Amita asks:
Dear Ratiji / Sanjeevji / Jomolji / Nehaji / & all those lovely IMBBians,
Hi,
It feels so nice to finally connect with you guys.I have been reading your superb blog from more than a year now. I love you guys a lot.It has helped me in picking up the right products for my skin.I have a few queries though, hopeful that this sweet team would be able to help me.
I am 23 years, wheatish to dusky complexion, oily skin. Have been having a lot of breakouts off lately. Dont know the reason, may be the hot & humid Mumbai Summers!!! I was a typical Tomboy all my school & college days. Used nothing on my face not even face powder like Ponds. I have been having the problem of pigmented skin since time immemorial now, though my skin tone has lightened over the years since my childhood, don’t know how..hehehe!!!
Nowadays I have started caring for my skin and hair. Think the beauty bug just bit me.. Better late than never.
For my daily skin routine I use Medimix soap, that doesn’t break me out, but yes does dry my skin a lot, for which i have been using Olay mosituriser skin whitening, I use Lotus Herbals sunscreen matte effect SPF 50. I do not follow the CTM routine daily due to busy office schedule but just alternate days. Use Nivea mild scrub the blue pack , use jovees mud pack with papaya seeds. Also use Dabur gulabari after reading the benefits of that on IMBB.
These pimples come all over my face and atleast 7-8 at a go and leave behind nasty marks on my skin even if I dont touch them at all. Ladies please help me clear out those marks & advice a good day cream or face wash to keep away those dirty pimples away.
I am not much into makeup, except for a kajal & lip balm I do not use any other make-up. Because I always had a fear that make-up is bad for skin..lolz!!! Please advice me a good and pocket friendly compact powder for oily skin and with full coverage to hide my pigmented skin & also those pimple marks.
Lots of love to the entire team. You guys are doing some amazingly great work and indeed helping amateurs like me.
Amita Raju
Mumbai
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Okay first of all, you need to wash your face ATLEAST twice a day. Anybody would have to have time for that! Following CTM every other day means you are basically allowing bacteria to flourish on your face, and is probably the reason you are getting so many pimples. I also suggest you stop using a soap on your face (esp. Medimix, which is HARSH) and switch over to a face wash for oily skin. Some cheap brands available are Clean and Clear and Dove (both suitable for sensitive skin). Do tone(rose water is great, though make sure you are using pure rosewater and not the Dabur Gulabari spray thingy with a lot of chemicals) and moisturize (use an oil free moisturizer ONLY) after cleansing each time. Again, Clean and Clear has a pocket friendly one.
About your pimple marks, I would suggest visiting a dermatologist (My mom did, and it was the only thing that helped her, despite trying many common treatments) before using many harsh scar clearing ointments/ treatments. This could also help you find out if there is an underlying cause for you breakouts (hormonal causes, etc.)
As far as a cheap compact goes, Maybelline and Lakme have many mattifying compacts and loose powders that are easy on the pocket. If you want fairly good coverage use a compact that matches your skin shade and NOT loose powder (they are generally translucent and only for mattifying).
I use this one:
https://makeupandbeauty.com/revlon-touch-glow-moisturising-powder-review/
I find that it greatly reduces redness on my face and pimples) and keeps it matte for 2-3 hours (VERY oily skin on my T Zone). But I do think the price has gone up now, though it will last you long.
Lakme Diamond Matte Compact is another cheap option (again I don’t know if they have increased the price as Lakme does this often).
I also recommend anti bacterial blotting sheets (Clean and Clear again has some pocket friendly ones). These will not dislodge your makeup, but remove oil very very well.
If you are willing to shell out a bit more, I REALLY REALLY recommend The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Toner. This is a life saver for those of us with oily skin that gets pimples frequently.
Hope I helped!
Hi Amita,
You have to stop using Medimix soap immediately!!!! It dries out skin a lot, which may lead to excessive sebum production and that might be the reason for your breakouts! Stop using that soap, even on your body. Use mild soaps on your body or shower gel. Switch to Cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin, it’s available at pharmacies for Rs. 149. This cleanser gives squeaky clean skin. If you are not happy with the way cetaphil cleans your skin, you can use pond’s foaming cleanser (the white tube).
