# HELP! My skin is out of control! [photos included]



## lustless (Jan 20, 2008)

I would love to help myself out by getting my skin clear but I don't even know what to call what is going on with my face right now. I would say acne but the spots on my face never form into whiteheads, and I would say a rash but nothing feels itchy...It's red, uneven and bumpy to the touch. I use Bare Minerals foundation, Mac/BE eyeshadows, Dermablend and Benefit for my concealers and Studiofix powder. I would honestly love someone to just look at these gross (and I apologize for them in advance! haha) pictures and tell me what the heck is going on here! Any recs on how to fix this? I'd like to try and clear my face up myself before shelling out the money for a dermatologist. I'm already getting surgery and getting ready for my wedding, let's just say that i'm pretty broke right now 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			









Eeeek!!!! Ahh it's so gross! 

And here's what i'd look like on a good day (which hasn't been for some time now):





Thanks for your help everyone, as always!


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## Divinity (Jan 20, 2008)

What skincare products do you use and what is your routine?  Curious.  It looks like a mild case of eczema - VERY dry skin considering they are not pimples, black or whiteheads, just bumps.  Eucerin is a great help!  Since it is pretty thick cream, use it at night every night for a week and be sure to use your regular moisturizer in the morning.  Keep us posted and let me know if that helps!


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## lustless (Jan 20, 2008)

Oh my! I was afraid that it might be eczema. Generally I use Dermalogica's anti-bac cleanser followed by tea tree oil and then oil of olay moisturizer (just the basic kind...don't think it has any specific name to it). Sometimes i'll use my Purity Made Simple followed by Hope In A Jar instead but I haven't in quite some time. I use Neutrogena On-The-Spot acne cream as that does tend to help with breakouts, but my skin has been so dry and irritated lately (as you can see) that I haven't been using it. This has been really frustrating! Thank you for your help! I'll have to pick up some Eucerin


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## glam8babe (Jan 20, 2008)

no offence but theres nothing wrong with your skin!  yes i do see you have some lil red areas but its nothing to cry about.  I have very bad skin i have acne on my chin area i have acne scars all over my cheeks and i have VERY oily skin which i used to get bullied for in school.  I would KILL to have your skin hunny and im sure many others would too.  Theres more important things to be worrying about than a a few lil blemishes.  It really pisses me off when girls are like "ohh no a blemish I NEED TO HIDE FOR A WEEK!" and i see you are a beautiful girl with and without makeup.
So please stop worrying.. im sure you'll find a product that will make your skin look even clearer but you need to realise theres people out there who have dramatically bad skin. 
 And theres this guy who lives in my town and he has a tumor in his face so one side of his face is huge and everybody laughs at him, it actually makes me think "why do i even worry about my skin when people have worse problems?"


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## lustless (Jan 20, 2008)

Thanks glam8babe. I know that my skin is not terrible, but I simply don't know what's wrong with it and would like advice. There's always going to be people with worse problems and there are always going to be people with less problems. Compared to what my skin is like usually (light to moderate acne, combination skin) my skin is not normal for me right now. It is red, it is dry and I feel like i'm torturing myself by layering makeup over it because I know that I am not fixing the underlying problem. Now obviously I am not going to stop wearing makeup because i'm a beauty junkie, so the next best thing would be to ask some people for advice. That is why I come here, because just as there's always going to be those people who have it worse than us there's going to be people who know more than us also. There are people here who offer amazing advice and I always benefit from it. That is all.


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## glam8babe (Jan 20, 2008)

I just realised you use Bare Escentuals foundation... once i started using that my skin totally cleared up but i still have scarring... maybe you need to try a different brand? because i know that for some people BE makes their skin break out


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## elegant-one (Jan 20, 2008)

First of all, you have beautiful eyes!

Maybe your skin is reacting to one of the products that you are using...try a process of elimination to see which one. My face stopped breaking out when I switched to BE, Dr. Perricone's Nutritive cleanser, & Chanel purifying cleanser.
Maybe its what your cleansing your face with.


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## elegant-one (Jan 20, 2008)

I just read on down where you said you used some Philosophy products - their products totally made my skin break out!


