Triggers and Flare-ups Part 1 - Always read the label

As much as I would like my skin sensitivity to be a relatively straightforward contact dermatological reaction, my reality is that I have allergies that are affected by what I eat as well, and environmental factors. So with Melbourne's fairly confusing Autumn weather, my hayfever is acting in a similar way as when its spring.  Such fun.

To say my immune system has been through some battering at the moment would be an understatement - what with getting sick and then having an alleric reaction last week (thanks rain). However I pretty much can rule out any thing I've put on my skin or eaten because I've been VERY strict with my diet at the moment.

I have the trifecta of immune issues - asthma, eczema (genetic mutation and lack of filaggrin) and allergies (with anaphylactic reactions for some triggers).
"Allergies get better as you get older", well no, in my case they have become worse.  The difference is that now I am more aware of what my particular allergens are.  I've been to a few Immunologists for this, not dermatologists as the issue is not just skincare - its the whole body.

I follow the RPAH Failsafe allergy diet 90% of the time (family celebrations excluded). I manage my diet quite carefully and have to make choices about my food and the long term effects.
This diet aims to eliminate Salicylates, Glutamates, Amines and Preservatives from ones diet to minimise immune system flareups which can present as hives, mood swings, migraines, increased blood pressure to name a few.

The worse culprit for me is Salicylic Acid.  Common use?  Aspirin - derived from willow bark.  Also found in these foods (not a full list, and the ones with an asterisk I simply avoid totally).

-tomatoes

-strawberries

-green apples* 

-onion*

-corn

-oranges*

-lemons (lesser extent to orange)

-mint family

This website : FedUp Food Intolerance Network is my go-to-guide.  

So if I wanted to have pizza for dinner - I could have it one night.  The in the week leading up to it my food would have to be to very plain and for about a week afterwards as well.  Only through my recent testing did I discover the enormous range of foods that have Salicylic acid in (like spinach, I love spinach, spinach does not love me).  Meals out and "treats" have to be calculated for the risk they will present.

Salicylic acid is found in many acne-treatment products, so I am very lucky that I don't get acne! Otherwise I'd be in a bother.  It is also the main acid used in BHA products, so I tend to look for AHA products for chemical exfoliation.  AHA's are better for dry skin generally and BHA's are targeted for oily skin.

How does diet link to skincare and makeup?  Read the ingredients list on the back of the product.  I had an allergic reaction to a dry shampoo and could not figure out why UNTIL I read that ingredient list throughly - Benzyl Salicylate was quite high on the list.  I have now become the crazy lady who reads the ingredient list in the shop and mutters to herself.  There has been a steep learning curve.  I wish Australian/US/UK products made it easier to buy samples like Asian products do, considering the high mark-up cost of products in Australia, trial-and-error can be very costly.

These allergies are the main reason why I dont like to use "organic" and "natural" products, because they frequently have the addition of oils or extracts.  For example the Natio Rosewater and
Chamomile Gentle Skin Toner (sounds lovely), but here's the ingredients:

Looking so innocent

Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Rose (Rosa Spp) Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Cymbopogon Martini (Palmarosa) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Oil, Ceteth-20, Fragrance (Parfum), Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glucose, Bisabolol.

Simply due to the orange oil being in there, this product is one I will avoid.  Oranges are one of the worst things for me to have (the sad part is I absolutely love the smell of orange).




Garnier Fructis Conditioner also has a range of essential oils, which sound lovely in practise, but in reality would cause an allergic reaction.

So friendly, how could it go wrong?

Aqua / Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Starch Acetate, Niacinamide, Saccharum Officinarum Extract / Sugar Cane Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Camellia Sinensis Extract / Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Pyrus Malus Extract / Apple Fruit Extract, Pyridoxine Hcl, Cetyl Esters, Citric Acid, Citrus Grandis Oil / Grapefruit Peel Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum Peel Extract / Lemon Peel Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum / Fragrance,

I avoid Garnier Fructis as par the course - they always seem to cause a reaction - whether they have allergens in or not.  This is a brand I would suggest not using if you have uber-sensitive skin.

