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hopefulbeauty17
New Member
 
Joined: 27 Aug 2011
Posts: 3
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Sat Aug 27, 2011 10:51 am  |
I am new to EDS, and stayed on the forum pretty much all day yesterday reading DIY recipes, reviews on products, and ways to correct my skin. I haven't ever read of a case exactly like mine, so please let me explain.
I am 26, and up until 2 years ago, never had a single pimple on my face, never had whiteheads or blackheads either. Found my soul mate at age 20, then came the marriage  , honeymoon , baby , then acne  .
I know horomonal acne is common, but I don't actually have large pimples on my face. I do have one under the skin hard bump (I believe it is called cystic, but I may be wrong), but other than that it is the oil my skin produces that is the issue. My pores are very clogged and enlarged. If I do NOT squeeze the stuff out of them every single night, I wake up to a mess on my face. So for the past 6 months or longer, I have been squeezing on my face every single night, which I know can't be good for it, but if I don't, I will break out bad. Now this is the weird part.. The stuff that comes out is white stringy stuff which I assume is sebum. I can squeeze a place, squeeze another place, do something else for a few minutes (work on my nails or something), and then go back to the same exact two places I just squeezed and they are full again! In a matter of 5 minutes or less.
I have spent thousands of dollars on skin care products. I have tried everything from Proactiv, Bliss, Kate Somerville, Solvere, Clinique, Patricia Wexler, Obagi, Clean N Clear, Clearasil, Neutrogena, Exposed, Perricone MD, Philosophy, the list goes ON and ON. I spend so much time reading reviews on products, deciding to buy them hoping it will cure my problem, all just to be disappointed. I drink plenty of water, take vitamins daily, and don't eat a lot of junk food.
My body is also oily, and if I don't shower at the same time every day, I feel so dirty. My chest is clear, but my back does break out often. My hair is oily too, but thankfully I believe that helps matters. I have it highlighted every 6 weeks, but Redken Color Extend shampoo/conditioner (sulfate free) is my hairsaver. Wonderful products.
I do wear makeup to work everyday during the week, but I wear airbrush makeup (water based), and never use makeup brushes on my skin. I take it off as soon as I get home, and I don't think makeup is the cause because on the days I am off, I don't wear makeup, and my pores still get clogged.
Before I started squeezing my skin everynight, I would break out bad, and one of those breakouts left me with 2 pretty bad acne scars, so therefore I have to use makeup to cover them up. I've tried everything to make the scars go away to but to no avail.
The closest dermatologist to me is 4 hours away, but I am about to the point where I would drive and pay a ton of money for their services. I decided to post here in helps someone might know the answer to help me, so I don't have to go to a dermatologist.
Once I put my makeup on, my skin looks pretty good, but after 2 or 3 hours, oil is literally pouring off my face. I have to blot all day long with blotting papers. I HATE having to take the time to squeeze my skin everynight when I could be doing something else.
The ONLY product I have ever found that helps a little is M2 Skin Labs Skin refinish 20% and moisturizer. I am currently using Solvere face wash, plus their toner pads and my skin looks almost like its so thin I can see through it. After I received the Solvere kit, I found the moisturizer has parabens in it, and I despise them.
I have tried exfoliating every day, then tried once a week. I have tried masks, steam, hot water, cold water, warm water. My sink & shower has filtered heads on them. I mean I am seriously about to give up!
Anyway, does anyone suggest all natural products? And if so what brand? I seen the oil recipes on here, and thought maybe they would work. I seen Juice beauty, and read good reviews. I am just so desperate I will try anything.
Anyone with any kind of comment or suggest would be so greatly appreciated, and I will even pay for good advice!!
Thank you! |
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Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:23 am |
Natural products don't work better. It always depends on what the ingredients are. I generally don't like using natural products because they contain a lot of fragrant oils which can irritate the skin and aggravate acne and oil production. I use Paula's Choice because she tends to focus on ingredients that are scientifically proven not to irritate skin.
You should probably stop squeezing your skin every night, unless you are for SURE you are doing it right. Even then, you should stop squeezing it EVERY night because you risk scarring your skin.
The one thing that will probably benefit you the most is Retin-A. It's supposed to drastically slow down oil production and it helps to get rid of acne. It's also very good for preventing wrinkles.
How long has this been going on though? It might just be your body reacting to your pregnancy from the surge of hormones. Or perhaps your diet has changed since your pregnancy? I feel like it's something internal that may be causing all this since your entire body is now oily. Perhaps you should go to your doctor for a blood test to see if your hormones are off balance. |
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Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:31 am |
hopefulbeauty, I'm no expert, but I doubt there's going to be any topical ingredient which is going to solve your problem. I suspect from everything you describe that the solution will be found in some sort of internal change... whether its simply through time (sorry, I know that's not helpful), or perhaps supplements or a change of diet.
