9 replies to this topic

[heyjoe]

ok so i stopped using my tretinoin cream after a week because im sick of using antibiotics (already took accutane) and the vitamin a could worsen my flushing....

my only pih marks are on my forehead, i heard exfoliating once a week helps get rid of them? how do i exfoliate properly? and how often should i do it?

thanks

[Kaylei]

it really depends if you have sensitive skin or not .. the suggested amount is no more than 3x a week and that also depends on your exfoliator and how gritty it is

[heyjoe]

well ive been off accutane for 5 weeks now and am gonna give myself 2-3 weeks more time off until i even start... id say my skin is still quite sensitive so im only going to to it once a week...

but really i have 0 knowledge on exfoliating... all i know is that you are taking off the top layer of the skin.... i basically need to know everything lol, what do i buy? how long do i exfoliate for? do i moisturize after? how long do i need to do this for?

[Cherryx]

Exfoliating is when yo use scrubs on your skin?

[heyjoe]

so i can just soak a small towel in hot paper and rub it gently on my skin and that will effectively exfoliate it?

[Kaylei]

heyjoe, on 10 December 2011 - 04:50 PM, said:

well ive been off accutane for 5 weeks now and am gonna give myself 2-3 weeks more time off until i even start... id say my skin is still quite sensitive so im only going to to it once a week...

but really i have 0 knowledge on exfoliating... all i know is that you are taking off the top layer of the skin.... i basically need to know everything lol, what do i buy? how long do i exfoliate for? do i moisturize after? how long do i need to do this for?

Since your skin is sensitive yeah dont exfoliate more than 2 or 3 times . Well thing is you can get store bought exfoliators or do your own . I like to make baking soda ones or if I want something more gritty I suggest a sugar scrub . Let me link some videos lol
this one is a green tea sugar scrub and I would reccommend only ONCE


for the baking soda I just reccommend mixing some with water and dont put too much , for example 1/3 water and 2/3 baking soda and just apply it and gently massage , you can leave it on but I warn it will burrrnnnnnnnn . You can also apply it on your cleanser .

for store bought , i dont know which many to reccommend but the infamous st.ives is ok i guess . I used it like 2 years ago and it was ok I cant remember much but many says it bad for the skin so I guess its at your own risk . I just sugget you search for whatever works for you and maybe they have some reviews here ?

heyjoe, on 10 December 2011 - 05:13 PM, said:

so i can just soak a small towel in hot paper and rub it gently on my skin and that will effectively exfoliate it?

Oh you can exfoliate with a washcloth yeah , they also sell exfoliating skin pads and you use it in conjunction with your cleanser or just water

Edited by Kaylei, 10 December 2011 - 05:27 PM.

[heyjoe]

hmm im a bit wary about home remedies to be honest but thanks a lot for sharing the video, i might consider something liek that..

i kinda wanted to go the route with just water though... is it possible to exfoliate using only hot water and a towel or something?

[unlovely2011]

don't use hot water, use lukewarm water. if you want the heat to open your pores or something, opt for steam instead. that could be as simple as the steam in a hot shower or a towel soaked in hot water draped over your face for a few minutes. but hot water is very drying and may cause irritation. also, you don't want to exfoliate with a fabric either because of the potential for irritation. there are a lot of natural exfoliants like coffee grinds, salt, sugar, even sand... basically anything grainy. some people say natural exfoliants are better, some say the inconsistent sizes and jagged edges of some of these exfoliants can make acne worse. as an alternative, some exfoliating cleansers are made with silica beads or something like that and they are round and uniform. the one i use is neutrogena gentle scrub for sensitive skin (with alpha hydroxy), but because i use my tretinoin nightly i only use that once a week at the most because the two can be very drying. on that note, tretinoin is the best exfoliator and greatly helps PIH marks, shallow scarring, sun spots, and wrinkles so if it has been prescribed to you then that's what's going to help you the most, better than anything over the counter.

[heyjoe]

to kaylei.. i didnt see that last part of your post! thanks for ur reply!

to unlovely 2011, im not doubting the effectiveness of tretinoin the thing is that accutane has made me prone to flushing (waiting for it to go away though) and im worried the added vitamin a from tretinoin will make it worse... beetter safe than sorry am i right

all my acne is gone and im really not down to put sugar or salt on my face... i think i facial scruber (i think ive seen my mom or sister use own) would work.. il use it very gently when im in the shower or something... i trust that over sand on my face lol

for the neutrogena product... i dont use any products on my skin anymore after what they had done to me in the past.. i swear OTC acne creams led me to accutane. only thing im comfortable putting on my face is moisturizer or something prescribed by my derm

i think il go the facial scruber+water route and be very gentle....

thank u for all your replies, but any more suggestions will be appreciated

and ps for the week i have used tretinoin it has made my forehead feel warm all the time./.... is that normal??

[heyjoe]

OH and PS # 2 when i do exfoliate with a towel/scrubber and water how long do i scrub for at a particular area?