posted January 16, 2006 12:49 AM         

I have had a very troubled complexion since I was 10 years old (I am 16 now)

I started getting really bad acne on my forehead when I was 10. By the time I was 12 it had moved down to my chin and cheeks. While I was 12 and 13 years old I had very severe acne all over my face and miserable over it. I tried every skin regime available...literally! And still no progress.

When I was 15 my skin started to clear up and now that I am 16 my skin is relativly clear. But the problem is I have dark spots all over my chin and cheeks from the previous acne and I still have blackheads and at least 3 blemishes at any given time. Exercise and happiness help my skin a lot, but it still won't clear up completely!

My acne started at a time when I entered a severe and clinal depression that involved sexual and verbal abuse. It began to clear when I moved away from the situation and embarked on a spiritual journey to health and healing. Other health problems have also cleared up lately, the only lingering one being my skin.

I have Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus all in my first house in CAPRICORN in opposition to my sun and my moon. I think this explains a bit of karmic trouble with appearnce.

A little bit of advice on how to get rid of my complexion problem for once and for all would be awesome!

fyi: I take vitamins, am a ballet dancer (so i exercise ALOT) and I use Aveda and Burts Bees makeup and skincare products.

posted January 16, 2006 05:56 AM         

I've heard proactive works as well. A morning dose of a couple of leaves each of spinach, basil, fenugreek and neem is super -they're blood cleansers. I take it you drink a lot of water?

A really handy tip I use everytime I have an unexplained ache or pain, - before you go to bed at night ask your body to tell you why your skin breaks out. Ask to be delivered the message that it's trying to send you. Take care to record your dreams - they should give you the info you need to deal with the emotion at the source of your trouble. Good luck! I really really hope you find your answer, I had bloody whimsical skin when I was a teenager so I know how hard it can be to hold your head up high when there's a zit at the end of your nose! And it always looks so much bigger to you than it does to the rest of the world!!

By the way, vit E's really good for scars - check with your doc if you should be using it at your age though.

posted January 20, 2006 12:03 PM         

Your skin ( everyone's skin) is an acidic pH, in order to protect your internal system from pollutants/microbes.
Work with that concept for the best results.. do not use something with an alkaline pH, as it will buffer and neutralize your acid mantle, and throw you off balance, allowing both disease causing bacteria and acne bacteria to prolliferate.

posted January 21, 2006 05:14 AM         

Burt's Bee's soaps are the BEST!!! I use the tomato one for "oily skin", but also, you have to remember not to dry the crap out of your skin as it just makes it worse by clogging your skin with dead cells. So, anyway, the carrot one for "aged or sun-damaged skin" is really good at keeping the balance juuussst riiight.

posted January 21, 2006 07:40 PM         

Yes, I don't have and pitting (thankfully) and I don't believe scarring..except very dark spots that take FOREVER to fade..and you typed my skin correctly Thank you for the excellent advice.

zoso-Yeah, Burts Bees is awesome

posted March 30, 2006 03:06 AM         

After doing some research and meeting an professional cosmotoligist I have finally discovered a way that has completely cured my skin!!!!

At night I rub my face with a combination of jojoba oil, vitamin E oil (fresh from the capsule) and tea-tree oil. After doing this and massaging my face I rinse it off with ivory soap and distilled water. THen I put on an 8% alpha-hydroxy cream.

In the morning I splash my face with distilled water, dab on witch-hazel, put on a thin layer of .5% salyclic acid, and then a mixture of hydra-cortizone cream and jojoba oil and tea-tree oil.

It may sound a bit bizarre, but it has worked LIKE A MIRACLE! I have also modified my diet quite a bit and completely eliminated sugar (excepting honey) I have been taking a lot of antioxidents and supplements...

posted March 30, 2006 07:50 AM         

Yay!
Seriously! Good stuff.. sounds like a great regimen.
I use a 10% glycolic moisturiser.

posted March 31, 2006 02:06 AM         

loe-
thanks for the cream suggestion!

posted March 31, 2006 03:00 PM         

I noticed that everyone gave you great recommendations on products to directly deal with skin conditions and that you're taking vitamins as it is. There's a couple of others things that could be influencing you (besides the psychology) -

Does your diet include any of the following:
1) "white" sugar, that is bleached or non-cane sugar? If it does, I'd replace that with unrefined sugar since it's a major contributor (sugar substitutes are a whole lot worse)

2) meat/milk/poultry (U.S. produced, non-organic) - it's extremely toxic and would definitely contribute to the breakouts. Try replacing with organic meat/milk/poultry and/or reducing the intake on those foods

3) spices containing MSG

Also, I'd check the cosmetics, things like deodorants, shaving creams, soap, shampoo. Get rid of anything that says it contains

- propylene glycol
- aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly
- cocomyde/EDTA
- sodium lauril sulfate and/or
sodium laureth sulfate

posted March 31, 2006 11:06 PM         

I'm not sure about the ph level though...any thoughts pixel as to how I could find out?

posted April 01, 2006 12:23 PM         

When your stomach if full of acid, you take an antacid, and what happens is the alkaline substance comes along and buffers or neutralizes the acid.