Check out this list to find out which compact powder you want to pick up:
https://makeupandbeauty.com/15-best-compact-makeup-powders-available-india/
Jomol, I completely agree with you *shock* medimix on the face is very harmful *nababana* I used it once on someone’s recommendation and it broke me out like craaaazzy *cry* but I switched to Vichy after that and there is no looking back. 🙂
Princess……very true…..it gave me skin allergies…it was so harsh, it broke me out so badly. It ruins the skin completely….I would not touch that soap again *nababana*
I would personally suggest Bourjois, MAC and Clinique (though these two are high end ones).
Pure tree tea oil is best solution….
Pure tea tree oil is best solution….
Hi Amrita,
I was exactly like you when I was in school and subsequently in my graduation years. Then I started following IMBB, and after experimenting tonnes of products (some nasty ones too) found out quite a few things. I too have oily skin and breakouts sometimes which leave marks.
First of all, it is not at all necessary that if a product suits other people and is a rave, it should suit you too. Lotus and Olay too have certain breakout causing ingredients. Oily skin is usually sensitive, so maybe your breakouts are because of that.
Secondly, try using herbal brands without parabens, mineral oils and alcohol content. You can try FabIndia, Biotique, Aroma Magic. These are the three brands which have never let me down. Plus, even if a product does not solve my problem, it does not react on my skin or worsen it. Best face wash for me has been “Garnier Neem Face Wash”. It is true to its claims for preventing pimples and removing marks when used regularly.
Thirdly, try to find ingredients like neem, tulsi, aloevera in your products. These are antiseptics and cooling for oily skin.
Fourthly, never skip your CTM routine no matter how busy you are. It is your skin after all, taking care of it is your responsibility. Do it twice a day, once in the morning and then at night. If you do not remove the dirt on your face daily, it clogs pores and the dirt gets accumulated their, which leads to ugly pimples and marks. Cleansing and regular CTM will take care of it.
Last but not the least, drink lots and lots of water.
Phew, that was long 🙂
Hope that hepled 🙂
P.S. Jomol/Era/Neha pls delete my previous comment. I don’t know how Kadambarioil came in my name. Typo error 🙂
moderation *cry* *cry* jomol/era/neha helllllpppppppppppppppp!!!!
Kadambari….rescuing *jogging* *jogging*
Hi Amrita! I have been battling with acne for a few years now and have realized most of the products available in the market targeted at acne prone skin is not safe since most of them are quite comedogenic. Looking at the products you use I can say that most of these products are comedogenic and hence not safe for you. Shift to medicated products and look for products which address certain needs. Giving you a glimpse of my skin care routine, I use Sebamed foaming qfce wash in the morning as it kills bacteria, keeps oiliness away and is not harsh since our skin is not very dirty in the morning, only oily. I use a medicated sunscreen as well since howmuch ever I love Lotus sunscreens and the matte look they give they are known to cause breakouts. I use sunprotek spf 50 gel sunscreen or Suncote. For compact I use maybelline clear glow compact, it is slightly chalky but doesnt cause breakouts like other compacts. If you want to go a little high end the Chambor silver shadow compact is also safe for acne prone skin. My evening facewash is Himalaya neem facewash as it is safe, cleans dirt and sunscreen well. For night you would need a facewash which chemically exfoliates clogged pores and also lightens marks, so a facewash with glycolic acid is good. Try starting with lower concentration of glycolic acid by using a face wash like AHAGLOW and then increasing the concentration by using Ducray keracnyl face wash. Use a spot lightening cream, I use kojivit gel. For acne spot treatment you could use Clindamycin/sebonac. I also use a light night cream since acne treament can be a bit drying on the skin so I use kaya nourishing night cream, it is safe and also helps lighten spots. Some people get acne due to dairy products as well so check for that. Also avoid touching your face with unclean hands.
