924 replies to this topic

[Rottie]

Not washing my face was the biggest step to clearing my acne.
Make sure you don't use a shaving razor either. That strips the skin of the acid mantle just as much as washing with surfactants does (probably more).

I've been not washing my face for well over a year now and that's testament enough.
Make sure no water, no scrubbing with a towel. When you get oily blot it off by dabbing your face with toilet paper whenever you use the bathroom.

If your flakiness persists then you may have seborrhoeic dermatitis. If so then try topical ketoconazole (nizoral cream for example) to start off with. (don't wash face just apply cream twice daily)

If that doesn't work then ask your GP for doxycycline.

Just do it
-Nike

Hello,
Kind of new to this so not sure how my first message will turn out on the forum. Anyway I read waterwater's message the other day and thought I would give it a go. Not washing my face with a cleanser did really help. Today I am going to quit using water because I it makes it dry. Last night I even went to bed with a Mineral Make-up left on....no problem. Usually a big no-no for ladies.

In the past I have always had trouble off and on. Sometimes I could find the right combination of products and food choices to clear things up. A few summers ago I used a basket full of items and it worked. My regiment included glycolic cream, retin-A, Nomlin's Lotion, bp cream and facial peels. I ate whatever I wanted, too. However, I did use a Burt Bee's make up that seeled my skin and protected it from outside elements while the medicine turned over dead skin cells and revealed new but fragile skin. When they quit making the make up my face turned into a mess. I have tried for 3 years to find the right combo again. I even thought about begging Burt Bee's to start remaking their products for make-up.

Anyway, I finally got on another helpful track when I started taking a liver cleansing pill. It helps rid you body of extra hormones that can reek havoc. Then I found waterwater. I gave it a try and my acne on my chin, cheeks and jaw has reduce by 50%. I probably have 7 tiny tiny bumps, no nodules anymore. Hopefully things will turn around. Also, I have changed my diet as well to a more wholesome one. I was never horrible about this, but I do think white sugar and flour can be my enemies. The herbal liver pill helped I am sure, but not cleansing my face seems to help much more. I must admit I do miss water on my face!

[Spikey]

Day #31: I am sad to report that this approach does not seem to be working. I am not breaking out with the same number of pimples, but I'm still breaking out.


I'm just going to wash my face with pure water once a day.

[Spikey]

Day #35: Yup, breaking out again. 2 on forehead, 1 on cheek.


I just don't give a crap anymore. I can't afford to worry about acne at this stage. Screw it.

Continuing to wash with cold water once daily for the rest of my life, and that's it. Fuck perfect skin, I don't need it.

[Boogerman]

Day #35: Yup, breaking out again. 2 on forehead, 1 on cheek.


I just don't give a crap anymore. I can't afford to worry about acne at this stage. Screw it.

Continuing to wash with cold water once daily for the rest of my life, and that's it. Fuck perfect skin, I don't need it.

man did u masturbate on the day before? for me, everytime i fucking masturbate i get acne/pimples. i've been on this regimen for a while now and u can check my old posts to see how long. it seems masturbation is somehow causing my acne. try to only masturbate every 8-10 days and see if it helps.

[Mans]

i havent been using any products on my skin for a few months now and i must say, my skin has never been better since the acne started.

[Spikey]

Day #35: Yup, breaking out again. 2 on forehead, 1 on cheek.


I just don't give a crap anymore. I can't afford to worry about acne at this stage. Screw it.

Continuing to wash with cold water once daily for the rest of my life, and that's it. Fuck perfect skin, I don't need it.

man did u masturbate on the day before? for me, everytime i fucking masturbate i get acne/pimples. i've been on this regimen for a while now and u can check my old posts to see how long. it seems masturbation is somehow causing my acne. try to only masturbate every 8-10 days and see if it helps.

Yeah, I blow 2 loads a day on average. Been doing it for over 5 years, but the acne only started about a year and a half ago. I don't get this crap, man... Still, I'd rather have acne than be abstinent any day.

I should admit, my new policy of not giving a crap is really liberating. I shave every 3-4 days, splash face with cold water in the AM's, workout, stare at every square inch of booty that stands in front of me, and study. Hoping to get into Uni in Feb 2010.

Show me all you've got, acne monster. I ain't scared eyya no more.

[kate_the_valkyrie]

Day #35: Yup, breaking out again. 2 on forehead, 1 on cheek.


I just don't give a crap anymore. I can't afford to worry about acne at this stage. Screw it.

Continuing to wash with cold water once daily for the rest of my life, and that's it. Fuck perfect skin, I don't need it.

That's kind of what you almost have to do. What you STRESS about will get worse...
There's a phrase from a song I love: "Worry, but know that worrying is about as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum..."

It's pretty damn useless.

I'm getting a little frustrated with some of you on here though. You cannot sit and wait for results automatically. You don't loose 20 pounds in one week. It takes many weeks, and dedication every day, just to see something work. The human body needs time to adjust. This doesn't mean go to extremes and hope it works faster EITHER... Darnit.

