i am testing my skin out this week to see if i dont exfoliate does it make acne worse or better, so far i have been washing with just water and cleanser no exfoliating and it looks like my skin is getting more drier but more acne is starting to come out but in a good way because the acne doesnt look like i have a rash anymore, when i used to exfoliate my whole cheeks looked red and oiler, now i just got small red bumps. my skin feels smoother as well.
What do you mean by worse?
It can bring stuff to the surface, so your skin looks temporarily worse .... but then gets better.
If you are exfoliating too harshly, the resulting dryness and inflammation can indeed make your acne worse.
Done properly, exfoliation is very helpful against acne ... it gets rid of dead skin and helps keep your pores clear.
my only opinion on this is simply from my own experience.
i used to use a clearasil exfoliating wash, it had tiny "micro beads" in it an it felt sort of grainy when applying to face.
anyway.
it didnt help my acne at all, it actually made it worse when i was on the csr.
since then i learned that exfoliating washes are very crap and should really be avoided.
exfoliate with a facial brush or if you want it to be REAL mild, do what i do which is after i dry my face.
with the same towel i gently run it accross my chin getting all the flakes of skin off!
you have to do it gently tho!
i think its been nearly a week since i havnt exfoliated and it looks like all those red marks that was on my cheeks are starting to come out as acne but my skin is not getting oily anymore, it just feels normal now. Yesterday it looked more worser because the bumps were bigger, now its gone smaller
To all of you suffering from over exfoliated skin.
Its been about 2 weeks now since i stopped exfoliating and my skin is much better, its more stronger i still have acne. Now i am using Neutrogena Visibly Clear Gentle Exfoliating Wash and its doing quite well. I used it this morning and evening and my skin is looking and feeling better.
I would advise all of you who have acne, stop the BP, stop the antibiotics, stop all chemicals that u put on ur face, just wash ur face with a gentle exfoliating wash like Neutrogena and then moisturise, if your acne hasnt gone in a month or two then get some antibiotics and use them until your face is 100% clear, then quit the antibiotics immediately and start to look after your skin with that same routine, wash>moisturise> twice a day, and make sure you exfoliate, use the Neutrogena Gentle Exfoliating Wash twice a day.
One other thing, drink green tea, at least 2-3 cups a day. It will help you stay clear because it has antioxidants in it. It destroys all the acne bacteria.
My knowledge and experience has been that if you have many active acne - such as red bumps and white head, you should not exfoliate nor use facial scrub. It further irritate your skin. I have tried it and my skin become even more red, more irritated, more acne, more painful. I'm only starting the exfoliation after I was able to clear out all active acne.
Its true if you exfoliate while you still have active acne like the bumps are large then you will only make it worser, you have to wait for it to go down then you can start exfoliating. Exfoliating is actually good for your skin because it gets rid of the dead skin and makes way for the new skin to grow. But make sure you don't over exfoliate or go mad. You also have to remember that after your bumps are gone you have to keep it that way so you need to keep your whole body clean, like drinking a lot of water 8 glasses a day, try green tea it kills acne bacteria. And if you have to do a number 2 then dont let it wait otherwise it will come out of your skin.
A little exfoliation has gone a long way for me, not in preventing acne, but in making my skin look healthy and flake-free. It can certainly make it worse if you're not gentle, but very gentle occasional manual exfoliation or chemical exfoliation with AHAs is probably beneficial to everyone who is on their way to clearing up.
It will make it worse if you use a gritty exfoliator. Use one that's natural first of all since chemicals will irritate your acne. Use one that contains AHA like the AHA face cleanser from Exfoliating Minerals. It uses fruit acids (AHA) to exfoliate your skin gently. Do not squeeze fruit juices on your face, its not the same. The AHA facial cleanser has been formulated with the proper PH for your skin. You'll notice a difference after a few weeks of daily use. Use it to wash your face before going to bed and in the morning when you wake up.
Exfoliating the wrong way (*cough*... st. Ives) destroys the skin. If you're going to exfoliate do it with a liquid product. Lancome and clinique make an exfoliating liquid that's packaged like a toner that adequately exfoliates acne ridden skin without f*cking it up for the worse or creating micro cuts within in the skin which leads to aging and damage.