The Acne Thread

[Cristina777]

no, it was not difficult for me to start retinoids.

differin is a third generation retinoid. so its milder. (it also comes in many different formulas/gels etc)

Tretinoin (retin a) was a little more harsh. so i only used it every third night starting off. i could see that it was working - the top layer of my skin was starting to slough off. i used a facecloth or a clarisonic brush (i have a knockoff of the clarisonic) to take off the flakes.

i also moisturized twice a day.

i am also not out in the sun very often at all - so that keeps the irritation down.

Thank you.

 

[Jinadaze]

I don't know what to do anymore, my skin is a complete disaster this month. I didn't change my skin care routin, only been using organic rose water as a toner for two weeks (a couple of times per day) and then stopped, because I noticed strange reactions on my skin - dryness, redness, like an irritation and then clogged pores and a break out which I didn't get rid of till now; I stopped using it 4 days ago, only that I am not sure this was actually the cause.
I wanted to order Grandma's Acne Control Bar Soap which Fabulyss suggested, but they don't ship it to my country.

 

[Fabulyss]

Aww Try the vinegar + water toner I recommended! I would love to find out if that helps you or not (I would give it at least 2 weeks of daily use). It's super cheap too.

 

[Jinadaze]

I can't find it anywhere, so I was thinking of making it by myself, since we have a domestic produced apple vinegar. I would check in what ratio it should be mixed.
I the meantime I would also check if Grandma's soap is available to ship to anywhere else.

 

[Fabulyss]

Yes the toner is do-it-yourself, not manufactured! That's what makes it so cheap. Honestly I just dab a cotton ball with apple cider vinegar and very very quickly rinse it under a faucet (for one second!). Then I apply it as a toner all over my face, every night. It's definitely helped clear my skin (it also exfoliates as it's acidic).

 

[ffashionist]

I tried using apple cider vinegar mixed with water as a toner too, but in my case it didn't work. It was too harsh for my skin. Now I'm making my own toner with colloidal silver water (which I buy) with a few drops of lemon essential oil or tea tree oil... I recently started writing about the cosmetics industry on my blog, it's fascinating how chemical products are today and how much damage they can actually cause. I would always recommend natural products vs. synthetic ones.

 

[CosiDiModa]

I really hate that my spots just won't leave me alone I'm petrified of trying any new foundation or cream anymore because my skin always reacts badly to them. I've decided I don't want to take any pills for it and neither do I want to use harsh scrubs and washes on my face as I'm scared it will leave my skin dry and damaged in the long term. I was on the clinique anti blemish regime for a good two years but it didn't make any difference other than drying my skin out. Now I just use wash my face with organic honey at night (mixed with bicarb once a week for scrubbing) and moisturise with jojoba oil in the morning. I used to use argan oil but since it finished I decided to try jojoba and it's working pretty well!

I'm waiting for my skin to calm down a bit and hopefully will start microdermabrasion for my scars etc. I hear they won't do it if you have acne? Has anyone tried it?

 

[Fabulyss]

I tried using apple cider vinegar mixed with water as a toner too, but in my case it didn't work. It was too harsh for my skin. Now I'm making my own toner with colloidal silver water (which I buy) with a few drops of lemon essential oil or tea tree oil... I recently started writing about the cosmetics industry on my blog, it's fascinating how chemical products are today and how much damage they can actually cause. I would always recommend natural products vs. synthetic ones.

The first time I tried apple cider vinegar, it was too harsh for my skin too; I almost gave up on it entirely b/c of that. But you can dilute it 80% or 90% to make it gentler. This was when it started working for me (I have really sensitive skin).

 

[ffashionist]

I will try that. Have you tried drinking diluted apple cider vinegar too? I heard it't good beacuse it balances hormone levels.

 

[Fabulyss]

I will try that. Have you tried drinking diluted apple cider vinegar too? I heard it't good beacuse it balances hormone levels.

I haven't, but I'll definitely try that too! Thanks

 

[martizung]

I've read somewhere that coconut oil helps acne - anyone who can confirm it?

 

[WerbowyStegner]

^Apparently it exasperates breakouts too ><

 

[martizung]

^ that sucks.
but maybe it can be the case of getting worse before getting better?

 

[Jinadaze]

Coconut oil is comedogenic, so I would not use it on acne prone skin.
Oils are a big no no for me though, even the 'light' ones, like rosehip, grape seed oil and even tee tree.

I am using apple cider vinegar for four days now and seems like it helps me. Will order Grandma's soap bar on ebay too.

 

[melfreya]

Has anyone tried Fucidin? I started using it because my skin was very irritated after trying Avene's Diacneal. It made the irritation go away and I thought oh well I'll continue using it just to see, and I swear my skin hasn't looked that good in years.
I've been using it for a few weeks now and not a single spot has appeared when I always have 2-3 all the time.

 

[ffashionist]

Does Fucidin dry out your skin? Do you need a prescription to buy it?
I can agree that Avene's Diacneal is extremely harsh and in my case also ineffective. It completely ruined my face. I recently wrote about it on my blog because I really don't understand why all dermatologists recommend Avene products. They are too aggressive and chemical.

 

[Jinadaze]

Diacneal was horrible for me too, it burns my skin like nothing else, but I have very good experiences with Cleanance K.

 

[melfreya]

It's an over the counter cream in Europe, no prescription needed. It's for treating burns and inflamed skin. It is very soothing and moisturizing.

 

[Vega Magnus]

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.

I've started doing this and it works great. No negative effects from quitting the astringent, the Cetaphil cleanser works great, and my skin is far less red. You're an utter genius. Thank you.

 

[Rova]

My skin has cleared up so much the last weeks.
I use mineral makeup that I apply with a soft synthetic brush.
I noticed that if I use another brush I get small bumps under my skin. I also get them where I apply concealers that aren't mineral powder.
I used to wear moisturizer under my mineral powder but I stopped and I get fewer bumps and the makeup also stays longer.

It's ridiculous how much damage a brush can do. I don't even buff my foundation in that much... I strongly suggest soft synthetic brushes if you have the same problem : )