Post: #326

(07-07-2017 10:23 AM)rudebwoy Wrote:  I am a big fan of putting stuff on my body, that I would be alright putting in my mouth.

Coconut oil and Olive oil are my go to all in one skin creams.

I shave my head bald, then apply coconut oil which is a great after shave treatment.

As another bald guy, can confirm that coconut oil is great for your scalp.

Post: #327

Fam pretty sure i have a few bumps on my nose cause by old pimples basically scars.

Whose got no homo tips to help reduce their size or remove them all together?

Currently using apricot scrub + Microdermabrasion scrubber + charcoal nose pore strips.

Post: #328

(08-07-2018 02:08 PM)kaotic Wrote:  Fam pretty sure i have a few bumps on my nose cause by old pimples basically scars.

Whose got no homo tips to help reduce their size or remove them all together?

Currently using apricot scrub + Microdermabrasion scrubber + charcoal nose pore strips.

I had some little bumps like that on my temple that I thought were scars. I was dating a girl who worked in a beauty salon at the time, and she told me they were very deep embedded blackheads (or something like that, I can't remember exactly) that couldn't be removed by squeezing. She let me into her salon when the boss was away and extracted them with some tools, not sure exactly what. It did the trick anyway. Perhaps a dermatologist can have a look at it?

Post: #329

(08-08-2018 02:18 AM)Horus Wrote:  

(08-07-2018 02:08 PM)kaotic Wrote:  Fam pretty sure i have a few bumps on my nose cause by old pimples basically scars.

Whose got no homo tips to help reduce their size or remove them all together?

Currently using apricot scrub + Microdermabrasion scrubber + charcoal nose pore strips.

I had some little bumps like that on my temple that I thought were scars. I was dating a girl who worked in a beauty salon at the time, and she told me they were very deep embedded blackheads (or something like that, I can't remember exactly) that couldn't be removed by squeezing. She let me into her salon when the boss was away and extracted them with some tools, not sure exactly what. It did the trick anyway. Perhaps a dermatologist can have a look at it?

Probably should hit up some of my friends wives and see where they get their facial stuff done (and no not their husbands )

If they can't help then I'll go to a Dermatologist

Thanks man!

Post: #330

This thread is pure gold. I read a few pages of it and bought a few items on Amazon and my local grocery store today. Here's to better and healthier skin...

Anyways, anyone have any ideas for *natural* ways to fight eczema? Also, I've noticed that under my eyes there are dark baggy lines, anyone ever have success in resolving those?

My dermatologist told me to use Cortisone-based creams for eczema, which you can get over the counter at a pharmacy. Those did work but I felt like the moment I stopped applying them on my face (I had eczema on my eyelids and random areas on my face), then he rash/itch would come back again.

He had absolutely no resolution on resolving the baggy, darkness underneath my eyes

If anyone has any ideas on solving any of those (i.e. oils they've used, any kind of extract, honey, etc.) way that would be helpful. I may just try to start applying oils on my faces and report back in a few months to see if that had any impact.

Post: #331

(08-20-2018 07:02 PM)Crash_Bandicoot Wrote:  This thread is pure gold. I read a few pages of it and bought a few items on Amazon and my local grocery store today. Here's to better and healthier skin...

Anyways, anyone have any ideas for *natural* ways to fight eczema? Also, I've noticed that under my eyes there are dark baggy lines, anyone ever have success in resolving those?

My dermatologist told me to use Cortisone-based creams for eczema, which you can get over the counter at a pharmacy. Those did work but I felt like the moment I stopped applying them on my face (I had eczema on my eyelids and random areas on my face), then he rash/itch would come back again.

He had absolutely no resolution on resolving the baggy, darkness underneath my eyes

If anyone has any ideas on solving any of those (i.e. oils they've used, any kind of extract, honey, etc.) way that would be helpful. I may just try to start applying oils on my faces and report back in a few months to see if that had any impact.

Nothing worked better for my psoriasis than Protopic. It's also prescribed for eczema. Once it goes away it's gone for a while, generally a year for me. Arguably the best drug I've ever seen, the efficacy is miraculous.

For baggy eyes this is a genetic thing based on the shape of a person's face. It is obviously a sign of aging as the fat pads start to deteriorate and your skin begins to sag. Difficult to treat w/o some intervention. The best example of correcting this that I've seen is by injecting fillers in that area. This guy has done incredible work.

https://drkotlus.com/dark-circles-and-eye-bags/

Ointments and honey probably won't do much. I take tretinoin and have noticed less baggy eyes, but I don't think I'm as genetically afflicted with this issue.

Post: #332

There's a great cost-effective skin care range by "The Ordinary" which mainly uses individual ingredients that have some solid scientific data behind them.

They have something of a 'cult' following and I'm currently trying a few of their products.

Check out their regimen guide for specific skin problems you may have.

