Less is more?
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free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:04 pm

Do men age better than women? obviously hormones play a part but I watched a show that featured statistics that said on average women put 515 chemicals on their face each day these are made up from all the different products we use, whereas most men have a limited personal care regime and do not obsess over products are we doing more harm than good if you were or had just used sunscreen everyday would you be at your best anyway

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:33 pm

Men have thicker skin and this affords a additional layer of protection against the elements compared with us ladies. I suspect Western women are more likely than Western men to use at least a low SPF because it is often in our cosmetics or moisturiser. It is horrifying to realise how many chemicals we are exposed to each day; although our skin evolved to keep the world out, it didn't evolve to deal with that level of assault whilst having the surface layer stripped away every day. If you have healthy skin it is a reasonably effective barrier, but we don't all have healthy skin. Lifestyle plays a major role too - there are notable differences between the sexes in terms of smoking, drink, healthy eating, weight management, exercise and so on.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:54 pm

I personally do believe less is more. I used to have several steps to my skin care regimen and then got cheap and succumbed to my lazy nature and now I do very little and it seems I'm not constantly fixing something as used to be the case when I was younger and doing more.

What got me thinking this way was when a friend of mine with oily skin who doesn't use anything on her face, not even to wash it (she uses plain water and wears nothing after that) struck me as having such beautiful skin. When she told me her regimen, I didn't believe it but I tried it and was surprised that while she has oily skin and I don't, my skin seemed to balance itself out and didn't feel tight and dry as before.

I also considered the older women in my family who have good skin and their regimens are so much simpler than mine. I had noticed that water-based moisturizers, while making my skin look good on application, later left my skin looking dull and the fine lines more visible. (An e-friend I met on a face exercise forum *waves at Sebastian wherever you may be* once told me that water isn't supposed to be left on the skin for long periods of time; his moisturizer was aloe vera and while he was younger than me, his skin was flawless.) Then I saw an article that seemed to explain why my skin would feel dry even after moisturizing with water-based moisturizers due to water evaporation and why coconut oil was a better moisturizer (It's what I use for my body now) and it seemed to confirm all I'd heard and witnessed.

Anyway, I stopped using water-based moisturizers (even I make sure water isn't an ingredient in my sunscreen) and alternate between OCM and plain water washes and use sunscreen, and my skin looks way better than it did when I was doing 1973928729387 things to it. So for me, less is indeed more.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:03 pm

I really don't know why but opening this thread and reading made me recall a comment posted to an anti-aging article by a gentleman in a really old publication. While he was in Thailand, a taxi driver explained to him that when Thai women reached a certain specific age they immediately had horrible skin, but prior to that age they ONLY used coconut oil and had wonderful skin. (Almost as if when the women turned that particular age, it was like night and day for their skin condition.) I don't know why that post mentally stuck with me after all these years, perhaps, because when I read it back then, the perception implied and it prophesized impending appearance doom for all women. I don't know. MAYBE LESS IS GOOD--UNTIL YOU NEED MORE.

Hey, FOUND IT: (its also a good refresher article read)

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/print/1893/the-science-cosmetics

He wrote:
I am a 78 year old pensioner who visited Thailand last November for the first time with my son and his wife, I was very interested in a comment from my taxi driver on the way to the airport at Chiang Mai, he said most Thai ladies have very beautiful skins to the extent that it is difficult to tell a 40 odd year old + from a 20 odd year old. He attributes this to the fact that the ladies use coconut oil but as soon as they reach 50 years their skin suddenly changes and becomes wrinkled and they then look much older than what they are He said if I come back next year and use his taxi, he will probably look like a 60 + year old.

I dont know if they apply the oil to their skin or use it as a cooking oil,but if his statement is true it might be worth while checking it out. I dont have the time, the knowledge or the brain to look into it
further but I did find it intriguing.

Sam Clarke

Submitted by Visitor on 28 March 2008 - 2:50am

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 5:19 pm

Kath91 I think part of why the skin may change at that age is due to menopause (http://www.menopauserx.com/health_center/sym_skin_changes.htm)

Ironically, while I love coconut oil for my body, my face doesn't seem to like it, which is why I don't use it on face; just my body. I find especially in the winter, my skin doesn't need to be re-moisturized several times now that I don't use lotions/creams. When I do OCM I use extra virgin olive oil but I also take breaks from it and do plain water washes because like Bethany I do worry about becoming dependent on "something".

