Hi everyone,

My name is Jayne, and I'm a 21 year old accounting student from Canada. I'm going to share my skin story with you guys so that I have a place to log my progress and hopefully help somebody who has a simmilar story to mine.

So, I'm always hesitent to say that I did not suffer with acne when I was growing up as a teenager. I did, however, get 1-2 cysts every 6 monthes from the time I was in junior high up until I was 20/21. My face would be entirely clear, and then all of a sudden I'd have 1 huge cyst show up on my chin randomly from time to time. That, I could totally deal with, no problem.

This is where my story actually begins.

It all started almost exactly 4 monthes ago. I moved to a different city about 3 years ago for school, and I hadn't gotten around to getting a new doctor in that time (I know, I'm bad, I have one NOW!). So one day, 4 monthes ago, I went to a medicenter in my city to get another 12 monthes of ortho-tricyclen. The doctor asked me how I liked my current BCP, and I told him that I'd been on it for over 4 years and loved it, had no problem with it, didn't have cramps or pms EVER. He said, "Well then why don't you try ortho-tricyclen lo? It does the exact same thing as orthotricylen but with lower doses of hormones". Okay, I obviosly trusted a doctor and got a one year perscription of ortho lo. That was such a huge mistake.

After 2 weeks the taking ortho lo, my skin had broken out more than it ever had in my entire life. I continued to take it for the duration of the month, at which point my skin had cysts on an ongoing basis, clogged pores, whiteheads, blackheads. My skin looked like crap, and I was just starting off a new semester (yay). During the month of hell, I discovered acne.org. I read sooooooooooooo many posts, mainly on cleanser, makeup, and moisterizer recommendations.

One day, I read a sticky saying that the St. Ives Apricot scrub was one of the worst scrubs you could use because of the uneven texture of walnut shell and the possibility of creating microtears in your skin.

A quick note for you here, I had been using St. Ives Apricot scrub with 2% SA for FIVE years (since highschool) before I read this.

The same day I read that it was bad for your skin, I stopped using it. I started to use strictly cetaphil.

After one month of tricyclen lo, I went back to the medicenter and told him I hated it, and I got a year of orthotricyclen.

Let's fast forward to the week of March 25. After 3 monthes of taking my regular orthotricyclen, my skin was still as crappy as ever. I had changed my diet, stopped drinking milk, started to excercise every day, and try to drink up to 8 glasses of water a day. Still, skin remained the same. So I sat down, and I thought to myself, what the hell am I doing differently NOW than I was before this whole ordeal? My bcp is now the same as before, my lifestyle is even HEALTHIER than before...

...Then I had a moment of realization. I realized that the only thing that had changed was that DAMN St. Ives Apricot scrub with 2% SA. I said to myself, I really don't care what peolpe on here say about it, I'm at my last straw, and I used it for SO long before and had such clear skin.

So on March 25, 2009, I went out and brought the same scrub I'd been using for so long. In almost two weeks of using my old scrub, my skin has literally done a 180. The tone and texture is AMAZING. I have only gotten one tiny cyst in the 2 weeks I've been using this scrub. (I got it this morning - I'm blaming this on the entire bag of fritos hoops I ate last night while watching movies). Everything has cleared up on my face, and I'm left with some red marks on my chin, but I have a great toner with hyaluronic acid, tea tree oil, and vitamin E that fads red marks seriously fast.

I got really upset at myself for trusting only one source of information (acne.org). I stopped using a product that has worked for me for years because of a few bad reviews on here. I decided to check my favorite site for reviews, makeupalley. My scrub got 80% on there, with almost 1000 reviews, mostly those of which had acne prone and/or oily skin.

So, to conclude, this is my holy grail scrub, it was before, I let it go for 4 monthes, and saw the havoc that wreaked on my skin. I'm kicking myself because if I would have known that my skin would clear up in less than 2 weeks, I would have never stopped using it in the first place!!!

The key to using this scrub is TO BE GENTLE. Don't exfoliate like you would your body. Be super gentle and lightly cleanse with circular motions.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub with 2% salicylic acid, I f*cking love you, no matter what some may say.

I'm going to post pics up until my skin is back in it's original state (knock on wood).

