Tuesday, February 02, 2010

MY FACE! IS BURNING!

I need your input, ladies! Let's talk about skin care.

I made an appointment with a dermatologist recently. I haven't been to one since I was a blemished sophomore in high school. Now I have wrinkles and spots to add to the list. I went hoping to get some ugly dark spots on my face removed (the arrived after I had sun poisoning in college). And to ask about skin care and what I should be doing.

My mom and I went to the Lancome counter to ask about moisturizers, etc. And we left more confused than ever. Serums, lotions, creams, brighteners, lighteners, wrinkle-reducers, hydration products, eye creams. WHAT THE HELL? I just want a simple, inexpensive skin care regimen. Not some 200 dollar creams that may or may not work.

My current regimen is a mild Dove scrub followed by Cetaphil lotion. When I remember I get some Kiehl's sunscreen on in the day time under the lotion. And when I remember I have a Loreal eye cream. That's it. Cheap. Low maintenance. Sometimes I use an apricot kernel oil at night--from the Natural Market. Basically an oil. I think it works better than any lotion/cream I've tried.

So, the dermatologist said "I cannot recommend anything over the counter." WHATEVER. Whatever, whatever, whatever, WHATEVER! I do not believe that for a minute. The only thing she COULD recommend was a skin care line that costs 1200 dollars a year. $418 every four months. And, what do you know!? They sell it there at the office.

!!!!

I said I needed something cheaper. She suggested lasering for my spots and then a mild Retin-A prescription. She could not recommend a SINGLE lotion for me to use. That pisses me off so much. Like there is NOTHING in all the millions of creams out there that would work for me. When I kept pressing her about spf in lotions, the only word that I recognized from her mouth was Neutrogena. So, now I've added the Retin-A thing (Atralin, it is called) to my usual regimen. When I run out of what I have, I will buy a Neutrogena lotion. But really, I think the apricot kernel oil is the best.

I got tasered yesterday. At least that is what it felt like. She told me to put on some protective eye wear and she was going to laser my spots. She said it might feel "warm." THAT BITCH HURT. It felt like a terrible shock you get in the winter after scuffing your feet on carpet. But worse and intense and on my cheek in various places. It turns everything darker at first and then it should lighten.

So, now I'm wrinkled, even darker spotted and broken out from something. My face is turning red and starting to peel from the Atralin. I feel like an ancient high school sophomore. Wrinkled, dried out and haggard. What can I do that doesn't cost as much as a private school? What do you do?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi there - Okay, I do not know where you live exactly, but I SWEAR by my dermatologist - Dr. Richard Pfau, with Anne Arundel Dermatology, with offices in Pasadena and Annapolis. Your dermatologist should be more than willing and able to help you with things you can buy at the dang grocery store. He is really, really good and super nice. He treats my daughter, too (she is 17), and she has the best skin under his treatment. My husband used to go to him when he was a teenager! Good luck :). And I have no words of wisdom AT ALL about the stuff you can buy at dept. stores.

Anonymous said...

P.S. That last comment was from "me," ~Jenny in MD. :)

Swistle said...

Oh, I TOTALLY agree with you that the "can't recommend anything over the counter" spiel is crap.

I use Dove SPF moisturizing face lotion during the day. I wash my face in the morning with Dove or Oil of Olay or Caress bar soap. If I wash it before bed, I put on Oil of Olay night cream.

Unknown said...

Wow. What a bunch of crap. She's just trying to sell her line and I'd take your business elsewhere. I have no ideas for you except that I use coconut oil and I love it. You can google the benefits of coconut oil and come up with a ton of things. I'm acne prone and this does not cause breakouts. In fact, some use it to help with their acne b/c of the lactic acid or something in it.

As far as getting rid of spots and stuff, you're doing the stuff I've heard of that works for a lot of ppl. Good luck.

joanna said...

I agree with Jenny. That's crap. I don't know much about skincare - I used to use the Mary Kay stuff, but quit. Can't say I noticed a big difference either way. I wash my face with Noxema. I use a moisterizer (either Mary kay or Oil of Olay). I use some Clearasil for breakouts - think stress brought them on me. I'd never used it before last fall but love it. I once had a book about skin care stuff and what is in them and why and what's good for you and not - it was huge. I gave it away. I guess I'm just a basics kind of girl.

