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Sat Sep 18, 2004 8:59 am

Hey all.

I'm a 25 year old male, 5'11" and 190lbs. I was searching around the net and found these forums.

I've had many skin problems what seems to be my entire life, and may have been going about resolving it in the wrong manner. I was hoping someone may be able to set me on the right path to seeing better skin.

For a short background, my biggest problems seem to be acne (not the kind that looks like a rash, but moreso pimples and blackheads. I have rather large pores which seem to always be dirty.

My skin looks like it's dry and right after showers I often peel (have dead skin I guess). Another problem is that I get razor burn VERY easily. My skin turns red and is irritated so easily.

I've tried many products, over the counter and prescription. My dermatologist has actually not been very helpful at all, sort of hinting that "the skin you're given with is what you have to deal with".

Well, I know many members here are females, and skin care is slightly different for you, but is there some baseline I could try for? A certain product? I feel like I have every condition under the sun that could be wrong, and have lived with this for far too long. Any help here is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

free skin care · Sat Sep 18, 2004 10:11 am

Hi, my 18 yr old son with the same problems uses the Dr. Brandt line for men and/or acne. Has improved his skin noticeably. Sorry I don't know the names of the products, a male Dr. Brandt rep at Sephora recommended them to him. Good luck and the ladies on this board are very helpful, I'm sure you'll get some valuable info.

Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:38 am

thank you for that information. I will go search the next and look for their products. I am basically at rope's end here, willing to try anything shy of hydrochloric acid to take care of things.

Sat Sep 18, 2004 2:48 pm

It would seem that (via description) the Pore Effect:
http://www.drbrandtskincare.com/thumbs/?cat_id=2&prod_id=9#TT

and the Poreless Purifying Mask:
http://www.drbrandtskincare.com/thumbs/?cat_id=2&prod_id=11#TT

both seem to describe my problems. 3-4months for $100 worth of product is rather steep, but I'm at wits end and will give this a shot if nobody can see a reason why not to. If they work, I can see $25/month being worth my while for healthier skin.

Sun Sep 19, 2004 12:39 am

my boyfriend has sensitive sore skin after shaving and i gave him Lush Ambrosia shaving cream, he cant live without it now! www.lush.com he also uses Nivea for men aftershave balm, the white one with chamomile in it...? cant remember exactly! feel sorry for men who has to shave their chin everyday! Embarassed

maybe grow a beard?!

Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:00 pm

Well, I tried Nivea and that didn't help me. Even an Aloe and Oatmeal based shaving cream from a company called Aveeno. It even said that it was designed for sensitive skin and razor bumps, but was no better for me than anything else.

If nobody else has any thoughts, I'll try that Dr.Brandt's products and see how that works. Thank you all for your time.

free skin care · Mon Sep 20, 2004 11:06 pm

As a fellow young male with acneic sensitive skin i completley understand your pain!!!!
I've tried it all...or at leat it seems that way!
Anyway what i found working best for me is to develop your own routine.
Right now i use MD formutaltions sensitive skin care in the morning...then i use proactiv at night. if my skin is sensitive after i shave i simply use a suncreen with spf 25 for the day.
I noticed that the majority of my acne was around my beard area and after many months of frustration realized that it was due to "over use" of products..the things that i thought would help my skin were making it worse.
My main advice would be to treat your skin gently and develop your own system. Shaving every day really makes a diffrence in how you care for your skin, you need to be careful.
As for your dermatologists advice the "this is your skin deal with it"! i would find a new doctor!!! is'nt your doctor supposed to help you deal with it!

anyway i rant! but seriously of you have any questions about what i've written , please post back , i would like to help you!i know your pain!
mark:-)

p.s : what do you use to shave with?

free skin care · Tue Sep 21, 2004 9:08 am

Have you tried exfoliating? I know it's kind of obvious, but it will help on the pimple/clogged pore front. You could try a physical (that is one with gritty bits) one or go for a chemical one (that is one with AHA/BHA/saliclic/glycolic acid). Whichever you try, make sure it's not too abrasive or strong in case you get a reaction. Best bet is to go to somewhere like sephora or marcus neims (or whatever it's called) and ask for samples to try first. Mathertons question is really valid too...Guapaboy swears by gillette mach3 turbo and his hair is really thick, curly and ingrowing (the stuff on his chin is even worse! Laughing

) As regards $25 a month...that's nothing!!! Less than a $a day and what can you buy for a $ that's better than nice skin! Hope that helps and come back....We like men Razz

Wed Sep 22, 2004 2:42 pm

Hmm. I currently use(d) Aveeno Therapeutic Shaving Gel (said it was formulated for easy-to-irritate skin and prevent razor bumps, but it merely reduces them slightly).

I've moved over to the new Gillete Complete Skin Care shaving gel (which guarantees healthier looking skin in 14 days) On day 7, and I really don't notice a difference.

