Post by handwasher on Jul 1, 2004 13:20:03 GMT -5
Hello everyone...
I'm new to this board and so I thought my first post would be to share what I have learned after years and year of dealing with crappy skin. I'm not a serious picker, but it's definitely a habit of mine that I find can only be solved by removing the things I pick at. My sister is a more serious picker, so I shared my regimen with her and it seems to have helped her a great deal. For me I find that just having a really involved and specific routine satisfies a large part of the slightly obsessive part of my brain that wants to pick.
I tried just about every single cream, scrub, lotion, astringent, and makeup on the planet in search for that one "magical" thing that would make me wake up with perfect skin. Finally a few years ago I decided to do some hardcore research, and I feel like I really turned a corner when I discovered these few truths:
HEALTHY SKIN TIPS
1. Obsessive washing, harsh scrubs, and any other irritants can cause you to break out just as much (if not more) than if you were doing nothing at all. Most skin is sensitive, and so if you scrub the bejesus out of it to the point where it finally feels "clean," then it's likely you have irritated your skin so much that more breakouts will happen. Be gentle.
2. Breakouts form under your skin up to 6 weeks before you actually see them at the surface. If you try a new product or regimen, be prepared to wait at least that long before you decide it if's working or not. It takes a while to break the cycle entirely, and even when you think your skin is clear you should keep up with your regimen. Prevention is way more important that treatment.
3. Always, ALWAYS wash off your makeup before you go to bed. I know how hard this can be, especially if you live with someone and you don't want them to see you sans-makeup before bed. But do whatever it takes so that your skin can have a chance to breathe at night. Even if, the next morning, you wake up with makeup still on and it looks like you have no new breakout...chances are it will pop up a few weeks later.
4. After cleansing, always PAT your skin dry instead of rougly wiping it.
5. Always use moistruizer (day and night, more info on this in the regiman section), because cleansing can frequently strip your skin of natural oils it needs to maintain balance. Dry skin causes just as many breakouts as oily skin.
6. Try to identify your own personal skin triggers (as they are different for everybody), and keep a journal if you have to. Some things you can control, and some you can't. I have found that the two main breakout triggers for me are sleep, stress, and my monthly cycle.
And now for my cleansing regimen. All of these products can be found at drugstore.com or clinique.com, which I find I like better because I can pore over every single option and ingredient for as long as like, instead of having to stand in a store for an hour and probably not even seeing all the available products. You might want to alter the products slightly to better fit your type of skin, but when looking for products these words are very important: "non-comodogenic" (won't clog pores) and "oil-free." My skin isn't perfect, but it has come a long way since I started this routine (which isn't even terribly expensive):
MORNING CLEANSING
1. Take shower, gently cleanse face with "Neutrogena Oil-Free Cream Cleanser." This product is mild, but has a good zit-fighting formula and feels nice when you softly work it into your face. This product works well on your back and chest too, or you can use "Neutrogena Deep Clean Body Scrub Bar."
2. Gently pat face dry.
3. Using a Swisspers (or any other lint-free disposable cotton pad), spread "Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Solutions Alcohol-Free Toner, For All Skin Types" over your face and neck, and allow it to dry. This stuff is very refreshing, and it helps make me feel like I'm "melting" a lot of the little dry skin bits that are so tempting to pick at. Definitely avoid any toners or astringents with alcohol or other harsh drying ingredients.
4. Work a decent amount (but not too much) of "Neutrogena Moisture Oil-Free Formula, SPF 15" into your face and neck. This step is REALLY important, and depending on the season you can choose to put on more or less but you should ALWAYS moisturize. Contrary to popular belief not ALL sunshine is bad, and in fact it's good for you to get about 20 minutes per day. However, the SPF 15 on your face will help protect you just enough to prevent sunburn and premature wrinkles.
5. Allow lotion to sink in for a few minutes, then apply makeup (see my makeup section for what I use).
NIGHT CLEANSING
1. Gently remove all makeup using "Neutrogena Makeup Removing Cleansing Towelettes." This product is fairly new, and I'm totally in love with it because it eliminates the need to use harsh scrubs or anything to get all your makeup off. The towels are so soft and do such a great job of taking off your makeup (even eye makeup) that you really don't even need to wash with anything else.
2. Although you don't have to, after I use the towelettes I still like to use a small amount of either "Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub" or "Neutrogena Blackhead Elminiating Daily Scrub" to remove anything the towels might have missed. Although both of these scrubs are much softer than some of the evil apricot gravel in other brands, it's still important to scrub gently.
