Hello, ugly duckling here....
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:47 am

Hi all,

I’m a new member here, a 28-year old working woman, and I’m an Asian. And I’m listing down all my flaws here (from top to toe) Sad

……. (Sorry this post is long)..

1. I have broad temple that gives me a hassle in styling my hair so that I won’t look like a baldie.
2. I have dark undereye circles, which refuse to go away even with enough sleep, and a daily and nightly routine of applying eye cream.
3. I have dark gums that sometimes I hesitate to smile or laugh.
4. I have short teeth, like those of kids, and my friends sometimes call me “corn teeth”.
5. I have dark underarms.
6. I have dark elbows.
7. I have this particular skin allergic reaction that sometimes, my skin itches for no particular reason.
8. Because of my itchy-for-nothing skin, I have to use Betnovate (steroid) cream occasionally.
9. When I get bitten by insects/bugs/unseen tiny creatures and I scratch it, it will leave
a. red mark surrounding the puncture hole left by the darn animal
b. the red mark then will become dark
c. the puncture hole will become scab
d. the dark mark/scar will remain there for a long, long time (normally over 3 years)
10. My waist is dark.
11. My inner thighes are dark.
12. My bum is dark.
13. My knees are dark.
14. I have scars all over my body especially legs, resulting from insect bites.

Even though I’m not ugly, I have ugly skin. When I’m at work, wearing long sleeve coat and long pants, people think I’m attractive. I’m actually a Malay + Indonesian + Dutch so I have a very light brown eyes, one thing that not many Malay here have. People say I’m attractive, but hey, what do they know.

Because of my skin, I have been under stress for all my life. I cannot wear sleeveless, I cannot wear short skirts, I cannot wear anything revealing, and I have low self-esteem and I do not have confidence in me.

For my face, I’m now using SK-II, a product which is so expensive that everytime I return to the store to buy some finished stock, I would end up spending at least $700-$800 at one time.

This is my honest, sincere and straightforward verdict on certain product:

1. For my face, the most wonderful product I’ve ever tried was Citra Ayu. It’s an Indonesian product, and it’s night cream contains Hydroquinone. The first month using it, up to the 6th month, it peeled off my skin, revealing the fresh layer underneath. To be honest, when my face was ‘cracking’ like that, it was painful that my eyes were teary the moment the Hydroquinone cream touches my skin.

However, after 6 months, my face was so smooth, and everytime after shower, I looked like I just had my face powdered. I stopped using this product because my boss scared me, saying that this product was not good in the sense that it would damage your skin at a later stage, making it thin (because of the peeling), and prone to skin cancer because the protective layer is gone.

2. Alright, I do pick on blackheads, whiteheads and acne. After squeezing them and the whole surrounding skin is red, I put Clearasil. Clearasil is extremely drying, so I put on the irritated skin and after a few days, I peel the skin off, and it leaves absolutely NO SCAR. Unfortunately, Clearasil is no longer sold here in my country.

3. For the sensitive skin all over my body, the skin that is so prone to having scars and marks from insect bites, scratches, etc., there is only one cream that worked for me.
It was Heatheries Vitamin E Skin Cream. Any new skin irritation, I applied the cream every night, and after a few days, the irritation would reduce, and leave, again, absolutely NO SCAR.

This cream to me was a God-sent. The first time I bought it, it was $18 something, and it worked like magic. The main ingredient was pure Vitamin E from wheatgerm.

However, Healtheries has stopped producing it, I have no idea why, but, they have come up with a better option, which is the Cold Pressed Wheatgerm Oil. In my opinion, that would be the best substitute, I am now in the midst of liaising with a lady in New Zealand. Once she has returned my email on the price, I would surely place my order with her.

4. For rough skin on your legs/feet, the best exfoliant I have ever used was Scholl Rough Skin Removier. My routine would be buffing my rough skin with this exfoliator, take my shower, then apply Healtheries Vitamin E Skin Cream (my last jar).

5. For my dark underarms, I have tried Orient Skin Whitening sold by Cosway, a direct-selling company here. No result at all. I have tried Skin White for underarms, also, no result. I have placed order for Godiva Underarm Whitening Set and waiting eagerly for the product to reach me.

So, as you can see, I’m an extremely ugly duckling. No matter where I’m going to, work, party, formal dinner, I can only wear something that would cover my whole arms and legs.