So far, my face has hyperpigmentation on my chin, and one small cyst that has shown its head this morning. The rest of my face is very clear, no clogged pores, and a very even tone and texture.

I'm sorry to go against some of the negative things said about this scrub, but 5 years of clear skin before this ordeal, and how quickly my skin cleared up after using it for only 2 weeks, is enough for my to say that I can't recommend it enough.

Pic 1 - March 25, 2009
Pic 2 - April 4, 2009
Pic 3 - taken last semester
Pic 4 - January 3, 2009
(pic 3&4 are on the next post)

Anyways, I just wanted to share my story with you guys.

Have a great weekend

- PL

Why are you covering your eyes?

Im gonna read your log and respond as much as I can. I also have a regimen log if you are interested

Haha! I knew someone would ask that
I don't won't to be identified in those pictures! By covering my eyes, I'm covering my identity. Let's say I get famous, I don't want horrible skin pictures floating around the net! Call me a scardy cat, but I feel more comfortable hiding my identity in those pictures. I've been meaning to check out your log Molly!! I'm gonna do that right now actually

So... I got my boyfriend to pick up some 100% tea tree oil from his work yesterday, because I read reviews on acne.org saying that it works most effectively for shrinking or stopping active cysts. So I applied it 2x/day yesterday, and 2x/day today to my small/medium sized cyst on my chin. So far the cyst is less inflamed, and hasn't gotten any bigger. I will continue to apply 100% TTO to it 2x/day.

As far as the rest of my face... so far so good. I'm going to have a shower now and wash with my apricot scrub.

I forgot to mention the vitamins I'm taking.

Progressive Active Womans Multi w/ digestive enzymes
Calcium w/ vit D
Fish Oils
Zinc
Ginko on test days!
Vitamin C
Probiotic
B50 Complex
Vitaberry (powerful antioxident)
Chea Seeds 1 tsp (super food)

And.. yep!

Also biking for 45 mins/day and working upper body+arms. 70 sit ups/day.
Height: 5"6, Weight 119 Lbs

Just a side note: I have a feeling the probiotic helps with fighting off bacteria quite well. My skin saw a positive difference after taking it regularly.

Here are a couple of pictures, the first one is taken this summer in august. The second one is taken at the beginning of January this year, right before my skin started to break out in cystic acne.

Anyways, have a good night guys

http://imgcash2.imageshack.us/Himg123/scal...0&ysize=480

http://imgcash3.imageshack.us/Himg123/scal...0&ysize=480

Whoaaaaaaaa! You are soooo pretty

So, that cyst from Friday, gone today. I actually feel like jumping and screaming because something actually worked to stop the cyst from getting bigger, and make it go away so fast. I actually wanted to cry when I looked in the mirror because it worked better than I thought it would. I just made another thread about my tea tree oil experience:

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Tea-Tree-...il-t231797.html

I can't believe it worked so fast? It didn't sting or burn or anything, and it smelled like eucalyptus/minty, and cleared my sinus' last night when I was laying in bed.

I want other people to try this for their active cysts now. I'm going to use this in the future at the first signs of a cyst. I'm so glad I found this.. ahhhh!!!! . I hope that CiaoBella tries this, I'm going to tell her about it because she gave me anticyst vibes in the past, and I owe it to her! hahah.

K bye guys! I'm hungry!

So I just bought a 2% SA toner to add to my regimine. I have a really great hyaluronic toner that I'll use interchangably with this one. Anyways, skin's lookin good. I found another great product.

3x antibiotic Polysporin cream with vitamin E. I applied it to this dry and raw looking left over cyst absess that I removed the top layer of skin too early from (gross, I'm sorry!) and after I had a shower this evening, it looks like its had maybe 2 days to heal.. So I'm really happy with this stuff! Hopefully the added toner doesn't dry me out, but I'm afraid that my skin isn't FULLY benefitting from the SA in my facial scrub. Anyways, I had a scholership interview today with the Free Masonry Society of Alberta (random...) , and I hope I get it... I could really use an extra $1250 for clothes... err.... tuition I mean.

