Acne prone skin - what to use?

[honeybun]

I am tempted to buy Proactive. I am tired of dealing with acne. I am 32 yo and should not be having this problem. Do you ladies have any suggestion for a milder treatment that works? I read online that Proactive is harsh on skin.
Thanks!
Oh, I am also a breastfeeding mom.

[nuwavemomma]

IMO unless you are reacting to your current products, your skin is telling you something about your health and it would be prudent to work on that question rather than treat the symptoms.

That said, most products tinker with your natural acid mantle and exacerbate the problem. I thought I had oily skin until I stopped washing my face with anything other than water and a Jane Iredale microfiber mitt. I've changed my diet and lifestyle and now I only need a moisturizer in the driest part of winter, and almost never have a break out.

I don't mean to dodge your question or be rude or anything. I just wanted to open up that avenue of inquiry if you haven't thought about it already.

[DirtyHippyMama]

i also noticed that when i stopped trying to "treat" my acne, it went away for the most part -- at least i don't feel the need to wear mineral powder every time i go out in public anymore.
it seems like the more i treated it, the worse it got, and it was actually laziness that led to my discovery that it was better to leave well-enough alone!! i was even using the "natural" acne stuff, like tea-tree oil based and all. turns out i'm allergic to tea tree oil.
now i treat the occasional pimple with a drop of lavender oil -- same basic healing properties as tea tree but much milder (and better smelling!). and i only wash my face in the shower, and with mild soap or sensitive skin face wash. i moisturize with a completely non-greasy gel facial moisturizer (it's mary kay something - a gift from my SIL) after showers, and that's it, except in winter, when i need more than just that (i'm eczema-prone).

[californiajenn]

Wash with honey and moisturize with coconut oil. Adopt a Primal way of eating and, voila, acne no more.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/prima...cne-sufferers/

[honeybun]

Originally Posted by nuwavemomma

IMO unless you are reacting to your current products, your skin is telling you something about your health and it would be prudent to work on that question rather than treat the symptoms.

That said, most products tinker with your natural acid mantle and exacerbate the problem. I thought I had oily skin until I stopped washing my face with anything other than water and a Jane Iredale microfiber mitt. I've changed my diet and lifestyle and now I only need a moisturizer in the driest part of winter, and almost never have a break out.

I don't mean to dodge your question or be rude or anything. I just wanted to open up that avenue of inquiry if you haven't thought about it already.

Oh, I did not take it as rude at all! I know what you mean, but I have been having this problem for over 15 years now. and let me say the girl is tired of it! Especially when DH says, "Honey, when are you ordering Proactiv to clear your pretty face?"
I am pretty healthy: no junk food, no soda, not a whole lot of sugar, barely any alcohol (especially now with breastfeeding). I am tired (4 month old baby and a very active almost 3 year old here).
I will try the honey suggestion and I also read about baking soda. So I will see. I don't like to use a whole lot on my skin since it is sensitive. We sahll see.
Thank you for your responses, ladies!

[SuburbanHippie]

I was plagued by acne. It all of a sudden started up when I was 28 and by the time I was 29 1/2 my face looked like the before pic in a Proactiv commercial. It was BAD. I tried everything including a round of antibiotics. It helped, but once they were done it started coming back.

Guess what changed it back to normal? My diet. I'm on a diet now (which is stricter than paleo, but similar) and now that I eliminated all those bad foods, my face is so clear. It sucks because I still get mental cravings for junk, but I would rather have clear skin (and a nice waist line ).

[mamefati28]

I have found that doing a cold splash on my face after washing it helps to close pores and has really reduced mine. It has been the #1 thing after all these years that seems to really make a difference.
Good Luck!

[lynsage]

Originally Posted by honeybun

Especially when DH says, "Honey, when are you ordering Proactiv to clear your pretty face?"
I am pretty healthy: no junk food, no soda, not a whole lot of sugar, barely any alcohol (especially now with breastfeeding). I am tired (4 month old baby and a very active almost 3 year old here).
I will try the honey suggestion and I also read about baking soda. So I will see. I don't like to use a whole lot on my skin since it is sensitive. We sahll see.
Thank you for your responses, ladies!

