33 replies to this topic

[Ukulala]

Hello, friends.

I don't want to post a downer post (heh), but I could also use some words of encouragement or advice or perhaps some tweaking of my regimen or ... I don't know.

For the past maybe ... five or six weeks, I'd been trying to utilize an entirely natural regimen, topically speaking. For diet, exercise, and the like, I have my "tried and true" methods that kept me clear in the past, so I stick to those (low GI, no dairy [occasional yogurt], no soy, lots and lots and lots of greens, very few grains [oatmeal and quinoa only, pretty much], no processed sugars, cheating on occasion ; ). Maybe it's naive of me, or I just refuse to believe it due to years of being told otherwise, but it's hard for me to accept that how I wash or treat my face has nothing to do with how my skin is (as many people here have gotten clear through diet alone and other lifestyle changes).

Anyway, I shouldn't complain too much, because really, my acne is fairly mild, perhaps edging towards moderate. It's not too bad, and some powder covers it up. But I still get pimples, persistently, and at 24, I'm more than a bit sick of it all.

Perhaps I just overdid it; in the 5-6 weeks prior, I've been sort of in a natural frenzy, trying all sorts of products in hopes of a "miracle" cure, I guess. I realize that's silly, but it can be so hard to try something out (like manuka honey, which I was using daily for a bit), only to not be able to see any real difference.

It doesn't help matters to get down, of course, or stress over skin, but that can be so hard to do.

Anyway, last night, I gave in and bought that Burt's Bees salicylic acid cleanser. Other than that, my regimen is [edit: almost] entirely natural, but I bought it thinking I'd use it once a day (in the evening). Having had good experiences with salicylic acid in the past (when I was using other topicals and the like), I kind of glumly conceded to myself that I'd go this slightly chemical route, at least temporarily, to get my skin back in control.

[As an interesting side note, my friend who went with me casually said, "have you tried NOT washing your face?" I told her I'd heard of such an approach, but was rather apprehensive to try it. She shrugged and replied that 10 years of acne struggles disappeared when she stopped washing her face. That's a thought ... but man, it is a scary one]

At present, my regimen of sorts looks like this:

AM,
splash water on face. Apply straight aloe vera from the leaf.
moisturize with aveeno's clear complexion SPF 15 business (I am hoping to also get a more natural version of this ... someday)

PM,
Wash with the Burt's Bees stuff (I was previously using evan healy's rose cleansing milk, but it just didn't seem to do anything for me - though admittedly, it's very nice and gentle. I'm giving it to my mom. Ha)
moisturize with derma-e problem skin moisturizer (smells like tea tree, yum!)
Apply straight tea tree to any active pimples

Other things:
sleep!
be happy!
Eat a green smoothie eeevery day
Exercise!
Sun and friends and good things

I was really hoping to go all natural, but now I'm back to using this salicylic acid. I guess if it helps me, that's fine, but it feels ... like some sort of defeat, or something. It can be so hard to not get discouraged when trying to decipher the complex code of what our bodies are trying to tell us.

Sorry that's a bit long, but if anyone has any ideas, thoughts, outlooks, words of advice... I'll take 'em. I could use the encouragement. : /

Thank you! You're all beautiful!

[dreamingofclearskin2011]

but how do you know its not something else in our regimen? maybe like the spf perhaps?
Alot of spf are comedogenic even though they say they arent..i noticed that almost every sunscreen out there breaks me out. you could easily just wear a hate and protect yourself from the sun? direct sunlight is ok as long as you dont pass over about 10-15 minutes. now what if you take out spf and you still do everything else and still are breaking out now we dont know if its the new SA wash thats breaking you out. i guess what im getting at is the main thing you need to remember is youre doing a lot to your face theres alot of variables that could be contributing to acne.. maybe the tee tree ol is agreeing with your skin? you have to take out things without adding things to find out what the real cause is.. for example.


im on a pretty safe diet. and i decided to take cleansers out all together. i dont put anything on my face. if my acne doesnt get better within a month i will know 100% that my acne is more than likely diet related and i will need to change the diet because i wasnt putting anything at all on my face to being with to irritate it in any way. unfortunately this is a very hard approuch to take but its the only way you can actually say ok Yes it was the tee tree oil helping! or Yes it was the new SA wash helping. then you can eliminate everything else in your regimen and only stick to the SA wash if that were the case. good luck with your new regimen! i hope this help atleast a tiny bit.

[Ukulala]

Ah, it's true. I know that the SPF moisturizer didn't *use* to be an issue, so far as I can tell. In college, I was totally clear through BCP, differin, and whatever facewash was cheapest at the drugstore (ha, I did not do much research back then). Part of me wants to go return the burt's bees and purchase the derma-e blemish wash instead; it's probably less harsh, and they're definitely a company I feel more okay supporting, but ---

In general, I just want someone to be able to tell me what to do to "fix" things (obviously, I know that's not really possible, but in dreamland, i wish for it). The guesswork of figuring out skin issues is such a PAIN it drives me nuts. -___-

Edited by Ukulala, 17 January 2012 - 09:13 AM.

