Chem Peel for combination/acne/clogged pores/sensitive????
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Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:38 am

Hi Everyone! Last month I went to get a facial and the girl told me that she gets a Peel once a month and it keeps her skin clear and oil-free. I have read a few threads on peels, but I am wondering if there is a peel or product I can use at home? My skin concerns are: combination/sensitive (oily t-zone)..some acne and blackheads CONGESTED PORES!...dark spots, fine lines.
Morning routine:
Clean with Cetaphil and a warm cloth, DIY C serum, moisturizer (need a good recommendation on this too!)
Night:
Cetaphil with Clarisonic, Tretinoin .5%, Grapeseed oil for moisture.

Will an at home Peel help with my congested pores and Oily t-zone?(afternoon i start to get shiny) if so, how often? what product?

Any advice on my routine would also be very helpful! Thanks!!!! Laughing

free skin care · Fri Jan 27, 2012 12:24 pm

What are you using for sunscreen? A gentle zinc oxide one can reduce irritation and is bacterio-static.

If you are using the foaming Cetaphil cleanser that contains sulphate surfactants which are powerful irritants, contraindicated in sensitive skin. Using that twice daily and with a Clarisonic too may be partly why your skin is oily, as it pumps out sebum to protect itself. Crying or Very sad

Sulphates also thin the stratus corneum, which can allow acne bacteria in. Try a cleanser that respects the acid mantle (pH ~5.5) - either a lotion or the most gentle surfactants. You could simply cleanse with water and a clean cloth in the morning. Be sure not to let any shampoo - even bubbles - come into contact with your delicate facial skin.

Grapeseed oil is best for oily skin and can be drying, perhaps try a product for sensitive skin? CeraVe contains the balance of lipids required to repair the skin barrier, and is non-comedogenic. IMO do not undertake any peels until you have made your routine gentler, then reassess - you may find your skin type has changed! You are actually already exfoliating plenty between the sulphates, wash cloth, Clarisonic, retinoic acid and ascorbic acid.

Fri Jan 27, 2012 1:25 pm

Thanks Firefox!
Let me start by saying that maybe sensitive was the wrong choice of word to describe my skin. It is a little sensitive due to the RetinA...and very prone to break outs when I have used different products in the past. Its dry in areas and gets shiny in the Tzone.
I actually just use the Regular Cetaphil cleanser. I use the Clarisonic at night only...sometimes not every night.
I know that it seems like I am exfoliating enough (although they say that the RetinA and Clarisonic are not exfoliators), but why are my pores constantly clogged and congested? I thought maybe I needed to add a BHA or something? I breakout from stress and hormones too, I believe.

For sunscreen, I have been trying to find a mattifying moisturizer or primer with SPF (all one step! I really dont want to keep layering products on my face). My makeup all contain SPF 15-20 also.

I forgot to mention that I made a DIY toner spritz that I use morning and night after cleansing...it contains water, aloe, jojoba oil, witch hazel, and a little lemon juice (i might try adding green tea to this also, but havent yet) Any thoughts?

free skin care · Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:01 pm

Sorry if I was not clear. To answer your question IMO your pores are clogged partially or wholly because your routine is overly harsh and your skin is under stress. Skin does not have to be very sensitive to benefit from avoiding known irritants, even healthy skin will. Bear in mind that much inflammation takes place at the cellular level - it is invisible - and that acne is classed as an inflammatory condition.

This is what 1% sulphate does to healthy skin, there is ~20% in a shampoo and your Cetaphil, a higher percentage in dish soap
"volunteers who do not have eczema applied aqueous cream to their arm twice a day, leaving it on for 10 minutes, for 4 weeks. The effects were then measured using laboratory tests - comparing the skin ‘treated’ with aqueous cream to adjacent ‘untreated’ skin. The research team measured the comparative thickness of the outer layer of the skin (the stratum cornea) and tested for transepidermal water loss. Overall the areas that had been ‘treated’ were 12% thinner than the untreated areas. There was also an average 20% increase in water loss through the thinner ‘treated’ areas ... Prof. Guy has confirmed to us: ‘Aqueous cream contains 1% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and this is the ingredient, we believe, that causes damage to the skin barrier." http://www.eczema.org/aqueous_cream.html
In your case the Clarisonic will be cleaning the surface more effectively and the two acids removing dead skin, so irritant sulphates will have closer contact with healthy living skin cells.

Pores get clogged by a combination of excess sebum and skin cells sloughing from both inside the pores and the surface. Irritants can cause additional oil to be produced and premature keratinisation; cells of the epidermis being 'sacrificed' to make a new protective stratus corneum (dead, horny layer). I am not guaranteeing this is contributing to the issue, but there is every likelihood. Mattifiers will dry your skin out further and can irritate, IMO instead of treating the symptoms, identify and address the cause.

