Due to the recent influx of Paleo diet threads and general questions being asked on users logs, I thought it would be handy to have a thread dedicated to the paleo diet.

Use this thread to post questions, answers, give others tips and advice or maybe post up a few tasty recipes.

Have fun

I've had acne for over 10 years now (I'm 21), and have recently decided to attack the problem from the inside by altering my diet, thoughts, and exercise patterns. It's hard for me to keep track of what works and what doesn't as I haven't been writing down what I'm doing, so I'm hoping that this log will help me determine what is clearing me up as my skin and health continues to improve.

My acne is moderate; I get a ton of tiny whiteheads on my forehead and cheeks, random pustules here and there (mostly on my chin), and blackheads on my nose and cheeks. Occasionally I get what appears to be a cyst on my chin, but those typically come to a head and go away with some BP. Unfortunately, it seems like everything scars now, leaving rolling scars all over my face. Other than that, I think my skin is slowly improving with the changes I'm making; it just FEELS healthier than it did when I was slathering BP all over it.

~Current Topical Regimen (trying to keep it simple)~

Morning:
wash with Nourish Cleanser for only about 10 seconds
wait 5-10 minutes, apply Aczone gel
Complex 15 Moisturizer
Active Manuka Honey 16+ on actives

Evening:
same as morning

Supplements:

Breakfast:
Probiotic
250 mg Niacinamide
200 mcg Chromium
1 tbsp hemp oil
1200 mg lecithin

Lunch:
B-Complex with 500 mg Vit. C
HCL

Dinner:
200 mg Magnesium Glycinate
50 mg R-Lipoic Acid
250 mg Niacinamide
400 IU Vit. E
100 mcg Selenium
200 mcg Chromium
HCL

Few Hours After Dinner:
2 ViraStop capsules

Supps I've Tried:
Carlson's Cod Liver Oil capsules (1 per day gave me hive-like acne in weird spots)
Nature Made Vitamin E 400 IU (added 8/24): no effect
Nature Made Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc 3x daily (added 6/21): no effect
GNC Zinc 50 mg (added 6/21): made me break out along my jawline SO BADLY
Nature Made Vitamin C 1000 mg (for stress): switched to Quercetin + C
Swanson Full Spectrum Bitter Melon 500 mg 2x daily (added 6/30): did nothing and tasted gross
NOW Vitamin D 5000 IU (kept me healthy, did little for my skin)
Digestive Enzymes (did nothing)

~Diet (started food intolerance test diet Jan. 12th, revising February 12th)~

Breakfast:
hot buckwheat cereal with dried mulberries and 1/2 tbsp hemp protein powder, with glass of hemp milk

Lunch:
mixed green salad with tuna and broccoli, celery, green pepper, sauerkraut, extra virgin olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar
or 2-3 cups steamed kale and collards with garlic, 1/2 can salmon and 2 tbsp olive oil

Dinner:
baked turkey breast or bison burger with steamed broccoli, zucchini, collards and kale, with 2 tbsp olive oil and garlic

Drinks:
spring water, hemp milk, rooibos and kava tea, occasional rum or wine

Snacks:
celery, kiwi, green apple, baby carrots, goji berries, blueberries, strawberries, cacao nibs

I also add a few shakes of sea salt to every meal.

I work out almost every morning 1/2 hour after breakfast. My workout consists of about 15 minutes of yoga stretches, and about 15 minutes of running on an elliptical machine at the highest intensity possible. I also don't drive so I walk EVERYWHERE.