Sukin is a brand that touts itself as using organic and natural products, but make sure you carefully read those ingredients!  I was tempted to buy some of their range when Priceline had 3 for 2 recently, but there were no testers available so I just didn't risk it.  I've heard rave reviews about their Sensitive Cleansing Gel, but the presence of avocado made me wary, which I why wanted to test it first.

I'm organic, look I've got a leaf on my label.

Ingredients: Purified Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract (Chamomile), Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Rose Hip), Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Citric Acid.




DermaSukin seems to be their hypoallergenic range - I have their Daily Gentle Wash and it is gentle enough to use on my face as well.  So bonus points for that.  I got this in a Goodie Bag from Priceline, I dont know if I would repurchase it.  It's not mind blowing in terms of what it does.

Only actual innocent one of the lot

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid.






It takes a lot of research and reading of labels to know what is safe and what to avoid, but the risk of having an allergic reaction makes the time spent researching very worthwhile.  I would say 70% of my shopping time is reading the labels.  And googling up Latin names of plants - I've learnt quite a few now.  I would say the next step of refining the products I use is to research the chemicals used in them and see if there's any connections to skin flare-ups, which there probably are.

Another area to be aware of is the Laundry Detergent you use.  I don't go near any supermarket laundry detergents.  Even walking along that aisle will make me sneeze!  I make my own laundry detergent, and have been doing so for around 3 years.  I use the recipe from the Down-To-Earth Blog and am very happy with how it works.  If I have a flare up (like now) washing gets put in the drier to make sure all nasties are killed/removed from heat.

My next post will be on things I've been trying to help reduce the inflammations in my skin, both for face and body.

Do any of you have allergies?  How do you manage it in your lifestyle?

When things go from bad to worse.

My immune system is taking a fair beating at the moment.

I've just gotten over the conjunctivitis I developed before Easter, but that itself caused a sinus infection.  Days of migraines from the pressure so I haven't been able to do very much at all apart from watch YouTube and go down the rabbit-hole that is reddit.

And thanks to Melbourne's very confused weather my allergies have gone nuts.  I haven't eaten anything that would cause a massive reaction like this and its very localised on my cheeks (butterfly rash/mask).  I currently have a red and sore face so am feeling quite sorry for myself.

I have applied my Avene Cicalfate about 3 times today and yesterday as well, but gave in this evening and applied a light layer of a cortisteroid cream to help it settle overnight.

I managed to test some products before everything went crazy, so I will be posting them up over the next few days, but at the moment, sticking to my trusty products. But I know it will take up to week to settle down realistically.  I'm also going to have to stick to the stricter version of the RPAH Diet for a while.

Does anyone else get bad allergies when it rains and then clears up?  Or get irritated skin when you actually get rained on?

Brand Review : Avene

My first foray in Avene was the thermal water sprays.
I got the smallest size (50ml) in a goody bag from somewhere.  I stuck it in my handbag and grew quite attached to it over summer.

Then it was on sale at Chemist Warehouse where it was get two of the 300ml for $20.  I bought 4 in total. One lives at work in my desk and the others get used in my routines, especially if I have a major flareup and I don't want to use an acidic toner (the thermal wate rhas a pH of 7.5 - neutral).  I also use the thermal water to soak masks when my skin feels dry (similar to the cloth masks from Face Shop etc).

The one at work is used most often to refresh my makeup if my skin starts to feel dry.

From the Avene (Australia) website: "Avène Thermal Spring Water is classified in the "water with low mineral content" group (low-mineralised) with a calcium bicarbonate and magnesium profile. Amongst its main characteristics: high silicate levels, low sodium levels, a calcium-magnesium ratio of 2 (expressed in mg/l of minerals) and a wide variety of trace elements."

Source : Avene Center website

The Avene Center website states that these minerals help with the epidermis and restoring the skins barrier.  As well as having anti-inflammatory benefits.

As a scientist I am aware of the placebo effect, but I cant figure out how I would get a placebo effect for skin care.

