My facial skin complexion looks bad...

[JoeCool]

As a guy I really shouldn't worry about things like this. But my facial skin looks bad for someone my age. It looks really beaten and worn out, not to mention I have bags under my eyes which I've had since my early teens. It makes me feel really self conscious about my looks. In my teens, I developed horrible acne for years & that's when my face started to look bad. I suffer from dry skin and my face is discolored, filled with dents,scars and 3 different pigment tones. Now that I'm in my 20's the acne has died down but my face still looks like a train wreck..

 

However this doesn't stop me from attracting people however my confidence is extremely low. I think if my skin looked better, I'd feel a lot confident in myself. I can't afford going to a derm. I've tried lots of cream and various things but nothing seems to work. Do you think vigorous exercise can help my skin.

[Sweet Venus]

Exercise definetley helps....drinking lots of water. You can do home facials too...

all you need to do is steam water on the stove....use a towel to drape over your head to keep the steam in...and let the steam open your pores. Then wash your face with a

moisturizing cleanser, pat dry and follow with a good moisturizer. Doing this once a week is great for your skin.

[anggrace]

Do you use a moisturizer? That is a must.

[laisla]

everytime i use a cleanser or acne product it makes my skin worse.

 

i just clean it now with soap, baking soda in the evening, and put some lemon juice on the acne scars to lighten them. there have been no side effects for me so far and it has helped.

 

also get plenty of water, rest, and the necessary vitamins. i almost never believe those facial products work unless they are very basic.

[Cognitive_Canine]

I would go to a dermatologist. A little costly but they can work wonders.

[odile]

Definitely moisturise, and try to use one with spf for daytime.

Drink plenty of water, and try to keep your diet healthy.

Avocados (eating them) are great for skin, and I think nuts, too.

 

For under-eye bags, you can get one of those cooling-mask things for the fridge.

You can buy vitamin E cream for around the eye (The Body Shop does a nice, inexpensive one).

Witch hazel is meant to be a good astringent.

[purpleduckie]

try and find different routines that work for you. it took me forever but for me, i swear by eau thermale avene. i wash my face with the calming cleaner at night and in the morning. at night, i use the sincare lotion for blemish prone skin and in the morning, i use the olay anti aging total effect. this regime has left my skin completely clear.

 

for scars, i swear by curcuma cream. it does leave your skin yellowish (it's the cream's colour) and it is really hard to wash off... BUT it will work over time. i only use it when i don't go out for days.

 

if it's a big deal for you, i suggest saving up some money for a microdermation(sp?) it costs something like 200$. i would exfoliate my face often too, it helps diminish the appearance of scars.

[purpleduckie]

Definitely moisturise, and try to use one with spf for daytime.

Drink plenty of water, and try to keep your diet healthy.

Avocados (eating them) are great for skin, and I think nuts, too.

 

For under-eye bags, you can get one of those cooling-mask things for the fridge.

You can buy vitamin E cream for around the eye (The Body Shop does a nice, inexpensive one).

Witch hazel is meant to be a good astringent.

 

ooh def avocadoes. eat them, put them on your face... i prefer eating them. yum!

[JoeCool]

Definitely moisturise, and try to use one with spf for daytime.

Drink plenty of water, and try to keep your diet healthy.

Avocados (eating them) are great for skin, and I think nuts, too.

 

For under-eye bags, you can get one of those cooling-mask things for the fridge.

You can buy vitamin E cream for around the eye (The Body Shop does a nice, inexpensive one).

Witch hazel is meant to be a good astringent.

 

What's a good moisturizer to use. I have sensitive skin and it seems like almost everything irritates my skin when I put lotion on my face..

[laisla]

What's a good moisturizer to use. I have sensitive skin and it seems like almost everything irritates my skin when I put lotion on my face..

 

definitely get one which says it's "for sensitive skin" and "non comedogenic".

[JoeCool]

if it's a big deal for you, i suggest saving up some money for a microdermation(sp?) it costs something like 200$. i would exfoliate my face often too, it helps diminish the appearance of scars.

