I should state the reason that I'm writing this is because I'm currently sitting on my laptop typing, while the left side of my face is severely damaged due to increased sensitivity by retin - a, it looked fine, but i had to go on and put tea tree cream on the side of my spots which had a few spots, nothing major just tiny little bumps, but the tea tree has just made my skin red,raw, and scab like... not nice, if i open my mouth to eat for example, the skin is unable to stretch so looks and feels like sand paper!!! ugh!
Now I don't know anything that can make your skin as good as new in a second, but there are things you can do at home to ensure skin renewal is at its optimum level. Some of these you may already be doing, but you may be doing things you think will either cover damaged skin, or help it heal faster, but really it's just making things worse!
- Do not exfoliate further!! This might seem obvious to some, but when you have you to leave the house in 10 minutes and your skin is peeling to no end, that bottle of exfoliator seems like your last choice! This will only make your skin more damaged, raw, and you might end up with a scab rather than a bit of flaky skin!
- Treat your skin very gently! Try not to use facial wipes, even if they're organic, the fibres tends to be very abrasive to skin, especially sensitised skin. Be gently with your towel or facial tissues(best to use a towel) so pat dry gently.
- Really think about what your putting on your face! The products used on your skin whilst it was normal, may be detrimental in a sensitised state. For example I steer clear of my normal vitamin C lotion when i have over exfoliated, as vitamin C will only cause your skin to shed further. Don't assume just because a product is natural it will be safe for your skin. The very cause of my damaged skin was because i assumed my tea tree cream was organic, hence would be safe for my skin. DUMB!!!
- Put things on that are known to treat damaged skin! Products rich in Vitamin E are great for skn renewal, especially and oil like product or a balm.This will prevent the skin from drying out as the skin is exposed and thin. Try to treat it like a burn. Sweet almond oil, Grapeseed oil, Rosehip oil are all good sources of vitamin e, except the latter which is a source of Vitamin A. Do patch test these, as a further reaction on your skin is the last thing you want!
- Work from the inside out!... Your skin is re building it self, it is doing this all the time so truly you should be providing it with the essential building blocks it needs ALL THE TIME, but it would not hurt to up the water intake, and eat foods rich in vitamin E, protein, essential fats, Omega 3,6 and 9.
- It takes about 28 days for the skin to renew itself, but the initial damage should go away in less time!! Im hoping to rid my skin of this damage in 3 days!! Luckily i don't have any where to be, so i can hide out in my room, lathering my face in balms!!
I thought i would add what I'm doing right now to get rid of the damage, and to cover it up when you just have to be out in public!
When I'm at home I am putting glycerin on my face after washing with a facial gel( to further the healing, cleanse with full fat milk-- do not use cotton wool, it will just be abrasive to sensitive skin, apply the milk with hands in circular motions, best done when you don't have makeup on). The glycerin is diluted wiht a little water( dilute with more water if you live a particularly dry environment, Im in London so its pretty humid over here!). The glycerin will stop the skin drying out. Then i apply aloe vera gel, for it soothing properties, And lastly sweet almond oil. Your gonna look like a grease pit, so don't answer the door bell!
I would normally also apply rose hip oil as well at night, but ive run out :(. And in the day even if I'm in doors, i will skip the aloe Vera and apply my OY! SPF 15, even if I'm indoors as it contains aloe Vera, green tea and chamomile, which are great for damaged skin to calm the skin.
I will update this post to show how many days it will take to heal my very damaged skin!
Ok so It took about 4 days for my skin to heal by doing the above routine. My skin was stil peeling yesterday(4th day) but it was well enough for me to do a facial (rose akamuti) and hair removal( threading) . All in all I think a mixture of rosehip oil and glycerine really helped my face!!.
Ok so It took about 4 days for my skin to heal by doing the above routine. My skin was stil peeling yesterday(4th day) but it was well enough for me to do a facial (rose akamuti) and hair removal( threading) . All in all I think a mixture of rosehip oil and glycerine really helped my face!!.