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Cyber Beautybox
Questions & Answers
On
Comedogenic Versus Non-Comedogenic
Products
Question
I have been fighting clogged pores all my life. But for the
past 3 months the problem seems to be getting worse, specially
my chin and nose. Therefore, for the past 6 weeks I have been
getting glycolic acid peels with extractions to try and clear
up my skin but no luck. I have also changed my skin care line
to a clinical skin care line called Peter Thomas Roth based
out of New York. Their products are specially formulated for
acne prone skin and clogged pores. My esthetician does not
understand how my pores can be so clogged after all the
extraction she performs. She also says that my skin care
routine is correct for my skin type. I go get these peels
every 2 weeks- I have completed 4 of them at the moment.
Also, all of my make-up is non-comedogenic and I do not touch
my face.
I have tried absolutely everything to try and clear up this
problem and I seem to be using all the correct products -
do you think Wondergel would be useful for me? If you think
that it might help would be possible to try a sample first.
Please respond as soon as possible.
Thank you for your help.
Alejandra
(submitted by alias: Alejandra)
Answer
Hi Alejandra,
Clogged-pores is a common skin flaw. The debris that clogged
the pores comprises the skin's surface dead cells,
environmental dirt, bacteria, salt from dried-up sweat, staled
sebum secretion, waxes dried-up from face creams, and colored
pigments(i.e. iron oxides) from dried-up makeup. These are
being deposited on the skin's surface daily. As such, if they
are not properly removed, the accumulations will seriously
clog-up the pores.
Glycolic Peeling will not help in your clog-pores. Infact it
will make it worse for your current situation. Glycolic Peeling
will shed your skin even more, thus producing more shedded dead
cells to clog your pores. From what you describe, the products
you are currently using aren't effective. Firstly, you must use
a cleanser that really cleans by effectively softening/
dissolving the accumulated debris now clogging your pores, as
well as removing your daily debris deposits. Next, your skin's
excessive secretion must be calmed/sedated by applying products
that contain soothing/calming active ingredients. Trying to rid
off oily secretions by excessive washing with soap or any
foam/soap base cleansers will only make it worse. When you wash
excessively with soap, your skin will dehydrate after each wash.
During the dehydration period, the skin will physiologically
react by trying to compensate the temporary loss of oil/moisture
by stimulating the oil glands to produce more oil. This
stimulation only causes more oil(which could not flow out due to
your clogged condition) to build up beneath your pores and, thus,
worsen the situation. You will find your skin getting coarser.
Makeup are colored products, which contain coloring substances,
colored pigment oxides(iron oxides), zinc oxides, titanium
oxides, talc, etc.. As such, the manufacturer should never claim
that they are non-comedogenic. To claim that a product is
non-comedogenic is to say that the product contains ingredients
that will not contribute to the building up of comedones.
Comedones is a medical term for blackheads. The debris that
clogged the pores are blackheads/comedones!!! And all the
pigments, oxides and talc are powdery grains which do contribute
to pore-cloggs. Unless you have a good and effective cleanser
and a good skincare routine, I'd advise that you stop using
makeup for one to two weeks.
If you are willing to accept my advice, I would prefer that
you stop all others and use the samples I will send you. It
will comprise 4 to 5 items. I am confident you will see quick
positive results, like many others have testified to us. However,
you will have to pay only for the postage which costs about
$10. You only pay upon receipt of the samples. One more request
is that you testify for our products efficacies when you see
remarkable improvements.
Please let me know if you want me to send the set of samples.
Regards: Pierre
Question
I am 27 years old, Japanese and living in the States for
6 years. My acne has started since when I was 14 or so.
(After I started my period.) Although my acne on the
cheek is gone, the openpores and redness remained and the
skin got rougher. And the worse thing is the part is
expanding year by year. As I mentioned before, before the
menstoration, I get tiny acne inc. whitehead on the area
where I don't have acne before. So now clear skin is
almost gone from my face.
I am sure I usually have whitehead as well as the blackhead.
