Healthy Skin

Shaun.P

Shaun.P

macrumors 68000
Hey there,

I am 19 years old and have always suffered from spots and oily, greasy skin. I don't have very bad acne or anything but my skin is in no way healthy.

I have used countless products to wash my face in the shower and I always cleanse, tone and moisturise.

However I have large pores under my eyes (tops of my cheek bones) which extends over the nose as well. The skin in these areas tends to be dull, drier and have lots of black heads. I also notice that if I don't shave for a few days it makes me come out in spots.

Currently, I exfoliate every day using St Ives blemish control stuff. This stuff is very rough but doesn't seem to make my skin any brighter or nicer, however my face is much smoother. I then use a Neutrogena 2 in 1 product to wash my face (clense) then I tone after the shower with a Neautrogena toners and moisturise with a St Ives 24 hour moisturiser. This typically gets done in the morning. I do all of this once per day. Later on in the day, I will use the toner to go over my face with cottonwool to get rid of any oil that has accumulated throughout the day. At night, I usually put savlon or germolene all over my face with basically disinfects my whole face.

I don't have nice skin however. I was wondering if you could recommend products or stuff to do to my face to make it nicer as it's really getting me down. I don't eat a lot of fattening foods or greasy foods.

I have bought Centrium multivitamins to take every day and also 'Perfetil' tablets for hair skin and nails which gives you 'essential nutrients to help maintain healthy skin, hair and nails' - quite expensive. I am also going to start drinking more water. I am also taking 'Skin Tablets' which is a traditional herbal remedy which contains extract of burdock root, extract of wild pansy. What products would you recommend to clense tone and moiturise, and exfoliate for healthy looking skin.

Your suggestions are very welcome.
 
Drink plenty of water and go easy on the products, using them too often dries out your skin. Pill wise, zinc tablets are apparently beneficial too.
 
Don't exfoliate every day. Only once or twice per week otherwise it'll aggravate an already over-active skin.

Don't waste money on 'nutrients' for skin etc. Put that money towards eating a healthy diet rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Be assured that for most people their skin calms down into their late twenties.
 
I'd suggest cutting down on some of the products since you're likely stripping most of the oils from your skin so it's having to work doubly hard to put them back again.

Unless the exfoliator actually says that it's for daily use, only use that once or twice a week and get a mild cleanser for every day.

Also, I'd avoid the savlon/germolene at night since while it might be disinfecting your skin, it's doing nothing to moisturise it.

Aside from that, try drinking more water and eat more fresh fruit/veg.
 
Paging Peyton... Attention, peyton You're needed in the community forums.
:)

Drink lots of water, get rest.
You should really only exfoliate once or twice a week. Overdoing it is bad.

Greasy and fattening foods have nothing to do with skin breakouts, although good nutrition is important, too. They only really cause me trouble if I get the grease all around my mouth (happened once. I had a stupid contest with a friend.. hehe)

I'm thinking the Perfetil is just snake oil. There's no MAGIC PILL that can give you good skin and nails. A diet rich in olive oil and eggs (yes, it sounds like what you do to keep a dog's coat shiny..) should be enough. The "skin tablets" also sound a little out there. Again, there's no magic pill, and they aren't working for you.

Use some of those biore pore strips. They're the freaking coolest things EVER. You can cut them to any size to fit your face.. and they're morbidly fascinating to look at afterwards.. :)

Also, a mask of oatmeal and water once a week may help soak up some of the oil.
So you don't get shiny through the day, have you thought of wearing some non-pore-clogging powder? NYC makes cheap stuff that I friggin' live on.

Also, what you may think of as "large pores" may be normal sized pores. All the advertising where the people have NO PORES whatsoever and look like they're wearing masks aren't what you're shooting for.

Pick up a clay mask at the drug store. It may help, too.
Even though you're a man, don't be embarrassed by having to buy things that are traditionally left to the women. I know that my brother would sooner kill himself than use a pore strip, but if you want your skin to look nice, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Good luck! :)
 
Thanks for your fast replies. I should also say that I never spray aftershave /EDT on my face always on my neck and clothes.

I am going to start using the exfoliator every second day. I would like my face to have a matt appearance instead of shiny - what would you recommend for that?
 
katie ta achoo said:
Paging Peyton... Attention, peyton You're needed in the community forums.
Click to expand...
Before I looked at the OP I thought it was going to be Peyton's definitive guide to perfect skin. :D
 
FearFactor47 said:
Thanks for your fast replies. I should also say that I never spray aftershave /EDT on my face always on my neck and clothes.

I am going to start using the exfoliator every second day. I would like my face to have a matt appearance instead of shiny - what would you recommend for that?
Click to expand...

Well, exfoliating every other day is likely making you shinier! Do it only twice a week as was suggested.
 
