My Acne story- Update

I haven't been following my skin care routine the last two months because of exams. So, while my skin hasn't gone back to its pre-treated days it has gotten worse.

Now, I use my tretinoin cream on alternate nights after washing with cetaphil cleanser. On the night I don't use tretinoin I use Acnes powder lotion, leave it on for an hour and then follow up with an ayurvedic oil called Kumkumadi Thailam. I know you're all thinking, "oil" now, but kumkumadi thailam is formulated for people with acne and it hasn't broken me out yet.

In the morning I put on Lacto Calamine Classic after toning with Acnes.

My skin has improved hugely in 8 months. The redness from the scars is barely visible now and while the mild pits will I suppose never go, my skin is a lot smoother.

Retinol-An Anti-aging secret?

No one wants to age right? So, that has a created a multi-billion dollar industry for anti-aging skin care. But as we can all say from a lot of experience, how many of these creams actually work?

But it seems retinol actually does. This is a derivative of vitamin A and is used in acne medication.  It has shown evidence of working on wrinkles and some other signs of aging and therefore is used in a good number of products now. But  are these really effective?

For retinol to be absorbed and work it must be in a form that our cells can utilise, like tretinoin. But that's not how it is present in the over-the-counter(OTC) products. Neither is it present in sufficient quantities to make a major difference. Tretinoin creams are only available by prescription or through the internet.

But, many of you may have found some of these OTC creams and lotions working for you. This I would say might be the effect of a good regimen rather than the product itself. Usually when one starts with a new anti-aging product there is that urge to be thorough and follow  a new regimen faithfully which might consist of new cleansers, toners, moisturisers and also a new diet. We become so meticulous with this that we start thinking that its all the effect of the new product.

One of the medicines my dermatologist prescibed is a tretinoin cream. It has been very effective in reducing scars and acne and I also feel that my skin looks a lot smoother and fuller on the days that i use it.

It is inadvisable to use tretinoin creams without first consulting a doctor because they don't suit everyone. My derm had me do blood tests before he prescribed it. Also pregnant women should never use these.

On a parting note, don't be fooled by the claims big companies make. Do research the chemistry of the ingredients before spending a ton of money on any product.

The Honey Cinnamon Nutmeg Mask

After seeing an article about korean beauties using a mask on their face everyday I decided to do the same. But from prior experience I know that one must be careful about choosing the mask. There was a period when I'd used Turmeric mask on my face everyday and ended up with burning skin as my skin is mildly sensitive.

So I decided to rotate masks(I'll tell you about that in another post).

The honey-cinnamon-nutmeg mask is supposed to help with acne scars(which is what I'm after).
To make it:
1-2tsp honey
1/2tsp cinnamon powder
1/2tsp nutmeg powder
should be mixed. Put more honey if necessary but do not make it too runny.

It should be spread all over the face and left on for 1/2 an hr to 45 mins depending on how sensitive your skin is. Wash it off after that.

Honey is an antibacterial agent while nutmeg and cinnamon improve blood circulation and the appearance of scars.

I've found it to be quite good for my scars. They definitely look lighter.

I even get compliments about the glow on my skin nowadays!

I use this mask twice a week. Anymore than that might cause your skin to burn and peel.

I recommend that people with very sensitive skin not use this mask. Do a patch test and if it causes you unbearable burning then wash it off.

Review: Lacto Calamine lotion-Classic

This is another product that has been around for years and is still one of the best in the market. My grandmum used this to help with chickenpox scars and this lotion had a reputation for it.

I always thought that it was a medicinal emergency thing but then I realised that it is used as a regular face lotion by a lot of people and that is also how piramal markets it these days. So I tried it and now I'm hooked. It has become my HG moisturiser.

It costs Rs 70 for 60ml.

This lotion is targeted towards people with oily to normal skins and it does work great as a moisturiser for em. But some might find it a bit drying in the winter months and I've found that a bit of Nivea soft creme under Lacto calamine does the trick.

The bottle says that it provides  skinsurance by giving protection, acne control, oil control n dead skin removal.
I don't know about the dead skin removal because I scrub regularly but it does the rest alright. It does not have an SPF rating but zinc oxide it one of the main ingredients which is the blocking ingredient in sunblocks so it will give sun protection enough unless you work in fields all day or are an athlete who practices under the sun all day. It controls oil for a good while until of course the skin starts making enough to open an oil factory. For me that is around 3-4 hours. It helps with mild acne but moderate to severe acne sufferers will need to go to a derm.

Also, it has never interfered with my acne medication. Its never made me break out yet.

Lacto calamine classic(purple cap) is also a good makeup base. I find that it works like a good bb cream minus the fantastic coverage.

The only problem is that you must be careful about the amount you use. If too much is used it can make you look like a white ghost. also dark-skinned people need to be extra careful about this point.

I recommend a trial period of a week or more with any new product. So stop if you find any problems. But not many find problems with LC.

