by ZeroSunGame » Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:59 pm
Thanks for your continued replies. It was helpful to suggest testing items, I've never actually made a point of doing that. There are a number of things I know from experience affect my face so I just avoid them, but I've never done any scientific trials to see if other things might. Sugar was not something I'd ever even considered, I don't eat much sugar or sweets. I tried another iron pill this morning and it didn't seem to do anything, so it might have been the peaches in natural pear juice, you could very well be right. That is something I wouldn't mind having to give up. A plain apple does not have that affect.
On the good side, things are closer to normal now. I think I'm getting used to wearing the sunscreen. It's a lot better if I put moisturizer on first, then wait a little while, then put on the sunscreen. Then the sunscreen is easier to spread. I've got to say, this stuff (Vanicream) is pretty easy to get on, I keep checking to see if I have white streaks and I never do, it's pretty foolproof. But since I'm not used to it, I keep feeling like it must be "showing" or something. It has a nice side benefit that it tones down my redness nicely, much like makeup, and I lose that "raccoon eyes" effect (I flush on my cheeks and chin but around my eyes stays white). I can't smell it at all. The only thing is, you have to get used to not touching your face, and be careful about collars and clothing, which is a real pain. I tried putting lotion on my face at night and it didn't hurt anything but I don't like sleeping with it, I think I'm going to have to stay with a clean face for sleeping.
I was reading a website that talked about caffeine and aspartame as triggers. Funny story. I was always a big unsweet iced tea drinker (South Texas) and hot tea drinker. But I was on the computer and forgot to turn off the hot water on the stove too many times and ruined pans and scared myself. When I turned 50 I qualified for senior discount cokes at fast food places and THAT was when I started gradually developing a diet coke habit anytime I was out doing errands. Then I started buying it for home because I didn't have to worry about remembering to turn off the stove. So up till recently I've been drinking a 2-liter bottle a day. It definitely makes me wonder if either aspartame or caffeine could be part of the problem. I don't think it's the aspartame(?), I think I'd know because I used to have a rare diet coke at the mall back when I was a constant tea drinker and I don't remember any effects. But anyway I've got some Sam's Diet Cola which is super low caffeine, and some refrigerated Red Diamond iced tea without lemon, and I am at the beginning of a process of reducing colas and caffeine, it's probably going to take a while.
So those are my accomplishments for 2 weeks:
1) lotion I can stand
2) sunscreen I can stand
3) mentally getting used to going out in public with stuff on my face
4) less caffeine
5) less aspartame
Do you or anybody know if the blogs are working, or do I need more posts to see them?
thanks