Looking for a skincare brand to clear up spots?

Talula_d · 18-12-2014 12:09am

I work with a range called Phyts, I also have used it for the last 6 months and I find it super! It's a French organic range and if you google Phyts you will see where you can buy the products! I think avoca may sell them too! But it's a very affordable range with a cleanser being a max of €24 and they are 200ml! You should always double cleanse, use a toner to remove any cleanser remaining, exfoliate once a week preferably with a non beaded one( hard to come by Phyts have a fab one for €28 that is used on dry skin!) a deep cleansing mask you can use once a week or every two weeks, witch hazel is super antibacterial and healing as is tea tree, anything with camphor is balancing on the skin too, a moisturiser with a light oil is far better for your skin than one without oil, as the skin tries to replace oil on the surface that it needs and therefore you create excess oil.. A light oil will allow any residue to push through the skins surface eventually smoothing the skin. Be careful with spfs as they can contain a lot of ingredients that will clog the skin.. Where possible use an spf seperate to your moisturiser.
I hope this helps, I know I work with the above brand but there are other ranges you can choose from just be weary of ingredients! Also they do samples in Phyts salons so ask for some! I can tell you the names of what I'd recommend if you want!
Best of luck with your skin.

Cocolola · 18-12-2014 12:18am

I also recommend ditching the scrub and wipes OP, they are definitely not helping. I've been through all the bad skin crap for years myself so I've tried a lot of stuff. I used to use Cleanse & Polish for a long while but it did nothing for me. Also used to try and scrub the face off myself with harsh beady exfoliators, not realising I was making things much worse.

Bored_lad's post is very good, and I can vouch for the Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing balm, it's a fantastic product, lasts forever and I don't think I'll ever use another cleanser again. Use it with a face cloth, muslin can be a bit too exfoliating. I use Clarins Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner as my chemical exfoliation and it's another great product. I also use a La Roche Posay sunscreen SPF 50 nearly every day, the tinted fluid one. My moisturiser is just a basic cheap one from Oilatum but it does the job and doesn't irritate my skin and a couple of nights a week I use Clarins Blue Orchid face oil which is divine!

Basically the best advice I can give you is to go on to Caroline Hiron's website and follow her advice. Here's a link to her Acne Cheat Sheet which is a good starting point. She pretty much saved my skin .

tomhenryford · 18-12-2014 8:57am

Bored_lad wrote: »

The first problem is that scrub firstly its most likely way too harsh to be actually used on skin and it also sounds like it contains microbeads which are extremely harmful to the environment.
So I'd start by getting a cleansing balm like Clinques take the day off to use at night time. Make sure your double cleanings this means you use it once to remove make up and then again to wash your face. Ditch the wipes as well there not doing you any favours.

Secondly your not moisturising enough. This is causing your skin to produce more oil to compensate. I'd recommend you start moisturising twice a day dermalogica make some great ones I find.

I'd also recommended you start chemical exfoliating you should start using a salicylic acid product at night a few times a week and then increase the amount of days your using once your skin is able for it. Paulas Choice make some great ones. I'd also recommended you try clay masks the Aztec Indian Clay mask or what ever its called is great. Use it once a week to start off then you can start using it more.

You also need to start using suncream you mightn't think you need it but you do in the winter you'll be fine with a suncream+moisturiser combination once its at least SPF 15 and you apply the 1/2 a teaspoon a day.

If your seeing your doctor soon you should ask for a benzol peroxide prescription to be used only as a spot cream as I think this is the only prescription you'll need. If your not seeing your doctor soon or can't afford to you can order some online from Amazon but it is illegal and all that stuff.

If you have any questions or need any product recommendations or even just want to know it what order or how to use the products just ask we're all here to help.

Thank you for taking the time to write such a lengthy and informative answer. Will definitely look into all of that.

shalalala · 18-12-2014 9:27am

Hi OP, when I was 25 I started breaking out randomly, I didn't have money to burn and I started using the simple spotless skin range. They stock them in the bigger boots and some penneys. The cleaners are great, the moisturisers are none greasy and well worth trying before you head down the route of one of the more expensive ranges

tomhenryford · 18-12-2014 4:37pm

The acne cheat sheet was fantastic, so much information. The point where it says not to avoid oil based products just because you have oily skin was excellent. I always avoided oil based products like the plague for that reason. That has really been an eye opener for me.

I have never heard of a chemical exfoliant before, is there any in particular I should try?

Cocolola · 18-12-2014 5:01pm

I was the exact same as you, always kept away from any kind of oils but it makes sense now that I've read about it all!

I was really slow to jump on the chemical exfoliant bandwagon, firstly because I found the whole area really confusing, it sounds a bit scary and a lot of the products that I saw recommended were usually quite hard to get in Ireland or too expensive for me (or both usually!) but I heard about that Clarins one then and decided to give it a go to start off with as it doesn't have too strong a concentration of AHA. I got it on Escentual.com as it was on offer at the time but you can usually pick it up in Boots, BT or Debenhams.

There's a few stronger ones then like P50, Liquid Gold and some others but my budget won't stretch to those just yet

Tiddlypeeps · 18-12-2014 5:22pm

hfallada wrote: »

I use this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alpha-Hydrox-Lotion-177-ml/dp/B000052YM7/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418647227&sr=8-2&keywords=aha+glycolic+acid

Most US dermatologist recommend glycolic acids. They are chemical exfoliants. Meaning they go deep into the skin and cause it speed up rejuvenation of new skin. If you use this, you will feel your skin getting smooth as the died skin falls off. This is an anti-aging cream that works.Skin is designed not to let anything enter it, but glycolic acids can get into the skin and improve it.

