Skin Care Question

I battle this on my cheeks...even in the summer. Have you tried a cleansing oil for your face? Vaseline and Mary Kay Extra Emollient Night Cream are wonderful for extremely dry skin. I also use Burt's exfollient on my face twice a month to get rid of the dead skin.

Do you by chance have rosacea? This can make for dry skin that peels and flakes. Also, an underlying autoimmune disease like Lupus can cause dry skin.

Drink water to stay hydrated and wear sun screen...the sun is drying to your skin as well.

I do find that Cerave & Cetaphil make some really good products as well for dry skin.

A Dermatologist may be able to make some recommendations for you and even give you samples of lotions & creams to help.

My eye doctor prescribed me some eye cream for my dry eye lids that has helped tremendously. They were flaking. I will post it later as I don't have it close by at the moment.

Blessings & Prayers to you for this to get better.

I like your name on here. 🙂 You are also a wealth of knowledge and I appreciate it greatly. I did have to giggle though as I just spend three hours with a Mary Kay Specialist this past weekend. She was very informative and knew the products well. We tried many things and none of the products would dry on my face but I did get a pretty bad reaction from it. So, their face products are out. Too bad as some of them looked wonderful.

Currently I am doing Cerave and some of it works well but not excellent. I also use Burt's Bees and even though it stays tacky, it still seems to help keep my skin from drying out so bad it flakes in huge chunks.

My dermatologist prescribed a lotion, actually a couple of products that it turned out I was allergic to, so those went by the wayside. I will keep trying though and am certain that something exists. Yes, I do have Rosacea and Psoriasis, almost forgot to answer that part of the question.

I didn't know about the eye doctor being able to prescribe some eye cream for dry eye lids. That is immensely helpful as one eye right now is crusted over badly on the upper lid. It's been that way for a couple of weeks. I do have an appointment coming up next week with the eye doctor so will ask her about any possible help. I'm not certain if it's from the skin issues I live with or the autoimmune issues. (I have three autoimmune issues.)

All in all though I'm a happy person and am just fighting with my skin. I would love to be able to find something that helps and will not give up on looking for a product. Until then, I greatly appreciate all of your helpfulness and your ability to communicate all of it well. Thank you for reaching out to me.

Have a great day.

I am allergic to 99% of commercial moisturizing products. I do tolerate a few ointments, lotions are out because they usually contain preservatives which I am allergic to, plus the water and alcohol in lotions is drying. Plain old Vaseline, an ointment is safe for me and most. I also tolerate Aquaphor, but it does contain lanolin and many are allergic to that.
Mary Kay is a toxic stew. Since you have reacted to lotions I assume you are seeing an allergist or dermatologist and have you had or requested the 5 Day Extended Patch Test? Google this test. I've had the True Test Kit twice now. Medicare paid for this test and the kits cost about $1,500/ Not all allergists or derms are licensed for this test, so be sure to verify this before you make an appointment. Turns out I developed Allergic Contact Dermatitis in middle age. Products previously safe for me cause reactions and will for the rest of my life. You may simply have mild allergies, not causing papules or rash, and only suffering dryness but you are irritated and you clearly have some form of dermatitis besides your rosacea and psoriasis.
A lighter form of petroleum than Vaseline is Elta MD Moisturizer, pure petroleum which is extra refined and will soak in better in a few hours. It's all I use on my face. Expensive but lasts a long time if just used on your face and neck.
Only use a simple bar soap. Most soaps, especially soft soaps contain allergic additives. Grandma's Lye Soap, a bar soap is simply lard and lye and the lye is converted to glycerin in the soap making process, so you only are washing with 2 moisturizing products which clean you. It's a benefit to have soft water as you get more lather.
Kiss My Face is a another great soap, it's simply olive oil and glycerin, both moisturizing.
Are you on antibiotics' for your rosacea? My husband has had chronic rosacea for years but it is controlled with a daily light dose of antibiotic and if he has a flare which he will get because he spends a great deal of time outside, then he takes a full dose for about 1 1/2 weeks to calm it down.
I hope you are not using a steroid eye cream. I developed Perioral Dermatitis, which causes dryness and irritation around the mouth and eyes because of a steroid nasal spray was prescribed. Rubbing my face must have transferred the steroid. Then the dermatologist simply assumed it was my Allergic Contact Dermatitis and prescribed a steroid cream for around my eyes and around my mouth which caused a greater reaction. I self diagnosed the Perioral by using the website, dermnetnz.org, which has the greatest collection of skin condition photographs in the world, an amazing site. I asked the derm if this could be Perioral and she said, oh yes probably and I explained that if it was steroids trigger it and took me off the steroid topical. I discontinued the steroid nasal spray but it still took about a month for the burning, redness and itching to calm. That was over 8 years and go and haven't had a return of this condition. Just be aware of the negative side effects of steroids, yet in many cases they do provide a beneficial treatment to certain skin conditions, but they are only a treatment and not a solution.

