Hello Reddit,
I posted on the 30plusskincare subreddit, and they suggested that I posted here as you guys are more used to these kind of issues. Anyhoo, I could use some input. My skin just can’t seem to hold hydration anymore.
The picture is from about 2 hours after a shower. I applied Estée Lauder ANR on damp skin, then COSRX Hyaluronic Acid cream, then Atobarrier 365. Even with that, my skin still looks and feels dehydrated (tight, a bit textured). I also use timeless 10% and spf everyday. Been keeping off the timeless to see if it helped, but it doesn’t seem like it :((
In the morning it’s similar, but at night I use tazarotene 0.05%. If I don’t put something heavy like Cicaplast B5 on top, I wake up completely dry. So it clearly helps, but I honestly hate how it feels, like it’s just sitting there suffocating my skin.
For context, I’ve been using taz almost daily for 4–5 months. I also take dutasteride 0.5 mg daily. A couple of years ago my skin wasn’t like this, but I moved to a colder, drier climate and it’s been worse ever since.
I’ve been looking at things like Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence or Hada Labo Premium Lotion to add a better hydration layer, since the COSRX cream doesn’t seem to be enough.
Also looking for alternatives to Cicaplast. I checked out Bioderma Cicabio Crème+, but I’ve seen people say the formula got worse.
Does this sound like a TEWL/barrier issue from taz + environment, or am I missing something? And has anyone found something that actually hydrates well and keeps it in, without feeling like Cicaplast?
Appreciate any solid input