Paulas Choice and Pocketderm To the Rescue?

So now that I have (at least temporarily~knock wood) overcome the dreaded perioccular dermatitis, I am left with skin that looks older, feels less elastic, and looks dull. I have lines that are no longer fine. I feel like I look my age for the first time in my life. So, I google the hell outta skin issues. I, either by the grace of god or google (Paula Begoun's web designers are geniuses who have saturated the PC website with sensitive skin keywords which result in a lot of filtered traffic) found Paulas Choice. If you haven't checked out the site, it might be worth your while to do so now. You can pick a broad range of skin topics and get tailor made suggestions just for you. It's a mid range line, money wise, but the products are all tested rigorously and proven to be gentle and ph balanced. Plus (and this is my favorite part!) you get free samples with each order. YAY! 

Also, your first order is $10 off using this link:  https://goo.gl/7Q3OwP

I got a trial size of retinol (see below) for $5 plus 3 free samples and free shipping with my code!!! Everything they sell has a money back guarantee. I haven't had to use that service yet as their products work with my skin. A+ to that!
Onto those products now... So, I decided to bite the bullet and begin a retinol treatment. After much research, I decided to try Paulas Choice 1% retinol. I got the trial size:

This is my face after 3 weeks of sporadic use. 

I began by applying this once every three nights. At first it peeled like a mofo. That sucked but such is beauty. So, I began to add in a drop of Argan oil to dilute and found that I was no longer peeling! So, then I ramped it up to every other night and am now (in my third week) able to use it every night. I am almost out of my trial size and planned to order the full size (it's a great retinol for a great price) when I heard about Pocketderm. Pocketderm? Well, I'm still new to it, but I will tell you what I have learned so far. Pocketderm is a consortium of practicing dermatologists who joined together to make prescription dermalogical treatments available (by mail) to the masses. Basically, you send in a photo of your face, write a description of the problem including whether you are seeking treatment for acne or aging and they formulate a remedy just for you. Trenitoin can be expensive, especially without insurance...not to mention the doctor's visit....And if you need a prescription, they can write you one of those too (skin related of course :/). So, for all that specialized treatment, you pay $49.95 every 3 months. Again, I like to try things on for size before I buy them so was psyched to see that you can get a one month free trial with a handy dandy referral link (once you create your own account you can send your friends and family links too!!) 
here's my link: https://goo.gl/7Q3OwP
Enjoy! 
Mine hasn't come yet but it should arrive by the time I am out of my PC 1% retinol so It will be nice to compare the two. Here are the unflattering shots I sent to Pocketderm and the response they sent me.

From Pocketderm;  

Great to meet you, and happy to be partnering with you in keeping your skin looking young! As you know, the most important factor is sun protection - check out our blog post: http://blog.pocketderm.com/three-photos-that-will-convince-you-wear-sunscreen After reviewing your photos and the information you provided, I have prescribed a customized medication that is meant to be applied once daily before going to bed. The medication contains: – tretinoin 0.012% – vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate) 5% – niacinamide 4% Given your history, this is a gentle strength of tretinoin that should allow your skin to adjust gradually without much irritation. We may increase the strength in the future depending on how your skin does. If direct application of your PocketDerm formulation after evening cleansing is too irritating or drying, try applying your moisturizer first. Feel free to use more moisturizer should you feel too dry. (And FYI, I know several dermatologists who use their tretinoin topical medications only a couple times a week or so and maintain this frequency long-term.) In the short term you're most likely to see improvements with skin texture, and for many people, partial fading of sun-induced dark spots. After months of use, many people notice softening of fine lines. We'll email you when your medication has shipped. You will receive a reminder to check back with me before your next shipment, but I would always be happy to hear from you sooner. Please let me know if you have any questions! Best Regards, Charlene Kakimoto, MD PocketDerm 

 Will update when it comes and good luck if you try it. Next up AHAs and BHAs

What is working right now.