3. Pat face dry.
4. Using a Swisspers (or any other lint-free disposable cotton pad), spread "Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Solutions Alcohol-Free Toner, For All Skin Types" over your face and neck, and allow it to dry.
5. Work a small-medium amount of "Neutrogena Light Night Cream" into your face and neck. Again, this step is really important because night is when your skin is more able to accept moisturizing nutrients. You don't want to use too much, but this brand is great because it's not too heavy.
6. If you have noticeable zits, dab on a little "Neutrogena On-The-Spot Acne Treatment, Vanishing Formula." Be careful not to use too much, as it may dry the skin out around the zit too. You can also use this in the morning, under your makeup.
MAKEUP
1. After applying moisturizer, use a small amount of "Clinique Clarifying Makeup Clear Skin Formula" as your foundation. I like this product because it dries pretty instantly so you don't feel greasy, and never looks too heavy. A good (and slightly cheaper) alternative is "Neutrogena Skin-Clearning Oil-Free Makeup." Both of these products contain a bit of salyclic acid, which is the same skin-clearning ingredient in the cleansers. If you notice your skin is getting too dry, you might want to switch to just a regular oil-free formula. I always use the liquid formulas instead of applying with a sponge, because that rubbing tends to irritate my skin.
2. For zit, splotch, and scar covering I use "Clinique Acne Solutions Concealling Cream" by dabbing onto spots and blending the edges. As with all face makeup, it's very important to choose the appropriate shade so that you don't look like you sprayed fake-tan on your face. It make take a couple of tries to get the right tone combos. A good and cheaper alternative (although it doesn't conceal quite as well) is "Neutrogena Skin-Clearing Concelaer."
3. After concelaer, I apply a little blush to my cheeks so I don't look totally like an over-concealed one-shade wonder. Then I finish by softly patting on "Clinique Clarifying Powder Makeup" in a compact. Make sure you wash and dry the appication pad at least once a week. I keep this with me all day, and use it to re-touch oily spots. You can also use "Neutrogena Skin-Clearing Oil-Free Pressed Powder."
So, I hope this helps some of you out. It's not neccessarily the answer for stopping picking altogether, but like I said I find I pick a lot less when there are less things to pick at in the first place! Feel free to ask me any questions or share comments.
;D
I'm new to this board and so I thought my first post would be to share what I have learned after years and year of dealing with crappy skin. I'm not a serious picker, but it's definitely a habit of mine that I find can only be solved by removing the things I pick at. My sister is a more serious picker, so I shared my regimen with her and it seems to have helped her a great deal. For me I find that just having a really involved and specific routine satisfies a large part of the slightly obsessive part of my brain that wants to pick.
I tried just about every single cream, scrub, lotion, astringent, and makeup on the planet in search for that one "magical" thing that would make me wake up with perfect skin. Finally a few years ago I decided to do some hardcore research, and I feel like I really turned a corner when I discovered these few truths:
HEALTHY SKIN TIPS
1. Obsessive washing, harsh scrubs, and any other irritants can cause you to break out just as much (if not more) than if you were doing nothing at all. Most skin is sensitive, and so if you scrub the bejesus out of it to the point where it finally feels "clean," then it's likely you have irritated your skin so much that more breakouts will happen. Be gentle.
2. Breakouts form under your skin up to 6 weeks before you actually see them at the surface. If you try a new product or regimen, be prepared to wait at least that long before you decide it if's working or not. It takes a while to break the cycle entirely, and even when you think your skin is clear you should keep up with your regimen. Prevention is way more important that treatment.
3. Always, ALWAYS wash off your makeup before you go to bed. I know how hard this can be, especially if you live with someone and you don't want them to see you sans-makeup before bed. But do whatever it takes so that your skin can have a chance to breathe at night. Even if, the next morning, you wake up with makeup still on and it looks like you have no new breakout...chances are it will pop up a few weeks later.
4. After cleansing, always PAT your skin dry instead of rougly wiping it.
5. Always use moistruizer (day and night, more info on this in the regiman section), because cleansing can frequently strip your skin of natural oils it needs to maintain balance. Dry skin causes just as many breakouts as oily skin.
6. Try to identify your own personal skin triggers (as they are different for everybody), and keep a journal if you have to. Some things you can control, and some you can't. I have found that the two main breakout triggers for me are sleep, stress, and my monthly cycle.