Food. What you eat will dramatically effect your skin. Since dropping fatty foods and saturated crap my skin just got a whole load better. I stopped the MacDonalds, the chips, the bad stuff back in high school and I've never had a spot since. well maybe 1 or 2!

Drink LOTS of water. it's pretty much perfect for anything. and eat less rubbish. wash your face once or twice a day, I use a harsh deodorant soap but that's just me.

another strange little tip (hey that's so unlike you jimmi) is rub your face in the shower. after you've washed it with soap and theres no more grease or oily stuff left, I find that rubbing brings off tiny fragments of surface skin. just ever so small. I've been doing that for years and it's really helped. makes skin smoother and just better in general.
 
FearFactor47 said:
I am going to start using the exfoliator every second day. I would like my face to have a matt appearance instead of shiny - what would you recommend for that?
Click to expand...

Facial powder, FTW! :)

A while ago, revlon had this astringent that would leave a fine layer of powder on your face to make it nice and matte. I don't think they make it anymore, but IT DOES EXIST!

Also, through the day, you could absorb extra oil by dabbing your face with a facial tissue to absorb the oil?
 
FearFactor47 said:
Thanks for your fast replies. I should also say that I never spray aftershave /EDT on my face always on my neck and clothes.

I am going to start using the exfoliator every second day. I would like my face to have a matt appearance instead of shiny - what would you recommend for that?
Click to expand...


well after you shave you really should put aftershave on your skin. It kills all the batertra and other stuff you put on you skin from shaving and any minor cuts that you blade makes (even if you dont bleed you blade is going to remove some skin in areas that just need to be clean up. plus the hair folicos have stuff in them.
I noticed a change in my face when I started using aftershaved. That or take a cotten ball and put hydrogen peroxide after you shave it do the same thing. Only diffence is instead of achole being the antibatrai part is the hydrogen Peroxide. it will burn a little bit less. The skin just look heathier. (plus make sure you always are using shaving cream when you shave.)
 
Putting aftershave on my skin serverly irritates it. It would become red and inflammed!

I shave before I wash my face, should I do it the other way around?
 
Don't bother with any of the products just get to bed at a decent time and drink lots of water.
 
I also have skin like that. The razor burn you mention is the worst. I still have spots, but they aren't as bad. My doctor gave me Amoxicillin, and then Tetracycline, but it wasn't enough.

I've used the Neutrogena products before, but I wasn't that impressed. They're better than most brands like Gillette, but contain harsh ingredients like salicylic acid. Don't put acid on your face.

With skin care, you definitely get what you pay for. I've started using John Varvatos SKIN. The products take into account the "unique requirements of a man's skin." I bought one before I tried the others. No harsh chemicals or dyes. They use the "finest ingredients and raw materials." I believe it.

They offer a "Four Fundamentals" box which contains Face Scrub (exfoliate 1-2/week), Essential Face Cleanser (mild, 2/day) Multi-Vitamin Face Serum (1-2/day) and Eye Serum for $125 (you save $65). If you can afford to, try it out!

Unfortunately, once you spoil yourself it's hard to go back. And my checking account hates me.
 
I suffered from similar problems to you, FearFactor, and I think certainly as a teenager it was teenage acne, something which runs in my family. However, it didn't go away as I reached adulthood, and it wasn't until I was in the bizarre situation of having a facial (which was scary, but fabulous) that I started to solve the problem. The lady there said that I had sensitive skin, and that all the harsh scrubbing and drying out products were making it worse. She advised me to properly cleanse, tone, and moisturise properly, and to use products for sensitive skin. I switched to all the sensitive skin stuff (just Boots' own brand) and it got a lot better. That might be worth a try.

Recently, I started using Dr Hauschka stuff – it's expensive, but has also made a big difference. One thing they recommend is to not moisturise at night (just cleanse and tone) so that your skin can breathe overnight. I started doing this before I used their products, and it seems to work well even with Boots' own.

As for the diet stuff - I'm not convinced diet directly affects it, but I think being well is important, and if you're run down from eating bad food that's not good. I've had the first breakout in several months a few days ago, and I just finished my degree, I'd been eating whatever I had time to, and I was exhausted. Just try and stay as well as you can.

I'd give it a try with fairly cheap sensitive skin stuff first though, give it a couple of weeks and see if it makes a difference. Oh, and don't be scared to moisturise, even if your skin feels greasy, just use a sensitive gentle moisturiser - it won't make your skin more greasy, it'll just stop it drying out.
 
I'm 19, male, too... but I've never had acne but I find using any products like clean & clear GIVES me spots! Really it does.

Apart from the obvious (going to see the doctor and getting pills) my best advice would be to stop using those stupid money making things and ONLY wash your skin with water. Then every single morning the first drink you have make it warm water with lemon juice. This really works for a lot of people. Cut down on toxins (e.g. coffee, coke etc) and see what happens. Get back in a week!
 