[bobbi364]

Hi,

Sorry to hear your disdain towards acne.  It seems to me that you are eating GREAT!!!, and I would encourage you to continue on that road.  However, topicals never get to the main area of cause.  Acne, in my opinion, is produced from DHT/testosterone peaks.  If topicals do clear you up, by all means continue to use them, however they still are not addressing the main cause of acne.  DHT peaks in the blood stream during certain occasions, for example, high insulin, ejaculation (releases high amounts of testosterone into the blood stream), high fats from red meats, stress related issues as well, there are others, however these are the big ones.  Controlling or reducing those things that trigger DHT/testosterone is something to consider.  Nettle Root Extract for example inhibits the activity of type II 5-alpha reductase (the enzyme responsible for the creation of DHT) and Saw Palmetto prevents the conversion of testosterone to DHT, and also inhibits DHT's ability to bind to cellular receptor sites, thereby increasing the breakdown and excretion of DHT. Controlling hormones is a good way to beat acne, I did it also years ago (as I am clear today).  The reason many people "grow" out of acne as they age is because the levels of DHT/testosterone decrease with age, however this is obviously not the case with everyone, especially with the Western diet and lifestlyle.

Also, topicals and soaps are bad for the skin because they alter it away from the acidic content, the acid actually protects your face. Topicals/soaps are alkaline and produce a more basic mantle on your skin, which works against moisture levels and defense against bacteria. The acid mantle (not sure if everyone is aware of this) is particularly responsible for keeping skin healthy. Your skin can function healthy all on its own. I would also argue that soaps/topicals can in fact destroy skin by drying it out, making it more susceptible to bacterial growth, and affecting the sebum oil glands to produce more oil as one is stripping those oils/acid mantle away.

Edited by bobbi364, 17 January 2012 - 09:16 AM.

[Ukulala]

Thanks for the info, Bobbiman. I do think my acne is very much influenced by my hormones, so that's helpful.

The acid mantle bit I've heard varying opinions on; when I went to a dermatologist about three weeks back, I asked her her opinion on the pH balance of skin and she sort of shrugged it off. Admittedly, this is also a person who finds no issue prescribing harsh topicals that make me wince, but it was interesting that she seemed to think that was of little or no consequence.

Still -- it's worth considering, and is making me lean even more towards returning mr Burt's wash in favor of the Derma-E business (which at least *claims* to be pH balanced and such).

Another thing to consider, or perhaps someone can help me decipher:
I used to struggle with bacne for quite a while. When I stopped using the epiduo back at the beginning of December, I pretty much stopped even touching my back, except to wash it in the shower. I've been pleasantly surprised to see that my bacne has pretty much.... totally disappeared. (Ha - I'm touching it to confirm my suspicion right now, and yes, in fact, it seems to be gone). Perhaps this is some indication as to how my skin reacts to things? Then again, back =/= face, so.

Thoughts? (Thanks again to everyone who is proffering advice)

[bobbi364]

The problem here in lies. pH balanced goo, will never restore your acid mantle/skin back to its own natural pH because the soap does not know what your pH is and the soap is a set pH, everyone has a different pH on their skin, and even your body has different pH on different areas, for example the pH of your skin on your leg is different from the pH on your back or face.

Allowing your skin to return to its natural pH is necessary for healing, and so is inflammation. Inhibiting inflammation and the bodies natural pH (acid mantle) will not allow the skin to heal properly.

[PaulH85]

It really opened my eyes when I first read of people here who had decided to try doing nothing or were going down the water-only route. At that point, knowing as little as I did, I couldn't help thinking, 'Well, if you're not treating your acne with cleansers and products designed to help it, of course it's not going to go away!' The ironic thing is, there I was using all manner of products and my skin would only ever get worse. Granted, it only ever went from mild to moderate, but still worse by definition.

I really struggled to get beyond this idea that it might be possible to cut products out or use natural alternatives. It wasn't even as though the chemicals and stuff were actually working, but it was down to the fact that for ten years, I'd been told to use this particular wash or that particular scrub, this particular treatment or that particular spot cream. I mean, there's an entire industry dedicated to this stuff and they aim their products at the particular products we have so, if we don't know any different, we'd have no reason at all not to use those things and to assume that they're going to fix the problem.

I kind of do things half an half these days, rotating between a face wash and Manuka honey to cleanse. Same goes for spot treatment - sometimes I use Tea Tree oil and sometimes I used Isotretinoin gel. I've found what works for me so I'm happy and I guess it's a positive that I've managed to reduce the chemicals I use. The damage was done years ago with crazy amounts of acidic washes and harsh BP, but I suppose I can take consolation from the fact it's not going to get worse.

I know you didn't use these exact words so I'm not saying that you're thinking of it in this way, but reaching for products which aren't natural isn't automatically a bad thing. It's perfectly logical to want to look at all options in order to curb things if you feel that your skin's worsening a little. It could just be a passing phase though, best not to stress if you can help it. The fact that you're conscious of using more natural products and that you wanted to learn about them in the first place rather than just dismiss it is of credit to you. But, I guess the one thing natural and man-made products have in common is that there's always a chance something might not work, or that it might make things worse. Looking at the list, the only thing I might consider to be a problem could be the SPF, but I'm not really basing that on anything specific to be honest and if I were in your position, that might be the only thing I'd suspect.

Like you said, it's all trial and error and that gets frustrating. Especially as we get a little older and it becomes apparent that it's not just a teenage thing and that we have to work with our skin to reduce the triggers and pretty much constantly try and keep the acne at bay. My ill-informed journey started at the age of 13 and I only really started to learn about my skin properly at 24. It took me until the age of 26 to finally clear up and in the end the main factor was my diet. Seems like you're conscious of your diet and pay attention to potential triggers as far as that's concerned, so I guess that's probably not the culprit. While that doesn't give you the answer, it's one more thing to tick off the trial and error list, theoretically bringing you a step closer to that "fix". Now that I think of that, I do kind of wish I had a universal answer for everyone and that we didn't even have to go through this in the first place, but the one positive is that it does give us a reason to learn about products and to learn to become more in-tune with our bodies.

