The Vine: October 12, 2007
Hey, Sars,
I’ve got a question that I’m hoping either you or your readers can help me with. A makeup consultant at the Lancome counter at Macy’s recently recommended that I use a facial exfoliant with “really large beads” to help with my oily skin, dead skin build-up and breakouts. I told her I currently use St. Ives Apricot Scrub, but she told me that that product is formulated for dry-to-normal skin and is too weak for me. I didn’t ask for a product recommendation because I can’t afford a pricey Lancome exfoliant, and I thought it would be just as easy to find a “big bead” exfoliant at the local drug store.
So now I’m kicking myself, because every damn scrub at the CVS says it “gently exfoliates.” Nothing in any of the products’ ad copy says anything about having large beads or being for oily skin. Do you or your readers have anything to recommend? I’ve used Proactiv in the past and liked it, but I would prefer something less expensive and/or something that doesn’t make you agree to future product shipments just to buy one bottle.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Signed,
Oily and Cheap
Dear O&C,
The only suggestion that comes immediately to mind is the Bliss line, which does not really qualify as “cheap,” so much, but a large-bead exfoliant seems like something they’d carry. I’m currently using Clean & Clear’s Daily Pore Cleansing Pads, which have “micro-scrubbers” on one side and “cool moisturizers” on the other; the scrubbers aren’t actually that micro, and they feel like they’re exfoliating but without the fine sandy grittiness of the apricot scrub.
Readers?
Tags: Ask The Readers health and beauty
For my very oily skin, I’ve also found that all those micro-bead exfoliants don’t do a darn thing. At the same time, something like the St. Ives is really too harsh. What I do is this:
In a clean coffee grinder, grind a few tablespoons of rice (I like jasmine for the lovely smell) until it’s finely pulverized. Then put the ground rice in a fine sieve (I use my tea strainer) and tap until it passes through. What’s left in the strainer is a little coarser, and scratches the skin rather than really working off the dead cells. I store the powder in a little tin and add about half a teaspoon to my regular face was three times a week or so. I’ve seen various expensive “exfoliating grains” (Origins use to sell one, Bobbi Brown does now) sold by beauty lines from time to time, and generally, they’re composed of ground rice and maybe some adzuki bean ground up as well.
It’s super cheap, takes about 10 minutes, lets me use whatever face wash I want, and allows me to control the amount of scrubbiness my face needs at any particular time. Unlike sugar, it doesn’t dissolve, so you can keep working with it until your face is as smooth as you want it.
See a dermatologist. I have had acne problems since I was 9, and I still get occasional breakouts now that I’m in my 30s. Every OTC remedy I ever tried was worthless. I use a prescription cream called Tazorac on the acne cysts when they appear, and that helps a lot. I also went through a low-dose course of Accutane several years ago, which made my skin incredibly clear while I was on it. My skin isn’t perfect now, but I do think there was some permanent benefit from the Accutane. Also, you may find the Yasmin or Yaz birth control pills benefit your skin (assuming you’re female). They use a type of progestin which has beneficial effects on acne.
Also, be very, very wary of exfoliants. Acne-prone skin is typically extremely sensitive and reacts poorly to any kind of irritation, whether chemical or mechanical. I have to use as bland and mild a cleanser as I can find, even though I’m VERY oily. (As in, I somehow manage to regularly smear my husband’s glasses when we kiss.) I’ve actually had great luck with A-D-E Creamy Cleanser, which is made by Earth Science and sold at Whole Foods (at least in my area). Yes, it has oil in it. Oil is not the enemy, unless the specific oil in question irritates your skin. Drying your skin out so much that it produces even more oil in self-defense – *that’s* a problem.
Another strategy to consider (and your mileage may vary): wash with a normal, mild surfactant twice a day (i.e. plain-ish soap); moisturize plentifully (don’t forget your responsible SPF!); and get a facial once every 4-6 weeks. My own oily skin responds to any out-of-the-ordinary attempts to de-oil it by getting even oilier, AND grossly scaly-dry at the same time, so keeping it simple on a daily basis works best for me. I also do a spot-suck on troublesome pores with a clay mask from Freeman’s, only applying it to my T zone, and that usually holds me until the next facial.
