Outbreak!

Well, my "natural" anti-aging efforts have been dealt a blow--probably a fatal one. I'd been doing a combination of facial exercises and massages each day. I've been doing the facial exercises (from The Yoga Facelift by Marie-Veronique Nadeau) since May, and the massages (from the Shiseido web site) since June. I focused a lot on my neck and lower jaw area, since it's my lower face that's doing most of the aging (OK, sagging). And in July I went to a new dermatologist and switched to using Azelex cream on my face, as well as CeraVe cleanser and moisturizer.

Starting a few weeks ago, I noticed that patches around my chin were breaking out. So I stopped using the john masters organics pomegranate facial nourishing oil, which I was using as massage oil. I figured it was clogging my pores. But my chin skin continued to break out--so I got out Zeno the zit zapper. After a few days of that, I felt I had too many spots to do one at a time, 2 1/2 minutes each (which is how Zeno works). So a few days ago I bought a Proactiv kit--I'd used Proactiv for a number of years until (I thought) my face stopped breaking out.

But I overdid it--I used the Proactiv cleanser, astringent, and repair lotion, and my lower face felt like it was on fire--and really itched. I couldn't sleep the first night, but figured it was a temporary inconvenience. But after 2 days, I had to stop the Proactiv--my lower face looked red and (more) shriveled. Plus I read (after the fact, of course) that Azelex is used to treat acne, and I had applied that in addition to the Proactiv. And Proactiv says not to combine with any other anti-acne meds. As for how well Azelex fights acne: "the exact mechanism of action of azelaic acid is not known," according to Allergan, the manufacturer.

So...now my chin has chunks of skin peeling off--but I think the blemishes are drying up (burning up?). So I'll go back to using the Azelex, and foregoing of the exercises or massages that involve touching the jawline. How do those Japanese women do it?

Or French women, for that matter. They supposedly have facials once a month, and I was planning to budget for that. But now I have to be concerned that facials also will make my skin break out.

Sigh.