My new face skincare/make up routine that has helped combat VERY DRY skin.

Hi all – so, the constant dry/flaky skin on my face has finally gone (I’m talking apply makeup and 30 minutes later it’s flaking off) – good riddance! It’s due to a number of factors – mainly, the use of the AVEENO® Dermexa range and a change to my makeup routine.

Whilst I’ve been using AVEENO® products for years, I’ve only been using the AVEENO® Dermexa range over the last 4 months. I really am sold. I love how it sits gently on your skin all day long and protects the surface of the skin – I don’t like using creams that seem to soak in/disappear and then the dryness comes straight through. I much prefer the feeling of full-coverage protecting cream that still feels lightweight but doesn’t feel like you have to re-apply every 10 seconds.

My daily routine consists of an application first thing, gym and shower at lunch time and another application and then one before bed. I also carry a small cream around to re-apply dry bits (elbows/neck) throughout the day if necessary. If I don’t apply 3 times – I definitely feel drier. This week I haven’t gone to the gym (post-holiday blues is my excuse) and therefore haven’t showered/re-applied during the middle of the day and I can notice a difference. With dry, irritated and eczema-prone skin you have to keep moisturising otherwise the dryness comes through and it is much harder to get the moisture back.

Anyway, my skin has been great in 2018 so far – I definitely put it down to both my physical and mental state. At the start of the year I changed my mind set and did a vegan and no alcohol/caffeine/sugar diet in January which reset my gut health and my increased focus on mental health (yoga, meditation, amongst other things) which I will touch on in another post.

It, for sure, is also due to my constant use of creams/skincare routine even when my skin feels fine – consistency is key. I love the AVEENO® Dermexa Daily Emollient Body Wash – I use it daily in the shower and when you come out the shower you can feel/see a thin film still on your body – it’s not as though the product hasn’t washed off or anything like that, it more feels like a thin barrier has stayed on the skin to protect it. It also lathers slightly – most washes for irritable skin and eczema-prone skin don’t lather (because soap and other chemicals are often needed to create the lather effect) but this product is quite nice in that you also feel like you’re actually washing but the ingredients are all skin-friendly.

Then I use the AVEENO® Dermexa Daily Emollient Cream all over. I mentioned in previous blog posts I had to do a big exfoliation each week because my skin doesn’t regenerate properly as normal skin does and cream can often build up, I often felt like a layer of dead skin was stuck on my body and adding more of the cream just caked it in – so my routine was always apply for 3 days or so and then exfoliate and start again. I love using coffee body scrub – especially because you can make your own. It is annoyingly also the best thing to itch with, so you have to have REALLY good control not to itch the coffee granules into your skin as that just aggravates it. But using it gently exfoliates and moisturises and really works. With this new AVEENO® Dermexa range, I have barely needed to exfoliate – I now exfoliate way less than I used to.

My skin loves this cream and it actually feels more lightweight than the ‘green’ AVEENO® cream I used to use – you don’t feel that barrier as much and it doesn’t ‘layer’ as much – I think my skin really absorbs it and enjoys it being there – but still feels really protected. I am moving towards normal person skin and it feels goooood haha!

I then use the AVEENO® Dermexa Fast and Long-Lasting Balm on my elbows/face or wherever I am drier. I use a thin layer as primer before applying makeup (make sure you leave 30min before doing your make up after moisturising). It comes in a small tube and that’s perfect for carrying round in my handbag and I have one on my desk/by my bed at all times. It smells nice and relieves dry skin instantaneously.

Overall – I really recommend the range for very dry itchy skin. It isn’t greasy or thick or uncomfortable, but it isn’t so thin and sparse than you don’t notice it. A little goes a long way – so you don’t need masses to cover your body. I do go through about 500ml a week though! The range is also suitable for eczema prone skin.

I’m so happy with my skin at the moment. The itchy sensations are sparse, I’ve just been abroad and ate bad food (including mac n cheese for breakfast in Vegas) and had alcohol each day, to my surprise my skin didn’t get irritated at all. I think there is something in the water/air in London that irritates me because it always appears slightly when I’m here and clears when I’m abroad, even when I’m being less healthy (could also be because I’m more relaxed), either way – must be a sign that I need to move to another country. The irritation does still appear especially if I itch but it always goes down overnight or within a few hours, I don’t have the raised/bumpy skin I used to have. I’m not reliant on any medicine, just nice gentle creams that do the trick.

