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Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:15 pm  |
A little background-- I've been having the worst bout of nasal allergies since Thanksgiving, blowing my nose practically every other minute (seriously, I go through a 200 ct box of tissues every 2-3 days!), and as a result the skin around my nose is completely raw and very painful. For this, I have tried using Squalene, Jojoba oil, Decleor Angelique Night Balm, Mimyx, Cerave Cream, Aquaphor, Aloe Vera gel, Yonka Maskue No 1, Thalgo Moisture Quenching Mask, HA serum... I generally reapply after every time I blow my nose. Of course, I only use one product at a time! But none are super impressive 
So, herein lies my problem: I think the action of pressing a tissue against my skin "pushes" whatever product I have on my nose deeper into the skin, causing monster blackheads, zits and cystic bumps! I don't know how to deal with this because I obviously can't exfoliate the area or use anything with acids for the acne. At first I thought it was just a temporary thing so I left it alone and continued slathering moisturizers on my nose to soothe the pain of raw skin. However, it's been 5 months and I've given up hope my allergies will clear up anytime soon (it's vasomotor rhinitis, there's no specific cause or cure, and meds can't even fix the symptoms  ) and I'm sick and tired of looking like Rudolf everyday with at least 4-5 zits on my nose at any one time. On top of that, it's really painful to blow your nose when you have cystic pimples AND raw skin to deal with!!
Does anyone have a similar problem? What can be done? I'm so miserable and in so much pain sometimes I just want to cry!!  Please help me!!! ANY suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks in advance! |
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Sat Apr 04, 2009 3:07 pm |
Oh gosh. You poor thing! My heart goes out to you. Could you see a naturopath? My neighbour said she cleared up her allergies quite well with his advice.
I get allergies too and I hate it. Maybe you could use a balancing moisturizer that won't clog your pores. Drink lots of water, and when it gets bad I always splash water on my face or take a shower.
Good luck! |
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23, fair, EDS newbie, taking Diane 35. |
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Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:10 pm |
| fat_swan, you poor thing! Have you ever tried emu oil? It won't perform miracles, but it can help with the raw skin AND healing the zits. |
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Nadine, age 50, live in VA; half-Asian, slight yellow tone; sensitive, dry/combo skin |
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Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:16 pm |
Oh I feel for you about your allergies! 10 years ago I was hospitalized and have had sinus congestion to some degree ever since. But I'm not as irritated as you seem to be. Mostly I have puffy eyes (but that's a different topic).
Anyway, Mario Badescu has 2 products that really work for me. One is the Healing Cream. It's super super soothing, and removes any redness or irritation immediately. It also fights blemishes so it has NEVER made me break out. (and I am extremely acne prone) The other product is their Drying Lotion. I see it advertised in loads of magazines. It works great for me and dries my zits overnight. MB is really good about giving FREE samples, so if you contact them and do a consultation (let them know your situation) they'll probably send you some freebies.
Also, I don't wash my face with cleansers 'cause my skin feels stripped. I've dealt w/ acne all my life and even now am on prescribed retin-a micro. Recently, I've been washing w/ straight up Sea Kelp Bioferment and my skin has never looked better. HTH |
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Sat Apr 04, 2009 10:56 pm |
OMG...poor thing! I've got allergies for many times, however I can be OK after several weeks. Did you go to see the doctors for your problem? I think you did. Try to get some solutions from the professionals...
Good luck and hope you be better soon! |
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Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:10 pm |
Thank you all for the great suggestions! 
Nadjazz, I had no idea Emu oil is good for pimples and I will definitely look into it! I never had any interest in researching this oil, mainly because the idea of using an animal oil freaks me out a little bit.. Does this also help with blackheads and whiteheads? Does the oil smell funky? 
