20 replies to this topic

[steven m jacobson]

Here is some information on the acid mantle, I will place this here for you all to see, because I have been getting PM's about it.

The acid mantle is a thin oily film that sits on top of the outmost layer of our skin. For most people, the pH of the acid mantle is about 4.5 to 5.5. Why is our skin naturally acidic at the surface? Our slightly acidic skin helps to fight off harmful bacteria. Many of the contaminants that might enter our skin, such as chemicals from the atmosphere and harmful bacteria, are alkaline in nature (i.e., they have a pH of higher than 7). Our skin’s natural acidity neutralizes these chemicals and bacteria, much the same way the milk of magnesia neutralizes stomach acid when we have heartburn. Neutralizing these harmful contaminants is part of the body’s defense system. Maintaining the skin pH at the proper level is vital to protecting ourselves from harmful bacteria which can lead to acne, infection, or irritation.

Most of us use soap and water to clean our faces without realizing that this may not be beneficial to us. Soapy water is highly alkaline (with a pH of 12, see chart) while our skin is naturally acidic (with a pH of approximately 5). Soapy water is commonly used to clean our faces because it removes the natural oils from the skin. While this leaves our skin with that “clean feeling," soap is actually neutralizing our skins acid pH thereby stripping away our natural defense systems. Particularly for those of us that wash our faces 2, 3, or 4 times a day because of a problem condition like acne, stripping away the acid mantle can actually worsen our condition. Similarly it is important for us to know the pH of any cleansers, moisturizers, makeup and other products we use so that we don’t remove the protective oils and acid mantle from our skin.

The acid mantle, the combination of sebum (oil) and perspiration, on the skin's surface protects the skin and renders the skin less vulnerable to damage. It also protects from attack by environmental factors such as the sun and wind and leaves it less prone to dehydration. Normal skin pH is somewhat acidic and in the range of 4.2. to 5.6. It varies from one part of the body to another and, in general, the pH of a man's skin is lower (more acidic) than a woman's. The acid mantle inhibits the growth of foreign bacteria and fungi causing the skin to remain healthier and have fewer blemishes. Acne, allergies and other skin problems become more severe when the skin become more alkaline.


You are here: Skin Biology >

Sebum, Sweat, Skin pH and Acid Mantle


Sebum is an oily secretion produced by sebacious glands, tiny ducts adjacent to hair follicles. Sebum is secreted into the follicle, from which it spreads over the hair and skin. The main role of sebum is to waterproof the skin and hair. Both excess and lack of sebum are undesirable. Excess sebum is associated with oily skin and acne. It is particularly common in adolescents as the increased levels of sex hormones stimulate sebum production. Lack of sebum, which is common in middle and older age, leads to skin dryness and accelerates wrinkle formation.
Sweat is a salty, watery solution produced by sweat glands, numerous microscopic channels opening onto the skin surface. As sebum and sweat mix up on the skin surface, they form a protective layer often referred to as the acid mantle . Acid mantle has a particular level of acidity characterized by pH from about 4 to 5.5. A pH of 7 is considered neutral, above 7 is alkaline, and below is acidic. The pH of acid in the human stomach, for example, is usually from 1 to 2, which is highly acidic. The skin, on the other hand, is mildly acidic. In addition to helping protect skin from "the elements" (such as wind or pollutants), acid mantle also inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. If acid mantle is disrupted or loses its acidity, the skin becomes more prone to damage and infection. The loss of acid mantle is one of the side-effects of washing the skin with soaps or detergents of moderate or high strength.

Source: http://www.smartskin...logy/sebum.html

Here in lies the problem even with so-called pH leveled soaps/topicals. Everyone's acid mantle pH is different. No product can account for correctly bring your acid mantle back to a "normal" pH.

Edited by steven m jacobson, 26 December 2011 - 07:01 PM.

[Tunnelvisionary]

I've recently stopped using my 'moisturizing' cleanser. The product claimed it had a bunch of shit in it to bring your skin back to normal. Sure, it was better than all the other cleansers, but I figured since I've been progressively ditching all the other derm's product recommendations, I'd ditch this one for a day or two as well. It really helped, my skin is not flaky or dry, even though the bottle said it was a moisturizing cleanser. I even stopped using BP since i've stopped consuming gluten and my skin has only benefitted. Even better, it doesn't get irritated when I'm out in the sun without sunscreen. I seriously never thought this day would come, but I'm glad it has.

