I’m so over my chin breaking out it’s not even funny. I’m pretty sure it’s hormone related, because whenever it’s PMS time, all hell breaks loose along my jaw.
Yup, thank goodness for concealer.
It’s actually been a little better lately (knock on wood). I think I may have found a rigamarole that works, at least for now.
First, I wash my face with Peter Thomas Roth Beta Hydroxy Acid 2% Acne Wash ($35), tone with Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion Clinique ($12.50), and then apply Kate Somerville Anti Bac Clearing Lotion ($39) in the morning or prescription 0.1 Differin Gel at night.
I also just recently started using another one of Kate’s products, Exfolikate ($19 for a trial-size 0.5-ounce tube), but I haven’t been using it for long. I’m hoping it vacuums out my pores with its salicylic acid and fruit enzymes.
Care to vent about a beauty issue you’re currently facing? Talk to me, and if you have any recommendations for chin breakouts, I’m all ears. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I hear ya! I’m sick of breaking out in general, though I do get more breakouts in the chin/jaw area. My entire face seems to be fair game though…I see one forming on my forehead ahhhh!
Hi Amiee,
Sorry to hear about your face breaking out. 🙁 What’s skin care products are you using?
I’ve been using this Stop the Spot gel from Sephora and it’s literally saved my skin, so many times. Miraculous stuff. http://i.imgur.com/vkjaJ.jpg
Just like you I get really sore hormonal spots on my chin and jawline but once I feel that tell tale pressure and sensitivity I slather this on. Within 2 days the pain is gone and crisis is averted.
It was less than $2 as far as I can remember. I’m in Dublin, Ireland with no Sephora locally but every time I get away I stock up.
I can’t recommend it enough x
Hi Susan,
I’ll have to see if my nearby Sephora carries this. Thanks for the ehads up!
I’m so sick of having oily/acne prone skin AND dry skin… simultaneously… in the same places. I swear whenever I tell someone this they look at me like I’m insane, but it’s true. Also my pores are massive. Also I have been sleeping like crap which makes my face look like a hot mess no matter what kind of make up I put on! Yeah… I think hot mess is the most appropriate phrase.
I have this same problem – you aren’t crazy! I’m oily, especially by midday to late-day, but otherwise can tend towards dry and even flaky. I have large pores, too. It bites.
I have this issue too! I have dry cheeks, and when they start to flake it is not cute. I never expected my skin to become combo in my 30s, because throughout my teens and 20s I’d always had oily skin.
Karen, I’ve been dealing with hormonal breakouts lately too, and random internet surfing has led me to something that actually worls on those nasty, giant, painful, there-for-three-weeks-and-won’t-come-to-a-head cystic pimples: calamine lotion! You can’t use Caladryl, it has to be the original pink liquid (I bought a Target store brand). You just dab it on the pimple and leave it overnight. It really shrinks and reduces redness, and a couple have actually come to head for me, though mostly they just shrink down and clear up in two or three days with continued use. It is a little drying but not as bad as sulfur treatments and it’s not smelly or smeary once it dries. I’ve NEVER found anything that’s effective on cysts before and I want to tell the whole world!
My pet gripe right now is that at 35 my skin is starting to show signs of aging – fine lines, sun spots, dryness, a crease or two – but I can’t do anything about it because if I stop with my acne regimin, my face turns into a Pimple House Party. So I have to decide if I want younger pimplly skin or clear old-lady skin. No fair!!
Lush used to have (not sure if they still do) a calamine based bar cleaner that you could use to wash your face or even wet a bit of it and rub it directly into the pimple and leave it on for a while (clay mask style).
Hi MN,
Interesting! I’ll have to look into that.
Hi Rebecca,
How interesting! I was looking up products from Mario Badescu the other night and noticed that a few of the acne ones contained calamine lotion. I’ll have to look into this, stat.
What’s your skin care routine like these days?
Sorry to hear about your jawline breakouts! Some of that could actually be from your phone, coincidentally, considering the photo!
