I’ve never really bothered with moisturise – because I thought moisturising was bad for my skin.
After all, my skin has always been so oily I really didn’t feel it needed it.
Now I’m in my late 40’s, I’ve been finding that the skin I know so well is no longer so familiar!
My oily t-zone has settled right down, thank goodness.
Middle Aged Skin
But what I didn’t realise, is that the skin on the edges of my face is a lot dryer as well.
And do you know what happens when your skin gets dry?
It compensates by producing more oil, resulting in blocked pores and breakouts. All of a sudden, I had pimples along the edges of my face.
A beautician friend of mine explained what was happening, and said that it was time I rethought my theory of moisturiser being bad for my skin, and start using it daily.
So I did.
It really seemed to work! I was further convinced of the benefits of moisturising when we went up north for a week, and I forgot to take my moisturiser. Yep, you guessed it, the zits were back.
Without hesitation, I re-introduced moisturiser into my beauty routine.
Then I got sick with a horrible cold. And overnight, one of my eyes puffed up and swelled almost shut. It wasn’t painful, thankfully, but was scary enough to have me trotting off to my doctor.
The good news was, the eye itself was fine. The doctor guessed that it was possibly an insect bite or something had blocked my tear duct.
Over the next couple of days the swelling went down … and I forgot about it.
When Moisturiser is Bad for your Skin!
Until Miss 17 (the household guru on all things makeup and beauty related) came to me and said that she had just read on the internet about a girl who got moisturiser in her tear duct, causing her eyelid to puff right up!
Suddenly it clicked.
Why did nobody warn me about the dangers of moisturising?
I must have been a bit too slap happy, when I was applying it near the delicate eye area.
Ah well, live and learn … hopefully now you will learn from my experience, and won’t have to make the same mistake!
Did you know about the dangers of moisturising?!
Ainslie Rose says
Moisturising is serious stuff! I use the same moisturiser as you dying the summer months, but during winter I have a thicker one by Sukin (http://www.sukinorganics.com/Product/Face-Care/Moisturise/5/Moisture-Restoring-Night-Cream). I also use rosehip oil around my eye area, but not too close! The eye area is sensitive, and it will spread naturally, so I dab around the socket with the oil, and then spread the moisturiser accordingly around my face. AND! DON”T FORGET YOUR NECK! When I was 12, I tagged along to a Nutrimetics party with my mother and the enthusiastic sales rep informed us, we start loosing elasticity in our necks from puberty! Eeek! Alternatively, we could say ‘stuff it’ and just ignore skin care like most men and save a few pennies in the process!
Glad to hear you’re on the mend.
Janet Camilleri says
LOL I have been of the “stuff it” skincare club all my life – hence only using moisturiser now!
Bec @ The Plumbette says
How interesting that your daughter was able to diagnose what happened! I usually use rosehip oil to moisturise at night and a day cream during the day. I do avoid the eye area as I hate getting product in my eyes and getting watery eyes during the day as a result!
Janet Camilleri says
She’s a pretty smart cookie sometimes π
Lisa says
I have started using rosehip oil too but keep forgetting to put on moisturiser during the day…hope your eye is better now. xx
Nikki @ Wonderfully Women says
I am 49 and still have oily skin, BUT have never gotten out of the shower and not applied moisturizer. Always have and always will! Thankfully I was blessed with skin that never breaks out. xx N
Me says
I have done the three steps of cleanse, tone and moisturise for as long as I can remember. What I did notice was that when menopause hit, my moisturiser wasn’t enough and so now I use a rosehip oil at night and a moisturiser for older skin (I can’t get away from it) in the morning. Of course it being winter doesn’t help either.
Glad your eye is OK now.
Have a great day !
Me xox
ButterCup says
How it helps to have a beauty expert at home! Hope your eye is better now.
Janet Camilleri says
Yes! Very lucky indeed!
Sophisticated Mumma says
Oh yes you have to be super careful around eyes, I’m sure you’ll be more careful in future but crikey that looks sore!
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me says
I have very sensitive eyes and can’t wear eye stuff at all, even mascara I get all teary and red. Good warning for others! x
Janet Camilleri says
You sound like my sis, she reacts very easily to makeup.
Kerry-Anne says
That eye looked really sore! I have been a moisturiser from way back. When I was about 10 I used to spend my pocket money on a herb scented green hand lotion from Coles ( the days when Coles wasn’t a supermarket but set out like a department store). I stil have a nostalgia when I find that herb smell. I only use sorbolene on my skin now, its cheap , hypoallergenic and seems to work for me. Hope your eye is back to normal now π
Renee Wilson says
Ooh gosh. That eye did not look good at all. Thank God it didn’t last long. I’ve had quite a few reactions to beauty products in the past. These days I stick with what I know.
Jacana says
Never heard of that. Learn something everyday. I do moisturise too close to my eyes. Need to get the eye creme from out of the cupboard perhaps.
Rita @ The Crafty Expat says
This is such a timely post for me Janet as I just started again to moisturize my skin. It was so dry that I felt my face was about to crack. And, I kept having pimples. I wondered why. Now I get it! Thanks so much for the tips.
Annaleis says
Suncreen is my moisturiser! At least once a day and in Summer many times! I am careful around my eyes though because they seem to get irritated easily.
MelsNattyKnits says
Hi Janet, I’ve ALWAYS had oily skin and I hated it when I was young. All my friends had beautiful matte looking skin and there I was with my shiny glow. But now I am soooo pleased. Some of my friends (who are younger than me) have very dry and wrinkly skin (on their faces and hands) and while I still have my oily skin I don’t have near as many wrinkles as they do. I also make my own eye cream which I adore (from Carolyn Stubbin’s book Pure Plant Skin Care). I will never buy another eye cream again. Similarly I make my own hand cream based on 100% olive oil (again from the same book – it’s handy having a Diploma of Aromatherapy) and make sure my hands (especially the backs) are moisturised daily. My hands never crack nor are they ever dry. Having said all that, the rest of my body has gone to pot π
Kathy Marris says
Good advice Janet. I have sensitive skin and sometimes moisturizers give me an angry red rash so need to careful about what I use on my skin.
EssentiallyJess says
Oh I never knew that’s why they got right on the edge of your face! Kind you having said that, I moisturise a lot now and have much fewer pimples.
I’ll remember to be more careful round my eyes. That just looks painful!
Alicia says
I use sorbolene as moisturiser, which was recommended after I had a bout of eczema. Thank for the tip, I usually don’t put much around my eyes anyway.