259 replies to this topic

[WildFlower]

First let me give you some background information and briefly discuss the regimens I've been on.

My acne started when I was 19 years old when I first went on birth control pills. Eventhough I got off that pill soon after, it started my battle with mild acne. I used Proactiv for a few years until it stopped working. I took another BC pill called TriNessa when I was 25. This pill is the generic version of Ortho Tri Cyclen and is supposed to clear your skin so I thought it would be great for me. TriNessa cleared my mild acne really well. But when I came off of it, my skin exploded and I had the WORST breakout of my life. I started breaking out badly in Nov.06. I was getting three new pimples a day from November to February. Then I went on DKR and it helped a little but dried out my face and left me with a discolored complexion.

So I stopped and went on Clearogen in March. In my opinion, it didnt help my acne at all or maybe very little. I used Clearogen for about a month and a half. Clearogen was very drying to my skin and thats why I believe my skin became oily. It left me with oily skin and A LOT of acne marks. Not to mention it didnt stop me from breaking out.

I read somewhere in these forums that BP makes red marks last longer so I decided to stop using it completely and see what happens. I then came up with a new regimen:

AM:

Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash
MaMa Lotion (10% Mandelic Acid 10% Malic Acid) every other day
Neutrogena Moisture SPF 15

PM:

Purpose Cleansing Wash
Green Cream Level 6

This regimen made my skin peel so badly. It also gave me small chemical burns. I learned that MaMa lotion and Green Cream together is too much on my skin. So decided to give my skin a break from all the chemicals and I came up with a simple, gentle, more natural approach to deal with my acne

Morning:

-Wash with Alpha Hydrox Foaming Face wash and let my face air dry
-Apply a thick layer of Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel all over my face and rub it in in circular motions
-If going out, apply Alpha Hydrox Sheer Silk Moisturizer SPF 15

Night:

Same as morning except no moisturizer. Thats it.

I have been doing this regimen for about one month now and I am AMAZED at how fast my skin is healing, and the red marks seem to be fading quicker.

I have decided to start a log to keep track of which products work and which dont. I will be trying different regimens until I find one that completely stops me from breaking out. I'm battling persistent mild acne.

If you have any questions, please ask

[WildFlower]

I must have jinxed myself because as soon as I finished writing the previous post, I felt a bump forming under my right cheek. I put Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask on it over night and it still has not surfaced. And I have a small whitehead on my forehead. Other than that, my skin is clearing up nicely. The red marks on my left cheek and forehead are almost all faded My right cheek seems to be the only place thats been breaking out now and so the red marks are more visible there.

[CookieCrumbles]

Hey Wildflower, I like your more natural approach. What kind of pimples were you getting?

I hate the love/hate relationship we women have with BC pills, they seem to help or hurt when going on or off and you never know what the heck is going to happen! So frustrating. I started getting acne when I was 17 and tried a bunch of things to get it under control...it's been so long I don't even remember what worked the best for me, but I know I had it mostly under control in college and the two years after college using different stuff like proactive and mary kay and being on birth control. My gyno changed my BC pill two or three years ago and it didn't seem to harm my skin in any way...but now lately my skin has been breaking out again and I don't know why! The only thing I can really think of is hormones and I'm considering changing my BC pill but am terrified of it just making things worse.

I've also been on some form of benzoyl peroxide for a long time between proactive and the DKR. Never seemed to give my skin too much trouble. I was using Dans BP gel and kept getting breakouts this year though so I stopped for about a week to use something else - which failed miserably - so I went back on the DKR, but this time around the BP is really killing my skin. I'm all dried out and flakey and red and irritated...looks terrible! I don't really know if it's helping my breakouts any but I"m afraid to stop using it entirely b/c I feel like my skin needs something to kill the bacteria. I've used his BP so much before, I dont know why it's giving me such trouble now. I think I might go down to using it once a day at night and try to just cleanse and moisturize in the morning, hopefully that will help heal my skin a bit. I've always had moderately oily skin but I feel like the DKR is now making it over produce oil, I'm an oil slick!

