OTC topical retinoids are a great alternative to prescription retinoids (Retin A, Tazorac, Differin) for people with mild/moderate acne who find the prescription products too irritating to their skin.

Topical retinoids are very effective anti-acne AND anti-aging products. They transform your skin cells over time, speeding up the rate at which skin cells form and making them less "sticky". Retinoids also increase collagen production. Long-term retinoid use results in smoother, more even and glowing skin. Topical retinoids are not effective spot treatments, but are meant to be used all over your face, and on a regular basis.

A lot of people get started with retinoids but give up quickly -- usually because they have not been properly taught about how retinoids work, and what to expect in the early weeks.

Here are some key things to remember:

1) IRRITATION

Topical retinoids are irritating to the skin, even the OTC formulations, and you MUST ease into them gradually. Here is a general schedule that I suggest people follow when first starting out:

Week 1: once every 3 days
Week 2: once every 2 days
Week 3: 2 out of 3 days
Week 4: daily

Pay attention to your skin! Red, sore, "sunburned"-looking skin and excessive peeling are signs of irritation. If you experience either, STOP using the retinoid until your skin has gone back to normal. Then pick up the schedule where you left off.

2) INITIAL BREAKOUT

Retinoids work against acne by forcing the comedones that are clogging your pores to come to the surface. It takes about 3 months for your pores to clear, and during this time, you will probably see some breakouts. Blackheads may appear larger and more noticeable as they surface; small hard bumps may form; and if you are prone to inflammatory acne, you will probably get pimples. (A short course of antibiotics can help people with inflammatory acne get through this initial breakout, but I do not recommend taking antibiotics for more than 2-3 weeks.)

3) SKIN FRAGILITY

Retinoids make your epidermis thinner and more fragile (don't worry, though, because they actually thicken and strengthen the underlying dermis). DO NOT PICK AT YOUR SKIN! Trying to squeeze out a single blackhead can leave you with an ugly red mark for weeks. Be patient.

Be sure to use a very mild cleanser with no other active ingredients while you are getting accustomed to the retinoid, and cleanse your face with lukewarm water no more than twice a day. Once is probably better. Retinoids compromise your skin's barrier function, and excessive washing is going to result in dehydrated skin. You can reinforce your epidermal barrier and reduce dehydration by supplementing your diet with fish oil.

4) PEELING SKIN

Some peeling is normal. Not only are your skin cells regenerating very quickly, but they are not sticking together as cohesively, and you will see the surface layers peeling off. Gentle exfoliation can help get rid of the shedding layer of skin; you can use a soft facial brush or a silica microbead scrub each morning to prepare your skin for the day. BE GENTLE! You can do a lot of damage if you aren't.

5) SUN SENSITIVITY

Retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. Wear sunscreen during daylight hours. If you are getting laser or light treatments, be sure to tell your consultant you are using topical retinoids; you may need to avoid product use for a week or so before a treatment.

6) PRODUCT APPLICATION

Most OTC retinoids need time to absorb into your skin and do their work. You should apply them to clean, dry skin and wait at least 30-45 minutes before applying moisturizer. Many retinoids degrade in sunlight, so it's best to use them at night.

7) USING RETINOIDS WITH ACIDS

Retinoids can work really, really well in tandem with AHAs or BHAs, but I don't recommend trying to introduce both at the same time. Your best bet is to start with the AHA or BHA product, and when your skin is fully accustomed to it (in other words, you can use it daily with no drying or irritation!), then start gradually introducing the retinoid. I would recommend using the AHA or BHA product in the AM and the retinoid at night.


SOME OTC RETINOIDS I LIKE .....

Green Cream (my personal favorite) is a retinol gel that comes in three concentrations: Levels 3, 6 and 9. Level 3 is quite mild, and is intended for people with highly sensitive skin. Most people with normal skin can start out with Level 6. Level 9 is quite strong and probably not the best one to start with. I didn't start using Level 9 until I could tolerate Level 6 twice a day. GC is pretty expensive, about $45 - $55 for a one ounce bottle (this will last a month or so, depending on how often you use it). I have bought from www.lindasy.com, www.dianayvonne.com, and www.amazon.com. More information and a message board are available on the product website, www.greencream.com.

