Minimal topicals - Internal care is most important
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free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:14 am

I first started to use the Green Cream (6% retinol) from July to end of August and then switched to Retin-A Micro (.1%) from early September to a couple of days ago. Since using any retinoids, I have marionette lines on my face!

I'm 35 and have started to see my face change 2 years ago due to a 70 hour work week (lots of scary stress on the job), lack of sleep, nervousness, and poor eating habits. I'm thinking that it probably doesn't help to worry about my face 24 hours a day!

I didn't have the marionnette lines before the Green Cream or Retin-A Micro. I bought the Cellex-C High Potency Serum and the Hydra 5 B Complex to use for mornings and then will apply the Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum (Has ALA, DMAE, Co-Q10, etc.) and then a SPF 30 sunscreen. For evenings, I will not wear anything after I wash my face.

I'm going to exercise more and eat more fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, less sugar, and drink loads of water (> 64 ounces a day).

My husband is the same age and his skin looks like a 22 y.o. and doesn't slap anything on his face. He eats better than I do and sleeps better. Maybe this is the secret. I'm laying off any retinoids for now but may put on the Alpha Hydrox Souffle cream once or 2x a week.

What do you all think?

Thanks for reading!

Librarygirl

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:36 am

Hi and welcome!

Stress can have a really bad effect on the skin as can lack of sleep and fresh air. I wouldn't think you'd need to add exfoliation if you are using green cream, but I am unfamiliar with retinol products. However, you may need to use a more intense moisturiser than just the sunscreen that you appear to be using.

Also, I know some folk (like Dr H) advocate wearing nothing at night. I find I age years if I don't, especially if I actually clean my face with water. To be honest, I'd rather sleep in my make up than wash and put nothing on.

Diet will definately help, and I think that fish oil supps and EPO really help the skin loads.

HTH, Liz Cool

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:05 am

Hi Guapagirl

Thanks for the swift reply. No, I'm not using any retinoids (such as Green Cream with 6% retinol or Retin-A Micro) as of yesterday. Today will be a start of a new regimen:

AM: Clinique soap for oily skin, Cellex-C High Potency Serum, Hydra 5 B-Complex, Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum, 1/f SPF 30 tinted sunscreen by Pola.

PM: Wash face with Clinique soap for oily skin, then nothing.

Right now I take 3 Brewer's Yeast pills 3x a day, 1 Vitamin E capsule, 2 EPO pills 3x a day, 1 Alpha Lipoic Acid pill, 1 L-lysine pill.

I'm thinking about taking the fish oils and collagen tablets to add to my current regimen. Do you think that will help with the sagging and lines?

Thanks!

Librarygirl

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26 pm

I totally agree with you...I have dark undereye circles and no cream ever improved them...then my dr. said I had to stop the caffine for a couple of months (for tests) and my circles were GONE!!! I totally believe that nutrition,sleep and excersise are the keys to beauty...I just like the boost from face products...its my way of pampering myself! I have been going through some major stess lately...newly married,new house,new job,laid off,another new job and my skin looks worse than ever before. I normally get compliments on my skin...now I am hiding. I think it is time for change.

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:05 pm

Hey there librarygirl Smile

Isn't it interesting that men, who usually don't use any products on their faces, have far fewer problems with excessively dry or oily skin? There's got to be something in that.

It's hard to go back once your skin is used to external assistance, though. I've recently switched to Dr Hauschka products, with no moisturiser at night. I used to slather on a heap of rich moisturiser, but my skin does seem to be gradually adjusting to the "less is more" approach. My face is certainly smoother and less irritated, although my cheeks remain a little dry.

I agree that eating better, sleeping better, and drinking more water is probably the best thing anyone can do for their skin! Having said that, my boyfriend eats badly, is a workaholic and has terrible sleep habits - and he never has problems with his skin... Rolling Eyes

Typical!

Cheers!
Yulia Very Happy

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:25 pm

I think its really important that your skin don't feel dry when you don't apply anything. Dryness really speed up the aging process.

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:34 pm

Since I have just been cleansing and using a toner at night my skin is a lot better.
Or try Jojoba oil.
Yes I do think lifestyle and nuitrition are far more important than expensive skincare. If my diet is bad then I start to feel lousy and oh boy does my skin look it

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:15 pm

Thank u all for the replies. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one feeling that the internals can make me look better if I take care of myself. Who is Dr. H? Is that Dr. Hauschka? Pardon my ignorance. I've got to see his product line and check if it's suitable for my needs.

