Acne.org Products
Aghhne, if you can't buy things online, consider going to specialty beauty stores. For example, Planet Beauty, or Sally Beauty, or even Sephora. They may carry dermarolling needles, and if they don't, they may know where else you can get one, or might be able to order one for you.
Failing that, you could see a dermatologist (hopefully your parents wouldn't object to that?), and ask him/her.
Something else you can do actually to get around the having no credit card thing, is you can get a gift card, like an American Express or Mastercard gift card, and use that online instead. That way your parents can rest easy knowing that you're not risking fraudulent activity that might overcharge or drain an account if the card number gets leaked.
UDPATE: i got my beta glucan products yesterday! i ordered one from Transfer Point (the BetaSilk lotion), and the oat glucans from Garden of Wisdom. The BetaSilk is lotion consistency, but dries on the skin really quickly. the oat glucans is more of a watery liquid, though the bottle says it should be a brownish gel. i may have to cnotact them and ask about that :/ but i tried both last night on different parts of my skin. had no adverse reaction, neither smells at all bad, and they both dry/soak in very quickly. the oat glucans liquid does leave a bit of a filmy/tight feel, but putting a little moisturizer over it fixes that.
so, since the oat glucan liquid is a bit inconsistent in the way it looks vs the way it's supposed to look, for now i'm going to stick to the betasilk, until i can figure out what's going on.
last night i washed my face, applied my urea lotion, let it dry and washed it off, and followed that with the betasilk. then i applied my occlusive elicina plus and normal moisturizer over it.
today my face is GLOWING and the dark marks continue to fade....the fact that they are continuing to fade makes me believe that it is the urea and not the urine specifically that was helping, BUT, the urine did help SOME, so it's probably the *urea content* in the urine that helped.
also the texture of my scars is a lot more shallow. i attribute this mainly to the intense exfoliating effect of the urea. we'll see if anything actually ever disappears.
i will keep doing this through the weekend, and see if i feel the need to go back to the urine therapy on monday.
Hi Purpletulip,
Hope the urea & beta glucan are doing wonders for your skin
Btw, I just thought I'd share my post with you re a new face mask I started to use...so far so good...basically, I looked at the rosacea products in the osmosis skincare range and noticed it uses vitamin c, amino acids, minerals, retinaldehyde and other skin growth factors ....I believe these are all contained in nature's perfect food i.e. chlorella, spirulina, barley grass, wheat grass....
Here's the post & recipe:
Cheers
Thanks Aquasea!
I think i'm hitting a couple snags.
1. it seems i'm plateauing on the exfoliation, because progress is not as dramatic as it was these last couple weeks. the urea will only work so long as there's keratin to slough off, and it may be that with the 40% being a pretty high concentration, I'm starting to hit my limit on how much it can exfoliate. So I will take a break from it for a week, and then go back to using it once a day, and see how that goes.
2. i think the BetaSilk lotion is breaking me out a bit. they're not quite cystic pimples, they're more like reddened little areas. They're not too noticeable, but i see them and i know they're not normal. they slightly resemble an allergic reaction...even though that would be weird because i'm rarely, if ever, allergic to anything. either that, or the skin is irritated from being exfoliated by the urea, which is another reason to give it a break.
So, I think here's what I'm going to do: starting tomorrow, I'm going to go back to putting urine on my scars in the morning, and will use only the Garden of Wisdom oat beta glucan liquid, along with my usual sunscreen and moisturizer. this liquid is the most pure of the products I'm trying, and so hopefully it will help calm down the reactions a bit. Then next week I will go back to using the urea, just once every two evenings, as a treatment, and see what happens. If after that week of urine in the morning and urea in the evening, plus the GoW oat beta glucans, my skin is still reacting in some way, I may have to just take a break altogether.
However, the coloring on my scars is still lightening! And the skin texture is still flatter than it was. So regardless of what reaction has been happening recently something has still been working on the pigmentation at the very least.
And in an earlier post i mentioned a small hole/enlarged pore on my chin...that seems to have resurfaced, however it is much smaller/tighter. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it.
Thanks Aquasea!
I think i'm hitting a couple snags.
1. it seems i'm plateauing on the exfoliation, because progress is not as dramatic as it was these last couple weeks. the urea will only work so long as there's keratin to slough off, and it may be that with the 40% being a pretty high concentration, I'm starting to hit my limit on how much it can exfoliate. So I will take a break from it for a week, and then go back to using it once a day, and see how that goes.
2. i think the BetaSilk lotion is breaking me out a bit. they're not quite cystic pimples, they're more like reddened little areas. They're not too noticeable, but i see them and i know they're not normal. they slightly resemble an allergic reaction...even though that would be weird because i'm rarely, if ever, allergic to anything. either that, or the skin is irritated from being exfoliated by the urea, which is another reason to give it a break.
So, I think here's what I'm going to do: starting tomorrow, I'm going to go back to putting urine on my scars in the morning, and will use only the Garden of Wisdom oat beta glucan liquid, along with my usual sunscreen and moisturizer. this liquid is the most pure of the products I'm trying, and so hopefully it will help calm down the reactions a bit. Then next week I will go back to using the urea, just once every two evenings, as a treatment, and see what happens. If after that week of urine in the morning and urea in the evening, plus the GoW oat beta glucans, my skin is still reacting in some way, I may have to just take a break altogether.
