Acne outbreak

Options
MaydayParadeGirl
MaydayParadeGirl Posts: 190 Member
in Chit-Chat
Okay so since I started dieting I noticed that my face has been breaking out more, which at first I was wicked confused about because I was cutting out that ****ty food, then of course I remembered that I'm stressed! I'm stressed because I always over think things and just life in general and now I added in losing weight to that mix. Sadly the acne face wash I have, from Biore, is not doing ANYTHING to help me. If anything I think it made matters worse, so I've stopped wearing make up in a hope that it will at least not add to the damage already there. I really need advice on good products to use. I used to use noxema but when they changed the formula it stopped working for me, Proactive is not only too expensive but just made my skin really dry. If anyone knows of anything good and where I can get it that'd be great. A bonus if the brand makes make up removing wipes, the face wash, and the spot treatment :) I just dont' want to get to the point where I'm losing weight and liking how I look from the neck down :(

Replies

  • gaga4glitter
    gaga4glitter Posts: 129
    Options
    Hi hun,

    I'm sorry to hear about your acne (I used to have horrible skin so I feel for you). I'm going to put a link below of the face cleanser that I use. I'm not sure what skin type you have but my face is hella oily (yay for no wrinkles but boohiss for everything else haha). This cleanser is amazing! It doesn't strip my skin and make it really dry - it feels so refreshed afterwards :) I bought it at VitaminShoppe for like 9 bucks...Good luck!

    http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=DS-1041
  • HappyNinjaStar
    HappyNinjaStar Posts: 353 Member
    Options
    Sorry to hear about your problems! I think you'll see a turn around in a few weeks once a) your body adjusts to new diet/exercise routines, and b) you can get your stress level down.

    I recommend two things, 1) significantly increase your water intake. This really really helps with skin problems. 2) I've been a big fan of Aveeno products. They are relatively inexpensive and come in a wide variety. The lotions even have generic versions now which are fine, but I would stick to the name brand for face washes
  • Some_Watery_Tart
    Some_Watery_Tart Posts: 2,250 Member
    Options
    I use Biore products, so I'm not much help there. But if you started dieting, have you also started exercising? Sometimes that can trigger breakouts. Here are a few things I do to keep my breakouts at bay:

    1. Drink plenty of water. More than you think. Lots and lots of water.
    2. Don't wash your face too much. Yes, not too much. Stripping the skin of it's oil will up production.
    3. Don't touch your face.
    4. For me personally, avoiding junk food, dairy, and refined carbs helps, but I'm insulin resistant, so maybe that's why it works.
    5. I also take a B-vitamin supplement. It helps with the lady hormones too. Makes me less prone to murder also. :wink:

    Disclaimer: I'm not a dermatologist. I'm just one of those lucky girls who didn't develop acne until my mid-20s. :grumble:

    Good luck!
  • MaydayParadeGirl
    MaydayParadeGirl Posts: 190 Member
    Options
    Definatly going to look into some of these. My sister just started using Aveeno but I was hesitant because where she has dry skin I have super oily skin. I haven't yet started working out, which makes me more worried about the acne and I typically wash my face every other day with an actual acne wash, I know it's bad for your face the same way it's not healty to wash your hair every single day as you strip the nutrients. I'll have to drink even more water hopefully that helps! I've had acne my whole life, it comes and goes, I really wish Noxema didn't change their formula because that cleared my face in like a week of use :l stupid Noxema!
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Options
    I started carrying around facial wipes. When it gets hot and humid, I'm all set !
  • MaydayParadeGirl
    MaydayParadeGirl Posts: 190 Member
    Options
    The only problem I would have with that is once I get the acne problem back under control I will want to wear make up again and I can't wipe my face if I have make up on. PLUS I have sensitive skin so alot of facial wipes that arent' medicated make my face itchy and the ones that are medicated make my face red so I only use them right before bed.
  • MFPRat
    MFPRat Posts: 201 Member
    Options
    Zapzyt - best stuff ever
  • LMT2012
    LMT2012 Posts: 697 Member
    Options
    -Facial blotter tissues (for sale in face wash aisle) for when you start wearing makeup again. They are amazing at removing oil and not the makeup.
    - Change your pillow case at least twice per week.
    -Keep hair tied back as much as possible.
    -About 10 minutes of direct sun per day on the face is safe and a natural cure.

    Good luck. I am in my 40's and still patching up zits along with the wrinkles!
  • adblanche
    adblanche Posts: 8
    Options
    Think about the type of medication that your product contains, not just the brand.

    Biore, Neutrogena, etc. all have products that are technically face washes without any actual medication in them, so make sure that you're using something with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid in it.

    If your skin is easily reddened, look for something with 1.5% BP or 2% SA. Spot treatments often have much higher concentrations, but you should avoid these.

