Weapons for my war: Skin Deep
Many people say that beauty is only skin deep. Which is very true. An individual’s personality should be the most important feature. But what happens if someone is not happy with the way they look on the outside. Sometimes that can have a reflection upon their personality. If they feel as though their outside appearance is not up to par or what they want it to be it could show in their personality. They could lack self-esteem, avoid social situations, meeting new people, and maybe even feel depressed or guilt. The issue that causes this for a lot of people (including myself) is acne. I have been dealing acne for a long time now and have yet to rid the problem completely.
As mentioned in my last Skin Deep blog, I have been dealing with this since I was little. I had my first minor breakout when I was about 7 or 8 years old. It seemed to have been in “remission” while I was in high school. My skin was clear of blemishes, acne, and scars. But, as soon as i started my freshman year of college I was getting breakouts left and right. And it wasn’t just on my face it was on my neck, back, arms, and shoulders. I just couldn’t understand why. I tried so many different products including those that were prescribed. The pills I took (prescribed of course) made me sick to my stomach and some of the topical creams bleach all of my clothes. I have also tried many over the counter products. Some of them made my acne worse. Some of them did help my skin, but it seemed as though my skin got used to the product and started breaking out again. There were times when I was getting lazy and didn’t feel like washing my face and apply the topical cream. I started only doing it when I woke up in the morning and that’s it. But I now realize that you do have to keep a constant routine of cleansing the face and adding any topical creams to your face/body.
Okay, so I finally got to my wits end. I was surfing around the net one day and came across this website: www.acne.org. It’s a website that tells you step by step of how to rid your skin of acne and keep it that way (using over the counter products). The creator of the website said he was looking at himself in the mirror one day and was holding a bottle of Benzoyl Peroxide (2.5%). This man was so fed up with his acne that he decided to use a bunch of the cream on his face (he figured he had nothing to lose). The next morning he said his face was beginning to clear up. So, I did the same thing. And the next day, the bumps on my forehead were going away. I was sooo excited. I have been doing this for the past couple of days and my skin is clearing up. The next step (after the acne is gone) is to clear up some of the unsightly scars I have on my face. But in the meantime make up does help cover those.
Below is a list of products that I am using. Hopefully I can eliminate some of them later on down the road:
1. Proactiv (The three step kit, and I just purchased the body lotion for the acne on my back and arms—we shall see if this works).
2.Noxema Triple Clean (with Triclosan–an antibacterial that I heard is good to clean the bacteria off your face with and will help keep the skin clear)
3. Neutragena Pore Refining Cleanser (with alpha and beta hydroxy–this is good for removing dead skin cells)
4. Ambi Complexion cleansing bar ( I use this on my arms and chest–it has been working on my arms but not so much on my chest). I AM NO LONGER USING THIS PRODUCT. I AM STILL BREAKING OUT. I WOULD DEFINITLY NOT RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT TO ANYONE.
5. Palmers Coca Butter with Vitamin E and SPF 15. This is really good on scars. I used to use it all the time and it cleared my scars up. But I stopped using it and once my acne came back the scars did too.
6. Bio Oil: This is a really new product. It works really well on improving the tone of your skin. When I was using it constantly my skin looked really nice. But of course I stopped (got lazy). This is also good for scars, stretch marks, uneven skin tone, and aging and dehydrated skin. It’s kind of pricey though — 10.99 for 2 fluid ounces. BUT, it lasts a long time (a little goes a long way and one bottle lasts me 2-3 months). Also it doesn’t leave the skin greasy–which is very good for people with oily skin. I usually use this only on my arms and my chest and back. I am scared to put it on my face because that is what people see most. I can easily cover up the rest of my body if it breaks out.
7. Ambi Fade Cream-for oily skin. I just purchase this product. So we will see how it works. I am testing it on my arm where I had a large break out that then left me with many scars.
8. I take Biotin pills. They are good for the skin, hair and I believe nails as well. I just started taking it. I used to take one a day multivitamins. But those were making me break out. There are some pills that contain iodine. This has been known to cause breakouts. So, if you take multivitamins please check the label. According to the Proactiv, any amount of iodine over 150mcg can cause a breakouts. I have also heard that some a lot of dairy products have iodine in them. Which is why I was breaking out a lot. Once I stopped eating it, my breakouts stopped. And I know we all need calcium, especially women. So, find a calcium supplement with no dairy products, iodine, or soy (which has been found to cause breakouts in some women).
9. Lastly, to cover up the unsightly blemishes and scars, I use the new Prescriptives All Mineral Makeup.It’s good for your skin–especially those who have very sensitive/oily skin (MEEEE). And it’s very easy to put on. I vowed I would never wear makeup. My sister always wears it. It’s just such a process. And she had the kind that was liquid form. Which was a double no for me. But I went to the mall and found out that Prescriptives had just came out with a new make up–Mineral Makeup. The make up artist had the hardest time trying to get me to try it. I told her that the last time I put on make up (MAC) I broke out in a matter of 20 minutes). But she promised me that I wouldn’t breakout. And let me say this–right after she put it on I saw a huge difference. It looked smoother and had a slight glow about it. Not only that good for your skin and is very easy to put on!!! I love this stuff. It literally takes me less than one minute to put it on. I advise that you go to a Prescriptives location and have them help pick out the correct shade for you.
I believe that is it. And of course there is a daily routine that I go through with all these products. I definitely do not put all this stuff on at one time….ha ha ha. And like I said, I really want to shorten this product list ASAP. I just have to figure out which ones work best. I will post my daily routine shortly. And as soon as I am brave enough, I will post pictures of my progress!! 
