57 replies to this topic

[Ben]

My first post !!! :D yay!!

Ok now that's over. I need some advice on what I'm currently doing with my face as it's not working.


Problems:

• Stubborn redness on nose accompanied by an occasionally infected pore. I can't exactly call this a pimple. Sometimes it is but usually it's just a red spot.

• Dry flaky skin around nose (this is currently being helped by the emu oil in my regimen).

• Redness and general inflammation after my morning shower

• Bit dark around the eyes.

Regimen:

• Shower in morning - no soap on face. Just use water to clean it.

• Emu oil straight after shower. Applied all over face sparingly.

• 10% AHA moisturising lotion applied to face after night shower (two showers per day in an attempt to keep my skin clear). AHA lotion left to soak in and washed off during morning shower.

This has worked somewhat. I have less redness and less infected pores on the nose, but it's still not working well enough.

Any advice?

Edited by Ben - Aus, 17 May 2008 - 11:42 AM.

[Eva Victoria]

It clearly shows that your skin is irritated. AHAs can irritate the skin.
It might be that you have pollen-allergy as well (darkness under eyes) it can also have an effect on the skin(irritation:redness).

I would recommend you to use a light moisturizer with anti-oxidants (Clinique: Continous Rescue Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer) morning/ evening.
A light wash-off cleanser that is made for sensitive skin.
And an inorganic Sunscreen with at least 20% ZnO in the morning.

Don't use oils directly on the skin. It can be very heavy and irritating for your skin and can irritate your pores. They are too big molecules to be able to penetrate into your skin to hydrate it.

My first post !!! :D yay!!

Ok now that's over. I need some advice on what I'm currently doing with my face as it's not working.


Problems:

• Stubborn redness on nose accompanied by an occasionally infected pore. I can't exactly call this a pimple. Sometimes it is but usually it's just a red spot.

• Dry flaky skin around nose (this is currently being helped by the emu oil in my regimen).

• Redness and general inflammation after my morning shower

• Bit dark around the eyes.

Regimen:

• Shower in morning - no soap on face. Just use water to clean it.

• Emu oil straight after shower. Applied all over face sparingly.

• 10% AHA moisturising lotion applied to face after night shower (two showers per day in an attempt to keep my skin clear). AHA lotion left to soak in and washed off during morning shower.

This has worked somewhat. I have less redness and less infected pores on the nose, but it's still not working well enough.

Any advice?

[ajnast4r]

youre obviously just over-exfoliating with the AHA... cut back and i think most of your redness and inflammation will go away after a week or so. make sure the product youre using is at proper PH... low ph + high aha% can be QUITE irritating.

[Ben]

youre obviously just over-exfoliating with the AHA... cut back and i think most of your redness and inflammation will go away after a week or so. make sure the product youre using is at proper PH... low ph + high aha% can be QUITE irritating.

I obviously didn't explain this properly but the current regimen is just a desperate attempt to fix the problems I mentioned in the first post

[Ben]

Oh and shepard I saw you read my topic. Any info would be great.

[Ben]

It clearly shows that your skin is irritated. AHAs can irritate the skin.
It might be that you have pollen-allergy as well (darkness under eyes) it can also have an effect on the skin(irritation:redness).

I have thought about this a lot. I have some quite bad hayfever. So perhaps this is causing the darknesss around the eyes.

I would recommend you to use a light moisturizer with anti-oxidants (Clinique: Continous Rescue Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer) morning/ evening.
A light wash-off cleanser that is made for sensitive skin.
And an inorganic Sunscreen with at least 20% ZnO in the morning.

I'm 23. Do I really need something with topical Anti-Ox's?

I'm also a little reluctant to use something like this clinique because I view it as a "cosmetic" moisturiser. I am pretty sensitive and if it has any fragrance etc it could be bad.

Re: the zinc, I've tried a micronised zinc sunscreen before. I looked like a clown my face was that white ;D.

Don't use oils directly on the skin. It can be very heavy and irritating for your skin and can irritate your pores. They are too big molecules to be able to penetrate into your skin to hydrate it.