My goal is to keep things under control and minimize scarring until I grow out of this. Here goes!

~~~~~~~

Old diet: chicken, salmon, tuna, eggs, spinach, broccoli, green bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, steel cut oats, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chick peas, brown basmati rice, brown rice pasta, quinoa, sprouted whole wheat bread, Icelandic butter, occasional Thai food (love it!), coconut oil, cacao nibs, 85%+ dark chocolate, and a ton of chia seeds

Drinks: water, rooibos tea, hemp milk, coconut milk kefir, occasional rum, beer, wine or vodka

Low-GI, Anti-Inflammatory diet
No dairy
No added sugar
No gluten
Limited alcohol

~Typical day~

Breakfast:
organic steel cut oats with oat bran, walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, raisins and dried cranberries (I eat this almost every morning)

Lunch:
eggs scrambled with frozen veggie mix (pea pods, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, carrots, mushrooms, soybeans) and spices (lemongrass, green tea, ginger, pepper) in coconut oil, sprinkle brewer's yeast on top
or
spinach and romaine salad with tuna, broccoli, green peppers, and chia seeds with olive oil and raw apple cider vinegar dressing, sprinkle brewer's yeast on top

Snack:
prunes, strawberries, cacao nibs, brazil nuts, sprouted wheat toast with Icelandic butter

Dinner:
baked salmon with wild rice and mixed veggies, seasoned with ginger and turmeric
or
baked chicken with wild rice and mixed veggies, seasoned with ginger, garlic and oregano and drizzled with olive oil

Hullo.
I'm 24 yrs old, have had acne since about 12, & like everyone else I've tried everything also.

Except doing nothing.

When I first saw the log with the kid who decided to teach his acne "a lesson" by abstaining from doing anything to recover it, even washing with water.. I thought this boy is BONKERS!

Well, I did some research & alas, it makes oddly perfect sense.

[I'm not going to rehash what's already been written..check this most informative post here:

acne.org/messageboard/Natural-Regimen-t222372.html]


So right now I am going to wean off of topical products. Today is the first day in a very very very extremely really very long time that I will not wash my face before going to bed. HOWEVER, I'm cheating because I applied Burt's spot treatment on 2 spots. But just two spots!

I only washed my face (with Eucrin Redness Reducing Cleanser..) this morning. Now, BED!

I feel liberated! Hopefully things look ok in the morn... Will update! Also took pics of me now, I'll post those too.

-erica

Why am I doing this, honestly, it's because I'm frustrated. I never had acne until turning 20 and am now almost 23, everday I wake up I want to rip my face off and go back to the days when my face was normal. I've tried all different regimens, things that are too harsh dry my face, take a simplistic approach and I have oil and dead skin everywhere. I've been to 3 derms and they all give different things that never really work. I feel like I have every symptom or diet problem that all these forums proclaim and it just makes me crazy to the point that I have no idea what is really good for my face anymore, so basically I'm quitting, since my face doesn't want to be clean and clear than I won't make it, I'm going to teach it a lesson by not washing it for a month starting actually two days ago the 10th. I know that whatever the outcome will be it will be interesting along the way and I'm trying to look at it as a scientific experiment, maybe leaving it alone will help healing weak acne prone skin? who knows, I don't. As of right now my skin isn't breaking out very badly, I never really have bad acne just bad skin texture and little bumps but if I wash too much than I break out. So my nose is oily and has alot of dead skin and my cheeks are oily and have little bumps I have some dry skin around my mouth too, so we'll see what happens when leaving it all alone for a while.

You can always PM me if you have any questions.
IT TOOK ME 3 MONTHS ON THIS DIET TO SEE ANY IMPROVEMENTS.
*If you're interested in a Verilux acne light, PM me

After a year of having this blog, I believe my skin cleared up from my diet. I eliminated my allergy foods that were acquired from an allergy test and stopped having cystic acne. Also I believe zinc and drinking water has attributed to my clearer skin.



Vitamins I take:
Zinc [100 mg] (Not really anymore)
Orthotricyclen Lo


What I put on my face (what I liked):
Papaya Likas Soap
PCA Pigment Bar
Raw Honey
Neem oil (only on huge cystic pimples)
BP 10% Spot Treatment
Sea Salt + Water Spot Treatment
50% & 70% Lactic peels 1-2x a week

I don't wear sunscreen. That always breaks me out.
I don't wear moisturizer because I haven't found one that doesn't break me out either.

(I do not recommend a BP 10% wash because it may cause too much irritation and leaves red marks LONGER. BP 10% forms free-radicals and can damage your skin but I love spot treatments too much.)


My diet:
Sugar is a major cause of acne for me. I did an experiment by eating a box of sugary candy when my skin was relatively clear and in the next couple of days, I broke out badly. When my acne was at its worst, around 2006-2007, I was eating ice cream (dairy-sugar), fruit juices, frozen dinners (processed), and junk food every single day. I had no idea that my diet could have any relation to my skin. I thought it was only because of my hormones. You may think fruit juices are healthy, but it can have more sugar than a can of soda and only 10% juice. Having a high fat diet, even healthy fats, increases the oil on my face and ends up with clogged pores. I read that people with acne have problems with processing fats. Taking vitamin B5 will help that by creating more Coenzyme A, which helps with metabolizing fat and decreasing the oil on your face.

High Glycemic Index foods are a no no! This connects with sugar. When you eat foods like that, your blood sugar spikes and everything will get out of whack. Carbs contain sugar, believe it or not. Your vegetables and fruits contain sugar and can create a response. The worst foods to spike your blood sugar is processed foods like white bread, cereals and white flour. White flour is useless for nutrition in your body and only creates inflammation which you want to avoid. Please, don't listen to the commercials that say cereal is healthy, it is far from it. They just stick fake minerals and vitamins in it. I did a test with eating potatoes in my meals and ending up breaking out. Potatoes have a high G.I and so do bananas. When I was trying to get down green smoothies, bananas were the only thing that made them drinkable but I started to notice I was breaking out more like on my chin. Bananas have a lot of sugar in them and many people connect them with chin break outs. I currently avoid fruits. I am not a sugar person. After changing my diet, I don't have a craving for sugar. Sugar is so bad for you. It is connected to obesity and the inflammation it creates can lead to other diseases.

I am sensitive to iodine also. Foods that include iodine are kelp, dairy, eggs, strawberries, spinach, meat, fish, poultry and salt. I have eaten all of those foods but no longer do because I have connected them to break outs in the past. I used to follow Dr. Perricone's diet of eating salmon everyday, but I was still breaking out badly and when I cut out salmon, my breakouts subsided. I believe that was because salmon has iodine in it. That is why going vegan is your best bet to getting clear, for me anyways. Iodine is a known mineral to create acne. That is why it is so sad seeing people reading on a specific website that encourages iodine therapy where you take high doses of it. Everyone on that complains of debilitating breakouts, give up and end up with the scars of it. I took spirulina. Spirulina is the hottest new health food saying it the most healthiest thing in the world. It may be, but again, not for someone with acne. Spirulina has a high amount of iodine and the second day on it, I woke up with 7-12 new pimples. I asked people online why it would do that and they said it was just my body cleansing itself. I am glad I didn't believe them and just stopped. That is why you need to research everything you put in your body or you'll end up with the consequences I did. Another example of how idione was snuck into my diet, was when I tried Astaxanthin. Again, Astaxanthin was marketed out to be the healthiest antioxidant in the world, even helping cancer. Hey, if it can help cancer, it can surely help acne, right? Hmm, not really. It is a micro algae which contains iodine. It also comes from fish, again, containing iodine.

I am sensitive to wheat. Everyone is saying how whole wheat is the most healthy thing in the world! Well, not if you have acne. For all you know, that could be a big trigger if you have an allergy to it. It doesn't even have to be the throat closing allergic reaction. It can be a simple sinus headache, like I would get. After I would eat whole wheat pasta, I would get a horrible headache right between my eyes. I later got an allergy test and wheat came up on the list. They say that wheat can create a spike in blood sugar and results in the production of too much insulin, causing inflammation. This again, connects to sugar. Inflammation is a major cause of acne. If you are eating bad foods or allergic to them, they will create inflammation. Even eating bad foods can disrupt hormones and create acne.

I avoid soy. The hot new food item is soy and I am staying away. I used to drink soy milk and eat soy products until I read that it can disrupt your hormones in both males and females. Soy is also the highest contaminated and GMO (genetically modified, not good) food. Having it listed on my allergy test helps me avoid it too, ha.

In 2009, I finally got an allergy food test. What they do is the prick test. They take little needles with the food enzyme on it and prick your back. If it gets inflamed, you are allergic. If they aren't sure if you're allergic, they can draw blood from your arm and test it that way. My results were: wheat, oats, corn, rice, soy, tomato and strawberry. Wheat and corn and rice are all grains, so that doesn't surprise me. However, I still eat brown rice a lot and do notice a sinus headache afterward, but don't break out from it. I really hope people with acne start getting this more often!

I have tried a countless number of vitamins and minerals. I have a huge box in my kitchen containing all the vitamins that I thought would clear my skin. This includes, selenium, b-complex, green tea, black cohosh, vitamin a, c, d, e, evening primrose oil, fish oil, calcium, b12, b6, ginko, psyillium husks, msm, alpha lipoic acid, DMAE, chromium, zinc and milk thistle. That's a lot of vitamins and a lot of money down the drain. I wouldn't have cared so much if the only bad thing I got from it was money loss, but that wasn't the only bad thing that happened. I have had bad reactions to DMAE, ginko, fish oil and milk thistle. The worst was DMAE, hands down. I read that it can make depression worse, but I didn't think it would do anything to me. I took it for about 2-3 days and by the third day, I felt the most depressed I had ever felt in my entire life. It scared me so much. I am so glad I knew it was the DMAE. Ginko biloba said it was an antioxidant that can help fight free radicals, so I thought that was good for me. I ended up having really bad jitters and felt nervous the whole time. I had the same reaction with green tea since it contains caffeine. Caffeine is not good for you or your skin. Every single time I started taking fish oil, I ended up with huge cystic acne that were the size of a dime. I have tried it more than once to see if it was just a coincidence, but it wasn't. That is proof my body doesn't like fats. Milk thistle was a bad thing to choose when on birth control. I have been on birth control since late 2006 to try and help my acne. I do enjoy taking my birth control because I can skip my period and when I'm on my period, I break out a lot. Milk thistle cleans out your liver and won't accept the birth control. I ended up with huge break outs because of it. Right now, I am only taking B5 and Zinc. I have been taking Zinc for a year now. It is known to help repair the skin and help with inflammation. It is not a cure all seeing how I still broke out on it.

