Acne A-Z

So I've had reoccuring acne a while and its getting worse again. I would like to know exactly what everyone does to help there acne. What worked best and what didnt work so well for them.

Age : 18

Suffered from acne : 6 years

Past medications : doxycycline, oxytetracycline

Current medications : Dianette

Past Creams/ gels : every other the counter method in existance!! Zineryt

Current cream : Duac

Skin care regime : cleanser to reduce acne and moisturiser of the same make.

The reason I'm doing this is to try and see where to go next as nothing I've tries is working anymore.

Thanks xx

 

I cannot use skin care products because I am hyper sensitive to so many chemicals. I had started getting horrible acne for almost a year and tried so many things. The only thing I have found that works for me is taking a milk thistle supplement and Emergen-C immune defense (contains vitamin C, A, and zinc- all beneficial for acne). For me, taking either alone does not help, but in combination my skin is almost completely acne free in 3 weeks. This is from having horrible acne on my face, chest, back and scalp. It starts working within a few days and since it is curing it from the inside out it is better, but does take longer to have full effect. Warning if it works and you stop taking it your acne may come back pretty fast.

Ok, this post is old, but thought you might get my response anyway:

After years, YEARS of trying different things for my skin, this is what works:

1. Remove make-up with a blend of vegetable oil and lemon juice (1 tbsp lemon juice in 4 oz oil or so) on a cotton ball.(If you wear make-up.)

2. Immediately wash face with non-soap, unscented, oil-free, dye-free facewash (like Cetaphil).

3. Tone face with apple cider vinegar mixed with water (1 oz ACV to 4 oz water or so).

4. Moisturize with perfume, dye, and oil-free moisturizer if needed.

5. If applying make-up, do NOT apply moisturizer.

6. Use hypoallergenic make-up, like Almay.

7. Only apply acne medication directly to the active acne (not all over the face).

8. Don't even bother with drugstore acne treatments. Use only spa or prescription strength medications (or something like ProActiv).

And a bonus:

9. Get microderm abrasion treatments every 2 weeks to start, then every 6 weeks, if you can afford it. Only go to a place that has a medical-grade microderm machine.

If there's anything you're thinking of trying, I've most likely already tried it, so feel free to PM me or post if you want to ask about a different skin treatment that DIDN'T work (ha ha).

By the way, I'm 26, have been battling acne since age 11, and have only now figured out the right things to do. And I'm allergic to like, everything.

Good luck, feel awesome!

-Maddy M

I haven't found anything that works as far as topical treatment. I've even taken acutane to no avail. It was a very unpleasant experience. I find the only thing that works for me is a very strict food regiment which helps to a certain point but certainly isn't a complete fix.  I find it difficult to stay on track though.  I'm going to try a mix of low glycemic Index and anti-inflammatory diet to see if my sugar levels decrease and my face heals a bit. I too have had acne since I was about 12 years old.

I may try applying some of the things mentioned in the posts above to see if it makes any difference but I have no allergies, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt though.

It sounds silly, but the only things I have found that work for me are as follows:

a.) Avoid wearing make-up of any sort if at all possible and if you do wear make-up, be very gentle taking it off and make sure you wash your face with bar soap that is unscented (like Dove). I have had to buy oil free versions of most products for my own skin.

b.) Try not to scrub the crap out of your face because you want the acne gone because you'll be stripping away the bacteria and the protective layers of clean skin underneath the oily, bacteria laden ones.. not to mention it dries your face out and encourages the oil in your skin to replenish faster to protect your face.

c.) For me, avoiding greasy, fat-filled foods all the time has helped. This is probably because I have a horrible habit of touching my face all the time and picking at the acne (I'm a tad OCD). So, avoiding picking at your face all the time (because the oils from your hand transfer to your face and cause a big ole' chain reaction of oily badness).