[steven m jacobson]

Tunnelvisionary, on 27 December 2011 - 12:57 AM, said:

I've recently stopped using my 'moisturizing' cleanser. The product claimed it had a bunch of shit in it to bring your skin back to normal. Sure, it was better than all the other cleansers, but I figured since I've been progressively ditching all the other derm's product recommendations, I'd ditch this one for a day or two as well. It really helped, my skin is not flaky or dry, even though the bottle said it was a moisturizing cleanser. I even stopped using BP since i've stopped consuming gluten and my skin has only benefitted. Even better, it doesn't get irritated when I'm out in the sun without sunscreen. I seriously never thought this day would come, but I'm glad it has.

Great job man, that's good news! I work out in the sun on most days, and I usually never use sunscreen, I use clothing instead, fishing hats, baseball caps, as those are perfect sunblockers and they never touch my skin.

Soaps/topicals are so misleading these days, it is sad how people get dooped into believing acne is caused by dirty skin and think they need to wash it like 5 times a day, it just breaks my heart to see people not knowing the truth, but I guess that's life, some people choose to blue pill (ignorance and the belief in a company), when they need to choose the red pill (think for themselves).

Who knows, maybe a zombie apocalypse is exactly what most acne sufferers need, so they can no longer rely on damaging skin care products.

Edited by steven m jacobson, 27 December 2011 - 06:18 AM.

[Tunnelvisionary]

I used to never be able to go outside without putting on some sunscreen to protect my skin from getting irritated. I always knew that something can't be right if I have to avoid the sun, which is an incredibly huge part of the environment. People and animals have been living with it forever, so I don't think something that makes me avoid it is a good idea. Call me a hippie, but that's always sort of been my intuition. It's great, because sunscreen technology sucks for the most part. You can't get a low profile sunscreen on your face without having a bunch of chemicals, and you can't have a sunscreen with nontoxic ingredients that doesn't make you look like a ghost. That's not to say you shouldn't wear sunscreen if you're at the beach or something...

It's just nice to know that I don't have to waste time/money with topicals anymore. I wanted to so badly for my skin to heal from the damage they've done (and i've done to myself, admittedly) so it's amazing that I save both time and money, and it's actually better for my skin to not use these things lol.

steven m jacobson, on 27 December 2011 - 06:12 AM, said:

Great job man, that's good news! I work out in the sun on most days, and I usually never use sunscreen, I use clothing instead, fishing hats, baseball caps, as those are perfect sunblockers and they never touch my skin.

Soaps/topicals are so misleading these days, it is sad how people get dooped into believing acne is caused by dirty skin and think they need to wash it like 5 times a day, it just breaks my heart to see people not knowing the truth, but I guess that's life, some people choose to blue pill (ignorance and the belief in a company), when they need to choose the red pill (think for themselves).

Who knows, maybe a zombie apocalypse is exactly what most acne sufferers need, so they can no longer rely on damaging skin care products.

Yeah, I was a big believer in thinking I needed to cleanse my skin of all the chemicals with...more chemicals. My daily regimen at one point was so obnoxious that I wondered how people possibly survived without these things. I thought people who were capable of getting acne were all like me, bound to their cleansers and prescriptions, doomed to forever slather creams on their face just to get by. I've actually thought of how I would my skin would fare in a zombie apocalypse before, believe it or not. Never knew that it might actually get better, haha.

[C0BRA]

so is acv good or bad for your skin? i use it for my red marks.

[steven m jacobson]

C0BRA, on 29 December 2011 - 10:29 PM, said:

so is acv good or bad for your skin? i use it for my red marks.

acv is foreign to your skin, although it has a ph between 4 and 5 (acidic) it isn't the same as your natural skins ph (which i have no idea what that is). I would advise against it, and allowing your skin to produce the much needed acid mantle

[hereforinfo]

so, steven, what do you use to wash your face if anything? I've decided to lower the number of times I wash my face per day from 2 (morning and night) to 1 (night). I realized it's stupid to wash my face in the morning after all I've done is slept and all it's likely doing is irritating my face more.

Considering not even using moisturizer at night and then just rinsing with lukewarm water in the morning to freshen up.

