Facial Care?

You could try Arbonne facial care RE9, I had the same problems as you and I absolutely love the Arbonne stuff. It is not cheap, but worth every penny. My face skin is nice and moist every day now. Love it. Ask for samples first and try it !

I had something similar and my dermatologist said it's an adult form of acne. Mine was brought on by stress right before my wedding and I just thought it was a weird dry patch of flakey skin that just wouldn't go away. She perscribed a hyrdocortozone cream and it cleared up in a few weeks. Only had it one other time over a 7 year period. Hope this is helpful.

scrub GENTLY with baking soda in the shower - I have the same problem and use the same makeup. the baking soda takes off the flakes but doesn't burn your skin and dry it out more.

Well, for one thing, I would only use the body lotion on your body and not on your face. And you certainly need to use a good cleanser as well on a daily basis.

I am a huge fan of DHC - they have formulas for all skin types and often utilize olive oil, as well as other moisturizers in their products. Their Deep Oil Cleanser is fantastic for getting the make-up off. And their Velvet Skin Coat is awesome for helping foundation go on more smoothly and evenly. They are a tad pricey but for me they are totally worth it. You might also want to consider a consult and moisturizing facial with a qualified and experienced aesthetician.

Lastly, maybe consider a daily fish oil supplement to provide you with some omega 3 fatty acids - might help improve your skin from inside out.

Hi K. - I found that mineral makeup looked horrible on my skin too. I really had to moisturize a lot before using it.

My face was super super dry when I was pregnant. I would get these itchy red patches especially on my cheeks. A trick that a friend taught me for that was to use that Super Emollient Night Cream from Mary Kay. I didnt use it at night but I would rub a good amount on my face a few minutes before getting into the shower and then use a hydrating cleanser with a wash cloth to remove it in the shower. It made a huge difference.

btw - it's not really a cream at all but rather thick and greasy. It's not greasy after washing.

Another thing I would recommend is to invest in a few European facials. They are so relaxing, they will extract all those little plugs and the products will help to balance your skin. Not all aestheticians are created equal so get referrals from your friends etc.

I use mary kay stuff and love it. They make products for dry skin. Really sounds like you need a good moisturizer.

you could try cleansing with oil: called the "oil cleansing method" and mix your oil with less castor and more oils like olive, jojoba, and almond, and add a dash of carrot. If you google "oil cleansing method" you'll find lots of links. A large bottle is easy to make and lasts a long time. My skin feels great using it, and I usually don't need moisturizer. Another cleanser that balances/restores skin is straight honey, use it on your skin dry before getting in the shower and let it sit while you're in the shower and then rinse off with cooler water.

Don't use body products on your facial skin as they are formulated differently and aren't good for facial skin (which is delicate and thin). Don't use mineral oil either, it is not good for your skin. The other product I use when I can find it cheaply (though it lasts a long time) is facial oil by Decleor. It is WONDERFUL. Also if you can find it on sale, all Decleor creams are really luxurious and smell fantastic, and are very high quality.

The most important thing in a day lotion is sunscreen, it will save the quality of your skin as you're aging. I use 30 spf every day and my skin looks 10 years younger than I am.

Mineral oil actually dries the skin out!

At least find a facial moisturizer. It will absorb better into your face. I have had good luck with oil of olay for cleanser and for daily moisturizer which also has sunscreen.
If you have the money for a facial they may recommend the type of cleanser fo your skin. think gentle. I wasrecommended one with cucmber milk. Haven't yet found a comparable in the store.

Yikes! I am reading some of the responses, and the products they talk about are extremely expensive. Obagi is a great product but $$$. I used to use it once upon a time before I had children....Now back to my reality....I use Cetaphil to cleanse my face. Use a mosturizer with folic acid or retinol (check with your Dr. if breast feeding or pregnant).

My husband totally has this. It would get worse in the winter and turned red and itchy and blotchy in a hot shower. He finally asked his doctor about it and was told to use an over-the-counter hydrocortisol cream. It has worked really well for him, but if he stops using it the flakes come back.

The best mineral powder is Jane Iredale, I have dry sensitive skin and JI is the best for this. I highly recommend it. You just have to find your particular shade. I've been using this and it's the only one I've used that has not done any type of damage to my skin. If you do get it make sure to get the powder not the 'loose base'. I find the application of powder using a brush (for dry skin brush is better than the sponge) better than using the loose powder.

Hi K.:

Check out www.beautypedia.com. Look under section entitled "free skincare and answers" Paula Begoun has great advice for all skin types.

HTH. Jilly

well don't use body lotion on your face for a start lol! I use olay moisturizer and facial scrub and I have been very happy with it - I don't use the super expensive one, it;s called complete and its about $8 or so - I use the facial scrub (its not really a scrub more a wash with a slight grittiness) in the shower.

Please go to the nearest Clinique counter and let them help you.

Just had a to say that I don't use a facial cleanser either, but then I don't use more makeup than mascara and lip goo. I did buy some expensive moisturizer from Shu Uemura when I had my makeup done by them for Halloween last year and I can't say that I have noticed a difference. I do believe that diet can have a big effect on skin, hair, eyes (how dry they are), cholesterol, hormones, etc. and I'm thinking particularly of cod liver oil as a supplement. I've been taking a tblsp a day for several years and I noticed a huge difference within a couple of months. You may also try anything that gets you to sweat - the natural way to get out impurities and improve circulation. Excercise, a really hot bath, suana if you can, or steam just your face could help.