The polysporin 3x antibiotic cream is AWESOME. I feel like I have super healing powers! I just kept a dab on the reddish raised area that my cyst used to be and it created a scab, which litearlly fell off this morning when I washed my face. Now it's just a tiny pink mark, which can be nicely covered up. I hated the polysporin ointment because it was so greasy and it would drip down from the area I would dab it on. The cream stays put and absorbs in very quickly! I recommend giving the ceam a try, I heard that it wasn't pore clogging like the ointment.

Anyways, just at school today, only had one class and had to hand in a paper. 2 More weeks of class then a long awaited break wahoooo! I bet everyone's excited. I'm heading home to Edmonton this weekend w/ my hubby to spend Easter with my parents. They always fill an easter basket for my hubby, older brother, and my hubbys little sis if she comes along. I love the "easter bunny"! We're all so old, I can't believe my Mom still does that, I think it's because she's a retired kindergarten teacher, and still is at heart. <3 Aww I love my Mom & Dad. Anyways!

So, my skin has been clearing up so well! But all of a sudden, I got a cyst kind of under my chin where I don't usually use cleanser, great! Now I know to cleanse to my neck. I applied TTO last night at the first signs, and it hasn't gotten red yet, so I hope I catch it early. I'll update on how effective the TTO is as soon as you feel a cyst coming.

Anyways, I'm gonna head home now.
Have a great long weekend everyone! =)

I agree! You are beautiful! I wish I had your blue eyes. Lets trade for a day How young are you Polska Laska?

Thanks Molly!
I actually have very green eyes! They look blue in that picture though. What color eyes do you have?? Are they brown? If so, lets trade! I actually bought some brown contacts a few years ago to try out and I loved em! I'm 21, turning 22 in September.

I just posted a video of my doggy Happi on youtube. Check her out, we love her to PIECES.
<3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
Excuse my voice, I talk to her like a little baby.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1m5PvmPxdM

Really, maybe the camera isnt showing the true color of your eyes My mom has green eyes as do both of her siblings. I dont even know what to call my eyes. From far away they are brown but if you look close, there is a lot of green. Maybe my eyes are hazel Cool, September what? Semptember is one of my fave months because thats the month my dead grandmother was born She also died in September.

Im turning 25 in less than two week but I look 15

Hazel eyes are so pretty! My best friend Samantha has Hazel eyes and they look really cool in the sunlight. September 26! Wanna know something kind of weird? I find that wherever I go, I see 0926... eerie! Was your grandma a libra?. My Mom is aquamarine (March) so we have light blue and dark blue. I'm sorry to hear about your Grandma Grandmas are all lucky because they get to live long lives!
Lol, I've seen your pics, I think you look my age actually! Do you have oily skin btw? (Random question, but I have suppppper oily skin but my Mom always tells me that she hated her oily skin, but it looks so good now because oily skin = younger looking skin after menopause! haha)

So I didn't say anything about my little initial breakout I've been having since starting the 2% SA toner. But today my skin feels pretty spooth and evenly textured. my pores look smaller and I was actually less oily and could wear my mineral makeup through the night without looking like crap. It's a tad bit irritated, but the point is that it's clear. I wouldn't say I have sensitive skin... My skin can really tolerate some products, but totally hate others. Anyways, I mentioned before that I had been applying 100% Tea Tree Oil to the beginning signs of a cyst under my chin where I usually don't cleanse with my cleanser or toner, just soap in the shower... =\ Whoops. Well, the TTO SO far (its been two days) has kept the cyst from "hatching" *knock on wood*. I hope that it continues to stay that way and hopefully start to flatten out. I'm visiting my parents back home this weekend and visiting with family so I wanted to have nice skin for the occasion. I'm really liking the Everyday Minerals right now... I forget what exact color samples I ordered but they're all in the lightest shades. I really like the semi matte and original glo mixed together. Unfortunately my skn is so oily that it starts getting dewy around noon... I kind of like that my oil comes through the makeup though. I was using revlon colorstay, and I'm not sure if it allowed my pores to breathe....it just kept the oil locked inside behind the makeup.. I dunno if that's actually true, someone know the answer?

Anywayys, my hubby is trying to sleep. We went for a seafood buffet at this nice Casino in the city with his family and it was DELICIOUS. Shhh but we actually did a few bong hits before we went to maximize the goodness of it!! Heheh. I haven't eaten so much crab in my life!! <3. I'm gonna go check if crab has iodine and how much.. Hopefully not as much as shrimp =/

G'night!