Your DH has been watching too many commercials. If your skin is sensitive, Proactiv will make you break out even worse than before and dry your skin horribly. You should tell him that the next time he says that to you

I have extremely sensitive skin and I find that what helps me is drinking a lot of water, rinsing my face with a cool washcloth whenever I get sweaty, and using Weleda almond cleanser occasionally when my face starts to feel oily. I do not, however, use the almond moisturizer, which is basically straight almond oil and is too heavy for my skin.

I tried Proactiv once and not only was my face burning and stinging for the rest of the day, it broke out horribly for a week after that.

[BunnySlippers]

raw honey mixed wiht olive oil for 15mins in the evening always does wonder for my skin when I start breaking out.

Alos- Weleda has a Sea Buckthorn oil that is super amazing. If I could afford to I would use it everday on my entire face. Amazing stuff

[MaryMarg]

There's a great thread about washing your face with honey to reduce acne here:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=541639

[SuburbanHippie]

I forgot to add my experience with Proactiv. When I did try it, because I was desperate, I started getting these huge cysts on my brow line. They were hard and hurt like cystic acne, but they never went away. It looked scary. My dermatologist told me to stop the Proactiv and *poof* they were gone.

[cwaddick]

Wounded Warrior ointment (from North Carolina) and...

Dietary changes can help a lot. Try a rotation diet. See if eliminating certain foods clears up your face. It could be a food allergy. Often, food allergies, when they start, cause a minor problem such as acne. You could try getting a diagnosis from an alternative chiropractor for food allergies...from mild to severe... Sometimes, even eliminating them for several weeks can "cure" some food allergies. You are still at risk for developing them again. ...It would be worthwhile to try an alt. chiropractor who does NAET... at least to diagnose the food allergies. Acne is a mild effect, so avoiding those foods might clear the problem... and it would certainly help your health in other ways.

I would like to recommend a skin care product for acne. Two, actually. I absolutely adore Wounded Warrior ointment from a company in NC. It is an aloe vera gel with some very powerful antibacterial/antifungal herbs in it, such as goldenseal. It is a gel, so a standard size bottle goes a long way, and you can use it every day. It is all natural. I use it for every skin care need... I've even put it in the corners of my eyes for pinkeye. It is perfect for my sensitive skin. You could make your own version of it with aloe vera gel and goldenseal powder and other herbs of your selection.

Another skin care product is topical gels and salves containing colloidal silver. Many people swear by it. I've used it.

I believe that the red/blue lights work for acne, such as those produced by Verilux. I have not tried them myself.

Also, Abra Therapeutics makes natural skin care products... they make several products that might help such as "Cellular Detox Lotion" and others in a Cellular Detox line.

Also, mod.skins makes several products... they have I.D. zyne gel or something like that for acne... many people report success with their all natural products. They have a twice annual 50% off sale.

Cheers,
Caitlin

[MoonStarFalling]

My acne battle went away completely after I started drinking kombucha.

Oil cleansing method, no other soaps or lotions or treatments.

A heavy dose of raw foods plus lots more water helps my skin look amazing.

Hazelwood necklaces reportedly can help.

[dex_millie]

Originally Posted by honeybun

Oh, I did not take it as rude at all! I know what you mean, but I have been having this problem for over 15 years now. and let me say the girl is tired of it! Especially when DH says, "Honey, when are you ordering Proactiv to clear your pretty face?"
I am pretty healthy: no junk food, no soda, not a whole lot of sugar, barely any alcohol (especially now with breastfeeding). I am tired (4 month old baby and a very active almost 3 year old here).
I will try the honey suggestion and I also read about baking soda. So I will see. I don't like to use a whole lot on my skin since it is sensitive. We sahll see.
Thank you for your responses, ladies!

I feel your pain. I have been dealing with acne since I was 10! So about 18 years now...it is not as bad as it use to be. Changing my diet to a healthy one helped alot. Even now you can tell when I am not eating good, my face will tell it all, it gets more bumps, puffish, ect...I always have sometype of pimple, my clearest face usually consist of little tiny pimples that cannot be seen well but I see them. Not to mention I have the tiny holes and big pores.

Right now the only things I use on my face is honey, the oil cleansing method and dr. bronners castile soap, and sometype of mud clay mask(once in a while). I wish I was more strict on washing everynight but with a nursing baby and other things to do, I sometimes skip out on the night washing thing.

Hope the honey works for you, try the OCM also, I just use it a few times a week.