Back to zits

[KAT]

SUMMER AND PIMPLES

It drives me crazy...the heat and dirt ...putting on make up is almost impossible...i take a shower twice a day, try to eat healthy and drink only water but i have more and more pimples on my T zone
what is your secret during summer to prevent pimples?[huh]

 

[jitterbugdoll]

As someone who suffered from bad skin (very sensitive, allergic and reactive to almost every product and cosmetic) regardless of the weather, my secret weapon is cold cream! That and the occasional application of witch hazel to any trouble spots cleared the problem up almost completely. Every once and a while I will alternate the cold cream with Burt’s Bees Orange Essence cleanser, which also seems to work well. I think the main trick is to avoid over-washing and drying out your skin, which only results in the production of more oil and more pimples. When I stopped trying to strip my skin, it calmed down immensely.

 

[mysterygal]

drinking extra water for sure helps. You may want to get a cleanser with a little bit more 'punch'. I have liked Neutrogena's products in the past, but as for right now I've been using ProActive and really recommend it. Also, you may need to change your make-up. Make sure there's nothing oil-based that your putting on your skin...I can't remember the name of the product of the foundation MK gave me, but this stuff is great...it's worth it to purchase good quality make-up

 

[Lady Day]

www.acne.org

Ive used their 'system' for about a year and it works real well.

LD

 

[decodoll]

It's cold cream for me too. It really can't be beat. When I do get one their is a Neutrogena product I really like to dry it up but can't think of the name right now....

 

[DancingSweetie]

I swear by Benefit's Boo Boo Zap. Right now my skin actually looks better than it ever has. Most likely because I have been sweating buckets due to the extreme heat we have been having these last couple of weeks, and I have been going to the gym more often.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

How would I like to know that secret too! I've been lucky, for up until this summer, I've never had a problem with pimples. But, for some reason this summer I've been breaking out. I've been using dove facial wash, and it seems to be helping a little, but I'd love to know if anyone has any better ideas. My skin, for the first time ever, seems oily.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Pretty much the only zits I get are the occasional hormonal kind, but I've found that Olay Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin helps me keep the facial oil down without overdrying. I also try to avoid wearing foundation in really hot sticky weather, but if I do, I use cold cream to make sure I've gotten it all off at the end of the day.

And I'll second witch hazel -- dab some onto a tissue and wipe your face for a very refreshing pick-me-up on a hot day!

 

[Lady Day]

I swear by Benefit's Boo Boo Zap. Right now my skin actually looks better than it ever has. Most likely because I have been sweating buckets due to the extreme heat we have been having these last couple of weeks, and I have been going to the gym more often.

Yeah, I ve been working out more too, and my skin is freakin. Im just waiting for a couple of weeks from now when my pores will be all fresh and empty

LD

 

[magneto]

Cheap and effective spot treatment...

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

 

[KAT]

i have the Olay Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin also, just bought it several days ago. I never really cared for "extra" face wash . For me regular soap always worked fine and i always had a pretty clean and clear skin!
But since Im back in CA and Im not used to this heat i get zits!
I will try cold cream for sure! I hope it will work.
Thanks for all your ideas girls!

 

[Tourbillion]

I can't "stand" cold cream. I used to use Noxzema in high school, but that is different. I also used to have horrible adult acne.

I believe my mother is correct in saying don't touch your face when you sweat. You rub bacteria all over your face and then it breaks out.

Even so, I switched to Chanel skincare, their oily skin cleansing gel, which is not too drying, but which is great for getting rid of the excess oil that collects in the summer. I also always wear a moisturizer to keep the other gunk out of my pores.

However, what stopped me from breaking out all the time is that I stopped wearing makeup all the time. I just wear a little powder for every day. Makeup makes you break out. Even supposedly "oil free" makeup contains some form of triglycerides or polyisobutenes or the like. These are mineral oil substitutes. They are made from vegetable oil, so calling them oil free mystifies me.

Okay I have to stop before I start ranting...

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I have battled with mild to moderate acne since I was 12. I've used Retin-A (AWFUL), antibiotics, Benzaclin, Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, everything overthe counter and prescription except for Accutane.

Here's what works for me:
Gentle cleanser (Purpose soap, Cetaphil)
Alcohol-Free toner
Salicylic Acid gel on breakout areas (I recommend http://www.murad.com/ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?section=10219&item=12188&minisite=10020 Murad or http://www.peterthomasroth.com/peterthomasroth_products.asp?prod=tonics PTR
Moisturizer
Sunscreen during the day

I have used the Proactiv regimen and the Murad regimen and both only work temporarily (though Murad worked longer). Get a concealer that has salicylic acid in it, like Neutrogena's, and go easy on the makeup.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

My skin is too sensitive for OTC and prescription acne ingredients (salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A)--these products worsened my condition, and left my skin angry, red and peeling, but I didn't catch the connection until I was well out of my teens.

