• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Diabetes, psoriasis/dry skin and makeup

DaftThoughts

Well-Known Member
Messages
397
Location
Netherlands
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Psoriasis and LADA are both chronic autoimmune disorders, and I happen to have both, yaaaaaay! I can actually trace both back to around 2010/2011, when my best friend died and I moved out of my parents' home - lots of trauma and stress appear to have triggered the psoriasis onset, and I was considered prediabetic at the time as well.

Now that my blood sugar is under control and I am working on my mental health, my symptoms are noticeably less, but not gone. I'm really into makeup these days and as my psoriasis expresses primarily on my face, I'm struggling you guys. I exfoliate almost daily (if I don't my face becomes Scale City) and use exclusively face products for dry and sensitive skin. But when I'm stressed, or during the time of the month, nothing I do makes my skin look nice.

My problem areas are mainly my cheeks and eyelids. My cheeks don't get raised patches but do have lots of scaly patches, and my eyelids frequently have angry red raised patches that flake off all the time. Makeup does nooot like to apply well on these areas and it's driving me bonkers! Especially eyeshadow won't blend out well.

My routine is to wash and exfoliate, moisturize, let it work in for about 15 minutes, then moisturize again, use primer, add foundation, prime the eyelids, do eyeshadow and the rest of my makeup, and then use a setting spray so that any powdery goodness settles into the skin and doesn't dry me out.

Steroid creams are out - I already have thin and sensitive skin and I don't need it to become more fragile. Is there any product or skin routine anyone has found that helps alleviate the patchiness? I'm sure there are guys and gals who do lots of makeup and suffer from skin dryness related to diabetes who've got something figured out, I just can't find them!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My father suffers from psoriasis and I remember him exhibiting many of the symptoms you describe after his father died. He didn't cover it with make-up - I could never imagine him wearing make-up. And, as his stress of his bereavement calmed down so did his psoriasis. But during that time, I remember the horrible smell of tar in the bathroom as he was prescribed a tar based soak to ease the flare-up. I do not remember if this worked and cannot imagine using this on your face.
One thing I remember was his weekly trips to the hospital. He was told that sunlight helped reduce the symptoms and, apparently, if you have psoriasis you are immune from skin cancer (please check this and do not, whatsoever, take my word for it). His trip to the hospital was for an NHS-funded session under the sun-ray lamps - we called it his "NHS tan".
This may be worthwhile checking out as many moisturisers and make-ups contain SPF which could block the healing affects of the sun.
But please, please, please check the theory about skin cancer. I would hate you to ease your psoriasis and get skin cancer instead.
 
helensaramay said:
But please, please, please check the theory about skin cancer. I would hate you to ease your psoriasis and get skin cancer instead.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! I looked into it and the opposite is suggested - while it may alleviate some symptoms, it seems to increase the risk for skin cancer.

"Research does suggest that the use of ultraviolet light therapy to help heal psoriasis patches may increase the odds of developing squamous cell carcinoma—especially in patients who have at least 250 ultraviolet light therapy treatments."

I'm also super pale with a cool (pink) undertone and burn extremely fast, so I limit my sun exposure and wear SPF a lot. (Got a lot of freckles going on when I go out in the sun, too.)
 
Sorry to hear that but not surprised research has progressed further since my Dad's outbreak.
I wish I could be more helpful.

Good luck.
 
@helensaramay You brought back some memories for me, tar baths and special shampoo which smelled horrible. I was in hospital when I was 13 or 14 where they tried 'burning' the plaques, it got rid of them but I was left with circles of black skin all over my body and when they went the psoriasis came back. I got psoriasis when I was about 6 years old and when I went through the menopause in my 40s it went and has never come back, weird.
@DaftThoughts Sorry I have no advice for you.
 
My psoriasis (30+ years duration) cleared up completely within a few weeks of going strictly gluten free. Another of the joys of being prone to autoimmune aggro.

I had previously tried a number of elimiation diets to try and break the dratted thing (milk and gluten being suspects), but it turned out that a normal, shortish elimination diet was useless. My psoriasis doesn't start until 72 hours after eating gluten, and then persists for 2-3 weeks, depending on severity. Stress and holidays and travel then add additional wildcards.

