Combination skin and new acne

I can't find anything anywhere regarding this problem. My t-zone is dry and flakey as hell, but still kind of oily? My cheeks have dry patches and the rest of my face is normal, albeit sensitive. I never had acne growing up - now, as an adult, I break out all the time and my skin is gross. I know nothing about using oils on sensitive skin, and I don't know much about proper skincare for what I have going on. Up until now, I never needed a skincare routine, I had really radiant and flawless skin. I could put anything on it, or nothing at all, and only get one rogue pimple every couple of months.

So not only is the skin thing an issue because of the way it looks in general, it's problematic when it comes to makeup. I've tried different moisturizers, primers, foundations all in combination. Foundation clings to dry patches, creases everywhere, always starts greasing up and slipping even with primer and power, looks bumpy over my skin, and the flaking and transference on my nose and the skin between my eyebrows is embarrassing enough to make me not even want to wear foundation. I'm at a total loss and a VERY, very limited income. Is there anything I can do that won't cost me an arm and a leg? And by an arm and a leg, I mean I can't drop $20 on a moisturizer or $30 on a foundation right now.

Hi! Do you use an exfoliator on your skin? Exfoliating the skin on a regular basis (1-2 a week) helps the skin with flaking and other issues and helps the moisturizer to absorb better. Also have you tried a BB cream? I've found that BB creams are great with helping with various skin issues while still giving coverage like a foundation. Just a little powder on top and you are good to go. Also sometimes skin can act up if the products are over drying so getting enough moisture for the skin is the key. This time of year many skin care lines have gift sets so you get to try many products for a lot less than it would cost to buy them individually. Neutrogena, Boots, L'Oreal, Laneige (available at Target) are great lines. For BB cream, Maybelline, Garnier, NYX and Elf have BB creams. Garnier has an anti-acne BB cream. ELF is a great brand for cosmetics and is lower priced. They have primers etc too that are worth checking out. Hope this helps and hope others have suggestions for you too.

Reija said:

Hi! Do you use an exfoliator on your skin? Exfoliating the skin on a regular basis (1-2 a week) helps the skin with flaking and other issues and helps the moisturizer to absorb better. Also have you tried a BB cream? I've found that BB creams are great with helping with various skin issues while still giving coverage like a foundation. Just a little powder on top and you are good to go. Also sometimes skin can act up if the products are over drying so getting enough moisture for the skin is the key. This time of year many skin care lines have gift sets so you get to try many products for a lot less than it would cost to buy them individually. Neutrogena, Boots, L'Oreal, Laneige (available at Target) are great lines. For BB cream, Maybelline, Garnier, NYX and Elf have BB creams. Garnier has an anti-acne BB cream. ELF is a great brand for cosmetics and is lower priced. They have primers etc too that are worth checking out. Hope this helps and hope others have suggestions for you too.

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Thanks for the reply! I don't use an exfoliator, do you have any recommendations for my skin type? As far as moisturizers go, I've used several and find that they help with flaking without makeup on top, but as soon as I put even a primer on, the skin looks dry and starts getting flakey. Do you have any recommendations for that as well? I'm currently using the ELF acne-fighting foundation and while I love the coverage and matte finish (I prefer high-coverage because of the acne and general redness), it still makes my skin look dry and then quickly gets oily while my skin is still flaking underneath. I used a tarte BB cream once because it was a free sample when I bought something, but it was too sheer but still felt really thick on my skin.

Inducedjoy said:

Thanks for the reply! I don't use an exfoliator, do you have any recommendations for my skin type? As far as moisturizers go, I've used several and find that they help with flaking without makeup on top, but as soon as I put even a primer on, the skin looks dry and starts getting flakey. Do you have any recommendations for that as well? I'm currently using the ELF acne-fighting foundation and while I love the coverage and matte finish (I prefer high-coverage because of the acne and general redness), it still makes my skin look dry and then quickly gets oily while my skin is still flaking underneath. I used a tarte BB cream once because it was a free sample when I bought something, but it was too sheer but still felt really thick on my skin.

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It sounds me to me that your skin is dehydrated which might cause the flaking. Have you tried the Elf hydrating primer or the mineral infused primer? Those primers might help your skin to retain more moisture and help your foundation last longer. I have a combo skin and I've noticed that if my skin isn't hydrated enough, my foundation starts to look cakey. You could also try a setting spray to help the foundation to set. Elf has a setting spray. The microdermabrasion type of exfoliators are best in my opinion. They really help to renew the skin and I prefer them over other exfoliators but a regular exfoliator would probably be good too for you. Many lines have their own version of microdermabrasion. I've used the Neutrogena kit and like it. You might be able to find it one sale and/or with a coupon. I think it's below $20. Boots No7 also have a microdermabrasion exfoliating cream for around $13 which is nice. I highly recommend the L'Oreal revitalift treatment night mask as a night time moisturizer if you don't have one. At night time you can use a heavier moisturizer and it will help with the way your skin looks day time. The revitalift mask you apply every night after cleansing and wash off in the morning. It made a huge difference in my skin (combo sensitive) and I ended up using the whole jar which is rare for me. I always get bored and move onto another product but I actually used the whole jar of this and need it buy it again. It's a bit pricey though but worth it if you can find it on sale or with a coupon. I think it was $19.