I’m glad I found this site, and I really want to share my experience with beauty products with everyone. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who have skin that as sensitive as mine.

Lastly, I wish to post some review on Healtheries Cold Pressed Wheatgerm Oil after I have ordered, received and used the product.

Warmest regard from an ugly duckling Embarassed

,
Chucky

Thu Aug 12, 2004 6:38 am

Chucky,

Everyone has things about themselves that they don't like. I have quite a few myself, and many of those I just can't change. However we seem to be our greatest critics. You'd be surprised how often the things that bother you, or the things that you notice, are not noticed by other people.

In terms of having darker elbows knees etc, and also having pigmentation and scarring after insect bites, try to incorporate exfoliation and some products that contain AHAs in them (e.g. Glycolic Acid) if your skin is not overly sensitive. These should help with those issues. It might also be worth testing yourself for allergies to see if you are allergic to (specific) insect bites that might be leaving you with scars.

Smile

Mabsy

free skin care · Thu Aug 12, 2004 6:48 am

Hi Chucky

I could list 50 pages of what I dont like about myself!

Here's something that might help with your marks and scaring.

Decleor's Prolagene Gel

Imperfections in your skin, Decleor's Prolagene Gel, which is designed for use on both your face and body to help revitalise and tone your skin's epidermis. Its special formula has been developed specifically for use with tired skin or skin with flaws and imperfections, such as scarring, stretch marks and slackening that comes with age, stress, tiredness or tension. Apply daily with a light patting motion so as not to drag your skin.

I'm not sure how much it is though...

free skin care · Thu Aug 12, 2004 8:36 am

Hello Chucky welcome to the forum Smile

First of all the more you read about everyone here and their questions you'll realise that we are all a bunch of neurotics who are basically trying to find products to change things (sorry everyone Very Happy

)

Forget about everything else at the moment the first things you need to tackle are your itchy skin and your self esteem. I recommend you go to a dermatologist, the rough skin and itching may be due to a skin condition or allergies to products. You may be making it worse by constantly putting different products on it. You must be careful with it stops scratching and picking. Don't be so harsh with your skin. I suggest dry skin brushing and gentle exfoliation and using a dermatological cream such as E45 for dry skin condition.

As for you self esteem.... I reckon you must be very pretty from the sound of it. When people give you compliments you must try to believe them and tell yourself every day how pretty you are. And forget about things like your bum, that people just aren't really going to see. Make the most of your eyes/face and figure and feel good about them. You have an outstanding feature (eyes) that people are attracted to.

When you have sorted all this out post questions on here one by one for maximum response, if you find out you are allergic to certain ingredients we have a whole host of experts here to help you avoid them!!

I don't want to sound patronising just trying to help Smile

free skin care · Thu Aug 12, 2004 10:33 am

Hi,
After reading your post, I just want to say that I agree with all the replies and we all know that:

IT'S WHATS ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS

We can be way to hard on ourselves sometimes and I think that you are a beautiful person. Exterior beauty is subject to other's preference/perception and the most beautiful thing you can do for your being is to love yourself and create a beautiful soul. This will do wonders for you. We all have flaws, on the inside and outside. Healing begins from within. It's not what we look like that counts, it's how we act and treat others and our contribution to the world, however big or small.

I love this forum and I get to discuss products, issues and concerns that are on my mind. I think we all have things in common that we can relate to. When we feel we look good, our confidence increases. Our society is one of apperances but I think that we all know this only goes so far. At the end of it all, we are left with our soul.

I can feel the pain within your words and I just wanted to share my feelings with you. You are a "jewel hiding itself in a stone".
Think about that for a second and repeat it to yourself.
As you continue to work on your exterior, please work on your interior as well.

I hope that my post has helped and you are not upset by my words.
Take Care

Sat Aug 14, 2004 5:41 am

Hi again,

I was actually half expecting that there'd be at least one post saying, "Wow... you're UGLY.." Sad

But after reading all your replies, I'm glad that people here are kind and understanding.

Thank you for all your suggestions, I appreciated them all.

I will be on the forum often, but I will normally lay low and read all the good information.

But when the Godiva underarm treatment set has arrived, I will try it and post some reviews here.