I admire you for totally switching products and getting off the BP and I will keep visiting your log to see how you are doing.

Have you ever considered going back on the pill or are you just trying to avoid that for now?

[WildFlower]

Hi CookieCrumbles.

Thanks for checking out my log. I was getting all kinds of pimples except nodules and cysts (Thank God!). The BC really messed with my hormones and even now I dont think they are back to normal. No, I will never ever go on the pill again. I learned my lesson. Even if a pill clears me up, I dont want to be on it for the rest of my life. Plus, I was getting bad side effects like severe migraines and mood swings. I'm just going to deal with my skin and wait for my horomone levels to get back to normal on their own.

I'm sorry to hear BP is irritating your skin. Maybe you should start weaning yourself off of it and see what happens. For me, BP did decrease my breakouts but it also left my skin so dry and dehydrated, and full of red marks. I honestly believe all the chemicals we put on our skin do more harm than good. My acne did not get worse after stopping BP. The trick is too keep your skin neutral (not dry or oily). Your skin will produce more oil when its dry.

What face wash are you using now? All the washes I have tried in the past dried out my skin, even Purpose. The one I use now, AH Foaming Face Wash is the ONLY one that does not dry my skin out. It is designed to balance your pH level.

I think AHA and BHA are important for acne prone skin too, since they shed off all those dead skin cells that can clog your pores. Which AHA or BHA have you tried? And what was your experience with them?

Best of luck with your regimen!

[WildFlower]

That bump underneath my cheek turned into two nasty papules that dont seem to be going away quickly enough. I have noticed after I stopped using BP, that my pimples take much longer to go away but the red marks dont last as long. Oh well, I can live with that.

The rest of my skin is doing very well. Now that my skin has healed from all the harsh treatements, I am ready to start using Green Cream again. I will start using it every night after washing my face, instead of the aloe vera. Therefore, my aloe vera application will be reduced to once a day (in the morning). I will watch my skin closely to see if Green Cream makes it better or worse.

Lets hope for the best!

[Wynne]

Hi there! You definitely might notice a purge with the Green Cream since you're acne prone, but you will LOVE the feel of it on your skin. I am thrilled that I bought mine. Be patient with yourself and your skin during the purge and you will likely be rewarded with clear, glowing, beautiful skin.

If you are sensitive to products, please don't use it every other day at first. Try once a week or every three days to see if your skin can tolerate it. If the aloe vera gel isn't drying, why not try applying it half an hour prior to the Green Cream to allow it to absorb into your skin? I do that with my moisturizer when I need to apply one. I have considerably less irritation than when I didn't use a moisturizer and jumped into Green Cream too quickly at the beginning.

[WildFlower]

Hi there! You definitely might notice a purge with the Green Cream since you're acne prone, but you will LOVE the feel of it on your skin. I am thrilled that I bought mine. Be patient with yourself and your skin during the purge and you will likely be rewarded with clear, glowing, beautiful skin.

If you are sensitive to products, please don't use it every other day at first. Try once a week or every three days to see if your skin can tolerate it. If the aloe vera gel isn't drying, why not try applying it half an hour prior to the Green Cream to allow it to absorb into your skin? I do that with my moisturizer when I need to apply one. I have considerably less irritation than when I didn't use a moisturizer and jumped into Green Cream too quickly at the beginning.

Thanks, Wynne, for the suggestions. I didnt know you can use moisturizer or aloe BEFORE green cream. That way I dont have to give up an application of the aloe vera. My skin is not sensative at all so I think I will be okay with using GC every night or every other night. Ofcourse if I see signs of irritation, I will stop or reduce the applications.

You're always so helpful on these boards

[BigBeauty]

Hey, just discovered your log. Good to hear that going more natural is at least helping. If you are overall improving I wouldn't worry too much about a breakout here and there (easier said then done) at least in terms of switching up products. Since it seems like your acne was directly caused from the imbalance related to BC, it probably will just take time to fully rebalance. Seems you're doing the smart thing by not aggravating things further anymore with all the harsh topicals. Good luck!

