Friday 21 September 2012

My Skin Care Regimen for Acne-prone, Oily, Sensitive Skin

Everyone wants healthy, glowing, beautiful skin but not everyone is blessed with it. After years of being a hamster, trying different products and methods that will work for my skin type, I'm here to share with you some of what I've learned and discovered - my skin care regimen for acne-prone, oily, sensitive skin. To read my personal story on acne, please do continue reading. If you're solely interested in the skin care regimen, just skip the next paragraph because my "brief" acne story might be long enough to bore you. Teehee.

I had pimples as early as grade school, worsened in high school and now, in my 20s, it's terrible more than ever. I don't just have ordinary acne but I have cystic acne - a lot of it. Some of my acne can't be seen but if you touch my face, you'll be able to feel the cystic acne that can be as big as almost a size of a 5 peso coin (not exaggerating). This acne dilemma is not only painful physically but also socially and emotionally. If you also have acne, I believe you would strongly agree with me. I have very oily, sensitive and acne-prone skin. In the middle of the day, I had to use two (yes that's 2) of the blue oil-absorbing sheets of a popular brand here in the Philippines. The amount of oil on my face is more than enough to make the blue oil-absorbing sheet turn completely transparent. 

My face is also sensitive that I really have to be careful with the products that I use that's why I read the ingredients label of the products that I use not just for my skin but for my hair too. 

Here are some of the ingredients that I avoid because my face reacts to them very badly.

Synthetic Fragrance/Parfum,phthalate
found in shampoos, conditioners, cosmetics etc. 
It irritates sensitive skin a lot.

Bismuth Oxychloride
a lot of commercially available face powders, foundation, concealer contain this skin irritant. 

Mineral oil, dimethicone, petrolatum, paraffin
these are usually found in moisturizers and cosmetics. 
These cause premature aging and can clog pores, can instantly give more acne especially if we have the same skin type!

SLS/SLES (sodium lauryl sulfate / sodium laureth sulfate)
ALS/ALES (ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate)
most shampoos contain this and could really irritate the skin (if you're getting body acne especially on your back and shoulders, this might be the culprit)





There are a lot more of ingredients to avoid 
not just because of acne but also ones that can cause internal problems and even cancer. 


I encourage you to read the label and start protecting yourself from these ingredients. Inform your family and friends too - you might just save their lives.


Now that you're informed about the ingredients to avoid, here are the products that I discovered that don't contain ingredients that make me breakout so bad. 

The typical skin care regimen is cleanse, tone and moisturize but what about for people with acne-prone, oily and sensitive skin? My skin care regimen is influenced by Dan's regimen (see www.acne.org) but being emotionally and socially damaged because of acne, I really can't leave our house without any makeup on so I did some changes with respect to Dan's regimen.

What I do is precleanse, cleanse, tone, treat and moisturize.






Precleanse
I have to do this to remove traces of makeup and excess oil before I cleanse.
You may skip this part if you didn't or don't put makeup on. 

I put about 2-3 pumps of Human Nature Sunflower Cleansing Oil onto my palm, massage it on my skin gently and wipe it off with facial tissue.

Cleanse
I use Human Nature Nourishing Facial Wash, it's an organic facial wash made for normal or sensitive skin. 
It contains tomato extract which helps soothe and repair skin. This facial wash doesn't sting nor itch my skin.
I love the way it makes my skin feel squeaky clean without it feeling dry and without making my skin experience redness after too.

Before the next step, make sure your skin is already dry and make sure your face towel is clean. You may use a facial tissue for drying your skin or just have it air-dried.

Tone
To make sure that makeup has been really removed, I tone my skin with Human Nature Nourishing Toner to compliment with the facial wash.
What I also love about this toner is that it contains not only tomato extract, but also chamomile, lavender and rosemary that are perfect for treating inflamed acne. 
If you put too much toner (like toning twice or more in a row), it gives a sticky feel so don't put too much! The toner sometimes stings but I think what was stung are some scars from acne. :o

Treat
5-10 minutes after toning (enough time for the toner to be absorbed by the skin), this is where Dan's regimen highlight comes in - 2.5% benzoyl peroxide.
I apply a generous amount of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide on the whole face to prevent and treat acne.
I use Benzac 2.5% and it can be bought in Mercury Drug stores or Watson's for around P650 if I'm not mistaken. 

UPDATE: Benzac 2.5% and Benzac 5% now available for only P570 and P585, respectively, at The Donya Poorita MiniShop.

