Horrible skin! *photos*

[Verient]

My skin is really starting to get me down. I thought it may get better as I got older but it hasn't. I am eighteen now. I would say its combination skin. Oily on forehead, nose and chin and 'normal' on the cheeks. It feels tight with oil sitting on the surface.

Here are some photos.. *cringe* Sorry.. I am actually disgusted by these Blurred out features to stay anon!!

http://i55.tinypic.com/27zhhm9.jpg

http://i56.tinypic.com/2lus0at.jpg

http://i56.tinypic.com/34ifdj5.jpg

Can anyone recommend me any products?

 

[mercurysmile]

Aww don't get yourself down, you just haven't found something that works for you. I just turned 22 and while my acne has lessened I still battle with it. I also have combination skin with oily t-zone and normal cheeks.

I saw a dermatologist when I was 17 and she said to wash with a mild cleanser like cetaphil or spectrogel morning and night. Treat during the day with low % benzoyl peroxide (acne.org is the cheapest I found and easiest to apply) all over the face, not spot treat. At night use vitamin A cream 0.05% (this is prescription in Canada, not sure about anywhere else) again all over the face.

You HAVE to use a good sunscreen when you are using vitamin A cream. Also tolerance needs to be built up when you first start using it, by applying it 30min after washing the face then leaving it on for an hour and then washing it off. This continues for about a week which you then leave it on overnight. It's a pretty thick cream so I squeeze a small amount on wetted fingers and mix it around making it easier to apply, you can also mix the cream with some moisturizer if you find the vitamin A too irritating.

I find this method is very similar to the acne.org method so you can give that a go. They basically switch out the vitamin A cream with Alpha Hydroxy Acid, both are essentially exfoliators. Hence why you need to use sunscreen as the skin is a lot more sensitive which the use of these products. Word of warning the vitamin A will make you breakout, the benzoyl peroxide in the morning is to stem the breakout. I found it took 3 months to really start seeing results.

I hope this helps, struggling with acne is no fun. I have ice pick scars and boxcar scars that won't go away. I'm currently using a modification of the mentioned routine since my acne has lessened as I got older. This might or might not work for you, I personally found the benzoyl peroxide worked for me while other people found that salicylic acid works better. Hate to say it but you just gotta try different things for atleast 3 months before you find it doesn't work and you have to move on.

 

[thursdaynxt19]

I totally understand how you feel. I used to battle acne but my skin has cleared up in the last year or two (I'm 22 now). I'm not sure if that's due to changing hormones or my skin routine.

I agree that a gentle cleanser is best for dehydrated-feeling, oily skin. I use Karen's Clarifying Skin Cleanser but it's on the pricey side for a rather unknown brand. I've seen a lot of people using Cetaphil and it seems to work for them.

I spot treat with DDF Benzoyl Peroxide Gel and moisturize. DDF's gel has benzoyl peroxide & tea tree oil, so it helps prevent new spots and reduces the size of existing ones. It's not a miracle product but it does shorten the time it takes for acne to heal. I know some people with oily skin don't moisturize, but I really think that a good moisturizer that absorbs well makes skin feel healthy and not uncomfortably tight. You can even use jojoba oil to moisturize if creams aren't your favorite to use. It seems counterintuitive to put oil onto oily skin, but jojoba really nourishes my skin if I massage it in and helps prevent my skin from producing more oil than it should.

Hope that helps and best of luck~

 

[lilithsnake6]

I have very oily skin on my forehead, nose and chin with pretty normal cheeks. I'm a little unorthodox with my skin but I thought it might be helpful to put other ideas out there. I wash my face with oil-free acne-specific cleanser & then apply oil-free acne-medicated moisturizer. I think the moisturizer is really important so that when you take the bad dirty oil off you replace it so that your skin doesn't just make more. I wear makeup most days & for awhile I put the moisturizer on, let it soak it, put on my sunscreen & used acne-medicated foundation (Neutrogena to be specific). My unorthodox part is that I know you're suppose to be very gentle with exfoliation & only do once or twice a week with a face-specific one. I use Bath & Body Works sugar scrubs. Before you scream in horror, I tried face ones & felt they weren't taking off the oil, the dead skin, clearing my pores & replacing with clean moisture. The Bath & Body Works ones worked so great for me- I use it every other day in the shower except any day that I feel like my skin is slightly dry. This may not work for you but I would recommend a mild exfoliator to see if that may help and the spot-treat any other acne as soon as you notice it. I also had a cleansing facial at my local beauty salon and it actually cleared my skin for a good two weeks without any work from me. It may work if things get really bad or if you have a special occasion coming up. I hope everything works out for you & as you get older it will get better (I'm 22 & I didn't get anything on my cheeks until I hit 18- which believe me, I understand your distress).

