Just a rant about skincare
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free skin care · Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:20 pm

It is fun to research, buy and use new products, but do you ever get sick of getting up extra early in the morning to cleanse, wait x mins, applying AHA/BHA, wait x mins, and go over this step again and again for makeup, sunscreen, spot treatment creams, eye cream etc etc?

Has anyone with acne tried going cold turkey- Just gentle cleanser and moisturiser, no spot creams, BHA, aspirin mask and other acne treatments?

I mean I dont have the courage to do that. Even though I am not that happy with my regime, I am frightened that if I skip a step, I will breakout REALLY BADLY ontop of the acne that I already have!

It makes me think that, if I hadnt known certain things about acne, would I be buying so many acne products Question

Is it "bad" to be knowledgable sometimes?

free skin care · Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:00 am

Hi yeahyeah, I'm acne-prone. I suffer with clogged pores very easily as my skin is quite oily. I went through a period of using aha/bha and even got a topical acne prescription to use from my doctors. I found that with aha/bha my skin was very dehydrated and with the prescription, I was also dehydrated and sensitive. I started using Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser, multi-active toner, skin hydrating booster (in the winter) and sheer tint moisturiser, once or twice a week I use skin prep scrub and skin refining mask, and now that is all I use (which is still quite a lot, but definately less time consuming). I feel the same way as you do about the long procedure of some of these skincare products. With the routine I now have, my skin is clear and the procedure is much less time consuming. Also, none of these products are for acne prone skin, but I think that in my experience, the acne-prone skincare is very irritating for my skin Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:21 am

I laughed when I saw this post yeahyeah! Very Happy

Sometimes I do miss the good old days when I would just clean, tone and apply makeup. But during those good old days I HAD to wear makeup to cover all my whiteheads, blackheads and skin looked like blechh!

I've been doing multiple steps in skincare for years now it's become a habit. It's actually quite relaxing for me, but during the days I commute to the office [thankfully only twice a week] I skip some steps because I don't have the time to wait. At the very least, I'll apply Vit C serum after cleanse/tone and hold off on the AHA/BHA until PM routine. About once a week I'll take a break from it all and limit my morning routine to cleanse/EpiII scrub and tone.

I agree that sometimes too much knowledge can lead to overanalysis and unnecessary angst but wouldn't have it any other way. Ah, the price of freedom and choice! Laughing

free skin care · Wed Nov 14, 2007 9:14 am

yeahyeah-would you be willing to change your routine to something a little less time consuming? I ask because I have my acne under control and am extremely reluctant to change anything so I do not know if you are at the point where you would be willing to consider a change.

If you are willing to consider a change then you may want to consider adding a retinoid like RetinA or Tazorac. There is a good possiblilty that a retinoid would allow you to eliminate all your acids and other forms or exfoliation. There could be other options too but maybe thinking in terms of streamlining your routine instead of "going cold turkey" would work well for you.

BTW I have thought about the cold turkey thing but could never work up the courage to try it! Wink

To me it is better to be informed about skincare. I think that the more knowledgable one becomes about skincare the less likely they will be to waste their time and money on things that do not work or that might be counterproductive. So knowledge can be a good thing.

free skin care · Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:34 am

I know EXACTLY how you feel. I'm so jealous of people who can just use 2-3 products and be done w/ it. And I feel literally sick to my stomach when I start thinking about how much $$$ I've spent (mostly on acne products) through the years. Thousands! And I'm only 31.

I've pared it down to about 6 products right now. Still probably too much but like others have said, my acne is sort of under control and I'm afraid to change anything. There have been so many times I've just wanted to chuck everything out the window but my Cetaphil and sunscreen. I've been using Retin-A for a while now so hopefully that will help me eliminate a few steps.

free skin care · Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:27 am

Thanks for all your contribution...

Last month, I only had 3-4 pimples even TTOM. I didnt use that many products on my face either and my morning routine was so simple and FAST so I was really happy...but this month Shock

...maybe its my diet...I dont know Rolling Eyes

Definately agree that when I think of the amount of money I spend on my face...I feel guilty cos I could save that money every month to go towards paying back my student loan! But the more I go searching for products for "smooth skin" , "fading acne scars", "elimating acne", "make pores appear smaller" etc and read the ingredients, do searches on EDS and other skincare boards to increase my knowledge of the product and the brand. I get fascinated but end up mostly in disappointment cos a)doesnt work b)takes up all my time c)price.
However, good thing with having this little bit of knowledge about skincare and beauty is that I can sometimes end up NOT buying the stuff due to its ingredients or reputation of the brand/product!

I'm hoping that we can ALL achieve the much desired "perfect skin" and of course with little maintenance!

BTW h.kitty- Im already using a retinoid (Differin gel) but I will be going to the doctors when I break up for Xmas holidays to ask for an alternative treatment

free skin care · Sun Nov 18, 2007 4:33 pm

omg i agree with this post completely!!!
i miss the days when all i needed to keep my skin nice was cleanser!
now i have a bajillion cleansers, exfoliants, creams, treatments, serums, etc Sad

all just to try to get my face back to looking the way it did before! damn hormones!

free skin care · Sun Nov 18, 2007 6:04 pm

I do have a routine and I don't think I could shorten it up at all. They are all essentials and it the basic essentials don't work, then I would go see a dermotologist.
I had to add a prescription to me routine and my skin did improve.

free skin care · Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:07 am

I tend to save all the blobs and globs for night time. In the morning I cleanse (in the shower +/- dermalogica microfoliant), tone, moisturize, eye cream then sunscreen +/- foundation and concealer. Abit of eyeliner and lippy, hair then gone! Don't look at a mirror again until come home from work about 130/2 o'clock. I couldn't cope if I had to do more than that.

free skin care · Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:33 pm

hi yeahyeah,

just wanted to sympathize with you. i don't have acne prone skin anymore, but during my teen years, it was bad! i just remember using whatever over the counter product that seemed promising as a teen, and being disappointed over and over again. i am sure my skin has damage from that era too. i really think it's great that a lot of information is available now.

i actually enjoy my daily skin care ritual, so maybe if you start seeing it as fun, it'll help?

sorry i am no help though!

Kris

free skin care · Wed Dec 05, 2007 12:45 pm

I used to juggle more products, but since coming off of Obagi, I'm trying to keep it more simple. Although it's still layering a few products morning and night after cleansing (AM: BHA spot treat, Vit C Serum, Moisturizer SPF, eye cream / PM: Serum or Retinol, moisturizer, eye cream, and a few times a week: Obagi Clear and exfoliant).

So far it seems to be working for me, but I'm worried now that I'm starting to spend more time on here again that I'll get sidetracked by the latest rave and start to have too many products to juggle again!

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