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.

Man my skin looks so gross, i have like a billion zits on my neck face and shoulders and i know exactly why i just need some help to motivate me!

A few months i started eating really healthy - the first time since i was little when my parents forced me to sit at the table and eat my veges or i had to go to bed with a piece of bread and water. now that i think about it that was borderline child abuse not a way for me to eat healthy lmao. but anyway my skin with all this healthy food was clearing up and i was like holy cow i have skin underneath all those zits?? so i was really impressed and wanted it to go away even faster so i started looking for websites to suggest help and then i found this one called acne.org, you might of heard of it and after a few days i had my regimen inplace was using the bp etc and then my skin on my face nearly looked perfect. but after about a month a combination* of things made me stop doing it and i went back to eating crap and my skin in turn turned into crap. pretty much what im asking for is some tips and ideas on how i can motivate myself to start using my regimen daily and eat healthy-ish.


Cheers sam

* the combination of things that stopped me would take about 5years to write lol

I cant remember the exact age i started suffering with acne, but i believe it was around the age of 15, i am now 21. Ive tried so many creams etc on my face which never really helped, the only thing that has helped were antibiotics which i wont be ever going anywhere near again.

My diet has greatly improved since the days when my acne problem started, but unfortunately my skin still isnt to great. Its always dry and flaky with spots effecting my forehead, cheeks, chin and neck.

My current beliefs are that my problems are due to my liver, although i can never be to sure on this. Im currently taking milk thistle and will be alternating this with dandelion root every 2 weeks. Im also taking cod liver oil, i havnt seen any improvement in my skin from this but its healthy for you so i shall continue to take it. I also try to eat a fair bit of coconut oil a day, and drink teas such as redbush, ginger and lemon (when i manage to buy some more). And also not forgetting i have a pro-biotic yoghurt drink every morning.

I have noticed masturbation defiently causes me problems, especially my chin area. A couple of days after masturbating i can be sure a big spot will appear on my chin. So any masturbating will not be happening until i sort out the problems in my body.

I be posting some pictures when i get the chance to, hopefully will be tonight or defiently tomorrow.

I noticed my face has cleared up a lot if I don't drink coke or any dark soda. I can have Sprite or & up, but that's it. This tip my friend told me.

I've had acne for 3 or 4 years and really want to be clear now, including no redness, by the end of the year before I go to university. In the past I've used cheap regimens like Clearasil and T-Zone, and even used prescription Differin from a dermatologist, but neither of these products helped or I got too impatient and lazy with them and gave up early. Recently I've developed an interest in natural and herbal health. This has been my path for a few months, to clear acne naturally. This is my current regimen:

Supplements (per day)
*30 mg zinc chelate (with added herbs and betacarotene)
*30000 IU vitamin A
*cod liver oil capsules
*spirulina, chlorella and barley leaf detoxing/alkalising mixture

Internal (I'm going to start the teas in about a week as they are in the post)
*saw palmetto organic herbal tea
*detox organic herbal tea (milkthistle, cleavers, calendula, dandelion, peppermint)
*4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar a day
*pumpkin and sunflower seed as snacks daily
*3 litres of water a day (have been on this for months, will reduce amount when I get the teas)

Topical
*cleanse with Weleda Baby Calendula Soap
*tone with: 1:1 apple cider vinegar and green tea, with tea tree oil
*moisturise/treat with natural calendula/beeswax/olive oil ointment

My diet rarely includes contemporary fast food, and frequent servings of vegetables, although cooked. I still live at home, with home cooked meals, so a radical change in diet (eg. eliminating dairy, gluten) is out of my hands. However the spirulina/chlorella/barley leaf is a good substitute for fruit and vegetables. I hope I have luck and that you are able to see me (hopefully) find success! Please ask questions or message me if you want =)

Ok so There are quite a few niacin topics, and so I wanted to start my own.

we in the UK have a shop called holland and barrett.

I have looked into non flush niacin online through other stores and it looks like it will cost £20 for 100 tablets at 500mg


in holland and barret i picked up the 100mg FLUSH niacin tablets and I plan on taking one tonight.


Has anyone else taken this specific one and found good results?


it states on the bottle that you should consult your doctor before taking it and in sensitive people anything over 20mg may give you a flush/rash etc.


my plan is to try this for a few days and hope it clears me up a little before my holiday, which will involve drinking alcohol.


thanks again

Hi im April ann.


so. my story is i started getting acne while i was pregnant. It was quite the shocker because i always had perfect skin.

my son is 4 (almost 5) now and the acne has been progressing year after year.

In the beginning i was just buying a new cleanser almost every week, rinsing my face with scolding water, putting astringent on every few hours. all things that inevitably began to scar and inflame my acne.

about a month and 1/2 ago i found out i could see a dermatologist with a referral. so i went to the doctor (i was pretty effing excited i must say) she gave me benzoclyn and an antibiotic that i can't remember the name of.


the benzeclyn made me very uncomfortable. My skin ached and burned , especially if i happened to sweat.

i kept using it for abotu a month, in the last week or so my face was ridiculously scarred. red. but clear.

i through out the benzeclyn. and then flushed the antibiotics while listening to a really old homemade cure cassette.
this ritual was pretty invigorating i must say.

i realized i was going against a lot of my beliefs, and my foundation.

i was raised vegan, and ended up in complete rebellion at around 14. taco bell was the most exciting place on earth for me. birthday cake was like a drug, ice cream... like sex.

this experience was a very enjoyable one for me because i finally experienced lunchables and squeeze its, pizzas and parties. where as a child i was very excluded from these events unless my parents were mimicking them.

i also came to the conclusion that it was okay to eat meat and dairy. and i also came to the conclusion that processed foods like american cheese were wonderful. I figured out that these things were made out of love, not to hurt anyone.
people that immigrated to america were leaving famine, death of children, and disease.... america was the first country to come up with foods that "wouldnt go bad"

i dont believe these foods should be eaten all of the time but i believe when they are consumed these triumphs should be taken into consideration.


after gaining about 25 pounds and apparently getting acne, i went back to my roots.
i only eat these foods socially, and i try to at least eat something processed or of animal content once a month... just so my body can handle it.
my memories of sneaking birthday cake at 7 and vomiting are far to vivid.
i also make sure my son takes time to consume these foods, so that if we were ever in a situation where thats all there was... our bodies wouldnt be in complete shock.

i mean what other country can people just decline foods and ingredients, because they are anti that? its quite the gift.
i love america.
even our attempts at pharmaceutical synthetics.


but my point is.... this stuff didnt work, my body didnt feel good.
the only thing that had any type of feeling was the hope they gave me.

i decided to start juicing again.... carrot and cucumber mostly, sometimes radish and beets.
and drinking a bottle of water mixed with a table spoon of acv everyday along with kombucha.


my skin is finally soft again, my scars are diminishing.... my face feels good.
my decision feels good.
i can smile without cracking.

im not completely clear yet, but i can see it happening.

i dont want an immediate result anymore, i want to take care of my body.
i want to balance myself with nature

and its really working.


i wash with organic Q10 cell revitalizer.
and i dab acv on after, (i dont rub it on)

every other night i steam ACV over my face after washing then dab it on to close my pores back up.

i know there is a different balance for everyone, a different conclusion, a different realization
but i just hope that something i have done get someone going where they are to be.



-april ann.

Well as I'm sure you all are, I'm sick of having this..well a plague on mankind is kind of an understament.

ANYWAY, I decided to make a log of what I am currently doing as it seems to be working very well, you see, I've been doing this so far for about 2 weeks and it's going pretty good.
Rules:

- NO blazing (smoking weed)

Some of you call this a no brainer but seriously it does very little to my skin because I've done experiments with it, but as the title suggests, I'm being completely sober.