So it works.  Otherwise I would not be waxing lyrical about this range.

The items below are the 4 main products from Avene that I use on a regular basis.  They are all gentle and pretty much do as they claim.  I tested them all out before I bought them, because I am paranoid. And my skin is a brat.  A high maintenance brat.  

They are a pricier product, but I tend to buy them when Chemist Warehouse has a sale on, or Priceline.  However most of the time its a better deal at Chemist Warehouse. I would assume that other chemists would have Avene as well.  Price point would be similar to that of L'Oreal Paris' skincare products.

I've spoken about the cleanser before in an earlier post.  Its not a foaming cleanser, I would say it produces a very fine lather when used on damp skin .  This is also described as a "tissue off" cleanser so you don't have to use water to remove it, thus allowing the actives to soak in more.  I tend to wipe it off anyway because of how I have structured my routine.  Its not the best at removing waterproof mascara or matte finish lipsticks, so I double cleanse in the evening.

The Skin Recovery Cream Calming Formula is a what I use if my skin is looking red.  I usually layer it on several times over the day if possible.  It is a light cream so doesn't feel greasy when applied generously.  I'm now onto my second tube of this product.

I really have rubbed it on the right!

Ingredients: Avene Thermal Spring Water (Avene Aqua). Paraffinum Liquidum. Squalane. Dimethicone. Glyceryl Stearate. Butylene Glycol. Glycerin. Behenyl Alcohol. Ozokerite. Benzoic Acid. Butyrospermum Parkii Butter. Carbomer. Chlorphenesin. Phenoxyethanol. Tetrasodium Edta. Triethanolamine. Xanthan Gum.


Cicalfate Restorative Cream is a thick soothing cream - Zinc Oxide does this task. It is used to help make a barrier for inflamed and dry skin. I use this as an alternative to a cortisteroid cream if I can. Its not a cream you can put on and then apply makeup like the Recovery Cream.  This is thick and occlusive but it works a treat.  If I had to choose which one of these products I would pay full price for, it would definitely be this one.

On the right is about the thickness I use as a top layer

Ingredients: Avene Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Glycerin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquiisostearate, PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, Aluminum Sucrose Octasulfate, Aluminium Stearate, Cera Alba, Copper Sulfate, Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, Microcrytalline Wax/Cera Microcristallina, Zinc Sulfate.

I might add more of their range to my collection, I have been looking at the serum and the masks for sensitive skin.  Keeping an eye out for sales :D  

Avene is clever in that they make themed "packs" of their products.  So I picked up the Sensitive Skin pack which contained a 50ml Thermal Water, the cleanser and the Recovery cream.  This is a much more cost effective way of buying several products.  .

I find it really weird taking photos of my arm, anybody else find this?

Addicted to: Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows

Such pretties.

In case we weren't sure from the above photo, I do love the Color Tattoos.  I have 13 currently and have seen somewhere a mint, a bright green and a pale blue.  I might have to acquire them the next time I see them.  Usually at the little makeup stalls that pop up in shopping centres.

Initially I bought three - the Taupe, Rose Pink and Grey.  After using them for a while I decided I needed all of them.  The hardest ones to get were the Barely Branded and Bad to the Bronze.  I managed to get two of them from Catch-of-the-Day as well - the Fuschia and Sandy, as I had not seen these in the shops.

As the name suggests, they do last all day, I haven't tried the "24hr" bit because well there has been no call for it...  To remove I do oil-cleansing in the evening (as I tend to have issues with eye-makeup removers) but the Garnier Miceller water also works with a few passes.  Makeup wipes don't seem to touch them at all.  If you use a specific eye-makeup remover, use one made for waterproof mascaras.

Annoying we here in Australia don't have near the range that the US has.  But I endeavour.

Now onto the pretties:

Too Cool : an iridescent white, sheer but you only need a little bit, a very light hand is needed. This could also work as a highlighter.  Feels like a hybrid of a cream and gel.
Audacious Asphalt :  a metallic grey (not as dark as I would like), but still buildable for a mid-smokey eye
Painted Purple: a bright metallic royal purple, very good colour payoff (however purple is my favourite colour so I am biased), but it is a little drier than most of the range.