In a nut shell, I avoid:
-dairy,
-processed foods like t.v dinners,
-fast food,
-refined sugar,
-wheat,
-corn,
-soy,
-inflammation promoting foods,
-meat,
-fish,
-poultry,
-eggs,
-fruit juices,
-iodine,
-tomatoes,
-high G.I foods (potatoes, rice, white flour, etc),
-things that have ingredients I can't pronounce or isn't natural.

Ask yourself before choosing a meal, "Will this hurt or help my body?" Let's face it, there's no nutrition in cookies or cheetos. I believe sugar is a BIG part of the diet you should cut down on. Why is this important? Because a rapid rise in blood sugar causes an insulin response in the body, which then causes an inflammatory response. Acne is inflammatory.

Summary of my skin type
Typical story of getting it at 13, accutane at 15, came back.
The first photo I have of my acne

My breakouts first started on my forehead and nose then migrated to my cheeks and finally on my jaw line and mouth.
I have sensitive skin so benzoyl peroxide washes and spot treating with salicylic acid would give me chemical burns.
I DO NOT USE PRESCRIPTIONS CREAMS OR PRESCRIBED PILLS FROM DERMATOLOGIST.
THIS LOG IS ABOUT DIET CHANGE AND HOLISTIC APPROACHES.


Photos from 2006-2007 with acne at its worst
Prom
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

MY LOG IN REVIEW (so you don't have to look through all those pages!!)

[January 2007 compared to September 2008]
http://i36.tinypic.com/k70ok.png
I am washing with Papaya Likas Whitening Soap for my red marks and alba green tea and aloe lotion + kiss my face peaches and cream alpha hydroxy 8%.
I do my acne light for 15 minutes everyday.

[September - October 2008]
I have been basically clear except rare single pimples by my mouth. Otherwise NO breakouts on my cheeks or chin!
I even stopped taking my vitamins for a week and still clear.

[November 2007 compared to November 2008]
(P.s.- 2008 photos I have no active acne. The spots are all hyperpigmentation)
#1 comparison
#2 comparison
Chin comparison
Lovely cystic acne 2007

[December 2008]
I had a horrible break out [Dec 14] everywhere I put a chemical peel I did at home.
After peel
DEC 23 with makeup
Dec 22 again
Those makes me cringe ^
Merry Christmas, huh?
I started drinking lemon water in the morning and putting lemon over my acne. I also started doing apple fasts for 3 days. Not sure if the apple fasts work but my acne is basically cleared up in 2 weeks.
Dec 27


[January 2009]
2006 - 2009 Left side
2006-2009 Right side
2006-2009 Front

It's been one year since I stumbled across Acne.org and you know what? I'm finally clear again.
I take my makeup off with Papaya Likas Soap. I exfoliate with the Clairsonic Brush but not everyday because I would get little tears in my skin. I use ground nutmeg and honey as a mask to lighten the pigmentation. I drink lemon water. I use Jojoba oil to moisturize and aloe vera gel over that. I also use Rosewater over oily areas. I spot treat with 10% BP and mint julep mask.

Having acne is bittersweet. It has broken me down emotionally many times over the past 7 years but I have learned so much about myself in the process. It has made me take control of my health and realize that acne can be eliminated by eating healthy and taking care of yourself.
I'm currently focusing on lightening the pigmentation left behind.


[Feb 2009]
Front
Side
Feb 2009 compared to Feb 2007
In February my birth control changed to Ortho-tricyclen Lo and I broke out in big cystic hormonal zits. I think it was from the fish oil because it was SO huge and reminded me of the last time I took fish oils I broke out in bigger than life zits.
But then it healed :)


[March 2009]
I read so much on Spirulina and the health benefits but obviously not the part where it contains iodine which can aggravate acne. I took it for a couple days and woke up with about 9 new zits. I stopped it and then took it again to see if really was the cause.
It was.
I broke out really bad all over my chin and by my mouth. Thankfully I healed from it in about two weeks. Learned my lesson!
http://i41.tinypic.com/2gwyxx3.png
http://i43.tinypic.com/29oiuir.png




[April2009]
I started taking Astaxanthin at the start of the month and am pleased with my skin! I also started washing my face with manuka honey along with African black soap.

Right side http://i39.tinypic.com/2qjgbb8.png
Left http://i39.tinypic.com/2wqeqo9.png

http://i42.tinypic.com/2r1zp8m.png
http://i42.tinypic.com/11h835w.png
http://i43.tinypic.com/330zlhl.png

http://i44.tinypic.com/28v7xw7.png
http://i40.tinypic.com/ornrs3.png
http://i42.tinypic.com/dvlovq.png


[June 2009]
This month I learned about neem oil, oregano oil and lavender oil. Since I started using neem oil my breakouts have stopped in their tracks. I also started taking p. husks. My red marks have faded nicely probably from the vitamin e oil.
2007-2009

[July 2009]
July was a good month. On the 13th I got my first microdermabrasion and I believe I see some difference in my skin. I do not get cystic acne anymore but rather small pimples. It is such a relief.
Front:
http://i26.tinypic.com/34hhr9e.png
No inflammation! My face would always be red as if I was in a constant panic attack or was running a mile but now it's better.

1 year ago (look at those sores!)
http://i25.tinypic.com/nd8n74.png

face:
http://i28.tinypic.com/30tm3r4.png

I can't believe that red mark on the left photo is still there a year later.

07-now
http://i25.tinypic.com/ruw7li.png

[August 2009]
The only breakout I have had this month is from PMS and those went away pretty fast.
Otherwise my skin is clear. I stopped wearing makeup this month also.


[September 2009]
I tried grapeseed oil on my skin and it broke me out :(. Not any cystic pimples but rather annoying pin sized zits in random places.

FRONT: http://i33.tinypic.com/2q2fg5l.png
SIDE: http://i34.tinypic.com/24g2k48.png
SIDE: http://i33.tinypic.com/wi3lur.png
JANUARY COMPARED TO SEPTEMBER: http://i35.tinypic.com/b97m2r.png
JANUARY COMPARED TO SEPTEMBER: http://i35.tinypic.com/21nlkdu.png

This month has been great. Since including the acai pills, I haven't gotten any cystic acne. Pretty weird.

[October 2009]
I had a box of sugary candy and maybe two days later, I had a HUGE breakout. It showed me that I'm not cleared because of my age but from my diet. That breakout healed and my skin is back to being clear.

[November 2009]
I started my lactic acid 55% peels this month. I still don't really break out anymore unless I am dumb and prod and poke a small zit that gets irritated and blows up.

[January 2010]
Here is a photo from 2006-2010 of the right side of my face. Surprisingly, they are all around Dec-Feb, winter months.
One long struggle
http://i46.tinypic.com/6f8bpw.png



Good Carbohydrates
Almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts
Apples, peaches, pears and plums
Blueberries, cantaloupe and blackberries
Asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, spinach
Beans black, kidney or lima
Slow cooked Oatmeal (not instant)

Bad Carbohydrates
Breads, Processed Cereals
Fruit Juices and Dried Fruit
Grapes, Oranges, Banana
Carrots, Peas, Corn, Potatoes
Rice, Pasta
Pancakes, Waffles

* Eat 20 to 30 grams of fiber every day �€œFiber helps keep the colon clean and may remove toxins from the body before they reach the skin.
* Eat a low fat diet �€œThe cultures whose natural diet was low in fat, had less acne, and high fat consumption may elevate hormone levels in the body that cause blemishes on the skin.
* Avoid peanut products �€œPeanut products were found to cause acne flare ups in a study of 500 adolescents.
* Avoid fried foods Fried foods were found to caused break outs.
* Limit salt intake especially table salt or iodized salt �€œ Many people with acne have elevated levels of iodine, found in table salt, in their blood stream during acne flare ups.
* Avoid highly salty sacks such as chips, lunch meats, canned foods, and salted popcorn �€œThese foods are high in salt and, in some cases, fat.
* Avoid dairy products such as milk, cheese and ice cream
* Avoid highly processed carbohydrates such as sodas, candy, and baked goods �€œHigh carbohydrate foods raise the level of insulin in the blood and elevated insulevel may raise the levels of acne causing hormones in the body.

In addition to following the acne diet suggestions, taking the following supplements are proposed to also help prevent acne:

* Vitamin A (may be toxic consult your doctor first)
* Vitamin E
* Vitamin B6
* Selenium
* Zinc
* Omega-3 Fatty Acid
* Chromium


Websites I recommend:
My favorite site for nutritional stats
Best acne remedies
Favorite Table of Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load
Good nuritrion info
Carbs, Glycemic Index & Glycemic Load
Large nutritional listing database
Lists tons of info on food
My favorite GI listing
Favorite food and acne tips
Articles on acne

Lists low GI recipes and charts
Database of food labels & tells if harmful
Seppo Pussa
Natural beauty tips
Nutrional advice
Use to search acne articles

This is not a personal log; its purpose is to log the results of people experimenting with colostrum. I will be keeping track of everyone who is experimenting and update their progress here. If you want to be added, please PM me. Information that is tracked: (1) name, (2) start date (3) dosage history and method, is a history because some might increase/decrease the dosage after a certain time, and we want to keep track of those changes, as well as how it was consumed (method) (4) results history, it is a history to know how fast the changes haooebed, and if it peaked after a certain time, (5) other factors, some might say that there were other factors involved in their progress, maybe they started to take another supplement/diet change/etc at the same time, (6) acne description

Name: JayQ
Start Date: Dec 10th, 09
Dosage History and method:
- Dec 10th, 09: 6 teaspoons a day. Symbiotic brand, powder. Empty stomach.
Results History: Too soon to tell.
Other Factors: Still taking 50mg of zinc everynight, and using AHA at night and morning, spot treating with benzaclin.
Acne Description: I have always had it on my chin and near mouth, and currently have mild acne on chin and on cheeks.


Name: dancedd
Start Date: Dec 8th, 09
Dosage History and method:
- Dec 8th, 09: 1 teaspoon twice a day. Symbiotic brand, powder. Empty stomach.
- Dec 15th, 09: 3 teaspoons twice a day. Symbiotic brand, powder. Empty stomach.
Results History: to early to tell.
Other Factors: I am still taking cod liver oil (3 teaspoons), multivitamin, zinc (50mg), vitamin C (500mg) and milk thistle. (note: I took these long before I started colostrum).
Acne Description: Acne only on the face and some on neck areas. I have moderate (sometimes mild) acne all over my face for the last 15 years.


Name: LittleTweety
Start Date: Dec 13, 2009
Dosage History and method:
- December 13th-14th: 1 tsp under tongue
- December 15th: 1 tbsp under tongue, approx 1 tsp in capsule form
- December 16th: 1 tbsp in morning + approx. 1 tsp in capsule form & 1 tbsp at night
- December 17th: 1 tbsp taken in capsule form; once in am, once in pm
