5 replies to this topic

[broct]

Firstly, I'm a little confused whether I should exfoliate or not. I never have before but all men's skin care articles say it's essential, but I don't think they are written with acne prone individuals in mind. So is it good for your skin or bad?

If I do what are recommended products?

About me: I'm a 21 year old male. I have light acne now although I do have a lot of blackheads around my nose. I use Benzoyl Peroxide at night and I wash with Cetaphil. My skin is usually fairly clear.

[dreamingofclearskin2011]

if youre acne isnt really terrible i would wouldnt really worry about it. i think exflo is mainly for redmarks left after acne. becuase exflo takes off dead skin that can cause more bacteria to grow on and create more acne but people say that it also takes the layer of the skin off where your red marks are so that way the new healthy skin under it can grow faster rather then the dead skin just falling off itself naturally. imo i use honey as an exflo on my cheeks mainly. my cheeks broke out really bad this winter really red and blemish like. look like i had road rash on both cheeks it SUCKED! but ive been putting 100% pure organic raw honey on my face every night for a week and a few days and honestly i think its helping ALOT. although my eyes could just be playing tricks on me im not quite sure. but my acne is greatly reduced and redmarks had lightened up a good bit. i do it every night usually 30mins-1 hour recently ive been keeping it on all night long if you can sleep on your back only at night. and leaving it on all night seems to help ALOT more than an hour. look honey mask up on the reviews and see what you think. good luck man! oh and im also 21 male. i just started having acne this winter never had it really bad before just really light. but this winter it got moderate to severe.

[Lola Burns]

Manual exfoliation (like abrasive scrubs and sponges) can cause irritation, broken capillaries and tear healthy skin tissue. I would opt for chemical exfoliation. Get a good AHA product with an acidic pH. Start slowly, just like with bp. And don't forget the sunscreen.

[gemmyjunebug]

Lola Burns, on 02 January 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

Manual exfoliation (like abrasive scrubs and sponges) can cause irritation, broken capillaries and tear healthy skin tissue. I would opt for chemical exfoliation. Get a good AHA product with an acidic pH. Start slowly, just like with bp. And don't forget the sunscreen.

I have super sensitive skin and I manually exfoliate with a soft washcloth or microfiber cloth. I usually do this 2-3 times a week and it's mostly around my nose and hairline. I haven't had any problems what so ever in regards to irritation, broken capillaries, or disrupting my skin. I think some folks go a little haywire with spinning facial scrubs like the Clarisonic. That I agree, could cause some redness. Tried it and returned it.
As for chemical exfoliation even the most gentle can still cause irritation to some intolerant skin. I would always, always, choose manual over chemical any day. Again, my opinion.

broct, on 02 January 2012 - 02:25 AM, said:

Firstly, I'm a little confused whether I should exfoliate or not. I never have before but all men's skin care articles say it's essential, but I don't think they are written with acne prone individuals in mind. So is it good for your skin or bad?

If I do what are recommended products?

About me: I'm a 21 year old male. I have light acne now although I do have a lot of blackheads around my nose. I use Benzoyl Peroxide at night and I wash with Cetaphil. My skin is usually fairly clear.

If it ain't broke? If your happy with your routine and your skin...why change it? If you can keep your routine simple and stay clear - stick with it!

[Lola Burns]

gemmyjunebug, on 03 January 2012 - 08:54 PM, said:

Lola Burns, on 02 January 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

Manual exfoliation (like abrasive scrubs and sponges) can cause irritation, broken capillaries and tear healthy skin tissue. I would opt for chemical exfoliation. Get a good AHA product with an acidic pH. Start slowly, just like with bp. And don't forget the sunscreen.

I have super sensitive skin and I manually exfoliate with a soft washcloth or microfiber cloth. I usually do this 2-3 times a week and it's mostly around my nose and hairline. I haven't had any problems what so ever in regards to irritation, broken capillaries, or disrupting my skin. I think some folks go a little haywire with spinning facial scrubs like the Clarisonic. That I agree, could cause some redness. Tried it and returned it.
As for chemical exfoliation even the most gentle can still cause irritation to some intolerant skin. I would always, always, choose manual over chemical any day. Again, my opinion.

I was using the Microdelivery Wash from Philosophy. The abrasive in that is basically the texture of semi-coarse chalk dust, it was just about the most gentle scrub I've ever come across. It was great, until I started using bp. I don't know if it actually caused any whiteheads or if it even aggravated them. But now I look at any kind of scrub like its made of miniature hand grenades. I haven't used an AHA on my face in a while. I'm a little afraid of those at this stage, too. But glycolic acid has worked MIRACLES on my legs (I had some pretty sexy ingrown hairs going on.) Although, I have to admit, for the first month I was using AHA in conjunction with a sugar scrub daily.

[gemmyjunebug]

Lola Burns, on 03 January 2012 - 09:21 PM, said:

gemmyjunebug, on 03 January 2012 - 08:54 PM, said:

Lola Burns, on 02 January 2012 - 12:19 PM, said:

Manual exfoliation (like abrasive scrubs and sponges) can cause irritation, broken capillaries and tear healthy skin tissue. I would opt for chemical exfoliation. Get a good AHA product with an acidic pH. Start slowly, just like with bp. And don't forget the sunscreen.

I have super sensitive skin and I manually exfoliate with a soft washcloth or microfiber cloth. I usually do this 2-3 times a week and it's mostly around my nose and hairline. I haven't had any problems what so ever in regards to irritation, broken capillaries, or disrupting my skin. I think some folks go a little haywire with spinning facial scrubs like the Clarisonic. That I agree, could cause some redness. Tried it and returned it.
As for chemical exfoliation even the most gentle can still cause irritation to some intolerant skin. I would always, always, choose manual over chemical any day. Again, my opinion.

I was using the Microdelivery Wash from Philosophy. The abrasive in that is basically the texture of semi-coarse chalk dust, it was just about the most gentle scrub I've ever come across. It was great, until I started using bp. I don't know if it actually caused any whiteheads or if it even aggravated them. But now I look at any kind of scrub like its made of miniature hand grenades. I haven't used an AHA on my face in a while. I'm a little afraid of those at this stage, too. But glycolic acid has worked MIRACLES on my legs (I had some pretty sexy ingrown hairs going on.) Although, I have to admit, for the first month I was using AHA in conjunction with a sugar scrub daily.

Miniature Hand Grenades. That is a perfect description of scrubs. Yes, those depending on what abrasive material is added can most definitely cause problems. I stay far, far, away from those buggers. Glycolic works awesome on ingrown hairs. I've also tried SA.