I may know a thing or two about nail polish, but when it comes to other things beauty I am pretty lost. I actually find makeup very intimidating. I have skin concerns that I find embarrassing, and I need help in finding products to help me.
I have issue with facial redness. This becomes really apparent in summer when it's hot. It also is a problem when I'm nervous or anxious. The problem I'm noticing is when I do outings with beauty bloggers here, my face gets REALLY red. I know a lot of it is because I do get anxious in social situations, but I really can't control it all. A lot of the time I don't really feel nervous emotionally, but I have the physical effects of anxiety if that makes sense. It looks horrible in pictures, and when I look in the mirror I'm absolutely horrified. Majority of the time I may have bit of pink to my complexion, but nothing like this. It is embarrassing.
I think I may have rosacea, but I really don't have the money to go see a dermatologist for something that really isn't serious. I don't know what to do about it. I don't know if something in my skincare routine or makeup routine will help cover up the redness or help ease it up a bit?
I'm currently using Bare Minerals Matte Foundation. I've used it since 2005, but I don't think I'm getting great coverage from it. I would be interested in trying a new foundation. My major skin concerns are redness, oiliness, and I have sensitive skin. Any suggestions out there? I'd prefer something under $40.
As far as skincare goes I have this Claudia Stevens Redness Relief cream I use. I've been using since April, and I haven't noticed any difference. Any suggestions on a skincare product that helps with redness? I'm at desperate point here, so I may consider something pricier. I'm not willing to spend over $60 though. If this helps these are some other skincare products I use. I don't use all of these at once, but I use a variation of these... Philosophy Purity Cleanser, Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, Garnier Moisture Refreshing Gel Cream, and Biore Night Boosting Serum.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks guys!
Happy Saturday
I feel your pain! You may as well be talking about me.
ReplyDeleteI've been using the Clinique redness line for two months and really loving it. I discovered my real problem was my face wash. I always felt so dry, tight and hot after washing and all the creams in the world weren't helping. Switching to the Clinique one has made a HUGE difference in my skin. Don't know if it'll work the same for you but might be worth a try...
If you have redness, I would cut down on your exfoliation. I do it max 2x a week with something really gentle with a chemical exfoliant rather than a mechanical one. As for moisturizers, right now my absolute favorite is Aveeno ultra calming has an SPF and doesn't get me greasy. Also available at the drug store for around $15 and you can always use extra bucks or whatever.
ReplyDeleteI don't wear foundation and Bare Minerals makes me itch like no one's business. Maybe try one of the new BB creams if you don't need full coverage? Clinique might be a good place to start looking.
Eucerin has a product line to help with redness, it's Redness Relief. I used it for a while, and it helped with redness, but not acne.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bob- less exfoliation if you can help it! Also maybe an oil controlling BB Cream or a light to medium foundation instead of the BM foundation? I think that using something that is liquid might help hide the redness better, especially if you apply it in thin layers with a sponge (like the beauty blender or any of the dupes). I hope you find something that helps, keep us updated! I know how skin issues can be really frustrating :/
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous posts. I don't have redness problems (although like you I do get red in social situations generally to the point of a blotchy rash like loo on my neck - NICE :( ) but I have used clinique foundation for years now and it is fabulous. I currently use the even better liquid foundation - it gives good coverage without tha full on make u face look. It is also suitable for oil skin (which I also have). A few weeks back I had run out of foudation and didn't have tume to get to the shops before a wedding I had on a weekend, so I borrowed my Mum's Clinique - she uses the redness solutions and I have to say it was amazing, I prefer it to the even better and was going to purchase it until there was an online sale for my usual one so I just went with that one again. I would go to the clinique counter and ask for some sample pots and try the two types out. It may be a little more expensive but I find I get 6 months out of it and wear it 6 dyas a week si pretty good value I think! (wow I sound like I work for them but I promise I don't!!). Good luck
ReplyDeleteSorry this is happening Steph! It can be very frustrating for sure. Have you tried using an anti-redness primer base? Anything with a green base will help. I use a green concealer around my nose to help with redness, but several companies (like MUFE) have green primer bases. You can also try adding some more coverage with your BE - this is what I tend to do in summer. Also, be sure to wear sunscreen as this can help reduce some pigmentation.
