I think I ruined my skin :(
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free skin care · Mon Mar 04, 2013 2:41 am

Hi everyone,

First post on the forum. I recently started aging very rapidly around my eyes and it's really depressing me.

It began when I started experimenting with natural skin care. I read that skin is supposed to have a slightly acidic pH, and that most products are alkaline. So I started using yogurt on my face as a cleanser, and diluted lemon juice as a toner. It seemed to be having a lovely effect, though my skin felt a bit dry. Then I started using oil on my face. Big mistake. I read that castor oil is good for dark circles. Put it on overnight, and when I woke up the next day it had given me dark circles! Foolishly, I put it on another three times, and each time the skin under my eyes got baggier, darker, and had new wrinkles. I stared trying other oils - using the oil cleansing method I used avocado oil, olive oil, and even cod liver oil (I was getting desperate). Nothing reversed the damage.

I've stopped all the natural stuff, but the skin around my eyes is continuing to deteriorate. Every day I wake up and have a new wrinkle. Have I permanently damaged the skin under my eyes? It looks dried out, crepey, I have dark circles and bags. I had some fine lines before, which is why I started the vanity regime Sad

I've been lurking trying to figure out what to do, but I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the info so I really hope you can help me. My skin type is very delicate with a tendency to be dry. I'm part European, part Irish, so the tone is medium (I get a golden tan), but I have a tendency towards rosacea (flushing, not acne) and have visible spider veins all over my body and face, so I know that the skin is thin. I have a feeling that retinol etc. will be too harsh for me.

I don't smoke, I have a clean diet (no poisons or wheat), and I'm not a huge drinker.

THanks in advance for your help!

free skin care · Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:37 am

Welcome to the forum VL! No, you haven't ruined your skin. It is constantly regenerating so it will just take a little time to recover. You haven't done anything that is invasive, just superficial, so don't worry. You just need to rehydrate that skin under your eyes with a heavy oil, like Emu. Castor oil is very drying. It's hard to imagine any oil being drying, but it is one that IS! Maybe others could chime in about other good hydratinig oils or creams. I love Emu.

Violetlight wrote:

Hi everyone,

First post on the forum. I recently started aging very rapidly around my eyes and it's really depressing me.

It began when I started experimenting with natural skin care. I read that skin is supposed to have a slightly acidic pH, and that most products are alkaline. So I started using yogurt on my face as a cleanser, and diluted lemon juice as a toner. It seemed to be having a lovely effect, though my skin felt a bit dry. Then I started using oil on my face. Big mistake. I read that castor oil is good for dark circles. Put it on overnight, and when I woke up the next day it had given me dark circles! Foolishly, I put it on another three times, and each time the skin under my eyes got baggier, darker, and had new wrinkles. I stared trying other oils - using the oil cleansing method I used avocado oil, olive oil, and even cod liver oil (I was getting desperate). Nothing reversed the damage.

I've stopped all the natural stuff, but the skin around my eyes is continuing to deteriorate. Every day I wake up and have a new wrinkle. Have I permanently damaged the skin under my eyes? It looks dried out, crepey, I have dark circles and bags. I had some fine lines before, which is why I started the vanity regime Sad

I've been lurking trying to figure out what to do, but I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the info so I really hope you can help me. My skin type is very delicate with a tendency to be dry. I'm part European, part Irish, so the tone is medium (I get a golden tan), but I have a tendency towards rosacea (flushing, not acne) and have visible spider veins all over my body and face, so I know that the skin is thin. I have a feeling that retinol etc. will be too harsh for me.

I don't smoke, I have a clean diet (no poisons or wheat), and I'm not a huge drinker.

THanks in advance for your help!

free skin care · Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:00 am

mountaingirl wrote:

Welcome to the forum VL! No, you haven't ruined your skin. It is constantly regenerating so it will just take a little time to recover. You haven't done anything that is invasive, just superficial, so don't worry. You just need to rehydrate that skin under your eyes with a heavy oil, like Emu. Castor oil is very drying. It's hard to imagine any oil being drying, but it is one that IS! Maybe others could chime in about other good hydratinig oils or creams. I love Emu.

