Post by M2 on Jan 13, 2010 22:24:15 GMT -5
I just want to say first, that I have been a facial and body skin squeezer/picker for most of my teenage/adult life, and I am 41 now. Several years back, I was on this board a lot thinking I had answers. Well, all of those things I tried, did lead me toward where I am now, but I think the major turning point was what I did these past three years.
1. when I started the simplest skin care regimine (Mary Kay Timewise cleanser bar morning and night, night serum at night, and SPF15 moisturizing cream during the day, as well as exfoliating a couple of times per week). I have stuck with this for about three years - the longest I've ever stayed with something - it is simple, not harsh at all on your skin, and very pampering feeling. Keeping your face lightly moisturized kept the scabs softer and less likely to be picked at also. After gently exfoliating, I also used the Mary Kay Timewise Microdermabrasion Replenishing cream (I discontinued this later - read below). I liked their TimeWise eye cream also and still use it. The key here was cleansing both in the morning AND and night with a non-drying, non-greasy cleanser. After the night cleansing, I either didn't put anything on afterwards or applied the Mary Kay Timewise Night Serum. (Previously, I had applied "moisturizing" creams, that, apparently, didn't allow my skin to breath, and I would break out from them.)
2. The next thing I added was moving from liquid makeup to mineral makeup foundation, concealer, and finishing powder (Everyday Minerals and Signature Minerals) - it was hard at first, as mineral makeup takes some experimenting with colors and finishes and stuff, but the part that changed me was applying everything with a brush, rather than with my fingers (one less excuse to touch my face). Also, coverage was different from liquid makeup - it seemed to stay on longer and not emphasize sores/scabs as much, making me less likely to fiddle with them during the day. Using brushes also made me feel like I was pampering my skin.
3. The third thing I added was using dark, raw, unfiltered honey (Raw Buckwheat Smitty Bee Honey) on my face after cleansing. It is messy, but if you put your hair back first, it works fine. I would leave this on for about 15 min. and then wash it off with warm water. My skin felt really nice afterwards. This did not "cure" any existing acne, but it helped to prevent further breakouts. I used this almost every day at first, and then gradually worked my way to about once a week. I learned that raw, unfiltered, unheated honey carries antibacterial properties, as well as moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory properties.
What I learned: I usually broke out after exfoliating and after touching my face with my hands. To solve this (and this REALLY worked!) If, after I cleansed my face, I touched, squeezed, picked my face, weather a little or A LOT - I would rewash my face and apply honey. It was almost a given that if I didn't do this, I would break out the next day. If I did this, I would NOT break out the next day. Only existing pimples would stay. It was really amazing!! This was a gentle way of clearing my face of any bacteria that I added to my face with my hands or trapped on my face between exfoliating (which really exposes your face to bacteria) and applying the replenishing serum. (Later, I realized that the replenishing serum continued to cause some small breakouts - it seemed that it must've continued to trap some bacteria on the newly exfoliated skin, so I stopped using it, and ALL breakouts literally stopped!!!) I also think that the honey served as a "consequence" for touching my face, so I learned to touch less and less, because applying the honey was a pain to do over and over, but I knew that if I didn't, my face would get worse the next day. Using the honey helped to stop the cycle that we all have that keeps this habit going (pick, breakout more, pick, break out again, etc. - Now it was pick, wash, sooth/prevent, pick wash, sooth/prevent, then pretty soon, nothing much to pick at!)
Remember - this was approximately a 3 year process, but I am sooooo happy - it has been MONTHS since I've had any significant issues with my face! I never thought I'd get to this point. Not only is my face clear - I don't even want to touch it - and if I do, it is a short little "blip" and I walk away! This just happened and I'm not sure why! Honey Behavioral Therapy?
I'm so excited! I NEVER thought I'd ever get to this place - I feel like other people now. I walk around the house without makeup, I'm so proud of myself - I can even answer the door without makeup! I don't worry that people talking to me are staring at my imperfections anymore.
So - to some it up:
1. cleanse (gently) in morning and night with non-harsh (to allow your skin to use its own good bacteria and moisture - don't use alcohol-based/drying products that strip your skin of these), non-greasy (to allow your skin to breath, use only lightly moisturizing creams or no creams at night and be sure to use one with an SPF 15 or above in the day, every day) products. The less products the better! Use only the minumum that you need. Help your skin to "remember" how to care for itself. Cleansers shouldn't sting your face. If they do, they're too harsh. Also - to limit time in front of the mirror, I wash my face in the shower one time a day (night) with the Mary Kay cleanser.
2. use only mineral makeup and apply with brushes (do anything to lessen the amount that you touch your face)
3. apply dark, raw, unfiltered honey after exfoliating and after touching your face for any length of time - and DON'T over-exfoliate. Give your skin a chance to heal after exfoliating by giving it a few days, or you may cause more breakouts. Use a gentle, not harsh, exfoliater! No product should really sting on your face - if it does, it's too harsh!
4. Do some visualizing and writing of what you expect to happen (this was also helpful for me). Get excited. You will see progress! Give yourself time - don't expect habits to change fast. Expect that you will go backwards; I did. But keep believing you can do it. You will change it back. Don't expect your face to heal fast. Remember - three years for me. Lastly, you will tweak this process to meet your needs after you see patterns in how your face reacts and how your behavior changes/doesn't change. Be in charge of this yourself! You can "learn" you! Then you can change you! Pay attention to what triggers what and what is working and what is not working.