As you may know, I am just starting to figure out my skin. It's definitely changing and, unfortunately, it came on fast. I could make excuses but, the truth is, I never did much besides wash and moisturize. I'm a student of the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy of skincare. Only, after I developed a nasty bout of dermatitis, my skin changed. It took less than a year but all of the methods (including harsh scrubs and unforgiving acids) I tried to remedy the situation only managed to suck all the moisture and youth out of my skin. So, now is when we repair. Because, of the aforementioned malady, and because there is little known cause for perioral/ocular dermatitis, little is known to treat it besides prescription antibiotics. Avara worked for me in the end but, at that point I had already purged the worst of it and felt my skin was well on it's way to mending.

Avar is expensive and it might not work. Others have used metro-gel to some success but besides those two topicals and the oral antibiotics, there is no set rule of thumb to use to get the condition to subside. It's truly a YMMV type of thing. What I did was wash my face only at night with Sulfa cleanse: This cleanser is specifically formulated for those with rosacea or acne vulgaris. If you have either of those, sulfur might help. The one above was prescribed to me back in the days I had that sweet, sweet insurance but was only $15 a pop and lasts forever. If you can't get it, I would try to find one on Amazon. This one looks decent: http://www.amazon.com/Sulphur-Soap-Premium-Sulfur-Advanced/dp/B00CST4AS4 When my skin feels dry, I will skip the Sulfacleanse and either wash with water or my Yes to Carrots Fragrance-free cream face wash. In the morning I apply a serum (Skinceuticals Phloretin CF) that helps with shielding off antioxidants. Skinceuticals is REALLY expensive so I buy the sample sizes off of ebay: After that I put on a pump of my all time favorite cheapo moisturizer. Vanicream for sensitive skin. It's not oily, doesn't itch, cause acne or rosacea flareups, and is inexpensive.

If my skin is extra sensitive or dry that day, I will put a drop of argan oil in it.This is the one I use, but any will do: ***I think now is as good as any time to mention that I am in no way affiliated with the products I use or endorse. Nobody is paying me for my opinion of these products and what works for me might not work for you! But hey guys (looking at you Skinceuticals)!!! I'll take freebies :-) ***I should also add that if you are concerned about your skin and aren't sure if a product will work for you, I would suggest asking for samples. No harm in asking. Now the most important part...the part I often skipped because I just can't get down with most formulations. S.P.F. This is obviously THE single most important step in preventing future damage but, god dang, if it's not hard to find an SPF that feels good, provides protection, and doesn't make your skin look like a topographical map. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Biore Aqua Essence. It's a dream. Truly. Like many other Asian suncare products, it isn't readily available in the US. It's a cheap product but it is small and you might have to pay for shipping. If I haven't already mentioned it, I highly recommend Amazon Prime. I get my Biore from Amazon so the shipping is free. Holla! This product is cool and liquidy (hence the name)and dries powder-like. It does contain alcohol and thus can be drying, therefore, I usually massage a drop of argan oil onto dry spots about 30 minutes before I apply it. Bonus points: it doubles as a primer for liquid foundation. I haven't been wearing much make-up lately and we will get to that later but this is where you would want to put on your makeup. Now, this is about as simple as it gets. The bare minimum. There are people (especially those into Asian skin practices) who will go as many as 10 steps on a regular morning only to do another 10 at night. I prefer to do other things with that time. Also, keeping steps to a minimum keeps things simple and cheap. Now, the only thing I have changed recently is my night routine. I wash as usual. Instead of serum though, I have introduced retinol into the game. "Twas scary at first. Retinol is super-charged vitamin A and helps with cell turnover. You want to know how you can tell when your skin cells are turning over? Your FACE PEELS OFF! Now, I was a complete virgin to the stuff. I had heard of Retin-A for years but only in reference to people who had advanced aging. I didn't consider my aging advanced but, once I got over the perioccular/oral dermatitis, I was left with a barren desert of a face whose lines were all of a sudden very prominent. WTH? I wanted to try a retinoid. I wanted the forehead I used to have. But I was still pretty shell-shocked over the rigamarole my skin had already gone through. What if using a retinoid made it worse? Shudder. So, after some research I found an over the counter retinol on the cheap...Spoiler alert...I love Paula's Choice. To be continued