Given that you recently gave birth, and that can throw your body out of wack, I think it may be worth seeing a naturopath or tcm practioner. I wonder whether trying something as simple as apple cider vinegar either in supplement form, or a couple of tablespoons in water throughout the day (blech), or some people here add use it in their salad dressings to change the ph of your body, will help. That sounds too simple though.
I agree that retin-A would be a good way to go. I'd also give ocm massage a really thorough, longterm try... experiment with different oils, be patient, etc.
I used to have very stubborn congestion which resulted in regular breakouts, but it finally sorted itself out, as I said, with time.
Good luck in finding a solution! |
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Olive, normal/oily skin. Using rinse-off ocm, Vit C, Tretinoin since Nov/10, GHK since Feb/12, Niacinamide & glucosamine, alternating, & now skipping nights! Concerns include oiliness, hyperpigmentation from occasional zits, 11's & nasolabial folds. |
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Sat Aug 27, 2011 11:48 am |
| oasisjc wrote: |
| Natural products don't work better. It always depends on what the ingredients are. I generally don't like using natural products because they contain a lot of fragrant oils which can irritate the skin and aggravate acne and oil production. I use Paula's Choice because she tends to focus on ingredients that are scientifically proven not to irritate skin. |
I, and I'm sure many of us on the board, very much disagree with this in that natural products CAN work better and "fragrant oils" (I assume she means essential oils?) can be extremely beneficial to correcting skin issues when used in correct amounts. And natural products do NOT ALL contain essential oils.
And I see this "scientifcally proven" statement everywhere on this board, but it seems like people still get irritation or other things which refute what's been "scientifically proven".
Hope I got everything in that one, lol!
Yes, it depends on what the ingredients are. |
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Olive, normal/oily skin. Using rinse-off ocm, Vit C, Tretinoin since Nov/10, GHK since Feb/12, Niacinamide & glucosamine, alternating, & now skipping nights! Concerns include oiliness, hyperpigmentation from occasional zits, 11's & nasolabial folds. |
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Sat Aug 27, 2011 12:13 pm |
Hi,
It certainly sounds like your skin issues are hormone related. (How old is baby - congrats by the way!).
I suffer from hormonal skin issues in a similar way to the ones that you have described - mine however are due to coming off the Birth Control Pill, yasmin.
Hopefully this will settle down with time, or if not your doctor should be able to help.
In the meantime things that will help:
The Clarisonic (I have the Mia) - fantastic for congestion and keeping pores clear - my skin got worse in the first month but it made a huge difference if you can get past that initial purge. Try to get the delicate brush and don't be tempted to do more than once a day. It's easy to get carried away.
I also use the Dermawand (this helps with oilyness and sterilises the skins surface) and the Tanda Zap on any spots that dare to try to appear!
Its sounds a lot but when I think what I have spent on products over the years and once you have these gadgets you have them.
My skin is a lot clearer doing this.
Lucia
(ex- beauty therapist) |
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Lucia, VERY fair (ghostly so!)redhead, combination skin prone to dehydration. |
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Sat Aug 27, 2011 12:19 pm |
| LoriA wrote: |
| oasisjc wrote: |
| Natural products don't work better. It always depends on what the ingredients are. I generally don't like using natural products because they contain a lot of fragrant oils which can irritate the skin and aggravate acne and oil production. I use Paula's Choice because she tends to focus on ingredients that are scientifically proven not to irritate skin. |
I, and I'm sure many of us on the board, very much disagree with this in that natural products CAN work better and "fragrant oils" (I assume she means essential oils?) can be extremely beneficial to correcting skin issues when used in correct amounts. And natural products do NOT ALL contain essential oils.
And I see this "scientifcally proven" statement everywhere on this board, but it seems like people still get irritation or other things which refute what's been "scientifically proven".
Hope I got everything in that one, lol!
Yes, it depends on what the ingredients are. |
Yes, by fragrant oils, I mean essential oils. And yes, they can be helpful, but rarely will cosmetic companies ever get the right amount. It's always too much or too little, so unless you know exactly how much is beneficial and your DIYing, then I would try to avoid essential oils as much as you can.
And I'm not saying that natural products don't work, I'm just saying they don't necessarily work better because it all comes down to what ingredients are in the products. It's just that people automatically assume that organic/natural products will work better just because it's "natural" but that is not always the case. |
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Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:53 am |
| I was super oily before going on Retin-A. I had terrible acne, and after starting Retin-A, avoiding anything with soap in it (I sub in alternative cleansers), finding DIY, and avoiding peanuts (I'm allergic and likely alone in this step), I have close to perfect skin. For the oil I think Retin-A was the most beneficial thing I did. Now I have slightly dry skin, which feels WONDERFUL to me. Being able to throw away the oil blotters, the concealer, and the mid day face washings at work has been great. Instead I get to use some of the emollient moisturizers that feel so nice (and sunscreen is not longer an issue). |
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Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:43 pm |
| If your whole body is oily, it sounds like hormone imbalance with too much testosterone. Have blood drawn to test your levels. |
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Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:12 pm |
This is definitely an internal thing not an external problem.
