Snow Queen: Your so knowledgable and helpfull, thanks

By the way I have heard good reviews about the toner you are using, how do you find it for you? I was considering get it, as well.

Hi Rache, and thanks for the complements.

The Nivea Visage Moisturizing Toner is an example of a gentle, unmedicated toner that adds water-binding agents and anti-irritants to the skin. It does contain fragrance, though not in any significant amount.

One of the more interesting ingredients the toner contains is niacinamide (vitamin B3), an ingredient that when topically applied can increase ceramide and free fatty acid levels in skin, prevent skin from losing water content, and stimulate micro-circulation in the dermis.

It also contains aloe vera, which may be soothing to the skin, and chamomille, which acts as an anti-irritant and antioxidant.

Aside from making my skin feel good, I find that the Nivea Visage Moisturizing Toner is a great way to gently wipe away any flaky skin.

Hey Snow_Queen, where do you get all this information from?

A lot of the information (especially that regarding skin irritants and chemical exfoliants) is from Paula Begoun, a cometics researcher who gleans her knowledge from sources like Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Molecular Cell Biology Research Communications, European Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, Journal of Cell Physiology, British Journal of Dermatology, you get the idea...

Much of the information I've written about here can be found on Paula Begoun's website, www.cosmeticscop.com.

I also research certain things myself that I can find on the internet, as you can see by the links I posted in some of the responses.

I have been breaking out for the past month now. I mean constantly since my last period...right now I have two nice sized bumps with no heads on my forehead. I just recently went on micocycline with ReintA...but I am really leery about this in the long run. Also, I am having a horrible Initial Breakout. Plus, I just want something that I can maintain naturally on my own that I can maintain without having to take medication.

I am thinking of changing my diet (as I have chronic constipation and I think that has a lot to do with it), taking B5 and Omega 3's, and from looking at this post now my cleansing agents.

Is Paula's Choice in the stores?

I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time with the initial breakout from Retin-A. Usually you're supposed to give prescription retinoids at least a three-month trial period, but if you're having a particularly bad time I can understand why you're considering stopping. If you do decide to stick it out but don't notice any improvement after the three months, some people have better success with other prescription retinoids like Differin or Tazorac, which don't use tretinoin.

I too would be cautious about the Minocycline, as not only do they carry certain health risks, but your p. acnes may also become resistant to them. Birth control pills may be helpful to you, but again these also have risks, one of which is melasma, which you may find to be even worse than acne.

Changing my diet has never been a factor in having clear skin for me personally, though some people have great success in doing so (I probably didn't do it right anyway). Even if a special diet and supplements don't do much for your acne, you'll hopefully be healthier overall.

Paula's Choice unfortunately isn't usually sold in stores, though it is my understanding that certain stores and spas do carry it. The problem is that these retailers are not listed on the website. The only retailer I knew of that carried Paula's Choice products was Come and Glow Day Spa in Michigan, and I don't even know if they're sold there anymore. You could try contacting Paula's Choice's customer service to learn about any retailers near you.

Websites that sell Paula's Choice that I know of are:

http://www.cosmeticscop.com (currently has free shipping if you spend $40+)

http://www.ebay.com (usually has discounted products; shipping varies by seller)

http://www.getthatglow.com (free shipping on 2+ products and some good discounts)

Also, I already posted this article in previous posts, but in case you didn't see it already, it has some great basic (but more in-depth than many other articles) information on treating acne:

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article....REFER=SKIN&ID=6

If you want to copy an over-the-counter regimen like what is shown in the article but don't want to use only Paula's Choice products, PM me.

yea after all who can be bothered reading everything in that long post

Avoiding all topical ointments will be the first step to a healthy recovery, ive done it, and its helped me cheers.

Very hot water on my skin, though painful, seems to help my acne.

That could be because hot water can help bring clogs to the surface, making them easier to get rid of. However, if you're feeling pain that's definately not a good thing and is an indicator that you're damaging your skin.

Chances are you'll have better success using a less damaging regimen that consists of effectively formulated products.



You couldn't be bothered to read my entire post yet you took the time to reply not once but twice?

I disagree with the ditching all topicals approach (I'm assuming by "ointments" you mean "treatments"); topical treatments aren't evil and can be very beneficial to the skin when well-formulated.

Personally, my skin started breaking out when I was just washing my face with water, and cleared up after using the right treatments.

However, if you find that using a very simple and gentle regimen is what keeps you clear, do it.

i rmemberd i had posted something, went and looked for my name, by doing Ctrl + F, and then saw that you had replied to it, and i replied back, and i can assure you, i did not read your whole long post.

