Trials and Tribulations

Week Three

I seriously think I have schizophrenic skin. Last week it looked like it was on a one stop train to clearskinville. But this week has encountered a few hiccups along the way. 

I have still been using my Clarisonic, Eve Lom Cleanser and Alpha H every day and night. I have switched the head on my Clarisonic to sensitive, so I'm not treating my skin too harshly (although it probably deserves it!). My skin feels so so clean after every wash but every morning this week I have woken up to a new lodger on my face.

I have a few little whiteheads setting up shop in my clogged pores, something I have never experienced before. There are no longer any active spots on my jawline, but there are a few on that space between the jaw and top of the neck. I'm not sure if this is because I apply my foundation down onto this area and maybe am not washing it thoroughly enough? Who knows. Another thing I'll have to address next week.

The Eve Lom claims to brighten and tone your skin. That I can't fault it on, my skin definitely looks alive. No lack luster winter skin here. Dullness is not a problem. My skin may look radiant but it is still congested. I'm convinced my skin is suffering a personality split. It just can't make its mind up.

I've been searching the internet in my desperation and came across the Dermalogica face map.

Now I've had my skin mapped by Dermalogica before, and at the Dove spas in Virgin gyms. Both go over your skin with weird sci-fi looking scanner things and tell you the levels of elasticity in your skin, where it is oily or dry, how much sun damage it has suffered and basically inform you of your skin's type. I have always assumed I fit 100% into the oily category, but apparently I have combination skin, so I would definitely recommend getting it done to make sure you are buying the right products for your skin type. They do it for free at the Dermalogica counter in Libertys.

Anyhow ramble over this is what I found online:

The photo seems to by copyrighted so here is the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/22072801@N03/5834136926/

It basically explains why we suffer breakouts in certain areas.

So....

Apparently your forehead is regarded as the sister zone to your bladder, if you frequently suffer breakouts in this area try drinking more water or eating more whole foods.

Breakouts between your eyebrows are related to your liver, so try cutting back on the alcohol and fast food!

Breakouts or unusual hair growth on your jaw line can indicate hormonal imbalance, possibly caused by stress. 

Congestion on the cheeks is most common among smokers.


Well I don't smoke and I hope I don't have a hormonal imbalance but I am extremely stressed at the moment, trying to find a part time job to find my life is not the most relaxing of tasks! That could maybe be an explanation for this weeks blip, but maybe I am just clutching at straws.

VIEWERS BE WARNED THIS DOES NOT MAKE FOR A PRETTY PICTURE!

I'm going power through with my three supposed holy grails and see what state my skin is in next week!



What products do you recommend? Do you agree with Dermalogicas analysis?

Trials and Tribulations...

Week 2

Hi everyone!

So I thought i'd update you all on how my skin care trial is going. In case you don't know I am religiously using my Clarisonic, Eve Lom Cleanser and Alpha H Liquid Gold every night and day to see if these three supposed skin care heroes really can make a dramatic difference to my skin.

So here is what I think so far: I have been using Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser with my Clarisonic in the morning, this is mainly because the Eve Lom is just too damn expensive to use twice a day! But also I really like the way the Biore works with the Clarisonic they make my skin feel really really soft and not too tight and dry.

I love love love my Eve Lom. I know it is quite a long process and if you are someone who just wants to wash and go it probably isn't the one for you. You apply the product to your dry face, rub in, then with the muslin cloth and hot as you can handle press it against your face for 5 seconds. Repeat this for three times and then wash off with cool water. To be honest it doesn't take longer than five minutes and it feels very luxurious, like a home spa treatment every day! Again the Eve Lom makes my skin feel incredibly clean and super super soft.

I have been applying my Alpha H Liquid Gold every other night. Other reviewers have commented on a tingling feeling when it first makes contact with the skin this is not something I have noticed but then I do not have particularly sensitive skin. This product is very drying and I have upped the amount of moisturizer I use in the morning as a consequence. However I really do think it is starting to make a difference!

Last week I had several spots above my lip and around my jaw line these have all cleared up! I have had a slight breakout on my forehead which is strange because this is not typically a problem area so I'll have to wait and see what happens there. But so far so good!

Have you used any of these products before, what do you think?

Trials and Tribulations....

Hi Again!

Jean Kerr: I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want—an adorable pancreas?

I have struggled with my skin for as long as I can remember. I have had a few intermittent blemish free months where I jump around singing, dancing and praising the lord that my prayers have been answered. But No. Those spots always come crawling back.

Right now my skin is the worst it has been in years. I have breakouts across my chin, neck, and that weird area under my nose and above my lip (does anyone know what that's called?!) I have four whiteheads at the moment, I seriously don't think one of them beautys have adorned my face since my mid teens. 

I have tried just about everything on my skin, from the cheaper to the horrendously expensive  , but I seem to have commitment issues and don't stick with one skin care regime for long. So it's got to the point where I have NO IDEA what my skin likes and dislikes. All I know is that right now it is disliking me a hell of alot.

Experts claim it takes six weeks for new products to truly make their mark. So I thought I would trial three revered beauty holy grails and test the claims of sales assistants and bloggers alike. I've decided to stick to three, forgoing any extra treatments, serums or masks, so it will be easier to tell which products are doing all the leg work.

So for the next six weeks I will religiously use my Clarisonic, Eve Lom cleanser and Alpha H Liquid Gold in an attempt to clear my angry, angry, oh so angry, skin . These three products have some of the best reviews in the beauty industry, I would go as far to say they are the Louboutins of the skincare. 

I will share my uphill battle with you over this blog, updating pictures of my skin every week for six weeks so you to can see if these products really have the bang for your buck. 

So here it goes, picture one......

 I feel like I am sharing a naked picture of myself on the internet.

But if it helps at least one person make a more informed skin care decision then it's worth it!

Note: I have, as you can probably see, the world's oiliest skin, pores the size of craters, and a rush hour worthy congestion of black heads of my chin and nose.

I'll upload my next picture this time next week and fingers crossed there will be a miraculous difference!