New products for sensitive skin?

April 5, 2007 9:27 AM

Skin care products filter: I have recently overcome a bought of perioral dermatitis and am looking for ultra-gentle, hypoallegenic skin care products. Heaps more inside.

Warning: Extensive explanation!

I used to use Estee Lauder's Perfectly Clean light cleansing lotion followed by the Clear Difference moisturizer (light green bottle). I've been using this for years but am now in the market for more "natural" products. As stated above, I have just managed to "cure" a case of perioral dermatitis (by me I mean my doctor cured it with a prescription of antibiotics) and am now looking for skin care products for my clearly sensitive skin. I am aware of the toothpaste link and have changed to a fluoride-free toothpaste so please don't tell me it's my toothpaste. Now while I don't think my current cleanser/moisturizer was the cause of the rash, I do think it exacerbated it as both are quite heavy on the perfumes.

I have an oily T-zone but dry patches on my cheeks and around my mouth. I'm starting to get fine lines (gasp!) and have what I would say are medium to small pores, you can see them but they're not that big (yet). I tend not use soaps as I find them over-drying and need light moisturizers because of the oily tendencies of my skin.

History: I dislike Cetaphil immensely, I don't like the filmy feeling it left behind and my skin never felt clean after using it. Please don't tell me to use it, I won't. I've used the cleansing milk and hydrating lotion from Phytomer, both of which I really liked and were really nice to my skin but would like it if I could find cheaper-but-equally-good products. I may go back to them but it means sacrificing food for face-care. I have also tried the cleansing lotion and moisturizer from Aveda (supposedly from all natural sources, hence why I bought them) but was unhappy with both. The cleanser was over-drying and the moisturizer far too heavy leaving way too much oil on my face.

While the rash was clearing up I have not been using a cleanser but simply rinsing my face with water and using an exfoliating scrub (Apricot something from St. Ives) twice-ish a week. This works well but I constantly have that "heavy skin" feeling (same one I had with Cetaphil but not as bad) and my skin is starting to show signs of pore-clogging fun.

I would prefer to get non-biased opinions from the MeFi community as opposed to the clearly biased opinions of skincare "experts" at the drug store or makeup counter. So, hope me find new things to wash and moisturize my sensitive face with! Gah, sorry about the length. Thanks in advance!

posted by LunaticFringe to health & fitness (31 comments total)

For cleansers, I like Aveeno's Ultra-Calming Foaming Face Wash. It's very gentle but unlike Cetaphil, it seems to actually clean my face.

Unfortunately, I am still looking for a night moisturizer I can stand. Aveeno's Ultra-Calming moisturizer makes my face burn painfully every time I apply it (!!!) and a friend with less sensitive skin than I reported the same thing.

For the daytime, I wear Aveeno's Positively Radient Moisturizer with SPF 30, and find that to be gentle and non-irritating. Still looking for a good night moisturizer though.
posted by tastybrains at 9:32 AM on April 5, 2007

Yikes - I would not be using that apricot exfoliating stuff if I had any skin sensitivies. It's basically rubbing your face with little shards of hard stuff.

I know you said no Cetaphil, but try Cetaphil along with rubbing your face gently with a washcloth instead of just rinsing. Or, just try a washcloth and water for a while. There's no absolute need to use a cleanser.
posted by footnote at 9:36 AM on April 5, 2007

The two best sources of info I've found on skin-care/beauty products are the boards at Makeup Alley (registration required) and the product reviews at Paula Begoun's site. The former will give you a wide range of actual user opinions/experiences, and the latter gives you evaluations that are at least somewhat science-based.
posted by Kat Allison at 9:41 AM on April 5, 2007

My skin problem's atopic dermatitis, and I've been using plain ol' generic baby shampoo exclusively for years.
posted by pax digita at 9:45 AM on April 5, 2007

For a cleanser, try Purpose. Very gentle, soap-free and hypoallergenic. It also leaves a very 'clean' feeling if you hate the film left behind by Cetaphil and other cream cleansers. Found in most drugstores and is about $6 a bottle.
posted by cosmic osmo at 9:49 AM on April 5, 2007

I have very sensitive skin and I have found that Eucerin is awesome. I don't like Cetaphil either, but Eucerin face wash has been very nice to me. Same for Purpose and Aveeno.