So I'm just laying on the couch at my parents place in Edmonton. I've had the best meals for the past few days...

Thursday - All you can eat Maritime crab with hubbys family - I think I ate maybe 5lbs of crab legs <33
Friday - Homemade yummy Easter dinner with family
Saturday - Outback steakhouse, steak and crab
Tomorrow - Mom & Dad making yummy breakfast/brunch and another Easter Dinner with just immediete family.

I miss my Mom and Dad and home cooking =( Luckily they're only a 3 hour drive away!

My mom and hubby are both snoring in the family room while I'm on the computer.

Anyways, aside from that.. on to skin! My Mom bought me an expensive LaRoche Posey spot treatment with .5% SA. I'm trying that on a tiny zit right now.

So far, loving the TTO... kept a cyst from developing which was AWESOME! I stopped using my hyaluronic toner w/ witch hazel base because I'm using an SA toner until my skin completely clears up. I still have tiny zits (2-3) from the "purging state" of SA. (I'm 3 weeks in.. I hope by a month my skin will be all clear.) Anyways, I'm gonna wake up my hubby off the couch and head to bed! G'night!

So I got a zit around my mouth and I guarentee it's from my parent's toothpaste. I use sensidine and I never have a problem, but I used my Mom's TP b/c I left mine back home, and the next time, zit under my lip (tiny, but annoying). I love tea tree oil. I actually love the smell. Anyways, I tried out that La Roche spot treatment, and it creates a little white barrier around the zit allowing the SA to penetrate. It was only one night, so obviously nothing spectacular happened.. the mouth zit just stayed as it. It has a tiny whitehead, but I don't want to aggrevate things. Anyways, my hubby and I are driving back home today after Easter dinner, I have finals the next 2 weeks that I need to study for. Picked up some romulan x sour diesel from my older brother last night... Yummy yum yum!

Anyways, can't wait to get home and do some cardio! I've been doing 45 mins of cardio/day with 75 sit ups, and alternating days with weights. I got a little out of shape this semester (So busy), but I can feel my abs under a little fat pad, so cardio cardio cardio until that goes away. I need to order some St. Tropez tanner because I took a vow not to go tanning this year. I'm a seasonal tanner in the summer (with the exclusion of my face - in my whole life, I have never exposed my face to a tanning bed). I like going tanning a month before it gets really sunny and hot so I can build a base tan, and then that's all I need to keep my body from burning. Damn I love a tan. The summer before last, I used only self tanner and it looked exactly the same as a real tan, except it was definately more maintainance to keep up the tan. So... we'll see. My hubby said he'd go tanning every second time with me if I decide to go (he's 3/4 Cambodian 1/4 Chinese, but he looks like he could be Hawaiian or half white, he's very light caramel, his parents are very light) ... *drool*... He has a gorgeous complextion and baby smooth skin, without effort... He could get away with moisturizing with body lotion and still have gorgeous skin!

Anyways, I saw F&F 4 the other night, it got the worst reviews on rottentomatoes, but it was really good! Hated the STI though, veilside made a custom kit for this movie, and it looked gross.

Okay so that polysporin cream? It clogs pores. I had been applying a dab for about a week to a kind of dead skinny, still healing area, and I think I overdid it, because under where I had the cream, a pore clogged and turned into a white head, nice. So I'm treating that with 100% TTO.

My 15mL bottle of TTO RAN OUT already. NOTE to anyone using TTO - I had said to saturate the tip of a Qtip with the oil THEN apply it to face - DO NOT do this. It WASTES so much of the product! Wash your hands thoroughly, and then apply the oil directly to your finger tip and THEN massage onto your cyst/spot. I had to go buy a 30mL bottle, which was a better deal that getting another 15. I tried to find Manuka oil but I had no luck, plus I Love love love TTO. I can't be without it now, I'll take no chances! If a cyst DOES happen to pop up, which I've been SO lucky the last few weeks since I've started my SA products, I want to have this TTO to blast it with.

On another note, I self-tanned myself last night with a L'Oreal bronzer/tanner (my whole body, not face - my Mom bought me an SPF 30 tinted moisterizer and it is slightly darker than my skintone so it matches my fake tan pretty well)... I washed it off in the shower after about an hour, and I was dissapointed with how little color I got! THEN I woke up this morning, and I was like 5 shades darker! I thought I cleaned my palms really well but they are slightly orange, so I'll have to wash em with some Hydrogyn Peroxide later.

