62 replies to this topic

[Ghost08]

July 19th 2012

I took some new pictures for you all, but when I uploaded them to Photobucket they looked really blurry, so I'll take some with my camera instead of with my iPhone. I haven't had any new breakouts since the episode when I ran out of Zinc.

I've been so happy with my skin, it's unbelievable. I haven't had it this clear since I was like 14.

I really hope that my log and experiences have been able to help some of you, I know how hard it is to find something that works and I know that what works for me may not work for you.

In celebration of SUMMER I wanted to share a little trick with you on how to make your own TINTED MOISTURIZER that's

NOT GREASY. Yes, you read that correctly. NOT GREASY.

I know that for myself, every time I have tried to make one it has ended up making my skin look so shiny. This trick makes your skin look matte for quite some time while having light coverage for the summer and humidity.

Take your favorite foundation or mineral makeup and mix it with Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel.

I did about equal parts of each, but I have only tried it with liquid foundation. I am going to try it with my mineral makeup tomorrow and let you know how it works.

If you want the coverage to be more sheer, I would recommend you use more Aloe.

The reason I went ahead and told you that you could use mineral makeup is because all of the recipes I saw called for Mineral Makeup.

PLEASE try this out and let me know how this works for you. I would love to hear what you think!

(Some before and after pictures would be nice, too. JS)

STAY BEAUTIFUL! <3

[Ghost08]

August 2nd 2012

Hello beautiful people!

I'm so very upset right now. For some reason, right around my nose has been SO RED! It doesn't burn or itch, it's just red. It looks like I have a cold and have been rubbing it raw with tissues. Yucky yuck.

This has been going on for about 4 days so I decided to do one of my honey facials which I haven't done in a while (I have no idea why) so I slathered it all over my face and all over my nose and let it sit for about 30-45 minutes and washed it off. This morning my nose was no longer red at all. THANK GOODNESS.

Has anyone else randomly gotten this problem? I thought it could be from my BP but I haven't had that problem since I first started using it. And then it was dry and flaky, this redness isn't dry at all.

I wonder if it could have been a bacterial infection or something. I had that happen once when I was 12, it was from touching my face to much. My allergies are really bad and I rub my nose a lot because it itches so maybe the redness was from bacteria and the honey rectified that issue.

I still have not gotten my camera, so no new pictures. But if you really want some soon I can take them with my phone. Just let me know

Stay Beautiful!

[Ghost08]

August 15th 2012

I guess I'm just full of empty promises. My camera is MIA so have to show you all crap photos from my iPhone. Which I just happen to have deleted because I thought I sent them to photobucket. -face palm-

Scratch that, I just remembered I have photo streaming so all those photos are saved. -insert applause here-
Okay I took more pictures than I usually do so everyone can see the different parts of my face.

Sorry for being so pic heavy, just thought you all might like to see the rest of my face. Check out those armadillo eyes! Oh so sexy. Speaking of my eyes, they look almost emerald in these pictures. They're a bit lighter than that in RL.

The pink marks you see on my cheeks are noticeable because I just took a shower. They are virtually invisible until that hot water wakes them right up!

So here's a few things going on with my skin;

1. I have a nasty "chemical burn" (I'm not sure that's what it is, but I've had one before that looked just like this) on my chin so I haven't been using my Acne.org products on it because I'm afraid it will irritate the shiz out of it.

2. I've been using the well advertised Green Tea Toner that OneFatalGoose (I hope that's his name, because I just said that from memory) recommends. It has been so great! I usually have lots of redness around my nose, which is visible from my picture, but with this toner that redness is gone. Like *poof*. One day is all it took for the redness to disappear. It doesn't make my skin feel tight all over, it only feels tight on the outline of my face. Isn't that strange? I have no idea why.

If anyone has considered trying this, I highly recommend it.

I haven't been wearing makeup at all because I've been wanting to sleep in a little. I know, shame on me for being lazy. I have a really hard time sleeping so by the time it actually happens I will only get a few hours of it. I'm also plagued by nightmares when I do sleep, so what I do get is usually interrupted. But enough woe is me garbage and on with my skin.

My forehead has always been clear with the occasional blackheads, but it's only a few and they come back in the exact same spot every time.

Myinner cheeks (next to nose) is clear, but that is where my largest pores are. They have shrunk down a lot since I changed my skincare regimen but they are still very noticeable to me. The pores on my nose look great IMO.