Sandy Shores :  a shimmery sheer and iridescent yellow, very brightening
Bad to the Bronze : very pigmented bronze - I have used it as an eyeliner, very creamy
Tough as Taupe: the only matte I have seen in this range.  The texture is the driest of them, so makes it hard to blend on the eyelid.  Least favourite.

Tenacious Teal - reminds me of peacock feathers, this is gorgeous and great accent colour
Bold Gold - a rich mid-toned gold, its not near as bright as Sandy Shores,
Inked in Pink - looks lovely with the taupe for a quick day look, a metallic rose and applies easily,  The most used of the collection.

Silver Strike; VERY pigmented and is easy to over do and look like your eyelid is a disco ball
Barely Branded - a bright creamy beige that is shimmery, can be used as an eye-shadow base, great for the inner corner eye highlight.
Blue - a great midnight metallic blue, strong pigmentation, I like to use as an eyeliner
Fuschia - a bold and bright purple with good pigmentation

Ideally the formulations of these would be the same, but some are easier to apply than others.  I use a brush to apply these, usually a lipstick brush because the denser bristles pick up the product better. Warming up the product helps, as does working it over with a brush.  I dont use my fingers to apply these because I am not skilled.
I am planning to keep the little jars they come in as they are sturdy and made of glass.

I haven't had any sort of reactions to these products, which I why I have invested in them.  I believe they are a silicone based product and my skin doesn't have issues with silicone overall.

What have your experiences been with the Maybelline Eye Tattoos?
Any suggestions for other cream eyeshadows?

Subscription Boxes

These are really popular at the moment and I thought I would go through my experience with BellaBox.  I haven't tried any other subscription boxes yet.

I got lured in by the physical box the items can in.  I'm a sucker for a pretty box.  Its a Tiffany blue with with polka dots.  I have kept all the boxes!  So Pretty!

So grumpy I refuse to use a real picture of their box...

I got $5 off my first box (as is the norm with most services) and then paid $15 per month (included postage).  I started in May 2014 and cancelled after I got the December 2014 box. So about $130 in total.  Did I get more than that in value with products?  In total, yes.  In usable products, I would say $40.

Recently they have now added $2.95 P&H.  So it will now be $17.95/month

BellaBox lure you in with a survey where you fill out seemingly pertinent details, like skin type (dry), preferred interests (makeup types, vs skincare vs haircare).  They do state that they pick a feature each month to focus on.

In the 9 boxes I got, there were maybe 7 products I liked and 5 of those I loved, and they were 3 makeup products (all full size) and 1 face primer (foil sample sachet) and one full sized skin-care product (cuticle cream).  Usually there were 5 products in a box, from full sized to foil sachets. Majority of the boxes I received had supermarket/Priceline products like Vaseline, Aveeno or Palmers.  Product ranges that have testers at Priceline at least.  Generally the Palmers sample were the little foil sachets.  I will say that Vaseline and Aveeno had little bottles, which were good for my handbag.

My biggest grievance is that I specifically stated in my survey that I had dry and sensitive skin.  I continually got products for oily skin.  So I couldn't use them. I also got sick of getting the "natural" products because these often contain fruits and such that make me have an anaphylactic reaction.

I did contact them about the fact that in my December Box there were 5 items I could not use.  The response I got was completely unsatisfactory.

No point in paying for a box of samples if you cant use 80% of the items...

So at this stage of the game, I'm not planning on subscribing to any other boxes.  I would prefer to go and use the sample in Priceline/Chemist Warehouse for a patch test and go from these. Thus saving money and stress.  Or order samples online where I can read the ingredients list and make a judgement based on knowledge instead of relying on "the luck of the draw".

My number 1 rule : If I cant sample it or test it, I dont bother with it.

I don't care what claims a company can make, if I cant try it, my money will not pay for it.

So if you have allergies and sensitive skin, think twice before using the subscription box.  It's treated too often as a "one size fits all". Which we know, is not the case.

