The Vine: May 8, 2009
Hello Sars,
Longtime reader, first-time questioner! Here’s my dilemma: I have insane, ridiculous, sensitive skin. No eczema or rosacea, just really pale, really hyper-sensitive skin. Because of this, I generally skip a lot of makeup.
But there are days when a girl wants her skin a bit smoother and even-toned and, you know…made up. So, I am searching for a good, “not going to dry the flesh off my face” foundation.
Every one I have tried thus far looks great for 10 minutes, then starts to dry me out. Any suggestions?
A bit too dry
Dear Dry,
My suggestion is a tinted moisturizer.I have combination/oily skin, and I liked this Neutrogena tinted stuff okay, but it tended to get a bit greezy on humid days; if you have much drier skin than mine, though, it might be just the thing.It’s fairly subtle, but does even out the complexion just a bit.
Readers, anyone with dry/sensitive skin who’s got a foundation they swear by?
Tags: Ask The Readers health and beauty
I’m quite fair, and red shows up easily on my face. I use Lorac’s oil-free neutralizer.
Dry,
I love Laura Mercier oil-free tinted mositurizer and then going over it with Laura Mecier oil free primer. It is a bit expensive but worth every penny and makes you look a little dewy but even.
Not a specific product suggestion, but avoid anything which contains irritant ingredients: alcohol, witch hazel, fragrance, menthol, essential oils (which are just fragrance ingredients by another name), all that stuff. Not just in your foundation, but in cleansers, moisturisers, basically anything you use on your face which could be drying it out and /or sensitising it. Might be helpful to avoid powder foundations, which tend to make dry skin look worse.
For unbiased recommendations for foundations, check out Paula Begoun’s website:
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/skin-care-makeup-reviews.aspx
She does sell her own products, but she also reviews products from a large range of other brands (something no other skin-care / make-up brand does).
Good luck!
I don’t have the same skin issues as you, but I have found helpful info and products on the http://www.paulaschoice.com site. You might try their tinted moisturizer. It seems to be reasonably priced, and you can purchase sample sizes as well to get a colour match.
You might also consider a light dusting foundation powder. Because it starts dry, it doesn’t get absorbed into the skin to wreak havoc with your cells. I have eczema, and this is the route I go.
I was using crazy-expensive Styla tinted moisturizer for a while but it dried me out so much I had to put moisturizer on underneath! That was crazy, so I checked out the stuff at Walgreens. Ta-da! This CoverGirl “CG Smoothers” (could it have a lamer name?) tinted moisturizer has been working for me: http://tinyurl.com/qp65x2. It leaves me a smidge oily toward the end of the day, but I’m a facial greaseball, so it might be perfect for you.
Origins Nude and Improved – it’s really sheer, so it just evens out without looking like you’re wearing a lot of make up, and it’s light enough that it doesn’t cake and dry. My skin isn’t terribly sensitive but is extremely dry, and this stuff works great for me. Everything from Origins tends to be very gentle, and they’re very good about giving samples.
I might skip the Neutrogena stuff, myself. It’s pretty irritating and makes the akin around my nose really dry and flakey. I’ve tried the powder mineral makeups with some success, though I do admit that at the end of the day my face can look a little… powdery.
I too am wicked sensitive, pale and dry-skinned, and I am a big fan of two from Clinique: their Almost Makeup SPF 15 uses titanium dioxide, which doesn’t rub me raw, and is nice for just evening out one’s skin tone; for ever-so-slightly heavier coverage I go with their Supermoisture makeup. That one has no SPF so I layer their Sheer City Block SPF 25 underneath. No redness or drying issues with either one. Good luck!
I also swear by the Neutrogena tinted SPF-30 that Sars linked to. I’m pretty pale, and have skin on the drier side, and the tinted moisturizer gives me a little glow & also ensures that I remember to wear sunscreen every day. On days when I want a little more coverage, I use a bit of foundation (Covergirl Clean, although it’s not like I’ve tried that many… others might be just as good) *over* the tinted moisturizer. The foundation goes on a lot more evenly if my skin is moisturized, and blends better, I’ve found. Just foundation on dry skin = weird texture for me. Hope that’s helpful.
