Awful skin...help!

[ambercat]

I'm 36 and my skin is the worst its ever been. I never really had spots when i was younger but my chin is covered in them now and has been since the summer. Last month they were all down the side of my neck and jawline.

Have had a stressful few months but recently have started exercising and stopped smoking, it seems to have made my skin worse!

It seems so unfair that i'm wrinkly AND spotty, please has anyone got any recommendations for skincare/psot creams?

[needmorecoffee]

just a guess but you might be detoxing as pollutants are stored in body fat. As you lose weight the crap comes out through the skin.
Drink plenty of water.

[ambercat]

Thanks nmc, its been a couple of months now since becoming more healthy, i thought i would be detoxed by now! will def. try and drink more water. Its so depressing, i'm going away for the weekend and i look like a spotty teenager!

[ambercat]

May try that tarka as i have lots of points on my boots card. Was useing perfect and protect by no7 but it seemed to aggrivate my spots so i stopped.

A friend recommended dermalogica stuff but it is £££, anyone else know if it is worth the money?

[castlesintheair]

You need a moisturiser that has retinol in it. Murad do these. Also, Skin Doctors Potent C around £17. I know they sell Skin Doctors in larger Boots so you might be able to get it on your points.

[Furball]

I use dermalogica but yes it is ££££ but does last for yonks. What you could do is have a 'Dermalogica prescriptive facial' (about £30). - makes a good chrimbo pressie?? They will assess your skin and recommend the best products for you. Now you could spend a small fortune on products but ask for a load of samples if you don't want to commit, to use at home and see what you think. If you do want some THIS is the cheapest place.

[ambercat]

thanks, i may ask for a facial for xmas, good idea! in the meantime will have a mooch round boots to see what i can find.

Will carry on with my heavy duty concealer!

[Furball]

it may well be you are sensitive to some of the chemicals in these things. sodium lauryl sulfate is a really harsh chemical that is in most high street foamy type things - it's actually a really harsh chemical and very drying. and parabens is a plastic that is also added to alot of high street stuff. on that note avoid Boots, unless it's from an organic range.

One option is to visit the health shop and buy stuff without these nasties in or Tesco do a Bnatural range which is a few pounds per item. It may be worth investing a £6-£7 on a cleanser and moisturiser from that range which would give your skin a break from the harshness of it all and be more soothing.

AFAIK - dermalogica does not contain any of the chemicals mentioned I now use Tesco Bnatural cleansers but just can't tear myself away from their dermoalogica Active Moist moisturiser.

[OllieWollieWoo]

I have bad skin too and since using Demalogica its a lot better. I get it from the JerseyBeautyCompany.co.uk as its v good value. Agree re getting a facial for advice re which products - I'd been using antibacterial stuff for years and it turns out that was stripping my skin of oils etc and actually not helping my skin/spots. Now use the Ultra Calming Cleanser and the spot gel for the odd break out!

[snowleopard]

Furball, dermalogica do use those ingredients you mentioned.
here

I know I'm being a pedant but there is such a lot of confusion about this - just because product contains something natural or organic and says that on the label, doesn't mean it won't contain parabens etc. Some products don't contain them, but if they don't they will just use something else as a preservative, and even if that something else is obtained from plants or whatever, that doesn't mean it's harmless - in fact other products will not have been as extensively safety- tested as the parabens, so aren't guaranteed to be better for you.

As a bad skin sufferer, I will be trying dermalogica - but just wanted to say if you really want to avoid certain ingredients you need to check carefully.

[Furball]

I don't disagree with you snowleopard - sorry if I've misled anyone my main bugbear is harsh soap chemicals of which I try and avoid. But like you said it is a minefield.

[OrmIrian]

Oh god I'm in the same boat. And it's making me so miserable. I've lost weight, got fit but sometimes I feel what's the f*ing point when I have lines on my face and a chin like a pizza. Look so awful.

I drink lots of water, use 'sensitive' stuff on my face. In fact I've tried loads of things.

Will dermatologica really help. Don't have money to throw away.

[Furball]

ormiran - like I've already said you could have a trial and buy Tesco Bnatural range which are a few pounds each. Some claim (including our cod) that the facial cleanser is almost identical to liz earle.

[split]

If it's really getting you down and none of the other suggestions work, go to the GP, as there are a few topical things you can get for it, both antibiotics and other things. I did this in the end and although what I use is quite drying (benzoyl peroxide gel - you can get it in different strengths, mine is 4%), I balance it out with a plain moisturiser, and it's honestly changed my life - I now hardly ever get a single spot whereas my chin used always to be spotty, with some really horrible ones that would hang around for days.

[Tinasan]

Another vote for Dermalogica - I'm 35 on Saturday (sob) and still suffer from horrid teenage skin sometimes, along with the wrinkles now which is so unfair! Dermalogica is the only stuff that really helps my skin. I'd recommend a monthly Dermalogica facial too, the only ones I've ever had that do actually make a difference. Good luck - you're not the only one!

[earthpixie]

Boots do a range of skincare in the larger branches that caters for v sensitive/greasy yet not teenage skin and I can't remember the name! It starts I think with A and is like Aveeno but not IYSWIM. My friend had proper acne in her late 20s and this range helped massively.

[saramoon]

ok, i went to the doctor a few weeks ago as i was so fed up with my skin. Have had oily skin forever and it has started getting worse again - funnily enough when i decided to try and cut down on choc and sugar! She prescribed me a gel called Retin something - basically i think it is the stuff they put in anti wrinkle cream.

The info says you have to use it for 6-8 weeks to see an effect. I have been using it for bout 3 week and my skin is better already. It has dried my skin up and spots are clearing up.
I tried all kinds of things and nothing seemed to work - although never got round to Dermalogica cos it costs so much. I reckon a monthly facial would prob be great for my skin too - hubby got me one for my birthday in February - but they are so expensive.

Good luck
ps i dont look any younger though

[castlesintheair]

Yes saramoon, as I said, products with Retinol are what spotty/wrinkly skin sufferers need.

However, if you want to avoid sulphates, parabens & mineral oils (the latter in particular block pores) I think REN products are fantastic and imo are much better than Dermalogica. Ole Henriksen are also excellent. Both are expensive but so are Dermalogica. Dermalogica is a very well known brand but it doesn't mean it's the best.

[BodenGroupie]

Sounds like you have similar skin to mine (but you are much younger...). Kept hearing about Liz Earle, been using it for a week and it's made such a difference I've also got my dd2 (nearly 13) on it and it's also helped her. Available online and they're really helpful on the phone. Used Oxyspot stuff for a while but found it dried skin out really badly.

Also took Dianette but now too old and had to give up cos of varicose veins. One half of my body is a teenager, the other a pensioner.