Blackheads, zits, random bumps = :'(

[emmyengine]

Hey girls! Apologies for the essay, but gah, I can't live with this skin! I need help, advice and recommendations. Someone to just kick my ass in the right direction. Bleh. >

Anyway, here goes!

I'm 18, Asian, and live in a tropical country (yay humidity and heat). Basically, I have lousy, oily/combi skin that I'm covering up with my MAC SFF, but I'm thinking that enough is enough! I want to be able to go out without foundation (I can't bring myself to do that now! I feel so terrible and self conscious). I have lots of blackheads, mainly on my nose, and little bumps over my forehead (that if I attack with my blackhead extractor.. voila oil clogs bonanza), slightly larger bumps at my temples, and large pores on my cheeks that sometimes get clogged up too. I get the occasional cystic acne or the more ferocious pimples as well. My skintone is also pretty uneven and sad.

I wash my face probably 3-4 times daily (once in the morning, once when I get home from school, whenever I shower/before I sleep) The Body Shop's seaweed facial cleanser. I remove my makeup by double cleansing with Biotherm's Biosource MU remover... The green one. Somehow I don't feel it is clean enough. I scrub 2-3 times a week with St Ives Apricot Scrub for sensitive skin (I felt the regular one was painful), or Burt's Bees Willowbark and Peachstone Scrub. I don't think both work particularly well :[ I've tried the much-raved QH Mint Julep Mask but didn't find that it actually works? I've also tried the Burt's Bees Pore-Minimizing Mask. So-so. I used to use Biotherm's Source Therapy mask, but that gets pricey, and did not work after a while.

After washing my face, I apply my blemish stuff... Which is to approximately 70% of my face. I use 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, or the Burt's Bees blemish stick (I like the smell hahaha). I tone... Sometimes (with Body Shop's Moisture White toner) Here's the bad part... Sometimes I don't moisturize. I feel so.. powderyish? after the acne stuff that I just want to leave my face alone before I go to bed. I sleep with the a/c on every night. If I do moisturize, I use Avene's light hydrating cream. I used to use Biotherm's Aquasource Non-Stop, it worked beautifully for a while, and then it starting making my skin oily after application. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO STOP WORKING ON MY SKIN AFTER A WHILE. Baahhh!

About my make up 'regime', it's moisturize, P+P skin and then SFF, etc etc. Lately though, I've noticed that the SFF sinks into my pores. aslkfjs;flkjs!!!

*sighs*

 

[jess98765]

sweetie, first thing you gotta do is to drink water!!!!! especially in the kinda climate your living in, water intake is vital to save your skin. Seems like your doing ok with your skin care routine and stuff so keep that going. You say that things stop working for you after a while, right? well even if you feel that it does, stick with a certain skincare pattern and brand as your skin will probably go through more damage than good with all the different chemicals your putting on it day in and day out. Also remeber not to lather yourself in makeup, let your face "rest" from makeup once in a while- like maybe take it off immediately you get home or something, as sometimes makeup will clogg pores and stuff if you leave it in for too long- which is why you should always clean/ wash your fash before you go to bed to rid your face with makeup!!!
Mositurising after cleansing and toning is abbsolutely important so please please please do not go to bed without doing this. Invest in a face moisutrisor that specifically helps with your skin needs and it should work wonders for you if you stick to using it

.
With blackheads exfoliating them is the best way to go. i currently use cliniques 7 day scrub which i find is fantastic in ridding my face of blackheads, bumps, pimples etc.... give that a go if you want.
I hope that helps

 

[emmyengine]

Thank you!!! I'm definitely cutting back on the makeup and +++ on the H2O and moisturizing. Do you think I'm washing my face too much? I've read that you are only supposed to wash your face 2-3 times a day or it may lead to overstimulation of the sebaceous glands. Sometimes I wash it up to 5 times

Because it's so greasy hahaha.. Meh, both lead to greasiness. Would washing with water and wiping clean with a flannel facecloth suffice?

I'm going to try out MAC's Microfine Refinisher (getting it cheap and tested 2-3x from a local forum user) since I've read that it isn't like huge gritty bits. I'll be sure to check out Clinque's range if that doesn't work *crosses fingers*

 

[jess98765]

hey no problem!!! yep washing your face 5 times is definitely way too much. Max times is 2 and sometimes 3 is ok too. Cleansing, toning and moisturising your face more than this will over stimulate the follicles in your face and may therefore cause reactions to occur or even make your face over prone to your skin care products and thus not make them work like they should- which is what seems to be the case with you. So remember, just once in the morning when you wake up, once before you head to bed, and if you really must, once after you come home from work/ school. Otherwise, if you do feel the need to have that clean/ fresh feel with your skin that washing it gives you, maybe try blotting paper for oily skin- pefect for you seein as you have combination skin.
I personally haven't used MAC's microfine refinisher but after reading up on it a bit, it seems like its worth a shot. Update us on how this product goes for you as it may be of assistance to others too