Hi Amrita, like Jomol said stop using medimix *shock* and I have oily skin too. I use Vichy Normaderm range of.products and they are amazing 🙂 They are expensive but definitely worth all that money *happy dance*
Hello Amita! Welcome to IMBB. Though i can’t answer all of ur Qs. I can suggest u a few thngs which worked well for my facial pimples. you can follow this routine- face wash- himalaya neem face wash (immediately stopped my breakout), toner (i use banjara’ rose water, but wana switch to TBS tea tree toner), moisturizer (I use ponds age miracle , it works for my skin). After coming home from ofc I follow CTM (himalaya neem face wash, rose water, apply a few drops of avocado oil to moisturize my facial skin). Before gng to sleep i apply tea tree oil on my face n massage fr 2 minutes. I hv seen a significant change aftr using tea tree oil. You can buy soulflower Tea tree oil. One more recommendation- try using tea tree squeaky clean scrub – thts my bro’s recommendation for pimple marks – he swears by tht 😀
Gud luck 🙂
Opps frgot- Use Aroma Magic face packs.. i jus love the way thy work. I use AM glow pack, activated bamboo charcoal pack and anti-pigmentation glossy pack. And also scrub ur face twice a week. Hope this helps:)
i think out fabulous writers and readers have great answers
One pack i wud recommend that i love as well is himalaya herbals clarifying mud pack
All good advice – do see a good dermatologist, check your hormone levels, be regular with CTM, and use a clay-based pack. I’d like to add just one thing – if you have dandruff, get rid of it. Also, change your pillow-case often.
here are my recommendations: Over the last few years I have gone from normal skin to combination skin to sensitive 🙂
Cleanser – Olay regenerist foaming cleanser – abt 400 bucks
Toner: Fab India tea Tree/Body Shop Tea Tree (amazing product)
foundation: Lakme mousse (round grey and black)
compact: Lakme/MAC skinfinish
Concealer: MAC prolong wear works best for me but there are plenty others like Chambor and Loreal too
if you want to indulge a little more use a face pack – lakme strawberry/L’oreal yogurt whitneing pack about once a week
and most of all stop using soaps on your face medimix or any other. They are all very harsh on your skin since the skin on your face is far more sensitive than the rest of your body.
hope this helps
The most common cause of female adult acne is hormonal imbalance. The summer weather may be adding to this. Stop using soaps. I would suggest to stop using any foundations or creams untill the breakouts are controlled.
1. cleanser: saslic face wash at least 3 times a day. start with normal strengh and if ur skin doesn’t have any sensitivity u can step up to DS.
Sebamed clear face is another good option but it’s a bit costly.
2. Use only aloe vera gel as moisturizer. stop all other creams. aloe vera gel has healing properties. I use fabindia aloe vera gel.
3 Sunscreen. Suncote gel is good for sensitive skin
4 U can use Metrogyl gel 2% for upcoming zits
6. For acne marks use concealer like Lakme white intense concealer and maybelline dream matte compact for oily skin. But I would suggest to wait till the break outs are controlled before trying new stuff.
7 If you still get breakouts, be sure to consult a dermatologist who will decide on further steps like retinol based creams.
8 Relax, stress does aggrevate acne.
Hi Amrita,
(This is gonna be long, so be patient, both while reading this and treating your acne and trust me it will work, not 100% though but will definitely give you results. I am so sure because I have been there, fought the acne and I still am. So, here it goes. *announce* )
The moment I read your question, I had complete empathy with you as I myself am 23 year old, suffering from acne for last 10 years and have terribly oily skin. I have used almost anything and everything on my face but it made it go for a while and come back like a monster. *ghost* Still they didn’t bother me much and they were not that bad until this January, when I experienced the worst acne of my life.
My cheeks, chin and forehead were full of pimples and that too nasty ones, but since I was too used of having pimples that I considered a usual problem and didn’t pay much attention to these new pimples.
After sometime, these pimples started impacting my confidence like never before. *scared* Finally, I and my parents decided that we should take help of a doc. I started the ayurvedic treatment, it was helping but it was slow.I wanted a quick solution and found it insufficient so I went to an allopathic doctor as well (and I had decided that this will be my last fight against acne, if it will not work then I will quit). These doctors didn’t only prescribe me the medicines but made me understand the core reasons of this problem.
Acne is a reflection of how healthy your body is, instead of just being a bump on your face. So I started treating my acne from inside instead of only treating it from outside. I started focusing on treating them by a healthy way instead of trying to treat/ hide the pimples with cosmetics products (Trust me cosmetics don’t work for us, no matter how much you spend on them. This is a learning which you’ll get once you have made a huge hole in your pocket, searching for cosmetic solutions 😀 😀 ). I also took the medication(which included some pills, both ayurvedic and allopathic, and a gel which I used at night on the pimples) which doctors had prescribed me for treating the already present pimples. ( Yes, medicines help in treating the already present acne but the treatment continues for 2-3 or maybe 5-6 months and after that it is stopped.)
