Help me with my awful skin please??!

[Bostonpancake]

I have had the worst skin for as long as I can remember - oily, blackheads, dull, bumpy, occasional spots (that are usually massive) and more recently, wrinkles! Make up just slides off my skin after about 2 hours.

What can I use to improve it? I'm 38 and skin can be sensitive at times.

Caroline Hirons has the answers

Thanks, just spent a good half hour reading from there! Loads of good tips. Some of it I knew already but a lot I didn't. Will go back to read more tomorrow. I do suspect though that my sugar habit has more to do with bad skin than anything else.... God help me if I try to sort that out!!!

I'm 39 and have suffered with problem skin for over 20 years.
I had a course of roaccutane when I was 18, helped loads.
I then went on the pill, had children and then 3 years ago my bad skin reappeared. I paid for lots of expensive treatments, peels etc which did help but I still wasn't totally happy. I saw a consultant dermatologist 4 months ago (NHS) and he's prescribed a topical cream and antibiotics, skin loads better. He also suggested cutting down on dairy and sugar. I've done both, more successfully with dairy as I'm no angel! However my skin is now great, I use good products although admittedly pricey but I think worth it. I don't want to stay on antibiotics, I know of the downsides do when i see the consultant this week I'm hoping he'll agree. What I really want to say is I think my diet has really helped and I'm hoping this will continue to help without antibiotics. I also saw a nutritional therapist to help with reducing sugar and dairy, we'll worth it if you think changes to your diet are the way to go.
Hope this helps, and I know how difficult living with acne can be, believe me.

Go to your GP. Cosmetic stuffs can only do a bit. Your 'massive' spots need attention, as they will leave scars. Don't waste too much money on cosmetic products.
Maybe try the Effaclar range by La Roche Posay.
Like others have said, limit dairy, nuts, and sugars.
See your GP.
Consider a dermatologist, private if needs be, it might save you a fortune in the long run.

I cannot eat wheat or dairy otherwise skin is awful, it itches and crusts over.

I always found GP's to be pretty limited to be honest. Ask for a referral to a specialist - dermatologist.

Thanks for all the replies - good to know it's not just me!

As far as antibiotics and other drugs go, I'm honestly not sure it's actual 'acne' I suffer from. I have the occasional spot (currently sporting one on my chin) that hangs about for ages but it's more the oiliness and large pores that are a problem. Looking at the Caroline Hirons info I seem to fall under a lot of categories for reasons for bad skin - stress, hormones, diet, perhaps using wrong products.

Soooo, I'm going to try firstly to improve my diet - I do have a terrible sugar addiction, drink more water and try a routine is double cleansing etc that Caroline Hirons suggests.

Wouldn't mind some feedback from people who've tried her routines? What products do you use? Interesting to read that she advises against foaming cleansers....

And oh god - tips on giv

Oops tips on giving up sugar! The thought of doing this is making me feel faint haha!!

I'm just about to read the Caroline link now and hope I can get some tips.

I'm just about to turn 40 and 6 weeks ago found myself crying in the doctor's due to cystic acne. I knew that sugar had something to do with it on some level and I decided to go vegan. For a month I had no troubles and I noticed last week I looked "younger" too. Then I fell off the wagon. Today I have carbunkles. :(

Oh dear! But I guess at least you know your change in diet is making a difference though! Not sure if I would go as far as going vegan but I'll start with sugar then maybe move on to dairy....

Double cleansing is the best of her fantastic advice imo. It gets rid of the lumps and bumps and clogged pores.
She recommends some good products but in terms of cleansers - I've tried a lot - superdrug vit e is the best.

Jemima what do you then use for the second cleanse? Vitamin e stuff sounds good - have used Liz Earle in the past but over budget for me now, have also tried M&S pure stuff - also good but not keen on smell.

It depends how I feel as I've usually got a few on the go. You can use the same cleanser the second time though.

I honestly can't tell you how much clearer my skin is since double cleansing. I use various other things which have stopped the breakouts I had but double cleansing has got rid off all my blocked pores & blackheads.

*of
Oh and if you are on a budget, all the superdrug stuff I've tried has been excellent. The radiance day cream is especially nice.

Best ever cheap moisturiser and cleanser is coconut oil (virgin if possible) I use it every night to take makeup off and just one swipe with a warm cloth and bingo all my waterproof mascara is off.works for oily skin as well as it tricks the skin into less oil production.

Also wilkinsons face cloths are fantastic for cleansing with coconut oil

I do the double cleanse method and it's great. My skin has really improved.

I rotate between Body Shop Nutriganics gel oil, Body Shop camomile butter, Superdrug Vit E and. Botanics cleansing lotion. You don't need expensive products - it's the method that really works. Steer clear of foaming products.

Vit E usually for dryer skin I think so may not be ideal for yours. Try the Body Shop - the Nutriganics gel oil or the camomile cleansing oil perhaps (same range as the butter) Caroline Hirons reviewed the camomile cleansers positively recently. Check what she thinks of them for oily skin.

La Roche Posay gets loads of good reviews. Avene is also a great French range - I like their very gentle cleanser. Both available in Boots.

Not using a foaming type cleanser at all is going to be a big change I think....

I can second Rose's recommendation for Alpha H liquid gold too.

Is Liquid Gold used like a toner? I'm a bit wary of this range as I've had reactions to products with Aha's before...

Anyone tried DHC cleansing oil? I don't think it contains mineral oil (will need to check)

I've just eaten 2 chocolate digestives..... Sugar ban lasted all of a few hours

No, you use it on alternate evenings after cleansing instead of night cream. If you've reacted to AHAs before though maybe try a sample first and use with damp cotton wool as it is glycolic acid although fairly low level at 5%.

Mine has massively improved since I started her routine
I use balmology cleansing balm, or sanctuary hot cloth polish, or boots botanics balm
Toner is clarins exfoliating toner and I use serozinc for hydrating - this made the biggest difference
Moisturiser she hasn't recommended a cheap one yet! So I'm using a boots botanics one