hello fellow rosaceans

[cbeggs]

How do I find out my scores? Is that in the book?

Yes, I've decided on getting a sample size of PC One Step Cleanser for normal/oily and another sample size of the Skin Recovery Cleanser. As of right now I have NO cleanser. It was the cleanser doing the damage to my skin so I stopped using it.

I found that Amazing Cosmetics is sold in Sephora, so yay. Those stores are everywhere so I'm very happy about that, lol.

[cbeggs]

One more thing, when you were using the Olay foaming Cleanser for Sensitive Skin, what moisturizer did you use along with it?

[mee]

Hi Cbeggs and welcome to the forum.

You determine your scores by taking the quiz found in Dr. Baumann's book.  I went to my local Borders and simply took the test in the store while I was browsing the book.  I highly suggest taking the quiz and reading the corresponding chapter of your skin type along with any other chapters that may pertain to your skin.  For example, some people are borderline dry/oily or sensitive/resistant.  You will probably find worthwhile information that correspond with other skin types, especially if you find you are on the border of a score.

I also want to comment on mineral makeup.  I have always loved mineral makeup and wore BE for years, but the Bismuth in their makeup eventually irritated my skin.  For the past 2 years, I have been wearing handcrafted mineral makeup from small online distributors.  Now, I've decided to make my own mineral makeup. 

So far this has been a great solution for me, personally, and it is cheaper than always buying at the store once you figure out how to make your own skin tone.  I bought the mineral makeup kit from TKBtrading.com for 49.00 right before Christmas, and I have made myself a foundation successfully.  Granted, getting natural colors is not easy, but since I am so fair I figured I couldn't screw up the pigment too much.  I also like having control over the ingredient percentages and being able to target what I want in a foundation.  This has been a ton of fun.

Smiles, Mee

[cbeggs]

Hello mee. I actually just purchased the book online. I've been working so much I have no time to go anywhere really  . I'm excited about getting it since so many seem to have benefited from it. That's really great that you made your own mineral make-up. If Amazing Cosmetics doesn't work out for me I'll have to consider doing the same. I don't really spend alot on make-up because I don't really use much. I mostly use it when I'm going out or when I feel I'm having a bad skin day. Or just on my breakouts, to minimize the appearance. Thanks so much for your advice though. Everyone here has been so helpful, and it's such a relief to know that I'm not alone. I'm still figuring out what works for me. As of right now I have zero products because I don't even know what irritated my skin this time. Makes me a little sad, but I'm trying to stay positive.

[mee]

Cbeggs,

I checked out the ingredient list for the Amazing Cosmetics on the Ulta website, and I'm not a fan of Mica as a 1st ingredient.  However, that is just my preference because sometimes I'm sensitive to mica.  It all depends on the condition of my skin.  If my skin is acting "normal", I generally don't have issues.  Because of this, I prefer Mica to be 3rd or further down the list of ingredients. 

If you really wanted to be industrious, you could order samples of all the different main ingredients used in mineral makeup and do a swatch test on yourself over the next few weeks.  For example, you could get some Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Sericite Mica, Silk Mica, Various Coated Micas, Rice Powder, Kaolin Clay, Magnesium Sterate, Magnesium Myistrate, etc... There are a couple others, but I can't think of them now.  In all actuality, that is the only way to really figure out what truly irritates your skin.  It is just a whole lot more difficult to do when the ingredient lists are a mile long like in a cleanser or moisturizer.

Smiles, Mee

[MediterraneanMaven]

One more thing, when you were using the Olay foaming Cleanser for Sensitive Skin, what moisturizer did you use along with it?

Cbeggs,

When I was using the Olay Foaming Cleanser For Sensitive Skin, I would use the Olay Active Hydrating Fluid for Sensitive Skin (this version is fragrance free and contains niacinimide while the original version is scented and doesn't contain niacinimide).  While the Fluid is wonderful, the cream version at night is also great and doesn't clog my pores or feel greasy.

With regard to mixing your mineral powders as Mee suggests, as much as there are those who are allergic to mica, you should also approach some of the ingredients she mentioned with caution such as rice powder or rice starch, kaolin, clay.  Her skin is much more resistant than mine and I can't use those ingredients.  While Mee's suggestions are creative, at this stage you need to be careful and just start slowly until you first find a cleanser that you can use and then a moisturizer that will work for you without irritation or breakouts.

