Skin care
 

Does anyone else have trouble keeping their skin clear?

Usually mine is very clear, but over the last two weeks it's gotten totally out of hand. I can't figure out what's going on - the only thing I can think of that might be causing it is stress.

I'm using Cetaphil facewash and Biore Triple Action Astringent. I don't use moisturizer because I don't seem to need it. I can't figure out how to control the breakouts!

I've heard Neutrogena On-The-Spot works; has anyone else tried it? It's kind of expensive to pick up if it doesn't really work. Any other suggestions?

I have trouble from time to time. I've tried different products. I've found that Proactiv was too drying for my skin. I currently use Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser. Although I'm not a big fan of the rest of their products, the Proactiv Refining Face Mask is very good for spot treatments and can be bought separately at their kiosks in the mall. It'a a small bottle, but lasts a long time.

I've always had a hard time with my skin due to the fact that I work out doors a lot and I spend a lot of time at the gym/exercising. I've tried damn near everything as well, ProActive, AcneFree, supplements, birth control, you name it. I was starting to get pissed because I wanted nice skin for the wedding, so someone on another board I read suggested going to www.acne.org and reading their regimen. Sure enough, as simple as it sounds, it worked. My skin looks 100 times better.

You may want to consider using moisturizer, ideally a light, gentle one. My dermatologist has told me in the past that sometimes people think not using moisturizer will clear up their skin or that they don't need it because it's oily...but in actuality, your skin may be overcompensating by producing a ton of oil, leading to breakouts. A light moisturizer could give your skin the moisture it needs (especially in the winter!) so it doesn't have to produce a lot of oil. This is especially true if you're using toner daily, which can be drying. Just something to try and see if it works!

Also...my solution for a lot of things: drink more water.

I recommend exfoliation. Take a tablespoon of sugar, add a few drops of water to make a thick paste, then rub it in on a wet face until the sugar dissolves (don't go that long if you have sensitive skin). Don't forget to rinse your face afterwards. It makes your skin super soft, and the sugar has anti-bacterial properties in it.

Also, I do agree with a light moisturizer.

Yes, at one point I had acne that was out of control. When I was a teen, I had acne here and there, but when I turned 22, it was crazy. I came back home after living in California and it was like my skin exploded with acne. And it was only on the bottom of my face. I was like those people you see on the ProActiv commercials where the whole bottom of your face (from the nose down, and then on the side of my face--like sideburns) was covered with acne. I went to the dermatologist and he was stupid....his last name is Moron (seriously), he gave me a treatment and he told me it would take 6-12 months to clear up my skin. Seriously?

I detested ProActiv, it just made the problem worse so I decided to try Murad Acne Complex. I had used it before but not with that much acne. Seriously within a month, all that acne was cleared up.

I suggested Murad to my cousins (one is 21 and the other is 14) and they both love it, they said it was soo much better than ProActiv.

I wish I had pictures to show y'all, cause it is seriously like those commercials. Within a month all of our skins were clear.

It is a bit "pricey" for the 3 month supply, but well worth it.

I had bad, and I do mean BAD acne when I started my cycle (at age 9). Every year, for school, I had the "pimple picture" as it was dubbed by the family.
My Mom then got me Avon acne medicated treatment face soap. I used that every morning and every night. That worked out the best!
Noxzema didn't do very well for me. It dried out my skin too much because my skin is already very oily.
Stress will definetly cause you to break out. Try the Avon if you can and hopefully it works.

Wow... I've never even HEARD of Murad Acne Complex. Sounds good, though.

Libra, thanks for the heads up on the Avon acne medicated treatment face soap - I could use it.

Here is the truth, for me at least. I spent many years and many dollars on expensive products and antibiotics. Nothing worked. It seemed that it got worse as I hit 30.

One year when I was having my annual exam at the OBGYN, the nurse practitioner talked to me about it. Honestly, she brought it up and boy was I happy. She prescribed Ortho Tri Cyclen. My skin cleared up in three weeks.

I have 3 cousins that are OBGYNs (all out of state). None of them believe that one brand can help over another, but Ortho Tri Cyclen and Tri Cyclen-Lo are approved by the FDA for acne.

After my skin cleared up, I was talking to my aunt. She then told me that when she was in her 30s, the doctor put her on birth control too to clear it up. Evidently, in our family, it's hormones that cause it, not dirt, what you eat or whatever else. I'm not saying that it's for everyone; some of my friends refuse to go on the pill because of fear they will gain weight (says the 85 pound Ironwomen).

If nothing else works, talk to your doctor.

Ditto what Benzgirl said. I had HORRIBLE cystic acne that wouldn't clear up with anything. I tried damn dear every topical cream and wash out there, and it wasn't until I was put on Ortho Tri Cyclen as a last resort before Acutane (I did NOT want to go there) that my skin cleared up. I recently switched to OTC Lo, and I think its even better. So seriously, if nothing helps, talk to your doctor.

Thanks for the advice, girls. Sounds like I'm going to have to play hardball and get my doc involved. Le sigh...