My chin is caught with the occasional pimple, but I've always have this little white things that COVER it. They aren't visible unless I pull the skin taught, and no matter how much I pinch them, they come back the next day. Well guess what?! Queue the GREEN TEA TONER and *SHABWAM*! They're almost all gone. Holy Snapcicles! Isn't that exciting? I've had these for as long as I can remember, so for them to be leaving my face is a dream come true.

Okay, that's about it for now. Stay Beautiful!

[Ghost08]

September 25th 2012

It's been a little over a month since I've posted. -le gasp- How horrifying, right?
I've had so many things going on with my skin and so many things have changed. I guess I'll jump right into it.

I have temporarily ceased to use my BP & AHA from the Org. I randomly experienced an allergic reaction that caused my eyes to swell and puss to come out of the skin on my chin. It was awful and painful. I gave myself a week (that's how long it took the reaction to go away) and in this time I did not use facewash nor any topical treatments. I continued to take my supplements though. I had no breakouts as a result. I surely thought I would, but alas, nothing ever showed.*
*The only breakout I experienced was hormonal around that time.

When my skin cleared I tried to use the AHA again and the reaction occurred again. When this episode cleared I tried just BP and that also caused a reaction. Has my skin developed an allergy to it? Who knows, but for now I will not be using it.

I have started washing my face with soap again (Still Cetaphil) since I wear makeup sometimes and want to make sure I get it off of my skin before bed.
I bought a new toner and have been using it only at night for a couple of days in hopes of clearing some blackheads I have on my nose and forehead. Since I stopped using AHA they have come back and I hate it. Does anyone recommend some products for clearing blackheads? I'll take natural remedies as well. Share what has worked for you, thanks!

I have introduced something new into my supplement regimen. I purchased some Probiotics from The Vitamin Shoppe. I have been taking them for a few weeks and I love them! I have a stomach that is very easily upset and since taking them, my stomach has been much better.

I've gotten into the DIY craze my friends, and it's fun! I've learned to do two things that I really like. I made my own pink corrective concealer for under eye circles which I have and they aren't pretty! You take your concealer and gradually mix in a little bit of red lipstick until you get the color you want. You can also make a yellow corrective concealer by mixing orange lipstick in your concealer but I have no done that because I don't need one.
The second thing I have made is my own makeup setting spray. I feel like I need to preface this with something that will help you all out. There is a difference between 'Makeup Setting Spray' and 'Oil Control Spray'. Got that? Good. I'll explain a little later.

The recipe called for glycerin but I didn't like the idea of putting that on my skin as lots of people had said it broke them out. I'm not one for wanting to risk that. I came up with my own version and the recipe is as follows;

1 part Aloe Vera gel or juice (I used Gel because it dries matte on my skin)

3 parts filtered, distilled OR rose water. (DO NOT use tap. You don't want creatures growing in this)

A couple of drops of Vitamin E oil. (Optional)

For the water I used The Body Shop's Cucumber Refreshing Water. Unfortunately they don't sell this online anymore but you might be able to find it in stores.

The reason I chose to use this is because it is rose water with cucumber extract. Cucumber extract is in the Mac Fix+ spray, so I figured I might be on the right track.

I put my mixture in a little spritz bottle and sprayed my face 2-4 times after applying makeup.

Now let me tell you, I normally use Urban Decay's De-slick spray because I have an oily complexion. That spray sets your makeup nicely and also keeps your skin looking fresh longer. MY VERSION is very nice and set my makeup wonderfully. My face has not gotten as oily as it would have without it, but it's not matte either. But heck, to save $30 bucks I'm all over this.

If you have especially oil skin I would omit the Vitamin E oil. But if you have dry skin from acne meds and topicals, I would leave it in.

Now, would you like me to get back to the difference? Alright. You CAN get a spray that is both, but it won't work for everyone. The main idea of a setting spray is to makeup your makeup look perfect. Have you ever over-powdered your face and it looks a little chalky? Set it with the spray and VOILA! Chalk-be-gone.

I recommend you try this for yourself and let me know what you think. You can also use your favorite toner instead of rose water if you'd like.

Well that's the news guys, I hope you can learn a little something from my posts that can benefit you.

Stay Beautiful!

[Ghost08]

OCTOBER 9th 2012

​You guys are just going to get a kick out of how much experimenting I have been doing. I'm usually not one to do that but since my last routine kind of went out the window I decided it was a good time to try out some new things.

First off, I stopped washing my face with soap in the morning. I just rinse with cold water and then use my new Neutrogena toner.

At night I only wash my face with soap if I wear liquid makeup that day which lately I have not been. After I tone my face at night I give it a few minutes to dry then apply a couple of drops of Coconut Oil to my whole face. This junk has made my undereyes look amazing. I usually have gross dry skin there and this has banished those flakes away.