- December 20th: dropped to 6g a day
**(Always on empty stomach)
My colostrum is 2000mg/tsp, so I am taking about 12 grams/day
Results History: Nothing noticeable yet.
Other Factors: I only use water to cleanse and jojoba to moisturize my skin. I plan to do periodic water fasting over the next month or so while continuing to ingest colostrum. I try to cut out from my diet: sugar, dairy, bread/baked treats, pasta, corn, and potatoes (though so far have been inconsistent). I try to drink a green smoothie for breakfast each day.
Acne Description: Isolated spots can pop up anywhere, though usually not on forehead or nose. You can see pictures in my gallery.


Name: Upon a December
Start Date: Dec. 10, 09
Dosage History and method: 3tsp a day. Symbiotic brand, powder. Empty stomach.
Results History: Too soon
Other Factors: 50mg of zinc, 2,000-4,000 IU Vitamin D (cholecalciferol), natural skin care regimen.
Acne Description: Whiteheads on chin and neck and small pimples on sides of face. Also lots of whiteheads on my shoulders. I've had acne for 5-6 years now.


Name: skiz
Start Date: Dec. 15, 09
Dosage History and method: 1.5 tsp twice a day (3 grams total per day). Symbiotic powder. Empty stomach.
Results History: too soon
Other Factors: 1 carlsons fish oil pill a day
Acne Description: Forehead/temples prone to big lingering pustules (temples based on foods, forehead i'm not sure). Jaw line gets cysts/pustules that leave a mark for a long time if certain foods are consumed. Reactive to a bunch of foods, especially certain kinds of fats and oils. Seems like a react worse to milk than cheese for some reason (lactose?). Seems like any oils I eat I can feel on my face within hours.


Name: Pimple Popper MD
Start Date: Dec 11 09
Dosage History and method: Symbiotic Colostrum + capsules, 6 per day (2880 mg)
Results History: Too soon to tell
Other Factors: 1 zinc tablet and 1 fish oil tablet every day
I also started the "no-wash" regimen a few days before I started taking the Colostrum, so my face had a major initial breakout that was probably effected by both the Colostrum "die-off" and discontinuing Benzoyl Peroxide. Also, I've slowly increased the colostrum dosage to the full recommended dosage.
Acne Description: Got acne at age 20, but throughout the four years I've had it, I've been able to keep it in a mild-moderate state with the aid of BP. Last year my back cleared up completely on it's own, but my face has remained "acne-prone". Right now my face is littered with little pimples from going off BP cold-turkey. Have to wait and see what happens, for better or worse.


Name: kickingacne
Start Date: Dec 16th, 09
Dosage History and method: 12 capsules of 35% IgG a day
Results History: Can't tell yet
Other Factors: Doing the regime aswell, started last month and going well.
Acne Description: moderate


Name: dave611
Start Date: Dec. 11th, 2009
Dosage: 3-4grams before breakfast(empty stomach)
Results: Too early
Other factors: Niacin No Flush 500mg daily. Healthy diet low sodium and sugar. Workout 5-6 days a week. Retin-a .025 at night.
History: Mild acne, 3-4 pustals a month with some closed comodeons that form into small whitheads.


Name: pitymeplease
Start Date: Dec 16th, 09
Dosage History and method:
- Dec 16th: Symbiotics, capsule form, (3) capsules 3x per day. Capsule size, the Supplement Facts panel says Colostrum Plus and under Amount Per Serving: 960mg
Results History: too early
Other Factors: Minimal facial products. Washing with Dan's Cleanser once every other day or once a day, moisturizing liberally with Jojoba oil.
Acne Description: Moderate, consistent acne for 11 years, started at the age of 12-13. Not limited to any specific region of the face. Diet at the onset of puberty was very bad, fast food and sugar galore mixed with a very active lifestyle. Limited chest/back acne, not worth mentioning (although I did, for the sake of science).


Name: PsYhIOn
Start Date: Dec 8th, 09
Dosage History and method:
-Dec 8th, 09: 8 X 480mg symbiotics colostrum per time, before breakfast and evening. I take the pills in the morning, and unscrew the capsules to take the powder inside at night. I started at 2 capsules per time, initially, and slowly increased to 4 times the dosage over around 1 week.
Results History: too early to tell.
Other Factors: Taking Zinc (30mg) and 200mg Vitamin C. Adding omega 3 soon. Currently cutting out on sugary foods/junk foods, although that hasn't helped much before.
Acne Description: Mild-moderate. Lots of blackheads, few whiteheads, get a few pastules and papules once every few days, cystic acne maybe once fornightly.


Name: steve.n
Start Date: December 9th, 2009
Dosage History and method:
-December 9th: 3 teaspoons twice a day, mixed it up with a shaker.
Results History: I had my first little breakout last night, (2009-12-16) since taking this, so it's been good so far.
Other Factors:
Acne Description: I had severe acne then became moderate in early 2009, it drastically improved (no idea why, I'm only 19, so I'm guess I'm growing out of this). Then mid-2009, it worsened, then got drastically better once again. Currently, I would classify my acne as mild.


Name: andersoj
Start Date: Dec 13th, 09
Dosage History and method:
- Dec 13th: 3 grams of symbiotic powder twice a day.
Results History: None yet with Colostrum.
Other Factors:
Acne Description: 0-5 active pimples at a time, typically occurring around my chin and forehead.


Name: venam
Start Date: Dec 20th, 09
Dosage History and method:
- Dec 20th: 6 grams of symbiotic powder a day. Taken with water on empty stomach.
Results History: too early to tell
Other Factors: started taking cold liver oil (8,000 IU vit A, 1,000 IU vit D), along with 5200 mg of EPO, and 2400 mg of lecithin the same day. Have been taking 50 mg of zinc, 1,000 mg of tuarine, 2-3,000 mg of fish oil for months, as well as eating a dairy free, grain free diet (paleo + tubers) for months (it helped, but didn't get me completely clear). Been using BP for years.
Acne Description: 0-5 active pimples at a time, typically occurring around my chin and forehead.


Name: jay6 (jkun)
Start Date: 22nd of December, 2009.
Dosage History and method: 600mg per day in capsule form.
Other Factors: Fish Oil,zinc, DIM, Vitamins. On a healthy diet and use Benzoyl Peroxide daily.
Results History: Got 100% clear.
Acne Description: White heads on jaw line and around mouth. Mild.


Name: BrissygGuy
Start Date: 9th December
Dosage History and method: 2 teaspoons a day
Results History: Too soon to tell (experiencing initial breakouts from die off)
Other Factors: Supplements (Zinc, b5, BComplex, Milk Thistle, Multivitamin, Fibre, fishies yay.
Acne Description: Mild acne recently aggravated in the past year


Name: Swits
Start Date: December 24 2009
Dosage History and method: 1 teaspoon (1.5grams) twice per day. One when I wake up, and one before bed.
Results History: Toxin dieoff, breaking out on unusual spots like my neck and bicep. I also have more active acne on my forehead and jawline
Other Factors: 1300mg of Borage Oil Capsules, 1000mg of EPA/DHA from fish oil, B100 complex, 50mg zinc, 1000 UI vitamin D
Acne Description: moderate-severe, had acne since i was 12 or 13, currently 17. acne is largely genetic. I tend to breakout in certain areas then clearup, but breakout in different areas. At the moment its just the forehead and jawline.

Name: AussieSmile
Start date: December 15 2009
Dosage history and method: Two teaspoons morn, two teaspoons night= 6g total
Results history: Started off at 15g for 3 days. Broke out on jawline and neck, had sore throat, headache, excessive mucus=die off i guess.
Other factors: 44 mg zinc, ALA 400 mg, .org regimen
Acne description: Had acne since 13-14, currently 17 and now it is severely moderate. Was mostly around cheeks, nose and chin area. Since Colostrum, it has changed to jawline and neck.


Name: Joris
Start Date: 4 jan 2010
Dosage History and method: Symbiotics Plus powder 21oz , empty stomach:
Day 1: 2x3.5g a day (7 grams a day)
Day 12: 2x4g (8 grams a day)
Day 20: 2x6g (12 grams a day)
Day 28: 2x5g (10 grams a day)
Results History:
Red marks and skin tone improved. Also energy increased.
Day 1-12: clearing up
Day13-15: breakout on weird places (IB)
Day15-28: little bit of clearing up. Sometimes some breakouts
Day28-32: Ill - Really big breakout. Also got some bacne (first ever)
Day32-currently: Breakout healed quickly. Still ill though. But face still looks better as when i began.
Other Factors: None
Acne Description: Moderate
2-6zits/cysts a day. Jawline, around mouth, between ears and eyes and down, forehad (getting rolling scars there for a few months now) and blackheads on nose





Name: Jay326
Start Date: January 6th, 2010
Dosage: 4g twice daily
Results: did not continue colostrum because his condition was worsening (some may say is an initial reaction, since he did not stay long in colostrum).
Other Factors: Fish oil and multi vitamin
Description: I've had acne for about 4 years now, I get it everywhere on my face and on my shoulders/back



Name: amyelizabeth94
Start Date: Dec 22, 2009
Dosage History and method: 5 grams a day. Symbiotic brand, capsules. Empty stomach. 6 pills in morning and 2 at night.
Results History: Started to experience what may be die off effects this week. Headache, very tired, mild sore throat, and a few new spots on my upper lip (where I never really get acne). Still getting about 1-2 new zits on cheeks each day which is normal.
Other Factors: Terrible diet over the holidays, but back on track this week
50mg of zinc
1 multi-vitamin
2 fish oil pills
2 probiotics
Drinking 8 oz of aloe vera juice daily (for about 2 months)
Drinking Dong Quai tea (started today)
Vitex Extract (started today)
250 mg of Ashwagandha
Using mandelic acid night and morning, spot treating with 2.5% BP.
Using topical Aloe Vera from the plant
Acne Description: I never had acne until about 7 months ago. I was under tons of stress and my diet was terrible (fast food 2-3 times a day). I developed closed comedones and popped them like crazy. I used Murad's acne line and it turned to cystic acne on cheeks and jawline. At the moment, my closed comedones are greatly reduced, but I still get 1-2 new large zits each day on my cheeks or jawline. Forehead and chin are completely clear.


Name: thehalfdollarman
Start Date: 12.24.09
Dosage History and method:
- 12.24.09: 6g morning/6g night. Symbiotic brand, powder. Empty stomach.
Results History: Too soon to tell.
Other Factors: Dead Sea Salt bath, face wash, 90% healthy diet, green smoothies.
Acne Description: Mild acne - face mostly clear, red marks. Mild/moderate acne on back, lots of red marks, 2-4 active zits at any one time.


Name: MicroLoad
Start Date: December 24, 2009
Dosage: 4g twice daily
Results: Too early to tell.. but i haven't had any major cystic breakouts on my face since starting this which is rare.
Other Factors: multi vitamin and fish oil
Description: had acne since i was 12. has gotten MUCH worse in recent months.

Name: Mikeanite
Start Date: 01/02/2010
Dosage History and method:
01/02 - took capsule symbiotic brand 6 capsule a day.
01/06 - switch it to symbiotic powder 2 spoon a day
Results History: too soon to tell
Other Factor: just starting to be on a anti-Candida diet
Acne Description: started when i was 12 now 25. acne on all over face and neck. the last week, been having initial breakouts?

Name: maxxie
Start Date: 13th Jan 2010
Dosage History and method: 3 teaspoons, twice daily, Symbiotics colostrum
Results History: Skin feels a little smoother, a few tiny whiteheads (one on arm, neck and face) they seem to dissapear as quicky has i notice them. Slight headache for a couple of days but not sure if its the colostrum.
Other Factors: Supplements: zinc and arctium, vitamin c, fish oil, copper. Also healthy diet (not anti-candida).