And speaking of facials, for those of you in the NY/NJ area — the spa at the Short Hills Hilton. They don’t have the most soothing manner in the world, and it ain’t cheap, but by the time they got done with me, I looked 25.
She’s trying to sell you a product you don’t need, really. When I get facials, they tell me to just use your regular cleanser and gently exfoliate using a very soft washcloth… solves the problem of using the right product for oily skin and finding something more gentle.
My skin is not really really oily but I have had some problems with acne before. I have seen a derm and an excellent facialist who both said exfoliators with any types of beads are really just scrubbing away at the skin and can irritate it – basically doing more harm than good. For this reason I am using an enxyme (chemical) exfoliant which does the work it needs to be chemically breaking down the nasties on the outer layers of skin rather than sloughing away like sand paper. I know a couple of other people have posted about this as well and I definitely recommend you go this route rather than something with ‘big beads’.
I see no one’s mentioned this one, so I’m going to throw in a mention of Mario Badescu. Their products are on the pricey end ($16 for the cleanser and $21 for the moisturiser), but they work really well. I also use a clay mask in a squeeze tube from… Spa? (it’s an inexpensive brand I found in a drugstore) once or twice a week.
Also, I feel compelled to mention this because of my own sensitive skin, but I realised that the Mario Badescu toner I was using has Nonoxynol-9 in it (yes, the spermicide, go figure)… which I’m allergic to. I’m not sure if other toners have that as well, but it’s a potential skin irritant so I thought I’d mention it.
There’s also the oil cleansing method, another one of those natural methods that aims to replenish natural oils in skin instead of stripping them away. No idea how well it works, but it was recommended to me by someone else.
I love Vine questions like this; I’m going to have to try that baking soda solution to try and help quell my oily skin!
Try the Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Cleansing Pads – they have one side that is smooth and one side with “nubs” to exfoliate. They’re really awesome and you can scrub and scrub and your skin looks fab afterward. They really get all the dead skin off, but I usually only use them once a week – the rest of the week I just use Cetaphil. I’ve always been acne prone and very oily and these really work well for me. Good luck!
I have oily skin, and I found that abrasive cleansers just seemed to piss it off and make it churn out even more oil. I tried Proactiv, and it worked, but was a little spendy for me.
I use Neutrogena Pore Refining Cleanser, which is a very mild exfoliating scrub, and follow with Biore Foaming Ice Cleanser. Both of these sting like you wouldn’t believe if you get them in your eyes, but are excellent for acne, oil control, and overall skin texture. I once stopped using the Neutrogena cleanser for a week and when my husband touched my face, he could actually tell the difference. Considering how observant men usually aren’t…I was impressed.
I’d also like to second or third Megan’s oatmeal suggestion. Oatmeal also makes an excellent mask (pat on, let dry, rinse off), and if you don’t feel like grinding your own, you can always buy plain powdered oatmeal bath packets. One box of packets will last you practically forever, and are also great for minor rashes and skin irritation (mix into a thin paste and paint a thin layer over the itchy area).
Honey mixed with sea salt makes a fantastic hand and foot scrub, but it might be a little harsh for the face.
I use Cetaphil and a warm washcloth to wash my face every morning. It’s very gentle.
Salycylic acid is great to exfoliate. I alternate with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide at night to prevent breakouts.
The big beads thing doesn’t sound plausible. Chanel has three exfoliants in their Precision line, and the one for dry skin has the larges beads – the exact opposite of what your lancome lady said.