Be sure to take Dr. B's test to get your scores (the questionnaire is in her book).  That will be a good starting point as to what to avoid in skincare products. 

It's great that your neighborhood Sephora carries Amazing Cosmetics (mine only carries the concealer but carries the rest of the line on their website).

As with mineral makeup in general, you need to properly moisturize your skin and let it absorb first before applying the mineral powder to avoid unnecessary dryness to your skin. 

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

MM   

[cbeggs]

Yeah I'm definitely waiting until I first figure out what's working and what isn't. At this point I don't even know what's doing the damage. When I was using the Olay foaming cleanser for Sensitive Skin I used it along with Neutrogena Sensitive Skin moisturizer. I'm not sure if the combo was wrong, if it was the cleanser, or if it was the moisturizer doing the damage. When I stopped using the cleanser and just put on the moisturizer, my face turned very red in the middle of the day. So I've resorted to using nothing at all. I'm just gonna give my face a break until my PC products arrive. That way I'll start fresh. I put on cold chamomile tea with a paper towel on my cheeks (the most red parts of my face), and it has calmed down alot. So for now that'll be my cleanser/relaxer. Thanks again MM. I will keep you updated on what happens next.

[MediterraneanMaven]

Yeah I'm definitely waiting until I first figure out what's working and what isn't. At this point I don't even know what's doing the damage. When I was using the Olay foaming cleanser for Sensitive Skin I used it along with Neutrogena Sensitive Skin moisturizer. I'm not sure if the combo was wrong, if it was the cleanser, or if it was the moisturizer doing the damage. When I stopped using the cleanser and just put on the moisturizer, my face turned very red in the middle of the day. So I've resorted to using nothing at all. I'm just gonna give my face a break until my PC products arrive. That way I'll start fresh. I put on cold chamomile tea with a paper towel on my cheeks (the most red parts of my face), and it has calmed down alot. So for now that'll be my cleanser/relaxer. Thanks again MM. I will keep you updated on what happens next.

I've never been able to tolerate the Neutrogena moisturizers.  They just irritate my skin too.  So, you're not alone there.

MM 

[Redhaired girl]

Thank you redhairedgirl for the response. My battle continues as I have recently had a break out and then over the weekend, I had 2 flare-ups. I felt my face so hot, and I could feel myself getting red. I was using the eucerin everyday protection spf 30, and thought that it might be the culprit. So yesterday instead of it, I used my Bare Minerals make-up which has spf 15. Throughout the day my skin looked fine, but when i washed my face at night, I could see little red bumps on my cheeks. I'm not sure if it was a reaction to the make-up or if maybe the culprit wasn't the sunscreen to begin with. Maybe it was the cleanser I was using, which is Olay foaming cleanser for sensitive skin. Maybe since it's a foaming cleanser it's drying out my skin. I'm running my own little experiment. Today I'm not wearing any sunscreen, just my moisturizer. I figure if my skin is still irritated then it is, infact, my cleanser. What products do you use? I'm an OSNT, btw.

Hi Cbeggs and all of you!

It is a challenge finding the right products when you have sensitive skin! I know it so well! I use a version of Neutrogena Acne Wash, that is sold here in Sweden. I can't use it twice a day and not every day in wintertime.  I have recently started using Laura Mercier's Onestep Foaming Cleanser but I find that I need to use a little of Neutrogena Acne Wash afterwards as my skin is very prone to clogged pores and pimples. I find it so hard to balance rosacea-cheeks with the acne-subtype. I did not have acne in my teenage years, accept for a few, few pimples now and then. Then, my skin gradually became more oily, with clogged pores (I did not realise I had oily skin, until having read Dr Baumann's book!).

I also have prescription-creams and -gels for rosacea: Rozex cream and gel (MetroCream and MetroGel). The gel is better for my oily skin but the hydrating Propylene glycol in it, stings my skin (I am a stinging subtype too).

I am so grateful for this forum where I learn a lot!

I hope you will have good luck with the new products you were going to try!