Also doesn't this product have oils in it anyway?


Thanks a lot! :''D

Edited by Ben - Aus, 18 May 2008 - 09:32 AM.

[ajnast4r]

gotcha..

eliminate any laurel sulfates or irritants from your shampoo.
get a filter for your shower head
get a script for azelaic acid

[Eva Victoria]

Clinique: Continous Rescue Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer contains no fragrance and it is oil-free (at least some of the 3 variants).
It contains one of the most stable anti-oxidants available today: EUKARION-134 (which is also used in a medical line from the same Boston based company: EUKARION(.com)

Using anti-oxidants will make your skin be able to repair itself quicker as well.

For further info on the power of EUK-134 pls see + attachment:  Eukarion_134.pdf   456.26KB   48 downloads

http://www.imminst.o...ant-t20194.html

I would also add that it is never too early to use a good anti-oxidant blend on the face with a sunscreen with high UVA protection. (ZnO is only an alternative).

It clearly shows that your skin is irritated. AHAs can irritate the skin.
It might be that you have pollen-allergy as well (darkness under eyes) it can also have an effect on the skin(irritation:redness).

I have thought about this a lot. I have some quite bad hayfever. So perhaps this is causing the darknesss around the eyes.

I would recommend you to use a light moisturizer with anti-oxidants (Clinique: Continous Rescue Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer) morning/ evening.
A light wash-off cleanser that is made for sensitive skin.
And an inorganic Sunscreen with at least 20% ZnO in the morning.

I'm 23. Do I really need something with topical Anti-Ox's?

I'm also a little reluctant to use something like this clinique because I view it as a "cosmetic" moisturiser. I am pretty sensitive and if it has any fragrance etc it could be bad.

Re: the zinc, I've tried a micronised zinc sunscreen before. I looked like a clown my face was that white ;D.

Don't use oils directly on the skin. It can be very heavy and irritating for your skin and can irritate your pores. They are too big molecules to be able to penetrate into your skin to hydrate it.

Also doesn't this product have oils in it anyway?


Thanks a lot! :''D

Attached Files

•  Eukarion.134.pdf   456.1KB   41 downloads

Edited by Eva Victoria, 19 May 2008 - 02:34 PM.

[Ben]

Clinique: Continous Rescue Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer contains no fragrance and it is oil-free (at least some of the 3 variants).
It contains one of the most stable anti-oxidants available today: EUKARION-134 (which is also used in a medical line from the same Boston based company: EUKARION(.com)

Using anti-oxidants will make your skin be able to repair itself quicker as well.

For further info on the power of EUK-134 pls see + attachment:  Eukarion_134.pdf   456.26KB   48 downloads

http://www.imminst.o...ant-t20194.html

I would also add that it is never too early to use a good anti-oxidant blend on the face with a sunscreen with high UVA protection. (ZnO is only an alternative).

Ha! I love it when I discover that I'm really ignorant on a subject. I had no idea that a product could moisturise without oil.

Many thanks for the suggestions by the way, I'm going to sick on to this Clinque product. I do have a question though: If I wear the Anti-Ox moisturizer under the sunscreen wouldn't the combination be too heavy on my face? Also I wouldn't this combination be very visible on my face, making me look a little silly?


Oh and would Skinceuticals C E & F be an acceptable replacement for the clinique product?

Edited by Ben - Aus, 19 May 2008 - 03:16 PM.

[Ben]

hmm, this is perhaps a long-shot but you don't know of where I can pick up a good suncreen in Australia do you, Melbourne specifically?

[Eva Victoria]

Clinique: Continous Rescue Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer contains no fragrance and it is oil-free (at least some of the 3 variants).
It contains one of the most stable anti-oxidants available today: EUKARION-134 (which is also used in a medical line from the same Boston based company: EUKARION(.com)

Using anti-oxidants will make your skin be able to repair itself quicker as well.

