A while ago I moved over to a regime of Balance Me products – with a couple of others thrown in – because my skin was misbehaving so badly and doesn’t respond that well/at all to being told to stand outside and think about what it has done. In fact it has a tendency to behave even worse and throw things and stuff.
Anyway three weeks on and things are actually going really well with my new gloops. Something is clearing up the rash of teeny tiny hard little cysts (sorry if you are eating) along my jawline, which take it in turns to turn into a zit.
I cannot be absolutely sure which exactly of these products is effecting this change as I am using them all at the same time. I suspect it’s the Roche Posay Effaclar but I am no scientist.
Of course it’s not perfect. At the moment I have a zit on my chin which is one of those ones that basically has its own ecosystem and gravitational pull. It’s a very hard lump under the skin maybe the size of a small pill, like a round Ibuprofen. Seriously it is that big. Nothing works on that motherfucker. I very much hope that it just calms down and fades away before Steven Spielgber wants to make a film about it, or it explodes and kills me. And quite possibly you, too.
Anyway here is a run down of what I’m using at the moment. I’m very pleased with all of it
La Roche Posay Effaclar Targeted Imperfection Corrector. I use this every morning and night along my jawline where I’m most likely at the moment to get breakouts. I only use a tiny amount and it doesn’t wreck the skin like old school hell creams eg Oxy10.
REN Ready Steady Glow AHA Tonic. I used to use Pixi Glow Tonic but Mandy the Balance Me facialist said that that stuff is quite strong, which is why it had started to be the cause of blemishes rather than the solution. This is much more gentle and I sweep over the same area just at night.
This Rose Otto oil smells like actual heaven – like very subtle roses but not remotely sickly. I use it in place of a moisturiser – just a few drops – and it is sorting out some red patches of skin I have around my nose (like a drunk or a tramp… or even a drunk tramp).
Those are the products that I think are mostly likely to be taking direct action on my naughty, naughty face – otherwise I am washing it with Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash and giving my whole face a good scrub with a hot flannel.
Some mornings when I don’t want to use a face oil I use their Daily Moisturiser with SPF. The magic word on the box here is “Non-Comedogenic” (or is that two words) which means it won’t clog pores.
Interesting piece. I don’t really get spots but I have HORRIFIC pores on my nose. Some days I feel things could actually fall down them, like small pets or the odd biscuit. Nothing makes any bloody difference to them. Am I stuck with them forever or can you recommend something?
I’ve been using body shop tea tree pore minimiser and, like a good little scientist, actually put it on one side of my nose and not the other but any effect is absolutely minimal (or just in my head).
Also, are these products tested on animals do you know? And can you recycle the packaging? The Body Shop has gone a bit off the rails and practically nothing I have bought from them recently can be recycled which is grating on me.
Many thanks
Alison this made me laugh so much. As I replied to Andrea just now, for a specific problem like that you just need one good session with a recommended, experienced facialist. They ought to be able to sort you out with one or two targeted products. Facialists have got a bit of a bad rep in modern times- quite often people will go to one in a hotel or something and they won’t really know anything about skin, just poke your face about a bit and charge you £85. A good one will be just one step down from a dermatologist xx
Thanks for replying. Their website looks great but I can’t see any shops in Edinburgh, only stockists. Do they recommend facialists? Or do you/Spikers have recommendations in Edinburgh, Perth or Dundee?
For those stubborn spots a doctor friend of mine recommended Metronidazole, it comes as a gel and within a day cures me of them. It is an antibiotic, so I’m sure in a few years time I will build up immunity for it, but as I only use it for the worst types of boil like spot, I hope it’s not too bad of a decision. Pretty much all my friends converted to using it after usually trying it at my place first.
I second Metronidazole, I had bumpy spots/rosacea for YEARS and it was particularly bad on my chin and jawline. I felt like I could never look sleek and polished because of these stupid spots. Finally went to the doctors this time last year, she prescribed a Metronidazole gel, a month later I was spot free and have been ever since. It felt like a miracle! I’m still not sleek and polished but I’ve made my peace with that now.
Esther how did you decide that these were the products you wanted to use? I’m so confused as to what to do and the world has moved on from cleanse tone moisturise, all the serums etc sound great but what brand to use and what order to pile everyhting on????! Does anyone know where to go to get good unbiased advice???
