Flakey foundation no matter what I do

shoos

Hi, was hoping someone could help me with this.

It seems that no matter what I do, my foundation will always flake on my skin. And I'm not even talking about at the end of a long day (although then it's particularly bad) but almost immediately after applying. It flakes in the centre of my forehead, cheeks, bit on my chin. All over basically.

My skin is very annoying, sometimes it's dry, the odd time it will go really oily in the forehead, other times it's not really one or the other. And this is with no change to my skincare routine or my diet, it's just pot luck.

I've tried primers under my foundation. I'm using an expensive L'Oreal one at the moment... makes no difference. I've used the Gosh one in the past, didn't really help either.

I've tried moisturising right before applying the makeup, no difference. I've tried oils instead of creams, like Coconut Oil... no luck.

I've tried foundations from the cheapies like L'Oreal and Rimmel to MAC, Armani and Vichy. I've tried liquids as well as mousses.

I'm at a loss. Decided to write this post as I'm getting ready for a night out right now and I spotted it flaking while applying my eyeshadow and I could have almost smashed the mirror, I've become so frustrated by it all

Would be very grateful if anyone could offer some advice!

Larianne

Do you exfoliate your skin?

What moisturiser are you currently using?

shoos

Larianne wrote: »

Do you exfoliate your skin?

What moisturiser are you currently using?

I used to a lot more, no so much recently. Maybe I'll try again but I can't really remember it affecting my foundation.

At the moment I'm using Liz Earle which I normally love and suited my skin so well but I'm certain they have changed the ingredients recently. Just does nothing for me anymore.

DonnaDarko09

Do you apply with brushes or fingers? If the former are you regularly cleaning the brush? I find mine flakes when my brush needs a clean

December2012

If I were you I would go for a really clarifying and rehydrating facial.

Given that the products you use used to be fine, consider whether or not your skin itself has changed.

MsQuinn

You need to get a foundation that suits your skin.

I recently bought the one that everybody seems to rave about - Estee Lauder Double Wear - and just hated it; made my skin flake like you're mentioning. It just doest not suit me. Dried onto my skin after about half an hour and made me look like a clown.

I bought it in the airport but went back to a counter in another store (wearing it just to show them) and they told me it is just not for people with dry skin.

Not sure what type of foundation you are wearing, but if you have dry skin, stay away from the long lasting foundations. They basically turn to chalk on dry skin.

Having dry skin myself (which you are stuck with no matter how much moisturiser you use), the foundations I recommend are Estee Lauder Futurist or Clinique Superbalanced Makeup. Yes, they are dearer than some other brands, but they last ages so are really worth the few extra bob. You should be able to get some testers in some of the stores that stock them.

p.s. Dermalogica have a really good moisturising one - Treatment foundation - if all you need is sheer coverage. It has been discontinued but can still be bought online. They have new ones out but I haven't tried them yet.

dee_mc

Try applying your moisturiser then waiting 10-15 mins for it to set before applying make up. Clinique moisture surge is a great light, gel like product for very dry skin; there is also a newer one called something like 'moisture surge extra' which i found too rich for my dry skin, but worth trying.
A gentle exfoliator 3 times a week is essential; try a Simple one, or just mix a teaspoon of salt with your normal mild cleanser for a very gentle scrub without the usual added chemicals. As you probably know you should never actually 'scrub' when using a scrub: just massage it in gently with your fingertips and rinse with warm, not hot, water to avoid parching your skin further.
Clarins Beauty Flash Balm was a great buy for me a few years ago when i was using cheaper foundations and mousse foundations (which are a nightmare for dry skin, steer well clear) as it will make your foundation go further, give you a bit of a glow, and stop the foundation sinking in to your skin too much, which obviously emphasises dry spots and gives the dreaded cakey, flakey appearance.
Bourjois do some lovely foundations for dry skin types, the ones to look for mention vitamins in the name, never had a problem with my skin when using these but the range of shades didn't suit my skin tone (ghostly pale) so now use Chanel: expensive but a little goes a long way, and much cheaper in the airport

Little Acorn

Hi,
I have had your problem before. This is what is working so far for me.

Exfoliate face with any face scrub that you can see the beads in it. I know some people think that these types of scrubs are too harsh and might scratch skin, but I find they work great when skin is very flaky. I dry face with a really rough towel also to further exfoliate a little.