For further info on the power of EUK-134 pls see + attachment:  Eukarion_134.pdf   456.26KB   48 downloads

http://www.imminst.o...ant-t20194.html

I would also add that it is never too early to use a good anti-oxidant blend on the face with a sunscreen with high UVA protection. (ZnO is only an alternative).

Ha! I love it when I discover that I'm really ignorant on a subject. I had no idea that a product could moisturise without oil.

Hylaruonic Acid is nature's own moisture magnet (without oil)

Many thanks for the suggestions by the way, I'm going to sick on to this Clinque product. I do have a question though: If I wear the Anti-Ox moisturizer under the sunscreen wouldn't the combination be too heavy on my face? Also I wouldn't this combination be very visible on my face, making me look a little silly?

You should use a pea size of the moisturiser, let it sink in the skin (app. 5-10min) before applying sunscreen (generous amount! 1 topped teaspoon for the face).
You won't look silly!


Oh and would Skinceuticals C E & F be an acceptable replacement for the clinique product?

Yes indee! It is a good stabel mixture of anti-oxidants as well! (even though it is more expensive app. 110$ vs. 40$ for Clinique)

[Brafarality]

I find myself recommending this for every ailment, sort of as a cure-all, but such is its power and rejeuvenative qualities that I cannot help but recommend it. And, in your particular case, it seems perfect. Everything you are describing suggests that a vigorous infusion of healthy oils into your diet will be an effective remedy against what ails (irritates is better word- 'ail' actually is too harsh for symptoms, but, stet!) you and then some:

1- Raw organic almond butter [on toast, pretzel-dipped, carrot-dipped, etc.]
2- Raw organic tahini (roasted ok too) [just take it medicinally. hold your nose if you have to! it gets monotonous fast, but it is soooooo healthy]
3- Organic Smart Balance or Earth Balance vegan buttery spreads

Daily for six months in big, heaping globs and tablespoons.
'Twill almost certainly affect an improvement.

Cheers.

[Ben]

I find myself recommending this for every ailment, sort of as a cure-all, but such is its power and rejeuvenative qualities that I cannot help but recommend it. And, in your particular case, it seems perfect. Everything you are describing suggests that a vigorous infusion of healthy oils into your diet will be an effective remedy against what ails (irritates is better word- 'ail' actually is too harsh for symptoms, but, stet!) you and then some:

1- Raw organic almond butter [on toast, pretzel-dipped, carrot-dipped, etc.]
2- Raw organic tahini (roasted ok too) [just take it medicinally. hold your nose if you have to! it gets monotonous fast, but it is soooooo healthy]
3- Organic Smart Balance or Earth Balance vegan buttery spreads

Daily for six months in big, heaping globs and tablespoons.
'Twill almost certainly affect an improvement.

Cheers.

Hmm I see where you're going with that, I think I'm getting most of what you're talking about in my diet already:

1. I eat lots of raw nuts. Almonds included.

2. I have a middle eastern background so tachina (yes, ta... chi... NA!!! The 'ch' is gutteral) is nothing new to me. Also tachina has a devine taste I would never hold my nose while eating it. Its taste is one of the things that makes life pleasant to experience.

3. Vegan butter?

cheers and thanks.

[cillakat]

Irritated skin can also be your body saying "help! I don't have enough zinc!" among other things, but zinc is one of the biggies. A veg/vegan diet high in fiber can increase zinc needs by up to about 50%.

A 20% ZnO s/s is very likely going to be highly whitening/visible on your skin and will offer little in the way of UVA protection (a ppd of approx 8 and not much more....while zinc offers a little protection across the UVA spectrum, it's so inefficient that the protection will never amount to much)

i'd look at a wide variety of of dietary factors to insure you're getting enough zinc, protein (for your needs...it really can vary), vitamin A (while most of us get a lot, there are various genetic and health factors that affect how we convert beta carotene to A), sufficient vitamin D (likely from supplements), sufficient B vites (likely from supplements), not *just* sufficient EFA's but the right ratio's of said EFA's. while enough Ω-6 is critical for skin health and integrity, too much is not a good thing. some of us don't convert short chain Ω-3's (veg sources) to the long chain Ω-3's that our bodies need and will have to take some fish oil or eat some fish daily.