Only 6 more days till the semester is done, 6 days of FINALS that is. I have to complete my accounting labs by the 20th *I have 18 left (out of like 150?).... which is pretty good, thankfully I can tackle about 4 labs per half day, so I have a strict schedule to stick to! Anyways, today is going to be busy, gotta run!

Bye org.!

Okay, so I'm going to change my regimine slightly.

AM
-Tone with Clean and Clear Clarifying Toner (2% SA)
- Apply Complex 15 Moisterizer
- Apply Every Day Minerals in Original Glow (Med Fair) and intensive concealer (fair) + salon fun blush

PM
- Wash face in shower with St Ives Apricot Scrub
- Tone with NewCo Hyaluronic Toner
- Apply 100% Tea Tree Oil to any active blemish/cyst

NEW REGIMINE *April 18/09*

AM
- Wash face with Clean and Clear Acne Foaming Cleanser (2% SA) - gentle!
- Moisterize with Complex 15
- Apply EDM in whatever I feel (orig glow, semi matte, intensive) + salon fun or photo album blush

PM
- Wash face with Clean and Clear Acne Foaming Cleanser (2%SA) - 5x / week
- Wash face with St. Ives Apricot Scrub - 2x / week
- Use Clean and Clear Clarifying Toner on days I only use the foaming cleanser (To remove any excess makeup)
- Apply Hyaluronic toner to red marks only.
- Spot treat with 100% TTO.

So, basically, I'm weaning myself off the St. Ives, or not off, but DOWN. I really like the foaming cleanser I got, my skin isn't really dry after using it, like the St. Ives. It'll give it a nice break on the days I'm not using the scrub. So far so good I guess but it's only been one day.

Ran out of probiotics, so my hubbs is gonna pick some up today.

Make a shopping list
- frozen rasberries
- chunky soup
- H20
- Celery
- (Have lettuce)
- Vanilla Extract
- Chicken breast ( I love slow cooker food! Gonna find a yummy chicken recipe).

I'm going to make some green smooties later on, hope they're yummy!

AND.. I'm going to stop by Sephora and ask for a sample of the Makeup forever HD microfinish powder, has anyone tried this? It got good reviews on sephora.com and MUA. I need a finishing powder, but this is $30 CDN and I want to try it out first! I'm also gonna pick up some new conditioner and body butter at Walmart, any good conditioner recommendations for cheap stuff? I'm currently using Pantene and it's pretty blah.

Well, I need to start exercising again, I was so good until I went home for Easter, pigged out (YUM) and never started back up again since Monday... Today is the day!!! I have to do it! Swim suit season is approaching!

Anyways, just wanted to give the biggest shout out ever to Ciao Bella. Whenever she updates her log, it's the funnest time to be on the org. I LOVE her log! She's so cool, she reminds me of one of my best friends Natasha... So spunky and funny and an awesome sense of humor. I moved to another city and I miss my friends, so Bellas posts make me feel all happy and upbeat!

Okay! I'm gonna go get ready to head to the mall now, have a great weekend all! Good luck to all the Uni and college students on their finals the next week(s).

Byee!

Are you serious? This is the most mind-f*cking coincidence. I stopped using the st. ives apricot scrub for a full day and night, and I got my first cyst, 2 of them rather, since I started using it again. What the hell is up with my skin. I'm so mad right now, all the people on the org saying how bad it is, and then I decide to switch to another SA cleanser, and exactly a day later I have 2 cysts after I've been clear for almost a month. Is this a joke or something? I feel SO pissed right now. Sorry to be so negative but this is just what I needed the day before I have week long final exams. Great. I don't even know what to use on my face anymore. I'm just going to keep using this new stuff and treat these cysts with tea tree oil. They're still under the skinnies, just about to get bigger, so maybe I can catch them, I hope. Does my face like constant exfoliation or something? I used st ives apricot scrub in highschool and into college and my skin was looking it's best. I'm seriously confused.

Why don't you just keep using the St. Ives stuff?

Crap, this is an old post....