This regimen was not meant for you to be scared of water. It was meant for you to STOP all the topicals, STOP touching your face, STOP trying to control every aspect of your acne. You and your body are a team, you've got to work together and stop fighting each other.

I want to have a single one of you with severe acne look me in the eyes and tell me you don't stress and think about your acne ALL the TIME. You worry what people think, You feel like you should try and hide it, you look at yourself in the mirror and inspect your face with the glass less then 5 inches from your pores. I know you touch your skin when you don't have a mirror, so you can see if there are new ones, ones that are not healing, or what ever else will come next.

I know, it used to be me.

Like Snows said time and time again in this thread, you kind of have to give in a little bit, and your body will too...

[dylandylan]

I've been doing this only wash with water thing for about 2 weeks now, my skin looks great but i'm just wondering do the blackheads eventually go away on their own? cause mine are just getting worse and worse

[Katrina Mae]

Hello!

I just wanted to put this link and video out there - it's Dan's (the owner of this site)'s thoughts on the do-nothing regimen.

If it's working for you - great! If not - maybe he can give you a few tips on why it isn't?

Take care!

[lewl]

For anyone considering trying this, I would advise against it.

I had mild/moderate acne, mostly on my forehead and nose, but good enough where I could go out in public, and decided to try this. I went for 3 full weeks without having anything touch my face except some water that trickled down in the shower.

My face EXPLODED. It quickly turned into very severe acne, so much so that I skipped every class from then on and only went to take my finals (this was back in April/May), and my girlfriend dumped me (I would've too, looking in the mirror). Months later it has only recently started improving, which has come from near-paleo diet (plenty of fruits/veggies, lean meats and healthy nuts), plenty of cardio, and some sun now and then.

Not washing utterly destroyed my face. Please don't do it.

[pumpkinpie]

Hi Everyone, im new here and have been following this thread as a guest as im dealing with mild to moderate acne. A little background about my skin, it has always been on the dry side but i never had any problems with it. I had perfectly clear skin up until 3 years ago- i am now 23. My whole family has great skin and i have never had a problem with spots thanks to my genetics, even hormonal breakouts were nothing major and as i recall i never did anything to my face even when i did get the rare breakout.

my skin problems started when i started a new job at the same time my skin started to flare up, i was required to wear more makeup (i was never a big makeup person because my skindidnt need it) at that time i started to think about makeup removal and because i had never cleansed before (my routine was a splash of water and my mums avon moisturiser and that was it, no mask or scrubs or toners and i hardly got flakes, maybe in the winter when my skin was extra dry) I started the OCM as it seemed natural- bad move, it seemed to have stripped my skin as i started developing an itchy rash, my mum told me to put some ointment on it which didnt help, i started moisturing more and started using gentle face washed to help calm my skin down, it soon led to some breakouts and to treat that i started using products, needless to say its been a downward spiral from there, i have had whiteheads, bumps, reoccuring cystic acne in the same areas, itchy skin, dry skin, oily t zone....it seems to clear to me now that i brought it on myself. When i say i had good skin i meant i had clear, flawless glowing skin. My whole family has no background of spots whatsoever and they all do what i used to do- wash with water and then moisturise. My skin has always been pretty reactive from the beginning though, i suppose i have very reactive dry delicate skin.

Anyway to cut a long story short, i have tried lots of things from scrubs, masks, face washes even glycolic toners twice a day to serums and heavy assed creams and nothing has given me long term results. I guess my skin might not look bad to others, once i put on some concealer which i absolutely hate putting on but i have suffered a lot, and when you live with my family whi have gorgeous skin its a constant reminder of what my skin used to be like.

I have stopped all forms of face washes and things, i started washing my face with water for about 18 days and that def helped improve my skin a little bit, i do have red hyperpigmented marks on my cheek and on my lower right cheek near my mouth and at the moment i have a million clogged pores/whiteheads in the same area as well as my chin. I just started the "no washing" regimine 4 days ago however my skin is dry, i dont have oily skin so am i right in doing this? in all fairness my skin looked better with washing once a day with water and then moisturise. My skin looks dry and parched and there is some definite flakey patches.

I know a lot of you guys have oily skin but my skin is far from it, the little oily t-zone that i did give to myself has subsided in these 4days of no washing, however my skin can be drier than the desert at times, and i live in the UK so the weather is cooling down now.

Sorry for rambling on, but for those who have tried this method and have dry skin- does it get better? do you moisturise? Im not sure my skin has ever been tough enough to handle topicals and drying my skin, it has always needed a moisturiser. The other problem is the bumpy skin texture on my chin, it has a million of sebum plugs/whiteheads- whatever you want to call them! I feel like that wont go away, shall i treat that first before i embark on this type of regime?

Any tips and advice would be appreciated!!

[Joshu]

I've been on this caveman regimen along with a holistic nutritional approach (Bcomplex, zinc, niacin, fishoil)

and it wasn't until I stopped overwashing my face that my acne has come completely under control.
I pretty much barely wash my face anymore, and never with any soaps if I do.

