38 replies to this topic

[Becky the brave]

i'm just no too sure that "getting rid of" congested pores will help you get less acne. in my past experience of giving up picking i go through a phase of congestion that lasts maybe a week, and then the sebum production sort of balances out.

and, if your skin gets better from wearing makeup, why dont you wear it more often? it might actually help your skin to balance. and if you want to use your exfoliator evey night, just use a makeup remover before you use the brush.

personally, acne made my skin very sensitive, so i stay clear of everything that's harsh on the skin, like OCM or exfoliators. to me it only causes more stress on the skin, thus more acne in a vicious circle.
for me even the BP is too much sometimes, i can't use it every night - and definitly not in the day.

what's worked for me has been cutting out all the "tough" products and everything that claims to reduce oiliness, and instead use products for sensitive skin and creams that calm the skin down. jojoba oil and avocado oil has been very helpful in healing scars, anti-acne stuff useually just makes my skin feel worse.

but that's me, and what works on my skin might not work on yours.
only my 2 cents..
love
/Becky

[outofcharacter]

DAY 11

Yeah... I don't know. I'm even thinking about trying homeopathy! I don't believe in it, but what the hell.

I'm actually very satisfied with the La Mer cream and the Advanced Night Repair serum. I can't imagine being without them anymore...

The problem is that my pores didn't get congested with sebum but with pus... And it happened after I started not picking at a moment when my skin had already been in a good condition for a while.

[outofcharacter]

DAY 11

I just wanted to share this cool youtube channel I came across. It's great!

I also wanted to say that I slathered my face in Origins Spot Remover hoping that it would treat the inflammation and it worked! I know you should only use it on your spots as it's really drying, but I was getting really depressed after a bad day so I decided to give it a shot. Actually, I need to put it back into the refrigerator because in the past I never manage to finish a bottle as it always started smelling bad so there was always a third left when I threw it in the trash. So when I bought this new bottle after not using the product for a couple of years, they suggested to always keep it in the refrigerator. Anyway, it is fighting the inflammation and my skin already feels very calm. At first it burnt like crazy but it was something I felt I had to do to rescue my skin.

[outofcharacter]

DAY 12

So the Spot Remover from Origins has calmed my skin down very very very very VERY nicely. Seeing it work so fast has given me such a boost, even though I was at home and +1 was already asleep. i feel so so SO much better. I have to say, the Spot Remover was not the only thing I put on my face. After maybe half an hour after applying it I washed it away, although it felt like I was able to wash away only like 50% of it, which was okay with me. I wanted a little bit of it to stay on my face overnight, but not the whole layer. I don't know if you're familiar with this product, but it feels like glue, and if you touch your face and your hands are a little bit moist, it becomes sticky again. So to prevent my face from sticking to my pillow and also because I was afraid it might be too strong to leave overnight, I washed my face. However, it really felt like the deeper layer could not be dissolved by water. So after washing I applied the Advanced Night Repair serum followed by my La Mer moisturising lotion (this is the actual name, I think, not "cream"). And now I woke up with very calm skin. The spots are still there, but they do not look or feel "inflamed" anymore.

So I would describe the current state of my skin as follows: very irritated after a very intense inflammation (after days of not picking and getting better!), irritated by my picking (my trying the inflammation to stop spreading), irritated by trying and overdoing the oil cleansing method, but with much less congested pores, shocked by the amount of the Spot Remover I slathered on, it has now calmed down and on its way to healing again, though a bit dried out from all the stress.

I don't know if you can see the youtube clip I posted above, because I can't. If you don't, please find it, it's THE LOVE VITAMIN. I watched it for hours yesterday, it's so fantastic. It's about applying a "holistic" approach to curing your acne problems. The methods are very natural but realistic and the girl who talks about them is the proof that they work.

[outofcharacter]

DAY 12

So here are today's pics. I realise my skin probably doesn't as good, especially my left cheek, but it feels much better.

So today was an interesting day. I went to a natural products store and bought some stuff for my skin (honey, aloe vera gel, jojoba oil) and body (peppermint tea, flaxseeds). It was pretty expensive but I got to talk to the saleslady and she recommended I try a homeopath who has helped her sister with her acne problems. So I'm going to call the homeopath as soon as I get her number. The company also offers food sensitivity tests. However, I called the guy who does them and I didn't like him. And I always "give them a chance" and am always disappointed afterwards so I've decided to change that and not take services from people I don't like.

The saleslady also said that her sister did a vitamin deficiency test and they found out that she didn't have enough vitamin A. So then I guess she started taking supplements together with the homeopathy products and this cured her. Apparently her sister got a mild flare up of acne a few years ago, but she got in touch with the homeopath immediately and it went away. So now it looks like I'm going to try it, but only if the homeopath is nice on the phone...

