[mrsspun]

Help! I'm 32 with skin of a 15 yr old & a 45 yr old!

Acne & fine lines! I wish I could just look my age!

Looking for recommendations for face wash, moisturizer, sunscreen & even make up(I don't like to wear foundation, only like to wear a powder & a little blush for colour on my face).

Some history on me first. I had mild acne on my face as a teen(and blackheads on my nose - still have those) and have had the odd pimple or breakout throughout the years since. It wasn't that bad though, nothing that a little clean & clear wouldn't clear up when needed. The products I used for years were St. Ives Facial Wash(green pump bottle), St. Ives Apricot Scrub(for blemishes), Neutrogena Oil Free Face Lotion with SPF 15, and Neutrogena Skin Clearing Oil Free Pressed Powder & Neutrogena Blush. These seemed to work fine for me. Until Sept/07 when I started breaking out more frequently. No changes in diet, exercise or stress level that would have brought it on. I started getting these boil like pimples on my neck, chin, chest & even back(I'd never had body acne before this). I tried multiple products to clear it up with little success. Saw my dr. & she prescribed an anti-biotic and after about 3 months it did finally work. I stopped taking it though as it was not good to take if you were going to be exposed to the sun and summer was coming. I stayed fairly clear until July/08 which I attributed my flare ups to stress & change of atmosphere. I had live in Ontario, Canada my whole life and had to move to Salt Lake City, Utah for my husband's job in June/08. The climate here is very dry & the water is very hard. So I figured my skin was just reacting and had hoped it would adjust in time. I now have what seems like hundreds of little pimples all over my foreheard and a few bigger ones on my cheeks, chin, neck. Well it's been 9 months and I've tried many products since and have seen no improvement. I'm still using Neutrogena make up but am thinking I need to try a different brand just not sure which.

The acne clearing products I've tried since breaking out again(the last 9 months) are:

Neutrogena Skin ID - saw no improvement at all
Neutrogena Acne Free - saw no improvement at all - very drying
Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control - felt cool & refreshing on skin, not drying at all but no improvement.
IQ Derma - I actually saw some improvement with this one but it was very expensive.
Aveeno Clear Complexion, actually broke out more & the products had a very strong scent to them.
I then went back to using my St. Ives scrub for awhile and within a few weeks the irritated skin was back.
So I broke down and ordered Proactive which I've currently been using for about a week. I've seen no improvement at all so far and my skin is VERY dry now and for some reason it seems to be making my fine lines very visible.

So now I have multiple little pimples, blackheads, a few bigger pimples and visible fine lines all over my face! I'm at a loss as to what to try next. I know I will need to have something that has a SPF in it & a good moisturizer(that won't clog pores) since we are now living in Utah. Summer's here are very hot & dry. I can't avoid the sun & heat even if I try!

Any suggestions?? Recommendations?? I can't afford to go for facials or expensive treatments.

I should also note that I do drink as much water as I can, I don't drink soda, my diet is fairly healthy and I do exercise at least 3 times a week. I take a multi-vitamin daily.

Is it so wrong to wish for clear even toned wrinkle free skin?!?!

Thanks in advance to any help/info/advice anyone can provide!

 

[fawnie]

Hi mrsspun and welcome!!

When you say "pimples and wrinkles", I automatically think "Retin-A". Retin-A Micro is very well tolerated and doesn't give you the redness and peeling that some other forms can. It can be had more reasonably online, unless you have an Rx plan that covers it.

I think St Ives Apricot Scrub is about the roughest scrub you can use on your face - save it for scrubbing the sink! Ouch! There are many better products out there!

Here is a link that some of us find helpful for sound skincare advice:

Skin Care Basics

Hope it helps you and please let us know how you are doing!!!

 

[IluvNY]

I think you will find a lot of the girls are like this on the forum, clinique etc do nice exfoliante creams, i noticed too that la roche and aveda now are doing what looks like water based exfoliantes dont know how good these are though! Use something nice and gentle skin to! You could always find out too about some facial excerises, massage to help with wrinkles, fine lines, collegan and msm vitamins are good to take too! Try not to stress though this wont help with those wrinkles!

 

[Nastasha]

I have been using Proactive for about four weeks know. The product instructions recomends using it once a day when you first start using it then use twice a day. I found it to be very drying when I first started using it so I decided to use it once every other day. When not using the product I continue to use my normal products. Also after I apply the proactive repairing lotion I wait a few minutes for it to soak in and then I apply my usual moisturizer. I live in New Mexico so I know how you feel about the dry climate thing and skin...it's killing me!! I am happy to say that my skin seems to be clearing (knock on wood)! I have not had any fresh acne bumps appear in a few days so that is great. Lets see if I make it through my period with out a break out and I will scream for joy!

So I too would like to add some questions because it seems like the original poster and I have some of the same skin care worries.

Question #1: So if the proactive does not continue to work I was considering using Retin-A, is it true that it makes the skin thin and you can rip your skin if you use wax on your face to remove hair?