I like this Almay stuff:
http://www.almay.com/Pg/Main/CatProdDet.aspx?catid=31&catnm=Face&subid=233&subnm=Foundation&prd=28584&osubnm=Foundation
It doesn’t dry (though doesn’t give a whole bunch of coverage), but you might want to also consider mixing a foundation with a non-runny moisturizer (I cannot say enough good things about Nivea Soft).
Arbonne has great products, and I never wore any foundation until I started using theirs. They don’t use anything that causes irritation. A bit pricey, but it lasts forever: http://www.arbonne.com
I have had wonderful success with Oil of Olays products that contain a hint of foundation. They even out the skin tone, have a nice benefit of antioxidants and stuff, AND you can get them at Target or Walmart.
I mix a dot of a darker concealer in with my normal moisturizer (aveeno daily), which gets the job done.
Dry,
I too have insanely sensitive skin (I also have eczema and adult acne) – so I totally get the drying and the irritation – I also go makeup free most days. I follow my topical (rx, of course) acne meds in the morning and evening with Neutrogena Oil Free for sensitive skin. (I don’t use the SPF version because most sunscreens, when applied to my face, cause burning sensations and then a breakout. Yes, even the hypoallergenic paba-free kind.) After moisturizing (it absorbs really fast), I use a MAC tinted moisturizer and follow up with pressed powder. It’s very light and just evens things out a little (no blending at edge of face or anything required.)
Yves Rocher has all kinds of products for sensitive skin. http://www.yvesrocherusa.com/control/main/
I swear by Physician’s Formula mineral powder foundation. I have dry skin that breaks out from time to time (…great) and this stuff is amazing.
I have been using the Olay Definity Color Recapture product lately. I have been foundation-free for years, so I really don’t like how foundation feels; I use a dab of this mixed with my regular moisturizer (which happens to be Oil of Olay for sensitive skin) and get some coverage and evenness without feeling like I am coated.
The ice cream swirly look is cool, too; when I was a kid I was fascinated with what Aqua Fresh looked like in the tube, and I think it probably looked (looks?) something like this.
http://tinyurl.com/pk5uoo
Try and find a drugstore/department store that will take returns on products you can’t use. (Shoppers Drug Mart will, here in Canada.)
Just about everything mentioned here will make me break out or worse (anything Olay? Neutrogena? Clinique YIPE! MAC? Never again!) and if you end up in the same crapshoot, you could blow a lot of money on things you put on twice before waking up to a giant rash. However, if you can try things and then RETURN them, it’s a much gentler way to go.
I certainly hope you go out and buy one thing and it’s magic, but if not, even a bottle of Neutrogena tinted runs over ten bucks these days.
I use the Neutrogena tinted moisturized every day. I have fairly dry but sensitive skin, and I’ve had no problems with it over the years. It’s one of the only tinted moisturizers with sunscreen that uses a physical sunscreen (zinc oxide) instead of avobenzone or oxybenzone (to which my face is quite allergic).
I have oily skin, so it’s the opposite problem, but I do have a suggestion for a makeup/ cleanser remover: Milk of Magnesia!
It really works, takes off all your makeup, dries up zits like crazy, but is ten thousand times gentler on your face than any other makeup remover/ alcohol based cleanser out there. A bit on a cotton ball and you’re good to go. I read about it in the paper last year, tried it out of curiosity, and am a preaching convert. The best part? It’s about two bucks a bottle.
Note for any possible confused readers: Wipe the M of M on your face, don’t take it internally, unless you want another kind of cleansing.
I come from a family of pasty northern people with sensitive skin.
If you have a moisturizer that you already like, use that and add a drop of foundation to make your own tinted moisturizer. My sister is fond of Origins makeup and I’ve had luck with Lorac. I believe that they’re both designed to be relatively allergy-friendly.
I have light sensitive skin and I use bare minerals foundation, and love it! http://www.bareminerals.com/
I don’t have sensitive skin particularly, but do occasionally have problems with dryness; and, at 41, this is becoming more generalized. Larenim (that is, mineral spelled backward – dorky, but a forgiveable conceit for the quality) mineral powders have been VERY good to me. They’re to be found on eBay, if you’re patient, or at larenim.com.