- NO alchohol

Alchohol destroys Vitamin A (from what I hear) as well as damages your liver, which is obviously a vital organ in skin health, so thats gone.

- NO masturbation

Yeah yeah I know all of you are probably like "OMG IT DOESN'T CAUSE ACNE" but guess what..everyone's differnent. I have PROOF that this does. I've cheated doing this a couple times during this regimen and EVERY time, not occasionally, EVERY time I do it the next morning their is a new zit on my chin. Chin acne is a sign of hormonal imbalance, so I am positive that this is affecting me. Obviously wet dreams don't count as I can't really control those, so if it happens..oh well.

- NO picking, absoutely none.

Picking is the absoulte worst enemy of any acne sufferer. People always say "well I just gently do it only when it's come to a head". THIS-DOES-NOT-MATTER. I am horribly guilty of this, this is the one thing I never stopped doing through all of my regimens and experiments, it could very well be why I have acne still. (I always did it carfully, 2 cleenex's wrapped around both index fingers with very gentle pressure.)

When you pick you aren't letting your body do it's job of clearing the infection, no matter how gentle you are, I am sure some microbes of bacteria are left open and exposed on your skin waiting to make a new home in your pores. So if it's completely contained, I think the body will do the rest. This take TONS of patience and dedication as it's extremely hard not to pick when you see those dreaded white heads. Do NOT expect 3 day results when you leave a pimple alone, a semi-big one can take up to 3 weeks, and the red mark after probably another 2 weeks.

I tested this myself on a really big one and it worked, completely healed and flaked off. Red mark is almost gone.

- Excersising 6 days a week.[b]

Blood circulation is extremely important and vital for healthy skin as blood carries away toxins in your skin and body. I have everything I need at home (thank god lol) but you may need to go to the gym. My workout routine is as follows.

Get up at about 9 am and do a 2 mile jog on the treadmill which takes about 45 mins. Shower afterwards.

At about 8 pm at night I go to my basement and workout for another 45 minutes with free weights, curl bar, bench press, and crunches/sit ups. Shower after.

This has made a amazing difference and feels awesome when you start seeing yourself get lean Huge confidence booster, it will also help your skin greatly. Once again, just like a diet to loose weight, your not going to be ripped in 3 days, give it a minimum of 2 months.

- [b]Sleep

Getting enough sleep is extremely important, your body is most active when your sleeping. This includes healing of wounds aswell as fighting infection. Your body relieves great amounts of stress when you sleep. Always try to get a minimum of 8 hours. I do 9 and a half.

- Food

- No dairy for me, none, when I cut this out over a year ago my cheek's haven't had a pimple since.

- Saturated fat: NO more then 5 Grams a day.

- Grains: I have as little as possible. Grains include Pasta, breads, wraps, cereals.

- Sugar: Refined sugar is absoulte garbage for your body, avoid it all costs.

- Fried foods such as fast foods, etc.

- Side notes/Methods I do

- Change my pillow case everynight
- Shower twice a day, once in morning after jog, once at night after weights.
- Haven't used soap on my FACE in over 6 months, it's not disgusting, it feels fine. I however of course use soap on my body, just no chemicals on my face.

- Cheat List

This is if I cheat, I write down the dates here and what I cheated on, it help's me keep track incase I have a flare up I may be able to track down what caused it. As Im just starting this log but have been doing the regiemen for upwards of threeish weeks I can't remeber what the dates are but I have cheated in the past, so from now on I'll take notes of dates.

- Masturbated three times in last 2 weeks, as a result I have some nasty zits that have formed on my chin which brings me to my next point

- Squeezed them (I know I know, but they hurt so much I just had to get them off) as a result I am cringing right now as they look HORRIBLE at the moment, but are in the healing stage, they are flat and infection is gone.

Hopefully this won't get to full.

- Current condition
This will help me keep track of flare up's (if any, hopefully not )

Forhead has about 4 white heads, very minor and manageable, not bad at all.

Chin looks absoultly horrid right now. 1 very large red mark from a nasty pimple which I moronicly sqeezed. About 4 redmarks healing from pimples I did NOT touch.

Cheeks look great

Well that's it for now, I will update max of once every 5 days as it's easier that way, I'll also be happy to answer any questions you guy's may have.

Cheers!

Hello!

I am 27 years old and have been affected by mild-to-moderate facial acne since I was a teenager. For the past two years it has been the most intense - new breakouts everyday and old acne and red spots lingering.

In the past, I tried a few different topical solutions prescribed by a dermatologist with varying rates of success (the most recent being Differen Gel - more than several years ago), however the side effects were always worse than the mild results (burning, itching, peeling, redness, etc).

For the past several years, I was combatting the acne with the problem skin care line from Derma E, as well as using the Desert Essences Tea Tree Oil stick for spot treatment. My skin has been steadily getting worse.

I finally found this website and started immediately with Dan Kern's regimen (using Neutrogena OTS, then switching to Dan Kern's BP about 3 or 4 weeks in). I was following the regimen faithfully, and definitely saw some positive results, but the condition of my skin aside from the acne was dry, red, itchy and peeling, and I did not like the idea of having a skin regimen which took an hour or longer morning and night.

About two weeks ago, I started researching information about which vitamins/minerals and supplements have been discovered to assist in acne treatment/prevention. The names that kept coming up were Vitamins A, B's, C, D, E, Zinc and Chromium. I settled on the following vitamins and have been taking the following dosages:

1. Multi-vitamin (which includes 15000IU Vit A, 250mg Vit C, 400IU Vit D, 150IU Vit E, minimal levels of the B Vitamins, 10mg Zinc, 25mcg Chromium) - 1 X per day, morning w/ breakfast

2. Glucose Tolerance Factor Chromium supplement (200mcg) - 1 X per day, morning w/breakfast

3. No Flush Niacin (300mg) - 2 X per day, morning w/breakfast and later with food


I started taking these supplements on August 14. I immediately noticed that my skin started looking better and during the first week or so did not get a single new pimple. During the second week, my skin was still clearing, however I did get a few pimples which cleared-up more quickly than normal.
My problem areas have always been my cheeks and my chin. At the moment I have no active acne whatsoever on my right cheek or chin (the red spots are mostly faded now) and my left cheek has two small inflamed spots and mostly just fading red spots now.

This is the clearest my face has been in a long time and I do believe it is because of the supplements, as I haven't changed anything else in my diet or skin care products.

As a side note, I am vegan (have been for over 8.5 years - no meat, no dairy/eggs, no honey), and don't eat many processed foods or refined sugars. My diet in itself never corrected my acne nor seemed to worsen it. I am still using the problem skin care cleanser and moisturizer from Derma E, and also using their Avocado and E Creme moisturizer at night to help clear-up the red spots. I'm also using a very light application of BP for spot treatment (I still have most of the bottle of Dan Kern's BP, afterall) but typically prefer the Tea Tree Oil stick.

I am hopeful that the supplements will continue to prevent new breakouts and clear up my skin. I will keep you posted!

Tonight I made my own apple cider vinegar toner. I will be using it at night after I wash my face and then I will put my benzoyl peroxide cream on after that. I am trying this to reduce the red marks on my face. There are other remedies, but this one is natural so I thought I would try it first. I even bought a cute little green glass bottle with a cork top today to keep my toner in. It's a small bottle so it will force me to make a fresh batch every week or so.

From what I have read so far if you are thinking about using apple cider vinegar, you should use unfiltered apple cider and mix it with and equal amount of water.