Acne Description: Had acne for about 2 years but wasnt bad until a year ago. Pretty calm probably 85% clear. Mostly on neck but a couple of spots on face at a time.

Name: Dcfutbol2
Start Date: 12/29/09
Dosage History and method: 2-3 grams in morning and night on empty stomach
Results History: too early to tell
Other Factors: great diet,organic apple cider vinegar, and Zinc
Acne Description: Was severe, with change of diet I got 85% clear, hoping colostrum will give me that last 15%.

General format (for copy-and-paste:)

Name:
Start Date:
Dosage History and method:
Results History:
Other Factors:
Acne Description:

Today I will start taking Vilantae

For those who dont know, Vilantae works off the "B5 megadose" theory. It has lots of other vitamins as well as B5 too to help clearing and not cause deficiencies.

So, I will be taking 5g a day for 3 days then moving up to the 10g max.

I expect to see results in around 2-3 weeks.

So today is day one.

DAY 1
Began taking. No side effects immediately evident. I have 2 papules symmetrically on either side of my face, plus lots of other bumps and rough skin.

Feel free to comment and ask questions.

I want to get back to eating more healthfully but all the different info regarding diet has me feeling a little overwhelmed & unsure. Rather than doing a complete overhaul of my eating habits, I want to start gradually with a few things at first & build on that... Maybe focus on making sure I drink enough water & cut out sugar as much as possible???

First off, I want to say my skin cleared before I came to this board. So this isn't a log of my progress, at least not with acne.

And I did most of my research several years ago and don't always remember the reasons for everything. Especially about how each nutrient helps and each bad food like HFCS harms. Besides, it so complicated, it's impossible to recall it all at any given moment.

The body is a system with a lot of processes. It has processes to deal with crap, but it can only deal with so much and we've been bombarding our with poor diet, sedentary lifestyle or extreme physical activity, poor sleep, binge eating, etc. Any number of changes can be enough to get it functioning enough that your skin clears. But don't stop there.

Anyway, I reread old threads and discover things I'd forgotten all the time. Often in my own posts! So I've gathered links to a lot of very valuable discussions and placed them in these threads:
Good things thread. Short. For when you only have time for the Answers:
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Good-t230714.html
Much more detail with links to threads full of research:
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Tangled-w...ne-t224452.html
Food and beneficial nutrients and how to get them:
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Food-and-...17#entry2356817

Diet: This is what everyone should do. Everyone. Not just about acne. Acne is not the most important thing.

The main thing is to cut out processed foods and drinks with their bad fats, and nutritionally void refined carbs, especially high fructose corn syrup. Eat more real, nutrient dense food: Fish, fruits and veggies. Meat if you eat it, but ideally limited to healthy free range, not sickly grain fed animals. Never snack on blood sugar spiking sugary foods or drinks. And don't binge eat, even on healthy foods.

Eat more anti-inflammatory foods than inflammatory. the most inflammatory are sugars and hydrogenated/trans fats. Anti-inflammatory foods are fish, and colorful and flavorful fruits, veggies, herbs and spices (from plants, so not salt).

What you want is a blood sugar stabilizing, anti-inflammatory, nutrient rich diet. Do this now. It's good for everything, not just acne. It'll retard aging and all kinds of illness as well as improve all kinds of hormone issues from pms, to menopause to male pattern baldness.

Then try to figure out what you personally have a hypersensitivity to. The most common are dairy and gluten. Other common issues are eggs, citrus, soy, nuts, peanuts, legumes, etc. You could have an actual allergy, or you could lack the ability to digest certain foods properly. Don't eat things you can't digest. Also, even if an allergy doesn't directly result in a pimple, reactions increase inflammation and there is also a relationship between elevated histamine (allergic response) and elevated androgens.

And be more worried about your glucose metabolism, liver function, adrenal function, circulation, circadian rhythm cycle, etc, than acne. Get regular adequate sleep and exercise.

Topical regimen:
I use a mild cleanser or water only on a soft cloth. The only acne related anything I use is an occasional use of BHA. I moisturize with oils sometimes, otherwise aloe vera mixed with green tea, niacinimide and a drop of jojoba. Paula's choice toner. I occasionally oil cleanse. Occasionally apply a mask of something like yogurt. I also make an ACV and green tea toner which I use on my body and face after showering.
----------------------------------------------------------------

My Regimen:

This is the regimen I was on when I first started my log:
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/forums.html...t

Somewhat current regimen:
Ooh - regimen needs to be edited again. Taking fewer supplements, just multi, c, fish oil on occasional, magnesium (for headaches and sleep, but good for acne). Drinking more mint tea than green tea. And my focus now is looking for food hypersensitivities. -Feb 09

Edited from original post.

Status: Clear after 30 years. 2 years in March!

Story: Severe Acne since I was 10. 10-15 years of Dermatologists, Antibiotics, topicals and ACCUTANE did nothing. Discovered oranges triggered the worst of my cystic acne = about 70% improvement. B-complex with zinc, saw palmetto, C and aspirin mask = more improvement, a lot less oily. Diet changes = Clear.

Regimen: Moderately low carb and anti-inflammatory diet and supplements (to reduce hormone imbalance, candida imbalance, inflammation, aging and general health). Gentle cleanser, ACV diluted w/ green tea toner. Occasional use of BHA. Moisturizer w/ niacinimide helps pigment problems.

Current Supplements (most for anti-aging, hirsutism and general health):
Good multi (NSI Synergy w/ 20mg optizinc, ester C, chromium, selenium, high on B vitamins, CoQ10, R-Lipoic Acid, etc), 1,000 mgs vitamin C (helps adrenals, anti-histamine, anti-oxident, collagen booster) , Green tea (anti-androgen, anti-oxident), Beta-Sitosterol (anti-androgen found in Saw Palmetto and Nettle) Omega-3 Fish oil (anti-inflammatory and hormone balancer?), Probiotics.

Diet:
Snack or eat every 3-4 hours. High on fruit, vegetables, greens, legumes, free range eggs, salmon, nuts.
Limit to varying degrees: sugar and simple carbs, fruit juices, even lemon juice, dairy. Bad fats.
Avoid completely: Oranges (severe cystic acne causing allergy?), sugary drinks.

Favorite product recommendations:
Ghiradelli's bittersweet chocolate chips (low on suger, I have them with raw nuts for snack).
Unsweetened hot cocoa. Packed with antioxidents, better than coffee.
Green tea flavored w/anti-oxident things like lemon or grape skin.
Sweet potatoes. For breakfast, snacks.

So I've been keeping a personal log for the past 2 months now, which means this log will start at day 68, but now that I'm starting to see real results I thought I'd track my progress online for anyone else that might benefit.

Some history (If you make it through this, I'll be impressed ):
I suffered from moderate acne throughout highschool - nothing cystic, mostly spread over my cheeks, jawline, and back. It was a bit worse than average, but it didn't bother me that much since everyone else had it at the time. However, as I got to the start of college, more and more of my friends were getting clear skin and I grew frustrated. Doing some research, I discovered some holistic websites and took their advice by detoxing off most of the foods we believe are behind acne (dairy, sugars, high gi foods, nuts, etc, etc) and replacing them with more vegetables, multigrain bread, high fiber cereal, etc. It was a tough transition and I didn't expect quick results but in the end I thought it'd be worth it. Fast forward 18 months, and I'm starting the second half of my second year in college. I'd been dieting the whole time, and hadn't seen tangible results. My skin was a little better than high school, but nothing that couldn't be attributed to aging. In the end I gave up, and started relaxing my diet, eating chips (fries? ), pizza and drinking energy drinks (though my diet still contained a lot of healthy food). To my great joy, as the semester progressed, my skin started to get better. One day I looked at myself in the mirror and realised there was only a single, tiny blemish on my chin, and nothing else.

At the time, I assumed I must have finally grown out of it, because I could think of nothing I'd been doing that could have helped me. My confidence grew, I partied more with my friends (lots of drinking didn't affect me much at all), got a hot girlfriend and relaxed into the summer (southern hemisphere). Sadly it was not to last - late in the holidays my skin started to deteriorate, and after a last period of clarity it rebounded 4 months after I'd gotten clear. Nothing I tried worked, went on antibiotics for 4 months, they failed. I was left with rough, red, bumpy skin across my forehead and still had my normal breakouts. For a little over a month, I tried Romeo's vitamin regimen combined with a baking soda/ACV facial regimen. This worked to fade my red marks and got my breakouts somewhat under control, but the texture of my skin was unchanged. Unfortunately, I decided to change about 5 things in my regimen in the space of a week in an effort to get this problem under control, and when I proceeded to break out over my neck (back and front), forehead, and to a lesser extend much of my upper body, I couldn't pinpoint what caused it.

Things I changed -
- Removed Olive Oil from romeo's supplement regimen - It makes me itchy when applied topically, and I thought I might be having a reaction to it
- I swapped out my soy milk/wheat cereal breakfast for 3 pieces of fruit
- Added calcium/magnesium and vitamin E tablets to my regimen.

At this point I decided to keep a detailed log, and only to change one thing at a time from now on, so I could finally figure things out. I started taking daily face photos (close up and High def, scary, I know) and tracking what I ate, when I slept, what I was taking, what I was changing, etc. I started doing green smoothies to try to control my skin while I experimented, and settled in to slowly change things back one by one till I found the answer. After a month of changing nothing, it was clearly that things weren't getting better on their own. The first thing I decided to eliminate was fruit, because I had fruit in the smoothies and my skin was continously getting worse. Unfortunately, after 2 weeks without fruit, I could detect only minor improvement, if that. However, while searching these boards for ideas, I found something very interesting to me - Some people had reported that taurine could clear acne, espescially if it was caused by a fructose overload http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Fructose-...ri-t178851.html - the reason this set bells ringing was that taurine is found in large quantities in energy drinks, and these had in fact cleared several people - and the only time I had ever been clear in my life (summer 2008) was also the only time I'd consistently consumed energy drinks. I even managed to plot a rough correlation by piecing together some times and memories. After some researching, I got some taurine powder from the local health store, and started taking it with lemon juice like the guy there said to. Low and behold, 13 days later, my skin had undergone a massive transformation!

