37 replies to this topic

[Cubed]

Has anyone ever had dehydrated skin that they have rectified? I really, really need advice.

Please don't recommend Glycerin+Water nor Hyaluronic Acid. I have tried those and they are temporary fixes that do NOT work for me.

What did you do to fix the problem?

I would love to here your success stories.

I am thinking of not washing my face at ALL with anything for a couple of days. Probably about a week and see what that does for me.

I wasn't born with dehydrated skin. I just used way too many harsh cleansers all at once and it really dried my skin out .... well, it really disrupted my acid mantle.

Right now I just but a Hydrosol (Rosewater) on my face then covered that with olive oil to help seal the moisture in.



Also, I drink lots of water and I'm trying to exercise more. Don't recommend that either.

Much love <3

[Adam08]

You're exactly right in that you were not born with dehydrated skin. Dehydrated skin is a condition, not a skin type. Not washing your face at all, like you said, is worth giving a go. It has helped a lot of people. You will have to stick with it though because there is an adjustment process that needs to take place. A common sign of adjustment is an increase in flakey/dead skin. Are you aware of what the acid mantle is?? Maybe look it up? It is something that you likely havent had for a while.

[headtrip_honey]

I struggle with this constantly.

Chemically dehydrated skin from the topicals, then just naturally oily skin.

Oil + flaking skin = gross!

How do I combat it?

Aggressive moisturizing regimen. I can't moisturize heavily during the day because of the oil, but at night I will layer on Aquaphor, sometimes on top of another moisturizer. Then in the morning I use dissolved aspirin to exfoliate off skin flakes.

A few days of this, and my skin usually returns to a somewhat normal balance.

[Le_Chaim]

What do you mean by "dehydrated/oily"? Is your skin flaking and still producing a lot of oil? I'm a bit confused.

Also, the glycerin + water sounds interesting. Explain, please...?

[gekkou]

let your skin heal first.

Go on a no frills cleansing regime.(water only, or whatever works with you)
I believe your skin is oily only because of the damage caused by all those shitty cleansers.
Once the mantle forms back, it'll be ok.

Also the hardest part to deal with imo is a face dripping with oil and still have the conviction to stick to the plan.
So good luck and have faith.

[Yesac]

WOW


just wow.....


I've been battling with this exact same thing for the past 6-7 years but have mistaken it for Seb Derm along with other things.

I'm amazed that no dermatologist (I've been to approx. 8) has ever mentioned dehydrated skin.

I've got the oily/dry skin thing going on and right now I'm on low dose of Accutane to control the oil, but now that I think I have dehydrated skin.. accutane is probably not the solution I need.


Please, please let me know if anyone comes up with a solution for this. Does Jojoba oil help rehydrate the skin?

[bryan]

I'm amazed that no dermatologist (I've been to approx. 8) has ever mentioned dehydrated skin.

I doubt that there's any real connection between oily skin and dehydrated skin, so I'm not surprised that none of your dermatologists have ever mentioned it.

.

[Yesac]

Here is a good article I found on the topic:

http://www.joseibi.com/index.php/2008/10/0...-of-adult-acne/


lets figure out a solution to this problem!

[bryan]

Here is a good article I found on the topic:

http://www.joseibi.com/index.php/2008/10/0...-of-adult-acne/

I wouldn't automatically assume that they know what they're talking about; after all, until recently, they were just a site selling beauty products to women.

They make the following statement: "When your skin is dehydrated, the sebum glands will secrete facial oil to compensate for the dryness, like a reflex to protect your skin. This is often called ‘rebound oil’ or ‘compensation oil’..." However, I haven't seen anything in the medical literature to support that claim. I suggest that you go by what doctors say, rather than some Web site that dispenses beauty advice to women.

.

[Le_Chaim]

Here is a good article I found on the topic:

http://www.joseibi.com/index.php/2008/10/0...-of-adult-acne/

I wouldn't automatically assume that they know what they're talking about; after all, until recently, they were just a site selling beauty products to women.

They make the following statement: "When your skin is dehydrated, the sebum glands will secrete facial oil to compensate for the dryness, like a reflex to protect your skin. This is often called ‘rebound oil’ or ‘compensation oil’..." However, I haven't seen anything in the medical literature to support that claim. I suggest that you go by what doctors say, rather than some Web site that dispenses beauty advice to women.

.

I didn't go to the link, but I have read other sources that agree with the basic idea you outlined in your post. I disagree with you, I think it makes sense. In addition, my experience has been that the medical community as a whole, and even my own physician or dermatologist, is not as in tune with my body and my skin as I am. Oftentimes I have self-diagnosed problems that I have, and the doctors merely confirmed my findings and wrote the prescription for me.

I think that if your skin is very tight, flaky, and/or painful to move or stretch (i.e. it hurts to smile), but within a few hours becomes greasy, it would be reasonable to conclude that your skin is compensating for the dryness. I have found that applying a moisturizer or humectant of some sort alleviates this "compensation oil" effect- unless, of course, the moisturizer you choose is applied too liberally or is greasy and unabsorbent in nature (such as Vaseline).

