Over the years I haven't had any luck with finding a really good concealer or foundation that covers blemishes. I can't help but pop my pimples (yeah yeah its gross) and my face stays red. I've heard of some kind of solution that is green and masks the red, but don't know what it may be. I've wore Mary Kay for years, and it doesn't help the redness or cover pimples. I've tried different tones, everything. I figured maybe some of you may know something better on the market. Thanks bunches!

2/26/2008 12:12:09 AM

The green stick concealer actually works rather well, provided you only use it in the red areas and don't use too much. It also tends to be drying, so put on some extra moisturizer beforehand if you go that route.

[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 12:26 AM. Reason : Then all you have to do is put on foundation.]

2/26/2008 12:26:38 AM

tea tree oil blemish stick from the body shop is awesome

also try visene on the really red ones, it'll take out some of the redness

also if you're having a lot of issues with blemishes, proactiv and birth control worked wonders on my skin. also see a dermatologist.

2/26/2008 12:35:32 AM

i use apricot scrub, rubbing alcohol, noxzema, and some tea tree oil stuff...not daily...i'd say twice a week with the scrub, 4 times a week with rubbing alcohol, daily or every other day with noxzema, and tea tree after i use the scrub

2/26/2008 12:40:36 AM

^ thanks dnl, i always knew you had a feminine side - haha jk

yeah, I've seen a dermatologist for years and they had me on tetracycline (until i noticed my teeth turning and then had to pay over $1000 to get my teeth whitened) then about 2 years ago I started on the Triaz cleanser twice daily, Benzaclin in the morning and Differin gel at night but when I use them like Im supposed to, my skin dries out and still breaks out badly - so I just use the Triaz when I take a shower and the Differin for flare ups - birth control isnt an option because of my blood pressure

so yeah Im stuck to covering it up with makeup, which my skin isn't that bad, its just I pick at it when I get pimples and tend to not notice it


[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 2:50 AM. Reason : ]

2/26/2008 2:49:23 AM

Quote :

"also if you're having a lot of issues with blemishes, proactiv and birth control worked wonders on my skin. also see a dermatologist."

same here. especially birth control.

2/26/2008 9:49:55 AM

so just to clarify....are chicks that have acne probably less likely to be sexually active?

[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 9:55 AM. Reason : \/ bummer...thought i was on to something]

2/26/2008 9:51:07 AM

no.

2/26/2008 9:52:31 AM

I need to restock my supply-- all my makeup is several years old. I just never use it unless I'm going on a date or something.

I still have acne too I tried differin/benzaclin, and I know its supposed to make it worse before it gets better, but it never got better. I started getting pimples on my cheeks when I only ever got them in the T area before.
They decided the differin was too strong so gave me something milder, and changed the benzaclin to clindamycin -- I loved the benzaclin, but it kept bleaching my shirts Again, the acne never got better.

Now I'm on Azalex and switched BC to Yaz.... so the jury is still out.


tdwhitlo, do you have problems with your clothing getting bleached because of the triaz?

[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 10:11 AM. Reason : sd]

2/26/2008 10:06:28 AM

Quote :

"also if you're having a lot of issues with blemishes, proactiv"

worked for me too, i was on a few different antibiotics and other face cleaner stuff, none of it worked as well as proactiv

2/26/2008 10:14:28 AM

Your first move would probably to stop messing with your pimples, if you really want to look better. The crusty makeup over a pop scab looks way worse than makeup over a bump. Clean and clear makes this stuff (the acne patch) that you can put over blemishes so the makeup sticks a little better/ doesnt clump in scabs.

2/26/2008 11:22:07 AM

I wish I could stop.... its like how some people bite their nails... I have gorgeous nails, instead I pick at my face when I'm bored

2/26/2008 11:49:46 AM

Quote :

"tdwhitlo, do you have problems with your clothing getting bleached because of the triaz? "

Have you tried Duac gel? I don't know if it'd help since you said the clindamycin didn't, but it's done more for my skin than the clindamycin did alone anyhow.

[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 12:24 PM. Reason : It bleaches clothes though :/]

2/26/2008 12:24:11 PM

None of my clothes were bleached from any of it that I know if - I think the Duac is Differin, can't remember though

2/26/2008 1:07:54 PM

Quote :

"I wish I could stop.... its like how some people bite their nails..."

it's pretty easy, just don't fucking do it.

it's the same with people who quit biting their nails--they just quit biting them.

2/26/2008 1:14:49 PM

Quote :

"I wish I could stop.... its like how some people bite their nails... I have gorgeous nails, instead I pick at my face when I'm bored "

oh fuck yeah. i love love love picking at my face. i sit on the counter in my bathroom as close to the mirror as possible and go to town.

2/26/2008 1:58:51 PM

2/26/2008 2:04:38 PM

Quote :

"The green stick concealer actually works rather well, provided you only use it in the red areas "

I use the physicians formula green stick and it works pretty well

2/26/2008 3:34:03 PM

I've found that the powdered mineral make-up works really well at covering up the red on my face. I am currently using the Physicians Formula mineral wear. I don't have a bad acne problem, but I do get blemishes and I am very pale, so they are very noticeable. Also, my skin gets patchy sometimes, and the mineral stuff covers all of it up really well. If I have a particularly red blemish, I'll take a little eye-shadow brush and dab a little bit of the mineral make-up on the blemish (kinda like pre-treating a stain on clothes) before brushing the powder all over my face. It's the best I've found so far at covering red up.