So I only spotted the connection when I gave the gluten up for different reasons, and kept off it strictly for several months.

I am now in a position where I am psoriasis free, but something as minor as a mouthful of bread will trigger a 2-3 week cycle of psoriasis, starting with itching, then red moist stinging, then itching drying flakes, then endless bloomin powdery flakes. It has always been worst in my hairline and behind my ears (thankfully usually out of sight), with occasional patches in my eyebrows and temples.

Edited to add: I have always found anything with petroleum based products make the situation worse, while natural oils like jojoba, rosehip oil and similar work much better to moisturise. But I would be very wary of using ANYTHING that has essential oils in it. There are many essential oils (possibly all) which should never be used on aggravated or broken skin, for fear of causing a reaction.
 
Last edited:
I can't offer much on how to help your skin, but how about trying cream eyeshadow rather than powder? Because of the consistency they might sit better on your eyelids. I haven't tried blending them but I can't see why it wouldn't work. I've got some from L'Oréal and NYX which I like and people say good things about the Maybelline Colour tattoo ones (although I haven't tried them)
 
You could try putting a bit of eyeshadow powder on top as well if you wanted to do like a halo effect or darken up the outer edge!

I love playing with make up!
 
I don't have psoriasis but I would have always had very dry skin on my face and makeup would have clung to patches particularly around the top of my nose, inner eye area. If BG control was poor then it was be visible all over my face. About a year and a half ago I changed make-up and the difference is night and day! I use only Estee Lauder products and it's really been worthwhile. Advanced Night Repair Serum has been a lifesaver for dry skin, chronic cold sores (which are no longer chronic I'm glad to say!) , sunburn - any skin affliction I've had since. It is expensive to buy but you can ask for a free sample at the counter to try it first (the samples last forever) I also use their day wear moisturiser every day. If my skin gets particularly dry again I use their nightwear cream for a day or two and it usually clears right up. You can get gift sets with these creams in them which usually works out cheaper. (I'll be buying their blockbuster gift set when it is released in October and that will have nearly everything to keep me going for most of the year anyway) As regards foundation, it's worth chatting to their beauty advisors. I use the Double Wear Light but most people prefer the standard Double Wear. They also offer a free 10 day sample of your chosen foundation to try it. I do agree that their products are expensive but I find that I don't have to replace them as often as the cheaper makeup I was buying anyway so it works out about the same in the end up. It's worth calling into your nearest Debenhams and having a quick chat and try a few samples before you commit to anything. I hope this helps!
 
I'm going to keep this in mind! My psoriasis doesn't appear to be affected by what I eat from what I can tell - I have long periods where I eat lots of gluten and have perfectly clear skin and no patches. I think my triggers are hormonal (stress) in nature. Honestly, at this point all my ailments seem hormone related! I'm not using any essential oils at the moment and don't think I will, exactly because of how sensitive my skin can be! Thanks for this info, I'll be keeping it all in mind.

I tried cream eyeshadows and they crease to hell and back even with primers. :/ I have dry skin but my eyelids defy the laws of nature! (I also have too many powder palettes to let them go to waste lol.)

Neoncat said:
You could try putting a bit of eyeshadow powder on top as well if you wanted to do like a halo effect or darken up the outer edge!

I love playing with make up!
Click to expand...
Me too!! I'm aching to do another rainbow eyeshadow look this weekend.

Oof, Estee Lauder is 100% out of my price range. I'm on a fixed disability income right now, all my products are drugstore brands out of necessity. I only have €35 a week for food and hygiene products at the moment - the serum's cheapest version is more than twice that. It sounds heavenly from the reviews I'm reading though, maybe that's something to save up for in the future! Thank you.
 
