The Pill Rant

What kind of skin problems do you have? Maybe I can help you find something useful.

I have an oily / dry combination skin (oily cheeks and nose, dry forehead and chin) and have always had acne problems. It's been much better in the past year but I'm still not completely happy with my skin. I have lots of small pimples that make little bumps all over my face, especially on my cheaks and around my nose. They're not always very visible though. My cheeks are also always red and it's impossible to cover with make-up.

The redness of your cheeks in combination with the pimples might be rosacea. You might want to look into that and try some specific remedies instead of the pill.
An acquaintance of mine has it too and she had gotten a pill on doctors prescription for this too, until a different doctor told her that she was actually suffering from rosacea and not just some random hormone-related acne.

To help with the dry skin, I would recommend using a sweet almond oil-based cream, as SA oil doesn't clog pores and it's very light. As for the oily skin, spray it with a cooled tea brew of green tea and orange peel. Citrus fruits fight excess skin oils BUT they also make skin more sensitive to sunlight, so you have to be wary with that.
As for soaps, an oatmeal soap with coconut oil, olive oil, and shea butter would help to balance your skin whether it's oily or dry. I have the same kind of oily/dry combination skin on my face, only my forehead is usually oily with dry cheeks, and I get little tiny zits around my chin and jawline. Sugar scrubs really help with getting rid of acne, though, and when used in conjunction with a balancing oatmeal soap, a scrub will make your pores cleaner and smaller and the soap will pick up excess dirts and oils that cause zits.

I think the Mirena might actually be to blame for the tiny zits, though. I think I've had mine just a month or so less than you have, and I never had tiny zits before. I'm actually thinking of getting mine taken out since it's caused me to gain 25 pounds/11.4kg and even though I eat healthy and exercise properly, I haven't been able to shake the weight off.

I dunno...I don't like the idea of Mirena at all...
Mirena doesn't prevent contraception only pregnancies, which sounds the same but isn't. You can still conceive but the zygote wont attached to the uterine wall because Mirena irritates your uterus to keep the wall thin and infertile. From what I remember it has hormones but not enough to typically prevent ovulation. As a result the chance for ectopic pregnancies are higher as well as pelvic infections, cysts and cancer.

I've been on a few kinds of bc pills (just because of insurance changes and such) but they've all been a combination low dose pill. The nice thing is in addition to the protection it does help my skin, menstrual pain and my periods have become so light they only last a few days. It takes a few months for your body to get used to the steady stream of hormones followed by a sudden drop but if you stick with you, I think you'll see the benefits. Also, the pill pack is usually on a 3 week cycle so although you may have your period on 24-30th this month it will rotate each pack so you won't get it the same time every month (but it will be a consistent 3 weeks off 1 week on). I like knowing exactly what to expect from my period and (with your doctors approval) you can even skip your period a month if you want to and just continue on to a new pack perfect for those special occasions.

Just remember not every bc pill acts the same, talk to your doctor (I know I sound like a commercial) to find out which one will be best for you.

GL!

Thanks Monika, at the moment I use a rooibos moisturizer, I'm not sure if it is helping though so I'll see if I can find anything that you've mentioned. South Africa is quite useless when it comes to basic things like that. I was looking for a PH balanced shampoo a few years ago and gave up after searching for almost 6 months. My mirena also caused me to gain weight, but I never did any exercise except archery until recently, because my archery coach said I should in order to stay fit so that I can shoot for longer without getting tired, so I started skipping for half an hour every day. It seems silly but it's very good exercise and works your stomach and legs. I lost 5kgs in the first 2 weeks, only another 8 more then I'll be back to what I weighed before.

Emmy, I've been on 4 or 5 different bc pills and none of them helped so I don't think trying more would help = I've stopped using the one I was on when I posted this topic, and don't think I will go on one again.

I've been bicycling to lose what I've gained. In two weeks I've only lost about 2kg but weight loss tends to take a long time for me.

As for shampoo, I use a brand called Organix. I like it because it's sulfate-free and smells really wonderful. Most of the scents are from essential oils instead of fragrance oils, too!

That sucks :/ guess you gotta go with whatever works best for you... Only suggestion I have when it comes to skin is just try to keep it as clean as possible. Use oil free soap and moisturizer to achieve a good balance for your skin. Don't wear makeup when you don't have to and use something oil free or mineral based when you do... oh and don't touch your face and keep your hair pulled back - hair and hands have lots of oils that can rub off and irritate your skin.

i had the same kind of skin problem. it sounds gross but i just stopped washing my face and my acne went away.... i just use ivory soap to clean it every once in a while

go natural with your skin-keep it simple! The less chemicals the better. I've found lots of natural beauty books at the library and have posted some of the recipes here.

Your cheeks are red because you are a Pikachu, silly
You should dab lemon juice on your oily areas and moisturize the dry areas. Also, put a clean pillow case on your pillow every other night. It really works at preventing pimples!