Also,one very important thing that my doctors told me is that our skin, hair and nail are the last priorities of our body when it comes to distributing nutrients. If our nutritional intake is less then it will used for the important functions first and if something is left then it will used for skin, hair and nails.
So to make the treatment more effective I changed the below things about my lifestyle:
1. Started going to and getting out of bed on time. (It impacts your hormonal balance in a big
way).
2. Ensured that my bowel moments are regular. (Most of the problems start from our stomach)
3. Started eating healthy breakfast like oats, poha, healthy sandwichs, fruits etc. ( What goes
in stomach is reflected on face.)
4. Started drinking milk in the morning and night. (It is must. Don’t skip it.)
5. Started drinking coconut water everyday. I know it becomes little cumbersome to go and look
for a nariyal paani vala everyday, so its better to keep a week’s stock at a time. (One of the
best things on earth for maintaining hormonal balance).
6. Started taking lots and lots of curds or buttermilk/lassi. It cools down your body.
7. Started drinking more and more of water. It was difficult initially but the later on you will get
used to it. And if possible drink lukewarm water. It is a boon for your body. ( Now I can drink
1 liter of water in one go 😀 ).
8. Increased my intake of proteins. I am a vegetarian so I eat lots of soyabean, dals and
sprouts. Proteins is what our skin, hair and nails are made of.
9. Became best friends with cucumbers, papaya, watermelon, khichdi, lauki, kaddoo, tinde and
citrus fruits, even lots of these is less for us.( I know that the few things are tasteless but
having acne on face is not a good treat either *waiting* )
10. Started taking aloe vera juice, amla juice and honey empty stomach in the morning. ( I mix
40 ml of both the juices and 2 spoon of honey with warm water.)
11. Said a biggg NO to all sort of soft drinks, chips and all sort of junk. Believe me they don’t do
any good to you. Such things should be categorised as “Body Pollutants”. *hunterwali*
12. Didn’t use makeup until it was necessary (like parties, marriages etc). Also, I looked for non-
comedogenic products only.
13. Tried to cover my face to avoid dust and pollution.
14. Started religiously washing my face twice a day . The cosmetic facewashes available are
not of much help to us, rather facewashes that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide are
the real fighters *duel* (I use D’acne foam face wash and its actually good).
15. My ayurvedic doctor asked me to rub alum on wet face after washing it with facewash at
night and wash the face with normal water after keeping it for 15-20 mins. It will sting
intially but will get better gradually. Face feels a little dry after it so use a good non-
comedogenic moisturiser after it ( again choose somethin that containts benzoyl
peroxide eg- cetaphil moisturing lotion). Alum basically helps in drying your acne by acting
like toner.
16. Try to avoid touching and popping pimpels as much as I can. Its difficult to do but it has to
be done in order to clustering of acne. If you pop a pimple you spread he bactreia to the
surrounding pores and thus resulting in more acne.
17. Tried to avoid worrying too much about something. Worry causes stress, stress causes
sleepless nights and sleepless nights causes hormonal imbalance.
18. Phone can also contribute in making acne worse. So tried to keep the phone away from
cheeks while talking, it contains lots and lots of bacterias on it.
19. Kept a check on my dandruff, it causes acne on forehead and back.
20. Have been trying to convince myself to go for jogging in the morning and I am still trying
only. Exercise helps in a great way, our body disples the toxins in form of sweat thus
making it better with every step.
Its been more than a month and I have seen a change in my acne. Lot of it has gone, scars are left, will start its treatment after sometime. 🙂
It is very necessary to understand that patience is more important than medicines to treat a
problem like acne.
The reality is that there are people who get acne in teenage and then they get over it, but then there are some people like us, who get acne and this nasty problem never wants to leave us, so we have to live with it. We can never completely get rid of them, we can only control them.
And I sorry for taking so long to wind it up, but as I said in the very begining that I have been there, fought the acne and I still am. 🙂
Thanks for reading. 🙂