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Thread: I hate my skin

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    Veteran Member azaleanola's Avatar
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    Question I hate my skin

    I just spent 15 minutes trying to extract blackheads from my chin, again, and I have a cluster of pimples on my cheek, again. I know I need to change something, but I don't know what to try. Perhaps one of my lovely co-SW'ers will have an idea?

    What I currently do:

    I pretty much only wear makeup when I work. I remove it with coconut oil and warm water. I don't often use soap on my face, but I do use a Dollar General-brand apricot scrub a couple of times a week. I use witch hazel as a toner/astringent, applied with an "exfoliating cotton round." I use Cetaphil moisturizing cream. I don't use sunscreen. Sometimes I put a Clearasil knockoff on pimples before I go to bed.

    I'm 30, a vegan who usually eats well but drinks too much, and live in a hot and humid climate.

    Any suggestions?

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    God/dess simone87's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    apricot scrub tears your skin to bits..the little granules have very sharp edges. its creating little tears in your skin that get infected. coconut oil is also highly comedogenic, some people are very sensitive to it.
    i absolutely love cerave face wash for dry/sensitive skin. also, prescription retin A worked wonders for me 3 times a week ( the cream is less irritating, but you HAVE to wear sunscreen during the day).tea tree oil is good for clearing up existing pimples. definitely continue with a moisturizer as well, you don't wanna dry your skin out so bad it over produces oil. be super gentle with your skin, if you do too much to it, it will just get even more angry.
    i would definitely try and cut back on the drinking, its so bad for your skin.what you eat/drink makes a huge impact on your skin. its the largest organ of your body, and it really shows when something isn't right. smoking and drinking gave me huge cysts, it sucked. when i stopped, the cysts disappeared. you could also have a hormonal imbalance with the break outs around the jaw/chin area, it could also be stress related.

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    Banned Aniela's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Def cut down on the drinking, or cut it out entirely, & start replacing the alcohol w/ water.

    Also I use hydrogen peroxide. YMMV, I have had a couple girls chew me out for suggesting it since it supposedly dries your skin out like mad, but after mine adjusts to it then it works pretty well w/o too much of an over-drying problem.

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    Veteran Member azaleanola's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    ^Unfortunately, quitting drinking again would mean going back on Xanax, the only clinic I can afford to go to isn't allowed to prescribe anything addictive, and I don't have the hookups I used to (well, I do, but I don't want to use them). I know self-medicating with booze is bad in so many ways, but at the moment it feels like my best option.

    Simone, do you think all scrub-type cleansers are damaging, or cheap apricot ones in particular? I like the feeling of using a scrub, but I'll stop for a while and see if anything gets better.

    Thanks for giving me a starting point!

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    Senior Member PinkGeisha's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    I use to look like this with SUPER BAD breakouts (please note that I've done some photo editing to make my pimples in this photo look less obvious, this is one of my Cammodel Persona Twitter pics).

    untitled pimples.png

    I went to this "pimple lady", and her technique basically works like this:
    1) GENTLY squeeze the shit outta your pimples, make sure you get all the gunk out.
    2) She always used this brand on me: http://visualchangesproducts.com/acne_products.htm

    She would wash my face with the Skin Clearing Cleanser, pop the fucking shit outta all my pimples (SO. MUCH. PAIN!!!!!), and slather masques on my face till they dried before toning and then moisturizing my face. And tell me to sleep every night with a nice THICK layer of the Purifying and Calming Masque over my face, especially in problem areas (for me, forehead), to "bring the pimples in your face up to the surface so you can pop em". I don't know WTF she did, but it has helped my face a LOT. Good luck, babes. <3




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    Senior Member PinkGeisha's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Oh! Also, makeup wise, she said ONLY Almay, CLEAR COMPLEXION line. NOTHING ELSE!




