Homemade Microdermabrasion Scrub

It's so hard to find a good microdermabrasion scrub that doesn't cost a ridiculous amount. I found a great one by St. Ives once, but it has since been discontinued. My skin looked so good while I was using it. I've been researching treatments for acne and dark spots, and sugar and salt scrubs seem to be a good alternative. Lucky for me, the recipe is pretty simple.

Combine one cup of sugar, half a cup extra virgin olive oil and one teaspoon of lemon juice.

Add several drops of essential oils, such as lavender or citrus. Add one tablespoon of baking soda, which will soften the skin.

I'm using tea tree oil for the essential oil. I couldn't find anything pretty like lavender or citrus. I found coconut, but I don't know about coconut oil being beneficial to the skin.

I added the vanilla and cinnamon mainly in an attempt to improve the smells. It still smells pretty weird. Not bad, though.

Finished product. I wish I had gotten some food coloring so it can be pretty. Oh well. It's probably best to keep it as natural as possible.

Here is a great site listing the benefits of sugar scrubs. I chose sugar over salt because sugar produces glycolic acid, which is a common treatment for acne scars. Yes, I'm still fighting them. You might think they don't show up because I'm brown, but they do. I chose tea tree oil because it's supposed to kill bacteria on the skin and treat acne as well as benzoyl peroxide but without the side effects. Unfortunately, it's also supposed to work more slowly. I'm still using benzoyl peroxide, so I guess I'll have the benefits of both. I hope I will.

After using the scrub, I'm thinking it would be better to go for an oil-free version next time. My skin is oily enough on its own, and it felt really oily after I rinsed my face. I hardly scrubbed at all, and it was almost painful. This will definitely take some getting used to. I know this can be used on the whole body, so I'm betting it'll work wonders for my feet and my itchy legs. They could use some scrubbing.

Updated Acne Regimen

This is an update to my earlier entry about my personal skin care regimen. Back then, I was using 5 different products, and I added a sixth shortly after. I'm using 4 for acne and the rest for spots. It's been working quite well. Most of the time, I have no pimples, and when I do get some, it's only a few.

This cream is the first step in the process, when I remember to use it. I wrote an entry about it when I first started using it. It still burns as much now as it did then. I actually tried exfoliating before applying the cream; it doesn't cause more intense burning, but it does cause peeling. Yeah, don't do that. Aside from that, this stuff has really been helping my face. I'm almost out, which saddens me. I'm looking for something else new to try, but I might just buy more of this.

This scrub is currently the second step in the process. I've used it before and I remember positive results. I haven't had any problems with dry skin since I started using it, and I have noticed brighter skin. The microbeads are much gentler than the ones in apricot scrubs, and since I haven't experienced any irritation, I don't think this scrub contains harsh chemicals. There are no active ingredients, but that's fine because I use so many different things.

Third step. I haven't quite finished the bottle of L'oreal cleanser, but I'll be using this one next. I've been extremely stressed, and I'd like to keep that from busting out of my face. If washing my face with this stuff can help prevent that, then I'll try it. Active ingredient: salicylic acid 2%

Fourth step. I always use a cleanser with benzoyl peroxide for this step. This one has a whopping 10%. Before this, I'd never seen one with such a high concentration. I love the way it makes my skin tingle.

Fifth step. I was always afraid of lightening products because I don't want to end up with an abnormally pale face. Fortunately, this one isn't doing much. Sure, my skin is brighter, but that could also be from the scrub, and I'm not satisfied with how this cream treats the spots. Since the container is pretty much empty, I can move on to something else. It was too expensive, anyway. $20 is too much for only 1 oz, especially if it doesn't work.

Future fifth step. I've been waiting to use this No Marks stuff until I finished with the dark spot corrector. It came with a sample of face wash, which was nice. I really have no idea what to expect with this, so I'll just have to use it for a few weeks and see.

I like this astringent because it isn't as harsh as most others, but I feel like it cleans just as well. It claims to reduce the appearance of spots, but I haven't been seeing that. However, it definitely reduces breakouts quickly and does so without causing irritation. In my experience, that's very rare. Active ingredient: salicylic acid 2%

Seventh step. Yes, there are seven steps. Yes, I know it's crazy. I always try to use a cream with 10% benzoyl peroxide for the last step. I've found that any time I omit this step, I break out horribly. It's more than my skin reacting to a change in the regimen; my skin needs this stuff to be kept in line, kinda the same way my hair needs oil-based products. I'm just weird, I guess.

For a long time, I only used Terminator 10 by Acne Free, and it worked great. I always saw Persa-Gel by Clean and Clear commercials on tv and thought the stuff was garbage. Well, one problem with the Terminator 10 is I can't always find it when I need a refill, or I can only find it in a lower concentration. Obviously that's not helpful. The last time I need a refill, I decided to try the Persa-Gel. It's the same concentration and it's been around longer, so why not? Turns out it actually works better, so I decided to try the generic brand to save a little money. And that might be why I'm breaking out a little now. The CVS brand cream is great, but I just need something stronger. I'll be going back to the Persa-Gel as soon as possible. As far as the spots go, maybe I'll be shelling out a lot of money to try that Clinique stuff.

