Post your skinacre regimes!

[Red_James]

Hi,

I thought we could use this thread to discuss skincare regimes that we are having success with, or that have caused us problems in the past. I know there is already a review centre for individual products, and today I wrote some reviews for several products, however I think a thread that showed the advantages/disadvantages of using certain products together in a regime would also be welcome.
To get the ball rolling I thought I'd write a review of my current regime:

At the moment I am having success with the Rosacea Care regime. In the morning I cleanse with just water, and use a wet cotton wool ball to remove any dry flakes of skin. I then apply the Rosacea Care sunscreen.
At night I cleanse my face with the Rosacea Care cleanser and then apply the serum, calming lotion, and moisturiser, in that order leaving each one to sink in for a few minutes before applying the next.
I'm pleased to say that this regime has not caused much break out, and I usually find it quite calming when my skin is red and flushed. My skin is also kept well moisturised. However there are times when applying the products causes mild irritation, and I find that if I don't apply all three products at night (serum, calming lotion, and moisturiser) my skin is quite dry in the morning. Having to apply three separate products at night can be quite annoying, and also makes the regime expensive.

I'll be adding reviews of other skincare regimes that I have tried in the next few days. Feel free to add your own reviews; any input will be greatly appreciated.

Red_James

[Kelli]

Hi Red_James...

I was also doing the rosacea care at night, and then the sunscreen/moisturizer in the morning, but DAMN it's expensive to get it all. I'm looking into the Linda Sy stuff now.

[Red_James]

Hi Kelli,

I have also tried the Linda Sy regime, and it was one of the other regimes that I was going to write a review for. I used the Mild Oatmeal Facial Cleanser, followed by The Vita Oil, then some ZincO (I tried both tinted and untinted) and then Concealing Loose powder to finish in the morning. At night I would use the same regime except I would replace the ZincO with Moisture Lotion of Dry Skin and obviously I’d skip the Loose powder. To be honest I didn’t like the Linda Sy regime as it didn’t suit my skin at all. The Cleanser was too harsh and drying to be used daily or twice daily. The Vita Oil made my skin shiny, even when I put on very little and applied it to an already wet face which was a problem for me during the day as it made the ZincO look even shinier. Although the Vita oil was not irritating I didn’t really find it particularly soothing, and if my face was flushed which it would often be after using the cleanser it didn’t do much to calm down the redness. I hated both types of ZincO because they were incredibly hard to blend on my skin and made it look very shiny. The untinted version made my skin completely white, while the tinted version made it orange. I also hated having to apply loose powder as well, because I am a male and not used to applying powders, and it took ages. I also found that if I did a bit of exercise and begun to sweat the ZincO would become visible on my face and clearly look like makeup. I didn’t like the Moisture Lotion either because the high Mineral Oil content blocked my pores and caused acne, but I didn’t find the Vita Oil moisturising enough by itself. As I’m sure you can tell I didn’t have much luck with the Linda Sy regime, although I do still use the cleanser maybe once a week as a very mild facial scrub.

[Karla]

Currently using Cutanix gelee cleanser - love it, makes my face nice and pale, like normal skin, then Extra Strength Lotion, not sure yet on this one, it stings and my face is redder after, however, my overall skin condition is much better than the previous cetaphil bar / metrogel treatment which was drying, causing flakes (even though my skin is oily) and the metrogel 'causes brown patches. Have used Rosacea Care off and on, the cleanser is too drying, the syrum is soothing but tends to ball up when applying makeup over it. I'm thinking I'll stick w/the Cutanix cleanser and try the Regular Strength in the Oily Skin formula as had used as sample before and liked it. For sunscreen us Clinique City Block 15. It seems ok, not sure how effective it is.

[tryingtogetoverit]

Mine is boring and I'm not doing everything I like but hey.

Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
I'm having good luck w/ PTR's Ultra Lite sunscreen.

I take 80mg's of Accutane. (Not for rosacea, for acne.) So, I'm doing all I can for now.