It's possible that what you describe is Seborrheic Dermatitis (SD). Besides reducing overall inflammation (what's your C Reactive Protein?), optimizing nutrients needed for good skin health/function, you may need to, over the short term, use a mild salicyic acid/BHA product like SalAc cleanser once a day in the shower. Or a mild BHA topical leave on - I like Ecco Bella Leave on Exfoliant. You're in australia though so....maybe one of the neutrogena topicals with bha/salicylic.

Retinoids are rarely a bad idea and can help juuuuust about anything skin related. Consider getting your hands on tazorac gel or tretinoin gel, using it daily and using 'short contact therapy' as necessary to mitigate side effects.

All the best,
Katherine

[Brafarality]

I find myself recommending this for every ailment, sort of as a cure-all, but such is its power and rejeuvenative qualities that I cannot help but recommend it. And, in your particular case, it seems perfect. Everything you are describing suggests that a vigorous infusion of healthy oils into your diet will be an effective remedy against what ails (irritates is better word- 'ail' actually is too harsh for symptoms, but, stet!) you and then some:

1- Raw organic almond butter [on toast, pretzel-dipped, carrot-dipped, etc.]
2- Raw organic tahini (roasted ok too) [just take it medicinally. hold your nose if you have to! it gets monotonous fast, but it is soooooo healthy]
3- Organic Smart Balance or Earth Balance vegan buttery spreads

Daily for six months in big, heaping globs and tablespoons.
'Twill almost certainly affect an improvement.

Cheers.

Hmm I see where you're going with that, I think I'm getting most of what you're talking about in my diet already:

1. I eat lots of raw nuts. Almonds included.

2. I have a middle eastern background so tachina (yes, ta... chi... NA!!! The 'ch' is gutteral) is nothing new to me. Also tachina has a devine taste I would never hold my nose while eating it. Its taste is one of the things that makes life pleasant to experience.

3. Vegan butter?

cheers and thanks.

Very cool!
I would just add a few things:
1- Eating raw nuts, including almonds, is really good, but nut butters are better because they are much easier to digest: the grinding of nuts really makes them an ambrosial food of the gods. Walnuts, pecans, and other softer nuts, however, may be eaten raw without any increased digestive difficulty.

2- Awesome. I will make an effort to properly pronounce this food I value so much.

3- I just like the term 'vegan butter'. Can also be called vegetable oil spread, margarine, etc. But, butter in and of itself need not be made from milk. It is the process, I believe, or perhaps the consistency, that creates butter. Shea butter, cocoa butter, etc., all come to mind, in addition to the more modern soy/palm/olive oil spreads available.

Cheers.

[Ben]

Ahh margarine, I'm with you brother. I love that stuff. I have it on everything!!

And I agree with you and laugh at the fools who eat butter, not knowing that it contains harmful saturated fats. Modern technology allows us to eat spreads containing wholesome hydrogenated oils in a trans formulation. Lol, it's a well known fact that butter raises LDL!! How could you be so foolish????

Man o man I'ma go make me a nice trans-sandwich right now!

Cheers man Hooray for progress!!

[Ben]

Irritated skin can also be your body saying "help! I don't have enough zinc!" among other things, but zinc is one of the biggies. A veg/vegan diet high in fiber can increase zinc needs by up to about 50%.

A 20% ZnO s/s is very likely going to be highly whitening/visible on your skin and will offer little in the way of UVA protection (a ppd of approx 8 and not much more....while zinc offers a little protection across the UVA spectrum, it's so inefficient that the protection will never amount to much)

......

All the best,
Katherine

Thanks a lot for your response Katherine. I've looked into everything you wrote. I strongly believe now that the persistent dry skin around my nose is due to Seborrheic Dermatitis. I looked it up and looked at the specific pattern in which SD manifests itself. Well, the dermatitis I have is in exactly the same locations, ie, where the sebaceous glands are. I'm amazed, is it an incredible fluke you mentioning SD?