One thing that got me down was that I thought it was a good day for my skin and the inflammation had gone down significantly, but the moment I started talking to the saleslady she pointed out my skin issues... So it's not true that no one notices... And I thought I was having a good day... It was so unpleasant because I've gotten so used to my acne that I mostly think that people don't see it as a part of myself. Like I think that I have much to offer as a person and have a strong personality so that the acne doesn't matter. But from time to time people will point it out and I realise that they notice all the time, they just don't always mention it. And it's especially hard if they say it in a way that makes you realise that they think you have it because of psychological issues...

Anyway, I then bought vegetables to make my first "green smoothie" as recommended by thelovevitamin.com. It was awful. I guess my blender is not very good because it took so long to blend and by the time it was more or less blended the smoothie was hot! Bad for the vitamins, I guess... Another problem was that the amount was too much. Also I had to go to the supermarket and buy an "innocent smoothie" ("innocent" is a brand) to mix with my smoothie. This improved the taste but increased the amount even more... On top of that, it has given me digestive problems besides giving me a strange feeling in the head (as fresh juice from vegetables always does). This meant I couldn't go running. Also, the vegetables were expensive. So I don't know... I might try it again in a week or so...

Also I now realise that I need to realise what stresses me out so I can deal with it better.

Edited by outofcharacter, 19 June 2011 - 05:00 AM.

[outofcharacter]

DAY 12

Still DAY 12 for me, although it's almost 4am.

So today I made a honey mask and oil cleansing without the steaming part. This time, a lot more "grains" came out of my pores. I also tried my new aloe vera gel, and liked it. Unfortunately, I ran out of my La Mer and am running out of my Advanced Night Repair serum... I can't afford to repurchase it, so probably will use honey, aloe vera and jojoba oil in the near future.

I also started reading the free e-book Skin Deep.

[outofcharacter]

DAY 13

So here are today's pics.

I washed my face with water and applied my new aloe vera gel and jojoba oil.

With every new batch of pictures, I compare them with the ones I took on the first day of the challenge. The real problem area at the moment is my left cheek. I don't know what happened to it, but I guess that I spread bacteria with my Clarisonic and/or irritated the skin with the Clarisonic and/or the clay mask, as I wasn't picking in the beginning of my challenge. I don't know the reason but am still dealing with the consequences.

The rest of my face looks more or less okay. My right cheek doesn't look worse than on the first day, the same goes for my forehead.

Let's hope the fact that I've run out of La Mer will keep me disciplined about not picking at scabs etc. as I won't have anything to "repair" my skin. I find that the Advanced Night Repair is way more powerful when used with La Mer, but not quite as powerful on its own, though still very effective.

Edited by outofcharacter, 19 June 2011 - 04:59 AM.

[outofcharacter]

DAY 13

From the book "Skin Deep":

Boredom and restlessness are not feelings at all but the smudge left behind when painful feelings are erased: push anger away and what's left is the empty sensation that nothing's happening – or that nobody is there. As for the stress that causes, triggers, or heightens medical problems: this too is not a matter of simple aggravation, sadness, or frustration but the anger, sadness, or frustration you're trying desperately not to feel.

Close links with the nervous system make your skin highly sensitive to emotions; it can be more in touch with your innermost needs, wishes, and fears than your conscious mind.

http://www.grossbart.com/SkinDeep.pdf

[outofcharacter]

DAY 14

So here are today's pics.

Unfortunately, don't have the time to write more.

Attached Files

•  day_14_left_cheek.jpg   189.17K   14 downloads
•  day_14_forehead.jpg   215.23K   6 downloads
•  day_14_right_cheek.jpg   200.49K   6 downloads
•  day_14_chest.jpg   288.55K   4 downloads

[outofcharacter]

DAY 14

Didn't like the state of my skin and felt like using the Spot Remover again. So I squeezed a few things and cleaned a few pores. At that point, applying the Spot Remover was definitely justified...

Had to deal with grandma today, and it was very tiresome. She is very manipulative. However, went to a nice event afterwards. Was a bit unproductive, though.

Hope I didn't spread any bacteria...

Edit:

I think the picking was related to the bad part of the day. I think I would not have picked if not for the exhausting discussion (more like listening to her talking) with my grandma. When I started picking, I felt a huge adrenaline rush. (Just trying to analyse the emotional aspects.)

Edited by outofcharacter, 19 June 2011 - 06:15 PM.

[outofcharacter]

DAY 15

So how am I supposed to not be picking if the zits I picked yesterday are almost healed and the ones i left alone are big red bumps?

I'm so frustrated at the moment...