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## user79 (Jan 21, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *glam8babe* 

 
_no offence but theres nothing wrong with your skin!  yes i do see you have some lil red areas but its nothing to cry about.  I have very bad skin i have acne on my chin area i have acne scars all over my cheeks and i have VERY oily skin which i used to get bullied for in school.  I would KILL to have your skin hunny and im sure many others would too.  Theres more important things to be worrying about than a a few lil blemishes.  It really pisses me off when girls are like "ohh no a blemish I NEED TO HIDE FOR A WEEK!" and i see you are a beautiful girl with and without makeup.
So please stop worrying.. im sure you'll find a product that will make your skin look even clearer but you need to realise theres people out there who have dramatically bad skin. 
 And theres this guy who lives in my town and he has a tumor in his face so one side of his face is huge and everybody laughs at him, it actually makes me think "why do i even worry about my skin when people have worse problems?"_

 
There is nothing wrong with someone asking for advice for a skin issue they are having, no matter how insignificant it may seem to _you_. If you cannot offer advice, you're not helping by telling her she shouldn't worry about it and not to "cry" about it. Just because she doesn't have severe acne doesn't mean that her skin issues don't bother her or can cause insecurity. I'm not trying to be harsh but I think your post was a bit rude. People come here for advice, not to be told their problems or issues are insignificant.


Now, as for the original post - 

It doesn't look like eczema to me personally and also you don't say it is itchy which is usually what eczema feels like, but it's a bit hard to tell from the pics. Have you changed anything lately in your skincare routine that could be causing some kind of allergic reaction? Sometimes you can narrow down products. Also, have you changed or started a new birth control pill? Sometimes the different hormones can cause blemishes. When I started on the Alesse Pill, I got lots of little break-outs on my face, when usually my skin is clear.

Also, Did you use BE before, or did you just start? BE irritated my skin, you could be having a reaction to the bismuth it contains, I know it irritates a lot of people, that's why I stopped using it.

Also if your skin is really irritated and dry, I would stop with the acne products, they tend to be really harsh and drying. I'd opt for gentle, perfume-free, ph neutral alkaline-free cleansers and creams from lines like Cetaphil, Eucerin, and La Roche Posay. They were made for sensitive skin and have a variety of good products for different skin types. La Roche Posay are a bit on the pricier end but I have not been disappointed with their products.

Hope that helps, let us know if you find out something that works.


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## girlstar (Jan 21, 2008)

Are you putting tea tree oil on your face, full strength? Generally, 100% tto is too strong for the skin, and that could be causing a problem. Even if you were fine to use it full strength before, our skin is always changing. 

Also, can you go for a few days with no makeup and see if the condition gets better? That might help you to narrow down if it's a problem with your skincare, or a problem with your makeup.

hth!


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## chameleonmary (Jan 21, 2008)

Sometimes skin needs a change of product, the same applies for hair. Keep a skin journal. Write down whatever you use on your skin and make a note of when it gets better or worse. Sometimes that way you can pinpoint whatever is irritating it and eliminate it from your routine. Do you exfoliate regularly, because it does not really look like a breakout but possibly a few blocked follicles? I think it may be a bit drastic to see a dermatologist, but perhaps see a good beautician for advice or a facial?


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## glam8babe (Jan 21, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *MissChievous* 

 
_There is nothing wrong with someone asking for advice for a skin issue they are having, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you. If you cannot offer advice, you're not helping by telling her she shouldn't worry about it and not to "cry" about it. Just because she doesn't have severe acne doesn't mean that her skin issues don't bother her or can cause insecurity. I'm not trying to be harsh but I think your post was a bit rude. People come here for advice, not to be told their problems or issues are insignificant._

 
i wasnt being rude one bit! i ws just saying what i thought and im sure other people would agree. and when i said the part about crying about a blemish i wasnt saying it about Lustless i was just saying it generally because thats what some girls do when their skin isnt even bad. And i wish my skin was like Lustless' so that shows i wasnt being mean to her


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## PBunnieP (Jan 21, 2008)

Oh my gosh! I get almost the EXACT same condition periodically. At first I had no idea what was going on either since I did have acne issues when a few years back [and still do somewhat] but I would get the SAME red bumps that you just described on my cheeks especially. 

