The On-going Skin Challenge
“Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
is what I cry out every time I look into the mirror.
Ever since the beginning of 2010, I have had serious skin problems – and it doesn’t go away. St. Ive’s was the worst down-point of all, but the rest of the time wasn’t fabulous either. I try not to stress over it and take it easy, butI seriously don’t know why my skin is getting worse and worse. I don’t put on anything heavy on the face, and cleanse it really throughly twice a day. I hydrate my skin pretty well (I think I do..-.-) and I basically use every known method to stop the break outs. Even the doctor didn’t have a clear answer.
Anyway, so I’m getting really desperate and decided to reach out to mederma. I want to lessen the purple scars if I can’t make my break outs go away.
So here’s my sad skin situation.
Here’s the right side.
And here’s the left side.
So freakin gross, eh? The jaw line is so gross I don’t even know what to do with it. When I look at my old videos and see my skin being in a much better situation, it makes me want to cry :'(
Anway, I decided to give mederma a chance and AT LEAST reduce some scars.
here’s what mederma’s about.
I am at a point where I pretty much gave up on the constant break outs, but I’ll let you guys know how mederma works after a few months (or weeks).
And by any miracle, if my skin clears out – I will most definitely write a huge post on it.
Oh, Also, I have been using this Japanese cleanser after St. Ive’s but recently I have switched to Neutrogena’s oil-free acne wash since this product was one of the best acne killers that worked for me in the past.
Okay, hope you guys have a clear skin day! 🙂
Stay Happy!
Catalina
Unknown
Aw =( Those stupid products are evil to break out your pretty skin! =/ I really hope it heals up very soon. I've heard some people taking birth control and other things and it will go away through the use of hormones. Have you seen a derm? I really do hope it goes away for you and that the Mederma works. I have the same product… it has a funny garlic smell, but I do think it works. It minimized the scar i had on my arm after a few months.
mandy
Skincare products can be so different from person to person >__<
I'm sure you'll be able to find something that'll work 😛 & I'd love to hear about it when you do find what works because I've been having terrible breakouts too = Hmm I didn't know that mederma could reduce acne scars…Can't wait to hear how that goes ^__^
Ashley
Hey girl!
You ever try Dermalogica or the Clarisonic face brushes? I've had serious breakouts (cosmetic acne, hormonal acne, you name it) since I was about 16 years old and I have gone to dermatologist after dermatologist to try and fix it! It wasn't until I started using these products that I have seen a difference. And within the first three weeks I have seen a drastic decrease in hyper-pigmentation (which to be honest I think is even worse than the actual blemishes-they are so hard to cover!!!!)! Let me know how it all goes or if you need any help!
Good luck my dear!
Ashley
awfulbeautifuldisarray[at]gmail.com
awfulbeautifuldisarray.blogspot.com
Nina
Hey Catalina! Being a silent reader I know you don't use very many skin products on your face other than moisturizer. I truly believe a serum of some type would help A LOT! I use to have constant breakouts and when I started to use serums BEFORE moisturizers, I stopped breaking out (except during the time of month, thats un-avoidable). You could try any from CELLNIQUE, C'audalie's Vitalizing Serum, OR what worked the BEST was Philosophy Miracle Worker (sephora). It's just retinol which helps with breakouts AND scarring. It is pricey tho but I still went back and bought a second box because it worked.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Ana Kessel
I'm so sorry to hear your frustration with your skin =( It's not easy to fix, I know. My advice, is to NOT use mederma, not even for a week, at all!! I bought a long time ago for my acne scars, it literally broke me out 10x WORSE! The stuff is horrible for acne prone skin, it smells horrible because of the "onion" extract or what ever, but my skin just felt super irritated the more I used it. I had to stop using it because it was literally bleaching my skin instead of fading the scars, it just left my skin kind of pink and raw looking, like if it was being bleached! The areas you apply this stuff, get so blotchy they don't match your skin tone anymore, it took weeks for the white blotches to go away =(
I'm sorry if im scaring you I just don't want this to happen to you.You can still use it if you don't feel irritation but as far as it's scar fading abilities I think it doesn't work as well as it advertises.
