Oily skin and acne

[Berticus]

I've heard some good things about Burt's Bee's products but they also tend to be a little pricey apparently. Perhaps your skin is oily by nature, you may want to try using a gentle, natural soap and gently washing your face a couple times a day and leaving it. Natural soaps typically have more glycerin and other moisturizing agents and no alcohol or other "skin strippers" which would result in your skin producing more oils. I got some great Olive Oil soap on ebay, I first was just using it as a body wash and it worked great. I figured meh why not use it on my face too, basically now I wash my face morning and night gently with this olive oil soap and follow it up with a thin layer of jojoba oil and so far it's working pretty well for me. The thing about jojoba oil I'm finding is that it really tends to absorb right into your skin so a thin layer is all you really need, adding more really just makes skin shiny and oily looking.

You may want to look into other natural soaps too, there's plenty of sites selling them and describing their benefits. FYI Goat's Milk Soap is also highly regarded. Not sure if you mentioned how old you were but if your situation was anything like mine, your skin will slow it's oil production over time so don't worry too much.

Well, I'm glade the place where I ordered my tea tree essential oil decided to throw in some tea tree oil facial soap for free as well. And here I thought I wasn't ever going to use it, lol.

I'll try just castor oil and extra virgin olive oil (that's all I have here).

I'm 19, but I show the other symptoms having oil skin (e.g. enlarged pores, tan very well and don't burn, etc.) I suppose the thing to look forward to though is when I'm an old ripe age, like 60, my skin won't be too wrinkled. That's a long time to wait for the benefits, I think... And by that time people usually accept their skin conditions and don't care.

 

[Magnulus]

I think now's the time to try out the Burt's Bee's products? After that I suppose I should try I did a general search on the situation and it seems most agree to use a water-based facial wash (bar soap?), pre-rinse with hot water, and the rinse off the soap with cold water. .

Trying to clean oil from your skin to get rid of acne is pretty futile. Your skin is your skin and it really won't change, trying to get rid of skin oil by washing it off is like trying to stop a ship from sinking with a soup spoon. It is the biggest source of confusion and myth, because most people assume acne is caused by poor hygene when in fact it is not. There are basicly 3 parts to acne- oil production, bacteria, and dead skin cells. There are drugs like Accutane that will reduce production of skin oil, but you can't just wash off the skin oil, it doesn't work. All you really need to do is tackle one or two of the causes to get rid of acne almost completely.

 

[Berticus]

Trying to clean oil from your skin to get rid of acne is pretty futile. Your skin is your skin and it really won't change, trying to get rid of skin oil by washing it off is like trying to stop a ship from sinking with a soup spoon. It is the biggest source of confusion and myth, because most people assume acne is caused by poor hygene when in fact it is not. There are basicly 3 parts to acne- oil production, bacteria, and dead skin cells. There are drugs like Accutane that will reduce production of skin oil, but you can't just wash off the skin oil, it doesn't work. All you really need to do is tackle one or two of the causes to get rid of acne almost completely.

Well the acne is gone from using a regimen with benzoyl peroxide, it just left the oil there. I'm afraid that if I just stop completely, it'll come back. I know oily skin and acne doesn't come from bad hygenes. I actually have pretty good hygenes, I think, and yet I still got acne. So common sense would rule that it's not due to hygenes.

I did buy some apple cider vinegar to drink. So that should, I think, help clean the toxins out of my system and therefore help lessen the bacteria or something along those lines. And lightly wiping my face with a towel should remove a good number of the dead skin cells (washing itself should remove a good number of dead skin cells).

 

[Magnulus]

Well the acne is gone from using a regimen with benzoyl peroxide, it just left the oil there.

How often/what strength of benzoyl peroxide are you using? If you are using it enough, you should notice a slight drying on the skin. Another option would be, in lieu of washing your face constantly, to use witch hazel a few times a day to clean off your skin using a paper towel or cotton ball.