@happilyalive Like you, I also have very sensitive skin. Spending a lot of my youth outdoors, without sunscreen [you didn't hear about it waaay back then!] certainly has taken its toll.

I use either Ivory bar soap or liquid castile soap on my face, exclusively. Like you, there have been many tries of different moisturizers. I use one marketed by Walmart, their line called Equate, that is for sensitive skin, said to be just like Olay. It has 15SPF in it. I don't use makeup.

Some days it is simply a wet washcloth to clean my face, no soap. By the way, I crochet cotton washcloths to use on my face. Dealing with several health conditions, same as you, remember that our medications can play a big role in how our body reacts. You read already here about hydrating and that's important, too!
Ginger

Bless you my dear kindred person -- It does sound like our skin tends to be much alike. I too spent a great deal of time outdoors before sunscreen became a thing. Oops, and you are right that the sun did indeed take a toll.

I am heading to our local Walmart tomorrow and will be picking up Ivory bar soap. I'm not certain if our store has the Castille one but will also look for that. After that I will head over to the moisturizer section to get the Equate one for sensitive skin. I do hope it works and is worth a good ole college try. 🙂 Like you, I also don't use makeup as I was warned not to by a dermatologist long ago.

I've never used a crocheted washcloth before but can see where it should come as a perk to a Rosacea face. Are they hard to create? I am new at crochet and knitting. So far, I'm still attempting to conquer the stitches and tension of the yarn. You are also right that our medications can affect our bodies in many ways.

Thank you and please let me know of anything else you think of. I am a willing person to conquer this issue, no matter how many years it takes. I wish you well and also to be a conqueror.

Cool login name -- Seeing anything grow is amazing. That's not even to say that if it's edible how wonderful it tastes. 🙂

Sorry to hear that you are allergic to 99% of commercial moisturizing products. Unfortunately I can relate to that. Is the Vaseline difficult to wash off the face after being applied during the previous cleaning? I've never tried it as I've been a little leery of trying to clean it off.

I will add Aquaphor to my list for tomorrow

I am allergic to 99% of commercial moisturizing products. I do tolerate a few ointments, lotions are out because they usually contain preservatives which I am allergic to, plus the water and alcohol in lotions is drying. Plain old Vaseline, an ointment is safe for me and most. I am unable to use wool so will have to skip the Aquaphor.

I have never had, nor even knew about, the 5 Day Extended Patch Test. I will check into it though to see if my insurance will cover it or if my Dermatologist even does it.

I did not know anything regarding Elta MD Moisturizer but looked up their website and will go through it. Thank you for the information regarding it and I do have high hope that some part of it may work. Do you use it twice a day or just once?

Wow, you are a wealth of knowledge. It was amazing to me to learn that Grandma's Lye Soap is converted to glycerin in the soap making process. I wonder if that was true when our Grandparents made lye soap. I have put it on the list to purchase but may have to get it elsewhere other than our Walmart since I've never seen it on the shelf there. I will get Kiss My Face there tomorrow though, if it's in.

No, I'm not on antibiotics for the Rosacea. They haven't found one that works with my other health issues and the Rosacea, unfortunately. I am beginning a couple of biologics soon so hopefully they will help in some way. Sorry that your husband has chronic rosacea. I wish him the best also.

Thankfully I'm not using a steroid eye cream and am sorry that you developed the Perioral Dermatitis. Thanks to your help I will most definitely be on the lookout to avoid steroid anything that goes near the face or neck.

I appreciate the link to the facial conditions and photos. That will come in handy while doing research. It sounds like you are a wise person to research things also and to stand up for yourself in learning how to improve your life.

I will be forevermore grateful to you and the others who have given me such great advice and information. Your hearts are filled with kindness that shines through your messages. Each of you are greatly appreciated. All information is appreciated. Have a great evening.

