633 replies to this topic

[rylan]

Hi everybody..
I'm an acne sufferer for 5 years now, I'm 18. It's taken over my life. I have moderate acne with some improvements/progressions into mild acne from time to time, but I always end up with break-outs all over again.
My problem is that I have far too many clogged pores and whiteheads on my cheeks/forehead..clusters and clusters which can usually only be seen in the sunlight or other particular lighting..
Apart from that I get pustules and papules but I believe a lot of they time they just develop fromt he clogged pores/whiteheads, right?..

Anyway 2.5 weeks ago I started using Jan Marini's Bioclear Cream and I had a 'breakout' 2 days later but it was just all the cloggies coming to the surface..well not all, but many. Anyway, then I continued using it and there was slihgt imrpovement, but I noticed that new whiteheads still managed to form and I was not really getting too clear.. although my skin was softer and smoother.
Anyway, 2 days ago I experienced a really bad breakout.. I have zits all over my cheeks and forehead, and I just look absolutely terrible and embarrassed to leave the house..

Does anyone think this is because of Bioclear? a bad sign that my skin can't take it? Or is this part of the necessary process? I just feel so repulsive right now..

Worst of all , I still have no idea what to use in inflammatory acne.. BP just doesn't cut it for me. never really did, too.

My regimen is very simple right now.

Morning:
Jan Marini Bioglycolic Cleanser
Avene oil-free moisturizer

Evening:
Jan Marini Bioglycolic Cleanser
Jan Marini Bioclear
(wait 30 mins, spot-treat with Dan's BP)

...

so my questions are:

- do you think my breakout is because of bioclear? (2.5 weeks into it)
- do you think its because I made a mistake and bought the CREAM not the lotion?
- what are some efficient spot treatments for papules and pustules since BP doesn't imrpove anything for me?..
- does GC work better, overall, at cleaning out pores than bioclear?..

thanks very very much..I am so lost and confused right now. and..depressed.

well i'm not familiar with bioclear but give it a few more weeks to see if it's clear up, maybe 3 more. the medication in it is salicylic acid right? and that medication takes time to clean up your pores.
-i think that a lotion would be better than the cream. i am assuming it would be less pore clogging and less greasy. is your skin really sensitive? that's why you bought the cream?
-i used green cream and it does clear your pores but it just didn't work out for me personally. i'm using paula's choice bha which is great at clearing pores.

hello

i need some advice or suggestion regarding my current condition

my cheek got pretty bad breakout since few months ago
it begins when there is big acne, then because i squeeze it somehow it spreading
and soon i go to derm to get more medicated treatment, the derm gift me minomicyn and dalacyn gel... which i follow about 1 and half month, and i decide to stop it because i feel no good in keep taking antibiotics, then i follow the treatment with dkr bp gel... 1week give me good result, minimize the breakout and the blemish reducing...
but the 2nd and 3rd week, i got another bad breakout that makes me really want to stop the treatment, then i stop the bp treatment and wash my face only with dr bronner natural soap...

after read some post in this message board, i decide to give a try with bha and green cream treatment, since my acne is comedo type acne, which sometimes give me breakout
this is first week i using bha, and been using green cream twice to reduce iritation, i also change my face wash to aha bha local soap

until now the breakout especially cheek, still going, its clearing with new breakout

my question :
should i stop all my regime, and just wash my face with warm water only, after the breakout goes out (if that caused because the iritation) i continue the regime
OR
should i keep the regime, because those breakout is initial breakout/purging?

thanks before for the suggestion or advice

when you're using gc and the bha, you should expect a purge and unless you're skin is showing irritation (redness, strong dryness, etc) just continue with your regime. i would recommend using a gentle cleasner, the bha in the mornings, and the green cream at night.. slow down if you get irritated. if you do get irriated, eliminate either the green cream or the bha to see what's causing the problem. good luck.

[ACNE SINCE 2006]

slyphnier, i am only using GC at the moment even though i do own Paulas 2% bha gel... Kevin from Green Cream board suggested not to use any other products besides paula's BHA when youre using GC in the beginning.. but i personally dont like using any SA or BP stuffs to treat acne so i elimiated everything else.. PLUS, i want to know if green cream is doing its job or not and i wouldnt know which ones really working if i use both at the same time. my suggestion is.. introduce BHA 2wks later so you know GC is working for you or not. if you still want to use BHA and GC together, like rylan said, use BHA in the morning and use GC at night. using GC and BHA or any other products together wont bring you the BEST result. make sure you are using a mild cleanser...

