Quick fixes for bad skin

[TigerseyeMum]

Oh, can anyone help? Please? :(

Since coming off the pill to ttc I have been plagued by bad skin. Teenage skin. Dry old-lady skin. For a year now.

It manages to be oily, dehydrated, blemished and wrinkly all in one go. I am 37 FFS, but my skin has both aged and regressed at the same time.

It particularly flares up around period times, spends a week recovering, is clear for 1 week then gets bad again.

When it flares up, any tips on what I can do to help? I use good products that work well, but even they can't cope with my madly hormonal skin.

I try drinking glasses of water and that helps a bit. Any other tips? If I go back on the pill to control to again I am never going to conceive...

you poor thing :(
not sure what to suggest, but it definitely sounds hormonal;
silly question, are you eating "healthily"?
drinking lots of water definitely is essential, I drink 1.5 to 2 litres per day.
and what's your skincare routine?
and are you taking anything else? eg supplements?

How do you clean your face/take make up off?

I've always had awful skin (now aged 30) - I'm very oily and spotty. After coming off the Pill to TTC last year it has got even worse. I've recently been diagnosed with PCOS so at least I now know that it is a hormonal problem.

I find that the Roc foaming cleanser and toner work well for me, along with a lightweight oil free moisturiser. I also use a facial scrub 2 or 3 times a week and a clay based mask once a week. It is pretty high maintenance but it is the only routine that seems to work for me.

I also have the Garnier Pure Active roll-on to treat specific spots and that seems to help.

I just keep telling myself that the daily oil slick means I'll still be wrinkle free in 10 years time

Hiya

The products I use are pretty good - some dermalogica, Ren and Dr Organic. I am really pleased with how they are helping my skin. But the flare-ups still occur at hormonal times :( I make sure I get all the make up off, and there are a few products that are life savers. But nothing stops the predictable monthly oiliness and breakouts.

I know I don't drink enough - I talk all day and rarely get chance to drink, so I need to remedy that. Stress makes it worse I know, and I have plenty of that too. I'm not taking any supplements at the moment. Generally speaking my diet s OK, though to be honest it doesn't seem to make much difference - at times when it's been at its worst, my skin has been its best, at times when I have eaten scrupulously well my skin is awful.

I am trying to eat avocadoes again as I had some success once before when I ate one a day, had very shiny hair at least (not on my face, on my head, I mean).

I have not asked to see a dermatologist, though as my scalp is also very dry maybe I should ask. I never thought of that.

I don't have PCOS but I do have endometriosis. My hormones have always been extreme.

I use:

Cleanser: Dr Organic aloe vera or tea tree cleansing cloths (brilliant at getting rid of make up) or Organic Surge facial wash
Moisturiser: Winter - Dermalogica Intensive Moist, Summer - Ren (for combination skin). Night - Dr Organic Manuka Honey Rescue Cream (seriously, a life saver). For occasional tanning - Decleor

Scrub: Once a week, Ren facial scrub (usually keeps my skin clear)
Mask: Dr Organic Manuka Honey clay mask (another life saver, truly brilliant)

Lips: Blisteze

I also use a fresh flannel/towel where needed so I don't get bacteria on my skin. I use makeup that is non comodegenic. I try nt to touch my face. I use ge on my hands at work.

Evening primrose oil.

Oh, I used to take that and starflower oil years ago. Had forgotten. Can you take it when ttc though?

Eve Lom cleanser is a life saver for me, followed by their rescue mask once per week. My skin is not perfect, but at least I don't get the red raw spots so often any more, and if they come, they calm down overnight.

My sister uses Eve Lom but I have the Spiezia version. It's OK and is quite healing, but if I use it as my only cleanser my skin stays too oily.

I have oily yet very dry skin, all at the same time it's very hard to treat.

Firstly, I would never use Eve Lom as it's glorified vaseline, the Spiezia version is def better, if you like an oil based balm you could alternate, one night spiezia (or another) and a cream cleanser? For oily skin, a brilliant oil based cleansing balm is Inlight, which has cloves in it, smells divine!!!! or Beyond Organic, which smells medicinal. As a cream cleanser I would reccommend Green People, one of the best, or coconut oil even, I did a whole feature on it!

