8 replies to this topic

[MultiMia]

This is kind of just a rant b/c at this point I feel like nothing will ever make my blackheads go away.
Ever since I started using Green Cream, which is great, after I wash my face the blackheads on my nose and cheeks and poking out above the surface. At first I was like oh cool, theyre going away.Nope, thats not the case. They just stay that way and never leave. Then after I put my moisurizer on they go back under the surface and the same thing happens the next time I wash my face.
I have tried squeezing them but that doesnt always work and even if they do completely come out they come right back within a few days. I dont like to squeeze them though b/c Ive heard that it could do serious damage to your skin. So I tried using tweezers to grad them and pull them out. Wow, its so satisfying when they come out like that(nast though,lol) but they still come right back.
I just dont get it. When I was on medication and using glycolic acid products they didnt go away.Steaming didnt work.Pore strips didnt work. Its so frustrating.

[LionQueen]

Are you exfoliating? That's what knocks them out for me, especially combined with the Green Cream.

I've been jessfoliating for the past few months but am thinking of switching to a gommage product.

[MultiMia]

I use a gentle exfoliating scrub but I suppose its not doing a good enough job. Maybe I'll try to find a really, really soft brush and try the jessfoliation.
What is a gommage product?

[LionQueen]

What is a gommage product?

It's a gentle exfoliating scrub! But of course they vary dramatically in quality. I have one from Physiodermie that I really like, but it costs a fortune. Maybe I will just stick with jessfoliation and try to do it less often ... if I do it too much, my skin starts looking tired.

Anyway, I have noticed blackheads on my face many times after cleansing, and exfoliation definitely seems to help get rid of them. Not that mine are all gone yet, but at least the remaining ones are tiny.

Another thing some people use is BHAs in the morning and Green Cream at night. There's some info on this over at the Green Cream board. If you haven't checked that out yet, I recommend it. There's also a wonderul skin care board at www.dianayvonne.com (that site is one of the GC retailers, so there are a lot of GC users over there).

[MultiMia]

Oh, well then I may need to try a new gommage product. LoL Really Im not sure what to do. I think I will ask for help on the green cream board.
I should be thankful for the green cream though. Besides my blackheads my skin is looking better everyday b/c of the green cream. I just feel more self conscious about my blackheads sometimes b/c makeup doesnt cover them at all, not even Dermablend. I was at a party last night and this guy was trying to figure out what color my eyes are so he got kinda close and all I could think of was whether or not he could see the nasty blackheads on my nose. LoL

[LionQueen]

I've just been lurking around the Diana Yvonne SkinCare board for the last hour or so ... fascinating stuff. The DY site sells all sorts of samples, and I have decided to try out the mandelic acid some mornings, very cautiously ... apparently some people have had real trouble trying to combine it in a regimen with Green Cream, so I am still thinking about how exactly to do this.

Anyway, mandelic is supposed to be an awesome pore-unclogger AND anti-bacterial.

I'll post about it in my log ...

[MultiMia]

Hmm, I'll have to look into that. Theres so much stuff out there, sometimes it gets overwhelming. I just wish I could find the right products for my skin on the first try. I know thats not realistic at all though. All of this trial and error, and money spent, just gets to me sometimes. I have to say though, with the GC I am one step closer to clear skin.

[Daphnis]

What is this "Green Cream" and "gommage"?

[LionQueen]

Hmm, I'll have to look into that. Theres so much stuff out there, sometimes it gets overwhelming. I just wish I could find the right products for my skin on the first try. I know thats not realistic at all though. All of this trial and error, and money spent, just gets to me sometimes. I have to say though, with the GC I am one step closer to clear skin.

You should join the SkinCare board at Diana Yvonne's website. The host, Deb, is incredibly knowledgeable about products and ingredients. If you post your current regimen (including all the specific products) and tell her your skin care needs & goals, she will tell you if you are using things that are bad for you and make some suggestions. She has a background in chemistry, I believe, and really knows her stuff.

Also, even though she may recommend Diana Yvonne products, almost all of those products are pure active ingredients ... so even if you don't want to buy the DY salicylic acid, just for example, you still have a recommendation for SA and can get it somewhere else.

And if you tell her you want to keep your regimen short and simple, she can help with that, too.

Oh, and another nice thing about the DY products ... most of 'em come in sample sizes.

What is this "Green Cream" and "gommage"?

Green Cream is a high-potency retinol gel. There's a Green Cream thread in the OTC forum and another in the Red Marks forum. If you click the Green Cream link in my sig it will take you to the product website.

A gommage is a gentle exfoliating scrub ... lots of companies make them, but not all of them are good ... you have to find one that is truly gentle, no abrasive ingredients, no detergents, nothing comedogenic ... that pretty much rules out everything on the drugstore shelf.