18 replies to this topic

[matt1015]

hey everyone, i've been lurking around here for awhile but i thought it was time to register and start posting.

my acne history is pretty long, started around 14 or so, (19 now) since then i've been on numerous topicals, (differin, tazorac, mucipricon, cleocin, etc) antibiotics (minocycline, cephalexin, etc.), and three rounds of accutane. YES! three rounds of torture and no lasting effects...

my acne has never been downright awful i suppose, it is mostly the lower half of my face around my mouth. The worst part about it is the particular type of acne. They begin as blemishes then after a few days turn to big whiteheads, or i get several whiteheads throughout the night.

now, i am one of those people who cannot stand going out with a big white thing on my face, so i do lance them and i do have a tendency to pick...although i am getting better.

Now then, i have been on the Regimen for 18 days now, and i must say i do not know what to think currently. Things have gone up and down so far but as far as i can tell that it to be expected, but anyway, now you know a little about me and i hope this will be a step in the right direction towards tamer skin.

Thanks for reading, i will keep everyone posted!

[Brandy]

hi Matt,
glad you finally joined!
yes, the beginning of the CSR can seem like a roller coaster ride, but do hang in there. It will even out and you should see gradual clearing.

Let me know which products you are using, and if you need any help just holler!

[matt1015]

Brandy

currently my routine is as follows:
morning:

cetaphil facial cleanser
dan's bp gel
cetaphil moisturizer

night:
cetaphil facial cleanser
dan's bp gel
eucerin intensive repair lotion w/ alpha hydroxy - for flakes

i ordered some eucerin renewal from amazon about a month ago...it isn't here yet...needless to say their shipping is rather slow, but anyway...i am anxious to try that out as well.

i don't think im going to give a day by day account of my journey, maybe a couple times a week just to get the general idea across, i'll try to snap some pics as well

edit ++ added a couple pics to gallery

[Brandy]

ok, most of your products look good.
Except the Intensive Eucerin Repair, if I am remembering this product right it is thick with mineral oil........be careful with that one. I stay away from oil as much as possible, i"m oily enough.

[Megz]

Well, I'd try Neutrogena On-the-Spot BP cream. It's gentle and blends easily ( a plus for us ladies with our damn makeup!) It's cheap too, and you can find it anywhere pretty much. It's saved my life.

I know I keep yakking about OTS, but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. It's helped me and made me so happy I could break down into tears sometimes. I've suffered from acne about 8 years. If the gel is a little intense, give this stuff a try.

[matt1015]

ok, most of your products look good.
Except the Intensive Eucerin Repair, if I am remembering this product right it is thick with mineral oil........be careful with that one. I stay away from oil as much as possible, i"m oily enough.

i'm actually phasing that out of my routine now that my face is getting more and more used to the bp, i didn't like it at all but it did do a good job on flakes. Thanks for the head's up brandy!

[Brandy]

alright, sounds good! ^

[Cheesy]

ok, most of your products look good.
Except the Intensive Eucerin Repair, if I am remembering this product right it is thick with mineral oil........be careful with that one. I stay away from oil as much as possible, i"m oily enough.

i'm actually phasing that out of my routine now that my face is getting more and more used to the bp, i didn't like it at all but it did do a good job on flakes. Thanks for the head's up brandy!

Yea i used the eucerin intensive lotion it makes my face veryyyyyyyyyyyyy greasy, but if u used a very little amount its alright.

I use neutrogena healthy skin lotion now and it has aha so it helps the flakes and u only need to use very little of it i only use about 2 pumps morning and night and it doesn't burn and my face isn't too greasy or too flaky

[No I'm Amy]

Good luck, Matt!!

[matt1015]

well its been awhile, time for an update. I guess i'm at one month one week of CSR. The last couple weeks haven't been so great. I am still having some active breakouts around the mouth, which is frustrating, but i'll keep chuggin' on. I will say that the rest of my face is looking pretty smooth, only old acne marks remain...now if i can only get the area around my mouth figured out...

also, just this week i started to get VERY flaky. The cetaphil just isn't cutting it, and the renewal i ordered from amazon (1st of june) won't be here until August. Any suggestions?

Overall, even though i would like to see more improvement, i know it doesn't happen overnight and i will continue to be patient. Hope everyone had a good fourth and enjoy your weekend!

btw...check out my gallery for a couple pic updates...

[Brandy]

you might consider Neutrogena Healthy skin Face Lotion, it has some glycolic acid in it and should help with the flaking.
Use it once a day for the first week or two to see how your skin will like it. Then, if all is well and you want to go to twice a day, go ahead and do so but look for excessive flaking, that can be over-exfoliating too!

[matt1015]

thanks for the advice brandy, i may pick up a bottle because flakes = teh sucks

[matt1015]

ok y'all i have a quick question

I am leaving for a canoe trip thursday...what would be the best sunscreen i could wear for 5 or so hours a day that is waterproof and works well with the regimen...or is there such a thing? suggestions?

[No I'm Amy]

Put sunscreen like Coppertone on your face or something waterproof. You'll need to reapply it every hour or so.

[matt1015]

well...update

canoe trip didn't work out...luckily...because i have some bigger problems on my hands right now.

I messed up. I bought the neutrogena healthy face and tried it for the first time on tuesday i believe. It felt great on my face and got rid of all the flakes. By nighttime there was no irritation so i applied it again. The next morning my skin was looking great so i continued. I kept it up until yesterday. I put it on in the morning and my face seemed a little tight, by last night my skin was a wreck. It felt more like sandpaper than skin. This morning is the same deal....I think i am going to have to skip my bp application today unfortunately, and i bought some complex 15 to try to help with the dryness.

kinda sucks this had to happen when i was clearing up...live and learn i suppose

[matt1015]

also...i can already tell there is going to be some breaking out due to this little incident, but it's really out of my hands until the dryness subsides. Anybody know how long a severe drying takes to shed that layer of dead skin? Bright ideas welcome

[Brandy]

PM sent!

[matt1015]

good news!

shaved off the last of the dryness last night...and wow...there was a lot of dryness to be had!

so anyway, im goign to start with the neutrogena healthy face again, only this time at a much more gradual pace. Hoping i can get back to where i was since the dryness set me back a few days breakout wise.

...the ride continues

[matt1015]

everything is going pretty well...i started mixing the neutrogena healthy face with cetaphil, we'll see how that goes. So far i like it.

++gallery updated++