Orion

[pjbear57]

I use Phisoderm soap to clean my face twice a day, then Metrogel 0.75%, and an oil-free moisturizer for sensitive skin with sunscreen (currently Suave brand). I've been using Loreal Feel Naturale foundation for some time with no problems. It also has fairly good coverage. I've discovered if I steer clear of oil control products, my skin is less oily. I also watch food and environmental triggers as much as possible. Some days that's hard to do. I take flax seed oil gelcaps, 2 - 4 per day, also. Many times my breakouts itch as well as burn and I'll take some antihistamine for that or use a topical antihistamine cream. I don't have the $ for laser treatments or specialized products, but I find that things don't get too out of hand with this routine.

[Red_James]

Thought I’d post another one of the skincare regimes that I’ve tried over the years. I used a regime of Dermalogica products for about 6 months that I found very soothing for my skin but not very protective. I would cleanse my skin with ultracalming cleanser for face and eyes, which was a very mild cleanser that would never irritate my skin or leave it taught. However I wasn’t using a sunscreen daily while I was using this Dermalogica regime so I never tested how effective the cleanser was at removing physical sunscreen. After cleansing I would tone with soothing protection spray, which as the name suggests is nice and soothing. I would then follow with Barrier Repair which is supposed to soothe as well as protect skin from environmental assaults. After applying these products my skin would be quite shiny, but I found that after about 45 mins they would completely sink into my skin, and leave it looking quite matte. I think the regime was definitely effective when it came to soothing my skin. If I woke up flushed and red applying these products would calm my skin and leave it looking pale, so no complaints there. However I didn’t find the regime very protecting, and the Barrier Repair didn’t offer much of a barrier at all. I also found that the high silicone content in this moisturiser would sometimes cause the odd acne spot, although this didn’t happen often. Another problem that I had with the Barrier repair was that if something rubbed my skin during the day I would get what looked like flaky bits of skin on my face. I think this was in fact some of the Barrier Repair that hadn’t sunk into my skin properly and had dried up. The Dermalogica products are very expensive but they did last a long time so it’s not too bad value, I’ll also say that they do contain some ingredients that will not be suitable for everybody with Rosacea, but products never irritated my skin and were actually exceptionally soothing.

[evy]

I've been clear for over 2 months on this regime so I guess that's long enough.

Morning & night: Wash with Soy sensitive skin foaming face wash. Bath and body works
Morning & night: Moisturize with Rapid clear Acne defense face lotion. Neutrogena
Morning and night: Treat any minor breakouts with Linda Sy acne cover lotion (has sulfer in it). This stuff works. It replaced my metrogel.
Morning & night Active C eye ointment. La Roche - Posay. Great stuff.
Morning: Bare minerials for the sunscreen.

Supplements: Ester-C 500 mg
Multi-vitamin
Grape seed extract 50mg, also has green tea extract in it.
Just started these suppliments recently, but I can already see an improvement. It's impressive

IPLs: Two treatments with the latest Lumenius. (Not sure of spelling)

My skin is almost back to pre-rosacea softness and clarity.

Been trying Zinco, but everyday I try it, next day I find a tiny blemish that the linda sy stuff knocks down in a day or two. I don't understand any of it. Just glad what I'm using is working.... for now.

[Mermaid]

Hey all,

This is my routine.

Skin Care - I wash in the morning using Linda Sy Unscented Extra Rich Cleansing Bar. I then apply an ampoule of Custom Dermaceuticals Lipid Recovery System (this stuff is fantastic and mentioned by Dr Nase, calmed all dryness and I have skin that is very prone to breakouts for those that are concerned). I then use another product that Dr Nase mentioned which is Replenix CF serum and Replenix CF cream with green tea. I then found a compounding chemist and had them make up a cream using 2% licorice root as directed by Dr Nase. I apply a thin layer let it dry and then apply Linda Sy untinted Zinco. If I plan on wearing makeup I use Cory cosmetics which I love.

In the evening my routine is the same except I cleanse with Linda Sy's Mild Oatmeal Cleanser which literally melts all the makeup and grime off and do not apply the Zinco of course.

I use Clarythromicin after IPL as instructed by Dr Nase. This has worked miracles in giving me better results after IPL. I also take Zyrtec for those occasions where a bit of vino is on the menu. I also use a beta blocker called Propananol and if I have a really stressful occasion I'll take Klonopin.

I use the following supplements, Flax/Borage oil capsules, Grapeseed Extract, Zinc Gluconate, Vitamin E, Ester C and Alpha Lipoic Acid.

I excercise an hour every day power walking for my health and sanity.

I have regular IPL's and believe that I am close to remission.