Moisturize/Moisturize with at least SPF 15
Wait for 15-20 minutes before applying your moisturizer. 
This is the time you give your skin to absorb the benzoyl peroxide. 
Also, applying the moisturizer earlier would make spreading it on the face hard - it's like tugging with your skin. 
In the morning, I use Neutrogena Moisturizer with SPF 15 while before bedtime, I use Human Nature Night Moisturizing Cream with plant collagen. 


It's just been around a week since I started this skin care regimen of mine and so far, I'm seeing good results. I took photos around my jaw line because that's where my worst acne are at right now.



As you can see, the small pimples were treated very fast while the size of the big ones are reduced. Acne marks and scars are left - that's another dilemma that I tackled temporarily at another post (click here to see). If you can't stand to go out of your house with those acne marks, you gotta read this post. 


I'll update this post for more pictures, don't worry. I hope this skin regimen works for me for a very long time... and so for you too. Do you also have some acne stories to share? Any questions? Please do let us know!

UPDATE! (October 31, 2012)

I'm really sorry for the late update. My bad. :(
I took photos around my jawline after 6 weeks after this skin care regimen. In the 6 weeks that I have not updated, I still experienced breaking out (I'm not sure but it might be the purging stage) and had this little pimples around my jawline but not as worst as my before picture where there are really huge bumps. I patiently continued my regimen and little by little the small pimples dried out.




As you can see, compared to the before photo where I used to have very huge bumps (multiple cystic acne), what's left are a lot of pimple marks and a few of very little bumps. This is an awesome improvement for my skin condition. I am still wishing that this skin care regimen works for me for a very long time. After this acne issue, I'll be working on how to get rid of not only my acne marks but also the acne scars (the irritating pock marks!) which I will tackle in another post.

What do you think of my skin care regimen? Let me hear you out. Let's help each others' beauty shine through and win this battle against acne! 


Human Nature products can be bought at any Human Nature branch, online or through our online minishop, http://www.sarisaristore.com/donyapoorita <3

50 comments:

  1. Wow, I too have very sensitive skin. I have found that the Alexandra De Markoff line helps so much. I am not 100% sure that they are made for sensitive skin, but they seem to be the only thing that works for me. Thanks for posting your findings on skin care products.

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    1. Hello. Thank you for sharing. I kinda find the Alexandra De Markoff brand pricey but anyway I'm glad to know that it works well for you. Maybe I can make a review about it too if given an opportunity. Thanks! :)

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  2. wow good job! I also suffered from acne before and I've tried benzac as well. it does wonders. but i wanted to wean away from all chemicals just also I replaced my anti-pimple arsenal with egg white, HHN products, and honey. I cheat with Retin-A as well but it isn't as harsh as many other chemicals. It's just a vitamin A derivative. So far so good. all the best!

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    Replies
    1. Hello! Thank you for sharing your natural alternative. If I get another one (if I breakout again but hopefully not) , I'll try the egg white on one pimple. I've tried Retin-A before but it only peeled my skin off. :o Made me look blooming but sadly, no improvement on my acne. I hope you share more about using egg white as your anti-pimple treatment, I'm interested. Just followed your blog! :D

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  4. Hi! We almost use the same skin care regimen. I just use a different facial wash. I use By Nature Handmade Soap's Citrus White Bar (it's not really a facial wash, it's a bar of soap, hahaha). I just thought maybe you'd want to give it a try once you finish your bottle of facial wash. :D But if this is your holy grail, I'm glad you found yours! :D I am still wandering around looking for mine. Aside from the By Nature Handmade Soap and Benzac, all my other skin care products are from HN. :D

    I was wondering, since HN's day moisturizer does not have SPF, what would you suggest for me to use, then? And between where should I put my SPF if ever? Will it be after I apply Benzac on my face or after the moisturizer? :) Thanks!

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    1. Hello! I'm actually afraid to use soap on my face (again, yes I tried it before even the authentic natural soaps). It's too drying for me and makes my acne scars look deeper. :( I'm glad that it works for your skin plus that it's a natural soap. So happy to know that you also use Human Nature products! :) <3

      Up to now, my face is really hiyang with this regimen. I'm actually clear of acne now, I'm currently finding a way to lessen the appearance of my acne scars (not just the brown spots but the pockmarks as well).