Thanks for the reply Mountaingirl <3

The problem is that it's more than dehydrated skin... The wrinkles under my eyes have gotten considerably deeper, and new ones have formed. The new ones are not fine either - they are already quite deep Sad

I'm scared to use any oil on my face again because I've read since my disastrous experimentation that all oil is dehydrating? Is Emu different? Thanks again Smile

free skin care · Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:46 pm

I had a similar experience to yours when I went through my all natural stage. I did all the same things you mention in your post and my skin slowly became a mess, only for me it became clogged and congested and I had some cystic acne. The wrinkles under my eyes became more pronounced. It looked like wrinkled tissue paper.

It took me several weeks of using products formulated for my skin type to get back to my normal skin. I still struggle with the skin under my eyes. I have tried Emu oil and did not care for it. I felt it was dehydrating. Maybe if I had mixed it with a moisturizer, it would have been better. Right now I use a moisturizer by olay under my eyes and top it off with some Aquafor. I find this works the best for me. The skin under my eyes still wrinkles when I smile, but it looks healthier and not scary raisin old.

Good luck with everything.

free skin care · Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:12 pm

Thanks Snow fairy. Yeah, I feel like the skin under my eyes became exhausted from trying to absorb all the heavy stuff I was putting there... It's still not looking any better, and it's been a few weeks.

Any other advice people could give would be really appreciated! I've started skin brushing and I'm hoping that will help...

free skin care · Tue Mar 05, 2013 2:42 pm

Aww sounds stressful VioletLight.

Mmm my contribution would first of all to be careful when using oils under the eyes. The eye skin can take them in but can't dispel them which means that the oils/products you use on your eye can build up underneath and cause bulges/bags. I learnt this the hard way...

I have fair and delicate skin too - English rose type - so understand the need to use sensitive products. Am guessing this is why you were going all natural to begin with? I do actually use retin a and my skin tolerates it well but I use the lowest dose you can get prescribed and am careful to apply only a pea size amount for each half of the face. This, in my opinion, is key to getting good results from retin a. The reason I am telling you this is because if you are very careful not to use too much I think retin a can be good for getting rid of lines under the eyes even on delicate skin types. It certainly worked for me.

I use retin a at night and then in the morning Celfix serum or vitamin c serum followed by Dr Haushkua Rose Moisturiser and finally Aubrey green tea sunscreen. I put the retin a, the serums and the sunscreen directly on the under eye skin but not the moisturiser (although to a certain extent some of the moisturiser gets on to the under eye skin when I put the sunscreen on). My under eye area is pretty line free from this regime and my sensitive skin tolerates all these products so can recommend them if you are interested in using effective shop bought products that don't irritate your skin. Just some thoughts anyway Smile

free skin care · Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:15 pm

Stop with all the oils. Caster oil is very drying. Use a regular eye cream. I like the "zo" eye cream because it has retinol in it which will help with cell turnover and thus helping with wrinkles

Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:32 pm

It'll take some time to get back to your normal skin type, but as someone mentioned we're constantly aging so trying to instantly reverse or stop the process will never work! I agree stop with the oils...they may work for others, but it doesn't seem like they're right for your skin. I like Elastiderm eyecream by Obagi, it works fantastic to lift and tone the skin as well as lighten. Maybe later on if you're interested in Botox for the wrinkles that could work, but if you're trying to stay "natural" i'd just invest in a good eyecream. The skin there is very thin and delicate so you may have traumatized it slightly but it will go back to normal--our skin is always changing!

free skin care · Fri Mar 08, 2013 3:33 am

Moon wrote:

Aww sounds stressful VioletLight.

Mmm my contribution would first of all to be careful when using oils under the eyes. The eye skin can take them in but can't dispel them which means that the oils/products you use on your eye can build up underneath and cause bulges/bags. I learnt this the hard way...

I have fair and delicate skin too - English rose type - so understand the need to use sensitive products. Am guessing this is why you were going all natural to begin with? I do actually use retin a and my skin tolerates it well but I use the lowest dose you can get prescribed and am careful to apply only a pea size amount for each half of the face. This, in my opinion, is key to getting good results from retin a. The reason I am telling you this is because if you are very careful not to use too much I think retin a can be good for getting rid of lines under the eyes even on delicate skin types. It certainly worked for me.