Picture time:
Day 12 (the first breakout) http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy175/Pangarl/Day12-1.jpg
Day 34 (Stopped fruit) http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy175/Pangarl/Day35.jpg
Day 45 (started Taurine) http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy175/Pangarl/Day45.jpg
Day 67 (Just yesterday) http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy175/Pangarl/Day67.jpg

To me, there seems to be a big difference between day 45 and day 67, whereas the others are all various severeties of the same problem. I could certainly feel a difference with taurine, it was like it dried the pimples out and made them fall right off my face. Unfortunately, while my face was clearing, my neck had a bit of a flair-up after a week or so and, suspecting it might be the lemon juice, I removed that and started taking the taurine on its own. After this the improvement slowly ground to a halt, which is about where I am now. Fortunately, I think I now have enough evidence to conclude that it was probably energy drinks that cleared me last summer, and in the next few days I intend to supplement the taurine powder with Mother. I'll be keeping track of my progress in this log for anyone who's interested. Hope I didn't bore you all with the massive text wall

OK, so I posted most of my story in the Intro thread if you want the background but basically here's the short version:

I've had rosacea since I was about 13 and of course they never admitted that it was because it's only supposed to strike people over 30. So, I got diagnosed at 31. I never really got much acne, just the pustules associated with rosacea. Never had a blackhead. Sometimes I got regular zits on my forehead which is my only "normal" skin. The rest of my face is bright red and horribly sensitive and highly reactive, burns all the time, is dry yet oily etc. Great. But, I could always cover it up with mineral makeup and people actually thought I had flawless skin! Yeah, ok.

Fast forward to this fall. I started getting a lot of pustules, more than ever. Then about a month ago I had a HUGE outbreak over my entire face. It was and still is a disaster. I have had about 5 emergency visits to the derm. They thought I was having an allergic reaction to something, that's how bad it is. Finally, I was diagnosed with gram negative folliculitis from my long term antibiotic useage that kept the rosacea at bay. The only cure? Accutane.

I started the registration for that and will begin in February. However, in the meantime I am hoping to cure it naturally because I am scared of the Accutane. My skin is soooooooooo dry and sensitive and I am scared of the additional drying that the drug will cause, not to mention the side effects...

I've read on this board about low stomach acid which led me to explore that topic further on google. I've also researched using milk (in the form of whey powder) as a topical to supposedly change the outer membrane of gram negative bacteria and thus help kill it off.

Then I researched different vitamins and so started lots of supplementing.

So, this is what I am doing.

Skin Care
Morning:

splash face with water only
cetaphil moisturizer
BE makeup

Night:

Wash face with clinique mild soap at night (I've always used this with no problem)
I Tablespoon pure whey powder mixed with water to form a paste (wear for 5-10 minutes in the shower then rinse)
Follow with finacea cream about every other day because it's so drying
Cetaphil moisturizer, spot treat with triple antibiotic cream

Supplements:
started the C, D3 and MSM 2 weeks ago; started the Betaine HCL and everything else 12/24.

3- Betaine HCL pills taken in the middle of every meal (I don't even react at all to this so I should probably increase to 4 but that seems like a lot! They are 648mg a piece)

Multi vitamin (Maximum Greens Ultra Mega Green- vegetarian formula)
25,000 IU Natural Beta Carotene (vitamin A)
B-100 twice per day
1000mg Vitamin C (need to increase but tired of all the pills, lol)
5000 IU D3
1000mg MSM
60 mg Zinc w/ 600 mcg copper
610mg Primal Defense HSO Probiotic
1 Tablesppon organic flaxseed oil daily

Diet:

I have eaten a vegetarian diet for many years. I am currently going to try to cut out the dairy to veganize myself. I do not use milk, preferring to use Rice Milk. However, I am horrible with cheese. Love it, although been trying and failing to cut it out for years.

Currently I drink 1 or 2- 24 oz diet mountain dew's per day. I am attempting to cut this out after reading all the links between acne and artificial sweetener.


So, that's it in my battle against this gram negative horror! Wish me luck!

I'll make this short and sweet. I've had acne since I was 16, it was never even moderate. I got 1-3 cysts(legit cysts I.E 5 mm in length) monthly scattered with your normal whiteheads. I was prescribed Ziana, Doxy and Triaz exactly 3 1/2 months ago and let me tell you...it has gotten worse. I toughed it out for the first 2 month, watching my acne transform into something I've never seen before (40-50 small red bumps all over forehead and cheeks). At this point, I have about 10-15 small red bumps and a shit load of red marks/PIH. I'm done, and never should have stuck with it to this point. Yes it improved, but my face still looked a SHITLOAD better 3 1/2 months ago. So, I'm going to stop the Ziana and Doxy cold turkey. I'll continue the Triaz but since its 6% BP I might opt for something for more sensitive skin. Boy am I pissed I wasted 3 and a half month of my life making my face worse. I wish I could have my 1-3 cysts back, and I'm dead serious. Anyway, I'm going to be logging my 10 day fast which had some IPL treatments mixed in. Wish me luck.

Ok. So now I will start controlling my diet to make my skin clear. At this moment I have moderate acne with whiteheads. About 3months ago I purchased the book: "Clear SKin Diet" and started to eat more of the foods suggested in that book. I saw results and started to wash my face less and use BP less. Basically stopped doing things that irritated my face before. Figured out that maybe this irritation was causing some of my acne. Things got pretty good!
Then about a month ago I went back home to visit my parents on winter break and fell back to my old eating habits. Things got worse again.
Now I am going to see if I can clear my acne completely with my nutritional choices. Going to stick to certain core foods for a while now and see what happens.

Meats:
-Chicken
-Tuna
-Tilapia

carbohydrates
-Brown Rice
-Pasta

Fruits, Vegetables, Olive Oil, Nuts, Protein Bars and shakes (need to because of my sport)

I will also be taking supplements:
Zinc
Vitamin D

Well Im starting to attempt the caveman routine that involves no washing of the face of any sort. No topicals, no water, nothing. After reading all the great reviews I am anxious to try this.

I have light/moderate acne that does not bother me too much. What bothers me most is my oily skin that is beyond severe. My skin gets so oily i look like an oil field at night. Ive heard that this routine helps regulate oil production not just temporarily, but for the rest of my life. Ill keep you guys updated on how it goes for me.

Lets begin!
So here's the story...cause............ everyone likes a story.
Male early 20's, last derm I went to said I had moderate acne but I believe its persistent mild acne its just that I have a bunch of brown marks which makes it look worse.
All the time I hear the same bs from doctors and derms that there's no link between diet and acne even though i've always had the sneaking suspicion that they were wrong in my case, I still listened to them and ate the same garbage, just cause the doctor told me so.

When I was in my teens I had pretty decent skin I would get the odd pimple here and there but I was cool with it. I used to eat Burger King, McDonalds and KFC all the time because I enjoyed eating junk food like any other teen. I would not get a pimple from eating in an unhealthy manner because I played a shitload of soccer and all that exercise somehow made me immune. However once I hit 18 things changed for the worse, no longer could I use my regular exercising as my cover for preventing pimples. Inflammation increased big time and I had to cut a lot junk food which was so fkn hard for an 18 year old who just wanted to enjoy the pleasures of fast food. I regularly used topicals prescribed by doctors/derms, to be fair some of them did work for a while but then the acne came back- i think its because the bacteria just became resistant to the topicals. It wasn't until last year that I came across this site (I didn't register till recently) and found out about the role of dairy, sugar and wheat in regards to acne. I used to drink milk everyday lol cause never did I think milk, would contribute to my acne cause..... it was milk! I've always been taught milk is good for you! It's rich in calcium and all that... but I get mad cysts every time I drink it so I cut it out and saw some improvement. This is where the holistic journey started, its been hard and frustrating at times but i've just gotta battle on.

I know that diet plays a massive role in my acne (not the only factor though) that's why I have decided to make a log of most of the things I eat. I know this cause when I eat high GI or unhealthy foods I get that tingling feeling under my skin which is an indication that I will get a pimple. I am human and I will tend to stray from eating a healthy balanced diet...but that's OK as long as I get back on track.

Another thing is that I believe the the location of my acne and its type are very important in determining what exactly breaks me out, that's why i've attached a diagram showing from MY experience which foods end up where on my face.
I also have to mention that weight lifting or strenuous exercise that works my muscles gives me cysts and sometimes wet dreams/ejaculation. These cysts end up on certain zones in my face as well-my skins possibly sensitive to testosterone spikes.

I think that the environment is another factor in my acne, one thing I have noted is that during the summer my acne is a little bit worse-I don't have folliculitis according to the derm I last visited its just the usual acne.

What have i tried in the past?
Topically: Duac, Benzac, Differin, Clindatech, Benzamycin, Proactiv, Clearasil BP, Neutrogena Salicyclic Acid.
Internally: Minocycline, Doxycycline- I should mention that I cut short these treatments because I had my reservations of taking antibiotics for such a long period of time.

Now the only thing im putting on my face is a light cleanser which I use when I shave around every 3 days and a bit of eucalyptus oil on cysts (that's if I get them). I frequently go swimming so I guess you could say the chlorine in the pool is one chemical im indirectly putting on my face.

Vitamins which failed miserably in the past:
Milk Thistle-broke with painful inflamed cysts badly in my pore region
Niacinamide-gave me cysts on my forehead
Chromium- gave inflamed whiteheads in my pore region

Mixed Results
L-Glutamine- To be honest im not sure what to think of this supplement. I initially took it for to aid my digestion. When I first took it I thought it tasted like sugar, which was bad cause sugar gives me ingrown hairs and makes my skin real oily. Well guess what happened? I broke out with ingrown hairs in my sugar zone-see diagram below and my skin was really glossy. I think this supplement is not one to be taking daily IMO.