You should see a naturopath because there are many nutrients and supplements that can rectify what is going on inside you.
I tended to suffer from pretty much the same thing for a while then I switched to a fairly organic diet, cut out all junk which I didnt really eat to begin with, yeah I still have the occasional treat, it's important to do that.
Definitely increase the amount of water you are drinking and remove all soda - soda makes our bodies very acidic which then causes excess oil production. More water, I cant emphasise this enough - when I body is dehydrated it will often overproduce oils to try to rectify the dehydration itself - so try to drink at a minimum the 8 glasses of water a day - various scientists and experts come out saying that the 8 glasses a day is a myth, but then hey, they wouldnt want us curing our illnesses on our own now would they!? lol if we all did that then doctors would be out of business! I read some stuff a few years back about water being the cure to many modern illnesses because the bulk of us are extremely under-hyrdated.
It's like the story of the Yellow Wiggle here in Australia - he got replaced because he started suffering from some weird illnes where he kept collapsing - it ended up this illness had manifested over a very long time from extreme dehydration. |
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Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:16 pm |
Oh and I tried an awful lot of the skincare products you have listed and had zero results - the best skincare I have ever used is Osmosis - been using it for 2.5 years and I swear I'll use it forever! This skincare line delivers RESULTS - no 2 ways about that! Very effective!
I add product here or there from another line, use the occasional bit of Retin-a - I'm about to try adding some of the skin Biology copper peptide stuff too, but Osmosis definitely has the cure to every problem out there... here is a link you may wish to read: http://www.spsscs.org/article-past12.php |
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Sun Aug 28, 2011 6:41 pm |
| Hi hopefulbeauty17, like what others have said, it sounds like it's something that's happening internally. I know my suggestion is probably not the most popular one, but I think you should seek medical help to control what's happening before going to the root cause. I'm saying this because curing the root cause usually takes a long time and it sounds like your squeezing of your pores and causing scars has been happening for a while. At one point in my life, I had severe acne and despite what my family's pleading of me to take medicine, I wanted to do the natural way, went to see a naturopath, ate really clean, had cleanses/detoxes, drank lots of water, etc -- though I did use topical creams that contained chemicals/medicinal propertise in hopes to fix my skin problem. Well, my acne escalated and when it was painful for me to look at the mirror and even to venture out of my house without feeling shamed, I finally agreed to see a doctor and take oral medication. My doctor quickly prescribed me antibiotics and finally my skin was able to heal (without constant breakouts, my skin had the opportunity to take care of itself). During the time I took my antibiotics, I continued to eat healthy, take supplements, meditate, introduced my beloved Clarisonic to my skin, getting facials at a medspa, and start using the blue light, and when I got off my antibiotics, my skin did not go back to the horrific stage -- although I still breakout now and then, but NEVER to the extent as it once was. So from my experience, I would recommend seeking professional help and by that I mean an actual MD. |
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Sun Aug 28, 2011 7:31 pm |
^^^ I agree with this. Life's too short to be tormented by acne if its severe. I suffered for years (with acne which wasn't all that severe, but scarring that was), and it didn't help my self-esteem one bit. I've never been a proponent of relying on antibiotics longterm, but I remember trying a topical antiobiotic in highschool which worked like a charm, but I tasted it by my lip by mistake one day and was grossed out by the amount of chemical or whatever I was ingesting with the stuff, so I didn't keep it up. Now I think I should have since as syndi222 said, being problem-free for at least a little while may have given my skin the break it needed to sort itself out. And it certainly would have given me a chance to feel better about myself.
Good post, syndi222!
And oasisjc I don't believe that companies "always use too much or too little" in the way of e.o.'s, so don't think its worth a warning to people to avoid completely. And just so there's no confusion there is a world of difference between whatever "fragrant oils" might contain and Essential Oils which have undergone loads of serious study.
And do people assume that organic/natural will work better? I always thought the general concensus was otherwise! I find that people don't seem to mind what they put into their bodies and are more inclined to go for a quick fix!