The one thing that has still been annoying me is dry skin on my face, particularly when I’m wearing makeup. I’ve been experimenting these past few weeks and have seemed to really transform the skin on my face which I’m thrilled about.

The first change I’ve made is that I have started cleansing again. I used to do this years ago, and now I am using a cleanser, toner and moisturiser each morning and night and my skin feels much brighter and moisturised as a result. For the last few years I haven’t had a cleansing routine, I just used the same body wash for my body on my face and the same emollient cream for my body on my face. I think that was good while I suffered really badly but now I’m realising the importance of a proper face care routine. I don’t know why I stopped a cleansing routine a few years ago – but it seemed to coincide with the onset of my eczema – hope that’s just a co-incidence!

I also am on the search for appropriate face sprays/primers/setting sprays – any recommendations welcome! I have tried loads but also am too scared to venture out too much in case I react. My favourite is the MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage Primer and MAC Prep + Prime Coconut Fix and the NYX Hydratouch Primer. Another follower recommended I try the NYX Honey primer which is apparently amazing. They are all soooo hydrating and smell divine. I haven’t reacted to any new products I’ve tried recently – maybe my skin is over the reaction stage now and finally repairing?

When putting make up on, I cleanse as normal (Liz Earle), apply a thin layer of the AVEENO® Dermexa Fast and Long-Lasting Balm and either NYX or MAC primer (really dewy and nice) and then spray the MAC fix, I then wait 10+ minutes and apply Bare Minerals Complexion rescue – one of my lovely followers recommended this to me and it is a dream. It is tinted moisturiser with pretty good coverage and isn’t drying – I think spray the prep + prime again (I basically spray at each layer of makeup and then take it out with me and spray throughout the day to keep my face hydrated – otherwise it starts to go stiff and leathery and I can’t talk properly).

Then if I’m going out out, I use my NARS Sheer Glow foundation which has turmeric in it which is an anti-inflammatory and great for red/itchy skin. I also use MAC Studio Sculpt foundation – this is a much heavier make up but it makes my skin flake the least – it is great for dry skin – the best I’ve found. It stays on all day and night – this hasn’t happened for me in years! MAC is a makeup brand that is typically known for being heavier – but it works for my skin.

Then spray the prep + prime one more time. I’ve found that for the first time in years, my makeup can last much longer and doesn’t go flaky/scabby. Not EVERYTIME, but most of the time. Then I use MAC bronzer, Rimmel eye-brow pencil (although had my eyebrows microbladed so don’t need much) and NYX/MAC/Rimmel lipliner/lipgloss. Can you tell MAC and NYX are my current fav brands for my skin!?

My eyebrow lady (it’s amazing how many great recommendations you get when you tell people you have eczema) also kindly gave me a face sheet for sensitive skin. I cannot believe how glowy and moisturised it makes my skin. I never use face masks or creams because I’m scared of reacting but it was so good – I took pics of below and after below – the difference is crazy. So, I try and do that 2 times a week as well – usually before a night out. I love the Neutrogena sheet masks especially.

Most face sheet masks are so cheap (in Boots or Superdrug) which is another bonus. You can see my blog post on makeup I normally use – but here I am writing about what I have since added that means my makeup looks much better and stays on much longer. I am not the hugest make up person (it takes me 10 min max to do my makeup). I don’t know what else there is to do – would love any extra recommendations haha. But I’m realising I need the hydrating primers/tinted moisturisers/sprays to keep my skin hydrated and I’ve really noticed a difference doing that.

Another face spray I love is ‘Herbivore- Coconut’, I went into SpaceNK and they recommended it – it is more expensive though. I’d love to know any other recommendations for face sprays as they’re my new favourite thing – I love how you can keep spraying on top of your make up all day and it doesn’t ruin the makeup and allows you to put more on top – rather than having to take everything off and trying again each hour (that used to be me)!

I’ll give you all another update soon on the AVEENO® Dermexa range, I ran out for 2 days this week and used something else – my skin definitely noticed. I also had a couple of stressful situations and noticed my skin didn’t feel as good as normal. I think the key is having a routine and sticking to it. It’s very easy to stop using creams when you aren’t having any issues, but if you have very dry, sensitive or eczema-prone skin – it’s integral to keep the routine up when there are no issues so that if you experience any problems it is far more manageable. I also love how it has formed part of my makeup routine too. I think it is that extra layer and barrier that your skin needs ahead of putting on makeup which can dry/irritate the skin.

Thanks for reading 🙂