[Wynne]

Hi there! You definitely might notice a purge with the Green Cream since you're acne prone, but you will LOVE the feel of it on your skin. I am thrilled that I bought mine. Be patient with yourself and your skin during the purge and you will likely be rewarded with clear, glowing, beautiful skin.

If you are sensitive to products, please don't use it every other day at first. Try once a week or every three days to see if your skin can tolerate it. If the aloe vera gel isn't drying, why not try applying it half an hour prior to the Green Cream to allow it to absorb into your skin? I do that with my moisturizer when I need to apply one. I have considerably less irritation than when I didn't use a moisturizer and jumped into Green Cream too quickly at the beginning.

Thanks, Wynne, for the suggestions. I didnt know you can use moisturizer or aloe BEFORE green cream. That way I dont have to give up an application of the aloe vera. My skin is not sensative at all so I think I will be okay with using GC every night or every other night. Ofcourse if I see signs of irritation, I will stop or reduce the applications.

You're always so helpful on these boards

My skin isn't sensitive or easily irritated but I began to get a bit of redness all over and much peeling skin. I put a bit of emu oil on half an hour prior to applying the Green Cream, AND lessened my applications of GC until my skin got used to it, and no more redness. I still have peeling, but that's what I wanted.

[maddy001]

Hey wildflower, good to know that you are also doing well. I also use fruit of the earth aloe vera gel and I love it! Its the best thing I have used recently. I don't find it drying, I actually use it as a moisturizer because I hate moisturizers now. I also hate birth control(dianette). It screwed me up real bad the last time I used it. That is the 1st and last time I'm going anywhere near one. I'm on accutane now.

[WildFlower]

Yay

My red marks are almost all gone!! Even the ones on my right cheek are not as dark anymore. The only spots I see now are the ones from new pimples.

I didnt know red marks can fade this fast because when I had a bad breakout it 2003, it took forever for them to go away.

The two pastules I had on my right cheek have gone down and I have a tiny red pimple on the apple of my left cheek ( I popped it yesterday). I dont have any other pimples

I started using Green Cream every night two nights ago.

I will update again in a couple of days.

[Erika11]

I'm just going to deal with my skin and wait for my horomone levels to get back to normal on their own.

What face wash are you using now? All the washes I have tried in the past dried out my skin, even Purpose. The one I use now, AH Foaming Face Wash is the ONLY one that does not dry my skin out. It is designed to balance your pH level.

I think AHA and BHA are important for acne prone skin too, since they shed off all those dead skin cells that can clog your pores. Which AHA or BHA have you tried? And what was your experience with them?

Hey Wildflower,

Where do you purchase the face wash that you're currently using? I'm still finishing out my supply of Clear Pores cleaner, but I've been looking for something good to switch to once I'm done with that. It's call Alpha Hydrox? Is this something you only get online? Or can you find it at local health food stores? Ever since destroying my face with a variety of cleansers (like Neutrogena and Aveeno), I've decided to stick to all natural stuff. I'm currently using Aloe Vera gel and Apple Cider Vinegar for my face. I have noticed that in the past month the ACV has faded a good portion of my red marks. However, there are small groups of them that are pretty stubborn. I believe that I have a real problem with hormonal imbalances, but until I get to a natural-path doctor, I'm just doing all I can to prevent acne and heal my face. I'm really glad to hear that your regimen has been effective and beneficial. It encourages me because sometimes I feel like my face will never get right again.

Thanks!

[poordaughterhasacne]

I'm just going to deal with my skin and wait for my horomone levels to get back to normal on their own.

What face wash are you using now? All the washes I have tried in the past dried out my skin, even Purpose. The one I use now, AH Foaming Face Wash is the ONLY one that does not dry my skin out. It is designed to balance your pH level.