Low dose Accutane may be another possibility if you want drier skin and have mild acne: http://www.lifescript.com/channels/Beauty/News_Bites/low-dose_accutane_good_for_mild_acne.asp . It is perscription only and has a bad reputation, mostly because it causes severe birth defects in pregnant women, and since teen pregnancy is rampant and abortion is controversial in the US, this drug has come under alot of fire. But it works. I'd say it is a more extreme treatment since it requires a doctors visit and is more tightly controlled.

 

[Berticus]

I've used all sorts of products with varying amounts of benzoyl peroxide. I think the maximum I've ever used was 10% (yeah, I know anything above 2.5% is bad), but that was a loooong time ago. The odd thing was, no matter how much bp I used, my skin was always consistently oily. After using various soaps, my skin wasn't drier from using more bp, even right after the washing/cleanser stage. A friend tried out the product that had 10% bp and he said it dried out his skin realllly badly, and that I might not have done it correctly. So I asked him how he did it, and followed. Nope, same results; skin didn't feel dry or anything even after doing it the same way...

Well it's a good thing I'm not a female... Guess I'll check out accutane.. Don't know when my next doctor's visit is though.

Oh, and I washed twice/day (morning and night).

 

[FriscoSoxFan]

Here's an old post of mine that I recommend

http://www.badgerandblade.com/vb/showpost.php?p=93507&postcount=19

I also have high praise for Mary Kay's "oil mattifier" It keeps the shine down on my dome for a whole work day. Disclaimer: I work for Mary Kay (corporate). No, I can't send samples.

 

[Berticus]

Thanks for that other post, didn't really provide any new information though... The only thing that was new was the toner. I have an alum block, but I only use it on my beard area. Do I use it all over my face?

I'm also considering Nancy Boy's Mild Facial Wash. Anybody with oily skin try that? I'm also going to see if I can get sample sizes for Lab Series products. I checked out their "custom skin regimen," and it suggested getting the multi-action face wash, instant moisture gel, and oil control solution.

I'll get some more information on Mary kay's "oil mattifier."

 

[WillM3001]

One helpful thing I read about on acne.org is that use of benzoyl peroxide conditions sebum glands to gradually produce oil to compensate for the drying effect of benzoyl peroxide. IE if you've been using bp for a long period of time and cut it out cold turkey your skin will likely produce loads of oil because it's used to it.

It seems that you naturally have very resilient, oily skin, which isn't necessarily a bad thing if you consider others have dry, sensitive skin. When I was in my earlier teens and my oil was worse I found products specifically designed for oily skin or products that had terms like "balancing" or other synonym on it worked well for me. If I'm correct and your skin is resilient and oily you may want to try a gentle but thorough exfoliation every two days or so depending on results. Or, one thing that really helped me too is a facial mask with sulfur and/or clay in it. These really help to cleanse and absorb excess oil your skin produces. You could maybe even get away with using it daily but just use your judgement.

 

[johnmw1]

Hi,

This is a thread which I have been following most closely, and have found it to be very interesting.

Me being in my early 50s I have suffered with oily greasy skin and breakout all my life. You name it I have tried, every lotion and potion known to man. And yes it certainly is not a hygiene thing, almost the opposite really, too much polishing and scrubbing causing more and more oiliness.

I think the thing for me is that so long as you keep your skin clean and don't over do the cleaning and scrubbing, and keeping it as simple as possible, that we can't expect much more than that.

As an example early this week I received a whole lot of different shave stuff that has all arrived together. Included in this lot is some Thayer's witch hazel, and some Trumpers Coral skin food. I have only every used the CSF as a sample in the past but really liked the feel it left on my skin.

Now that I have a used it properly for most of this week, and while it feels good going on first thing after my shave, by the end of the day I felt like a grease ball. I can only put this down to maybe the CSF and so I will use it now very sparingly. Perhaps those of us with naturally oily skin don't need these moisturisers that most other wet shavers need. I certainly don't think it would have been the Thayer's causing the extra oiliness and the new breakout which has come with it.