[Slyphnier]

thank you for the advice everyone

right now i am using dr bronner magic soap for night face wash... it said using only natural ingredients.. but dunno whether that soap is mild enuf... its liquid soap btw, not bar soap

and aha-bha tamagohada (local product) that contain aha and bha for morning, since i feel my skin kinda flaky, and that foam soap somehow can remove the flaky on my face...
whether this soap mild enuf ... i dunno >.<

should i stick with one soap instead?

and to rylan, can you explain the different between purging effects and iritation more detailed?
since the breakout also causing redness no? (redness->whiteheads)

on purging, there lots pustule that waiting to pop, is that ok if i pop them, if they can pop easily, or better i leave it pop by itself ?

right now my face, because the breakout, kinda easily iritated, while the recory process is fast enuf (dunno whether that because bha effects or paula skin recovery moisture)
note : in case i forgot to mention, i am using paula moisture too...
so i kinda confused what i should do... thankfulluy, i can get great advice from here

and last, how long this purging takes time ? hopefully the purging stop by ?
i hope i can hear everyone purging experience, to give me average estimation

thankyou

[ACNE SINCE 2006]

ill answer some of ur questions...

puring usually lasts for about 2-3wks for most people (WHEN you start using GC every night)... even though most people started off with level 3 and applied 1-3times a week to build up their tolerance, i just started off with level 6 and used it every night. i definately DO NOT recommend this to people because it can cause irratation right away for some people.. luckily i can handle level 6 (knock on wood!!!! dont want to jinx anything!!) and im almost close to 2wks but im still struggling with "the uglies" it seems like purging is getting worse at the moment and when i say worse, i dont mean like ugly red pimples everywhere on my face.. its just these tiny whiteheads that are trying to come out and it doesnt bother me as much because even though its been only a little less than 2 wks, my skin looks SO MUCH better at the moment. my red scar is about 80-90% faded, all of those "tiny skin-colored bumps" that ive been struggling with for 8months are coming out, even the ones that were hiding underneath my skin, i dont really flake anymore. i know my skin will look amazing in a few months if GC keeps up the good work anyways, purging depends on how bad ur acne really is.. some people took a month for purging to be over.. some didnt even have to deal with purging... some took 2wks... so yeah. but most people dont have to deal with purging after 6wks at the longest...

i have hate/love relationship with dr bronner magic soap.. i used bar soap though. when i didnt break out before, thats all i used.. i was in love with it since the moment i purchased it at Whole Foods... but then.. it was seriously making my acne worse once i started breaking out! i remember breaking out so bad, i got so depressed and didnt even want to go to school. i am not sure if the liquid's not harsh or not but bar soap, i definately dont recommend it to anyone if they are suffering form acne..

also, i personally wouldnt recommend using AHA and BHA at the same time. if u have to choose only one, id say BHA.

i am a little bit confused when it comes to irritation as well... my face felt SOO tight and dry, itchy sometimes, and it was SOO red before.. a lot of people told me to slow down and stop using GC for 2 nights bcause that was the sign of irritation ut i refused and just powered thru it.. ended up getting rid of a lot of "junks" faster for me. HOWEVER, i ended up irritating my forehead for some reason and didnt apply GC only on my forehead for one night (i applied generous amount of Aloe vera gel instead) and it was fine the next day...

does your paulas moisturizure have BHA? if it does, try to get a good moisturizure w/o BHA in it. i recommend Olay's all day complete lotion SPF 15 Sensitive Skin(u must wear sunscreen when ure using GC to protect your "virgin skin"). this moisturizure is a must for me, its amazing.

(since lionqueen isnt here..)if you have more specific qs bout GC, go to
Green Cream Community Board

go to Ask the Experts and ask qs... a lot of people like kevin, marathoner, louise (just to name a few) are very very helpful.


p.s. i know it is hard when everyones using 5-9 different products together (serum, lactic acid, bha, aha, bho, etc) but Kevin the Moderator, highly recommends keeping your regimen as simple as possible. all u need is a mild cleanser, GC, a good moisturizure and sunscreen that won't break u out.
most people see the best result when they keep it simple.

[CB07]

I've been using RAM for a while now and wondering if I can use PC BHA like before applying the RAM at night.

[rylan]

slyphiner: i would say that redness from acne isn't really irritation unless it's really red. it's hard to say what's irritation.. although purging just means your skin is breaking out not necessarily irritated like itchiness, extreme dryness, etc. all skin is different so if your skin is making you feeling really uncomfortable..that's probably irritation. a purge is just an accelerated breakout so redness from the acne is fine..ok i repeated myself. but i agree with acne since 2006, go to the greencream site as they can help you more specifically with gc.

