The Acne Thread #3

[Vega Magnus]

So does anyone who has used tretinoin and/or clindamycin have any advice on how to use it or what to expect? Also, will either one bleach clothing? I'm guessing that tretinoin won't, but I can't find any info on the type of clindamycin that doesn't contain BP.

 

[Vega Magnus]

Got some Retin-A and clindamycin today. I am going to start the regimen tonight. Any thoughts on what to use on days I am not using the Retin-A? I'm guessing my tea tree oil might be a bit strong. I've heard some people use over the counter AHA on off-days.

 

[lucy92]

Got some Retin-A and clindamycin today. I am going to start the regimen tonight. Any thoughts on what to use on days I am not using the Retin-A? I'm guessing my tea tree oil might be a bit strong. I've heard some people use over the counter AHA on off-days.

i would use a moisturizer without spf on the off days at night.

you should be using a moisturizer with spf on every morning.

and a gentle cleanser every morning and night without salicylic etc.

 

[Vega Magnus]

i would use a moisturizer without spf on the off days at night.

you should be using a moisturizer with spf on every morning.

and a gentle cleanser every morning and night without salicylic etc.

I use Jason aloe vera gel both at night and in the morning. I really like it and I even came across a scientific study that claimed that tretinoin combined with aloe vera was substantially more effective than tretinoin alone. Still, it doesn't have SPF in it though. I meant to look for some type of sunscreen today, but I forgot. Any ideas on that would be helpful. As far as cleanser, I use Cerave in the morning and a generic baby shampoo/soap at night. I like the both.

 

[lucy92]

As far as cleanser, I use Cerave in the morning and a generic baby shampoo/soap at night. I like the both.

Not sure why you are using baby shampoo on your skin. As the New York Times reports, a lot of baby shampoos contain questionable ingredients like formaldehyde etc. ive never heard of anyone using baby shampoo on their skin either. also even babies dont use baby shampoo every day like you do. most babies get get bathed every other day.

if your doctor didnt tell you to use the aloe vera on your skin i wouldnt use it. it will also make it more difficult to see the efficacy of your new regimin with the prescription product. if you insist on using it, i would wait 30 minutes or more after applying your prescription product to use the aloe vera in order for it to sink in.


as for a moisturizer with sunscreen i would use CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM it has spf 30 in it since you already like your cerave cleanser.

 

[Vega Magnus]

^I did wait thirty minutes after applying the tretinoin before putting on the aloe vera. Interestingly, I did not feel any of the burning or redness that the packaging and the reviews said would happen initially upon application with the tretinoin. It was actually less irritating than some of the over the counter stuff I've used. I could tell that it had some effect when I woke up though as there is a little bit of noticeable degeneration of the outer layer of skin, but only noticeable up close and it does not hurt. Since I am tolerating it well, can I go ahead and use it again tonight instead of doing it every other night?

 

[lucy92]

^I did wait thirty minutes after applying the tretinoin before putting on the aloe vera. Interestingly, I did not feel any of the burning or redness that the packaging and the reviews said would happen initially upon application with the tretinoin. It was actually less irritating than some of the over the counter stuff I've used. I could tell that it had some effect when I woke up though as there is a little bit of noticeable degeneration of the outer layer of skin, but only noticeable up close and it does not hurt. Since I am tolerating it well, can I go ahead and use it again tonight instead of doing it every other night?

no, you should start with every other night and see how that goes. you may also want to start using a gentle scrub once a week as well. you might see some light flaking.

i have never experience any burning or redness initially upon application with the tretinoin -usually the flaking/redness takes days to kick in.

you did not mention what concentration your prescription product is.

 

[Vega Magnus]

^.025 concentration. I heard that .05 is too strong to start out with.

 

[lucy92]

^.025 concentration. I heard that .05 is too strong to start out with.

i have used both concentrations and i have found the difference negligible.

is your aloe vera non-comedogenic? if so, how do you know?

 

[Vega Magnus]

^Pretty sure it is non-comedogenic. It has done nothing but help since I started using it a year ago.

 

[Vega Magnus]

Very impressed with the clidamycin. It somehow evens my skin tone out very well and noticeably improves any clogged pores within an hour or so of application. I am shocked at how amazingly effective it is.