I think AHA and BHA are important for acne prone skin too, since they shed off all those dead skin cells that can clog your pores. Which AHA or BHA have you tried? And what was your experience with them?

Hey Wildflower,

Where do you purchase the face wash that you're currently using? I'm still finishing out my supply of Clear Pores cleaner, but I've been looking for something good to switch to once I'm done with that. It's call Alpha Hydrox? Is this something you only get online? Or can you find it at local health food stores? Ever since destroying my face with a variety of cleansers (like Neutrogena and Aveeno), I've decided to stick to all natural stuff. I'm currently using Aloe Vera gel and Apple Cider Vinegar for my face. I have noticed that in the past month the ACV has faded a good portion of my red marks. However, there are small groups of them that are pretty stubborn. I believe that I have a real problem with hormonal imbalances, but until I get to a natural-path doctor, I'm just doing all I can to prevent acne and heal my face. I'm really glad to hear that your regimen has been effective and beneficial. It encourages me because sometimes I feel like my face will never get right again.

Thanks!

check this link...it is a store locator for alpha hydrox
http://www.neotericcosmetics.com/store-locator.aspx

[WildFlower]

I'm just going to deal with my skin and wait for my horomone levels to get back to normal on their own.

What face wash are you using now? All the washes I have tried in the past dried out my skin, even Purpose. The one I use now, AH Foaming Face Wash is the ONLY one that does not dry my skin out. It is designed to balance your pH level.

I think AHA and BHA are important for acne prone skin too, since they shed off all those dead skin cells that can clog your pores. Which AHA or BHA have you tried? And what was your experience with them?

Hey Wildflower,

Where do you purchase the face wash that you're currently using? I'm still finishing out my supply of Clear Pores cleaner, but I've been looking for something good to switch to once I'm done with that. It's call Alpha Hydrox? Is this something you only get online? Or can you find it at local health food stores? Ever since destroying my face with a variety of cleansers (like Neutrogena and Aveeno), I've decided to stick to all natural stuff. I'm currently using Aloe Vera gel and Apple Cider Vinegar for my face. I have noticed that in the past month the ACV has faded a good portion of my red marks. However, there are small groups of them that are pretty stubborn. I believe that I have a real problem with hormonal imbalances, but until I get to a natural-path doctor, I'm just doing all I can to prevent acne and heal my face. I'm really glad to hear that your regimen has been effective and beneficial. It encourages me because sometimes I feel like my face will never get right again.

Thanks!

check this link...it is a store locator for alpha hydrox
http://www.neotericcosmetics.com/store-locator.aspx

Thanks for the link, poordaughterhasacne. The stores listed under your state might or might not carry it. Because I checked all the stores listed under my state and still could not find it. I bought mine online from www.alphahydrox.com. You can also buy it from www.drugstore.com.

Its called Alpha Hydrox Foaming Face Wash (the original). Like I said, its the only one that doesnt leave my skin dry and tight. I hope you like it as much as I do.

[WildFlower]

I'm having a little breakout right now I suppose its from the Green Cream. I know it's just the "purging" stage so I'll stick with it and hope for the best.

Also, I've been been exfoliating with Baking Soda this week. I want to see how it effects my skin. My skin looks good afterwards but feels dry. I'll try this for another week or so and then decide whether I want to add it to my regimen for sure.

[Fuzion]

How well did the alpha hydrox and aloe work for you and why did you add the GC and baking soda?? I was thinking about trying the alpha hydrox because i have seen a lot of good reviews for it. And I've heard a little bit about GC but still dont know exactly what it does. Maybe you could point me in the right direction for that info.

[Erika11]

I'm having a little breakout right now I suppose its from the Green Cream. I know it's just the "purging" stage so I'll stick with it and hope for the best.

Also, I've been been exfoliating with Baking Soda this week. I want to see how it effects my skin. My skin looks good afterwards but feels dry. I'll try this for another week or so and then decide whether I want to add it to my regimen for sure.