I use retin a at night and then in the morning Celfix serum or vitamin c serum followed by Dr Haushkua Rose Moisturiser and finally Aubrey green tea sunscreen. I put the retin a, the serums and the sunscreen directly on the under eye skin but not the moisturiser (although to a certain extent some of the moisturiser gets on to the under eye skin when I put the sunscreen on). My under eye area is pretty line free from this regime and my sensitive skin tolerates all these products so can recommend them if you are interested in using effective shop bought products that don't irritate your skin. Just some thoughts anyway Smile

Moon, thanks so much for all the advice! I might try those products. I live in the UK and havent found a vitamin C serum - is there one that you would recommend? Do you use all your products (moisturiser, sunscreen) under the eyes?

Also, did you have wrinkles to begin with, or were you relatively line-free at the start?

Thanks again so much!

free skin care · Fri Mar 08, 2013 3:36 am

hillstone wrote:

It'll take some time to get back to your normal skin type, but as someone mentioned we're constantly aging so trying to instantly reverse or stop the process will never work! I agree stop with the oils...they may work for others, but it doesn't seem like they're right for your skin. I like Elastiderm eyecream by Obagi, it works fantastic to lift and tone the skin as well as lighten. Maybe later on if you're interested in Botox for the wrinkles that could work, but if you're trying to stay "natural" i'd just invest in a good eyecream. The skin there is very thin and delicate so you may have traumatized it slightly but it will go back to normal--our skin is always changing!

Thanks Hillstone Smile

Can I ask what your skin type is?

free skin care · Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:21 am

Quote:

Moon, thanks so much for all the advice! I might try those products. I live in the UK and havent found a vitamin C serum - is there one that you would recommend? Do you use all your products (moisturiser, sunscreen) under the eyes?

Also, did you have wrinkles to begin with, or were you relatively line-free at the start?

Thanks again so much!

Not a problem my dear Smile

Wrinkles under eyes - no. Lines - yes. Not too deep but they were there.

The vitamin C serum I use is excellent. It is basically a cheaper version of the highly regarded "CE Ferulic". It is called "Vitamin C and E Serum" made by a company called "Cosmetic Skin Solutions". You do have to order it from the states so it takes around 2 weeks to arrive but honestly it is worth it.

I use vitamin c serum under my eyes because it has no oil so am not worried about it getting trapped under the skin. I apply the moisturiser up to the orbital bone. At the moment I do put sunscreen on my under eye skin too. It is a long story but basically I have been told to buy wrap around sunglasses instead of putting sunscreen on under my eyes but aside from them not suiting my face shape I would only want to wear sunglasses outside but UV rays go through windows so would then not be protected in doors which is particularly bad as use retin a. Therefore decided that I will risk getting puffiness from sunscreen until I find an alternative solution.

Also make sure that after you wash your face you apply your serum, moisturiser and sunscreen while it is still damp. When your face is wet your pores are open so your skin will absorb whatever you put on it much better which will hydrate your skin so much better. Also just to note as far as I understand whatever you put on your orbital bone area should absorb in to the skin and benefit the under eye skin as well so you really don't have to apply anything directly on the under eye area. The exception to this, as far as I know, is retin a and sunscreen.

How old are you Violetlight if you don't mind my asking?

Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:11 am

Hmmm, the effects experienced by the OP were why I quit doing stuff like OCM. It seemed interesting, fun and I even bought into the idea your skin was detoxing.

However, my skin continued to deteriorate so I quickly put a stop to it.

I'm sorry but there are many people who developed cystic acne or even worse, from throwing random oils onto their skin. 'Cos you gotta take into account pore size, skin type, humidity and many other factors. I'd quit applying oils for now and be super gentle. And if things don't get better for the next few weeks, go see a dermatologist.

Better luck next time and be more careful with DIY. There are many who got good results with DIY formulas but there's no "one size fits all". And there're people who hurt their skin badly and even developed sensitive skin.

Also, the idea that most or all products are alkaline is more of a guess. If you want to measure the PH value of a product, then get litmus strips to test. Smile

free skin care · Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:35 am

Quote:

Hmmm, the effects experienced by the OP were why I quit doing stuff like OCM. It seemed interesting, fun and I even bought into the idea your skin was detoxing.