I would suggest just to use mild cleansers, lay off all the anti-bacterial/acne stuff for a few days, I find they tend to be very harsh and just further irriate the skin. Then, try a richer moisturizer [but DO make sure it's OIL FREE]. I actually find that my skin reacts better with THICKER but oil-free creamier moisturizers than those acne/oil-control lotions. [those just seem to further the oil production and then i get dry skin on top with oily skin on bottom =.="]

Let us know how it goes! Good luck sweetheart.


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## Fairybelle (Jan 21, 2008)

Like others have posted, it looks like the Bismuth Oxychloride in the Bare Minerals.  That stuff broke me out HORRIBLY--even brought back my cystic acne.  I would avoid that stuff since you are basically 'buffing' the Bismuth Oxychloride right into your pores when you put the Bare Minerals on...and that stuff can be an irritant to some skins (one early sign--your face itches).  Just because Bare Minerals is all natural doesn't mean that you can't be irritated by it.  Once I stopped using Bare Minerals my skin cleared up and my face stopped itching.  You're a beautiful gal and I hope that you get some skin relief soon!!


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## lustless (Jan 21, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Fairybelle* 

 
_Like others have posted, it looks like the Bismuth Oxychloride in the Bare Minerals.  That stuff broke me out HORRIBLY--even brought back my cystic acne.  I would avoid that stuff since you are basically 'buffing' the Bismuth Oxychloride right into your pores when you put the Bare Minerals on...and that stuff can be an irritant to some skins (one early sign--your face itches).  Just because Bare Minerals is all natural doesn't mean that you can't be irritated by it.  Once I stopped using Bare Minerals my skin cleared up and my face stopped itching.  You're a beautiful gal and I hope that you get some skin relief soon!!_

 
Hmm, you think so? I've been using BE for over 3 years now so it would definitely be a culture shock for me to enter back into the world of foundations! I know that you can develop an allergy to anything at anytime and it's definitely not the first time that i've developed an allergy to something (like how I have an allergy to Snuggle detergent..random? I think so). 

Thank you, i'll definitely try to avoid the BE!


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## user79 (Jan 22, 2008)

Have you noticed any reaction to the BE before? Like previously said, some people notice an irritation by getting itchy skin. I had that too. If so, it could be the bismuth. You can check out the Mineral Makeup forum (here) for some other mineral foundations without the bismuth (I like Alima.)

But I would first try changing your other skincare products for more gentle products and see if that makes a difference, if you haven't had a problem with the BE stuff before.


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## athena123 (Jan 22, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *lustless* 

 
_Oh my! I was afraid that it might be eczema. Generally I use Dermalogica's anti-bac cleanser followed by tea tree oil and then oil of olay moisturizer (just the basic kind...don't think it has any specific name to it). Sometimes i'll use my Purity Made Simple followed by Hope In A Jar instead but I haven't in quite some time. I use Neutrogena On-The-Spot acne cream as that does tend to help with breakouts, but my skin has been so dry and irritated lately (as you can see) that I haven't been using it. This has been really frustrating! Thank you for your help! I'll have to pick up some Eucerin 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
I don't know anything about eczema, but if this is something that suddenly cropped up I would tend to relate a new crop of irritation to new products, new detergent, shampoo/conditioner or hormones. I would try switching out one at a time to pinpoint the culprit. If $$ is an issue, Aveeno moisturizing cleanser isn't that bad at all and it's great for removing makeup as well. Or you can try a bottle of jojoba oil at your nearest Trader Jo's for makeup removal and gentle cleanser, just be sure you remove all traces of it when you're done. If you're using tea tree oil as a spot treatment, try a few drops in a small jot of jojoba oil so you're not using it full strength. Be careful, though I have heard some ladies react badly to jojoba oil. 

And yes, definitely consider a switch to mineral line that doesn't contain bismuth. I'm one of those that reacted badly to BE. Metallic sheen, itchy and my face looked like it was covered with scales when I tried this stuff UGGGHHH! I've been very pleased with Everyday Minerals and have heard great things about Meow cosmetics and Alima as well. 

Good luck sweetie,

Athena


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## Liyah (Feb 18, 2008)

i actually had something similar  happen to me, i used the dermalogica anti bac for a while and that was too strong for me! try using something else for a while and see if it clears up! Also, studio fix doesnt agree with me! i use it and my cheeks get all red and irritated, and clogged which leads to a heavy breakout! i hope this helps!


