Tits and Zitz

For pretty much half of my life I have had acne which is medically categorised as a skin disease which seems a bit over the top but I suppose there are much worse cases of acne than mine but it was really bad when I was younger.  I started my period when I was nine years old so I experienced physically being a teenager before most of my friends did.  I had big boobs and acne.  If my face wasn't covered in disgusting red dots I would have probably been considered a hottie for the tits alone but instead I became a bully victim because of the zits.

'Bully' is one of those words that when people use it they either give you an understanding look or they look at you like you're exaggerating.  The bullying started at primary school and continued to secondary. The bullying never told a physical form but sometimes I wish it had.  At times I convinced myself it would have been easier than the mental torment.  I still have self-confidence issues in regards to my skin till this day.  I feel very uncomfortable going outside not wearing make-up or even being around some friends not wearing it.  It is rare that I will go outside not wearing any and when I do I feel very paranoid. I know this does not make me special in any way as loads of girls feel like this but it can be good to share experiences and if it helps make someone not feel like an alien then my job is done.

The worst thing about being bullied about something physical or indeed something else that is happening in your life such as family is that half the time it is true.  I could't deny I had terrible skin.  It was not only staring me in the face but all over my face and it hurt.  Both my face and the bullying.

Here is one of my favourite posts on the subject of acne and from someone who has a shittier time of it than me: Scars by Dr Brooke Magnanti but you might know her better as Belle De Jour.

But back to the point - the reason I bring this up is because of the state of my skin right now and it reminds me of how crap a time I went through as an adolescent and it pisses me off that at 21 I am still dealing with it.

My skin did clear up for a couple of years - at age 14 I got put on Dianette which is a contraceptive pill but it is one that is very good for clearing up acne.  So good that I have heard of men being prescribed it.  If anyone reading this has particularly bad skin I would look into this.  I then got took off that pill for being on it too long and my current pill has never helped my skin. Well that combined with an underactive-thyroid which means my hormones are everywhere. As if gaining two and a half stone was not bad enough. They should really rename hypo-thyroidism 'ugly illness'. Ok, slightly dramatic but it certainly is not something that makes you better looking.

I cleanse, I tone, I moisturise and I have prescribed cream from the doctor but nothing is helping me at the moment.  Since age nine I have been searching for the miracle product and I still have no found it so I thought I would ask on here on the odd chance that someone else has battled acne for the majority of their life and has been lucky enough to find this miracle product.

The cream I was prescribed off the doctors is called DUAC cream and it is very good but it just is not working for me at the moment but if you suffer from random breakouts I would go ask for some of this it should clear your skin up in a couple of weeks. However it also has a tendency to dry out your skin so pile a thick moisturiser on at bedtime.

If I had some photo's I would show you's but I actually do not have any digital photo's from my youth and I wonder why this does not bother me.

Much Love,

Glampire

xx

Grease Lightning - Spot Treatment - Lush

Product No.3 of the free samples - Grease Lightning.

This is one of newer products at Lush and one I have pondered about but as I get prescribed cream off the doctor for my skin I have never bought it but on having tried it out for free I am now considering purchasing it.

The product is actually quite similar to my prescribed product Duac and Freederm cream which I also have a history of using.  Both very good for acne but sadly dry the skin out.

One of the main thoughts behind this product is to create a product for spots that does not dry out the skin - it contains: carrageen moss - a seaweed - which is very softening as to not dry the skin out surrounding the spot(s). 


Ingredients

• Aloe vera gel to soothe and moisturise
• Seawater for its antiseptic properties. 
• Grape juice to cool and calm the skin.
• Thyme, rosemary and tea tree herb infusions to be gently antibacterial.
• Witch hazel, an astringent that is great for bruising and helps broken blood vessels shrink and contract.
• Tea Tree oil, a powerful antiseptic

I haven't used the product for long enough to see if it is successful in completely removing spots but it certainly makes them feel a bit better and I have only been using it at night when I remember to put it on.  I think if it was used every night it would be really great.

It is only £5.65 - a bargain compared to the price of some other spot treatments.  I think I will be making a change over from my prescribed cream.

Cosmetic Warrior - Fresh Face mask - Lush Review

This is the second review out of the free samples I received on my visit to Lush.  I have used Lush face mask's before but I have never asked about which one would be best from my skin.  I usually just make a judgement on 1.  The smell of the product and 2. What the product card says.

The sales lady advised Cosmetic Warrior for my skin - dry and spotty.  Like most students.  As if university was not stressful enough.  Here is a product to make things a little less stressful.

The first thing that hits you about this product is the tea tree oil - one of my favourite products and one that is very good for combating spots.  I used to dab pure tea tree oil on my skin - little tip for anyone with bad skin. I can be rather nippy though.  In the face mask however though it isn't nippy it makes the skin feel beautifully fresh.  Just like a lovely gust of cold wind has swept across your face.  The mask would go lovely with an iced mojito and a vivid imagination.

"Fresh white grapes clean and cool the skin. Fresh garlic and tea tree oil are antiseptic.

Fresh eggs tighten the texture of the skin. Honey softens and moisturises the skin and is also antimicrobal. We bind all of these ingredients together with kaolin and cornstarch to give the mask a smooth texture that goes on easily and does not drag or pull sore, sensitive skin. All of this means that Cosmetic Warrior fights spots and the causes of spots, without harming the natural balance of the skin and without creating puffiness".

The further description suggests that the product smells really quite bad because of the garlic but I think the product smells really fresh - although it obviously doesn't smell quite as good as the chocolate scented face mask cupcake.

You can almost feel the product working as it is on your face which is nice.  The sales lady also advised that you leave a little bit of the mask on over night if you have a particularly bad spot.  I haven't tried this as of yet but I will once I invest in a larger tub of the product.