Rubbish Skin

kittycatface

hi do not despair our family had long history of acne and we are all out the other side! Please be careful or roacutane it literally burns your skin from the inside out, although I am not a medic my sister took it for a long period and there are a few internet things whipping around saying it can be linked to ulcerative colitis (a bit like crohns debilitative digestive thing). It will make your skin very dry and everyone I know who has taken it got mood swings and v dry skin which was as bad as acne for their confidence. I dont want to be alarmist but having also taken antibiotics myself for a long time it is just worth considering for you personally how taking meds makes you feel.

Doctors gave me all kinds of topical lotions and potions which stunk, dalacin t was a particular non favourite.

In the end I got regular facials to clear the skin, dermologica products (not cheap they are less watered down products than high street, you can get starter kits which will last you 6mths) and free samples are normally handed out by the facilialist. My beautician also talked to me about diet, dont know how much is science but they did say that spots around side of mouth and chin are linked to high refined sugar intake or stress (see link for a face mapping tool). http://www.dermalogica.com/uk/yourskin/30_article_know_your_zones.html
good luck. would definitely agree that being gentle (and preferably using alcohol free) products on your skin, along with an oil free moisturiser will give it a rest and stop it regreasing. St ives I used to use too but the beautician said it was too harsh for facial skin. If you read the ingredients on the back of the products you have already used and make a note of how they made your skin feel, maybe you could eliminate specific irritant causing ingredients for future purchases?

mucklebones

Just want to tell you that there is hope. After trying every product going I went organic and have found that non-organic products even the ones that claim to be gentle infact really made my skin worse. I have found a combination of products and at last at nearly 31 have the clearest skin since I was 18. I spent so much money on so called wonder products that it was more than getting me down. Now all I use is

Dr Bronner's Organic Tea Tree Castile Liquid Soap
Burts Bees Peach and Willowbark Deep Pore Scrub

My skin is no longer as greasy and although my skin has much scaring I can see that even beggining to repair too. Hope you find something that works for you, I know how bloody awful crappy skin is.

JCS1

Another vote here for Dermalogica products and facials, finally acne free after 20+ years!

I also found cutting down on wheat helped with reducing oil.

moromir

I noticed you're using Simple moisturiser.. i bought that once thinking it would be 'simple' and free of any nasties... i had some of the worst skin of my life for a while and i didn't put two and two together until i went away for a week and forgot to pack it.

i almost exclusively use la roche posay, effaclar duo is my 'maintenance' product, it keeps my pores from getting conjested in the first place.

Tete_en_l'Air

Hi Buffy, I was having a good moan last summer about not only starting to get wrinkles but still getting spots as well (I'm 30) and my friend, who suffers with acne, recommended the Dr Nick Lowe range as being the best non-prescription stuff she'd found. It's pricey but it did work a treat on my skin and can often be found on 3 for 2 in Boots.

I used to use St Ives face scrub followed by Nivea Soft moisturiser but I've switched to Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead scrub (gentler than St Ives), followed by Dr Nick Purifying foam cleanser, then I use the sebum control cleanser as a sort of toner, followed by the Oil Control moisturiser. I also bought the spot get but found I didn't really need it!

My skin really really improved but then I slackened off with my regime and of course now I'm breaking out again. I should add that I bought all of these a good six months ago and only the moisturiser has run out, and I only need to replace the cleansers now so although they're expensive they do last.

Sorry if that sounds like a bit of an advert but I just found the products really worked Good luck getting your skin sorted, it's horrible I know

Caroline73_2

Ive just started using the Proactiv range, its just come out in the UK.

My skin is like yours but the redness has really subsided in the last week since I started using it, and I've noticed I don't need as much foundation on.

adelight

Like everyone says, check with your GP that there is no underlying cause like a hormonal imbalance.
If you have the money to try out prescription facials and consultations with brands like Elemis and Dermalogica then go for it, you might find a starter kit which really works for you but it's quite an investment. A dermatologist not assosciated with a specific brand could be a good idea if you are totally open to trying anything.
Some people say you should stick 100% to one brand's line with your skin care but tbh it is not a huge deal if you are careful ie do not use a cleanser and a moisturiser which contain glycolic acid as it will be too much for your skin and dry it out. Mixing simple natural products is fine, so is combining them with topical spot treatments and sun screen.

