The Acne Thread #3

[Naen]

This is such a great thread. I was wondering though if anyone has any suggestions for fading or diminishing post-acne marks?

Those few named above are a good way to start, I suppose. But remember to pick-up your samples for testing first!
I've been persistant with both Effaclar Duo and K, only to find out the formula just doesn't do the magic on my skin, K broke me out like crazy.
There's also Uriage Hyseac line that offers similar types of products, however I'm not sure if it contains more percentage of the AHAs then Avene or the ones by LRP (it's never mentioned in the ingredients part, but supposedly around 6%), nevertheless high UV protection is needed during the day. *That higher procentagee won't guarantee a product will work better - only faster.

As for overall whitening and more even complexion there's Dépiderm Citywhite fluid, also by Uriage, I'd personally love to get some more details on that... anyone?

 

[Fabulyss]

I know that everyone's skin is different but I've recently discovered a regime that has cured 90% of my acne (an improvement like nothing else I've used, except maybe BC pills and prescription topicals - which I wish to avoid for health reasons)...

I use the following:

-Grandma's Acne Control Bar Soap (morning and nightly)
-A scrub using only baking soda and water (can be left on as a mask too)
-Apple Cider Vinegar toner (I use it on a cottonball and rinse the cottonball very quickly under the water faucet b/c it's very important to dilute the vinegar slightly so it doesn't burn).
-I moisturize my eye area and any dry spots with Acure's Argan Oil.
-Once a week I'll use Aztec Healing Clay mask (this requires vinegar as well).

I've also started using Alima mineral makeup which has dramatically reduced my acne. Together all of these elements have nearly eliminated my acne - I hope this info is helpful.

 

[Jinadaze]

Fabulyss, can you please post the ingredients list of Grandma's Acne Control Bar Soap? I don't find it anywhere.

 

[Fabulyss]

Fabulyss, can you please post the ingredients list of Grandma's Acne Control Bar Soap? I don't find it anywhere.

It actually doesn't say on the packaging but I know it's very few ingredients. I've read on the internet that the acne bar is composed of lard, water, lye, aloe and oatmeal; they also have a regular cleansing bar supposedly made of just lard, water, and lye. Apparently lye is alkaline which helps reduce acne. It removes my mineral makeup with ease too.

That said, all the steps in my regime are of equal importance in preventing my acne (that's just me though).

 

[Jinadaze]

Thank you! I contacted some online stores if they would ship it to my country, because I can't buy it nowhere here.

 

[Gaultier_Bandit]

Has anyone been on accutane and had trouble with the after effects?

 

[lucy92]

my snap of a small story from marie claire about enlarged pores and how they can become clogged in the summertime.

 

[MissPrint]

Has anyone been on accutane and had trouble with the after effects?

I was on accutane for about 6-7 months and the only after effects I've had are drier, more sensitive skin that is prone to flushing/redness, I guess like mild rosacea. It can be really annoying for sure, sometimes I wonder if it's worse than the acne or not as it also affects my self esteem; but it can be controlled with gentle skincare etc.

 

[pink3lixir]

I had acne when I was younger and the biggest recommendation I can give is to drink water!!! Lots of it. Give up soda and other sugary drinks. My teenage years were one of the worse experiences of my life because I was constantly ridiculed. Water was the ONLY solution to my acne.

I recently broke out like crazy and started panicking because the thought of living those acne days again terrifies me. I bought new products and spent a TON on monthly facials. The facials helped but after a few days, i broke out again. In the end, I went back to water and forced myself to drink 5 bottles a day. My face cleared up in ONE week.

What also helped with clearing up my acne is tanning (outside, not the booths). I know this isnt the best solution since sun exposure has so many negative effects but it IS a great quick fix. It also made my skin smoother. I know, I know....not really an ideal solution but acne can make u desperate...especially when kids r so cruel!

I hope this helps some of u. Seriously...go.drink.water.