 

[Vega Magnus]

And here we go. It is starting to pull stuff up from my pores. Nothing too horrible and still no peeling or redness yet though. I'm happy with the progress thus far, although it is obviously limited since I've only been doing it for a little over a week, but despite the limited time, I can definitely tell that it is working as advertised. Oh, and the thinning of the upper layer of skin? Yeah, that is happening too, and it's WEIRD. I can definitely see why you shouldn't ever use Biore strips while on tretinoin.

 

[valliaddict]

I've never been to this thread before, so I highly doubt I'm saying anything groundbreaking, but for me the ONLY acne treatment that works for my skin in Proactiv. If anyone has any negative reviews about it, I bet it's because they used it for less than a month. The only misleading information about the directions of usage is that step 1 (the renewing cleanser) shouldn't be rubbed gently on your face. It should be scrubbed HARD for about a minute or two with warm water. It's basically an exfoliant that gets out all the dirt & toxins in your skin, so you really have to get in there. Another thing I never do is make a full face mask out of the refining mask. I just dab a little bit on every blemish at night & sleep with it on. In the beginning it dried my skin out so bad, but after you get over that hump of dryness your skin will begin to adjust to the Proactiv. The green tea moisturizer also works if your skin gets unbearably dry. I won't say I had terrible acne in high school, but my skin surely has come leaps & bounds from where it once was. I'm very happy with skin today because I committed to using Proactiv & it eventually worked. Whoever told you clear skin can happen over night is a liar. It happens with self-discipline & a good acne treatment. Sorry if this sounded like a paid testimonial.

ETA- And if you're constantly touching your face, STOP IT!! Really people, your hands are so dirty. And don't drink dark sodas. Drink water…..OK bye.

 

[Vega Magnus]

I'm really considering moving up to daily use of tretinoin. My skin is tolerating it extremely well. Thoughts?

 

[nita-karoliina]

I hate it that once a month i get one very bad cystic pimple. They always leave a mark, i guess it's hormonal. No skincare routine helps. I used to take birthcontrol pills and those helped. But i dont use them anymore and i really dont want to start them again. This is hopeless!

 

[Vega Magnus]

My prior question about whether clindamycin or tretinoin will bleach clothes has come up again. I went to put on a dark grey t-shirt today only to find that it had been bleached on the sleeves and around the neck. It is a shirt I wear during the day, so it is safe to assume that it was caused by the clindamycin. This is odd though as there is no evidence of bleaching on any of my other clothing, not even on the shirt I wore on my first day of using clindamycin, and I KNOW that I rubbed my face on the sleeves over the course of the day then. (I got irritated with myself for doing so because I wasn't sure if clindamycin bleached or not and that was a brand new shirt.) I have a theory though. The bleached shirt is rather large and too baggy to wear under dress shirts, so it must have been worn over the weekend last. This is relevant because on weekends, I tend to apply my clindamycin and then make myself something to eat before applying my aloe vera gel in order to let the clindamycin sink in, leaving plenty of time for me to inadvertently touch my shirt with my face. I'm also guessing that the layer of aloe over the clindamycin is what is keeping it from bleaching in other circumstances, so those couple of hours of not wearing aloe may have led to my ruined shirt. Is that a decent theory, or am I completely wrong?

 

[reesewu]

Hi, here I am again. Everything was fine with the tea oil and aloe vera. My skin was spotless until I started going swimming a few days ago. The water in the pool wrecks havoc my skin. But I love swimming and that's the only place in my town with a decent pool.

Is there anyway to prevent it? I go very early so I don't put on sunscreen? Would putting on some waterproof sunscreen on my face help?

 

[Vega Magnus]

^So do you think it is the sunscreen or the water that is causing it? If you think it is the sunscreen, try a different brand. If you think it is the water, well, I don't really know what to say about that. Pool water has all sorts of chemicals and God knows what else in it and that is not something you can exactly avoid if you want to swim. Maybe try washing your face off immediately after swimming.

 

[Vega Magnus]

Tretinoin is truly outstanding stuff. I've gotten fantastic results. Could not be more pleased.

 

[LijepaTajna]

I have gotten very good results with Minocycline lately.It does make you more sensitive to the sun,so I have to reapply sunblock before going outside (I live in the tropics) and often wear a hat.
Use pure Manuka honey as a face mask! I leave it on for an hour,it really evens out your skin and slowly fades any scars or discolorations.Also I am trying topical Epiduo which has Benzol Peroxide in it;I wanted to try Murad's Benzol Peroxide but it was a bit too pricey.