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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    no cetaphil. people have been told its great forever, but.....truly......nope!
    i second the suggestion to not use an apricot style exfolient. In general, seek out not irritant exfloliants. Many brands have crushed walnut shells or other jagged kinds of ingredients. it's essentially tearing up your skin with micro-cuts. if you do use a scrub, find one will round (dissolvable) beads (the beads in many products are now polluting the oceans! crazy!) Fruit based acids are great because you kinda just put em on like a mask and they do their thing.
    I also second the suggestion for Retin A. AND sunscreen, but oil free when possible.
    Simone knows all! CeraVe was my next suggestion for a cleanser!
    And yes, coconut oil can be counterproductive sometimes. Jojoba oil is most similar to our skins' natural oils so that may be a better alternative.
    And if it's a possibility, get a Clarisonic. Huge amazing difference....
    mellymay.com

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    Senior Member PinkGeisha's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Coconut oil clogs pores, which will cause more breakouts. (Pimple lady's words, NOT mine) She told me to use Almay makeup remover, so I use that now. Also, shampoo and conditioner wise, Panteen ONLY. No other brands. Hopefully, this helps you out. <3




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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    I had really acne prone skin and I used the book The Clear Skin Prescription by Nicholas Perricone. I think there are even free PDF versions online to download. Because you are a Vegetarian you might have to omit some of the food he says to eat (lots of salmon) but cutting out the stuff he says not to eat and adding in the stuff he does recommend that are within your limits should help.
    It made a huge difference for me and I've never even followed his diet exactly.

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Based on the areas where you're skin gets pimples, it sounds like hormonal acne. Can you make an appointment with a dermatologist ? I know the medicine Spironolactone can work wonders for that !

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    Veteran Member PinkiePie's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Agree with what the others are saying about coconut oil. It's not good for your face. When I was doing the oil cleanse method I used olive or rapeseed oil as my main oil, with a little castor oil in it.
    Castor oil is good for acne, that's why I started using it.

    I also cannot talk enough about how amazing sudocrem is for spots! I don't know if it's just an English thing or if you can buy it everywhere, but it's basically a thick white nappy rash (diaper rash) cream, and it works wonders on acne. (And on shaving rash too)

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    1st of all: Pink G, you are CUTE!
    Pretty much what everyone says: I agree about the coconut, tea tree, & scrubs..I would def. go to a dermatologist. There's a magazine called New Beauty, it's out like every couple months but has great recommendations for skin products/doctors
    Myself w/blackheads I was using Dr Brandt's vaccuum product for blackheads. I have/had them mostly on my nose.
    Good luck!


    MANY MEN WANTED TO LAY ME DOWN, BUT FEW WANTED TO LIFT ME UP

    -Eartha Kitt

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    Member landbeforetime8's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Water,water,water I can't stress that enough;the human body is mostly made up of water so when you drink alcohol you have to drink twice as much water to replenish the body.Here's a quick example if your not drinking enough water your pee will be super yellow and have a strong smell but if you start drinking alot if water your pee will come out clear and wouldn't smell like anything.

    That's because the yellow means your body has alot of impurities that it's trying to get rid of like alcohol so you could start drinking twice as much water after drinking alcohol or just not drink liquor at all.

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    If you are interested in learning about skincare, this site is extremely informative, helpful, and accessible: www.reddit.com/r/skincareaddiction

    Agreed on:
    No coconut oil
    Apricot scrub = death for your face. Don't use any sort of "scrub." A gentle cleanser is the absolute best option for you, and you can add chemical exfoliation to keep your skin fresh. The CeraVe wash really has been the single most influential change I've made in my skincare routine, I think. The one for normal to oily skin is what I use, but they have one for normal to dry as well.

    The blackheads on your chin might be sebaceous filaments. If so, it's pointless to squeeze them, as they're normal and will just refill within a few hours. You can lessen their appearances by moisturizing daily, using the oil cleansing method, and/or using a mud mask weekly. Oil cleansing sounds a little hippie/senseless, but I am a card-carry skeptic, and oil cleansing has really helped my skin. At night, I use mineral oil, squeeze a bit into my hands, and gently massage it into my skin (already removed makeup with mineral oil and a cotton ball at this point) for about a minute. You might have to experiment to determine which oil is best for you.

    If you are interested in chemical exfoliation, vitamin c serums, stridex wipes in the red box, and retin a (tretinoin cream) are the best options, IMO. And sunblock is an absolute must! So much aging is attributed to sun exposure. Furthermore, sun exposure worsens facial scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

    And I think someone else mentioned it, but for spot treatment with acne, I would recommend tea tree oil or neem oil.

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Oh, and two general PSAs about skincare:

    LADIES, please, please, please wash you makeup brushes regularly! I wash mine with dish soap once a week, and I spray them with an alcohol-based cleaner between uses.