I also have ocular rosacea and can't seem to find the right combination between excessive tearing and excessive dryness. I have silicone plugs in all ducts so still working on that one.

Thanks everyone for sharing.

Mermaid

[Red_James]

Hi Mermaid,

You mentioned that you use Clarythromicin after your IPL treatments and that it helps to give you better results. Over the last 2-3 years I’ve had about 11 IPL treatments, and have had adequate results. I live in the UK and am treated by Dr Patterson who is recognised as the best IPL Dr in this country, so I’m pretty sure that I’m in good hands, however if I’m honest I would have liked to have seen slightly better results. I find that 2 weeks after an IPL treatment, when my skin has settled down, it looks amazing and I’m flush free. However over the weeks the flushing begins to creep back in, until eventually 3 or 4 months after the treatment I’m almost back to square one. Initially I had a set of 6 treatments which I had once a month, and now I only have one treatment maybe every three or four months. I’m a 19 year old university student and have to work a part time job during term-time, as well as a full time job during holidays to pay for my treatment, so I’d really like to get my moneys worth. Do you think this supplement will help me to get better results? Do you know where I can find out more about it?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

James

[Mermaid]

Hey James,

Yes Clarithromycin has been a fantastic addition to my IPL treatments. It is a Macrolide antibiotic and you will require a prescription for it. Below is Dr Nase's brief abstract about using this med after IPL/Laser treatment.

Dr Nase says, The goal of treatment with Clarithromycin XL after laser is to decrease angiogenesis (reformation of blood vessels). The time
period that strong angiogenic signals are released seems to start at about day 6 or 7 after laser treatmentand last through days 17through 21 then angiogenesis calms down by itself.

BTW, a couple interesting recent articles about dentists using Clarithromycin XL after dental procedures in order to keep facial swelling to a minimum.

Also an excerpt from Dr Nase's book which is a must have buy if you
already don't have it:

Clarithromycin is a recently synthesized macrolide antibiotic that possesses strong anti inflammatory actions. Clarithromycin is also highly bioavailable, extremely long acting, can be taken with or without food and has very few side effects.

I think supplementation with antioxidants and other supplements are very important. With most rosacea skin the antioxidant system is not normal, mainly due to the system being overwhelmed by free radicals hence resulting in damage to blood vessels. This can result in structural damage, increased blood flow and inflammation. In such cases, oral supplementation with antioxidants, may protect the blood vessels from damage and reduce inflammation.

I think oral supplementation with antioxidants should be seen as more of a maintenance system and complimentary to your other treatments. They are also a fantastic way to protect from further damage. Concentrate on Ester C, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Grape Seed Extract and Pycnogenol.

The same can be said for oils such as Flaxseed and Borage Oils. Oil supplementation can reduce the severity of inflammatory skin disorders and help repair the protective epidermal barrier.

Hope this helps,

Mermaid

[Tobey]

I usually splash my face with water in the morning and then use a gentle, cucumber and water based toner (mild lotion from DHC) with a cotton ball. Then I apply Metrogel (it still seems to keep the p&ps at bay, thank goodness). Then I either apply an avene sunblock with zinc or I apply a Facefinity base with an 8spf.

At night, to remove the base, I use a rinseable olive oil cleanser (DHC brand), rinse it with cool water and then use the Mild Soap (DHC again) to get all the traces off. After showering and all, I use my Metro again. I haven't needed any moisturizer recently, but when I do, I use the Eucerin coQ10 one.

After reading about the Citrix sunscreen, I may add that one to my regimine. I do have some of the micronized zinc from Australia (Megan Gale) but it's expensive with the shipping, so hopefully the Citrix will work as well. I'm going to order some before I head to South Africa cos I know I'll need to be sure to apply lots of sunblock!

Pam in DC

[merdypops]

Hi All,

I am recently going through my second bout of rosacea and have tried it all- Rosacure, aloe, etc. I have been reading many people's comments in these forums and nothing seems to have worked for me. This recent outbreak was bad, with my eyes and cheeks swelling horribly. I decided to just try my normal lotion on my face, which was oatmeal based (Aveeno, or any no name oatmeal lotion). Within a day my face was almost back to normal. Not sure if it was a coincidence or not, but it really helped the itching which was the biggest annoyance for me. Anyhow, it may work for you as well.