I have psoriasis on my head and face due to stress and understand your frustration trying to be flake free. Although I can use steroid creams I have also used various steroid free preparations to control dry skin. The best I found was a seaweed based powder by Aalgo that can be made into a paste and applied where needed. It doesn't smell of tar.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi don't have the same facial problems as you but I suffer from Rosacea and it is unsightly when it flares up. I use Manuka Honey i put some in a dish mix it with a tiny bit of water then put it on the infected area. It is a bit messy and sticky but you can put it on in the early evening and wash it off before you go to bed works wonders on my face.
 
As @Brunneria suggested, it could be any food intolerance. Though gluten and grains as well as dairy are often suspect. It can take quite some time to resolve after giving up the foods. It could even be some preservatives or added food coloring.

I use the more natural skin care products called Origins. Anything with chemicals gives me a ruddy complexion.
 
Hi sweetie I hear your struggles. My mum has that so viciously in the end we took her off red meat a homeopath looked at her diet and started eliminating acidic foods and waters.
The safest thing is oxygen therapy which is safer than uv light therapy. There are clinics about not sure NHS would pay for such therapies but it won't hurt to ask or even pay privately. Good luck !
 
 
I have suffered for years with hideously dry, cracked, bleeding skin and have tried every single product available from my GP with absolutely no difference and in some cases even worse skin.

I was recommended a natural product as a solution which I didn't expect to work and OMG IT HAS COMPLETELY SOLVED MY SKIN PROBLEMS - Lush 'Dream Cream' an all over intensive but non greasy moisturiser which has actually healed my split, cracked, sore bleeding skin... it's a desert island product. I've also started now using Lush 'Ultravland' which is another miracle product for your face - it removes all make up, cleanses & moisturises all in one. PLEEEEAAAAAASE TRY THESE 2 INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS - they have transformed my skin and both total together under £20.00
 



Hi there, I've had psoriasis for many years, actually excaerbated by exposure to sun, but nobody's ever associated it with diabetes. I've had 2TD for 20yrs and am on tablets. It started on my lower legs, then a patch on my elbow and more recently, one eyebrow and my scalp, which expresses as annoying dandruff. As my legs grew much worse and it spread, I went to see a kinesiologist/homeopath and got tested for food allergies. Kinesiology uses something called muscle testing to identify food allergies, spooky but it works. You simply hold small phials of different substances in your hand and the therapist tries to gently push your arm, while you resist. The reaction is instant with a food culprit, as your resistance collapses. I knew I was lactose intolerant but thought it meant I could have a bit of dairy occasionally. I had to cut it out except for sheep or buffalo which has no lactose. I know it sounds daft, but since then my psoriasis has slowly but surely cleared up from my legs, just one tiny patch + elbow and head. Apparently dairy is the most common irritant for psoriasis. Worth trying, but get tested.
 
As is the case with many medical conditions, managing psoriasis is very much an individual matter – what works for me won’t necessarily work for you. I use a lot of petroleum-based (industrial strength!) emollients/moisturisers – including on my face – without any issues.


My GP is very supportive. I’ve had phototherapy (8 weeks of treatment gave me a two-week remission) and several drug therapies (these are only available under the supervision of a consultant dermatologist) – and I have finally found one (“Otezla” – one tablet twice a day) which has reduced my psoriasis from “severe and widespread” (the only parts of me which were unaffected were the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet) to the very minor inconvenience of a small number of thin plaques on my body, hands, and scalp. A massive bonus has been that I have had no side effects! I’m also using “Enstilar” on my body and hands, but this is steroid-based, so I wouldn’t use it on my face any more than you would on yours.


I’d encourage you to keep on experimenting to find what works for you – there’s almost certainly something out there!
 
A few thoughts here. With dry skin and makeup one of the biggies is to cleanse the skin. Now with dry skin particularly its helpful to use oils to cleanse the skin as these hydrate whilst at the same time removing make up. Good old Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a famous and well documented oil that many use for this effect. Its also been used by many celebrities to moisturize their body at night too as it contains omegas and soothes the skin without causing inflammation and irritation. Now second thing is that any kind of skin condition shows that water is needed as its more prone to dehydration. Now what I've found to be a big link is that if a person is dehydrated they are more prone to stress, which triggers of course more dehydration and so its a catch 22 situation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…