12 replies to this topic

[Yesac]

Please take the time to read this, I've been suffering 8+ years and need any help I can get.

I wasn't sure where to put this, so hopefully I can get some help here.

Quick History of my skin:

-7 Years ago started getting pimples and blackheads on the face on the nose and around the mouth, and I overused way too many acne products which I believe damaged the skin/made it worse. (at one point I also had bad acne on my forehead, but I stopped using products there and my forehead has been fine ever since)

-I have been seeing many dermatologists since then (about 8 of them) and have not had any success with treating my skin.

-My skin has become very oily and at the same time very red/itchy/dry, I believe dehydrated.

-About three years ago I was put on Accutane which cleared up the acne, reduced the oil, and overall made the skin feel a lot better.

-A few months after finishing my 6 month course on Accutane, the oil began to return and soon after the dry/dehydrated skin returned with the oil.

-Based on the previous statement, I googled and conducted tons of research why my skin would be getting dry/itchy/red as the oil was returning (very weird considering oily skin is suppose to make your skin less dry).

-I came up with the conclusion that I had seborrheic dermatitis, and went to a few dermatologists who tried to treat me for it.

-None of the treatments for seborrheic dermatitis worked, and I was getting desperate to try anything. Also I should mention that my skin never really had the peeling that seborrheic dermatitis causes. My skin is always just very dry feeling, gets blotchy/red, and itches while at the same time being oily.

Flashforward to today: I requested to be put back on Accutane and have been using it for about three months. I was on a very low 10mg dose, but recently stopped because my skin been getting severely dry. The reason I wanted to be put on it was because I was hoping if the oil stopped, the dry/itchy/red skin would also disapear, which it did for about a month or two, but returned after I had a bad reaction to a new moisturizer I used for a few days. (CeraVe).

So the Accutane wasn't doing what I was expecting it to do, so now I'm thinking I just have severly dehydrated skin, which also gets oily OR another skin condition that I'm unaware of, possibly an allergy. The past few nights I've been using Aquaphor on my face and lips to try and hopefully reduce the itchy/dry/red skin, but the only thing that has happened is my skin is it has become more oily(stopped the Accutane), more red, and itchy.

So this makes no sense to me. I'm getting desperate for answers and a treatment. I'll re-read this later and see if it even makes sense or if I've left something out.

My Regimen for the past few years has been wash with Purpose Gentle Cleanser, and apply moisturizer. Currently I'm using Neutrogena Oil-Free Fresh Moisture, Jojoba oil + Twinlab NaPca with Aloe, and OC 8 to control the oil a bit. Basically I've been using the most gentle products, and still have oily/dry/itchy skin.

Please help sad

-Yesac

[Adri Chan]

Hi, I have a seborrheic dermatitis prone skin too, first thing you need to do is to stop accutane, it's highly toxic and will only make things worse.

If it's not already the case you need to eat healthy, no processed foods, no sugars, milk, gluten, and organic if you can.

For your face my advice would be to do nothing but wash with bottled water, you can try to add allantoin to the water too.

Exercise is beneficial.

This alone should get rid of your acne and improve the rest.

I'm still searching for a definitive solution if I succeed I'll let you know, in fact I'll let everyone know.

[Yesac]

I feel like eating healthy could be beneficial.

I don't have any actual acne, I have clogged pores on the nose, dry/itchy/red skin on nose and around mouth, and oily skin in the same areas.

Washing with bottled water is something I wouldn't be able to try, because I don't have lots of money.

[wicky]

trying to resurect this old thread...has anyone had success with this topic? I feel many of my clogged pore issue is from dehydrated skin but I cannt find the right type of moisture...I tend to like gels and lighter lotions but they still dont help disloged and moisturize any of these dam plugs!!!

[pokerlady888]

trying to resurect this old thread...has anyone had success with this topic? I feel many of my clogged pore issue is from dehydrated skin but I cannt find the right type of moisture...I tend to like gels and lighter lotions but they still dont help disloged and moisturize any of these dam plugs!!!

It doesn't sound to me like you have sebborheic dermatitis. Your condition sounds very similary to mine. I wonder if you wouldn't mind putting a picture of your face on here?

I am still searching for an answer myself. I have been told twice by dermatologists that it's rosacea.

Please take the time to read this, I've been suffering 8+ years and need any help I can get.

I wasn't sure where to put this, so hopefully I can get some help here.

Quick History of my skin:

-7 Years ago started getting pimples and blackheads on the face on the nose and around the mouth, and I overused way too many acne products which I believe damaged the skin/made it worse. (at one point I also had bad acne on my forehead, but I stopped using products there and my forehead has been fine ever since)

-I have been seeing many dermatologists since then (about 8 of them) and have not had any success with treating my skin.

