My Face and the iPhone's CameraBag App

I am putting up 25 pictures of my face in order to show you what the iPhone's CameraBag app can do.

I took the original photo using my iPhone's ShakeItPhoto app, although you can take the original using CameraBag if you want to. I chose to take the original with ShakeItPhoto because it creates a Polaroid-esque edge around each image, which further highlights how each of CameraBag's twelve photo filters, with and without the borders option, affects the edges of your photos. The borders option does not affect every CameraBag photo filter, but I am showing both images in every case so that you could see the outcomes.

Here is a ShakeItPhoto image of my face without makeup and unretouched:



Showing you my naked face terrifies me, but I am doing it anyway, because I need to get over my insane insecurity about the state of my skin.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Helga filter/borders on and off:


My 37-year-old skin has large pores, uneven texture, brown patches, minor wrinkling, and is in some constant state of breakout. This is due, in part, to the fact that I treat it like crap. I rarely wash it before bed, I have never had a proper facial, and I usually use a bar of soap on it out of laziness.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Colorcross filter/borders on and off:


I probably just horrified some of you. I need help.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Lolo filter/borders on and off:


I've been out in the world. I've seen other people's faces. Am I really more afflicted with every type of skin aberration than everyone else I see? Was 35 the impetus for my genetics to kickstart the inevitable slide of my face into my neck?

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Magazine filter/borders on and off:


I sometimes do that thing that no one should ever do where I study my face three inches away from the mirror. No one ever looks at me that closely, but it somehow seems very important that I study each pore and become intimate with each flaw.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Instant filter/borders on and off:


I have scars on my cheeks from when I incurred nasty acid burns as a child. I found a bottle of Drano above the sink and poured it all over my face. I look better than the doctors thought I would, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not crazy about the scars, especially since their pitted appearance has become more pronounced with age.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Silver filter/borders on and off:


I still won't keep Drano in the house.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Mono filter/borders on and off:


All the ads on television that shill creams and spackle for skin imperfections have my number. It doesn't help that I have every single imperfection they list while they show me footage of a 20-something claiming that she's 50.

I never buy the products, though, because I don't want to get stuck with a bottle of something that does nothing and leaves me feeling defeated.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/1962 filter/borders on and off:


What I do use in an effort to keep my skin from getting worse is L'Oréal's Ombrelle SPF 45 face cream. It moisturizes without being too greasy and helps to keep my brown patches from darkening into unfortunate shapes like the mustache-esque smear across my upper lip that tries to show up every summer.

It is very attractive.

So is the rectangle on my forehead that is the exact shape of medium-sized band-aid, complete with rounded corners.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/1974 filter/borders on and off:


I also use a vitamin E oil under my eyes at night. It seems to help keep me from looking tired.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Cinema filter/borders on and off:


So, I ask you: what do you do to keep your skin in good condition? I NEED YOUR HELP. OBVIOUSLY.

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Infrared filter/borders on and off:


Please tell me about your skin care regimen.
What products do you use?
Do you make your own skin care potions at home?
How often do you get or give yourself facials?
How do you take care of your skin imperfections?
What skin care secrets have kept you aglow?
What advice did your mothers and grandmothers pass down to you?
Tell me how the daughter of two people who each had only one zit in their entire lives could be cursed with such acne-prone skin since she was eight years old?

ShakeItPhoto, CameraBag/Fisheye filter/borders on and off:


Oh, yes, and that concludes my showcase of CameraBag's photo filters both with and without the borders option.

Cha cha cha.

HALP.

Comments

[A Vapid Blonde]

I have so many skin issues one of which is telangiectasia (broken bloodvessels like spiderveins around my nostrils) that made my parents think I was on coke....at 12. Yup coke fiend at 12. Not sure where the money came for that, probably all the streetwalking I was doing.

I like raw sesame oil in the winter months to help with horrible dry wrinkles.
Proactiv for acne works like a charm as long as I use it at least once a day (twice is perfection)
And make-up forever hd foundation....but I hate feeling like I need to wear it to be happy with my skin tone. I am Seriously considering a laser facial.

Also I am in the middle of writing a post about how much older I am than my husband and that is freaking me out.

[schmutzie]

Yeah, I've thought of having my skin resurfaced with all the money for plastic surgery I don't have.
Proactiv, huh? I've heard good things.

[magpie]

By the end of that post, and all those pictures, I thought I was looking at myself. Maybe I'm just in a fish eye in my head.

