The State of Affairs on My Face

Sorry I haven't posted photos as promised showing my progress to beautiful skin. Well the reason there are no photos is because I have made no progress. I am still breaking out, waaaah! I am so upset! You all know I am into natural beauty and skincare right? Well every time I tell people that I make natural skin care products, the first thing they do is look at my face and right now my face is not good for business.

Here are some additional options I am looking into

1. Make appointment to see dermatologists - It's so hard to get an appointment and harder still to find a black one who understands how black skin tend to get blotchy. Not to say that there are no white ones who do. Hmmm maybe I can find an Indian doc, they should understand colored skin.

2. Re evaluate the stress levels in my life. Running business, family, job, church is good stress but stress non the less. Could my work and social life be ruining my skin?

3. Visit my primary care physician for check up. My sister who is also an MD, recommends that I get my thyroid levels checked. Apparently having abnormal thyroid levels can cause breakouts.

I gotta get my face clear. I am just too old and too pretty to have zitty cheeks :0

Week 1 Day 6

What I have noticed 6 days after the Beta Peel is that I am not breaking out. Before the Peel I could feel bumps under my skin of zits just waiting to break free to the surface. I have also noticed that the existing zits on my skin are drying up. My pores appear to be smaller and skin smoother.

New Regiment

Day Time
• Obagi Gel Cleanser
• Toner (I am using Kiehls Calendula Toner cos I love it)
• Obagi Exforderm (Formulated with phytic acid, it exfoliates dead surface skin cells and aids in penetration of treatment ingredients in the System)
• Obagi Clear (Fade Cream 4% Hydroquinone)
• Sunscreen

Night Time
• Obagi Gel Cleanser
• Toner (I am using Kiehls Calendula Toner cos I love it)
• Obagi Clear (Fade Cream 4% Hydroquinone)
• Obagi NuDerm Blender fade Cream used in conjunction with Tretinin
• Tretinoin Cream - It's like Retin A - Stimulates renewal of healthy skin cells.

Quick word about my current regiment
I would not describe all the products in my current Obagi reginment as natural/organic by any stretch of the imagination. As a rule I prefer to use things that are naturally derived on my skin. In the case of my acne problem, I feel Obagi is the right short term treatment for me. After 16 -18 weeks, when my skin clears up and the acne is under control, I hope resume my natural routine. Even if I have occasional breakouts, there are a number of natural and organic solutions and formulations that will work perfectly.
It's just how you know when to go to the Doctor for antibiotics to treat an infection and when to use a home remedy.

Sunscreen My New BFF

In addition to frequent breakouts, my skin is blemished. It takes forever for the dark spots on my face to fade and before the batch from last weeks break out get a chance to heal I get another slew of break outs. Marsha, advised, warned and begged that I religiously use sunscreen SPF 30 or above everyday without fail. The best skincare regiment designed to fade dark spots will not be very effective if one continues to expose the dark areas to the sun. Sunscreen is a must. As long as there is a sun in the sky, regardless of season - Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall, you gotta use sunscreen.

Week 1 - 16 Weeks to beautiful Skin

Week 1
I am now 1 day post peel. My face is a little tight and Marsha has told me that there will be a lot of peeling and dryness for the next 3-5 days. She has given me some very mild cleansers and mositurizers to use during this time.
After the first week, I will begin a skincare program using Obagi products. They have a very aggressive skin care line that addresses issues of acne and discoloration. Even though Obagi is a little pricey it is known to be very effective. At this point in life, I feel it's better to pay the full price for something that will work than to nickle and dime myself buying a host of less expensive and less effective products
This program will address the breakout and accelerate the fading out of the dark spots. At the end of 16 weeks, I will have a smooth, youthful evened out skin tone.

I will be taking photos every week so you can keep up with my progress. Embarking on this new skincare regiment is not cheap, but it’s going to be worth it if I get the results I am hoping for.

Finding the Cure for Adult Acne - My 16 week journey to Beautiful Skin

One of my goals for this year is to find a solution to my recurring acne problem. This problem seems to be getting worse every month regardless of what I try. I drink lots of water, exercise and wash my face twice a day. I use a great cleanser, toner and moisturizer. What else is a woman supposed to do to keep from getting break-outs? Acne is caused by bacteria living in the skin and can also be caused by hormonal changes. I suspect my problem is a combination of the two factors.
Enter Marsha Jackson, Aesthetician extraordinaire with The Edge on Central Salon and Spa. I visited Marsha at the salon last summer and was impressed with her wealth of knowledge on skincare especially troubled skin like mine. Now Marsha has beautiful skin, so when she told me she had spent most of her life battling acne, I was surprised. It's always good to know you are working with someone who can empathize with your problems.
An incident that occurred over the holidays convinced me that I needed to see Marsha again and get some real help for my skin. Marsha took one look at my face during my visit yesterday and concluded that I needed Beta Peel and a more aggressive skincare regiment to really get rid of the acne. A beta peel is a formulation of salicylic acid that that gently exfoliates the dead cells on the surface of the skin, stimulating the skin's natural processes to promote regeneration and renewal of the skin, promoting a more youthful appearance.

I am on a 16 week program that is guaranteed to bring about some dramatic changes to my skin. In addition to the break outs, I have dark spots or hyper-pigmentation especially on my cheeks. Hyper-pigmentation is a common problem with women of color after an outbreak. I will be taking photos every week so you can keep up with my progress. Embarking on this new skincare regiment is not cheap, but it’s going to be worth it if I get the results I am hoping for.

Happy New Year!!

2008 is going to be a great Year. We made it through the challenges of 2007 and came through stronger than ever. This time last year, we were preparing ourselves for the miracle of our sons kidney transplant. We thank God that He brought both father(donor) and son through. We faced other health challenges, business delays, financial drama and more. 2007 has been a year of stretching and I am so glad we went through it even though I do not want a repeat performance :)

Have a blessed year every one