I wasn't implying that I didn't believe your claim about not reading my entire post; I was implying that I found it ironic that you took the time to reply twice (now three times) but wouldn't take the time to read my entire post.

ill tell u why, firstly I dont need to read all that to treat acne, i wouldnt even remember all of it anyways, i just wash my face, and apply moisturizer, thats my regimen and its working well

cheers

Well, this thread is meant for people that still need to find an effective acne regimen or who are interested in treating acne, and I hope they do take the time to read it and learn some beneficial information.

I'm glad your regimen is working for you.

hey Snow Queen, thanks for your post sounds interesting..
i just started using 'Simple Pure soap' that does not contain fragrance, unecessary additives and colours. plz look at the imgredients. I use it as my cleanser, and makeup remover.

This is the ingredients taken from the package:
Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Aqua, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Etidronic Acid

http://www.keep-life-simple.com/

How does that sound thanks

hey Snow Queen, thanks for your post sounds interesting..
i just started using 'Simple Pure soap' that does not contain fragrance, unecessary additives and colours. plz look at the imgredients. I use it as my cleanser, and makeup remover.

This is the ingredients taken from the package:
Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Aqua, Sodium Palm Kernelate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Etidronic Acid

Pure Bar Soap 150g x 2
Simple Soap
Pure soap
'If you want a soap that doesn't irritate then our Pure Soap is for you.
Suitable for the whole family its mild formula gently cleanses leaving your skin feeling refreshed.
Dermatologically Tested'

http://www.keep-life-simple.com/

How does that sound thanks

sorry for the double reply

These three ingredients are what concern me:

Sodium Tallowate- can potentially clog pores
Sodium Cocoate - irritating cleansing agent
Sodium Palm Kernelate- irritating cleansing agent

Also, soap typically has an alkaline pH, which can increase bacteria in the skin. Liquid cleansers are usually better for the skin than bar cleansers.

Don't believe the claims on packages stating that a product is gentle; these aren't regulated and can be put on anything.

awwww. but i am still goin 2 continue with it..... at least its not like other cleansers and washes that have worser ingredients & twice or even three times as much ingredients. So yerr, ill tell ya how it goes. Ive researched and searched so many websites to find a new cleanser last week. Most had to many ingredients and others had SLS or either SLES. And this is the best product i found so far. Also lots of pepz use bakign soda to mask/scrub and i heard its alkaline to. Thanx for replying

Suit yourself, but really you'd be much better off finding a sodium laureth sulfate (not sodium lauryl sulfate, which is irritating) based liquid cleanser or one with another gentle surfectant. On that note, you seem to misunderstand how sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate react with the skin and body. This article should shed some light on this topic for you:

http://cosmeticscop.com/learn/article.asp?...=SKIN&ID=50

Concerning the baking soda, it has a pH of around 8.1. Consequently, I don't think it's a good idea to use it directly on the skin. However, I have heard that a little baking soda can be mixed with liquid cleansers, which often times have a pH of around 5 or 6, to use as an exfoliant, so I would think that the overall pH of this mixture would not be alkaline.

Lots of people don't use sunscreen and think they're not harming their skin provided they don't tan or burn, but the medical community has found this way of thinking to be incorrect. Often times the damage caused by the use of irritating or alkaline products isn't immediately visible, but that doesn't mean it's not there.

thanks for ur reply... wow really? thats interesting Wat u had said about the SLES, being better than soap? Yer your probably right, I looked into sodium tallowate and its made of animal fats and fish oils. Hmm doesn’t sound so good. Yer probably better off using a proper cleanser. Since starting this soap, I am still extremely oily!, I want to stick to the Simple brand. I am interested in trying this out, and I might buy it this weekend cuz its 20% off. Does the ingredients here sound okay?

Aqua (Water)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cocamide DEA
Glycerin
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5)
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Bis-PEG/PPG-20/20 Dimethicone
Glyceryl Laurate
Citric Acid
Sodium Chloride
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
Dipropylene Gylcol
2-Bromo-2-Nitropane-1,3-Diol
Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile Oil)
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Potassium Sorbate


http://www.simpleskincare.com.au/simpleski...ProductId=%2018

Thanks so much

That cleanser looks much better; however, there is some concern about cocamide DEA and it's supposed link to cancer, which you can read about here:


http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/article....=SKIN&ID=62


Based on what the article said, though, you probably should be OK using it.


Some other cleansers you could also try are:

Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser

Nivea for Men Sensitive Extra Gentle Face Wash (which women can use too)


No matter what cleanser you use, the oil will eventually come back becuase oil production is primarily controlled by hormones. The best thing you can do is use a gentle cleanser that will remove oil, debris, and dead skin cells from your skin's surface without "stripping" it like those mentioned above.

thanks, ill tell ya how it goes thank-you you have helped me so much *goes off and buys Simple*