I've been using RAM for a while now and wondering if I can use PC BHA like before applying the RAM at night.

i would not try that. if you do want to add the bha, do it in the morning and ram at night.. it's just like with the green cream.

is the ram workiing for you? why do you need to add the bha? just curious... ram screwed up my skin so i want to hear your results from it.

[CB07]

slyphiner: i would say that redness from acne isn't really irritation unless it's really red. it's hard to say what's irritation.. although purging just means your skin is breaking out not necessarily irritated like itchiness, extreme dryness, etc. all skin is different so if your skin is making you feeling really uncomfortable..that's probably irritation. a purge is just an accelerated breakout so redness from the acne is fine..ok i repeated myself. but i agree with acne since 2006, go to the greencream site as they can help you more specifically with gc.

I've been using RAM for a while now and wondering if I can use PC BHA like before applying the RAM at night.

i would not try that. if you do want to add the bha, do it in the morning and ram at night.. it's just like with the green cream.

is the ram workiing for you? why do you need to add the bha? just curious... ram screwed up my skin so i want to hear your results from it.

It was working when I was on .04%, but derm uped it to .1%.

I thought its good if you add the bha at night too?

So you stopped using RAM with bha at night? Or stopped RAM completely?

[rylan]

It was working when I was on .04%, but derm uped it to .1%.

I thought its good if you add the bha at night too?

So you stopped using RAM with bha at night? Or stopped RAM completely?

well here's my quick story.
-used ram 0.1 worked until the 11th week. i got too sensitive.. got eczema like rash. switched to 0.04 and did the same thing.. somehow i become too sentive to it.. can't even use it now.
-so i stopped it completely, use only paula's choice bha 2% gel. for about 3 weeks.. working great!

i never had sensitive skin, to anything, ever! but ram sure messed that up. now my skin texture is weird, my skin isn't as smooth looking although it's smooth to the touch. i also get flushed easier now. anyways, if it's working for you why add the bha? the bha might just irritate you. i would use the 0.1 for about 2-3 months then add the bha weekly later. good luck.

[JKateK]

I am a little bit confused now. What exactly should I get from paula's choice? How does this work exactly?

What is the GC/ Green Cream? What does this do? I tried reading it and looking it up online here, but i am still a little bit confused on what exactly they do. I know that they purge out all of the acne, but I still don't really understand how they do it and why?

They can make your skin flake? Is that because it's renewing your skin cells? I'm confused! Someone please explain...

Also, I wanted to add that I work out daily. I just recently stopped washing my face in the shower after I go to the gym since I have to go in the middle of the day between classes.

I am down to only washing my face twice a day.

If I use the GC at night and the paula's choice 2% BHA lotion in the morning then when should I use the cleanser? Or should I just use either the GC or the 2% BHA lotion?

[Slyphnier]

thank you again for the advice everyone

seems my redness acne is from purging effect rather iritation...
speaking uncomfortable, somehow yeah acne really makes me feel uncomfortable ahhahaha ... losing personal confident and also it can be bothering when pain acne broke out
anyway i will obviously following the step... bha in the morning and gc in the evening...

until now i use gc only once per week to reduce iritation on my skin.... i might rise the frequent and see the effect...
the main problem for now is i want to get rid the redness acne breakout asap!


to. ACNESINCE2006
about the face wash i using, i dunno whether its good one or not, its contain AHA and BHA, i thought because its only for washing (not stick on face for long time) its no big different... the product site is http://www.rohto.co.jp/hadalabo/labo3/index.htm (japanese site)
the nice thing about this soap is somehow even it contain AHA and BHA, it didnt dry my skin, dr bronner soap somehow more dry than AHABHA

and about paula moisture, no its dont contain bha or aha ... its pure moisture i believe

about the sunscreen, is that really needed ? since rarely i go out and got my face under sun for long time (my current stay place really near to current school)
and of course because current face condition, rarely i go out ... so until now i never use suncreen

thanks again before ^^

to Jkatek
i am newbie here, but i think i can explain you a little...
the things you should get from paulas choice is BHA ... either liquid type . gel type or cream type is depends on ur taste... they all should act same ways

while other stuff, like moisture or face wash, its just option, and if you already have nice face wash that good for you skin, i believe keep using that is better than trying another one

and for Green Cream... its retinol type gel...
from what i read, its not exfloliants stuff.... retinol is fixing your skin structure, so the new skin will be nice instead the being the same damaged skin structure...
thats why using green cream might cause you broke up or inflamation or irritation

and in first page, from what lion queen said, bha should be your first try, if you feel bha not enough in purging your pores, the you can try with gc to support the bha

hope can help with ur confuses ^^

[JKateK]

Thank you so much. I think I am a bit clearer on the whole thing now.

