Oily skin is now also dry skin?
June 27, 2017 8:33 PM Subscribe
My skin that is generally oily has become dry at the same time, and I could use help adapting.
I've had oily skin on my face for most of my adult life, and used an oily skin cleanser and a non-greasy sunscreen. Lately my face has become dry and the skin is flaking off, and I also get irritated red patches.
The standard dry skin advice I seem to find on the internet is to wash just with water. But I still want to wash my face, because I sweat a lot working out, want to wash off my sunscreen, and my face still gets oily somehow. I also seem to need moisturizer but what will work with my still oily skin?
I could use some advice. Note that I need products that are unscented because my skin reacts to fragrance.
I've had oily skin on my face for most of my adult life, and used an oily skin cleanser and a non-greasy sunscreen. Lately my face has become dry and the skin is flaking off, and I also get irritated red patches.
The standard dry skin advice I seem to find on the internet is to wash just with water. But I still want to wash my face, because I sweat a lot working out, want to wash off my sunscreen, and my face still gets oily somehow. I also seem to need moisturizer but what will work with my still oily skin?
I could use some advice. Note that I need products that are unscented because my skin reacts to fragrance.
Try to make sure you're staying hydrated. I have oily skin that gets dry patches like that when I'm not hydrating properly.
posted by modesty.blaise at 8:37 PM on June 27, 2017
posted by modesty.blaise at 8:37 PM on June 27, 2017
Best answer: Oil cleansing is one solution you might look into -- even though it sounds counter-intuitive lots of people swear by it for that kind of skin issue.
Also as you age, your skin does change a bit, and my oily skin did get drier in areas. So now I just use a tiny bit of Neutrogena fragrence-free cleanser to remove my makeup and follow with a moisturizer at night, and just straight cold water in the morning.
posted by ananci at 9:31 PM on June 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
Also as you age, your skin does change a bit, and my oily skin did get drier in areas. So now I just use a tiny bit of Neutrogena fragrence-free cleanser to remove my makeup and follow with a moisturizer at night, and just straight cold water in the morning.
posted by ananci at 9:31 PM on June 27, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I have oily-dry skin, with the oily parts concentrated on my forehead and around my mouth and the dry parts underneath my eyebrows and on my cheeks. The best my skin ever looks is when I use Cetaphil on my face and just wipe it off with a soft towel. No heat, no water, no scrubbing. Cetaphil has no fragrance, but it does have something that can irritate very sensitive skin. So I would recommend buying the smallest container of cleanser possible and trying it out.
posted by xyzzy at 9:31 PM on June 27, 2017
posted by xyzzy at 9:31 PM on June 27, 2017
Best answer: If you have never used moisturizer, I wonder if your skin is just dehydrated - meaning it's overproducing oil because it feels so dry (which would happen if you wash it but then don't moisturize it). This guide from /r/skincareaddiction is a useful primer (focus on the description of the symptoms, the product recommendations are probably overkill for you right now).
If you do find that describes your skin, I would add in a moisturizer and see if that helps with the dryness (and down the line, consider switching your cleanser, but you want to do this all one step at a time with wait times in between). Cetaphil and Cerave are two options for moisturizers that are available widely, reasonably priced, without fragrance, and generally pretty simple. I use just the tiniest amount of Cerave Hydrating cream on my oily skin and it keeps me really well moisturized without feeling greasy or heavy, it sets into the skin and feels smooth afterwards. The skincareaddiction sidebar is also a good place to look for recommendations of moisturizers, such as here.
posted by jouir at 9:43 PM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you do find that describes your skin, I would add in a moisturizer and see if that helps with the dryness (and down the line, consider switching your cleanser, but you want to do this all one step at a time with wait times in between). Cetaphil and Cerave are two options for moisturizers that are available widely, reasonably priced, without fragrance, and generally pretty simple. I use just the tiniest amount of Cerave Hydrating cream on my oily skin and it keeps me really well moisturized without feeling greasy or heavy, it sets into the skin and feels smooth afterwards. The skincareaddiction sidebar is also a good place to look for recommendations of moisturizers, such as here.
posted by jouir at 9:43 PM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Any chance it's actually seborrheic dermatitis?
Yeah, that's my thought, too. Do you have dandruff, too?
