Skin care question

[shalinir]

Hi all

I have bought the samples of Aloe & Green tea serum , BHA toner, PRT, Jojoba moisturizer and Hemp moisturizer of which I have used all but the toners. I have extremely oily, sensitive skin that is also acne prone to the boot but thankfully has subsided since I started taking the birth control pill Yasmin for my PCOS. Also I have lot of acne marks left from earlier ones. But since I am not completely acne free I continue to use Benzoyl Peroxide 5% all over my cheeks before going to bed. It is the only thing that has worked on the acne for the past two years.
I have used all the SN skin care products that I mentioned above for a day now and so far my skin has not broken out. And hopefully it won't!
What I wanted to know was how should I go about using BP and the serum and moisturizer at night?
I stay at a hot and even more humid place in India given that is rainy season now. So would using the serum over hydrate my already oily skin??

Thanks for any advice that you can offer!

-Shalini

[JenW]

I was hoping someone with experience on BP would get back to you on this. I personally have not used it since I was in my teens. I have much better luck with BHA tonic. I know with the tonic, it is best to sit on the skin for at least 20 minutes before going on to the next step. In your case, I would patch test. Try putting the BP on and letting it sit. Then in an inconspicuous spot (are there really any on our faces?) try the serum.

As for the serums, they don't have any oil, so they should not do anything to contribute to more oily skin. They will hydrate you skin. It is possible to have oily skin that is dehydrated. I also don't think you could over-hydrate skin with anything topical...what your skin does not need would likely dry up or evaporate. I really believe oil production could be worse if skin is dehydrated....it is our body's way of trying to seal in the moisture we have. (I must also clarify that I am not an expert on oily skin.)

[shalinir]

Hi Jen

Thanks for that detailed reply... in fact i have been using bp at night and then using just the green tea serum. I tried using the pore refining toner before the serum and after bp but it just led to deep reddening on the areas i had put bp. so i have been using the toner only in the morning. my skin is lot more supple and slightly more even toned since i started using the serum and most of the days i skip using the moisturizer. i still haven't tried the bha toner since i have never used acids on my face before...i will give it a go soon. i have really big pores on my cheeks. i haven't noticed any change after using the pore refining toner but then again i haven't been consistent in applying it regularly either.
i was thinking of getting the super serum. but i'm not sure whether i really require that since green tea is working perfectly well for me. dries out super fast without leaving any oily film. i was wondering would the super serum help in lightening up the acne marks even in a small way??

[JenW]

Super Serum does have ingredients that will lighten pigmented spots. I think the Green Tea and Aloe does, too, but probably not as strongly as the Super Serum.

I also think if the BP is working for you, there is no reason to change that aspect of your routine and try the BHA. I am a firm believer in doing what works for you.

I will look a little more into the large pores thing. I am sure that skin dehydration contributes some to enlarged pores as well as clogged pores.

[shalinir]

Thanks Jen for unconfusing me.. I will stick to BP and maybe use BHA post shaving!

[pinkpomelo]

I use the BHA post- brazilian waxing

It really helps keep the ingrowns away!