Witch hazel and lemon juice are both astringent/ irritants; neither jojoba (a wax) nor grapeseed oil contain the lipids needed to repair the skin barrier (cholesterol, stearic and palmitic acids, ceramides). I also don't understand why you are using a toner when you are using a foaming cleanser?? IMO if you are happy to add another step, a physical sunscreen would make more sense. You should check you are applying enough of your make up to benefit from the SPF, oftentimes you need to trowel it on!

Hormone fluctuations, stress and reactive skin can all be managed with diet modification and supplements. It may be worth checking whether you consistently meet or exceed all your government's recommendations for healthy eating. A key nutrient for all three is long chain omega-3s from oily fish.

HTH! Confused

free skin care · Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:54 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

Sorry if I was not clear. To answer your question IMO your pores are clogged partially or wholly because your routine is overly harsh and your skin is under stress. Skin does not have to be very sensitive to benefit from avoiding known irritants, even healthy skin will. Bear in mind that much inflammation takes place at the cellular level - it is invisible - and that acne is classed as an inflammatory condition.

This is what 1% sulphate does to healthy skin, there is ~20% in a shampoo and your Cetaphil, a higher percentage in dish soap
"volunteers who do not have eczema applied aqueous cream to their arm twice a day, leaving it on for 10 minutes, for 4 weeks. The effects were then measured using laboratory tests - comparing the skin ‘treated’ with aqueous cream to adjacent ‘untreated’ skin. The research team measured the comparative thickness of the outer layer of the skin (the stratum cornea) and tested for transepidermal water loss. Overall the areas that had been ‘treated’ were 12% thinner than the untreated areas. There was also an average 20% increase in water loss through the thinner ‘treated’ areas ... Prof. Guy has confirmed to us: ‘Aqueous cream contains 1% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and this is the ingredient, we believe, that causes damage to the skin barrier." http://www.eczema.org/aqueous_cream.html

I think you should go to the source of the Guy study and read the abstract:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.09954.x/abstract

You keep quoting the above information in your posts, but neglect to mention the following:

Reduced SC thickness and an increase in baseline TEWL, as well as a faster rate of increase in TEWL during tape stripping, were observed in 16 out of 27 treated skin sites.

In other words, it isn't 100% of subjects who had an increase in TEWL; additionally, this only occurred after tape stripping.

Here are the ingredients for Cetaphil® Daily Facial Cleanser (I think that is the "regular" Cetaphil) as per the Cetaphil Website:

Water, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, acrylates/steareth-20 methacrylate copolymer, glycerin, PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate, sodium laureth sulfate, butylene glycol, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, phenoxyethanol, masking fragrance, panthenol, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, disodium EDTA, methylparaben.

How in the world can there possibly be 20% sulfates in this cleanser? There is no SLS in this product, only SLES.

free skin care · Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:10 pm

Lacy53 wrote:

I think you should go to the source of the Guy study and read the abstract:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.09954.x/abstract

You keep quoting the above information in your posts, but neglect to mention the following:

Reduced SC thickness and an increase in baseline TEWL, as well as a faster rate of increase in TEWL during tape stripping, were observed in 16 out of 27 treated skin sites.

In other words, it isn't 100% of subjects who had an increase in TEWL; additionally, this only occurred after tape stripping.

Here are the ingredients for Cetaphil® Daily Facial Cleanser (I think that is the "regular" Cetaphil) as per the Cetaphil Website:

Water, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, acrylates/steareth-20 methacrylate copolymer, glycerin, PEG-200 hydrogenated glyceryl palmate, sodium laureth sulfate, butylene glycol, PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate, phenoxyethanol, masking fragrance, panthenol, PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, disodium EDTA, methylparaben.

How in the world can there possibly be 20% sulfates in this cleanser? There is no SLS in this product, only SLES.

Thank you I have read the abstract, I don't link to it because there is more 'user-friendly' information in the charity article. As you know, there are numerous other studies using sulphates to deliberately irritate skin before testing another product or ingredient. SLES is from the same family as SLS, is also a known irritant, and many authorities advise to avoid the whole group. You are right about not being 20%, intended to include the word "less" because face washes are generally more dilute than shampoos/ contain a combo of surfactants, but type fast and inaccurately. You may notice I often have to do multiple edits despite proof reading!! Embarassed

I also remembered the ingredients wrong, thought the sulphate was higher up so my wording would still not have been accurate. So thanks for that. Razz

free skin care · Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:12 pm

I don't think Cetaphil is all that bad and doesn't cause skin sensitivity as severely as other brands. I've been using it for years while doing skin treatments. But, I have switched to a cleansing milk now because my skin is getting dryer with age and the formulation is a lot better then it was years ago.