I too am searching for the right moisturizer for my skin. I will let you know if I find anything promising!

[bryan]

I didn't go to the link, but I have read other sources that agree with the basic idea you outlined in your post. I disagree with you, I think it makes sense.

I didn't say anything about whether or not I think it makes sense. I said that I haven't seen any medical or scientific support for the claim they're making. BTW, I posted a message on that same site, asking them if THEY know of any scientific evidence for their claim. Let's see if they respond to my challenge. I'm not holding my breath while waiting for them to respond!

I think that if your skin is very tight, flaky, and/or painful to move or stretch (i.e. it hurts to smile), but within a few hours becomes greasy, it would be reasonable to conclude that your skin is compensating for the dryness.

I suggest that you not always assume that some idea or theory is necessarily correct, just because it may seem reasonable to you. There are a great many theories in science that seem reasonable at first, but turn out to be incorrect.

I have found that applying a moisturizer or humectant of some sort alleviates this "compensation oil" effect- unless, of course, the moisturizer you choose is applied too liberally or is greasy and unabsorbent in nature (such as Vaseline).

And how exactly did you make the determination that it relieves the alleged "compensation oil" effect? Please be specific.

I personally did a careful test on myself nearly three years ago which had a completely different result from what you would expect, and I tested it in a scientific fashion. I washed my skin very thoroughly with Ivory soap 5-6 times a day for several days, and as you can imagine, it got VERY dry and very irritated. But despite that extreme dryness, there was no change in sebum production at all. And by the way, I measured my sebum production (both before and after the series of washings) with Sebutape test-strips, which is a scientific instrument used by doctors and scientists for just this purpose. If you want to read a detailed description of the way I conducted the test, and even see scans of the actual Sebutape test-strips from the test, see my thread "FINALLY: a more direct test of the 'feedback theory' ", which you can find in the Acne Research forum.

That's how _I_ did _my_ careful test, which showed no "compensation oil" effect at all. Now let's hear how YOU did YOUR test!

.

[headtrip_honey]

bryan, do you ever get sick of having to repeat this stuff over and over?

Anyway, I repeat what I said earlier:

I struggle with this constantly.

Chemically dehydrated skin from the topicals, then just naturally oily skin.

Oil + flaking skin = gross!

How do I combat it?

Aggressive moisturizing regimen. I can't moisturize heavily during the day because of the oil, but at night I will layer on Aquaphor, sometimes on top of another moisturizer. Then in the morning I use dissolved aspirin to exfoliate off skin flakes.

A few days of this, and my skin usually returns to a somewhat normal balance.

[kIwIwoOd93]

have you tried flaxseed oil? i take the capsules twice a day and it takes a while for it to get through your system but i haven't had dry or oily skin after about 3 weeks of using it. i used to have oily skin then in a make of days my skin was flaky and dry (winter months) flaxseed save my skin!

[bryan]

bryan, do you ever get sick of having to repeat this stuff over and over?

Yes I do. But there's always an influx of newbies who believe those old myths, so my job is never done.

.

[bran88]

have you tried flaxseed oil? i take the capsules twice a day and it takes a while for it to get through your system but i haven't had dry or oily skin after about 3 weeks of using it. i used to have oily skin then in a make of days my skin was flaky and dry (winter months) flaxseed save my skin!

yep omega 3's are a good suggestion...this helps me a lot with eczema in the winter time...

i think my topical routine has really helped to rebalance my skin...i had always had extremely oily skin (and hair), but after years of harsh products (mainly benzoyl peroxide for 10 years) I think my skin had just had enough and it got very very flaky. I couldn't layer on enough moisturizer to get the flakes to disappear for even a short amount of time. Unfortunately, I was also still oily underneath the flakes which is a recipe for disaster. An esthetician even commented "It's so weird, it's like your skin is peeling itself off!"

Now I use a facial brush morning and night with a gentle cleanser (I've made one myself from 1/2 c. vegetable glycerine, 2 tbpsns castille soap and 3 tbspns honey, but i think any gentle cleanser would do). I use azelex cream in the morning (this really really helped with my flakes) and clenia emollient cream at night (this helps with active acne, not with flakes). I didn't even need a moisturizer during the warm months while using this regimen. Now that it's winter, I've started using a homemade moisturizer (1/2 c. aloe vera, 5-7 drops lavender, 10-15 drops jojoba oil and 1/8 c. vegetable glycerine...you can add more glycerine and or oil if you need a stronger mositurizer).

I also use a honey and egg yolk mask a few times a week, this is very moisturizing. Finally, I believe that cutting down on dairy helped to cut my oil production significantly...In terms of getting rid of flakes though, azelex has been a lifesaver. Using it twice a day made me too oily, once a day with the clenia turned out to be perfect. hope that helps someone!

[Adam08]

there's always an influx of newbies who believe those old myths, so my job is never done.

consider me a newbie

[Le_Chaim]

I didn't go to the link, but I have read other sources that agree with the basic idea you outlined in your post. I disagree with you, I think it makes sense.

