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Thread: Skin care questions

  1. #1
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    Default Skin care questions

    After doing a lot of searches I'm still confused about whether certain things would work for my skin type/problems. I'm not asking for a personalized skin care regime because I know that's a lot to ask for, but if anyone could point me in the right direction I'd be so grateful. Good derms here are insanely expensive so I don't want to go until I start seeing intolerable problems.

    I'm 27 with very fair, thin, freckled, and translucent when not flushed skin (I may have mild rosacea but it's nothing crazy). It's oily but sensitive. I don't see many signs of aging yet except for some dullness, a small furrow line between my brows, and the beginning of crows feet if I look in the mirror hard enough. I'm a light but addicted smoker (3-4 a day), and as much as I hate to admit it, a pretty heavy drinker. I tanned a lot for about a year when I was 20, but since then I've had zero UV damage because I'm literally nocturnal. I want to dance as long as my appearance lets me so I'm starting to feel nervous about what might happen in even a couple years!

    Of course the best thing I can do is quit smoking and drinking, but while I work on that I feel like I should be doing something different. Right now literally all I do is wash with Purpose or Cetaphil, put on Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer and makeup if I'm going to work, or absolutely nothing if I'm not. At night I take off my makeup with wipes. Sometimes I use a Clarisonic but usually I forget. That's it.

    A lot of people rave about peels, Retin-A, and laser treatments, but are these okay for my skin type? Is a little Botox for the furrow line crazy at this point? Do anti aging skin care lines actually work, and if they do, which ones are the best for my skin type?

    I hate to write such a self indulgent post, but I can't think of a better community to ask these questions.

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    God/dess miss.a.p1600's Avatar
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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    Well it sounds like you already have what you need.

    Why aren't you using your Clarisonic??? That should help you cleanse and exfoliate right? I personally like Proactiv but when I didn't have it the next best thing that kept my skin clear was Cetaphil.
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  4. #3
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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    So it sounds like enough? I read about everything women in appearance based industries do for skin care and I feel like my minimalist routine won't do anything to prevent aging. Hope I'm wrong though.

    As far as the Clarisonic goes.. I'm really bad at keeping habits. I'll use it until it loses the charge, then forget to put it on the charger, etc.

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    I got the tip from on here actually, jojoba oil is the way to go for a lot of people- as a moisturizer, makeup remover and face wash. It is non-comodogenic so it will not clog pores.

    For wash:

    Wet face, apply oil, massage into skin with towel, rinse with hot water.

    I do not use face wash anymore and my skin is brighter, smoother, forehead spots have disappeared and I don't even get chin acne anymore (which I thought was hormonal)

    I would do one appointment with a derm, to see if you do in fact have rosacea and to get some pro insight as to what exactly your problems stem from.

    As for the aging, I've heard good things about Fraxel and other laser treatments. Botox, IMO, is something that should not come until much later than 27. (I haven't reached botox age so no personal experience here- this is just what I've found thru research)

    I think peels are a great idea for all ages. You can even do them at home (Google will help you find the best treatment for your skin) However, if you do in fact have rosacea then it may do more harm than good. I'm not sure, and a derm will have to decide.

    Scrubs can make the skin look smoother for the short-term and are a good thing to do 1-2 times weekly.

    Organic honey is also good for tightening and brightening.

    In response to your second post, no, I don't think a minimalist approach is good to prevent aging, especially with those of us who smoke/have other 'bad skin habits'
    Last edited by KikiGem; 11-18-2014 at 07:32 PM. Reason: read second post
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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    Well for 1, check out the site Will just posted about in this section..they've some interesting prods. really reasonably priced! As far as clarosonic, there's a newer prod. (idk what it's called) you don't have to replace anything on it.


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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    i would really concentrate on quitting smoking as well as drinking if you are concerned about your skin because its going to be defeating the purpose to invest in skin care when you still do those . work on your skin from the inside out , i would say that's the biggest thing. diet, sleep, lots of water, and cutting out the smoking, drinking, processed sugar ( it actually destroys collagen), and stress. now that i've said that i can get off my soap box haha
    i would really start with Retin A if you are concerned with aging. as for everything else, you just need a good cleanser ( cerave face wash for dry skin is AMAZING. it has ceramics and hyaluronic acid that helps attract moisture to your skin throughout the day. pricey but the best ever. ) a good moisturizer and sunscreen when you get up everyday. then at night you can do the Retin A .and be sure you do it RIGHT before you to go bed as lights of any will affect it.
    i would also check out peels. exfoliation with Retin A and glycolic peels actually gets down to the dermis to prevent wrinkles

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    Smoking and drinking takes a toll on your skin, not judging..I'm a smoker myself. Bad enough to smoke, but when I was a heavier drinker, my skin was always all puffy. Lots of water as some have said. I personally swear by coconut oil. I use it as cleanser, moisturizer, under eye cream, and eat a spoonful daily. I have odd skin, I'm half Scottish, and half Mexican, so I've inherited the oiliness associated with Mexican skin (at least in my family), but the sensitivity commonly seen in Irish, Scottish, or very pale skinned people. I have a hard time with cleansers, as most are too harsh for my skin, so the coconut oil works perfectly. Idk I'm big into natural, or "home remedy" style beauty regiments. Twice a week I do a scrub of 3tbsp coconut, 1 tbsp each : coffee grounds ( yes I know sounds crazy), brown sugar, and honey. My skin stays bright, and clear, and the natural humectants in the honey help seal in moisture. Try searching Pinterest for some good ones, if you'd like to lean more towards the natural. One word of caution, if you have sensitive skin, always test whatever you plan to use on your hand or inner arm, to check for a reaction. Made this big mistake with Avocado mask..apparently I'm allergic. Beet red and tons of Benadryl later, I learned my lesson. The Rosacea, definitely have checked by a derm. There are several skin conditions that can mimic Rosacea, so it's worth the appt. to see whats going on.

