Cakey Makeup/Skincare Issues.

Jun 23, 2016

Nadine A.

Hey Guys!

My skin is very complicated 😅 I have a very oily nose, and other wise normal- dry (slightly flakey) cheeks, chin and forehead. So I know that it is very important to start with skin care to have a smooth canvas for makeup. I have tried multiple moisturizers, off the top of my head I can't name all of them but a few are the First Aid Beauty ultra repair, dermalogica hydrating. I have yet to find one that does not clog my pores, or is not hydrating enough for the areas where the skin flakes up. I have acne and redness(butterfly rash-possibly lupus 😁) and slight bumps. I have spoken to many MUAs, cosmetologists, estheticians etc. the Dr. Dennis Gross daily AHA peels were recommended to me, while they were absolutely great for acne and deep cleansing, they are extremely pricey. Any AHA recommendations would be great! However I have also noticed with using the wipes, many of my blackheads and whiteheads are more visible, as well as very large pores on my cheeks. I was also considering BHAs but I am not too familiar considering my skin type.
I need a hydrating moisturizer, that is not oily, which is so difficult because nothing seems to work with my skin.

With that being said I can never wear makeup. I have the La base Lancome primer (which I like however I am considering buying the Smashbox hydrating primer) Any makeup I place of my face seems cakey. Of course in certain lighting it looks great and smooth, but if I am speaking to someone every pore, bump and pimple shows and it looks very cakey. I have tried illuminating foundations, primers, moisturizer mixed in with foundation, cover fx drops with the moisturizer, using a beauty blender and brushes, only dabbing as to not cause micro-exfoliation. Everything you can think of I have tried. I have tried liquid foundations and cream foundations, various brands(estee lauder double wear and double wear light, shisiedo, Urban decay naked skin, too faced born this way, dior BB cream etc) at this point I've lost hope in makeup. I have tried dewy setting sprays, I wait for my moisturizer and primer to dry before applying makeup. I have absolutely no idea what more I can do. Even a tinted primer appears cakey on my skin.

I prefer natural and dewy makeup, I only use it to enhance my complexion(I am constantly told by estheticians and MUAs that I have good skin, just product build-up or minor hormonal/cystic acne)
Cleanser- purity by philosophy
Exfoliator(Use no more than twice a week, generally when I know I need to wear makeup that day and have to get rid of the little flakes) Philosophy microdelivery

Thank you for reading the entire thing and thank you in advance for the tips and recommendations!

Jun 23, 2016

Lainee I.

You could try maybe putting moisturizer on when you skin is slightly damp.

Jun 23, 2016

Jamie D.

Oh gosh, I hope someone more knowledgable than me sees this and can help you out!

I'm not sure if BHA's would be better for your skin, but I know that a multitude of girls on here are a fan of the Paula's Choice BHA gel. I know there's a couple different versions, so you might want to do some research into that, but I think that might be somewhere to start.

I'm very fond of the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and the PM Moisturizer from that line, although I don't know how they compare to the Philosophy. They are both very gentle and lightweight. You might want a more intense moisturizer for night time, but I use the PM one in the morning and night and really like how it feels. As for a thicker cream, I know that pure organic shea butter is noncomedogenic so that could be something to look into. Checking out a facial oil might be beneficial as well. One of our moderators Kitty K has a ton of skincare knowledge and she recommended rose hip or squalene oil to me.

There's an AM Moisturizer from the CeraVe line as well that I'm less fond of, but it does have SPF! Even if you don't check that one out, SPF is an absolute must in my book, especially if you're using a chemical exfoliant like an AHA or BHA!

Also, investing in a tool like the Clarisonic to deeper cleanse your face might help a lot with black/white heads. I use mine every night very gently and I really enjoy it and feel my skin has improved a lot in texture.

I hope this kind of helps! I mentioned Kitty K earlier, and I'll try to find a link to her profile because she has a blog where she writes some cool stuff and you could also always ask her a question directly! I also know that Rozberry on here is very knowledgable as well, so I'll try to find her and link her too! Hope this helps!

Jun 23, 2016

Jamie D.

Https://www.beautylish.com/Kittyk

https://www.beautylish.com/Rozberry

Jun 23, 2016

Aleena P.

If you're skin really hates lotion you could try an oil instead for moisture. I know it sounds counterproductive but bear with me. I haven't found a lotion yet, even cerave and cetaphil, that doesn't break me out or clog pores. I can't use anything with heavy amounts of aloe and I stay far away from things with petroleum in them. the promise organic lotion with olive oil was ok for short periods of time but eventually it clogged me too. anything even slightly greasy will produce a breakout asap on me. so when someone suggested I use oils I thought they were crazy and that I would instantly see nasty wet white heads all over like usual when my skin disagrees with a product. but most of the oils in the mix I use are dry oils so they aren't greasy feeling. it's medica folium healing oil if you want to see which oils are in it, all the ingredients are plain English. I suspect the rosehip seed, rosemary, tea tree, jojoba, and wheatgerm oils are the most effective things in there but don't quote me there. that little mix also had amazing results on my whiteheads and blackheads on top of moisturizing. I don't mean to push it as a miracle product because we are all different but it worked so so well for me after everything else failed I can't help but suggest something like it at least.
ahas are water soluble so they do better for surface damage and dead skin build up. bhas are oil soluble so they do better for getting through the oils of the skin and clearing out pores. as I'm sure you know acne comes from oil and gunk building up under dead skin cells so both can be very effective for acne. I don't know about using them together and while I would take a guess that the bha would be good for what you need kitty and rozberry are much more knowledgable about skin care
hopefully one of them sees this and can help more

Jun 23, 2016

Nadine A.

Thank you all for all the help!

Jun 23, 2016

patty s.

My skin was very very oil, I started using rosehip oil before applying my moisturizer, not only my face is not oil any more, I don't get as many acne breakouts as I did before.

Jun 24, 2016

Angela J.

I don't know how long you've been using it but that Philosophy cleanser made my skin flip shit. Flakes, red patches, and deep cystic acne. I only used it for a week and then I went online and found a ton of people have this issue with this particular cleanser. It's got a formaldehyde releasing ingredient in it that many people have reactions to.