What products have you received in a subscription box that were just a no-go?

ps. Why the hell would I use a primer that has tea-tree oil in it if I have dry and sensitive skin!!!!

Let me flutter my lashes

I've realised in the past few days how much I love my mascara. How key it is for my look and how I feel with makeup.

I've had conjunctivitis since Thursday last week (oh how glamorous) and had to bin my favourite mascara, which was saddening, but I'm very glad I wear minimal make-up over the holidays so it wasn't palettes of eyeshadows.  So no action shots of the mascaras.

90% of the time I go for a waterproof mascara due to hay-fever/allergies and the watery eyes that accompany it.  As per my makeup, new mascaras get a trial run on the weekends or holidays.

My favourite for quite a while has been Essence BIG Lashes Volume Proof Waterproof Mascara in Black.

I was too sad to take my own photo before I binned it!

<sigh> It did everything I wanted in a mascara.  Volume?  Hell yes!  Big defined lashes?  Ooooh boy!  Waterproof? Indeedy-do!
This made my pale lashes look like false eye-lashes.  I've had co-workers as if I had false lashes on or if I had extensions put in (which but the way, completely disturbs me) or my lashes tinted.  One coat looked great, 2 coats was *fabulous*.
The brush was large and bristley, normally I like a small brush with the rubber bristles, so application was a little messy and I would apply the mascara first before doing the rest of my eye makeup, not a major issue.
The staying power is great, I apply my makeup around 7am and its still on when I remove it around 6pm (I like to remove my makeup as soon as I get home from work), I do have to use an oil cleanser to remove it in the most painless manner.  Micellar water works but its more effort.  Wipes also work, but sometime I have to scrub which causes irritations.
Now I know this is cheap ($5.10 Priceline) but I have not yet repurchased because I'll be moving onto my second favourite.

My second favourite is Essence Lash Princess Volume Mascara.

I bought this after watching a video by MissTango2.
It does a lovely job of lengthening my lashes, not as good a job as the BIG Lashes in terms of thickening.  Two coats of this does the same as one coat of the BIG Lashes  The formula is just right, not to wet as some other brands (looking at you Rimmel) are when you open the tube the first time. It will be interesting to see how long this one lasts, as the BIG Lashes was going well into its 4th month and was just starting to dry out.

The brush is an interesting shape and it does make application really nice and neat. All the lashes get an application easily and the way the bristles are spread out help to separate the lashes for definition.
Lasting power on this is a full workday easily, but this one can be removed more easily.  I think this peach coloured one isn't water proof.  So it will be interesting to see how it goes in Spring with peak allergies!
I think this one normally goes for $6.75.  

A bit of a "Meh" product is the Revlon Lash Potion Volume and Length Mascara.  This came in a Revlon gift pack I bought in the post-Christmas sales.  Normal retail for this is $21.95.  Hmmm no.  This is why I like gift packs for more expensive items, because you cant go up in Priceline and just start trying mascaras on your eyeballs.  Nasty.  Germs.

I would not pay $21.95 for this.  I wont be repurchasing.  Its nice and you know, works, but its nothing compared to the Essence ones I have tried, which are a fraction of the price. (I could get 4 of my BIG lashes for one of these...).  I'm using it because I bought it and I'm not throwing money in the bin.  The formula isn't too wet and it does stay quite well but its nothing memorable.

Next.

This is a FAIL.  An epic let down.

Rimmel Wonder'full Argan Oil Waterproof Mascara - I give up on Rimmel mascaras.  I just have not liked any of them for years.  I have moved on to better and bigger lashes.  Was I lured in by the pretty tube (which is a bitch to photograph so I acquired a picture from elsewhere)?  Maybe.  I dont know.