I've been looking into some of these ingredients last few months so if you have any questions feel free to pm me. Can't guarantee that I can answer them but I will give it a try.

(Fyi I'm not affiliated to this company in any way. They are very well known and blogged about by fashionistas. Google is your friend).

Post: #333

(12-17-2014 10:55 PM)jbkunt2 Wrote:  Who elsw suffers from Rosacea?

I've been using Euceren Anti Redness face wash and night cream.

Also, CeraVe which seems really good.

I have some Rosacea, mainly some flushing (erythema) in the cheeks.

The only thing I found that worked to control new episodes of flushing was a low carb diet. I've been keto for around 8 months and seen almost zero erythema in that time. There's still some mild permanent redness and I may get laser treatment at some point to get rid of that.

Post: #334

I used to have rosacea, mostly year round but it was worse during the colder months. I started using coconut oil as a moisturizer and I never saw it again. I use it exclusively and my skin has never been better. Make sure to get virgin, unrefined and cold pressed coconut oil.

Post: #335

So I mentioned the Brickell products last year. I'm well into my 30s and have been gradually ramping up my skincare routine, and have seen results and gotten compliments, so I thought I'd throw out what I've learned so far:

A free product sample kit is available in the United States here, and they also have a scheduled subscription delivery service that includes a small discount. You can also buy them all on Amazon.

https://brickellmensproducts.com/product...ample-kits

Upsides: Brickell product ingredients lists all exclude "petrochemicals, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrance or color, TEA, DEA, Glycols, silicones, or PEGs". I'm not one of those "all chemicals are bad" people, but known endocrine disruptors are a good thing to get rid of where you can, so this is a selling point. Most of the products have appealing textures and inoffensive, masculine citrus/mint/tea tree scents.

Downsides: Brickell isn't open about active ingredient percentages. In a few cases, which I'll explain below, this is pushing me to try cheaper competing products from The Ordinary.

What I'm using regularly and like so far:

- Shampoo and Conditioner: I started here. I tried a thickening shampoo and conditioner from another brand that contained silicones that were making my scalp break out, and the clean ingredient formulation in this brand sounded promising. The shampoo is a gentle cleanser meant for daily use and it took some time to get used to my hair not being "squeaky clean", but overall I think it's a huge improvement. My hair smells good, feels good, and as I grow it back longer for a fuller hairstyle, I'm finding it behaves better throughout the day than it did when it was more stripped.

- Face Washes: I've tried both the foaming cleanser and the oil/charcoal cleanser. I think they're both good products but I found the foaming cleanser to be too drying and instead use the charcoal and olive oil cleanser. It turns out that using something that doesn't strip the oils off my face calms my skin down and discourages it from churning out more by the end of the day.

- Hand Balm: Awesome product. I live in the Rust Belt and winters are desert-dry. I keep this at my desk and while it's hard to dispense because it's so thick, it soaks in instantly and stops my hands from splitting.

- Wax Pomade: This is probably the densest pomade I've ever seen. Multiple waxes are a top line ingredient, it washes out easily, and it leaves a slight shine. I don't use it regularly, but if I know I have a lot of wind and sweat ahead of me where my hair will get wrecked, I rub my fingertips in it to get just a little and scratch my head lightly until all the wax is distributed, then style as normal. There are probably other products out there I would like better, but the jar has lasted a long time and it's exactly what some people would want.

- Daily Essential Moisturizer: I bought this because I have small rosacea-like broken blood vessels on my cheeks and niacinimide was suggested as an effective ingredient. I don't know how well that has worked, but the moisturizer itself does a great job and a woman actually became irritated by how much my complexion improved from using it. It contains hyaluronic acid and a blend of other popular, if sometimes unproven, ingredients like vitamin E, MSM and DMAE. It soaks in quickly and leaves no residue, and you can buy a smaller travel-size bottle. If you want a one-stop skincare product, this is probably a pretty good one. No SPF.

- Anti-Aging Night Cream: This is a much heavier moisturizer with similar ingredients to the Daily Essentials lotion, but no niacinimide. It's in a base of shea butter, and has the thick consistency you'd expect. (There is also a day cream version with vitamin C and borage oil for people who want that, instead of the moisturizing lotion.)

- Face Scrub: Does what it says. Mild exfoliating scrub with pumice and jojoba beads. Expensive as scrubs go, but the price is in line with other "clean"-formula scrubs and it lasts a while.

With that said, if you want to go further down the rabbit hole on skin care products, there are a couple of products I tried in the sample pack that seem to work, but can't be justified at all:

- Day and Night Serums: At $55/ounce and $75/ounce respectively, this is ridiculous. These products work - I've been getting compliments on looking "brighter" since I started using the samples for a couple of weeks - but many of the ingredients are redundant to the regular moisturizers and you don't know the actual percentages of the active ingredients. In addition, the day serum contains witch hazel, which some people like, but others react badly to. You can buy several ounces of the key active ingredients, niacinimide and matrixyl for daytime use and vitamin C with alpha arbutin for nighttime use, from The Ordinary at a fraction of the cost of one ounce of these.