 

[Vega Magnus]

Any solutions for papular acne? I have a little on the sides of my forehead from wearing hats during hot weather. It's not the worst thing ever; much of it isn't even visible unless one looks very close; but it's insanely frustrating because I have had very little success in actually getting rid of it.

 

[Rova]

I had very good results with popular products such as Mario Badescu and Sudocrem but in the end they all stop working and they also tend to cause new problems.

Since this winter I've been using lemon juice and it's still works and it doesn't give me new blemishes. For me the best thing is that it takes care of almost all my skin issues.
I never had dry skin but after hitting 30 I got some dryness and fine lines winter time and even though I somewhat accept ageing, the idea of having the skin of a teenager mixed with a touch of granny is pretty depressing. In my case lemon juice does reduce lines.

I can't really say how it works but it feels like it gets rid of dead skin so that pores aren't as clogged. It could also have something to do with pH.

Don't think it would work for everyone but it has around 270 reviews on Makeupalley with 4.4 of 5.0 so lots of people like it.

 

[lucy92]

Any solutions for papular acne? I have a little on the sides of my forehead from wearing hats during hot weather. It's not the worst thing ever; much of it isn't even visible unless one looks very close; but it's insanely frustrating because I have had very little success in actually getting rid of it.

just call your doctor and ask for a prescription over the phone for a retinol product like trenitonin or differin. they cost about 10$ for a generic version. 80$ without insurance.

 

[Vega Magnus]

just call your doctor and ask for a prescription over the phone for a retinol product like trenitonin or differin. they cost about 10$ for a generic version. 80$ without insurance.

It's not very serious. I'd prefer not to use prescription strength stuff like that. How about tea tree oil? Any thoughts on it?

 

[rayoflight]

It's not very serious. I'd prefer not to use prescription strength stuff like that. How about tea tree oil? Any thoughts on it?

Lucy's advice on topical retinoids is a sound one, because those products are among first choice in any acne guidelines.
What's not very serious is trying to fight acne with over the counter stuff. Which don't work, ruin skin in long run and only wastes money. It takes more than one active ingredient (of which drug store products never contain even 1/10 of the effective concentration, if they even have managed to get the useful stuff in at all) to solve the problem, and acne is a multi-vector issue, so it's a one size doesn't all situation. One person gets away with using benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin gel, others need excessive diet changes or even isotretinoin prescription. So a dermatologist would be best place to start.
If you think tea tree oil is worth a try, then make sure the product contains at least 5% of Melaleuca alternifolia oil. You still require some effective keratolytic product, tea tree oil is only a natural antibiotic and mild anti-inflammatory agent (it's a bit of a natural anti-histamine in that regard), but it doen't clear out pores or exfoliates skin.

 

[Vega Magnus]

^I've been using cheap over the counter acne products even since I hit puberty seven years ago, usually with massive success. I would very rarely get acne at all, and the only reason I got acne recently was because of food reactions, hormones, not keeping my face clean enough, and foolishly over-treating and worsening said hormonal issues. Since fixing those problems, I have had no issues other than the mild papular stuff on my forehead. My face regimen is this:

Night:
Thoroughly cleanse face with Sea Breeze Actives 1% salicylic acid astringent.
Apply Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Control moisturizer. (I don't really like this stuff, but it works tolerably.)
Apply Clearasil 2% salicylic acid gel to forehead and jaw. (Paranoid about hormonal acne there.)
Finish with Clearasil 10% benzoyl peroxide cream.

Morning:
Thoroughly rinse off all night treatments with cold water.
Apply Clearasil salicylic acid gel and benzoyl peroxide cream to jaw and forehead.

Any opinions? It works really well for me if I'm careful and make sure to do everything properly. My only real problems are redness, (Caused by all of the stuff I use, I know.) some oiliness, and the need for an exfoliation agent. I'm going to try rosewater for the redness if I can ever find any, and I have a Neutrogena Wave cleanser brush thingie with exfoliation pads that I was going to try tonight. The oiliness could possibly be solved by the Neutrogena cleanser lucy92 mentioned, but I've been afraid to try the bottle I have because it is a 2% salicylic acid concentration, although my skin's favorable reaction to the Clearasil gel makes me feel better about trying it.

