Big red patches on face

It sounds like rosacea there are different forms.. The symptoms can be treated by prescription creams.

I had a reaction to shampoo containing tea tree oil, which made my face very red, dry and itchy. I treated my skin with E45 cream, which was all I could bear on my face and neck. It was horrible, and I do sympathise. It took a while for my skin to recover. I have dry skin normally and have tried all sorts of emollients, the best being hydromol ointment but it is very sticky!
Good luck finding something that suits.

Try a different GP? I would suggest avoiding face creams as far as possible or just use basic Aqueous cream BP which contains minimal ingredients.

Do not ignore it and as I said try a GP who does not seem to give you the brush off.
I would hope decent GP would take a proper look at it.

Stress itself might be part of the problem.

Ask your GP to refer you to a dermatologist - if it is rosacea you need it treated properly.

A lot of people react badly to Aqueous cream, which is odd as doctors recommend it.
Could it be stress-related psoriasis? Reading your penultimate sentence, that could be a contender.
Good luck, but do get a referral to a dermatologist as this must be very depressing for you too.

I agree with ninathenana and Teetime it sounds very much like rosacea so you should be visiting your GP again.

it might be best to use no cream at all on your face until you have seen a dermatologist who may prescribe something that will actually work, since nothing else seems to help. If you need to use something, have you tried Bio Oil? Just a very light application might help to keep your skin from feeling tight and dry

Where did my post disappear to???

I have the same problem, and have very sensitive skin. I get flares up around the nose and can't wear any make-up and have to use face cream very sparingly- either Avene or Yves Rocher for sensitive skin. My doctor has prescribed a cream for rosacea called Rosalox (prescription only) which really does help when I have flare-ups.

Yes, it does sound like rosacea, for which I was prescribed Rozex cream (not the gel, it's sticky).
It comes when I get stressed - eg just before DD'S wedding - just what I needed! An emergency NHS appointment with a dermatologist who diagnosed it as the GP didn't know and the Rozex worked thank goodness.

I would not rule out that it WAS a reaction to the shingles jab.Some doctors are quick to deny things that later turn out to be exactly the opposite.

If it does turn out to be rosacea another POM topical treatment is Finacea. Excellent!

I also have this problem, Lucky, it comes and goes, began about 8 years ago. Initially it was thought to be reactive, testing proved negative. Dermatologist wasn't sure, said to leave alone and wait. I found it hugely embarrassing when working and persevered with GP's until I found a sympathetic and knowledgeable one. I have a prescribed cream when it is needed but find Avene products work very well, calming and reducing redness almost immediately. Triggers for me are red wine, spicy foods, stress and water, so I use a cleanser that doesn't need to be washed off and drink white wine . Incidentally, should you travel to France Avene products are much cheaper there! Please do persevere for a proper diagnosis, it makes all the difference and there is treatment available. Good luck with finding your solution to a horrid problem.

Yes, I use Avene for a while after a flare-up. They do a green-tinted moisturiser which helps with the redness.

A kind assistant in a large Boots store gave me quite a few little samples of Avene which were great for taking away on holiday. You could ask for some if you're not sure whether it would help or not.

I asked for the shingles vaccination as I've had shingles twice and dread getting it again, but am not allowed to have it because my immune system is low. I am wondering if you did react to it Luckylegs?

I have psoriasis. Not the sort that goes 'crusty' but areas of red patches over my arms, legs and lower part of my cheeks. It's usually worse at this time of the year. I use (prescribed) Epaderm to wash my face with, and Diprobase as a moisturiser. Elocon, which is a steroid cream, has also been prescribed for the patches when they flare up on my body, but the dermatologist advises only to use this when absolutely necessary. Now and again, I mix a tiny bit of this with Diprobase and apply to my face. My body sometimes looks like a dot-to-dot book....

You are a kind lot. Thank you very much for your suggestions which I will try.

I have these red patches too and have assumed it is rosacea. There was a skin expert on TV the other week answering questions about skin problems. She said the best thing for rosacea is rose hip oil. You just massage a tiny drop into the affected area each day. I haven't tried it myself yet but I intend to get some when the Christmas rush is over and I have time.

Perhaps the GP needs to take a scraping and send it away for analysis, especially if it doesn't clear.
The Rozex is only available on prescription anyway, so you would have to see the GP again to ask for it.

Here are a few images to check out and match against your rash.

I have rosacea and dermalmd rosacea serum is superb. My facial redness has decreased, and my skin is not dry and irritated.