Moisturiser

zigzag · 10-09-2009, 06:52 AM

I have acne (thanks PCOS!) and I'm in my early 30's. It's not cystic acne, just many small pimples. Just today a friend sent me a pic of her and me and I was so sad at what I saw :-(. I look hideous. I usually avoid photos so it was hard looking at that pic.

I guess from all the acne topical creams they've given me over the years, my skin is prematurely aged and dry (I mean REALLY dry), way more than it should be. My skin looks v.dehydrated and dry.

If any of you suffer from acne but could recommend a good day moisturiser (pref. with a spf) and a good night cream, I'd be so so thankful. It needs to be something that won't clog up my pores because I suffer from acne and it would be a plus if it were aimed at sensitive skin too, but I'll try anything.

I've heard of jojoba oil and olive oil for the face, does anyone use this?

I wonder if my skin is just ruined for life :-(

montana_in_la · 10-09-2009, 04:12 PM

I currently use Cetaphil for my moisturizer, but I like Clinique's gel moisturizer too. (I just hate going to the Clinique counter because they try to sell me all this other crap. No, I just want the damn moisturizer!)

I use Retin-A at night (the cream version from when I was on Obagi, I think when I need to get the prescription renewed I'm going to try and get the gel and mix it with the Cetaphil).

As for SPF moisturizers, I think there's one that Neutrogena makes that's decent and doesn't feel weird or heavy. A few years back there were a couple creams (day w/SPF and night creams) that Clinique made that I liked, but I don't know if they are still making them or what. I know they are super expensive though.

As for the aged/dry look, have you tried exfoliating? Just use a washcloth when you wash your face to remove the dead layer of skin cells. Maybe use an apricot scrub or something once a week? I know my skin looks really dry if I don't wash my face with a washcloth every day.

zigzag · 10-11-2009, 07:58 AM

Thanks Montana_in_la, I'll take up your hints with the washcloth. Usually I just use a foaming gel cleaners and rinse off. Once a week I'll often use a exfoliant, it's from Avon (Anew Clinical Microexfoliant) and I like it because it's got tiny little sandy beads that don't feel rough. I'm wondering though if the formula is more suitable for older skin? Some weeks I forget to exfoliate too.

A couple of days ago when I was home, I used a whole bunch of jojoba oil on my face, I guess like a mask, I just used a dry washcloth to get the excess off my face. when I woke in the morning my skin did feel noticeably softer and moisturied but still looked dry. Good thing is that it didn't break out my skin though.

I'm going to the store today so I'm going to look at the Clinique and Neutrogena ranges and see if I can find something with an spf, also I'll have a look at Cetaphil, it seems to be quite popular too. Thanks for the tips!

bettylanguage · 10-12-2009, 02:44 AM

i battle the SAME problems...i have very sensitive skin. i tend to break out easily if my skin is dry or irritated, so i'm VERY careful with what i use and here's what i've used from my own trial & error. (also, i used to work in the skincare section of a healthfood store--talk about being a masochist...i had full-on acne when i started and had to sell skincare! but i learned a lot). i've also battled the little bumps...oh, how i hate those the most!
first, foremost and last--be gentle to you skin.
*NO SOAP or any sudsy cleanser...soap just dries your skin out. use a creamy cleanser, or save yourself the money and use olive oil or almond oil (i actually like grape seed oil), which you can get at a healthfood store or even in the grocery store. use it like cold cream and it will remove your makeup for you. other than that, just rinsing your face off in cool water is sufficent. honest!
*read the ingredients...if you wouldn't eat it, don't use it (we absorb 60-80% of what we put on our skin--DIRECTLY into our bloodstream). if you don't know what an ingredient is, then look it up.
*i avoid anything with witch hazel in it or any fruit acid...it will make me break out instantly. same with anything with a lot of preservatives.
*don't go scrubbing your skin too much...and don't use apricot scrubs. there are tiny little edges that can cut up your skin and cause an infection. i like to exfoliate, but not more than once a week, and not too rough. you're not trying to strip paint from your skin, so be gentle. =) my favorite scrub is table sugar (a finer texture is better) w/a little oil or water. i don't recommend a washcloth, either...it can pull on your skin and i've read that the texture can also cause irritation.
*use a gentle and natural moisturizer...you don't need anything too complicated and you might need to experiment to see what will work for you. i've been using a moisturizer by alaffia and i LOVE it. it's helping with some of the scarring, it's not greasy, and it's not making me break out or have little bumps (which dr. hauschka did...ugh). plus, i'm not all dry and flakey--i live in colorado, which is very dry and i've been veyr happy with it. i also like weleda & lily organics.
*drink lots of water. i know, probably every says this, but it's true. if you weigh 120 pounds, then you need to drink at least 60 ounces of water a day (divide your weight in 1/2 and that is the number of ounces to drink at minimum). AT LEAST. and eat good fats...avocados, nuts, these things will help your skin, too.
*jojoba oil is very similar to our own skin's oils, so is an excellent moisturizer. if your skin is a little damp, it will sink right in (moisturizers are basically oil and water...you can do this your self and save a lot of money!).
*if you wear make up, try to take some time off. i wear makeup every day because i've had bad skin for so long that i'll always be selfconscious w/out it, but on the weekend or the evenings, i know that my skin is much happier if i don't wash it or put anything on it--let it breath.
*try to avoid putting anything on your face at night. you want your skin to find balance, and it's best to let it find it's own balance. there is a theory that by not putting any moisturizer on your skin at night, it will create it's own oil (which is good) and clean the pores out itself. i do this in the summer, but where i live is so dry in the winter that i can't always. a few drops of jojoba oil at night would probably be good.