      I used HN's day moisturizer before but since I have to use one that has SPF (because of benzac), I switched my day moisturizer to Neutrogena with SPF 15 ( as shown in the photo). In your case, I suggest you apply Benzac then moisturizer then SPF with around 10 minutes interval in between (time for your skin to absorb each product :)

      P.S. I'm not a skin specialist (derma etc.) and suggestions I give are just based on my own personal experience as an anti-acne products consumer. :)

      Delete
  5. Hi! How was your acne marks and dark spots? Im having the same issue. I want to get rid of the dark spots and acne marks fast! =)

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    Replies
    1. Hello. I actually relied on my makeup routine (see next post about hiding blemishes) to cover the dark spots. So far, I still have no acne breakout (my skin gets along with my makeup routine also). I believe that the acne regimen-makeup routine I'm doing makes me HIDE blemishes while REMOVING them. The dark spots are greatly reduced now but it really took time (around 3 months).

      If you're really finding a way to remove the dark spots faster, some people are swearing at Human Nature's sunflower beauty oil for removing these dark spots. Maybe this is the one that helps remove my dark spots since sunflower oil is one of the ingredients of the moisturizing night cream of Human Nature which I'm currently using.

      Delete
  6. hello,

    thank you so much for this post! we have same situation and I also use dan's regimen for almost 3 years now. I also use benzac 5% coz I can't find 2.5%, I used panoxyl before but drugstore doesn't have any stocks now. anyway I tried using Human Nature toner now and I love it!! but what is the difference of toner that tomato toner your using lol, coz i use balancing toner (the orange one), I love it when everyone notice that my my face is less oily. :) I also want to try the HN Facial wash coz I currently using stiefel acne aide soap, It's quite expensive around 200 and easily melt and it kinda makes my face a bit dry. I also don't wear any make up, fortunately I can now go outside without any make up on because I am really afraid I might break out but now I discover HN I will also try their face powder. thanks!! :)

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    Replies
    1. Hello. You're very much welcome. I shared my experience on my acne battle since I know how it really feels bad to become an "acne victim". I also sell the 2.5% benzoyl proxide (Benzac) at my shop (see http://donyapoorita.multiply.com/products/listing/10089/60g-Benzac-2.5-Benzoyl-Peroxide ) at a cheaper price versus our popular drugstores in the Philippines since a lot of acne warriors like us are looking for benzoyl peroxide at this concentration.

      I tried the balancing toner before but it didn't work well on my acne. It did not worsen my acne but I found no significant improvement. I tried the tomato toner after and found it better since it helps relax my skin so the inflamed acne are "tamed". :) I tried the acne aide soap before but it's too drying! I believe you should find a gentle cleanser and that's the Nourishing Facial Wash (the tomato facial wash) so that the cleanser won't aggravate your skin and make acne go mad.

      I can't go out before without any makeup on but after I discovered this regimen, I can already do that. :) My makeup routine now just helps me achieve that flawless look unlike before that it's really just my way to SLIGHTLY cover my acne (did I say that clear? hihi). If you have oily face, I believe you'll really like their mineral powder since it's sheer and good enough for oil absorption and doesn't give that overdone makeup effect. :)

      I'll be waiting for your feedback on the products. Thank you for sharing your experience as well. :D

      Delete
  7. I have combination skin and mild acne. I need a recommendation for acne treatment for teenagers

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  8. I just came across your blog just now (while searching for reviews on Human Nature products) and boy, I was so glad I did! Thank you sis for this intensive review. Like you, I have been suffering from acne for a while now. I was clear for several months and it came back! Boo! Same as you, it was mostly bumps. Since I'm into organic nowadays, I will definitely try Human Nature. I'll be following your blog from now on. :)

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad you liked my review. It really took guts for me to expose my very ugly skin conidition. I hope to see your review as well in the near future. :D

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    2. your'e so brave im in awe, i can't even look in the mirror but maybe if i take a look at your ideas i will get better, your'e a wonderful person for helping others like this

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  9. Hi!

    Thanks for your blog. It's very informative. I had acne before (the bumps, the craters, and all) and spent too much on dermas and prescriptions. I am pregnant now and my acne has remarkably diminished, but I still have oily skin so I'm considering HN.

    I read some on their website, but nothing says their facial products are safe for moms-to-be. I know they are organic, but would you know or have you come across anything about them that can give me assurance?

    I already have a list of items to buy and try this weekend. I'll really appreciate any more information/enlightenment from you.