-My skin has become very oily and at the same time very red/itchy/dry, I believe dehydrated.

-About three years ago I was put on Accutane which cleared up the acne, reduced the oil, and overall made the skin feel a lot better.

-A few months after finishing my 6 month course on Accutane, the oil began to return and soon after the dry/dehydrated skin returned with the oil.

-Based on the previous statement, I googled and conducted tons of research why my skin would be getting dry/itchy/red as the oil was returning (very weird considering oily skin is suppose to make your skin less dry).

-I came up with the conclusion that I had seborrheic dermatitis, and went to a few dermatologists who tried to treat me for it.

-None of the treatments for seborrheic dermatitis worked, and I was getting desperate to try anything. Also I should mention that my skin never really had the peeling that seborrheic dermatitis causes. My skin is always just very dry feeling, gets blotchy/red, and itches while at the same time being oily.

Flashforward to today: I requested to be put back on Accutane and have been using it for about three months. I was on a very low 10mg dose, but recently stopped because my skin been getting severely dry. The reason I wanted to be put on it was because I was hoping if the oil stopped, the dry/itchy/red skin would also disapear, which it did for about a month or two, but returned after I had a bad reaction to a new moisturizer I used for a few days. (CeraVe).

So the Accutane wasn't doing what I was expecting it to do, so now I'm thinking I just have severly dehydrated skin, which also gets oily OR another skin condition that I'm unaware of, possibly an allergy. The past few nights I've been using Aquaphor on my face and lips to try and hopefully reduce the itchy/dry/red skin, but the only thing that has happened is my skin is it has become more oily(stopped the Accutane), more red, and itchy.

So this makes no sense to me. I'm getting desperate for answers and a treatment. I'll re-read this later and see if it even makes sense or if I've left something out.

My Regimen for the past few years has been wash with Purpose Gentle Cleanser, and apply moisturizer. Currently I'm using Neutrogena Oil-Free Fresh Moisture, Jojoba oil + Twinlab NaPca with Aloe, and OC 8 to control the oil a bit. Basically I've been using the most gentle products, and still have oily/dry/itchy skin.

Please help sad

-Yesac

It doesn't sound to me like you have sebborheic dermatitis. Your condition sounds very similary to mine. I wonder if you wouldn't mind putting a picture of your face on here?

I am still searching for an answer myself. I have been told twice by dermatologists that it's rosacea.

[wicky]

Wow, my skin is exactly as you've described. Oily, plugged, large pores but dry and dehydrated. My dem has suggested accutane as a way of calming down the over grown sebaceous filaments. I can express them daily in my chin and under lip area only to have them refill in a day or two. They are white and bulge slightly and if I gently use my blackhead remover I can usually get to the core or plug. Sometimes they are a whitehead and are deeper although look right on the surface. They are much harder to get out and don't respond to retinoids or other topicals. My derm wants to try a low dose of accutane. Possibly 10 mg twice a week to keep things at bay. This can be done long term. Quite honestly I would continue the rest of my life if I had clear skin. I could then live my life and be happy. I'm 44 and have suffered for 31 yrs now..I'm done

[gemmyjunebug]

May I suggest some of these products. I have been using their Thermal Spray and Extreme cream. My skin looks like night and day. My redness has reduced a lot!! My dry flakes and itchy skin is gone completely. If you have time -read through their site. Very,very informative. Whatever is the ph in their mineral spring is it works. Made me a believer. My husband uses the spray after he shave in the am. No more red, ingrown hairs either! Another bonus with the spray is less moisturizer I have to use. I believe since my ph is balanced my skin seems to balance itself..like when I was a kid. On a side note-Cerve lotion broke me out as well. BUT-their gentle cleanser works great. No problems with that at all. Also, did you know Purpose Cleanser is the same as Clean and Clear for Sensitive skin.?(do they even make that anymore) Word for word ingredients. Makes sense..they are both owned by Johnson and Johnson. The only reason I know is I use to use Clean and Clear...wanted a switch and looked into Purpose. I read the ingr.list and laughed. I quit the Clean and Clear. My skin was dry as toast from using that face wash. Used it for years and finally figured it might be my face wash. I had an allergy to the Quaternium 15. But everyone is different. But if you get a chance take a look at their stuff. They wouldn't get 4 stars and awards on basically every product if they didn't work. Another bonus they offer samples. Contact customer service.
http://www.aveneusa.com/cream-for-intolerant-skin/
http://www.aveneusa.com/thermal-spring-water/
http://www.aveneusa.com/phys-ex-tolerance-extreme-cream/

[wicky]

thanks for the recomendation on the Avene products. I belong to a rosacea support group and it has been recomended there too. I am currently using Laroche posay's thermal spring water after I cleanse and I'm not really seeing a difference. My derms office suggested it as a its calming and removes the last bit of grime after your cleanser. Right now I'm cleansing with CeraVe and will mix in a drop of Serious Skin Care's Glycolic Cleanser every couple of days to help with the gunky buildup my pores get. The problems then becomes dry plugged skin. Where do you purchase the Avene products from?