Nixoderm

I've been looking for something to help fade the old acne scars covering my face, and I came across Nixoderm. I read a LOT of reviews, and it seems this product has been around for years. Some people say their grandparents used it when they were young. So why am I just finding out about it now? Well, it's not really sold in this country, except maybe in specialty stores. The easiest (and cheapest) way to get it is through eBay.

A lot of people who use this say it burns horribly. I say if you want serious results, of course it will burn. If it didn't burn, I would be suspicious. There were a few responses saying don't put on too much and don't exfoliate before you put it on. Alright, I'll listen to experienced people because I don't like pain. People says it stinks. Well, it doesn't smell great, but I wouldn't say it stinks. I think it smells like Proactiv sulfur mask mixed with Vaporub. The container is a little weird, but it wasn't too hard to open once I got the hang of it.

This stuff is definitely a mask. It will look like you have white stuff all over your face, so don't expect to put it on and then go out. The instructions recommended applying a layer of vaseline under the mask the first few times you use it. Well, I use strong stuff on my face every day, so I thought I would be ok.

Ok, I was soooo wrong. I felt like my face was on fire. I was very close to just washing it off and then trying again with vaseline. Then I realized it burned a little less when I fanned my face.

The burning only lasted for a few minutes, so I'm glad I gritted my teeth and endured it. I put this stuff on in the evening and then slept with it on. A lot of the reviews say it's hard to get off your face and you have to wipe it wish a tissue before you wash your face. I tried wiping it, but it was totally dry. So I just washed my face like normal and it all came off. A few of the reviews said it burned the skin so badly that the entire face was like a huge blister afterwards. My experience wasn't anything like that. I had no irritation at all. The scars were noticeably lighter, and my skin felt a lot smoother. That's after only one use. I will definitely keep using this stuff. The directions say to use for 7 days and then don't use for 3 days and then start over. Alright, I'll follow the directions. So far, that's been working for me.

Yes, I've Tried Proactiv (People Always Ask)

It's no secret that I have a bit of a skin problem. I was hoping it would get better after the teenage years, but I'm still waiting for that to happen. My skin tends to be very oily, and I hate how it's shiny in all my pictures. I'm particularly upset about my passport picture because I have to keep it for 10 years. Fortunately, I don't have that many pimples. Sometimes I have breakouts, like whenever I travel. I think my skin reacts to the different water. I also think it reacts to stress and hormones. Aside from the occasional breakout, my biggest problem is scars. I have a ridiculous amount of scars. Through years of trial and error, I've arrived at a 4-part formula that works pretty well for me.

1. 2% salicylic acid cleanser OR microdermabrasion scrub
2. 2% benzoyl peroxide cleanser
3. 2% salicylic acid toner or astringent
4. 10% benzoyl peroxide cream

This is my current skin regimen. I try to do it twice a day, but some evenings, I just fall asleep. Yes, I realize that's part of the problem. I also know I need to drink more water.

I read about microdermabrasion being helpful for post-acne marks, so I decided to give it a try. I use this one about 3 days a week now. The first time I tried it, I used it every day, but that was during the winter. It can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, and I think adding a moisturizer with sunscreen could be 1 product too many. It worked a lot better when I used it daily; I definitely saw a huge improvement in the number of scars.

I use the Loreal cleanser 4 mornings per week plus every evening, if I don't fall asleep first. I really like the little scrublet, but I recently read that it can hold bacteria. I don't necessarily believe everything I read, but that actually makes sense. I don't know why I didn't realize it myself. Well, I'm much too lazy to sterilize it twice a day, so I probably won't buy it again once this bottle is finished.

A lot of people think of AcneFree as bootleg Proactiv. Well, it worked much better for me than Proactiv. Proactiv helped a little, but not nearly enough to justify the price. My first experience with AcneFree was when I tried one of their systems. I don't remember which one, but it was either clear skin or severe. I really liked the first step, the acne wash, but the toner and lotion seemed too weak. Now, instead of using the whole system, I just buy the acne wash by itself.

When choosing a toner or astringent, I was specifically looking for something to target the scars. Luckily for me, the Neutrogena astringent claimed to do that in addition to preventing breakouts. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but the bottle is almost empty now. I'm not complaining about my lack of pimples because that's absolutely outstanding, but there are sooooo many scars. This astringent is supposed to fade old scars, and it definitely has not done that. I'll definitely be trying something new within the next week. I've found that astringents without salicylic acid don't help me, so I'll definitely be looking for that active ingredient. I'm open to suggestions.

The most important part of my regimen is the pimple cream. If I use something with less than 10% benzoyl peroxide, my skin just laughs at it while exploding with bumps. I think the unique thing about this cream is the time-released thing. I don't know how they do it, but it works. This is the best cream I've ever used. It's not a quick fix, though. I don't expect overnight results, and if I miss a day, there will probably be consequences. When I do have an occasional breakout, this cream knocks it out in a few days. It is important to note that most creams like this are meant to be spot treatments for individual pimples. I definitely use it on my entire face. There have been times when it seemed like my whole face was one big pimple, and I never want to go back to that.

And that is your introduction to the mountainous terrain I call my face.