good luck! i know you can get rid of the bumps and the dryness and revserse some of the aging.

zigzag · 10-12-2009, 03:25 AM

Bettylanguage, great tips! It really helps hearing from others with the same problem. I've seen the products at the healthfood store and wondered about them...but never had a good look. Def something to do next time I'm there.

I really think you are right about being gentle. I was prescribed Benoxyl Peroxide gel for my face which I used for a year, I went off it when I went on MET. I really think that I under-moisturised my face while using that stuff and it was quite drying and stripping. They recommend you moisturise a lot while using that, and I'm guessing I really messed up by not doing that.

As for the fruit acids...do you mean anything with AHA written on it? Why should I exactly look for to avoid in terms of fruit acids? I really need to educate myself (sigh)...

mahjab · 10-12-2009, 07:24 PM

I use Neautragena oil free moisterizer and I recently started using Clinique anti oxident nightly moisterizer for oily skin. It's supposed to be an anti aging thing.

If your acne is not that bad, then try for more natural remedies like tea tree oil. I think a lot acne medications are very harsh on skin and ruin it. I used antibiotic cream for a while and it seems to have slightly discolored my skin.

montana_in_la · 10-13-2009, 06:19 PM

Hello bettylanguage, I'm sorry you disagree with me so strongly. Everyone's skin reacts differently and the sad thing is that there is no one cure-all for skin problems.

For some people something like Obagi or ProActiv works and for others those products make their problems worse, for example.

I've had a good experience using a washcloth and warm water with my cleanser. Products with AHAs tend to make my skin problems worse, although Retin-A works well for me.

While I do advocate staying hydrated as a way to help your skin look its best, people do die from drinking too much water. Drinking only when you are thirsty is a much healthier strategy.

zigzag, are you doing much cardio? For me, my skin looks lots better when I am working out a lot.

mahjab, I love tea tree oil! I found a great shampoo and conditioner with tea tree oil in it and think it's fantastic. I know Body Shop has a skincare line featuring tea tree oil but I've never tried it out. It seems more like a "night" kind of thing considering how strong it smells.

mahjab · 10-13-2009, 10:29 PM

montana_in_la, I love tea tree oil too! I happened to get a tea tree toner from the Body Shop and I like it a lot.

zigzag · 10-14-2009, 06:44 AM

montana_in_la, i do quite a bit of cardio and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Sometimes I feel like if I work out at night, it can actually be worse for my skin as I keep sweating quite a while after I stop working out. But doing cardio in the morning, I haven't noticed that it helps my skin at all.

I actully have some pure tea tree oil I brought from the health shop awhile back....I wonder if I could add a few drops of it to a cleanser or moisturiser, anyone ever tried that?

zigzag · 10-16-2009, 09:04 AM

Hi cysters! Thanks so much for your awesome suggestions. I've really taken them on board and I'm going to try and see what works best for me. Seems like the thread is slowing down, so I've written down all your lovely suggestions and I'll summarize them here:

Good moisturisers to try:
Cetaphil, Clinique, Neutrogena, Alafia, Weleda, Lily Organics

Ones to watch out for/bad experiences:
Moisturiers with AHA or any fruit acids
Witch Hazel
Dr Hauschka products (made a cyster break out)

Things that I can try in general:
Using a washcloth (I tried it last night it was very nice)
Not using a washcloth (what I normally do)
Exfoliation once weekly (Betty likes sugar mixed with a little water or oil - a natural exfoliant and Montana likes Apricot scrub)
Not moisturising at night, but perhaps in winter using a bit of Jojoba oil as winter is drying on the skin.
Tea tree oil
Using a cream cleanser and not a soapy or sudsy cleanser
Cleansing/removing make-up with Olive or Almond Oil, then water
Using a natural and gentle moisturser (If I can't eat it, then don't use it)
Cardio workouts - could help with skin
Ensuring I drink enough water
Taking some time off wearing make-up
Eating good fats

Loads of great suggestions, thanks again ladies and I'll see how it goes. It's heading into winter now, so my skin can get quite dry, I'm really wanting to tackle this head-on and I'm sure your advice will help.

zigzag · 10-16-2009, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montana_in_la

I use Retin-A at night (the cream version from when I was on Obagi, I think when I need to get the prescription renewed I'm going to try and get the gel and mix it with the Cetaphil).

Hi Montana...could you tell me more about your Retin-A experience and how it has worked for you. Is it quite drying on the skin, do you use it in certain places on your face or all over? Thanks for that!