ACNE

frommichellewithlove

I really do feel for you, I had terrible skin. Never in my teens but in my 20's I just seemed to break out. All along my jawline, so painful and sore.

I tried absolutely everything and the only thing that worked for me was birth control. I took Dianette for a couple of years which was amazing, gave me the clearest skin. But there were some risks linked to it so could only take it so long and I had to switch. I took the mini pill Cerazette for a couple of years, which wasn't as good but would keep it mostly under control.

I've now come off the pill as we found out my sister is going through the menopause (at 35) and she and hubby have been trying for a baby for years, so I am donating my eggs to them for their IVF treatment. So I have had to come off the pill and I was worried but so far it isn't so bad. A few around my jaw and chin at my period but then the rest of the time they are ok. Oh and I am 31yrs old.

Wow! donating your eggs to your sister! that is so beautiful!!!! go you!

juliec33

I'm 44 and have had horrible cystic acne since puberty at age 11. People have given you some great suggestions most worth a try (except the lava soap suggestion. It is designed for mechanics, etc to wash the grease and grime off of hands. Way to harsh for the face in my humble opinion). In the 33 years that I've been battling cystic acne (and I mean the kind where your face literally hurts all of the time) I think i have tried everything out there - both holistic and chemical, internal and external. there are only two things that have ever cleared up my face. One was Accutane which I would recommend only as a last resort. It has horrible side effects but it was worth it for me at the time. My skin stayed clear for about 7 years. Once it wore off the cysts came back worse than before.

I finally found a great dermatologist and he put me on Spironolactone. Yes, hormones are a major factor in acne. Birth control targets estrogen levels High testosterone levels in women also cause breakouts ( think about the horrible skin that most body builders get while taking 'roids). The spironolactone works by inhibiting androgens, which are a precursor to testosterone. No side effects. It's a diuretic that they give for high blood pressure. Dermatological use is an off label use but becoming more mainstream.

I respect that you don't want to be on drugs for this. I wouldn't recommend oral antibiotics for a long term course of treatment to anyone. Try all of the holistic suggestions. One may really work for you. I hope it does. But if yours is truly hormonal then you may have to visit the dermatologist. They have some wonderful non prescription skin care at most offices that might work better than other brands on the market. Chemical and photo facials are an option and can work to clear your acne but the can be costly. Or you might be someone like me that can only be helped by taking medication. I love the spironolactone. One pill a day ($5 at most pharmacies for a 30 day supply I think) with no side effects. It might be worth a conversation with a doc about!

Good luck!

katy_trail

i like the green tea with mint, no way the pill is as good for you as just drinking it

I also like washing my face with lava soap. it's like having a clay mask every day.
and it lasts for months for me, i think i need to buy it maybe every 2 months,
and it's the only thing I use for washing besides the masks I already said.
i'm not sure if it has made much of a difference, but you could try it.
also, it's one of the few soaps that doesn't dry out my hands and give me a rash,
so if you dont like it on your face, you can always just use it for basic handwashing or
give it to a guy friend or brother. supposed to be good for getting off grime from working
on cars and stuff.

very very interesting! i have never heard of lava soap. what is in it?

It's a combo of soap and pumice. wiki says moisturizers were added to the formular recently
I didn't know it was common to use for acne, we bought it for my guy cleaning the oil off his hands,
but then I realized it looks just like green clay masks, and feels that way to me too.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/197734-lava-soap-for-acne/

feebz36

I'm 28 and I still get spots too, I kept waiting for that magic day when they would just go away! I manage my skin using burts bees orange face scrub every morning, followed by the rosewater and glycerin toner. I finish it off with avene anti redness light moisturiser. Sounds silly to moisturise oily skin, but my skin is not oily when I use it, but if I skip it I will be shiny by 10am! I try not to touch my face throughout the day which helps ( you have no Idea how often you lean on your hands etc until you try not too!) Lastly I find that a good sweat helps my pores clear out! The more frequently I work up a sweat the better my skin gets! xxx

feebz36

I'm 44 and have had horrible cystic acne since puberty at age 11. People have given you some great suggestions most worth a try (except the lava soap suggestion. It is designed for mechanics, etc to wash the grease and grime off of hands. Way to harsh for the face in my humble opinion). In the 33 years that I've been battling cystic acne (and I mean the kind where your face literally hurts all of the time) I think i have tried everything out there - both holistic and chemical, internal and external. there are only two things that have ever cleared up my face. One was Accutane which I would recommend only as a last resort. It has horrible side effects but it was worth it for me at the time. My skin stayed clear for about 7 years. Once it wore off the cysts came back worse than before.