I haven't a vegean or a vege diet but my maybe my diet is lacking in Zinc, I'm not sure I eat diversely enough, I do take fish oil though. I'm not taking a multivitamin but I will be doing so soon, perhaps that will help if their is any dietary cause for this. I'll find out for sure soon enough, I'm having a full blood assay done.

Re: The salicylic acid I think this is a great idea. I read up on this, and what I read assured me that it was useful in treating SD and pimples too with the inhibition of sebum which is really two birds.

Oh and I'm using a 0.05% tretinoin cream on my face every night and have been doing so for nearly two weeks. It's helped the dry skin and the occasional breakouts I was experiencing. I'm going to replace it with a 0.1% tazarotene cream, and intersperse application of the taza cream with tretinoin.

Thanks again.

[Eva Victoria]

Katherine, I think you mix ZnO micro and regular ZnO with each other. What you wrote applies to micronized ZnO not ZnO (particle size 200).

20%ZnO (not micro!) has the highest UVA protection (peak at 383nm and it decreases at 500nm hence the visibility). 20% ZnO formulated in silicone (which will coat the particles and minimize ROS) will give SPF20 SPA 18. It is not the best protection against UVB rays but defenitely one of the most photostable UVA protectors that do not have to be reapplied.

It is indeed very whitening.
One could of course mix it with chemical(organic) sunscreens (OMC, AVO, TinosorbS+M, TiO2) and lower the need for so high ZnO.
Of course in this case the sunscreen has to be reapplied every 2h (bcause organic sunscreens will break down).
AVO+ZnO or TiO2 cannot be blanded together in the same sunscreen in the US (FDA reguations) + TinosorbM+S are not approved in the US either. That will leave us to OMC+AVO+Octocrylene for the US which won't have much UVA protection for long though neither any in the UVA2 spectrum (320-360).

Irritated skin can also be your body saying "help! I don't have enough zinc!" among other things, but zinc is one of the biggies. A veg/vegan diet high in fiber can increase zinc needs by up to about 50%.

A 20% ZnO s/s is very likely going to be highly whitening/visible on your skin and will offer little in the way of UVA protection (a ppd of approx 8 and not much more....while zinc offers a little protection across the UVA spectrum, it's so inefficient that the protection will never amount to much)
i'd look at a wide variety of of dietary factors to insure you're getting enough zinc, protein (for your needs...it really can vary), vitamin A (while most of us get a lot, there are various genetic and health factors that affect how we convert beta carotene to A), sufficient vitamin D (likely from supplements), sufficient B vites (likely from supplements), not *just* sufficient EFA's but the right ratio's of said EFA's. while enough Ω-6 is critical for skin health and integrity, too much is not a good thing. some of us don't convert short chain Ω-3's (veg sources) to the long chain Ω-3's that our bodies need and will have to take some fish oil or eat some fish daily.

It's possible that what you describe is Seborrheic Dermatitis (SD). Besides reducing overall inflammation (what's your C Reactive Protein?), optimizing nutrients needed for good skin health/function, you may need to, over the short term, use a mild salicyic acid/BHA product like SalAc cleanser once a day in the shower. Or a mild BHA topical leave on - I like Ecco Bella Leave on Exfoliant. You're in australia though so....maybe one of the neutrogena topicals with bha/salicylic.

Retinoids are rarely a bad idea and can help juuuuust about anything skin related. Consider getting your hands on tazorac gel or tretinoin gel, using it daily and using 'short contact therapy' as necessary to mitigate side effects.

All the best,
Katherine

[Ben]

Katherine, I think you mix ZnO micro and regular ZnO with each other. What you wrote applies to micronized ZnO not ZnO (particle size 200).

20%ZnO (not micro!) has the highest UVA protection (peak at 383nm and it decreases at 500nm hence the visibility). 20% ZnO formulated in silicone (which will coat the particles and minimize ROS) will give SPF20 SPA 18. It is not the best protection against UVB rays but defenitely one of the most photostable UVA protectors that do not have to be reapplied.