I never "wash" my face - I just rinse it in the shower. And I use plain moisturizer, Cetaphil, and I never wear makeup, and it probably goes without saying that I've never had a facial. I should wear sunscreen, but I forget. If I could find a cheap light moisturizer with sunscreen, I'd be a happy camper. I think leaving well enough alone is what do to, but then again, I'm me and you're you. So this probably hasn't been any help.

The Drano thing? Horrifying.

[Nat]

I'm going to be no help to you. I have terrible skin, too - huge pores, splotchy redness, excessive oiliness, monthly breakouts. Bleh. I've been using Proactiv for about a year now and it seems to make the most of things, but I've finally accepted that nothing is going to fix this mess. Oh, but facials feel absolutely lovely.

[Derende]

Currently, I wash my face with a Neutrogena sensitive skin bar, and wear Neutrogena SPF 30 moisturizer every day (not sure when I became so all-Neutrogena). I'm 40 now, I got melasma patches all over my face one day when I was 35 and on a new birth control pill. Even though I stopped that pill immediately, about half of the blotches still come and go between winter and summer (damn it, I miss my even-colored skin). I break out less now but I think I miss the even color more than I enjoy the fewer blemishes.

I was on an Obagi system for a while, their exfoliation lotion was amazing.

Facials, I do once every year or two. Not enough to make a difference but they feel luxurious.

[schmutzie]

Derende, you've finally given me a word for these stupid patches on my face. Melasma. It even sounds yucky.

[Val]

I love your face. And that fact you always seem to make me feel like, hey, maybe I'm not such a lazy ass for not taking better care of my face. Or maybe I am a lazy ass, BUT there are TWO of us lazy asses out there, and I'm happy for the company.

I think a few months before I turned 37 [this past March] my skin changed overnight. Suddenly I look...well..older. And you know what, I care. I didn't used to. I never was into make-up and taking care of my skin with 15 products. And you know what? I am only half-assing it right now.

When I remember, I use Olay night cream something or other. It smells good and allegedly helps with fine lines. As my eyes have apparently become wrinkle zones overnight. I use L'oreal caffeine roller things for my face and under my eyes in the mornings, it helps with the puffiness and makes me feel like I'm making an effort. The rest of my make-up is mostly CoverGirl or whatever is on sale. Basic cover-up keeps me from looking quite so old - when I remember to use it. Eye-liner, if I get it right, totally helps, but if I get it wrong, makes me look worse. So...yeah...not a ton of help here - but it's nice to know it's not just me.

PS - totally unrelated, but you and I tweeted/PM a while ago re: nose piercing, and I went for it! I love it too. Will have to get a pic up on Twitter one of these days...thanks for telling me about yours!

[Kylene]

I just turned 30. I got acne when I was in 3rd grade, and by the time I was in middle school went to a dermatologist to get put on Retin-A, and for someone with already fair-skin, this stuff meant sunburn city. That stuff is nasty. But effective. My acne has cleared up a lot as I've gotten older. I still get little break-outs around my period, but I'm mostly clear. Still have a lot of scars and blackheads and my pores are enormous, but I don't see how that's ever going to change.

I wash my face in the shower every morning and evening (if I shower in the evening, but I do pretty often) with Biore's "Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser." I don't usually wear make-up (only when I'm singing at church every other week or if I have a big presentation at work), but I never go to sleep wearing make-up.

I've been using Oil of Olay's "Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid" in the morning (except when I forget) but I think when I run out I'm going to go back to Aveeno's "Positively Radiant" because it feels less greasy and evens out my skin-tone better. I do like Oil of Olay's "Night of Olay" when I remember to put it on at night. It's a heavy lotion, but my skin feels so much better in the morning. I'm learning the value of a night cream.

My husband thinks I smell funny and my skin is sticky with all the lotions, but whatever. He doesn't understand the struggle!

I wear sunscreen all the time and I make sure my moisturizer has at least 15 SPF sunscreen in it because I burn so easily and I live in South Carolina. (The sun! It burns us!) And when I say I wear sunscreen, I mean I'm wearing 50 - 85 proof. I am a pasty white girl.

Too much information?

Cheers!

[Beth]

Well, I normally just fall right into bed (couch) without washing my face, but when I have remembered to wash it, I loved the way my skin felt after using Freeman Feeling Beautiful Refining Facial Cleanser (Pear). I originally got it at a nearby drugstore, but they'e usually sold out and I know you can get the stuff online (I checked).

HOWEVER, I have to say that I think you look absolutely darling and there's no way I would ever have guessed you're 37. More like 27, seriously. I'm thinking you're being way too hard on yourself. You look great!

