In my 30's and STILL have HORRIBLE skin.

[ComaWhite]

I thought after I hit the 30 mark, after I was done being pregnant and breastfeeding, that my hormones would stabilize and for the first time in my life, I'd have clear skin.

NOPE.

I still break out horrible about a week before my period and on a regular basis to a lesser degree all of the time. I always have at least 3 blemishes on my face. Its getting old. Really old. and Embarrassing. I have translucent olive skin, so the scarring is really dark and takes weeks to fade. I look horrible. 

I have a great diet, vegetarian, get plenty of exercise.

I just use water and a washcloth because EVERYTHING makes my skin peel and crack and I use a peroxide/witchhazel toner 2x a day. I use a (100%) mineral makeup foundation a few times a week.

I should add that I also use olive squalene very sparingly to moisturize and that most products cause me to have rosacea flares.

I am really at a loss. Any suggestions? ( I am open to non-natural body care ideas)

Edited by ComaWhite - 1/7/13 at 12:22pm

[aggie pop]

Where do you live?  Before I moved to the Caribbean, I had the same problem and I took a chance with a light from Verilux.  It is like a SAD lightbox, but with red & blue light waves (iirc).  Now, I make sure to get enough sun directly on my face and it is so much better.  If I don't get enough sun, it comes right back.  Like you, mine is hormonal- I originally went on ortho tri-cyclen 15 years ago for it.  I am 11 weeks post-partum right now and doing FAM instead so I am keeping careful watch on what is going on.  I have olive skin too (Italian).  I think maybe we just need more sun on darker skin types to keep it in balance. 
 

Actually, I don't need the lightbox anymore. If you are interested, let me know.

[beeindividual]

I use a nightly rinse of a few drops of oregano oil in a small cup of water. just mix and splash on or apply with a washcloth for your back, chest, or other hard to reach areas.

it smells kind of strange, but it works like a charm! make sure you wash with a GENTLE face wash before using, as harsh exfoliators create small abrasions in the skin that will sting when you use the oregano oil. also, be sure to moisturize!

oregano oil is a powerful antiseptic and has antibacterial properties which zap existing ache and help prevent new breakouts.

good luck!

[prone_to_wander]

So the pimples that take forever to heal sounds like rosacea to me. I have it and it takes a ridiculously long time for my face to heal. Currently, I am pretty in control of my rosacea by cutting out all alcohol, gluten and dairy. I also use metrogel 2 x a day. I still have flushing at times but much less of an out break. I'd suggest meeting with a good dermatologist.

[rnra]

I was in the same boat.  I've seen so many dermatologists, tried so many regimens/products (both natural and not), and spent so long being frustrated.  Eventually I found a dermatologist who was a god-send and helped me get it under control.  Everyone else just told me to try Accutane, but I was not open to that.  For me, part of the problem was that the things I used would dry out my skin and then the dry skin somehow got worse acne and then it was a terrible downward spiral.

After years (decades) of acne, this is the routine that has finally kept it down to a low roar.  It works great, but as soon as one thing falls out of line or gets neglected, the acne is back.

1. I very rarely touch my face with my hands.  I try not to sleep on my hands/arms (unless there is a blanket between them and my face).  I also try to keep my cell phone from being right up against my skin when using it for long conversations.
2. I wash my bedding and towels every week.
3. I only use BareMinerals makeup, nothing else.
4. I shower at night.  While showering, I use Clean & Clear Continuous Control cleanser.  This cleanser is fabulous and really works.  Several of my friends swear by it.  I'm not a fan of any of their other products, but this one is great.  
5. In the AM, I do not wash my face, I simply apply Philosophy Hope in a Jar moisturizer, makeup, and then go.

If nothing else, try to stop touching your face and then the Clean & Clear Continuous Control cleanser.  Those two should make a big difference.  Good luck!

[raidercake]

Have you looked into the oil cleansing method? I am 30 and have always had crazy oily acne-prone skin. I started OCM about a year ago and it has worked wonders!!! current favorite blend is castor oil and jojoba, with one drop of lemongrass and one drop of tea tree. When I get dry skin (which has never in my life happened to me before) I add a bit of olive oil. I do OCM at night and rinse with water in the morning. After my water rinse I use jojoba and lemongrass as a moisturizer, again with a little olive oil if I feel extra dry. no more zits, no more melted off makeup by 9am, and my pores look smaller than they ever have. I'm sure your mileage may vary but it may be worth looking into. Good luck!

[Oread]

I'm in my late 20s and only just recently have seen improvements in my skin. A few things definitely seem to help

1) getting natural sunlight every day

2) don't over-wash, and I wouldn't be using a toner that often either. I wash my face in the morning and evening with a regular bar soap, then use witch hazel before bed, But beware that cheap witch hazels have lots of alcohol in them and that can bother your skin a lot, it is possible to get it without alcohol but it is much more expensive. 

3) I use oils as a moisturizer - my current blend is grapeseed, jojoba, and almond oil with a couple of drops of lavender, tea trea, and lemon essential oils. There are a huge variety of different oils that work well for different skin types. 

4) I eat Paleo. My skin was way worse when I was eating vegetarian, or even a more traditional healthy diet. Maybe acne was caused at least in part by eating lots of dairy, or the insulin spikes caused by carbs and sugar, but of course I'm not completely sure.

5) wash sheets and pillow cases frequently, and don't touch my face

[sjblanchard]

have you tried the Norwex face cloths?  They are antibacterial and NO chemicals!!!  Norwex face cloths are a microfiber cloth that is infused with silver, they are antibacterial and help get the bacteria out of the skin!

check out my website- www.susanblanchard.norwex.biz  Norwex prides themselves in being all natural, and contain no harsh chemicals!!!

Good luck!

[justmama]

This may be silly because it's so popular now but I had really bad skin into my late 20's before starting the wash with honey, moisturize with coconut oil routine that's become so popular('cause it works!).  I was 27 I think when I started.  I'm turning 32 next month and I'll never go back to anything else.  My breakouts are maybe once a month now related to my period and they are smaller and heal faster.  I realized that my skin is horribly sensitive to anything chemical instead of just oily like I thought.  I sparingly use mineral makeup(mostly just on my eyes now and nothing on my face otherwise) and wash once a day in the shower with honey and then put on coconut oil after my shower..  If you haven't tried it yet you really should.  I thought it would break me out worse because if was sugary and oily but at the time I'd had 8 or 9 pimples on my face for more than a month straight so I figured I had nothing left to lose.  I noticed a difference in my skin that first day just in the feeling alone.  Within a week all the pimples were cleared up and I had no new ones.  That's just with honey.  So I figured using the coconut oil would either make me break out like crazy again or it wouldn't but I needed some lotion of some sort.  It was amazing.  I will never go back to chemicals on my face.