a few questions on skincare.

Milkerton · Nov 25, 2011

forgive me if any of my questions have been answered on the FAQ thread at the top, my computer wouldn't let me open it for whatever reason....i have three questions.

1. my nose gets very oily by mid-day. what do any of you fellow oilys use to combat this? has anyone tried MAC's oil control lotion? i saw on another post to try Milk of Magnesia..anyone tried that?

2. also about my nose! the skin on my nose is not quite smooth..it feels smooth, but it does not look smooth. like there are things sticking out of my pores. i use pore strips every so often and it makes it feel much smoother and better, but it only takes a couple days for it to go back to the way it was. do i need a new exfoliater? cleanse my face better? what do you suggest...?

3. i'm only 23, but i have heard to start an anti-aging skincare routine around 25...to help to prevent any aging signs from beginning. when did you start and what do you use??

thanks, y'all!!!!!!!

SassyAuburn · Nov 25, 2011

Hi there and welcome!

Let's see if I can throw some ideas at you:

1) I have oily skin, but only in the summer. The only thing I have ever used is a product called Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion by Cosmedicine. It actually was about $36 but I see it's come down to about $30 now at Ulta.com It's been a life saver for me in the summer, and it works perfect with my mineral foundation.

2) The nose bumpies.... hate 'em! You are using the Biorie strips which would have been my first suggestion. You may want to find a gentle cleanser with an exfoliator each day, paying special attention to the nose area. I use Befine Exfoliating Cleanser because it is all natural and doesn't dry me out too much. There's others out there so look around, read the reviews here. If you like your regular cleanser, you can always add a little bit of white sugar to help with the exfoliating. Try rubbing a lemon wedge when you're done cleansing to keep the pores small so they don't pick up tons of dirt and grime which cause the pores to fill up.

3. You are THE perfect age to start anti aging products! Don't forget to be aware of sunscreens. Make sure your foundation or moisturizer has at LEAST an SPF of 15, 30 would even be better. Make sure you use a sunscreen on your neck as well to avoid "old lady turkey neck" as you age. I have oily skin which is a blessing to not age so fast, especially since I didn't learn about anti-aging products till I was "29+" Now, as I age even more, I make sure I'm fighting time with something targeting every night and an SPF every morning!!

Good luck and feel free to ask anything else! Hope others chime in with their suggestions as well!

Milkerton · Nov 26, 2011

thank you for your reply, Sassy!!! you've been helpful...i will probably end up trying everything you suggested! haha. my moisturizer has SPF 15 and i'm pretty sure my liquid foundation has some SPF in it...i don't recall. anywho, thanks again!!!!!

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Milkerton · Nov 26, 2011

oh yes and i've looked at the Medi-matte lotion...just didn't want to spend too much and have it not work! but i think i'll try it.

Dragonfly · Nov 26, 2011

I second the advice regarding sunscreens. Start using them religiously now and you will definately develop less skin damage as you age.

I use Revlon products, which contain spf. If you only rely on make up with spf, make sure you apply concealer around the eyes, foundation everywhere, and follow up with a powder everywhere. The layering effect of the spf may be all that you require.

There are oil free sunscreens with spf that you might want to look into - Neutrogena

Don't forget the neck and decotage (sp) area as these get lots of sun exposure as well.

Have you tried using a chemical exfoliant such as a BHA? The BHA is better suited to oily skin.

Apply this to your face and nose rather than using a scrub (mechanical exfoliant), to help keep your pores unplugged. And the grains aren't as harsh to the skin.

Personally, I'd stay away from using lemon juice - can be very irritating.

Neutrogena or Paula's Choice sell BHA products.

If you are only experiencing oiliness on the nose, why not look into blotting papers.

You could invest in a small bottle of Milk of magnesia: apply to skin before make up.

Just make sure you shake the bottle really well first. And don't use mint, cherry or any other flavour - just the original.

Blotting papers or Milk of magnesia should cost no more than $5 each.

Firefox7275 · Nov 26, 2011

Don't assume that oily skin is naturally oily and therefore needs oil control products: irritant ingredients in cleansers and exfoliants can cause the skin to pump out more oil to protect itself. Pore strips generally only strip off the top layer of skin and the black part of a blackhead; instead steam your face and use a proper extraction tool with a metal loop on each end.

IMO the best exfoliants are lactic acid and urea as these are both naturally found in the skin, hydrate while they gently exfoliate and have a long history of use in dermatology. Urea is found in some moisturisers (Eucerin 5% face cream is excellent) or you can purchase full strength LA to dilute as a weekly peel. Getting your skin better hydrated will help with anti-ageing and make pores shrink, and gently exfoliating will help any treatments you use to penetrate.