Vitamin C-When I first started taking vitamin C I immediately could see the difference, my pores shrunk and my skin was glowing, however I did not see any improvement in my acne so I continued taking it just to finish the bottle. As I continued taking it I noticed that this red lump underneath my skin on my left temple was forming. This lump kept growing whilst I kept ingesting my vitamin C tablets and there was always this protruding sensation in the area of my lump after I took the tablets...so I guess the vitamin C must have been the problem. I stopped taking them and the lump went down and im left with a bad brown mark in that area.

Supplements im using at the moment:
Zinc 2x25mg/day-Reduces inflammation and helps with hormonal acne
Omega 3's 2g/day- Another anti inflammatory supplement which assists in hydrating my skin and allows me to easily extract whiteheads when they're ready.
Symbiotics Colostrum -1 scoop of 3g morning and night.
Betaine HCL
B-Complex

What breaks me out?
Dairy-gives me inflamed cysts and whiteheads
Sugar-increases my skin cell turn over rate and gives me ingrown hairs
Grains-pasta, breads classic culprit.
Hydrogenated oils greasy fast food.
Beer-Ouch there goes my social life! Gives me cysts on my forehead and messes up my digestion.
Chicken yes thats right, chicken im not kidding- gives me inflamed whiteheads in between my eyebrows
Excess fructose fruits like bananas and apples-high levels of natural sugars
Corn-Gives me painful whiteheads in between my lower lip and chin
Ham-not sure why
Spicy/Chilli foods-ends up giving me pimples on my right temple zone
Potatoes-Too starchy i guess.
Carrots

How badly these foods break me out is proportional to the amount of that food I eat.
I hope I kept you entertained and feel free to give input and answer my questions,
Thanks.
Btw did I mention I love music from the 80s and 90s?

I've tried several acne treatments, some worked and some didn't, here is a brief overview"

10% BP Wash - Dried and irritated my skin
Carley's Clear and Smooth Skin - Irritated because i'm not gentle
Tetracycline w/topicals - Cleared my skin well, but acne returned
Doxycycline w/topicals - Cleared my skin, but i didnt want to be a slave to antibiotics
B5 - Too many Pills, still reducing the amount
Dan's regimen - Wayyy to much BP for my liking.

So, after reading a few successful stories about no facial washing I decided to give it a go.
Right now, here is the status of my face: The right side of my face has 4 small red pimples, the left side of my face has 1 large blemish. Every single pore of my nose is currently clogged.
Also, my nose gets very red from time to time.

Pictures: ..arent showing for whatever reason, but the links are there
[IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/jwebb426/rightside.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e93/jwebb426/leftside.jpg[/IMG]

Right now I take 3g of Pantothenic Acid (B5) per day, thats 6 pills. I'm gradually reducing that as well. I am coming directly off Dan's regimen to not washing my face... So its a given that my face will probably break out immediately due to the drastic change.

My Goal:
I hope to make it 5-7 days without washing my face. For the first facial washing, i will merely splash warm water over my face during a shower.

I will be updating either everyday, or every other day with status and maybe a pic or two.

Now the problem of shaving... How should i go about shaving? Suggestions?

This is a Study being Conducted by a couple members of Acne.org

We Will Post Our reports Here

Start Date: 9/10/08

End Date: 10/10/08

Rules: No member Can Masturbate During This Month Exept for the 7th day of each week.
Each member must report in at the end of each day Stating, how they feel emotionaly, How the skin Feels, any changes, How Oily The skin is, the texture of it, Anything else that is of importance to this study.

Participants:

John1234, Kevin El, Yankulov, AlexGf, nick_nodular,

- Only Submit Daily Reports here -

For Conversation purposes Please Use the Forum -
http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Masturbat...ct-t210863.html

Hi everyone.

I am very much getting sick of my moderate to severe acne, so, I am going to go all out and try this out.

Some people may say "this is stupid", "why are you doing this", "Masturbation doesn't cause acne" etc.

It has gotten to the point where I just dont care anymore. I will try anything and some people have reported good results with this, so, why not.

I am going to try and go for 30 days doing this, as that is how long it is 'till school goes back (I live in Australia).

BTW I am 15 years old and have masturbated atleast once a day for the last few years of my life. Lol.

Anyway. Here goes nothing. I have attached a photo so you can see the severity of my acne.

So this will be my new log of my new regimen to overcome my candida problem which is what is causing my acne along with other series of issues.
Healingnaturallybybee.com will be where I will be getting all my information from.
My diet shall consist of the usual anti-candida food.
High protein, high healthy fats, minimal carbs.

My intake ratio should consist of:
78 grams of protein
195-273 grams of fat
62 grams of carbs daily
*still confused about this and need clarification on how to apply;
will eat by estimate upon further assurance

Essential Supplements Intake:
CALCIUM 300 MG TWICE DAILY
MAGNESIUM 300MG TWICE DAILY
CARLSON'S COD LIVER OIL 1 TBL. DAILY
VIT B COMPLEX 50 MG TWICE DAILY
VIT C 1,000 MG FOUR TIMES DAILY
VIT E 200 IU TWICE DAILY
SODIUM CHLORIDE SEA SALT 1.5 TSP. DAILY
COCONUT OIL 5-6 TBL. DAILY

Anti-fungals(upon further tolerance):
GARLIC
*Nystatin

Pro-biotics (upon die-off symptoms subside):
LACTOBACILLUS SUPPLEMENTS

Digestive Aids:
BETAINE HYDROCHLORIC ACID *see Bee
KIMCHEE 2 TBL. W/ EACH MEAL

I am looking to incorporate such elements into an overall diet consisting of the follwing meals.

BREAKFAST
-Green Smoothie- cucumber, avocadoes, lettuce, spinach, mint, stevia, cinnamon, lemon juice, EVOO, coconut oil
-Boiled Eggs/and or
-Egg Drink-*see Bee

LUNCH
-Boiled Chicken Breast
-Green Smoothie

DINNER
-Boiled Chicken Breast
-Green Smoothie

*turkey/beef added upon affordibilty

So this is pretty much a general idea of my new regimen,
I still have a lot of information to add,
and a lot of changes and modifications will be made over time.
I have to say I am very excited to rid myself of this candida and
move forward with my life as the most healthy I have ever been.

Feel free to add give feedback:
any help is much needed and appreciated if you have any experience using a similiar regimen
in overcoming candida.

I'm going to give this a new try this year with a better start having two weeks strictly dedicated to healing and diet adjustment.


So this will be my new log of my new regimen to overcome my candida problem which is what is causing my acne along with other series of issues.
Healing Naturally By Bee will be my source of insight.
My diet shall consist of the usual anti-candida food.
High protein, high healthy fats, minimal carbs.

My intake ratio should consist of:
80 grams of protein
200 grams of fat
64 grams of carbs daily

Essential Supplements Intake:
Calcium 300 MG TWICE DAILY
Magnesium 300MG TWICE DAILY
Cod Liver Oil 1 TBL. DAILY
Vitamin B Complex 50 formula MG TWICE DAILY
Vitamin C 1,000 MG FOUR TIMES DAILY
Vitamin E 200 IU TWICE DAILY
Celtic Sodium Chloride Sea Salt TSP. DAILY
Coconut Oil 5-6 TBL. DAILY (starting at 1 teaspoon)

Anti-fungals(upon further tolerance):
GARLIC
*Nystatin

Digestive Aids:
BETAINE HYDROCHLORIC ACID
six 650 capsules 35 min. after each meal

Electrolyte drink with meals:
lemon/lime, sea salt, vitamin c crystals, with non-chlorinated water.

I am looking to incorporate such elements into an overall diet consisting of the follwing meals.

BREAKFAST
-Egg Drink of organic eggs, EVCO,sea salt,cinnamon powder, and organic butter.


LUNCH
-Boiled Chicken Breast Strips and Sauted in EVCO and herbs
-Guacamole or Pico de Gallo of avocado,spinach, cilantro, lemon,lime, spices,sea salt, organic unsalted butter and EVOO

DINNER
-Buffalo Burger Patties
-Guacamole or Pico De Galllo

To aid detoxification I take epsom salt baths with 2 cups for 15-20 minutes. coffee enemas, and dry skin brushing to stimulate the liver and adrenal glands.



So this is pretty much a general idea of my new regimen,
I still have a lot of information to add,
and a lot of changes and modifications will be made over time.
I have to say I am very excited to rid myself of this candida and
move forward with my life as the most healthy I have ever been.

Feel free to add give feedback:
any help is much needed and appreciated if you have any experience using a similiar regimen
in overcoming candida.

OK, so I'm somewhat new here, but I'm finally starting to get serious.

My background:
I never really had acne besides a few blemishes, but after being under a lot of stress and having a diet consisting of Starbucks, McDonalds, and any other fast food, I started breaking out. I started using Mac make-up to cover it up, which generated lots of closed comedones, which I popped like crazy. Then I used Murad's Acne system and ended up with dry skin and cysts on my cheeks and jawline. I switched to M2 Mandelic acid and the baby's brush method. This really helped reduce my closed comedones, but the large blemishes still happen (1-2 per day). I really think my acne is internal/hormonal, so I'm starting this log to document my progress.

My current regimen:
Morning
3 grams of Symbiotics colostrum (capsule form) (started Dec 22)
8 oz of Aloe Vera Juice (started December 1)
1 prenatal vitamin
2 fish oil pills
1 probiotic

Wash with M2 skincare
Spot treat with 2.5% BP
Topical Aloe Vera from plant

Night
2 grams of Symbiotics colostrum
50 mg zinc
1 probiotic
240 mg Vitex
54 mg Don Quai (tea form)
250 mg Ashwagandha

Wash with M2 skincare (baby's brush exfoliate)
M2 Mandelic AHA serum
Spot treat with 2.5% BP

Breakfast: High Fiber Oatmeal
Lunch: Turkey Chili, Turkey Melt
Dinner: Roasted Chicken, cashews, blackberries, 3 sugar free lemon cookies

Acne:
3 on right side of cheek
1 cyst on right jaw
2 on left cheek
1 on left jaw
1 on left temple
3 on upper lip

Did not pop any today

I posted last month about my constant acny cysts. It has been one month since i have been acne cyst Free I know its too premature to talk about being cyst free, but since last month i stop taking in dairy products. I stopped drining milk and cheese and so far so good. I dont want to jinx myself and i hope i didnt. I havent had a cyst in over a month and i feel it could have been milk related. I even sopped eating ice cream and eat cocunut milk ice cream. the taste is slightly different but you will get used to it. I hope this was the main problem of my acne cysts. I still get acne but i rather have a pimple than a cyst, atleast a pimple goes away in a few days a cyst can last a month to months. I will post again next month to see if i am still acne cyst free. I will be crosssing my fingers. if i post earlier its becasue i got the acne cyst. My quest to be acne free is still going 32yrs old and fighting

h

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE POSTING A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT BRAND I USE OR WHAT DOSAGE I USE. I, unfortunately, don't have time to answer a bunch of repetitive questions. It's not hard, it's like two sentences! Feel free to ask further questions after you've read what I'm taking. Thanks

My original first post is below. If you'd rather not read my life story and experiments with different remedies, then just read the concise version

Daily supplements:

1. With dinner: Spring Valley Flush Free Niacin, Inositol Hexanicontinate, 500 mg ; One-A-Day Women's multivitamin, andSpring Valley Super B-Complex.