[limpbizkitfan]

My acid mantle is already completely gone. I'm probably gonna age like fruit lol...this is why ppl should neverrr use soap...I used those chemical face washes for yrs, now look at what it did to my skin

[bobbi364]

hereforinfo, on 25 January 2012 - 01:43 AM, said:

so, steven, what do you use to wash your face if anything? I've decided to lower the number of times I wash my face per day from 2 (morning and night) to 1 (night). I realized it's stupid to wash my face in the morning after all I've done is slept and all it's likely doing is irritating my face more.

Considering not even using moisturizer at night and then just rinsing with lukewarm water in the morning to freshen up.

I can't speak for steven, but when restoring my acid mantle I stopped using all topicals altogether. I now use no face wash, I just shave and rinse my face in the shower, I have been clear for around 6 years now. For me the acid mantle is present at minimal, because I do wet shave everyday, however, I do not strip the oils on the face or just below the skin as many people do when they use soaps/topicals, it would be good to try to restore your acid mantle, and maybe even go a couple days without washing, and then slowly breaking it off.

limpbizkitfan, on 25 January 2012 - 02:35 AM, said:

My acid mantle is already completely gone. I'm probably gonna age like fruit lol...this is why ppl should neverrr use soap...I used those chemical face washes for yrs, now look at what it did to my skin

Yeah, and the scary part is even those "safe" soaps people are using at bad, like Purpose gentle and Cetaphil. It's never too late to stop using that stuff.

[hereforinfo]

bobbi364, on 25 January 2012 - 05:46 AM, said:

I can't speak for steven, but when restoring my acid mantle I stopped using all topicals altogether. I now use no face wash, I just shave and rinse my face in the shower, I have been clear for around 6 years now. For me the acid mantle is present at minimal, because I do wet shave everyday, however, I do not strip the oils on the face or just below the skin as many people do when they use soaps/topicals, it would be good to try to restore your acid mantle, and maybe even go a couple days without washing, and then slowly breaking it off.

So you use absolutely no products whatsoever on your face (minus your shave gel/cream/soap for wetshaving) and you are 100% clear?

[alexisc]

Not sure if anyone has heard of Spectrojel, but that is what I use to wash my face. It is made to respect the natural barrier of your skin and only takes away some oil and dirt. I have been using it for years and I love it. It doesn't leave your skin feeling dry at all. Then I spot treat with tea tree oil and/or tamanu oil and then if I feel my skin needs more moisture use hazelnut oil all over. It is a light oil and really well absorbed into the skin.

Doing less to your skin really does benefit it. I think our instinct when we see a spot is to try and deal with the problem externally with all of these harsh products, when we should be dealing with it internally by boosting our immune system and eating foods rich in nutrients and that calm inflammation. Just my opinion.

[bobbi364]

hereforinfo, on 25 January 2012 - 08:48 AM, said:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:46 AM:

I can't speak for steven, but when restoring my acid mantle I stopped using all topicals altogether.  I now use no face wash, I just shave and rinse my face in the shower, I have been clear for around 6 years now.  For me the acid mantle is present at minimal, because I do wet shave everyday, however, I do not strip the oils on the face or just below the skin as many people do when they use soaps/topicals, it would be good to try to restore your acid mantle, and maybe even go a couple days without washing, and then slowly breaking it off.

So you use absolutely no products whatsoever on your face (minus your shave gel/cream/soap for wetshaving) and you are 100% clear?

That is correct, no products on my face, besides the gentle lather when I shave. I am 100% clear, I will be making a shaving tutorial video soon, once I find the time and upgrade my SD card for my camera, be on the look out in the next couple of weeks for that.

[alternativista]

limpbizkitfan, on 25 January 2012 - 02:35 AM, said:

My acid mantle is already completely gone. I'm probably gonna age like fruit lol...this is why ppl should neverrr use soap...I used those chemical face washes for yrs, now look at what it did to my skin

No such thing. Your acid mantle is the sweat and sebum you produce every day. Just stop stripping it away.

[hereforinfo]

bobbi364, on 25 January 2012 - 05:09 PM, said:

hereforinfo, on 25 January 2012 - 08:48 AM, said:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:46 AM:

I can't speak for steven, but when restoring my acid mantle I stopped using all topicals altogether. I now use no face wash, I just shave and rinse my face in the shower, I have been clear for around 6 years now. For me the acid mantle is present at minimal, because I do wet shave everyday, however, I do not strip the oils on the face or just below the skin as many people do when they use soaps/topicals, it would be good to try to restore your acid mantle, and maybe even go a couple days without washing, and then slowly breaking it off.

