Need Help Figuring Out What's Breaking Me Out

[nfig]

Hi Ladies,

I recently switched over to all silk naturals, skin care and make up. I've developed some zits (maybe five?) I should preface this by saying that it doesn't take much oil to break me out. For example, Jojoba oil breaks me out like you wouldn't believe. I was wondering if maybe I should try a different serum or moisturizer? Here is what I use:

Morning:
Philosophy On a Clear Day Cleanser
BHA Toner
Oil Control Serum
Hemp Moisturizer
Holy Crow

Makeup - SN foundation, primers, blush, concealer, finishers

Evening:
Philosophy On a Clear Day Cleanser
Pore Refining Toner
Super Serum
Hemp Moisturizer
Holy Crow

I don't know if my breakouts are hormonal at the moment or if I should switch out one of the products for a different SN product. Thanks for your opinions

[Cupcake]

You know how not all zits are the same? Some are from everyday ordinary blocked pores but others are rather graphically referred to as 'purge' zits, these being dirt deeply trapped in the pores which is released through a zit. I'm going to guess - and it's just a guess - that you're having a little purge. I say that because you're using some very potent ingredients on your skin there.

Philosophy On A Clear Day is a glycolic and salicylic acid cleanser (also known as AHAs and BHAs). That might be fine, day to day, but now that you're also using a potent serum - Super Serum - that two might 'amplify up' the effect each other has. You'll probably have heard not to use those acids at the same time as Super Serum for the niacinamide (spelling?) interaction (it can turn your skin temporarily red). I suspect that this purge is not caused by that problem, but just a super-deep cleaning from using a very strong mix of ingredients in your skincare.

If this purge ends quickly and your skin clears up, great. If you're comfortable with what you're using, great. If not, if you start to feel a bit 'over-processed' or raw, consider changing your cleanser to a gentler one, either day or night, and use the Super Serum after you've cleansed with the gentler cleanser rather than the OACD cleanser. Kiss cleanser is great. Alternatively, if you're loving the OACD cleanser, you could use Super Skin a couple times a week and use a gentler serum on a daily basis. I like the VitC ones, and I'd recommend the Green Tea and Aloe serum to everyone as it's ultra gentle and hydrating.

[chaye]

If your cleanser contains AHA, then I think that's probably the cause of the breakout. If I just use the Super Serum and Hemp Moisturizer, my skin would remain clear. However, if I use AHA (I dilute it with Pore Refining Toner) for 2 days in a row, I would get tiny zits on my chin (my acne prone zone) and they would dry out or pop after a few days. HTH.

[JenW]

I agree about the reaction between the cleanser and the Super Serum. But you are also using some powerful exfoliants in the BHA Toner and the BHA(salycilic acid) in your cleanser. Its job is to unblock/clean out pores...which can end up surfacing as pimples. So, the toner and cleanser might be causing a small purge as Cupcake mentioned. Usually purges from those kinds of exfoliants are temporary. Perhaps you did not purge from the cleanser alone, but with the adddition of the toner it is actually working better.

[missyjean]

http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/acnedetect.htm

I use this article as a basic guideline when I go out and search for new products.

Oils like jojoba oil break me out majorly too,even though it's supposed to be okay for folks with acne! I only use it after a chemical peel.Anything with sulfates in it also irritates me horribly.My skin hates creams,so I have to get serums unless my skin is super dry.

Everyone's skin is so different,what breaks one person will be totally fine for another.

Have you ever tested possible dietary triggers? Milk breaks me out fiercely! Yet goat milk does not,ain't it weird? I've also heard too much iodine and gluten can contribute to your skin's inflammatory response.

Switching products could contribute to the purging like another gal said.We're also females and it's sometimes hard to pinpoint triggers since our hormones go nuts when we menstruate.Sometimes my skin only gets a few bumps when it's approaching that time of the month,and sometimes it'll be bad.

[zooeyblue]

I don't know if you have considered this one, but could shampoo/conditioner/hair products be an issue? Sometimes, I get breakouts along the sides of my face and neck, and they line up with my hair.

[zeebs]

I don't know if you have considered this one, but could shampoo/conditioner/hair products be an issue? Sometimes, I get breakouts along the sides of my face and neck, and they line up with my hair.

I have SUCH trouble with hair products breaking me out. I have one really thick paste for creating beachy wave texture that does a total number on my face. I second this hunch.

My other guess is dietary?...

[missyjean]

Ooh,I forgot about hair products. I have to stay away from hairsprays and this one organic brand with coconut oil.

[Cupcake]

Dietary is always a major factor - what we ingest is probably more important than what we use on our skin. As soon as I realised that dairy breaks me out (it just seems like it's in *everything* so it's really hard to avoid) my skin cleared up radically. Even now, one lick of Ben and Jerry's finest and my face breaks out badly.

I heard a doctor say that our skin is the barometer for our internal health - how well we are inside shows up on the outside. Sluggish complexions, breakouts, greyness etc all show how healthy our intestines are, too. If the answer is not immediately apparent - say a same-day reaction to a new product - it's worth looking at the wider health.

[nfig]

Thanks for all the replies! I don't think it's from the food I eat because I haven't changed anything and eat pretty much the same thing everyday. Since my breakouts are only occasional I think it's a combination of hormones and the philosophy cleanser so I'm going to cut that out and see if it helps. Thanks again!!