Question:
I figured this would be the best place to to ask questions about this stuff.
I started noticing some "wrinkles" around my eyes a couple months ago. they're more like deep lines. Considering I'm about to turn 19, I think this is a little wierd. I definetly think its related to the fact that i don;t wear sun screen and i have pale skin.
My question is what is a good sunscreen for the face that won't clog my pours? also, would mosterizing help?-if so what brands? What do you guys use?
My second question concerns balckheads. I have quite a few on my nose, and under my eyes/top of cheek. I've been using St. Ive's Acne/Blackhead apricot scurb, and i like it alot. Although i rarely get pimples, when i do the scub helps to get rid of them. However, i don't think it's making much of a difference for the blackheads. I've tried the strips by Biore, with no results.
Do you guys have any suggestions for daily scubs, or anything else to inmporve one's skin in general? any information will be greatly appreciated.
My last question concerns acne on my chest. Ok, acne isn't really the right word. Its more like some white heads/pimples here and there, and I'm not a fan of them. Any way to get rid of these?
If it's any help, I use one of those backscrubbing things, like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/SOLID-WOOD-BATH-...cmdZViewI tem
I put Thermasilk shampoo on it to get a nice lather. Could it be the thermasilk's fault? As mentioned previously, i have a pretty clear complexition with no family history of pimples/acne. I also shower daily, proper health, yada yada yada...
Answers to any of these questions will be greatly appreciated!!!
Upstarter
P.S. Is there a spa in Los Angeles, preferably close to the South Bay (manhattan beach) that is relatively cheap (I'm a student) and that you would reccomend?


Answer:
Hi - looks like you haven't gotten an answer yet? PM me if you're around, still have these questions, and don't mind an answer from a woman.

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I'm looking for a fix for my blackheads too! MVH why don't you give us some tips here?

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Anything with BHA (salicylic acid) or retinol will help against blackheads. Have you tried those strips you put on your nose that rips out your blackheads? They're fun to use, but I'd recommend something with BHA or retinol to use in conjunction with them.

Answer:
Since you don't mind answers from a woman, I'll try to help you. First off, acne is different than blackheads. Acne is pimples, red bumps that pop up, sometimes only one or in a cluster. Blackheads are basically little black dots that you have to get really close up to see. They are common in the T-Zone, which is forehead, nose & chin. Acne (pimples) are caused by a very specific bacteria, P.Acnes, which Benzoyl Peroxide kills very nicely. Benzoyl Peroxide is available in many different Over The Counter medications. It comes in percentages of 2.5, 5, & 10%. You want to use the smallest concentration possible to start, which is 2.5. Then if it is not working, you can move up to 5%. Benzoyl peroxide can be drying to the skin which is why you want to save the 10% for last. You want to apply the benzoyl peroxide product only to the area(s) that you see pimples. Start off once a day, and build up to twice daily if needed. There is many inexpensive products with benzoyl peroxide in them at your drugstore, you just have to check the labels. I use a product, I think it's Stridex Power Pads, and they have 2.5% benzoyl peroxide in them. (It might be OXY Power Pads) You can get them at the drugstore, and they're fairly large wipes and they work well on the back and chest area also.
Now, blackheads are a little harder to deal with. They are actually a pore that is clogged, usually with oil & dead skin cells. When these two mix and sit in the pore, and are exposed to air, they turn black. You have the right idea with the scrub--but blackheads are deep in the pore--scrubs do not get that deep. That is where Saliclyic Acid comes in, also referred to as BHA, or Beta Hydroxy Acid. Saliclyic acid works best on blackheads because it is lipid-soluble, meaning it penetrates oil, which is what is blocking your pores. The catch is that BHA's work best in concentrations of 1% to 2% AND they need to be in a product with a pH of 3 to 4. I know it's very confusing, try being a woman! (Just joking) A good product to try that is not too expensive is Neutogena Rapid Clear Acne Treatment. You want to do the same thing you do with the benzoyl peroxide by using it once a day. If it starts getting dry, cut it back to once every other day. Or if you have no irritation, maybe twice a day. The important thing is that the first thing you put on your face after cleansing is the BHA, if it's the second or third, it will change the pH and not work correctly. There are very few salicylic acid products that are at the right pH, even at the department stores. The only way to check it to actually test the pH. Thew website at the end will help you. Some other important things to remember when deal with acne is to treat your skin gentle. Don't use anything with Alcohol, or menthol. They are both irritants and not good for skin. Remember to LISTEN to your skin.
Just so you know, I have oily skin that is also acne-prone. I have been reading just about everything to get mine under control. I still have a pimple pop up here and there, but not the way I used to. I think a lot of your problem might have something to do with your age. Hormone activity controls oil production in our skin, and at your age, your hormones might be working overtime. I know that I seen something somewhere about the bumps you on your chest, I can't quite remember where. When I find it I will let you know. Any questions that you have about acne or skin can be answered at www.cosmeticscop.com.. All of the BHA products that is sold at that website are at the right pH, they're at a very good price, and you can even order samples to try a few out. The woman who created that website has wrote several books. One of which I accredit my glowing skin to. Let me know how it works out. Message anytime. Good luck!
P.S. I read that many shampoo ingredient lists are very similar to body washes, but please stop using that on your body. Oh, I forgot to tell you, NEVER use bar soap on your face. It's so bad. The waxes that keep the soap in bar form will really clog up your pores! I personally don't use bar soap on my body either, just body wash. And you can find many inexpensive options of that at the drug store.