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 actually wear makeup every day (even if I have no where to go, I just like the way it looks and feels.) I also suggest using a moisturizer (I have had great results with Burt's Bees Vanishing Marshmallow Cream) as this helps reduce some of the oil your skin produces to compensate for the oils that are stripped from your skin when you wash it using a drying product.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

True - you have to know what works with your skin. For me, cold cream made no difference in my skin but it does feel nice to remove makeup with it. Not all oil is bad!

 

[Paisley]

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.

 

[fortworthgal]

Also, you may need to change your make-up. Make sure there's nothing oil-based that your putting on your skin...I can't remember the name of the product of the foundation MK gave me, but this stuff is great...it's worth it to purchase good quality make-up

However, what stopped me from breaking out all the time is that I stopped wearing makeup all the time. I just wear a little powder for every day. Makeup makes you break out. Even supposedly "oil free" makeup contains some form of triglycerides or polyisobutenes or the like. These are mineral oil substitutes. They are made from vegetable oil, so calling them oil free mystifies me.

For makeup, I wear Bare Escentuals every day. After years of trying different cosmetics, and every brand from cheap drugstore stuff up to expensive department store brands, this is now the only makeup I will purchase and use, except for the occasional Burt's Bees product (I love their powder and their tinted moisturizer for the winter). They are 100% pure minerals and free of anything that can cause breakouts - talcs, oils, fragrances, preservatives, etc. It also contains a natural sunscreen and is the only makeup approved by the Skin Cancer Foundation. It is actually *good* for your skin.

It is comparable in price to brands like Estee Lauder or Clinique, but you barely have to use any of the product, so it lasts forever.

http://www.bareescentuals.com/id/

 

[Rebecca D]

When I was in high school I had perfect, seemingly poreless skin that looked like porcelain. I used very little makeup and only washed with cold cream, and had, from what I can remember, only two pimples – one in the 8th grade and another in the 11th grade!

When I got older, I discovered expensive make-up and cleansing products, and around the same time my skin started breaking out; the more it broke out, the more fancy products I bought to battle it. And the cycle went on for years.

I’ve had a string of dermatologists tell me it’s hormonal, and I’ve been on every medication in the book, short of Accutane. When I first went on antibiotics, my skin was amazing! But then my body built up a tolerance. Then there was rentin-a, which made my skin red and ugly, then there was Proactive, which made my skin crack.

So, now I’m back to cold cream (why did I ever stray from it?), little foundation, and non-expensive rice powder, which really absorbs the excess oil. I also carry blotting tissues that I use throughout the day, rather than applying more powder. I use NOTHING on my face that is perfumed, and I’m sure to wash my pillow case, powder brush, and cell phone often. My skin looks healthy again, not stripped or over-oily. But I do think I’ll try the witch hazel trick –thanks for the tip, gals.

As for the gym, sweating makes me break out, but that’s my own fault, because when I have pimples I don’t like to take off my make up in public, which only causes more pimples! Lesson learned, WASH YOUR FACE BEFORE YOU HIT THE GYM!

 

[mysterygal]

i have the Olay Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin also, just bought it several days ago. I never really cared for "extra" face wash . For me regular soap always worked fine and i always had a pretty clean and clear skin!
But since Im back in CA and Im not used to this heat i get zits!
I will try cold cream for sure! I hope it will work.
Thanks for all your ideas girls!

being in CA may be part of your problem Kat. Never been there, but talking to my best friend who has lived there for a number of years, I've heard all about the smog and how dirty it is compared to up here. Your skin may be protesting about the climate it's having to endure! Here's a trick that MK told me about, it works great and it's really soothing; get a soft hand towel and soak it with water as hot as you can stand, put over face and let it sit there until cooled down. It sucks the impurities out and does a great job of cleaning the pores

 

[MissQueenie]

being in CA may be part of your problem Kat. Never been there, but talking to my best friend who has lived there for a number of years, I've heard all about the smog and how dirty it is compared to up here. Your skin may be protesting about the climate it's having to endure! Here's a trick that MK told me about, it works great and it's really soothing; get a soft hand towel and soak it with water as hot as you can stand, put over face and let it sit there until cooled down. It sucks the impurities out and does a great job of cleaning the pores

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.