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  10. hi there,

    your review on these particular HN products was really remarkable :) way to go!!!

    i'v been scouting for a facial wash for months already and haven't had any luck yet. i had skin breakout last year and fortunately it's over now :) i really prayed hard while i was combating its emotional effect on me. though i'm still experiencing few small pimples on the sides of my nose if ever it gets too oily. been browsing the internet and doing research on how to avoid pimples and have learned that vitamins do help. I've been taking vitamin e (myra e 400iu), zinc (fr my derma), b complex (fr healthy options) and drinking fresh carrot juice daily. i'm adding celery and cucumber to the juice also if i get the chance to buy them from a local market.

    i would try this HN facial wash and hopefully it would work well on me too. guess what soap i'm into right now? it's safeguard pink hehe!!! saw it on a tv ad. been tired of using papaya soaps because i could feel that my skin is getting too thin already. i know safeguard is quite harsh but it really helped clear my breakout. it's really drying that's why i would really love to shift.

    i would be follower of your blog from now on as well. would also wish to know the brand of make up you're using now.

    p.s. - i'm also using moisturizer and night cream plus epiduo gel (with 2.5% benzol peroxide and 1% adapalene as spot treatment only) which were all prescribed by my derma to control skin breakout.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello, Aly.

      I've ultimately sorry for this late response. I became inactive in posting because I had other priorities and I feel bad right now since there are a lot of pending inquiries. Anywhow, the makeup I'm only using right now are Ellan minerals and Human Nature cosmetics.

      Delete
  11. I was very pleased to find this website.I wanted to thanks for your time for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you blog post.

    ReplyDelete
  12. i ve sme problem.. acne with oily nd sensitive skin .. i tried all the possible thing to reduce bt sme as usual,.. so cn u suggest bme wch cream i should use......

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have battled with acne and acne dark spots ever since highschool days. I've tried everything and I mean everything from the drugstore---- Cetaphil, Oilatum, Panoxyl etc. I've also consulted a derma but my problems keeps haunting me back. Until I tried, Renew Placenta Soap(Orange one).. My acne breakouts lessen and the dark spots are almost gone. I still have breakouts though and I use Tony Moly's Spot Treatment(Round Films) when I feel a new zit popping out. I also use Eskinol toner (Calamansi) which I mixed with Dalacin-C from time to time well not all the time as it tends to dry out my skin. I also avoid using make-up but if necessary I use gel type foundation as it doesn't clog the pores. A lot of people who've known me for having pimples all over my face now asks me what I used and now I'm sharing it here! Hope this helps! :)

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  15. Hi! You might want to try aloe activator by forever living products, its a freshener/cleanser/toner. I used it after HNN's nourishing facial wash and before apply neutrogena's sunscreen. I also have acne and a lot of blemishes and when I started using it, my face started to clear up and less pimples show each day.:-) it contains 99% aloe vera which is known to heal acne

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  16. Hi ms Donyaporita! :) I'm new here. Ask ko lang po if u also wash ur face during mid-day. My face becomes oily during mid-day and thus I tend to wash it with Ivory again. But the derma said washing should only be done twice since excessive washing promotes oiliness of face.

    Eto po kasi ung current regimen ko:
    AM:
    Ivory soap
    tomato nourishing toner
    Vaseline SPF24 (lotion sya pero un gngamit ko sa face after maglotion ng katawan, nkkatakot kasi ung Neutrogena, parang madadagdagan pimples ko)

    PM:
    Ivory
    Dove (ung advise ng derma dove lang, pero gingawa ko after ivory, dove naman)
    tomato nourishing toner
    Adapalene
    Epiduo (on pimples only)

    Plan ko palang po istart ung HHN night cream, and plan din gumamit ng tomato nourishing facial wash in replacement sa ivory. Natatakot lang ako sa biglang reaction ng face kapag nagbago ng facial wash.

    May comments ka po ba regarding use of Ivory? Also, wat did u use for the acne marks aside from the make-up?

    Thank you very much. Hoping for your response.

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  17. Ate have you tried Eskinol plus Dalacin C regimen? Hihihih

    ReplyDelete
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  19. Thanks for sharing the photos. I also have lots of pimples but when I used the cleanser from Acne.org they all vanished. Can you believe it? I bought the product at http://www.kallony.com.ph.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I bought Citrus Clear products for my 17 yr old son. His skin is sensitive. The Citrus Clear Spot Treatment has cleared up his acne in about two weeks without burning, peeling, or redness. He also says the smell is GREAT - and for acne products that is so rare!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I bought Citrus Clear products for my 17 yr old son. His skin is sensitive. The Citrus Clear Spot Treatment has cleared up his acne in about two weeks without burning, peeling, or redness. He also says the smell is GREAT - and for acne products that is so rare!