It is indeed very whitening.
One could of course mix it with chemical(organic) sunscreens (OMC, AVO, TinosorbS+M, TiO2) and lower the need for so high ZnO.
Of course in this case the sunscreen has to be reapplied every 2h (bcause organic sunscreens will break down).
AVO+ZnO or TiO2 cannot be blanded together in the same sunscreen in the US (FDA reguations) + TinosorbM+S are not approved in the US either. That will leave us to OMC+AVO+Octocrylene for the US which won't have much UVA protection for long though neither any in the UVA2 spectrum (320-360).

I'm using La Roche's Posay Athelios Fluide XL on my face. I'm not reapply it because it's winter and I thought seeing as there is reduced UV now and considering I am not sweating as much, I would not have to reapply every 2 hours.

What do you reckon?

[Eva Victoria]

Winter in Australia is not the same as winter in the South of Europe, now is it?
What I am trying to say is that if the UV-index is higher than 3 I would definetely reapply sunscreen every 2 hours.
As far as I know your UV-index in AU in the winter is higher than the highest in the South of Norway in the summer (which at the very most extreme cases reaches 6.6 -normally it is 5.9 for only a few days a year-today it was 4.5 just for illustration).

Your Uv-index should be easily accessed locally on weather report sites on the internet.

National Ultra Violet Index Forecast - Bureau of Meteorology
http://www.bom.gov.a..._national.shtml

Katherine, I think you mix ZnO micro and regular ZnO with each other. What you wrote applies to micronized ZnO not ZnO (particle size 200).

20%ZnO (not micro!) has the highest UVA protection (peak at 383nm and it decreases at 500nm hence the visibility). 20% ZnO formulated in silicone (which will coat the particles and minimize ROS) will give SPF20 SPA 18. It is not the best protection against UVB rays but defenitely one of the most photostable UVA protectors that do not have to be reapplied.

It is indeed very whitening.
One could of course mix it with chemical(organic) sunscreens (OMC, AVO, TinosorbS+M, TiO2) and lower the need for so high ZnO.
Of course in this case the sunscreen has to be reapplied every 2h (bcause organic sunscreens will break down).
AVO+ZnO or TiO2 cannot be blanded together in the same sunscreen in the US (FDA reguations) + TinosorbM+S are not approved in the US either. That will leave us to OMC+AVO+Octocrylene for the US which won't have much UVA protection for long though neither any in the UVA2 spectrum (320-360).

I'm using La Roche's Posay Athelios Fluide XL on my face. I'm not reapply it because it's winter and I thought seeing as there is reduced UV now and considering I am not sweating as much, I would not have to reapply every 2 hours.

What do you reckon?

Edited by Eva Victoria, 16 June 2008 - 08:37 PM.

[Ben]

I just wanted to add here that I used a salicylic acid wash last night in an attempt to control my seborrheic dermatitis and to clear some stubborn pimples I had.

Well basically I put some on in the shower, rubbed it in rather vigorously and then rinsed and got out. As soon as I stepped out of the shower my face started to feel weird. Then it started to burn deeply and painfully. I had a look in the mirror and my face was very red. The sting was intensely painful. It was like a terrible sunburn had occurred all over my face and even small movements hurt. I let it settle down for around an hour then I applied a ridiculously small amount of retin-a considering that this also causes erythema in my skin. This also burnt yet at the time my face was hurting that much it was hard to tell which product was causing the burn. Right before I went to bed I put some emu oil on my skin.

I was surprised when I woke up that my skin was very clear and no longer red. In fact it looked fantastic ! I'm unsure wether this is the result of, A: The SA wash or, B: the lessened application of retin-A or perhaps it was a combination.

My face did react pretty strongly when I applied my antioxidant serum and became quite red again. It is also still very sensitive to the touch.

[spacey]

I just wanted to add here that I used a salicylic acid wash last night in an attempt to control my seborrheic dermatitis and to clear some stubborn pimples I had.

