Acid, 1% Metro, 1% Iver).

TLDR I wrecked my skin barrier about 3 years ago and seem to have finally gotten it manageable, except I gave myself rosacea (type 2) in the process. Trigger is heat/UV/Sunlight. I do my best to keep out of the sun (I am paper white fair) but I still tend to get pustules/papules after a day outside only on my rosacea spots. They last a long time, are tender and painful, and leave pigment behind so they’re stubborn and annoying.

Derm prescribed the Triple Cream above. As someone with sensitive skin I have NEVER been able to use any acid on my face, even if it’s only a couple of times a week. I’ve only been able to use very light spot treatments on spots (tbh that barely do anything). I’m allergic to benzoyl peroxide too.

Checking if anyone with sensitive skin had reactions to the Triple Cream? My derm wants me to just jump into using it but I’m so scarred from wrecking my barrier for years.

For now I’m using it over my moisturizer on one small spot daily to test it out - but I’ve heard it can take months to be effective. I also have some Hypochlorus Acid spray on the way to try since I’ve seen sensitive skin rosacea success on here with that and it seems gentle. Open to any type 2 sensitive skin treatments too (no Vanicream, was drying for me).

Routine:
Wash face with Distilled Water (yes, I have reactions to our water even with a softener)
Cetaphil Fragrance Free Cleanser
Curology Gel Moisturizer
Hero Force Shield Sunscreen
Cocokind Eye Cream

Night - same as above except first cleans with Banila Co Balm and no sunscreen. Spot treat blemishes with Epionce Lite Lytic and/or Peach Slices Pimple Patch.