Blackheads, Milia, Bad skin... Any advice?

[JingleMum]

Hi,

I used to have really good skin, but lately I don't know what's happened, it's like it's congested?

Around my chin there are some blackheads and little white bumps, make up looks awful around that area now. My cheeks have lots of milia on them and my skin looks dull.

Any suggestions? Any decent cleansers & toners that could help? How about the oil cleansing method, could that help my congested skin?

About to go & deeply exfoliate my skin now. I had a crystal clear microdermabrasion facial about 4 weeks ago and I think it's since then that this has happened?

have you tried Liz earle hot cloth cleanser?

No, do tell....

uk.lizearle.com/cleanse-tone-moisturise/cleanse-and-polish-hot-cloth-cleanser.html

This has been great on my daughters congested face and you use a hot cloth to wipe off so you get skin really clean. I dont like the muslin cloth you get with it. I like the white flannels from Ikea pack of 7 and i just chuck them in washing once used. In fact I now take my cream cleanser off with a flannel soaked in a hot as I can bare water as I feel like it has had a proper clean

You probably use too oily products on your skin. Happened to me few years back due to applying vit E oil on my face. Stooped using it and milia was gone in few months.

Thanks chocolate & babysophie

I started using a moisturising lotion before bed, that is quite greasy, i think this may be the cause of it? I started using it about a month ago.

Do you think the oil cleansing method would benefit me?

I do not like the OCM, geting breakouts from it. My skin is combination, not oily but still... I think that OCM is more for dry and matured skin.

watching with interest as I have always had milia (around eyes, over cheeks and sometimes near mouth/nose) and I get clusters of clogged pores on chin and nose. I have been ill and my skin is now really horrendous!

I was warned not to use shimmery cosmetics as they tend to make milia worse. Sure enough, I was using a primer (can't remember but it was white and shimmery) and my milia were really bad.

I have always suffered from this too, round my chin and the sides of my nose.

The best thing I have used is one of those vibrating brush cleanser. I couldn't afford the Clarisonic (sadly!) but bought a similar, cheaper one, and it really has improved my skin, more than any particular product ever has. It cost about £50, so still expensive, but I'm hoping I'll get years of use out of it, so it will work out ok in the end.

I know that Avon and Neutrogena and some other brands do battery operated cleansing product things, but you have to use their own cleansing pads with them, so it works out very expensive in the end if you wanted to use it long term. But could be worth a try if you didn't fancy forking out £50.

Warm flannel and have a gentle squeeze with tissue covered fingers - works every time. Wrt the Milia - warm flannel and then with a sterilises needle prick the top layer and it'll come out like a hard little pearl - most satisfying!

You'll need salicylic acid ( BHA ) to combat blackheads and crap pores.
There is a brilliant cheap one from Neutrogena
here that you can get in Boots and Superdrug.
A lot of products don't have enough BHA in them or alongside other irritating things. This is brilliant.
Only BHA goes into the oily pores and does work there. Other things like pore strips or really astringent toners might clear the immediate black appearance for a day or so but then it comes back.
The Neurogena has left me with a poreless looking nose it was previously grue.

YY the Neutrogena one is heart - ds uses it and it's helped loads.

I third that Neutrogena recommendation. It's slightly tacky on my skin so I tend to put it on at night.

I have also been trying Clinique's Gentle Clarifying Lotion, and for the past few weeks I've been too lazy/disorganised to get new cotton wool pads so haven't been using it - and I'm really noticing the lack. Skin is rougher-feeling as well as more congested.

Clinique do an extra mild that is much kinder to your skin if you ever feel the effects

Can anyone further describe which Neutrogena product you're talking about please?

Kato
It's full name is in the link

The Clinique toner i like is the mild one? Is that the gentle madbuslady? Brilliant, no alcohol

The one ds uses is the Visibly Clear exfoliater.

Yes, sorry it is called Mild Clarifying Lotion, not gentle. Alcohol and fragrance free.

Now extra motivated to remember new cotton wool!

Kato Here it is at Boots. I've never tried the cleanser in the same range, but that seems to have even better reviews, so maybe that's worth a try too given the price.

Excellent, huge thanks! Thanks also for the millia tip, I have a wee cracker sitting on my cheek!

The secret is to use a hot flannel first - easy then!

I've just been to the shops and got some more of the Neutrogena stuff (got cotton wool too, hooray!) and the packaging is slightly different to the Boots link above for some reason.

Here is the packaging I bought at the Neutrogena website with different text in the green stripe, but I'm pretty sure it's the same product.

I wish cosmetics companies wouldn't give about sixteen names to every product! I've bought the wrong version of a thing before because I misremembered a couple of the words.

That range is excellent. look out for it on 2 for £5.00 and stock up

How about a lactic acid peel? They are meant to be brilliant for decongesting skin. I've just posted a question re bravura acid peels and if you do a search you'll find some interesting info.

Is that something you do at home or salon?

The visibly clear blackhead remover from neutrogena is marvellous for the price. You do have to use it pretty much every day though