[Ukulala]

Paul --

Thank you SO much for that post. It helped me a lot. I guess I have to accept that it's just trial and error, and I'm still a good, worthwhile, even attractive person with some blemishes.
That's the hardest bit of it all, I think - patience. I have been told many times I'm a very impatient person... and it's quite true. -__-
Perhaps I can just commit to this new regimen I've undertaken with gusto - if I really believe in it, surely that will help, hm? :}

Sigh. The biggest thing I focus on, sometimes, is just my adamant belief that I WILL figure this out; it's just a question of getting there.

Thanks again.

[Thehoper]

Hey just wanted to post my thoughts. Not washing your face does absolutely wonders. I told people on here that for a long time. I was my face 1-2 a week with clay mask/acv/dead sea salt. You would be amazed at how much your skin would change if you don't wash it. Like how we are suppose to be.. everything will balance out, and your skin will most likely look better then ever.

Going to no washing is hard. For the first week or so my skin was going chaotic. It's been a long time now since then but I can still kind of remember it, and you being a girl would probably be harder caring more about your looks.

Seriously after me going through my experiences I laugh when I think about what I believe really cures acne. The sun. Ever been to the beach and go swimming all day, be in the sun.. and clear up great? The ocean is the best, but hardly anyone has the luxury of going to the ocean whenever. That's why I make my own sea salt mixture.. but for those who go out in the sun an their skin gets irritated and what not that because they are already exfoliating their skin, any amount is too much. The sun does more then enough to exfoliate our skin.

But yeah just my thoughts. You already bought the wash.. but meh.. your just prolonging your acne to 25.. just like you I was fed up at 19, was like fuck this I'm doing whatever any human being has to do to get rid of acne. If you have that approach anyone can clear acne. Finding the right diet is huge.. then play in the sun lol.

[dejaclairevoyant]

I totally agree that you should take care of your skin as well... topically I mean. I do believe diet is the biggest factor in acne, next being stress, followed closely by skin care. For me the skin care matters most when I'm already having a flare. Because my cysts tend to get infected.

Love your skin from the inside out, and the outside in, I say.

[PaulH85]

Ukulala, on 17 January 2012 - 10:53 AM, said:

Thank you SO much for that post. It helped me a lot. I guess I have to accept that it's just trial and error, and I'm still a good, worthwhile, even attractive person with some blemishes.
That's the hardest bit of it all, I think - patience. I have been told many times I'm a very impatient person... and it's quite true. -__-
Perhaps I can just commit to this new regimen I've undertaken with gusto - if I really believe in it, surely that will help, hm? :}

Sigh. The biggest thing I focus on, sometimes, is just my adamant belief that I WILL figure this out; it's just a question of getting there.

No worries, any time. It's one of those situations where a lot of us read it and probably think, 'Yeah, I totally get where you're coming from'. Those feelings of impatience probably increase as well when you have actually seen improvement previously, only for that to then fall away a bit. I lost count of how many times I was seemingly tricked into a false sense of security and thinking that something was going to be my cure, only for things to go downhill a few weeks later and end up being worse than they were before I tried whatever I was trying. I'm there right now in a way as I've been acne free for a month - had just a few pimples along the way, which of course cannot be described as anything vaguely resembling persistent acne - but still, I'm wondering if it's just a phase and whether it'll come back twice as bad in order to punish me for daring to like my skin. It's stupid, yet it's easy for us to turn these things into a big deal because we probably aren't used to thinking any other way if we've been battling with it for years. It all becomes a default way of thinking.

Like you say, those qualities you have as a person are there always, no matter what your skin's like. In fact, I think it's admirable that you can recognise and believe yourself when you say that. It's something I've always struggled with. Struggled to see beyond the acne to the point where I felt defined by it. It's kind of strange when it's not there and I don't don't really know who I am without it, which goes to show how much it can mess with your head if you let it, so well done for being able to look beyond it yourself and for recognising your qualities and good points.

The alternative to focusing on your regimen and believing in what you're doing is to get all worried and stressed about it, so yes, you might as well give it your best and see where it leads. It may well need tweaking along the way and you may even find new things to try as you keep researching and learning, listening to your skin and your body, but it's all worth it in the end and the end will appear one day. I never thought I'd get there and the only reason I did was because I never gave up on ticking the things which didn't work off the list.

dejaclairevoyant, on 17 January 2012 - 11:50 AM, said:

Love your skin from the inside out, and the outside in, I say.

I eventually got around to thinking that if we're kind to our skin, perhaps it pays us back in kind, too.
I was always at battle with mine. It quite literally has been a very bloody war. The way I treated it, I couldn't possibly have expected it to look good in return and there was no way I was ever going to feel good. Of course, feeling bad caused me to make my skin even worse so it was just a vicious cycle with neither side willing to back down.

It was only when I started reducing the amount of harsh chemicals and stuff that my skin started to change and I started to see that I could help it and be kind to it, using gentle, soft and sometimes natural products which it actually liked, putting it in better shape. That was the outside taken care of. On the inside, I was putting high amounts of certain foods into my body which it couldn't handle, then it would be screaming out for me to stop, the acne and eczema it produced being its way of telling me something wasn't right. Blind faith in all those harsh, over-the-counter products I was virtually brainwashed into buying in my teens meant that I ignored my body for many years and, to a point, I actually feel kind of guilty now for what I put it through, but I suppose I can say that it's forgiven me because it's healed and repaired itself so well just within the last month alone. I guess that's a key thing to note - our bodies are constantly working, constantly repairing, healing and renewing. If we help it to do those things, it's a win-win situation.

