Tricky Skin Care Recommendation

[OdyPony]

Hi all,

I have skin with some specific needs - I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (a genetic disease affecting collagen) and am out of ideas for a skin care routine. I have very oily skin, that is prone to rough/dry patches, break outs, and enlarged pores. I'm starting to notice fine lines under my eyes more too! eek!

I am currently using Soap & Glory peach cream cleanser, make up remover and hot cloth cleanser, followed by No. 7 Protect and Perfect Serum and Day Cream. I'm left with slightly tight feeling skin, but the cream feels too rich and greasy, and by about 10am I'm really very oily again.

I have thought about trying Clinique, but am reluctant as my sister found this made her break out more and gave her more dry patches. I would also like some opinions on Benefit B Right skin care if anyone can help

I'm really open to suggestions - I'm in the UK so easily available here would be fantastic but I'm not adverse to ordering from abroad if it helps my skin. Please help!

Thank you

 

[shellygrrl]

Just because Clinique products broke your sister out doesn't mean they'll break you out. The only way to know for sure is to try them out for yourself. That said... I've never used any of Benefit's skincare, so I can't say anything to that. Do you exfoliate at any time in your routine? Since you've got enlarged pores, that will be an important thing to incorporate, to keep them from clogging up as much as possible. It will also help with any dry patches you have. You have a couple of options: you can use a physical exfoliant as often as you need it, or a chemical one. (If you want a suggestion for a physical one, I like and use philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash; it's gentle enough to use every day. For a chemical one, I've heard good things about First Aid Beauty's Facial Pads.) If you choose to go the physical route, exfoliate before you cleanse. I know it's completely backwards to what many of us have been taught in regards to skincare, but it makes a huge difference, IMO (I just started doing this earlier this year). By exfoliating first you're lifting off any dead skin cells and stimulating your pores and skin. Then anything you use afterwards will penetrate the skin better. For cleansing... I've heard/read lots of good things about the power of cleansing oils and balms, that I eventually want to incorporate a cleansing oil into my routine full-time. At the moment, though, I'm using foaming creams -- one by La Roche-Posay in their Effaclar range (it's for oily or acne-prone skin), the other by First Aid Beauty (for all skin types). I use MAC's cleansing oil (the original formula) to remove makeup, but I don't know that I'd use it every day. The cleanser I'm looking at to eventually replace my creams is by Nude Skincare (I tried some of their stuff recently and fell in love); it's more of a cleansing jelly, in the tube, but it turns into an oil as it's applied, then into a milky substance when you add water. Serum... Look for something with hyaluronic acid; it's known to hydrate and make your skin look more plump. If your issue is lost collagen this will help. Moisturizer... If you think your No7 moisturizer is too rich, I'd say ditch it completely and either go for something more lightweight (and with hyaluronic acid), or skip this step entirely, have your serum serve as moisturizer, and use a SPF cream made for the face, during the day. Eye creams... Personally, I've tried eye creams over the years, and they don't do anything for me. In fact, they're often a waste of money, as most of them contain a lot of the same ingredients as moisturizers do. If you end up opting for a moisturizer with a thin enough consistency, you can use it around the eye area. (edited to add...) Spot treatment: I've been using La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Duo (US formula, meant only for spots) for a while now. It helps a lot for getting rid of acne. I believe the formula you have in the UK (Duo+) can be used all over the face? Hope this helps at least a little!

 

[OdyPony]

That's fantastically helpful Thank you! I use a silicon mitt to massage/exfoliate gently when i put cleanser on every morning. I also use a muslin cloth to lightly exfoliate. Forgot about mentioning those lol.

 

[OdyPony]

Whoops i pressed the wrong button! Lol. The serum i use has hyaluronic acid and this morning i used just that. The difference is fantastic already! Thank you for that tip! I'll have a good look at your suggestions. Thank you very much for your help