Question #2: If I continue to Proactive what can I use with it to help fade the acne scars. I know Retin-A can do wonders for acne, fading spots, and wrinkles, but if it tue that it rips the skin then I'm not sure I want to use it.

Thanks Everyone

 

[fawnie]

HI Natasha,
Hope we can help you here make some good choices for yourself! Retin-A is a wonderful thing for acne, sun damage and a lot of other skin conditions! It has been around for 30 years.

It's a common misconception that it "thins" the skin. Actually it only thins the stratum corneum, the outer horny layer, which is the layer you WANT to thin to get the dead devitalized cells off. It THICKENS the under layer, the layer where the wrinkles live, which plumps up the skin. It increases cell turnover so that the debris like blackheads, whiteheads, pimples is pushed up and out. Here is some good info that explains it better than I

can!:Retin-A

I use Retin-A Micro, which is very well tolerated and doesn't irritate the skin like some forms can. I think that might be what you mean by "tearing" the skin - it can get irritated if it is applied in too high a strength too soon. Better to start out with a lower strength (like 0.04% Retin-A Micro) and work up slowly to the full 0.1% of the regular Retin-A, than to burn out and give up by starting out at that strength. Your skin will be more prone to irritation at first, so you have to treat it like baby's skin with gentle cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreen!

Hope this might help you in some way!

 

[krista82]

I have the same type of skin. I also have backne

I have been taking the acne pills from Arbonne and it seems to be working. I have also been using their FC5 cleanser and toner for oily skin and it doesn't dry out my skin or make me shiny. I was previouslly using Avon's equivilent to Proactive and my face was soooo dry. I haven't even needed to use moisturiser since I've been using Arbonne's line. I've only been using it about a month but I love it. For fine lines they have a transforming lift, which they call botox in a bottle. I haven't tried that yet but I'm planning on getting a sample.

 

[2blue]

Retin A is well worth a try and many have good results with this. Though it takes many months before anything visible happens to wrinkles and scars, probably more like 6 months and gradually improving.

I have stopped using all the scrubs, as very few of them did anything for my clogged pores or acne; and yes many of them gave me red and irritated skin too.

The single thing that has helped my acne most is weekly salicylic / lactic peels. This is really worth giving a try too. In three weeks all my acne and black heads was gone (first time ever, though I have had good periods in summer not using anyting particular). I have to keep it up with weekly peels for results to last. The blend of salicylic/lactic acid isn't as drying as the single salicylic acid. If your skin is very dry a single lactic or glycolic peel might be better. Skin will be a bit red for an hour or so after, just like a bit too much sun (not really sunburned). Skin quickly calms and is soft and comfortable. This has been much more effective for me than the benzoyl peroxied that is in pro-acne.

For boil like acne especially it can help to take a diet supplemet of natural anti oxidants, the kind that is extraced from plant and vegetables. In some test this reduced brake-outs significantly, both in size and healing period. There are several out there on the marked. It often helps to stop eating canned meats, fish and overly processed foods too.

Good luck with your skin care

 

[Nastasha]

Thank you everyone for the info!! This helps a lot. Besides going the Retin-A route I was also considering all natural treatments such as oil of oregeno and tea tree oil. Could I use the oils to spot treat the bumps and then complete the peels weekly to treat my entire face?



Thanks again!!

 

[mrsspun]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I've quit using Proactiv, mailing it back to them today. It was just drying out & irritating my skin too much.

I decided to try Freddy's suggestion(in another post I read on here) for Biore cooling wash & scrub and so far I'm liking it.

I also bought Revitalift with spf 15 and my skin is feeling so more hydrated already. Will it help with the fine lines?!? Not sure, guess I've got to give it a few weeks.

As for makeup I'm still not sure what to use. I bought Loreal Bare Naturals gentle mineral make up with spf 19. It covers ok but leaves a little too much shine. I used to use Clinique's stay matte oil free pressed powder years ago and really liked it, not even sure why I stopped using it. So if the Loreal starts making my skin break out more I guess maybe I'll try Clinique again.

I see so many people talking about Vitamin C serum for fine lines, do you have to buy it online? Is it available in any of the store products like Olay or Loreal?
Also with the Retin A Micro, can that be found in any store brand products?

 

[fawnie]

mrs,
you can easily make your own Vit C serum by adding L-ascorbic acid to distilled water. Here is the recipe:

The easiest RECIPE for the VITAMIN C SERUM is:

- 1 teaspoon (or 5ml) L-ascorbic acid crystals. (This is vitamin C.)
- 30 ml distilled water - not tap water!

In a dark brown or blue glass bottle with a dropper shake these ingredients till the crystals dissolve.

Keep refrig and dark. Check the pH to be sure it is below 3.5. If the pH is any higher it will not be absorbed by the skin. Check also that the color doesn't change to a yellow shade. This means it is oxidized (old) and will be harmful.