I then add a serum. You could use one of the No.7 Protect and Perfect serums, or Aldi and Lidl also do really good serums. I have an Aldi one. I don't just slap it on, I massage it very carefully into my skin all over my face with a reasonable pressure. I let it sink in for about 5 mins and I then apply a moisturiser, again I massage it in.

I leave this for about 10 mins to sink into my skin.
I then add foundation, I have finally found one that doesn't flake on my skin.

It is called Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation.

I apply it with my fingers.
I did originally try the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundaion because I thought a serum foundation would be better for dry skin, however it still made my skin flake. The original Foundation alone one is great. I have no flakes, and it makes my skin look very dewy and radiant looking.

I don't wear any powder with this foundation, it lasts fairly well on my skin without any. If you are using setting powder try and find one that is not drying.

Make sure you drink lots of water everyday so that your body is not dehydrated which will show in your skin.

Don't use a rough facial scrub every single day, only when you feel it's needed.

I only ever wear makeup if I am going to a nightclub or a special event, but it used to really annoy me when the flakiness would happen everytime I put foundation on. I know how disheartening it can be.
These few steps have worked for me, and I hope they might work for you too.

dee_mc

Little Acorn wrote: »

Hi,
I have had your problem before. This is what is working so far for me.

Exfoliate face with any face scrub that you can see the beads in it. I know some people think that these types of scrubs are too harsh and might scratch skin, but I find they work great when skin is very flaky. I dry face with a really rough towel also to further exfoliate a little.

I then add a serum. You could use one of the No.7 Protect and Perfect serums, or Aldi and Lidl also do really good serums. I have an Aldi one. I don't just slap it on, I massage it very carefully into my skin all over my face with a reasonable pressure. I let it sink in for about 5 mins and I then apply a moisturiser, again I massage it in.

I leave this for about 10 mins to sink into my skin.
I then add foundation, I have finally found one that doesn't flake on my skin.

It is called Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation.
https://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=1KjwR3bowWmSbM&tbnid=FOJiPp1rswZZsM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pixiwoo.com%2F2013%2F02%2Fbest-foundations-for-your-skin-type.html&ei=X39YUZG4IMGrhQfrloCQBQ&bvm=bv.44442042,d.ZG4&psig=AFQjCNFVFxFfUk5oRc5Iu7IqyQG93BskSQ&ust=1364840668208243

I apply it with my fingers.
I did originally try the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundaion because I thought a serum foundation would be better for dry skin, however it still made my skin flake. The original Foundation alone one is great. I have no flakes, and it makes my skin look very dewy and radiant looking.

I don't wear any powder with this foundation, it lasts fairly well on my skin without any. If you are using setting powder try and find one that is not drying.

Make sure you drink lots of water everyday so that your body is not dehydrated which will show in your skin.

Don't use a rough facial scrub every single day, only when you feel it's needed.

I only ever wear makeup if I am going to a nightclub or a special event, but it used to really annoy me when the flakiness would happen everytime I put foundation on. I know how disheartening it can be.
These few steps have worked for me, and I hope they might work for you too.

Great advice Little Acorn, and that's the Bourjois foundation i was trying to think of above ^^^ !

shoos

Thanks so much for all the advice, particularly Little Acorn, thanks for going to trouble of listing out all the products you've found that work!

I've haven't heard good nor bad things about Bourjois foundations before, would have never thought to have tried them.

I remember a girl posting on a different thread here that she went to the Dermalogica counter in BTs and they told her her skin was actually dehydrated instead of dry and the products they gave her cleared up all the redness in her skin, which I also have. I just put the redness down to an Irish complexion as opposed to dryness, so I might give them a go and see what happens. Think it's about time I spent a bit of money on a good moisturiser especially now that Liz Earle isn't working for me anymore.

Thanks again folks

shoos

I bought a Nivea serum that was on a deal in Tescos the other day and tried it this morning along with a good exfoliation with my usual moisturiser and foundation and can already see a huge difference in the look of my makeup

Much more dewy and so far no flaking or cracking.

I just hope that the difference will continue without having to always exfoliate beforehand, cause doing that all the time is very damaging to the skin I believe!

Little Acorn

That's great news!