*Update: I am not using benzoyl peroxide cream anymore.

I've been on a diet for 2 1/2 weeks and have lost 10.5 lbs in the first two weeks, I only weigh myself every monday so I'm not sure exactly how much I've lost.

However, I've never had acne... I've had a few pimples here and there, white heads mainly.. usually on my face or around my chest, because I live in florida and it's very humid... alllllll the time, even at night, even in the winter at night. lol. Plus I have a large chest size, so they don't help much lol.

Since I've started this intence-ish weight loss program, I have had a lot of whiteheads along my back from the top of my shoulder &+ shoulder blade, across to the other side.. and a little down the small of my back.

I'm wondering if;
1. Anyone knows if this is connected with the ammount of weight-loss (because with weight loss, comes sweat).
2. If anybody knows the best/a good way to get rid, or atleast subside the ammount of whiteheads.

They don't really hurt, as I've read a lot of times certain types do. I dont know the technical terms for different kinds of acne, and I don't even know any of the other kinds. My brother had baaaaad acne in his high-school days but I wasn't here for that and he isn't here now to tell me what to do lol.

Sooooooo.. if anybody has some good ideas, or would like to share their storys, or even give me information, I'm alllll ears. :]

Thanks guys!!

I have severely dehydrated skin from using way too many harsh products. I am going to try the NO washing/exfoliating method.

I already washed my face with yogurt today and manually exfoliating (sort of gently).

I put a moisturizer on Skin MD Natural.

I just really want to try this. I have tried it in the past and couldn't get past day 4 or 5.



I will update in a few days to let you know what's going on...

I might just apply moisturizer. Might.

Hopefully, God willing, this will work.

I have been wanting to create a log for quite some time now.. But I am always experimenting with my skin.. So It was difficult to create one.. Anyways now I have planned to go real slow with my skin and try to understand it more..

For the records.. I am 21, female, having mild acne from past 3-4 years.. But from last year i think my acne is kinda moderate and consistent too.. My major problem area is my cheeks.. I don't break out much on the forehead and chin.. Just get one or two acne there in a month or so.. I also get blackheads mainly on the inner side of cheeks, sides of nose and sometimes on forehead.. Over all I don't get too many acne just 3-4 at a time.. But all of them leave red marks.. As I said earlier they have been pretty consistent.. But I think my experiments has made them do so..

Its really sad that I always want things to start working immediately for me.. As a result I tend to change whatever I am doing quite often.. This has done no good for me.. This log will help me analyze my situation much better and help me stick to one regimen at a time.. I have tried a lot of stuff for acne and most of them worked but just temporarily.. I have also visited a Derm once.. The medications did help me a lot but I do not want to stick to them all my life.. Hence I have decided to have a natural approach to get rid of acne.. I am going to make very basic changes to my everyday life but I am sure it will have a big impact on my skin or my overall health..

I have been at home lately and as a result I have become very lazy.. I do not follow any kind of timings for having meals or sleeping.. My parents have always been yelling on me for this but I never listen to them.. They say for your body to function better you need to follow certain timings.. I understand now what they mean.. Secondly I am going to cut out on almost anything that is made in a bakery.. I have this stuff for breakfast.. I am thinking of eating oats with milk instead.. Hmm.. I am going to drink at least 15 glasses of water a day.. I drink around 8 - 10 glasses as of now.. I am going to start exercising again.. I wont be using any acne medications like BP or clindamycin.. Going to try more herbal remedies.. Another thing I am starting is to take neem capsules everyday.. It has blood purifying properties and helps with skin problems.. I am not expecting any immediate results with it.. Just hoping it clears the mess from inside.. I love to steam my face everyday so will continue to do so.. I will be changing pillow covers every other day..

Oh about my diet.. I do not eat junk food at all also dont drink cola's.. Just once in a blue moon when I go out.. I am vegetarian.. I eat lots of vegetables.. I am not sure what milk does to my skin.. But I remember once I was clear I used to drink it everyday and it did not break me out.. I am just scared to try it after reading few things on it.. Anyways I might give it a try.. My diet has always been very good but I think just the wrong timings is messing it up for me..

Current status of skin :
Right cheek has one moderate acne and I can see another one forming.. Left cheek is clear.. There is one acne on the forehead but looks like it has started to fade.. Got one just below the lips on the chin which is inflamed.. (I hate inflamed acne).. But above all this my major problem is the red marks left by previous acne.. Don't have them much on the forehead and chin but quite a lot on both the cheeks.. I just hope to get rid of these as it would improve my skin by 70 - 80%..

I am sure this is going to work for me.. I am just keeping my fingers crossed.. If you guys would like to suggest anything about what tea to drink or anything about green smoothies please let me know..

Wish me luck guys!!

i've been a long time lurker and i finally decided to join in on the fun! i'm tryin out the caveman regimen as a result of my boyfriend saying that "soap and water" is the only thing that worked for him and also my brothers' acne cleared up after they stopped treating their acne. some background: i'm 23, have combo skin, had acne during my middle school years which was cleared up with BP. then in college when i started using face makeup my acne got really bad and i tried the acnefree 3 step system, which has BP in it, with no luck. other things i have tried are the oil cleansing method, and the system i was using just recenly was a gentle cleanser and moisturizer every day. it kept me clear for the most part but i was still breaking out weekly. i have a lot of redness to my face too and it really bothers me.

although i have to admit i'm not following a strict caveman regimen because i still allow water to touch my face. my reasoning is that its ok if water touches my face because the oil and dead skin is there to act as a barrier, and the oil and dead skin is still there after showers too. also, i have been on the regimen for about 3 weeks now and in that time i washed my face about 4 times? haha, some of those times were because i felt like i couldn't take feeling "dirty" anymore and some were because i wore makeup and i needed to get it off.

oh yeah, that's another thing. i wear makeup! not everyday though and mostly just undereye concealer, but if i'm going out to a social event then i would wear a full face - foundation and the whole nine. so that's something that makes the regimen harder for me. also, what should i do about sunscreen? i normally use it everyday and now i can't because the sunscreen plus dry skin combination is not a pretty sight.

so this is how my skin is looking now about 3 weeks into the regimen. i noticed my redness has decreased, my oiliness has decreased! which is amazing because i used to be an oily oily girl. i still break out, about the same amount as i did before, never any really big inflamed pimples, mostly just whiteheads and they go away quickly. there's also bad parts too... i have dry flaky skin, clogged pores, but it definitely isn't as bad as when i first started the regimen. so far i'm happy with how it's coming along. i like the feeling that my skin is getting a chance to rest and heal and balance itself out. i'm not planning to stop washing my face indefinitely, but i also don't plan on going back to being a slave to my skincare routine either!

i guess that's all for now... see ya!

My Clear Skin Walkthrough "pictures of progress"

INTRODUCTION
Hey, I am Joshua or as you would know me as "UVSoaked"

I have been suffering from acne disease for the past year and a half. The way I got pounded with acne was I got really ill and was sick for about a month with a flu and a high fever. I had mounts and mounts of mucus stored in my body and about every hour I would scoul my throat and spit out mucus for about four months. I was attacked with very high inflammed lesions (ance). I went from being the stud soccer player with a lot of confidence to a low self esteem soccer player that would hide from the public with every chance I had. I feel like I have found the best way for clearing your skin and feeling the best you will ever feel in your life physically and mentally.

PAST PICTURES
1
2
3

Topical Treatments.
I have tried BIOELEMNTS, Skin ID, Proactive, Bare Minerals, Indian Healing Clay, Neutrogena, Cosmedix, Purity cleanser and more. None of these benefitted me in anyway except Cosmedix. Every single one of these products actually inflammed my skin to a higher redness and causd pimples and skin dryness. Yet I don't use Cosmedix anymore.