I've been using Aloe Vera gel for almost two weeks now and I've noticed my face breaking out in small areas. Did the same happen for you when you first applied it? Also, I don't know if it's just the brand of AV gel that I bought, but after applying it, my face feels a little tight...almost like the AV gel is drying out my face instead of moisturizing it. But the back of the bottle says it moisturizes. So, I don't know what to think! haha!
One question...have you noticed that moisturizing reduces the appearance of red marks? I'm just wondering because I've heard others say that before. My face is naturally oily so I try to keep away from moisturizers, but over the past several months I've realized that's probably something I need to do more often to keep my skin balanced. What do you think?

[WildFlower]

How well did the alpha hydrox and aloe work for you and why did you add the GC and baking soda?? I was thinking about trying the alpha hydrox because i have seen a lot of good reviews for it. And I've heard a little bit about GC but still dont know exactly what it does. Maybe you could point me in the right direction for that info.

The Alpha Hydrox and Aloe were working GREAT for me. I added the Green Cream because I noticed I was getting closed comedones on my forehead and I know GC is really good at getting rid of those. Plus it keeps my skin wrinkle free

I'm only experimenting with the Baking Soda right now. I heard a lot of people had success using it so I thought I'd give it a try. I dont know if its helping my skin yet, its too soon to tell.

Green Cream is an amazing product. You can go to their website www.greencream.com to learn more. They also have a message board where you can ask the expert questions and discuss GC with other users. There is also a thread about it here in the "over-the-counter acne products" forum.

[WildFlower]

I'm having a little breakout right now I suppose its from the Green Cream. I know it's just the "purging" stage so I'll stick with it and hope for the best.

Also, I've been been exfoliating with Baking Soda this week. I want to see how it effects my skin. My skin looks good afterwards but feels dry. I'll try this for another week or so and then decide whether I want to add it to my regimen for sure.

I've been using Aloe Vera gel for almost two weeks now and I've noticed my face breaking out in small areas. Did the same happen for you when you first applied it? Also, I don't know if it's just the brand of AV gel that I bought, but after applying it, my face feels a little tight...almost like the AV gel is drying out my face instead of moisturizing it. But the back of the bottle says it moisturizes. So, I don't know what to think! haha!
One question...have you noticed that moisturizing reduces the appearance of red marks? I'm just wondering because I've heard others say that before. My face is naturally oily so I try to keep away from moisturizers, but over the past several months I've realized that's probably something I need to do more often to keep my skin balanced. What do you think?

Aloe Vera didn't stop my breakouts right away. I started noticing results after about three weeks of using it...my breakouts decreased and my red marks were fading quicker. Aloe Vera makes my face feel tight too, but not dry. I put moisturizer on after it dries and that takes away that tight feeling. You can also mix the aloe with some of your moisturizer.

I do think its important to moisturize, even if you have oily skin. I noticed that when I don't moisturize, my skin becomes more oily, to compensate for the dry skin i guess. I don't think all moisturizers help fade redmarks, only the ones with AHAs like Glycolic and Lactic acid. My moisturizer has lactic acid in it. Here is what the website says about it:

"A lightweight, intensive moisturizing formula that helps skin maintain its optimal moisture balance as it softens, smoothes and improves skin's condition and texture. Active Oxygen stimulates collagen & new cell growth. Vitamin E&B5, Soy and Green Tea effectively nourish & protect. A broad-spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15 sunscreen blocks dangerous, wrinkle causing rays. Skin-enhancing light diffusers give skin an immediate healthy glow (with or without makeup.)"

I love it!

[WildFlower]

an update:

Currently I have one small active pimple.
The two pastules I had from last week are much smaller but still inflammed!! (I don't know what's taking so long, its been over a week).
Still using, AHA wash, aloe, AHA moisturizer, and GC.
I stopped the baking soda. It didn't make a difference and it was too drying.

I'm really getting impatient with my skin. I have to be totally clear of acne and red marks by late August and September!