Hi Everyone,
I can relate to this topic ~ I dealt with skin issues in my high school years and early college - went through years of dermatologist sessions - oral antibiotics, "acne-surgery", then myriad different creams including Retin-A and then Accutane, two different times...then my skin seemed mostly clear and then last year at 36 I was noticing acne again! Very frustrating right when you are starting to deal with anti-aging and then zits come back into your life.
This might sound funny to you ~ but I read recently in a women's magazine that if you are breaking out only around the chin and use a whitening toothpaste, you should go back to a regular toothpaste as the ingredients in the toothpaste - well get into your gums and then the skin around your face etc. I stopped using whitening toothpaste and no longer have the bad bumps on the chin! Go figure.
I agree with others here that you really do have to experiment and RESEARCH to find what works best for you -but knowledge/awareness is key (kind of like figuring out what work out is best for us right, some of us can go heavy on weights and some of us do better with more cardio etc.)
Now I will say up front that I recently became an Arbonne consultant, so I am clearly biased. However, I also can give a nodd to many other products here and talk about some information that is good to know across the board.
For me, I found that Arbonne skin care products worked amazing wonders for both anti-aging (taking away many of the effects of years of sun worship/tanning beds) and also for this sensitive skin, stress acne I seemed to get again.
Before Arbonne, I too had found out about Paula and her books really opened my eyes on how important it is to know about ingredients in cosmetics and skin care. I realized back then how much ALCOHOL was in the products I used; severaly drying. I never tried Paula's products but I hear wonderful things about them and she is amazingly knowledgeable.
**With dermatologists, just avoid the oral antibiotic trap. Acne is a relatively simple condition; over production of sebum in the pores leads to white heads or black heads or even cysts. Once they are visible, the damage is done - and it was begun much earlier. Stress is a huge factor, so are the ingredients in our products. But treating acne with antibiotics is horrible for you long term; pills only kill bacteria temporarily and then you develop a damaged immune system. Many of the OTC stuff even Proactiv (and I do NOT mean to "knock" them, but their ingredients are indeed harsh ones) uses very harsh ingredients that CAN (meaning they won't do this to everyone) severly dry out the skin, which it did to me. I returned my stuff. But I've heard a ton of people that love the product so - just goes to show you, find what works.**
Also don't over scrub your skin like someone else said. Overkill is just as bad as doing nothing. Sometimes it is best to just let your skin breathe. And avoid picking at all costs. As hard as it is to not do it, I've seen such good results at just ignoring a "stress bump" as I call it when it comes along.
Cetaphil is recommended by just about everyone, and I concur.
Lastly for a shameless plug that might help, I have benefited as have many of my friends and colleagues from Arbonne anti-aging products, and we also have a Clear Skin line that treats acne naturally from the inside out. There is a 3-step skin care system used with a natural supplement. My good friend had cystic acne for years and years, tried this solution and has seen a total turnaround. If you'd like to talk to me about this, feel free to email me personally at
[email protected]. My website below will show the products also.
Paula's books The Cosmetics Cop and The Beauty Bible are terrific reads on that subject and you'll learn a lot!!!
And I think Bare Escentuals makeup is also wonderful for the skin!!
;-)
Take care,
Kelly
www.kellyg.myarbonne.com
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