ReplyDeleteFinally, you may also want to think about the sources of the reaction. When I get embarrassed or feel uncomfortable, I can get flushed too. Working through the reasons as to why I felt that way actually helped my body to relax. :-) I really admire how open you are, by the way. Thanks for sharing!
I'm sorry you're having that problem. It's very frustrating! I've got a major acne/redness problem, and I recently switched to using Afterglow Cosmetics. It's an all-natural, organic mineral makeup company, and their makeup actually helps calm the redness down. They don't use any talc or bismuth oxychloride like a lot of other mineral makeups do. I really love it so far (been using about 4 months). They also frequently have free shipping, which saves some money.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.afterglowcosmetics.com/
I would definitely look into the Exuviance Skin Caring Foundation. I don't know how you feel about liquids but it has great coverage and controls oils. You can find it at ULTA. Decent color range, too.
ReplyDeleteThat sucks. And I totally sympathize with the budget issues!
ReplyDeleteOne cheapo tip that I've heard works really well for areas that are consistantly red is visine--yes, eyedrops. It helps contract some of the blood vessels and reduce redness. I'm not sure how long it's effective (been wanting to try this, but haven't yet), but I've heard a couple of hours.
I can totally sympathise. Whenever I get hot--even slightly such as walking into a slightly overcrowded room, I get red splotches along my cheekbones. Quite horrible. Skincare wise, I really like Avene. It has a great line for redness-prone and sensitive skin. They're really calming products
ReplyDeleteClinique makes some Redness Relief products - I've been using the moisturizer and think it works. I have rosacea on my cheeks and barely have to use my prescription since I use the Clinique.
ReplyDeleteHi Steph!
ReplyDeleteI have redness issues myself, and I really like La Roche Posay Rosaliac AR Intense. La Roche Posay has a whole regimen for red, reactive skin: http://www.laroche-posay.us/_us/_en/consumer/catalog/Regimen/ByType/Reactive.aspx
If you have it available around you I'd highly recommend the line.
I have rosecea, the only thing my dermatologist told me was slater on sunscreen always and you can pay for later treatment. So I always use product that has SPF, I usually wear sunglasses. I've been using Philosophy redness products (cream and primer) and that has REALLY helped.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the recommendations, Alisa. I'm going to look into the Clinique stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions Bob!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking I may do better with a liquid foundation too. Thanks for the advice!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the suggestions Lauren. I'm going to look into the Clinique products!
ReplyDeleteI have tried the green Smashbox primer, and I didn't find it helped all that much. It's frustrating because I'm not necessarily feeling really nervous. I think a lot of it is the excitement anxiousness, and I'm not really aware of how it's affecting me physically. I'll have to figure out. I think I need to try to center myself more prior to these events so I'm not all geared up before I go!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions.
I have no issues with liquid foundation. I'll take a look at those. Thanks for the suggestion!
ReplyDeleteWow, I wouldn't of thought of that, but it makes sense. I think I'll consider giving that a try. Thanks Sheena!
ReplyDeleteYes! That's exactly what it's like. Thanks for the recommendations!
ReplyDeleteWow that's great. There are a lot of recommendations for Clinique on here so far. I'll definitely be taking a second a look at their products. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions. I need to be more proactive about using sunscreen on my face. I'm curious about the Philosophy redness products as I do already use some of their other skincare products. I'll look into it more.
