Flint + Flint Moisturiser

The regular Flint + Flint moisturiser is extremely hydrating and gentle; the smell is neutral (not overpowering in the slightest) and a little goes a long way!

It helps to protect the skin from pollution and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles; I use this constantly after microdermabrasion/peels as it soothes the skin and makes it feel smoother.

It's extremely non greasy and works well with my oily skin as it absorbs quickly without leaving a tacky residue after application, and non of the ingredients cause my sensitive skin to become itchy or sore!

It cost £32 http://flintplusflint.com/products/moisturiser

- Natalie

Flint + Flint Exfoliator 2x

A few months ago I started using Flint + Flint products so I'm going to do some reviews of he products I have found most helpful to my skin.

Today I'm going to write about the Exfoliator 2x; all Flint + Flint products come with a colourful cross on the front of the packaging, the Exfoliator 2x is the orange one.

Ta a double action exfoliator which doesn't aggravate the skin; as you can see from the above picture the product comes in a gel like form and is filled with microparticals for a gentle yet thorough exfoliation.

It contains Salicylic acids meaning it can be used on acne prone skin to help kill the bacteria, and Jojoba Oil which can be used on all skin types and helps to balance the sebum in the skin. The ingredients work together to soften the skin and give you a more radiant complexion.

As well as using on its own as a regular exfoliator the creators of Flint + Flint (Max and Adam Flint- owners of Skin Health Care Spas) give helpful tips on the website on how to get the best results from their products. You can apply the Exfoliator 2x to dry skin and leave for 1-3 minutes before washing off for a deeper exfoliation.

It is recommended for use two/three times a week. I use it regularly and find it is gentle enough not to cause any irritation but it does help buff away dead skin cells to give me smoother skin, it's what I have been using after my peels to gently encourage the dead skin to peel away fully.

It costs £30 and can be purchased on the website: http://flintplusflint.com/products/exfoliator-2x

Have any of you ever used these products? I'd love to hear!

- Natalie

Face Peels for Acne scars : the reaction

So I decided to document my skin after having a higher percentage peel last Saturday. 

During the peel I could feel my face burning, more so than usual but I persevered because I live under the illusion that the more it hurts the more it works! They apply a coat of the peel to the skin, let it dry, and then add another coat and as the peel is applied you can feel any affected areas start to tingle; the stronger the peel the stronger the sensation.

(If you've never had a peel before hey wouldn't start off on a high strength one, most likely you would have to prep your skin with a glycolic wash for about a week prior to prepare your skin and then the more peels you have the higher percentage of acid they will use).

I took this picture straight after the peel:

And then I took these pictures yesterday (2 days after having the peel)

The skin is cracking and it looks like I have a giant cold sore! It's impossible to cover with makeup so I had to go to work looking like that; I tried to avoid most people so they wouldn't ask about it.

It's very tender as the skin has peeled away leaving there skin beneath new and raw; I've been keeping my skin moisturised and this morning I used a gentle scrub to try and move some of the peeling skin off my cheeks and nose but it hasn't helped.

- Natalie

Skin 3 days after Peel

I took these pictures 3 days after my peel, as you can see the peeling is happening mainly around my nose/upper lip area.

Before makeup:

After makeup:

I've been using a Flint Plus Flint exfoliator to remove the peeling skin and dead skin cells; it's not too rough that it aggravates the skin but I've found it's helping to encourage the skin on my nose to gently peel away... 

http://flintplusflint.com/products/exfoliator-2x

I've also been regularly moisturising to make sure the skin is hydrated!

- Natalie

How to get rid of acne scars

I have suffered from acne for years and a particularly bad break out of cystic acne left me with scars across my cheeks.

Years of various treatments have helped lessen the severity of them but I can still see them!

Treatments such as Laser: used directly on the affected area to kill bacteria and remove the superficial layer of skin to reveal a new and unblemished layer

Microdermabrasion: crystals/grains are used to exfoliate the skin and get rid of any dead skin cells to rejuvenate and make the top layer brighter/clearer

Derma rollers: Tiny needles roll across the skin to increase levels of collagen which help plump the skin

Chemical Peels: causes the top layer of skin to peel away revealing a clearer and more rejuvenated layer underneath.

All of the above help create more Collagen in the affected area; collagen is a protein produced by the skin, it can regenerate itself and helps keep the skin plump and smooth; new cells replace the old ones and indented acne scars can be filled in!

If you are having a treatment such as Laser it is recommended you leave a period of at least 2 weeks inbetween sessions to allow new cells to develop.

You can buy creams and gels but I have yet to find one that has helped my skin, but it depends entirely on how severe the scarring is.

I'd love to know what you all use to help get rid of acne scars as I'm always open to trying new products; did anything completely get rid of your scarring?

- Natalie

Skin after a Micropeel (pictures)

I had a Micropeel this morning and took a picture of my face straight after (which is possibly the most unattractive picture of me ever):

They do a peel first, today's was a 40% lactic/salicylic/citric acid, and then they do a microdermabrasion straight after the peel has been removed. Even though this was a stronger percent peel than the last one I had I felt it burnt a lot less?? My skin must have been particularly sensitive last time.