I’ve shifted completely off of liquid foundation to Larenim, and find I can wear MUCH less than I used to wear of old-fashioned makeup. I’ve been using it for about four years, and love the not-so-dry/not-so-matte/not-so-make-uppy look, which was making me feel I looked old. The wear is superior, too, which has amazed me. This stuff actually looks great through a Southern summertime, holding up to humidity and not getting cakey (I actually think it looks better after a mild sweat, but – probably a gross selling point, that …). It’s also not crazily expensive, which for me as a reverse makeup-snob is pretty good.
Gawd that sounds like such the cheesy informercial pitch. I swear, I really do like this stuff though!
I have sensitive skin too – I found that the makeups based on mineral powder (not sure what the term is… I have the stuff but don’t wear makeup on a daily basis) not only felt good going on, and stayed on, it didn’t bother my skin.
Hope you find something that helps!
Well, I’m the whitest shade of pale you’re likely to find in the tri-state area. I use Sol-Bar 50 Block every day, under my foundation. I use a tinted cream foundation that comes in a tube, and usually costs 88 cents on sale. Yes. Yes. I stock up on those white tube foundations at Halloween. I put it on carefully over my sunblock, and buff off any excess with a paper towel, but it is the only colour that matches, and it does not dry out my skin. I recommend it.
I have exceptionally dry skin – type 1 diabetes is hell on the skin – and I loves me some Bobbi Brown Extra tinted moisturizer. It gives pretty good coverage, it’s very moisturizing, and it also has SPF 15. It’s not cheap – I think it’s $40 a jar? – but the jar lasts a good long while and it’s worth every penny for me because it actually works! Hooray for that. Also, since you get it at Nordstrom or a similar department store makeup counter they’ll take it back if it doesn’t work for you. I put mine on at 6:00 am today – it’s 9 hours later and it’s still holding strong and my skin still feels great.
I have very fair, dry skin also, and in the winter when it’s the worst I use the oil cleansing method (google for lots of good links) and bare minerals powder foundation. The OCM basically uses olive oil to dissolve dirt and crud on your face without stripping your natural oils. I apply extra light olive oil to my face (less salad-y than EVOO), massage in, then wipe with a warm washcloth to remove. I then reapply a light layer of oil as a moisturizer. My skin sucks it up within minutes and it’s nice and non-greasy.
I also use Origins Perfect World moisturizer when I’m wanting something a little more girly/fancy, and I LOVE it. It’s super concentrated, so a little goes a long way.
Also, I find it helps to exfoliate regularly (I just scrub gently with a washcloth) – my skin gets really flaky when it’s dry, and makeup just makes it look worse. Exfoliating helps keep that at bay.
I too have super pale/super dry/super sensitive skin, and I want to echo the suggestion for mineral powder foundation. I was afraid it would be too dry, but for whatever reason, it’s just not. I use Everyday Minerals, which I first heard about here on TN, and it’s great — free samples, decent prices, and a great range of skin tones. It’s the only cosmetic line I’ve found that actually has a shade TOO LIGHT for me! Also, most of their products are all natural, some even vegan, if that’s a concern for you.
My daily routine is just Cetaphil moisturizer with SPF (dermatologist recommended for weenie skin like ours!) and EM base foundation. Sometimes I add a middle step of Aveeno tinted moisturizer with SPF for extra coverage, but either way, my skin looks even and not overly made-up.
I use A&D ointment on dry spots (I started using it on my face after having success with it on tattoos during the dry/peeling phase), then I use a foundation primer under my makeup, which works really well. I have used a few products, and eventually settled on Smashbox’s Foundation Primer, but Benefit makes one, as does Lime Crime:
Smashbox Foundation Primer: http://tinyurl.com/pev7ul
Benefit Dr. Feelgood: http://tinyurl.com/qxrufu
Lime Crime Foundation Primer: http://tinyurl.com/qsm43d
Charla, I think you are on to something. Mine is also illness related, so I think I will be giving Bobbi Brown a try. If that doesn’t work, I have all of these other wonderful suggestions to choose from. Thank you all so much!
