9 replies to this topic

[Shoppers]

I am 23 and over the past few years (since University) I began to get pimples on my face. It didn't occur much throughout high school (where I felt I was more stressed out about). I have since graduated and my face seems to be getting worse. I have breakouts around my chin and mouth area.

I also get small whiteheads filled with puss that happen around my nose/mouth area. It has only happen 3 or so times. I thought it was from perhaps sodium laureth sulfate. (Cetaphil) I also have a problem with the chin/mouth area getting very dry, especially when I wake up take a shower and wash my face and brush my teeth. Right after I need to use some sort of face moisturizer or else it looks like I had drooled all night and didn't clean my face.

Even when I was exercising my face still had break-outs. I am trying to figure out some home remedies, since going to the dermatologist now will cost me a fortune since I don't have any health benefits. I only use Dove Soap and Dove Shampoo.

Sometimes they hurt to touch, other times they are red. I'm attaching a very poor quality photo. Any suggestions? :/

These are the products I went through:

Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

Clindoxyl Gel

Minocin 50 MG

Dalacin (Clindamycn Phos again)

Clean and Clear Advantage Fast Action (Acne Control Kit)

Cetaphil

Goat Milk Soap

Dove: Gentle Exfoliating Foaming Facial Cleanser

Attached Thumbnails

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[jennifer36]

Try some manuka honey! I've almost entirely cleared my skin through diet changes over the past 3 months, and a chemical free skincare regimen. Recently (two weeks ago) I started washing my face morning and night with manuka honey. I follow that up with chamomile lavender tea as a toner. At night I add "derma e" brand tea tree and e oil to the chamomile tea and pat all over my face. This regimen seems to heal my acne within a few days and fade my red marks fairly quicky. My skin broke out a little on Sunday, the spots from sunday have already become inactive and the red marks are starting to fade.

I tried everything you listed except for Clindoxyl, Minocin, and Dalacin. I've also tried various soaps (oatmeal, clay), accutane, korres white tea cleanser (I actually liked this, but I gave up chemicals, it never cleared me 100% though), various garnier/biore/drug store brands (when I was younger). The manuka honey is by far the thing my skin agrees with the most, and it's doing the best out of anything I've ever tried. If you decide to try it make sure you buy UMF 16+ manuka honey. The higher the UMF (unique manuka factor) the better it is.

Also what does your diet look like? Are you getting enough sleep? There are so many factors that can contribute to acne.

[Shoppers]

jennifer36, on 12 January 2012 - 08:01 PM, said:

Try some manuka honey/"derma e" brand tea tree and e oil to the chamomile tea a/Also what does your diet look like? Are you getting enough sleep? There are so many factors that can contribute to acne.

Thank you for such a detailed and helpful response! I see you are from Canada as well, so I'd like to ask where you buy your manuka honey. I have never heard of it before but thought maybe some health stores downtown might sell some. I see you can buy some off the website and ebay, they were around $40-$50 I believe. And found some soap on ebay?

The Clindoxyl, Minocin, and Dalacin were prescribed by my doctor/dermatologist. I also used to get injections (I don't remember of what, haha and that's not a good thing) into the pimples as well. But I was tired of using chemicals, like you.

As for my diet/sleep regime. Bad. Which is probably what triggers my face to react so much. I just had some nutella from a jar..it's off and on. If groceries are done, then no problem, if they aren't then I scrape up whatever there is to at least satisfy my stomach. Which is bad. I don't drink pop. I used to drink lot's of milk. I don't eat much candy any more either and no fast food. I need to drink more water however. And sleep is also up and down. I work different shifts during the week. Some days I go to sleep late others earlier, wake up at different times of the day. It's a very unbalanced. :/ How do you supplement diary? Ah and do you use make-up?

Anyways, going to try all this and hope for the best.

Edited by Shoppers, 13 January 2012 - 12:41 AM.

[costanza]

It is exactly the same to me. Ive had acne for 5 years now but before i attended university, my acne wasnt that bad. When i started at university, then it began to get worse, so i think its beacuse of the stress. Sad thing is that i cant really stop stressing either, cuz there is a whole lot of work to do and thats where the stress begins.