Have to thank you guys, it's totally counter intuitive for me, but I never realized how much damage I was doing scrubbing and over washing my face!

[yourworstnightmare]

I'm 15.I started this no wash regimen about 3 1/2 weeks to a month ago. I dont have any flaking skin just a little on my nose. The inner part of my cheeks right by my nose is dry which is good and a few small whiteheads but they go fast. On my right cheek, i have 2 pimples that came yesterday and i popped them >.< but theyre not as red. My nose has some small pimples that are slightly red but i think theyre just whiteheads. My nose and inner part of my cheeks have been red for a while..but the redness went down a little since i started this regimen. It's red because thats where i bombed my face with SA and face washes that didn't even help. I know that my cheeks are gonna flake off this skin cause i had an itch and when i was done i seen little flakes of skin so i guess that means its healing . Well i hope i see more improvement in the redness of my skin within a few weeks but im going to this festival type thing in 4 days so i want to look a little better and gain back the confidence i've always had.

[I am Snow]

WOW. It is so great to see this thread is still going strong.

I still remember reading Adam's first post in this thread. I was already on my way eliminating all the creams and acids and it was cool to see another person thinking about it.

Now so many people have decided to try methods like this and have had great success.

[The Tominator]

Haven't posted in quite a while, but I've been lurking daily. Stumbled upon this topic and others like it today during a really bad bout of "FML." I'm a self-admitted hope whore and always looking for the next potential "cure" (I know, I know). Needless to say, I'm intrigued by this approach, as I've been a slave to various regimens for over 12 years now and am on the brink of madness.

Two quick questions:

1. How does this regimen affect body acne? Are you supposed to avoid water altogether (i.e. no showering) for it to work on the body as well?

2. What's the verdict on washing your hair? Shampoo or no?

[yungbuk]

How would u kno if ur face didn't smell? I wuldnt feel comfortable kissin a girl when I haven't washed my face for weeks....and if it did smell u wouldn't be able to tell since its ur face and any odor would be normal to u........

[Jarred]

This is a very very very bad idea guys. This is coming from someone that did this for nearly 3 years. From not showering, or washing, or letting anything touch my face for that amount of time, my body had grown this sort of "cacoon" over my skin. I've been trying to get rid of it for 6 months now, and it's still not even close to being removed. Eventually, the dead skin trying to exfoliate itself, and then the sweat and oil drying on your body will create sores underneath this "cacoon".

It may seem like a great idea, but it is NOT worth it. My skin started to blister and bleed because it didn't know how to react to being touched with any sort of cleanser or shower gel. It was THAT bad.

Edited by Jarred, 01 November 2009 - 06:16 AM.

[wapak]

This is a very very very bad idea guys. This is coming from someone that did this for nearly 3 years. From not showering, or washing, or letting anything touch my face for that amount of time, my body had grown this sort of "cacoon" over my skin. I've been trying to get rid of it for 6 months now, and it's still not even close to being removed. Eventually, the dead skin trying to exfoliate itself, and then the sweat and oil drying on your body will create sores underneath this "cacoon".

It may seem like a great idea, but it is NOT worth it. My skin started to blister and bleed because it didn't know how to react to being touched with any sort of cleanser or shower gel. It was THAT bad.

LOL! Nice try for someone who just joined today. LMAO

[The Tominator]

I'm on day 11 or so of not washing my mug. Still breaking out with a few cysts on a regular basis, especially on my neck, which is definitely not cool. Forehead looks (and feels) bumpy; overall, my complexion is pretty beat.

I shower every 2-3 days, and yes, water occasionally trickles down my face or sprays on my neck. I blot it off as soon as it happens, but I'm not being ridiculous about the no water thing. If a trace amount unintentionally touches my skin, I don't flip out. It happens.

I can see that this is going to be a long process, and I have no idea if it will work. I will say that I LOVE not washing/showering twice a day like I used to. I was so obsessive about washing my face daily. Now, I don't f'n care, and it's fun. Biggest change is the oiliness. I can see the shine, but I don't feel it. I can go all day without that heavy, greasy sensation. That's probably the only thing keeping me going at this point. My face may not look so hot right now, but it feels much better.

[Jarred]

This is a very very very bad idea guys. This is coming from someone that did this for nearly 3 years. From not showering, or washing, or letting anything touch my face for that amount of time, my body had grown this sort of "cacoon" over my skin. I've been trying to get rid of it for 6 months now, and it's still not even close to being removed. Eventually, the dead skin trying to exfoliate itself, and then the sweat and oil drying on your body will create sores underneath this "cacoon".

It may seem like a great idea, but it is NOT worth it. My skin started to blister and bleed because it didn't know how to react to being touched with any sort of cleanser or shower gel. It was THAT bad.

LOL! Nice try for someone who just joined today. LMAO

Why should my joining date be of any relevance to the credibility of my statement?