Glowing on its own accord
This is going to be my year. 2010: The year of my skin glowing on its own accord (I stole that phrasing from Susan who has similar aspirations for this year. In fact, all we talk about on gchat is this goal).
As you can tell from recent posts, I’m a bit preoccupied with my skin as of late. And by “preoccupied” I mean “spending every minute I’m not working or mothering looking up stuff on the Internet.”
I’m not hideous, by any means, but things are just not in working order. I used to have normal-to-oily skin and now it seems I have dry, sensitive skin (exacerbated by this awful, awful bitch of a winter). You know, skin that peels and flakes and breaks out and is generally gross. I blame pregnancy.
(I realize that after all of these posts about pregnancy aftermath, I might be solely responsible for the extinction of the human race. Sorry.)
So! I’m now going to solicit your advice. What do you use? What has worked? What hasn’t? Any tips and tricks? It’s all up for grabs: cleansers, lotions, creams, serums, even makeup. Let’s share and commune and be glowy and dewy forever!
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Had the same sort of problems (minus the pregnancy cause) until I found Paula’s Choice. I ordered a bunch of different samples and found what worked for me.
My dermo recommended washing my face with Dove and I was kind of dubious but it has really made a difference…and this is from a girl who has “done” pretty much all the acne drugs on the market including the big kahuna, Accutane. I had wretched acne as a teenager, and now, like you, am dry with acne, but unlike you, don’t have a cute chubbs of a baby (or any baby!).
i’m about to go back to using Dr. Hauschka. when i was using, way back when, my skin has never looked better. acne went away, pores got smaller, oil was non-existent. i only stopped b/c it’s so danged expensive! but at this point in my life, i think it might be worth it.
I slather on lots of cetaphil moisturizing cream (not the lotion, the cream.) My skin has definitely gotten more dry as I’ve gotten older, and especially during the winter. Oh, and the cetaphil also works great for wade’s skin.
If my own skin problems are anything to go by… NOTHING works. Go to the dermatologist and tell them to give you some of the serious stuff because nothing you buy in the store actually does a damn thing.
I’ve been using Proactiv for 6+ years with great results, but I also know people who have used it and seen no effect. Doc said no to it during the first trimester and I saw such a difference. As soon as I started up again, I had no issues. Normally, my skin is soft, pores shrink, not much oil. At 3+ months post-partum, I’m a bit oily, but still no breakouts. I use it only at night, so it lasts a long time.
I’ve been using the Clean & Clear brand cream cleanser for probably 10 or 11 years now, but it’s not going to work for everyone. I LOVE Cetaphil products, especially their facial moisturizer – the spf 15 one. The spf 50 one is too much like straight-up suncreen and ended up drying my skin out.
I was having some wicked eczema a few years ago and my dermatologist suggested Cetaphil face wash and Eucerin Calming Cream. I’ve been using both and haven’t had another problem with the eczema since. At first I felt weird because the Calming Cream isn’t made as a facial moisturizer, but it works. I also found that I couldn’t use any powdery makeup with sparkly stuff in it–and I don’t mean 90′s glitter, I mean even the slightest bit of shimmer. Cutting that out has helped my face a lot, too. I use Smashbox primer and foundation, I’ve found they don’t irritate my skin at all.
Incidentally, I am currently pregnant and my skin is kind of wack, but I blame that on pregnancy and am pretty sure there’s not much I could do about it by changing products. Also, obviously can’t speak to the whole post-pregnancy thing yet.
I started using “the body shop” lines and love them. (It helps that my husband works at hq and I get a discount) They are all super moisturizing and they are all natural, so gentle on my sensitive skin. I haven’t tried it, but have heard great things about the tea tree oil for breakouts. They have preventative products as well an oil to put on actual breakouts. (My skin is dry, not breaking out. I do keep the oil on hand, just in case.)
Clinique acne solutions worked really well for me. It’s a three step system, and the toner and moisturizer are great, but I recommend the bar of soap rather than the foam – the foam didn’t feel like it was getting makeup off but the soap really cleans. I’m super cheap and don’t mind shelling out $40ish for this stuff.
Hey Val! How’s it going? Your son is so adorable! I’ve been using Paula’s choice for about 6 months now, and I really like it. I have the same skin issues – used t be greasy, still am kind of with flakes of dry, but the oily skin stuff isn’t working for me. Paula’s choide has a Beta or Alpha hydroxy lotion that really works – everyone in my house with the exception of the 8 year old uses it. They have products that really address your specific issue, and you can buy samples for not that much and figure out what works. I use the hydra-light moisturizing lotion – not too heavy but also keeps the dry at bay. Good luck.
ps – how happy are you not to be at Give More right now?
Wow everyone has such different advice. Really thats the trouble with skin stuff, you just have to keep trying until you find a combo that works for you.
I use Murad moisturizers (you can get them at Sephora) and really love them. I’m very sensitive to sunscreen and this is the only product I’ve ever been able to use that has sunscreen in it that doesn’t bother me. I use Neutrogena Deep Pore Cleanser for a wash (it has the same ingredients as Proactiv and is much cheaper.) I also use a prescription called Duac which is helpful as well. Hope you find something that helps!
I use several different products, asll recommended to me by my asthetician at La Bella Dona. Yes, I pay a very pretty penny for all of my products, but it is SO worth it to me.
[...] I know I’m kind of beating a dead horse with the whole clear skin thing, but hey, at least it’s a break from all the OMG HAVE Y’ALL SEEN MAH CUTE [...]
It could be possible that you have food sensitivities. I used to have occasional crazy acne on my cheeks, which I eventually connected with a gluten sensitivity. I also sometimes have breakouts on my chin and nose which usually coincide with excessive dairy intake. There are other symptoms of gluten sensitivity that you can find by googling it- it’s easier to give up than most people think.
I had visited multiple dermatologists for years and none of them ever suggested food sensitivities as a possible cause for acne, but different foods do affect chemical balances in our bodies, which in turn can affect our skin.
Just a different angle to think about in considering your dilemma.