You're going to want to avoid anything cosmetic and go straight for the no frills, non-comodogenic stuff. If you can't part with the nice smelling stuff, Dove is a good compromise.
posted by sneakin at 9:52 AM on April 5, 2007

I have very sensitive skin. Some perfumes turn it red and make it break out in acneiform pustules and blotches. Because of this, I use fragrance-free Neutrogena original formula bar soap on my face - never the fragranced one, never the liquid "face soap," never the acne cleansing nor moisturizing formula.

However, it's a little bit drying. When I need a facial moisturizer, I either use a little food grade non-virgin olive oil, Aqua-phor which is mostly very purified petrolatum, or maybe occasionally Nivea lotion.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:00 AM on April 5, 2007

As mentioned above, Purpose is excellent and is recommended by many dermatologists. It also comes in a bar form if you prefer, although its much harder to find. Basis is another good choice.
posted by rtimmel at 10:03 AM on April 5, 2007

Seconding the plain, unscented Neutrogena bar soap. For a moisturizer, I currently use Neutrogena oil-free, but also had very good experience with Complex 15 in the past when my skin was more sensitive and acne-prone than it is now.
posted by scody at 10:09 AM on April 5, 2007

I quite like the Calendula Cleansing Lotion from Body Time. Their botanicals line is very good. They are a local company with a few stores in the Berkeley area, and their customer service is very good (I once wrote to them, years ago, letting them know that as a skin care company they should post the ingredients of their products online- hey were posted within the month).
posted by oneirodynia at 10:32 AM on April 5, 2007

Oh, and no offense, Kat Allison, but I think Paula Begoun is mostly full of baloney- she's pseudo scientific with a strong anti-natural bias, who then uses the same ingredients she knocks in her own products. I admit she's a great jumping-off point for further research, but take anything that comes out of her own mouth with a grain of salt:

Just because an ingredient grows out of the ground or is found in nature doesn't make it automatically good for skin (PB regarding natural ingredients)

This foolish, recurring misinformation about mineral oil and petrolatum is maddening. After all, crude oil is as natural as any other earth-derived substance. (PB regarding mineral oil)

/rant
posted by oneirodynia at 10:43 AM on April 5, 2007

I'll second the Aveeno Ultra-Calming face wash; I like it better than Cetaphil, Purpose, Basis, or any other "gentle" moisturizer I've tried. It leaves my skin feeling clean but without the dry, tight sensation most cleansers create. And my other skincare products seem more effective since I've started using it.

The St. Ives scrub is definitely doing you more harm than good. It's scraping off skin cells without cleaning dirt and oil out of your pores -- that is some super-harsh stuff.

The skincare board at MakeupAlley is an amazing resource full of people obsessed with skincare. If you ask for help, they're happy to give it, although a lot of the board's favorite products can be hard to find (Avene) or require you to make it yourself (I bet someone will recommend you make your own cleansing oil). Still, they have lots of good ideas, they look critically at ingredient lists without any loyalty to brands, and the product reviews section is amazing; you might want to start with the most popular moisturizers and see where that leads.
posted by junkbox at 10:51 AM on April 5, 2007

You might investigate Lush Cosmetics, which are free of almost all synthetics and preservatives. They aren't drugstore-cheap, but are still less than many department store brands. Plus, with many of the products, the unique formulas mean you use less of it less often.

I have sensitive skin and I use a Lush cleanser daily called Angels on Bare Skin; it has a very gently exfoliating quality so I do not need an additional product. (I second eliminating the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It's pretty harsh.)

If Cetaphil and others are providing the gentle cleansing you like but you don't like the after-feel, maybe there's a technique to correct the after-feel. As footnote suggested, maybe you could use a washcloth?

Or, have you considered adding an alcohol-free toner to your regimen? I like Lush's Breath of Fresh Air, and the C.O. Bigelow Rose Water Skin Tonic (available at Bath & Body Works). When I use these on a cotton ball after cleansing, it eliminates any last bit of residue (even when I use heavy cold-cream-type cleansers to remove makeup).

The moisturizer I would have formerly recommended has been my daily morning and evening face lotion for over five years, St. Ives Oil-Free Moisturizer. It is quickly absorbing, water-based, and cheap; my sensitive combination skin just drinks it up. But, sadly, it's been recently discontinued, and while I have a year's stockpile, I myself will have to look for a new product.

