Spots/Acne!

nicola8989 wrote: »

Before I started eating healthily again my skin was quite sensitive to breakouts if I ate something particularly "bad" - e.g. a McDonalds or something similarly greasy.

But for the past fortnight I've been eating healthy, exercising, shifting weight quite happily - and my skin has just turned into a massive spotty mess!!! It doesn't feel greasy - if anything it's a bit dry. Is it the sweat from exercise clogging my pores? How can I make it go away?

Ahhh yes. I know this well. Same happened to me but once it cleared up it stayed clear!

Things to consider: if you think your diet has changed your skin, change your skin care. I had to start moisturizing as I got less oily.

Can you be a bit allergic to something? Nuts obviously not deadly, but it might be worthwhile to get tested.

I had a problem with cystic acne for a bit, I started using Old Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser and have not had a break out since and it has helped tremendously with discolorations due to previous breakouts/scarring. Works wonders!

This may be a bit, "duh" but do you shower/wash your face/ect after exercising?

My face has turned into a battlezone since I have started eating more healthy and working out almost every day. I am also noticing achene on my chest area above my breasts. I am 99.9% this is from sweating since I sweat in my neck/chest area and on my face. I wash my face after every workout and make sure to wash off any make up before going to bed. I even got desperate enough to try a face spa thing that cost me $6 from Sephora that a friend told me worked miracles and while my face felt nice afterwards, the acne was still there.

Im at a loss of what to do as well

try a mild facewash. I use cetaphil In the AM followed by cetaphil dermacontrol moisturizer, it has an SPF in it too, so 2 birds, one stone. At night I use Cerave PM moisturizer after I wash my face with a 3% benzoyl peroxide wash.

After I exercise, in the shower, I wash my face with baby shampoo to get rid of that greasy, "thick" feeling like my skin needs to shed or something. After showering, I will apply the lightest coating of coconut oil as a moisturizer under my makeup.

At night, I use the coconut oil again to remove my makeup and then baby shampoo again to get rid of any oil/makeup residue. Then, I apply the lightest coating of coconut oil again for overnight treatment.

I do this daily as I work out in the early a.m. before work. I went from weird breakouts and clogged pores around the nose, to virtually nothing. I am in perimenopause so hormones are weird but my routine keeps my skin fairly clear. The coconut oil also smooths our wrinkles as I am often mistaken for being younger than my 43 years ... no crows feet or laugh lines!

Oh, I use pharmaceutical grade lavender oil and apply it to blemishes before bedtime before they become zits (even if they form on the back, chest etc.) ... this seems to help keep them from forming as lavender oil has antimicrobial properties, much l like coconut oil!

nicola8989 wrote: »

thanks guys - I guess it just feels a bit backwards to me to be putting moisturiser on when I'm spotty! What kind would you recommend?

I felt the same way but once I started applying moisturizer after I washed my face (morning and night) my face became much clearer! Having dry skin can actually make your acne worse as it causes your skin to produce more natural oils (something along those lines) in order to keep it moisturized which can make your acne worse. I like a light moisturizer for in the morning and a heavier moisturizer before I go to bed, nivea has done wonders since I started using it, but it's very heavy.

Make sure you wash all makeup off before working out, and at least rinse your face off after working out.

I have dealt with acne for a long time about 15 years. My face is now 95% clear for about 5 years after dermatologist and a facial spa told me use moisturizer.i said 'my skin doesn't feel dry or oily...but they said after examining closely it is dry.

Using Cetaphil facial cleanser and Moisturing Cream (not the 'lotion'...the Cream in a round tub works). Use washcloth and rub gently in circles. Rinse cold!!! Promise. Cold rinse, pat dry gently and rub that cream on your face.

if it came up suddenly, and this is not something normal, could it just be irritation that resembles acne? I've had heat rashes, fungal infections (sorry gross! picked up at gym!) and folliculitis and all just looked like acne comedones. I use a damp paper towel with a splash of witchazel and just quick wipe my face and neck before and after working out. That seems to help a lot. It also could depend on what type of acne you have. Deep painful cystic acne could be hormonal.

Change your shampoo and conditioner. Lots of products out there for hair are not good for skin.

I never had any spots until I was well into my 20's. I'm coming up to 33 and in the last 6 months have had the most horrific chin spots. Mainly since I started back on mfp which is annoying.

I started using that dermalogica anti bac range about 2 weeks ago and it really seems to be helping control my breakouts. Although a weekend away of eating bad food, drinking alcohol and little sleep combined with TOM has put me back in spotsville today.

Really gets me down. And mine is probably nothing to those who really suffer with acne.

I just wanted to add, if any of you are taking vitamins, certain ones are linked to breakouts... i've tested this on myself and found this to be accurate, especially B6. If i eat or drink foods fortified with a high percentage (energy drinks,certain protein bars) I get sore under the skin spots around my smile lines and chin within 24 hours. Biotin in high doses, and B12 can have the same effects. When i take omega 3's i also break out with the same type of acne, even though it supposedly fights inflammation. Toothpaste with flouride can cause breakouts around the mouth if you brush right before going to bed and drool (sorry TMI!) it onto your pillow.

If you are itchy, then it could just be irritation, over dryness or a mild fungal or yeast type thing. a doctor can do a culture to see what it is. Usually, i will try using some of my nizoral shampoo to see if that helps, or spot test with a gel made for yeast infections. If it is fungal, it will usually start to go away within a day or two, but you need to treat for at least a week or things can come back. Fungus and yeast feed off oil, so avoid lotions with oils in them until it clears up. Most of my issues, especially with the chest acne (takes forever to go away!) is that it was sweat related, and any time i would work out and sweat more it would just aggravate things. Using the witch hazel before and immediately after, (I like dickinson's brand...no fragrance or additives and has a bit of alcohol) helps keep it from coming back for the most part.

I had bad, bad breakouts all through my teen years and five years ago even did Accutane, which was intense, but did help. I haven't really had any big cysts since.

Have you changed birth control? When I switched to the implant, my skin got so much worse, but when I went back to another pill, it got better again, then better again still when I went on one specifically designed to help acne.

Otherwise, gentle cleanser and moisturiser twice a day. Make sure you change your pillowcase once a week. My husband uses Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%, which helps him, but it never seemed to do anything for me and I kept bleaching my clothing. Probably because my acne is hormonal (it usually is if you're getting breakouts around your chin).