[jennifer36]

Stop the aveeno! Aveeno is one brand I used when I was younger because it marketed its self as "natural" but it's so far from it. They use bad chemicals like sodium laureth sulfate yet still market themselves in this way. As well they test on animals, which I cannot morally agree with.

I switched to a natural regimen (it's in my signature), and my skin no longer needs moisturizer. I wanted to try not washing, but it terrifies me, and I'm happy with my current regimen. My tea tree oil contains vitamin e oil as well, so at night I mix this with chamomile lavender tea and apply it all over my face and neck and that helps. It's been a progression to get to this point of natural, no chemicals with my skin. I used to use harsh products, then gradually switched to more gentle and natural things. Now I'm very happy with my regimen. I still have breakouts, but each one is less severe and fades faster than the previous one.

Don't give up on the natural approach! I've been there with my diet where I just wanted to give up because I wasn't (still am not 100%) clear and I was sacrificing so many foods that I enjoyed. Like Paul said, so much of it is trial and error, figuring out what it really is that's causing our acne. Recently I figured out citrus was (sadly, I love mandarin oranges and clementines). Also gluten is huge for me, I suspected it was breaking me out but I didn't want to admit it (it makes my tummy hurt too). It makes me break out on my cheeks which scar very badly so it is something I need to avoid.

Patience for the diet to work is tough, but I try to tell myself that I'm doing all that I can and that I will get there eventually. I'm not a very patient person either. What helped me be more patient with my diet is looking back over my log and visibly seeing the progress my skin has made. Your skin is likely improving, perhaps not at as fast a pace as you would like. Over 3 months my skin has improved leaps and bounds, but it's hard to see long term progress when you look in the mirror every single day. The better our skin gets, the higher standards we have for it. You could try taking pictures for yourself of your skin a few times a week and looking over them. This is really what's helped me be patient and stick to my diet.

Hang in there, it looks like you're on the right track!

Edited by jennifer36, 17 January 2012 - 02:10 PM.

[Ukulala]

Again, thank you all so much. Often, I think of how one of the biggest benefits of this website is just what I'm experiencing here -- a community to give advice, chip in, and perhaps best of all understand these issues. My skin isn't something I necessarily feel comfortable discussing with just anyone, as silly as that may be. -__-

Paul -- As you're offering me a generous amount of support in here, I want to do the same for you. Now that you're as clear as you are, it may be frightening to venture out from the "safety" (as odd as that may seem!) of the shell you've created for yourself, the mask of your skin you've hid behind. But you, like any of us here, are so much more than that. You've spent years conditioning your mind, Pavlov-style, to think of yourself not as a person who struggles with skin, but - in a way- as a skin who struggles with being person. Ha. That may be slightly hyperbolic, and I could be off base, but going from what you said, that's my assumption. Now that you have this clarity (both in head and skin!), it's time to start reprogramming the little neural pathways that are so accustomed to telling you that you are defined by your skin, and so on, and so on ... ! You can do it! It's an uphill battle at times, but it is SO worth it.

Jennifer - Thank you for the moral support. I truly appreciate it, really really. <3 Hm, I always had good experiences with aveeno when I was younger (though yes, I know they are one of those companies that tout values they don't necessarily embody :/ ) ... but if they test on animals, ick. I'm glad Burt's doesn't do that -- though they *are* owned by Clorox, and that is also lame. Also -- so you like the derma-E tea tree and E oil, eh? I considered purchasing that; I really like that company.


I guess ... I don't know. I'm debating whether or not to use this salicylic acid wash or not. It is *fairly* natural, as far as any wash with SA will go (I definitely checked the ingredients, yakno) .... maybe I should just give it a shot for two weeks and see how it does, while also using the tea tree moisturizer, exfoliating twice a week, and doing a honey mask maybe once a week. I'm cutting back on use of Manuka honey, as I think using it every night (it might have been that or ... the variety of other things I've been doing to my skin -___- ) hasn't been totally beneficial. But I don't know.

As I said, sometimes I just want a magical fairy guide to tell me what will work for me and how to find my balance. Ha. Alas. Onward ho!

[jennifer36]

I've always had eczema, so I used to use Aveeno lotions and body washes to help combat that rather than use steroid creams, probably from about ages 5-19. I tried their acne skincare lines before too and liked it for a week or so until it started breaking me out. I think I'm very sensitive to any chemicals. I started using The Soap Works brand oatmeal soap bar and liked that. I have a friend who makes his own soap though and he gave me an oatmeal patchouli soap which I absolutely love. I have less eczema now that I'm using that than I did when I used Aveeno.

I love the derma e tea tree and vitamin e oil! I'm on my second bottle now. I use it for acne as well as on my stretched ears. Anyhow, I used to use their "very clear" spot treatment, but the tea tree & e works even better for me. It's probably the best thing I've ever used as a spot treatment. The vitamin e helps with redness and scarring and the tea tree brings down the active acne relatively quickly. As well the "very clear" spot treatment runs out really fast, I was running to the store for a new tube once a week or so.

[PaulH85]

I checked eBay and nobody seems to be selling magical acne-destroying fairies, but I'll be sure to keep a lookout for you.