My beauty issue currently is breakouts on the hollows of my cheeks and on my temples. It’s where I put bronzer, but any bronzer, not just one brand. It’s driving me nuts!
That and the fact that my hair isn’t cooperating lately – it’s flat as all heck!
Hi Jenn!
LOL, I actually use a headset. This is more for pics…
Hmm, how often do you wash your bronzer brush? That may be playing a part…
I wash it weekly, and I wash all of my brushes the same way weekly. And that seems to be the only area for breakouts! Major sadness. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one with this problem, though.
Jenn i have the same problem! I always thought it was crazy- literally, my left cheek hollow always has a cluster of bumps (like pimples, but they don’t look like a normal pimple, just kind of a flesh colored bump). I was using the Nars Casino bronzer, switched to a couple different ones and no avail 🙁
Yeah, what the heck!! I’ve used several different bronzer brushes and wash all of my brushes the same way (with ivory bar soap, thoroughly rinse until water runs clear). I’ve used several bronzers – from NYC Sunny to Nars Laguna to Tarte’s Park Ave Princess and bumps are still there. I think it may still be left over from when I used to wash my brushes in Johnson’s baby shampoo – that was a disaster for my skin and it took me several months to realize it!
Hormonal breakouts and redness… *sigh* I thought acne ended with adolescence. wrong!
I know! It’s a cruel joke.
My daughter just started using Lush Cupcake face mask. They sad it would help with hormonal breakouts and I do think it’s helped her.
My peeve right now is that my undereye dark circles are even harder to deal with now that those dreaded fine lines have started! Concealer tends to look cakey as it rests on those lines. Ugh!
Hi Nina T,
I know what you mean about concealer. What are you using right now? I’ve found that MAC Pro Longwear Concealer mixed with a little bit of their Care Blends Essential Oil works wonders for my dark circles. I get the coverage that I like without the cakey look.
I never had much breakouts during high school, but I’m in my 20s now and I’m get hormonal breakouts (the week right before my period). I’ve been using Neutrogena Rapid Clear Foaming Scrub with 2% Salicylic Acid (cleanser), Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion (toner), Neutrogena
Rapid Wrinkle Repair (eye cream), Lancome Bienfait Aqua Vital Lotion (moisturizer), Clean & Clear Persa Gel 10 (spot treatment). I don’t use a moisturizer that contains Salicylic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide all over my face because that can over dry my skin and cause even more breakouts. I just use the Clean & Clear Persa Gel 10 as a spot treatment on areas where there are acne. Once I hit my 30s, I probably won’t have a problem with acne, but will have to deal with wrinkles, which is even tougher to “fix.” *sigh*
Hi Joyce,
Knock on wood! I didn’t expect to get acne in my 30s, but bam, here it is! I hope it doesn’t happen to you.
Currently, as I type this, my whole face is clear except my chin, which breaks out all the time! I am extremely oily there! It’s been getting a lot better since I’ve started using the Clinique Three Step System in #4. That clarifying lotion was a gift from God itself!
Hi Nadege!
Clinique makes some good toners/clarifying lotions. How long have you been using three step?
I have an under-the-skin blemish next to my left eyebrow, and it hurts so badly! I don’t break out often, but when I do, it’s the under-the-skin kind! I’m also very fair, and the redness really contrasts! So I’m stopping using my new sunscreen to see if that’s the issue (but I’ll of course use a different sunscreen that I don’t react to). I don’t think it’s my new-ish foundation, MUFE Mat Velvet+… I really hope it’s not anyway, because they have the perfect color for my skin!
Hydrocortisone cream is what I use for the big honkers, along with salicylic acid. Like you, Karen, I’m a huge fan of the Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion. I have dry, very sensitive skin, and this is the best exfoliant for me. AHAs and I do NOT get along!
Sunscreens and my facial skin do not always get along, but I’m a ginger who’s had too many sunburns, I wear the stuff religiously.
Hi Chelsea,
Isn’t that Clinique Lotion the BEST? And it’s super affordable. Really, it’s a hidden gem from the line.
Sorry to hear about the under-the-skin blemish. When I get those painful ones , two Advil and a warm compress helps to relieve the pain.