So you use absolutely no products whatsoever on your face (minus your shave gel/cream/soap for wetshaving) and you are 100% clear?

That is correct, no products on my face, besides the gentle lather when I shave. I am 100% clear, I will be making a shaving tutorial video soon, once I find the time and upgrade my SD card for my camera, be on the look out in the next couple of weeks for that.

And were you breaking out prior to stopping all topicals?

Also do you only rinse with tap water? Like twice a day? Or nothing whatsoever?

Edited by hereforinfo, 25 January 2012 - 08:35 PM.

[bobbi364]

hereforinfo, on 25 January 2012 - 07:48 PM, said:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:09 PM:

From 25 January 2012 - 08:48 AM:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:46 AM:

I can't speak for steven, but when restoring my acid mantle I stopped using all topicals altogether.  I now use no face wash, I just shave and rinse my face in the shower, I have been clear for around 6 years now.  For me the acid mantle is present at minimal, because I do wet shave everyday, however, I do not strip the oils on the face or just below the skin as many people do when they use soaps/topicals, it would be good to try to restore your acid mantle, and maybe even go a couple days without washing, and then slowly breaking it off.

So you use absolutely no products whatsoever on your face (minus your shave gel/cream/soap for wetshaving) and you are 100% clear?

That is correct, no products on my face, besides the gentle lather when I shave.  I am 100% clear, I will be making a shaving tutorial video soon, once I find the time and upgrade my SD card for my camera, be on the look out in the next couple of weeks for that.

And were you breaking out prior to stopping all topicals?

Also do you only rinse with tap water? Like twice a day? Or nothing whatsoever?

When I had acne, my breakouts were hormonal AND from topicals, as they dried out my skin, made it very tight and flaky dead skin was everywhere. Once I stopped topicals and controlled my DHT spikes my acne went away and has never come back. I take showers (hot/warm) and let the water rinse on my face and body, I use Kiss My Face whenever shampoo and just use it on my hair, armpits, genitals and legs/feet, thats all, no other soaps/topicals. Sometimes if I get dirty from mud/sweat I will splash my face off with tap water and let it air dry, that is the other big thing. I always allow it to air dry, I never rub or touch my face, I only shave it once a day, and never let a towel rub on my face, as even that can dry it out or cause irritation.

[hereforinfo]

bobbi364, on 25 January 2012 - 08:48 PM, said:

hereforinfo, on 25 January 2012 - 07:48 PM, said:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:09 PM:

From 25 January 2012 - 08:48 AM:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:46 AM:

I can't speak for steven, but when restoring my acid mantle I stopped using all topicals altogether.  I now use no face wash, I just shave and rinse my face in the shower, I have been clear for around 6 years now.  For me the acid mantle is present at minimal, because I do wet shave everyday, however, I do not strip the oils on the face or just below the skin as many people do when they use soaps/topicals, it would be good to try to restore your acid mantle, and maybe even go a couple days without washing, and then slowly breaking it off.

So you use absolutely no products whatsoever on your face (minus your shave gel/cream/soap for wetshaving) and you are 100% clear?

That is correct, no products on my face, besides the gentle lather when I shave.  I am 100% clear, I will be making a shaving tutorial video soon, once I find the time and upgrade my SD card for my camera, be on the look out in the next couple of weeks for that.

And were you breaking out prior to stopping all topicals?

Also do you only rinse with tap water? Like twice a day? Or nothing whatsoever?

When I had acne, my breakouts were hormonal AND from topicals, as they dried out my skin, made it very tight and flaky dead skin was everywhere. Once I stopped topicals and controlled my DHT spikes my acne went away and has never come back. I take showers (hot/warm) and let the water rinse on my face and body, I use Kiss My Face whenever shampoo and just use it on my hair, armpits, genitals and legs/feet, thats all, no other soaps/topicals. Sometimes if I get dirty from mud/sweat I will splash my face off with tap water and let it air dry, that is the other big thing. I always allow it to air dry, I never rub or touch my face, I only shave it once a day, and never let a towel rub on my face, as even that can dry it out or cause irritation.

Was there an adjustment period for your face? And how long did it take to start to clear up and how long before you were fully clear?

Thanks a lot by the way, you've been very helpful.

