Help with flakes! What works best?
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free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 3:09 pm

I am a user of Retin A and sometimes Tazarotene.

Sometimes this results in ugly flakes on my face as I am getting ready to go into an important customer meeting...Not Good Sad

What works best when you see flakes in the AM right before you have to leave?

A face scrub? (brand recs?)

Some kind of exfoliation cloth? (brand recs?)

or an enzyme peel (but I doubt I would have enough time do one in such a situation?) If so, brand recs?

Thanks!! BF

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 3:12 pm

I find using a muslin cloth to gently exfoliate my face morning and evening really helps getting rid of flakies. When I get really bad flaky skin, just one use won't help much, but a daily use has helped a great deal. However, if it gets so bad and I need a quick fix, I just use a primer.

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 5:20 pm

I do use enzyme peels on a weekly basis, but when I'm in a hurry in the morning, and I've got flakies...I always find myself reaching for a microdermabrasion cloth. It only takes seconds, right after cleansing, to just give a quick, light rub with the cloth to buff away the flakies before continuing my regimen.

I purchased my cloths from a seller named Thankyoustan on eBay. Be careful when you first start using them. The first two times I used them, I ended up with a red and irritated face! They seem so gentle, but they really do the trick!

HTH!

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 5:38 pm

Are muslin and microfiber cloths essentially the same thing? Is one rougher?

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 6:36 pm

I've never used muslin, so I can't do a comparison for you. The wet microdermabrasion towel feels deceptively gentle, does not feel rough at all. Yet it "grabs" those flakies and wisks them right of.

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 7:33 pm

I like the "microdermabrasion" sponge by Stan on Ebay. I have his cloth but like the sponge better - I have the smaller facial one he discontinued. But I like the shape of the sponge -- helps me get into the nooks and crannies of the side of my nose...

And I just started using two NCN Pro Skincare products that are doing wonders for my chronically flaky nose: the 15% daily exfoliator (I use once a day although you can use twice a day) and the 30% pumpkin peel (I use once a week). You can get samples at:
http://www.ncnproskincare.com/skin-care-products/skincare-product-catalog/samples.html

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 8:09 pm

For small patches of flakies I use a dry Qtip - this is also exceptionally good for exfoliating the lips.

free skin care · Thu May 31, 2007 10:57 pm

Keep your skin hydrated would help with dryness (which causes flakiness) when you are on actives. Be careful about not over using exfoliates, it may causes more irritations that lead to continuous cycle of flaking. Sometimes take a break from the active and do some hydrating masks to bring your skin to normal condition before back to actives again.

free skin care · Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:10 am

nadjazz, when you use the cloth, do you ever find it just makes that area of flakies more red? Do you typically put on a moisturizer or something right afterwards? I have found when I have the flakies, usually from too much use of the Tazorac or Mandelic Acid, the cloth seems to make my skin....more angry(?) Mad

for lack of a better term.....

free skin care · Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:05 am

msaries1 wrote:

nadjazz, when you use the cloth, do you ever find it just makes that area of flakies more red? Do you typically put on a moisturizer or something right afterwards? I have found when I have the flakies, usually from too much use of the Tazorac or Mandelic Acid, the cloth seems to make my skin....more angry(?) Mad

for lack of a better term.....

msaries1, that's a good point. For my skin, I've learned there is a difference between flakies, which is just dry skin that needs to be exfoliated, vs irritated skin (which in my case, has happened with overdoing acids). I guess I've had enough "accidents" now, that I can tell the difference. I do have sensitive skin, and I have to be very careful with manual exfoliation, as it does make my skin "angry" (good choice of words). I should emphasize that I don't "scrub" with the cloth. A few gentle swipes, and then I check...if I still have flakies, then a few more gentle swipes...and I stop.