I have amazingly, overwhelmingly oily skin (as in, I touch it and my fingers come away shiny), and at one point I was using this insane cocktail of treatments and cleansers in a desperate attempt to fix the problem (exfoliant in the morning, followed by antiseptic soap, then anti-acne wash in the evening, plus moisturiser, plus once-weekly peels), and all this did nothing but freak my skin out further. A beautician friend told me to drop everything except the gentlest of cleansers, a very mild toner, and lots of moisturising with oil-free cream. And she was so right – my skin still isn’t perfect, but it’s no longer where grease comes to party, either. I’m now using Garnier Pure deep-clean foaming wash to remove my makeup (which exfoliates so gently I didn’t even realise it /had/ beads until I read the packet), followed by Lush’s Tea Tree Water (it has tea tree, grapefruit and juniper), and Clean & Clear Oil-Free Moisturiser before bed, with Lush’s Enzymion as a once-a-week pretty smelling treat. And I started drinking LOTS of water. Apparently, heavy-duty cleansers remove all the natural oils from your skin, causing it to overreact and produce MORE oils, giving you worse zits. And harsh exfoliants tear up your skin. Less is more, I guess. Good luck! :)
I have to cast another vote for chemical exfoliants and give props to Paula Begoun, who’s been called the Ralph Nader of the cosmetics industry. I use some of the Paula’s Choice products she sells, and am very happy with the beta hydroxy acid stuff (i.e., salicylic acid). Usually oily and acne prone skin tends not to slough off dead skin cells effectively–hence the clogged pores, hence the need for exfoliants. But the beads and grains and whatnot basically just abrade the surface of the skin, and can’t get inside the pore the way BHA can (alpha hydroxy acids are helpful, but only work on the surface of the skin). The trouble is that not all salicylic acid products are formulated effectively, and salicylic acid washes simply flush down the drain without any benefit to your skin. Here is loads of skin care info from Paula Begoun’s website. With all the bogus and crappy info coming from manufacturers about their “revolutionary” new ingredients and such, it’s good to get some straight facts.
(Just to be clear–the rad thing about Paula is that she recommends any product she deems worthy by any manufacturer–she didn’t start making her own products until she’d already spent years reviewing thousands and thousands of skin care and makeup products.)
Imogene and others are right that you don’t want to overdo with the use of products. A few other people have mentioned Aveeno’s Daily Skin Brightening Scrub, and I want to put in a good word for that too! I have very oily skin, but this has helped eliminate breakouts. I only use it once a day, in the evenings, so as not to overdo the exfoliating; in the mornings I use a gentle bar soap (I like Purpose bar soap). My skin is better than it’s ever been!
My only comment is to avoid anything formulated with non-biodegradable beads. After reading “The World Without Us,” which has a section on how tiny sea-creatures end up eating these tiny little plastic beads and dying, I can’t justify polluting the world’s water systems because of my vanity.
I’m going to give another shout-out to the at-home suger scrub. Every Sunday night, I take a cup of suger into the shower and do a full body exfoilation. I mix it with some baby wash for my face to make it a little more gentle, but I always feel so soft and refreshed when I’m done. Cheap and easy.
I used the baking soda and Cetaphil combo for years and it worked great! I also realized later in life that my super oily skin was only becoming oiler due to all the scrubs and chemicals I was using to try to keep the oil under control. I have started something new lately tho which may contradict the beliefs of all those (including myself) who were taught to keep the face clean: I don’t wash my face in the morning. I wash it really good at night, and then in my morning shower I just rinse with warm water. Occasionally I’ll use Clean and Clear Morning Burst scrub. I have seen a remarkable decrease in the oiliness of my skin since I started doing this. I also keep it well-hydrated with a gentle moisturizer and my face is much happier and less shiny.
Okay, well my 2 cents worth… and I don’t have oily skin, so I don’t know for a fact, but it seems that the larger the bead, the less it will exfoliate and conversely the smaller the bead, the more exfoliating…
In any case, I am going to once again preach about the miracle of the soap ( http://www.arsoa.info/en/product/queensilver/ ) and urge everyone to get their free sample ( http://www.neoskincare.com ). It’s an amazing thing, the soap, which I most gratefully learned about from Pamie ( http://www.pamie.com ), who learned about it from AB’s mother-in-law (http://www.hashai.com ), I think. It’s just the most amazing thing. And while it’s not cheap to buy (approx. $40), it’s an investment, because you don’t have to buy it again for ages. I’m not the only one who loves this stuff, either. It has a following (http://www.epinions.com/content_163826798212 ).
Also, I like the Principal Secret Reclaim line ( http://www.principalsecret.com/products/system.php?pactvid=7cd17fdea8e2bf5d7e5509814a3712be ). They have a really nice, gentle but thorough cleanser and moisturizers that feel really good going on and not greasy at all. It’s a club deal, too, but you can buy it on eBay and just get the pieces you like.