 

[Rova]

Vega Magnus: I use rosewater as a toner and it does remove general redness and calms the skin, feels mildly astringent too. The anti-redness effect doesn't last that long though.
I have used Azulene Calming Mask from Mario Badescu and it worked very well on areas red from other treatments. The MB brand have several products that calm the skin.
I get new problems from most oils and creams so I've stopped using the Azulene mask, but it did work.

I also used a serum for sensitive skin. It's from the Italian brand Lakshmi. It's called Serum Spikenard Jatamansi. It has oils from rose and also spikenard, a plant that is said to reduce redness.
I'm not sure I recommend this since it's quite expensive but I'll mention it since it worked amazingly well for me. It has oils so I can't use it that often but it's a serum for everyday use.

 

[lucy92]

vega magnus: wait, what cleanser are you using now? i dont think you should be just using an astringent as a cleanser...and why arent you using a moisturizer during the day with sunscreen?

i usually apply a moisturizer twice a day (one in the AM with sunscreen and then 4 times a week at night (the other nights i am using retin A)

i would try to keep track of how many times a day you touch your face also. and try to put down your cell phone. i try to use my landline as much as possible so i can hold the phone away from my jaw.

 

[Vega Magnus]

^Oops. Wrong term. I don't use it as a cleanser. I just put it on some cotton pads and apply it to my face.

I tried using my Clean & Clear moisturizer during the day back in March, but that was around the time that I started having breakouts on my jaw. A lot of stuff started happening simultaneously around that time though. I started using the moisturizer, I started using conditioner, and I started having problems with depression. Shortly thereafter, my acne got relatively bad, and even after I stopped using it, my forehead remained clogged, leading to some regular acne issues that were a bit annoying and the blackhead/general pore clogging of the forehead I have today. I'm pretty sure most of it was hormonal, but the moisturizer sure didn't help and may have contributed to my forehead problems. (That's why I said I don't like my moisturizer that much. It's fine at night, but I'm not comfortable using it any more than that.) I've been extremely hesitant to try moisturizer during the day ever since. As far as the sunscreen goes, I didn't know that was a good thing to do until quite recently, and once again, I'm afraid of it clogging my skin up.

Oh, no need to worry about me touching my face. I am absolutely obsessive about keeping my hands away from my face. I even wear gloves to apply all of my skin products.

^^Thanks for the info, Rova.

One other thing. I got a free sample of this stuff from Sephora.

http://www.sephora.com/redness-solutions-daily-relief-cream-P201440

I haven't tried it yet. Anyone know anything about it? (It's expensive. That's one thing I do know.)

 

[lucy92]

i still think you are using way too much harsh stuff. if i were you i would use a mild cleanser like cetaphil or cerave followed by the clean and clear moisturizer during the day.

then wash again at night with the mild cleanser and then use the benzoil or benzoyl peroxide treatment or the clean and clear moisturizer again. i seriously dont think the moisturizer would make you break out because it is non-comodogenic.

rayoflight is right. you could use one prescription product and forget all this other drug store treatments.

 

[Vega Magnus]

^You're probably right. I could probably do fine with getting rid of the astringent. It is what is causing the redness; that I am pretty much certain about; but I'm afraid to quit using it because it does prevent normal acne pretty much without fail if there are no additional factors like hormones or bad diet. I did try a much weaker 0.5 percent concentration salicylic acid astringent back at the start of the year, and while the redness was lessened and my skin mostly reacted fine to it, I got some unusual bumps on the upper portion of my forehead, so I switched back to the stronger astringent. Still, your suggestions are good ones. I'll probably try it at some point if I can muster enough courage.