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[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I've lived in Southern CA most of my life, right in the middle of the city, and I've never had serious skin problems. I've also lived in a variety of other places with other climates, pollution levels, etc, and found my skin remained the same. It's not the location, it's an issue of habit. Good habits can be carried with you no matter where you live or travel.

As someone who takes excellent care of her skin and still has minor acne, I can say that there is nothing more irritating than someone with clear, non-problem skin telling a person with acne that they just need to wash their face/have better habits/use a different cleanser to fix their skin forever.

 

[mysterygal]

I tried all the acne medicines listed here, and still got acne. A nutritionist recommended a gluten-free diet, and after a month, my skin cleared up quite a lot.

I also take skin vitamins I buy at GNC.

interesting you mentioned this! I had the same problem until my best friend mentioned the fact that I may be gluten intolerant...tried it since I really had nothing to lose....it took literally 4 days for me to see a dramatic difference. It has been interesting though trying to figure out what I can eat! (I'm a major pasta and bread lover)...and also it's the whole going out to eat that sometimes leaves me with just having to order salad...but hey, it's definetely worth it!

 

[mysterygal]

I've lived in Southern CA most of my life, right in the middle of the city, and I've never had serious skin problems. I've also lived in a variety of other places with other climates, pollution levels, etc, and found my skin remained the same. It's not the location, it's an issue of habit. Good habits can be carried with you no matter where you live or travel.

could be, but with having sensitive skin, personally, I know mine gets aggitated easily. Kat also seems like someone who would have good habits with her face...was just suggesting she might have really sensitive skin [huh]
I've also found that clay masks do wonders also...neutrogena makes a good one and so does proactive

 

[MissQueenie]

could be, but with having sensitive skin, personally, I know mine gets aggitated easily. Kat also seems like someone who would have good habits with her face...was just suggesting she might have really sensitive skin [huh]
I've also found that clay masks do wonders also...neutrogena makes a good one and so does proactive

Yikes! I definitely didn't mean to imply that Kat's skincare habits were anything close to sub-par! I was just sticking up for the poor Southern part of the US, and Southern CA in particular. I hope I didn't squish any toes!

It must be something I don't notice because my skin's not super-sensitive.:eusa_doh:

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Hee hee I was probably overreacting anyway

 

[Viola]

I have fairly oily skin, and I sweat very easily (not a lot at once, but a lot of the time, if that makes sense) and though its not recommended because its very harsh, I use straight rubbing alchohol to dry out problem spots.

For instance, I often break out in and around my eyebrows, which is gross, but rubbing alchohol yanks all the oils out.

I might be able to get away with it just because a) my skin is, if anything, "over-moistened" and b) I'm only 22, but I haven't noticed any issue of bad dryness or anything.

They do warn it can cause drynes/lines, though, so YMMV.

 

[KAT]

but i really think its the extreme heat, dirt and that i sweat like crazy. I mean the skin doesnt even have a chance to go back to normal since its hot all the time ! I wake up in the morning and theres another pimple! :rage:
i just came back from germany and i never lived in a hot area like CA before!
The highest it gets are prob. 95 over there and thats a lot! So having 113 latley over here in CA is pretty much killing me and my skin! So i m just getting used to it i guess!
I do have sensitive skin but i always tried not to overdry it with special cleanser and stuff! So right now i put the foundation aside, drink even more water and try to keep my face clean and dry, try not to touch or rub it.
We will see .....

@MissQueenie: dont worry , you didn't squish any toes!

 

[MissQueenie]

@MissQueenie: dont worry , you didn't squish any toes!

Phew!

Have you tried old fashioned noxema? The cold cream variety is what we all used to use on sunburns when I was in junior high and I bought a jar for the first time in years last night and it is remarkably cooling on the skin.

 

[anna_newman]

Like several of you, I thought I had terrible skin, but it turned out I am just sensitive.
Im sensitive to sulphates. I stopped using soaps and shampoos with sodium laurel sulphate
and sodium laureth sulphate, and now I break out very very little even in the heat
and my hair is less oily. I wish I had made the connection 20 years ago. Especially
the shampoo bit--my bangs and shoulders seem to be affected by what I wash my
hair with way more than I would expect.

Sometimes I think Im just imagining all this, and I get seduced to try some other
product and within 3 or 4 days the breakouts are back.

I use a shampoo from trader joes that is wonderfully inexpensive (I forget the name)
and sufate free, and on my face/body I use clear glycerine soap. Both work great
for me.

If you really want to eliminate irritants from your skin care routine, I recommend
checking out the Medically Based No-Nonsense Beauty Book by Deborah Chase.
It's dry but science based.

 

[KAT]

Phew!

Have you tried old fashioned noxema? The cold cream variety is what we all used to use on sunburns when I was in junior high and I bought a jar for the first time in years last night and it is remarkably cooling on the skin.

it takes A LOT to squish my toes
no i havent tried it yet but was thinking about getting it..then i decided to get the Olay face wash for sensitive skin ( when i buy stuff like that i always stick with Nivea or Olay..dont really know why[huh] ..i guess it runs in the family..grandma used to use it all the timelol )..seems to be alright so far...

 

[AllaboutEve]

I'm gonna sound really stupid here, but what exactly IS Cold Cream. I have only ever heard of the stuff, never used it!!!!!