Finally, I haven't had any acne for a few years, but I'm not sure that retin-a has solved my oilyness problem... it is summertime though. The condition of my skin is a LOT better though! |
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Olive, normal/oily skin. Using rinse-off ocm, Vit C, Tretinoin since Nov/10, GHK since Feb/12, Niacinamide & glucosamine, alternating, & now skipping nights! Concerns include oiliness, hyperpigmentation from occasional zits, 11's & nasolabial folds. |
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Mon Aug 29, 2011 5:42 am |
Personally I would never recommend the antibiotics especially tetracyclines! I'm a rare case but it does happen - they are known to cause DILI - Drug Induced Liver Injury - I warned the derm about my liver as I'd been OD'd on meds as a child but he said I would be ok - turns out I wasn't - they compromised my liver which totally screwed my hormones right up, which made my skin worse! and in the 7 weeks I was on them (was supposed to be on them for 10 weeks but my doctor screamed "stop taking them straight-away they have compromised your liver and you have a massive TUMOUR of some sort!") - it ended up they caused a massive fibroid tumour to grow rapidly and aggressively in my uterus - I almost needed a hysterectomy all from antitbiotics! I know mine was an extreme case, but nevertheless I personally would never recommend antibiotics!
There are far simpler things for rebalancing the hormones and therefor the skin, such as: Vitex, Magnesium, Vitamin B's especially B5 & B6 , Probiotics, Zinc, and good quality protein intake which is essential for balanced hormones and Essential Fatty Acids which are also vital for balanced hormones - personally the minute I run out of Vitex I start getting zits  |
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hopefulbeauty17
New Member
Joined: 27 Aug 2011
Posts: 3
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Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:16 am |
I wrote a long response to all the answers I got the other day, and for some reason it didn't post! 
Anyway, thank you all so much for all the input. I did order some apple cider supplements to try out.. I have already used the Clarisonic. I replaced the brush head once a month, but it broke my skin out. I believe germs built up on it over time.
For those people out there who like the Clarisonic, have you seen the Sigma Beauty brush? It looks about the same, has some great reviews, and is a fraction of the price.
I also bought the Baby Quasar kit with the red and blue light. Didn't work either.
I would like to know if anyone has heard of or used John Masters Organics Bearberry Oil Balancing products? They have wash, toner and serum. The ingredients look really good! |
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missfritz2u
New Member
Joined: 01 Sep 2009
Posts: 9
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Mon Sep 05, 2011 2:40 am |
| This truly sounds like a hormonal issue. I agree with the others on this thread that recommended seeing your regular doctor or a naturopath and having a blood draw to see where you are at hormonally. I doubt any products are going to help until that gets balanced out. |
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36, combo skin, starting to get some fine lines, complete moron when it comes to anti aging skincare...HELP! "To play it safe is not to play."-Robert Altman |
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Mon Sep 05, 2011 8:59 am |
I agree with you.
| LoriA wrote: |
I, and I'm sure many of us on the board, very much disagree with this in that natural products CAN work better and "fragrant oils" (I assume she means essential oils?) can be extremely beneficial to correcting skin issues when used in correct amounts. And natural products do NOT ALL contain essential oils.
And I see this "scientifcally proven" statement everywhere on this board, but it seems like people still get irritation or other things which refute what's been "scientifically proven".
Hope I got everything in that one, lol!
Yes, it depends on what the ingredients are. |
You should pay attention to your eat and drink first. Sleep earlier. |
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mask |
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Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:20 pm |
| Glamcat wrote: |
This is definitely an internal thing not an external problem.
You should see a naturopath because there are many nutrients and supplements that can rectify what is going on inside you.
I tended to suffer from pretty much the same thing for a while then I switched to a fairly organic diet, cut out all junk which I didnt really eat to begin with, yeah I still have the occasional treat, it's important to do that.
Definitely increase the amount of water you are drinking and remove all soda - soda makes our bodies very acidic which then causes excess oil production. More water, I cant emphasise this enough - when I body is dehydrated it will often overproduce oils to try to rectify the dehydration itself - so try to drink at a minimum the 8 glasses of water a day - various scientists and experts come out saying that the 8 glasses a day is a myth, but then hey, they wouldnt want us curing our illnesses on our own now would they!? lol if we all did that then doctors would be out of business! I read some stuff a few years back about water being the cure to many modern illnesses because the bulk of us are extremely under-hyrdated.
It's like the story of the Yellow Wiggle here in Australia - he got replaced because he started suffering from some weird illnes where he kept collapsing - it ended up this illness had manifested over a very long time from extreme dehydration. |
I don't think Soda is bad for you.
Really it depends what you buy,
Stuff like Coke, pepsi, the popular sodas those are bad for you.
Also just as bad is all the preservatives in the packaged foods like sausages, smoked meats,bacon,fast foods from the big chains.
You can buy all natural sodas that are good like Knusens that is made from juices like tangerine and white grape.
or else buy club soda and mix it with your own juice at home.
Since I have been eating foods without any preservatives and phosphates or chemicals I have a lot less itching and health issues.
I still have some other health issues from bad luck/genetic and some sports injuries-but food won't help much more than what I am already doing. |
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