So basically I should just start out with the BHA paula's choice 2% stuff. How many times would I use that? I checked the website and I couldn't find it there.

I have a good moisturizer but I am not sure what a good cleanser would be.

I guess that I should just buy the paula's choice BHA lotion and apply that in the morning and then just see how that works? Should I wash my face when I apply the lotion too in the morning?

I'm sorry for all the questions. They have more than likely been answered already 5 million different times 5 million different ways, but i am absolutely desperate.

Thank you for all the help that you have given me so far. I am the only person in my family to suffer from acne this badly and so far no one has been able to help me or will help me. So I am pretty much desperate at this point.

[ACNE SINCE 2006]

slyphnier- yes, sunscreen is a MUST for GC users. it does not matter if you go out or not. i dont even go out much either, the only time i have to deal with the sun is when i walk to my car or at school campus.. since i stay a lot of my time inside the building, i didnt think i need it either but you must wear sunscreen that has spf 15 or higher. if you dont wear sun screen during the day and end up dealing with the sun, your face is going to be burned and the consequence wont be pretty. a lot of people from gc community suffered from it.
anyways, i definately dont recommend you using the soap that has BHA and AHA in it TOGETHER. since youre already using paula's 2% BHA, you dont need another BHA, it might end up damaging your skin when you use too much of everything. i also use a japanese product and i really love it, its very mild. if you want, go look for Kanebo product.

by the way, do not pop your pimples. i always had...well, i still have problem popping my pimples when i see them.. Kevin the Moderator suggested not to so i didnt and guess what? GC automatically got rid of them. out of no where when you get out of shower, it wont be there. of course it takes more time than just popping it but it doesnt leave you a red mark most of the time and it is gone for GOOD.

just to let you know, GC takes a long time to perform its job so make sure youre patient.. if you want overnight result, GC wont do anything for you.. if anything, it will only make you more frustrated. im close to 2wks and my purging is really bad at the moment but i keep telling myself to be patient.. "GC=marathon, not a sprint."

[Slyphnier]

to JKateK,
i am sure the best thing when start new regime is starting slow... so once everyone night or once every other day is good, depends on you skin, if you didnt find any iritation, i think you can ramp your usage, and when used to it, twice a day is enough
Of course after washing ur face... since dirty face (ur natural face oil and dirt) can make u breakout

to ACNE Since 2006
ahhh i see... the i need to find nice sunscreen then... dunno whether i can find olay in here
do you have recommendation uv lotion that from japan ?
btw, just now i am looking at kanebo site and suprised with their product line up... they even have bunch of skin care, which one do you use before for your facial wash ?
somehow FREYA skin care product really interest me... i cant find ingredients info, but its name and from what they describe their product somehow attract me to use it LOL
might use it after i use up dr bronner soap...

anyway i guess... i will keep using only bha for a while...
since i need to find nice sunscreen, plus i want to know whether bha working for me or not

thank alot for the advice ^^

[Slyphnier]

sorry for having lots question...
just now i go to local drug store... trying to find sunscreen
but the average spf on store is above 25-50.... 30 is the most uv protector...
is higher uv just fine ? and what pa mean ?
i know ph... but not pa.... ^^;
most of the product stamp their uv protector spf (**) PA

and like i predict... no olay uv skin in nearest drug store... need to find other store somehow
shisheido aqua label or nivea ... but dunno whether they ok for sensitive skin

[The_Snow_Queen]

I've been using RAM for a while now and wondering if I can use PC BHA like before applying the RAM at night.

I use Retin-A Micro and Paula's Choice 2% BHA Liquid together with great results. For some people this would be too irritating, but if you're having trouble getting your acne under control it's worth a try. If you haven't been using one or both of the products for very long, you might be better off applying them at separate times for the first few weeks.

[The_Snow_Queen]

Thank you so much. I think I am a bit clearer on the whole thing now.

So basically I should just start out with the BHA paula's choice 2% stuff. How many times would I use that? I checked the website and I couldn't find it there.

I have a good moisturizer but I am not sure what a good cleanser would be.

I guess that I should just buy the paula's choice BHA lotion and apply that in the morning and then just see how that works? Should I wash my face when I apply the lotion too in the morning?

I'm sorry for all the questions. They have more than likely been answered already 5 million different times 5 million different ways, but i am absolutely desperate.

Thank you for all the help that you have given me so far. I am the only person in my family to suffer from acne this badly and so far no one has been able to help me or will help me. So I am pretty much desperate at this point.

