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Does anyone out there have any good skin care recommendations for a 20-year-old male with high stress and a love of chocolate and greasy foods (I know that totally contradicts the six-pack abdominal thread I just started, but oh well! LOL!) I don't have acne by any means, but I very frequently break out in certain areas, especially the sides of my neck and the top of my forehead (likely because of my hair gel). I'll be cutting back on the junk food now that I have my goal of six-pack abs by swimsuit season, so perhaps that would help? Then again, more workouts means more sweat, which usually means more breakouts! I just ordered a trial set of ProActiv solutions to try them out; anybody have any success with that? Any and all suggestions would be quite welcome and greatly-appreciated! Thanks in advance!
My husband had really bad acne when he was around your age. He tried everything on the market and nothing worked. He then got a prescription for acutane. It is kinda harsh though. I mean there were some definate side effects but after the 3 months that he took it he never had to again. I don't know how bad it is for you but I wouldn't recommend acutane unless you've tried other options and your acne is on the bad end of things if that makes sense.
My husband had really bad acne when he was around your age. He tried everything on the market and nothing worked. He then got a prescription for acutane. It is kinda harsh though. I mean there were some definate side effects but after the 3 months that he took it he never had to again. I don't know how bad it is for you but I wouldn't recommend acutane unless you've tried other options and your acne is on the bad end of things if that makes sense.
Thanks for the advice. Well, my acne isn't bad by any means; it's just irritating because you feel as if everyone you meet is honing their attention in on your breakouts while you're trying to speak with them. I don't think I need something as extreme as Acutane, but thanks for the advice!
I use a skin care line called L'Bri Pure 'n Natural. As far as I know, they are the only skin care company that uses pure aloe as its main ingredient, not water. I have oily skin and am prone to break-outs (they make cleansers, toners, etc. for other kinds of skin types, too). This is the only stuff I've ever used that really works. And I've tried lots of other products. A 3-month supply costs about $45, but it usually lasts me more like 4 months. I think you can only buy it online though. Their website is lbri.net. (I swear, I'm not making money on this. I just really like the stuff. )
I have noticed that my skin looks fantastic if I thoroughly scub it with pure white bar soap like Ivory and just use my whiskers to help build up some suds, then rub it on a wet white facecloth until I see soap residue, then I just rub that soaped facecloth on my face pretty hard, especially my nose and face and forehead and I scrub pretty hard. Then I rinse the soap off and then shave in the shower using a fog-free mirror. Shaving after you've cleaned your skin is the best idea I think. Not only are the whiskers softened somewhat, but the bacteria is killed and washed off so the shaving doesn't result in digging the bacteria on your skin into it.
I've noticed that my skin looks a lot better afterward. I used to never use a facecloth and just rub the soap everywhere...but that doesn't really do the trick. I think the rougher texture of the facecloth helps get the pores clean too and it makes your skin a lot smoother.
Bath & Body Works has some great items for men. I picked a few things up for hubby one time and he uses them now daily. The trick is to always keep your skin clean. You can buy a daily face scrub that is milder than regular scrubs and this REALLY HELPS!!! Get a good toner, aftershave, etc along w/ a good cleanser and scrub and use them regularly. You WILL notice a difference. Does the acne flareups come like clockwork? Much like a females cycle can cause acne or a breakout. If I slouch on the daily scrubs and then the heavier duty scrubs and deep cleaning masks twice weekly I notice that the montly fairy likes to also give me a few blemishes then. Yet if I keep the cleaning routine up they don't. So find you a good daily scrub, cleanser and toner and moisturezer (yes, even w/ oily skin the right moisturizer can help) and a good scrub and mask to use twice a week. Oh, Oil of Olay has actually been proven to be better w/ the Regenerist line at fighting wrinkles and other things and they have a GREAT two system micro-dermabrasion that I use.
Does anyone out there have any good skin care recommendations for a 20-year-old male with high stress and a love of chocolate and greasy foods (I know that totally contradicts the six-pack abdominal thread I just started, but oh well! LOL!) I don't have acne by any means, but I very frequently break out in certain areas, especially the sides of my neck and the top of my forehead (likely because of my hair gel). I'll be cutting back on the junk food now that I have my goal of six-pack abs by swimsuit season, so perhaps that would help? Then again, more workouts means more sweat, which usually means more breakouts! I just ordered a trial set of ProActiv solutions to try them out; anybody have any success with that? Any and all suggestions would be quite welcome and greatly-appreciated! Thanks in advance!
If you were a girl, I would tell you to go on the pill.
I swear by Clinque products. Their products are great for people with sensitive, young, mature, oily, or dry skin. I've been using their products for over 15 years now and people ALWAYS ask me what I use on my face. They also have products for Men! Yay!!! You should try their Liquid Face Wash Extra Strength, face soap, scruffing lotion and the Oil control Hydrator and don't forget to wear sun block SPF 30 or higher (I saw how white you are ). They also have shaving lotions. If you buy Clinque products on-line you should buy them off Gloss.com instead of Clinique.com. They sell the products for the same price but Gloss.com always gives away samples and usually have promotions for free shipping.
If Clinique doesn't rock your boat, Kiehls has great products as well. They have the bestest shaving cream in the whole wide world!!!
Good Luck and keep us posted on what you try.
MoMark (as per usual) has some wisdom to share. He has discoverd the secret of "exfoliation".
One mistake I see people making (especially young people) is overdrying the skin. One of the reasons I so hate those benzoyl peroxide solutions.
My favorite "zit med" is a cheap drugstore find: Clearasil Adult Care Acne Treatment Cream (and no this isn't and ad and I am not affiliated....).
It's Sulfur Resorcinol based. Use only on actual acne flare-ups.
For the rest of your mug, find a good non-comedogenic moisturizer (that's right moisturizer!) with some sort of Alpha hydroxy acid. It will keep your skin smooth and soft, slough dead skin cells, and help keep your skin in "balance" (when you over-dry your skin, you'll find your oil glands actually become more "active").
Here is a little trick I learned back when I was a teen. For spot treating blemishes/zits, etc at night before you go to bed put a dab of paste toothpaste on it and let it dry overnight. It acts just like the other treatments for them by drying them out and a lot cheaper.
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I don't have acne by any means, but I very frequently break out in certain areas, especially the sides of my neck and the top of my forehead (likely because of my hair gel). I'll be cutting back on the junk food now that I have my goal of six-pack abs by swimsuit season, so perhaps that would help? Then again, more workouts means more sweat, which usually means more breakouts! I just ordered a trial set of ProActiv solutions to try them out; anybody have any success with that? Any and all suggestions would be quite welcome and greatly-appreciated! Thanks in advance! 
I don't think I need something as extreme as Acutane, but thanks for the advice! 