Rocketslide mentioned that she uses the Johnson & Johnson’s baby wash. I tried that out too, mostly on the advice of my eye doctor, weirdly enough. J & J also makes a really gentle face wash called Purpose. It appears to have the same gentle ingredients but doesn’t come with that baby smell. I have a hard time finding it sometimes but it’s worth the search! I think Clean and Clear is also made by J & J but their face washes include more ingredients and seem less gentle to me.
I second Imogene and Heather on the leave-oily-skin-alone advice. Maybe it’s finally hitting 30 or less treatment on my part, but my skin finally seems to be comination skin instead of just oily, oily, oily.
I used to work at Lush and I would really recommend Ultra bland cleanser. It binds to the oils on your face and is very gentle. The more gentle the product is the less it will stress your face making it produce more oils. They have a sea salt scrub which is very good as well. Salt is very healing so will be good for any breakouts etc. They do great free samples so give it a try before buying.
I’ll back up everyone who’s said to leave oily skin alone. Mostly. Any skin needs occasional exfoliation. The key, no matter what product you use, is to treat it very gently. Don’t scrub, scrub, scrub. And light massage is what you want.
Someone else mentioned using a washcloth, which is a great idea. An old, thin one works best. The fluffier cloths won’t do the trick.
I’m a big fan of both Neutrogena and Oil of Olay products. They’re both inexpensive lines, and like any product, you don’t need to use much. And I love the oatmeal suggestion.
If you use toner, I recommend a non-alcohol one. Even though your skin is oily, alcohol is going to dry your skin out too much. It, and too much scrubbing, just make your oil glands work overtime.
I use the J&J Baby Wash every day, and I can get it a Big Lots for $2 a bottle. Can’t beat that.
The consultants at most beauty counters are hit or miss. They’re trained in their products, but don’t necessarily know anything about skin care in general. (Unless it’s Chanel. You have to know you’re stuff to work for them.)
Oh to have to benefit of drug store prices and a consultant who knows what she’s talking about. I suppose it’s asking too much.
I second Morgan’s oil-cleansing suggestion. I’ll even third and fourth it, if you want. It sounds absolutely kooky (salad dressing? on my precious face?), but it really works. Your skin will actually glow. (In a non-creepy, non-Tommyknockers kind of way. Relax, jeez.)
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the good ole’ Buff Puff. It’s cheap and it turns any gentle exfoliator (including St. Ives) into a much stronger exfoliator. I use it on my face 1-2 times a week. It’s also great as a body exfoliator.
Another vote for chemical exfoliants. I use a gel that you leave on overnight from the Garnier Pure range that contains salicylic acid and the matching moistoriser, fairly cheap drug store stuff but it works really well. In addition to cutting down on the pimples I so regularly get my skin looks glowy and fresh. My skin can be a bit sensitive so I mainly use it on my t-zone, and not as often as they recommend, but it still looks good.
In addition I use the Nutrogena Clay Daily Wash/Mask … the clay helps absorb excess oil, and it to contains salicylic acid. Use as a wash every day, and as a mask once a week.
Perhaps it would be an idea to give Lush’s Babyface an idea. It’s a solid piece of oily cleanser. You rub the bar onto your face (or melt it on your fingers), and it will spread a thin layer of the cleanser on your face. Rub rub rub, massage massage massage, then rince off with water and a face cloth, or use cotton pads. Moisturise as normal.
I find that this makes my skin relax on its Must Have More Oil regime a bit, and my face very, very soft. It’s gentle, too, and a great non-toxic make-up remover.
There is a Sweet Japanese Girl cleanser that works along the same lines, but has scrubby bits in it. I’ve never tried this one myself, but I’ve yet to run into trouble with a Lush product. As a rule, they are gentle yet thorough, which sounds like everyone’s best friend in a cleanser.
Babyface: http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/274?expand=Skincare
Sweet Japanese Girl: http://usa.lush.com/cgi-bin/lushdb/234?expand=Skincare
Thanks, everyone, for all the great suggestions! I can’t wait to give some of this stuff a try, too (especially the home-remedy ones… I’ve always found that idea fascinating). And I suspect that a lot of you are right about the Lancome lady making stuff up for the sake of selling me something.