So from today onwards my skin will start to peel and become flaky, this can last up to a week, and it's important to keep skin moisturised. The skin becomes tight and then starts to peel, kind of like how a snake sheds its skin!! 

It's not ideal to walk around with a peeling face and I do get embarrassed when people ask me what's wrong with my skin! 

Ill take a picture of my skin during the week so you can see what happens on the days after a peel. 

- Natalie

Does Roaccutane work?

Last week me and my mum went for a spa day at a hotel ; we had a massage, a manicure, and a facial and after that we went up to the hotel restaurant for lunch.

Everyone who's ever had a facial knows that it's basic skin care etiquette not to apply makeup after a facial/peel/microderm so what did I do? I went up to that restaurant with no makeup (and a slightly greasy face) and ate lunch! My mum noted this and said "look how far you've come" and I have come a long way! From being the girl who wouldn't take her makeup off in front of her family to going bare faced in public.

Now I'm not saying I walk around with no makeup on all the time, my face isn't perfect and I'm still self conscious but in this instance I decided not to let my skin control my life. And it felt good!

As you can see I still have a few spots but my dermatologist said that is normal and not for me to panic.

I also have a lot of congestion and blackheads, especially around my nose!

Roaccutane gets a lot of bad press but I am so thankful for it. My life has changed unequivocally; a few years ago I was depressed, I felt hideous, and I distanced myself from everyone. I'm not saying R is a quick fix and will cure your acne-remember that this is the 2nd time I've taken it! After I had taken it the first time I was so disheartened with the results. My dermatologist said that potentially I'll have to take it again and if I needed to I wouldn't hesitate.

I hope everyone's skin is getting better and I'd love to hear about your experiences!

- Natalie

Mario Badescu Flower and Tonic Mask

I am a big fan of face masks but I have to be careful as I have very sensitive (and acne prone, obviously) skin; Mario Badescu products were actually some of the first I tried around 10 years ago when I first started getting spots and blackheads.

When I was looking for a gentle face mask to buy I stumbled upon this one! It helps combination skin from clogging by tightening the pores and absorbing surface dirt and oil. It also contains ingredients that soothe redness and irritation.

You leave it on for 20 minutes until dry and then gently remove with warm water or a cleanser. 

The smell isn't overpowering and although the texture is a little bit watery it does dry quickly. Make sure not to apply around the sensitive eye area.

I've used this one a few times now and it has not caused me any irritation which is good and surprising considering how temperamental my skin is; It's good for oily, bumpy, and congested skin types and costs around £15 and I bought it from beautybay.com

I have read other blog posts about this particular face masks and a few people have had allergic reactions to it, I would recommend if you wanted to try it to buy a sample size first to make sure your skin can tolerate it. 

- Natalie

Skin after Roaccutane

I finished my second round of Roaccutane in March this year. 

This is my skin now:

 

As you can see I still have spots, enlarged pores, oily skin, and scars!!!

My skin is not perfect and this bothers me but the result this time is so much better than the results from the first time I took R.

My dermatologist said that some people need to be prescribed more than once for it to make a difference and also that regardless of age acne can return and there's the potential I'll need to take it again.

I'm constantly scrutinising my skin and am still very self conscious, but I will now go out without makeup (only to walk my dogs but still- progress!).

I have regular Micropeels to remove dead skin cells and try and get rid of some of the scarring...

I'd love to hear how everyone else felt after finishing their course of Roaccutane!

- Natalie

Start of month 5

Sorry I've not posted in a while but let me continue from where I left off (40mg Roaccutane per day, month 5):

As you can see my acne was clearing up well at around month 5! I am so pleased with how Roaccutane has helped me this time, especially after being so disheartened with it the first time around.

I was (and am) still getting a few spots and my Dermatologist said that this is normal; I should still expect to get one or two spots every now and again but R should stop me getting so many so frequently.

I kept getting scabs, like the one on my chin in the picture above, that weren't spots but more like tiny open wounds ( that's the only way I can describe them). My mum said maybe it was because my skin was so dry it was causing it to crack! These took a while to disappear and it didn't matter how much I moisturised. I also had a line of dry skin down my nose which looked scaly and was raw if the skin peeled off- I think that happened because I was scrubbing my skin a bit too vigorously when trying to get rid of flakes.

The main problem I have been having is dry lips!!!! I do NOT remember this being such a problem last time 

The sides of my mouth cracked and every morning when I went to brush my teeth my lips would be stuck together and would bleed when I opened my mouth- it was painful. The sides have healed but I looked like I had cold sores on both sides.

The skin all over my lips kept (and still is) peeling causing them to bleed in the centre. All of this was very annoying because I love wearing lipstick and wearing it would just draw attention to the problem! I tried every type of lip balm I could think of but none really made a difference- I just kept reapplying, tried not to lick them to avoid drying them even more, and drinking lots of water.

Another problem that started occurring at around month 5 was that the inside of my nose started bleeding; at the moment the inside of my nose is full of scabs and if I blow my nose the scabs come lose and the inside of my nose stings... 

I am, however, happy with my skin at the moment. It's not perfect and maybe it will never be but it's so much better than it ever has been.

I'll do a post about my skin at the moment as I am in the middle of month 6! I hope you all had an excellent Christmas and New Year 💕

- Natalie