    And remove all of your makeup at night! Just washing your face doesn't always do it, especially with all the makeup some of us wear. I recommend removing makeup with an oil-based product (I use mineral oil on a cotton ball), then using a gentle cleanser. I think this is a great post on how to remove stubborn eye makeup, which is my number one bane after work: http://www.reddit.com/r/MakeupAddict...eup_including/

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    I had bad skin until I went to acne.org and it helped my skin clear up completely. Stop using exfoliants!! Exfoliation is for people who don't break out really. It's definitely not for those who get breakouts easily. Be gentle with your skin, I use cetaphil and have for years.. I love it! Wash it with something simple like cetaphil morning and night, blot dry your face with a soft towel, try not to touch it, moisturize (I use Olay). I also have Mario Bedescu clay mask that has sulfur in it for existing pimples and it literally dries them out and clears my face up so quickly. I also have put heated up honey on pimples if I ever had a particularly bad breakout (and it helps with my dry skin). Use a clay mask weekly, a gentle cleanser daily, and Benzoyl Peroxide for pimples over night. You can get some of this stuff off the acne.org website.. I just use the 'treatment' benzoyl peroxide they sell and then my own lotion and face wash.

    Try all of that and you're skin should clear up. Oh and Aveda is the only makeup that NEVER makes me breakout!! Even if I fall asleep in it.

    Some people might say some of these things are bad but trust me that has all cleared my skin up. I barely ever get a pimple these days (except when I took too many supplements that made me breakout but that has nothing to do with what I put on my face).

    gentle cleanser + clay mask + benzoyl peroxide + face lotion w/spf + natural makeup = clear skin!

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    ^I agree with most of what you said, but exfoliation is a really important part of skincare. Many people break out because their skin does not naturally turn over at a normal rate. I'm one of them, and so is my boyfriend. I agree that you shouldn't use scrub washes, nor should you scrub your face with a cloth or anything, but gentle exfoliation can do wonder for breakouts and general complexion. Chemical exfoliation (retin a, stridex, peels) is more consistent than manual exfoliation (wash cloth, clarisonic), and it also can encourage collagen growth, which will keep your skin looking young and healthy. Some people just don't do well with chemical exfoliants though. I have normally very sensitive skin, and I do well with chemical exfoliants though, so you never know.

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Everything I was going to say has already been said. No popping! No face touching! Fragrance free everything. Chemical exfoliation over manual. Stay away from st Ives scrub. Sun screen. Drink water. No coconut oil!

    Here's a plan most should follow
    Precleanse (optional if you're wearing makeup or feel extra dirty/sweaty; mineral oil is best which is baby oil but it has fragrance. You can find fragrance free mineral oil in the cooking section used to oil cutting boards or online of course!)
    Cleanse( gentle fragrance free)
    Tone (optional)
    Exfoliate (bha in am/ aha in pm; bha clears pores, aha gets rid of bumps and brings moisture to skin)
    Serum (optional I use a hyaluronic acid for moisture)
    Moisturize ( fragrance free)
    Spf (am)
    Spot treat (pm optional you can use hydrocolloid dressings from walgreens,raw honey covered with band aide over night,neem and or hemp oil and or tea tree oil, mario badescu drying lotion...all of these are great options and will noticeably reduce spots over night. Find which works best for you!)

    Pro tips: wash pillow cases often. Don't use fabric softener (it has oils in it). Don't shower in super hot water( it irritates skin) don't let shampoo and conditioner run down your face in shower. Wash all you're hats and clean glasses regularly.
    Last edited by Twinkle Toes; 06-19-2014 at 06:39 PM.

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    God/dess simone87's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    oh, i forgot to mention red light therapy. its supposed to get rid of a whole bunch of skin afflictions including acne, my skin reacted very well to it. it felt super moisturized, and the pimples kind of dried up and sloughed off. if you're near a planet fitness you can get the red light room free with a membership, or they sell little hand held ones.
    oh and besides cleaning glasses, pillow cases, makeup brushes like other members suggested, get your phone too! holding my phone to my face for long periods of time really broke out my right cheek badly.

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Quote Originally Posted by 22lligm View Post
    I had bad skin until I went to acne.org and it helped my skin clear up completely. Stop using exfoliants!! Exfoliation is for people who don't break out really. It's definitely not for those who get breakouts easily. Be gentle with your skin, I use cetaphil and have for years.. I love it! Wash it with something simple like cetaphil morning and night, blot dry your face with a soft towel, try not to touch it, moisturize (I use Olay). I also have Mario Bedescu clay mask that has sulfur in it for existing pimples and it literally dries them out and clears my face up so quickly. I also have put heated up honey on pimples if I ever had a particularly bad breakout (and it helps with my dry skin). Use a clay mask weekly, a gentle cleanser daily, and Benzoyl Peroxide for pimples over night. You can get some of this stuff off the acne.org website.. I just use the 'treatment' benzoyl peroxide they sell and then my own lotion and face wash.