[donna lee]

I am 52 years old and people are always surprised when I tell them this(I sincerely hope it's because they think I look younger rather than act younger). I have washed with Noxema for 40 years, twice a day. I use a toner afterward and Olay's Regenerist serum on my face under my very light makeup. I finally found a light one that has sunscreen. Neutrogena's glow (something). It's light and helps even out my very uneven skin tone and make the very large pores seem less so.And it doesn't feel like a mask. I don't wear makeup to bed ever. I wash faithfully. I still break out but I just try to be nicer to my skin during those times. Being 52 is like being 12 with all the hormonal changes in reverse.

[Micaela]

Well Donna Lee has completely freaked me out. "Being 52 is like being 12 with all the hormonal changes in reverse." Lovely, just lovely to contemplate. I'm 40 and it's great to know I have something to look forward to.

I agree with the other readers that you look appropriately youthful and I don't see many flaws.

I too am pale and had acne as a pre-teen, teen, and adult. My skin is normally incredibly oily. When I was in my mid-20s, I tried the oral Retin A (also called tretinoin--the kind that makes you even more sensitive to the sun AND simultaneously makes you peel like a mother). I was peel/flake city for a year, but by golly, it banished the painful cystic acne and blackheads. The downside, I couldn't find a high enough SPF number and it made everything peel--including my lips, which peel and flake to this day way more than they did prior to using Retin A. That is listed as a side effect, so I knew it was a possibility. Now, 15 years later I get occasional cystic pimples (the deep ones), but I still have no blackheads and the oil is much, much more controllable.

You don't look like a candidate for tretinoin. You look like the topical ointment, prescription strength (retinoic acid), would do great things for pores and for wrinkles and zits (not that I see any). It is expensive. I love the stuff, but I currently cannot afford it. I used it for about a year back when I was making great money, and MAN is that stuff the wonder drug. Seriously.

I haven't found anything that fades sunspots and sun damage (melasma mask) that is NOT a prescription drug. Sadly. There is a great fix out there--Hydroquinone creams--but again, they are via Rx only and very pricey.

Back when I was making money, I tried the laser resurfacing for about two months. I didn't see a difference.

I'd say keeping your skin clean, not picking it, not touching your face, and hydrating it and covering it up with sunscreen is about the best you can do for the money.

[steff]

first i want to say that i love your face.
it's wonderful and i would like to see more of it.
i hardly ever wear make-up anymore. this is for a few reasons:

1. im lazy and don't really have the time for application
2. i also hate washing my face so i figure if i don't put anything ON it i don't really have anything to wash off, right? (probably not a good philosophy but whatevs)
3. i kind of don't care to slap a bunch of pore clogging crap on my skin just so other people think im attractive. like me for how i am or not at all. it's their loss if they don't, ya know?

i am ALSO a habitual, 'study my face three inches away from the mirror' type and it's possibly the WORST thing you can do for your skin and your self-esteem. even the most perfect people have some blackheads or large pores on their noses, we just need to keep reminding ourselves that it's how we project ourselves onto others that will create the biggest impact on our looks. (ps - i rarely take any of my own advice but i'm starting to learn)

as for some of your questions:

What products do you use? proactiv somewhat irregularly ONLY because about 6 months after i stopped taking the pill my skin started doing crazy stuff and breaking out like a mofo. the proactiv seemed to regulate my skin so i'm pretty happy with it. i also have REALLY sensitive skin and i've never had any bad reactions with it. the only problem with them is once you sign up they will continue to send/charge you for product every few months. the only way you can get them to stop is by calling them and putting a hold on your account. as long as you're ok with that inconvenience id say its worth it.

Do you make your own skin care potions at home? if i knew how, i definitely would.

How often do you get or give yourself facials? NEVER. i think of facials like mani/pedi's: sure they are nice to get but are they really necessary?

How do you take care of your skin imperfections? stupidly. i usually pick and pop and cause myself more trouble. i think the trick is really preventative action. if you're wearing make-up: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wash face before sleeping or at least don't keep that stuff on your face for over 18 hours or so.

What skin care secrets have kept you aglow? the absolute best secret i have is to exfoliate. i actually exfoliate my entire body along with my face every time i shower. i buy a loofah cloth from walmart (i know! don't judge me) and as long as you keep it dry and clean it should last you anywhere from 1 - 3 months or more. they are relatively cheap at around $3 (they used to be cheaper but SOMETHING happened to the economy a few months back...) if you want i will totally send you one bc i always keep extra stock at home because, i SWEAR by them. my fiance' even uses them and says it makes his skin feel like a baby. just be somewhat gentle bc lots of scrubbing on areas that are already inflamed will likely just make things worse. obviously. email me if you want me to send one over to you: seffronia [at] aol [dot] com.