Wash once or twice a day with Likas Papaya Soap.

10% BP, Clearasil Ultra, for spot treatment ONLY. I do not use this at all anymore, but I have it on hand just in case.

That's all it is. No tricks, no fancy, expensive products. The B-Complex and Niacin are like, $5 a bottle at wal-mart. The Likas soap is $3 on amazon.com, about $1.50 in oriental grocery stores. The Clearasil is the most expensive product I use, and it's only about $8. I use it rarely, so it lasts quite a long time.

I don't even really worry about diet anymore. I still follow my diet and exercise plan, but it's more for other health reasons than acne. I went on vacation, didn't follow any diet, reduced my exercise to walking in the mornings, and still didn't break out. It is seriously awesome to be able to go out in the sun without worrying about BP sensitivity or taking any nasty antibiotics or hormones. I can even eat junk food now without breaking out (this is probably a bad thing )!















First, I guess I should just say that I wanted to start this log because I started having success with tweaking my diet about 6 months ago, and I just started on Niacin and have had amazing results so far, so I'd like to keep somewhat of a record for myself as well as for anyone else who might be benefited by a regimen like mine.

Also, I've been stalking this board for quite some time, and everyone's advice and experiences through trial and error have helped so much! I am especially thankful for the guy who posted that Niacin cured his acne, and various others. I found AcneJean's log to be particularly helpful as well, because it introduced me to the Likas Papaya Soap and lots of good healthy skin eating advice.

A little about me -- I'm a 25 year old woman who's had cystic acne on and off since the age of 17. I went to a dermatologist right away back then and tried various antibiotics as well as Differin, Retin-A, Benzaclin, Bactrim (to which I had an allergic reaction) and a bunch of other over the counter treatments. None of these worked very well, so I was eventually prescribed BC pills, which helped a lot, but were by no means a miracle cure. I got sick of relying on the BC when I was 22, so I went off of them. My skin was not that bad for awhile and while I usually had some breakouts, they weren't bad or painful or hard to deal with. I thought I had grown out of it.

I was wrong. I started law school shortly thereafter and within a year I was breaking out again. It continued to get worse, and I had the most horrible breakout of my life occur about 6 months ago. I am studying for the bar exam (I take it in a week!), so the stress of thinking about graduating law school must have taken its toll, along with my bad habits that I picked up within those three years. I was sick of using topicals and spending a small fortune on OTC and prescription drugs that seemed to just manage my acne rather than go to the root of the problem. I haven't been able to go out in public without makeup in almost 8 years! I think that's ridiculous, and I sign that something needs to be done.

I completely gave up alcohol, smoking, coffee, dairy, all-night studying, all-night partying, and peanuts for 6 months. Yeah, it sucked, haha! I cut way back on other junk food like chips, candy, fried food, red meat, vegetable oils, processed foods, etc. I started exercising hard for an hour 6 days a week. I replaced coffee with green tea, and began taking a B-complex supplement and using honey instead of BP spot treatments. All of this cleared my forehead and chin very well, but I was still breaking out in horrible, painful acne all over my cheeks and the sides of my face. At least it wasn't my WHOLE face anymore, but I was still frustrated that I had acne after all that hard work. If nothing else, I lost a lot of weight and felt 100% better, so I guess my acne had somewhat of a positive effect on my overall health through trying to get clear.

I tried all the low GI, lower-carb, gluten free, insulin regulating diets, and they did NOTHING but seem to make my acne WORSE. Actually, when I think back, every time I have tried to cut back on carbs my acne seemed to flare up. I believe this has something to do with the way my body processes Niacin, because grains are a popular source of that particular vitamin. I seem to do remarkably better on a low fat vegetable and grain based diet. If I keep my diet down to just fish, fruit, whole grains, and vegetables my skin really seems to benefit, although it didn't clear my cheek acne.

I continued to do what I was doing until last week, when I discovered the Niacin post and started using the Likas Papaya soap at about the same time.
Now, my skin has been clearing more and more every day.
Here's what is working for me:

1. Washing with Likas Papaya soap, once a day if not wearing makeup, twice if I need to take my makeup off.

2. Supplementing with a B-complex and 500 mg no-flush Niacin daily

3. BP spot treatment, in case I get a few pimples here and there. I like 10% BP Clearasil Ultra. I haven't been using this, though, and my acne is healing quite fast.

4. Still abstaining from dairy and peanuts, but I've added a few cups of coffee in there, and I also have been able to add a little bit of butter. I'm try to eat a healthy, nutrient dense diet in general, so I try to keep junk food to a minimum.

5. Still working out 6 days a week for an hour.

vote plz

Hi everyone,

I've been a member here for a while now and before Christmas managed to get 99% clear on a modification of the paleo diet after months of trial and error.

However, paleo eating is very expensive and I was on a low budget at the time so had to try to cut my food bill. I thought adding rice instead of so much meat would be a great idea because there are studies that show rice-based populations having no instances of acne whatsoever.

Unfortunately, less than one week into my new "long grain rice-chicken-broccoli-spinach" diet, things started to go awry with the uprising of a few inflamed pimples. I was gutted; my confidence had been so high, I had loads of success with the girls and was going out three or four nights a week. I was addicted to socialising, having been robbed of what should have been the best years of my life from the ages of 15-24. These new pimples have put a halt to my new lifestyle.

When I was on the diet that cleared my skin, the only blemish to my complexion was the blackheads on my nose. That was another reason for me trying a low fat, high carb diet. I abandoned my rice diet after two weeks as things got even worse. The blackheads on my nose turned into loads of little spots and more appeared on my chin. Disaster.

A week ago I changed to a diet of "chicken-olive oil-broccoli-spinach". My blackheads are shrinking and nearly gone and generally my skin is looking quite good. The concern at the moment is that I had three big spots come up a week ago from the previous regime which are ruining my face. I want to go out and pull some more girls this Saturday, and then me and the boys are off to another English town the following weekend for more of the same. I organised both nights when I was clear, so, being the ringleader, I have to set the example for the rest of them. I need my confidence back!

This has forced a drastic change as I go back to what got me clear in the first place. I need a quick cure and this is as good as it gets for me. Plus, I don't particularly like chicken and the thought of eating any more of it makes me feel sick. My diet will consist of:

2 x packets of 500g beef mince per day (not the lean stuff), grilled on the George Foreman.
1 x serving of spinach (tons of vitamins and minerals)
1 x serving of broccoli (as above)
5-6 pints of water

This will get me around 2500 calories a day so I may bump it up a bit with olive oil if I lose weight at all. I can usually tell if I've lost weight because my abs look really ripped in the mirror. I prefer to have a layer of fat around me to bulk me up a bit.

Before I got 99% clear (blackheads), I was using Dove cream bar soap. The reason I started using it was because I went to Ayia Napa last August and was paranoid about the suncream blocking my pores so I thought soap would clean it all off. I just kept on using it out of habit ever since. Was the soap the cause of the blocked pores? We shall see...

In addition to the diet I will only be washing my face with water (either cold from the tap or warm from the shower). No chemicals. I've been doing this for a week already and there seem to be no ill effects. Soap would have dried my skin to bits with the freezing weather we've had here lately.

I will be posting some before and after pics over the next week or so. The before won't be too bad because I've already beaten my old cystic acne of a few years ago. I'll try and get a picture of that at some point, if possible (I hated being photographed back then).

Other things you should know:

1. I don't smoke/take drugs.
2. I gave up drinking over two years ago.
3. I only ever drink water (even when I go out at night).

Current Status:
Two large scars above my top lip, one large spot that I popped this morning. Three miniscule spots elsewhere on my chin. Rest of the skin is smooth and clear. Blackheads on nose less pronounced.

Energy Level:
Feeling a bit tired but that's because tonight I ate two chicken breasts and five or six chicken thighs with olive oil, broccoli and spinach. Meat is notoriously dehydrating, especially in large doses, so from tomorrow when I start my new diet I will be eating regularly throughout the day instead of all in one go.

Expectations:
I'm expecting to be almost clear by the weekend. The main objective is to reach the end of the week with no new spots to allow the current scars to disappear. I will not be using any facewashes/treatment lotions so any improvements from now on are purely diet-related. This scares me a little but then I just think that they never used soap tens of thousands of years ago. I expect my mood to lift each day and my energy levels to remain constant throughout.

Here goes...

So, after numerous hours of research, I came to suspect Candida as the culprit behind my mild, but persistent acne, as well as a host of other problems. Maybe people apparently don't realize they even have this problem for years.

I found that Candida can be caused by antibiotics, birth control, steroids, anti-virals and immunosuppressants. I grew up on antibiotics because of frequent UTIs. I also took them for acne when I was in 8th grade. I've had them for infections since then, but the longest has been a week. I've been on birth control for a little over a year.

This log is dominantly a note to myself, and I figured if I did it publicly, even if nobody reads it, it'll push me to update more often.

Started the candida diet last week: Full blown candida Diet we'll say May 29th 2009 to be safe.

Stopped minocycline 50mg may 29th- having some infections on the face.

taking supplements:
calcium/magnesium 500mg,250mg
vitamin c 1,000mg
vitamin b complex 50mg
soon to take:cod liver oil

My meals look a little something like this:

morning: 2 eggs
some broccili/spinach
tsp. coconut oil

lunch: organic meat (chicken, ground turkey, ground beef)
vegetables (green beans,spinach salad, spinach, broccili, etc)
tsp coconut oil

dinner: Organic meat again
vegetables
coconut oil

*Sea salt added to meals
*incorporate small amount of garlic in meat
*cook with butter at times and extra virgin olive oil

exercise 3 times a week
limit showers to let natural oils to build up on my skin
dr. bronner's soap

That's about it so far.
Sometimes I feel the die-off effects (tired, naseau, foggy, worse folliculitis at times) , but overall I feel better than I have in a long while. Kill that YEAST.