I have seen numerous doctors and dermatologists, and taken antibiotics etc. I have also taken 2 courses of Accutane over an 8 or 10 yr gap between courses. Now I must say that the Accutane gave me the most dramatic change of skin type that you could ever desire. It was fantastic, the skin was the opposite and I really did have to moisturise often, and the breakout all cleared up. I was a new person both on the inside as well as outside.

They were the pluses with Accutane, and the dermatologist did warn me that the effects could last for about 2 yrs before needing to start a new course of the drug, and that it was not the cure all for some people, and I suppose I'm one of them.

The dermatologist did also warn me of the dangers and unwanted side effects of Accutane, but hey I took my chances. Just as a warning and of course horses for courses drugs effect different people in different ways. For me the Accutane has left me with a diseased liver, and I'm constantly now having liver biopsies to monitor the condition. While taking the last course of Accutane about 3 yrs ago I was having constant blood tests to monitor the situation because for some people this is one of the unwanted effects.

Another unwanted effect for me during the first course which was never explained to me at the time was depression. No reason for my deep dark black moods, I have always been a happy go lucky guy, not too much ever worried me, but I got this depression, and it hung around for about 2 or 3 yrs. Strangely when I took the second course I was well read up on this as a side effect, and I'm glad to say had no problems with it at all. I think most unwanted side effects with this drug are all now well documented thank heavens.

And for me, I shall continue my quest for the perfect skin, but alas I feel that maybe time has almost passed me by, before I have to start worrying about how my skin is starting to actually sag on my face instead. I shall try and keep my regime as simple as possible, but gee it's hard when you have shaving acquisition disorders.

Cheers
John

 

[Berticus]

One helpful thing I read about on acne.org is that use of benzoyl peroxide conditions sebum glands to gradually produce oil to compensate for the drying effect of benzoyl peroxide. IE if you've been using bp for a long period of time and cut it out cold turkey your skin will likely produce loads of oil because it's used to it.

My history of bp is extremely short. Basically just parts of last year. I used it for about a month, stopped when the acne was gone. Then the acne returned, but I didn't go back to bp right away. I waited like 1-2 months before going back to different bp products. Used it for about 30 weeks, long after the acne disappeared, and then stopped when summer came along again. Then I started generating some pimples, and the numbers were growing, so I went back on bp for about a month, I think. Haven't touched bp in a few weeks.

If I'm correct and your skin is resilient and oily you may want to try a gentle but thorough exfoliation every two days or so depending on results. Or, one thing that really helped me too is a facial mask with sulfur and/or clay in it. These really help to cleanse and absorb excess oil your skin produces. You could maybe even get away with using it daily but just use your judgement.

Yeah, I was thinking about doing something along those lines. After doing some more research, there was a pretty credible site that said use a mud or clay mask 2 or 3 times a week. The browner, the better. So I suppose I need to find some mud masks... Same site also said diet has little to no affect on oily skin... Not sure if they're the same people, but I checked the US' national health database, and it agreed...

For me the Accutane has left me with a diseased liver, and I'm constantly now having liver biopsies to monitor the condition. While taking the last course of Accutane about 3 yrs ago I was having constant blood tests to monitor the situation because for some people this is one of the unwanted effects.

Another unwanted effect for me during the first course which was never explained to me at the time was depression. No reason for my deep dark black moods, I have always been a happy go lucky guy, not too much ever worried me, but I got this depression, and it hung around for about 2 or 3 yrs. Strangely when I took the second course I was well read up on this as a side effect, and I'm glad to say had no problems with it at all. I think most unwanted side effects with this drug are all now well documented thank heavens.

HOLY ****!!!! No wonder accutane isn't fda approved! I'll do more research on it, but I think for the most part, I want to keep my distance between me and products containing accutane.

And for me, I shall continue my quest for the perfect skin, but alas I feel that maybe time has almost passed me by, before I have to start worrying about how my skin is starting to actually sag on my face instead. I shall try and keep my regime as simple as possible, but gee it's hard when you have shaving acquisition disorders.

Maybe not quite as soon as you think. Apparently we don't have to worry about our skin aging as quickly as other people.