Ive also experienced that when i do get stressed, i allways breakout around my mouth/chin. Ive also read that the breakouts from stress usually comes to those areas.

So my advice is to try to not get so stressed about stuff, no matter what it is. Take stuff as it comes and learn from it instead of freakin out like i do
And also, try to change the diet. Even if you have read that acne is not caused by diet, that doesnt mean that its the same for your skin. People are different in many ways, you just have to try things that works for, good luck!

[jennifer36]

Shoppers, on 13 January 2012 - 12:34 AM, said:

jennifer36, on 12 January 2012 - 08:01 PM, said:

Try some manuka honey/"derma e" brand tea tree and e oil to the chamomile tea a/Also what does your diet look like? Are you getting enough sleep? There are so many factors that can contribute to acne.

Thank you for such a detailed and helpful response! I see you are from Canada as well, so I'd like to ask where you buy your manuka honey. I have never heard of it before but thought maybe some health stores downtown might sell some. I see you can buy some off the website and ebay, they were around $40-$50 I believe. And found some soap on ebay?

The Clindoxyl, Minocin, and Dalacin were prescribed by my doctor/dermatologist. I also used to get injections (I don't remember of what, haha and that's not a good thing) into the pimples as well. But I was tired of using chemicals, like you.

As for my diet/sleep regime. Bad. Which is probably what triggers my face to react so much. I just had some nutella from a jar..it's off and on. If groceries are done, then no problem, if they aren't then I scrape up whatever there is to at least satisfy my stomach. Which is bad. I don't drink pop. I used to drink lot's of milk. I don't eat much candy any more either and no fast food. I need to drink more water however. And sleep is also up and down. I work different shifts during the week. Some days I go to sleep late others earlier, wake up at different times of the day. It's a very unbalanced. :/ How do you supplement diary? Ah and do you use make-up?

Anyways, going to try all this and hope for the best.

I live a little ways north of Toronto, and I get my manuka honey from a health food store called Nature's Emporium. I think it's something that most fairly large hea;th food store would carry. Mine was $40.

I notice such a big difference when I get a good amount of sleep and eat well (which now is always). I used to eat nutella out of the jar too! I couldn't even imagine doing that now.. haha. For dairy I use almond milk instead. I also picked up a really yummy vegan, gluten free coconut ice cream from my health food store too. Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss. I like the vanilla flavour the best, yummy coconut vanilla! Some good supplements to look into are spirulina and chlorella. They're so good for your skin and your entire body!

I used to use make up. When I was younger I used whatever cheap drugstore brand, but for the past few years I've only been buying Tarte and Korres cosmetics, which are fairly natural and is are cruelty free brands. I've stopped using make up altogether because of the harmful chemicals they can contain. Even if a chemical is not too bad on it's own, it could negatively interact with any of the other chemicals we use on a daily basis. Up until a few weeks ago I was wearing just mascara daily (Korres rice bran mascara), but I've even stopped that. When I do wear mascara I use jojoba oil to remove it.

Good luck with getting your skin on track! With all my diet changes I'm almost there!

[emerald42]

I use benzac ac 5% gel and my skin is getting to be clearer. I thought my acne was due to my diet, but I have been eating lots of fruit and vegies and balancing my diet plus taking vitamin pills and I still have acne. Then, I realised that my acne was only worse around my menstrual cycle. That I cannot really get rid of but, by preventing breakouts can help me to get almost clear skin.
Goodluck!

[Shoppers]

costanza, on 13 January 2012 - 04:51 AM, said:

Ive also experienced that when i do get stressed, i allways breakout around my mouth/chin. Ive also read that the breakouts from stress usually comes to those areas.
So my advice is to try to not get so stressed about stuff, no matter what it is. Take stuff as it comes and learn from it instead of freakin out like i do
And also, try to change the diet.

Thanks for your post! Yes, stress seems to be a major factor. But over the year I have become much more relaxed then before, I don't have much to worry about as before. But sometimes need to remind myself to calm down. Meditation worked for a bit as well to calm the nerves? I guess it's time to be hippies and just go with what gets thrown at us. Good luck to you as well!

jennifer36, on 13 January 2012 - 05:15 PM, said:

I notice such a big difference when I get a good amount of sleep and eat well (which now is always). I used to eat nutella out of the jar too! I couldn't even imagine doing that now.. haha. For dairy I use almond milk instead.