[bobbi364]

hereforinfo, on 25 January 2012 - 08:51 PM, said:

From 25 January 2012 - 08:48 PM:

From 25 January 2012 - 07:48 PM:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:09 PM:

From 25 January 2012 - 08:48 AM:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:46 AM:

I can't speak for steven, but when restoring my acid mantle I stopped using all topicals altogether.  I now use no face wash, I just shave and rinse my face in the shower, I have been clear for around 6 years now.  For me the acid mantle is present at minimal, because I do wet shave everyday, however, I do not strip the oils on the face or just below the skin as many people do when they use soaps/topicals, it would be good to try to restore your acid mantle, and maybe even go a couple days without washing, and then slowly breaking it off.

So you use absolutely no products whatsoever on your face (minus your shave gel/cream/soap for wetshaving) and you are 100% clear?

That is correct, no products on my face, besides the gentle lather when I shave.  I am 100% clear, I will be making a shaving tutorial video soon, once I find the time and upgrade my SD card for my camera, be on the look out in the next couple of weeks for that.

And were you breaking out prior to stopping all topicals?

Also do you only rinse with tap water? Like twice a day? Or nothing whatsoever?

When I had acne, my breakouts were hormonal AND from topicals, as they dried out my skin, made it very tight and flaky dead skin was everywhere.  Once I stopped topicals and controlled my DHT spikes my acne went away and has never come back.  I take showers (hot/warm) and let the water rinse on my face and body, I use Kiss My Face whenever shampoo and just use it on my hair, armpits, genitals and legs/feet, thats all, no other soaps/topicals.  Sometimes if I get dirty from mud/sweat I will splash my face off with tap water and let it air dry, that is the other big thing.  I always allow it to air dry, I never rub or touch my face, I only shave it once a day, and never let a towel rub on my face, as even that can dry it out or cause irritation.

Was there an adjustment period for your face? And how long did it take to start to clear up and how long before you were fully clear?

Thanks a lot by the way, you've been very helpful.

It took about 30 days to transition, not only from face washes, but from calming my hormones (I can rant on that if you want me to later). After I controlled my hormones, and stopped using soaps, I stopped getting new pimples/zits. After that it was a healing process of about 30 days, for all those red marks/pigmentation marks to re-surface as white heads, pop, and then heal. Every single red mark had to re-surface and heal from the inside out, they are deep DEEP in the pore and there is nothing you can do to heal them, they have heal on their own. The only thing I would recommend is a clay/mud mask about once a month, just to help exfoliate the skin and rid it of those DEEP clogged pores (after you get clear you can cancel them altogether or keep doing them about once a month). That was for moderate acne. If you have severe acne, it will take a little bit longer for those things to heal. It will help a little if you do this, however, for it to clear you 100% you need to control the sole cause of acne, and in my opinion that is DHT/testosterone. Things like ejaculation spike DHT, and as a teenie I was having sex/masturbating frequently. Once I controlled myself all acne/pimples went away. There are other things that can raise DHT, like high insulin and high fatty diets, it is different for everyone. Things like Saw Palmetto and Nettle Root Extract help combat DHT and inhibits its production, I would recommend Swanson's brand supplements (85% standardized for Saw Palmetto is best, and you can get a huge bottle of it from Sams Club for 11$).

Just to note, the Saw Palmetto didn't clear me up, however, once I started taking it I noticed a more healthy glow/better skin tone.

[hereforinfo]

bobbi364, on 25 January 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

hereforinfo, on 25 January 2012 - 08:51 PM, said:

From 25 January 2012 - 08:48 PM:

From 25 January 2012 - 07:48 PM:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:09 PM:

From 25 January 2012 - 08:48 AM:

From 25 January 2012 - 05:46 AM:

I can't speak for steven, but when restoring my acid mantle I stopped using all topicals altogether. I now use no face wash, I just shave and rinse my face in the shower, I have been clear for around 6 years now. For me the acid mantle is present at minimal, because I do wet shave everyday, however, I do not strip the oils on the face or just below the skin as many people do when they use soaps/topicals, it would be good to try to restore your acid mantle, and maybe even go a couple days without washing, and then slowly breaking it off.

So you use absolutely no products whatsoever on your face (minus your shave gel/cream/soap for wetshaving) and you are 100% clear?

That is correct, no products on my face, besides the gentle lather when I shave. I am 100% clear, I will be making a shaving tutorial video soon, once I find the time and upgrade my SD card for my camera, be on the look out in the next couple of weeks for that.

And were you breaking out prior to stopping all topicals?

