Skincare help?

[FatPatricia]

I have incredibly bad skin in general, hormonal acne all over my back, chest and face. I've just started using body shop tea tree body wash on the recommendation of a friend, so I'm praying that works.

Now I'm looking for something for my face.. a cleanser, a toner, a moisturiser, pads.. anything that is going to help control the state of my face without drying it out too much... It massively affects my confidence so I don't mind having to spend a bit more to see results! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

I can't recommend any but have googled cleansing oil, I know it sound bizarre but if you use a oil your skin won't produce so much as it would if you stripped it of oil.

Is your skin oily ?

Mine was - hence acne for many years

I eventually saw a sympathetic dermatologist who prescribed spironolactone. Works a treat for me - no side effects (touch wood).

No it very rarely gets oily which is what confuses me so much, it's fairly dry but, so maybe a cleansing oil would work.. thank you, I'll have a look into it :)

Sorry to hear your struggling. My skin is the same. I find drinking lots of water helps and using a glycolic acid product.

OP, have you seen your GP? Hormonal acne needs to be treated properly. Nothing you can buy over the counter is going to have a huge impact and may make things worse by drying and aggravating your skin and making it red/flaky.

I had to go on roaccutane in the end. You may not need to. But I have tried everything from topical tea tree oil to oral and topical antibiotics and the pill.

TBH you probably need to see a dermatologist. Try Dr Sam Bunting's you tube videos to see what options are available for treatment.

Good luck!

Thank you I was considering it, I went years ago with my back and they gave me a gel cream which made it worse so I never went back! But I think it's getting to that point now..

The nip and fab glycloic acid pads are something I have been looking at so I might also give them a try.. thank you! :)

The GP won't have all t v e answers
Ask for a referral to a consultant.f dermatologist. They will be ablw to offer more options.

I spent years being fobbed off and not taken seriously.

Just be careful with glycolic acid pads by nip and fab, they had the opposite affect on me and made me breakout terribly.

Maybe try some evening primrose oil or starflower oil supplements, these are both known for balancing hormones in women.

Zinc is another good supplement for skin in particular. However don't use if it tends to make you nauseous (It made me too nauseous)

Try to keep your skin hydrated as when it is stripped by harsh cleansers, the sebaceous glands overcompensate and produce more oil.

Try a sulphate free cleanser. One that doesn't foam up. A cream cleanser for example or cleansing milk, without fragrance. Simple purifying cream cleanser may be a good option? Massage it in and remove with a warm flannel very gently. Or maybe warm soaked cotton wool pads as you don't want to aggravate the skin.

Moisturise with an oil free, non comedogenic moisturiser that won't clog pores.

I suffered with terrible skin when I was taking the mini pill (micronor) and since coming off all hormonal contraception, my skin is great. The combined pill on the other hand is good for hormonal acne. (Personally I will never use hormonal contraceptives again as I prefer to be natural.)

For me, I have found the gentler I am with my skin and the less I switch my products, the better it is.
Also I eat loads of fruit which I notice makes a huge difference.

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