And now for my cleansing regimen. All of these products can be found at drugstore.com or clinique.com, which I find I like better because I can pore over every single option and ingredient for as long as like, instead of having to stand in a store for an hour and probably not even seeing all the available products. You might want to alter the products slightly to better fit your type of skin, but when looking for products these words are very important: "non-comodogenic" (won't clog pores) and "oil-free." My skin isn't perfect, but it has come a long way since I started this routine (which isn't even terribly expensive):
MORNING CLEANSING
1. Take shower, gently cleanse face with "Neutrogena Oil-Free Cream Cleanser." This product is mild, but has a good zit-fighting formula and feels nice when you softly work it into your face. This product works well on your back and chest too, or you can use "Neutrogena Deep Clean Body Scrub Bar."
2. Gently pat face dry.
3. Using a Swisspers (or any other lint-free disposable cotton pad), spread "Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Solutions Alcohol-Free Toner, For All Skin Types" over your face and neck, and allow it to dry. This stuff is very refreshing, and it helps make me feel like I'm "melting" a lot of the little dry skin bits that are so tempting to pick at. Definitely avoid any toners or astringents with alcohol or other harsh drying ingredients.
4. Work a decent amount (but not too much) of "Neutrogena Moisture Oil-Free Formula, SPF 15" into your face and neck. This step is REALLY important, and depending on the season you can choose to put on more or less but you should ALWAYS moisturize. Contrary to popular belief not ALL sunshine is bad, and in fact it's good for you to get about 20 minutes per day. However, the SPF 15 on your face will help protect you just enough to prevent sunburn and premature wrinkles.
5. Allow lotion to sink in for a few minutes, then apply makeup (see my makeup section for what I use).
NIGHT CLEANSING
1. Gently remove all makeup using "Neutrogena Makeup Removing Cleansing Towelettes." This product is fairly new, and I'm totally in love with it because it eliminates the need to use harsh scrubs or anything to get all your makeup off. The towels are so soft and do such a great job of taking off your makeup (even eye makeup) that you really don't even need to wash with anything else.
2. Although you don't have to, after I use the towelettes I still like to use a small amount of either "Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub" or "Neutrogena Blackhead Elminiating Daily Scrub" to remove anything the towels might have missed. Although both of these scrubs are much softer than some of the evil apricot gravel in other brands, it's still important to scrub gently.
3. Pat face dry.
4. Using a Swisspers (or any other lint-free disposable cotton pad), spread "Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Solutions Alcohol-Free Toner, For All Skin Types" over your face and neck, and allow it to dry.
5. Work a small-medium amount of "Neutrogena Light Night Cream" into your face and neck. Again, this step is really important because night is when your skin is more able to accept moisturizing nutrients. You don't want to use too much, but this brand is great because it's not too heavy.
6. If you have noticeable zits, dab on a little "Neutrogena On-The-Spot Acne Treatment, Vanishing Formula." Be careful not to use too much, as it may dry the skin out around the zit too. You can also use this in the morning, under your makeup.
MAKEUP
1. After applying moisturizer, use a small amount of "Clinique Clarifying Makeup Clear Skin Formula" as your foundation. I like this product because it dries pretty instantly so you don't feel greasy, and never looks too heavy. A good (and slightly cheaper) alternative is "Neutrogena Skin-Clearning Oil-Free Makeup." Both of these products contain a bit of salyclic acid, which is the same skin-clearning ingredient in the cleansers. If you notice your skin is getting too dry, you might want to switch to just a regular oil-free formula. I always use the liquid formulas instead of applying with a sponge, because that rubbing tends to irritate my skin.
2. For zit, splotch, and scar covering I use "Clinique Acne Solutions Concealling Cream" by dabbing onto spots and blending the edges. As with all face makeup, it's very important to choose the appropriate shade so that you don't look like you sprayed fake-tan on your face. It make take a couple of tries to get the right tone combos. A good and cheaper alternative (although it doesn't conceal quite as well) is "Neutrogena Skin-Clearing Concelaer."
3. After concelaer, I apply a little blush to my cheeks so I don't look totally like an over-concealed one-shade wonder. Then I finish by softly patting on "Clinique Clarifying Powder Makeup" in a compact. Make sure you wash and dry the appication pad at least once a week. I keep this with me all day, and use it to re-touch oily spots. You can also use "Neutrogena Skin-Clearing Oil-Free Pressed Powder."
So, I hope this helps some of you out. It's not neccessarily the answer for stopping picking altogether, but like I said I find I pick a lot less when there are less things to pick at in the first place! Feel free to ask me any questions or share comments.
;D