Eating Lifestyle.
I would find my taste buds wanting greasy, sugary and starchy products, the average american diet. those foods will cause acne and cause inflammation and make your acne life extended to a longer period of time then less. Eating this way will also disinfect your body because food should be consumed in a raw natural form.

MY BREAKTHROUGH

Now I still have a bit of acne and past acne scar marks but it has cleared up dramatically and if i stick to my goal it will be completely clear in about two/three months I believe.
My mother picked up a book called The Clear Skin Prescription by Dr Nicholas Perricone, I instantly nodded my head and thought it was just another introduction to a waste of time. After trying his Three-Tiered Perricone Clear Skin Program/Diet for 3 days my skin looked less inflammed and I had less lesions/white heads and black heads. Finally I felt like I found the way to clear my skin. I also prolonged the 3 day program to 7 days every week.

Topical Breakthrough
I am now using Perricone MD topical products. The specific topical treatments are Skin Clear Cleanser, Skin Clear Acne Toner and Skin Clear Hydrator. I have been using them for about a month and a half and I found a dramatic change, I can't even explain it but the constant healing doesn't stop . Perricone MD is the most natural produced topical treatment that I know of which is a huge with acne because you don't want to put topical lotions ext. on your skin that will cause acne.

New Eating Lifestyle
I now only eat foods in the most natural ways, I try to eat only raw and organic products only. Cheating isn't worth it I have learned because it will hurt your progression. This is what I eat everyday. Sometimes I may try something new but this is my foundation.

Wake up
-8 ounces distilled or reverse osmosis Water

Breakfast
-2 Eggs salted with Celtic Sea Salt
-1/2 cup of Oat Meal with a pinch of flaxseed and stevia
-1/2 cup of Blueberries
-16 ounces of water

Lunch
-4 ounces of Wild Alaskan Salmon or Chicken
-1/2 cup of Blueberries
-2 or more cups of salad. "Romaine Lettuce, Red Onion, Carrots, Broccoli with olive oil/lemon salad dressing with garlic and herbs (homemade)
-16 ounces of water

Mid afternoon snack
-raw almonds
-blueberries
-8 ounces of water

Dinner
-4 ounces of Wild Alaskan Salmon or Chicken
-1/2 cup of Blueberries
-2 or more cups of salad. "Romaine Lettuce, Red Onion, Carrots, Broccoli with olive oil/lemon salad dressing with garlic and herbs (homemade)
-16 ounces of water

Before bed snack
-raw almonds
-blueberries
-8 ounces of water

I try to keep everything similiar and simple everyday, it may get boring but its worth it, if it gets a bit boring switch it up a little bit everyday. You can also look at Dr Perricone day to day suggestions, which are more beneficial than mine.

Nutritional Supplements
Taking supplements are a huge deal which I learned from Dr. Perricone.
I use everyday 1 or 2 pills of Omega 3, DMAE, Alpha Lipoic acid, solaray vitamin c powder

NEW PICTURES ( a few months later )
NEW 1
New 2

Extras
I know this may sound all very overwhelming and expensive but I find it worth it and it only just doesn't clear your skin but also makes you stronger and healthier. I also believe stress is a huge factor in acne, my solution is I find peace. I am a strong christian and I spend a lot of time with god and I find a lot of relief and comfort from him, it has also has helped me be more comfortable in my skin and accepting this difficult time in my life and more. I also now don't worry about my acne like I use too even though I work hard on clearing it. Going out and being social doesn't bother me anymore. I also don't take accutane or anything bad like that, I do it all natural. Working out is also very valuable I tend to do yoga, running and soccer. Juicing carrots is also a daily factor for me.
Remeber don't CHEAT it will ruin you, well at least for me because I'm still growing up and I have noticed every time I cheat I instantly break out all over the place.

Inspiration
My whole life style is based off the Perricone Diet with a few changes to make it easier on me, I highly suggest it and if your wanting good result like me look into the book and try it. It is the best way and most natural way.

Foods

here is a small but simple of the fantastic foods that not only teaste great but do wonders for your skin (and help fight acne!) remember moderation is key.

almonds ,apples, artichokes, asparagus, barley, beans(dried and fresh), bean sprouts, berries, bok choy, brazil nuts, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, celery,cherries, chickpeas,chinese cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, fish and shellfish, flaxseed, green bell peppers, hazelnuts, honeydew melon, kale, kidney beans, lentils, macadamia nuts, mushrooms, oat meal (regular,not instant), oats, olive oil, olives, oysters, pears, pecans, pinto beans, pomegranate, pumpkin seeds, red bell peppers, romaine lettuce, salmon, snow peas, soy products, spinach, sun flower seeds, tofu, tomatoes, turkey, turnips, yogurt.
(remember use these it the most natural forms for amazing results.)

If you have any questions feel free to comment below. I am currently posting Ideas and suggestions on my blog which you can find at my art profile at www.UVSoaked.com
thanks for the reading and I hope your acne clearing desires have been answered like mine.

A bit of background:
I had posted a regimen that I was doing a while back, but it ended up failing me for one reason or another (it was not an all natural regimen). I have created a new regimen for myself using only natural products. The reason I chose this route is because I felt I was using a lot of topicals and cleansers that were irritating my skin, making the acne worse. I had been using Retin-A, mud masks, BP, high end products, etc. But nothing seemed to provide a solid "cure" that lasted, and was non-irritating. I've seen things in this forum that are downright scary as to what people are willing to try. But this is a very realistic and soothing approach to composing a natural acne treatment. Hopefully this will help someone, or inspire someone to try something new.

My skin type: fair, thick (according to my derm.), oily skin with mild-moderate acne, shallow scars, and old marks

I started with a book about homemade beauty remedies and secrets. It has several recipes for homemade facial masks and toners. So I decided to give it a shot. The first mask I used was the egg white and lemon juice mask: composed of 1 egg white, and the juice of half a lemon (approx. 1 1/2 Tbsp). Do not use the bottled lemon juice, use only fresh squeezed juice. I did this the night before last. And immediately I could see and feel it working. It acts as an astringent and tightens the pores. Also the acids help to break down clogged pores, and the lemon helps lighten any old marks. As soon as I rinsed, I could see a noticable difference in the texture of my skin. My pores were smaller, blackheads appearing smaller, and smoother texture. After this, I used some lemon juice as a toner, then went to bed. The next morning, my skin was noticably more even. Still some red spots that were healing. I was surprised to see it working like this. So I kept going with it.

Yesterday morning, I used the Mario Badescu Enzyme cleanser, and then toned my face with lemon juice. My skin was feeling so incredibly soft. I have read that lemon juice can be harsh for a toner, but I am not experiencing any damaging effects so far (perhaps the bottled juice with it's added ingredients could be harmful). Then I used Burt's Bees Radiance Day Cream as a moisturizer, before putting on makeup. I used Jane Iredale mineral makeup.
At night, I used Neutrogena Acne Wash (trying to find a suitable gentler replacement, but this helps in removing makeup), and then the MB Enzyme cleanser. Then I used a mask composed of 1 egg yolk, 1 Tbsp. of honey, 1 Tbsp. of plain yogurt, and 1 tsp. of grapeseed oil (purchased from natural foods store). I did not really notice much change in skin texture after using this. It felt quite rich, and I assume this is meant to be a moisturizing mask, but I was curious, so I tried it. Then I mixed a tsp of lemon juice with a tsp. of rose water, and used this as a toner.