-Ana
Erika Lim
This comment has been removed by the author.
Katrina
hey catalina 🙂 i've been following your blog for a while now and i know how stressful and frustrating acne can be. especially when you have no idea what is causing it since you're doing everything right for your skin. maybe you are breaking out because you are stressing out about it :/ i don't know if it may help you, but i also have VERY oily skin that is incredibly acne prone/sensitive and after i've switched to using neutrogena's acne stress control scrub, my skin has gotten a lot better. it's a scrub but it's pretty gentle on my skin and surprisingly moisturizing rather than drying. as for the acne scars left behind, i'm still searching for a good product that lightens the red/brownish spots. i'm rather curious about mederma too. i wish you the best of luck and i hope your skin stops freaking out on you like mine has done a million times
Frances
I'm sorry about the breakouts =((
Are you allergic to something? Did you use a new detergent or something cuz it might be your pillow case.
My friend uses Origins skincare from the Dr. Weil line… the mega mushroom. it's supposed to really calm down your face and it works really well for my friend. it's also 100% natural so maybe you should give it a try? 🙂 you know just ask for samples from macy's to see if it works for you so your wouldn't have to throw away a lot of money trying a lot of different stuff. Good luck!!!!! =)
xoxo
Anonymous
have you tried topical tretinoins like retin a micro or differin? imo, mederma is just a moisturizer marketed as a scar fader.
Tina
Wah I wish I can give some advice since I had severe hormonal acne.. But what I had seen that made the best difference in my skin (which is clear now) is to drink PLENTY of water!
tsuki
If you want to feel better about your acne scars, take a look at my blog – my acne scarring is waaay worse, haha! For acne, though, I've found that products with 2%-5% benzoyl peroxide works pretty good for me. Good luck! (btw, I love your blog and just started following! ^_^)
blogger
Hi Cat~ hope your breakouts heal soon.let us know what you did^^ take care!
Ashley
Hey, Hello, I've had same issues years ago, it sucks and still coming up on my period time especially chin area..
a NeoBenz™Micro 3.5% works good (you have to apply very thin layers) and if you're in Korea, get a Duac™ its the best!! but most likely drink lots of water and less skin care;use water based less chemical contained one.
I love your bloggg!! cheer up! hope you get your pretty skin back soon!
-from your big FAN babes! =)
saMMie
Hai Catalina. I just wanna share my experience with Mederma. Im not sure if its the exact same thing. But anyways. It does work. It does lessen the scars. But I think it works more on larger scars. And there seems to be some extent on how much it'll work. Like it doesn't do anything up till one point. But good luck trying it though ^^
owltastic
I'm sorry about your skin. I totally know what you're going through. My skin's been breaking out like crazy too!! Hopefully you and I both get some relief soon. 😛 Good luck with your product!
Heatheresque
I had moderate to severe acne for about 8 years. I tried every acne treatment known to mankind–over the counter, prescription oral meds, prescription topical creams, proactiv, herbs, high end skin care, changing my diet, not wearing makeup, etc… NOTHING worked. I did have months here and there when my acne would simmer down for a bit, but it always came back. My last resort was accutane. It's very expensive and very harsh on your body. I took it for about 5 months, and during those months, my skin (all over) got really dry and sensitive. My lips cracked and bled, and I had to religiously wear sunscreen or I'd burn. It was all worth it though. Although I still get the occasional pimple, I've been acne free for about 2 years now. For my acne scars, I got a series of peels/laser treatments. They're costly, yes, but a lot faster and more effective than any topical treatment. If you do decide to get peels/laser, do it before you go on accutane, bc once you're on accutane, your skin will be too sensitive to receive any of those treatments. Hope this helps… and hope you feel better soon 🙂
Nikki
Hey Catalina,
I totally feel you, like seriously!!! I've had acne since I started college which was like 4 years ago & I used to break out at least 2x a day =/ And like you, I have tried every cleanser, treatment that is known to man. But around the end of the year last year I switched all my cleaners,etc to all Natural stuff. So I tried using LUSH Fresh Farmacy Face Soap, Enzymion Moisturizer, Tea Tree Water toner and Grease Lightning spot gel & surprisingly I broke out much less than I used to, until I completely stopped. I mean, I'm not going to say I'm fully acne-free, cause I'm not. Although, I can say that I only break out when I'm getting my time of the month. Aside from that, it's been smooth sailing.