This cream has reduced my blackheads, I very very rarely get spots and my mild acne scars are gone. But you constantly have to wear sun cream as this cream will reduce the bodys natural UV resistance, as it reduces the skin thickness.

Glycolic acid isn't recommend for people prone to break outs as it can be quite harsh and can make things worse.

Salicylic acid is the safer choice when it comes to chemical exfoliation if you have acne or suffer from break outs.

If your skin can handle it tho glycolic acid is more effective.

How Strange wrote: »

I used to use liz Earle cleanse and polish and never realised that it was causing huge breakouts on my chin. I stopped using it and used oil, balms and cleansing milks and my skin has thanked me. Some of the LE products are great but I'd be wary to recommend C&P now. Similarly with la Roche Posay Effeclar products. I found them way too harsh for anything more than topical use.

I had the exact oppose with Liz Earle's cleanse and polish. I was constantly getting break outs on my chin and when I switched to the Liz Earle cleanser it cleared up and hasn't come back since. It does seem to be very hit and miss on different people.

Bored_lad · 18-12-2014 6:17pm

Personally I don't see what all the fuss with Caroline Hirons is and I hate when I see her website mentioned and when people say she's some sort of queen of skincare. Considering a lot of what she says is actually myths.

Take that cheat sheet for example. Firstly she says that you should avoid mineral oil and what's her reason natural oils are better and that's it nothing to back it up. Considering that mineral oil is a lot of peoples holy grail oil and isn't worse than any other oil I can't see why you shouldn't use it. Secondly she recommends not using foaming cleansers as they are the wrong pH this is also wrong and the majority of foaming cleansers from reputable brands are pH balanced to you skin and are great. Lastly she starts recommending cutting out foods all over the shop firstly there has been no conclusive link with diet and acne. Secondly even just read what she says cutting out all white food really?? chicken is white yet its perfectly natural and good for you and not as she says "bastardized buy the food industry" the poor woman can't even spell by properly but yet she's promoting all of this bs with little to no scientific evidence.

Also op you were wondering what acid to start with I'd recommend you start with salicylic acid as it will be easiest on your skin and is also best for oily acne prone skin I find. Paula's Choice do great chemical exfoliants and there great value for what you get. The only thing is not a lot of people know about them and you have to order them online.

Cocolola · 18-12-2014 7:11pm

I'm sorry Bored_lad, I don't have the time to reply to this properly at the moment but just real quick;

No worries about not liking Caroline Hirons, I'm sure I don't agree/understand/follow everything she says myself but I have picked up some great advice from her blogs that have made a real difference to my skin so I'm happy to recommend her. People can decide to take or leave what they find there.

And I only have anecdotal experience myself but personally I found diet also has an effect on my skin, in particular bread, dairy and sugar. I've managed to nearly completely get rid of sugar but the bread and dairy are too delicious so I make do with just cutting down a bit

In fairness though that particular cheat sheet you refer to says this about white food:

...Bread, pasta, cereals, sugar and cakes - if they are white - they are not real food.

She obviously doesn't mean chicken. Further down:

Eat white meat or fish - especially oily fish like salmon

So you were't exactly representing her fairly. I think most of what she advocates is the kind of advice you'd find over in the Nutrition and Diet forum at any rate. BTW I don't follow her diet advice at all, that kind of healthy eating is far too restrictive for me and I do love red meat so that's never gonna happen!

Bored_lad · 18-12-2014 10:56pm

Cocolola wrote: »

I'm sorry Bored_lad, I don't have the time to reply to this properly at the moment but just real quick;

No worries about not liking Caroline Hirons, I'm sure I don't agree/understand/follow everything she says myself but I have picked up some great advice from her blogs that have made a real difference to my skin so I'm happy to recommend her. People can decide to take or leave what they find there.

And I only have anecdotal experience myself but personally I found diet also has an effect on my skin, in particular bread, dairy and sugar. I've managed to nearly completely get rid of sugar but the bread and dairy are too delicious so I make do with just cutting down a bit In fairness though that particular cheat sheet you refer to says this about white food:

She obviously doesn't mean chicken. Further down:

So you were't exactly representing her fairly. I think most of what she advocates is the kind of advice you'd find over in the Nutrition and Diet forum at any rate. BTW I don't follow her diet advice at all, that kind of healthy eating is far too restrictive for me and I do love red meat so that's never gonna happen!

I think that she's done some great things in helping oil cleansing and chemical exfoliants becoming more main stream. My problem is a lot of her advice has no scientific evidence to back it up because there is no connection between diet and acne that has been concussively proven by a scientific study and when there is I will start reccomending people cut foods out of their diets but she's just reccomending cutting foods out here there and every where really now I didn't read it fully but that's what it looked like.

We should probably leave this topic anyway as I don't want to drag the thread off topic any further.

lubie76 · 19-12-2014 8:39pm

I am using the Dr Murad acne range with cleanser containing 1.0% sallylic acid and the exfoliating toner acid, followed by his oil free moisturiser and my acne is totally under control. I started with the trial pack which lasts 8 weeks and it was so effective I now also use his clay mask and spot cream- it's brillaint stuff.

They do the trial pack on lookfantastic or hqhair so you can try without spending a fortune. I also use liquid gold glycolic acid toner twice a week and oil cleansing method for a weekly deep cleanse. Skin is so much better for my wedding next week which was I started it in the first place. Oh have also done 2 salon obagi chemical peels and they are the bomb for a glow but do expect a little peeling after.

Omega 3 supplements are also great for any dry patches including if you suffer from dry skin on feet.

Looking for a skincare brand to clear up spots?

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