This morning, my skin looked quite even, except those few small red spots that are healing. Normally I would wake with some whiteheads, nose covered in blackheads. And various red marks. This morning there were NO whiteheads, which is unusual for me. I think I saw one new red spot on my cheek, but it is small. The blackheads on my nose seem to be somewhat smaller and less noticable.

I remembered that someone had given me a Burt's Bees sampler package, including a couple of bar soaps. I noticed one bar soap that seemed like it had good ingredients for fighting acne, so I used that this morning in stead of the MB cleanser. The Burt's Bees soap I'm referring to is the Peppermint Shower Soap. It felt nice going on, and after rinsing, my skin felt super clean, almost "dry". I then used the Burt's Bees Citrus scrub, which again has a good list of skincare ingredients. This is a product I've been using on and off. I try not to use it too much so I do not irritate my skin. But I'm thinking once a week should be good. After rinsing the scrub, my skin felt more moisturized - you can feel the natural oils leftover from the scrub, which I think is soothing. Then I toned with my lemonjuice/rose water mixture, then moisturized with the BB Radiance cream. And my face is looking and feeling good. I haven't really felt this confident about my skin in a while. The texture of my skin has literally transformed. This is why I felt compelled to share this here.

I also feel it's important to keep a log since this is all new to me, and really still an experiment. I have spent hours over the past few days researching natural ingredients that are safe and beneficial for my skin type. For the most part, these ingredients are inexpensive and non-irritating.

So my current regimen is this:

Morning:
Cleanse with Burt's Bees Peppermint Shower Bar Soap
(once weekly) Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub
Tone with 50/50 mix of fresh lemon juice and rose water
Moisturize with Burt's Bees Radiance Day Cream

Night
Cleanse twice (to remove makup) with Burt's Bees Peppermint Shower Bar Soap
Mask - tonight I will try a honey, cinnamon, and oatmeal mask
Tone with 50/50 mix of fresh lemon juice and rose water
Spot treat blemishes with Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish stick (haven't tried this yet)

As you can tell, I am a Burt's Bees fan, and I am for many reasons. But honestly, these select products have worked for me. I have used BB products in the past that were unsuccessful. But I am trying to create a regimen that is as natural (and pleasant) as possible, with products that have proven to be successful.

I also have future plans to create a facial serum using the grapeseed oil, and a few essential oils known to be beneficial for my skin type - such as lavender, rose, and mint. More on that when it happens.

Thanks for reading, and I welcome any suggestions or added info. I am also curious if anyone else has tried any of these remedies.

Edit: I should also add that I am taking daily birth control pills which have helped tremendously in calming my skin (and nerves). I recommend this for all women. It's not a cure, but it is a huge help.

I am a 20 year old caucasian with an olive complexion. My skin is combination, with deep cystic and nodular acne + patches of small bumps on my forehead, cheeks, upper lip and chin. This is my acne story, up to now. I would very much appreciate feed back. I guess I just need the ear or eyes of someone who can empathize.

Like most, I started breaking out in middle school. My freshman year of highschool I began to get very inflamed blotchy patches of nodular acne on my forehead. I went to a dermatologist and was prescribed Benzaclin and Menocycline. I was also instructed to use Nuetrogena Acne Wash with Salicylic Acid.

I come from a very ambitious and critical family, and that initial battle with acne was horrible for me. I couldn't leave my room. I couldn't even face my own parents because even the idea of them looking at my skin made me have an anxiety attack. Vanity was not so much the problem as was the high standard they had set for me and I set for myself. I felt that acne made it appear that I wasn't taking care of myself, or that there was something wrong with me.

Fortunately, this regimen seemed to work, and although I got some discoloration along the sides of my mouth and cheeks, it wasn't all that noticeable and could be easily written off to the amount of time I spent in the sun.

My acne remained under control for the next couple years. My junior year in high school I began to develop the nodular acne along my jaw line. At first it wasn't so intimidating- every couple of weeks I'd get 1-3 zits. My dermatologist prescribed retin-A to use at night, which simply did not agree with me. Even after 5 months of use, my skin remained red and itchy and the acne did not improve. I discontinued use on my own. Not surprisingly, I began to speculate that I had a hormonal imbalance because I noticed that I would break out during ovulation and at the onset of my period. The summer before my senior year, I decided to try birth control.

I wasn't so concerned about my health then, beyond being thin, and although I played sports regularly, I drank coffee everyday. I also smoked cigarettes and pot, and occasionally used drugs. The summer before my senior year I decided to try Yaz. I had some really awful side effects happen to my body the first couple months that only worsened as I continued taking it. Almost two and a half years off that dam pill and my periods are only starting to become regular again. However, at the time it seemed to do wonders for my skin, (and boobs) and I also began loosing weight. So much weight, in fact, that by the time I finally came to my senses and decided to quit taking Yaz 6 months later, I weighed 95 pounds. I am 5'7".

But the whole Yaz experience is another story.

Finally all of the crap I had put my body through began to catch up with me. It started with chronic urinary tract infections. I speculate now that this was due to dehydration. In the course of 2 or 3 months, I went through 6-8 anti-biotic treatments. Suddenly I began noticing small bumps all over my forehead and cheeks, next to my nose. Because of the anxiety issues I had had with Yaz, I had stopped drinking coffee and cut back on my cigarettes. Now I stopped both completely. I also decided to experiment with different face washes, as the salicylic acid in the Nuetrogena wash seemed to be too harsh for my skin. My dermatologist prescribed Duac topical gel, a milder Benzoyl Peroxide creme, and suggested Cetaphil face wash. She also told me to try and find a good moisturizer and SPF. Of course, to this day I still cannot moisturize without breaking out.

Cetaphil only made my skin peel and become more red. It also did not seem to wash off even the Bare Minerals makeup that I was using at the time, unless I scrubbed vigorously with a wash cloth. Duac did little to nothing for the small bumps, although it did prevent any white heads or nodules. I began using a mild organic scrub/face mask 3 times a weeks and Olay Oil Free face wash twice a day.

Fall of 2007 I moved to Brooklyn, NY where I attend school. Having grown up in the fairly eco-friendly city of Austin, TX my entire life, the pollution in the big city had an immediate detrimental effect on my complexion. Seemingly out of nowhere, huge, painful cysts and nodules that would not drain for at least a couple weeks began to erupt on my cheeks, jawline and forehead. I picked up smoking again just to try and cope with the stress it was causing me. The small bumps persisted and for the first time I began to develop fine lines and dry patches. That winter, my first ever, my skin began to flake uncontrollably. My lips and eyes were also chapped. I was afraid to moisturize too much for fear that my breakouts would worsen. I cut back on smoking once again, but found that this time I was very much addicted. I began to have total social anxiety and cut myself off from everyone around me. I was totally alone in this huge, new place with recurrent UTI's and this mysterious acne problem at the bottom line. Of course, stress and anxiety only made things worse. I took drastic measures to improve my diet. I began drinking "green drinks" and ate salads for practically every meal. I began to drink at least 1.5 liters of water a day or more. I quit caffeine, with the exception of an occasional green tea.

Still nothing.

Finally, last summer I made it back to Austin for a few weeks vacation. I gave in to the infomercials and decided to order Proactive. I visited a new dermatologist who prescribed Tazorac cream and a new antibiotic. By this time I was a bit skeptical of the antibiotic but took it anyway. To my dismay, I only experienced mild improvement from those treatments.

