Makeup vs. Bad Skin
I've got dry skin which is accompanied by acne. I use a cleanser in the
morning and an acne treater at night but my skin is so dry that if I use
them any more often I get a bad rash. (I also have a non-cosmetic
moisterizer I use during the day)
The problem though is that because it's soooo dry I have little flakey bits
everywhere. The acne doesn't bother me nearly as much as that does. I can't
possibly look professional at work if my skin tone is all uneven and I can't
wear makeup because the powder just clumps together due to the flakes.
Any suggestions? (and cheap if possible...sorta broke right now)
- my first thought is, do you exfoliate in any way? If your skin's
not terribly sensitive, I'd recommend either a physical exfoliator - Paula
Begoun recommends mixing baking soda with Cetaphil, which is effective and
cheap - or a chemical one like an AHA lotion. I like the Alpha Hydrox 10%
lotion, which is $9 or $10 I think. That's the best way I know of to get rid of
those dry-skin flakes... I get them on my cheeks and exfoliation always does
the trick.
There should be some product out there that's antibacterial for acne but not
excessively drying. What cleanser and acne treatment are you currently using?
-I bet the acne treatment is too strong for your skin type and that it
contains SD-alcohol and/or other skin irritants. You should avoid
products that contain SD-alcohol because they will make your skin
peel.
Since your skin is dry you need a gentle cleanser that will clean
without drying you out. I recommend either Cetaphil Gentle Skin
Cleanser liquid(available at drugstores and supermarkets) or Paula's
Choice facial cleanser (www.paulaschoice.com - the one for normal to
oily skin is the most gentle cleanser I've ever used, even when my
skin is very dry in the winter). Lots of people with very dry
sensitive skin have success with Cetaphil, and it's cheap
Next you need to exfoliate. You can use a physical scrub, which you
can create by mixing your Cetaphil cleanser with a little baking soda,
or you can use a beta hydroxy acid product which will exfoliate the
dry skin on the surface and dissolve the dead skin cells in your pores
that contribute to acne. If you are short on cash, I'd go for the
Cetaphil-baking soda option, and if you get the opportunity in the
future, I'd try Paula's Choice 1% BHA. When using your scrub, be
GENTLE! Don't try to rub your face off, just lightly rub your wet
skin with the mixture. Then be sure to rinse it off thoroughly.
Next you need something to kill acne-causing bacteria. Your two
options for this are Hydrogen Peroxide (which costs like $1 per bottle
at the supermarket), and if that isn't strong enough you can try a
benzoyl peroxide product. Since your skin is dry you shouldn't use
more than a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide count. 2.5% BPO is just as
anti-bacterial as 10%, but the 2.5% won't dry out your skin.
Neutrogena makes a 2.5% cream, but my favorite product is the Paula's
Choice Blemish Fighting Solution because it is a lotion that absorbs
without a trace.
Finally, you need a gentle moisturizer that won't clog your pores but
that also doesn't contain alcohol. During the day you should use one
with a sunscreen, but you want to avoid titanium dioxide and zinc
oxide (prevalaent sunscreen ingredients) because they can clog pores.
Stick to sunscreens with Parsol 1789 (avobenzene) instead. I like
Paula's regular moisturizer a lot, but her sunscreen is very greasy.
I personally use Almay Kinetin as my sunscreen, but I wouldn't call it
soothing (I have to apply regular moisturizer underneath to avoid
irritation).
In conclusion, I recommend you try out the following skin care
routine:
1)Cleanse with Cetaphil or Paula's Choice
2)Scrub (at night) with Cetaphil and baking soda
3)Apply Hydrogen Peroxide with a cotton pad or cotton ball
4)Gentle alcohol-free moisturizer and sunscreen
and if that doesn't work switching to:
1)Cleanse with Cetaphil or Paula's Choice
2)Paula's Choice 1% BHA
3)Paula's Choice Blemish fighting solution
4)Gentle alcohol-free moisturizer and sunscreen