Help me with my oily backhead skin!

[AnxietyLevelMax]

It was in style and beauty but only one reply so posting here for traffic.

I am in my 30s….i had acne when i was a teenager and always combination/oily skin with blackheads. I dont have acne anymore for years but i struggle with oily skin and blackheads. Very oily and a lot of blackheads! I am fed up and can’t look in the mirror. I have tried everything, but expensive products, cheap products, microdermabrasion for months few years ago, chemical peels. Nothing makes any changes and at the moment i cannot afford facials at the beauty salons. Some of my friends had same issues but now at our age have really alright skin. Why not me?!

any advice? Maybe something helped any of you?

fyi - my diet, drinking water, exercises are not a cause of the issue. I also dont smoke and dont drink (never had).

I'm an awful, awful person - dermatologists look away because you'll hate me. As a student, I studied abroad in a foreign country where I didn't speak the language. I bought what I thought was shower gel (had a picture on the front of two children splashing with bubbles). It turned out to be washing up liquid. The country was very high humidity and horrible for greasiness (with my not-great oily skin anyway) but I was squeaky clean with my lemon washing up liquid. No idea if it's bad for your skin or anything like that but it's all I can offer for advice. I hope you find a perfect solution for you but, for the sake of 50p in Tesco, it might be worth a shot just once to see (unless other posters with more knowledge than I have come along to say it's a dangerous idea).

Ok…i thought i tried everything, oh boy how wrong was I😂😂😂 i have fairy washing up liquid at home. Will try tonight😂

All the skincare info I've seen online about oil production says that overproduction of oil is generally due to the skin being stripped of its natural oil by excessively harsh products etc. So the skin just keeps pumping more out, it's a vicious circle. So, you should stop using any products with harsh cleansing agents, alcohol, etc. There's a series of long running threads on S&B specifically about skincare, some knowledgeable people there.

Read the book "Skin" by Caroline Hirons or follow her on social media. She's brilliant.

You may have tried it but salycylic acid was very useful for my daughter. It's the main ingredient in a lot of high priced skin 'systems' but you can also get it through a gp or pharmacy for just a tube of cream cheaply. It helps ckear out blocked pores so I would think needs to be used long term (my daughter still does). Paula's Choice website is informative, and she sells it too, she's a trained dermatologist. (She produced some books too, don't know if she still does)

I had terribly oily skin with spots but not blackheads until I was 28/29 or so. I started using products by Face Theory and I always recommend them. They are also sustainably packaged and have good customer service. I have been using the products for a couple of years and now my skin is clear and much less oily. The only thing I have found that actually works.

I use a cream cleanser and a serum then a moisturiser. They have a lovely oil free one I use in the evening and now my skin is not so oily I use a different moisturiser in the day. At first I used the oil free morning and evening. I did have the Azeclear serum but now use Porebright. They have a little quiz to help you find the right products.

@ILikeBigSaladsAndICannotLie completely agree and have not been using anything harsh etc for a long time now.
@RandomBanto never heard of her but will look her up later tonight thank you

@FurElsie @tealandteal i will look the products up. I need to get new cleanser, moisturiser and serum very soon as i am almost done with what i am using at the moment

I agree with pp that you need a product containing salicylic acid

Have you tried ‘skin and me’. You take pics and answer online questionnaire giving the areas you most want to work on. They create a formula and it arrives monthly and every so often they review your treatment to see if you’re happy. .
The book mentioned above by Caroline Hirons is very good.

In neary 40 years I've never found anything to eradicate blackheads so reading with interest. However, I found Wake Skincare Pink Clay mask does make my skin look noticeably better, reducing poor size. I've tried other pink clay products but this definitely the best. Steaming also good. And I'm constantly told by beauticians that I should use a cream cleaner and moisturise, especially at night.

I've just got a forea, I've only used it two or three times but I'm thinking it's really going to help with blackheads.
I'm just learning about skincare but I understand you need salycylic acid and then hyaluronic acid to moisturise. I used the nip and fix day pads and then a serum with hyaluronic to moisturise.

Also recommend Inkey for a skincare menu and advice.

@AnxietyLevelMax are you sure they're blackheads? Could they be glands instead (I think it's sebaceous glands)? They are easy to confuse but are managed differently

The ordinary niacinimide and zinc serum

Boots tea tree nose and face strips pull them out and they also do a whole range which is really good for your type of skin. There used to be an amazing product which was a bottle of fluid you painted on then strips to pull out the blackheads but I guess it either worked too well or was poisonous because it vanished from the shelves. The boots strips do the same job but the results aren't quite as good

Garnier pure active has salicylic acid in it. Brilliant stuff but may dry out your skin.

I was coming on to say have a look at The Ordinary. I use a cleanser, then a mix of The Ordinary’s salycilic acid serum and niacinimide/zinc serum then one of their moisturisers and it has really helped my blackheads. Really reasonably priced too. Boots have started a bit of a copycat range if that’s easier to get hold of, but The Ordinary stuff is better quality.

I know a couple of people that absolutely swear by dermatica products for acne prone/oily skin!

I use The Body Shop tea tree foaming cleanser. The foaming cleansers are generally best for oily skin and the tea tree is good if you’re prone to spots. Their shower gel is good too if you also get spots on your body. I don’t use any moisturiser as I don’t need it. I use a serum in the morning and a non-comedegonic sunscreen from Boots.

Retinoids are supposed to be good for blackheads but I haven’t tried them yet. I got most of this from The Skin Bible. Anjali Mahto is a dermatologist and has oily skin herself so she has a lot of good tips!

Salicylic acid bar of soap from amazon, its pink and lasts ages, paulas choice liquid stuff and a good moisturiser.

Ive had acne on and off my entire life. I started using Upcircles face scrub a year ago and I haven't had a spot since. Recommend giving it a try if you haven't already x

What you need is I believe an 'aesthetician' in this country. Someone who can steam and squeeze them regularly, then close the pores. I used to have this once a month, it sorted my skin out but then she left the country and I haven't found anybody else as good as she was. Skin back to blackheady but now dry as well due to my age.

Salicylic acid definitely.

I use a salicylic acid facial scrub (not a harsh one) twice a week and it’s made a massive difference to black heads and pores. Skin is so much clearer.

the brands of product isn’t as relevant as the active ingredient. The Nip&Fab wash I use is only about 9 quid in boots but the active ingredient is the thing which works.

The ordinary and Inkey List both have decent products at reasonable price point

Its miraculous stuff, the bar is around £6 and is great.

@PollyPut i just googled sebaceous filaments…never heard of it. I spent so much money on dermatologists and no one ever mentioned this but pictures look very close. I will double check it. Thank you.

i used most of other suggestions but there is few which is new to me so I will do my research.
much appreciated