I have pale, freckly, very sensitive skin, and I have gone mostly without makeup for years – I’d generally slap on some Cover Girl tinted moisturizer on a special occasion and call it a day. But I got married last weekend, so I’ve been experimenting with various things over the past few months so I’d actually look not splotchy in my wedding photos, and what I discovered is that the thing that works best for me isn’t a foundation at all; it’s a powder. I put on the Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew that I apply to my face every day, and then apply Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Matte Finishing Veil over my face. It evens out skin tone, soaks up any oily spots without drying my skin out, and keeps my face unsweaty all day – considering I did an outdoor beach wedding in 80 degree weather, that was a welcome benefit.
I also use Origin’s Nude & Improved foundation — very gentle (my skin is also prone to being dry, plus I have rosacea and the occasional touch of psoriasis), and it has the benefit of having SPF. I find that it evens out my skin tone while feeling & looking pretty sheer. I usually forget I’m wearing it.
I have sensitive (although nothing resembling dry) skin, and I LOVE Ultra Pure Cosmetics mineral powder foundation. It’s so light I forget I’m wearing it and looks really natural; plus, it covers my crazy post-waxing eyebrow/lip redness without any (added) irritation at all. I highly recommend.
http://tinyurl.com/oj4xnq
If you’re interested in mineral makeup, I recommend Everyday Minerals – you can get a free sample of their makeup if you pay shipping. Great way to try their products. (www.everydayminerals.com)
However, I find that mineral makeup isn’t the best for dry skin. It doesn’t usually dry out the skin, but can emphasize the fine lines on dry skin.
I’m a huge fan of Bobbi Brown makeup – love the new Skin foundation. Also, her Luminous Moisturizing foundation is pretty nice, too. It should work very well for dry skin.
I have incredibly sensitive skin as well and after many many years of trial and error, I swear by two products. The best one IMO, although a little pricier is Inika Mineral Foundation (I use it with the Inika Pure Primer as well) I have found that Inika really has lived up to its claims that it was designed for super sensitive skin types. The bonus for me is that it is also vegan! If I am having a budget crisis and can’t afford Inika, I go back to the first Mineral foundation I found that didn’t irritate my skin, Pur Minerals. Up until then, all other brands of mineral foundations, and regular old foundations (from drugstore to expensive) just made my skin very very unhappy. Good luck!
I have to agree with the recommendation for Laura Mercier oil free tinted moisturizer. My skin is incredibly, incredibly sensitive, and this is one thing that won’t make my skin peel, but also won’t make me break out. I’ve gotten my mom hooked on it too.
To keep my face from getting too shiny, I usually add a layer of Maybelline translucent loose powder.
Another pale, dry and sensitive face over here. I found a lot the problems I was having went away when I started using a good primer.
So now I swear by Napoleon Perdis’ Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer, followed by their China Doll foundation.
The primer itself is very light, feels great on, and makes the foundation go on (and stay on) smoother.
The only foundation that has EVER not made me itch is this:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/yu9xhj
I’ve tried Bare Minerals, Physician’s Formula, Neutrogena, and Jane mineral makeup and all of them made me itch. Every run of the mill drugstore foundation does too. The Maybelline Pure Makeup? NO ITCH. Amazing.
The Avene line from France is absolutely fabulous. I *cannot* recommend it enough.
http://www.aveneusa.com/
Hi
I swear by Queen Tinted Foundation Cream. Queen only makes products for super sensitive skins and they really work. Email them for advice as they’re really helpful (adress is info@queen-cosmetics.com and web is http://www.queen-cosmetics.com). I have a really white skin, really sensitive but am finding i can use a lot of their skincare and make-up products. They even do a white foundation cream which you could try under your usual foundation – might work as a barrier/primer.
Good luck.
Make Up For Ever Face and Body. My skin is dry and sensitive as well, and I find that silicone based foundations are the only ones that glide on and stay smooth. I like this particular one because it’s versatile. You can put on just a touch and have it be a very light tint or layer it for more coverage. Also, if you live by one of the Make Up For Ever boutiques, they custom blend to match your skin tone precisely.
Clinique has a moisturizer that ROCKS. My skin is dry, dry, dry, but if I put anything on it, I break out. This is the only stuff I can use. I use their tube foundation (which, bonus, is also water/sweat proof) over it, and it works great!