Skin care issue - exfoliation

[AshleyMichelle]

redacted

[Tay]

I think it's because you increase the skin sensitivity and stuff.  I think you need to use special toners after exfoliating or something because the breakouts are caused by something...

I dunno.

Skincare is NOT my forte.  I use my bioré ice cleanser and my face stays clear.  My face is a mess right now, because I"m out of the bioré cleanser.

[tinkerbell]

Perhaps you are allergic or your skin is too sensitive to some of the ingredients found in most exfoliators.  Philosophy and Clinique, IMO, have the best exfoliators which are very kind to your skin but do what they are supposed to do.  You may find the following links helpful as well.


EXFOLIATION -DRY SKIN

EXFOLIATION - OILY SKIN

tink

[Keira]

Pores are often blocked really deep, the exfolliator removes the top skin and exposes this sebum plug, irritating it, you get a breakout. If you use a salicilic acid astringent  (used for people with acne) you'll unblock those pores. Be sure to moisterize with a non comedon forming moisteriser or you'll just plug the hole before it has time to become smaller (once the irritation is down).

I use a 2% salicilic acid product right when the breakout occurs and within a day (or two if I put it a bit to late), the small buttons disapeer and a bit of dead skin flakes off; no redness remain.

If you wait too long, there's a risk of real inflammation (acne) and then it will take some time for the redness to disapear.

[tinkerbell]

yeah, i dont use any kind of exfoliation product, per se -- i use dove soap and a glove, so its the glove and not the product, if that makes sense.  i havent really been using any kind of "official" moisturizer, just whatever lotion is handy.

is salicilic acid the same as oxy-5 or is that a different product?

Oh, then I will bet my paycheck that it is the glove.  A few months ago, I don't know why, I decided to try one of those gloves to exfoliate your body while you take a shower. Well, I broke up into a rash which lasted for days.  I didn't develop pimples or anything of that nature, but I was itchy most of the time.
There's this home-made exfoliator cream which you can prepare using baby oil and sugar.  Just mix one tablespoon of regular, granulated sugar and a few drops of baby oil until a paste is formed.  Apply this paste to your face in a circular motion and rinse with warm water afterwards.  As far as OTC moisturizers, Curel is one of the best; it is not very expensive and can be used for the face (although it is designed for hands and body)



Posted on: July 22, 2007, 07:11:26 PM

is salicilic acid the same as oxy-5 or is that a different product?

Yes, salicylic acid is the chemical name of the compound usually found in several medications that treat acne.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salicylic_acid






Posted on: July 22, 2007, 07:17:10 PMThis is another site which could be useful.  My youngest sister received plenty of good advice here.

http://www.acne.org/



tink

[tinkerbell]

when doing the body, should i just use a washcloth, or one of those nylon puffpad thingies?

I just use the regular washcloth but moisturize my body daily, sometimes twice a day (especially on weekends when I don't work).  Everytime I use one of those nylon puffpads you mentioned, my skin breaks up into a rash.  Perhaps it is just me, but I have never been fond of them...

Also, something really inexpensive (for the face) that you can buy in any drugstore is the St Ives facial apricot scrub.  It works really well on the face & other parts of the body.  It also comes in different formulas (i.e, sensitive skin, oily skin, etc), so yeah..

tink

[Buffy]

After you exfoliate, try washing you skin with a weak saline solution and avoid drying with towels... they have a multitude of germs.

I always pat dry with paper towel.

Buffy

[Keira]

I'm still contending you need to get the sebum plugs unblocked before exfoliation or you'll get irritated pores and breakout. There are better things than salicilic acid (look on the label, the concentration is usually 2%) for that, but for over the counter, its OK.  Its great to remove excess oil too, most of them are astringents.

Once your pores are clear, then exfolliation will go better.

[VeryGnawty]

You could try dry skin brushing.  It's cheap, easy, and unlikely to irritate.