Basic skincare questions
I would Deja this, but it's such a broad/basic question that I don't know
if it's been answered before.
Basically, I think I need to start looking after the skin on my face
properly. Lately the skin round my eyes has been quite itchy and puffy.
Used to be just my eyelids, but now it's below my eyes too, and it looks
terrible. I've also been ill with a stinking cold which may be why it looks
so bad this week particularly.
This is either due to allergy to eyemake-up, or just general dryness of my
skin. The skin round my eyes certainly seems quite dry and scaly, though
this could just be a post-itchy-swollen thing.
My current skincare 'routine' is rinsing my face with water if it looks
grubby.
Shameful, I know, but it's been fine for the last 27 years with no skin
problems, no spots, and until now, no itchy patches!
In case it's an allergy, I'm going to steer away from eyemake-up for a few
weeks.
But in case it's not, what should I be doing? I have always felt that
scrubbing off oils with soap, then stripping even more with a toner, then
putting on moisturiser is a rough way to treat skin.
Is there some gentle soap and light moisturiser I can be starting with (and
specifically, what should I be using round my eyes?)
I'm not too bothered about the price, but looking punky, scruffy, itchy and
swollen as I do, I don't really want to visit 'beauty consultants' at make-
up counters. Besides, they're not going to recommend a bottle of £3.29
Simple moisturiser if they can push their £25 hydra-mattique super-lipides
complexe on me are they? :)
I think seeing a dermatologist is also unecessary as I'm hardly Michael
Gambon in 'the singing detective' (and it will take several months to get
an appointment to see one anyway) - by which time I might have sorted this
out on my own.
Can someobody hit me with a clue stick please?
-I don't know if you've already tried it, but have you checked out a Lush
store? I really really adore all the Lush items I've ever gotten, and they
seem to be fairly reasonably priced (Well, until they have to add on
shipping from Canada..
-But you don't think it's a problem to cover your face with stuff that's
full of dyes, oils and waxes? :)
If you're not wearing makeup, you don't need to wash your face. But if
you are wearing makeup, it's advisable to use at least a mild cleanser,
to make sure that you're getting it all off--some types of makeup, like
any sort of "lasting" or "stay-put" formulations, will not come off with
water alone, so you need a cleaning agent to make sure they come off.
I don't have specific product recs, not knowing what all is available
over there and having phenomenally temperamental skin myself that hates
nearly everything. But I'd second the suggestion to look for a mild
foaming or liquid cleanser intended for normal to dry skin; since you're
not sure what the problem is, these types of products should be a good
"middle ground" for cleansing without being too intense or too drying.
Toners: really doesn't matter what type or brand you use, as long as
there is no alcohol in it. That's the important part. The purpose of a
toner is to bring the pH balance of your skin back in line after
cleansing; they're not vital, IME, but often make my skin feel a little
"calmer" and more pampered and clean.
Moisturizer: again, something mild, for normal to dry skin, would
probably do just fine.
Lush stuff *is* very nice and not terribly pricey overall, and I'd
particularly like to recommend the "Cosmetic Warrior" mask--it's
perishable, so you have to use it up within a couple of weeks, but it
soothes my dry, temperamental skin like nothing else I've tried. One
warning about Lush, though, a lot of their moisturizers have very heavy
oils, so if you *do* have any oil-sensitivity you'll want to steer away
from those. (I can use "Celestial," their sensitive-skin moisturizer,
but not any others.)
For your eyes, look for a light eye cream, particularly a gel. Unless
you're allergic to aloe, these formulations should work well. They're
designed to feel soothing and make your eyes less puffy, and should help
a lot.
You might also want to consider getting some kind of moisturizing
eye-makeup remover. I remove my eye-makeup separately from the rest of
my makeup (since I normally wear waterproof mascara and liner), and my
eyes are the one place that I never have dryness.
You might also want to consider non-cosmetic reasons for the dryness and
irritation. You've already considered allergies, and you might have a
mascara or something that's gotten bugs in it (I'm guessing you thought
of that one too, Doctor). I'll ask the same questions I asked
whoever-it-was who had the swelling-eyes problems: have you changed
your laundry detergent, or added any new elements into your sleeping or
dressing routines, that you might be allergic to? Is one of the cats
sleeping on your face? :) Sensitivities to chemicals or allergens can
sometimes develop unexpectedly.
Also, you may be drying your own skin out. It's winter--you're probably
spending a lot of time in dry, overheated buildings. Turn the heat down
a bit where you can, and add some moisture into the air at home if it's
dry (you can get a humidifier, or just keep a pot of water on the stove
at a low boil, or keep the kettle filled and on). You could also be
showering in very hot water, which is drying--again, just turn the hot
tap down a little.
Finally...you are indeed very lucky to have had great skin for so long.
But I had great skin for a long time too. And then in my late '20s, it
started to go haywire. Skin loses moisture as we age, and dry skin is
often a little more sensitive to irritants and to the atmosphere. Also,
a number of studies the last decade or so have indicated that women
often have more problems with their skin in their 30s than in
adolescence. So you may be entering a phase of skin problems. Getting
a good basic routine in place to remove irritants and to add some
moisture back in will help avoid a lot of that.
Or you can stop wearing makeup entirely. You *will* have better skin
without it. (Unfortunately, I'm too vain to give it up, so I suffer
with my sensitivities.) Although you should still wear sunscreen.
*Everyone* should wear sunscreen. I've become a fanatic about that.