Minze, good Lord  hospitalized?? That's really really serious! I too suffer from itchy and puffy eyes, but right now it's not that high on my list of priorites, but then again I haven't ended up in the hospital yet (touch wood  )! Thanks for the suggestion of MB Healing Cream. I will go to the store later and check it out. I looked at reviews of this product, and it sounds very interesting as it was compared to and rated better than OTC steroid creams. Only this this morning the thought occured to me to try Protopic Ointment on my nose, but since it is in a base of petrolatum, I worry it might exacerbate the acne...  I have used the MB Drying Lotion before, but I found it didn't really work on my cystic acne as it never penetrated deep enough. Plus it was too drying for me (even when I had normal skin), leaving me peeling for days afterwards.. It just goes to show how the same products can't perform the same miracles on everybody! Oh, life is so depressing
I also use Tazorac and Skinoren regularly, just not on the nose. But I've never heard of cleansing with SKB straight..  How does it help? Can you please tell me more? Thanks!
Callalily and Vivian, yes I've been to GPs, allergists, ENTs but they weren't really of much help-- coudn't control my symptoms let alone fix my problem . Right now I'm trying Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture but it hasn't been very promising either . Perhaps I will try a naturopath next! I've never heard of this before, is it similar to homeopathy?
Thank you all very much for all your sympathy and concern, it's comforting to be able to vent my misery to you guys here on this forum.  Thanks! |
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Sun Apr 05, 2009 1:50 pm |
| fat_swan wrote: |
Nadjazz, I had no idea Emu oil is good for pimples and I will definitely look into it! I never had any interest in researching this oil, mainly because the idea of using an animal oil freaks me out a little bit.. Does this also help with blackheads and whiteheads? Does the oil smell funky?
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LOL, a good quality oil does not smell funky! And "good quality" does not mean expensive, either! IMHO, Dremu is over-priced.
Emu oil helps your skin heal, which is why I suggested it for healing the pimples. It won't help with the blackheads/whiteheads, but the oil is non-comedogenic. Most commercial moisturizers, even when labeled non-comedogenic, would cause me to break out. That was not the case with emu oil!
I highly recommend the Ultra emu from LB processors. You can buy it at http://www.skincarecentral.biz, Dianayvonne.com, or straight from LB processors.
I understand your concern about using an animal product. The only defense I can give is that the animal is killed for the flesh, not the oil. I myself have started experimenting with plant-based oils such as avocado and macadamia. In fact, you might want to try Kassy's DIY rosacea cream. I luuurve this stuff. I am a klutz at DIY, but this one is so easy to make, and you may find it soothing for those raw areas.
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?p=431145&highlight=#431145 |
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Nadine, age 50, live in VA; half-Asian, slight yellow tone; sensitive, dry/combo skin |
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Sun Apr 05, 2009 2:16 pm |
fat_swan, you'll be okay love!
From what I know Naturopaths often focus on avoidance of certain foods for optimum health.
When I worked in a bakery I had absolutely terrible allergies. It was awful. I was eating white bread almost daily and the air was constantly filled with sugar and flour. They might advise you to stay away from certain foods. The obvious ones being white sugar and flour.
I know my asthma can be emotionally induced. Also, I had the absolute worst break out during a bad depression. It was unbelievable. So you might want to attend to your emotional well being. The stress and crying and worry over the pimples made me break out all over my chin. Try to stay decently happy despite your problem and you'll have a greater chance of improvement.
Wow! That was personal. I hope it helped somewhat Keep your chin up. I've learned that even with pimples, there will always be people who will consider you beautiful. |
_________________
23, fair, EDS newbie, taking Diane 35. |
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Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:36 pm |
Hey fat_swan  I learned at another forum (SkinActives) that SKB is a rich broth that fixes almost anything since it contains almost everything -- sugars, amino acids, nucleic acid bases, vitamins, minerals. It's the active ingredient in creme de la mer. My skin is REALLY oily so it's not too drying for me to use it alone, but some people mix it w/ other ingredients like aloe vera. SKB doesn't strip my face, but leaves it feeling and looking healthy.
