74 replies to this topic

[WeAreMadeOfStardust]

You're welcome, if you need help with anything else let me know

[Norris]

Day 13

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 2 Pumps Moisturiser + 4 drops Jojoba (in the PM I use 6 drops)

Notes

• Eye Stinging is less noticeable.
• My Nose area is still flaking, spreading to my upper cheeks, but the moisturiser + Jojoba combo keeps it under control.
• My face is actually drying up later at night.
  
• My face feels great immediately after the Regimen
• Will start to feel a little tight an hour later and remain that way until the end of the day.
• UNLIKE the first week, my face is no longer producing floods of oil. I usually have to use oil blots after work, but my face is relatively dry. Its producing less, and it feels like the oil it produces, it soaks back up again...
• All breakouts on my face have dried out, and are healing up already.

Diet

• I realized, there's no one-stop-shop when it comes to anything in life, so same mindset should be applied to acne. I reviewed my diet, and decided to start with some small changes.

​Changes made:

• Full glass of water first thing after I brush.
• 1/2cup blueberries + 1/2 cup Rasberries + 1/4 cup of pro biotic yoghurt in the morning, + hard boiled egg.
• I've completely stopped my "Tim Hortons" routine, for those of you that don't know, it's a Coffee & Donut franchise. I've somehow drifted into a Double Crea + Double Sugar coffee, with the addition of a donut... and donuts are just simple carbs loaded with sugar.
• I've stopped drinking sodas.
• I've backed down on the caffeine intake. (1/4 cup of coffee a day maximum, and OH GOOD LORD, the caffeine withdrawal headaches are beastly. You've been warned)
• I find a way to incorporate Salmon into my day. (Sushi / sashimi snack / steamed / prepared myself)

​Upcoming Changes

• Adding more fibre to my diet. Either flaxseeds, or something else (more research needed)
• I need to up my Carbs in a safe way. I think I'm depleting myself, as I'm quite active. (more research needed)
• Need to drink more water
• Research into supplements, but I'd really rather not take pills.

Edited by Norris, 17 September 2012 - 09:51 AM.

[whoartthou1]

Wow, your forehead pimple that popped cleared up perfectly! What did you put on it mate?

[Norris]

Wow, your forehead pimple that popped cleared up perfectly! What did you put on it mate?

All I did was just followed the Regimen, DKR. I bought the Acne.org product bundle, and I'm giving it a go.

Day 13

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 2 Pumps Moisturiser + 4 drops Jojoba (in the PM I use 6 drops)

Notes

• Face is all around feeling much better. Less tight and less oily.
• The flaking is starting to wind down, I still have some in the chin, cheeks and nose.
• Eye stinging is less noticeable now, I've increased the area around my eyes to avoid, and Vaseline seems to help a lot!

Diet

• Same as post #22

[WeAreMadeOfStardust]

Wow, you are clearing up nicely. Expect an initial breakout coming up. It's normal and to be expected as your skin is changing. Keeping us posted! You're doing awesome!

[Norris]

Day 16

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 2 Pumps Moisturiser + 4 drops Jojoba (in the PM I use 6 drops)

Note

• Face feels about the same as all around
• I notice my skin is drying and flaking off, most around the forehead, temples and lower neck area.
• Small Pimple on my left temple broke out.
• I do notice my skin is stinging a little more when I do the Regimen

Diet

• Stickin' to my diet, it's making me feel better all around.
• I'm still pending the addition of Fibre...
• About a year ago, I started consuming a lot of food made with Chili Peppers (dried / fresh)
  
• I thought the oil from the chili peppers, would effect my Acne, but it hasn't.
• Thank goodness it hasn't because I love Chili Pepper oil, and spicy foods

[Tingmothy]

Hey nice journal man. I'm also Chinese and our skin looks very similar. Is your skin the oily type, or is it the dry and flaky type? And depending on your answer, is that why you decided to buy aha and jojoba oil?

[Norris]

Hey nice journal man. I'm also Chinese and our skin looks very similar. Is your skin the oily type, or is it the dry and flaky type? And depending on your answer, is that why you decided to buy aha and jojoba oil?

Hey Tingmothy,

My Skin is was oily, like I'm talking flood gate of oil oily. Everyone always said, just try using more moisturiser and your skin will stop producing so much oil. Kinda made sense, but my own laziness got the better of me, and I never really used moisturiser.

So this time around, going through the Regimen for a second try (this time following the steps exactly), I found that the 2 pumps of moisturiser really does help me control my oil. It brought down the "oilyness" level dramatically.

Another thing that helped me too, was cutting out foods/drinks that had high amounts of processed sugar. I read a few topics on the health section and livestrong.com as well.