Diacneal is made by Avene. It's retinaldehyde-based, which some people prefer to retinol, and contains 6% glycolic acid as well. More readily available in Europe and Canada than Green Cream is.

The Vivant Vitamin A products are also very highly regarded. Check them out at www.betterhealthyskin.com.

I have a tube of Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream - Night.

I only have lotions which aren't enough (been wanting to finish those-up before I start anything new.. and the only other cream I have stings my facecheeks a little)

Thanks in advance!

Here's the thing. Every night after I take a shower, I like to squeeze the visible white gunk (sebum) out of the pores on my nose. I like to do this because it seems to have had a positive effect in staving off breakouts ever since I first started.

But I'm afraid that all this squeezing will result in long-term damage to my skin. I've already bruised myself several times, and I just recently noticed a few small broken capillaries where I've been squeezing.

So I'm looking for a product that can dissolve that gunk in my pores chemically instead of me having to extract it manually, if such a thing exists. Is there a product that will do this? Is that what salicylic acid is supposed to do?

I have recently started using the Cetaphil liqud cleanser for sensitive skin... has anyone used and liked this product? I know it's a gentler form of cleansing, but my skin doesnt feel all that clean when I'm done... more dry and 'chunky' feeling (if that makes any sense haha)

I dont know maybe I have just grown used to the harsher cleansers- which I fear only irritate and make my skin worse.

Does anyone have a cleanser suggestion? I have sensitive, oily, acne prone skin... the worst kind.

Thanks!!!

So, I added Metazine gel to my existing regimen. Its a topical niacinamide gel (5%). I've been doing a bit of research on topical niacinamide and it seems like a really great skin care ingredient. There are tons of articles on pubmed about its use for acne, hyperpigmentation, skin-hydration, wrinkle reduction and its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.

I don't get much acne anymore - mostly a few blackheads here and there, and the occasional small inflamed lesion. I think I am still acne prone, but have been able to manage the problem with my topical treatments and with diet/supplements. But, since niacinamide seems to have so many beneficial effects on the skin and is good for those who are acne-prone, I wanted to give it a try.

I have used it for two nights, with no adverse reactions so far. Its obviously too soon to say much more than that, but will say that my skin has felt very soft when I wake up in the morning!

Here are Metazine's ingredients:

de-ionizied water, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, niacinamide, Hamamelis virginiana, kosher vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, Carbomer, TEA, Methyl/Propylparaben

I've been using this olay moisturizer for sensitive skin and notice the product sometimes rubs off in white flakes or something? What does that mean? Should I be using an exfoliating cleanser as well?

http://iqqubeauty.com/int/index.php/produc...ne-serum-1.html

Watched a make-up tutorial on youtube and noticed this girl used a IQQU product to prep her skin, so I went to the website and saw they have a acne product. What do you guys think?

Does anyone no of a product that i can order online that actually works? Im looking for a pill form that i can order and it will work like acutane. thanks!

I recently bought Murad from Sephora, used it for a week and broke out in places on my face i never broke out at. My skin burns it gets blotchy during the day. the only time i feel like my pimples are fading is when i wake up in the morning. PLease do not waste your money. If anything try Neutrogena acne system or something// i tried it once and it was working but i thought murad would work faster...Of course i was wrong.

