Any success stories for oily skin and open pores?

[pearlkent]

Am post-menopausal and my skin looks terrible (always has actually - teenage acne). I've finally realised that moisturiser is probably not a good idea and have started on the Paula's Choice BHA stuff. Now looking into chemical peels, but am I kidding myself that I can ever have nice skin? Just caught sight of myself in a mirror in bright sunlight and nearly fainted in horror at how rough I looked. Has anyone with similar skin managed to significantly improve things?

I'd say moisturiser IS a good idea, you just need to find the right one for your skin type :) BHA as well seems like a good plan. Try looking on reddit skincareaddiction - a lot of useful info and product recommendations

Definitely use a moisturiser, it helps stop your skin over producing oils. But avoid oil based moisturisers. I use the Simple mattifying one. From experience I wouldn't advise using chemical peels as they're quite harsh but something daily like a glycolic acid toner I find works well to help loosen old skin cells and rebalance my skin pH. (I also swear by my dermabrasion flannel, my skin looks a lot better when I've been using that)

I have the exact same skin, I hate it!! I use a cleanser, a glycolic acid and moisturise, I use Alpha H liquid gold twice a week and use the body shop oils of life for night and vitamin E for day, my skin also looks horrific, it makes me very very self conscious, cleanser wise I use a body shopone, Clinique one or if I am good for money Emma Hardie moringa one ( my favourite ).

I find a good facial Oil over night, e.g. Clarissa helps minimise pores. Pixl glow tonic twice a day is good. BUT, and I think a glance through these responses shows, you just have to keep experimenting to see what works for you. It's an expensive process....

Oily skin owner here!

Paula's choice BHA did bugger all for me, I switched to The Ordinary's salicylic acid instead.

My current regime is:

AM
Simple foaming face wash
The Ordinary Niacinimide (helps stop oil production apparently)
The Ordinary Vitamin C serum (one of the watery ones, it's best to compare using their little table on the website before picking one)
Simple moisturiser
Biore UV watery essence sunscreen

PM
Remove any makeup and sunscreen with jojoba oil, massage face with it
Micellar water (Garnier currently) to remove oil
Rinse with plain water
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid
The Ordinary Advanced Retinoid
Lashings of Cerave Pm moisturiser

For any spots that might crop up:
Drop of tea tree oil on it
Apply a hydrocolloid acne bandage

Spots are always gone by the morning and my skin is pretty bright and matte (although not matte in this humidity).

Oh, there's also a couple of masks I use! (Bloody hell, I use a lot of stuff):

Queen Helene Mint Juleps clay mask
The Ordinary mask: AHA/BHA (no more than twice a week)

Stop using anything soapy on your skin, whether soap or a foaming cleanser. Use something creamy, a balm or milk, apply to dry/damp skin, remove with warm flannel. You're drying out the oily bits which makes them oilier. More oil = open pores. I love Clinique Take the Day off Balm, Emma Hardin Moringa Balm, or an oil cleanser - there's a Vitamin C one in Boots, can't remember the brand.

Same for moisturising, don't skimp, if you pamper and hydrate your skin, it calms down. A good serum, plus a light oil free moisturiser. Maybe experiment with Hydraluron / hydraluronic acid (hydrating) later on.

Tons of water, good fats, EPO supplements.

I have been in exactly the same boat for years (I'm 36, so not peri-menopausal yet, but same issues), and my skin is so much better for this regime. Not perfect, but so much better.

Thanks all for the advice. I'm getting my hopes up now that I can one day have nice skin if I work at it, but feeling impatient! How long realistically, to see any results if I'm diligent? Sometimes I think the BHA regime is working, then I catch myself in a bad light (this bright sunlight is HELL) and feel like giving up. Should I do the oil cleansing method, or is that now out of fashion?

I am going to try witch night gel, has excellent reviews and a good price.

My skin is quite reactive so I try to keep things relatively simple. I agree chuck out your foaming facewashes, my skin is so much better since I stopped washing my face every day and started using micellar water (the garnier oil one) and I exfoliate once or twice a week. I use Niod CAIS, MMHC, hylamide Pore Control, whatever mattifying moisturiser is on offer, and hylamide matte 12. Routine not totally perfect yet but things much much better than they were.

I would recommend Azelaic Acid from the Ordinary. Has the most wonderful smoothing effect, suitable for oily skin. I use it as a primer although it is not marketed as that. It's not expensive and I have just reordered - I rarely find a product that I want to keep using.
I have just started using their nicotinamide stuff and retinoid but just this week so wouldn't like to recommend them yet.

I was just coming on to say Paula's Choice is amazing for large pores.

I use facial oil as well as moisturiser; it sounds crazy for oily skin but really has worked wonders.

The other thing I've discovered a while back was double cleansing. It has made such a difference to the clarity of my skin.

I use coal face by lush as a face soap morning only. Then follow with a matter moisturiser. Evenings I use loreal rose cleanser and toner and a matte moisturiser.