In this case, I would just wash with warm water, using your fingertips, and then use a moisturizer. I use Aveeno.
posted by My Dad at 10:16 PM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that's my thought, too. Do you have dandruff, too?
In this case, I would just wash with warm water, using your fingertips, and then use a moisturizer. I use Aveeno.
posted by My Dad at 10:16 PM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
I also wonder if you might be getting contact dermatitis from your sunscreen.
posted by My Dad at 10:17 PM on June 27, 2017
posted by My Dad at 10:17 PM on June 27, 2017
Best answer: Nthing that you may want to look into possible skin health issues or a new sensitivity.
I have oily skin that gets flakey if I don't treat it right. I used to buy stuff marketed to people with oily skin. It made my skin tight/flaky and super oily at the same time. When I switched to a gentle cream cleanser, it made a huge difference. I still get a little oily through the day, especially in the summer, but the flakiness is minimal to none.
Oily skin absolutely needs moisturizer. I moisturize in the morning and again before bed. Some sort of alpha hydroxy acid treatment also will do huge favors for skin texture, but I'd hold off on AHAs until there's no irritation.
I have hair trigger skin and am currently using a baby lotion, but it kind of hangs out on my face all day, so I can't recommend what I'm using specifically. You might have good luck in the baby section in general, though. I'm sure there are high-end moisturizers that are lovely and don't cause issues, but I don't have experience with those.
posted by moira at 10:22 PM on June 27, 2017
I have oily skin that gets flakey if I don't treat it right. I used to buy stuff marketed to people with oily skin. It made my skin tight/flaky and super oily at the same time. When I switched to a gentle cream cleanser, it made a huge difference. I still get a little oily through the day, especially in the summer, but the flakiness is minimal to none.
Oily skin absolutely needs moisturizer. I moisturize in the morning and again before bed. Some sort of alpha hydroxy acid treatment also will do huge favors for skin texture, but I'd hold off on AHAs until there's no irritation.
I have hair trigger skin and am currently using a baby lotion, but it kind of hangs out on my face all day, so I can't recommend what I'm using specifically. You might have good luck in the baby section in general, though. I'm sure there are high-end moisturizers that are lovely and don't cause issues, but I don't have experience with those.
posted by moira at 10:22 PM on June 27, 2017
My skin turned drier after I turned 30, and I too was confused by flaking and redness. I oil cleanse with cheap jojoba oil from Trader Joe's and moisturise with argan oil (among other stuff like retin a and light aha peels, but I've turned into an advanced skin care nerd). The oil cleansing is fantastic and changed my skin life. I'm a fan of the plain oils as opposed to fancy "oil cleansers" and moisturizers because 1) cheap and 2) no fragrances or other additives.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 11:16 PM on June 27, 2017
posted by jeweled accumulation at 11:16 PM on June 27, 2017
Best answer: Your skin sounds dehydrated and irritated. What does the rest of your routine look like? Do you use any moisturizers, especially under your sunscreen?
I've found Korean and Japanese skincare products to be a major boon for my oily/dehydrated skin, because they allow me to use multiple light, watery hydrating layers instead of one layer of heavy moisturiser. One product in particular, Hadalabo Lotion, is a very affordable game changer for me. Basically, it's a light, watery hyaluronic 'toner', but don't be tempted to put it on with a cotton pad. Splash some into the palms of your hands and pat it into your skin. If you've never used a moisturiser, I highly recommend this as an 'intro.'
If you wear sunscreen you need to double cleanse at the end of the day. This means using an oil cleanser (I vastly prefer the ones with added emulsifiers that allow them to turn milky with water and rinse clean - if I use neat oil on my skin I break out like crazy) followed by a low pH foaming or gel cleanser. I love the Hadalabo Cleansing Foam because it is very affordable and very, very gentle.
You should try incorporating a moisturiser at night. I use a range of Korean and Japanese brands because I'm a nerd and can tolerate waiting for international shipping, but there are a bunch of drugstore options. I know that CeraVe is an r/skincareaddiction favourite, if you want to start there. I personally find heavier moisturisers much easier to deal with at night, and giving your skin a hit of hydration overnight can do wonders in terms of balancing oily/dehydrated skin. What I've found, and what I think you'll find, is that the oil levels in your skin really chill out once you've added some hydrating steps to your skincare and stop using irritating high pH cleansers and physical scrubs.