d.) I hate saying it because it took me so long to get better at, but drink your water. Water naturally detoxifies your body, getting rid of things that might be causing your acne (or hurting your insides, too). I had to do this as a result of being diagnosed with IBS at the age of 20 (which is why my diet changed so drastically and why my acne is usually better than it was when I was that age). Green tea is also beneficial, if you like tea. It's full of antioxidants and also detoxifies your body.

e.) I find that making sure to take a shower at the end of the day, EVERY day goes a long ways. When I was in college, this was a struggle because of the erratic schedule I had, but I noticed when I was consistent with it, my skin did clear up.

f.) I don't know if this applies to you or not, but if you are on any sort of birth control option (IE a hormone you are placing in your body), you might consider talking to your doctor about a low-hormone replacement. If you ask, they have many they can suggest. Most will probably suggest Yaz, but there are a lot of other options that are just as effective and less hormonal.

Also, I should point out that in no means am I an expert, but I have struggled with acne since I was about 10 and I am 26 now. I have tried almost every product available (including ProActive, which did not work for me at all). It was only when I started making these changes in my routine that my skin cleared up.

Being that I am pregnant currently and I have hormones surging through my body, a lot of the options of over-the-counter treatments and doctor approved ones are not an option as it seeps into your skin, can get into your bloodstream and *could* cause birth defects in an unborn child. So really, I had to find a more natural solution to deal with my acne. I find when I don't keep up with these things, it gets a lot worse.

Hopefully, you will find something that can help you that won't cost you an arm and a leg. 

I recently found another product that has greatly helped my skin and is natural - yay!

Witch hazel.

It's an ingredient in the make-up base I bought for my wedding. I noticed a considerable difference in my number of breakouts after using the base for just a few days.

It's Boots No. 7 if you wear make-up and would like to try it. I bought it from drugstore.com. I mix it with a tiny dab of perfume, dye, & oil-free moisturizer, then rub it all over my face before putting on my foundation in the a.m.

I should also note that my grocery store sells bottles of witch hazel solution in the first aid section, so if you want to buy it straight it's easy to get.

Second suggestion: baking soda

I've been scrubbing my face with a mix of baking soda and Cetaphil. Baking soda and water works just as well, but it's a bit runny.

Baking soda is the best facial scrub I have ever used - it gets up the most oil & make-up, and doesn't irritate my skin. I've also applied it and left it on overnight as a spot treatment and it's effective at helping active acne clear up faster.

Third suggestion: blackhead remover tool.

Revlon makes one you can buy for $5. It's just a little piece of metal the size of a nail file with loops on either end, one for blackheads, the other for whiteheads. You can get scoop-shaped ones from other places that are more expensive.

It's not SUPER effective at removing blackheads, but it IS good for removing layers of dead skin. The #1 reason I break out is because of layers of dead skin and oil left on my face after washing.

The tool is great for scraping off those layers and does open pores in my T-zone. It's a similar effect to microderm abrasion, but you can do it at home and it's much cheaper.

It's not exactly a pleasant experience, and my face is red after using it, but it goes back to normal quickly, and is TOTALLY worth it as far as helping to keep my skin clear, and unclogging a lot of pores with minimal effort.

To date, my skin is the best it has been in a long, loooong time. Part of it is because the stress of my wedding is over with, but I know these changes in skincare are a big help, too.

Hope someone finds this helpful!

-Maddy

Baking soda is good for everything, isn't it? :P

I forgot about witch hazel. My step-mother uses it as a moisturizer for her face, actually, but it's probably what has helped her skin stay so nice and healthy looking all these years. 

Water....Water....Water......Water....water.. .Water....Water...water!!!!!!!

No soda No juice especially orange, grapefruit etc... I would cut out all acidic fruit too.

Once you do this for a couple of weeks, you'll notice a change and receding breakouts. Continue and I guarantee in a month you'll be thanking the hell out of me. I know from experience. Everyone's different but when all the other things fail you have to make your own determinations from experience.

Good luck