SN skin care recs. for acne prone skin

[marycs]

Hi Ladies,

I am looking to establish an appropriate skin care routine - my current one is all over the place. I had acne really bad with my last pregnancy, and now have some acne scars on my cheeks and chin. For the most part, my skin is now clear, but acne prone if I don't exfoliate somehow. The catch is, I noticed that scrubs usually make my acne worse, so I've been relying on alpha hydroxy to do the work. I am 34, have relatively soft skin, small pores, but also little bumps under my skin (not red or anything - just raised areas) that I can't seem to get rid of, and some redness/mild acne on my chin. I have found that consistent Alpha Hydroxy has helped me with exfoiliating and keeping break outs under control, but I wonder if my regiment can be improved with SN stuff and I am not sure what to combine with what, or if I can just make a whole switch.

Here is what I currently use:

Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash with Tea Tree Oil
Avalon Organics CQ10 toner
Aveeno Positively Ageless Serum
Beauty Without Cruelty AHA Facial Moisturizer

I am not using any other exfoliant because I often find that it irritates my acne spots. I use the walgreens alpha hydroxy cream on just those areas a couple of times a week at night.

I am thinking the Apricot Oil and hemp are good fits for me, and also the microdermabrasion?? Not sure about which toner, and maybe I can just skip my alpha hydroxy cream (hate to use it, but my skin breaks out without it) with the proper toner and other exfoliant??

Is the BHA toner good to just apply in areas where I have those under skin bumps? or the AHA toner?

Please help!

Thanks in advance,
Mary

[freesilk]

I'm sure Karyn, Jen or the other SN experts will have great recommendations and everyone's skin is different, but this is my experience as an acne-prone 27 year old with (what I believe are) similar bumps on my face. I thought that the ACO would be great, but when I tried it, I found that I had trouble fully removing the Apricot Cleansing Oil from my face after cleaning and I'm pretty sure that caused an increase in the number of my bumps. I didn't have a skin cleanser besides the ACO at the time though, and I've read that other people have used ACO as directed and then cleansed their face with KISS or another cleanser, maybe that would have worked for me too, but at the moment I'm a bit too scared to try that again so I'm just using KISS as a cleanser. I don't have much experience with AHAs personally, but I've been using the BHA toner and exfoliating regularly with the dermabrasion cream because Karyn mentioned that AHAs make some people break out. I've also been using the banana smoothie exfoliating mask followed by the green goddess mask to help clear up those bumps. Finally, I use the Super Serum followed by the Hemp Moisturizer in the morning (and Holy Crow on my smile lines) and the same routine at night except replacing the Super Serum with the Facelift Serum. I haven't had any problems with SN foundation, perfecting powder, silk powder or sheer zinc powder upsetting my face. I hope that maybe helps!

[zeebs]

I have super acne prone sensitive skin, too. I recommend washing your face with a gentle natural cleanser (like the KISS cleanser), and the trick is to wash twice. The first round gets the makeup off and the second round gets the oils and dead skin. Then, I recommend a mask - nothing for oily skin, though, as they tend to overdry sensitive skin. Then a toner - probably the Pore Refining would work for you? - and the hemp oil is a great moisturizer for acne prone skin.

Those bumps sound like milia. They can go away with time, but you can't really treat them topically. You have to be really conscientious about drinking enough water, taking enough omega-3 oils, and avoiding sugars, salt, starches, and stress. Easy, right? But I am prone to them too and that is what works for me... also, lysine and vitamin C in your diet are excellent for those bumps and also for acne. I keep fresh lemons on hand and I try to eat at least 1/2 lemon per day (squeezed into water usually).

HTH...

[marycs]

I'm sure Karyn, Jen or the other SN experts will have great recommendations and everyone's skin is different, but this is my experience as an acne-prone 27 year old with (what I believe are) similar bumps on my face. I thought that the ACO would be great, but when I tried it, I found that I had trouble fully removing the Apricot Cleansing Oil from my face after cleaning and I'm pretty sure that caused an increase in the number of my bumps. I didn't have a skin cleanser besides the ACO at the time though, and I've read that other people have used ACO as directed and then cleansed their face with KISS or another cleanser, maybe that would have worked for me too, but at the moment I'm a bit too scared to try that again so I'm just using KISS as a cleanser. I don't have much experience with AHAs personally, but I've been using the BHA toner and exfoliating regularly with the dermabrasion cream because Karyn mentioned that AHAs make some people break out. I've also been using the banana smoothie exfoliating mask followed by the green goddess mask to help clear up those bumps. Finally, I use the Super Serum followed by the Hemp Moisturizer in the morning (and Holy Crow on my smile lines) and the same routine at night except replacing the Super Serum with the Facelift Serum. I haven't had any problems with SN foundation, perfecting powder, silk powder or sheer zinc powder upsetting my face. I hope that maybe helps!

Hi there,
That's all really helpful. After some further research, I think I am going to try introducing one product at a time to have some control over my 'experiment', as opposed to the radical switch I was stupidly thinking of doing (just had a skincare insanity moment). I am thinking first thing to try will be the Microdermabrasion Cream
Thanks again - I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
Mary

[marycs]

I have super acne prone sensitive skin, too. I recommend washing your face with a gentle natural cleanser (like the KISS cleanser), and the trick is to wash twice. The first round gets the makeup off and the second round gets the oils and dead skin. Then, I recommend a mask - nothing for oily skin, though, as they tend to overdry sensitive skin. Then a toner - probably the Pore Refining would work for you? - and the hemp oil is a great moisturizer for acne prone skin.

Those bumps sound like milia. They can go away with time, but you can't really treat them topically. You have to be really conscientious about drinking enough water, taking enough omega-3 oils, and avoiding sugars, salt, starches, and stress. Easy, right? But I am prone to them too and that is what works for me... also, lysine and vitamin C in your diet are excellent for those bumps and also for acne. I keep fresh lemons on hand and I try to eat at least 1/2 lemon per day (squeezed into water usually).

HTH...

Hmm, double-washing sounds overwhelming to me at the moment with 2 sick kids, lol. I read somewhere something about using a face microfiber cloth to help cleanse more thoroughly and aid in exfoliation. Ever heard of that?

Also, how often would you suggest using a mask?

Yes, I am curious about the pore refining toner, and by all accounts the hemp moisturizer seems to be the way to go. I think I am going to phase those two in once I use up all my existing moisturizer and toner

Finally, that you for your nutrition tips. I do drink lots of water, but I am a sugar addict.

Thanks for all your time and help!
Mary

[JenW]

The microfiber cloth will help if you need it. It is a good option for manual exfoliation. Just go easy on it.

For masks, one or two times a week should be enough.