I have been suffering for acne for nearly a year and a half. I never really had a problem with my skin and then it all hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought it was a phase (even though all acne is), but it wasn't a short phase and it's only gotten worse. For awhile I have kept it subsided with corticol steroid injections, every topical cream and skin product out there, and plenty of antibiotics, but it got out of control an really took a huge toll on my self-esteem and self-confidence. I already started taking Accutane about a month ago and all it has done so far has increased my breakouts and made my lips and skin extremely dry as well. I understand that this is normal and expected for the first couple of months, but I just want to know if there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am willing to endure this "initial breakout" phase and the other side effects, but I just want to know of other positive experiences people have had and I just want to know if it will work and what I can expect through this process and hard journey. My dermatologist said that it probably will work for me, but I just need some reassurance! I do not want my red, inflammed, crusty, dirty pimples any more at all, and is the single most thing I could wish would just go away. Please let me know about your experiences and let me know if I'm gonna be OK! Thanks everybody.

Hi all!

2 weeks ago I bought "Exposed SkinCare" treatment for acne, which includes

-2.5% BP gel
-facial cleanser and tonic
-1% salicylic acid

PART 1
At the end of the first week, results were visible. I was very glad.

PART 2
Now, at the end of the second week, I have TERRIBLE breakouts on my jaw, cheeks and forehead, even worse than before. Whiteheads appear overnight ( more than 5 every night, even big ones ) .

THE QUESTION
Should I continue the Exposed SkinCare treatment? What do you think? Will I get better?

So, I have had bad acne past. As of this last year it has not been as bad as it has been in the previous years of my life. However, towards the beginning of the year it was not great. The whole year I have been trying to nail down a regimen that I think works and gives me what I want. As of bout 2-3 months ago I figured out pretty much exactly what I need to include in my regimen and what order to do things in. So, I had that down. I had been in the practice of using this regimen very strictly for about 1 1/2 months or 2 months. My face was really getting better. I mean, I was almost perfectly clear. I had even gotten to the point a couple of times lately where post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation was the only problem I had left to deal with. Then, I missed my routine one morning because I woke up too late to get it done before work. For my alternate I bought a toner/astringent with alcohol SD 40 in it and witch hazel and I also bought an oil with vitamin E, aloe vera and safflower oil in it. I figured at the moment that I would wipe my face clean with a wipe, then I would use the toner and then the oil and moisturizer together. I would do this at work in place of my routine. I had remembered reading about Vitamin E and redness. I had remember that it was supposed to soothe the redness away. I don't know where I read that, but this is what I thought I remembered. I also remember reading reviews on how wonderful the aloe vera was at ridding people of their acne problems on the acne.org site. So, I thought this oil would be good and I would give it a try. I bought the toner because of the witch hazel in it. I actually did not realize the alcohol until later. So, I actually used the toner a few more times. Then I realized the alcohol and discontinued the use of that because I hate alcohol on my skin. I also used the skin oil combined with the moisture I use like dan uses his jojoba oil with his moisturizer. I did this regularly as apart of my routine like twice a day for about 1 1/2 weeks. The first couple of uses I thought that the aloe and the vitamin e might actually be helping with the redness. However, as of a few days ago I have realized a new problem that I have not had to this extent before. On my neck are little red bumps. It is not acne. It is like razor burn except for the fact that I am almost possible it is not razor burn. I have also noticed a slight increase in the formation of new pimples or pustules randomly on my face. I have not changed anything in my procedure except for the toner and the vitamin e skin oil. I did miss my routine after work 2 or 3 times over a month long span of time. I mean, I did it, but not immediately when I should have. I figured that I would attribute the new red bumps and acne to my two new products. Afterall, when you do something that works for a long while and then you add new variables into your regimen and you get new problems you would think that is the problem.

So, what do you guys know? Would safflower oil clog the pores? What kind of experience do you have with Aloe Vera? What kind of experience do you have with vitamin e?

I should also mention that apart of my routine is to use dan's AHA+. I use it quite frequently. Whenever I see something happening I kind of spot treat. I also use it all over my face once a day and a few time I have even done it two times a day. Now, I know that seems a little much, but for the longest while I have done it that way and I would swear nothing negative has come of it. I know there is 10% glycolic acid in it and that could be harsh especially as much as I use it. But it has always been the product I consider my miracle product. I wonder if over use of the glycolic in the AHA+ could cause my problem as well. I don't think so, but I also don't know.