    Try all of that and you're skin should clear up. Oh and Aveda is the only makeup that NEVER makes me breakout!! Even if I fall asleep in it.

    Some people might say some of these things are bad but trust me that has all cleared my skin up. I barely ever get a pimple these days (except when I took too many supplements that made me breakout but that has nothing to do with what I put on my face).

    gentle cleanser + clay mask + benzoyl peroxide + face lotion w/spf + natural makeup = clear skin!
    Hey 22 it sounds like you have dehydrated skin. If your skin is dry and you are still experiencing breakouts it is dehydrated. You should step away from any clay masks or products .You need to incorporate an aha into your nighttime routine and maybe a hyaluronic acid serum or a moisturizer that has hyaluronic acid in it. You will see results in a matter of days! Your breakouts will stop and your dryness will go away.

    Paula's choice is an amazing affordable brand with no added fragrances. They also sell samples for like 25-50 cents I'd snag a couple and let me know if that works for you!

    Signs of dehydrated skin: very fine lines when you run your finger down the side of your face, dry flaky skin but producing oil still, breaking out with dry flaky skin.

    Edit: whoops just read the bottom where you said you're not experiencing breakouts anymore! Sorry I guess you don't need this. I'll leave it up in case it helps anyone else.
    Last edited by Twinkle Toes; 06-20-2014 at 06:10 AM.

  30. #21
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    A lot of the replies revolve around skin care routines, which is very important (Esp. with not using the scrubs, use gentle products, don't dry your skin out, etc) BUTTT

    If your breakouts are hormonal there is NOTHING a skin care routine will really do and you will most likely need to make a change from within (pills, diet)
    (I'd say almost definitely hormonal if you had cysts on your chin, but pimples on the cheek could still be hormones)

    If you think you may have hormonal breakouts you should really consider going on a birth control pill (Ortho Tri Cyclin or Yasmin). If you cannot go on the bc pill, spironolactone (another pill that blocks testosterone) can help. If you are ALREADY on a pill, increasing the estrogen dose can help with breakouts (if you're not already on a higher dose estrogen pill, which would be 0.3mg). If you smoke especially, the higher estrogen pills can increase your chance of getting a blood clot though. Estrogen can also cause some bloating, but I'd rather have that than breakouts.

    Besides the pills, diet (even a Vegan one) can have certain foods that screw up hormones. Carbs particularly can increase blood sugar and in response you will release more insulin which is a hormone and can screw you up. Fruits have a lot of sugar so be careful.

    Idk what else to say that hasn't been said.

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    All of that ^ is true too. Also if anyone is suffering from severe acne a derm can prescribe meds which can really help.

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    Veteran Member azaleanola's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Wow, so many suggestions full of so much information is just one day! Y'all are fucking awesome.

    I guess my first steps will be to switch my makeup remover from coconut oil back to cold cream, and to never use the St.Ives knockoff scrub again. I just threw it away. I have a sample-size tube of something called Vasanti BrightenUp enzymatic face rejuvenator, so I'll try that for a while.

    I don't use hormonal birth control anymore (I'm not in a committed monogamous relationship, so why deal with feeling like you have PMS all the time when you have to use condoms anyway?), but I have been taking a Maca root supplement that I suspect is messing with my hormone levels. Has anyone else had Maca worsen acne?

    Again, much love and thanks.

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    Veteran Member AlenaRoza's Avatar
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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    Aw, I love the apricot scrub I don't have acne but my sisters really struggle with it and they swear by the body shop tea tree line. It clears up their skin almost over night it seems. I don't use it because it kind of smells and feels like icy hot on my face.

    Clean and clear dual action moisturizer is the bomb!

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    Default Re: I hate my skin

    I have to run to work and don't have time to post much, but do NOT pick at your face. DO NOT PICK AT YOUR FACE. Leave your blackheads, whiteheads, and cysts alone. Acne is generally caused by imbalances in the body: it's your body's way of telling you that something is not right. Squeezing acne simply pushes bacteria further into your face, spreads bacteria elsewhere, and increases the likelihood of causing more acne in the area in which you picked.

    Treat your skin like a baby when it's upset!!

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