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## ana_banana (Feb 21, 2008)

I've had something similar happen to my skin when my BE foundation had expired early..and I had no idea until I finally looked on the side of it to see the exp/date. 

Also..Philosophy has made my skin breakout really bad, clogged pores..redness, you name it.


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## Kuuipo (Mar 1, 2008)

It does not look like excema, it looks like rosacea.


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## Kuuipo (Mar 1, 2008)

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin disease that causes facial redness. You may mistake some of its characteristics — small, red, pus-filled bumps or pustules — for acne. In fact, rosacea has been called adult acne or acne rosacea, but the disease has little to do with the pimples and blackheads that commonly afflict teenagers. It's also a misconception that this red-faced condition is caused by drinking alcoholic beverages.
Rosacea affects mostly adults, usually people with fair skin, between the ages of 30 and 60. About 14 million Americans have this chronic skin condition. Although it's more common in women, men may develop more apparent signs of the disorder. It's not life-threatening, but it can affect your appearance and lower your self-esteem.
Left untreated, rosacea tends to be progressive, which means it gets worse over time. However, in most people rosacea is cyclic, which means it may flare up for a period of weeks to months and then signs and symptoms lessen for a while before rosacea flares up again. Besides acne, rosacea can also be mistaken for other skin problems, such as skin allergy or eczema. Once diagnosed, it's quite treatable.

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Signs and symptoms 








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## Kuuipo (Mar 1, 2008)

[FONT=Verdana,Times,Arial][SIZE=+1]*Rosacea*




[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, Verdana]

Rosacea, or acne rosacea, is a skin disorder leading to redness and pimples on the nose, forehead, cheekbones, and chin. The inflamed pimples and redness of rosacea can look a great deal like acne, but blackheads are almost never present. It is a fairly common disorder with about one in every twenty Americans is afflicted with it. Rosacea is most common in white women between the ages of 30 and 60. When it occurs in men, it tends to be more severe and may eventually cause the nose to become red and enlarged (rhinophyma). Fair-skinned individuals and people who flush easily seem to be more susceptible to this condition.

Rosacea becomes progressively worse in many of those affected. The real cause of rosacea is now thought to be a tendency to flush and blush in a person with sun damage. Sun damages the supporting fibers of the small blood vessels just under the surface of the skin, allowing the vessels to stretch out (become permanently dilated). The damaged blood vessels leak fluid when flushing occurs, resulting in blotchy red areas. Swelling occurs, but is not usually so prominent to be very visible. The first sign most people see are small red pimples and pustules (pus-filled whiteheads). The redness can come and go and may be tender, inflamed and sensitive to the touch. Later, the skin tissue can swell and thicken. Eventually the redness and swelling can become permanent.



Eventually the capillaries become visible through the skin's surface; these are called telangiectasis. They often start on the sides of the nose. In a fair, delicate skin predisposed to rosacea, anything that makes one flush will promote rosacea and telangiectasis. A person's lifestyle and habits can be the skin's worst enemy. The more blood vessels one has near the surface of the skin, the more one is likely to flush and stay flushed

Flushing triggers include a steady diet of hot beverages, spicy food, alcohol (either topically applied or drinking in excess), excessive prescription steroids, physical and mental stress, extremes of weather, harsh soaps, exfoliating creams, and hot baths. Controlling the flushing can allow one to control the rosacea, sometimes without using medication. Unfortunately, what aggravates one person's rosacea may have no effect on another's.

Rosacea can affect the eyes. How severely rosacea affects the eye is not related to how severe the facial rosacea is. Symptoms that suggest ocular (eye) rosacea include a feeling of dryness and grittiness in the eyes and inflamed bumps (chalazions) on the lids. The eyelashes may develop scales and crusts, often misdiagnosed as seborrheic dermatitis. A persistent burning feeling, red eyes and light sensitivity suggest the more severe problem of rosacea keratitis. This rare complication can lead to with blindness without treatment. All patients with significant symptoms of ocular rosacea should be seen by an ophthalmologist for a thorough examination.