Matherton-
I've heard a lotta good things about proactiv. I may look into that. What is "MD formulations?" Got a link? Is it REALLY that useful and tangent in effect to use Sunscreen for anti skin irritation? I work indoors, whether that helps or not. Smile

Guapagirl-
No, I havn't tried exfoliating. I don't even know what that is. Thought my dermatologist (whom I am going to 86, told me that saliclic and glycolic acid based items would help me out).

I too use a Mach3 Turbo. Out of all the razors I've used, it's been the best. But I cannot use it to shave everywhere. There are places like around my chin and under my nose, that if I used a flat edge razor, I'd just tear myself up. (I get 5'o clock shadow in about 6 hours after shaving)

I fully agree though. $1 a day is more than worth my while for healthy skin. Can you guys suggest actual products. I'm not too familiar with skin health care brands or terminology; so any explanation is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time as well in helping me resolve this problem.

free skin care · Wed Sep 22, 2004 2:59 pm

amwds wrote:

No, I havn't tried exfoliating. I don't even know what that is.

Exfoliation is the removal of dead cells from the skin's surface, thus removing surface debris.

Strongly suggest you purchase an exfoliator. Really important to get rid of the dead skin cells to reveal the fresher skin underneath. Smile

Wed Sep 22, 2004 4:18 pm

Thank you for the definition.

Can you recommend an exfoliator? I take it scrubbing the face firmly isn't sufficient (as that it would cause irritation).

Some kind of over-the-counter product, I guess? I have a mall very close by. Hopefully a store there will have the product you recommend.

free skin care · Wed Sep 22, 2004 4:38 pm

amwds wrote:

Can you recommend an exfoliator? I take it scrubbing the face firmly isn't sufficient (as that it would cause irritation).

Some kind of over-the-counter product, I guess? I have a mall very close by. Hopefully a store there will have the product you recommend.

Not really sure which one to recommend. When it comes to skincare everyone is different. Maybe you should start off by trying out a cheap drugstore brand and then if that doesn't work you can try something a little more expensive.

I used to use Clearsil Total Control Deep Pore Cream Cleanser. It has 'a blemish fighting ingredient with gentle exfoliating microspheres'. Basically it's a cream face wash with added exfoliating particles. It contains salicylic acid which is the blemish fighting ingredient.
I find some facial washes too drying but surprisingly, this one was ok on my skin.

A more expensive exfoliator is the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant which is really popular with some users on this forum. I've tried it a few times and it's a good product.
Here's the info off the Dermalogica site.

'This unique, Rice-based enzyme powder activates upon contact with water, releasing Papain, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes to smooth the skin and accelerate cell renewal. Our unique Skin Brightening Complex of Bearberry, Aspergillus, Grapefruit and Licorice helps to balance uneven skin pigmentation. Active agents derived from Rice Bran and Rice Extract help to regulate melanin production while micro-exfoliating dead cells. A super-soothing blend of Green Tea, Ginkgo and Colloidal Oatmeal calms inflammation, leaving the skin extraordinarily clear and refreshed. Gentle enough to use on a daily basis.'

However, it is pricey so like I said before, try out something cheaper from your local store before trying the more expensive salon brands.

Anybody else out there got any they'd like to suggest for Amwds?

Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:05 pm

Hi amwds

Perhaps you could try a shaving oil instead of or with your shaving cream to help with the irritation. Like guapagirl said, try some exfoliation too. I would start slow with any exfoliation and make sure you have a gentle cleanser and moisturizer, so you don't strip your skin of moisture.

free skin care · Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:53 pm

Hi! My 25 year old son went through the same thing you did. His skin was covered in acne no matter what he tried. Proactive didn't work for him. What did clear him up was a cleanser called Spectrojel. This is very gentle on the skin and cleans and didinfects. Your skin will feel so good afterwards. No tightness or dryness. He used it every morning and every night. He also used an acne treatment by Dr. Murad. You can look it up on this sight. These 2 things have completely cleared him up. He now has a very soft, kissable face! His girlfriend is very Happy!

Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:35 pm

My other half has sensitive skin and he loves King of Shaves oil. It's cheap and effective.

I'm with Toe on the Microfoliant front. I think Dermalogica Microfoliant would be a good exfoliating product for you to try. You can also get exfoliating creams (Dermalogica has one, as does Pevonia and Phytomer at least) that do not require any scrubbing. You just leave them on your skin for a specified amount of time and then rinse off.

free skin care · Sun Sep 26, 2004 3:57 pm

Confusing isn't it? Did you know that the ingredients in mens' skin care is just as irritating as ever??

Go to cosmeticscop.com. This is a very good website about straight talk on skin care. For your dilemma I would looks into Paula's Choice BHA (beta hydroxy acid) product at 2% along with the blemish fighting solution. The company is very generous with samples. All you have to do is phone or email the customer service. Hope this helps.

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