I have three pimples right now, and one of them keeps repeatedly coming to a whitehead.
I hope they go away soon!
i want these dark spots to fade! my skin looks so lovely when even toned and I just don’t get why they aren’t gone by now. blech!
Hi Vonnie,
What products are you currently using to get a more even tone? I’m curious!
I’m 31 and also am prone to cystic breakouts on my chin. I think I finally have a handle on it though. I use Dr. Brandt’s Pores No More Cleanser (not the vacuum cleanser, the regular one), Super By Perricone Brightening Toner (the one with melon cartenoids), and use Soap and Glory’s Clear here moisturizer (for summer, it is too drying for winter/fall). Also, on a whim I tried Bliss’s Correcting Serum and it works! I’ve tried other products in the $75-200 range and they did absolutely nothing (including the much over hyped Clinique dark spot corrector), but this little gel is $21 and works wonders. It took maybe 2-3 weeks to notice a difference and I’m horrible about using it every day. I maybe use it 2-3 times a week and I’ve definitely noticed a change so it’s worth a try!
Also, I notice that the less carbs and sugar I eat the less I break out on my chin.
Hi Courtney,
Thanks for the heads up on all those products! I’m headed to the Bliss spa next month so I’ll look out for the Correcting Serum.
I too have noticed that what I eat seems to make a difference. When I lay off the dairy, my face seems to be less moody.
I hate that my foundation disappears so fast! primers are gross to me and i want my foundation to be light. I am loving the new BB creams but they have very limited choices. I also hate when my mascara flakes off. hate it!
Hi Jess,
Have you tried MAC’s BB cream? It’s pretty good!
Oh, I hear you on the hormonal breakouts. Sooo annoying! If I just have one or two zits, I dab on some Mychelle’s Clear Skin Serum. If it’s more of an all over thing, I use Derma-E’s Tea Tree & E Antiseptic Creme. The Tea Tree clears up the zits, and the vitamin E hydrates my dry-ish skin and soothes irritation. My skin usually clears up in a night or two with that.
Right now I’m really annoyed with the wrinkles and general roughness around my eyes. All the stress in my life the past few months have made my eye area age dramatically.
Hi Heidi,
Oh, I know what you mean. Whenever my life gets stressful it always, always shows up in my skin. My dark circles seem that much darker and the brightness/glow disappears.
How’s the job hunt been? Any new prospects on the horizon?
Hi to Missy from Tabs!
The job hunt has definitely been on hold since Mom passed away. I was fortunate enough to get her life insurance settled quickly and that’s what I’m getting by on for now. Once I’ve given myself a chance to heal from everything I will have a better idea of what I want to do.
Hormonal breakouts are the woooooorst! I had one that was plaguing me for literally two months on my forehead… it would not budge or come to a head. I was using OTC spot treatments, Clarisonic, everything, even used Tazorac. I finally did a little research and tried tea tree oil… BAM! That bugger flattened itself out in literally 2 days. You should try it! It’s also really good for after you pop a pimple.
Hi Steph,
I’ve heard that it works great for some people! Is there a particular brand you like?
Hormonal chin breakouts are also my nemesis. The only thing I have found to help at all is using Proactive repairing lotion on my chin only. If I use it anywhere else, it majorly dries my skin out. But it seems to keep the zits at bay around my jawline. I just use it once per day, at night. It does stain sheets and towels because of the BP, which is a bummer, but I like it all the same.
Hi Kellie,
I used to use that a few years back, but it stopped working for me. 🙁 I was never to crazy about the scent, either.
Have you ever tried anything else from the Proactive line? I used the face wash, toner and repairing lotion back in 2005 and had really good results.
I might get one or two breakouts on my jaw line, but most of mine happen alone my hairline. That bothers me more than the jaw ones. And it seems to just get worse as I get older and always hormonal.
Hi Rae,
Do you use hair spray? I used to get those back back in my teens, when I used a ton of hairspray to keep my bangs high. One thing I used to do was cover up my face with a magazine before applying the hairspray. It seemed to help lessen the breakouts.
