hello
most of my acne is now gone, but my skin is in really bad shape. I used Differin and antibiotics for about a year without using any moisturizing (which i know now was stupid) and now im afraid my whole skin is destroyed. Its flaky (because the moistorizer wont penetrate my skin), its very red because its dry and irritated, and of course i have a dosen red marks. All in all, i think my skin could look so much better with the right products.
Is it correct that AHA and acid peels have somewhat the same effects? I am mainly looking for a product that will remove my dead skin cells, so that my moistorizer can penetrate (maybe someone could recommend an exfoliator that doesnt break you out?) and a product that will help me fade red marks.
On the other hand would any of you think its enough to just use facewashers, exfoliators as mentioned, moistorizer and just let time work on it own?
Ive tried to read through the forums, but I feel like its so small amount of information on this theme.. atleast compared to acne itself.
thank you
Time will work on its own, but I have found success with 20% Salicylic acid peels once per week. These are safe enough to do at home, since they are not water soluble, they cant go very deep. It's a process.
But minimal flaking a peeling, that I control with hemp seed oil, and wonderful results. each peel the old scars are lighter, and the SA helps with active acne or inflammation as well. Anything stronger, I would recommend going to an aesthetician for though
-I recommend Jojoba oil, it really does help and repair the skin, only use it at night though as its a bit much for daytime use.
-Maybe a couple of weeks of just focusing on getting moisture back in your skin would be a good idea, before starting to use any peels which could aggravate your skin.
-After that a lactic acid or mandelic acid peel would be good; they are gentler than salicyclic and glycolic acids and you should start off with those if you are a first time peel user.