Getting peels done is not such a bad idea. You don't have to get the strongest strength to start. I like Juice Beauty apple peel to help even skin tone. Have you considered adding a vitamin C serum?

Sat Feb 04, 2012 6:47 pm

Quote:

I don't think Cetaphil is all that bad and doesn't cause skin sensitivity as severely as other brands. I've been using it for years while doing skin treatments. But, I have switched to a cleansing milk now because my skin is getting dryer with age and the formulation is a lot better then it was years ago.

Getting peels done is not such a bad idea. You don't have to get the strongest strength to start. I like Juice Beauty apple peel to help even skin tone. Have you considered adding a vitamin C serum?

I do currently use a homemade C serum in the mornings, made with LAA, aloe, jojoba oil, distilled H20, and a little vit-e. I have also been reading the thread on OCM, and decided to try it for the first time last night to see if this would help clean my pores. I thought a lot about the comments from Firefox (thanks btw) , and that maybe I should try something a little more gentle for cleansing. Any thoughts on the OCM?
So either way, I am still interested in trying a peel, but not sure where to start (BHA maybe?).

free skin care · Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:45 pm

Try the Priori Lactic peel if you're going to the serum. Its pretty effective.

Another one to try is the Dermalogica Microfoliant. My beautician suggested it for me, and i use it every day ..and my face feels really soft...reminds me of the effect of using SKII pitera essence years ago..

free skin care · Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:05 am

erica1981 wrote:

I do currently use a homemade C serum in the mornings, made with LAA, aloe, jojoba oil, distilled H20, and a little vit-e. I have also been reading the thread on OCM, and decided to try it for the first time last night to see if this would help clean my pores. I thought a lot about the comments from Firefox (thanks btw) , and that maybe I should try something a little more gentle for cleansing. Any thoughts on the OCM?
So either way, I am still interested in trying a peel, but not sure where to start (BHA maybe?).

The BHA salicylic acid is considered the most effective for unclogging pores, because it is oil soluble. However for exactly the same reason it can also be very drying, it cannot differentiate between the lipids clogging your pores and those holding the stratus corneum together! IMO make your routine much gentler/ more hydrating before you head down that road. Lactic acid is the gentlest AHA and hydrates as it exfoliates so most suited to sensitive or reactive skins. I have been surprised just how well LA cleared the clogged pores on my chin which would not extract as the nose area will. I started out very conservatively with ~22% LA and now up to ~44% LA. One option is to alternate the two acids, another to do a combo peel (Lac-Sal) and a third is to treat different areas of your face with different acids. You can purchase 88% lactic acid and salicylic acid powder, then you have the ability to test out whatever combinations and strengths you want. Instead of SA you might consider doing an aspirin (acetyl-salicylic acid) mask.

Fri Feb 24, 2012 10:12 am

Quote:

I have been surprised just how well LA cleared the clogged pores on my chin which would not extract as the nose area will. I started out very conservatively with ~22% LA and now up to ~44% LA. One option is to alternate the two acids, another to do a combo peel (Lac-Sal) and a third is to treat different areas of your face with different acids. You can purchase 88% lactic acid and salicylic acid powder, then you have the ability to test out whatever combinations and strengths you want. Instead of SA you might consider doing an aspirin (acetyl-salicylic acid) mask.

What do you dilute the LA with? What frequency/duration do you generally use it?
I have been using the OCM about 4 times a week and alternating with my Cetaphil and Clarisonic(3x week?) A couple mornings this week I did not use Cetaphil, just water and a steamy cloth. Every morning I use my C serum and almost every night the Tretinoin (skip a night here and there if my skin is dry) Moisturizing with Grapeseed or Jojoba or both.
I am really having kind of a hard time figuring out an exact routine that works for me...my skin looks and feels better but still quite a few breakouts, especially around forehead and chin/jawline areas. Oh, also tried the aspirin mask a few times which seems ok...made my skin pretty soft. I still really need to get a great moisturizer and primer, (one or both with SPF). This is STRESSFUL!

free skin care · Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:02 pm

I just dilute the lactic acid with water. Started out conservatively at ~22% for a couple of minutes and worked up slowly to a couple of layers of ~44% for five to ten minutes. I am being vague because my whole face/ neck does not get the same treatment, my forehead seems to be able to take a lot of abuse! I aim for once per week but it depends how well my skin recovers, if I am dermarolling or have social engagements.

You might consider Devita for sunscreen/ moisturiser, many of their products are based on aloe vera which is beneficial for ageing or acne prone skin. The zinc oxide in a physical sunscreen will inhibit bacteria too.

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