I didn't say anything about whether or not I think it makes sense. I said that I haven't seen any medical or scientific support for the claim they're making. BTW, I posted a message on that same site, asking them if THEY know of any scientific evidence for their claim. Let's see if they respond to my challenge. I'm not holding my breath while waiting for them to respond!

I think that if your skin is very tight, flaky, and/or painful to move or stretch (i.e. it hurts to smile), but within a few hours becomes greasy, it would be reasonable to conclude that your skin is compensating for the dryness.

I suggest that you not always assume that some idea or theory is necessarily correct, just because it may seem reasonable to you. There are a great many theories in science that seem reasonable at first, but turn out to be incorrect.

I have found that applying a moisturizer or humectant of some sort alleviates this "compensation oil" effect- unless, of course, the moisturizer you choose is applied too liberally or is greasy and unabsorbent in nature (such as Vaseline).

And how exactly did you make the determination that it relieves the alleged "compensation oil" effect? Please be specific.

I personally did a careful test on myself nearly three years ago which had a completely different result from what you would expect, and I tested it in a scientific fashion. I washed my skin very thoroughly with Ivory soap 5-6 times a day for several days, and as you can imagine, it got VERY dry and very irritated. But despite that extreme dryness, there was no change in sebum production at all. And by the way, I measured my sebum production (both before and after the series of washings) with Sebutape test-strips, which is a scientific instrument used by doctors and scientists for just this purpose. If you want to read a detailed description of the way I conducted the test, and even see scans of the actual Sebutape test-strips from the test, see my thread "FINALLY: a more direct test of the 'feedback theory' ", which you can find in the Acne Research forum.

That's how _I_ did _my_ careful test, which showed no "compensation oil" effect at all. Now let's hear how YOU did YOUR test!

.

I was actually just sharing my opinions, based on my experiences...I didn't expect such an enlightening response
You definitely have the scientific advantage here. I'm simply seeking from experience. When my face is dry, tight, and flaky after washing (and becoming shiny later in the day), I apply moisturizer of some sort (homemade, storebought, oil free, straight-up oil, glycerin...). Oftentimes my face will become softer and less greasy.

The problem with my experience is that I don't know what my true skin type is. I began using harsh acne products (like 10% bp) around age 12, when I first began to get occasional noninflammatory acne. I have often wondered if the products and/or their residue on my skin caused the shiny appearance, and my skin is not truly oily (this would explain why it feels dry after washing, and oily later in the day after I have topical acne treatments or makeup on). It could be my makeup that is causing the shiny, oily feel on my skin. I'm not sure.

Your test seems very interesting, and and I may even change my skincare routine if you can help me figure out this conundrum. How do you suggest I figure out what my skintype is? Actually, how do I know that my skin is inherently oily, rather than oily because of product residue? If one has oily skin on their face, I would assume that the oil glands over the rest of their body also produce more oil than those of people with "normal" or dry skin. Well, I have quite dry skin over the rest of my body, and my hair is incredibly dry (indicating the condition of my scalp). Can you shed some light on this?

Thanks

[kc01cxt]

i would love to do this, but how do you stay clear with water only?? i think i'd break out like mad!

[Cubed]

Hey guys! I'm so glad to see many people replying to the thread.

What I have been doing is just cleansing with oil and then adding a natural moisturizer with these ingredients: honey, honey cappings, bee pollen, propolis, st john's wort oil, royal jelly, pure water, balsam fir needles
It's called Bee Yummy by Live live.

I bought it a while ago but I just started using it recently. Then I put on a layer of oil such as jojoba oil, emu oil, squalane, shea butter. LOL. Just some type of oil that will help protect my skin.
I use Burt's Bee's Intensive Repair Serum, too daily.

I think this is helping A LOT.

I used this bar of soap to cleanse my skin recently, it was supposed to be all natural, but I think it brought me back a little bit so I am going to drop the soap! LOL

Also, I read what you guys have suggested and I'm thinking about using only water and not even cleansing with oil.

I want my skin to return to how it was. I was so ungrateful for what I had that it became worse! lol


Don't give up the fight guys.

I would majorly suggest cutting out any products with glycerin or hyaluronic acid. Most creams that just plump up the skin temporarily and then leave you high and dry a few hours later.

Let your natural skin repair itself. That's basically the most advice I can give.

Take omega 3's like Fish oil, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil

hydrate within

Um. What else? I guess drink more water, less saltly foods?

stay out of the sun



School is out for winter break so hopefully i can stay in the house with the water only method for a couple weeks I will be a troll !!

[Glass Danse]

I would not recommend staying inside and avoiding the sun at all. The sun is antibacterial and stimulates vitamin D production. Get your daily sun, but don't stay out too long where you get burnt (if that is even possible for you now, it certainly isn't for me at 30 degrees F).
I had oily yet dry flaky skin a while ago when 5% BP was my main acne cream. You already are cleansing naturally, which I think is good. I would also give a low carb diet a shot, which should make your skin less oily, as in many cases, it reduces sebum production.