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    Dont do the botox yet, it will cause your muscles to atrophy and skin to sag in the very long term of course at first it will look great. But since u have rosacea you cannot do much to your skin, gel masks are good and possibly a pumpkin peel but rosacea can be helped if treated early on, it will become a permanent and worse problem as you age if you do nothing about it tho so Id suggest getting treated for it now. Also, toning after removing make up is really great and clarisonic is great too, just gently cause of your rosacea. Also, a great moisturizer is very important to prevent aging. There are all sorts of other things you can do like derma blade, microdermabrasion with a peel after, derma rolling, red-light therapy, etc but the rosacea may only get worse with these so I couldn't tell u to do it or nt since Ive nt seen your skin. I love peter thomas roth camu camu for a moisturizer, theres like 40 times the vit c as an orange has in it and it brightens your skin, it just feels great. I order from sephora to get the free samples they send w it. Oh and you wanna make sure you have uv protection on your skin whenever u go outside even for a minute cause that will age u

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    i have fair skin and mild rosacea as well, and peels, laser treatments, and very light use of retin a has almost gotten rid of the rosacea in addition to getting rid of all dullness. i also do botox occasionally but only when i get filler or something else as well because most drs wont inject just 3-7units of botox by itself because its not worth the time of the appt.

    microdermabrasion is a waste and is the only thing that makes my rosacea come back. cetaphil feels gentle but is actually not good for your skin. its cheap and full of junk.

    vit c and retin a are the best things you can do if you dont want real treaments yet. even if you do want treatments, you need to do those two. i believe they are the only two topical treatments that create natural collagen production.

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    For oilness, I like to use those little blotting papers, w/light powder on them.
    I hope you're using an spf. I love the Sun Bum brand, spf 70..it's non oily but moisturizing, has vitamin e & is non clogging, hypoallergenic.
    Also endorsed by Skin Cancer foundation.
    There's a product I can't think of for roseaca. I'll have to go look it up & post it here.


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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    You might be a good candidate for Wellbutrin - it's an NDRI (not an SSRI) that is often prescribed for smoking cessation. Wellbutrin is the anti-depressant known for smoking cessation, increased sex drive, and decreased appetite. I've read that people have luck cutting back on drinking when they're taking the medication, too, as I don't think the two play well together.

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    Definitely echoing others here when it comes to quitting drinking and smoking. Use your Clarsonic once a night or if your skin is too sensitive, 3x a week. Moisturizing is incredibly important, especially for aging skin, and if your skin can tolerate it jojoba oil is a great bet. Also there is a milder version of a topical similar to Retin A called Stievamycin. You apply a thin layer of the gel to your skin every night and it can be used indefinitely for many, many years...The tretinoin in it is a skin exfoliant (same ingredient in Retin A, but from what I'm aware of you can't get Retin A in varying strengths and formulas. There IS Retin A micro if you would prefer that though, which is significantly less irritating than the original version.)

    Drink lots of water, more than 8 cups a day even. Take iron supplements, or a multi-supplement. Make sure your diet is healthy, but healthy for *you* -- that means you need to experiment with foods that work well with your body...try cutting out dairy, bread, or caffeine or other irritating foods for a bit to see. Lots of veggies, good fats are important (avocado, nuts esp walnut for skin), blueberries and other berries for antiaging properties, and high protein.

    good luck xxx

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    Little late to this party, but only removing makeup with wipes isn't enough to cut it in the long term. Like someone mentioned above, I prefer using an oil to remove my makeup (I use mineral oil), then washing with my preferred face wash. I use CeraVe, and it's great for rosacea, as many of the line's products have niacinamide, which helps to reduce redness. If you don't want to use your Clarisonic regularly, use a daily chemical exfoliant (I like Stridex wipes). After that dries, if you can force yourself into the routine, moisturize. Vaseline on top will lock in that moisturizer. When I don't do the moisturizer + vaseline for a long period of time, I see the difference in my skin. I know you said you have oily skin, but I do too, and moisturizing regularly cut down on my skin's oil production dramatically.

    Re: tretinoin/retin a, I think it's worth it, but you can get a less intense, similar product OTC to try it out. Vitamin C serum would also be great for you for anti-aging and maybe refining any premature aging you might see from smoking/tanning/drinking.

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    I have to second the change of diet! My skin was so utterly horrible and disgusting over the summer and I tried EVERY product under the sun to get rid of my chin acne, I was getting facials every 3 weeks and the woman I was seeing said it was hormonal since I was following her skincare instructions to the T. But after two months of eating super healthy, balanced meals, cutting out all the sugar and the salt and grease, ALL my breakouts have stopped.

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    Does anyone have any tips for breakouts on chest/shoulders/back?

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    Default Re: Skin care questions

    I recommend collagen induction therapy (CIT), with a pen, not the roller http://www.affiliatedderm.com/TheSki...onTherapy.aspx here's a link that describes the procedure more (sorry, its an ad, but it does give some info). I'm 40 and was a heavy smoker/drinker for years and it's done wonders for my skin, its also supposed to be good for acne scarring and the downtime is pretty minimal, no make-up for 24-48 hours, and it costs about $180 in my area for a treatment.

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