So to answer your question, I bought the Acne.org kit, to be rid of the consistent breakouts, but I figured I'd try the AHA & Jojoba oil that was part of the kit since I bought it already.

And boy am I glad I did!

Day 17

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 2 Pumps Moisturiser + 4 drops Jojoba (in the PM I use 6 drops)

Note

• Skin is flaking, forehead, temples, neck areas.
• There is dead skin on my face, that is dry, but I am just resisting scratching or touching them.
• Stingy feeling is still present, getting a little more stingy now when I apply BP.
• Eyes are adjusted to BP, I find my eyes don't sting anymore.
• The new breakout on my left Temple is, still kinda in the hurting stage. I can see BP in action, although there is something weird. Now when I have new breakouts, they go away faster, but they also heal differently. The whole pimple turns pink (like new skin pink) and starts to flatten out and fade within a week or two. My old pimples left dark red spots that took years to fade...)

Diet

• Same same, sticking to it!

Photo: A bit sweaty today, had to run around (office errands).

Edited by Norris, 21 September 2012 - 11:41 AM.

[Tingmothy]

Thanks for the response. Yea my skin is really oily as well. Every time after I eat a meal, my face would "feel" oily. I guess I will try to use more moisturizer, as I thought moisturizer was used only to combat dry skin to make it moist. But I didn't know moisturizer reduces oil? That's really interesting. I'll be doing more research.

[Norris]

Thanks for the response. Yea my skin is really oily as well. Every time after I eat a meal, my face would "feel" oily. I guess I will try to use more moisturizer, as I thought moisturizer was used only to combat dry skin to make it moist. But I didn't know moisturizer reduces oil? That's really interesting. I'll be doing more research.

From digging around, the general consensus seems to be:

• If you have over-oily skin, it may be because you're under-moisturising, and your face is making oil to compensate
• You may want to try moisturising more for at least a week, (gives your face time to adjust) and see if your face is producing less oil or not.
  
• It seems the "moisturising more" for oily faces technique, doesn't work for everyone, but it seems to have helped a lot of people bring their oilyness levels back down to normal.

Day 17

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 2 Pumps Moisturiser + 4 drops Jojoba (in the PM I use 6 drops)

Notes

• Flaking at a much more noticeable level, my whole face is flaking.
• Moisturiser is helping keep it under control, but when I'm doing the Regimen, and waiting for my face to dry, WOW it's SO FLAKY!
• BP does sting a lot more when applying at this stage.
• I feel my skin is more sensitive to sun now. (Makes sense, since old skin is flaking and new skin is emerging)
• Eye stinging is completely gone
• The pimple that was on my forehead. that I thought was clear, is actually only now in the late stages of death. Turning dark and probably leaving a spot while it's at it. >.< I guess I'll expect the same on my left temple as well.

[Norris]

Day 18

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 2 Pumps Moisturiser + 6 drops Jojoba

Notes

• Dead skin on my face is darker than skin underneath.
• I hope it will all even out in the end.
• Making an effort not to scratch dead skin off.
• I think the pinnacle of "Stingyness" is through, until I up the BP again.

Question

• Would it be a bad idea to use a mild "micro scrub" exfoliator to get some of that dead skin off my face?

Edited by Norris, 25 September 2012 - 02:53 PM.

[WeAreMadeOfStardust]

Facial scrubs will be too irritating to the fresh new skin coming up. It could also cause existing active breakouts to heal slower or get worse.

[Norris]

Facial scrubs will be too irritating to the fresh new skin coming up. It could also cause existing active breakouts to heal slower or get worse.

Roger that~
I guess the only choice is to leave dead skin until it falls off by themselves?



On a side note... I've managed to ruin 2 T-shirts in just under 3 weeks.
BP it's like Insta-bleach for clothing.

[WeAreMadeOfStardust]

For now, sorry to say, leave the skin to fall off for now. Try to touch or make contact with your face as little as possible for the first month. The skin can get really messed up easy since it's going through it adjustment to the BP. I ruined two shirts too! Cotton cloths just ask to be bleached. Wear an ugly junk shirt during the regimen. i hope this helps. :3

[Norris]

Day 22 (I got my days mixed up, I recounted from Sep 05, today is the 22nd day on the Regimen)

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 1+1/2 Pumps Moisturiser + 6 drops Jojoba
• (Lowered my moisturiser because I sleep with a humidifier on now...winter..., I'll bump it back up if I feel excessively dry)

Notes

• F-L-A-K-E-Y

(picture is kind of grainy, iPhone 4 front camera, what can I do...0.o)

For now, sorry to say, leave the skin to fall off for now. Try to touch or make contact with your face as little as possible for the first month. The skin can get really messed up easy since it's going through it adjustment to the BP. I ruined two shirts too! Cotton cloths just ask to be bleached. Wear an ugly junk shirt during the regimen. i hope this helps. :3

Well I try to wear no shirts until I've finished the morning routine and the moisturiser is fully absorbed.
But few days ago, I was in a hurry, so I put on a collared shirt to get ready for work after putting on BP. BP wasn't absorbed yet, and some got on my shirt. I was amazed at how instantly it discoloured.