[gemmyjunebug]

I purchased my from : http://www.skinstore.com/index.aspx .
You can also purchase from : http://www.dermstore.com/product.php?prod_id=6792
I went with the Skin Store because they were offering free shipping. Both are reputable companies.
The Laroche is a great company as well. My sister "was" using their Thermal Spray. I mailed her a Avene spray for a try and she switched. She said the same thing and was skeptical that the Avene would perform any better. It has been my 'aha' product...and now hers as well. We both are fair Irish. Prone to redness and reaction.
Glycolic is great! In the past I used Proactiv's Glycolic Toner. That is a very,very, good Toner. Never was a big fan of toners only because they would dry my skin. This toner has no added alcohol and with the addition of glycolic makes it a wonderful product. A great follow up suggestion for you after your face wash perhaps?

[wicky]

so what kind of results are you seeing with your pores? Are they less gunked up and clogging? How about a cleanser....which one are you using again? thx

[gemmyjunebug]

so what kind of results are you seeing with your pores? Are they less gunked up and clogging? How about a cleanser....which one are you using again? thx

As of now my pores remain the same in size and structure....that in itself will never change. However, the blackheads that I was seeing... are as of now gone completely. Which is a huge mile stone for my skin. I did nothing in my skin care routine other than add Avene's Thermal Spray. The face wash you inquired about that I use is CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser-NOT the foaming. http://www.cerave.com/cerave-products/cera...ating-cleanser/ Works well and cleans sufficiently. I mentioned before I use baby wash cloths to remove excess makeup from the day. Those type of cloths are way more gentle than your standard. You could get Egyptian cotton as well. Baby cloths are just cheaper$$.

[wicky]

gemmy how funny as I'm using CeraVe as well and was not sure if it was adding to my clogs or not. I also do know about how my rosacea is with it yet. I've tried it on and off for several months but never stuck with it long enough to see iits results. I think this time I'm going to try it a bit longer. Did you clogs work their way out on their own by just using the spray or do you apply any other topicals to them? I'm exhauseted trying to stop them from forming, especially in the corners of my mouth down. They are so fine and small and seem to attach to the hair follicle now. I've never had this before. They are deep too...I would love to hear more about your routine as we seem so similiar...

[gemmyjunebug]

gemmy how funny as I'm using CeraVe as well and was not sure if it was adding to my clogs or not. I also do know about how my rosacea is with it yet. I've tried it on and off for several months but never stuck with it long enough to see iits results. I think this time I'm going to try it a bit longer. Did you clogs work their way out on their own by just using the spray or do you apply any other topicals to them? I'm exhauseted trying to stop them from forming, especially in the corners of my mouth down. They are so fine and small and seem to attach to the hair follicle now. I've never had this before. They are deep too...I would love to hear more about your routine as we seem so similiar...

I just added the Avene Thermal Spray. I use it a lot! I carry it with me wherever I go. In the morning before I even think about washing my face I spray my face with Avene. I just let every drop soak into my skin. I never wipe it off. I then proceed with my morning coffee...etc. Take a shower, wash my face, and right when I get out of the shower I spray my face with Avene. I proceed with my face routine after the Avene Thermal Spray has entirely dried. I use Proactiv SA(Salycic Acid) wait for that to dry and put on my makeup. Even with my makeup on I spray my face. When makeup comes off at night-I spray my face. My skin can get red for no reason but this is calming it down. I think I mentioned this before but I use a lot less moisturizer now on my face. Which is crazy. My skin can be a desert. I have come to the conclusion and will attribute my face being less red,less dry, to the Avene Thermal Spray. I mentioned the Proactiv SA- I've been using that for over 7 years. BP is way to harsh for my skin. The SA has always kept things calm but not to this extent. Will it work for everyone to the degree it worked me? Hard to say. Everyone is different. But go to their site and read the back history of Avene. It's the minerals in the water that are balancing my delicate skin.