Well basically I put some on in the shower, rubbed it in rather vigorously and then rinsed and got out. As soon as I stepped out of the shower my face started to feel weird. Then it started to burn deeply and painfully. I had a look in the mirror and my face was very red. The sting was intensely painful. It was like a terrible sunburn had occurred all over my face and even small movements hurt. I let it settle down for around an hour then I applied a ridiculously small amount of retin-a considering that this also causes erythema in my skin. This also burnt yet at the time my face was hurting that much it was hard to tell which product was causing the burn. Right before I went to bed I put some emu oil on my skin.

I was surprised when I woke up that my skin was very clear and no longer red. In fact it looked fantastic ! I'm unsure wether this is the result of, A: The SA wash or, B: the lessened application of retin-A or perhaps it was a combination.

My face did react pretty strongly when I applied my antioxidant serum and became quite red again. It is also still very sensitive to the touch.

Salicylic Acid is a BHA if I remember correctly so if your skin got irritated by your AHA lotion then it's no surprise that SA has the same effect on your skin.

[Ben]

No, no, the AHA wash is fine. I'm using a 12% one which a apply generously and massage with vigor into my skin. It stings slightly when it goes on but after I wash it off there's no lingering redness.

Update: It's about 20 hours since I used the salicylic acid. My face is still very red.

[Ben]

Update: I am re-experiencing a lot of the same problems I had when I first created this topic.

This is even though I use a retinoid every night and a very good sunscreen (photoderm 50+) every day. I also apply a 10% AHA acid wash once a week as well as a salicylic wash (it contains menthol as well as some crappy perfume. Perhaps this is the cause of my reoccurring facial problems).

So far I've broken out in little pimples all over the lower part of my face. My skin is also very red and it is flaking rather severely.

I'd really like it if someone in this community could help me out again. My facial skin is more than just vanity it's how I make a living at the moment.

Thanks.

[Hoon]

Ben, I feel your pain. My career also depends largely on my appearance.

First, I would cut out the salicylic wash (you rightly suspect that the irritating menthol may be contributing to your condition). Second, have you ever considered using an azelaic acid preparation, such as Finacea/Azelex/Skinoren? It could help by disinfecting and lessening redness/inflammation. Both Fredrik and Eva have mentioned using this particular active, and I have also used it with good results. (I use the 15% gel formulation.)

Also, what kind of cleanser do you use when you are not using the AHA or BHA washes? Investing in a good, gentle cleanser would be a good idea.

Update: I am re-experiencing a lot of the same problems I had when I first created this topic.

This is even though I use a retinoid every night and a very good sunscreen (photoderm 50+) every day. I also apply a 10% AHA acid wash once a week as well as a salicylic wash (it contains menthol as well as some crappy perfume. Perhaps this is the cause of my reoccurring facial problems).

So far I've broken out in little pimples all over the lower part of my face. My skin is also very red and it is flaking rather severely.

I'd really like it if someone in this community could help me out again. My facial skin is more than just vanity it's how I make a living at the moment.

Thanks.

[Matt]

For pimples around the chin and mouth I foudn that applying a green tea bag and holding it there on the area will reduce the redness and pimple within 20 minutes or so. I sometimes just get these cotton pad things and dip into my green tea and wipe the face or place them around the cheeks and whatever. It's very effective at reducing redness... the reviews on green tea are great over at acne.org. Plus there was a study that come out that might interest you. http://www.scienceda...30425071800.htm

I also found that after using gentle exfoliating wash in the night, I apply Aubrey Organics Aloe Vera Gel. This takes away any skin irritation straight away, since I have very sensitive skin, plus it heals blemishes and stops scarring (so does green tea).

Hope this helps!

[Ben]

@Hoon: In what area do you work? PM me if it's not too personal a question. Re. the azelic acid, I am currently using it in a product with a cream base. It's the ego brand. Not sure if this is as effective as it could be though. I think it's a fairly low quality product.