ReplyDeleteI have rosacea and have been using Aveeno's Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF15 right when I get out of the shower and then Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer spf30. The combo seems to work well for me. Good luck to you! There are lists from a dermatologist (they are probably on the internet) on triggers of rosacea however it's a ridiculous list and almost nothing I can avoid. It helps me to try to keep my face as little inflamed as possible because it's like a fire, more fuel makes it so much worse. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteBare Minerals has a line of mineral foundations that are designed for reducing redness. It has a green tint to it, cause green cancels out the red. It works great.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, I would recommend try to add some detox tea in your routine, cause the inflammation can from from the inside (which it is in the case of rosacea), then drinking a big cup of tea with only lemons everyone morning will help calming it down. You can also make cleaners on lemon as well, but as you have sensitive skin like me, it might dry you out, but will be good for the oily T-zone.
My face is also red all summer, but I have come to terms with it, cause if you do to mich to get it away, it might just stick, cause your stressed. And Stress can also make your skin red.
So before you go investing a lot of money on it, try for three days, with drinking hot water with half a lemon a day, and see if it helps. It helped on me, so it might work for you as well :D
Let me know how it goes.
The green tinted concealer is definitely what has worked best for me. I use it in mineral form and actually mix it with an equal amount of my foundation matching concealer. I'm pretty fair skinned and using just straight green makes me too pale (Braaaaaaains, lol). You can get inexpensive samples from many of the Indy mineral companies, Silk Naturals 99¢, Pure Luxe Minerals $1, and many others.
ReplyDeleteOrigins have a range especially for redness and sensitivity - it's called Dr Weil Mega Mushroom:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.origins.com/products/3873/Skincare/Star-Collection/Dr-Andrew-Weil-for-Origins/index.tmpl
Hope you find something that works! x
i absolutely love revlon colorstay. i just tried it out for the first time a few weeks ago and it hides all of my redness!
ReplyDeleteI also flush easily, but according to the dermatologist I don't have rosacea. What has really helped for me, oddly enough, is acupuncture. I went for an entirely unrelated reason but the acupuncturist treated me for excessive heat and it worked on my flush, as well as lowering my blood pressure, curing my dry mouth, and clearing up this prickly rash that I would get on my hands.
ReplyDeleteHey Steph! Sorry, don't have any suggestions, but love your new header! It's been a minute since I've visited your blog! xxx Sha
ReplyDeleteI've heard of people having bad reactions like rashes from Bare Minerals. Maybe switching it up to a cream or liquid foundation would help? I currently use Garnier BB Cream and love it, but if you are oily, that may not be matte enough for you. You could try it and then use a transluscent powder over top (ELF has a good one) or a primer underneath and then it may not be as much of a dewey finish. As for actual foundations - I mix Revlon Colorstay with lighter ones such as Maybelline Dream Liquid Mouse or Neutrogena Healthy Skin (but that is more of a dewey finish as well). I sure hope you find something that works! Also, not sure if you watch beauty gurus on Youtube but you can find lots of videos that will give you a foundation routine for oily skin, etc. I watch Youtube just about as much as I read blogs:)
ReplyDeleteI use Aveeno Ultra Calming as well it works great for me, plus its gentle on my sensitive skin. Just FYI for me right after applying it my face heats up for about 5 min then clears leaving me looking normal. Its not full-proof though i still flush in high stress situations (usually socially related) In cases where i know i'll be "exposed" i use Dermablend foundation and avoid using blush. :)
ReplyDeleteI have rosacea and the combo that has worked best for me Is a green primer (my favorite is makeup forever) and tarte Amazonian clay 12 hr full coverage foundation. As for cleansers I would recommend aveeno ultra calming foaming cleanser (there is also a nice daytime moisturizer with SPF in this line), cetaphil or cerave cleansers (they also have great moisturizers for both day and night). I used to use philosophy products, but they are really irritating for skin with rosacea. I have been using the cerave moisturizer with SPF in the morning and at night I've begun using the origins mega mushroom skin relief face cream and like it so far, but I haven't been using it long enough to really determine whether I will continue to use it. Definitely do your research in products before purchasing. I usually will google a product I'm looking at followed by rosacea and there are tons of discussions and reviews that you will find. Good luck!
ReplyDelete