I've been paying more attention to skincare lately. Normally, I just washed my face and slapped on the retin-a at night and sunscreen during the day. No moisturizer, no serums, no eye creams, etc only assorted acne topicals. I've been experimenting w/ DIY skincare using primarily SkinActives (at the moment anyway) and my skin looks better than ever. I get my SKB from NCNProSkincare. HTH |
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Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:56 am |
| nadjazz wrote: |
| I understand your concern about using an animal product. The only defense I can give is that the animal is killed for the flesh, not the oil. I myself have started experimenting with plant-based oils such as avocado and macadamia. |
Hi Nadjazz, thank you for the lengthy explanation!
I was unaware the emu bird had any other valuable uses except for its fat, is it a food source in some cultures? I did a bit more research on emu oil, and it turns out it is very popular as a hair growth accelerator. Is this something I need to worry about? Wouldn't want to grow a moustache! 
How do macadamia and avocado oils compare to emu? I remember reading a post by NOTCH a couple weeks ago about how they are more stable than emu but still very similar to human skin in terms of fatty acids and other components.. So I wonder if you feel any discernable difference on your skin?
Thanks for pointing me towards Dr Kassy's rosacea cream. It just looks too complicated for me right now, especially since my hands get dirty every other minute from blowing my nose! But thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely keep that in mind |
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Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:05 am |
| callalily wrote: |
| Keep your chin up. I've learned that even with pimples, there will always be people who will consider you beautiful. |
Oh Callalily, thank you for the kind words and encouragement. It's just so hard to do when your whole life feels like *poo* (ok rhymes with "crab", is that allowed here?) 
I do try.... |
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Mon Apr 06, 2009 11:25 am |
| minze wrote: |
| Hey fat_swan I learned at another forum (SkinActives) that SKB is a rich broth that fixes almost anything since it contains almost everything -- sugars, amino acids, nucleic acid bases, vitamins, minerals. It's the active ingredient in creme de la mer. My skin is REALLY oily so it's not too drying for me to use it alone, but some people mix it w/ other ingredients like aloe vera. SKB doesn't strip my face, but leaves it feeling and looking healthy. |
Hi Minze,
So I spent the better part of today looking up SKB on the SAS forum (because stupid me spent over an hour trying to figure out how to SEARCH on the forum! ), but most of the posts I found related to cleansing suggested that a surfectant must be added. For you, using it straight up, do you find that it is enough to clean your face throughly? I'm actually not sure how one would gage the cleanliness of a cleanser....
Do you use the SKB in any other part of your skin care routine? I ask because I remember reading reviews of "medicated" cleansers such as glycolic washes and BP cleansers, and the concern with those was always that the the active ingredients never stays in contact with the skin long enough to penetrate and "work".. (in other words, all the "good stuff" ends up down the drain). So for something as nutritious as SKB, I wonder about its effectiveness as a skin cleanser... What are your thoughts?
Thanks again, very very much! |
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Mon Apr 06, 2009 12:25 pm |
hiya fat_swan, looks like you have 2 concerns:
1) effectiveness of a cleanser
2) cleanser ingredients
Yes, SKB works well enough to cleanse my face. I don't add a surfactant. I don't wear make-up everyday so mostly it's removing face oils, creams and sunscreen. Maybe you can gage the effectiveness by taking some cotton/toner (I don't use toner) and swiping your skin after cleansing. If the cotton comes out clean then the cleanser works.
And yes, I think the ingredients in a cleanser make a difference. Notice how drying a cleanser with Benzoyl Peroxide (ages your skin!!) is versus one with oils. Notice how so many people react so differently to the same cleanser. I think it's because the ingredients are affecting the skin. If all you wanted was to clean the skin then you could just use soap and water, but I think the other ingredients DO have an effect.
If I wear make-up, then I use SAS's no-nonsense cleanser. But I find that Vitamin E removes all make-up really well and it also fights blemishes. Once my no-nonsense cleanser is used up, I'm gonna make an oil cleanser using Vit E oil and castor oil. I'll probably add a surfactant so that it washes off without leaving too much of an oily film.