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I need help to identify and get rid of these. They appear on my nose most of the time, kinda like some yellow-color oil thingy that gets stuck in my pores, of which only the top part is visible while the rest of it is in my pore.
I would sometimes manually remove them (haven't found any other way), which results in gaping open pores. Any idea what these are called, and how to remove them properly?

Answer:
I am the opposite, I use bar soap on my body with *good* ingredients. I don't use the cheap soap in the grocery or drug store, those usually contain sodium tallowate, which is really beef tallow and can also cause a risk of mad cow, because they get that tallow from areas near the spine. I saw doctors warning about that, in the most recent scare.
You may be getting bumps from your shampoo, agree. Wash your hair first, then wash your face and body. Also use a good exfoliator for the body in the shower and one for your face, but not St. Ives. That is cheap and contains crushed apricot pits that are sharp and can damage skin. Even scrubbing with a washcloth helps rid the body of dead skin build up.
I like microdermabrasion for my face, twice a week. Neutrogena just came out with a new machine with sponge heads that are easy and cheap to replace. That will also help keep pores clean and dead skin off, avoid eye area. You can use it on your body, too, but I don't.
I totally agree about the salicylic acid for clogged pores and blemishes. I use Avalon Hydrating Lavender Toner, available at health food stores, drugstore.com, etc. My skin is dry and sensitive, works well, but I don't use it along with other harsh products, like aha's.
You can also check into Estee Lauder's Idealist serum, if you can afford it. It is a gentle, non greasy serum that contains glucosamine for exfoliation and wrinkles. It does not contain sunscreen, though. Ask for a sample. Another serum that is good for wrinkles, firming etc, is the Vitamin C one by Avalon and Desert Essence makes one called Age Reversal that contains sea algae and other great ingredients. They have a nice eye cream, too. Both available at health food stores or online, not too expensive. A friend of mine lent hers to her husband one night (he's in his late twenties) and people kept commenting on how great his skin looked. I would use them at night, you can alternate.
If you have skin damage from the sun or want to prevent it, you can use an olive oil based shower product. Perlier's Olive Oil is a favorite among the guys I know and my retired neighbor who had skin cancer swears by it, I gave him a bar right after his surgery and he was astonished at how fast and well his scars healed. They were on his face, but I don't usually use bar soap on my face. It has a fresh, herbally scent, they make other products to go with it. L'Occitane makes an exfoliating shower cream called Olive Harvest, it smells like a French Spa. Molton Brown makes a shower gel called Artic Birch that is also purported to prevent skin cancer. I think it smells orangey, but I never tried it.
My day cream with sunscreen costs a lot and is more appropriate for skin that needs firming, I doubt you do. It's Lancome Absolue and costs about $100. There are good ones around that are a lot cheaper, I just can't think of any at the moment.

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>>I would sometimes manually remove them (haven't found any other way), which results in gaping open pores. Any idea what these are called, and how to remove them properly?<<
They're just called clogged or even infected pores, as far as I know. You can manually remove them or use those pore strips. Follow with a toner or treatment that contains salicylic acid, like the one I mentioned, and then use a facial scrub and toner daily, to prevent further buildup.
Another good treatment to keep your pores small is a sugar mask. You can just wet your face, gently scrub some sugar (the natural kind from the health food store is best) until it melts, then leave it on for about 10 minutes and wash off really well.
Two sugar masks that I know of are:
Eminence Organics Sour Cherry Masque
Archipelago White Sugar and Mango Mask
I used the Eminence Sour Cherry, right after extraction and the lavender toner I mentioned, and it worked great! Costs more than plain sugar, though, but it has other ingredients in it, too. (That line is to die for, don't get me started, Ebayers grabbing it like hotcakes, too. When they do that, you know it's hot.) Lavender is also a natural antiseptic which kills bacteria, preventing blemishes caused by it, as well as infected pores. HTH!

Answer:
Just a follow up on this thread which i posted like 6 months ago.
I switched from Thermasilk to Dove body wash and sure enough the pimples on my chest disapeared, so that was easier than i thought.
For a moisturizer/sunblock, i bought John Allan's "FACE 15," and so far like it.
I will try to find scrubs that meet your guys' recommendations. Anything that could be bought in a drug stoe?
Thanks,
Upstarter