- Eye Balm: In competing products, caffeine seems to be the active ingredient for reducing dark circles under the eyes after a rough night. Again, it includes many redundant ingredients already present in the moisturizers and serums - for $40. I have no way of being sure if caffeine is effective for this, but if I still want it when I run out of the free sample, The Ordinary sells Caffeine + EGCG solution for $6.70. Boom. Done.

I'm probably going to test out the Brickell sunscreen moisturizer with The Ordinary's niacinimide, as well as the Ordinary's "Natural Moisturizing Factors" for $5.80, to see if I should replace the daily moisturizer and/or maybe get out of applying a separate daily sunscreen.

Post: #336

Huge fan of skincare shit (no homo). In my sister words "I am worse than a woman".

I don't look younger than my age but I always get compliment on my skin smoothness and I haven't had a pimple since I was 18 probably. Could be better if I was doing a proper diet but I eat quite a lot of unhealthy food lately.

All the products below are from L'Occitane brand unless specified. Its pretty expensive but the quality is top level and is easily available worldwide.

AM:
- Face cleanser (M/W/F/Sat)
- Face scrub (T/T/Sun) I just use the brands I can find at the supermarket like Garnier or similar and alternat the days with the cleanser
- Energising eye gel
- Vitamin C serum (Paula's choice C15 super booster) I just get a few drops and apply it to my face + neck
- Remescar eye cream - Use this a few times a month when I didnt get a lot of sleep. It helps a lot with dark bags but its pretty aggressive so its not in my daily routine
- Day moisturiser
- Wash my beard with olive oil soap
- Apply argan + Jojoba oil to my beard

PM:
- Ice mask and leave it for 10 mins
- Face cleanser
- Under Eye cream
- Night moisturiser
- Clean my beard
- Mask - I do this once or twice a month
- Coconut oil - I do this once a week, just spread it all over my face and beard. I don't apply moisturiser when I use the oil but just let it dry overnight

Post: #337

(04-10-2019 10:26 AM)Jetset Wrote:  - Daily Essential Moisturizer: I bought this because I have small rosacea-like broken blood vessels on my cheeks and niacinimide was suggested as an effective ingredient. I don't know how well that has worked, but the moisturizer itself does a great job and a woman actually became irritated by how much my complexion improved from using it. It contains hyaluronic acid and a blend of other popular, if sometimes unproven, ingredients like vitamin E, MSM and DMAE. It soaks in quickly and leaves no residue, and you can buy a smaller travel-size bottle. If you want a one-stop skincare product, this is probably a pretty good one. No SPF.

Yup. Brickell's Daily Essential Moisturizer is top notch. I was initially hesitant to pull the trigger -- $35 for a 4 oz moisturizer? -- but honestly a little of it really does go a long way. I use slightly less than their recommended "dime sized" amount and it looks like I'm gonna get 2-3 more months of use out of it, and I've been using it since January.

Post: #338

I have some small bumps or pimples on my forehead which have stuck around for the past two years. They dont go away but they also dont become big full pimples. Sometimes the head looks like a very small pimple and sometimes its just small bumps.

Ive heard it might be because of dehydration which might be the case. Ive been trying exfoliation+moisturizing for a couple of monthes now but it hasnt made a dent.

Anyone has any suggestions? I dunno whether to research it as acne or its just a different kind of bumps.

Post: #339

I have the impression many guys are falling for the same marketing tactics used against women. Reminds me of an “anti-age” product that had gold inside. We should take care of our skin without having to spend a fortune or having to use dozens of products.

- Have a good diet. Avoid processed food.
- Use sunscreen if you’re going outside.

As for products, big companies already have an economy of scale enabling them to make affordable products. If you have dandruff, look for a product with ketoconazole or zinc pyrithione. You can find cheap products from big brands or look for a “premium” brand with a beautiful package/logo. Zinc pirythione is used on Head & Shoulders and All Clear. If you have one of those, wash your face to see how it gives a “cleaner” feel.

For problematic skin, salicylic acid is the active ingredient you’re looking for.

For a body wash, look for glycerin and citric acid. Most of them have it.

If you have hair conditioner, use it in your pubes. It’ll make them smell great and keep them soft to the touch. Girls love it.

And of course, moisturizer. Get one that lasts longer and use it after taking a shower in the morning. There’s plenty of brands to choose from but I found one that I like. Gold Bond Men’s Essentials (Intense Therapy for Extra Dry, Problem Skin). Lasts 24h, not greasy and clean scent. $8 for a 13 oz. last months using on your face. I could look for the active ingredients and search for a cheaper alternative but since it last months I won’t bother. Use it in your face and the residue left in your hands is enough to keep your hands moisturized also.
You can see how old a woman is by her hands. As for men, you want to have smooth hands, specially if you’re fingering a girl (wear gloves when lifting).