Also, I was given the chance to try out some Cellnique products. Their Derma Whitening Essence lightens up post acne scars like crazy & it works pretty darn fast. It vanishes most of my scars. Also, their Advanced Bio Renewal Masque is the best mild exfoliator there is, & it smells amazing too.
Anyways, if you wanna check out my review on the Cellnique products that I had mentioned you can check out my post. I also included before & after pictures 🙂
ewwitsnikki.blogspot.com/2010/06/ance-history-cellnique-review.html
Hope this comment was helpful & good luck 😀
-Nikki
Hao
Are you using any topical treatments? I swear by La Roche-Posay's Effaclar K. Active ingredient is salicylic acid.
Eagerly looking forward to seeing if Mederma works for you. I got Ambi Fade Cream, but then was nervous about using it because of the carcinogenic properties of hydroquinone (active ingredient).
sammy
🙁 i know exactly how you feel. once i notice my skin clearing up, another million pimples start to pop ALL over my face! it's sooo frustrating!!!!
my acne started ever since i was in year 8, but me being stupid, i just ignored it.. and it kept getting worse. and now i literally have moon craters all over my face and my doctor said that those scars will stay on my face forever. plus, he has told me that my acne problem is genetic (from dad's side) and also partially my diet (i eat a looot of junk food).
he did tell me to use benzac AC which is a water based acne gel. and it helps remove my acne a lot quicker, but i still have the scars.
hope this mederma thing works for you!
Erika Lim
Sorry I had to delete my other comment because I wanted to add something lol!
Uhm, I tried Merderma on my skin and you know I usually put it on at night. My experience with it is that its a bit too thick and it made me break out even more… I stopped using it and I would use it every once in awhile and my skin kind of got used to it. Before Merderma I used Neosporin and that really worked well for me because Neosporin isnt so thick and creamy like Merderma.
Hey Catalina,
I just read your post and I know what you mean about zits. My whole right side flared up for no reason at all. I think it might be due to the lack of water and sleep and in addition to that the heat + makeup. My friend and I also have a beauty blog and my friend made a post on acne because she has severe acne since hs. I guess my advice for you is to try cleansers with salicylic acid, toners with it as well and moisturizers too. It might be a little too much for your skin, so I say not with the toner. Ive been using it for about 3 days and it has shown improvement! just letting you know! 🙂
You can check out the post that she made on our blog cyutiishortii.blogspot.com
selphia
kiehls.com/_us/_en/face/collection.aspx?tcode=BlueHerbal
I tried the gel cleanser and the Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion. My skin looked like what you have in the pictures for a while and when I used that it cleared up. Stay away from products with silica and silicons it should help.
I use vitamin e oil as moisturizer, it helps fade scars.
claudia
Hi
i have the same problem with jawline acne and it's probably caused by hormonal imbalance. mine gets worse during my period and when i don't get enough sleep. Going on pills will definitely help but it may not be a long term solution as my dermatologist told me. gd luck
lex
=( i'm having the same problem too. But mine was caused by Bbcreams.
Currently using clinelle blemish clear conceal stick + Gladerma Retacyln and it's clearing up my scars slowly.
