Sophia Says…I’m getting into my twilight years (I’m nearly 30 now ;P) i find that my once lovely skin- especially my t-zone- is drying out more and, scarily enough, breaking out a LOT more (which was a rare event in my younger days). My question is two fold…
1) Why might this happen now?
2) Since my skin is so sensitive now, do you know of a moisturizer that has nothing at all in it but moisture?
Thanks in advance!
The Right Beauty Brain Retorts:
Well Sophia, welcome to the Twilight Zone!
Factors that cause skin changes
There are various factors that cause the changes you’ve described in your skin condition. Increased dryness can be a combination of reduced oil production in your skin and environmental damage from washing or sun exposure. More breakouts are likely caused by a shift in hormones. Here are a couple of places to learn more about causes of adult acne and what to do about it. If this is a serious problem for you, consult your doctor. You may need a more high powered solution than what’s available over the counter. (Like a prescription antibiotic).
Moisture containing skin products
The only “product” that only consists of moisture is…WATER. And water alone is not really that good of a moisturizer because it doesn’t do anything to KEEP your skin hydrated.
How do skin moisturizers work
A good moisturizer works two ways: first, it contains ingredients known as emollients (like petrolatum) that coat the skin and provide a barrier to moisture loss. In other words, the precious moisture that’s already in your skin stays there. Second, it contains ingredients that are hygroscropic (like glycerin) that can attract water from the atmosphere and bind it to your skin.
Generally, these are not the ingredients that your skin is sensitive to. It’s more likely that you’re reacting to fragrance, emulsifiers, or something in the moisturizers that you’ve used. While we can’t recommend any specific products for you, we would urge you to start by looking at products designed for sensitive skin. There’s no guarantee that they’ll work for you, but these products try to avoid ingredients that are known to be sensitizing.
The Beauty Brains Bottom line
Your changing skin condition is, sadly, a by product of the aging process. A good moisturizer for sensitive skin will help, but there’s no such things a product that has nothing in it but moisture. Good luck!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m 30, and I WISH my skin would get drier. My skin is oily, and I still breakout like a teenager!
I would suggest adding retinol to your regimen.
I have been dealing with this for the past few years. I am now 32 and have more acne than I did when I was 16
Sorry if I wasn’t clear earlier. The retinol will address acne and anti-aging issues, not dryness.
I’m wondering, would the emollients make the moisturiser codemogenic? Or is it still possible to get effective, non-codemogenic moisturisers? In which case, what things should I be looking for (or avoiding) in the ingredients list? I’m another person walking the fine line between dryness and breakouts.
Me to I use to never have acne till I hit 29 or something, now that I’m 35
my skin has turn from dry to oily.
I care for it with scrubs, and Oily washes from L’bel and cyzone,
plus this great astringent from Avon,
but If I don’t is pimple delight.
And something that does not make it break out when I moisterise,
I have try so many brands, the one that does the Trick for me
is Regresion, it is the only one that that my face tolerates.
I guess it has to do with hormone changes.
The only thing that work for me,
it is that one, but skins are difrent, in other words I think it is a case of trial and error.
And I’m not proud to say that road it is an expensive one.