P.S. I'm also a face-picker

[Edited on February 26, 2008 at 3:48 PM. Reason : me too]

2/26/2008 3:47:53 PM

for the record...there is nothing wrong with biting your nails

2/26/2008 6:16:27 PM

I went and bought the physicians formula green stick today and will try it out tomorrow after a good face wash - any other suggestions?

2/26/2008 9:51:15 PM

Quote :

"I think the Duac is Differin"

No, they're very different.

Differin = Adapalene

Duac = Clindamycin and Benzoyl peroxide

2/26/2008 10:06:16 PM

I've got a lot of splotchiness, and right now, some real redness around my lips because I got my 'tache waxed, and then the next day was so busy that I didn't even shower and so I didn't exoliate.

I touch a smudge of the green stick to a blemish, and then i use undereye concealer to make a tiny X over the blemish, and then I blend those to. I use bare minerals, and rarely to do I even have to apply foundation to that spot (you do that, as mentioned about, in a concealer capacity)

Sometimes I use a green color-correcting primer (smashbox <3) to address the splotchiness/ruddiness.

I, too, pick, but I'm REALLY, REALLY, REALLY dilligent about washing my hands beforehand, not being rough, washing my face immediately afterwards, and apply an acne spot treatment before bed. It really helps a lot.

I began exfoliating MUCH more aggressively and routinely last summer, and there was a dramatic difference in the condition of my skin. A couple weeks ago, someone actually complimented me on my skin that's never happened before. I typically scrub my face hard with a washcloth and ivory (there's a learning curve there, to find how hard to do it - too hard, and your face gets hella dry and crusty, and not enough, and it doesn't work...less than a week. You'll know when you do it too hard, because even water burns the skin), and then do a very quick wash with biore's cooling salicylic acid fash wash - just enough to get the medication onto the skin. I then rinse that time with cool water.

And I use philosophy's hydrogen peroxide nighttime moisturizer. It's so awesome.

For once, I'm nearly happy with my skin (there's not much that can be done to address the size of my pores - everyone, on both sides of my family, has large pores; I also have acne discoloration that will fade in time)

2/26/2008 10:27:06 PM

I've been using skincare from Neutrogena for the past couple of months and have been really pleased with it.
Makeup remover: the oil-free one you shake up
Cleanser: the healthy skin blemish control scrub
Toner: the alleged pore-reducing one
Eye cream: several with similar results
Moisturizer: the anti-wrinkle anti-blemish one
plus some plain cetaphil moisturizer if I feel too dry at night

My pores are much less clogged and I only have minor cycle-related breakouts now.

As for makeup, I just bought some Jane Iredale mineral makeup to try and like it a lot. I've tried about all the ones they sell at Ulta and hated the way they looked/felt. The pressed powder base/concealer really looks natural and unlike the other makeup I've tried, it doesn't accentuate my large pores.

2/26/2008 10:35:34 PM

i have struggled with trying to clear my skin for years, from stuff at the grocery store to clinique and origins, proactive, retin-a, & antibiotics from my dermatologist (gave me bad heartburn)

nothing has been a long lasting solution... i don't have bad acne i just get small bumps in my t-zone and clogged pores that drive me crazy... i also have a lot of scarring that probably isn't that bad but it bothers me.

i use bobbi brown concealer stick w/ a concealer brush to apply

i love it and won't use anything else. i also think that how you apply it makes a huge difference.

2/27/2008 12:24:43 AM

just make sure you "stipple" the concealer with your ring finger


that way you wont over apply and have a big green spot on your face

2/27/2008 1:40:08 AM

I don't know shit about concealer. But I did happen to hear model Cindy Crawford say once on TV that you could put Visine directly on a zit--before anything else--and it would reduce redness. She did caution that the effect usually only lasts about an hour.

I mean, hey, Visine reduces redness in eyes, so why not on skin? It's worth a try--hope this proves helpful to someone.

2/27/2008 2:16:47 AM

ok for you people who MUST pick (and lets me honest-- there is always something that needs to be picked at some point)

for crying out loud, use q tips!! it won't rip your skin like your nails & it'll create the pressure you need to get the nasty out. plus it's much cleaner & you can throw that shit away

2/27/2008 2:24:29 AM

hemorrhoid cream works awesome, i can't find a zit cream that works as well. it's also good for eye baggage.

2/28/2008 11:32:51 AM

to really cover up a bad one you need to use an oil based concealer. i like almay nearly naked. it has a light oil (grapeseed) and if you put a dab of clearasil on your zit beforehand, it won't make it worse (well, i doubt it would make it worse anyway, i just always do that) it only comes in 3 tones though, so if you have very dark skin this may not work for you. i have very pale skin and I am relieved to find something that works on my face color-wise

2/28/2008 4:04:42 PM

^^^oooooh, i never thought about qtips, good call!

2/29/2008 11:38:57 PM

like pushing 2 qtips and squishing the pimple instead of using your fingers? idk over the years i learned how to pop them good and clean them etc etc so the oil doesnt spread and it goes away fast

[Edited on February 29, 2008 at 11:40 PM. Reason : HATE the ones under the nose]

2/29/2008 11:40:07 PM

use a comedone extractor... $3 at ulta. even my boyfriend uses it, and zits don't get infected as long as you keep it clean.

3/2/2008 10:48:57 AM