However, my skin continued to deteriorate so I quickly put a stop to it.

I'm sorry but there are many people who developed cystic acne or even worse, from throwing random oils onto their skin. 'Cos you gotta take into account pore size, skin type, humidity and many other factors. I'd quit applying oils for now and be super gentle. And if things don't get better for the next few weeks, go see a dermatologist.

Better luck next time and be more careful with DIY. There are many who got good results with DIY formulas but there's no "one size fits all". And there're people who hurt their skin badly and even developed sensitive skin.

Also, the idea that most or all products are alkaline is more of a guess. If you want to measure the PH value of a product, then get litmus strips to test.

Very interesting Yuri. I don't know much bout OCM. Are these sort of bad reactions to it well documented?

When you say that your skin started to deteriorate how did it do so? How long did it take after you stopped applying the oils for it to stop getting worse? Did you manage to get your skin back to normal?

Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:02 am

Moon wrote:

Very interesting Yuri. I don't know much bout OCM. Are these sort of bad reactions to it well documented?

You can try looking up on MakeupAlley as "Oil cleansing method":

Unfortunately, I can't do a direct link for now. I'm too new, in terms of posts... Smile

Or do a google search for it. Btw, it seems the effects of OCM are really helpful for some while the disastrous for others, soo... it just depends on your luck and maybe, skin type.

Quote:

When you say that your skin started to deteriorate how did it do so? How long did it take after you stopped applying the oils for it to stop getting worse? Did you manage to get your skin back to normal?

It started to explode in pimples after a week or so. Then my skin got more and more itchy and became super-sensitive. Even putting lukewarm water kinda hurt. Took me a really long time, to get my skin back to my sensitive state.

After that, I now only put very light oils like chamomile and sparingly. Smile

free skin care · Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:00 pm

moon wrote:

When you say that your skin started to deteriorate how did it do so? How long did it take after you stopped applying the oils for it to stop getting worse? Did you manage to get your skin back to normal?

yuri21 wrote:

It started to explode in pimples after a week or so. Then my skin got more and more itchy and became super-sensitive. Even putting lukewarm water kinda hurt. Took me a really long time, to get my skin back to my sensitive state.

After that, I now only put very light oils like chamomile and sparingly. Smile

From my experience it takes very little time to harm your skin and much longer to fix the damage, so try to be patient. When you start to panic it's easy to want to try anything and everything, but I would suggest that with each new thing you try that you only try it for a day and then wait a WEEK to see if there is a reaction. If you experience no reaction after a week then go ahead and try twice a week. Just introduce any new product or routine slowly.

I once tried a new retinol product for a week straight with no apparent issues. I stopped using the product for a week when I went out of town and by the time I returned my skin was a mess. It took about six weeks of babying to get it back to it's original condition. You haven't ruined your skin, but you need a little time and a lot of patience at this point.

free skin care · Sat Mar 09, 2013 12:54 am

Moon wrote:

Wrinkles under eyes - no. Lines - yes. Not too deep but they were there.

The vitamin C serum I use is excellent. It is basically a cheaper version of the highly regarded "CE Ferulic". It is called "Vitamin C and E Serum" made by a company called "Cosmetic Skin Solutions". You do have to order it from the states so it takes around 2 weeks to arrive but honestly it is worth it.

I use vitamin c serum under my eyes because it has no oil so am not worried about it getting trapped under the skin.

whatever you put on your orbital bone area should absorb in to the skin and benefit the under eye skin as well so you really don't have to apply anything directly on the under eye area. The exception to this, as far as I know, is retin a and sunscreen.

How old are you Violetlight if you don't mind my asking?

Thanks for all the tips! I actually was going to order CE Ferulic in a fit of desperation but I read mixed reviews on it and in my experience acts of desperation often lead to mistakes...! But I'll try the vit c cream Smile

SHould I stop applying stuff right below the eye? I didn't realise this was bad. I thought I needed to rehydrate the area.