What advice did your mothers and grandmothers pass down to you? this is gonna sound crazy but my grandmother used to rub pee'd in baby diapers on her face to keep her skin dewy and pimple free. i've heard other people mention this method as well though i've never tried it myself.

tip - do NOT try with cat pee. nothing good will come of that.

hope i could help!

[Kylene]

P.S. I also discovered that if I drink enough water (64 oz or more per day) my skin is so much happier. Luminous, even! Crazy how something like that makes such a big difference. :)

[Neil]

I just liked seeing your face. I hardy paid attention to the camera or the skin stuff.

[Elsie]

Mary Kay basic skin care & Clinique All About Eyes. The All About Eyes both morning & night ... I love this creamy concoction. I don't do all the "basic skin care" steps on a regular basis but I always use the moisturizing lotion w/ SPF for day (then brush on the loose translucent powder to keep from getting oily), and the extra-emollient night cream at night. Thank god they haven't changed that formula yet. I remember my mom's little pink pot of that stuff from years ago. Personally I like the smell.

Foundation just makes me look old and cracked, so on the rare occasion when I feel the need to cover up my imperfect skin tones, I mix a wee bit of foundation for color into a fair amount of moisturizer, then avoid all the crows' feet areas.

If I don't wash my face at night, those imperfect skin tones I mentioned show up in full force the next day or two. I've resorted to using those facial wipes that take off the makeup because when I am ready to go to sleep I don't want to spend time at the bathroom sink! Those things even work on mascara, though I don't do mascara often. I follow the facial wipe with a hot washcloth (cuz it feels so good) & the eye cream & the pink night cream stuff.

I'm a 50-year-old hazel-eyed redhead with pale, sensitive skin. Every red spot shows up in living color. And no amount of foundation will keep the strange red blotches that I get after eating spicy food or drinking wine from showing through. Not that I'm going to give up spicy food and wine for the sake of my face ... And I totally agree with the hormones in reverse bit. Sheesh!

[slouchy]

i think you're cute.

so there.

[Rehema]

My best skin care tip is to get plenty of sleep. I know, easier said than done.

Beyond that, for several years I have been very happy with the easy and relatively inexpensive combination of 1) liquid hand soap to wash (e.g. softsoap or one of the bath & body works liquids, not dial which is way too harsh), 2) Neutrogena Healthy Skin face lotion (spf 15, with Alpha-Hydroxy), and 3) Revlon Age Defying foundation (SPF 20 for normal/combination skin). Other moisturizers have felt too oily/dirt-collecting and have made me break out ... even the fancy schmancy department store versions. But I think you could dare to go bare!

[Susan]

Please. First of all, you are -beautiful.- Even the filters that show off little blemishes and scars can't take that away from you, and most people don't see you with those filters anyway. That said: here's what I do, and I've seen a marked improvement in my skin.
1. In the shower: Activated charcoal soap. (On everything, not just my face. It's amazing.)
2. Moisturize with Neutrogena for sensitive skin, SPF 30.
3. Before bed, wash my face with Neutrogena makeup removing towelettes. Even if I'm not wearing makeup. (Which I hardly ever do.)
4. Same moisturizer before bed.

Easy.

Also, once a week I use an olive oil face scrub to exfoliate the dead skin off. I bought some for my husband called "Zombie Scrub" which has been really good for his double extra flaky skin, but it's too harsh for me.

[Kate]

Sorry I have no skin secrets -- this fall I made an oil by soaking dried calendula leaves in olive oil -- I'll let you know if it beautifies me any.
You have a beautiful face, Schmutzie.

[Tamara]

Retin-A. Retin-A. Retin-A. Your skin will be awful for about six weeks when you start using it, but it is the only thing I've found that does wonders for age spots, wrinkles, acne, texture issues, and hyperpigmentation. Unlike every other over the counter product I've tried, it actually keeps working year after year. There is a reason why dermatologists keep recommending it. Like I said before, it is a rough acclimation period and you will want to stop using it when your face is peeling off in chunks and you have acne like a thirteen year old. I think most people probably do stop using it before it actually starts to work, which is why the internet is littered with Retin-A horror stories. But start out on a low dosage and drink a lot of water and suck it up. Everything else I use is cheap, easy Cetaphil -- face wash, moisturizer, and sunscreen. And you have to be super-diligent about this crap if you have shitty skin. I don't really comment on blogs, but I wish somebody had told me this about ten years ago.