Nope, I’m not that into hair products, I just flat iron. It’s always around my period so I just assume it’s hormone related
Dont even get me started on this topic! My eyeliner/mascara always smudges underneath my eye, my gel liner is turning grey on me, my foundation hasnt hid anything…
Hi Olivia,
Have you tried swiping your mascara brush against a tissue before applying? I’ve noticed that when I remove the excess I get less smudging.
Does battling extra weight count as a beauty issue? I think it is, ’cause it really affects the way I see myself and feel about myself. I am at the beginning of a long journey, I think, but months from now I hope I look back and appreciate the better, healthier decisions I’ve started to make recently 🙂
Hi Anna,
I’ve lost a little bit of weight since the start of the year. It’s not easy, but you can get there. I’ve noticed that what really helped me was to track what I was eating and my workouts. I use an app on my phone called My Fitness Pal. I heard about it from a friend, and it’s amazing! It’s easy to use and really helps keep me accountable and on track!
I definitely tend to break out on my chin – what drives me crazy is that I get scarring from it! But I finally found something that works pretty reliably for me. It’s a prescription gel called EpiDuo, that’s basically adapalene in the same concentration you’re currently using but combined with benzoyl peroxide. It does increase my skin sensitivity though, and I definitely have to clarisonic the next morning to prevent my skin from getting dull when I use it. Might be worth a try for you though, depending. I tried everything else and this is the only thing that reliably works.
On another note, my skin has been so dull lately! Usually adapalene (differin) makes my skin so bright and well textured, but it looks/feels so dull despite that. I used Lush’s BB Seaweed facemask, which usually works to brighten/soften my skin for a week for me (it’s AMAZING, totally recommend) but it only brightened me up for a couple days and I feel like it’s a bad idea to do a facemask more than once a week, right?
Any suggestions you have for brightening/improving the texture of skin would be welcome, because I’m at a loss.
Using a Clarisonic has really helped my skin, I rarely get breakouts anymore and my skin generally looks brighter and fresher. Expensive but worth it!
Have you tried La Roche Posay Effaclar K? I started using it a couple of months ago because I had a HUGE hormone-induced spot on my chin, and I’m going to knock on wood, but I haven’t had any of those ever since! I use it on my T zone (and chin) day and night before my BB cream/lotion, and if I see some little spots forming I dab it on a bit thicker in the area before bedtime. It helps them go away really fast! Also, the blackheads on my nose have been really under-control too. I hope they’ll DISAPPEAR altogether if I stick to this for long enough!
My skin is basically oily but the skin under my lips is starting to get dry and exfoliate. I’ve tried to apply Nivea cream every night after cleansing my face but it doesn’t work.
Being 7 months pregnant I am not supposed to use any product that will fight my acne. I had finally found the best acne product that worked for me, Patricia Wexler Acne Serum from Bath & Body Works, but it has salicylic acid which is a no-no. So on top of feeling as big as a whale, my skin is a disaster! I agree with everyone, aren’t you not supposed to have acne after turning 30?
I hear you! I was stuck using only my sulfur-based spot treatment when I was preggers. Nature paid me back my sticking with pregnancy melasma, the remains of which I’m still fighting to get rid of 2-1/2 years later.
My right eye is all wonky from my allergies, which are especially bad this year. It has gotten so hard to line my right eye that I have forsworn eyeliner for the past month or so. :-/
PMS time for me too. And yes, I too have a massive pimple on my chin. It hurts.
Other than that my face seems uneven and I am useless in contouring so I don’t have a clue about how to make it seem mor symmetrical.
I’ve battled acne etc. for some time now, and for me, it is totally stress related. Exercising helps reduce the stress and clear up my skin, so does laying off dairy. Right now I am loving Boscia’s black cleanser, it has worked wonders for me. I also use K.Sommerville exfolikate, and the anti-bac lotion. Peter Thomas Roth has a great spot treatment, it’s my favorite thing from his line. If you catch one right away and apply PTR’s stuff, it really helps. I’m going to look into Clinique’s clarifying lotion. I hate to hear all of us struggling with acne, but it makes me feel like I’m not alone! XOXO
I’ve started putting a bit of Neosporin ointment on the hormonal cyst waiting about 30 minutes and then topping it with the spot treatment du jour. The anti-bacterial properties of the first aid ointment seem to really do wonders in conjunction with the acne treatment.