Another problem I have noticed very recently is more flakiness. I know that this is due to the AHA+ and usually when I start flaking badly I know it is time to tone down my use of the AHA+. I still don't think the new redness and acne should be attributed to the AHA+ basically because I used this product for a long while without any signs of these problems.

Does anyone use sulfur products? I find they work great as a spot treatment! I currently use acnomel with great results, ive been using is for 4 yrs along with dans regimen which ive been on fo 7 yrs. I actually sent Dan a message why he doesnt use sulfur as his new spot treatment.

I have had some success in the past with Neutrogena, 2% SA face wash, so I am currently using that.

Would it be a good idea to wash with neutrogena face scrub every few days?

can anyone tell me why most acne washes have sodium chloride in them? I have heard sodium chloride makes acne a hell of a lot worse...so why are they adding it to their formulation!!

Can anyone recommend a good wash which is kind to my skin...

Thanks

I'm using da lotion 2% bha and it's pushing everything too da surface what shoud I do now though with all da stuff coming out I wash my face and it doesn't go away der like small blackheads coming out pls help me

Hey, thanks for reading this. I need a help with an Exposed Acne Regimen, because i am not sure how many times per day should i use the Clearing Tonic. Is It once or twice? Thanks for the answers and see you.

Benzoyl Peroxide VS Salicylic Acid -> which one worked better for you?

Hi, im from Norway and want to try to take some B5 vitamins to get clear acne. We dont have such a big market for b-vitamins in Norway, so im asking here. Can someone tell me a place where i can buy b5 vitamins online, ship to norway and pay with paypal. Im would really preciate that.

I have once tried the St.Ives Apricot Scrub, which teared my skin off like crazy.
Since then, I haven't been exfoliating my skin.
I just use Spectro Jel Cleanser and a moisturizer in the morning and at night.
I have combination skin and very mild acne (mostly on chin).

Do you recommend any good exfoliants/scrubs for me?
I don't like abrasive scrubs, I want exfoliants that actually do the job like prevent blackheads and take away dead skin.

Btw, are there cream exfoliants or peel-offs?

Just sharing my experience that I have had. As a teenager I had normal acne hear and there etc. Then about 18 and a half I really got it under control and till about 22 and a half my skin was REALLY good. Figured I had passed everything etc. Right about then I starting getting breakouts. And, they got consistently got worse. I tried all kind of skin care products, and all different variations, and this has been going on now for the last almost 3 years. I have tried everything under the sun. See I was under the assumption that the reason I was breaking out is my skin became acne prone again. And, I have always had somewhat oily skin. So this made sense. Well my friend told me about something a lot of salon’s use and sell called Dermalogica. The Dermalogical Institute makes it. This is supposed to be some of the best stuff out there. I started using this about 4 months ago. Well I started with the middle of the road cleanser; I got a little better continued to break out. I went to a stronger wash, continued to break out. I was thinking at this point there is nothing to help me, I am just stuck, Until one day I had only washed my face once instead of twice that day. My face started to get better. Well because of this I moved back down to the milder cleanser and washed once a day. Got better but not all the way. So I went back to 2 times a day. Well then I figured well if I moved down and my skin got better, maybe my skin is sensitive and I need the sensitive skin line. Sot hat's what I did. I have now been using the sensitive skin line of Dermalogica for about a week. All visible signs of blemishes are pretty much gone. Now the little teeny bumps are working their way clear. All those little bumps were from irritation, so the texture of my skin is getting better daily. So, this is something to think about. Maybe your skin isn't always acne prone. Maybe you have acne because of irritation. I never would have thought my skin became sensitive. And, that's why I started breaking out. That's why it took me 3 years to figure this out. So I wash twice daily with the sensitive skin line of Dermalogica. Their prices seem somewhat higher than store bought facial care, but when you buy the products they last for 3 to 4 months. So you would spend at least that in other stuff for 3 or 4 months worth. The products I use, including eye care, and a sensitive skin SPF 25 sun block, cost about $138. If you take out the eye care and sunblock it’s around a hundred bucks, for 3-4 months of product. That isn't bad. You can go to http://www.dermalogica.com and look and read info on the products. You can't buy these in stores. You have to go see an esthetician at a salon. You can type in your local zip code at the web site to find salons near you.