Thanks again, everyone! You guys rock!
I agree with the poster who mentioned baking soda – I mix it with Cetaphil gentle cleanser. You probably don’t want to be exfoliating too often, and the “large beads” sounds suspiciously made-up to me.
The best I’ve ever found is Eve Lom cleanser, which is sort of grainy and cleanses too – it’s not cheap, but it lasts a long time and gives amazing results.
THE SKINNY ON ST. IVES… is that it does not contain shards of apricot kernels. It contains apricot kernel oil and CRUSHED WALNUT SHELLS. That being said, I’ve used it for over 20 years on my very combination skin and am all like radiant and stuff … seriously, the medicated stuff rocks. On the other hand, on the rare occasions when I actually use foundation (3xs per year, tops), I swear by Clinique facial cleansing hoo ha. I don’t know what its actual name is, b/c I rely on samples I get for free when I buy their lipstick, which is the only one I can stand.
There is a book I’d really recommend: Skin Type Solution by Leslie Baumann. She has a really interesting approach to skin care. First, as oppose to the dry/oily/normal/combo definitions, she has 16 (count ’em) unique skin types. Also, she acknowledges that people can drift between these different types between seasons, change of climate, etc. There is a lengthy quiz at the beginning of the book to determine your skin type, and she makes recommendations for skin care products (within a broad price range- a lot of stuff I can buy at CVS). It’s a great approach (also, is your skin falls into the resistant sub-category, as mine does, then the St. Ives is an options she gives).
LUSH. Lush Lush Lush. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city where there’s a store, go in and explain EXACTLY how your skin behaves, and they will give you as big or as small a regimen as you want – and they’ll give you samples of things to take home and try, AND it’s all returnable if you don’t like it. But generally, something in the store will work. Really. My boyfriend and I are complete converts and besically use LUSH head to toe now.
I now have an almost pathological urge to go wash my face. That’s what I get for reading TN when I should be working. I think I’ll go raid the staff kitchen for salt and sugar packets. Heh.
Love the recommendations – better than drugstore.com.
It can be hard to find, but Snap facial cleansers/scrubs are awesome. I used the one in the pot, but there is one in a tube that is supposed to be slightly gentler. It may seem a bit scary (it has the texture of fine sand), but I loved what it did for me skin, using it every other day or so
Snap started out making stuff for mechanics, to clean the grease and stuff off their hands.
If anyone’s interested in a more natural treatment, I recommend using tea tree essential oil and just rubbing it on areas where you have breakouts. I have had great results. For some people, the oil can be too harsh (causes irritation) but you can dilute it but just mixing it with something like olive oil. I know it sounds weird to combat oily skin with oil, but tea tree oil is a powerful natural antisceptic and kills bacteria including the kind that causes acne. You can get it at any place that sells natural medicine or aromatherapy, which includes (at least where I live in WI) regular old grocery stores with a natural foods/health section.
I’ll second (and third) the recs for Paula Begoun’s products and advice. If you go to the Cosmetics Cop website (http://www.cosmeticscop.com) she has great info sheets on how to deal with very oily skin. I use a combination of her products, including her 2% BHA gel, and Neutrogena Deep Clean scrub. The Paula doesn’t really recommend mechanical scrubs, but I’ve been using it for years and it doesn’t appear to sensitise my skin.
As an aside, without meaning to offend the LUSH addicts, be very careful with using anythign from Lush, especially on your face. All those plant oils can really, really irritate your skin and, worst of all, make you photosensitive and prone to sunburn. I tried using a Lush foot cream once and it gave me the worst contact dermatitis of my life. Natural is definitely not better.
Oh, and that baking soda scub really does work!
I use either Johnson’s Head to Toe Baby Wash (helps with my sensitive eyes) or Cetaphil. When I want to exfoliate, I add some Oil of Olay Definity Pore Redefining Scrub to either of the above cleansers. I am 57 and people say my skin really looks smooth. I grew up with red, oily skin with large pores, and used all types of cleansers that made my skin feel so tight. The Johnson’s never does, and really removes makeup better than the Cetaphil.