I heard Jojoba oil does wonders. I've been using it on my scalp once or twice a week and it really helps my hair to look and feel a lot better. If it keeps the hair on my head and makes it grow thicker then it's a plus because it is supposed to clean the DHT out of your follicles.

I have extremely oily skin and the mantra about oily skin, as opposed to dry skin, aging slower is somewhat true to an extent. Oily skin folks are not immune to sagging. My skin was great in my 20s and most of my early 30s. However, the problem with oily skin is that it is DIFFICULT to keep anything stuck to the skin. My makeup slides right off. Which reminds me, wouldn't my cosmeceutical products slide right off too after 2 hours? This worries me. Anyway, I prefer dry to oily skin anytime because it is hard to maintain your skin every 2 hours when you're trying to live a life. Looking like an oily slick makes you look dirty.

Thanks Everyone!

Off to the Dr. H. site for viewing and will check wwww.makeupalley.com for Dr. H. reviews.

Librarygirl

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:33 pm

Hi librarygirl, welcome to the forums you will learn a lot and enjoy it here!

librarygirl wrote:

PM: Wash face with Clinique soap for oily skin, then nothing.

Librarygirl

ITA with you that what you take in is just as important if not more so, as what you put on your face. And I certainly do believe the fewer products you use the better your skin will be (see my post on my experience at the salon recently that sort of validated this: http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=9060 ) However I'm concerned about your use of that Clinique soap, I personally avoid it like a plague. My experiences with it tell me it's FAR from mild.

If I were you I'd OCM in the PM and then use nothing if I want.

You wouldn't believe the results you would see in such a short time. I'm 35, too, and have oily skin but OCM has helped tremendously in cutting down the oilies and clearing out my pores as well as - I don't know if this is psychological, but I'm sure I'm not seeing things - reducing the fine lines and puffiness I had around my eyes. I think it has to do with the EVOO in my oil mix, which is packed with nourishment for the skin and a natural antioxidant.

Give it a try, and tell us how it goes. Smile

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:59 pm

Hi pumpingmummy, nice to know that another member has the same problem as I do about the oilies. Yes, I heard some things about Clinique soap for oily skin but it's hard to find bar soap. I didn't want to go with Neutrogena Acne soap anymore as they constantly run out in a matter of days. I'm a bit old-fashioned. I like bar soap because it feels like it cleans all the gunk out of my skin esp. the makeup. I tried tons of other liquid cleansers and I usually have to lather twice. What's OCM? Is it Olay cloths? If so, I have them and it didn't totally remove my face gunk unless I use at least two cloths.

Guapagirl mentioned in a previous post about fish oils. I did some searching on the web and found some nice information on Omega-3:

http://www.afpafitness.com/articles/Omgea3.htm

"SKIN
Beauty from within...
What we put inside our bodies is much more important than anything we may put on it, particularly when it comes to healthy skin. The food we eat has a major impact on skin condition, and no cream or lotion can make up for a poor diet.
To function properly skin cells need plenty of vitamins and minerals. Fat is also important, but it must be the 'right' kind of fat.
Omega-3 EFA's are vital for healthy skin cells, keeping them moist and strong. EFA's work by strengthening the delicate membrane that surrounds each cell. They do this by encouraging the production of strong collagen and elastin fiber's in the dermis helping skin to look younger for longer by preventing wrinkling and sagging. A deficiency in EFA's can result in dry skin which ultimately ages more quickly.

Omega-3s also improve blood flow by slightly thinning the blood and improving the elasticity of red blood cells. Free-flowing blood carries more oxygen to nourish the skin.
Problem skin is another area where omega-3s can be helpful. It is argued that acne, spots, blackheads and whiteheads may not necessarily be caused by teenage hormonal activity but to a lack of vitamins, A D, E, zinc and EFAs. Diets high in saturated fats may result in clogged and infected pores.
Cod liver oil as a source of omega-3 supplies additional beauty benefits as it contains vitamin A, D and E."

If this is the case, I'm going to buy the Spectrum Naturals' brand. They have a product called Omega 3 Norwegian Fish Oil. Norwegian Fish Oil is derived from four varieties of arctic and northern deep water fish; salmon, menhaden, cod, and mackerel.