I use Kheil's Gentle Foaming Face wash which is the only thing that doesn't strip or irritate my skin but you can still get to properly wash your skin with water, which I prefer.
If my skin decides that it wants to be irritated by anything I use Chamomile tea just dab all over with cotton wool !
Really cheap and works wonders....

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Cold cream is a thick mineral-oil based cream that women would apply and tissue off (or use a damp cloth to remove.) It has been a beauty staple since it was invented in 1846.

 

[mysterygal]

Yikes! I definitely didn't mean to imply that Kat's skincare habits were anything close to sub-par! I was just sticking up for the poor Southern part of the US, and Southern CA in particular. I hope I didn't squish any toes!

It must be something I don't notice because my skin's not super-sensitive.:eusa_doh:

with reading your posts, I've gotten the idea you're not the type who would ever say anything mean.....was trying to bring it back around to just having super sensitive skin, don't know if I suceeded in that [huh] You're great still Queenie

 

[dollfaced]

Pimples

I have suffered from acne since i was 18 my dermotologist said i have cystic acne and it was incurable my mother has very bad skin her acne went away when she was in her late 30's sadly i have tryed it all with no success. I do how ever love this all in one face wash by philosophy called purity it is like a face wash and toner and really removes all your makeup.Also Doll Face beauty cocktails is adorable all natural line which comes in old fashion packaging and looks like it was made in the 1930's so it's very retro although pricey, i found it at a high end beauty supply store i don't know where else it can be found because i have searched for it in other stores but couldn't find it i suppose maybe it is sold online! I did try cold cream like Jitterbug suggested and found it very soothing to my itchy skin and it did clear up a bit which was nice.Jitterbug what brand cold cream would you suggest if i may ask i have only used the old fashion Jergens with the three girls on it! Thanks

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Dollfaced-

My sister suffered from cystic acne--I know it's no fun

I use Pond's Cold Cream--I have not tried the Jergen's brand.

Have you ever had peels done? I had some success with them and they might work well for you.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I second (third?) the use of cold cream as a cleanser, witch hazel as a toner, the acne.org regimen as a miracle cure to sporadic acne, and using sodium laury/eth sulphate free shampoos. (The ones I use are made by JASON)

I had an horrendous breakout due to coming off BC, which subsided, but never went away until I started using the acne.org regime. And because I always used to have pretty stable skin (barely a zit up until this point) I used it for literally a couple of weeks, and it seemed to sort my skin right out. I keep it on hand for emergencies,but it's got rid of the red marks and blackheads I had too.

I find when I go to California that not only is the weather hotter and air more polluted, but the water is so different and it's actually softer and less drying than at home. Great for my boyfriend who suffers from severe dry scalp, not for me since I started to use creamier things to avoid over drying. I found I needed to use less moisturiser and I also carry those blotting sheets around.

Give the acne.org regime a try, and see if it works for you. I'm sure it will...it's brilliant. Either way, I'm sure your skin is just going through a readjustment period, and it'll be fine before long!

 

[CherryRed]

I also have to disagree with the "avoid all oil" caveat that many cosmetic companies tout these days. Many oils are soothing and healing, including mineral oil (the main ingredient in cold cream and probably the oil that gets the worst rap), and olive, emu, and jojoba oils. My skin actually does very well with cold cream and cream makeups (and as I mentioned above, I had terrible acne from the age of 12 into my early 20s, when I tried cold cream at the urging of my great aunt.) I had always thought that I had terribly oily skin, but when I stopped stripping it of its natural oils, it actually became more normal.

I also have to say that using cold cream feels so luxurious to me (I remove it with a warm, damp washcloth which helps exfoliate as well) after using such harsh products for so long

I tried cold cream some months ago based on your recommendation JBD and I have to agree with you 110%. My skin is so much better and breaks out less since I stopped stripping it with acne medicated cleansers. In fact, my 16yr old step-daughter has severe black heads and I got her hooked on Ponds too. It has cleared them up better than all the medicated stuff. Thanks so much!!:eusa_clap

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I am glad cold cream works for so many ladies. I know it doesn't work for everyone, but I think it is a great product for those who can use it

 

[dollfaced]

Thanks you are all so helpful.Like Jitterbug i wear makeup even when i am at home or going out so people are clueless to my skin condition. I did get micodermabrasion last year it was wonderful but very expensive over $100.00 per session so my face cleared up for a while but it returned to it's normal state after some time. My friend actually does chemical peels but i was to scared to try it she was suggesting it to me but i thought chemical peel sounds dangerous to me lol . But i do have to say my grandma used ponds for so so long and she looks very young her skin is baby soft and smooth hardly any wrinkles at all she's 71 years old. I think i will definatly try out your ponds and witch hazel after all it wouldn't compare to all the money waisted and things i have tryed over the years without any success.I find that anything that was done the old fashion way usually is the very best wouldn't you agree?

 

[Donna Stewart]

The "aspirin mask":
http://www.acne.org/rate_item.php?item_id=75

I second this. However, in my experience this only helps minimize the effect of blemishes that are already present, and needs a good cleansing routine to complement it. I've had sucess with a modified version of the oil cleansing method. It may seem a bit holistic at first, but is worth a shot if the alcohol-based acne treatments aren't working.