QUOTE(newsboysgrl777 @ Oct 4 2006, 07:52 AM)
However, I have DISGUSTING blackheads all over my nose..I sometimes have some on the UPPER PART of my chin..and of course the pores on my cheeks and my forehead could definitely use some REDUCING, but overall, even in these areas, my skin is NOT oily..just clogged (if that's the right word) in the T-zone a bit...and the rest of my face is DRY! Used to be only in the winter, but now I have to use a heavy moisturizer on my face all year!! Would Mandelic probably NOT be for me due to the drying effect? I would only put it on the problem area (my nose) and although I'd like my larger pores on my cheeks and forehead to close, these areas really aren't oily at all..they're quite dry.
Hi Rachel!
I finally found your posts, as you see. There's another mandelic thread (a really huge one) in the Blackheads forum, and I was looking over there. Sorry, I'd kind of forgotten about this one.
To avoid excessive drying, you'd want to use the alcohol-free mandelic serum from Garden of Wisdom (www.gardenofwisdom.com). If you don't mind some initial cash outlay, I suggest getting both the 10% and 15% serums and mixing them. I find that 12-12.5% is just about perfect in terms of being effective without peeling all the skin off my face.
QUOTE(newsboysgrl777 @ Oct 8 2006, 04:59 PM)
I also have another question. After reading a lot of threads and hearing the term 'jessfoliation' so much, I decided to try to find out what it is - but I can't really figure it out. (The thread that had all the info and was later closed is now not accessible, I guess it's been erased?) I assume it is where you exfoliate your face with either a soft toothbrush or facebrush. Does it HAVE to be electric? Is that just better for it? Also, I noticed quite a few posts saying that you need to use a less harsh cleanser when doing that, so I'd like to know what the heck I should use! LOL ALSO, I've also been reading about how some cleansers really are too harsh (even when you think they aren't) and so I'm wondering if anyone can give me any recommendations? ESPECIALLY because I JUST ordered a sample of the mandelic acid and applied it last night to my problem areas...and woke up with very tight feeling skin.
I'm also wondering about this jojoba oil, emu oil, tea trea oil and all the other things people keep mentioning. I also wondered what EFAs were! Are these effective for different things?
I usually use all Mary Kay products, but recently got enticed into buying Clean & Clear's oxygenating cleanser (it sounded really cool...lol). The cleanser leaves my face feeling nice and soft, but I don't know if this might be too harsh to use with the mandelic...also, with the jessfoliation. And, last, but not least, my skin (as I mentioned above) is really not acne-prone, though I do break out in a few spots a few times a month. It has become much drier in the past year, so I've got to use a deeper moisturizer, and I've been using a balancing moisturizer by Mary Kay, but maybe I need something more intense? But I certainly don't want the areas of my face that HAVE clogged pores (my nose is the worst and is why I discovered acne.org) to become MORE clogged...Any suggestions?
ALSO, i have these little bumps under my skin on my right cheek that have been there FOREVER. A derm (the only one I ever saw and the only time I ever saw one...LOL) did some cortizone shots to them waaay back in 1999 and said it was a ruptured hair follicle, but honestly, the bumps never left. So I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas about what this could be?
Thank you again for your guys' help and if you know of where I can find answers to my questions instead of you having to re-answer my questions, please feel free to point the way?? Please feel free to PM me, too!! Thank you!!
I think that Clean & Clear cleanser is not right for you. I wouldn't use anything from Mary Kay either. I have a few different cleanser recommendations:
-- Rosehip cleanser from www.dianayvonne.com (nice for dry skin)
-- Mild oatmeal cleanser from www.lindasy.com (this is what I use)
-- CSR cleanser, available on this site (very mild, non-irritating, and cost-effective)
You are right about jessfoliation: it is gentle manual exfoliation with a soft brush. I find that the electric toothbrush works extremely well, and that's what I use. If you have dry skin, though, DO NOT jessfoliate with cleanser. I use a mild enzyme peel to help soften the dead skin so the brush can whisk it away. I consider this to be an extremely important part of my regimen, since both the active products I use (Green Cream and mandelic acid) can cause dead skin to build up on my face if I don't exfoliate.
The bumps on your face could be clogged pores ... hard to say.
EFAs are a supplement: essential fatty acids. Omega 3s are the most important. I suggest taking fish oil supplements, they are wonderful for your skin, especially since you suffer from dryness.
I am suspicious of your Mary Kay moisturizer. I suggest that you get a sample of Linda Sy's Dry Skin Moisturizer (www.lindasy.com) and see how you like it. When I first started using retinol and AHAs, that stuff saved my life ... and now that winter is coming, I may need it again.
Don't bother with jojoba or tea tree oils. Emu oil is something you might want to check out ... a drop or two added to your moisturizer could really help protect your dry skin. You can get samples at www.dianayvonne.com; I like the Ultra Emu.
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