You're totally right by the way, that's exactly where I'm at and precisely how I'm thinking and how I'm now essentially conditioned. It kind of freaked me out once before, almost a year ago when I got clear for a little while. I'd always thought that things would fix themselves when my acne was gone and I'd be confident, be out there making friends and stuff and finding an identity, etc.. Of course, that didn't happen and I was still in the same situation. It really got to me and I couldn't get around these thoughts that no matter what my skin was doing, I didn't like myself and nobody else would like me either, with or without acne. No idea where that came from but I couldn't shake it. I pretty much had a breakdown in truth, got fired from my job, hit rock bottom...
I did some therapy and stuff and, like you said, I got around to thinking about how I could clear my skin and then what I could do from there to make use of that window of opportunity, so to speak. I wanted to be clear by the start of 2012 and change my style a bit as well. Achieved the first and started on the second, so things are happening and I guess it's progress. Still in the same situation regarding lack of a job, a social circle and confidence, but perhaps some of those go hand in hand so I probably just need to take small but practical steps to set things in motion. Doesn't seem easy - in fact it often feels very difficult and kind of scary - but when you're at the bottom, the only way is up!

[chunkylard]

Try supplementing with DHEA, MSM, Turmeric, You may also want to consider taking Gymnema Sylvestre if you think you're having blood sugar issues. This is in addition to the ones that everyone should be taking regularly (Omega-3/Coq10/Multi.) Unless you eat organ meat regularly (and I do mean regularly, not once a week) you can skip the coq10. Due to how screwed up society is (your acne is society's fault, not yours) it's difficult to keep track of many things, but those supplements will let you cheat now and again with your healthy lifestyle without having to suffer the consequences.

Remember to exercise regularly until you need a shower. Exercise is not optional for good health, and it's also highly underrated on this board. The body is designed to go through periods of intense activity with periods of rest in between.

As far as Salicylic acid goes, it's semi-synthetic so that's better than most things out there.

Don't fret. It took a little over 2 months for me to be 100% clear and during those 2.5 or so months I did everything PERFECTLY. Once I did that, I sort of played around with the numbers and started supplementing and now unless I get really lazy with my diet and exercise, I won't break out from eating small amounts of horrible food. Two years ago I wouldn't have been able to have a slice of toast without having at least two breakouts the next day.

Two steps forward, one step back is still progress.

[Ukulala]

Oh, dammit. I had an entire (lengthy) response of all sorts typed out, and then my browser got wacky and I lost it. D'oh!

Anyway.

PaulH85, on 17 January 2012 - 05:02 PM, said:

I checked eBay and nobody seems to be selling magical acne-destroying fairies, but I'll be sure to keep a lookout for you.

You're totally right by the way, that's exactly where I'm at and precisely how I'm thinking and how I'm now essentially conditioned. It kind of freaked me out once before, almost a year ago when I got clear for a little while. I'd always thought that things would fix themselves when my acne was gone and I'd be confident, be out there making friends and stuff and finding an identity, etc.. Of course, that didn't happen and I was still in the same situation. It really got to me and I couldn't get around these thoughts that no matter what my skin was doing, I didn't like myself and nobody else would like me either, with or without acne. No idea where that came from but I couldn't shake it. I pretty much had a breakdown in truth, got fired from my job, hit rock bottom...
I did some therapy and stuff and, like you said, I got around to thinking about how I could clear my skin and then what I could do from there to make use of that window of opportunity, so to speak. I wanted to be clear by the start of 2012 and change my style a bit as well. Achieved the first and started on the second, so things are happening and I guess it's progress. Still in the same situation regarding lack of a job, a social circle and confidence, but perhaps some of those go hand in hand so I probably just need to take small but practical steps to set things in motion. Doesn't seem easy - in fact it often feels very difficult and kind of scary - but when you're at the bottom, the only way is up!

Yes, yes, and YES. You're going to get all sorts of places if you just keep that amazingly wonderful attitude and outlook -- I promise. It's amazing how, no matter what problem we face, we can find it so easy to fixate on it and how if only IT were gone, we would DEFINITELY be happy (If only my skin were clear, life would be great; if only my hair were different; if only I didn't live here or do this or or or or) ... but it doesn't quite work like that. Like in zen practices and mindfulness -- happiness comes from within, from a place deeper than all of that. It can be hard to find (and of *course* breaking out badly is a damper to mood and self confidence; no one will debate that) ... but it is so worth looking for.
I think you're absolutely right that a few of those things go hand in hand -- but I also think there are some things you can do right now, right here, to begin taking those steps you speak of! Are you familiar with the idea of positive affirmations? Have you ever practiced them? I just did mine in the mirror this morning! I invite you to look into that and consider going that route. Love yourself - you deserve it! With the kind spirit of yours that shines through even just these few posts, I can tell you deserve all sorts of good things ... and will get them. &lt;3
Having a job may help with social circles, but I also suggest using some sort of website or service such as meetup -- that way, you can find people with similar interests as you, and that definitely helps in making friends. Similar interests are always a good jumpoff point, I say.
Keep on trucking with that positive glow and ray of hope - you'll be where you want to be in no time. (wow, I could say the same to me, too! )
PS -- Yes, please keep me updated on any e-bay fairy finds.

chunkylard, on 17 January 2012 - 07:02 PM, said:

Try supplementing with DHEA, MSM, Turmeric, You may also want to consider taking Gymnema Sylvestre if you think you're having blood sugar issues. This is in addition to the ones that everyone should be taking regularly (Omega-3/Coq10/Multi.) Unless you eat organ meat regularly (and I do mean regularly, not once a week) you can skip the coq10. Due to how screwed up society is (your acne is society's fault, not yours) it's difficult to keep track of many things, but those supplements will let you cheat now and again with your healthy lifestyle without having to suffer the consequences. Remember to exercise regularly until you need a shower. Exercise is not optional for good health, and it's also highly underrated on this board. The body is designed to go through periods of intense activity with periods of rest in between. As far as Salicylic acid goes, it's semi-synthetic so that's better than most things out there. Don't fret. It took a little over 2 months for me to be 100% clear and during those 2.5 or so months I did everything PERFECTLY. Once I did that, I sort of played around with the numbers and started supplementing and now unless I get really lazy with my diet and exercise, I won't break out from eating small amounts of horrible food. Two years ago I wouldn't have been able to have a slice of toast without having at least two breakouts the next day. Two steps forward, one step back is still progress.

