noobWhat do you use Vaseline for?
queermunist she/herI slather it on my face before bed as a mask. Works great to fight acne imo
This is surprising advice. I would have assumed it would make people break out.
Vaseline is a poor choice of moisturiser because it does not moisturise. It blocks air from entering your pores and I would have assumed this leads to clogged pores and hence acne.
It also forms a protective barrier for your skin, so nothing can contaminate it and you don’t lose moisture to evaporation.
Also, pores don’t actually clog from stuff getting into them. What happens is your skin becomes inflamed (due to contaminants or bacterial growth or diet or hormones) and squeezes the pores shut. Blackheads aren’t dirt but are actually oxidized sebum, which is the oil your skin secretes.
Interesting. Maybe I don’t know as much as I thought. Let me do some more reading…
LemmyLeftyIs there a skincare community? Asking for me and my dumb face.
Provoked GamerI’d also like to know, same reason
A lot of this is stuff I picked up over a decade of dealing with chronic and painful acne, so I’d probably have to spend an evening finding different articles lol
But, yeah, acne comes from inside. It’s a more like an allergic reaction, where a normally helpful part of the immune system freaks the f out and causes harm. The bacteria that sometimes causes acne also comes from the body and normally lives harmlessly in our skin oil. And it’s not even always the cause! Sometimes bacteria doesn’t grow inside the zit at all, though it usually does and when it does it usually makes it a lot worse.
Gosh there’s just so much stuff. Scrubbing with a cloth or using overly hot water actually make acne worse because they cause irritation, which triggers a stress response. Overly drying soaps can cause acne by drying out the skin, which can trigger a stress response. Sunlight is necessary for human life, but lots of exposure causes inflammation and stress.
Acne.org has a lot of good info, highly recommend.
The Role of Inflammation in the Development of Acne
Inflammation Plays a Central Role in All Stages of Acne Development The Essential Info The body’s immune system is responsible for creating inflammation. It does this in response to anything that it sees as “foreign” or as an “invader.” This is normally a good thing because the inflammation serves to heal tissue damage or fight …
Ah man, this actually explains one of the reasons my body sucks at skin cycles and seems to produce too much skin. Thanks for the info, pity I can't get rid of the systemic inflammation completely.
Incidentally and a bit off topic, what's your take on salicylic acid, if you have one?
I react badly to it! I’ve only had luck with low% benzoyl peroxide cream, with retinol to help with hyperpigmentation.
I do have to try some retinol. And that makes sense on the peroxide, that was not so helpful to me but the doctor did bill it as being better for whiteheads and other infected types, which I'm guessing is what your Vaseline mask helps with most.
Thanks! It's nice to see someone not just buying into the expensive cosmetics but going for the actual chemistry.
An online article had a fascinating to me tidbit about a rich eccentric woman, who smothered her face in petroleum jelly:
As for Mrs Wood, her personal hygiene was said to be dreadful as she hadn’t bathed in several years. She did, however, take care of her face; smothering her skin in petroleum jelly every day.
When lawyer Morgan O’Brien first laid eyes on her, he told Cox that it was easy to tell she had once been incredibly attractive.
“Her complexion in spite of her age, was as creamy and pink and unwrinkled as any I have ever seen. It was link tinted ivory, her profile was like a lovely cameo,” Mr O’Brien said.
Interesting note: Along with hundreds of jars of petroleum jelly, it was clear Mrs Wood had a thing for Cuban cigars and snuff from Copenhagen.
From: news.com.au/…/73861b86b94f792017d7787aedb2ab7e
And not sure about the hyperlink I posted so the online article I linked above is from www.news.com.au and it’s titled:
The story of the rich New York socialite who hid in a hotel room for 24 years
Thanks. Let me read it a bit more closely.
elavat0rIt is also great to take makeup off or products that build up (like sunscreen).
Oh yeah! I use it to touch up eyeliner - a teeny amount on a q-tip and I can pretend I don’t keep over applying makeup lol