About Ambercinque Expertise I can answere questions regarding product knowledge and purchasing. Cosmetic applications and recommendations.
Experience I have worked for several cosmetic counters such as Lancome,Dior, Shiseido, Estee Lauder,etc. I have apprenticed for stage and costume make up. I am also a free lance make up artist.
Organizations I volunteered in the past a few years back on this site.
Education/Credentials I have apprenticed and gone through many courses through out my years.
Question Hey,
I have combination skin, where my forehead is oily and my cheeks and chin are not so oily. I have these skin coloured bumps on my fore head, about 30 of them. And I have black heads on my cheeks and on and under my ears. The blackheads only hurt when they become inflamed. When this occurs I usually pop them and they go away after a day or two. I use a bar of soap from Neutrogena that does not clog pores, as well, I use a blackhead eliminating daily scrub as an exfoliate from Neutrogena. I use the exfoliate then the soap every morning and night. But because my face is oily, I use the bar of soap every 4 hours. This dries out my cheecks and chin, so I use a moisturizer from clean and clear. I also apply a spot treatment on areas with large amounts of blackheads, such as my cheeks. But I still can't get rid of these bumps. I only have blackheads on my face, no other type of acne. Are these products doing anything to eliminate my blackheads? If not, then what products should I buy.
Answer Mathew-
WOAH!
I am exhausted just reading about the cleaning your doing. Sounds like your cleansing too much and using too many products to address the issue.
You have the right idea about using a scrub but you only need to use it twice a week or if its a daily cleanser with scrub in it that is fine instead. If it is a daily cleanser you do not need to cleanse seperately or every 4hrs(twice a day is more than enough-morning and night).
When your skin is oily its producing oil to help hydrate your itself. The thing is you do not want to dry it out it will only make it worse. You need to use a hydrating cleanser and moisturizer. If you get really shiny opt to add in a mattifying toner to your routine. Also a great purifying mask with sulfur or clay is great for drawing out the impurities use it once or twice a week on clean skin. Remember when trying new skin care give it a good 6-8 weeks to start to see results.
Here are some reccomendations:
Drug store--
Daily cleanser: Cetaphil for oily skin or Clean and Clear daily pore cleanser(this is a daily scrub).
* if you opt for cetaphil use a scrub pad a couple of times a week to exfoliate with it.
Toner-Try Witch Hazel
Moisturizer- Cetaphil for oily skin
Mask-Freeman clay mask
DEPT STORE OR ONLINE--
Shiseido Pureness Facial Cleansing foam use with facial brush to exfoliate everyday and get deeper cleaning.
Shiseido Pureness Softener-better than a toner it will hydrate your skin
Shiseido Mattifying moisturizer
Proactive sulfure mask