Yes, SKB is an ingredient in the creams and serums I'm using now. This is the first time that I've used so many creams on my face. Usually I stay away because they just make me break-out. But I haven't had a problem yet with the products from SAS.
I really hope you find products and a routine that works for you!! |
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Mon Apr 06, 2009 4:22 pm |
| fat_swan wrote: |
Hi Nadjazz, thank you for the lengthy explanation!
I was unaware the emu bird had any other valuable uses except for its fat, is it a food source in some cultures? I did a bit more research on emu oil, and it turns out it is very popular as a hair growth accelerator. Is this something I need to worry about? Wouldn't want to grow a moustache!
|
Hmm, that's a good question about food source! LB Processors is based in Tennessee, so I assume there is an American market for it. I suppose, though, since the emu is native to Australia, the market is well established there.
As for stimulating hair growth...emu oil is known for "pushing" actives deeper into the skin. So, for hair growth, I have read that some people apply a copper peptide to the scalp, then use the emu oil to accelerate the absorption of the CP into the scalp. I can tell you that I used this combo on my face for about two years, and did not experience any increased hair growth, LOL!
| fat_swan wrote: |
How do macadamia and avocado oils compare to emu? I remember reading a post by NOTCH a couple weeks ago about how they are more stable than emu but still very similar to human skin in terms of fatty acids and other components.. So I wonder if you feel any discernable difference on your skin?
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It was actually an old post from NOTCH that got me started on the macadamia oil, and Kassy_A recommended the avocado oil. When my beloved emu oil/CP serum combo stopped working for me, I started experimenting with the other oils to try and get rid of a bad case of seborrheic dermatitis. If I were to pick one plant-based oil that soothed my skin better than the others, I would choose...coconut oil! I can't explain the science behind it, but I just bought a jar of the organic stuff from the health food store, and slathered it on my face. I mostly use it for cooking now, LOL!
On the other hand, Dr. Kassy's rosacea cream...wow, what a god-send that was! So soothing, and it provided a nice protective barrier without clogging the pores. It also seemed to "brighten" my skin. It was great to use until I could find a decent derm (went to four others prior to finding the one I have now), and I still use Dr. K's cream as a moisturizer over my prescription creams.
| fat_swan wrote: |
Thanks for pointing me towards Dr Kassy's rosacea cream. It just looks too complicated for me right now, especially since my hands get dirty every other minute from blowing my nose! But thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely keep that in mind |
I understand...I have never done DIY to that extent myself, and I tried to "tweak" my first batch and ended up ruining it!
Anyway, sorry to ramble...I hope it was somewhat helpful! |
_________________
Nadine, age 50, live in VA; half-Asian, slight yellow tone; sensitive, dry/combo skin |
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Mon Apr 06, 2009 7:09 pm |
That is awful! I used traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. It worked, but it made me feel very ill during the process and it was hard to function on daily basis.
I don't know what to suggest. Maybe seek more medical advice from different doctors and see if you are allergic to food also. |
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Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:39 am |
Minze- Thanks so much for the in depth explanation! Based on your recommendation I've already put in an order for SKB and am waiting for it in the mail
Nadjazz- Coconut oil, seriously? I thought that stuff is highly comedogenic! Hmm...
Since I haven't been able to buy emu oil locally, I decided to try NOTCH's recommended mixure of macadamia, jojoba and squalene last night. The wierd thing was this morning I woke up with my entire face peeling in SHEETS! Most noticably around the nose/mouth/chin area  , but it wasn't any more painful than usual. This is the first time I've ever put an actual oil on my face, is this normal or am I doing something wrong? This is what I did: after cleansing with a cream cleanser, I sprayed an aloe vera mist and used a 1% HA serum on top. After everything dried, I warmed about 6-8 drops of the oil mixture in my palms and pressed my hands onto my face. Am I missing something? Thanks!!! |
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Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:33 am |
I do hope you have seen a doctor and resloved that none of your skin issues, esspecialy the cysts, are a result of your sinus'.