I once saw my friend's newborn child and his face was covered in milia. I was shocked and asked her about it. She said it was normal and that this way the skin would learn how to get rid of those by itself. So maybe my skin never learned how. This is just a guess, but I doubt my own mother could withstand.

I'm reading this book and it says to (1) make a timeline of your life with all the events that seem important to you personally and (2) to list 10 "advantages" that your skin condition gives you.

This is tough, and it's hard to say what sensation came first, but at the moment it gives me the thrill of doing something harmful/forbidden.

[outofcharacter]

Hi guys,

I'm not going to update this thread for a while because:

(1) I started taking antibiotics after a minor surgery I had, so my skin will probably get better, but for other reasons than not picking.
(2) I haven't found any way to get rid of the kind of zits I've been getting lately without picking. They only seem to heal if I let out the pus.
(3) I've been procrastinating for a long time and need to get back on track with my work.

[OmgZep]

DAY 15

So how am I supposed to not be picking if the zits I picked yesterday are almost healed and the ones i left alone are big red bumps?

I'm so frustrated at the moment...

the ones you popped might have healed, gotten flat and probably be gone in about 2 more days,
BUT that pimple will be back in 2 weeks and its going to bring friends this time around.

The one you left alone is the last time youll ever see it, all you gotta do is wait it out.

Look at it like this,
If you had a very nasty scab are you going to constantly pick at it?
No it will take longer to heal.
So you think mother nature intended us to pick at our pimples so they would "heal faster".
Mother nature intended us to leave our skin alone.
Trust me your body wants what you want, clear skin.
But it will only obtain it if you LEAVE IT ALONE!!


peace

[outofcharacter]

Just a quick update!

At this point, I'm quite satisfied with my skin. This means that I wouldn't wear any make up for important appointments but still wouldn't feel very comfortable without makeup. I haven't made any pics yet, so can't compare my skin situation objectively with what was going on when I was still counting days.

So what happened between then and now?

I had this surgery and was put on antibiotics. I noticed how they made my skin look better. After taking them I still had a very inflamed lymph node, so I took some more. At that point I was having really bad stomach aches and digestive problems due to the antibiotics. I also think I had some kind of food poisoning from some type of fermented milk (for probiotic bacteria) and/or stale ground pumpkin seeds. Overall I was feeling pretty bad, but I still kept up my new diet. It's based on a green smoothie and other stuff I keep adding.

So the good news is that my skin is in a pretty good condition (compared to what it was just a few weeks ago) although the effect of the antibiotics should have worn off by now. So I think that what helps is:

a) my new diet
b) oil cleansing (without steaming)
c) Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair (couldn't afford to repurchase but asked my mom)

I became really interested in changing my diet. I used to believe whatever doctors told me and got really frustrated when different doctors said different things (none of which helped). In other words, I didn't believe nutrition had any effect on my skin. I also only ever read this section of the forum (emotional effects, skin picking). But then I started reading up on nutrition (inspired by thelovevitamin) and maybe I'm starting to see the results? I don't know. Will have to wait for at least a month to be able to tell for sure.

One thing I'm sure about is that my skin is significantly less oily. I also don't experience oiliness immediately after eating certain kinds of foods. By this I mean that the foods I eat don't cause the oiliness. I realized it when I ate some falafel thing a few days ago and my skin started to feel oily after a few bites. I used to have it all the time, particularly after cooked almonds and many other things I can't identify. So this means that I don't get the oiliness "flush" from the food I'm sticking to now, which makes my pores less clogged. However, time will show. I'm used to the fact that my skin changes all the time in very unpredictable ways.

A few days ago I started reading about how important it might be to clean your gut from little animals that might be living in there. This is a popular topic from the nutrition section of this forum. So after reading it I decided that the easiest way to do it would be to just eat things that are supposed to get them out and wouldn't harm you. So now I started eating papaya (together with all of the seeds) and am going to keep it up for at least a few weeks. It turns out that papaya is very good at many things (just read about it, it's incredible), BUT you can't eat it if you wish to get pregnant or if you are pregnant!

Apart from papaya (seeds), there are many other things you can eat and which taste good and make your diet more diverse and interesting. I would eat them all the same even if it turned out that I didn't have any parasites living inside me.

I'm also taking probiotic supplements because I was feeling very bad from the antibiotics and couldn't digest anything. I find the supplement very effective.

As to picking, I'm still picking every day, but now that my skin is getting better again, picking is becoming less of a problem because there is less inflammation to deal with. I still have a lot of things under my skin which are not inflamed. I don't know what they're called. The ones you can extract if you stick a needle inside if you manage to find the right spot (because there is no obvious pore). They are invisible, though, and you only feel them if you press your finger on your skin and slide down or to the side.