I met my current boyfriend around this time and he enlightened me to fasting and hollistic ways to cleanse my body of impurities. A great recipe that he introduced me to calls for 6 lemons, 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon and Honey (to taste) in a huge pot of water. He had recently recovered from a mysterious skin disease on his own, and advised me to use the pulp straight from the Aloe Vera plant on my break outs to soothe the inflammation and help heal scar tissue. He also suggested Olive Oil to moisturize, and jojoba oil. Olive oil initially, has always, and continues to make me break out if I am tempted to try the smallest amount, however I have had some success using jojoba oil on my dry patches, and would certainly recommend it. I also started dry brushing. On my body only at first, and then on my face. It did help somewhat, but there was always the risk that I would over-irritate my skin.

I stopped visiting my dermatologist and quit using all of the products that were prescribed or over the counter. I quit smoking. I began mixing up my own scrubs using sugar/salt, honey, AC Vinegar, Aloe Vera, and Cinnamon. I would also disinfect all of the my deep, sore pimples with a little Hydrogen Peroxide on a Q-tip, and began doing yoga, riding my bike, and going to the sauna almost everyday. Although my condition did improve somewhat, I was still unsatisfied with the itchy, rash like condition of my face. I tried to hide under make up, but after a years of dealing with this problem it did little besides cake up over the persistent scars and drastically enlarged pores... not to mention the dry spots and discoloration. I also tried using a sulfur mask, which was initially very helpful, but that began to irritate my skin very early on.

The best remedy I tried during this period was acupuncture. I began seeing an acupuncturist when my UTI's came back with a vengeance. The results were incredible. In 5 treatments (although admittedly 400 dollars poorer), my skin healed almost completely! I began to sleep again and did not experience a break out for over a month. During that time I also slackened my dietary restrictions, although I continued to take a multivitamin and fish oil. I ate chocolate, cheese and wheat as I pleased and without it having any effect on my skin. My mood improved. I went to a party or two. My relationship improved. I got my life back. But the results didnt last and I did not have the money to continue getting an adjustment every couple weeks. I continued using my homemade scrub but decided to experiment with some over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide creams at the advice of this website. The creams appeared to be helpful at first, however, alike every other over-the-counter treatment I'd tried they had no effect whatsoever on my skin within one month. I was devastated and desperate after that small taste of what it was like to have clear skin...

I went to the pharmacy and purchased several face washes: Clean and Clear Acne Wash with Benzoyl Peroxide, Cetaphil, and the same Nuetrogena wash I had used all those years with success. I tried Clean and Clear first with absolutely no results. I used an entire bottle and a half over the course of at least a month. Next I tried Cetaphil, but was scared away by the redness and peeling that I had seen before and didn't use it for very long. Finally I went back to Nuetrogena which, although initially irritating, proved to be the most effective.

In the beginning of May 2009 my Sophomore year of college ended and I decided to return to Austin to try and recopperate my frazzled nerves and weary skin. I began making my own juices with various fruits in the morning and veggies in the evening, and mixing in ground flaxseed and drinking Dr. Schultze's Superfood powder. I continued doing yoga everyday and visiting the sauna at least twice weekly. I began eating raw cloves of garlic to prevent infection. Along with the Salicylic Acid soap, I began using Riz Rice exfoliating powder from L'occitane (WHICH IS INCREDIBLE) three times a week, and diluted tea tree oil all over my face twice daily. I also began to use a Calcium Benzoate mud mask with Apple Cider Vinegar once weekly. I purchased literature on overall health and began studying the mechanism of chronic disease as well as a multitude of treatment options including ayurvedic, vibrational, herbal, and nutritional healing. I quit sugar, all caffeine, starch, and all gluten. I started taking vitamin B complex, Zinc and Copper, Calcium and Magnesium, and a live pro-biotic. I finally worked up the courage to quit wearing makeup. That helped the irritation more than anything. I began going to a chiropractor several times a week to work on my back problems. I prayed, and continue to pray everyday- despite how terrible it probably seems to some that I pray for my skin to heal.

I began to see a small improvement... but after all of this that I have been putting myself through in the last 3 months... the last 6 years... now that my summer is almost over... I've relapsed in the past two weeks. The improvement is minor and I am tired of struggling. Yesterday I went to the mall to the origins counter and when the salesperson began to look at my skin and make suggestions, I had a panic attack. I practically ran out of the mall, gripping my arms so tight around me that my nails dug into my skin and I started to bleed. In the car on the way home I began to weep uncontrollably. Acne enters into my every waking thought... every choice I make be it food or even the way I lay in bed. Tomorrow I am going to the dermatologist again and requesting Accutane. I will have to start another birth control, likely Ortho-Tri-Cyclen.

I am scared and I am just exhausted.

It's been about 6 days since I have started this. I wasn't very serious at first, but wow, I have to say, It's been amazing. I will be updating maybe once every two days or every day on my condition, any trigger foods I may have ate, etc. As well as general my skin condition.

In the beginning, I had about say 3 new pimples a day. Then I started to eat healthy, cutting back on topicals, stop scrubbing my face too much. My face has been alot better lately. I went from getting 2 3 pimples a DAY, to about 2 pimples a week, in my first week, come on, that's just plain awesome. I also think happiness, stress levels, how tired you get, when you sleep, has a big effect. So I will be recording sleep time as well.

I will do this in an orderly fashion, I will only post foods that I think are triggers, or are in the middle of testing, no point of saying what I can tolerate, everyone in different.

New pimple today, it's small, and just a tad inflamed.

Yesterday : A bit of chips, some fried fish( fresh) with vegetable oil, OMFG, Spicy peppers, a small amount, meat, unknown meat, and a bit of blue berry pie. I ate small amounts of them.

Time of sleep : AFTER 1030.

Today : Banana.

I take fibre and zinc supplements. yay

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...

I have been on Accutane...twice. The acne comes back.

I have been on Yasmin for over four years. I still have cystic acne.

I have used Differin, Clindamyacin, Benzoyl Peroxide, Hydrogen Peroxide, Microdermabrasion, Chemical peels, Proactiv, AcneFree, Witch Hazel, Minocyclin, Spironolactone,...you could say I have tried EVERYTHING.

Well, I am at end's meet, and am convinced that my acne is caused by internal, not external, factors. After spending a great deal of time researching the holistic approaches that so many of you have taken, I am starting my own little experiment. For the next month, my diet will look like this:

*NO Gluten (I am already gluten-free)
*NO Soy
*NO Corn (this includes high fructose corn syrup, etc.)
*NO Dairy (eggs are okay)
*NO Sugar (this includes honey, cane sugar, sweet-n-low, etc., only stevia allowed)

I will take:
DIM
Taurine
Fish oil
Multi-vitamin
Calcium/Mag/Vitamin D
L-Carnitine

I will drink one gallon of water per day, some servings with Apple Cider Vinegar, so that I consume about 5 teaspoons a day.

I will only eat hormone-free, organic meats; my fruit intake will be limited, and I will consume an ample amount of vegetables.

I will not drink any soda, but I will allow myself one cup of coffee per day.

I will exercise at least four times a week, sleep for at least 9 hours per night, keep my stress levels in check, and try to get some sun every now and then.

Does anyone have any suggestions or things they would add?

Wish me luck...I will keep you all posted.

Ive had really oily skin since i was 13. None of my friends have bad skin it sucks. But ive gotten my skin alot nicer lately by.....

-washing once a day (dont scrub)
-taking vitamins ( 250 mg b5 vit C and vit A and mulitvitamin
-drink tons of water and eat fruits veggies


my skin has gotten alot better but still some breakouts SOOO i think i figured it out and it is that SUGAR equals acne. I swear sugar and white bread makes my skin oily and nasty.

I would other people to try this diet with me and share there results thanks


Remember NO sugar or white bread! gooood luck boys and girls

HI CAN U PLZ REPLY TO THESE QUESTIONS

1) DO YOU MASTURBATE (IF YES HOW OFTEN IN A WEEK)?