I’m in my late 30’s and I agree that dealing with pimples at this stage blows! LOL!
I have a couple bumps along my jawline too. Yaaaaay periods!
I’m pretty new to the beauty world, so I think my biggest problem right now is not having time to try stuff out and practice my application! I’m very slowly figuring out a good skincare routine that I can handle doing every day, and I’d like to get better at applying the mineral foundation I got recently – I love what it does for me and the way it feels on, but I end up looking powdery sometimes, especially under the eyes. But between my long commute, work, and night school, this fun process of beauty discovery is going pretty slowly 🙂
(Also, hi Karen! Your blog had been making me smile for months but I haven’t commented before. You and Tabs always brighten my day!)
Okay – this is so totally ME. Up until about a month ago and I got LAZY and just was taking off my makeup with Ponds Cold Cream. And gone are my constant one or two pimples here and there and along my chin. I slather on the cold cream and rinse off with a wash cloth. I then put on the Murad Post-Acne Spot Lightening Gel. That’s it! I do use Exfolikate (iLove) and in the AM, I use my Mia & either PanOxyl (depending on breakouts. You can find it at Walgreens) or my Purity.
I have STOPPED the toner (I used one with Salicylic (Neutrogena) and think it was just too much for my skin. I also use PersaGel 10 (another drugstore find) and second the Neosporin ointment on open acne.
Now if I could just fall in love with a day moisturizer with SPF – I’d be good. I cannot find one that I LOVE.
Acne here too… I had great skin all through high school and college, and then I started getting cystic acne on my chin. I tried a lot of different things (topical stuff, supplements, etc) and did a ton of research online and I thought it might be related to my diet. I kept track of possible allergens I was eating and my skin condition in a spreadsheet, and I gradually able to determine that soy was causing the problem. Specifically, soybean (vegetable) oil. My skin has been a lot better since I figured that out and have been avoiding soy, but it’s actually much harder than I originally thought because soy is in everything. If a restaurant cooks with vegetable oil, I won’t be able to eat pretty much anything on their menu. I have actually brought my own oil to a restaurant before so that I could eat with a group of friends that had chosen the place. It is completely insane and a huge pain in the butt, but I can see the changes in my skin, so I guess it’s worth it. Now I just have to focus on getting rid of the scarring and redness from 3 years of acne on my chin (and I have very fair skin).
Dairy here. I really have to watch it. No more than one serving a day and I am okay. 2 days of huge glasses of milk at dinner and I get a bad breakout in a few days.
Interesting about soy.
I want to second Katherine’s comment. Karen, please please please consider going on an elimination diet! I had terrible acne, especially on my chin and jawline. It constantly ached, looked terrible, and made me feel absolutely disgusting. At my lowest point, I was crying myself to sleep over it. (Over pimples. At age 28.) Out of desperation, I tried making one dietary modification–I cut out dairy after reading about how milk, intended to facilitate the growth of baby mammals, has proteins in it that can contribute to inflammation. My acne didn’t go away, but cutting out dairy seemed to take the edge off. Weirdly, my usual period symptoms got better! My breasts simply weren’t sore any more. I had been skeptical, but by this point I was intrigued, and so I tried cutting out other things–soy, eggs, gluten, refined sugar, and nuts. After months of experimenting, today I am on a 100% gluten-free, soy-free, low glycemic index diet. Nuts, eggs, and soy are fine for me. I discovered that gluten was a huge culprit–and even then, it took me weeks to give up bread. It’s awful, but trust me, it’s worth it. For skin care, twice a day I apply a benzoyl peroxide gel and then rinse it off. This is a dramatic simplification from my previous regimen, which included antibiotics and several different topical medications. I find that applying BP twice a day gives my skin an extra boost of clarity, but it is not strictly necessary. Today, I have crystal clear porcelain skin with only some mild scarring around my mouth to suggest that it wasn’t always like that. I don’t even break out around my period. (I’ve actually gotten comments from strangers on how “lucky” I am to “have such pretty skin.” If only they knew!) Giving up foods you love and everyone else thinks are “healthy” in moderation is a challenging and at times awful thing to do, but the peace of mind is worth it.