Perioccular Dermatitis, Rosacea, and Wrinkles

So, after the nightmare of dermatitis died down, I was left with sad dry skin that looked liked it had aged 10 years. That’s not my flair for the dramatic. It was sallow, flaky,and disroportionately red around the nose and mouth. My eyelids flaked. I can pinch my un-moisturized forehead and it takes a second for the skin to figure out where to go. WTF? I tried the oil cleansing method. Other blogs about perioral/periocular dermatits extolled the virtues of ditching sulfates, thalates, parabans and all sorts of other, lengthier, words. Apparently, we have demons lurking in our modern American skincare. And they are in EVERYTHING!!!! So, coconut oil seemed, if not highly suspicious (because…well..have you ever touched coconut oil? ) than a little than more extreme. But because, I had been cheated before, I thought what the hell. Why not. Holy Closed Comedones!!! That’s why. If you are reading this blog than I suspect we have similar skin issues, in which case, take heed. Oddly, the premise of oil cleansing is that like attracts like. Simply put, the oil you apply to the epidermis seeks out the oil underneath in order to unclog pores. The beauty is that it is supposed to restore natural oil production to skin. I tried it. I really did. It’s cheap! It smells good! It is soooo soooo easy. It didn’t work. Not for me. 
 My tub of Mistakes;
  
Here’s the thing. I have sensitive skin. That is such a ubiquitous term that means practically nothing when taken at face value. What my skin is sensitive to could be your holy grail product. BUT…if you have dry skin I would suggest starting with a different oil and here’s why: Oils in general are better for oily skin. I know it sounds counterintuitive. And at first, oil feels nice and soothing on dry skin. But think about it. If like attracts like then oil seeks oil. I’m not a scientist and I certainly don’t want to pretend I know something I don’t so, I will put this loosely…Oily skin is regulated by using oil. Their sebum amounts are reduced leading to more balanced skin. Drier skin seem to suck it up like a thirsty sponge and then spew it out in the form of closed comedones (zits and pre-zits) on a landscape of both parched and oily skin. Add to that that many proponents of the oil cleansing method suggest soaking the oil-soaked skin in a hot washcloth. I maybe got a little zealous with the application and one person’s hot is very different from another’s and here I am paying for it with broken 
capillaries. I should add here that I absolutely LOVE coconut oil. It’s cheap, smells like vacation and really moisturizes. There is some debate over whether or not it is comedegenic but I think you most likely know whether or not it will work for your skin upon first touch. I absolutely can not use it on my face but it is wonderful on knees, feet, and hands. I also use it in peanut butter cookies instead of butter and in a homemade floor cleansed with white vinegar and thieves essential oil. Smells great and cleans without chemicals! I do use argan oil and love it. It is non-comedogenic but still very viscous. I usually just add a drop to my Vanicream sensitive skin lotion. You can buy a big bottle on the cheap. You’ll want to make sure it is in a brown glass bottle as light can affect the oil’s efficacy. I buy an organic variety from Amazon. It has lasted me months.

I do sometimes use it as an oil cleanse/double cleanse agent when I am wearing heavy make-up or sunscreen (which is honestly almost never). What the oil does (and it can be any oil YOU can tolerate—even coconut) is break up the heavy oils on your skin making them easy to rinse off. Many people will ONLY use oil…i.e. oil to remove make and also to cleanse while some introduce soap or other cleanser after the initial oil wash(i.e. double cleansing method). I prefer the second method. It might just be my conditioning but I prefer my cleaned skin to feel neutral so that I can add moisture as I please. After all, My skin is a bit indecisive. Right now I am cleansing only with a cream cleanser. It works for me and it’s cheap. Cleansers don’t stay on your skin and won’t enrich it in any long term way so I think that it is totally okay to experiment with what works in this arena. I use Say Yes to Carrots. Just Because. Next is when it gets really exciting!