I also used my Clarisonic once a few days ago for the first time after the skin disaster that happened a month or so ago. I was very nervous about using it but decided to give it ago. I'm very glad that it turned out that the Clarisonic was not the cause of my inflammation. I won't use it every day, though, only maybe once a week or every other week. My face looked tanned before using it and pale afterwards, that's how powerful it is.

So I will keep improving my diet and report back when I reach the point when I'm really satisfied with how my skin looks. At least I hope so.

Edited by outofcharacter, 10 July 2011 - 06:16 PM.

[outofcharacter]

So I broke out very badly, again. And I realized that the last time it happened was exactly a month ago, also, this time my cycle was one month... I guess both times it happened around the 10th day after I got my period?

So now I started thinking about the PCOS again. Of all the gynaecologists I have been to, only one told me about this possibility... But the problem was that I was living somewhere else and could never reach her when visiting, and the glucophage she had prescribed had so awful side effects (constant sickness, stomach ache) that after a year or so I stopped taking it. After that, my hair loss began. I went to an endocrinologist and she told me that it was an effect of having taken the glucophage because it will do stuff like that if you don't have diabetes and take it, because it's for people with diabetes... However, the one gynaecologist said that I would get diabetes if I refused to take it... So you can imagine that after so many opinions I was glad to take a break from it all. However, the hair loss is becoming a real problem and now the time has come to really to something about the PCOS. However, I can't take birth control and I would like to avoid other hormone therapies because of all the side effects (I remember how I started developing feelings of hatred toward my then-boyfriend which went away after I stopped taking the hormones). So I'm planning to go to an ayurvedic doctor. I read that there are treatments for PCOS in ayurveda, so this gives me a little bit of hope.

My skin did get better in the period between the cycle-related breakouts, so I hope that in the next days it will become better again. Yesterday I tried papaya for the hyperpigmentation. I read that it can help with that. It's funny because when I found out that papaya is very nutritious, I started eating it every day, but I threw away the seeds. Then I found out that the seeds were even more nutritious, so I regretted throwing them away! The next week or so I was eating papaya with the seeds (I also dried the seeds of 1/2 papaya to use as "pepper" when I make salads, but need to buy a pepper grinder for that). And then yesterday I found out that after scooping out the flesh of the papaya you can use the skin and the flesh that's left on it to apply it to your face! So this means I could have done it all this time! And I threw it away! And papaya is really expensive to buy on a daily basis. I have found them only in one supermarket and they cost around 8 euros... So, from now on, I will make this "papaya mask" every day. Yesterday just put it on my skin and held it / rubbed it against my skin for 1 hour (this makes around 15 minutes per cheek/forehead+nose/chin+neck). I wish I'd known this when I started buying them...

Edited by outofcharacter, 17 July 2011 - 05:38 AM.

[girl11]

If your cycles are regular, and it happens around the 10th day, it could be you're breaking out because your body's a few days away from ovulating? I noticed when I went off BC I would tend to break out before my period came AND around when I was ovulating.

[outofcharacter]

Yeah, I guess that's the case. For the past month my skin was getting better steadily, no breakout before period.

[outofcharacter]

I haven't had my period yet, but I think I had my ovulation a few days ago, so this cycle is going to be longer. By now, I've already found out that I will probably get a breakout before my period, so my only dream was to get rid of my hyperpigmentation and red marks as much as possible before the new breakouts/scars. So I've been using papaya skins almost every night to exfoliate my skin and I'm very satisfied with the results. I still pick a lot, because now that the top layer of my skin got peeled away, I can see how much stuff is underneath. I would say that I spend around 2-2.5 hours a day doing extractions... But! Even after a long session my skin looks slightly rosy and not like hell at all. I used to be very embarrassed to leave the bathroom and show my face. In my subjective opinion, a lot of "history" has been erased from my face. It is still an "acne face" and all, but I feel better about it. I still use Night Repair around 4 times a day. I wish I had another La Mer, so that my skin would heal even faster, but that's impossible at the moment...

So this papaya exfoliation is really making a difference. I think I couldn't use lemon juice or other acids on my skin, as I think this would be unnecessarily harsh.

Also, I'm still eating/drinking green smoothies at least 6 times a week.

[Felina]

Wow.... This has been such an eye opener for me, almost made me cry! I've been blaming my skin problems on things that I eat (cheese, chocolate, french fries, bread, chips), my strength training, my hormones, but I never really realised that my "helping" in terms of squeezing out blackheads and attacking my skin with needles actually IS the problem... Definitely going to try this 30 day challenge!

It all makes sense. Usually when I am on vacation I never break out. Obviously because I don't have my magnifying mirror and one hour picking sessions several times a week! I really hope this will work!