Thank you so much for this information! Man, it helps so much to have some cool, collected (and not chemical laden) advice given to me.
DHEA, MSM, coq10 -- what functions do those supplements serve? Is there a way to ingest them just via certain foods? Ha, I definitely do not eat organ meat... ever, so perhaps I should look into coq10 (you were saying you should take it if you DON'T eat organ meat, right?)
And what of cod liver oil? I read this blog yesterday that basically praised cod liver oil to the high heavens as being the best skin food EVEERRR - had tons of comments from people speaking of their wonderful experiences. I'm tempted.... but also don't want to overload my system.
Thank you so much for the pep talk. I've fallen off the fish oil bandwagon for the past few weeks, so I shall jump right back onto that, hup-two!
Also -- I appreciate the bit about society. It's far too easy to blame myself/ my body/ my skin for reacting or being spotty, and of course, that does far, far, FAR more harm than good. So time to let that go. <3
Oh, sorry, one more thing... in those 2.5 months of being "perfect," what was your regimen like? It's probably a long story, or you have it listed somewhere, but I'm curious what you did and didn't do, and what you used topically. Thanks!

Some more thoughts from me:
Currently, I am taking:
Multi
probiotic
fish oil
vitamin C, sporadically. Ha.
Zinc? Considering adding it in? Took it today, but wary to over-supplement.
And considering CLO ....

For the next week, though I'm a bit nervous, I think I shall try the hands off approach my friend told me worked for her. I have a good feeling about it. If it doesn't work (a week isn't long enough to fully tell, I know, but it's long enough to get some idea), I will try the derma-E face wash that was kind to me before. I also will NOT cheat on diet, will exercise every day, will be happy!
So, all I'm applying to my face is jojoba oil to take off the (natural, mineral, light) powder apply, then *maybe* the tea tree moisturizer I invested in. Not even sure about that, though. I have this idea that I should just take away all variables, even for a week, then slowly re-introduce to sort of figure stuff out. Definitely not using the evan healy cleansing milk anymore - it wasn't working for me. Alas! It's such nice stuff. Oh well.
I'm tempted by this hands-off approach not just because my friend said it worked so well for her, but also because my back, which used to be fairly spotty, has completely cleared up ... through me doing nothing. I know my back and my face are entirely different, but they share some similarities, so it's worth a shot!

One last thought -- my t-zone gets kind of oily (nothing too drastic) ... but never has breakouts. Like, ever. Meanwhile, my cheeks and chin are not oily, but that is where all my breakouts are! What could that be telling me? That i'm not producing enough oil, and that's why I'm breaking out?

Hm....

Sorry to write a book, but thanks to all who are helping me here.

Edited by Ukulala, 18 January 2012 - 10:11 AM.

[chunkylard]

Ukulala, on 18 January 2012 - 10:07 AM, said:

Oh, dammit. I had an entire (lengthy) response of all sorts typed out, and then my browser got wacky and I lost it. D'oh!

Anyway.

PaulH85, on 17 January 2012 - 05:02 PM, said:

I checked eBay and nobody seems to be selling magical acne-destroying fairies, but I'll be sure to keep a lookout for you.

You're totally right by the way, that's exactly where I'm at and precisely how I'm thinking and how I'm now essentially conditioned. It kind of freaked me out once before, almost a year ago when I got clear for a little while. I'd always thought that things would fix themselves when my acne was gone and I'd be confident, be out there making friends and stuff and finding an identity, etc.. Of course, that didn't happen and I was still in the same situation. It really got to me and I couldn't get around these thoughts that no matter what my skin was doing, I didn't like myself and nobody else would like me either, with or without acne. No idea where that came from but I couldn't shake it. I pretty much had a breakdown in truth, got fired from my job, hit rock bottom...
I did some therapy and stuff and, like you said, I got around to thinking about how I could clear my skin and then what I could do from there to make use of that window of opportunity, so to speak. I wanted to be clear by the start of 2012 and change my style a bit as well. Achieved the first and started on the second, so things are happening and I guess it's progress. Still in the same situation regarding lack of a job, a social circle and confidence, but perhaps some of those go hand in hand so I probably just need to take small but practical steps to set things in motion. Doesn't seem easy - in fact it often feels very difficult and kind of scary - but when you're at the bottom, the only way is up!

Yes, yes, and YES. You're going to get all sorts of places if you just keep that amazingly wonderful attitude and outlook -- I promise. It's amazing how, no matter what problem we face, we can find it so easy to fixate on it and how if only IT were gone, we would DEFINITELY be happy (If only my skin were clear, life would be great; if only my hair were different; if only I didn't live here or do this or or or or) ... but it doesn't quite work like that. Like in zen practices and mindfulness -- happiness comes from within, from a place deeper than all of that. It can be hard to find (and of *course* breaking out badly is a damper to mood and self confidence; no one will debate that) ... but it is so worth looking for.
I think you're absolutely right that a few of those things go hand in hand -- but I also think there are some things you can do right now, right here, to begin taking those steps you speak of! Are you familiar with the idea of positive affirmations? Have you ever practiced them? I just did mine in the mirror this morning! I invite you to look into that and consider going that route. Love yourself - you deserve it! With the kind spirit of yours that shines through even just these few posts, I can tell you deserve all sorts of good things ... and will get them. &lt;3
Having a job may help with social circles, but I also suggest using some sort of website or service such as meetup -- that way, you can find people with similar interests as you, and that definitely helps in making friends. Similar interests are always a good jumpoff point, I say.
Keep on trucking with that positive glow and ray of hope - you'll be where you want to be in no time. (wow, I could say the same to me, too! )
PS -- Yes, please keep me updated on any e-bay fairy finds.

