Redness and Burning with most moisturizers?

February 21, 2019 1:34 PM

I am sensitive to a lot of moisturisers which will cause redness and burning sensations.

I have tried a lot of different kinds of moisturisers, but I cannot seem to find the appropriate one that will not burn. I have a lot of environmental allergies as well, so that could play a role. Some have mentioned Drunk Elephant, but I do not know if their line is for sensitive skin types. I have been using Made From Earth (Olive oil night cream), but I do not think it does much since there is not that many antioxidants, vitamin c, etc in it. Any tips and advice would be most helpful.

posted by RearWindow to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (26 answers total)

Well, a moisturiser’s job is to moisturise. Any other stuff would probably be a lot more affective as separate active in the form of a serum or booster or such. With that said then you may consider a fragrance free moisturiser like Cerave. Fragrance can cause a lot of irritation. And then you could decide what else you would like to achieve, what active ingredients would achieve that and how they are available. But if your skin is truly sensitive and easily irritated you don’t want a moisturiser that does lots of things other than moisturise.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:45 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

I have this issue with most moisturizers and creams and astringents and suffered from rosacea for a long time. I discovered this inadvertently and I’ve been doing this for years. I put Vaseline on my face before I shower. That’s it. I don’t wash my face at night or anything. If my skin is dry, I put sunscreen on. I also don’t wear foundation or powder or anything except sunscreen. The Vaseline before showering trick keeps the redness at a minimum. If my face is unusually grubby at night, I might wipe it down with a cloth and some water. For some reason, the more I leave my skin alone, the better it stays.
posted by gt2 at 1:46 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

I have this problem with most moisturizers. Skin Food by Weleda does not do this to my face. It seems too thick for your face but it's not. Many of my friends also swear by it.
posted by sockermom at 1:47 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

The basic moisturizer sold by Acne.org has never given me any trouble. I always have a pump bottle of it on hand and use it regularly, especially if my skin is feeling irritated by some other product.
posted by Medley at 1:55 PM on February 21, 2019

The most wonderful moisturizer I've found is called Complex 15. It's lightweight, won't make you break out or turn red and is the only thing my face loves.
posted by valoius at 1:57 PM on February 21, 2019

I have skipped any sort of wash besides water and any kind of moisturizer besides straight up oil and my skin is so happy. In winter I use jojoba and in summer I use sweet almond. I was afraid it would make my skin greasy, but it doesn't at all -- it just sinks in.
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:58 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

(I do bathe myself with soap! I meant on my face.)
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:58 PM on February 21, 2019

Does plain petroleum jelly give you problems? How about unscented mineral oil? You may be better off formulating your own moisturizer -- it'll be much cheaper, and you can test ingredients individually.
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:04 PM on February 21, 2019

I have a similar problem, and my best guess is that its related to sunscreen in facial lotions. I have found that the plain normal CeraVe and Cetaphil have both not caused this issue.
posted by past unusual at 2:09 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

I really, really like Vanicream. I have sensitive skin that would often erupt into eczema when the air dried out; I have never had a skin irritation problem with Vanicream, and it's the most comfortable and non-greasy of the moisturizers that I've tried.
posted by kdar at 2:59 PM on February 21, 2019

I went through a time where lotions made my skin itch and get red from allergies. Eucerin Calming Cream (no fragrances or dyes) was the only one that didn't bother me. My skin is less sensitive now after allergy shots and getting older but I still use it. It's really thick so I wash my hands, get a pea size amount and rub my hands together. If it's still too thick, I add a drop or two of water until it's thin enough.

If that bothers you, ask your allergist. They'll probably be familiar with this problem. Mine has samples of allergen free lotion but it's a lot more expensive than Eucerin which still works for me.
posted by stray thoughts at 3:04 PM on February 21, 2019

If you’re looking for ‘actives’ like acids, vitamin c etc. I’d suggest keeping them separate from your moisturizer. That way you can isolate exactly what your skin likes and dislikes. You can also customize things to your skin, lifestyle and age. The Ordinary has cheap products and a 365 day return policy. It can be tricky to identify a routine but starting with one thing would be best. There is lots of advice online or you could ask the store associates.