Oh my...you need to use a cleanser. You aren't getting the makeup off without one. There are ones that don't dry you out for sure. And do not use body lotion from BBW on your face-this could be drying you out. You need to use something FOR the face. Here's what you should do-post this queston on www.makeupalley.com on their skin board. Vey knowledgeable girls there that will steer you in the right direction.

I use retin a so sometimes have a problem with flakes. The BEST foundation I have found for this is Make Up For Ever Face and Body. It has a gel like consistency, practically disappears when you put it on, is buildable and won't highlight your flakes. Its at Sephora. Price, but worth it IMO.

I love using either aveeno or mary kay moisturizers. Don't use body lotion on your face.
Also, and this is just what I was told by many cosmetologists, if you have dry skin, mineral make-up will make it worse because its dry. So I have combination skin, dry everywhere, except my t-zone, and I have found the best foundations are the cream based ones, or whipped/mousse ones. It covers extremely well, and its light. They also always recommended liquid, but I just can't do liquid.
In addition to a great moisturizer, think about using a primer if you're not, it helps. =) Good Luck!

Have you considered asking a dermatologist? I don't know what your skin looks like, but I do know that psoriasis can cause dry, flaky skin.

I sell Avon and of course I'm going to say "try Avon - they are the best" - well, they do have great products with their Anew product line. But they also have a line called "Solutions" which is a little less on the pocket book. Or you can go with Mark products that have more of natural based ingredients. "For Goodness Face" is an antioxidant skin moisturizing lotion with spf30 and "Go with the Grain" is an exfoliant. Good luck - everyone is different and like different things.

Here is a link to the mark site. http://shop.avon.com/shop/product_list.aspx?level1_id=300...

Sei Bella offers a wide variety of facial products that won't do more damage to your skin because they are toxin free. If you would like additional information, contact me.

First and most importantly: I would NEVER apply mineral oil to any part of my body! I know it's inexpensive and it's in a lot of conventional beauty products, but it's a by-product of the petroleum industry and is not good for your skin or any other part of your body. If you want to just use a straight oil and have it be affordable, I would choose olive oil over mineral. I use many Origins products, and they aren't cheap, but they last a really long time and are SO good with my skin. I know there are probably cheaper one's out there that may be just as good. I used to work in the natural foods health and beauty industry so I've tried MANY products...Zia was one company that I really liked; Mychelle is another good one. These aren't inexpensive drug-store brands, so there may be a bit of sticker shock if you look into them. However, they last a long time (you don't need much) and I really do believe you get what you pay for! Quality costs a bit more...good luck in your search!

Try Cetaphil cleanser and Eucerin creme. Both were recommended to me by a dermatologist and both can be bought at the grocery store! I'm a high-end makeup junkie and one dirty secret is that most facial products are a huge money maker for the lines and not particularly good for your skin. Cetaphil cleanser is one of those things that show up all the time in fashion magazines' cheap & perfect listings and I have never once had a cosmetics salesperson give me push back when I tell her that I use Cetaphil because my dermatologist recommended it. Also, sorry to say it, consider ditching the bare minerals foundation. It is a powder and is drying. And despite what the advertisements say about it being super soothing to your skin, I, my best friend and my sister all found that it caused us to break out or dried our skin horribly. Good luck!

I suggest you go to your nearest Clinique counter and ask the clerk to show you the skin care products. I hear M. Kay is excellent, too. I've used Clinique for a long time, and the products have been quite good for my skin. They're not cheap, but a little goes a long way.

I use Mary Kay facewash and a moisturizer. I also have the dry patches and Aquaphor helps so much. You can get it everywhere.

Spend the money, make an investment in your body and buy a Clairsonic brush. You can get one that is just for the face or get the body plus, with heads for your face and a separate one for your body. The brush and sonic action clean your face and stimulate the circulation for a healthy complextion and skin. It's the best thing that ever happened to my skin. I do use a liquid facial cleanser, Real Purity by Philosophy and just received a bottle of 9 to 5 from Lush Cosmetics. Both are excellent. I also use Celestial facial cream from Lush. I don't have to use an exfoiliant or 'scrub' on my skin, irritating it, the Clairsonic works wonders. Change your brush head every 3-4 months. www.clairsonic.com or they can be purchased at Sephora, Nordstroms and many salons/spas.

One word - OBAGI. Love their products. Try OBAGI C line, specifically the C-Exfoliating Daily Moisture with SPF 12. Great stuff for what you are describing. Light, moisturizing and exfoliates. When you want to do a full resurface, go for the all-out treatement (with retinol). I was a sceptic but it works wonderfully. It takes 6-10 weeks overall but it completely evened out my skin tone, got rid of almost all of my freckles/sun damage and made me feel like I had much younger skin. There is a reason the dermatologists recommend retinol creams for aging skin!

And by the way, I totally agree that you need a cleanser. I've been very happy with the budget friendly BASIS line (also dermatologist recommended) and especially happy with OBAGI's daily cleanser. Just a drop the size of a bean (little more than a pea) will suds up and clean very well. And it does not leave me feeling dry. Your patchy skin doesn't need more moisture thrown on it, it needs cleansing and exfoliating followed by moisture and sunblock. You can get a 35 from Obagi, or Clinique's CITY BLOCK is amazing (and gets great reviews from the skin care community too).

And you know what ... use this as a great excuse to go get a luxurious facial!