I have terrible skin HELP

kmedeiros89

I've always had an issue with my skin. My main issue of course is my face but I also get small breakouts on my chest and back. It's so annoying, I'll be 25 this year and my skin is like a teenager I used Proactiv when I was younger and have tried a few different products since I've gotten older. I just don't know what to do anymore and I'm frustrated. I will be so upset if my skin is a mess on my big day, I want people to be looking at me and my husband, not my breakout. What can I do??!

PrincessOfHavoc

Have you tried oil cleansing method? Since you don't strip everything off your skin, it stops over producing oil in time.

That cleared 90% of my breakouts and all of the blackheads. The rest now relate to my medication and are a fungal issue. Yeast infection cream applied twice a day fixes those.

FutureMrsW27

I've recently started using oil cleansing and it has made a huge difference in my skin! I had big problems with breakouts, inflammation, and dry skin. I've been using mineral oil on my face every night before bed for about a week now and the redness has gone down some, and the dryness has gone away completely. Hopefully after another couple of weeks my bumps will go away too. Although now that the bumps aren't red it is much easier to cover them up with make up. 

kmedeiros89

PrincessOfHavoc said:

Have you tried oil cleansing method? Since you don't strip everything off your skin, it stops over producing oil in time. That cleared 90% of my breakouts and all of the blackheads. The rest now relate to my medication and are a fungal issue. Yeast infection cream applied twice a day fixes those.

Ive actually never heard of that method, what is it that I would have to do? I have noticed that my face can get kinda oily so maybe thats the right fix for me

CrazyCatLady3

You should go to a dermatologist.  This is what they do!

Aray82

I'm the same way! My parents both had acne into adulthood and they passed it on to me. Seemed to completely skip my sisters--so not fair! 

Any topical prescriptions from dermatologists just made my skin more irritated without fixing the acne and my parents wouldn't let me try anything stronger. (Which was probably a good idea in retrospect--FI used Accutane for his acne as a teen and now has chronic heartburn as a result.) That said, a dermatologist trip could be a good idea, especially if you're on a timeline for your wedding. Everyone's skin reacts differently to different treatments.

Drinking lots of water (as in even more than you need you need to satisfy thirst) and using a moisturizer with SPF has helped me a lot (I like the Vitamin C moisturizer from the Body Shop). Also rubbing in some jojoba oil at night, which you can get at Trader Joe's for around $6. If you're not constantly stripping your skin of oil, it won't feel like it has to produce excess oil to compensate. Exfoliate regularly (but no more than weekly so your skin doesn't get irritated) to take out dead skin that can clog your pores. My favorite exfoliator for my chest, face, and even back when needed is actually Greek yogurt--the bacteria cultures take out the dead skin and it's so smooth after! I also never, ever wear any sort of foundation except for a small spot-treatment of concealer on very rare occasions (like, when a zit is so big that I'm afraid people will be looking at the zit instead of at me). 

For emergency, big event tomorrow spot-treatment, I use tea-tree oil. $10 or so for a tiny amount, but it's quite strong and gets the job done. 

Basically, once I started chilling out about my skin, my skin started chilling out too. However, I also know that it might have something to do with age. My parents' acne just started to go away in their late 20s, as did mine. FWIW, they both now have beautiful, nearly wrinkle-free faces that look ten years younger--something I can hopefully look forward to! Having the face of a teenager now does have its benefits

sharibenson

A lot of acne actually comes for over-cleansing and drying out the skin!

I really like products with glycolic acid in them. They aren't drying like other acne treatments and help increase cell turnover. They come in a variety of price ranges from numerous brands. 

Have you thought about going to a sephora and getting samples of new skin care routine so you are not committed to buying new products?

Mitch617

I hate to suggest something unhealthy, but tanning beds help with the body breakouts at least temporarily

kmedeiros89

sharibenson said:

A lot of acne actually comes for over-cleansing and drying out the skin!

I really like products with glycolic acid in them. They aren't drying like other acne treatments and help increase cell turnover. They come in a variety of price ranges from numerous brands. 

Have you thought about going to a sephora and getting samples of new skin care routine so you are not committed to buying new products?

I actually had no idea that you could get samples for skin care routines from sephora. I always heard that they were really expensive there but I will have to check them out!

sharibenson

Oh yeah! Find a sales associate and tell them what your skin care concerns are be upfront that you want to try them before you buy them. Good Luck!

dolewhipper

For the chest and back I def suggest the Neutrogena Body Clear Body wash. I don't use a loofah as it already has exfoliating micro beads and I don't want to over stimulate my skin, but I do let it sit for a few minutes as I'm shaving my legs. Using it every other day has helped tremendously! I get small little zits/bumps on my chest and large ones on my back and shoulders they've pretty much disappeared.

kmedeiros89

shannonmaya said:

For the chest and back I def suggest the Neutrogena Body Clear Body wash. I don't use a loofah as it already has exfoliating micro beads and I don't want to over stimulate my skin, but I do let it sit for a few minutes as I'm shaving my legs. Using it every other day has helped tremendously! I get small little zits/bumps on my chest and large ones on my back and shoulders they've pretty much disappeared.

I'll def give that a shot. I get the same thing the small bumps on the chest are always an issue and the ones on the back and shoulders come and go too