Edited by Norris, 26 September 2012 - 09:31 AM.

[Norris]

Day 23

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 1+1/2 Pumps Moisturiser + 6 drops Jojoba
• No BP on neck last night and this morning.
  
• My neck seems to need some healing time. It's been so dry, and so cracked from BP, that I can't move my head to check for on-coming cars properly when driving. So I thought I'd cut back on BP for a few days and just use a LOT of Moisturiser & Jojoba
• I'll add BP again, but in super small amounts and start upping it at a different level than my face.

Notes

• All I can say is just wow. The flakey-ness is pretty crazy.
• There is discolouration in my skin now. I hope it evens out. Once old skin flakes off, the skin underneath is not as dark as the old skin... I have spots~
• They're more apparent on my forehead and temples.

Edited by Norris, 27 September 2012 - 07:58 AM.

[Tingmothy]

Hey how come you haven't been using AHA? Just wondering.

[Norris]

Hey how come you haven't been using AHA? Just wondering.

I've been told to better use it after the first month.
I'm planning to start after day 30.

[judith2345]

Hey man, congratulations on your results, your skin is looking great! I've been following the regimen for about 18 days now or so, and I'm seeing an improvement as well. I have a couple questions for you if you don't mind.. First off I haven't introduced Jojoba oil into my regimen yet.. what effects have you noticed the Jojoba oil made on your skin? Also it appears you keep a close shave from your pictures, how do you go about shaving do you use the cleanser as shaving cream? It seems the only time I break out anymore is from shaving I usually get 1-2 pimples a day after I shave on my jawline not anything big just tiny ones. I appreciate any feedback you have for me man, and hope you continue to see good results.

[Norris]

Hey man, congratulations on your results, your skin is looking great! I've been following the regimen for about 18 days now or so, and I'm seeing an improvement as well. I have a couple questions for you if you don't mind.. First off I haven't introduced Jojoba oil into my regimen yet.. what effects have you noticed the Jojoba oil made on your skin? Also it appears you keep a close shave from your pictures, how do you go about shaving do you use the cleanser as shaving cream? It seems the only time I break out anymore is from shaving I usually get 1-2 pimples a day after I shave on my jawline not anything big just tiny ones. I appreciate any feedback you have for me man, and hope you continue to see good results.

Thanks Tommy, appreciate it!
"...what effects have you noticed the Jojoba oil made on your skin?"

• Keeps flakes under control
• BP dries out my face a LOT, the moisturiser puts moisture back, and I think, and this is really just what I noticed, Jojoba feels like it sticks to the surface of my skin and acts as a barrier, holding the moisture in. So at the end of the work day, my skin isn't totally dried out again.
• Again, I could be totally wrong on how everything works together, but this is my initial impression.

​Shaving

• I clean my face with cleanser
• I pat dry like in the regimen, but I leave the areas that need to be shaved wet/moist.
• I then use a few drops of shaving oil (www.groominglounge.com) from their kit, and work it in gently to my facial hair. You can also use Jojoba oil, but I like grooming lounges oil a little better.
• Then I apply a small amount of shaving cream (not foam, just regular cream from grooming lounge's kit again).
• Lastly I shave with a safety razor, (the stainless steel ones with a single blade)

I've found shaving to be a LOT less problematic, and quite enjoyable now after switching away from the terrible creams/foams + disposable plastic razors that populate most of the shelf space in my local department store.

Hope that helps!

*** Couldn't access Acne.org last Friday for some reason. My computer just flat out refused to load the webpage...><, I am going to be posting Day 24(friday) + Day 27(today).

Day 24

• 1 Pump Cleanser
• 1+1/2 Pump BP
• 1+1/2 Pumps Moisturiser + 6 drops Jojoba
• No BP on neck last night and this morning again.

Notes

• I thought I had an idea how bad the flaking was going to get. I was wrong.
• I am fine throughout the day, but past 12hour mark I get dried out & itchy.
• It's a bit frustrating, I work 10 hour days usually + workout time. By the time I'm done with a workday, I'm way past the 12 hour mark where I should be doing the PM Regimen. I think that accounts for the really itchy neck I get.