Telangiectasias (broken blood vessels) can be treated with electrocautery (burning the vessels with an electric needle). It gives just the right result for many people and is less expensive and more available than lasers. If a person has rhinophyma from the disorder, a laser can shave away excess tissue to restore a smoother appearance to the skin.

Treatment includes avoidance of anything that makes one flush and known precipitants of flare-ups. Overheating-whether due to direct sun, excess clothing, hot foods-is uniformly a problem. Avoid hot showers, saunas, excessively warm environments, and extremes of weather (strong winds, cold, humidity).

Foods are more inconsistent triggers, and most bother no more than one third of rosacea patients. These include fermented products high in histamine (vinegar, yogurt, sour cream, dry cheeses, soy sauce, yeast extract), certain vegetables and fruits (eggplant, avocados, spinach, broad-leaf beans and pods, including lima, navy or pea, citrus fruits, tomatoes, bananas, red plums, raisins or figs), spicy hot food, chocolate, vanilla, and liver. Other factors include prescription medications (vasodilators, topical steroids) alcohol (red wine, beer, bourbon, gin, vodka or champagne), menopausal flushing, chronic coughing, and emotional stress and anxiety.

Treatment will control rosacea in most cases. It should be possible to control symptoms and keep rosacea from getting worse. Rosacea comes back in most of the patients in weeks to months of stopping treatment unless all trigger factors have been stopped.

The most effective treatments are oral tetracycline and similar antibiotics and low-dose oral Accutane. Mild cases can be controlled by gels or creams such a Metrogel, Cleocin-T, Azelex, or sulfa. Often, full doses of pills are needed only for a short while. Maintenance treatment can be intermittent doses or just topical creams. For rosacea of the eyes warm compresses to lids (hot towel) for 5 minutes twice a day, liquefies the oil in the gland ducts-can be very helpful.

Makeup can be an effective aid in rosacea, will not make it worse, and even some male rosacea sufferers use a bit. A slightly more olive color than usual helps to hide the redness. For some women, hormone replacement pills may be given to reduce menopausal hot flashes. Many advances have been made in recent years. Regular visits are advised for most rosacea patients. [/FONT]
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## ndn-ista (Mar 7, 2008)

Hey! OMG-I am in your exact same situation. I haven't had a acne breakout in yearsss, and all of a sudden my face was getting itchy, broke out like crazzzy, its bumpy and turns into whiteheads etc. Well, I am trying to narrow down and see if it is something I am using, and honestly my makeup is all the same, nothing has changed. My skin gets dry in the winter seasons, and someone recommened Philosophy Hope in a Jar, and well honestly I think it can be because of this product. I read reviews on it on makeupalley.com, and almost every other one is that it made them break out confusingly. Someone even mentioned that in this thread.

I can't afford to go to a dermo because I am currently unemployed and don't have insurance. But I just can not bare to look at myself right now. After reading all the negative posts on makeupalley about Hope in a Jar, I quickly ran into my bathroom and washed my face with cleanser, and it might be because I am forcing myself to believe that finally my resolution is this product, but I do think my skin feels free and less itchy after washing my face. I was constantly using this product all day and all night, no I will NOT use is at all and see what happens.

I will let you know if I see a change. Also, check out the reviews on makeupalley.com and see if you can relate to the reviews, becuase I def can. 

Let me know what happens!!!


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## Hikaru-chan (Mar 16, 2008)

It could just be stress that causing it and not the products that you are using. How long as your skin been like this?


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## Babylard (Mar 16, 2008)

hmm sometimes get rashy skin on my cheeks as well.  i call it angry skin when it just suddenly gets bumpy rashy red.

it may be the B.E. as bismuth can be irritating like some people have said.  i suggest you look into other kinds of minerals that are bismuth oxychloride free such as everyday minerals and silk naturals.  right now i lovee everyday naturals and i am still testing.  i stopped using sheer cover except for their finishing powder cuz i hav so much of it.

some cleansers can indeed be too harsh as it strips your skin from moisture.  i find it that things that have a cooling effect also help, especially cooling masques.  try things with cucumber in it.  queen helen's mint julep mask also helps.

when i use too many products too often my skin gets angry and especially things with alcohol in it (anything that ends with "ol").  keep it simple


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