I didn't have real bad acne, but i almost always had problems, especially around my chin. I tried Murad and it helped some, but didn't clear everything up. I got frustrated and created my own routine too. I put tea tree oil on my problem areas each morning, moisturize with Olay Sensitive and put neosporin on the trouble areas each night, regardless if there are any problems. I still wash with the Murad, but it's almost out and I haven't decided if I'm going to keep using it or not. I've done it for several months and it's done a great job! If I change the routine for more than 2 days, i start to have some problems.

I get the tea tree oil from The Body Shop and I've heard you can get it at health food stores or places like GNC. It's kind of expensive, but it lasts a while. It's a natural antibacterial product.

Thanks for the suggestion! I checked out the website (which is super corny, btw) and I've been trying "The Regimen" for a few days and it already seems to be helping. I have to say, though, it's really irritating to the skin... hopefully that goes away with a little bit of time.

You have to be careful with things like that. If it doesn't go away in a few days, I'd suggest to stop. If it irrates the skin, that means it could make the acne problem worse!

Hello
 

Yeah i too skin problems,,,, i use many lotions then too they are not clear,,,, actually what ever lotion i use it dries on spot and my skin shows again roughly,,,, can you give suggestions ....

I'm a major fan of Bliss products. They're not the cheapest, so if you're unsure about spending a lot of money on skin care products at once, you can totally get trial-size sampler packages.

I've never had any skin problems. :) An isolated pimple here or there, sometimes a little dry. I like Bliss stuff because it's pretty gentle.

Gentle is good.

I've never heard of Bliss. Where do you get the products?

You can get Bliss at Sephora, Saks, amazon.com, and on their website.

I'm also a huge fan of Kinerase--and met Courteney Cox at one of their events!--but it's not cheap.

I'm watching this thread because one of my sons is dealing with some serious breakouts. Of course, he believes that any skin care is "for girls" and refuses to use it, no matter the brand. There's got to be something out there for him, at least, I hope so.

You can tell him nice skin on a guy or a guy who takes care of his skin is always attractive to girls. Or is he not at THAT stage yet? lol

You could try showing him the acne.org site; it's maintained by a guy. There's pics and videos of him explaining how to wash your face properly, etc.

Oh, Nikki, he's DEFINITELY at that age. Just doesn't want to be considered girly by his friends if they see a bottle of face wash in his bathroom! LOL!

Thanks for the link, HotDamn.

AOIIalum -

Get him a bottle of Johnson & Johnson Purpose face wash. The packaging isn't "girlie" at all. (It's actually the same stuff as Johnson & Johnson Head to Toe Baby Wash, but I'm guessing he doesn't want to have that sitting in his bathroom either, LOL.) If he's washing his face w/ his body soap, it might be aggravating his skin & causing the breakouts. Purpose is very gentle.

Plus make sure it's not his shave cream or anything like that. (All the men in my life used electric razors, so I'm kind of dumb in this area.)

I second that motion. I've used Purpose and the packaging is very asexual. Businesslike, really.

If you go to Target it'll probably be on the bottom shelf.

I don't really have a regimen but I have to give thumbs up to accutane. I had terrible break outs/cystic acne and finally could afford accutane when I gradutaed from college-it worked very very well. I did have relapse about 3 years later (no cystic acne-that cleared up permanently, just general acne) and again it worked well for about 4 years. i went on it one more time about 2 years ago-again worked well but I noticed being in my mid 30's it accentuated some wrinkles. My brother also used it and it cleared up his acne as well. I had no problems and was (and still am) very pleased with the results. I was required to be on the pill and had to have my liver values checked every 4 weeks.

I also took Accutane and am extremely split on it. I was only on it for about four months in high school. My skin is now absolutely perfect -- I haven't had a single breakout in ten years and I get comments all the time on what nice skin I have. But I suffered some pretty harsh side effects while I was on it (hence why I only took it for four months). I lost about half of my hair and had big bald spots. I had major nosebleeds on a daily basis and my ears would often bleed as well. My skin and lips were so dry that I frequently had deep cracks across my face that would bleed. It got so terrible that there were rumors flying around my school that I was dying of cancer.

I'm certain that my situation was exacerbated by the fact that I was a swimmer and spent about 5 hours a day in chlorine, which is very drying. I'm also extremely grateful that it worked so well in such a short time and had such long lasting effects. But I still have very dry skin and lips and get nosebleeds very frequently, and a lot of my hair never grew back. I just feel it's necessary to warn people to do LOTS of research and talk through concerns with a dermatologist before starting to take Accutane.

Accutane can also cause very nasty side effects in a pregnant woman as well. Hence why they are always checking women for pregnancy each time they go in while they are on it (or should be checking).

I am experiencing some breakouts right now on my forehead. I'm assuming it is stress because I dont use hairspray that often and I dont have bangs. I think trying to get one's mom in a nursing home would cause anyone to break out :)

I've been using and sticking to my normal routine of products for day and night but I'm using Retin-A micro-gel more frequently. It seems to be clearing up now.

Not to take off the face skin care conversation, but I am a big fan of Bliss's fat girl slim, fat girl sleep, love handler, and thinny thin chin products!