is it a good product? i have moderate acne and oily skin, will it make my skin less oily and control break outs?


right now i'm using benzyol peroxide 6% cleanser (generic triaz) and tretinoin cream 0.05%. the benzyol peroxide cleanser is kinda good at stopping break outs but it just makes my skin raw and dry

Hello!

I recently switched my cleanser to Purpose Cleansing Bar, having previously used the Obagi system whose cleanser includes Salicylic acid. My question is if I should be continuing to break out after a week from switching. I understand the "purging" brought on by Benzoyl Peroxide's introduction into a routine, but was curious if a "reverse" effect happens when your skin has been so accustomed to a more rigorous chemical routine, but you switch a gentle cleanser to help balance pH levels.

I had been using Obagi for a year. Although the breakouts I'm having are usually small, they're slowly gathering and taking a bit to heal. Maybe continuing to use BP for spot treatment may do the trick, but Epsom salts have helped dry out the little buggers fairly well.

My reactions overall to the Cleansing Bar have been great due to it controlling (rather than seemingly instigating) sebum production, thus leaving my face much less oily. On the same note, it has done nothing but moisturized my skin. So the question is on what to believe or rely; is my cleanser's benefits going to come through, or am I due to be ridden with breakouts if I continue this cleanser?

(As a side note, I began using Jojoba oil as a moisturizer with no reactions or breakouts during the introduction time. Does that necessarily mean it's not causing any problems? The idea of Jojoba causing breakouts seems absurd due to its makeup, but regardless it is an oil being placed on. I use it very sparingly as suggested.)

Some quick additions: Previous to using Obagi, I had been on Proactive for about 5 (too many) years. This is why I can see breakouts happening initially, but none of the new acne has been cystic, mostly just papules that flatten rather quickly (the redness takes time to subside, but that's just my skin's natural reaction).

Anyone had any success with this??


Anyone even tried it at all??

sorry, here's the link...





ok this f***ing thing won't let me add the link, so google "bacteriocin acne".

Hello,

I just order the Regimen for bacne.

I was wondering where I could get 5% or 10% bottles of Benzyol Peroxide.

Thanks,
Axl

First off I would like to say, that i do have acne. But its gone down like 75% and in the next month it will be totally gone. I have been on everything, and the one thing people have to realize is this ACNE IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY AFTER A WEEK AFTER A MONTH, IT TAKES TIME. My face used to be so clear. I was in modeling, like i had picture perfect skin until one day i had a red-ish area on check it was noticeable but it was nothing. But being who i was at the time i was traumatized,at what had happen. First thing i did was go to shoppers drug mart, and i bought the clearasil pads, and did what the instructions said and that was, use until pad comes out clear. So after the fourth one and my face feeling as if i took a torch lighter to it, i thought, "hey no pain no gain" and went to sleep. From that day on it only got worse and worse. First off NEVER, I MEAN NEVER listen to the dumb-ass cosmetic lady, Who thinks she is a dermatologist, all they do is read bottles and say HEY this has benzoyl peroxide, this will get rid of it. But what they don't realize, is that products like those are only on the market so that innocent people, looking for a quit fix, watch a commercial advertising that product and decide hey it must work, but what they don't realize, its only out there so that company's can make millions off something that does not work.