Like you I react to wool. I begin to itch immediately. I can't wear cashmere either. I was surprised that lanolin, which comes from sheep, doesn't trigger any reaction in me so the Aquaphor is safe on me. Lanolin can be tested for on your patch test.
I was forced to educate myself because I suffered greatly for 13 years with eczema. All doctor's ever did was prescribe both topical and strong injected steroids (really toxic) which helped temporarily, but they are only a treatment and don't stop future breakouts. Turns out my doctor's, specialists even, weren't licensed for the 5 day test so I was a patient for life continually exposing myself to allergens. I was so ignorant, not even aware there were different types of eczema with different triggers and treatments. This was 25 years ago before I learned to search the internet for information. I learned accidently about the patch test, in the 13 [previous years I dealt with eczema before patch testing not one of the 3 or 4 dermatologists or family practice doctors ever told me about the 5 Day Test and yes it does take 5 full days. It is not the basic 30 minute environmental patch test for grasses, cats, pollen and such. I've learned a great deal from this website and also the Inspire website. I have heard Facebook has a robust site, but I've got all 3 types of the eczema I have or had under control and don't need to learn more at this point. this is not a test for Psoriasis, however many of us with skin issues have multiple skin autoimmune diseases and no two of us seem to have the exact same symptoms'.
You can buy Grandma's bar soap online at Amazon, it's not sold in any stores me, however I live in the Ozark Mountains and my local grocery store sells a wonderful locally made lard and glycerine soap bar at the register in a basket and it is half the price of Grandma's. I like it better because it seems to lather better. It's not marketed on line or sold out of our area. So shop around. Yes it's made like soaps were from the beginning of time. No other additives like fragrance or preservatives.
I wash my face twice a day and apply the eltaMD just once in the evening after I wash my face. I don't have dry skin unless I spend time in the western desert, when there I apply it twice a day. Your face is unusually dry so at first you may need to apply twice a day. Also in the desert I'm forced to apply the Aquaphor all over my body after showering, no need for that, except for my shaved leg areas here in the Ozarks.
What type of biologics help with rosacea? My mother had it and so does one sister. Yet neither had eczema, we're all different.

@happilyalive A key thing is to be very gentle on your face and skin. Some people use products made for babies, but I found just old-fashioned things were better. It is called Equate All Day Moisturizing Lotion for Sensitive Skin. If you find the liquid castile soap, you'll only need a small bottle. A little goes long way! Get the unscented. A cotton washcloth is simply rows back and forth. No fuss, no special stitches, just single or half double crochet. It gets softer with use.
Ginger

happilyalive, Bless you. The prescription eye cream has been wonderful for me. It is Neomyc-Polym-Dexamet Eye ointment. My eyelids are no longer flaking and crusty. My eye doctor also has cleansing wipes for eyelids, but, he was out of them the day I went. I learned the hard way NOT to put vaseline on my browbone. I didn't even put it on my eye lids and it seeped through to my eyes and caused problems. The skin on the brow bone and eyelids are super thin and absorb products quickly.

With autoimmune diseases, Rosacea & Psoriasis, you have the perfect storm for sensitive skin. Bless you.

Suggestion, do not wash your face in the morning, just splash water or dampen a wet clothe and wipe your face and then apply moisturizer. Too much facial cleansing can dry your face out.

Burt's Bees puts out an exfoliator that I love. I only use it about once a month to exfoliate dead skin on my face. It works great and my sensitive skin can tolerate it.

Presently, I am using O'keefe's lotion on my face and all over. I love it and I have not reacted to it. It isn't greasy and leaves a great moisture barrier. I do love the Cetaphil cream. It is expensive, but, very moisturizing and I have had no problems with it. Also, Emu oil is wonderful for dry skin....expensive, but wonderful for a good brand. I use Neutrogena's cleansing oil for my face. It is wonderful.

Thank you for the kind compliment. We are all on here trying to help one another and isn't that wonderful?

Praying for you to get better. Hugs & Blessings....

I looked up the Equate All Day Moisturizer Lotion for Sensitive Skin, it seemed to be too good to be true. The price was right for sure. But I see one of the ingredients is phenoxyethanol, a preservative which is one of the newer preservatives replacing the dreaded MI/MCI but testing shows I am allergic to the phenoxyethanol too.
Preservatives are put in for the benefit of the maker not for the consumer. They can make up giant batches of this product so it lasts for decades. As a consumer I don't need a moisturizer to last for decades.