How to keep my mind off my pizza face?

Ugh. I need help. I seriously can't take my mind off the disaster that is my face at the moment.

I used the mario badescu drying lotion religiously before, but for some reason I bought a new jar and it caused a crazy allergic reaction everywhere. My face was actually clearing up this summer...I had hormonal pimples here and there and some left over hyperpigmentation but for the most part, my skin was better than it had been in a long time. Then a week ago I started breaking out in cysts again. I was getting them under control until the allergic reaction happened. Now my face is covered in cysts and itchy red spots! When I look in the mirror, I feel like I can't even see my eyes or nose...I just zero in on all these crazy red blotches EVERYWHERE.

I move back to college in 2 days and I was really looking forward to going back with clear skin and more self-confidence. Now I just want to bury my head in the pillow. I would give ANYTHING to have the skin I had two weeks ago. Or actually...I would give anything to have another week or two to clear up before going back to school. I have so many errands to run and sooo much to pack before moving back but I can't concentrate on anything! Help me! My skin hasn't looked this bad since...I don't know. I don't think my skin has EVER looked this bad. Perfect timing.

Mario Badescu drying lotion caused allergic reaction!

I used Mario Badescu's drying lotion religiously about a year ago until I ran out. I went without it this summer because I was running low on money and figured it was the most dispensable of all my face products...but this Thursday I went to Nordstroms and picked it up again. I put it all over my face on all the tiny bumps & whiteheads that night. Yeah I went a little crazy but I didn't think to spot check it because I used up an entire jar before with no adverse effects, right?

Anyways I woke up Friday morning, washed off all the pink spots and underneath each one was a giant red itchy spot! Now it's Saturday night, and I've tried everything. I've been cleansing my face with cool water, drinking tons of water to cleanse my system, took benadryl (only started taking it today), put lemon juice on my face to try to soothe it...even did an aspirin & honey mask to try and calm my skin. These bumps are all slightly raised, but each one consists of tiny clear bumps that make up one bumpy red mess!

Help!!! I go back to school in a few days and I can't look like a crazy pizza face. My dad gave me hydrocortisone 1% cream but I've been researching online and some sites say you shouldn't use an OTC hydrocortisone cream on your face. Normally I'd just wait it out, but I really need this go to away ASAP and it hasn't gotten ANY better since yesterday morning. In fact, I don't even think they were raised or bumpy yesterday.

Foundation that won't make you break out?

Unlike many people on this board, I have dry dry dry skin. I don't know why I break out so much because my skin is already dry to begin with, and with the over the counter topical creams I've been using, my face just peels everywhere. I have no idea what kind of foundation I'm supposed to use!

Right now, I'm just using a very very light Benefit foundation that goes from cream to powder, but the coverage is extremely minimal (and I mean barely ANYTHING. It just slightly evens out skin tone...SLIGHTLY) and it's also very drying. Do you gals have any recommendations?

I've tried liquid foundation from Clinique before. Liquid clearly works better on dry skin, but it made me break out in cystic pimples all the time, especially in the summer. I just need something that covers and won't make me break out.

Any concealer suggestions too, actually? I use the concealer from Neutrogena that's supposed to help fight pimples as well. I like it because I can put it directly on my pimples without worrying about making them any worse, but its also verrryyyyy veryyyy drying.

Can't concentrate on finals...

I have finals coming up and every precious minute of studying matters...but I'm on the week before my period and I am breaking out like CRAZY. I'm talking big giant blood red cystic pimples EVERYWHERE. The worst ones are on my nose...I literally look like Rudolph. I've spent the entire day glancing at the mirror every chance I get and cringing at the sight of myself. I don't even know WHY I look in the mirror...I already know how bad it looks. I'm so crazy, when I'm studying I pick up my iPod and look at the back with the mirror. Why am I torturing myself? Why have I studied a total of 1 hour today when I could've studied 8? It's so hard to forget about the pimples when I can feel them throbbing on my face. All I can think about is...my face was CLEAR just two days ago. All I can think about is...these pimples are so painful I KNOW they're going to get bigger and redder. All I can think about is...after my summer break starts I have to start work, and will my pimples be gone by then?

I seriously want to break down and cry. I seriously want to have clear skin so I can concentrate on studying. Is that crazy that I can't focus? Am I crazy? I HATE MY LIFE.

Going off birth control pills caused my cystic acne?

I went on BCP (Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo) for about 3 months over a year ago to regulate my periods which weren't even that irregular (thanks a lot, gyno). I developed a disease called Erythema Nodosum which caused these giant black, painful sores that looked like bruises all over my leg, swelled up my ankles...I couldn't walk a week and had to take antibiotics to make it go away. Obviously I went off the pill. About a month later, I experienced two weeks of ridiculous nausea...I couldn't sit in a car and everytime I walked I felt like I was going to throw up or pass out. I took a bunch of pregnancy tests because I was sooo convinced I was pregnant (but I wasn't).

Then a couple months after that...maybe 6 months ago...I started developing cystic acne along my T-zone. Before I went on the pill, I got the occasional zit but they were short-lived ones that went away on their own. Looking back, I don't even think I used any pimple cream or ANYTHING because these zits were TINY and never bothered me. Now, I can't imagine life without my one-hour facial regime. I'm constantly battling giant cysts on my forehead, nose and chin.......if I go a night without putting on my Mario Badescu products, my face becomes a disaster.

I've done a little research online and apparently going off the pill CAUSES cystic acne in some people? WHAT????? How long does this hormonal imbalance last? This is ridiculous....I've been off the pill for over a YEAR...and I was only on it for a couple months to begin with. Looking back on my pre-pill days...I realize just how clear my skin was and what bad shape it's in now. Anyone else in this situation? It's just so hard for me to accept that my body STILL hasn't readjusted from my BCP days...when will it? Will I ever get back the skin I used to have?