I'm also using a BHA in with the Clearasil salacylic facial wash, but this could be causing me some problems with the menthol. The AHA I've got covered with a 10% glycolic facial wash that I have. Once again I think that the quality of this product isn't really up to scratch.


@Matt: Thanks for the green tea-bag tip. I'll try it and get back to you on how it went. Oh and the article you posted has made me feel a lot better about the green tea I drink and the EGCG I take every day.

[wydell]

Katherine, I think you mix ZnO micro and regular ZnO with each other. What you wrote applies to micronized ZnO not ZnO (particle size 200).

20%ZnO (not micro!) has the highest UVA protection (peak at 383nm and it decreases at 500nm hence the visibility). 20% ZnO formulated in silicone (which will coat the particles and minimize ROS) will give SPF20 SPA 18. It is not the best protection against UVB rays but defenitely one of the most photostable UVA protectors that do not have to be reapplied.

It is indeed very whitening.
One could of course mix it with chemical(organic) sunscreens (OMC, AVO, TinosorbS+M, TiO2) and lower the need for so high ZnO.
Of course in this case the sunscreen has to be reapplied every 2h (bcause organic sunscreens will break down).
AVO+ZnO or TiO2 cannot be blanded together in the same sunscreen in the US (FDA reguations) + TinosorbM+S are not approved in the US either. That will leave us to OMC+AVO+Octocrylene for the US which won't have much UVA protection for long though neither any in the UVA2 spectrum (320-360).

Eva: I am confused about your comments about micronized zinc. I use this product, it has micronized zinc, and it seems to have good ratings.

http://www.cosmetics...?prod_id=115886

(edited by Matthias: damaged quote syntax fixed)

Edited by Matthias, 11 October 2008 - 12:41 PM.

[Eva Victoria]

Update: I am re-experiencing a lot of the same problems I had when I first created this topic.

This is even though I use a retinoid every night and a very good sunscreen (photoderm 50+) every day. I also apply a 10% AHA acid wash once a week as well as a salicylic wash (it contains menthol as well as some crappy perfume. Perhaps this is the cause of my reoccurring facial problems).

So far I've broken out in little pimples all over the lower part of my face. My skin is also very red and it is flaking rather severely.

I'd really like it if someone in this community could help me out again. My facial skin is more than just vanity it's how I make a living at the moment.

Thanks.

Hi Ben!

I think you should give your skin a rest.
Use a gentle wash (like Lactacyd) and a light hydrating lotion and your Bioderma Photoderm sunscreen SPF50+.
Maybe it is a good idea to take a brake from Retin-A for a few days to let your skin recover.
Maybe you could try to use a physical sunscreen instead of Bioderma Photoderm sunscreen SPF50+, like Bioderma Minerale sunscreen SPF 50+ with ZnO+TiO2 or Avene Minerale sunscreen (TiO2+ZnO) though it is oilier then Bioderma.

[Ben]

Hi Ben!

I think you should give your skin a rest.
Use a gentle wash (like Lactacyd) and a light hydrating lotion and your Bioderma Photoderm sunscreen SPF50+.
Maybe it is a good idea to take a brake from Retin-A for a few days to let your skin recover.
Maybe you could try to use a physical sunscreen instead of Bioderma Photoderm sunscreen SPF50+, like Bioderma Minerale sunscreen SPF 50+ with ZnO+TiO2 or Avene Minerale sunscreen (TiO2+ZnO) though it is oilier then Bioderma.

Hey Eva, thanks for the reply.

I think that giving my skin a break from the retinoid I'm using at the moment would be disastrous in terms of the amount of pimples on my face. Also I think the photoderm is actually giving me the pimples to begin with. It's oilier than the LRP Fluide Extreme I was using and I can sort of track the outbreak to when I begin using photoderm.

I plan to get some real salicylic acid (20%) and apply it with a q-tip as a spot treatment. I'll do this along with the azeliac acid (which is not really having much of an effect).

I will look into bioderma's minerale sunscreen. The UV here gets so high in the peak of summer that I may be able to justify looking like a clown in thick glasses and a hat.