I'm so tired of breaking out! Help!

[Lisalee2]

I need some advice regarding skin care. I have had acne since I was 13 and now I'm 25.

I wish it would just stop. I have tried Proactiv and for a while, it worked great. That was 4 years ago and now it just seems to have stopped working.

Does anyone else out there have any magical tricks to make me stop breaking out so much?

I am going to try to stop eating so much sugar. I have a feeling that makes me get zits so much more.

I don't know what else to do. It's just so frustrating.

[yoga]

Looking at your diet is a good idea, as the skin is usually the first organ to show signs of internal issues.

Besides sugar, what other food issues do you have? How healthy is your diet? Are you stressed out a lot?

[Viriditas]

I just wanted to say I feel your pain!

My acne didn't start until right around my 19th birthday, but now I'm 24 and I've had it consistently (with varying degrees of severity) since then. The kind I get is cystic, with really, really painful lumps that just sit under the skin without emerging or subsiding. I also used proactiv for a couple of years, but I found the result mediocre and not worth the money.

It hasn't been too bad lately. I think cutting out processed foods and refined sugar helped. I eat only vegan at home and I drink a lot of water. I've pretty much given up on complicated skin care and/or expensive products because nothing really works! Now I don't wash my face with anything but hot water (using a wash cloth to steam it), do the occasional oil cleansing (search OCM) and once in awhile a natural clay mask. I still have small breakouts and my forehead seems to be perpetually lumpy, but I haven't a big outbreak for a long, long time.

That's really all I have to offer. But I do think the more natural diet helps and if you're planning on cutting out sugar I'd say that's a good idea. I'd also recommend drinking LOTS of water!

Amy

[mischievium]

Do you have cystic acne?

I had *horrible* cystic acne through most of adolescence and tried everything (tetracycline, minocyclin, retin-a...) and the only thing that helped was Accutane. Accutane can have some pretty scary side effects (do *not* get pregnant while you are on it, it can cause birth defects) including depression. I, personally, did not have any of those side effects-- I did have very dry skin and very chapped lips while I was on it, but after 5 months, I had clear skin. Now, I get an occasional zit here or there, but that's it-- and I took Accutane over ten years ago.

[Irishmommy]

Moving this to Natural Home and Body Care...

[moss]

i get the cystic acne too. : jojoba oil really seems to have helped a LOT! i still get the occasional blemish but it's better now. i also eat low-carb (around 40g/day usually), and that's helped a LOT too. and i only use natural soaps.

i just finished reading the acne prescription by dr perricone, and i really liked his approach. it's a good read, and some of his tactics are things that i've already tried and that are helpful to minimize outbreaks. there are some supplements and topicals in the book that i'd really like to try out too (and i think they're on his website). He has some really nice alternatives to the chemical concoctions that most docs offer.

[Lisalee2]

Thanks for your replies. And thanks Irishmommy for putting this in the right forum.

I get small pimples and also the big, cystic ones. All I can say is OUCH! I really don't want to try any more chemicals. I'm using a soap now (Kiehl's) that has salicylic acid and it isn't helping, I don't want to move on to anything hardcore though.

I will update y'all on the 'cutting out sugar' deal. I definitely need to eat less refined sugar. :

[jeyer]

Have you tried the oil cleansing method? I swear, it works! I have had acne since college, and it always flares up when I get my period. I can always count on at least one huge cyst on my chin, and another on my forehead at that time of the month.

However, I've been doing the OCM for three weeks now, and no breakouts yet (knock wood). I even made it through a period!!! Plus, my skin has never been so blackhead free!

I do the OCM at night, and wipe my face with witch hazel afterward, then moisturize very lightly. In the morning I just massage and rinse my face with water, and wipe with witch hazel.

If you've never tried it, it probably sounds crazy. But it really, really works!

[Lisalee2]

Thanks jeyer for the link. I just read all 4 pages and can't wait to try it.

I want to do it tonight with just EVOO, should I wait to get some castor oil?

[Faithsmom]

witch hazel or a dab of tea tree oil on the spot usually helps me. Keeping skin soft also helps to eliminate blocked pores. Don't use anything drying. Dry skin creates a layer and traps pore clogging oil. Drink lots of water. Also, washing with a cleanser only once a day and just water the rest of the day really helps too. (if you don't wear makeup, you could probably go a day or 2 w/o cleanser)

[spacedog]

Hey..
Yup I"m 22 and have had acne since I was 13.. I remember trying to pass them off as mosquito bites sometimes! LOL
But I have cystic acne also.. I don't even know how many different soaps I tried.. I also took tetricyclene for awhile.. and that kind of helped..
Then I went to Germany for a few months and my skin NEVER looked sooo good! I think it was because I ate so well.. whole foods, things not processed.. I walked a bunch and drank alot of water.
Or maybe it was just the great german air I don't know LOL
But I agree with the witch hazel... or standing over boiling water with a towel over your head (its also great for your sinuses!)
I usually wash my face once a day with hot water.. and once with... I know its harsh. but Noxema triple clean.. it has Tricoslan in it.. which is ant-bacterial.. and thats a cause of cystic acne ... it works pretty good.. but just recently I've started breaking out again...
I think its cuz AF is back...

Well... keep the tips comin! I'd love more ideas on what to do...
I've got this one... under my nose...


Andrea

[Ruthla]

The only thing that's ever worked for me, consistently, is benzoil peroxide. Other topical treatments only dried out my skin.

I wash with a gentle soap twice a day and use benzoil peroxide (5% or 2.5%) once a day, and it usually keeps the acne away. In the wintertime, I can get away with only using the benzoil peroxide the week before af, but in the summer I need to do that all month long.

I tried the OCM once but I found it too time consuming- I wasn't able to get all the oil out and my face just felt greasy. I'm sure it would work if I really gave it a chance, but I don't currently have the patience for it.