Anonymous said...

I second the coconut oil. It sounds like you are on the right track with the apricot kernel oil, I think I'll have to try it! I have been searching as well for the best, inexpensive regimen for my 30 year old face and the best I can come up with is the more natural the better. I have recently had luck with Burt's bee's peach and willowbark deep pore scrub. Kind of pricey ($10 a tube?), but I only use it 2-3 times a week to exfoliate so it lasts a while.

Jen said...

I was recently going to ask these same questions on FB! I use Olay and Neutrogena. I like that I can get both at Target. I don't remember what the exact names are at the moment...but can get back to you if you really want them. I think one is Regenerist? I think it has Retin-A in it? I also use an Olay facial moisturizer with SPF 15 every morning.

So basically, I wash my face in the shower with an Olay facial wash, then put the SPF on. At night, I use the Claritin "lotion" which is really an astringent (?) to exfoliate (love love love this stuff, and have been using it for years), and then put on some Olay night cream or some of my new stuff, which is in a blue tube and I think is the Regenerist one. Helpful, much? Ummm...don't answer that.

Erin said...

Eeek! That's awful!

I don't do much. I wear sunscreen every day (Oil of Olay anti-wrinkle, spf 15) and wear makeup more often than ever before. And I just accept the rest...

Joel and Angela said...

I just ran into this problem! I went to whole foods and found Skin Organics Ann Webb (out of Austin!!) and I have really found a difference in it. She has this exfoliating product that you mix with your cleanser that is basically baking soda. I didn't go to a dermatologist, but I REALLY like it. Here is a link for it http://www.skinorganicsaw.com/
A

Smitty 1, 2 , 3 and 4 said...

Have you tried Arbonne? It is pretty good but pricey. I use it, inconsistantly. Most I use Aveda or just soap and water. I rarely where make-up so don't havemuch to take off. Hope that helps. I have some more info on Arbonne is you want it call.

Kayris said...

I think you need a new derm. Cannot recommend an OTC product. What CRAP!

Clinique makes a nice spot fader that isn't too expensive, I'm blanking on the name right now, but it did a nice job on the pigment spots I had from my pregnancies. And I swear by their foaming cleanser.

I've used Noxzema to take my makeup off since I was in high school and still love it.

You can also check out Prevention.com for skin care advice, and they recommend products in a wide range of price.

Kayris said...

P.S. For the pork, mix about a cup of applesauce with 1/4 cup brown sugar and a squirt each of worchestershire sauce and BBQ sauce, and a minced garlic clove. Pour over the pork in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

meg said...

I read this book called the beauty bible a long time ago, and the person wasn't a doctor and wasn't paid by anyone but did good reasearch. She claimed that in order to clean/moisturize/etc you skin, a product has to have a few certain things. Almost every product out there has those things and the rest are just additives that companies charge more for but really don't do anything. She rates all the expensive as well as otc skin and haircare products. it was so informative...basically she says that products are essentially all the same so save your money. except retin a. she does reccommend that.

Katie said...

Meg, I think I read part of that at your house a while back . IS that where I read that you don't need a separate eye cream? Just any lotion does the trick? I keep wondering about that.

MaryB said...

I use a mix of Olay Regenerist and Lancome products. Sunscreen every day.

i use the Olay because a derm on the news said a few years back that there was one really important ingredient to make sure was in the stuff and in her opinion you could get it from the almost $200 strivectin or in the $19 Olay...


I will say I think I am seeing some good changes with the Lancome Collaser-5x and am also a fan of the Lancome Absolue Eye cream but didnt love it enough more than the Olay eye serum to cough up the money. The Collaser Im ready to shell out the bucks for.

you didnt ask about shampoo but Im plugging this stuff anyw...lets preface by saying that I have been paying a lot of attention to hair and skin care due to trying to recover after some unhealthy relationship with food issues (which will RUIN your hair and skin!) Thatsaid, Pantene pro-v Restoratives is not only as good as the gazillion dollar Keratasse -IT IS BETTER! hair is healthiest it has been in forever!