Also, your face IS lovely.

[Micaela]

I said the same thing as Tamara, but the real question is, how do you get it at non-Rx prices??!

[saviabella]

Proactiv kicks ass. Seriously get some. You won't look back - when I break out, I use it, and the zits are gone in a day or two, tops. Once a day might be enough - I find it can be overly drying otherwise. Though you can also slather on some moisturizer on top of it if that happens. Their clay mask that comes with the kit is awesome, too. (You'll want to be double sure you're wearing your uber sunblock, though, as it can make your skin more susceptible to sunburn.)

Also, always wash your face before bed. It doesn't matter if you do it in the morning (so I've read). You need to get the makeup and all the crud/pollution from the day off your face. Anytime I don't wash before bed, I break out, guaranteed. Even when I use the pre-moistened wipes. Has to be washed.

If you get the Proactiv, you should totally blog what happens. You can get it through the Shopping Channel online, which doesn't suck you into automatic delivery every month (unless otherwise specified) like the Proactiv website does: http://www.theshoppingchannel.com/category/beauty.do?e=1&N=100038+100415

[Bri]

I never remember to wash my face before bed and my 32 yr old skin FREAKED out when I moved to the dryer climate of Chicago. I've found something that seems to be working for my skin and my laziness. I went to Target and looked for a facial cleanser towelette. Fast and easy. I found the sort of thing I was looking for and then bought the cheaper Target version. I've been using spf moisturizer for years mostly because I'm freaked out by skin cancer. I usually use Oil of Olay something, I'm liking the Olay Complete in a jar right now, feels really light and has a light summery, nonscent.
My advice, for what it's worth is to at least use sunscreen, I'm trying to convince my boyfriend right now that he needs to also, the man is so white he practically glows.

[Elsa]

First: you have a great face! Sincerely. I don't see most of the flaws that you're describing, and the ones I can see I have to kinda get in there and squint at. No one in the real world is doing that, except you and the purveyors of fancy lotions*.

Like you, I'm unwilling to buy bottles of goop that will sit unused on my counter, especially since A) so few skin treatments can report objectively proven results and B) my skin despises most lotions and cleansers. I've experimented and hit on a routine that works for me, inspired by the oil-cleansing method that was in vogue a couple of years ago. I thought it would be far too oily for me, but after a few days my skin adapted to it quite nicely!

Most days I lightly exfoliate my face each night with a sprinkle of plain old sugar, jojoba oil (or jojoba and olive oil mixed), and a little splash of water to soften up the sugar. Rinse it off well, then cleanse with Cetaphil if necessary. In the winter, I often don't need the Cetaphil -- my skin loves having a bit of extra oil to buffer it from the cold dry weather. In the morning, I wash with warm water but usually don't need to cleanse again except on the most sweltering days.

Every so often I want to clean a little deeper. I smear on the oil and put a hot washcloth on my face to steam for a few minutes, then do the scrub-and-cleanse.

I used to scrub with baking soda but read something about the acid mantle blahblahblah, so I've started substituting sugar. It works fine. Evidently it's not recommended to exfoliate so often, but my 40-year-old face needs a gentle scrub every day or I get flaky.

Once in a great while, I use a clay mask. I like Burt's Bee's French clay mask, which comes in powder form to mix with water (or yogurt or fruit, depending on your skin type) but it's too potent for my nutty skin, so I cut it liberally with plain white clay powder that I buy in bulk at the health food store.

I use sunscreen every day, but rarely use moisturizer other than jojoba or olive oil. Other than sunscreen, the single best skin-care practice I have: I change my pillowcase more often than my sheets. In hot weather or if I have a rare zit, I might change my pillowcase every day or two. It really helps.

My grossest skin thing: constant pinpoint blackheads on my nose. My husband recently bought a packet of Biore pore strips and we spent a happy night comparing disgusting nose-yank strips. It's probably counter-productive in the long term, but it is absolutely revolting and entertaining.

* I'm only half-kidding about that. Accompanying a friend on her errand to pick up some fancy face unguents, I confided that I always felt self-conscious in conversation with the folks working at the beauty counters. "I feel like they're scrutinizing my skin, not looking me in the eye."

My friend, who had worked in just that job for years, laughed and said, "They are! At least, I did --- people get self-conscious and they buy more stuff." Pure. Evil. Genius.