I thought the loreal rose stuff would be a risky thing to use as it's for sensitive skin not oily, but my skin got worse then loads better. I think I was stripping my skin of moisturiser with soap and witch hazel and tee tree oil that it was producing more oil.

So I agree with pp definitely moisturise lots.

How is your skin now pearlkent? I have exactly the same problem and it's getting me so down. Have you found anything that can help?

Thanks for asking Otherside. I'm still very down about my skin. I have been diligent with the Paula's Choice BHA, and I think it's helped a bit. I've also been paying more attention to cleansing - just trying to use up the natural-ish products I already have (including some masks, which I try and do twice a week).
I've bought a Bravura salicylic peel but haven't used it yet. Sometimes I just think it's a hopeless quest.
I'm tempted to try a proper medical chemical skin peel or Obagi products, but the hundreds of pounds these cost make me fume (as in the cosmetics industry is taking us all for a ride).
I am slightly obsessed now - not sure why as I've had bad skin all my life (I'm 54 now). I think it's because I've just discovered that this parallel universe of skincare and treatments exists and I fleetingly got my hopes up that I could have lovely flawless skin. I don't think I can :(

Im thinking the same, i just think im stuck with rubbish skin, my cheeks arent too bad its my chin its terrible. No amount of pore filler, foundation with help it.
ive microdermabrasion which helped abit (5 sessions) she said i probably need another 5, but cant afford that.
ive ordered sayclic acid, niaceramide and retolyn (spelled all wrong!!) Only used the nia upto now

Ok, I have tried everything, salicylic, glycolic, mandolin, lactic, malic acids, roaccutane, doxycycline, dianette, spironolactone, you get the picture.
My skin was red, excessively oily, pock marked, really open pored with active spots. I have found my answer - IPL intense pulse laser for acne treatment. I've had 2 treatments and it has been miraculous - 80% less oily, no new spots but the biggest change has been reduction in redness and much much smoother texture - scarring practically gone. It's not cheap, £150 per session but I would pay 10 x that for the results I've had. PM me if you live near the Manchester area for salon/laser details.

In terms of skincare, I'm swearing by Epionce lytic sport as my salicylic acid treatment with Clinique intense thirst relief concentrate - think that's what it's called on top. I use a sulphur soap with a microfiber cloth to get mineral foundation off. I had been using Pixie glow tonic too but stopped since started the epionce as don't feel like I need two different acids regularly.

Jmangel, v interesting. There's a place near me that specialises in IPL for acne, rosacea and thread veins. I was thinking of going for a consultation there about the small red broken capillaries around my nose, but hadn't really considered it as a skin treatment as such. I don't have active acne (had it as a teenager though), and I don't think I've officially got rosacea, but my skin is red (around my nose especially) with open pores, and oily. Do you really think it' helped with those aspects of your skin? Is it painful?

I read advice on here about the ordinary skincare. I struggled to understand which products to go for, so emailed Victoria health (also advice from here) with a description. They got back to me pretty quickly with a suggested regimen. I have been using it for around 2 weeks and can definitely see an improvement. Also it's really cheap for decent skincare.

Tiddles what did they suggest for you? Wondering if same as they said for me?

This was the list. I only purchased 4 of the am ones to try (left out the niacinamide). Will probably buy the others soon. There was also a detailed description of what each one does.

AM: Buffet, Caffeine Solution (eyes), Hyaluronic acid; Naicinamide, Natural Moisturising Factors.
PM: Buffet, Caffeine Solution (eyes), Azelaic Acid or Advanced Retinoid (alternate these), Argan Oil.

Me!
I used to have an oil slick t zone. Vichy normaderm liquid green lotion with salicyclic and glycolic worked for me.
And plain unfragrancdd Waitrose bar soap. A light non silicone moisturiser (olay light) and almost never using sun cream.
I avoid shea and dimethicone and thick and rich oils and mineral oils.
Instead I use grapeseed in the morning and rose hip at night.
My skin is really fine textured now.
I finish with Clinique pore refining Matt hydrator in the morning too.
The change is brilliant. Oh and a charcoal mask 1x per week.
It took about 3 weeks to work though.

Yes pearlkent IPL has definitely reduced my redness and oiliness considerably and reduced pore size dramatically - I had thought nothing could reduce pore size but I've been proven wrong. Not all IPL is the same though and it's 100%down to the skill of the user so go off a recommendation rather than just any salon. The acne IPL treatment would be the best setting to go for as it rejuvenates scar areas as well as reducing oiliness and redness/pigmentation.

Sorry forgot to add it's slightly painful - like a hot elastic band being slapped across your face but it's over within a half a second and there's probably a 4 second gap in between the next one so you sort of get into a rhythm with it and it makes it more bearable. It's also very quick to do the whole face - 10 mins max I would say. No pain no gain!