Also, you might want to incorporate a gentle chemical exfoliant, as opposed to a physical scrub, to deal with the flakiness. The standard advice is that AHA exfoliants are the best for munching up surface flakiness. My favourite AHA product at the moment is Cosrx AHA 7, which is reasonably easy to get on Amazon and very gentle.
A caveat: it's wise to patch test any new product before you go into it whole hog. If I'm worried about breaking out, I choose a spot beside my nose and dab on a little of the product once a day for a week. If I'm worried about irritation, I choose the side of my neck. If I were you, I'd start by switching to a gentler cleanser and trying a light, watery 'layering' moisturiser, like Hadalabo Lotion, followed by a richer moisturiser, like Cerave, at night, and then gradually add in an AHA exfoliant to deal with any residual flakiness.
Good luck!
posted by nerdfish at 3:23 AM on June 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've found Korean and Japanese skincare products to be a major boon for my oily/dehydrated skin, because they allow me to use multiple light, watery hydrating layers instead of one layer of heavy moisturiser. One product in particular, Hadalabo Lotion, is a very affordable game changer for me. Basically, it's a light, watery hyaluronic 'toner', but don't be tempted to put it on with a cotton pad. Splash some into the palms of your hands and pat it into your skin. If you've never used a moisturiser, I highly recommend this as an 'intro.'
If you wear sunscreen you need to double cleanse at the end of the day. This means using an oil cleanser (I vastly prefer the ones with added emulsifiers that allow them to turn milky with water and rinse clean - if I use neat oil on my skin I break out like crazy) followed by a low pH foaming or gel cleanser. I love the Hadalabo Cleansing Foam because it is very affordable and very, very gentle.
You should try incorporating a moisturiser at night. I use a range of Korean and Japanese brands because I'm a nerd and can tolerate waiting for international shipping, but there are a bunch of drugstore options. I know that CeraVe is an r/skincareaddiction favourite, if you want to start there. I personally find heavier moisturisers much easier to deal with at night, and giving your skin a hit of hydration overnight can do wonders in terms of balancing oily/dehydrated skin. What I've found, and what I think you'll find, is that the oil levels in your skin really chill out once you've added some hydrating steps to your skincare and stop using irritating high pH cleansers and physical scrubs.
Also, you might want to incorporate a gentle chemical exfoliant, as opposed to a physical scrub, to deal with the flakiness. The standard advice is that AHA exfoliants are the best for munching up surface flakiness. My favourite AHA product at the moment is Cosrx AHA 7, which is reasonably easy to get on Amazon and very gentle.
A caveat: it's wise to patch test any new product before you go into it whole hog. If I'm worried about breaking out, I choose a spot beside my nose and dab on a little of the product once a day for a week. If I'm worried about irritation, I choose the side of my neck. If I were you, I'd start by switching to a gentler cleanser and trying a light, watery 'layering' moisturiser, like Hadalabo Lotion, followed by a richer moisturiser, like Cerave, at night, and then gradually add in an AHA exfoliant to deal with any residual flakiness.
Good luck!
posted by nerdfish at 3:23 AM on June 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
I basically stopped trying to "solve" my oiliness. I now prefer extremely gentle low-or-no-foam cleansers; if you're used to cleansers that get your skin squeaky clean and a little tight-feeling, you might initially be weirded out at the difference. However, that squeaky clean feeling means you're being too hard on your face!
Moisturizing is also important, and don't shy away from stuff that contains oil. I like using fancy face oil at night - I keep trying out new brands so I don't have a favorite yet, but in general adding oil to my routine has helped.
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:51 AM on June 28, 2017
Moisturizing is also important, and don't shy away from stuff that contains oil. I like using fancy face oil at night - I keep trying out new brands so I don't have a favorite yet, but in general adding oil to my routine has helped.
posted by Metroid Baby at 3:51 AM on June 28, 2017
Best answer: I have 'combination' skin also, and get these rashy circles/scaly skin on my cheeks if I don't use a particular cleanser.