And yes, I always follow this with some kind of emu oil...my current fave is Ultra emu oil with a few drops of cranberry and palmarosa oils.

free skin care · Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:03 pm

I'm using Obagi...and get flakies too! I use a washcloth to very gently wash my face (with cleanser) when I notice them. I keep one in my briefcase as well...because I did see a lot of flaking mid-afternoon once and it creeped me out Shock

free skin care · Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:07 am

I have the same problem and sometimes the flakies will pop up during the middle of the day when I am not at home. I keep a small bottle of moisturizer at my desk and that usually helps to lessen the appearance of the dryness until I can get home and really do something about it.

free skin care · Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:23 pm

SnowWhite wrote:

I have the same problem and sometimes the flakies will pop up during the middle of the day when I am not at home. I keep a small bottle of moisturizer at my desk and that usually helps to lessen the appearance of the dryness until I can get home and really do something about it.

I used to do that too, keep a small bottle of EL's ANR serum in my purse for emergency. But now I use masks regularly and flakiness is no longer a problem.

free skin care · Mon Jun 04, 2007 10:17 pm

Hi Barefootgirl,

I totally know what you mean about those annoying flakies! My current regime is to do a PSF pumpkin enzyme peel 1-2 times per week (usally 1) and then an aspirin mask 2-3 times per week. Sometimes I actually just gently massage crushed (with a mortar and pestle) aspirin on damp sink in circular motions. I am seriously considering Epidermx II- it looks like a good bet.

free skin care · Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:07 am

I've been using Retin A for over a decade, and am at the point where I only use it once a week as maintenance. I use the strongest percentage available, and although my skin is used to it, I occasionally run into some flakes. For me the best thing is to use some cleansing grains, and gently exfoliate. I live in Canada, and just use a simple drugstore brand...St.Ives Apricot cleansing grains, which comes in regular or sensitive. Then I use a GENTLE moisturizer.

free skin care · Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:26 pm

luvyourskin wrote:

I've been using Retin A for over a decade, and am at the point where I only use it once a week as maintenance. I use the strongest percentage available, and although my skin is used to it, I occasionally run into some flakes. For me the best thing is to use some cleansing grains, and gently exfoliate. I live in Canada, and just use a simple drugstore brand...St.Ives Apricot cleansing grains, which comes in regular or sensitive. Then I use a GENTLE moisturizer.

St. Ives Apricot scrub contains crushed apricot pits (or is it walnut shell?). Whatever the case, these "grains" cause micro-scratches in your skin. Not a good way to exfoliate.

free skin care · Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:34 pm

Thank you for posting about the St. Eve's apricot scrub. I've always used it because I thought it was mild, so thank you for letting me know that it is not necessarily so gentle!

free skin care · Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:38 pm

SnowWhite wrote:

Thank you for posting about the St. Eve's apricot scrub. I've always used it because I thought it was mild, so thank you for letting me know that it is not necessarily so gentle!

You're welcome. Smile

MANY people don't know about it... I've read it many times on this forum that people do not realize it's so harsh. I'd never used it before but I learned about it here on the EDS forum myself.

free skin care · Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:37 pm

I recommend dermologica Microfolient which is an enzyme peel. From my experience any kind of rubbing or manual exfloriation will only make the skin more tender and enflamed. An enyme peel once a week should help.

free skin care · Tue Jun 05, 2007 5:19 pm

For you ladies who moisturize mid-day...I would love to do that myself, but what do you do if have foundation on? Is there a way to apply it over your makeup? I usually use MMU, and it lasts all day, so I'm wondering if I would make a mess of it if I tried to apply moisturizer over it?

free skin care · Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:00 pm

nadjazz wrote:

For you ladies who moisturize mid-day...I would love to do that myself, but what do you do if have foundation on? Is there a way to apply it over your makeup? I usually use MMU, and it lasts all day, so I'm wondering if I would make a mess of it if I tried to apply moisturizer over it?

Perhaps try a moisturizing facial spritz so that it wouldn't disturb your makeup.

free skin care · Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:10 pm

nadjazz wrote:

For you ladies who moisturize mid-day...I would love to do that myself, but what do you do if have foundation on? Is there a way to apply it over your makeup? I usually use MMU, and it lasts all day, so I'm wondering if I would make a mess of it if I tried to apply moisturizer over it?

Maybe you could consider use a tinted moisturizer instead? That way you get both coverage and hydration...

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