You can use as much of this as you want to on your face, neck, chest, hands, anywhere!
Make sure you use it on dry skin 20 minutes after cleansing.
Use it in the a.m. before you use any other products.

Retin-A Micro is Rx only. It is much more effective than OTC retinol products and is well-tolerated. BUt more expensive.

 

[Mari]

The single thing that has helped my acne most is weekly salicylic / lactic peels. .

Hi 2blue -- could you let me know the name of the peel you're using. Thanks.

 

[caribcutie]

I agree with 2blue. I'm currently doing 2 lactic acid peels per week. I also don't use soap on my face. I use baking soda and water (make a paste) and exfoliate my skin. I leave it on for about 5 mins, then rinse it off. I want to try the salicylic acid peels as well. My acne has cleared up completely. I also think it's because I'm eating much healthier, drinking a ton of water daily and exercising.

 

[caribcutie]

Oh, and I'm also using the Retin A 0.01% nightly.

 

[mireckca]

Oh, and I'm also using the Retin A 0.01% nightly.

Hi CC - I think on another thread you mentioned that you ordered your meds from India. I am familiar with that provider too but have not ordered from them yet. May I ask - what form of payment did you use? I am in Canada, and they told me that they did not take Canadian credit cards, so I ended up ordering my Retin-A from Mexico. Also, was there any difficulty getting the package over the border? Again, I was concerned about that and I had no problem ordering from Mexico.

 

[caribcutie]

Hi Mireckca,

After I ordered the Retin A and used my credit card. I recieved an email the following day stating that they would like me to mail them a personal check or money order. I told them that this would be an inconvenience to me, so I was no longer interested. They responded that it would take 30-40 days for them to process the payment on my credit card.

To make a long story short, I received my order about 1 week after I ordered online. I ordered the Retin A gel.

I heard about the Mexican company, but I read blogs where peoples credit card info was stolen, so I didn't want to risk it. I think the problem may be solved now though

 

[mireckca]

Hi Mireckca,

After I ordered the Retin A and used my credit card. I recieved an email the following day stating that they would like me to mail them a personal check or money order. I told them that this would be an inconvenience to me, so I was no longer interested. They responded that it would take 30-40 days for them to process the payment on my credit card.

To make a long story short, I received my order about 1 week after I ordered online. I ordered the Retin A gel.

I heard about the Mexican company, but I read blogs where peoples credit card info was stolen, so I didn't want to risk it. I think the problem may be solved now though

CC - thanks. Maybe I'll try the Indian company next time. I do not know why they have to single out Canada of all places! Anyway, I ordered a large supply from Mexico (to make the shipping costs more reasonable) and so am supplied for quite a long time. Take care.

 

[fawnie]

Hi Mireckca,

After I ordered the Retin A and used my credit card. I recieved an email the following day stating that they would like me to mail them a personal check or money order. I told them that this would be an inconvenience to me, so I was no longer interested. They responded that it would take 30-40 days for them to process the payment on my credit card.

To make a long story short, I received my order about 1 week after I ordered online. I ordered the Retin A gel.

I heard about the Mexican company, but I read blogs where peoples credit card info was stolen, so I didn't want to risk it. I think the problem may be solved now though

Hi Caribcutie,

Wow that's not a good experience at all! Was that from ADC or was it IHP?
I ordered recently from ADC and got my order within 2 weeks and they took my USA CC without a hassle.

I too heard something negative about the Mexican company, but it was another company masquerading as Medsmex and the problem has apparently been resolved. Many ppl have ordered from Medsmex since without problems.

You are right to be careful online!!!

 

[Tamstar]

Hi Ladies

Our skin is a direct link to our internal bodies. Whatever is happening on the inside manifest externally (pimples, acne, melasma, cold sores-you name it). Yes there are creams, facials, peels, IPL's, moisturizers etc that help the skin topically and temporarily, but if you do not change/help/heal and get to the root of the problem internally - it will persist!
To find a real and lasting solution, you have to go inside, dig deep, do lots of research on the net, write down your own history (food, habits, lifestyle) and be willing to take responsibility for your body, instead of giving it to some doctor who doesn't know anything about you personally - and change your old habits (because clearly they're not working). Only then will you find the balance that your body is so lacking internally-and by the way, that's exactly what our bodies are telling us - I am not balanced therefore I am not healthy!
The problem many of us have these days is that we want a quick fix, but unfortunately they are just that "quickies" with no real solution to the core of our problems.
Good luck

 

[2blue]

Hi 2blue -- could you let me know the name of the peel you're using. Thanks.

Sorry, I must have over-loocked your post some how. I don't stick to one brand religiously, and right now I'm using something I found on ebay.uk (just write "20% salicylic peel" in the search line and several products will turn up. I buy a few products from a seller called "forever young"). I don't really notice that much of a difference between the brands. I have used pure lactic peels too, but I think salicylic is the one that really cleans my pores.