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 6:00 pm

Nonie aka AD wrote:

Kath91 I think part of why the skin may change at that age is due to menopause (http://www.menopauserx.com/health_center/sym_skin_changes.htm)

Ironically, while I love coconut oil for my body, my face doesn't seem to like it, which is why I don't use it on face; just my body. I find especially in the winter, my skin doesn't need to be re-moisturized several times now that I don't use lotions/creams. When I do OCM I use extra virgin olive oil but I also take breaks from it and do plain water washes because like Bethany I do worry about becoming dependent on "something".

Yep, I remember thinking the same thing back then; that it was hormonally related, but then, as I recall, I couldn't figure out why this MALE taxi driver thought HE would also instantly age. I remember a bizzare thought that crept up, on my first read of that post, that MAYBE these old-looking women were so frustrated that they were stressing him out. Like maybe his wife turned what he thought to be the 'ugly' 50 and was not happy and took her frustration out on him, so he started to look older. Like I said: BIZZare THOUGHT.
BTW, in the past, I used to slather on coconut oil for a good, deep tan at the beach.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:25 pm

Don't they eat soy in Thailand? If so, why don't the isoflavones help when the estrogen fails???

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 12:18 am

I only started religiously wearing sunscreen last year after discovering this forum, its a scary prospect that after the menopause our skin is going to dramatically change I guess a lot of the products we use are to repair damage we feel we have done from not looking after ourselves in the past if I had always used sunscreen and had a good diet then maybe I would feel happier about the state of my skin and not feel the need to assault it with all these products.

Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:55 am

@ Nonie, and others who don't use any moisturizers: What do you people use instead? No creams/serums at all? Nothing underneath the ss in the morning and nothing after washing the face in the evening? I am trying to understand this no-moisturizer-philosophy, but I simply don't get the difference between moisturizers and another stuff, you put on your face instead (s. in the other thread).

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 7:28 am

Lotusesther wrote:

Don't they eat soy in Thailand? If so, why don't the isoflavones help when the estrogen fails???

Isoflavones are not bio-identical hormones, plus the amount is highly relevant. Even with concentrated capsule supplements effects are often modest.

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:23 am

Marcnarc wrote:

@ Nonie, and others who don't use any moisturizers: What do you people use instead? No creams/serums at all? Nothing underneath the ss in the morning and nothing after washing the face in the evening? I am trying to understand this no-moisturizer-philosophy, but I simply don't get the difference between moisturizers and another stuff, you put on your face instead (s. in the other thread).

Marcnarc I don't use anything after splashing my face with lukewarm water in the morning and then wiping with a paper towel. I simply apply sunscreen and that's it. In the evening I do an oil cleansing or simply use plain lukewarm water and wash cloth, paper towel dry, apply Vaseline under my eyes and go to bed with a bare face.

My friend who introduced me to plain water washes uses nothing whatsoever. Not even sunscreen. She wakes up with a bareface, washes it with plain water. Dries it and leaves the home. In the evening, she washes again with plain water and goes to bed. She has the most beautiful skin I've seen on a 30+ human. But she has oily skin and melanin both of which must work in her favor. I have melanin and combination dry skin but it's less dry since I stopped smothering it with products. I once shared how after I did the plain water wash, I happened to stop at Body Shop and used one of those strips for finding out your skin type and it gave mine as "oily". What I deduced is after I stopped smothering my skin with stuff, perhaps my skin remembered how to produce sebum and become a self-moisturizing organ.

But I keep close watch on it. Right now I don't want to change this regimen as it's working for me. If it stops working, I'll be quick to try something else.

BTW, another experience that made me think that cosmetics are made so that we can become dependent on them and keep the makers in business was when Olay came out with that moisturizing lotion you were to use on wet skin. My skin felt fantastic after I used it the first time. But when I next took a shower, my skin was so dry I thought it'd crack and bleed if I didn't apply that stuff pronto. And the more I used it, the more I seemed to need it. I stopped, and while I do need to apply something after a shower, I do find that my skin doesn't feel parched and isn't as dry as it was when I was using that stuff.

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:42 am

Marcnarc wrote:

@ Nonie, and others who don't use any moisturizers: What do you people use instead? No creams/serums at all? Nothing underneath the ss in the morning and nothing after washing the face in the evening? I am trying to understand this no-moisturizer-philosophy, but I simply don't get the difference between moisturizers and another stuff, you put on your face instead (s. in the other thread).

I never used a moisturizer until the past year when eczema flared and hormones changed (it is very important to keep eczematous skin moisturized). I think you are having trouble understanding/differentiating between an "active" product and one that is just a plain moisturizer. There is nothing wrong with using a moisturizer when your skin needs it, but you want to look for products that do more than just sit on top of the skin. You want to look for active ingredients in the moisturizer that actually improve the skin.