Disclaimer: These reviews are based on my own experience and those of people I know. I have not been paid to do these reviews.

Review: Boroline Antiseptic Cream

This is one of the oldest antiseptic cream brands in India maybe even THE oldest. It monopolised the market for a very long time until Boroplus came in and stole the show. If you guys are interested you could even check out articles on how Boroplus beat Boroline. Just google it.

However, this cream beats Boroplus by far. Boroplus may have a snazzier packaging and bigger stars vouching for it but quality wise it'll never beat boroline.

Here are the pros and cons.

Pros:
1) nice smell. I like it atleast. Some might find it strong but its fine for me.
2) It works fast. Faster than Boroplus does.
3)Its is a very old and trusted brand.
4) The composition hasn't changed. It is now a little thinner than it used to be but that is a good thing and apart from that its been the same for ages.
5) It is the world's best lip balm. Just a little on your lips and they become moist immediately. If you leave it on overnight it soothes chapped lips and you can feel the dead skin coming off the next day. Then you can remove the dead skin by pulling or scrubbing and you're lips will look like new. It can repair dry and cut lips overnight. Don't expect perfect lips in a day though. You have to follow up by keeping your lips moisturised throughout the day and use Boroline for atleast 3 days to see the perfect fashion model lips. But. it is the best lip soother ever.
6) It is the best crack cream for heels.
7) it is also the best night moisturiser for the face and any other part of your body.
8) it is the best remedy for chapped bleeding cuticles as well.
9) It is an antiseptic cream so its great for cuts, burns, wounds, rashes nearly any skin problem. I have used it for the aforementioned purposes and its like a miracle.

Cons
1) It is really oily so it won't do for daytime use. Also acne prone people had better not put this on their faces. but its works great everywhere else for all skin types.
2) It looks white on lips if applied a little heavily. but a light application is fine. It requires Practice i guess. But it won't interfere with lipstick if applied on top of it.

Thats all the cons I find. It costs 22 rupees for 20g.

This is one of my holy-grail products and I have very few fave products so this is truly great. My mom and her mom before her have used it for years and we're all very loyal to this brand.

My Acne Story Contd..

OK, I changed my mind. I will tell you guys what ointments I was put on but not their names. I'll state the ingredients. But please do not use all this without consulting a dermatologist.

For the first month I had a course of a tablet whose name I can't recall and a gel having clindamycin phosphate and nicotinamide(please don't buy this stuff without consulting a dermatologist). I had to use it morning and night.

I have been very irregular in my medication and visits for a long time so my progress has not been as good as it should have but its still great.

The next time I went I was given a benzoyl peroxide cream to use in the evenings in addition to the gel. the next month I was given a clindamycin and adapalene gel to alternate the benzoyl peroxide cream with. That was primarily for blackheads. All this while I also had to take an iron supplement in the mornings.

This went on for a while and now on my latest visit because I'd had no new pimples for a while the doc told me to use a non-comedogenic moisturizer at night and in the morn over a scar gel that I have been using all this while and continue with benz cream and clin gel alternate evenings. No more tablets.

I won't deny that all these treatments had severely dried out my skin. There was also a lot of peeling. The doc had warned me that this would happen and i had a moisturizer a month in between called Ictyane.

This might sound like a lot and scare you guys but let me tell you all that had I been more regular half of it wouldn't have been needed. And it really has been working like nothing else has. The best part is that I've had no new acne.

That s why I say that goin to a doc is the best solution if you have severe acne or acne that leaves scars.

My Acne Story

Yes I have been an acne sufferer. I'm recovering quite well so I can sympathize and share with you guys some tips that will actually help.

I've tried every home remedy there is from turmeric to toothpaste very religiously and I can assure you that none of them worked for me in case you think I didn't try hard enough. The pimples kept coming and leaving scars and nothing I did helped. I've also tried several drugstore products like Garnier and Clean & Clear and what not(not Proactiv though so I can't talk about that) and they were useless as well. Finally my father decided that he wouldn't waste any more money and had my mom take me to a dermatologist 6 months ago.

And that is what finally worked. when I told the doc that nothing had worked, he said, "why do you think we are here if those work? why do you think there is so much research on acne drugs if other stuff worked?"
I was put on a course of a drug I won't name here (because with drugs like this you can't buy them without consulting a doc) and a supplement along with a cream.
Within a month all my acne stopped popping up although my skin peeled like he'd warned. When I went back after a month he put me on gels for my blackheads and I'm very nearly blackhead free now.

I've read about how many people complain that docs are the worst because the treatments give them dry skin and stuff but I think the problem is that they don't have patience or that they never go back to the doc after that.
When my dry skin got bad he gave me a suitable moisturizer. Persistence is the key and my skin is so much better now than it was.

Therefore, I suggest that if you want to spend money on acne treatments it is better to do it on a doc's prescription than an over-the-counter product.