Damaged skin

Welcome Kevin - hopefully you've learned to NOT wash your face that much. Twice a day is usually the norm (morning/evening) unless you are doing something in between where you'd need to. Even then, I'd suggest a mild wash. KEEP an eye on those ingredients of products you are using/trying.

Do you still have acne problems or just dry skin? What kind of moisturizer are you using?

DHC makes some really good Olive oil soaps that are great and shouldn't break you out, plus the oils will help heal the skin also. If you can, lay off shaving for as long as you can to let your skin heal some. Combating this internally will help also - by taking Omega oils. Also make sure you drink plenty of water.

You might want to look into a microderambrasion product, but go lightly and 1x a week at first. Then find a good moisturizer to use afterwards that's not chock full of chemical/synthetics! Emu oil, Macadamia oil, Squalene are pretty good for starters.

Keep us posted and welcome aboard!

Hey Kevin, it is hard to tell by the pictures, but your face does still look like acne/oily skin are a factor.

Cleansing your face is important – water in the shower isn’t enough. You need to use a light cleansing lotion to thoroughly clean oily and clogged skin, while balancing your skin’s natural P.H. creating less oil production by the sebaceous glands.

I recommend using all natural and organic skin care products, in your case one with lemon oil to balance and decongest the cellular tissue. Lemon helps to minimize the skins production of oil while preserving the skins natural acid layer.

You can use a non-abrasive face scrub to exfoliate the dead skin, but only if your acne is not severe and inflamed as this can spread infection into other pores.

You can also use a botanical astringent to help balance P.H. and deep clean the skin. Key ingredients to look for are Tea Tree Oil – effective natural antiseptic that dries out pimples, spots and acne. Blue German Chamomile is a great essential oil that gently calms over active sebaceous glands and lessens acne breakouts and calms the skin. Geranium minimizes the production of oil in the sebaceous glands, strengthening the connective tissue of the skin, reducing acne and inflammations.

You also want to use a light facial moisturizer that is suitable for oily and acne skin that won’t clog the pores. Look for products containing Squalane which will hydrate gently and effectively; Lemon oil which balances the P.H. level of the skin on a cellular level and reduces the production of oil.

I hope this info helps… Mike

Forgot to mention a couple of other good ingredients to look for. Calendula is a good medicinal healer especially for healing scar tissue and marks. Beta-Carotene is a powerful anti-oxidant that repairs and heals skin on a cellular level.

Hi Kevin -

My husband has similar problems, though in his case it is seasonal... But I have a couple things which will hopefully benefit you.

First, you're right - your constant scrubbing with a BHA probably sent yor skin out of balance and it has never snapped back.

The previous post suggested a VERY gentle cleanser - I agree. Find the most gentle cleanser you can. That means irritant free - look for things that do not have fragrances, soap, detergents, even color, if possible.

After cleanser - it seems like your skin is hypersensitive to moisturizers, which makes a dry skin problem very diffifcult! Instead, try using a nice toner, that has a good water binding agent in it. This will provide some moisture, without clgging your pores. BUT - this may not be enough if you are over dry. Look for VERY VERY lightweight moisturizers - try them out. Everybody's skin is different - you may have to try a few things before you find one that provides moisture, but does not make you break out.

Running is GREAT. It will help push toxins out of your body and help keep you healthy. When my husband was training for his marathon, he started breaking out - probably because you get hormonal shifts when you begin a physical regimen. Stay with it and it will normalize.

Hope some of this helps!
M

Hi Kevin -

Joey of New York has a few products that I like. (There are a couple that I don't - they can be overpriced for what you get, but that is another post.)

Take a look at Joey New York Pure Pores 1-Step Toner & Moisturizer. You should be able to find this for around $25-30. (I know you're on budget, sorry!)

There is another one that I like - Kinerase Hydrating Antioxidant Mist - it goes for around 30 bucks. This one uses hyaluronic acid...an ingredient that I like very much in this circumstance. It is a very good h2o binder and will moisturize nicely, w/o buildup. I don't think something like this will contribute to breakouts.

Kevin - I don't feel like I have done you any favors! These are both relatively expensive options. Urrrggghhh.

But these are both products that I have used on clients with great success (they liked the results). If this does not fit your budget, my recommendation for you would be to look online for an alcohol free toner that is designed to moisturize (hyaluronic acid is a good choice, but may be $$$). See what's out there and give it a whirl - you may have to do some trial and error. Note: if you look for toner for "oily skin" you are likely to get something that will further strip your skin exacerbating the problem - be careful!

Good luck,

M