I originally had great luck using some of the lather from my dandruff shampoo, but then I started using a cleanser called 'Born to be Mild'. This stuff was amazing. just a little dab on a fingertip and I wash it away in the shower.
The manufacturer rebranded it as 'Calm, Cool & Corrected'
I haven't tried the 'new' formula, but I can't recommend this stuff enough.
posted by exparrot at 7:11 AM on June 28, 2017
I originally had great luck using some of the lather from my dandruff shampoo, but then I started using a cleanser called 'Born to be Mild'. This stuff was amazing. just a little dab on a fingertip and I wash it away in the shower.
The manufacturer rebranded it as 'Calm, Cool & Corrected'
I haven't tried the 'new' formula, but I can't recommend this stuff enough.
posted by exparrot at 7:11 AM on June 28, 2017
Also oily with occasional dry patches and varying degress of oiliness throughout the month.
Absolutely get a very gentle, non foaming wash to clean your face. Skin should never feel squeaky clean and tight after cleansing. Cleanse morning and evening. When removing make up I often use a gentle cleansing balm, wipe that off and then wash my face.
Both in the morning and evening I use BHA and AHA exfoliants. Skin sensitivity varies hugely and I can imagine people cringing and telling me I overdo it. But I had zero adverse reaction on starting these and needed no adjustment period. So don't completely discard these products. My skin is a lot better with them than without. I can always tell if I haven't used the exfoliants for a day or two because my skin feels and looks a lot less smooth.
Absolutely moisturize. Personally, I cannot be asked to use both moisturizer and sunscreen in the morning. So I went to great length to find sunscreens that work well for me. It turns out that I use at least 3 different ones on my face depending on how my skin feels and what I'll do that day - I use one when my skin is drier, one when it's really oily and I will wear make up, one when it's really oily and I'll wear no/minimal make up. They all layer nicely with the exfoliants and seem to be plenty moisturizing for me. At night I use a moisturizer that is really soothing and moisturizing and non comedogenic. I'd happily use that for daytime under make up if it had any spf in it but it is not that kind of moisturizer and if you use chemical exfoliants you really have to use sun protection all the time.
Finally, if oiliness during the day is a concern embrace blotting papers. It is so much easier to embrace the oiliness than to fight it.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:06 AM on June 28, 2017
Absolutely get a very gentle, non foaming wash to clean your face. Skin should never feel squeaky clean and tight after cleansing. Cleanse morning and evening. When removing make up I often use a gentle cleansing balm, wipe that off and then wash my face.
Both in the morning and evening I use BHA and AHA exfoliants. Skin sensitivity varies hugely and I can imagine people cringing and telling me I overdo it. But I had zero adverse reaction on starting these and needed no adjustment period. So don't completely discard these products. My skin is a lot better with them than without. I can always tell if I haven't used the exfoliants for a day or two because my skin feels and looks a lot less smooth.
Absolutely moisturize. Personally, I cannot be asked to use both moisturizer and sunscreen in the morning. So I went to great length to find sunscreens that work well for me. It turns out that I use at least 3 different ones on my face depending on how my skin feels and what I'll do that day - I use one when my skin is drier, one when it's really oily and I will wear make up, one when it's really oily and I'll wear no/minimal make up. They all layer nicely with the exfoliants and seem to be plenty moisturizing for me. At night I use a moisturizer that is really soothing and moisturizing and non comedogenic. I'd happily use that for daytime under make up if it had any spf in it but it is not that kind of moisturizer and if you use chemical exfoliants you really have to use sun protection all the time.
Finally, if oiliness during the day is a concern embrace blotting papers. It is so much easier to embrace the oiliness than to fight it.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:06 AM on June 28, 2017
Best answer: Nthing that this sounds like a reaction to something, and you might want to get it checked out by a derma. For dry skin, use something NON-FOAMING! Many, many people need to use products for oily skin during one season and dry skin during another season, and hormones change as you age, which might contribute to skin type changes.
Lastly, the Reddit forum SkincareAddiction THRIVES for solving problems like this.
posted by Brittanie at 11:23 AM on June 28, 2017
Lastly, the Reddit forum SkincareAddiction THRIVES for solving problems like this.
posted by Brittanie at 11:23 AM on June 28, 2017
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 8:36 PM on June 27, 2017 [1 favorite]