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:46 am

In my teens and 20's I had nice, normal skin - good skin. In my 30's and 40's I discovered "products" and spent those twenty years with dry sensitive skin. In my 50's I went back to a very simple routine with DIY stuff (mostly seaweeds) and my skin got a lot better. I've just entered my 60's and though I have moved to a more exotic product, I think I will remain a one-product-girl. It's not for everybody, but it seems to work better for me. I also don't use a facial cleanser - just water and a wash cloth or the Clarsonic. My skin is good enough that I don't need to wear make up so I don't have all that much to wash off.

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:22 am

Panda1 wrote:

In my teens and 20's I had nice, normal skin - good skin. In my 30's and 40's I discovered "products" and spent those twenty years with dry sensitive skin. In my 50's I went back to a very simple routine with DIY stuff (mostly seaweeds) and my skin got a lot better. I've just entered my 60's and though I have moved to a more exotic product, I think I will remain a one-product-girl. It's not for everybody, but it seems to work better for me. I also don't use a facial cleanser - just water and a wash cloth or the Clarsonic. My skin is good enough that I don't need to wear make up so I don't have all that much to wash off.

Panda, check out the screen prints from Dr. Obagi's dermatology textbook that I posted on page 2 of the thread below...it explains what you experienced in your dry skin phase.
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=32068&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=25

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 10:55 am

My feeling on this is that it may not really be about the type of or number of treatments but the skin's response to each after or between their applications.

I'd imagine that with everything we do whether it be using a gadget, manually massaging or exfoliating, applying a product, whatever it is, it causes a reaction of some sort. Then you do or apply something else and your skin freaks out again and desperately tries to come back to balance from that, now going in multiple directions at once trying to adjust.

We sometimes like to believe that we're "exercising" our skin, getting it shape, and more resilient, but I think sometimes we just confuse it and run it to exhaustion.

With only one routine, its easier for skin to grow to expect and accomodate it and do what it does with everything - make use of the useful elements and dispose of the rest.

I don't want to miss out on the benefits of various things, but I've taken to at least only doing or applying one treatment per night, and my skin seems much happier.

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:23 am

Bethany, interesting article. Definitely describes some of my issues. And I also agree with LoriA. I can remember having a bad reaction to something like Cellex C and instead of taking a break and letting my skin come back to normal, I would start right up on a new product and more or less compound the problem. Maybe now I just have more patience.

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:28 am

Panda1 wrote:

Bethany, interesting article. Definitely describes some of my issues. And I also agree with LoriA. I can remember having a bad reaction to something like Cellex C and instead of taking a break and letting my skin come back to normal, I would start right up on a new product and more or less compound the problem. Maybe now I just have more patience.

I agree with Lori as well!

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 11:35 am

bethany wrote:

Panda1 wrote:

Bethany, interesting article. Definitely describes some of my issues. And I also agree with LoriA. I can remember having a bad reaction to something like Cellex C and instead of taking a break and letting my skin come back to normal, I would start right up on a new product and more or less compound the problem. Maybe now I just have more patience.

I agree with Lori as well!

Yes, I also agree with Lori. Lori, you made excellent points. Thank you!

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 12:04 pm

Well I learned something, I call all creams a moisturiser, guess I am wrong. I now don't think I've ever just used a moisturiser. Confused

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:26 pm

My skin looks much better if I don't use any moisturizers. My serums, sunscreen and foundation provide enough hydration.

But now I am a bit confused about oils? Does Obagi say anything about oils?

free skin care · Sun Jul 08, 2012 1:46 pm

RussianSunshine wrote:

My skin looks much better if I don't use any moisturizers. My serums, sunscreen and foundation provide enough hydration.

But now I am a bit confused about oils? Does Obagi say anything about oils?

I'll look, but I don't think so.

free skin care · Mon Jul 09, 2012 7:30 am

Almost all skincare products contain xenoestrogens; from what I've read, estrogen is pro aging, not anti aging. So sure, it's the overload of products that causes some of it due to the constant exposure to fake estrogens.

free skin care · Mon Jul 09, 2012 8:45 am

gretchen wrote:

Almost all skincare products contain xenoestrogens; from what I've read, estrogen is pro aging, not anti aging. So sure, it's the overload of products that causes some of it due to the constant exposure to fake estrogens.

Do they? Which ingredients please?

Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:27 am

If it was true, would anyone still use anything but plain water to wash the face? In this case, we needed to be absolutely certain that the benefit of using a particular cram/active outweighs the cost of doing it.
It is a scary thought anyway. And someone just came up with it. Just like this. Wink

I hope, it is not true.

Nonie, thanks a lot. You are very very lucky, and we all are maybe just a bunch of fools spending money to destroy our skin.
(sorry, no offense Wink

!)

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