However, the coloring on my scars is still lightening! And the skin texture is still flatter than it was. So regardless of what reaction has been happening recently something has still been working on the pigmentation at the very least.
And in an earlier post i mentioned a small hole/enlarged pore on my chin...that seems to have resurfaced, however it is much smaller/tighter. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it.
Hi i want to ask a favor. Can you enlighten me about urea. The only thing i know is that it just moisturizes.
Thanks Aquasea! Hi Purpletulip
I think i'm hitting a couple snags.
1. it seems i'm plateauing on the exfoliation, because progress is not as dramatic as it was these last couple weeks. the urea will only work so long as there's keratin to slough off, and it may be that with the 40% being a pretty high concentration, I'm starting to hit my limit on how much it can exfoliate. So I will take a break from it for a week, and then go back to using it once a day, and see how that goes.
Yes, you don't want to overwork your skin...the urea cream seems like a strong concentration...maybe you should use it only once or twice a month, max, because of its potency...please ensure you are gentle with your surrounding skin too so you don't damage that area...I think in your case, you probably only need an infusion of nutrients & gentle mesotherapy to induce collagen/ natural cell turnover....
2. i think the BetaSilk lotion is breaking me out a bit. they're not quite cystic pimples, they're more like reddened little areas. They're not too noticeable, but i see them and i know they're not normal. they slightly resemble an allergic reaction...even though that would be weird because i'm rarely, if ever, allergic to anything. either that, or the skin is irritated from being exfoliated by the urea, which is another reason to give it a break.
I had a look at this product and most of it looks really good!! However there were some ingredients that were possible irritants i.e. stearic acid, cetearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20, C12 - C15 alkyl benzoate, apricot fragrance, methylparaben etc... I know my New Directions Beta Glucan Liquid doesn't irritate my skin at all but instantly soothes it...but it does contain artificial substances which aren't great for the body, e.g. sodium benzoate...don't know why they don't formulate a 100% natural beta glucan product!!
Yes, if your skin is getting irritated by anything, STOP!!! Your skin is telling you it doesn't like or need that product (9 times out of 10). Sorry to hear that product didn't help
So, I think here's what I'm going to do: starting tomorrow, I'm going to go back to putting urine on my scars in the morning, and will use only the Garden of Wisdom oat beta glucan liquid, along with my usual sunscreen and moisturizer. this liquid is the most pure of the products I'm trying, and so hopefully it will help calm down the reactions a bit. Then next week I will go back to using the urea, just once every two evenings, as a treatment, and see what happens. If after that week of urine in the morning and urea in the evening, plus the GoW oat beta glucans, my skin is still reacting in some way, I may have to just take a break altogether.
Garden of Wisdom products get a lot of great reviews, so it should help. It looked comparable to the New Directions product so it shouldn't irritate your skin. See how it goes for a week...you should see signs of healing within 2-3 days....maybe you should stop with the urine therapy/ urea for a week & give the beta glucan liquid some time to work? i.e. use the beta glucan liquid morning & night for the next week...
You've been using the urea & urine therapy for a while so maybe you need a break from it...too much of anything isn't good, I know in my case it's two steps forward, one step back, the two steps forward again...maybe you can restart using urea/ urine therapy after another week?
However, the coloring on my scars is still lightening! And the skin texture is still flatter than it was. So regardless of what reaction has been happening recently something has still been working on the pigmentation at the very least.
That's excellent to hear !!!
Flatter scars are always welcome because you can cover them with coverage!!! In time, as the skin naturally sheds, the scar will continue to lessen and disappear...sounds like the scars are healing, AWESOME NEWS PURPLETULIP
And in an earlier post i mentioned a small hole/enlarged pore on my chin...that seems to have resurfaced, however it is much smaller/tighter. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it.
That's so weird because I have a scar on my chin that rescinded and then resurfaced a number of times too...but it is now finally disappearing...I think it's just a sign that the scar tissue is thinning/ changing shape/ then plumping up with collagen/ healing ... yes, my face is a kaleidoscope, it is constantly morphing as my skin continues to heal...
Please keep us up-to-date with your progress....
