Kind of embarrased, need some reccommendations!

[NC919]

Hello everyone! So I am new to this forum and...........I'm a guy. Haha. I have had nothing but issues with acne since I was a kid (I am in my mid 20's now). Everything acne wise has gone away, except for my forehead acne! I have no problems looking at some light makeup/concealer/primer to wear at this point, since it's obviously not going away anytime soon. The acne really hurts my self esteem, so I'm ready to remedy it. I am just scared about being called out on it, or it being too obvious

I have combination skin, except in my "T-Area" which is very oily. I don't know where to start. Obviously I want something non-comedogenic, and something that is fairly light and not "cakey". I don't mind spending a bit on quality products (i.e. MAC) , but I don't need anything extravagant, as its only going to go on my forehead and nose (if necessary). I'd like to find the best "bang for the buck" products, per say.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[shellygrrl]

What's your skincare routine?

 

[NC919]

Skin Care routine:

Morning:
1) Splash Skin with warm water and pat dry with towel.
2) Apply Boots No. 7 Intense Facial Serum
3) Apply Estee Lauder Day Wear Moisturizer
4) Apply L'oreal sheer facial sunscreen (SPF 50)
5) Wait for sunscreen to absorb, and remove the excess oil from the suncreen with an oil blotting sheet.

Throughout the day:
1)Blot oil from face with Clean and Clear Oil Blotting Sheets


Night time:
1) Wash Face with Neutrogena Facial cleanser (2% salicylic acid) and pat dry
2) Wait 15 minutes, and then apply Tretinoin 0.04% microgel (for the acne)


I'd say my skin care routine is pretty darn good. I've had issues with skin cancer in my family, so I make sure that I take care of my skin!

 

[shellygrrl]

Not a bad routine, but I think it could be improved upon just a little bit, with just a couple of additional products. I have a similar skintype (oily t-zone, normalish everywhere else) and am acne-prone. In the daytime I exfoliate before I do anything else. And I think exfoliation is something guys can add to their routine, too (even if it's only a couple of times a week). The one I use is Philosophy The Microdelivery; it's gentle enough to use every day. And then you can go straight on with your serum. Even better, because the exfoliation stimulates your skin and penetrates it, anything you use after that will be absorbed better. I'd also suggest adding a spot treatment, so when you do break out, it can be targeted. I use La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo (the US formula; the European formula is a bit different and is meant to be used all over the face). Before I switched to that, I used a roll-on treatment by Burt's Bees, which was very good. (Small enough for you to throw in your pocket or wherever, too! And very affordable. I think it's around $10 USD at drugstores.) With this sort of thing, I always ask about skincare first, because no matter what your gender is, if you don't have a good routine down, no makeup product -- no matter how good it supposedly is -- will be effective. :nod: On to the makeup. For concealer you have several different options. You definitely want something full coverage. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage is a very good one for blemishes. The compact has two colours in it; I think what you do is mix them together to get something near your skintone. If you don't want to mess with that you can go with something like MAC Studio Finish Concealer or OCC Skin Conceal. You can even go extremely full coverage with something like Vichy Dermablend. And all you need to apply any of these are clean fingers.

 

[NC919]

Thanks for your help! I will go give those facial products a try. Now, for the makeup, can I get away with just concealer or do I need something else like a powder? Also, I can spot apply all if this, correct? What I mean is I can just apply it to my forehad and nowhere else right?

 

[shellygrrl]

Yep, just spot apply where you need it. And you can set it with a powder if you want to. Or what you can do is blot the area with a tissue lightly.

 

[kirstw91]

Have you ever tried a course of microdermabrasion or high frequency facials? Microdermabrasion can help to reduce the acne by removing the very top layer of the skin (sounds a little scary but its not, the skin renews itself rather fast and the skin cells will be replaced within 7 days). While high frequency facials have ozone which leaves a layer of antibacterial gas on the skin which can improve and also prevent acne.

 

[DaphneWoods]

My husband has the same issues as you. First of all, skincare is the main priority. Look at Origins. Everyone's skin chemistry is different, but my husband uses: Never a Dull Moment 2x weekly, a cucumber peel mask 1x weekly, Clean Energy Oil to clean his face every other day, the other days uses Checks and Balances, and Mega Mushroom moisturizer and eye cream 2x daily. The oil cleanser actually eats excess oil. I have heard you can use cooking oils, but I cannot recommend any from experience. He also uses Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer which covers redness beautifully. Then spot concealer as needed (such as MAC color corrector). It sounds like a lot, but it works! It also helps combat aging. There is not much more attractive than a guy who is not afraid to care for himself. I am very serious when I state that this will add about 5 minutes to a day routine-wise, but will give you so much confidence. You deserve to feel good about yourself. I wish you well.