Hey everyone, Christina here!:)
I'm new to this forum, so I'm sorry if anything I'm saying is a repost of another topic. >.<
All of my teenage years (now 18) I've had really terrible skin. I've managed to control the acne itself with 2.5bp which I apply each night. However, my skin is absolutely horrible.
I have really bad and big pores under my eye area, on my nose and on my forehead. My skin texture itself is bumpy and not smooth, especially the forehead area. I don't really know why, considering I wouldn't say my skin is unclean at all. It can just look kind of dirty, even though it isn't.
Whenever I apply makeup to cover it, it ALWAYS looks caked and the pores just show through worse and look even more dirty. For that reason, I don't wear makeup much, but it still doesn't explain, to me, why my skin is like this. Or why my skin texture, especially the forehead, is bumpy and holey.
I use 2.5bp every night, have scarring along my left cheek, on an angle towards the jaw bone, and occasionally use a Dead Sea mud mask. Nothing works to make my skin look good or smooth.
Does anyone else have this issue? How did you resolve it?
I am so envious of the girls who have perfectly smooth skin. 
I have my first dermatologist appointment in two weeks, but I have a feeling they won't be able to do anything, and appointments take a long time. I'm pretty desperate right now.
** also forgot to add that my skin just looks old and nasty. Not young and glowing.
@ultravi0lent I would recommend you incorporate AHA into your routine. AHA will increase cell turnover which helps to smooth out the texture on your face and give you skin a healthier glow. If you go to your derm appointment they will probably prescribe you a retinoid which should give you the results you want.
I hate benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, basically any of those over the counter treatments.. I find Bp to be super harsh without giving the appropriate results. I think you should reconsider its use especially since your skin is the way it is. I don't think that's helping you at all. I would recommend seeing a derm. I saw mine and got tretinoin as well as doxycycline which treats the bacterial build up which results in acne. Don't get me wrong, I still have the scars left over from acne but I have never seen my skin heal so quickly before. It's a relief. You can lay off on the make up if it isn't giving you the desired effects. Maybe check out tinted moisturizers or BB creams, so its not cakey.
Hello and welcome!!!
For my makeup to look best (check out my pics to see how terrible my skin looks when it breaks out) I use a good primer and lots of moisturizer underneath!!! Some days I just have to accept that my makeup will never look like girls on magazines etc (which are all photoshopped anyway)
21 hours ago, -John- said:@ultravi0lent I would recommend you incorporate AHA into your routine. AHA will increase cell turnover which helps to smooth out the texture on your face and give you skin a healthier glow. If you go to your derm appointment they will probably prescribe you a retinoid which should give you the results you want.Please Keep us updated.
Sorry if I sound silly, but what is AHA?
31 minutes ago, ultravi0lent said:Sorry if I sound silly, but what is AHA?
AHA stands forAlpha hydroxy acid whichchemically exfoliates the skin thus smoothing out skin texture, I use the Acne.org AHA which is 10% glycolic acid.
More Information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_hydroxy_acid
http://www.acne.org/chemical-peels.html
http://www.acne.org/glycolic-acid.html
35 minutes ago, -John- said:AHA stands forAlpha hydroxy acid whichchemically exfoliates the skin thus smoothing out skin texture, I use the Acne.org AHA which is 10% glycolic acid.More Information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_hydroxy_acid
http://www.acne.org/chemical-peels.html
http://www.acne.org/glycolic-acid.html
Can I just get hold of this stuff, or do I need to go to a doctor and get an opinion?
+ Can it be used in conjunction with benzoyl peroxide?
- Rub your face in dirt. Yes, soil. Stop washing your face, period. Ever. Stop wearing makeup. It is not a "bacterial" buildup that is casuing your face to breakout. It is your constant application of trash and chemicals that is hurting any progress you could be making.
Dirt does not cause acne. nor contribute to it. BP or SA only serve to irritate you skin. Stop, doing anything. Stop washing your face. Heal your self inside and your exterior will show it. You want a topical "solution"? Brew a fresh batch of matcha green tea every night and use the tea bags to spread the tea over your unwashed face (that hasn't had makeup on it). Otherwise wash your makeup fillled face with full fat greek yohgurt and then apply the green tea.
I made my acne worse in my younger days (now fully clear) by washing and applying chemicals. Cystic, white heads, hard plugs, black heads, all gone thanks to inner cleansing and removing harsh chemicals from my face. Dirt doesn't make you breakout. Nor does oil. It is all internal or topical imbalance.
Trust me, or don't. I only speak from personal experience.
-goose