It even makes any marks on my face heal a ton faster. I love this stuff.

Well that's my quickie for the time being.

Stay Beautiful!

[mascha]

My scheme is simple. The main principle - natural products!
1. wash with AHA acids
2. use as of lotion Сhlorhexidinum
3. locally (dot) on the sore 2% salicylic alcohol (you can use tincture of calendula)
4. strong eruptions using masks with badyaga a everyday, to profilactic - every three days (reduces rashes, peeling, smoothes the skin, removes stains and scars). Buying on ebay lot #120993405609. there is a powder and gel
5. hydration with AHA acids
6. daily sun protection
it only cosmetics scheme)))

[Ghost08]

October 16th 2012

Well my lovelies, it's that time to let you know how it's going.

Nothing else in my routine has changed, but I feel my skin has been better than ever! It's so refreshing to wake up and not put on makeup because you feel you are more beautiful without something covering up your skin.

I have been exercising every day and I really feel this has helped my skin also. I do circuit training for 30 minutes every morning and every other day I run. I have new found love for running and it's amazing. It puts me in a better mood for the rest of the day.

Has anyone else had experience with exercise helping their skin?

I hope everyone has a lovely week

Stay Beautiful!

[heitea]

Hi! I agree with the idea that exercise helps clear you up!
The first time I was clear (which is evident in my gallery), my exercise regimen was DEFINITELY a factor in it! It kept my stress levels down, made me feel really good about my body, and helped regulate my hormones (I think).
Now that I'm trying to get fully clear again, I've been running a lot again (isn't it awesome!?), and I think it's helping with my cell turnover rate. I heal a lot quicker!

That's awesome that you feel beautiful! Waking up and not having to put makeup on is my ultimate goal!

[Ghost08]

Hi! I agree with the idea that exercise helps clear you up!
The first time I was clear (which is evident in my gallery), my exercise regimen was DEFINITELY a factor in it! It kept my stress levels down, made me feel really good about my body, and helped regulate my hormones (I think).
Now that I'm trying to get fully clear again, I've been running a lot again (isn't it awesome!?), and I think it's helping with my cell turnover rate. I heal a lot quicker!

That's awesome that you feel beautiful! Waking up and not having to put makeup on is my ultimate goal!

Thank you so much for your reply!
I am glad to hear that you agree. This is going to sound weird but what you said about it making you feel good about your body, I haven't been doing it very long but it must have gotten to my head because I feel a lot more confident. It's definitely affecting my mood in a very good way

[Ghost08]

January 8th, 2013

Welcome to the new year! I sure have missed you guys. I haven't been around because I quit my job for school, and also got engaged so I have been a busy busy bee.

I hope everyone has a lovely start to this new year and I also hope you all find love, hope and joy in the coming year. I also sincerely hope that any of you who may have been struggling with acne for a long time, will find your solution this year.

I've had a couple of changes in my regimen that I should make you aware of.

I am still completely off of the Acne.org products. It's a shame because they worked so well for me, but the allergic reaction was horrific and using it even caused my lymph nodes to be swollen. I actually saw my massage therapist after a reaction and she drained them for me. It was awful.

I have stopped using my toner I bought from a seller on Etsy and went back to the homemade Green Tea Toner you hear about on here. It worked well for me before and continues to do so now. If you have any questions about my variations on it, let me know.

I have been getting stress breakouts (wedding planning is a pain in the @ss) so I bought the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub and use it in the mornings. I am loving it. It's not drying at all, it's actually kind of moisturizing and it has helped a lot with the stress breakouts I get on my chin. If anyone else has those nasty breakouts just in the chin area, I recommend you give this line a try. It's not pricey either.

Let's take a moment to talk about my back. I have NEVER had any breakouts on my back and lately I have just been covered with blackheads. Yucky yuck. Could this be stress related too? I don't know, but I am unsure of what to use on it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope I have helped someone in some small way.

Stay Beautiful!

[Ghost08]

3/1/13

 

Well guys, this past month I have felt like my clear skin streak was coming to an END. I was so devastated. 

But here I am to tell you all about my mishaps and discoveries. 

 

I tried a new Clean & Clear wash to see if I was still allergic to BP (I'm an idiot) and guess what?! Yeah, definitely still allergic. After the swelling went down after about 4 days I could finally open my eyes all the way. 

 

I also was getting super freaked out about my return of breakouts because of my wedding coming up. I cannot begin to describe how stressful it is to think I may not have clear skin on my wedding day. 