I actually noticed the area where I shave isn't oily at all. It's actually somewhat on the dry side... But that gets fixed up once I apply my aftershave.

This is a thread which I have been following most closely, and have found it to be very interesting.

Sweet! What I've noticed with other threads, not necessarily here, is the OP doesn't post a follow up, so it's rather hard to determine if what other people said was working, and repliers just throw all sorts of regimens at the OP. So I plan to have this thread slightly differently if someone, by any chance, stumbles across it with the same situation. It's also got some diversity! Other people posting about what they've tried, what they're currently trying, and doing a follow up with how well it works.

 

[WillM3001]

My mistake about the bp, probably has nothing to do with your oiliness then. I just wanted to chip into what johnmw1 said; contrary to what you might believe, simpler routines are typically better. There is less risk associated with using fewer products and it also allows you to really isolate what is causing problems so you can remove that product. Like I mentioned before, I used to have oily skin and it used to be very stubborn so I tried loads and loads of products (at one point in my regimen I was using Cetaphil cleanser, St. Ives Apricot exfoliating scrub, a BP wash (10%), then clean & clear advantage cleanser (2.5% salicylic acid), and then finally spot treating with BP..BOTH morning and night needless to say this didn't have a favorable outcome). I would read about products and things they would do and just add them instead of using them moderately. That's why now my skin is really thin, sensitive, and usually looks pretty "raw".

Just be sure to be careful with what you use, based on my experience with clay and/or sulfur masks these will probably give you the most immediate and effective results. Just like the OCM, these masks also help "pull" dirt out of your pores. You may want to start with something like washing your face morning and night with a gentle/natural soap or cleanser (something that won't irritate much or really strip your skin) both morning and night and then maybe every 2nd night put on a clay and/or sulfur mask. Experiment and see what works for you but be sure to be patient and keep it simple or you could end up paying for it like I did .

 

[Magnulus]

It seems to me you just have oily skin and have to live with it. Unless you want to wear makeup, that is. At best you can use witch hazel or facial cleansers a few times a day and wash the oil off. There are worse fates, I mean you could have constantly dry skin and look old and wrinkled before your time.

I did fail to mention Accutane could have severe side effects, such as liver damage. My bad (but lots of drugs cause liver damage, on the flip side). But the study I mentioned was for the low-dose treatment, not the usual course which is pretty damn severe. Still, I think you'ld be better off living with the oily skin than taking drugs internally. If you are young your skin will get less oily as you get older, so you've got something to look forward to!

 

[Berticus]

There are worse fates, I mean you could have constantly dry skin and look old and wrinkled before your time... Still, I think you'ld be better off living with the oily skin than taking drugs internally. If you are young your skin will get less oily as you get older, so you've got something to look forward to!

I suppose that's true.. I was thinking about it the other day. What if my skin was really dry and sensitive? Didn't have a good image in my head... So it's not like the worst thing in the world in terms of skin condition.

 

[johnmw1]

The one thing that I have never tried but am keen to is the clay masks. I can see that there are about three different types that would help my skin. I did enquire at one place but they only ship in 1lb lots and for three lbs I wanted for about $20 they wanted $60 or so for shipping to Australia, so I have never proceeded.

Cheers
John

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/clay/clay.html

 

[Magnulus]

You mention depression as a side effect of accutane. I forgot about that one. It's probably the most serious side effect.

I was depressed as a teenager (I still struggle with depression/bad mood, but now days I realize I'm not the source of all my ills, so there is less self loathing). I think having acne did not help, even worse was messing around with treatments that didn't help all that much. The benzoyl peroxides were all "maximum strength" and irritated the hell out of my skin, so I never used enough of the product to actually work. They had facial cleanser pads that got rid of oil but didn't actually stop breakouts. It wasn't until later I finally went to a dermatologist, and they put me on Retin-A, but it wasn't enough alone. Eventually i got on Benzaymicin and that really helped- it's benzoyl peroxide with erythromycin. I was starting to get cystic acne at the time and it stopped my acne cold, pretty much. After my health insurance ran out in college I started using alpha hydroxy and tea tree oil with some success (though the Alpha Hydroxy dried out my skin and made it very sensitive), and now my acne has calmed down some I'm getting by on Oxy/Clearasil (salicylic acid)... it's also good for ingrown hairs too, and doesn't irritate my skin as much. I wish they had this stuff when I was a teen, it would have helped out alot. Half of my acne was probably razor bumps from using a Sensor and Attra razor.