2) ARE YOU A MALE or FEMALE?

3) HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU MASTURBATED FOR?

4) HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU HAD ACNE FOR AND WHAT KIND OF ACNE IS IT??



PLZ REPLY
IT IS VER ImPORTANT TO ME I HAVE BEEN SUFFERING froM ACNE FOR 6 years and have masturbated for almost 8 years now...so i just want to see the connection ...plzzzzz reply honestly plzzzzzz thnks

Well im a 18 yr old male. I had pretty bad acne an it was just awful. I tried everything. Nothing worked. It took a pretty bad physical and mental toll on me. I wasnt going out as much and was self consious. So finally i got scheduled to see a Dermatoligist. (Best move i could have made.) Well the day i went he told me about putting me on accutane,an gave me a book about it an all the side effects that can come along with taking accutane. From what i can remember some side effects where chapped lips which i got i know another main one was depression and suicidal thoughts. Well to that point i had already been so fed up that i figured be depressed with all these pimples or a take a chance of getting cleared an being depressed. I took that deal in an instant. Its about a 6month proccess. Some people are said to be cleared for good. Well ive been off it for 7months now and couldnt be happier. I just only wish i would have done it sooner. Im just thankful for what it has done for me though. I still have red marks left but there are fading slowly but surely. My face does not get all oily like it used to. As far as pimples well they are NO were near close to how they used to be. Ill maybe get a break out here and there but before i was getting a new huge one alomost every day. Since ive been off it my dermatoligist has prescribed me a topical gel of Erythromycin(3%) and benzyol peroxide(5%). I put it on at night before i go to bed. Since this stuff can dry your face i also use DML mosturizing lotion it works great. Drink lots of water at night and prayer and faith is one the best things i did. I made a promise to myself in october 08 when i got on accutane that if the Lord Jesus and this stuff cleared my skin i would write a forum like this, so theres my story. I really hope someone out there can benifit from this!
thanks.

Hello everyone,

I decided to start a log to keep me on track and hopefully help others when more results show. I've been doing urine therapy for about a month and a half now (except for a two week break due to being away from home, which I sorely regret!). I've also been slowly trying to change my diet.

Things I'm avoiding:

• soy milk
• dairy <<this is a tough one
• junk food
• fast food & take out
• alcohol<<yikes!!

Things I'm using/ eating:

• Paula's choice BHA 2 %
• urine therapy
• some form of daily exercise
• green smoothies!!
• whole foods
• anti-inflammatory diet
• at least 50% of food raw
• niacin (yeah I had to get in on this one and give it a go)
• magnesium (just started taking it for my overactive sweat issues but read on here that some had success with their acne as well)
• multi-vit
• fish oil caps
• a urine fast eventually
• spectro jel problem prone

^^This might look complicated but it's not.
I've decided to post some pic's even though my result don't look too great atm. At first the urine really did a good job on my inflamed acne but then I stopped using it for two weeks or so and my skin has started to break out really badly again. I'm kicking myself for not taking some pic's when I was seeing fantastic results. Oh well, I'm pretty positive that my skin will clear right up again after a couple weeks of consistent use so I'll just take pic's then!!

[attachment=21160:DSC04645.JPG] << before forehead (taken @ end of june 09)
[attachment=21161:DSC05589.JPG] << now forehead (taken aug 6 09)

[attachment=21162:DSC04653.JPG] << before right side (taken @ end of june 09)
[attachment=21164:DSC05596.JPG] << now right side (taken aug 6 09)

[attachment=21163:DSC04680.JPG] << before right side (taken @ end of june 09)
[attachment=21165:DSC05590.JPG] << now right side (taken aug 6 09)

[attachment=21170:DSC04682.JPG] << before left side (taken @ end of june 09)
[attachment=21171:DSC05593.JPG] << now left side (taken aug 6 09)

[attachment=21166:DSC04664.JPG] << before right chin (taken @ end of june 09)
[attachment=21167:DSC05602.JPG] << now right chin (taken aug 6 09)

[attachment=21168:DSC04666.JPG] << before left chin (taken @ end of june 09)
[attachment=21169:DSC05600.JPG] << now left chin (taken aug 6 09)

As you can see my results don't look that great just yet and in some cases it looks a little worse but I thought I'd show you guys what I'm working with anyways. I feel really nervous about this, it's the first time I've put pics on the net like this! I usually wont' even go out of the house without makeup and now I'm posting it on the www. LOL

-XCman's Diet Log~

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UPDATE:

After trying this diet for two months, I conclude that it does not significantly help acne. My acne never significantly improved on the diet alone; however, lemon juice and omega-3 and green tea did clear me up.

I'm 90% clear with lemon juice, omega-3, and green tea. The diet, while it helped my overall health significantly and I will continue to eat this way, doesn't clear acne.

Dosage (what made me 90% clear):
1 spoonful of cod liver oil (omega-3)
8 oz glass of green tea
apply lemon juice (1 oz?) liberally into green tea

Drink the above TWICE a day (morning & night)


I know this is what clears me up because when I miss a day or two my acne returns as it was before. I have "turned on/off" acne with this so I know it works. Heck of a lot easier than BP. Good luck to all.

----end of update-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Gender: Male
Age: 18
Hair Style: Buzzed
Favorite Pastime: Running
Sleep: 7-10 hours a night. 10pm to 8am usually.
Currently: On summer break until I attend Virginia Tech for mechanical engineering.

I am convinced that primarily diet causes acne, along with other influences. If I can figure out what triggers acne in my diet I will be able to solve it. Apparently areas of the world that eat non-Western diets experience NO ACNE AT ALL (or at least 0 in 5000 adolescents in several Oceanic nations). People in these poverty-ridden nations eat cheap plant-based diets. No meats, no dairy, no processed foods, no complex (added) sugars. They eat raw/cooked vegetables, nuts, fruits, grains and flowers (like broccoli).

For the last month/ month an a half I've roughly followed this diet. I find the will power to change my eating habits very easy so I've held close to the eating plan.

So this is what I've eaten for the last 2 weeks(mid-June to July 6th):
- +95% plant-based foods (vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts)
- Drinking only water & prune juice(wards off constipation)
- NO DAIRY
- NO processed foods or added sugars.
- Supplements: Zinc, B-Complex, Vit E, Vit C, Omega-3 Cod Liver Oil, Zinc, Chromium, Calcium

Note on Supplements: I dislike the idea of replacing real food with supplements, but I can tell positive differences in my body when on them.

So far I've seen no change in my acne. Dan's BP worked better, it just dried out my skin too much. Also chemical usage is a bad idea in general.

My attempts are extremely flawed due to little or no record keeping. That's what this log is for. I'll be recording my diet and taking pictures of my skin/face daily.

Okay, so I basically finally started this log as a way to force myself to stick to something. (There's much more shame if you have to write about it later!) I haven't been a huge poster on this board, but I've been around this boards for years now reading everything I can.

Quick background: 24 year old female, have had acne since about 13 or so. Had the typical teenage acne, went to derms and tried everything, moderate success but never clear skin. Have been on and off pro-activ again with moderate success. Was on pro-activ for the last few years again and thought I had finally beat the acne problem. Skin was not super clear but it was manageable and much better. Enter 6 months ago and pro-activ completely stopped working and I started developing cysts along my jawline (I had never had cysts before). I freaked out and once again tried everything under the sun including a completely organic line that gave minimal success. I have since stopped using any form of BP and have been using Paula's Choice products. Skin has improved and the cysts aren't as numerous or as large as before, but I still get them and now I have tons of healing red marks that are going to take forever to go away even though the bump is long gone.