Oops! I meant to write that I am on a gluten-free, DAIRY-free, low GI diet. Sorry about that!
Hmmm, ok, serious beauty issue actually isn’t skin (I think I’ve the sweet spot for my skincare regime which is kinda lengthy, but I always get complimented on my skin these days as opposed to the days when I had cystic acne so bad I scarred). Anyways, my beauty issue is hair! I have oily roots, flakes, but wavy, dry hair. I’ve tried using Wen and Sally’s One haircare, but those have made the flakes worse and the dry hair hasn’t gotten better. I look wistfully back to the days when my hair used to shine w/ little to no effort on my part.
Hi Stephanie,
I have dealt with scalp issues for many years (though on and off), and I found for flakes tea tree oil (which is in some shampoos) works well. Only problem with it is if you have dyed hair, it can fade or alter the dye. Head and Shoulders works well if it’s just a flake and not a psoriasis or seborrhea dermatitis (which looks similar to psoriasis but is mostly on the scalp and the scalp will be red, irritated and flaky) issue. For the dry hair part, you may actually want to try argan oil on the ends. There are many companies that make argan oil in their products much cheaper than the Moroccan Oil company. Dove just came out with some good stuff with argan oil. Hope this helps – my experience is from both personal and taking care of patients with these issues.
Katherine G
Hi Katherine G,
Thanks for the feedback. I was trying to stay away from shampoos w/ sulfates, but b/c of the flakes, I’ve been alternating Head and Shoulders w/ a sulfate free shampoo from Trader Joe’s. (I don’t believe I have psoriasis or seborrhea dermatitis.)
I had tried co-washing, but that just didn’t work out for me (maybe I’m doing it wrong). My hair wasn’t dry anymore, but I my hair wouldn’t have any volume (and yes, I did try rinsing for an extra long time to wash out all the conditioning). Plus I still had flaking issues.
You’re absolutely right about the argan oil on the ends. I had gotten a sample of Josie Maran argan oil from Sephora which worked pretty well and had bought a small bottle of Moroccan Oil company oil. What was weird was that the Josie Maran oil seemed to work better, but for all intents and purposes it’s the same oil so that shouldn’t be the case. Since you mentioned Dove’s product, I’ll have to give that a try b/c despite the fact that I’ll drop serious $$$ for the facial products I use, I just can’t bring myself to buy a small, $30 bottle of shampoo.
In any case, I was hoping to avoid the using additional oils in my hair and just try to manage the flakes and dry hair w/ what I was cleansing with. THanks again for the advice!
-Stephanie
Hello, my frustration right now is that I can not find a good foundation that photographs well. I already asked Karen for help but I still didn’t get good results. Mac Studio Sculpt is my fav foundation but pictures are horrible. I took one on Sunday, under natural light, professional camera (family picture) and there it was again, white cast on my face. I have tried bronzer all over, bronzer just to contour, careblend powder, everything! And the foundation is a perfect match to my skin, so I just don’t get what the problem is. The pictures with my cell phone are the worst!!! So I might just stop using foundation since I am so frustrated!
On the acne note, I had a lot of breakouts on my forehead, a lot! Until I discover this website that changed my life!!! Literally changed my life! My skin is clear, better tone, still a little oily, but much better than before. The website is paulaschoice.com and she also has another website, beautypedia.com where she reviews almost every skin/makeup product. I do not use anything that she does not recommend. She did a lot of shows with Oprah and I really trust her advice. The webiste has a bunch of tips, information and intertesting articles on how to take care of your skin. What I like the most is that even though she has her own line of products, she also recommends other brands, so that says a lot about her. Check it out and hopefully your breakouts/skin problems start going away for good!