Hi Andrea! I was gifted (?!) a facial with a Balance Me facialist who recommended all of those. If you have any area of troublesome skin or want to improve anything in particular, I would always recommend seeing a GOOD facialist – try to find one recommended by someone. A really good one ought to be just one down from a dermatologist. It’s worth making a special trip so see a great one – have a look at the comments underneath the post I did about facialists earlier this month. Most will recommend you keep things very simple with maybe one or two things targeting your problem areas. Skincare is a ridiculously saturated market and you just need someone experienced to look at your skin and go “this, this and this”.
Thank you, great advice xx
Nadine Baggott has some good advice/general principles on what order to apply everything – basically start with the thinnest and finish with the oiliest (putting oils on first stops everything else being absorbed). So in the morning I go: cleanse, glycolic acid, hyaluronic serum, then moisturise. In the evening I cleanse (I use Liz Earle to remove all make up), then I use retinol or vitamin C on alternative nights, then I moisturise on top.
I use Differin for the spots on my jaw/chin (which were getting out of control and very depressing). You need a prescription but you can get this online via Boots.com – just fill in the form online and I think they check with your GP surgery – you don’t need to go to Doctor, you can just collect from Boots. It made my spots so much worse for 2 months (this is apparently normal, but was pretty hideous – it draws out all of the spots in one go – eek). But now my spots have all cleared up and I only get one or two the week before my period. The other great thing about Differin is that its anti-aging because it’s a retinol – hurrah! I also use Effaclar (fab) and Paula’s Choice Skin Perfector BHA toner (really fab).
Kate Somerville’s Eradikate facewash is great but the acne spot treatment works if the zits are small. Just bought some pimple stickers for those pesky large painful ones but I haven’t used them yet.
REN glow tonic makes my face radiate so much shine when photographed, it can be used a beacon to guide ships to shore
in a good way?!?!?
LOL – I have been using it all over my face at night time for about 6 months and I noticed that it evened out my skin tone so much so that I stopped using my No Makeup Foundation by PerriconeMD (which is great, by the way). I do need a recommendation for sunscreen now though – I heard Coola is good. Anyone tried?
Also an old trick my mum used on my 14 year old – aspirin tablet mushed into powder mixed with lemon juice – apply to spots – works a treat
Oxy10… those were the glory days! Hx
Sort yr diet out!!!
Sorry Joy I don’t really understand what you mean by “Sort yr diet out”? Can you expand? What is it that you think I’m eating that is giving me bad skin?
My jaw line spots are in league with yours. I had one this year that was there for so long it needed its own post code. Am 43, have just finished another horrid course of to roccutane. Spots AND wrinkles seems so unfair, at least the spots will finally go when we hit menopause?! Lots of useful food for thought on skincare ideas when my little buggers doubtless return.
I’m not sure where to start here Esther …..as an avid Spiker I feel there are links here to previous threads. I have suffered from time to time with cystic acne as well as the more common or garden kind and have a few thoughts on the subject. Firstly I don’t think Mirena helps with skin issues, I had mine removed after the full 5 years and although there are issues with post Mirena life it turns out coincidentally ( or not) I haven’t had a cystic spot since. Aside from menstrual hormones, bloody cortisol is the enemy when it comes to spots too so managing stress and anger is crucial as far as is possible. I have tried plenty of skincare over the years and it isn’t always easy to work out what works and what doesn’t but I do keep returning to buying La Roche Posay Serozinc and think that LRP and also Avene (v.gentle-if in doubt don’t aggravate) are pretty good in this area. I also had an Elemis ‘blemish control’ facial (uses a mix of products/ultrasonic vibration and light therapy)a few days before an interview and if worked a treat on a funny patch of skin (of the is it ezcema is it acne type) that had lurked and flared for months but cleared up post facial and hasn’t been a problem since. Finally on the subject of diet, whilst it doesn’t cause spots as such, certain foods are supposed to promote hormonal balance and also certain foods are good for boosting serotonin and helping the body handle stress. Probably worth eating more of these….whilst lying in a darkened room relaxing after an Elemis facial. Good luck.