 

Can you suggest what are some good for exfoliating my face?? The only product I've been using is this Neutragena fash wash for acne...

[Cognitive_Canine]

Can you suggest what are some good for exfoliating my face?? The only product I've been using is this Neutragena fash wash for acne...

 

That'll most likely dry out your skin.

[purpleduckie]

Neutragena is the devil for your skin!!

 

 

St.Ives exfoliator is amazing for such a low price. I swear by eau thermale avene, personally, but it can be a little pricey.

[JoeCool]

That'll most likely dry out your skin.

 

Time to change products.. I've been using that for years..

 

The thing is I want a product that doesn't make my skin dry or very greasy as well.

 

What's a good St Ives product for facial skin?

[Sweet Venus]

I love all of St Ives stuff. There cleansers and moisturizers are really good and affordable.

[laisla]

Neutragena is the devil for your skin!!

 

 

St.Ives exfoliator is amazing for such a low price. I swear by eau thermale avene, personally, but it can be a little pricey.

 

don't use st. ives for your face, it cuts your skin.

 

and i agree neutrogena sucks..

[purpleduckie]

don't use st. ives for your face, it cuts your skin.

 

and i agree neutrogena sucks..

 

omg, what? really? how?

 

 

oh btw op, i realize i've been using nivea visage gentle exfoliating cream not st ives. as far as i can tell, it's not bad.

[JoeCool]

Ok so we're knocking out St Ives & Neutragena... Anything else that maybe effective on helping my skin?

[laisla]

omg, what? really? how?

 

 

oh btw op, i realize i've been using nivea visage gentle exfoliating cream not st ives. hah

 

the granules in the st. ives scrub are not round, they have sharp points and cause tiny cuts in your skin. if you use an exfoliator make sure it has rounded granules.

 

you can use st. ives for the body, though. it's great and cheap for that.

[purpleduckie]

Ok so we're knocking out St Ives & Neutragena... Anything else that maybe effective on helping my skin?

 

how much are you willing to spend?

[dangletsbang]

cetaphil [soaps/lotions] is an amazing moisturizer for sensitive to very sensitive skin. They have all kinds of products..soap bars, lotions for body and face, body wash, etc.

[laisla]

cetaphil [soaps/lotions] is an amazing moisturizer for sensitive to very sensitive skin. They have all kinds of products..soap bars, lotions for body and face, body wash, etc.

 

^ i agree with that. get the sensitive skin one for cetaphil or even spectro gel, they are the ones that never had side effects for my face. they aren't expensive either.

 

plus, they don't dry your skin out too much and yet don't make it feel very oily either.

[purpleduckie]

lol i'm anti cetaphil, it dried me out. i guess it really depends on your complexion. op, you just have to start trying out diff products and see if they work for you.

 

 

link removed is a great site to check out products before you buy them.

[JoeCool]

how much are you willing to spend?

 

Anywhere from the $0 to $20 range.. anything higher seems rather silly purchasing, especially if it's not going to work for my face.

[odile]

What's a good moisturizer to use. I have sensitive skin and it seems like almost everything irritates my skin when I put lotion on my face..

 

I'm a big fan of Vichy products.

Prices are mid-range (so costlier than the cheapest stuff, yet still affordable), and the quality is really good.

The only drawback might be that their product has a lovely fragrance that may be a bit feminine for a dude (it's a light fragrance, but it all depends on your taste).

Not sure if they do a fragrance-free version, but definitely worth looking into.

Vichy also does a nice toner, and perhaps if you have really really dry skin, a cream cleanser/toner might be something worth looking into.

 

 

P.S.

I don't understand the Neutrogena haters! Personally, I love the stuff.

Neutrogena makes a wide range of products, and some of them are exceptionally good!

I do find, though that if you are using anything harsh (say, with salicylic acid or something), it is best to use this once a day AT MOST, and likely once every few days if you have delicate skin.