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mollypop51797's avatar

Pimples, oily, slightly dehydrated skin what can we do?

Asked by mollypop51797 (1430points) August 3rd, 2010
8 responses
“Great Question” (0points)

My daughter has acne, her skin is on the oily side, and dry too. She does have pimples, so she’s limited to certain types of moisturizers. We have tried EVERYTHING! Prescriptions, Proactiv, AcneFree, Clean and Clear, Neutrogena and more. Products that dry her skin out really help clear away those pimples, but when her skin gets too dried out, which doesn’t take much, her skin produces even more oil. We’ve tried facial scrubs, face masks, and dermatologists, but so far we haven’t found anything that can really help her skin, for both conditions. During ‘certain times of the month’, she breaks out more and produces more oil. She’s tried mineral powder to dry up the oil, but that’s just dries out the skin. When she doesn’t, her face gets oily, on a regular basis, and she’s embarrassed to even have pictures taken of her with the flash on (as her face gets shiny from the glare). We’ve really tried everything, but haven’t found a product or solution for botht eh pimples and oily skin. (I have a hunch that her skin is oily because it’s a little dry, and as I said above, oily moisturizers are not very helpful for the pimple problem) We’ve tried the oil free moisturizers though too, which instead start up a few new pimples. Does anyone here know what to do? How to help? Similar stories and/or successes? Thanks!

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Answers

le_inferno's avatar

Well, I’ll pass on some great advice I got from @asmonet about my skin issues. Have your daughter try this homemade facial scrub:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey
½ cup extra fine granulated sugar

Olive oil is great for the skin, keeps it moisturized and doesn’t clog pores, while the sugar is a good abrasive for washing away dead skin/dirt. Have her wash in the morning with a mild, gentle face cleanser and use the scrub at night. (It can also be used for other areas of the body in the shower, like feet, elbows, knees, etc). No matter what you do, don’t use anything too harsh or drying on her skin. Keep it mild. Good luck!

Carly's avatar

When I was in my early teens (still going through puberty) I had that same problem. When my face dried out too much, my skin/pores would over-compensate for the dryness and my face would get super oily in a matter of a few hours. The last thing that I tried is something that I still use now: Mary Kay’s Velocity products. It comes in two parts, a facial wash and a light lotion. The wash will super clean your daughter’s face, but the lotion will work as a very very light moisturizer, so that her skin doesn’t freak out about being so squeaky clean.

When I was a teen, I noticed the difference within a few days. Now that I’m an adult, I don’t get acne as often, but velocity helps keep my skin under control and balanced.

Also, for those uncomfortable moments when people are taking photos with flashes. I use clean and clear sheets. I can easily go through 1–2 when my face is super greasy, and afterwards, my face feels almost like I stepped out of the shower. I also offer these to my clients when doing studio photography (im a prof. photographer)

hope that helps

also, her diet could also be somewhat of a factor. When I don’t eat junkfood, fastfood, halloween candy, etc, the skin on my whole body is much easier to take care of, including my face.

Carly's avatar

@le_inferno that sounds really nice. @mollypop51797 I would suggest trying le_inferno’s idea first. It’s cheaper, and easy to make.

ParaParaYukiko's avatar

Considering the amount of products you and your daughter have tried with no success, your problem may not lie in which products you are using, but how they are being used.

Remember to be patient when it comes to acne products. They often take up to a month of regular use to start actually working. In the case of Proactiv, acne typically gets worse in the first few weeks of use before the skin starts clearing up. Using one product for a couple weeks and immediately switching to another when skin doesn’t improve really won’t help – in fact, it can just make acne work.

With any skin treatment, prescription, over the counter or homemade, you have to start slow. Start using the product every two or three days to give the skin time to get accustomed to the new product. If a huge amount of skin irritation occurs, stop use for a few days and start again less frequently. Gradually increase the use of products to no more than twice a day (once a day is usually quite sufficient) and remember to moisturize after use with a non-irritating facial cream. I use Complex 15 because it won’t clog pores and it’s hypoallergenic for those with sensitive skin (like me).

Don’t overuse exfoliating facial scrubs more than once or twice a week, since they more often than not just end up over-drying skin, causing excess oil production to make up for it. I actually don’t use scrubs at all and don’t really see the need to.

Like @Carly mentioned too, having a balanced, healthy diet will also affect acne. Junk food and excessive sugars will make your daughter more likely to break out, so go for more fruits and veggies.

Again, don’t try to rush this stuff. I know a month seems like a long time when you’re a teenager, but there is no product that will erase your daughter’s acne quickly. It’s a process, and if rushed, will usually yield even worse results, such as long-lasting acne scars. Depending on her body chemistry, your daughter may just have to keep at it until her hormones subside a bit. For me, I had fairly major acne until I went to college; now I’m almost 23 and still deal with pimples, although nowhere near to the extent of what it was like in middle and high school.

Unfortunately there’s no quick fix to acne, nor a cure-all product since everyone’s body chemistry is different. Just keep at it, patiently, and eventually things will work out. Make sure your daughter knows she is by far not the only person with acne problems, and it is a natural (albeit unpleasant) part of that stage of life.

sokk's avatar

Drinking about 8 glasses of water throughout the day normally keeps my skin clear and looking healthy. Occasionally I’ll drink some pepsi on ice….it seems that’s when my face starts to breakout all over.
But the sugary drinks might not have anything to do with it. I believe it’s all about staying hydrated.
Wouldn’t hurt to try it out=)

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