Regarding how often to exfoliate, I think I read somewhere before that once a week was ok. (you can get very gentle scrubs)
However I think if you have sensitive skin it should be much less.
Some people say once a month is okay.


I am no expert, but I personally only ever exfoliate with a rough scrub if my skin is feeling particularly dry/flakey. Maybe once every 4 weeks or even longer, I don't know if it's the correct amount,but it works okay for me. Hopefully the serum helps make your skin less dry so there won't be as much need for a lot of exfoliation.

SmokeyEyes

Agree gentle exfoliation makes an enormous difference but generally foundations just don't work for my dry skin and never look how I want them to look on me. That's why I only wear Asian BB Creams now because they work on my skin like regular great foundation works on other girls' skin! Worth a look if you have a lot of trouble with foundation, the Gold BB Cream is a lifesaver for dry skin!

unknowngirl!!

This is a great microfoliant http://www.dermalogica.ie/ir/html/products/daily-microfoliant-11.html?type=function&cat=exfoliants I use it with the dermalogica skin smoothing moisturiser and it gets rid of any flaky skin.

I think you need to focus on sorting your skin rather than trying different foundations. You need a smooth base to have no flakes.

Silverfish

I'm a bit late to this thread, but I find Rimmel's Wake me up foundation pretty good! I also use Etude House Magic BB Cream Moist, that's very good too.

I've heard La-Roche Posay's Toleraine foundation is perfect for dry flaky skin, I have some on order so I'll report back.

fall

My skin sounds very like yours op. I exfoliate using bio oil, recommended by my wedding make up artist. If you have dry skin a lot of the exfoliatiors can dry your skin out even more. I put it on at night once a week going to bed on areas like my forehead and sides of my nose.
I also use foundations for older ladies as they are moisture rich. I need a lot of moisture or I get the cracked and flaky look. I have used a Clarins one for a number of years and I find a big difference when I use a brush.

dee_mc

Hi Fall,
can you explain how you go about exfoliating using bio oil? i'm intrigued

SmokeyEyes

+1 for a facial oil, makes a huge difference and Weleda's Skin Food is an amazing moisturiser to leave on overnight for dry skin!

For exfoliation, Vichy have a 3 in 1 wash exfoliator and mask that's really good at unclogging pores!

fall

After I have cleansed and toned my face at night I moisturise as usual but avoid the areas which are very dry like the top of my forehead and sides of my nose. I put bio oil on these areas. In the morning I just use toner and cotton wool and my skin is totally smooth. I moisturise really well and allow time for it to sink in before I put on my make up.
I have also used rose hip oil in the same way. I find the oils just really hydrate my skin but also take that loose layer of skin off without being harsh. You only need a tiny bit of oil and it definitely helps with the wrinkles

xOxSinéadxOx

I have this flaky problem a lot , I have really dry skin. Personally what I do is cleanse, tone moisturise twice a day. I rarely rarely exfoliate as this just makes my skin even more dry for days after. I don't really use face washes, I use a gentle one every so often, otherwise I will wash my face with silkcock's base. I find that skin care products aimed specifically at dry skin really do help!

Regarding make-up, I moisturise before putting on my makeup and then wait about 15mins. I also find it helpful to use a primer. Foundations that are 'dewy' are usually best for me. I'm using rimmel match perfection at the moment and think it's good for dry skin, although the coverage is quite light so might not be for everybody.

Chain_reaction

As a sufferer of the flaky dry skin horror I've tried a lot of foundations in my time to, the only way I can combat it is with using very very dewy foundations. Even if something is marketed at dry skin it usually still catches after a few hours on me, at the moment I'm getting good results with Max Factor Xperience, coverage and lasting power arn't that good but it doesn't make my skin feel tight nor sore after a few hours. I'd stay well away from anything that dries powdery or is marketed as matt or with staying power.

They might work for yourself but any of the "mineral" based foundations I've seen marketed at all skin types have been woeful on me. The two worst foundations that I've ever tried were double wear and any foundation ever made by bourjois (big fan of everything else they make but their foundations are as appealing as talc to my skin).

I found exfolating my skin makes it twice as bad, I just mositurise numerious times throughout the day. Currently plastering myself with la roche posay cicaplast baume b5 and Eucerin Dry skin Replenishing Cream with 5% Urea and my skin seems to be on the mend. This weather has me driven mad.