I finally found a great dermatologist and he put me on Spironolactone. Yes, hormones are a major factor in acne. Birth control targets estrogen levels High testosterone levels in women also cause breakouts ( think about the horrible skin that most body builders get while taking 'roids). The spironolactone works by inhibiting androgens, which are a precursor to testosterone. No side effects. It's a diuretic that they give for high blood pressure. Dermatological use is an off label use but becoming more mainstream.

I respect that you don't want to be on drugs for this. I wouldn't recommend oral antibiotics for a long term course of treatment to anyone. Try all of the holistic suggestions. One may really work for you. I hope it does. But if yours is truly hormonal then you may have to visit the dermatologist. They have some wonderful non prescription skin care at most offices that might work better than other brands on the market. Chemical and photo facials are an option and can work to clear your acne but the can be costly. Or you might be someone like me that can only be helped by taking medication. I love the spironolactone. One pill a day ($5 at most pharmacies for a 30 day supply I think) with no side effects. It might be worth a conversation with a doc about!

Good luck!

Spironolactone is a diuretic for blood pressure... And it does have side effects!!! In the UK this is a prescription only medicine, It has no use in skincare!!!

Beezil

"but said there was a key to preventing it that had to do with the body's waking and sleeping cycles. Basically, it's best to sleep and wake with the setting and rising sun, "

I seriously doubt when you sleep, as long as you're getting enough sleep, affects acne. especially hormonal acne.
that is just some kind of myth. If it was that easy we wouldn't need anything else.

Probably not hormonal acne, no, but not getting the right amount of sleep can affect all kinds of things the body does during that time. I don't know how much truth there is to the waking and sleeping cycles with the sun, but I have been doing it in hopes that it will help my own acne, and as far as I can tell, it definitely has. If I stay up really late and wake up really late, my skin becomes much more oily and prone to breaking out. So, I try to go to bed between 10pm-midnight and wake up between 8-10am. I really do believe in the computer screen thing too, because when we stare at a computer screen doing whatever, video games, etc. our brains kind of go numb. I don't think it's one contributor alone to acne getting worse, I think there are many things that contribute. Diet, hygiene, stress, hormones, getting enough or too much sun, the weather, allergies. But I do think keeping a consistent schedule and regiment is important to 1) reducing acne and 2) finding out the actual cause/s. I just suggested the sleeping schedule thing because I think it's worked to improve my skin and could possibly help others, and it's certainly worth trying in my opinion!

I also wanted to add, I agree with the no touching of the face thing. It's hard to remember sometimes, but it's definitely a contributor as well. Our fingers produce a LOT of oil, not to mention all the germs and bacteria constantly on them which you are effectively putting into your pores every time you touch your face. Washing hands regularly (not hand sanitizer) with a mild soap helps too. But yeah, I've just tried to train myself not to touch my face at all, and if I really have to, I use a tissue or something soft to itch it. lol

karins4

What helped me was washing with the Clearasil Daily Wash twice a day and only use the vanishing cream on any blemishes which is only occasionally now (and not as bad as before too). I started with the 3 step kit but now just use the Daily Wash.

Another thing you might want to think about, not sure if anyone else mentioned, when you shower make sure wash your face last after you've already rinsed out shampoo and conditioner from your hair. That way you don't have the hair products sliding down your face when rinsing after you've already washed it.

frommichellewithlove

What helped me was washing with the Clearasil Daily Wash twice a day and only use the vanishing cream on any blemishes which is only occasionally now (and not as bad as before too). I started with the 3 step kit but now just use the Daily Wash.

Another thing you might want to think about, not sure if anyone else mentioned, when you shower make sure wash your face last after you've already rinsed out shampoo and conditioner from your hair. That way you don't have the hair products sliding down your face when rinsing after you've already washed it.

You make a good point! I never thought about the whole, shampoo in my face thing. I'm going to start doing that.

katy_trail

I also had short term success with washing my face with head and shoulders dandruff shampoo. her thought about washing your hair reminded me of that so thanks.

jlapey

I'm 42 and just recently I've been having an issue with my right cheek. It' broke out and refuses to clear up. (the rest of my face is perfectly clear) The one time it got better I was using a prescription my partner had gotten for eczema. This last time, it didn't work. I went to a local honey store and the lady there said to use the soap she makes with the honey comb in it. The comb is an exfoliate while the honey is antibacterial. I've only used it for 2 days so far. Hoping it helps. I don't want to go to a dermatologist because I simply can't afford one without insurance. Some of my partner's prescriptions have cost her $300-$400!!!

pghlulu

I feel your pain, I still have it at almost 29!! Though it has lessened as I've improved my diet and water intake.