There's nothing affordable about it, but it's worth adding to the thread: Sisley makes excellent botanical products with gorgeous moisturizers. If I could afford them in place of my beloved St. Ives Oil-Free, I'd probably go that route.
posted by pineapple at 10:53 AM on April 5, 2007

i used aveeno ultra-calming and i loved it. i recently stopped using it because i think my face got used to it. now i use clinique's extra mild facial soap paired with the aveeno ultra-calming day moisturizer, and dove deep moisture night cream.
posted by kerning at 11:02 AM on April 5, 2007

another recommendation for purpose as a cleanser. for face lotions, I like eucerin just as much as purpose.

I also like burt's bees night creme (beeswax moisturizing creme) on hand to use when my skin gets dry.

(eating well makes a difference to my skin's sensitivity, & not using too hot or cold of water, but other than that generally the more minimal/basic products have worked best.)
posted by ejaned8 at 11:22 AM on April 5, 2007

Your skin situation sounds a lot like mine. After about 15 years' worth of experimentation, I have settled on not washing with any sort of soap at all, just water. Then in the t-zones, I use Aveeno unscented daily moisturizer (brown and green bottle, not the far more expensive ultra-calming stuff). Aveeno daily moisturizer is technically not sold as a face product, but has worked perfectly for me for years. Like you, anything with scent in it, even if I just put it on my hands, makes my face go crazy. I don't like Cetaphil either.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 11:47 AM on April 5, 2007

I used to be a water-only girl, but I would persistently break out on my nose and chin. Most cleansers worked for a week, then I would break out again. On a whim I tried the Grapefruit and Oat soap from 17th Century Suds that my mom had bought me as a gift. It hasn't cured my breakouts 100%, but it has diminished them quite a bit and makes my skin nice and soft. Plus, it's all natural and not heavily scented.
posted by cabingirl at 12:51 PM on April 5, 2007

I highly recommend the cleanser by Philosphy called "Purity Made Simple". This cleanser combined with the Aveeno Ultra Calming moisturizer that was mentioned several times above has saved my sensitive skin.

The cleanser isn't cheap (usually $32 for a 16 fl. oz. bottle). However, on QVC.com or during Nordstrom's annual sale, you can get a 36 fl. oz. bottle for around $37.

Good luck to you...I know how hard it's been to find that "perfect" combination for my own skin!
posted by clpage at 1:56 PM on April 5, 2007

i lilke purpose (the liquid is less drying) too. For moisturizer, I've been using Kiehl's Sodium PCA oil-free cream for years. It's a little expensive but nearly everything else makes me break out.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:07 PM on April 5, 2007

Just because an ingredient grows out of the ground or is found in nature doesn't make it automatically good for skin (PB regarding natural ingredients)

This foolish, recurring misinformation about mineral oil and petrolatum is maddening. After all, crude oil is as natural as any other earth-derived substance. (PB regarding mineral oil)

/rant
posted by oneirodynia at 1:43 PM on April 5 [+]

[!]

This actually conforms to my experience. The only products I've ever gotten a rash from lately are "natural" items from Whole Foods; and the best thing for chapped skin is good ol' vaseline.
posted by footnote at 2:28 PM on April 5, 2007

I haven't tried it yet myself, but many friends who have had troublesome, sensitive skin rave about the results they get with the oil cleansing method, where you're using nothing but hot water and castor/olive oils to clean and moisturize. (Google a bit and you'll find a variety of "recipes", some folks like to blend in a bit of jojoba or rice bran oil). There are also commercial cleansing oils available -- L'Occitane and Shu Uemura sell a few types, as do a lot of smaller online catalogs -- but some of the retail versions are stunningly costly; DIY lets you know you're not getting exposed to any potentially irritating fragrances, and it's very economical.

(I have been using a similar approach to hair care for the last few years, based on Lorraine Massey's "Curly Girl" no-shampoo/conditioner-only routine, with very good results for my hair and scalp. The only reason I've not tried the facial OCM yet is I've still got a stash of regular cleansers I want to use up first!)
posted by Smilla's Sense of Snark at 2:31 PM on April 5, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

footnote, I actually posted that to show how Paula Begoun says things doofy things like "natural things aren't necessarily better!" and then "why do people bitch about crude oil when it's natural!"

