Hi everyone, I have a couple questions. First, I just wanted to know what is the best way to treat red, inflamed and irritated acne without further irritating it? My skin is sensitive and feels itchy. But I know why *sigh*... I used a Vit C serum from the Body Shop on top of my regular regimen yesterday :
Tea Tree oil foaming face wash (Body Shop),
Vit E Toner (Body Shop),
Tea Tree Oil (Body Shop), and
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Spf 15 Retinol + Multi-vitamins (day moisturizer, but leaves my skin reaaally oily/greasy);
nighttime moisturizer: Tea Tree oil Blemish Fade Night Lotion (Body Shop).
The Vit C serum really made my skin itchy and my gut tells me that putting the Neutrogena Retinol moisturizer cream on it would further irritate it. Instead I put the the nighttime Tea Tree oil Night Lotion for today (no sunscreen though, bad I know). My skin just feels like it needs some rest but I also feel like it needs some control/containment with these mini bumps- the Vit C Serum made more pop up like on every square cm of my face, just... lovely.
Quick background info on my skin/health:
2010- inflamed/red acne (nothing crazy, just some breakouts here and there), only thing that made it better was getting on birth control in 2012 (had to get off bc it was just god awful uncontrollable emotions). My skin was perfect! and I mean 100% perfection. I decided to try going natural January of this year 2014, well that basically has screwed me over for the past 6 months. I was trying to do all these things to fix my skin and I think not being on one regimen has just been the root cause of my acne. So now I'm trying to get back on something that will treat all my skin problems, which are way worse than the first time I had acne. I am lactose intolerant, recently also found out gluten was destroying me from the inside out, and VERY sensitive to sugars. I eat pretty clean, with the occasional enjoyment of gluten free baked goods. My only issue is overeating and having the WORST sugar cravings (???!).
My 2nd issue is the tiny bumps EVERYWHERE on my face. It's like someone threw a handful of goddamn tiny beads at my face and they've decided to make their stay here. I don't know how to get rid of them and nothing seems to be helping to get them to go away. I have ordered these samples from Paula's Choice:
Skin Perfecting 1% BHA Lotion Exfoliant
Skin Perfecting 1% BHA Gel Exfoliant
Hydralight Moisture-Infusing Lotion
Skin Balancing Invisible Finish Moisture Gel
Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant
Hydralight Shine-Free Daily Mineral Complex SPF 30
Any suggestions for which one I should try first? I don't want to keep switching products bc I know that's like the #1 way to REALLY screw up my face. Also, any other suggestions for a day time lotion with sunscreen that will keep my irritated skin calmed down, alongside with not making me break out and fading red marks?
Thank you !
Why don't you just go back to the routine you used in 2012 where your skin was 100% perfection, and simply work harder on the emotional issues from bc? Why did you leave that routine and go all-natural?
Personally, it seems like you use too many products on your face, and you are setting up to run a trial and error science experiment on it with six new products. Hopefully you can get that sorted out and not have months worth of goofed up skin.
Why don't you just go back to the routine you used in 2012 where your skin was 100% perfection, and simply work harder on the emotional issues from bc? Why did you leave that routine and go all-natural?
Personally, it seems like you use too many products on your face, and you are setting up to run a trial and error science experiment on it with six new products. Hopefully you can get that sorted out and not have months worth of goofed up skin.
I kinda forgot what moisturizer I used, that's where I'm having trouble, haha. My skin was fine til 6 months after being off of bc and I researched that around that time of being off of it that people claimed to start breaking out again bc of leveling testosterone levels...which I kinda was freaking out cuz i had those tiny bumps popping up all over my body including my face. In all honesty, you are completely right- what I needed is someone to tell me to stick w one routine. I'm not sure why I wanted to go all natural...maybe it was all the internet reading how bad certain ingredients were, and also it seemed a lot easier to not have so many products (even though they did work for me)...I suppose my skin just needs some taming and can't live the 'natural' lifestyle.
I will take it easy for sure and see how it goes. I stopped using the Neutrogena Retinol since yesterday and my face seems a lot more mattified and less itchy.
Now that I think about it...I think I used Aveeno's Active Naturals Ultra Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF 15, UVA and UVB Sunscreen. All I need now is some sun protection!