Best wishes to you all,
Anna

[cbeggs]

Hello Anna. Reading your post, it's almost like I wrote it. It is a never-ending quest to find the right products that are strong enough for acne and to control oiliness, and sensitive enough that it doesn't irritate the rosacea. Like you, during my teenage years I never really suffered from acne. I got one pimple maybe every 3 months, maybe less than that. I look at old pictures and sigh. Now it's like non-stop. I was using Olay foaming cleanser for sensitive skin which was amazing at controlling the acne, but I feel like it irritated my rosacea just a bit. I've started using the PC One Step Face Cleanser for normal/oily skin. Although it doesn't irritate my rosacea, I don't feel like it cleans my face enough. My skin feels oilier around the t-zone and I've been getting some pimples. I was thinking about maybe combining the 2 and washing my face with that mix. But I'm not sure. So the search continues...

[MediterraneanMaven]

Hello Anna. Reading your post, it's almost like I wrote it. It is a never-ending quest to find the right products that are strong enough for acne and to control oiliness, and sensitive enough that it doesn't irritate the rosacea. Like you, during my teenage years I never really suffered from acne. I got one pimple maybe every 3 months, maybe less than that. I look at old pictures and sigh. Now it's like non-stop. I was using Olay foaming cleanser for sensitive skin which was amazing at controlling the acne, but I feel like it irritated my rosacea just a bit. I've started using the PC One Step Face Cleanser for normal/oily skin. Although it doesn't irritate my rosacea, I don't feel like it cleans my face enough. My skin feels oilier around the t-zone and I've been getting some pimples. I was thinking about maybe combining the 2 and washing my face with that mix. But I'm not sure. So the search continues...

Remember that clean doesn't mean stripped and dry.  I used to overwash my skin in the quest for that "clean" feeling, only to find out that I was actually compromising my skin's natural moisture barrier.  That led to my breakouts and irritation simultaneously.  Now, I find that by removing my makeup with wipes first and then a gentle wash of cleanser, my skin is clean and soothed without stripping it of the natural oils it needs.

MM

[Oldskibunny]

MM and Others,

Like you, I used to over cleanse my very sensitive, rosacean skin, thinking that I needed to scrub away the top layer in order to get my pores to stay open and my face to be breakout free. The opposite behavior has lead to clearer, healthier skin. This means that I use a gentle, non-foaming cleanser and barrier restoring topicals instead of drying, tightening products, scrubs or exfoliants.
To deal with the oil on my nose, I use a little powder to decrease the shine.
The oil shine is more cosmetically unacceptable than harmful because the oil helps protect my skin from the harsh environment of high altitude living.
A gentle approach to skin care has given me the complexion that I have been striving towards for years.  This and VBeam Laser treatments, as well as learning about and avoiding what triggers Rosacea flushing, have been key.
Using:
Toleraine Dermocleanser
Toleraine Thermal Spring Water
Toleraine Cream
NIA 24

Bunny

[cbeggs]

Hello everyone, I finally got the book in the mail and immediately took the test. I am infact an OSNT. My scores are O=28.5,S=48.5,N=19.5,T=39.5. I've been looking through the product recommendations. Hopefully they work for me.

[MediterraneanMaven]

Hello everyone, I finally got the book in the mail and immediately took the test. I am infact an OSNT. My scores are O=28.5,S=48.5,N=19.5,T=39.5. I've been looking through the product recommendations. Hopefully they work for me.

You've got a high S score like I do.  That explains the redness flare ups.  Expect your oiliness to fluctuate with the seasons.  Here in Miami, the temperatures have been cooler than normal and my skin is reflecting that too.  So, my cleanser is milder now than in the hotter, humid summer months.  Josh and others have recommended for OS's that it's best to concentrate on the OS rather than NT part of the score in order to get your skin under control and avoid irritation and redness. Now, that you know your score, isn't it a relief to know that you're not alone?

MM

MM

[cbeggs]

Oh yes! The test was so easy, although I was on the fence about a few of them because I felt like it could be 2 answers combined. But I did my best and looking at the scores, and knowing my skin, I'd say they're pretty accurate. I am extremely sensitive.
I've been looking through her recommendations and saw that Aveeno Ultra-Calming Moisture Cream was mentioned in 3 lists. I'm hesitant to try it though because I looked up the reviews and they weren't so great. Have you ever tried the LRP Anti-redness Moisturizer?