What a hell of a week it has been. If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know that I’ve been having trouble with my skin the past few days. On a normal day, I have combination skin; an oily T-zone and relatively normal everywhere else. However, for the past few days, I’ve been having extremely dry and sensitive skin all over my face. It’s peeling very badly; I even have peely eyelids.
Camera’s not showing the true condition, but it’s bad. Real bad.
It’s now so dry, that my skin is awfully tight all over, regardless of how much moisturiser I use. If that’s what Botox feels like, the tightness on the skin, not being able to fully lift my brows or move my cheeks, then I don’t think I want any part of it. My face feels like sandpaper to the touch. In fact, yesterday morning, I found that a patch on my cheek has dried up so bad, it’s now a shade darker in the size of a 50-cent coin. My cheeks also burned every time I splash them with water, or apply moisturiser.
Hardly anything I do or apply is helping. Paris B suggested aloe vera, which I applied, but it just made stung the cheeks (weird, right?). The only thing that remotely helped the burning sensation was Lucas Papaw ointment. I’ve stopped using my usual skincare products. The only products I’m using right now are Cetaphil’s gentle skin cleanser and its moisturising lotion. These are the only products that don’t burn or sting the skin.
Peeling all around the mouth and chin
To be honest, I don’t know how this started. I have a very bad feeling it was due to the daily use of my Clarisonic, but I only used it for 4 days before the dryness began. I did the whole process of elimination, cutting out whatever product that could have aggravated the skin. No luck there. At this stage, it seemed as though everything I use is just making it worse.
Will be making an appointment with a dermatologist about this. Very worried that the blemishes caused by the dryness will be permanent.
Sigh … when will this end? 🙁
I had a similar experience like that once. Guess what mine came from a facial sheet mask that was high in Q10. Taiwanese brand. Don’t worry about it, mine went away one day when I woke up. What have you been using for your skin prior to this? Clarisonic won’t dry your skin as such.
It looks like your natural lipids may have been stripped away? A hydrating mask like what ponikuta suggested might help. Or try the DIY toning mask from Chizu Saeki. I would actually like to suggest you apply some oil on your face but not sure if you’re open to that idea. Maybe do a bit of patch test first on your jawline…and apply to damp skin. If you have to consult the derm, just be careful with what’s being prescribed – don’t apply anything too strong. Use cooler (not cold) water when washing your face too.
Oh forgot to say this…how about spritzing your face with Avene or Vichy? Just spritz and dab dry when you need to. It should bring some comfort to your skin too.
I had a little bumpy breakout from the Olay SPF lotion we got at MBBE two weeks ago and since then I have just been applying Trilogy’s Rosehip Oil every night. Not quite similar to your situation I know, but apart from spritzing with Avene water as sesame suggests (which I’ve also tried before when my skin was dry – worked wonders!), using just the Rosehip Oil at night might help? It has definitely done its magic for my skin.
Don’t stress too much about it though. I think it’ll go away in time. A little Bio Oil will probably help clear the blemishes 🙂
awww Tine, take care, I hope your skin gets well ASAP! 🙁 *huge hugs* we really have those days our skin care acting up and we just can’t control it!
I had the same reaction when I trialled Clinique’s 3 Step program (my pores were all raised – it was like they had goosebumps!). Pretty scary given I’d never had a nasty skin reaction before that.
I ended up using Redwin’s Sorbolene cream and my skin cleared up. You can get it from Coles/Safeway.
Hope your skin gets better soon! 🙂
Tine – I’ve been through a similar situation and at first I thought it was the clarisonic too. Whilst it isn’t, i would recommend cutting its use to every 2nd day to let your skin’s natural barrier build up its strength again.
I’ve found hydrating gel masks very helpful (Perricone MD hydrating nutrient mask or the Guinot anti-wrinkle one we got) and and sloth away the dead skin cells with balm cleansers (Alpha-H rescue balm).
Back off on all products and just put on some face oil until skin recovers.
Hope your skin turns around soon.
Hey Tine, I pray that you will regain your beautiful skin soon. Not fretting and worrying too much over it could help with your current situation. I understand how you feel because I had nasty breakouts that lasted me a year once. It could be some hormonal changes or any diet change? I have included fish oil into my diet to combat those dry and arid episodes. I heard flaxseed oils (capsules) do wonders too. And also to second some of the readers here with regards to Avene spritz, you should try that too. I have incorporated into my daily skincare regime as well. Meanwhile do stuff that will take your mind off your skin problem to keep those happy and beauty hormones coming. 🙂
Hey Tine, sad to hear about your skin. I had a friend who was pregnant who went through a phase like yours. I guess it’s hormonal thing. Maybe you’re going through a hormonal change phase of any sort?
Anyhow, maybe you can give yoghurt a try? Like, plain yoghurt that we consume. Whenever my skin gets too dry or feeling off, I use yoghurt and it helps to bring the skin to a better condition. However, it does take a few days of application to see it working.
Ouchie *hugs* maybe from over cleansing? I try to be gentle with my skin as over scrubbing/cleansing can make it dry and angry, I love moogoo it’s awesome the msm cream would be perfect for this (I don’t work for them or get free stuff hehe I wish I did!)
Hope it gets better soon!!!
hope your skin gets better soon. maybe should drink lots of water and spicy food for now too. really hope you’ll get good news from the dermatologist!! goodluck!
Hoping that your skin gets better, and good job on consulting a dermatologist instead of trying to treat it yourself 🙂
Ouch, that looks painful – hope you find a cure soon! Good luck at the dermatologist 🙂
Sounds very much like my skin woes weeks back. Two suggestions:
1. Try Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair? Just 5 drops a night works well enough for my face. I found it helped me.
2. Get Rosehip Oil and add a drop or two to your regular moisturiser, massage and pat it gently into your skin. I tried this too, on nights when I wasn’t using Estee’s ANR. Helped with the dryness issue much.
Hope these suggestions help. Hugs!
ohh no 🙁 I think it may be the weather in general though (i’m located in sydney). I used to have really really oily skin, and would wake up in the morning with super oily face..but lately, my skins been dry. Heavy moistures just soak in super fast, and skin still feels dry…
have you tried lathering the skin with vit E oil, or from capsules? That’s helped my skin a bit!
I recently experienced the same exact thing! my skin had absolutely had it with my using my Clarisonic morning and night! I’m not going to use my Clarisonic anymore until my skin clears, and then try slowly reintroducing it back maybe once or twice a week. and i absolutely think it is due to my skin being overexfoliated and overstimulated. =(