Thanks again, I'm beginning to really like being here, though here's just a 'cyber space', because I feel "safe" from criticisms from other people in the real world. Crying or Very sad

Warmest regards,
Chucky

free skin care · Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:40 pm

i totally agree with mabsy that you'd really be surprised what people notice (or rather don't notice) about you.
you are always your best and worst critic, which is not usually helpful for the self-esteem, so don't worry about it, life's too short for that!

Mon Aug 16, 2004 12:47 am

Thanks again all...

Oh, I have received my Underarm Whitening Set from Godiva...! I placed my order on last week on Thursday (12th) and I received it today at 2 pm..!

Wow.. they took only 4 days to deliver it, well, actually only 3 coz Sunday's not included.......

I'll start using it tonight, I'm at work now and I can't wait to go home and have a look at it...

I'll post a review soon, hopefully a good one.. Wink

Chucky

Mon Aug 16, 2004 1:01 am

Hi Chucky! Welcome to the forum!

anyways, here's some tips that may help with regards to dark underarms, in using underarm whitening treatments, you have to be on the lookout for the following:

*make sure that you don't use deodorants that have alcohol and fragrance content, our underarms are very sensitive and could react to this ingredients, making our underarms dark. I've used a lot of deos before and even experienced my underarms to get dark that i stopped immediately.

*refrain from shaving and tweezing underarm hairs too often. As i said earlier, underarms are very sensitive. Notice that sometimes when we shave or tweeze, our underams redden, this is a sign of trauma which can lead the skin to darken!! Underarm waxing is also a big NO!

*i've read that taking contraceptive pills, or if one is in hrt pills, is pregnant, menopausal or in any period that makes our hormones imbalance, can also cause underarms to darken.

*Never srcub the underarms too much or sratch, it will redden then eventually turn dark

free skin care · Mon Aug 16, 2004 1:17 am

I just had a thought...

My partner is black (West Indian) and if he gets a bite or a scratch (not off me!!, well not all the time) Rolling Eyes

his skin marks quite badly. He uses pure coconut oil...it comes in a huge white block and he rubs it into his skin. It really helps and the marks disappear.

free skin care · Mon Aug 16, 2004 2:45 am

Hi, my partner is West Indian too and also when he gets a spot or something it marks for ages.

One thing I have learned that although dark skin doesn't wrinkle as much as light skin it scars much much more easily so you must be careful when treating blemishes! Smile

free skin care · Mon Aug 16, 2004 4:26 am

MMMM makes me sick how young he looks and he's older than me!!!! Laughing

I keep hoping he'll get a wrinkle or a grey hair!!!!

Mon Aug 16, 2004 4:39 am

Well, my best friend is way older than me, she's 42. Whenever we are together, hanging out and stuff, I, as always, wear something that would cover my body totally.

And when we're at home (we're renting the same place) she likes to wear sleeveless and she has got nothing to fear when it comes to this underarm thingy.

I envy her, she is blessed with 'perfect' underarms. Why? Because the colour of her underarms are the same as the colour of her whole body, she's blessed with a type of skin that when she got scratch or cut, the would would heal totally WITHOUT leaving any mark behind, and she, naturally, has got NO underarm hair.. Shock

When I first knew her, she lifted her arms and said, "See....? I've got no underarm hair..! What about you...? Do you shave or wax or pluck?" and tried to have a look at my underarms...!!! Shock

I refused to let her see my ugly underarms of course, but God, it was such a nightmare....

Chucky

free skin care · Mon Aug 16, 2004 7:31 am

Gucci wrote:

MMMM makes me sick how young he looks and he's older than me!!!! Laughing

I keep hoping he'll get a wrinkle or a grey hair!!!!

I know Gucci...sickening isn't it mines older than me too and still looks like a kid!! I can see where our skincare obsession originates from! Laughing

What make it worse is that he keeps pointing out how badly we Europeans age (all in jest of course)(mmmm I'm getting a little concerned about the appearance of my first wrinkle!!) So I point out all his grey hairs and my whole head of black hair and tell him when the time comes he will love me bags,sags and all, as I do his grey hair and all!! Laughing

See Chucky! we all have someone in our lives just a bit more perfect than our lovely perfect selves Wink

Incidentally my friend has no underarm hair either (how does that happen??) and I have a big bush that spouts at an alarming rate! No showing off my armpits either as pale skin and black hair ain't a pretty sight!!! Very Happy

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