 

[Amann]

Just thought I'd give my 2 cents....everyone seems to be focusing on the external factors for our oily skin (namely using washes, creams, etc). However, after doing plenty of research I've found that its the internal factors that play a big part in this.

The washes we use may contribute to the oiliness but it isn't (normally) the major contributor. It is our ability ( livers ability really) to deal with fats, in particular bad fats.

Since starting my liver cleansing, I've seen the oiliness of my skin decline dramatically. Now I've had oily skin since I was 13, I am now 24. After liver cleansing for a week, I found out about a good smoothie to make which helps relieve symptoms such as oily skin, acne and dark circles under the eyes.

(How many of you oily skin guys have dark circles under your eyes?).

Well this means that your liver can't deal with fats properly and you have a clogged liver. This smoothie helped reduce oiliness in a day! I am not joking.

Ingredients:

In a blender:
6-8 ounces of Kefir or Coconut Milk (or Rice Milk)
1/2 scoop of Nutritional Yeast Flakes
teaspoon of wheat germ oil
1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup, or Stevia to taste
and take with a B vitamin complex, or just Bioton and Folic Acid

This is from the website askshelley.com.......fantastic health resource.
Link to actual smoothie thread:
http://www.askshelley.com/forum/about3497.html

Of course this also means cutting out the bad fats. So from the thread you can see...dressings are out,margarine, etc.

I honestly hope everyone on here will try this to see if it works for them. Though you may need to do some comprehensive liver cleansing..though all this info can be found on askshelley.com

Thanks
Amann

 

[Berticus]

Ehh.. My own research on diet and skin condition go all over the place. While there may be enough to barely conclude that there's some correlation, no one has really figured out what that correlation is.

Honestly, the shake provides no additional nutritional value to my diet. I already intake what's provided by the shake and I don't eat a lot of bad fats.

---------------------------Edited---------------------------
So I tried to order the Oil Mattifier from Mary Kay, and they're sending a Beauty Consultant... I suppose then would be a great opportunity to get help in person. Don't know when my next doctor appointment is... Now that I think about it, I wasn't told how much the consultant was...

 

[Amann]

It's not so much about the nutritional value as it is about helping the body detox and deal with its own problems. The smoothie or liver cleansing may not be for everyone but I believe it may be the answer when all other methods have failed to achieve oil/acne free skin.

 

[WillM3001]

Amann, out of curiosity how exactly did you do your liver cleansing? I looked into it but the regimes looked quite daunting .

What sort of results did you get during/after the cleanse? Was there a lack of energy at all?

 

[Amann]

Hi WillM3001

I've been doing this liver cleanse for about a month and a half and within 2-3 weeks of doing it my skin has become less oily and the no. of breakouts have dropped dramatically. My skin isnt fully clear as I still get the occasional breakout....but I'm confident that it'll clear me fully..or very near to it. But I'm definately getting less blemishes than before...and they are smaller and heal faster. Within the first couple of weeks I did experience an increase in breakouts on my forehead...though that was to be expected.

However I must say that before doing this liver cleanse I've been doing colon cleansing...i.e. fibre shakes/ bentonite clay/ laxatives. This should be the first step as if your colon isn't clear, all the toxins from your liver are going to be dumped into your colon.
The liver cleanse I followed was this one, and I am following it pretty closely still:

http://www.askshelley.com/faq.php?p=default&cat=37#a93

For colon cleansing..you can find the info here...should tell you what you need to know:

http://www.askshelley.com/faq.php?p=default&cat=36

Hope this helps
Amann