Brush of goopyness

The brush looked promising - its a rubber bristle brush, a little big, but I can deal.
The formula sucks.  Its very wet and goopy  I tried one coat.  I tried two coats.  I tried three coats. Aint got time for this!  I was let down big time.  Three coats of this was vaguely close to one coat of the Lash Princess.  It coloured my lashes but they weren't voluminous or emphasised in any way.  It was all very ordinary.
The end of the brush collects huge blobs of mascara when it comes out of the tube, and will stab you in the eye as you attempt to maneuver the brush (quite traumatic).
I did wait to see if it would thicken up if it dried out, but after a month it was still the same goopyness as when I opened it.
This retails for $17.95. So I needed to use three times more of a more costly product to get a vaguely similar result to a $6 one coat wonder.
Nope.
Its in my work bag as an emergency mascara.  I wont repurchase.

All of these did not give me any sort of allergic reaction which is my main concern.
What do you look for in a mascara?

Later days,

AM Routine

I have to admit, I am a newcomer to a regular morning routine.  Pretty much only this year (2015) have I developed a good routine and its been with plenty of trial and error.
And shopping.
Throwing money at shops with hopes and dreams of perfect skin.
Muttering in the skincare aisles about using orange oil in products for sensitive skin.
Sometimes waking up with a chemical burn on my face, despite patch testing the week before (the betrayal of a patch test breaks my heart).

So this routine I developed after my last allergic reaction where my face looked like I experienced a chemical burn, my right eye was nearly swollen shut and I was peeling like a snake.  I still don't know what triggered that disaster.
But this is what has fixed it!  Without steroid creams - lots of antihistamine tablets in the first three days, but this routine has maintained damn good skin.

Cleanser
Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser.  I use about a pea-sized amount on damp skin. I remove it with a damp microfibre cloth. I ended up getting this (after much resistance) after reading reviews and dealing with burn-face.  I have collected quite a few items from Avene, so I dont know why I was so resistant in the first place.
Ingredients : Avene Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, o-phenylphenol, Cetrimonium Bromide, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Aqua

Toner
Nivea Pure&Natural Cleansing Toner (For all skin types).  This was my biggest gamble.  I usually use a Nivea Moisturiser anyway, but I wanted a toner for Dry and Sensitive skin, which  I could not find.  It was a winning gamble however.  This doesn't sting and I've had no adverse reaction to it, even though alcohol is high on the ingredients list.   The pH is also low enough to help with serum absorbtion.

Ingredients: Aqua, Alcohol Denat., Glyceryn, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl, Betaine, Trisodium EDTA, Methylisothiazolinone, linalool, Limonene, citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylphenyl, Methylpropional, Alpha-isomethyl ionone, Parfum.

Serum
This year I hopped on the Hyaluronic Acid train.  Best train I even hopped on.  I use the Indeed Labs Hydraluron serum.  I apply it whilst my toner is still damp.  I have to let it dry before I apply my moisturiser or I get a burning feeling and I go red for at least 24 hours.  So I let this dry and then liberally apply my mosturiser. I love this stuff so much I bought 5 tubes of it from Glamaco when they had it half price!  I do think my skin feels better when I use this - its soft and not as tight as it used to be. I'm not aware of any reaction to the seaweed extract.  But it would be interesting to make a pure Hyaluronic Acid serum for comparison sake.  Maybe when I use up the 4th tube.

Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol.

Moisturiser
I'm currently using Nivea Daily Essentials Rich Moisturisng Day Cream SPF 30+.  My skin is a Nivea fan.  This doesn't sting when I apply it and the SPF is good enough that I dont need to apply a specific sunscreen unless I know I'll be outside on purpose (I dont like outside...too much nature...).
I am planning to test a different morning moisturiser during the holidays - just started Easter Hols, so two weeks gives me enough time to fix my skin if it hates the new products.

Ingredients: Active Ingredients: Homosalate 90mg/g, Octyl Salicytate 45mg/g Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 45mg/g, Phenyl-benzimidazole Sulfonic Acid 25mg/g. Contains: Methyl Hydroxybenzoate, Phenoxyethenol.

If I'm not leaving the house I will use normal Nivea Creme (blue tub) on my face.