Your skin has an acid mantle. It is nature's way of preventing offending substances from coming in and wreaking havoc.

To promote clear/normalized skin, the utilization of a pH that is similar to your skin, or more acidic for treatment, cleans the skin and respects it's balance.

The cellular cycle can slow for numerous reasons.. one is natural aging... the others are lack of sleep- the body can't work as effecitively, stress, hormones etc.
Some people have dry skin conditions, by nature and so the cycle of skin shedding stays on the surface of the skin, preventing moisture from penetrsating to the deeper layers. AHA, or Glycolic Acid dissolves the dead skin cells, allowing moisture to penetrate and normalizing the skin. You can have a deep deep moisturizer, yet it wil not penetrate and will rinse away if there are too many dead skin cells in the way. AHA's address this, and within less than a month, of regular use, your skin wil finally be able to 'breathe and receive moisture.

Similarily, Oily/combination skin, where the sebum pumps out at a faster rate, depending upon where the pores are located,(T-zone/all over) The skin cycle still happens, dead cells fall off, but if the pore becomes clogged, sebum backs up and can't escape, and it results in acne, or pustules/papules, comodones ( blackheads) or whitheads. Also, when one over scrubs/washes the face to much, the balance is thrown off, it is over stimulated and tells itself to produce more oil, exascerbating the problem.. so your washing regimen should be basically two times a day. With maintenance in between ( If you are shiny, blot with oil absorbing papers, rather than washing.)

When AHA is applied and a regimen is followed, the clogged cells shed, and are prevented in the future with continued use, allowing the skin to work effectively.

So it addresses any skin condition.

The proper pH can be found in plenty of products.. and all the ones which are dermatologist reccomended.
Glycolic is a branch of Alpha Hydroxy Acids that has a smaller molecular structure, and is therefore easily tolerated by the skin and works effectively.
Ask the company,ask for pH, ask for percentages, ask for ingredient listings. If they have the proper formula, they will want to tell you.

I reccomend Neo Strata
always. So do Doctors.

posted April 17, 2006 12:39 PM         

It's greasy?
Did you get the green banded line? The matifying fluid with 8% glycolic?

And it's greasy? I am surprised.
Keep using it, don't discontinue it , give it a chance.
There is no oil in it, and the texture is fast absorbed....
are you also using a pH balanced cleanser? A Neo Strata cleanser?
Tell me he products you are iusing, and maybe I can help.
It shouldn't feel greasy in the least,. it's reccomended for teens suffering from acne because there is no oil added....

posted April 20, 2006 03:08 AM         

I am a Naturopath, and I agree with most of the suggestions made here. Diet/stress etc all play their part in acne. However I must stress in the strongest possible way how much I urge you to avoid cortizone treatments. Unless you have a product that is very different from the cortizone used here in Australia, it is something I strongly recommend you discontinue. Why?:

cortizone is a drug that basically (from a holistic viewpoint) SUPPRESSES your skin problems and forces them deeper into your system to re-emerge somewhere else in your body at a later stage. In most cases your lungs. Acne is your bodies way of letting you know there is something wrong. A toxic memory you buried when you were younger, a liver problem, a digestive upset or even a hormonal imbalance. Acne is RIGHT IN YOUR FACE and it won't let you forget it!! (I know, I've been battling acne for 7 years (I'm now 25) after being abused by my then partner).

In my opinion you must address the underlying cause of your acne, not suppress it.

I know you say you have delt with your pain and got away from that situation - but if you are still getting acne, I believe you have still got stuff you need to deal with

I really understand how exciting it is to see your acne dissapearing But cortizone is a pharmaceutical drug that is designed to get rid of skin problems - whatever the cost.

For me, I found these approaches worked best:
-Omega 3 fish oils (Essential Fatty Acids help your whole body on a number of levels),
-NOT washing my face with soap! I use plain water, then use a witch hazel/lemon oil/rosehip oil splash as a moisturiser. As far as I'm concerned, any creams/lotions etc only create more trouble. Your skin needs a break
-Agnes vitex-castus or Chaste Tree capsules did wonders for my hormonal cycle.
-keeping a diary allowed me to keep track of any food intollerances (Wheat/SUGAR!!/Pork were the worst foods) & when during my cycle the acne was worse (for me 10-15 days before my cycle).

I hope you can take what i've said as a suggestion from a friend to a friend only. I know everyone will have a different opinion on this, but I just hope you find whatever works for you

LOL
Nebel

posted April 20, 2006 07:54 AM         

P.S. That is great skin care info as well! I currently wash with KissMyFace olive oil soap, but the regimen you described sounds very interesting and logical.

------------------
Sincerely,
divinia

posted April 20, 2006 08:58 AM         

Not a debate or an argument at all, from this end, just providing information to help.

I agree about the cortizone. Messing with any steroid derivative/hormonal one should not be taken lightly.