I'm 31. The aging seems to have tapered off now but I can't believe how many more lines I have under my eyes in the space of a few weeks. And they're deep Sad

I really don't have much hope.

free skin care · Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:28 am

yuri21 wrote:

Hmmm, the effects experienced by the OP were why I quit doing stuff like OCM. It seemed interesting, fun and I even bought into the idea your skin was detoxing.

However, my skin continued to deteriorate so I quickly put a stop to it.

I'm sorry but there are many people who developed cystic acne or even worse, from throwing random oils onto their skin. 'Cos you gotta take into account pore size, skin type, humidity and many other factors. I'd quit applying oils for now and be super gentle. And if things don't get better for the next few weeks, go see a dermatologist.

Better luck next time and be more careful with DIY. There are many who got good results with DIY formulas but there's no "one size fits all". And there're people who hurt their skin badly and even developed sensitive skin.

Also, the idea that most or all products are alkaline is more of a guess. If you want to measure the PH value of a product, then get litmus strips to test. Smile

Yeah, I did quit quite quickly, but the damage was done Sad

It was prob less than two weeks of experimentation. I was also doing castor oil hair masks and now I have a flaky scalp, which I never had before.

I read about people saying that the skin was detoxing, but after having adult acne a few years ago (which started when I started going to hot yoga) and having people say I was just detoxing i know better Sad

Small pimples could be a detox - not big boils.

free skin care · Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:31 am

Panda1 wrote:

From my experience it takes very little time to harm your skin and much longer to fix the damage, so try to be patient. When you start to panic it's easy to want to try anything and everything, but I would suggest that with each new thing you try that you only try it for a day and then wait a WEEK to see if there is a reaction. If you experience no reaction after a week then go ahead and try twice a week. Just introduce any new product or routine slowly.

I once tried a new retinol product for a week straight with no apparent issues. I stopped using the product for a week when I went out of town and by the time I returned my skin was a mess. It took about six weeks of babying to get it back to it's original condition. You haven't ruined your skin, but you need a little time and a lot of patience at this point.

I totally panicked. I think the worst thing I did was put pig gelatine directly under my eyes Sad

I'm trying to pamper it but the new lines that formed are really deep and it looks like they're here to stay.

free skin care · Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:37 am

Violetlight wrote:

I totally panicked. I think the worst thing I did was put pig gelatine directly under my eyes Sad

I'm trying to pamper it but the new lines that formed are really deep and it looks like they're here to stay.

Honestly, I don't think the new lines are here to stay, but your skin is probably severely dehydrated and a lot of the wrinkle creams are not particularly friendly to dehydrated skin. So pick your products carefully. Maybe look for more calming products or stuff that is good for getting rid of inflamation. Give your skin a little time to return to normal and then start bringing in the anti-wrinkle stuff. And stay calm.

free skin care · Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:14 pm

Panda1 wrote:

Honestly, I don't think the new lines are here to stay, but your skin is probably severely dehydrated and a lot of the wrinkle creams are not particularly friendly to dehydrated skin. So pick your products carefully. Maybe look for more calming products or stuff that is good for getting rid of inflamation. Give your skin a little time to return to normal and then start bringing in the anti-wrinkle stuff. And stay calm.

Thanks Panda1 Smile

I will post a photo tomorrow to see what you guys think about the lines. They're deep, and the ones I already had got even deeper. It gives me hope that you guys are saying this is rectifiable but I'll wait til you see the pics before I get too hopeful!

Are there any creams that you'd recommend for calming of getting rid of inflammation?

Thu Mar 14, 2013 5:41 pm

lol calm down sweet heart. Try placing fresh cucumber slices on your eyes at night. Cucumbers have a lot of water in them so they should moisturize and reduce the baggage under your eyes. Definitely worked for me.

free skin care · Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:16 pm

Jenny123 wrote:

lol calm down sweet heart. Try placing fresh cucumber slices on your eyes at night. Cucumbers have a lot of water in them so they should moisturize and reduce the baggage under your eyes. Definitely worked for me.

Thanks Jenny... tried that though!

free skin care · Sat Mar 16, 2013 12:15 am

It is good so many people already give you good advice!

Hope in the future you would not put some food on your face. It is hard to say, some people are ok while some others are not. Very Happy

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