    ReplyDelete
  22. The problem with people who have oily skins is not lack of products that can be used to bust shine. The problem is that these products never seem to work as required. You may discover that the powder that works well for every other person slides off your face. Users have tested many skincare products and below are the best moisturizer for oily skin.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Bakit po parang namumula? Di po kaya na-irritate? Mahapdi? Tsaka magkano po ito.

    ReplyDelete
  24. The problem with people who have oily skins is not lack of products that can be used to bust shine. The problem is that these products never seem to work as required. You may discover that the powder that works well for every other person slides off your face. Users have tested many skincare products and below are the best moisturizer for oily skin.
    http://moisturizerexpert.com/which-is-the-best-moisturizer-for-oily-skin

    ReplyDelete
  25. I am a 25 years old college student suffering from acne since about 9 years old. Since I was little, I've always had acne with a weird twist of oily skin in the summer and super dry skin in the winter on certain parts of my face. I have tried many drugstore products - neutrogena, olay, burt's bee, etc - and even the more expensive brands such as proactive, dermalogica and some other brands from sephora but none has really worked. In fact, they gave me more acne then before I started using them. After trying so many drugstore brands, I decided to try Citrsu Clear recommended to me by a dear friend. Citrus Clear has a very attractive scent to their moisturizer which my boyfriend loves. The product is very smooth and gentle, and absorbs very quickly. It leaves my face oil free for at least 6 hours and more depending on the weather and activity. I have not seen any new pimple since I started using Citrus Clear.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Pimples are skin problems faced by almost everyone. It is one of the major embarrassments
    in social parties, colleges, offices or in many other social gatherings. Pimples can occur
    on face, back and chest. Pimples or acne is one of the most frequent, chronic and common
    skin diseases. It occurs due to the disturbance in hormones or at the time of puberty.
    Salveovita Health Care

    ReplyDelete
  27. Pimples are skin problems faced by almost everyone. It is one of the major embarrassments
    in social parties, colleges, offices or in many other social gatherings. Pimples can occur
    on face, back and chest. Pimples or acne is one of the most frequent, chronic and common
    skin diseases. It occurs due to the disturbance in hormones or at the time of puberty.

    ReplyDelete
  28. There are many brands of argan oil on the market. It is not a beauty product "only" but also offers several benefits that improve your personal care of hair and skin. In order to take advantage of these benefits, it is wise to choose a high quality product at Buy Argan Oil for Face.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Try to use burt's bess products
    https://m.burtsbees.com/face

    ReplyDelete
  30. Wow! Thanks for sharing your acne story. You really inspired me. I will do my very best to use the products that you mentioned on your post. Thanks again!
    xo,
    ~Pauline @Kallony

    ReplyDelete
  31. I dont get a lot of pimples anymore, the problem is just the red marks on my face. What product do you use now for the red marks on your face?

    ReplyDelete
  32. For more information about Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatments Delhi visit him on the web today or call for a consultation, 9268797532.

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  33. This product looks good. But I have to check it first with my dermatologist new baltimore mi to make sure it suits my skin type since my skin is kind of sensitive.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Your review carries a unique distinct style. It is attractive and the best thing is you come back to reply to the comments.
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    ReplyDelete
  35. HI! I'm starting to change my regimen, but I'm doing it slowly in case the products cause purging. I started with my facial wash and toner. As of now, my face is clearer, however there are minuscule bumps that are not red and not much visible. They are only noticeable when I touch my face. There are also lots of acne scars. What can you say about those little bumps? And what do you do to help your acne scars fade? I really have very sensitive skin as well, that is why most of the time I am afraid to change or try out products. This blog is really a help for me. Thank you! :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post. Manchas na Pele

    ReplyDelete
  37. Uhmmm hi there... I was wondering where can i find this store? Near NCR... cause im not really into online services, i just want to try those products if it’ll work on my skin... I tried to search but i think theres a problem , mqybe on the blog but i think its in my internet connection... Can you please tell me where can i find a branch near NCR? Tnx

    ReplyDelete
  38. Are you still using the same skin care regimen until now? Can you please share with us some photos of your skin now? I’m interested because I want to try your regimen :)
    xo,
    ~Pauline @Kallony

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Pauline. I'm very sorry for this ultimate late response. I will update soon and will show pictures of my current skin condition. Thank you! :)

      Delete
  39. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

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