chunkylard, on 17 January 2012 - 07:02 PM, said:

Try supplementing with DHEA, MSM, Turmeric, You may also want to consider taking Gymnema Sylvestre if you think you're having blood sugar issues. This is in addition to the ones that everyone should be taking regularly (Omega-3/Coq10/Multi.) Unless you eat organ meat regularly (and I do mean regularly, not once a week) you can skip the coq10. Due to how screwed up society is (your acne is society's fault, not yours) it's difficult to keep track of many things, but those supplements will let you cheat now and again with your healthy lifestyle without having to suffer the consequences. Remember to exercise regularly until you need a shower. Exercise is not optional for good health, and it's also highly underrated on this board. The body is designed to go through periods of intense activity with periods of rest in between. As far as Salicylic acid goes, it's semi-synthetic so that's better than most things out there. Don't fret. It took a little over 2 months for me to be 100% clear and during those 2.5 or so months I did everything PERFECTLY. Once I did that, I sort of played around with the numbers and started supplementing and now unless I get really lazy with my diet and exercise, I won't break out from eating small amounts of horrible food. Two years ago I wouldn't have been able to have a slice of toast without having at least two breakouts the next day. Two steps forward, one step back is still progress.

Thank you so much for this information! Man, it helps so much to have some cool, collected (and not chemical laden) advice given to me.
DHEA, MSM, coq10 -- what functions do those supplements serve? Is there a way to ingest them just via certain foods? Ha, I definitely do not eat organ meat... ever, so perhaps I should look into coq10 (you were saying you should take it if you DON'T eat organ meat, right?)
And what of cod liver oil? I read this blog yesterday that basically praised cod liver oil to the high heavens as being the best skin food EVEERRR - had tons of comments from people speaking of their wonderful experiences. I'm tempted.... but also don't want to overload my system.
Thank you so much for the pep talk. I've fallen off the fish oil bandwagon for the past few weeks, so I shall jump right back onto that, hup-two!
Also -- I appreciate the bit about society. It's far too easy to blame myself/ my body/ my skin for reacting or being spotty, and of course, that does far, far, FAR more harm than good. So time to let that go. <3
Oh, sorry, one more thing... in those 2.5 months of being "perfect," what was your regimen like? It's probably a long story, or you have it listed somewhere, but I'm curious what you did and didn't do, and what you used topically. Thanks!

Some more thoughts from me:
Currently, I am taking:
Multi
probiotic
fish oil
vitamin C, sporadically. Ha.
Zinc? Considering adding it in? Took it today, but wary to over-supplement.
And considering CLO ....

For the next week, though I'm a bit nervous, I think I shall try the hands off approach my friend told me worked for her. I have a good feeling about it. If it doesn't work (a week isn't long enough to fully tell, I know, but it's long enough to get some idea), I will try the derma-E face wash that was kind to me before. I also will NOT cheat on diet, will exercise every day, will be happy!
So, all I'm applying to my face is jojoba oil to take off the (natural, mineral, light) powder apply, then *maybe* the tea tree moisturizer I invested in. Not even sure about that, though. I have this idea that I should just take away all variables, even for a week, then slowly re-introduce to sort of figure stuff out. Definitely not using the evan healy cleansing milk anymore - it wasn't working for me. Alas! It's such nice stuff. Oh well.
I'm tempted by this hands-off approach not just because my friend said it worked so well for her, but also because my back, which used to be fairly spotty, has completely cleared up ... through me doing nothing. I know my back and my face are entirely different, but they share some similarities, so it's worth a shot!

One last thought -- my t-zone gets kind of oily (nothing too drastic) ... but never has breakouts. Like, ever. Meanwhile, my cheeks and chin are not oily, but that is where all my breakouts are! What could that be telling me? That i'm not producing enough oil, and that's why I'm breaking out?

Hm....

Sorry to write a book, but thanks to all who are helping me here.

DHEA is one of those wonder supplements that has a million and one functions, but it helps with insulin sensitivity and adrenal/hormonal function.
Coq10 is an antioxidant present in your body that also has a million and one functions, some of which include ATP production, slower aging, good for cardiovascular and lung health, regulates blood pressure, etc. The good stuff. If you eat organ meat regularly, there's no real reason to take it. Chicken hearts and beef livers are good sources of it. The actual muscle meat has some coq10 also, but not that much.
MSM is basically organic sulfur (much like those Proactiv sulfur cleansers) except for internal use, although I hear if you crush the pill up you can also apply it topically and it's supposed to be useful that way too. In my opinion, sulfur needs to join the ranks of other minerals that we're "supposed to" get every day such as zinc, calcium, iron, etc. It's very important for well-functioning cells and sulfur is involved in the production of collagen (which is kind of important for anyone who still has their skin and bones.) It's good for detoxing too. I have an MSM/cysteine supplement and I can definitely vouch that I feel it working.

If you have a multi with a good form of zinc or you eat oysters/beef, there's no real reason to supplement with zinc. It's also good to take zinc with a protein source, so take your multi/zinc with some sort of meat or fish.