It sounds like you may be stripping your skin of all its natural oils with the cleanser and scrub. How often do you use them? Does your skin ever feel dry or tight after you wash/scrub it? I would switch to a gentle soap free, no-nasties cleanser so that you aren't punishing your skin drying it out twice a day (or however often you cleanse). Look for SLS free, soap free, fragrance free, paraben free. Some good ones imo are african black soap, A-derma oat milk range, Avene, Green People, Boots Botanics. These are all quite affordable, the bar cleansers tend to last months.
You should only really use a face srcub twice a week as they can be very harsh. Ones with large sharp bits in them will scratch your skin which is not good. Go for something really fine or using fruit extracts (like an enzyme scrub). La Roche-Posay Physiological Ultra Fine Scrub for Sensitive Skin (ooophj what a name) is sooooo good, it gently buffs your skin leaving it really smooth and is kind to sensitive skin. If your skin is more resilient, Alpha-H to a nice scrub called Micro Cleanse and a version of it with 12% Glycolic acid for acne prone skin. You could use a facial brush with your cleanser if you want to give it a bit of a buff in between using facial scrub. Alpha-H and LRP aren't sold in that many shops so it's best to use their website to find a local stockist and see if you can get a consultation or some sample products, both do sample sizes. You may find some on ebay as LRP occasionally sell bags full of samples and Alpha-H do mini starter kits and sometimes people only want a few products to take on holiday so sell the rest. The brands mentioned before do okay scrubs too but I just prefer these two.
For moisturising I would suggest using pure jojoba oil as it's really good for regulating oil production in greasy and acne prone skin. It sinks in quickly and leaves skin feeling very smooth and products apply well once it's sunk in. On top of this use a moisturiser/primer/foundation with that is non-comedogenic and has spf of at least 15.

As your skin sounds quite sensitive, don't use harsh products all over your face. Treat any acne topically, try using tea tree oil (get at superdrug, health shops, online) dabbed onto the spots a few times a day as soon as you feel or see one coming. It isn't instant but it works, if I get hormonal spots I find it will take a few days but the red bump slowly disappears and leaves no mark behind.
You could try the absolute lowest concentration you can get of a benzoyl peroxide product but I think you have to use this even when there are no spots. It's popular on acne forums and sites so they will have lots of info and experiences you can read.
Products containing low concentrations of salicylic/glycolic acid are good for topical use, they work quickly but they will dry out your skin a little more than tea tree oil and it might get a tiny bit flakey.


Whatever you do it will take time to work and for your skin to adjust. It can take six months for your skin to completely change and recover so you have to be really patient and stick with a regime before writing it off as not working or slacking.

Sorry just realised how long my post is! It's part of my job to know about skin care products and how they work but I'm not affiliated with any one brand so I like to give every brand and product a chance and can get a bit too passionate

poorly_scammo

1. GP - tests and ask if Zineryt (zinc acetate) would be suitable
2. I use Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Cleansing and Toning Lotion which helps control sebum which I seem to produce in bucket loads at period time.
3. Evening Primrose oil - yep I take it and it does help with the moods. Get the other stuff checked out first. A friend recommends Agnus Castus too - supposed to be very good for PMS.
4. Diet - make sure you're eating lots of fruit and veg and drink plenty of water.

HTH

FlacosFloozie

Another vote to see your GP and rule out any underlying problems.
I'd also suggest a visit to a good independant make up artist. I went for a trial before my wedding and she figured out I had sensitive skin. I switched to Liz Earle products on her recommendation and my skin has never been so good.
She advised me against a lot of the things I had been doing- like using face scrubs. Because she was independent she had experience of all sorts of different ranges. The trial only cost me around £30 money well spent as I stopped wasting it on creams that didn't work.

green1970

I'd definitely go and see your GP first to rule out hormonal causes like PCOS and the like.

Next I'd ditch any harsh scrubs and use chemical exfoliants like AHAs and BHAs to chemically exfoliate your skin instead, it's less damaging.

I'd perhaps stick to 3 things in your skincare regime so you can tell what it is that breaks you out. You can go for a mild cleanser and this needn't be expensive at all. If you have a look at https://www.beautypedia.com, this gives a good list of cleansers that you can sort into price order and the best ones won't have any ingredients that are proven to irritate and just aren't necessary in a cleanser. I use La Roche Posay's Lipikar Syndet which is a foaming cleanser which I like and it can be used for eczema so I can feel that it's really gentle - it seems as though it gives my skin a good wash without stripping it.

For a toner, I'd just use Witch Hazel which is cheap as chips from a chemist or just a simple toner with Salycilic Acid (which is a BHA). Don't go for anything like Clinique's toner as it's way, way too harsh for skin unless you go for their mild one.

Then I'd go for a moisturiser with AHA to keep pores clean and top layer of skin regularly turned over so it's less likely that they'll become blocked. La Roche Posay's effaclar range is good and so's Avene's Triacneal.

Less is more by the sound of things as it sounds as though your skin is clogged and also has had it's natural barrier damaged by harsh products. Don't spend a bomb on a whole new matching regime, there's really no need. Grab a cleanser for less than a fiver, the witch hazel for a pound or two and then spend a little more on your treatment/moisturiser.

Hope it calms down for you soon and you can be happier with your skin.