(I cannot squeese unless I use needle.) I have whitehead
near chin and neck now. I know it is something to do with
my hormone. So I have started to take birth control pill
called Oarth Tricyclen. It is less than a month so that I
cannot figure it has been good for me. Before I took
different kinds of antibiotics, Minocyn or monodox, but
didn't work. I also tryed topical products such as Metrogel,
Azlex(New brand), Neostrata, and all kinds of stuff I can
get from drug store. Only tings I haven't try are Retain-A
and Accutane.... I am not sure if you are familiar with
those products...
I am single, not pregnant.
I usually use facewash from salon, which is Dermelogica
"anti-back face wash" or Japanese CAC (Brand) powder type,
this one is very mild. For the toner I use Pola
(Japanese) Sekkisei, or Chanel for Oily skin. Lotion and
sun protection I am using Total Diffence from Chanel (Spf 15,
non-fre, oil control). I try not to use fregrance-in, and
avoiding oil contained. I don't usually put makeups. Night
time I am not using anything right now except Vitamin E oil
for aroud eyes and neck. I used to have very oily skin but
it is changing. So I have kind of oily skin but it is also
on the cheek. People usually tell me I got very sensitive,
or combi, or oily skin. Aroun my nose and cheek, I have
openpores and I can see oily-white stuff ( Are they comedos?)
coming out from pores. Sometimes I use twizler to take or
they can be squeezed out. I don't have Stress that much and
I can sleep soon after I am in bed. I think since I started
to take birthcontroll pills, I sleep well. (But I have very
hard time waking up, maybe because my body has been changed
as well as the bloodpressure.)
I also take vitamins, eat a lot of fruit, vegis, and don't
eat greasy that much.
I wash my face twice a day.
I went to see many dermetrogists and, some told me my problem
is genetic, but non of my family has this proble that I know.
I even went for lazer because of the spider vains. The
doctor said, most of the redness is caused by acne. So I
have combi of things going on my facial skin. But my acne is
almost unseen (They are looked more like rough skin because
they are small and not really poped out most cases)) with the
redness.
Well, when I take picture closeup of my face I will send it
to you. Meanwhile I just want to try your products.
I forgot to tell you that I use mask, Purifying Mask from
Shiseido and Chinaclay mask from Clentel (U.S. product). I
hardly use scrub since I know it might cause more broken
vassels.
Please give me suggestion, I will do anything for my skin.
Thank you very much for taking your time.
(submitted by alias: Sachiko)
Answer
Hi Sachiko,
I received your letter and 8 photographs.
Observing from your photos(although not very sharp), your
skin is now very sensitive and inflamed. You also mentioned
that you flushed easily even since childhood days. This means
you have got very fine(and fair/light) epidermis. As such, your
skin is quite easily reddened also by sunlight(photosensitive),
because your skin contains little amount of melanin pigment
cells(melanocytes), and thus cannot effectively protect it
from the harmful effects of the UV rays, which worsens your
current condition. Although you need protection from the sun
(especially during summer time, or whenever you are out in the
open), unfortunately it's not advisable for you to use
sunscreen of high SPF value. You should use only below SPF15
(try a small amount on your neck area first to test if your
skin can take it or not).
You also should not use any soap-base cleansers(like the fash
wash you mentioned) to wash your face, and you should not wash
more than twice a day for the time being. Soap-based cleansers
will cause superficial dehydration(though temporarily). When
this happens two events happened:
1. The skin cracks and ruptured(and became coarse), and allows
bacteria to penetrate freely. This worsens your acneic
condition.
2. Your skin will physiologically react on its own to try to
compensate the loss of moisture(due to the temporary dehydration
caused by the soap-based cleanser). When this happens there will
be excessive production of sebum underneath your skin, causing
your pores to clog. Soap-based cleansers also contain salt(part
of the ingredients to help increase the viscosity of the cleanser)
which contributes to the hardening of the sebum.