You can use salicylic acid as often as twice daily and as little as once every day, though I recommend using it at least once daily.

As far as cleanser recommendations go, avoid bar cleansers and soap products. These tend to be drying and don't rinse cleanly from the skin, making breakotus more likely. In addition, soap products tend to have alkaline pH levels, which will diminish the effectiveness of pH-sensitive products like salicylic acid. Olay's Gentle Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin, Eucerin's Redness Relief Cleanser, and Purpose's Gentle Cleansing Wash would all be fine.

Always apply salicylic acid to freshly cleansed skin so that it can penetrate as intended.

Also, there is a slight difference in the Paula's Choice BHA products. If your skin gets oily, you'll prefer a liquid or gel consistancy; otherwise you will probably prefer a lotion. The heavier the consistancy (with the liquid being the lightest and the lotion being the heaviest), the slower the delivery of salicylic acid, meaning the less irritation it will cause. Out of all the BHA products, the 2% BHA Liquid has the lowest pH, making it the most potent (most potent does not necessarily mean better, especially if your skin is very reactive). The 1% BHA Lotion is the gentlest, though most people have better success with the 2% BHA products. As far as application goes, many people have trouble applying the Liquid; the Gel and Lotion tend to be easier to apply.

If your moisturizer doesn't contain a broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher, you'll need to get another one, especially since salicylic acid makes the skin more sun-sensitive than it already is. (Broad-spectrum sunscreens provide sufficient protection against both UVA and UVB rays; sunscreens are only required to protect against UVB rays. They contain at least one of these ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone, mexoryl sx, and tinosorb.) You can check my pinned thread in this forum (Part II of the first post) for sunscreen recommendations.

[The_Snow_Queen]

sorry for having lots question...
just now i go to local drug store... trying to find sunscreen
but the average spf on store is above 25-50.... 30 is the most uv protector...
is higher uv just fine ? and what pa mean ?
i know ph... but not pa.... ^^;
most of the product stamp their uv protector spf (**) PA

and like i predict... no olay uv skin in nearest drug store... need to find other store somehow
shisheido aqua label or nivea ... but dunno whether they ok for sensitive skin

Check Part II of the first post to my pinned thread in this forum for sunscreen recommendations. PA stands for Protection Grade of UVA. However, there is no particularly reliable way to measure UVA protection, which is explained in this question and answer article:

http://www.cosmeticscop.com/learn/dearpaul...words=anthelios

One other thing: I noticed that you were inquiring about the use of soap products. Soap (even when in liquid products) is really not the best thing to be using on the skin because it is too harsh. In addition, soap products tend to have alkaline pH levels, which will diminish the effectiveness of pH-sensitive products like salicylic acid. Liquid surfectant-based cleansers which are soap-free are best. Olay's Gentle Foaming Face Wash for Sensitive Skin, Eucerin's Redness Relief Cleanser, and Purpose's Gentle Cleansing Wash would be better cleanser options.

[Slyphnier]

to snow queen
i hope i can get those product easily in japan...
somehow in here, most of them is local product... shiseido . kanebo . halabo...
so it makes me kinda confuse how i should get... getting them from internet somehow expensive... not for the product but rather the shipping cost
anyway about clinique super city block... somehow i cant find that product on clinique.co.jp, instead i see this one : http://www.clinique.co.jp/templates/produc...CT_ID=PROD60226

is this the same product as u recommend?

thanks before

[The_Snow_Queen]

to snow queen
i hope i can get those product easily in japan...
somehow in here, most of them is local product... shiseido . kanebo . halabo...
so it makes me kinda confuse how i should get... getting them from internet somehow expensive... not for the product but rather the shipping cost
anyway about clinique super city block... somehow i cant find that product on clinique.co.jp, instead i see this one : http://www.clinique.co.jp/templates/produc...CT_ID=PROD60226

is this the same product as u recommend?

thanks before

No, the closest one to the product I use that I could find is this one:

http://www.clinique.co.jp/templates/produc...UCT_ID=PROD1015

Sometimes products vary in different countries, but I would think it's OK.

I apologize but I'm unfamiliar with what products would be available to you in Japan. The products I recommended are from major brands that I know are sold internationally, but I don't know their availability in Japan specifically.

[Slyphnier]

thank you for the reply ^^
anyway i got the spf from yahoo japan auctions.. somehow there some seller selling oversea cosmetic products, really limited though
there are 2 version of the sunscreen... one is spf 15 bronze and the other one spf 25, since i dont know what bronze means (i am thinking its more to foundation base or something that i dont need) then i pick the spf25 version
thanks again for the advice!