Also do you only rinse with tap water? Like twice a day? Or nothing whatsoever?

When I had acne, my breakouts were hormonal AND from topicals, as they dried out my skin, made it very tight and flaky dead skin was everywhere. Once I stopped topicals and controlled my DHT spikes my acne went away and has never come back. I take showers (hot/warm) and let the water rinse on my face and body, I use Kiss My Face whenever shampoo and just use it on my hair, armpits, genitals and legs/feet, thats all, no other soaps/topicals. Sometimes if I get dirty from mud/sweat I will splash my face off with tap water and let it air dry, that is the other big thing. I always allow it to air dry, I never rub or touch my face, I only shave it once a day, and never let a towel rub on my face, as even that can dry it out or cause irritation.

Was there an adjustment period for your face? And how long did it take to start to clear up and how long before you were fully clear?

Thanks a lot by the way, you've been very helpful.

It took about 30 days to transition, not only from face washes, but from calming my hormones (I can rant on that if you want me to later). After I controlled my hormones, and stopped using soaps, I stopped getting new pimples/zits. After that it was a healing process of about 30 days, for all those red marks/pigmentation marks to re-surface as white heads, pop, and then heal. Every single red mark had to re-surface and heal from the inside out, they are deep DEEP in the pore and there is nothing you can do to heal them, they have heal on their own. The only thing I would recommend is a clay/mud mask about once a month, just to help exfoliate the skin and rid it of those DEEP clogged pores (after you get clear you can cancel them altogether or keep doing them about once a month). That was for moderate acne. If you have severe acne, it will take a little bit longer for those things to heal. It will help a little if you do this, however, for it to clear you 100% you need to control the sole cause of acne, and in my opinion that is DHT/testosterone. Things like ejaculation spike DHT, and as a teenie I was having sex/masturbating frequently. Once I controlled myself all acne/pimples went away. There are other things that can raise DHT, like high insulin and high fatty diets, it is different for everyone. Things like Saw Palmetto and Nettle Root Extract help combat DHT and inhibits its production, I would recommend Swanson's brand supplements (85% standardized for Saw Palmetto is best, and you can get a huge bottle of it from Sams Club for 11$).

Just to note, the Saw Palmetto didn't clear me up, however, once I started taking it I noticed a more healthy glow/better skin tone.

Thankfully my 'acne' is limited to a half dozen whiteheads/cysts. I'm allergic to milk and eggs so I usually flare up because I accidentally eat something with them. I'm taking garlic/probiotics/coconut oil because I suspected candida but I'm skeptical, though it has seemed to even out my tone in places where I didn't break out. I think my issue is indeed topicals. I think I'm going to cut them altogether. Would be such a relief on my face as well as my wallet if this works for me.

Wil also try the saw palmetto.

EDIT: Did you experience dryness/flakiness early on? I imagine it's because my skin is used to a moisturizer. Thanks again!

Edited by hereforinfo, 26 January 2012 - 01:10 PM.

[Bearishly]

Just to throw my two cents in: I've been trying just water for about a week and a half now. The first week or so my skin was very flaky. The flakes were small, but they were all over the place. I have one spot on my upper cheek that's just sort of a scaly patch of dead skin cells. I'm worried this puts me at greater risk of comedones.

It seems like inflammation has gone down quite a bit, but I'm still getting just as many active spots. The nice thing is that even though my face doesn't look any better (it's arguably worse), I don't have any of the pain from inflammation when I make various facial movements.

One problem I seem to be noticing is that existing breakouts aren't going away as quickly. They don't seem to be getting worse, and they aren't as inflamed, but they are still very much there.

As an aside, I'm also supplementing with Cod Liver Oil, and I've reintroduced probiotics (bifidum and acidophilus). I'm thinking maybe the CLO is lowering the inflammation, although I've experimented with plain old fish oil before and never had any results.

[hereforinfo]

In the 3 days since I started the no-topicals I've developed no new breakouts. My old two were still there (until I used the Aztec clay last night, zapped the hell out of them). I was a bit flaky, but not too much. I expect it's my face's reaction to having no moisturizer, something it's become accustomed to. It could also be attributed to the city I work in, which is far more arid than the city I live in. I'm also CONSIDERABLY less oily at the end of the day. I've noticed that almost all moisturizers end up sitting on the skin rather than sinking in because they're just gunking at the surface at the day's end.

All in all, I'm very satisfied so far.