I have a good friend who was religiously treating "acne", only to find out she had a wopper of an ear infection- this was just how it "came out". |
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Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:54 am |
oh,my godness.
I have pretty much the same problem as you.
If you can get your hand on sudocrem.
Please try it, it is miracle for the issues you have. |
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Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:45 am |
Skincare, sorry I didn't reply to your post earlier, I don't know why I didn't see it . TCM made you more ill?? I thought it is supposed to be more in tune with the body! What were you trying to treat? I did take allergy tests, but the doctors don't think food or contact allergies are causing my sinus problems.
Thanks Alien, unfortunately the doctors believe my problems are related to the weather, so there's really nothing that can be done at all.. That's why I have given up fixing the root of the problem, and just want to tackle each symptom (cyst) as they sprout
Cangyue, you have no idea how comforting it is to hear that I'm not alone  , even though I ought to be sorry that you're suffering through the same as me.. I see Sudocrem is a nappy rash ointment. You're putting this on your cystic acne? Thanks! |
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Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:43 pm |
Oh Fat_swan, I can sympathize with you. I have vasomotor rhinitis too. Through the years I have found out the worst triggers for me, and then I get a new one. I use to have problems with cystic acne on my neck. One thing that made a big difference for me was massaging Epidermx II into the area nightly. Sometimes I even left it on overnight. It got to the point where if I felt like one was coming up, I would start to massage in Epidermx II and it would go away. I have been doing this for a few years and haven't had one since. I don't know if your discount is better with EDS, but it is on sale now until Monday at
http://www.greatnewskin.com/index2.html
I find that taking plain guanefisin or however you spell it with my allergy stuff cuts down how much I have to take. You poor thing! |
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Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:42 pm |
I really hope the SKB works for you fat_swan!
I use sea kelp BOTH inside and out. A few months ago, I learned about Wakame, a Japanese sea kelp. Wakame inhibits hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid, which as you likely know is responsible for plump youthful skin. I've been trying different recipes, but so far I can only eat it in an omelet. It tastes like spinach that way. (I think it's supposed to help with under eye dark circles too, but I wouldn't know because I don't have them.) There are skincare products containing Wakame, but I haven't tried any of them. Now, I can see you are the inquisitive type, so don't go asking me about Wakame because all I know, you've already read. Just google it!! |
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Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:48 am |
| lilybear wrote: |
| I find that taking plain guanefisin or however you spell it with my allergy stuff cuts down how much I have to take. You poor thing! |
Thanks for the heads up on Epidermx II, Lilybear! Unfortunately I cannot use anything abrasive on my very very raw nose  , but I will give it a try when I grow a cystic pimple anywhere else ! I looked up, Guanefisin, it is a generic version of Robitussin, an expectorant. You take this cough medicine everyday?
| minze wrote: |
| Now, I can see you are the inquisitive type, so don't go asking me about Wakame because all I know, you've already read. Just google it!! |
 (tail between legs..) Sorry Minze for flooding you with questions ! Thanks for all the suggestions! |
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Thu Apr 09, 2009 5:20 pm |
| Hi fat_swan! I understand your reluctance to use emu oil. I'm a vegetarian and I won't touch the stuff because I feel too bad for the poor emus. I just mentioned this in another thread, but I think you would really love Brave Soldier's antibacterial ointment. (I don't know where you live, but you can buy it at Skinstore.com) It's not only very healing, but it's very moisturizing too so it should help keep peeling to a minimum. I always use it on my nose when it gets raw from having a cold and the relief is heavenly!! It also contains lidocaine for pain, so it will ease the tenderness a bit. It's never caused any breakouts for me, and because it's antibacterial (it also contains tea tree oil and lavender oil on top of a standard germ killer), that should help deal with the cystic acne too. Good luck! |
_________________
27, sensitive/reactive/acne prone skin, dark brown hair, blue eyes, possibly the palest woman alive... |
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Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:45 am |
| Thanks a bunch, Manslayerliz! Lidocaine sounds really really good right now! |
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