Cheeks very dry and feel like parchment paper!

[bellableu]

Can argan oil aggravate the skin? I bought a ton of it recently and am thinking about making a skin cream with it. Thanks.

Argan is just a very light oil, can almost be astringent for some skins. Nothing wrong with the oil at all, it just doesn't seem like the best choice for Cathy and her very very dry skin, at this time.

[CrabbyCathy]

Hi all!

I haven't had a chance to get the hemp oil, it's been really hot here and with no AC, I can't leave the cats or I'll bake them.

The argan oil, this second time, did not irritate my skin, but I think it's better to layer it or mix it with a moisturizer. I applied it to damp skin and went about my business. It wasn't quite moisturizing enough.

No, I don't have seb derm, just this strange dryness since messing up my skin. I need to exfoliate, yet can't, so I can relate to the dry skin just waiting to come off. Sometimes, even though I know I shouldn't, I have to scratch, and scratch a teeny tiny area, and ewe, dry skin comes off.

I always feel that if I don't use a cloth on my skin, even very gently, my cleanser is still there, sitting on my skin. Weird, eh?

Oh Aurelia! You're too funny. If it was in my eyes literally, this would be me:

[Aurelia]

it's been really hot here and with no AC, I can't leave the cats or I'll bake them.

Ooh, how awful! Yet it is still only very early in the summer, so how will you manage later on? Did the portable air conditioning unit you got last year fail?

Personally, I'm reasonably happy with dry heat but humidity is almost lethal. Are your summers humid, or is it possible that dry air in your apartment is making your skin worse?



All the best,

Aurelia

[milkmaid]

Cathy,
Have you ever tried Hylira Gel? It is sodium hyaluronate. My derm prescribed it, she said I could get the generic which was $10 copay but she recommended the Hylira because it has fewer ingredients. It was $35 for 1,000g (35oz). It is very, very expensive over the counter. It moisturizes the cells or something. I do not find it moisturizing enough by itself, in fact it seemed drying at first but I have used it now for about a year and feel that it helps a lot over time. This one bottle has lasted for a year. Just a thought. Jen

[spencer]

Hi Cathy, Here is the ceramide/borage oil product I'm using. It's a Canadian product. Not sure where you live, but here's the website. I've been using it for about 3 weeks now and have definitely noticed a difference in my skin. It really locks in moisture. http://www.genuinehealth.com/healthyskin/dermalipid.php Another thing that has really helped is to use glycerin (as I mentioned before) in addition to my regular moisturizer, but you have to make sure you don't use too much or it will actually dry your skin. And don't over-cleanse. In a month or so, you should see a turnaround. And don't forget to drink water!

[bellableu]

Cathy, I saw you over at the GOW forum (I'm a longtime regular over there) - they have a lovely Hemp oil you can order. My advice (not that you asked for it - hehe): be very very cautious with most finished products there, but consider trying the Rosacea Cleanser (I like it a lot, sometimes I even love it ). Lovely people, but the mods have a tendency to suggest too many products for a routine that is very likely to upset extra-sensitive rosacea skin. They tend to be strong, high in actives, and my skin - at least - reacts almost immediately. But they have every oil under the sun!

[CrabbyCathy]

Cathy, I saw you over at the GOW forum (I'm a longtime regular over there) - they have a lovely Hemp oil you can order. My advice (not that you asked for it - hehe): be very very cautious with most finished products there, but consider trying the Rosacea Cleanser (I like it a lot, sometimes I even love it ). Lovely people, but the mods have a tendency to suggest too many products for a routine that is very likely to upset extra-sensitive rosacea skin. They tend to be strong, high in actives, and my skin - at least - reacts almost immediately. But they have every oil under the sun!

Thanks everyone! I shall look up those two products this weekend; I use a GOW (Garden of Wisdom) similar HA product; I have the "flavored" versions, but also a homemade plain one. But the Hylira gel and the supplement recommended, I can't wait to look at!

Hi Bellableu! That was indeed me I actually just placed an order for their hemp oil, emu oil, um...tamanu oil, the rosacea cleanser, a few other "plain" cleansers, and some creams. All little, bitty sizes, just in case. Strange to see your comment when I was just coming here to rave about a product of theirs that finally, finally, made my skin soft. It is GOW's Classic Azule Face Cream with Emu oil; I had a teeny jar in my linen closet that I forgot I had. Not sure if it was the emu oil, the azulene, or the coconut, but something finally worked!! I tried layering a tiny bit of pure emu oil (I had some leftover from Purple Emu) under the cream and it burned a bit, so I'm back to just the cream.

[bellableu]

I saw your comment over there! I'm really happy for you that the cream helped - so far, the only GOW cream I have been able to use is the Coconut Revival (so far, so good LOL). Isn't it maddening how totally YMMV products are for us? Love to know what you think of the Rosacea Cleanser - I use it like a treatment, maybe once every other day, rather than daily. In the Winter, I used it daily and it was very soothing. I've never been able to use the HA serums - immediate reactions every time.

[CrabbyCathy]

Really? You can't use the HA serums? I would die without them! What about their new hydrosol serums? I just got the chamomile one today. Such a tiny amount worked, I was amazed!

I got the rosacea cleanser today; shall try it tomorrow, unless it's boiling hot again. I want to be sure what is making me react--the cleanser or the heat? I'm pink and have two papules on my left cheek from the heat. Blah.

Darn, I should have ordered a tiny coconut cream.

[bellableu]

Amazing how unique we all are, huh?

The HA serums, the hydrating mists ... all total no-go's for me. I've never been able to identify if it's the synergistic mix of ingredients, one individual ingredient, or just the sheer NUMBER of ingredients that causes me problems, but I just make it a habit now to stick to individual raw materials/ingredients as much as possible. So I haven't tried the hydrosol serums at all - anything HA-based, I just avoid, because every HA serum I tried gave me upset skin. But I still test out products - right now, testing the LipoSOD serum (non-HA), and no reactions. Couldn't say if it does anything beneficial, but it doesn't seem to cause harm.

The Rosacea Cleanser won't remove makeup, FYI. But I find it gives a very very gentle exfoliation & pore-tightening effect, and calms redness, without drying.