Comments on: Bionic Asks: Do you suffer from adult acne?

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:33:22 +0000

I’m 41 and still get minor acne. Minor, but still annoying. Worse in the summer. I seem to get it sparingly around my chin and mouth the most, but sometimes also elsewhere on my face. Using this regimen works pretty well for me: I clean my face every day with either Cetaphil cleanser, or gently wash with Kirk’s Castille soap and a damp washcloth. Then comes the Noxzema acne pads, the Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Tone-Correcting serum (spf 30), then Curel or Aveeno fragrance-free lotion (yes, on my face — they work great for *me*, plus they’re *cheap*). If my breakouts are especially annoying, I skip the lotion and slap on the Acne Free lotion. I should do it more often, but I use the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque maybe two times a month. I can’t use many scrubs or cleansers on my face, because I get really adverse reactions to most products of those sorts. When finances improve, I want to try the Aztec clay masque thingie you’ve talked so much about, Jami.

By: Bionic Beauty

Bionic Beauty — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:20:09 +0000

Hi Susan, Oh don’t worry! I didn’t take it as a rebuke at all! I know that here on the web, things can easily get lost in translation. You brought up a strong point that I should’ve been a bit more “flexible” in my recommendations. But I also wanted you to know that even though I’m only 33, my skin has been through a tough time due to some health issues.

I’m going to have a look at those L’Bri products. Thank you so much for letting me know about them. I can check with Lexli if you want to see if they use any wheat products. Just let me know and I’ll talk to my rep over there. )

Have a great rest o’ your week. And thanks again for chatting here on Bionic Beauty.
Jami

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:19:46 +0000

I didn’t to make it sound like a rebuke. I just wanted to add that it is important to look at things from different angles. Thanks for the information that you added. I learn more everyday and appreciate that you have so many products that you can recommend. I tried L’Bri products with aloe vera and liked them. But they do put wheat in some of their products. There is just so much to look out for. Thanks for your comments!!

By: Bionic Beauty

Bionic Beauty — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:59:19 +0000

Hi Susan, you are right. I should have put a disclaimer in that all of us have different skin, so we all react to products differently.

I personally have VERY sensitive skin. I am allergic to over 10 common skincare and makeup ingredients (including glycerin, benzoyl peroxide, some citric/citrus acids, and salicylic acid), so I have to be very careful reading ingredients lists. I also have been through chemically induced menopause twice, chemically induced puberty twice, and now have no ovaries and am on HRT (which my doctor’s monitor so they constantly adjust my hormone levels). All that has played havoc on my skin- which is why I try to use the best of the best. But that certainly doesn’t mean using the most expensive.

My favorite moisturizer for any age of skin is Jojoba Oil. It’s proven to be the closest to human facial sebum. Hence it balances your oil production, helps clear harmful buildups, detox your skin, and also acts as a carrier oil to bring any other products you apply deeper into your dermis.

For anti-aging and specialty care- my favorite brand is YBF Skincare (www.ybf-skincare.com). They are pricey, but VERY concentrated. Each bottle lasts me over 4 months. I am currently testing their new scrub and their lip definer. it’s absolutely amazing!

For upkeep, cleansing, pore declogging, anti-acne- I use Lexli Skincare (www.lexli.com) which are based in aloe (instead of water) and developed by a board certified surgeon. Dr. A has a reason for every ingredient in his products. I adore their SPF day lotion. it’s the one of the 3 I have ever tried that doesn’t sting, clog pores, cause acne, or make my makeup slide off. Their Aloe-GlyC “trademark” product has also helped my larger pores deminish and has certainly decreased my melasma (skin discoloration due to hormones or aging).

I am so glad you brought up the well-rounded approach to looking at skin care. I certainly should have included more information in my statement above. I hope everyone accepts my apology for that.

Have a great rest of your week Susan and all the other Bionic Beauties out there!
Cheers,
Jami

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:33:55 +0000

I disagree with comment that your skin will get worse before it gets better when you try a new program. She just might have very sensitive skin. I was told that very same thing until I eliminated certain foods from my diet. But when I stopped using products that well meaning sales people tried to sell me I started experimenting with really good products. One of the best products that keeps my skin clear is philosophy. When you get older like me, you have heard it and tried it all,you find out that your hormones change and your skin will change too. I think natural cosmetics are great but they do contain irritants too and some of them do not work as well. I have never found a good product that fits into my pocket book. Too many of these products irritate my eyes too. Your body as well as your skin keeps changing, it makes it hard to stick with anything forever.

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:18:23 +0000

I didn’t ever suffer too much from acne. As I got older I have had cystic acne. If I try cheap brands of cosmetics that don’t clean well or have ingredients that I react to I will still get a break out or two. I have tried many products during the last twenty years. I find that cleansing is so important but I also found out that certain foods that I have eliminated from my diet have helped a lot, such as wheat, dairy and especially sugar will still cause a cystic out break. The problem that I now have is that they put wheat protein in so many cosmetics.

By: Bionic Beauty

Bionic Beauty — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:09:10 +0000

Hi Christina, I personally have used one of the at-home light therapy devices – http://bionic-beauty.com/starlite-laser-review/ . I had pretty good results, but I admit that I don’t use it much anymore. I’ve just really followed the steps I outlined in my links in the article to get mostly over mine.
Since mine had been around for so long and flared up with several types of acne (hormonal, cystic, white heads, blackheads, etc) I knew I was experiencing multiple problems and needed a more “natural” and holistic approach to my skin care regimen rather than all those creams and products that are loaded with chemicals and ingredients that actually CLOG pores worse and cause reactions that end in more acne (causing you to buy more product). It’s a vicious cycle to break. Keep experimenting, you’ll find something for cheap that works for you. just remember that when you get on an excellent program, your skin WILL get worse for 4-6 weeks before it gets better. It will have to detox all that bad congestion out.

I hope this helped somewhat. let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks for being a BB reader!
~Jami

By: Christina

Christina — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:46:22 +0000

I’ve been battling acne for over 22 years now. It’s hard. I’ve been to countless dermatologists, but they clear me up for a short time, then it reverts back. I’ve tried almost every over-the-counter acne medication with no luck. I’ve tried oral antibiotics along w/ prescription creams/lotions/gels with little luck. I’ve even tried Accutane which made me even worse than I started with & attributed to my scars on my cheeks. I am still trying to find something that will work for me. I would love to try the blue/red light therapy but they are just too expensive. Has this helped anyone?

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:26:10 +0000

I never got serious acne until my 20s, and it came as a shock. Mine, I think, was due to a combination of stress, sensitive skin, environment change (I moved from New England to the Southwest) and birth control. My skin’s now more sensitive than it was in my teens, and I have to be really careful what I use. I like the Alba Botanica marine line for face stuff (especially their night cream) and Mario Badescu buffering lotion for acne control. I use more face cream now — my acne was actually partially caused by my skin being too dry, which seemed crazy to me — and switched off generic birth control, which just didn’t work for my skin. And I only use mineral makeup (LOVE Purely Cosmetics, which has saved my vanity since my skin hates a lot of make-up). But I do have to be careful — and if a product isn’t marked hypoallergenic, I can’t use it (for example: a very bad example with Kate Somerville Eradikate, which caused HIVES all over my face… so uncomfortable and embarassing).

By: Stacy

Stacy — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:08:10 +0000

I have never had an issue with acne. Mine problem is super dry skin due to autoimmune diseases. My husband does have breakouts though at 31 so I do have to deal with his. It’s not as bad as some people but he still hates it.