I have finally invested in some Manuka Honey +16. I passed by a random health store, they were also just that day having a 10% off sale. It was around $28 for 500 g. Also some lavender tea, because I couldn't find a mixed one. I don't know if I should just use two separate tea bags add lavender + chamomile as the toner? And may I please ask how the process goes? Do I add a lot of honey to my face, I feel like a teaspoon or so? And for the toner, do you just make a cup and then save the tea to use for the next wash? I'm sorry to bombard you with all these questions. :/

Ahaha oh nutella, what a sweet temptation. I just ate a whole bag of chocolate right now too, off to a shaky start, after such a healthy day of good food? And always wanted to try almond milk. And thanks for the make-up advice as well! And so glad to hear that with all your changes, hard work and dedication you are almost there! How exciting to hear!

emerald42, on 13 January 2012 - 06:36 PM, said:

I use benzac ac 5% gel and my skin is getting to be clearer. I thought my acne was due to my diet, but I have been eating lots of fruit and vegies and balancing my diet plus taking vitamin pills and I still have acne. Then, I realised that my acne was only worse around my menstrual cycle. That I cannot really get rid of but, by preventing breakouts can help me to get almost clear skin.
Goodluck!

Yes, around the menstrual cycle is very common. :/ It's the worst! But I will take your choice of benzac and check it out! Keep up the fruit & veggies!

[clearface8824]

I agree with your stress level and dieting. Try to get enough sleep and stay away from caffeine. Or other foods that will put ur body in stress mode.

[jennifer36]

Shoppers, on 28 January 2012 - 12:35 AM, said:

jennifer36, on 13 January 2012 - 05:15 PM, said:

I notice such a big difference when I get a good amount of sleep and eat well (which now is always). I used to eat nutella out of the jar too! I couldn't even imagine doing that now.. haha. For dairy I use almond milk instead.

I have finally invested in some Manuka Honey +16. I passed by a random health store, they were also just that day having a 10% off sale. It was around $28 for 500 g. Also some lavender tea, because I couldn't find a mixed one. I don't know if I should just use two separate tea bags add lavender + chamomile as the toner? And may I please ask how the process goes? Do I add a lot of honey to my face, I feel like a teaspoon or so? And for the toner, do you just make a cup and then save the tea to use for the next wash? I'm sorry to bombard you with all these questions. :/

Ahaha oh nutella, what a sweet temptation. I just ate a whole bag of chocolate right now too, off to a shaky start, after such a healthy day of good food? And always wanted to try almond milk. And thanks for the make-up advice as well! And so glad to hear that with all your changes, hard work and dedication you are almost there! How exciting to hear!

No worries!

I'd say the two separate bags should be fine. When I make mine I brew some in a mug to drink, and some in a little glass bowl to use on my face. I do this morning and night, my morning regimen is the same as listed below, except I just wash my face with manuka honey in the shower, and use the tea after my shower.

My exact p.m. regimen is:
- make chamomile lavender tea in bowl + in mug
- splash face with cool water, pat dry
- apply manuka honey liberally (I usually end up using a teaspoon or two)
- let honey sit for about 30 minutes while drinking chamomile lavender tea
- wash off manuka honey w/ warm water, pat dry
- apply chamomile lavender tea w/ a clean cotton pad
*when my skin is feeling particularly broken out I add some tea tree oil to my chamomile lavender tea, but avoid the eye area of course.

Chocolate is so hard for me to avoid! I'll only eat organic, fair trade chocolate with no dairy ingredients and less refined sugars. I don't eat it very often though, the chocolate I buy ends up being about $4 for a bar. Ridiculous.

Good luck with everything! I hope the manuka honey & chamomile lavender tea work for you!

Edited by jennifer36, 29 January 2012 - 02:18 PM.

[dreamybear1]

TRY THIS! I didn't get much acne either until I was in college.

I have before and after pics