skincare advice

Have you been to the doctor about the psoriasis? There are several things you can try. Sunbeds are really not a good option given that the possible results (ie malignant melanoma) are kinda worse than the original problem. For zits, I usually suggest tea tree oil - cheap and effective.

I recommend silver serum from the skin shop (online only). Really good at controlling the oil as I too suffer from oily skin (greasy during June/July).

An exfoliator for dry/sensitive skin wil also help

What you need to do is formulate a new skin-care daily routine.

First of all, you need to buy a gentle, non-fragranced, non-irritating facial cleanser. Something with witchhazel would be particularly helpful, as this calms sensitive skin. Every few days, take a nickel sized amount of Baking Soda, wet it, and rub it gently all over your face to exfoliate the pores, or rid the skin of dead cells. Otherwise the dead cells will block your pores. The baking soda has an anti-bacterial quality that will prevent acne from forming.

Next, moisterize with a sensitive, non-irritating, non-fragranced facial moisterizer. I use Equate with SPF 15.

Next apply treatment. Go to the local drugstore and buy two Clearasil products (or the generic store brand version next to it) for acne. One tube is called Acne Vanishing Cream, and it contains Benzyl Peroxide. This chemical brings more oxygen into the pores and keeps them from progressing and prevents new ones from forming. The next tube is also by Clearasil and called Adult Acne Cream, and it contains Sulphur. Sulphur keeps the skin drier of oils. Apply the creams lightly on affected areas, alternating daily.

Every now and then, rub a thin layer of Tea Tree Oil (found in vitamin section of ASDA or WalMart) all over affected areas to make spots smaller and prevent new.

Take a multivitamin, too. With A, B, C, D, selenium and zinc all included.

Unless the problem still persists after trying this skin-care routine, you will not need to see a dermatologist. Acne is a normal, home-treatable condition that many people experience at some stage of life. Going to a dermatologist will just make them money; then will have you on every un-necessary, far less powerful cream and treatment under the sun (prescribed creams contain less acne-fighting ingredients than in-store creams). They will put you on long-term antibiotics that destroy your appetite and immune system and insist on using microdermabrasion at $90 a pop. Or worse, they will prescribe you Accutane, which could leave you with liver damage and/or infertility.

And bear in mind that no research to date has given evidence of any effect of diet on acne apart from conditions such as candida or pcos.

Can you provide medical studies to back up these claims? I can find no hard scientific evidence that roaccutane causes infertility or that vitamin supplements can make a significant difference if you have a good diet. Also you know that this is a UK forum? Clearasil products are different in the UK and NHS GPs do not usually refer to dermatologists for acne. Not to mention that the OP doesn't actually say she has acne...

I use the Liz Earle 3 step programme and my skin is glowing!

I use Simple products, but i have invested in a Foreo Luna Mini and omg it is awesome for a great deep clean (and has almost eradicated my dry skin) :-)

I use MAC light full cleanser and moisturiser it has cleared my skin completely it's amazing and lasts ages I get new ones once every 3 months x

Thank you girls.

I'll have a look at the products you have all said and see what will work for me.

I completely get the whole sunbeds being bad for you. I only usually use them before I go on holiday so I don't burn so much (and then use a rediculous spf). I a) don't want cancer and b) don't want wrinkles. But I should probably not to one at all really.

As one of the replies said, it's not acne, it's just the occasional break out. Something I don't really want to be trying to have covered up on the big day.

I think I need an exfoliator and definitely some tea tree....completely forgot about that stuff

Thank you xx

If you do not want wrinkles and do not want cancer then avoid sunbed and the sun. Seriously, wear an SPF moisturizer every day and don't shy away from hats/umbrellas to keep the UV off your skin.

Tea tree oil, exfoliating and moisturizing are all good shouts. I'd also add drinking plenty of water and staying away from sugary drinks and caffeine.

Roaccutane doesn't cause infertility - you have to be on reliable contraception while taking it because it can cause birth defects, but it absolutely does not cause infertility.

Yeah, I mean it isn't a medicine to be taken lightly as it has a lot of unpleasant side effects - one of my best friends took it after years of terrible acne - but I hate these loose correlations that don't have rigorous scientific studies to back them up. I'm pretty sure the person who posted that is trying to sell something and that's why they were so keen to denigrate other treatments. And it was especially inappropriate given that the OP doesn't even have acne. Gah.

La Roche Posey pretty good for more oily/sensitive skin. Available at boots, won't break the bank but works. They do prevention and also spot treatments. I think they have a kit for blemish prone skin as well.

Thank you so much for all your suggestions x

There is a really excellent skin care range called Medik8 which you can buy on line which is specifically targeted at the problems you mention. It's not cheap but is a quality product. Diet plays an important part as well as drinking lots of water and getting plenty of sleep. Some foods do irritate sensitive skin too such as spicy foods and foods high in acid. Do you keep a food diary such as My Fitness Pal? My skin is ultra sensitive and I find that some fruits make it worse i.e., strawberries and grapes. You could try omitting some foods for a few days and see if the sensitivity lessens. As others have said though, sun beds are not good for sensitive skin.

I use Teenage Dream by Mama Nature to get rid of breakouts (don't be put off by the name!) It's an oil-based product but the skin absorbs it really easily, and it doesn't make your skin feel clogged or anything. You only need a tiny bit of it each time, just apply it to your fingertips and rub it all over your face after you've cleansed, toned, moisturised etc.etc. before you go to bed. Do this EVERY night until the spots have gone, then keep applying it to keep it that way! I hope you find something to help you out xx

I use Ultrabland by lush for cleansing, I think it's fantastic!

I had been using No7 blemish defense and deep moisturiser which were brilliant as well.

Hi,

Liz Earle is fantasic with great ingredients and reasonably priced. Start with cleanse and polish and their moisturiser and you will soon be looking fab

Lynne

I'm a beauty blogger (it's a hobby) and a few things I would recommend would be

- Don't pick your spots, you'll make them spread and it will take them longer to heal and could cause scaring

- Tea Tree Oil is amazing for spots and blemishes

- Keep your skin routine simple. There's no need to add in lots of different products particularly if your skin isn't used to it.

- Make sure you remove your makeup every night. I use Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm which is amazing. I have combination skin though so this may not work for you. An alternative is Liz Earl Cleanse and Polish.

- Ensure you moisturise daily. People often think if you have oily skin you shouldn't moisturise but it's the opposite. When your skin is de-hydrated it actually produces more oil!

- Drink plenty of water

- Face masks - it may be good to do a facemask once a week or less regularly if you don't want to overload your skin. There's lots on the market but I usually stick to Ren, Lush or Origins.

- Don't try too many products at once. It takes around a month for your skin to adjust to new products

I hope that helps