I think everyone's suggestions so far are good; just making sure to eat right, take a vitamin (Biotin is great) and also, drink lots of water!

Also, do you wash before/after workouts? Sometimes sweat can cause bad breakouts.

katy_trail

regarding the acne till a hundred, my mom still has break outs and she's in her 50's. my grandpa still has acne and he's in his 80's. I can't base it on my grandma, she almost never had acne to begin with. However, my skin is dramatically better compared to when I was in puberty.

iLoveMyAR15

Get rid of the dairy in your diet. I did and my face cleared up a few weeks later

JessHealthKick

I have had acne since I was about 13 (21 now) in a pretty embarrassing place, let's leave it at that. I hated going to the beach and showing my body because I felt the blemishes were really obvious...

Then I decided to go GF for a change. I have been on the hardest of all drugs roaccutaine and it made only a dent in the acne, so I just gave up. Made my skin even more sensitive to the sun than before and just in general isn't the best.

And on GF? I have not seen my skin this good in forever, I wanted to cry when I realised! I am excited to show my GP when I next get the chance and also see the skin specialist to get his opinion as nothing had seemed to really work.

So yeah, try going gluten free. It isn't that bad and helps so much with bloating as well just no bread and no pasta, no need to be tooooo over the top - I still will have a sandwich on occasion and have crackers with my cheese, and I've just started having GF pasta and it's great ^^

Good luck xx

p.s. please oh please stay out of the sun. You don't want to be an old bag with skin cancer, you want to be super sexy with healthy skin and no healthy problems

hfester

Have you consulted an esthetician? An esthetician is someone who cares for the skin in a non-medical setting, usually in a salon or sort of clinic. My mom is one. I get ALL the skin advice I can stand. And then some.

My main reason for recommending a visit to a skin care specialist is that they will get you hooked up with some good products. I know the stuff you can find at the drug store works just fine for some people, but a really good product might make all the difference for you. It does for me. If I use the wrong cleanser, I'm totally broken out or my skin get stripped down and horribly dry.

Just my two cents.

DopeyDudleyDursley

Another key factor that contributes to ACNE I have found is stress. I have been finishing up my last semester at university and am studying for some huge exams and well to say the least I have been breaking out more than usual. Anything you can do to reduce stress will help with lessening the awful thing known as ACNE.

skinnytayy

I eat primal & have found that my acne is non-existent. This is my second go round doing the whole primal thing and its worked like a charm both times. I think its a combination of no artificial sugars and no grains/gluten that help me so much. I have moderately bad acne myself & I'm 20. Figured this crap would've been gone now but I guess not. I still get the occasional zit when its the TOM but nothing like the pepperoni pizza face I used to have.

Clement1ne

I know you said you wanted to go natural but the only thing that has helped has been the Clinique 3 step acne system. I started noticing a difference in a week! It has completely changed my skin. You should check it out.

Actually, the Clinique 3-Step plan (Wash, Tone, Moisturize) isn't really a 'medication' from what I know about it... It's not exactly "natural" per-say, but it's not medication in the form of a pill, it's topical. If you have a big mall nearby, there may be a Clinique Kiosk in the cosmetic department. They will give you free advice and they'll also explain to you about their products and how they work. (I did it many moons ago when I had trouble with my skin). Unfortunately for me, I found that even with the toner and moisturizer the soap dried out my face too much. I couldn't continue it, but it might work for you.

I have Decleor products. They are a bit pricey, but worth it. All their products are made from natural resources like plants and flowers. The Phyto-peel is a natural exfoliator, this might help you as well. Gentle exfoliation is essential for acne management as well as keeping your face moisturized.

Emmalee

joleenl

Restricting or eliminating dairy helped me.

Clement1ne

Have you consulted an esthetician? An esthetician is someone who cares for the skin in a non-medical setting, usually in a salon or sort of clinic. My mom is one. I get ALL the skin advice I can stand. And then some.

My main reason for recommending a visit to a skin care specialist is that they will get you hooked up with some good products. I know the stuff you can find at the drug store works just fine for some people, but a really good product might make all the difference for you. It does for me. If I use the wrong cleanser, I'm totally broken out or my skin get stripped down and horribly dry.

Yup, exactly. This is what I would recommend too. I go to Decleor for facials, they are super relaxing. It's a treat. I also bought a few of their products, but not everything... too expensive for me!!

Emmalee