Hi I have just joined the Acne.org forum and wanted to share my acne skin care & makeup regimen and hope you can help me tweak it to get clear smooth skin. But first let me explain my fight with acne..
I have had moderate/mild acne since I was 12 and it has been a 4 year battle and seems to have no end~ Anyway my skin was doing great I didn't have clear skin but my skin was soft not fully smooth but better then in the previous years. I still had some black heads, a few white heads, and several red bumps.
Well now for some reason one side of my forehead has been breaking out more, on my cheeks are starting to break out more, and my mouth area is have a lot more breakouts,my body acne has come back and to top it off the black heads have increased! I swore I was winning and clear smooth skin would be mine . But I'm not giving up on my acne and I hope anyone reading this doesn't either!~
P.S. My Combination Skin has gotten drier
Here is my current skincare regimen:
Equate Oil-Free Acne Wash w/ Salicylic Acid(Dries my skin to where it's tight)
Acne Free 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Cream(Doesn't seem to do much
Target Dual Action Moisturizer(Burns my skin and doesn't do much moisturizing)
E.l.f Zit Zapper w/ Active Ingredients of 1% Salicylic Acid(Helps acne slightly)
Makeup Routine
E.l.f Clarifying Pressed Powder (Top broke off yesterday and had to be thrown away
Essence Translucent powder (I pile this stuff on or my T-zone will ooze oil!)
Mascara,Eyeshadow,Lipbalm
And I'm out the door!
I love the simplicity but I want to start wearing foundation,concealor the whole nine yards again! I love makeup and it has been hard fighting the urge to just pile on foundation! I can't even wear my liquid concealor because my skin flakes especially around the nose and eyebrow area.Had to throw out almost all my makeup,once I found out it can make acne worse!
Anyway can I get advice on tweaking my routine,makeup tips,recommendations etc!Thanks for reading!
Ok, I haven't been here long but there are a few flaws with your regimen. First and foremost your moisturizer contains pore clogging ingredients. It is making you break out. It contains Cetearyl alcohol which is a big no-no. You are also seriously irritating your skin with all the Salicylic Acid. Studies have shown that it is not as effective as Benzoyl Peroxide and using both can be bad for your acne. Go back over the instructions for the regimen and try to use the products on the list. Stick to it for 2 weeks and you are likely to see a difference. It won't cost you much to try. You just need three steps.
Wash your face with one of these:
- Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash
- Olay Foaming Face Wash (Sensitive)
- Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser
- Netrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser
- Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser Wash
- Basis Sensitive Skin Bar
- Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
- Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar, Antibacterial
- Purpose Gentle Cleansing Bar
Clean and clear is what I use. It's $4 a bottle
Use your acne free cream then moisturize with one of these:
- Lac-Hydrin Five (this one can sting)
- Neutrogena Moisture Oil Free Formula, Combination Skin.
- Neutrogena Clear Face SPF 30
- Olay - Complete All Day Moisturizer with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15 - Sensitive.
- Philosophy Hope Oil-Free SPF 30 for Normal to Oily Skin
- JoJoba Oil
- Johnsons Bedtime Lotion (DO NOT use the baby lotion, it will clog your pores)
After a couple weeks using just these three steps add in AHA every 2-3 days you can get it in the store it's called Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Lotion. It will smooth and brighten your skin.
As for make-up try Almay. They offer a wide selection on make ups that won't clog pores.