The two biggest changes in this routine were the cleanser and toner.  I was using an Ego QV cleanser, but I actually found that irritated my skin.   It was meant for sensitive skin, so bah-humbug to that product.  Some years ago I tried the Cetaphil cleanser, but I remember not liking it.  Cant remember why though.  Also I changed to a microfibre cloth because I found a normal facewasher way to abrasive.  I have two types of microfibre cloth, one for removing the Avene cleanser and the other when I oil-cleanse to remove makeup.  I have a stash so I can get a fresh cloth every couple of days and then they get washed in hot water.
I avoided toner for a long time because I thought it was just for oily-skin, but after doing reading on SkinCareAddiction and AsianBeauty on reddit, I have learnt the benefits of using a toner with dry skin. I have also learnt heaps from SnowWhiteandtheAsianPear in terms of layering my products and why its important.

Later days,

It's all about that base. Foundation base that is.

I know that some people would say that because of my allergies I should avoid makeup and blah blah blah.
I like makeup.  Its like making a new artwork everyday.
I also like the face that makeup can camouflage my bright red face during an allergic reaction.  
6 layers of makeup is the most I have used.  Just to have a skin-toned face.  Thats not counting blush etc.    

I'm not 100% sure if I'm cool or warm toned.  I try to match my face to my neck/chest and go from there.  Looking at the picture below you can see I've got a cool and a warm tone foundation(and a rogue, I'll explain further down).  I haven't been matched as such, I tend to slap some of the tester on my arms first to see if it oxidises and then match my neck/chest.  

My favourite brand for foundation is hands down Rimmel.  I've used different types of their foundations for at least 7 years and I always go back to them.  I have a foundation that is medium to heavy cover and a lighter cover foundation.  I use to use the Physicians Formula Mineral Foundation, but I was never really happy with it.  Then I found Rimmel.

This is Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation SPF 20 in 010 Light Porcelain.  This is the full coverage foundation that I use when my face is bright red.  I usually need 2 layers of this.  I will be honest, I have yet to find a foundation that covers my red skin in one layer (when I say red, see the red label, that's the colour my skin goes when I'm having an allergic reaction!).  I do have to use a green colour corrector underneath. 
This has a lovely dewy finish.
Even with multiple layers it is a very comfortable foundation.  Only in humid weather does it get uncomfortable.  When my skin is happy I can use 1 layer of this with normal concealer use.
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This is Rimmel Match Perfection in 081 Fair Ivory.  I use this when my skin is in good condition.  It doesn't work as well as the Lasting Finish to help cover the redness. Again a dewy finish.  I like a dewy finish 90% of the time because I have epic dry skin.  Anything mattifying is a big no-no unless its humid weather.
This type doesn't layer as well as the Lasting Finish.





However both last through a full workday - I usually have finished my makeup at 7am and I removed it 11 to 12 hours later.  And its all there!

This is another Rimmel Match Perfection in 301 Warm Honey that I got in a Priceline goody bag in 2014.  Not my skin tone at all but I use it to darken the two above foundations when my skin is a bit darker in summer.

I might use 2 pumps of the Lasting Finish and half a pump of the Warm Honey.  I'm doing this so I actually use up this product, because it is a foundation that I like already so I don't get splitting from formulation incompatibility.




Another point is that Rimmel make pale enough foundation for my skin.  During January when Chemist Warehouse had their 50% off sale I went in and bought 3 foundations.  2 from Rimmel and 1 from Maybelline (a surprising contender - usually Maybelline foundations oxidise really badly on me).  

All in their lightest shades.  
In the middle of an Australian Summer.

The concealer I consistently go for is the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind, I have Light on the go a the moment.  I did remove the little sponge at the end because tons of product gets wasted in that. And the germs that will live in the sponge made me twitchy.  Anyway, this concealer works very nicely under the Rimmel foundations.  Strangely I don't have a Rimmel concealer, they are too dark and orange.

I will be doing a post on some more foundations in the future, as I bought two new (to me) foundations in the recent Priceline 40% Off Cosmetics sale.

These Rimmel ones are my go-to, for both everyday makeup and going out makeup.

Later days