Anyways back to my story

I was so embarrassed about my skin, like i never wanted to go out or do anything. i did find a way to cover it up with make-up, but as i later found out, it made it worse and worse AND WORSE. heres another thing, don't use make up to cover acne. I no its hard but when you apply make up to the skin all you are doing is adding another layer to your skin making it harder to get oxygen, which results in More acne. I was very depressed in life because, i remember how family members would always kiss my checks and when i had acne they avoid my face at all costs. Even my grandma made it clear that she would not kiss my checks because of my acne. The pain that go's with having acne is a rough one, and to make it more harder is the fact that, people have the nerve to say its nothing you should go out and meet people. What they don't realize is that its not ok. Its like telling someone who just lost there sight, that its ok at first, nothing to worry about, NO it only becomes ok when you accept who you are, and that takes a DAMN WHILE to accept that fact.

I no my story sounds depressing but here is the happy side. I began taking pictures of my acne trying to see how it would turn out everyday in the morning and night. I think this is what everyone should do, only then can you see the cause and effect, of what certain things will do to your acne. before doing this, i took proactive, YA YA i no it dose not work. WROUNG. proactive works the reason it does not work for some people is the fact. YOUR NOT FOLLOWING THE GOD DAMN INSTRUCTIONS. when people use excuses like proactive did this to me, it made my skin worse, it does not even work. All you are saying is "I CANT FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS". My skin purged for a month and i mean it got WAY WAY WORSE, to a point where i went to return it and the lady told me it would take 4 weeks to get my money, and i said **** that, and stuck with it, and thank god i did.

Proactive must be used in the right amount for the 3 steps. and also the oil-control works wonders, and you have to make sure you use just the right amount twice a day everyday at the same time. Like my skin got really dry and flaky and red and gross looking, but now it looks like a thing of beauty. Not only did proactive help but i switched my diet completely. I ate rice with ketchup and salad for two months (maybe had one cheat day), and gave up dairy sugar yeast and anything else that was not good for you, and it helped allot, not only with my face but my whole body.

MORALL OF ALL THIS story: Never surrender always, look in the mirror regardless of what you see back and smile or do what i do laugh, because I am glad i went threw this stage, because it let me see who i really was, and when my acne clears up, I honestly have nothing else to fear in the world, because i know if I can clear my acne and stick with a diet and wake up every morning smiling, I can do anything.

Billy
Age-21

PS: I no my spelling sucks, but its a late night for me.

When I was watching TV (more like a news source), they featured an old woman with the smoothest complexion I've ever seen. It was all thanks to some oxygen facial therapy she was doing on a regular basis, and the her derm was telling the newscast that pure oxygen in minimal amounts is healthy for the skin (too much oxygen means too much hydrogen peroxide, which is toxic). Unfortunately, this type of facial treatment is COSTLY! But the woman was like above 60 and her skin looked so clear, wrinkle-free, and glowing rosy.

So then when I was at ULTA, I came across Neaclear products (lo and behold, they happened to contain oxygen!), and I was skeptic to purchase them without doing research. So I researched as much as I could find, and it seems as if not many people have tried their products because this company is relatively new! The sites that I usually go to for skin product reviews feature the product with no reviews whatsoever. Acne.org doesn't even have neaclear products in the database. I've only come across four sites total that have user reviews, and all these reviews are positive.

Today, I purchased Neaclear Liquid Oxygen Acne Wash (with Salicylic Acid) and Neaclear Liquid Oxygen Acne Scar Remedy. In total, it cost me about $23 at ULTA. I am planning to use them in small amounts, because I don't want to get a hydrogen peroxide overdose or anything.

Has anyone here tried them/is trying them at the moment?

I've heard a few people talk about retinol products before and how amazing it is, so I was just wondering if anyone's tried it before for acne. If so, what were the results and what products would you or would you not recommend?

Anyone use anything from Origins?
Had any success?
If so, what kind of products did you use.
I'm currently using Drink up for my dryness, Clear improvement to clear my pores, and out of trouble for any oiliness that occurs. These are all masks I found at the store. I also recently purchased Plantidote™ Mega-Mushroom Skin-Calming Face Mask for my facial redness and red scars. I am wondering if anyone else has jumped on the Origins bandwagon yet or if I am the only one. Check the store out. : )