When I was younger I washed my face daily, my skin was always very greasy, spotty and I had blackheads, despite trying every possible product on the market

As I got older I stopped washing so much till eventually I wasn't washing it at all, my spots cleared, the grease went less but the blackheads remained and some skin in places was dry

I got some Biore deep pore charcoal cleanser and some Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Moisturiser and for days when I was too tired/in too much pain to stand at the sink I got some Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes but now the spots and grease are back, my skin is still dry in places and I still have blackheads!!

Does anyone find that nothing works to make their skin good?

If you have spots products meant to clear them can make them worse. You need really gentle stuff, and you should handle your skin gently. Breakouts happen for different reasons too - some are an allergic reaction. Caroline Hirons' blog has loads of information about the different types. If you could identify what's causing your breakouts you might be able to keep on top of them better.

Your face needs to be clean - but if everything upsets your skin you could use warm water and a cloth or just the water from the shower.

I can't think of any products that might help off hand, but I'm sure you'll get some suggestions. Coconut oil seems to be good for most things

Even water can make it more greasy

I've heard of coconut oil being good, the thought of putting oil on already oily skin though is just lol

Will have a look at that blog, thanks

What I do is I wash in the morning & use the Micellar water at night time, cleans all in one step & only like £3.32 for a 400ml bottle of Garnier one which lasts for ages.

I found that with spots using dedicated products such as Clearasil or Freederm make the problem worse, how I treat(ed) my spots was to just wash in ordinary face cleanser (usually Simple or Biore), apply a light moisturiser & they soon clear up. It's all about keeping your face clean rather than treating the spots.

My skin has been alright recently, but I currently use:
-Biore Charcoal Cleanser in the morning
-Followed with Garnier PureActive spot moisturiser

At night:
-Garnier Micellar Water

I also use:
-Neutrogena visibly clear wash/mask as a mask once a week
-Biore nose strips to pull blackheads out of my nose where they tend to live

Ok that Caroline Hiron, says oily skin needs oil, should I drop the simple moisturiser I'm using?

That's news to me. I used to have really oily skin & controlled it with light moisturisers because oily moisturisers clog pores up, or so I was told & have believed.

Yep, I thought oil on oily skin would be bad but Caroline, the body shop site and other sources say otherwise so I dunno what to do

With makeup that has to be a no no unless you like the shiny look.

Well I'm sure that if you put more oil on then it will just clog pores quicker. I was always told to remove excess oil otherwise it leads to spots & blackheads which I get anyway.

I use tap water. Never had a spot or blackhead in my life.

It's not just Caroline Hirons that talks about oil being good for your skin, a lot of aestheticians say it too.

I use oils every day, to cleanse my skin and also for my serums. Oils are actually better for people with oily skin, because they prevent your skin from producing as much of its own natural oils. If you use an oil that has antioxidants and anti inflammatory properties (like a Vitamin C oil) it will should help dissolve the naturally produced oil that clogs up in your pores.

Acne.org says:-


In short, don't be scared of oil. Use in small doses first, e.g. as a serum or an oil cleanser and you will see the benefits.

Also have a search for 'oil cleansing method' OP, it is a highly regarded cleansing method and relatively cheap.

I've just ordered this on amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...ilpage_o00_s00

So I'll use the Biore cleanser then the serum then do I use moisturiser? Or leave that off?

I was going to suggest that oil to you Ebony, it looks really good with lots of positive reviews. Try it without the moisturiser first, see how your skin feels in the morning. You may need to add the moisturiser as it gets colder.

Keep it out of direct sunlight.

Thanks

Will I just use it at night or morning and night?

Washng your face with just warm water should be done everyday. Facewash is also good with some even targetting greasy skin.

Washing your face with soap everyday is a bad idea as it takes away the skins natural oils.

I remember a celebrity saying this was why they had great looking skin.
I think it was Samantha Giles who plays Bernice Blackstock on ITV's Emmerdale.

Oh you have been made inactive, maybe it isn't a never ending one (if the forum rules I read recently are anything to go by) and you can return to read my comment and reply to it.

I hope your problem was resolved.

Perhaps women should just use shaving gel on their faces. It seems to work for men.

Personally I need to use more than warm water on my face, water alone is not going to get rid of any dirt that has built up on my skin during the day, hell even a lot of face washes cannot do that, that's why I always use oil to cleanse as it enables moisture retention while effectively cleaning the skin.

I'm currently loving the 'hot flannel' method, with Moa The Green Balm. It calms the skin, and does wonders for the complexion.

It involves rubbing a layer of balm into the skin, then wringing out a very hot flannel, and pressing it against your face. The steam draws the impurities out, leaving the essential oils to calm, and nourish the skin.

http://www.moa.london/

The ingredients look fantastic, excellent value for money too. I'm a sucker for natural organic products, they smell and feel so good on the skin.

Thanks for this tip, I only browse this part of the board (don't post very often), but I am going to order some of this to try out

I hope you both get on well with it. It's one of the simplest yet most effective products I've used, and is multipurpose.

Are you ill? If so that can cause hormonal issues that might be doing it. It sounds cyclical the way you are describing it. Are these menstrual breakouts? If you are finding nothing works i would wager it's actually hormonal babe!

Not ill, I'm disabled

Don't get periods as I'm on the mini pill

People say my skin looks great. I used Simple Cleansing Lotion followed by a wipe of my own blend of witch hazel/water.
Can't remember the last time i 'washed' my face. Though when I have washed my hair I give my face a good towelling along with my head!