Whew, that wasn't so quick. Anyway, obviously since I just recently developed this cystic acne and it's only on my jawline (my cheeks and forehead are relatively clear with occasional small bumps) I am convinced this is all hormone related. So I started researching into more diet and holistic line of things. I have tried to cut out a lot of "trigger" foods but I haven't been overly strict with it, hence the beginning of the log. (Plus I want to lose some weight too so this should be a win win situation.)

Enemies (aka: things that need to be cut out immediately)
Dairy - hard cause I love ice cream and yogurt
Lattes - I switched to soy a long time ago to avoid dairy, but I have a feeling all the extra caffeine does not help
Alcohol - last time I drank a lot I woke up the next morning with 3 new pimples, coincidence, I think not

The above three tend to be my biggest vices and are essentially consumed on a daily basis, so it will be interesting to see what happens when they're gone. I cut out fast food and soda a while ago, except for the occasional lapse, so I'm going to up the ante and try to avoid fried foods entirely. Other goals I want to achieve: avoid processed food and consume much more veggies/fruits. No oranges though. Never been a big eater of oranges but have since discovered through this board that oranges tend to trigger cystic acne.

Wow, this post is long, eh? Kudos if anyone is still reading this. I'll wrap it up. Oh, I'll also note that I started BC 3 months ago in an effort to help balance out the hormones. It may be helping but I can't conclusively say at this point. I also take a multi-vitamin, flax seed oil, and psyllium fiber everyday. I try to drink mostly water but of course can always increase the water intake.

And finally, my current topical skin regimen for the past month or so is:

AM
Paula's Choice skin balancing cleanser
Paula's Choice skin balancing toner
Paula's Choice BHA 2% in liquid form
Clean and Clear moisturizer with salicylic acid in it

PM
Same except I normally don't use the moisturizer
Use Queen Helene's mint julep mask 2-3x/week

Make-up
L'oreal mineral foundation
Neutrogena green concealer with salicylic acid (don't use all the time)
Nars blush
NYC loose powder

Current skin condition: left side of face is clear with about 4 healing red marks, right side of face has one active cyst and multiple healing red marks (right side is always worse than left for some reason), one healing cyst on top of forehead that's going down (this one was odd as I normally don't get anything on my forehead and it was very painful). Skin also tends to get very oily throughout the day while maintaining dry patches around mouth and chin. Yay.

Goals: no more cysts and red marks fade into nothingness! This may take a while as I'm very pale so everything shows up so clear on me.

Wow, long initial post. Sorry guys.

So here's the deal.

On March 27, I stopped using soap, toners, topical stuff, etc on my face. I've only used Olive Oil, applying it and then buffing it away with a soft washcloth.

I saw some great results from this, until I went back to school ten days later and started wearing makeup again. There were two problems with this:

1. The makeup itself was great, natural, and non-clogging. But like all mineral powders, it dried the oil from my face, which kind of defeated the purpose of the natural regimen, and
2. it made me have to buff the EVOO off harder, killing the dead skin mask. So my acne got worse after this.

-_-

My acne is moderate, with pustules and some cysts. I think.
It's most populated on my forehead and the sides of my face. I have blackheads on my nose. Who doesn't?

So in 44 days I go to Germany, and I'd rather not go there with a raging breakout, especially in a place where most people have clear, perfect skin.

So as of yesterday, I've dropped everything. No cleansing at all, and no makeup. AGH, that's hard for me. Really hard, because I find most of my confidence about my skin in my makeup. But this is the way I see it; I can go through the 30 day recovery phase without makeup, or I can suffer with it for years and years more.


Basically, this is my regimen:

○No washing, picking, etc
○Daily exercise
○Reduce stress by not obsessing over my skin
○Healthy diet: Dairy-free, low gluten, no processed food. Lots of water, fruits, veggies, lean meat, unsalted nuts, etc.


So far since I started yesterday, my skin looks great. Everything is far less inflamed. My skin was pretty flaky from the EVOO treatment, but more so now. I guess I'll just have to live with it while the dead skin mask builds up.

Hello my name is Dan (my name happens to be Dan),
Long story short, I have been suffering Acne for 6 years and tried everything:
1. Proactiv
2. Murad
3.Exposed
4.Julie's Organic
5. Minocycline
6. Differin
7. Clean and Clear
8. Acne Free
and the list goes on.

I was fed up, like most of you, spending money on useless creams and lotions and I decided to take my health in to my own hands, and let my doctor decide everything for my health. Conventional treatment didn't work for me so I am looking in to holistic method of treating acne. I want to make a difference and however I can help to help someone not feel the way i did and do, will mean the world to me.

With that said, I am keeping a log (hopefully the last log) of The Acne No More Program developed by Mike Walden a certified nutritionist, medical consultant, and a medical researcher.

At least he has a medical background unlike a lot of the ebook writers, and I like the fact he's not a doctor because most doctors are taught that medication is the only cure for all diseases.

Before I start my log from today, I will give you info on my skin type, type of acne, etc.

Skin type: oily
Type of Acne: Cystic/ Hormonal
Suffering for: 6 Years
Ethnicity: Asian
Height: 5 foot 10
Weight: 165
Body type: 9% bodyfat, exercise 5 times a week both weights and cardio, member in the track team.
Diet: Following what is called Spartan Diet since recently. (Caloric restriction, fruits and veggetable majority diet, lean meats, etc) It's a great diet, you should google it and read for yourself.

I will try to keep log daily, and share with you much that I legally can.
I will post a new post shortly.

I have had bad skin since I was 13. I have always had problems with breaking out and it was a phase that I had hoped I would have grown out of when I hit my 20's. I'm almost 29 and still suffer from acne prone skin. For the past three years I have been on a regimen (Acne.org regimen, aka CSR, DKR, Dan's regimen) that consisted of:

Washing w mild cleanser
Waiting 5 to 15 minutes
Applying 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide
Waiting for it to absorb and then applying Cetaphil lotion
*If it was daytime, I would also add oil free sunblock

I would do this regimen two times a day and for the longest time, it seemed to control things for the most part. However, this regimen had its side effects: redness, extreme dryness/flakiness, and it bleached my fabrics. The past year, my breakouts have seemed worse - not as numerous but lately my cheeks have broken out and left dark scarring. I'm scared to continue on with this method because I don't want more scarring.

---

So I did a little searching on this site and learned of a new regimen: Lemon juice. Simple lemon juice. I read the reviews and 95% are positive (out of over 300 people). Lemon juice supposedly evens out skin tone, minimizes scarring and clears/prevents breakouts. All the feedback just blew my mind!

The regimen for Lemon juice basically is: wash your face with mild cleanser (not medicated), cut a lemon into slices and squeeze the juice from them into a saucer, dab cotton ball in lemon juice and apply on skin, leave on overnight.

On what I read, this is only done at night and in the morning, just wash, moisturize and apply sun block. The only con of the regimen is that users say the lemon juice stings like a bitch for a few minutes. Eh, small sacrifice for a greater good *shrug*

I want to try this new regimen. Tonight I washed my face, but instead of applying benzoyl peroxide, I only applied moisturizer. I'm going to wait at least 5 days before starting the lemon juice regimen so my face can get over the benzoyl peroxide regimen. I want my face to be hydrated and "normal" before I begin so I don't over irritate it.

I'm scared though. I'm scared of breaking out worse during this waiting period and ultimately, I'm scared of the new regimen not working and being disappointed yet again. I'm going to try this for a month and depending on the results, I'll either: a) continue with it or b) go back to the old regimen.