Off to the market tomorrow!

Librarygirl

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:12 pm

Hi pumpingmummy

I know OCM now. Sorry for my ignorance. I found your previous post:

1. AM & PM Remove makeup and cleanse face with your cleansing oil. Massage the oil until all the gunk comes out. Make your own oil for cleansing using a mix of castor oil and extra virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil etc and a few drops of your favourite essential oil (ylang-ylang is good for oily skin - you will also find lots of posts and tips on the OCM if you do a search here).
2. PM Press and roll your homemade Dr H Cleansing Cream (better than the pricey original, IMHO). Go to Dr Hauschka's UK website to learn how to do this exactly, there's a video clip there you can watch).
3. PM 'Microfoliate' with Dermalogica Microfoliant.
4. AM &/ PMUse the ACV super toner. This is great especially on pimples, believe me! Check out the sticky skincare recipe thread, it's on the first page).
5. AM Moisturise using your favourite moisturiser on top of a vitamin C serum (you can make this also!).
PM I prefer oil to moisturise. I know some hot favourites here are ones by Decleor. I use (and prefer, since it's cheaper and works well) Eve Taylor Face Oil #3.
6. AM Apply sunblock.

So, for steps 2, 3, and 4, I need to buy these?

Thanks.

Librarygirl

free skin care · Tue Nov 15, 2005 11:55 pm

librarygirl wrote:

Hi pumpingmummy

I know OCM now. Sorry for my ignorance. I found your previous post:

1. AM & PM Remove makeup and cleanse face with your cleansing oil. Massage the oil until all the gunk comes out. Make your own oil for cleansing using a mix of castor oil and extra virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil etc and a few drops of your favourite essential oil (ylang-ylang is good for oily skin - you will also find lots of posts and tips on the OCM if you do a search here).
2. PM Press and roll your homemade Dr H Cleansing Cream (better than the pricey original, IMHO). Go to Dr Hauschka's UK website to learn how to do this exactly, there's a video clip there you can watch).
3. PM 'Microfoliate' with Dermalogica Microfoliant.
4. AM &/ PMUse the ACV super toner. This is great especially on pimples, believe me! Check out the sticky skincare recipe thread, it's on the first page).
5. AM Moisturise using your favourite moisturiser on top of a vitamin C serum (you can make this also!).
PM I prefer oil to moisturise. I know some hot favourites here are ones by Decleor. I use (and prefer, since it's cheaper and works well) Eve Taylor Face Oil #3.
6. AM Apply sunblock.

So, for steps 2, 3, and 4, I need to buy these?

Thanks.

Librarygirl

Gosh that was from long ago I think! That wasn't the post I was referring to Bad Grin

but well okay. No you don't need to buy them, you make them! Currently I'm doing without step 2, because I find OCM does a good enough job. I do do step 3 but not daily, only when I feel I need it, because when I wipe off the OCM the baby face cloths I use will gently exfoliate anyways. I use the ACV toner which I make using Carekate's recipe, then follow with Vit C serum which I also make following her recipe. My moisturiser varies, but I mainly use an oil. I wish I could make my own sunscreen, but currently I'm using Avene Extreme SPF60.

I understand what you mean about being old-fashioned with bar soaps. If you really like them you could try Dermalogica's The Bar, which I think is gentler and works better than Clinique.

Here's my routine again (blue text I buy, green text I make myself):

AM:
1. Wash with Dermalogica's Special Cleansing Gel (simply because I have a huge pump bottle lying around at home and it's a shame to waste it. Am looking into trying Decleor and Jurlique for morning cleansing next)
2. Wipe on ACV toner.
3. Slap on Vit C serum.
4. Moisturise with Dermalogica's Skin Smoothing Cream or one of my oils or Eve Taylor #3.
5. Slap on Avene sunscreen.

PM
1. OCMthen repeat steps 2, 3 and 4.

I have a few eyecreams but I find I don't need to use them as much.

Sorry this is long but HTH some! Smile

free skin care · Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:13 am

thanks pumpingmummy for the instructions. I'll have to look for these recipes. I didn't know Dermalogica made bar soap. Will definitely look into this once my Clinique soap runs out. Seems like in 6 months or so b/c it's so huge!

Take care!

Librarygirl

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