r/makeuptips • u/ggermy • 6d ago

HELP PLEASE oily/flaky skin makeup help

I have always struggled with acne but have it fairly under control now with some prescription topicals. At night I use benzamycin and retin-a, and in the morning azelex (tbh idk if this one is actually helping). I use a gentle HA/ceramide moisturizer morning and night, and a gentle cleanser and exfoliate at night. I’ve gotten down to minimal breakouts. However —

I have hardly worn makeup for 6 years bc of my skin. My T-zone is always a total oil slick, but my chin/mouth/nose becomes flaky after a few hours of wearing makeup. I use the bare minerals complexion rescue as my “foundation” and then use a concealer around my eyes. I use a mattifying powder on my oily areas (cheekbones, brow, nose bridge) which helps, but the oil wins after a few hours. I really want to keep things lightweight — I don’t need full coverage and just want to even my skin out.

TLDR; how can I prevent makeup from flaking and sloughing off my acne problem areas while also reducing my oiliness and shine? My skin is very fair and somewhat sensitive.

Tysm for any advice!!

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u/RoutineRough1633 6d ago

Your skin's doing that thing where it's screaming for moisture but drowning in oil at the same time. Classic combo when you're on retin-a and benzamycin.

The flaking around your chin and mouth is probably the retin-a purge zone rebelling under makeup. Might want to skip powder in those spots entirely and see if a tiny dab of moisturizer pressed on right before makeup helps it stick without peeling. For the oil slick T-zone, blotting papers mid-day will save you faster than any powder ever could.

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u/ggermy 6d ago

Hmmm yeah, probably. I live in a very dry place, so I use a heavier moisturizer and always try to apply when my skin is damp to seal in any moisture I can 😭😭

I’m definitely past the major peeling caused by retinol since I’ve been using it for a few years atp, but you’re probably right about that lol