Skin Matters: What I'm using on mine.

I blogged a couple of months back about the joys (horrors) of having teenage skin at 26, and I felt I should let any of you who are interested know whats been happening with my skin since then and what products I've been using. 

Lets start with the basics, for those who don’t know anything about my skin, here is a quick run through:

My face is combination with oily around the tzone.

Most of the bad acne appears around my jawline. I get black heads and blocked pores around my nose and mouth area too.

On my shoulders I get pretty bad spots, really big and sore, and most of the time puss filled. A few blackheads thrown in on top of them too.

On my back they tend to be smaller spots but still yellow heads sometimes.

My chest flares up is now and again with a few red ones.

I have been  back to the doctor since my last post to get this issue sorted once and for all as some days I really feel like its taking over me. He explained that basically it’s a bacterial infection that causes the spots and therefore an anti-biotic was needed to clear them up. I got a different tablet than last time, Minocin (two a day) and a topical cream, Duac, for the affected areas.

I have a tube of Duac from the last time I got it prescribed, so I can’t remember the cost (sorry). The tablets were in and around €56, and you get about three/four weeks in a pack.

I have a confession, I haven’t been taking the tablets cause when I started them I also started antibiotic for a sinus infection, lets just say they didn’t mix well and I was very very dizzy. Gonna start a fresh today (Tuesday 8^th Jan).

I have been using the Duac most nights on affected areas, have to get someone else to do the ones on my back though which is a pain in the arse (and slightly embarrassing sometimes). I have found that my skin does become a bit dry from it but I can live with that cause it does help a bit, but I haven’t noticed any show stopping results yet. Hopefully when I start the tablets it will be better. Oh another thing to take not of if your a first time Duac user, it will mark your clothes, looks like bleach has splashed on them, so beware of your fave jim jams and bed sheets!

Going on medication was definitely a last option for me so if your only starting down the route of getting rid of acne, I would recommend trying out as many readily available products as possible.  There are 1000’s out there so get as many samples as you can from the likes of boots before you go out and spend a fortune on a range that doesn’t suit you. Its worth noting that it will take a couple of months before you see results so as painful as it is, try and remain patient. 

Here are the products I’ve been using on my skin for the past number of months (excluding eye makeup remover, eye cream etc). Although the acne hasn’t cleared up, I have noticed a huge difference in the congestion of my skin.  

Cleanse:

I always wash my face it makes my skin feel cleaner, in the morning I use warm water alone, but in the evening I use The Body Shop seaweed deep cleansing facial wash to get rid of my makeup.

Tone:

I use toner to ensure no dirt can get caught up in my pores, at the moment I am using the Lush lavender spray toner, and a Lancome one.

Hydrate:

After reading on beaut.ie a few weeks ago about how there were serums out there that would specifically rehydrate the skin without making it more oily, I new I had to jump on the band wagon. I have been using La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense serum and its actually a lifesaver. I tend to use it at night time, and then maybe every second or third day during the day. However I have just learned from Dee over on vivaadonis.com that she uses this then sets her moisturiser on top of it.

Moisturise:

A lot of people with oily skin tend not to moisturise in the fear that it will make the skin oilier, however if you get one specifically for combination/oily skin you will be fine, remember a good SPF is important too. I am using the Body Shop's Seaweed moisturiser at the moment and find it really great and lightweight.

Exfoliation:

I exfoliate once a week when I am in the shower. Ensure you use something that is not too grainy and scratchy on the skin as it might irritate it. Again I have been using the Body Shops Seaweed exfoliation gel. It is so important to unclog your pores so try to get in the habit of doing this.

Masks:

My favourite mask to use, once a week (if i remember) is Lush Mask of Magnaminty. It specifically targets acne and it can be used on your back and shoulders too.

That's it for now, I will report back in two months after taking the tablets properly and see if there has been any difference. I’ll take some photos to that I can compare.

If your going through a similar journey to get clear skin I’d love to hear all about it!

Thanks for reading,

Có

pssssttttttt: mid writing this I stumbled across a great post from the girls on VivaAdonis.com check it out: Acne Arsenal