 

I started getting acne around my hairline because I switched shampoos. I have used Head & Shoulders since I was a pre-teen. I didn't want to deal with that mess so I switched back to my old faithful H&S. (The one thing I hate about H&S is the fact that it leaves buildup on my hair after a while so I have to clarify) After one wash my hairline acne was fading. This made me have a bright idea! (I was currently suffering from one of the worst breakouts I've had in months) I decided to wash my face with my shampoo. (So sue me, I thought it was clever) Within hours my face was calming down, and after a few days of this I was completely RID of my breakout. Is it the zinc in the shampoo? I've heard of people using dandruff shampoo for their acne, I just thought it was complete bologna. But to my surprise it worked. Praise <insert deity you believe in> I want to keep this up to see if it continues to work or if it's another fluke I seem to having. 

 

 

[kissmypineapple]

3/1/13

 

Well guys, this past month I have felt like my clear skin streak was coming to an END. I was so devastated. 

But here I am to tell you all about my mishaps and discoveries. 

 

I tried a new Clean & Clear wash to see if I was still allergic to BP (I'm an idiot) and guess what?! Yeah, definitely still allergic. After the swelling went down after about 4 days I could finally open my eyes all the way. 

 

I also was getting super freaked out about my return of breakouts because of my wedding coming up. I cannot begin to describe how stressful it is to think I may not have clear skin on my wedding day. 

 

I started getting acne around my hairline because I switched shampoos. I have used Head & Shoulders since I was a pre-teen. I didn't want to deal with that mess so I switched back to my old faithful H&S. (The one thing I hate about H&S is the fact that it leaves buildup on my hair after a while so I have to clarify) After one wash my hairline acne was fading. This made me have a bright idea! (I was currently suffering from one of the worst breakouts I've had in months) I decided to wash my face with my shampoo. (So sue me, I thought it was clever) Within hours my face was calming down, and after a few days of this I was completely RID of my breakout. Is it the zinc in the shampoo? I've heard of people using dandruff shampoo for their acne, I just thought it was complete bologna. But to my surprise it worked. Praise <insert deity you believe in> I want to keep this up to see if it continues to work or if it's another fluke I seem to having. 

My mom swears that head and shoulders cleared her sister's acne, I think because there is sulfur in it?

[Ghost08]

 

3/1/13

 

Well guys, this past month I have felt like my clear skin streak was coming to an END. I was so devastated. 

But here I am to tell you all about my mishaps and discoveries. 

 

I tried a new Clean & Clear wash to see if I was still allergic to BP (I'm an idiot) and guess what?! Yeah, definitely still allergic. After the swelling went down after about 4 days I could finally open my eyes all the way. 

 

I also was getting super freaked out about my return of breakouts because of my wedding coming up. I cannot begin to describe how stressful it is to think I may not have clear skin on my wedding day. 

 

I started getting acne around my hairline because I switched shampoos. I have used Head & Shoulders since I was a pre-teen. I didn't want to deal with that mess so I switched back to my old faithful H&S. (The one thing I hate about H&S is the fact that it leaves buildup on my hair after a while so I have to clarify) After one wash my hairline acne was fading. This made me have a bright idea! (I was currently suffering from one of the worst breakouts I've had in months) I decided to wash my face with my shampoo. (So sue me, I thought it was clever) Within hours my face was calming down, and after a few days of this I was completely RID of my breakout. Is it the zinc in the shampoo? I've heard of people using dandruff shampoo for their acne, I just thought it was complete bologna. But to my surprise it worked. Praise <insert deity you believe in> I want to keep this up to see if it continues to work or if it's another fluke I seem to having. 

My mom swears that head and shoulders cleared her sister's acne, I think because there is sulfur in it?

I didn't even think about the sulfur thing! That probably has a lot to do with it.

 

If anyone else reads this, the acne is back under control again thanks to my shampoo!

[Ghost08]

April 3rd 2013

 

 

Ugh. Actually, double ugh. My skin has been CRAZY lately. It's absolutely devastating not being able to be on the DKR because of my allergy to both the BP & AHA. Those products were truly a godsend and here I am with acne issues again because I can't use the only thing that's ever made my skin as beautiful as it was. Damn you Benzoyl Peroxide and Damn you AHA.