For moisturizer I use jojoba oil, rosehip oil, liquid gold from strata or First Aid beauty depending on the time of year and my skin needs. Sometimes layered! Don’t forget about a sunscreen, physical block one if you’re sensitive to chemical ones.
posted by five_cents at 3:20 PM on February 21, 2019 [3 favorites]

I get red irritated skin and have breakouts with pretty much all commercial moisturizers. Lately I've been using a salve made only of beeswax, olive oil and water on my face. It moisturizes beautifully and does not cause any kind of irritation or breakouts.
posted by whistle pig at 3:53 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

If you're using "active" skincare ingredients that might be the problem. I've had the symptoms you describe with Vitamin C products before.
posted by noxperpetua at 4:52 PM on February 21, 2019

This was me. Someone told me about Aquafor from Eucerin and it changed my life. I haven't used anything else for 20 years.
posted by Buddy_Boy at 5:21 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

I have easily irritated skin with a touch of what's probably rosacea, and I've had a lot of luck with the Aveeno Ultra-Calming and Burt's Bees Sensitive product lines.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:21 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

Drunk Elephant is not for sensitive skin. Neither are almost all lux beauty brands. And even most dermatologist brands. In my opinion and experience, Lush is borderline dangerous and many small, boutique brands are just as bad or worse.

Natural is not better here. Neither is "oil free" or anything containing essential oils or herbs. Especially not anything with coconut or olive oils, as they're pretty bad for facial use. But really, most plant or nut oils can be problematic for someone.

My suggestions for sensitive face, most to least complex: CeraVe cream (not the lotions or anything else, just the cream), Vanicream, Aquaphor* then either mineral oil or petroleum jelly. If I can't get you to try mineral oil, even though it is the most inert ingredient available, then MCT oil, safflower oil, or sweet almond oil. If nothing else, plain old vegetable oil (refined soybean oil) would probably be ok.

Aquaphor basically contains petroleum jelly, mineral oil, mineral wax, and very refined lanolin. It is the last thing that could technically be called a moisturizer. Everything beyond that is just an emollient - they do not provide hydration. This is part of why Aquaphor works very well.

If you are not sensitive to lanolin but don't want mineral oil, or Aquaphor isn't quite enough, get some plain lanolin of the type sold as nipple cream. It is great for angry skin.

Do not make your own random stuff from random blogs or random internet strangers. That's how you get mold and skin infections, and if you follow very bad advice, occasionally chemical burns.

While whistle pig might enjoy whatever it is that they are making, if all it contains is beeswax, olive oil and water, it is not a salve or a lotion or a moisturizer. It is not emulsified, and is unpreserved. It is a bad idea. Olive oil is not particularly good for sensitive skin, and it can encourage growth of the organism that causes acne.

Why you should consider listening to me: I have spent the past year learning how to make my own lotions because I have this problem too. Real lotion, with preservatives and emulsifiers and science. I am not a cosmetic chemist, but I'm learning from people who are. I'm a fan of science, and I have a lot of opinions that are often unpopular regarding skincare, but I wouldn't suggest anyone try anything that I wouldn't be willing to do to myself.

I hope that your face feels better soon.
posted by monopas at 6:06 PM on February 21, 2019 [7 favorites]

I react poorly to most commercial moisturizers and sunscreens -- I get burning and redness and rosacea flares. My skin seems happiest with straight jojoba oil, mixed in my hand with a bit of warm water.
posted by apparently at 6:40 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

Definitely avoid anything containing fragrance, and maybe take a pause on the active ingredients - they can sometimes be irritating to the skin. I've recently had good luck with Simple moisturizers, especially the Hydrating Gel Cream. In the past, I have also gotten good results from The Ordinary's Squalane Oil (it's a very light oil that sinks right in), or jojoba oil (slightly heavier than the Squalane). If my skin is feeling both dry and irritated, I will mix a few drops of one of those oils with an equal amount of aloe vera gel in the palm of my hand until it emulsifies, and apply that -- it's my go-to when I need something that's both moisturizing and soothing.
posted by ourobouros at 6:46 PM on February 21, 2019

If you're sensitive to multiple types of moisturizers, you should go to the dermatologist to get patch-tested. Then you'll know your skin's allergies/sensitivies. Otherwise you'll just be having to spend money and time figuring out what doesn't give you a rash (and possibly getting confounding results if you try one thing after the other).
posted by limeonaire at 7:25 PM on February 21, 2019 [4 favorites]

Niacinamide is notorious for this and is in everything now. Ditto to retinol in all it's forms.
posted by fshgrl at 8:15 PM on February 21, 2019 [3 favorites]

Look into propylene glycol. A dermatologist finally recommended I see a second dermatologist for special substance skin patch testing, and it detected a strong sensitivity to propylene glycol.