I skimmed the above posts, I dunno if I missed it, but you should make sure to get enough sleep.

Just one night of fewer hours of sleep and presto, I always wake up with a new blemish. :(
 
:) I just posted this in another forum! So I'm going to copy and paste.

http://acne.org Click on the regimen link and read the instructions very carefully. Basically what you have to do is wash with a mild soap like Purpose or Cetaphil. I use the soap bar Purpose. It's really great and doesn't dry your skin. Remember to pat dry your face . Don't rub the towel too hard on your face It will irritate your skin. After you wash, wait about 10-15 minutes to let your face dry completely.

After you wash, you apply the benzoyl peroxide. You can buy the bottle here http://www.clearskinregimen.com/

If you don't want to wait for the bottle to ship to your home, you can also try using http://www.neutrogena.com/ProductsDetails_20.aspNeutrogena's On-The-Spot cream (which is what I use) It's really small though... so buying the Clear Skin Gel from that website might be a better deal since they are a lot bigger than Neutrogena's. Benzoyl peroxide works well but you have to use the 2.5% one. Rub the BP slowly, take your time and let it absorb into your skin. Again, wait 10-15 minutes after this step to let the cream dry.
Remember to wash your hands between each step.

After you apply the BP, you moisturize. You can use any oil-free moisturizer like Cetaphil. You rub the moisturizer in on top of the BP, do not wash the BP off. The moisturizer will keep your skin from flaking drying. I use this really great moisturizer that I found at a Kaiser pharmacy..It's called Nature's Blend. I love it! If you can't get to a Kaiser then you can use any moisturizer that you like.

The regimen is only 3 steps and it's really easy. You do the regimen in the morning and before you go to bed. I've been using it for about 5 months now and it works wonderfully and it covers all three important steps to healthier skin: mild cleansing, medicating with BP, and moisturizing.

Some other important tips:

-Get 8 or more hours of sleep :)

-Change your pillowcases once or twice a week! Your face spends a lot of time next to your pillow so it needs to be extra clean! It needs to be free of dirt, bacteria or other stuff like oils that could affect your skin's condition.

-Drink *lots* of water. At least 8 glasses a day! Water is so important for your body but you'll see that it also works wonders for your skin.

-Eat at least 5 fruits and veggies! Choose fruits that are loaded with antioxidants like berries.

-Eat lots of raisins! Raisins are sooo great . They're easy to eat and are available throughout the year! Not only do they improve the look of your skin, they also promote healthy gums and teeth even though they're really sweet and sticky

-Do not over-exfoliate your face! Exfoliate only once or a twice a week if you have to. Exfoliating gets rid of dead skin cells but if you exfoliate too much you will irritate your skin and worsen your acne.

-Stress can be really bad for your skin. Meditate or practice other activities that will relieve your stress . Read a book, do yoga, listen to classical music, dance, jump around, take in deep breaths , do anything that will get your mind off work or school or whatever is causing too much stress :)

-If you use any hair products make sure they stay on your hair! Certain products such as hair spray or gel can aggravate your skin.

-If you use makeup, make sure it is oil-free and non-comedogenic.

If you have any other questions, join the message board at acne.org. They have a lot of helpful members that will answer any questions relating to this topic. Good luck!
 
Rest assured BV's info about skin calming down in your twenties seems pretty valid. I am personal proof of that. I still get the occasional pimple, but it's nowhere near what it was like in my teens (thank goodness).

If you're willing to go a bit more expensive route you can always check out Proactiv. I did that for a while until I noticed my skin had calmed down. I thought it worked pretty well (better than other things I'd tried), but it can get to be a bit pricey.

Other than that the only other advice I can give has already been given. (Less is generally more).

Good luck!
 
Lau said:
As for the diet stuff - I'm not convinced diet directly affects it, but I think being well is important, and if you're run down from eating bad food that's not good. I've had the first breakout in several months a few days ago, and I just finished my degree, I'd been eating whatever I had time to, and I was exhausted. Just try and stay as well as you can.
Click to expand...

Just goes to show how strange the human body works and how varied we all are. I lowered my intake of greasy foods and my skin improved. but my girlfriend survives off chippy food, instant microwave stuff and has a flawless complexion! and very slim and that.

I think pollution might be a factor too. I find I need to shower and wash more when I'm in towns and cities. but back home in the ol' countryside it's a different story.
One thing that you need, and I've said before and others have said too I'm just going to strengthen the point by using capital letters. DRINK WATER. by the bucket load.

So many variable factors and such unique bodies... God I love humans
 
See a dermatologist. They work wonders if they are good.

Right now I am on 3 Rx skin meds (1 oral, 2 topical) I rarely use them and my skin is fine. Its Just during lacrosse season with all the sweating and the helmet that causes irritation.

It's a bit expensive though. My insurance copay is $30 or $40 per visit plus all the medication added up over $100.
 
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