I finally went back to my doctor and told her to put me back on Clindamycin Topical. This worked for me in the past when I was around 15-16, although I was using it in conjunction with a 10% BP face wash. I have done a lot of research and it is highly recommended that you use Clindamycin along with another treatment. Does anyone think Salicylic Acid is enough? I sure hope it is. I just cannot...CANNOT have acne on my wedding day. I don't think I can deal with that. Why couldn't I become allergic AFTER my wedding? F****!!!!! -proceeds to bang head on desk. Repeatedly.-

 

I really hope this works. AND if anyone is interested, I get my Clindamycin Topical for 4 dollars a month. It's originally about 60 bucks for the generic but when you purchase it from CVS using your health savings pass, it's only $4, but you have to get a 90 day supply.

[heitea]

Hey Ghost,

 

I have a bit of allergy to BP, too. It sucks...it makes my skin red and itchy and painful. So, I stopped using it completely. Are you allergic to BHA? That's helped me a lot. I do use AHA, too, but only at night.

 

I've never used Clindamyacin, but I think that salicylic acid is great! AHA and BHA both have salicylic acid derivatives in them.

 

I think it's wonderful that you're getting married! I hope you feel better about your skin before your day! How far away is the date?

[Ghost08]

Hey Ghost,

 

I have a bit of allergy to BP, too. It sucks...it makes my skin red and itchy and painful. So, I stopped using it completely. Are you allergic to BHA? That's helped me a lot. I do use AHA, too, but only at night.

 

I've never used Clindamyacin, but I think that salicylic acid is great! AHA and BHA both have salicylic acid derivatives in them.

 

I think it's wonderful that you're getting married! I hope you feel better about your skin before your day! How far away is the date?

No I don't have an allergy to BHA. I'm going to try and add a salicylic acid topical into my regimen. Do you recommend one?

 

The date is June 21st.

So I am trying to get it all under control now, because my skin takes a while to get used to new treatments.

[Ghost08]

April 12th 2013

 

 

Well guys, It's been 9 days of using Clindamycin and I am pretty happy. My skin isn't clear, obviously...but I know it's working. I had about 4 pimples under the skin that I could feel but not see. After a couple of days they surfaced and came right to a head and I carefully extracted them. Now I just have a couple of red marks, but I have been treating them with raw honey per my usual routine and things are looking a little better. My forehead and left cheek are 99% clear, but my chin and right cheek are all like "Not yet bitch." Thanks guys. I appreciate it. Assholes. Anyway.

 

After doing some research (I NEVER buy anything without researching the hell out of it LOL) I decided to order Paula's Choice 2% Salicylic Acid Liquid. I have not used it yet, but I am pretty excited. I'm only going to use it at night to start with, since I don't want to piss my face off. Any of my readers ever used it? What did you think?

I got a ton of samples. They had a bunch of free ones and I ordered some extras. 

 

Cross your fingers for me that I get my skin under control again. Gods, how I miss my BP and AHA. 

 

Thanks for reading y'all. 

Stay Beautiful!

 

 

 

[Ghost08]

April 26th 2013

 

 

Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know how things are going with the Paula's Choice BHA 2% Liquid I purchased not too long ago.

I absolutely love it! I think I have finally found a replacement for the AHA I had developed an allergy to. I am ecstatic! It took about a week for it to truly start working, but when it did it was amazing. The only place I get blackheads now is on my nose, and they are very small. 

If I use it twice a day, I get very very dry. So I only use it at night. I also noticed that if I put too much of it on I would feel like I had a very sticky face. A little bit of this product goes a long way, so keep that in mind if you ever buy it.

 

Two things new this week;

1. I added some new supplements to my diet. Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Borage Oil, Burdock Root, and Vitamin D3. I will be sure to let you know how this goes.

2. I started moisturizing with Grapeseed Oil.

 

Let me tell you a little about how grapeseed has been working for me. I had a few red marks on my face that would not go away, and after using this one night they were significantly lighter. I've used it a few days now and it is helping them so much. It absorbs very quickly into the skin and has no scent. I also have not had any new breakouts from this. It has made my face less oily today, which is a miracle since my skin is a grease pit! Haha

 

 

Stay Beautiful! 

Edited by Ghost08, 03 May 2013 - 10:22 AM.

[heitea]

I think it's awesome that PC's BHA works for you! I love it too! Ever since I've started using it, my skin has been significantly better-- especially with the blackheads.

 

Is grapeseed oil easy to find in stores or do you have to order it online?

 

happy for you!

[Ghost08]

I think it's awesome that PC's BHA works for you! I love it too! Ever since I've started using it, my skin has been significantly better-- especially with the blackheads.

 

Is grapeseed oil easy to find in stores or do you have to order it online?

 

happy for you!

 

Grapeseed Oil is very easy to find! Especially if you have any health food stores or vitamin shops near you.