Cheers
PS This also looks like a good product - Vital-C serum by The Body Deli..haven't used it yet, but I might http://beautybybrita...-vital-c-serum/ & https://thebodydeli....al-C-Serum.html
And this too, Nutra-Peptide: https://thebodydeli....tide-Serum.html
aquasea, you are amazing where do you find these products yea i'm taking a break from the urea now, just doing one application of fresh urine in the morning, and the GoW beta glucans as frequently as i feel like. let's see what happens in a week.
aghhne, urea is known as a moisturizing agent when used in low concentrations (commonly found in 5% or 10%), because it binds water and draws it into the skin. at levels more than that (usually found at 20% or more), it takes on keratolytic properties, which means it exfoliates keratin (a thick fibrous protein). it breaks apart the bonds between keratin molecules and allows them to come off. keratin is a major component of hair skin and nails. the top layer of your skin, is made up primarily of keratin. at high concentrations, urea exfoliates that layer off without harming other parts of skin, and as such, is used to treat conditions like corns and calluses on the feet, keratosis pilaris (bumpy plugs in the skin buildup of keratin in pores), or thickened nails (it apparently helps shed the damaged nail and doesn't hurt healthy nail), and is also a treatment for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. generally the high concentrations are prescription only, but every now and then you run across a product that offers a higher concentration. as far as i can tell, studies don't indicate any toxicity from using urea topically, but it should not be ingested. the only issue i imagine would be that because high concentrations exfoliate so well, they can thin the skin and leave it irritated, as opposed to low concentrations which are used primarily to draw moisture into the skin. i hope that helps! feel free to do an internet search on it too, there's a lot of great sources out there
hi everyone,
it's been another week. i've been forgetting to apply the urine in the mornings some days, but i've been applying plenty of beta glucan solution in the evenings (just the GoW one). the irritation from last week has subsided and the color on my scars continues to improve. i feel almost normal 
can't say much for the texture though. will keep doing what i'm doing. also planning on restarting the urea next week.
aghhne, i'm not entirely sure how the urine helped. since i DID see some changes, my guess is the urea and whatever vitamin/hormone content was what helped. but the commercial urea helped get rid of color too. jury is still out on the texture.
panos, i have tried castor oil, for multiple extended periods of time. it doesn't do much for me that any other oil doesn't do. thanks for the suggestion though.
aquasea, i have also tried the silicone sheets, they don't stick very well, and don't do anything other than temporarily compress the area and prevent me from using any products. i prefer the silicone gel. it's really just another occlusive agent after all. retinoic acid is basically tretinoin, and i'm never touching that stuff. lemon juice is an acid, much like the vinegar, and cause worse hyperpigmentation especially when exposed to sunlight. so given it's summer and that pigmentation happens really easily for me, i'm just gonna maybe not do that, but thank you anyway
the beta glucans feel pretty good. i'm just going to keep using those, and my regular lotion, and go back to the urea cream next week. i will apply urine as i remember to in the mornings.
You should cover it with plastic wrap. Everything works in a good enviroment.
It will work,also avocado works.
''Avogen is a lipid or oil that is found only in avocado
Avogen keys on an essential phenotype found in the extracellular matrix (ECM). That technical description contains many implications beyond skin beauty. The ECM occurs throughout the body, for one. A way to image this is to think of cells as islands in an ocean of ECM. The ocean connects the islands and creates an ecosystem of signals that guides cell metabolism. The healthier the ECM, the healthier and more vital the cellular activity.
Avogen aids the ECM directly and simply. It is very noticeable in topical application skin becomes softer and builds out it plumps up. Inside, Avogen leads to a better functioning you all around. In non-technical language - you feel younger. Avogen is one of natures gifts.
Avogen is safe, very well tolerated and whether used topically or internally a once per day dosing is sufficient. Nothing will be gained by consuming Avogen more frequently.
clearly there is no documentation or proof, otherwise it wouldn't be a debate. what's going on in this thread is an attempt at an experiment, with the reasoning that desperate times call for desperate measures. if you don't like what you see, click away. no one is forcing you to read or try this.
the main point of my starting this thread was to see if anyone else had tried it or had any useful feedback on it (note: useful feedback does NOT equal judgment and negative blanket statements based on prejudice). and maybe if something did work, it might offer hope to someone else roaming the internet looking for a solution to their skin problems. if it doesn't work, then no harm done.
thank you to those that have offered suggestions or support.
thanks for the clarification aquasea. what i meant was, lemon juice is an acid like vinegar is, and that's the reason why it exfoliates. and one of the reasons why i am wary of it during sunny summer months. but yes you're right it does have vitamin c in it. though i think raw ACV is supposed to have vit c too? where did you see that vit c induces collagen? and what benefit does alkalizing have?
Just research it, vitamin c helps induces collagen...and as I'm sure you know, an alkaline/ base substance is opposite to an acid...so, although lemon juice contains citric acid, it also has an alkalizing/ base effect (because of its high mineral content) when taken internally...it also may help balance skin pH...i.e. skin should have a pH of 5.5 - slightly acidic... however, lemon juice can be diluted to make it have less of an exfoliating effect...
PS While the epidermis (top layer) needs to be slightly acidic, the body's pH should be mildly alkaline i.e. blood should have a pH of between 7.35 and 7.45 (including cells in the dermis, inner layer)....
hey guys,
so, i've been using mostly the beta glucans, and i think they are helping wiht some of the pitted areas. the enlarged deep pores look a lot shallower, and the pigmentation looks a lot better too. i will continue to use the beta glucans, and do a couple days of urea cream again this week (apparently too much of that is irritating). i've been slacking on using the urine consistently, but hey, i will take whatever works
note: i have also started taking beta glucans internally, since i have a lot of muscle issues that stem from scar tissue and adhesions/restrictions. dunno if that will have an effect on my skin too.