Post: #340

(04-10-2019 04:12 PM)joost Wrote:  I have the impression many guys are falling for the same marketing tactics used against women. Reminds me of an “anti-age” product that had gold inside. We should take care of our skin without having to spend a fortune or having to use dozens of products.

I agree 100% about looking for specific ingredients, and about keeping it simple. We're also definitely in a world where some "men's products" are collecting a Black Tax, like the so-called Pink Tax for selling things packaged "for women". It's mostly nonsense.

With that said, the attraction of some of the higher-end products is often the ingredients they don't contain. Case in point, Gold Bond doesn't seem to display the ingredients in the product you mentioned on their website. Looking into it, the top ingredient is water.

There's some good stuff halfway down the ingredient list - albeit probably at near-homeopathic levels - but that's going to be the reason they're able to sell thirteen ounces for eight bucks. It's mostly water that won't penetrate beyond the surface of the skin, plus some other questionable chemicals that keep costs down: in this case, possibly-estrogenic parabens and a form of urea that tends to convert to formaldehyde.

https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/531...lation%29/

That doesn't make it bad. The silicone and vaseline that are top-line ingredients in that product get left behind when the water evaporates and make the surface of dry skin feel smooth. That's what a lot of the market is about: some dude's hands are chapped and now they feel better. It just may not be doing much to keep your skin healthy over time.

Some of the more expensive moisturizers are still just bottles of slippery water with better marketing, and not all affordable water-based products are cheaply-made, but the quality products are specifically aimed at penetrating to replace what the skin loses as people age, not just sealing it up. They last for months, too, because like Huey said, you end up needing way less than you'd think. I think I'm averaging 4-6 months of daily use per four ounce bottle.

Post: #341

^^

Thank you for the insight.

Could you recommend a moisturizer? Ideally without scent and readily available (that you can find in supermarkets).

Post: #342

(04-11-2019 11:47 AM)joost Wrote:  Could you recommend a moisturizer? Ideally without scent and readily available (that you can find in supermarkets).

CeraVe makes "pretty good products" at "pretty good prices" that are respected.

There's a heavy one in a jar ("Moisturizing Cream") and a light one in a pump bottle ("Daily Moisturizing Lotion"). It looks like they're formulated with parabens but without the formaldehyde-releasing form of urea, and have hyaluronic acid (probably the #1 ingredient in any good moisturizer) as well as a mix of ceramides, which are supposed to help rebuild the skin's moisture barrier.

If I was less of a tinkerer who goes looking for the perfect product, that's probably what I'd go with.

Post: #343

As a pretty metro Korean dude (no homo), I can say I know a thing or two about skin care.

(If you don't know, the Korean cosmetics industry is huge since people care a lot about how they look)

You don't really need to be using a bunch of products and shit or have some ridiculous 10-step routine like girls do.

I'd say essentials (aside from obvious shit like shower and overall be healthy) are as follows:

• Cold showers - hot showers dry out and damage skin. Only take hot showers when you're really dirty/greasy
• Use a good soap. I personally use African black soap - honestly if there's ONE THING you need it's this. All natural, can use for face+body, exfoliates any nasty shit, clears up complexion, etc. Sounds like BS but check the reviews - don't think there's a higher rated soap on Amazon
• Use a facial moisturizer. If your face is dry/not hydrated you will accelerate skin aging, wrinkles, and if you have really dry skin like me, cracks and shit will form - not good
• Sunscreen when you're outside in the sun for extended periods of time (~>30 minutes). Otherwise skin cancer and premature aging
• Don't sleep without showering if you're dirty - unless you want to sleep in germs. Good way for acne and stuff to form
  

If you want more detail and some "bonus" suggestions (e.g. insane anti-aging solution if you're older/look old), I wrote a "no homo" skin care guide for men:

The “No Homo” Men’s Skin Care Routine

Post: #344

Buy Rhonda Allison products and use suncreeen.
Use BBL to rid/lighten sun spots.

Done

Post: #345

(08-20-2018 07:02 PM)Crash_Bandicoot Wrote:  Anyways, anyone have any ideas for *natural* ways to fight eczema?

Old post, but since this is a common problem:

I was in the city and stopped into one of the Ordinary's storefronts for a semi-homo answer because the itching from eczema on my kneecap was killing me. Reasonably bangable asian chick gave me a bottle of chia seed oil. Reduces inflammation and toughens up the moisture barrier.

This actually worked. Two drops on the area after I shower, two drops before bed. First day, the bumps went down, second day the flakes softened and the itching stopped, third day it just looks like I had all my weight on it while I slept.