beautiful skin

In my last post I mentioned the rediscovery of the steam pot tradition. It was something I faithfully used to relieve sinus pressure and occasionally subscribed to for at home Saturday facials. Well here are a few added bonuses for you acne sufferers out there.

First. Relax. Understand that acne is treatable. You may never solve the root causes but you can treat the symptoms like any other condition. Now if you find anything I mention here offensive, just remember that I am not a dermatologist. Any advice presented is for the purpose of blogging my own successes and failures in the treatment of the various skin disorders that make it next to impossible for me to use prescription medications. Most medications have the potential to work. The trouble is getting them to the target, which is beneath the skin layers where acne is rooted.

Second. Know your skin. You have to know what it is that doesn't work. In my discoveries, as I have mentioned, I suffer with at least three conditions: acne, rosacea, and eczema. They each require very specific treatments. You have to find the treatment that guards you against them all with the least amount of irritation. One thing I know for sure is that there will be a presentation of one or all of my conditions on a regular basis. My skin is not flawless and I do not expect that it will be. But I can minimize the outbreaks.

Third. You need a cleanser and an exfoliate. You need a toner. You need a topical medication. You need a natural oil for moisturizing.

I have used a varied amount of soaps and truly there is not one that works better than the rest. I simply tried what I heard would work, like a product junkie. I do know that what works for one may not work for others. Find one that cleanses with the most natural products. I am moving towards 'less is more' even with my hair care. Don't judge me. LOL. My favorite soaps are the Sulfur Bar, Ambi Complexion Bar, and Cetaphil Anti-Bac bar.

My favorite exfoliates are the buff, Ambi Even & Clear, St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub, and Boots Botanics Purifying Face Scrub. Anything else shows redness and irritation. These three items I could exchange for the other, budget dependent.

My favorite toners are a low grade alcohol, tea tree oil, Vitamin C splash, and Witch Hazel.

My topical solutions are any 10% benzoyl peroxide or 1-2% salicylic acid. My oils are vitamin E or Bio oil. I also use Ambi fade cream for even skin. It contains vitamin E and a sunscreen.

Fourth. After cleansing skin daily up to two times at least 8 hours apart, I steam it before or after soap cleansing. In the morning I steam it first. In the afternoon I steam it after. This is need dependent. Sometimes I even skip the bar cleansing if I do not leave the house. The steam is incredible. I like to use my citrus peels and a tea bag. This is green tea or peppermint. Any one you choose should be fine. After wiping gently away any loose particles using my toner, I steam again. Repeat the process up to three times. On the final I do not use a toner but gently apply my topical. My pores are open and the topical can go where it needs to do the most good, not sit on the top of the skin and irritate it. A light film to cover the entire face will do fine. Since my skin is wet from the steam only a tiny bit will go a long way. It dries as the moisture dries. Make sure to avoid the eye area but go to the edges of your face and even your neck if troubles are there too. Wait 10-15 minutes and apply your oil. Fade creams should not be applied in conjunction with benzoyl peroxide to avoid irritation.

If you follow this and it shows break outs that seem uncontrollable, do not lose your patience. Any treatment will follow with worsened conditions as your skin adjusts. I experienced this and was about to throw it all away until I realized in photos how much more my skin improved. I love how youthful it looks. Try not to: over dry your skin with product, irritate your skin by over scrubbing it during exfoliation, or rub excessively when applying toner. Be gentle with your skin. Pretend you are wiping over the membrane of an egg yolk, without breaking the seal.

Remember, you cannot clear imperfections (scarring) until you treat the irritations (acne, rosacea, eczema). After you get your irritations under control, you will begin to see your skin improve gradually even before the use of fade creams. Give it at least 30 days but follow a strict guideline. You have to follow the guide or else you cannot truthfully say it did not work. Patience.

skin...the traits we inherit

I guess it is hormones. I know the truth. Heredity plays a significant role in what you deal with or choose to ignore. As I have aged, it is remarkable how much my appearance is growing to favor that of my parents. At 12, I had this tree growing on my back. Of course it did not sprout roots or give fruit. It certainly needed pruning. Actually, it needed to be gone and fast. Dermatologists and my mother's careful loving hang, I was able to recover from my first bout with an eczema scar. Eczema? Yes, I call it my father's DNA. Years, later eczema is not the only disorder I have encountered in the Atopy triad. At 17, I encountered my first bout with hay fever, not to mention countless skin irritations that seemed to come out of no where. My skin was hypersensitive to everything. If something touched my hands, and my hands reached my face, a new outbreak would occur. For years, I believed the battle of teenage acne would end and a new life would emerge, allergy free.

Wrong.

In my mid to late 30's asthma reared its ugly head, eczema was in full bloom, and the return of acne. Acne has no relation to the triad, but if I mismanage the treatments for the triad, acne is a viable result. After nearly two decades of virtually being acne free, I was shelving out money for prescriptions that were deemed 'new' and 'cutting edge' but gave little results. I grew frustrated with my condition and even more so with my dermatologists. A few simple self-care, at-home treatments resolved my issues.

Then came the 40's...

Hormone struggles are officially added to my list of 'causes' for skin irritations and the return of acne. However, this round, I do not intend to shelve out money to a dermatologist. My skin has been erratic for the last 7 years. I would say the late 30's forward. It is tricky. I have to basically stay consistent and try at best not to over clean it. Now that I am outside a lot running, I have to keep it cleaner but without soap. Same goes for my hair. I cannot over dry or risk overproduction of sebum. My skin follows the same protocol.

A simple steam pot with vitamin c added, along with herbs, teas, etc. but not necessary, helps to open my pores allowing me to cleanse them and treat them instead of just the surface of my skin. This is so cheap and certainly not a recommendation by dermatologists, hence another reason I find the medical profession/insurance community laughable.