It turns out it's been studied in Europe (I forget which country) as an irritant, and a lot of people are really sensitive to it. I've noticed it being removed from some items in recent years, I think, but it's in a _lot_ of things (even some foods and medicines, and deodorants). A number of doctors do nod knowingly when I say I have to avoid it, but there are still a lot of people who are clueless about it.

Anyway, it's a known irritant. Your symptoms and experience sound a lot like what I went through before I knew to avoid it.

CeraVe is what I use (no propylene glycol), along with Aveda hand/body lotion.
posted by amtho at 10:35 PM on February 21, 2019

I had reactions to moisturizers and had skin testing and I was determined to be allergic to formaldehyde. :( It stinks: it's in EVERYTHING. Maybe get a skin patch test.

I wash my face now with oils (sweet almond, coconut, etc) and water, but I also have to treat flare-ups from other contact with cream for rosacea.
posted by Dressed to Kill at 5:42 AM on February 22, 2019 [2 favorites]

I HAVE AN IDEA! WHEN are you applying your moisturizer? I react to almost anything when it’s applied to dry skin, but do okay with a number of low-irritant moisturizers right after a shower. So now I only moisturize directly after showering, problem solved (for me)!
posted by zibra at 7:20 AM on February 22, 2019

Many of those active ingredients can damage your moisture barrier, which is the healthy, oily outer layer of skin. So can gross windy winter weather, or too much sun, or basically anything that can stress your skin out. When that happens, there's nothing for it but to scale it all back to gentle moisturizers and wait. So much of Drunk Elephant is built on actives that most of the line is a bad idea right now, but I do really like their Lala Retro Whipped Cream for this purpose. It's $$$, so definitely try a sample from Sephora before diving in.
posted by hollyholly at 8:45 AM on February 22, 2019 [1 favorite]

It would be very helpful if you'd list more of the products you've used so we can try to make connections about ingredients that don't work for you. It would also be good to know how you're cleansing your face -- if you're using a harsh cleansing method you're going to have a hard time balancing that out with any moisturizer. For example I can't use any type of foaming cleanser -- it gives me that same red, burning skin, because it just strips away all the moisture from my face. Even creamier cleansers can do that to me. So instead, I use Clinique's Take the Day Off Balm, which is an oily balm that rinses away but doesn't dry your skin.

I disagree that Drunk Elephant moisturizers cannot work for sensitive skin -- I would certainly avoid their products with actives at this point, but their moisturizers have been pretty soothing in my experience. I have sensitive skin and have used the Protini cream, Lala cream and the B-Hydra cream with success. I'm not saying that you should use them, but they don't need to be avoided, necessarily.

Do not use a product with essential oils on your face. Lots of people and brands will claim that these are 'natural' and thus good for your skin, but essential oils are extremely sensitizing. Ditto fragrance. Another one to be wary of is alcohol, which can be drying. I respectfully suggest that the Weleda skinfood cream mentioned above is probably not a good one to start with -- it has fragrance, essential oils and alcohol in its formulation. I have used it just on my hands and it made them itch, and my hands are far less sensitive than my face.

You can check ingredients for how sensitizing they are in this dictionary.

The thing you want to do at this point is repair your moisture barrier and get your skin to a base level of health and comfort. Don't worry about additional antioxidants and don't use any actives right now (actives include things like vitamin c, retinols, aha/bha/acids). Just focus on finding a simple moisturizer that makes your skin feel good. Once you're solid there, you can consider finding additional products to add in, but you should do them one at a time so you know what causes you trouble.

I agree with the people above who suggest using straight up jojoba oil for now. That's what I used when my skin really freaked out. I am also acne prone and jojoba also does not exacerbate that issue, though everyone is very different on that. Aquaphor is another good option.
posted by imalaowai at 8:53 PM on February 22, 2019 [2 favorites]