Best of luck!!
1. when I started the simplest skin care regimine (Mary Kay Timewise cleanser bar morning and night, night serum at night, and SPF15 moisturizing cream during the day, as well as exfoliating a couple of times per week). I have stuck with this for about three years - the longest I've ever stayed with something - it is simple, not harsh at all on your skin, and very pampering feeling. Keeping your face lightly moisturized kept the scabs softer and less likely to be picked at also. After gently exfoliating, I also used the Mary Kay Timewise Microdermabrasion Replenishing cream (I discontinued this later - read below). I liked their TimeWise eye cream also and still use it. The key here was cleansing both in the morning AND and night with a non-drying, non-greasy cleanser. After the night cleansing, I either didn't put anything on afterwards or applied the Mary Kay Timewise Night Serum. (Previously, I had applied "moisturizing" creams, that, apparently, didn't allow my skin to breath, and I would break out from them.)
2. The next thing I added was moving from liquid makeup to mineral makeup foundation, concealer, and finishing powder (Everyday Minerals and Signature Minerals) - it was hard at first, as mineral makeup takes some experimenting with colors and finishes and stuff, but the part that changed me was applying everything with a brush, rather than with my fingers (one less excuse to touch my face). Also, coverage was different from liquid makeup - it seemed to stay on longer and not emphasize sores/scabs as much, making me less likely to fiddle with them during the day. Using brushes also made me feel like I was pampering my skin.
3. The third thing I added was using dark, raw, unfiltered honey (Raw Buckwheat Smitty Bee Honey) on my face after cleansing. It is messy, but if you put your hair back first, it works fine. I would leave this on for about 15 min. and then wash it off with warm water. My skin felt really nice afterwards. This did not "cure" any existing acne, but it helped to prevent further breakouts. I used this almost every day at first, and then gradually worked my way to about once a week. I learned that raw, unfiltered, unheated honey carries antibacterial properties, as well as moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory properties.
What I learned: I usually broke out after exfoliating and after touching my face with my hands. To solve this (and this REALLY worked!) If, after I cleansed my face, I touched, squeezed, picked my face, weather a little or A LOT - I would rewash my face and apply honey. It was almost a given that if I didn't do this, I would break out the next day. If I did this, I would NOT break out the next day. Only existing pimples would stay. It was really amazing!! This was a gentle way of clearing my face of any bacteria that I added to my face with my hands or trapped on my face between exfoliating (which really exposes your face to bacteria) and applying the replenishing serum. (Later, I realized that the replenishing serum continued to cause some small breakouts - it seemed that it must've continued to trap some bacteria on the newly exfoliated skin, so I stopped using it, and ALL breakouts literally stopped!!!) I also think that the honey served as a "consequence" for touching my face, so I learned to touch less and less, because applying the honey was a pain to do over and over, but I knew that if I didn't, my face would get worse the next day. Using the honey helped to stop the cycle that we all have that keeps this habit going (pick, breakout more, pick, break out again, etc. - Now it was pick, wash, sooth/prevent, pick wash, sooth/prevent, then pretty soon, nothing much to pick at!)
Remember - this was approximately a 3 year process, but I am sooooo happy - it has been MONTHS since I've had any significant issues with my face! I never thought I'd get to this point. Not only is my face clear - I don't even want to touch it - and if I do, it is a short little "blip" and I walk away! This just happened and I'm not sure why! Honey Behavioral Therapy?
I'm so excited! I NEVER thought I'd ever get to this place - I feel like other people now. I walk around the house without makeup, I'm so proud of myself - I can even answer the door without makeup! I don't worry that people talking to me are staring at my imperfections anymore. So - to some it up:
1. cleanse (gently) in morning and night with non-harsh (to allow your skin to use its own good bacteria and moisture - don't use alcohol-based/drying products that strip your skin of these), non-greasy (to allow your skin to breath, use only lightly moisturizing creams or no creams at night and be sure to use one with an SPF 15 or above in the day, every day) products. The less products the better! Use only the minumum that you need. Help your skin to "remember" how to care for itself. Cleansers shouldn't sting your face. If they do, they're too harsh. Also - to limit time in front of the mirror, I wash my face in the shower one time a day (night) with the Mary Kay cleanser.
2. use only mineral makeup and apply with brushes (do anything to lessen the amount that you touch your face)
3. apply dark, raw, unfiltered honey after exfoliating and after touching your face for any length of time - and DON'T over-exfoliate. Give your skin a chance to heal after exfoliating by giving it a few days, or you may cause more breakouts. Use a gentle, not harsh, exfoliater! No product should really sting on your face - if it does, it's too harsh!
4. Do some visualizing and writing of what you expect to happen (this was also helpful for me). Get excited. You will see progress! Give yourself time - don't expect habits to change fast. Expect that you will go backwards; I did. But keep believing you can do it. You will change it back. Don't expect your face to heal fast. Remember - three years for me. Lastly, you will tweak this process to meet your needs after you see patterns in how your face reacts and how your behavior changes/doesn't change. Be in charge of this yourself! You can "learn" you! Then you can change you! Pay attention to what triggers what and what is working and what is not working.
Best of luck!!