Dead/flaky skin after cleansing - removal?
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Wed Nov 23, 2005 6:11 am

First post Very Happy

Hello everyone!

I started working on my mild acne some months ago using the clear skin regimen found onwww.acne.org

Basically:

Cleanse > Apply Benzoyl Peroxide > Moisturise

But after cleansing, when the skin has had time to dry out, I always see white flakyness on my skin. I was wondering if anyone could recommend any non-expensive ways to aid this problem that aren't too harsh on the skin?

Thanks in advance.

MM

free skin care · Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:01 am

Welcome to the forum, Moon_Man. Smile

Do you exfoliate your skin? This helps to get rid of the dead skin cells that can cause flakiness on the skin.

There are lots of exfoliation products on the market. From the very cheap to the ridiculously expensive. Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Nov 23, 2005 12:32 pm

Hi and welcome from me as well!

As well as exfoliation as toe suggests, maybe you are using stuff which is drying your skin out? I know some BP products have a lot of alcohol in them, but it could be your moisturiser ain't up to the job.

Maybe you could try something like emu oil or jojoba oil? Jojo, is my all time fave, but dianayvonne.com does a really nice refined emu oil that is very light and I know emu is ok for acne suffers.

HTH, Liz Cool

Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:07 am

Thanks for the replies.

Firstly I'm using:

Cleansing: 'Simple' cleansing bar from Boots.
When left to dry I can see lots of white flakyness.

BP Gel (2.5%). Left to absorb.

Moisturiser: Clean + Clear (Oil free) Dual Action Moisturiser.

@ guapagirl
Wouldn't it be best to remove the dead skin first? Instead of just using moisuriser that hides it?

As far as exfoliating products go, are they the ones with little grains in them? What options do I have?
www.acne.com recommends nothing that irritates the skin as it can worsen any acne. What are your views?

I've heard alot about JoJo and Emu oil, but oily products are also condemned onwww.acne.org. Are these types of oils you mention any risk for mild acne sufferers?

free skin care · Thu Nov 24, 2005 7:42 am

It sounds to me the advice given on that site is doing your skin more harm than good.
There is no way I would ever put Benzoyl Peroxide anywhere near my oily skin.
I would just simply cleanse (with whatever you feel suits you best),
exfoliate (if you are usnsure what to go for try adding sugar to your cleanser or mix a little sugar with some Jojoba Oil,
tone with witch hazel (this is so inexpensive and is a fantastic treatment for acne) and then moisturise using Jojoba Oil, if you are experiencing a particularly bad acne outbreak then add some tee tree essential oil to the jojoba, this is an effective acne treatment.

I think waht has been happening is that your current regime has just been over stripping your skin of all it's natural oils and it's not having time to recover, hence all the dryness.

free skin care · Thu Nov 24, 2005 3:24 pm

Hi,

yep, you want to exfoliate to get rid of the dead skin before moisturising and I'm with rosebud regarding the advice acne org gave you.

Basically, skin needs oil. If you strip all the oil from your skin with harsh detergents, then it will go crazy trying to replace the oils and you end up in a right pickle!

Personally I would go for the oil cleansing method in your case. Calm down, it's good! there are a good few posts on it here from folk with acne and oily skin who swear by it. Do a search under 'OCM' and you should get some good hits.

JOJO, is very close to sebum and if you moisturise with it, then your skin will be tricked into producing less. Emu is well known for it's anti-inflamatory actions, so very good for big zits and irritated skin.

If your skin is very sensitive, I would be cautious about using exfoliating scrubs, but I am predjudiced against them anyway! I would try something enzyme based like dermalogica microfoliant. You can usually get samples from stockists to try before you buy.

I personally love sugar as a body scrub, but you may want to use castor sugar and gently on your face. Rosebud, you don't find it too harsh? Oats make a nice gentle scrub when mixed with olive oil though;)

hth, Liz

Thu Nov 24, 2005 3:40 pm

lol thanks for the great tips.

All these ingredients!...Sounds like I could make some exotic cakes with all this stuff.

The BP gel has worked, I usually have a couple of spots but the outbreaks have all but vanished. My skin still looks bad though, can still see alot of remains from old spots that havn't healed. But as long as I keep from new spots breaking out those will heal over time.

Ok so i'm gonna try a totally new regimen. From what you guys said so far here's what I plan to do (twice a day?):

1. Cleanse
2. Exfoliate (How often?)
3. Tone (witch hazel)
4. Moisturise (JoJoba Oil, pure just applied onto the skin?)

Ok, that's the plan. Sounding good? (My skin isn't that sensitive)

Got any tips about application etc. to help me along ? This is all new stuff for me!

Thanks!

MM

free skin care · Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:55 am

Cleanse: use a mild non-detergent cleanser. Nothing with sodium laureth/laurel sulphate especially! I would seriously look into the oil cleansing method!

Exfoliate: Frequency depends on what you use. I use a flannel everyday and also a mandelic acid serum, but I don't have sensitivity issues anymore. Look into getting a salicylic face wash. Dianayvonne does one which is pretty cheap and gets good feedback.

Tone: I never bother usually, but witchhazel is a nice toner. make sure it's not alcohol based though.

Moisturise: Yep! jojo is fab, you only need about 3-4 drops for your whole face and neck. drop onto your palms and rub together and then press onto your face and neck.

If the BP works for you, carry on, but I would just spot treat with it. Also, you can spot treat, leave for 5 mins and then rinse off. It's done its antibac thang and that way you don't risk further skin irritation from prolonged contact.

If you have bad scarring, you may want to think about using copper peptides. Check out the forum at dianayvonne.com for more info on this.

Liz Cool

free skin care · Fri Nov 25, 2005 8:59 am

When it comes to exfoliation, it does depend on the individual, I like to exfoliate just once a week whilst my SO uses an exfoliater every day to prevent any ingrowing whiskars.

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.