    My skin easily gets dry and scaly AND red, so I have to be careful about the products I use. Cellex C makes an AMAZING spot treatment that literally changed my life (I break out from stress worse than you can imagine).

    You can get it on Amazon: http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/127/60e737689a7844cc9c271546319e6bcb/l.jpg

    Good luck!!
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Options
    Acne can also be caused by hormonal changes or nutrient deficiencies.

    I usually use B.Kamins acne gel with 5% benzoyl peroxide. I get it from Sephora.

    But, I recently got a blemish and it lasted for a week, When it finally went away, I got another one! Aaargh!!! So, my husband said he used Tea Tree oil and it worked great for him. So, I gave it a try and it was gone in a DAY!! And it was a big, deep in the skin kind, that usually takes weeks. Now my skin is clear again.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Options
    I had horrible acne from 12 years old all the way up until about two years ago when I was 25. I went through a 6-month course of Accutane. That stuff is Harsh (capitalized) and it definitely takes dedication and/or desperation to resort to it, but if it's an ongoing issue, you may consider it a possibility.

    Chemical treatments and Benzoyl Peroxide tended to only irritate my skin worse. I've read awesome things about tea tree oil and rose water. You may try those instead of the harsh cleansers. Anything with the little exfoliating cleanser beads in it can actually tear your skin because it's already sensitive, or worse, dry it out, which only compounds the problem.

    I wish I could tell you a better treatment because I fought with it for years and it was horrible and degrading to have to wake up with yet another mark on your face when you already feel like you should be past that stage. I know for spot-treatment, a dab of white toothpaste actually works if you leave it to dry overnight. It takes out the redness and helps dry up the spot without drying out the rest of your face.

    I threw all of my ProActiv treatments into the trash and they still tried to charge me for months I didn't pay for - I wouldn't recommend them to anybody.

    Moisturize often and make sure you're taking a vitamin A supplement. Accutane is basically a huge dose of Vitamin A which causes your skin cells to replenish rapidly which can cause the flaking of the skin and lips which it's so notorious for. In smaller doses, it can help the skin to heal from the damage caused by acne. And for the love of god, try not to pick at them. You will only scar yourself badly and have to live with it.

    Although, honestly, it sounds like your acne has been caused by your change in diet. If this is the case, I say just wait it out and try not to touch your face/keep up meticulous cleanliness, moisturization and gentle exfoliation. The problem should work itself out. The above is a description of the much more severe condition I underwent.

    Best of luck.
  • loveanyway
    loveanyway Posts: 13
    Options
    I struggled with acne for some time, which led me to this routine
    every night I do this in the shower.. I have clear skin, no wrinkles :)
    -wash entire face with plain glycerin soap
    -lightly exfoliate with glycerin soap & exfoliating gloves- I buy mine at Dollar Tree (I also scrub down my entire body this way)
    -apply a raw egg WHITE mask (not the yolk!) leave on for 20 min, rinse. store left-overs in a covered glass dish in the fridge.
    -rub 2 drops extra virgin olive oil in hands, press into wet face (I also apply the olive oil to my entire body while still wet in shower)
    -eat well & drink lots of water
    -drink unsweetened almond milk instead of cow's milk. (the hormones in cow's milk have been proven to cause acne similarly to the way steroids do, among other issues..)
    -get plenty of rest

    hope this helps!
  • MaydayParadeGirl
    MaydayParadeGirl Posts: 190 Member
    Options
    Acne can also be caused by hormonal changes or nutrient deficiencies.

    I usually use B.Kamins acne gel with 5% benzoyl peroxide. I get it from Sephora.

    But, I recently got a blemish and it lasted for a week, When it finally went away, I got another one! Aaargh!!! So, my husband said he used Tea Tree oil and it worked great for him. So, I gave it a try and it was gone in a DAY!! And it was a big, deep in the skin kind, that usually takes weeks. Now my skin is clear again.

    I am actually looking into a site that was linked here that has things like that. I think all natural stuff is really going to go better for me. I mean they aren't really bad covering my whole face it's just one or two big ones randomly appear. I've never had a problme with my face turning red, I've never had a problem with dry skin from any acne medications and I dont' want to spend a thousand million dollars on some home remedy because I don't have any of the stuff that is ever part of it. Definatly going to look into that facial blotter tissue stuff though because I don't want to have to stop wearing make up all together, although as it gets warmer that might just stop on hits own. I'm going to take some of this information to my sister as well as she has pretty bad acne and nothing has been working for her.

    I probably also should have pointed out that I can't use bar soaps so if any of these medications come in that form I can't use them, my skin breaks out in rashes because bar soap is too harsh and I'd rather not have my hands covered in rashes because I was trying to get rid of acne :l

Categories