The products you're using are good (eg Ren), but I wouldn't use Dermalogica, but that's just me, I don't use anything containing, mineral oil, silicones or parabens.

Drinking water DEF helps, so get started!!! once you get into it, your body will ask you for it!!! Do you work in an office? I have a large bottle of water on my desk, and I get through one a day; we do have a water dispenser but I cannot be arsed to get up and refil a glass 8 times a day! ;)

It def sounds hormonal if you say that you've had breakouts when you've been eating healthily - I find I get spots when I eat chocolate, which is hardly ever...so def the sugar does it for me! I also get oiliness round the chin, which is hormonal, during my period, so I use less oil based products.

If it's any help, I review products, so you can check my blog for reccommendations, I use anything from £10 to £100 as long as it doesn't contain the 3 ingredients mentioned beforehand! www.yumetc.blogspot.com

Thanks for the tips MissFoodie my skin is calming a little as my period has passed, and I will drink loads of water this week and see what happens (as I talk literally all day it is hard to take sips of water as invariable a patient will pause as I am about to swallow and I have to speak :) )

I get breakouts along my jawline, round my chin, a little bit on my temples and forehead, and also (annoyingly) on my chest and now a little bit on my back/shoulders

Wish they would just feck orf!

I may need to cut back on sugar as I do consume a bit of it.

Will check out your recommendations though I generally steer clear of products for oily skin as my skin flakes and goes patchy with outbreaks of eczema I stick to 'clean' gentle products if possible. Love Green People though.

I've found Freederm gel really good at minimising the effect of spots. It reduces redness and inflammation brilliantly and it doesn't dry out the skin or make it flaky.

You could try some basic products that are non-comedogenic eg Cetaphil are super gentle, ph balanced and non-comedogenic. And very inexpensive. Remember that you do need to moisturise still.

Have a look at acne.org. I use a version of their regime and it's really worked wonders. I use Freederm on spots and it works for me.

Oh you could also try a zinc supplement too.

Ive got pcos I do this;

no alcohol
2ltrs water a day
no refined sugar
liz earle hot polish and cleanse, I thought it would make me worse but really heals my skin and stops new spots
bio-oil 2 drops massaged in overnight
vitamin e capsule every day

It's just a matter of trying everything and finding what your body likes, I can't take evening primrose or starflower as it makes me much worse.

The charity for pcos is verity and they would have some information for you.

Thank you both :)

That's interesting - the first 6 months I came off the pill to ttc I gave up sugar and alcohol and my skin coped quite well without breaking out as badly as it does now. It still did a bit around my period but nowhere near as bad as now.

So perhaps I need to resume that regime again

I know its dangerous but I have tried so many things and this seems to have been the most long lasting...
I booked a course on a sunbed which I went on once a week for 5 weeks. My skin improved after the first 6 minute session and months later is still better than it has been since I can remember.

I weigh up the risks against the misery and think that for me, as a last resort it was worth it.

My SiL uses a sunbed occasionally when her skin breaks out or she gets eczema and it works for her too. It's just such a risk though :(

cain have you thought about vitamin D supplements as an alternative to the sunbeds? I don't know if it would have the same effect, but it is perhaps worth a try?

I have tried multi vitamins but not singularly Vitamin D, its safer so yes will give that a go too. Thanks.

I'm watching every freckle and blemish like a hawk ever since so its not an easy remedy!

refined sugar is one of the worst culprits for spots - I can not have a single one, then eat chocolate once and the following day awake with a spot.....!

aside from that, I agree, never use products that dry your skin out as they make it flaky and your skins then overproduces sebum anyway to compensate! a good routine and some patience usually works!

try the green people cream cleanser with a hot muslin and a simple moisturiser, you can use the spiezia one, say, 2-3 times a week, drink loads of water and stop eating sugar, and can almost guarantee you'll see a difference!

I shall give it a go!