Unknown
You poor thing!! I used to have similar on going acne problems like the photos you've just put up but my skin has gotten a lot better since I've found products that work harmoniously for me. I know everyone's skin reacts different to different products but I'd like to share some of my tips and maybe they might help you too (fingers crossed!) I use Cetaphil to cleanse my face day and night (it may feel like it doesn't clean your face but if you make sure you gently rub it all over in circular motions with the right amount and make sure you wash it off very well it works real good). I use neutrogena sensitive skin moisturizer afterwards. To exfoliate try and find something that contains glycolic acid because what this will do is take away the top layer of dead skin and effectively remove impurities, thus increasing the regeneration of new skin cells. Try a tazarotene topical cream to avoid scarring and it make the big-under-the-skin pimples go away fast. Wiki says it might make acne worse but it actually makes mine go away really quickly! Sorry for the long post, I hope I was able to help in any sort of way. All the best and I hope your skin clears up for you asap! Don't let it get you down, we all think you are gorgeous!
Michelle 🙂
Evee
could it possibly be from overcleansing?
i used Duac for a while, which is an acne antibiotic medication. my skin got better after that.
hope it gets better soon!!
Anonymous
I AM IN THE SAME SITUATION DAMN YOU ST. IVES! It is getting worse and worse for me, I"m going to the dermatologist, hopefully he has a miracle for me.
Anonymous
Catalina,
I'm going through the same right now. I've always had pretty good skin, just your typical monthly breakouts around the chin area and the odd pimple here and there. Then, in spring of this year, I started to get a cluster of painful acne on my cheeks – I was horrified! At first I thought the source was stress, but I've not been under much stress at all this summer and unfortunately I have not seen much of a change in the condition of my skin. *sadface* Though I have to say, while I'm still battling acne on my cheeks, I do think the size of the breakouts has gone done and overall they aren't as painful anymore. I'm hoping this means that my skin is going back to it's normal self, but we'll have to wait and see.
What I've found helps a great deal with the aftermath of hyper pigmentation scars is Avène Diacnéal, it contains 0,1% of retinol and 6% of glycolic acid. You can use it daily (preferably in the evening), but I find it quite drying and only use it 3x a week at most, but everyone's skin is different. I hope this helps even though I'm not sure if this brand is easily accessible in the US.
Anyway, good luck with your skin! Do let us know what works for you, I always enjoy your blog posts. 🙂
Anonymous
Catalina, I'm sorry to hear about your skin condition. From personal experience it can be frustrating and depressing. My cousin had severe acne a few months ago and her doctor (not dermo) gave her some strong medication for it and it cleared it all up, including scars! she has flawless skin now. My advice is actually see a doctor but not a dermatologist. i know US doctors work differently but it might be worth a try instead of testing out unknown products on yourself. good luck, i hope this product works for you!
Laura L
hi dear…. I have the same problem like u too, I'm in healing process now. I use some skincare products, but then i have allergic reaction, according to my beautician. So, i attend to several facial treatment. Currently I'm using Hada Labo super hyaluronic acid face wash, toner and garnier aqua defense gel cream/essence (name different due to country i guess). My beautician let me try out a France product DERMEDEX, but today is my 1st day trying that out, so far, the results are quite good….
I think using a hydrating skincare is much important that using those useless anti acne products, because my experience is : these products make my skin even worse.
Hope your skin get well soon,hugsss~
have a great day!
MilknCookiie
Have you tried BHA (most of the time salicylic acid) peelings before? They work really well for unclogging pores and get rid of whatever's in your pores.
I'm not an expert but the ingredients list of Mederma doesn't sound good at all..fragrance and parabens are somewhat known for skin irration and causing break outs. I don't use anything to reduce scarring as I'm more focused on 'having a smooth surface', so I can't recommend anything for that other than keeping it clean and having patience with it fading naturally.
Other than that, I don't see anything wrong with your skincare routine..maybe use moisturizing/soothing masks more often? Acne usually lessen if your skin is calm and moisturized.
Not sure if this helps but I hope it will be over soon! Good luck! ♥
★ Cookiie