I tend to get cystic acne, which tends to be worse around my period. It typically comes around on my chin, near my lips, and on my forehead, and before I started out using retinol and an exfoliating scrub, those zits would last for a solid month and I’d literally do everything to get rid of them. If I lapse from my routine in the slightest, I will definitely get a zit. I have to be consistent every night and every morning. I also get the dry cheeks, and my Aveeno lotion helps with dryness without clogging my pores.
I’ve dealt with a lot of skin issues, from a severe allergy that caused me to have to go on 2 courses of prednisolone and experience hair loss on half of my head, to psoriasis on my scalp (that comes every 3 to 4 years) that required tea tree oil and prescription creams and serums to fix. The allergy funnily enough was from the 17 year cicadas. I couldn’t wear makeup for 2 months because my skin was so red and irritated, and I even had to be careful with any hair products because of the hair loss (the skin irritation went from my temples to above my ears – I could part my hair but not pull it straight back because of the loss on either side). But, my point is that any issue can be fixed with a willingness to try anything new. Sometimes you might have to see a dermatologist for a fix.
I’m trying to find a good make-up remover that won’t sting my eyes. Every one that I’ve tried makes the skin around my eyes very painful and dry. You can see how my skin changes consistency from normal on my cheeks and forehead to crinkly and irritated around my eyes due to the make-up removers I have tried…. do you have any suggestions for something EXTRA gentle?
Have you tried neutragina oil free eye makeup remover?It leaves my skin mousturized and it gets everything off really well!
Physiogel cleanser works fine as a makeup remover; dab it on a cotton and wipe your eye makeup off with it. Does not sting at all! Soap-free, fragrance-free, oil free. You can use it without water or wash your face with it like a normal cleanser. Cetaphil works in the same way too 🙂
I have had a lot of bouts recently with acne which I attribute also to hormones in addition to stress. In the mornings I use Purpose Cleanser and at night I use Clearsil Ultra and every 2-3 days exfoliate with Clinique Exfoliating Scrub. I love the Scrub because it warms up and feels nice as you rub it in and it also does a good job minimizing pores. I have also found that when I use Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask ~2X week and Boscia Luminizing Black Mask ~ 1X week it really helps the appearance of my skin. The Mint Julep Mask really does help minimize redness on my face and decrease the size of my pimples if I have any at the time. The Boscia Mask is a peel and it does kind of feel like it’s ripping skin off of your face, however at the same time I like the feel (weirdo) 🙂 and it does an amazing job at diminishing pores! For moisturizer, I use Josie Maran Argon Oil at night and Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer during the day and I love both. I get oily and neither of these items add to the oil slick!
THANK YOU! It is totally uncanny that you posted this today. Not two hours ago did I look in the mirror to find a monster zit on my chin! It’s been too long since I’ve been on a Sephora run, but I may need to pick up the PTR Acne Wash, since my Neutrogena has failed me once again. Also, I’d love to hear how ExfoliKate works for you. I’ve heard it’s supposed to be absolutely phenomenal. Hope it lives up to the hype!
Eye make up is something I’ve never figured out. I can kinda do eyeliner and mascara but shadow not so much. Trips to make up counters have not left me with results I like – looking for browns, given lavender, or simply left looking more drag queen than I asked for. Maybe I should try again.
I have reaaaally craaaazy combination skin. And it doesn’t help that I live in a very hot and humid country. My nose and forehead gets really oily but my cheeks and eye area (including the middle of my eyes) tends to get dry and flaky. Most moisturizers make me greasy, but if I do skip moisturizer, I get flaky with red blotches all over. I’ve been using Benefit’s Total Moisture and It’s Potent! eye cream, and they’ve just made the problem worse. So I took to reading about what goes into facial moisturizers and makeup, and it’s probably sun damage (I never use sunscreen). So I’m looking for a good moisturizer for combination skin with SPF that won’t leave me looking like an oil slick. Any suggestions? 🙂