Cream cleansers are generally better for conditions like yours,
but some cream cleansers unfortunately contain large amount of
high viscosity wax. Such cleansers usually leaves stains of
hardened waxes on skin after rinsing, and thus also contribute
to pore-clogs. Cream cleansers with low viscosity wax and
oil are known as non or low-comedogenic and are safer and more
effective. The same applies to day cream and night cream which
are to be left on the face for long hours. Those containing
high viscosity wax and oil should be avoided. You can do a
simple test to find out if a cream(cleansers, day and night
creams, etc.) is non-comedogenic or hyper-comedogenic
(Non-comedogenic means not prone to contributing to comedo).
Just decant one to two ml of the cream and place it on a piece
of normal writing paper for one to two days, and observe again
(do not spread the cream. Just leave it as a lump like a small
moldhill). If after two days, most of the cream had disappeared
and are absorbed into the paper(you can see the oil patch
surrounding the cream), leaving very little or no traces of
any visible cream on the paper, then the cream is low or
non-comedogenic. If, on the other hand, you find the small
moldhill of cream is still there or has shrunked only slightly,
leaving a lump of hardened wax substance still there, then the
cream contains a high content of wax substance and should be avoided.
Too much of Vit E and Retin A will cause your skin to peel
often(not good for sensitive skin like yours currently). Clay
mask will also absorb(suck) moisture from your skin and cause
dehydration. I recommend you stop applying for now.
Now I'm going to recommend you a simple regime, usimg only four
of our products first. You should stop all others in order to
see fast results.
The 4 products are:
1. Pierre Chenxu No.17/F DeepCleanse Refreshening Fluid.
(This is a liquid cleanser/makeup remover).
2. Pierre Chenxu No.69 Licorice Toner.
3. Pierre Chenxu No.87 Azulene Active Cream.
4. Pierre Chenxu No.090 Wondergel Ginseng AC Cream
(Anti-Acne CReam).
Please follow and adhere to the following instructions closely:
A) Every morning:
Step 1 : Pour No.17/F on a cotton pad, and wipe face and
neck gently to remove staled grease, dirt, dead-cells and any
debris.
Step 2 : Rinse thoroughly with running water(Use a facial
sponge if desired, but wipe gently and lightly).
Step 3 : Tap dry with a tissue(avoid using towel for time being).
Step 4 : Apply No.69 with a cotton pad, by tapping lightly on
face and neck, and wait a while for it to dry and absorbed,
before going to next step.
Step 5 : Apply No.090 sparingly on acne spots(or acneic
areas). Apply No.87 on all other unaffected areas.
For the time being, please avoid applying any makeup(except
eyebrow and lip areas).
B) Every Evening/Night:
Step 1: Pour No.17/F on a cotton pad, and wipe off makeup
first(in your case eyebrow and lip areas only, if you do
apply), then wipe face and neck gently to remove staled
grease, dirt, dead-cells and any debris.
Step 2 : Rinse thoroughly with running water(Use a facial
sponge if desired, but wipe gently and lightly).
Step 3 : Tap dry with a tissue(avoid using towel for time being).
Step 4 : Apply No.69 with a cotton pad, by tapping lightly on
face and neck, and wait a while for it to dry and absorbed,
before going to next step.
Step 5 : Apply No.090 sparingly on acne spots(or acneic areas).
Apply No.87 on all other unaffected areas.
Other Hygiene/Health Aspects to observe:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Tie your hair up when sleeping to avoid bacteria from hair
from spreading to your ruptured skin.
2. Change your pillow case as often as possible - preferably
cover it with a clean towel and change it daily.
3. Wash your hair daily if possible(avoiding the shampoo from
flowing down on your face!!!).
4. Avoid squeezing, fiddling and pricking your acnes(or face)
with bare hands/fingers.
5. Avoid the sun.
6. Avoid fried food.
7. Drink plenty of plain water.
8. Go to bed on time and sleep at least 7 to 8 hours nightly.
Do not stay up late at night.
9. Avoid dusty places or places near chemicals, where chemical
gas/fumes are likely to be present.
Above steps are also applicable for your hands and other parts
of the body as well.
Samples will be sent to you this week, and should receive them
next week. Keep in touch with us, and let us know of your
improvement, or if you have any further clarification to make,
please don't hesitate to email me.
Best Regards: Pierre
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