But anyway, I once read Marilyn Monroe was a big advocate of Vaseline on the face as a moisturizer. However, it's not actually absorbed by skin, only prevents water from getting out.
posted by oneirodynia at 4:22 PM on April 5, 2007

I have had very good experiences with Paula Begoun's product line, actually, and my sensitive skin has benefited from her information.
I completely overhauled my skin care routine a few years ago, based on her advice, and am much happier (and my skin is too). You may want to add a beta hydroxy exfoliant to your skin care routine, at least a few times a week, rather than the apricot scrub, which is pretty harsh.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:05 PM on April 5, 2007

Thanks for the help so far everyone! Keep the suggestions coming!

I've found beta-hydroxy scrubs to cause a lot of redness and breakouts when I've used them in the past so I'm hesitant to try one now. Of all the exfoliants I've used the St. Ives is the one that gives me the least trouble but thanks for the advice about it nonetheless.

I am wary about trying anything from Lush as I see a lot of their products include "perfume" in the ingredients listings but I may ask for a sample of the Ultra Bland cleanser as this sounds like something that might work for me. Don't know until I try it though. Also, the suggestion about baby shampoo is another one I'm going to try. I've had a lot of luck with baby products in the past for skin issues on other parts of my body.
posted by LunaticFringe at 6:12 PM on April 5, 2007

After cruising the links about the oil cleaning method, I'm gonna give that one a try too. Thanks for all the input!
posted by LunaticFringe at 6:18 PM on April 5, 2007

I may ask for a sample of the Ultra Bland cleanser as this sounds like something that might work for me.

Ultra Bland is a good cleanser but it's even thicker than a cold cream. Feels like nothing so much as smearing Crisco all over your face, and definitely requires a washcloth to remove. It's the best I've found for removing makeup -- but if I am not trying to remove makeup, I don't get near it. If you dislike the feel of any residue on your face, or are looking for a cleanser that washes clean with water, Ultra Bland might not be for you.
posted by pineapple at 9:49 AM on April 7, 2007

Hi, I just discovered a product that has been a wonder worker for me. It's called Nadarra and I bought it when I was at the One of a Kind show in Toronto. It cleared up contact dermatitis from my glasses that I've had for about 8 years after just a couple weeks and my skin looks amazingly better. The facial cleanser works for me and my sensitive skin -- all the ingredients are natural including the preservative. Just bought a second cleanser and the moisturizer on line at Nadarra.com. Might help you with your sensitive skin.

Does anyone know of a product that helps with discoloured nails? I have one toenail that got mashed by some furniture and now it's permanently yellow.
posted by Pam at 7:55 AM on April 9, 2007

So I've only been using the OCM for a couple days now but I have to say I love it! I can't actually believe that rubbing oil on your face would clean it but it does! I'm still in shock at how well this works. I mixed organic olive oil (the same kind I use in my kitchen), sweet almond oil, castor oil in a ratio of roughly 2:2:1 and a few drops each of tea tree oil and orange oil (for antibacterial benefits and also so I don't smell like a salad - total volume is about 30 mL), mixed well and massaged onto my face and neck and then rinsed off with a washcloth and warm water. My skin feels clean and moisturized without feeling oily. It's halfway through the day and there's no sign of the greasy sheen that I normally have by now. Shocked, that's all I can say.

Thanks everyone for your help!
posted by LunaticFringe at 8:48 AM on April 10, 2007

Wow, glad to hear that OCM's working out so fabulously for you, LunaticFringe!

As for exfoliation, if you want to get away from the perfuminess of the St. Ives scrubs, I'm a huge huge fan of Japanese nylon wash cloths like the Salux ones in that link; the slightly rough texture does a great job of exfoliating with whatever soap/gel/cleanser you normally use, so no need for extra specialized products. The texture may seem a little harsh at first, but just use a light touch and you'll get used to it very quickly. They're very durable, dry fast enough that they're not a mildew factory like cotton washcloths, and are machine washable. (Plus the length makes them great for scrubbing your back.)
posted by Smilla's Sense of Snark at 7:26 PM on April 10, 2007

Did you find some alternatives? I've had similar problems with my skin until I started using Arbonne They don't use any perfumes or petrochemical products and their products are certified vegan. they use essential oils, mimicking your skins natural oils (just like your homemade version..except way quicker)
my skin is the happiest its ever been!
the intelligence line is the best for sensitive skin and the most economical.
posted by daner at 12:27 PM on October 6, 2007

ps.. the site is www.arbonne.com or www.arbonne.ca
posted by daner at 12:29 PM on October 6, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]