 

[LMD84]

i'm sure you are in the uk. if you are you need to get down boots and buy a cream called quinoderm. you buy it over the counter and it's only £2.50 but amazing. i had really bad acne and this was the only thing that cleared it right up.

 

[Mabelle]

your skin sounds dehydrated. Things like oil free hydrators will help while using a gentle cleanser, and some sulfur masks. The sulfur sucks everything out of your skin, and helps heal. Retinol's at night are helpful too as they help with future scaring.

products i like to recommend are
clean starts "wash off cleanser" or b. kamin's acne cleanser
a good toner or even witch hazel
moisturizer like korre yogurt cream, or boscia clear complextion. Frsh Umbrian clay is also very nice!!
Retinol i use Philosophy's help me (follow with an SPF in the am)

and ask for the mask, ddf makes a good one, but im sure you can find something less expensive.

Try making yougurt masks at home. yogurt really helps to balance dehydrated skin. When your skin lacks moisture (water) it goes into an over production of oil, clogging your pores, and often times causing breakouts. Yougurt is rich and creamy, penetrates easily, and is known from its balancing properties.

If you can afford it, Clarisonic's are amazing. My boyfriend has oily skin, large pore, and blackhead/acne prone. After two week with the clairsonic, his skin is glowing (in a good way). Way less breakouts, way less blackheads! your skincare also tends to work better because all the debris is cleared away, allowing it to really penetrate.

good luck!

 

[Babylard]

I used proactive in high school and my skin started out like yours. it worked wonders for me

 

[Candlecove]

What worked for me was using as gentle products as possible. At night I would apply a cream with salicylic acid and a lightweight cream over that. I avoided anything with perfume, irritating ingredients (menthol, for example, I have found is in a lot of skincare products to blemish prone skin) and double checking everything in my products to make sure nothing in it would clog my pores.
I don't have acne anymore, so I must say that it worked for me. But then again, my acne was not hormone related. It was just my skin finally having had enough from the constant abuse from harsh cleansers and stuff like that.
Now I just need to get of the blackheads on my nose, and I'll be flawless.

Anyway, it can't hurt trying to be as gentle as possible.

 

[Duvessa]

I used to have really bad acne in my teens. I got Roaccutan (Accutane) for it and it cleared my skin. After that I've used contraceptives prescribed for acne skin and that has helped a lot too. I still got quite nasty bumps and spots until I switched to 2% BHA (Salicylic Acid) gel for the night and I also have toner that has salicylic acid in it. I use Paula's Choice but I think there are some others that work just as fine. I've heard in US Proactive is great (it has different formula in EU so not as good here).

 

[Piarpreet]

Just go to your doc and get birth control. its the only thing that worked for me. But get recommendations from a professional

 

[BinkysBaby]

I certainly understand your concerns! I am 30 and I've been battling with acne since I was 12 so you are not alone. I have a new regime that works really well for me.

Wash twice a day with this Kiehl's cleanser:
http://www.kiehls.com/Blue-Herbal-Gel-Cleanser/544,default,pd.html?start=2&cgid=face-acne

I use a Indian clay mask a couple of time a week. I mix mine with apple cider vinegar.
http://www.amazon.com/Aztec-Secret-Indian-Healing-Clay/dp/B0014P8L9W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324737435&sr=8-1

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=raw+apple+cider+vinegar&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=6808568532335905656&sa=X&ei=YeT1TuO9B4XWiALjw-SODQ&ved=0CHgQ8gIwAg

In the morning, I use this moisturizer:

http://www.kiehls.com/Sodium-PCA-Oil-Free-Moisturizer/337,default,pd.html

and, in the evening, I use:

http://www.kiehls.com/A%C3%A7a%C3%AD-Damage-Correcting-Moisturizer/796,default,pd.html?start=2&q=acai

I realized that when I was using astringent everyday, my face was more oily leading to more pimples. I now only use it a few times a week and I use the apple cider vinegar as my astringent.

Good luck

 

[inishkai]

Honestly, you skin does not look that bad! My skin is horrid also but it's better. It will be the same for you too!