My oiliness didn't go away until I completely cut out soy (which without fail always made my skin oily within hours of eating it.) GLA and an increased fat intake (Squalene also, preferably from EVOO and not shark liver oil) is useful in balancing the skin's oil production, so is keeping your blood sugar in check (which more fat also does.) Play around with things a bit, see how your skin reacts to meals that are higher in GI than other meals. You may find that the best possible solution is simply to eat more often, but smaller meals. We seem to have pretty much the same type of skin because that's where I had oil and where I primarily broke out.

My regimen when I cleared myself was basically mostly Paleo, with a huge emphasis on fasting + eliminating omega-6s as much as possible (personal problem of mine I used to have) and getting as many omega-3s, vitamin A, vitamin D, coq10, electrolytes and saturated fat as possible. Because acne is a sign that there's something going on in your body that's not supposed to happen, you really do want to provide as many nutrients as possible to your body so it can absorb as much as possible and recover quickly. If you think you've gotten enough omega-3s one day, get some more in. If you think you got enough vit D in, get some more in. Many people in modern society and definitely many people who have acne have some sort of nutritional deficiency (along with many other factors.)

Fasting is a godsend too and although IF is fine, it doesn't get nearly the same results as extended fasting nor does it feel as effective. The first time I did a 7 day fast, it was spiritually enlightening and made me realize just how much food controls everyone's life (This 3 meals a day for 70 years mantra is bullshit. Eat when your body tells you you should eat.) I like extended fasting (only consuming herbal teas/broth/herbal soups which is basically water + herbs/spices to keep electrolyte balance up) because when you reintroduce foods you can gauge your body's reaction to them more accurately since your body is not overloaded with all of these biochemical markers due to digestion on a regular basis. If your body doesn't like something, it will let you know most clearly after a fast, usually with stomach aches or diarrhea.

There really isn't any secret besides trial and error and eliminating all possible factors. Maybe even make a list of common causes of acne (inflammation, blood sugar issues, nutritional deficiency, detoxing, low fat intake, low omega-3 intake, low antioxidant intake, allergies/intolerances, physical irritation and put bacteria on the very bottom of this list.)

[Ukulala]

chunkylard, on 18 January 2012 - 02:10 PM, said:

DHEA is one of those wonder supplements that has a million and one functions, but it helps with insulin sensitivity and adrenal/hormonal function.
Coq10 is an antioxidant present in your body that also has a million and one functions, some of which include ATP production, slower aging, good for cardiovascular and lung health, regulates blood pressure, etc. The good stuff. If you eat organ meat regularly, there's no real reason to take it. Chicken hearts and beef livers are good sources of it. The actual muscle meat has some coq10 also, but not that much.
MSM is basically organic sulfur (much like those Proactiv sulfur cleansers) except for internal use, although I hear if you crush the pill up you can also apply it topically and it's supposed to be useful that way too. In my opinion, sulfur needs to join the ranks of other minerals that we're "supposed to" get every day such as zinc, calcium, iron, etc. It's very important for well-functioning cells and sulfur is involved in the production of collagen (which is kind of important for anyone who still has their skin and bones.) It's good for detoxing too. I have an MSM/cysteine supplement and I can definitely vouch that I feel it working.

If you have a multi with a good form of zinc or you eat oysters/beef, there's no real reason to supplement with zinc. It's also good to take zinc with a protein source, so take your multi/zinc with some sort of meat or fish.

My oiliness didn't go away until I completely cut out soy (which without fail always made my skin oily within hours of eating it.) GLA and an increased fat intake (Squalene also, preferably from EVOO and not shark liver oil) is useful in balancing the skin's oil production, so is keeping your blood sugar in check (which more fat also does.) Play around with things a bit, see how your skin reacts to meals that are higher in GI than other meals. You may find that the best possible solution is simply to eat more often, but smaller meals. We seem to have pretty much the same type of skin because that's where I had oil and where I primarily broke out.

My regimen when I cleared myself was basically mostly Paleo, with a huge emphasis on fasting + eliminating omega-6s as much as possible (personal problem of mine I used to have) and getting as many omega-3s, vitamin A, vitamin D, coq10, electrolytes and saturated fat as possible. Because acne is a sign that there's something going on in your body that's not supposed to happen, you really do want to provide as many nutrients as possible to your body so it can absorb as much as possible and recover quickly. If you think you've gotten enough omega-3s one day, get some more in. If you think you got enough vit D in, get some more in. Many people in modern society and definitely many people who have acne have some sort of nutritional deficiency (along with many other factors.)

Fasting is a godsend too and although IF is fine, it doesn't get nearly the same results as extended fasting nor does it feel as effective. The first time I did a 7 day fast, it was spiritually enlightening and made me realize just how much food controls everyone's life (This 3 meals a day for 70 years mantra is bullshit. Eat when your body tells you you should eat.) I like extended fasting (only consuming herbal teas/broth/herbal soups which is basically water + herbs/spices to keep electrolyte balance up) because when you reintroduce foods you can gauge your body's reaction to them more accurately since your body is not overloaded with all of these biochemical markers due to digestion on a regular basis. If your body doesn't like something, it will let you know most clearly after a fast, usually with stomach aches or diarrhea.

There really isn't any secret besides trial and error and eliminating all possible factors. Maybe even make a list of common causes of acne (inflammation, blood sugar issues, nutritional deficiency, detoxing, low fat intake, low omega-3 intake, low antioxidant intake, allergies/intolerances, physical irritation and put bacteria on the very bottom of this list.)

First of all, it is *so* nice to hear that someone else had similar skin to i - just because often, I feel I'm an outlier, or something, haha. How bad was your acne? Mine is only mild-moderate, so I should really be thankful for that (but of course -- we all strive for that perfect skin).
So -- the supplements you listed above are the ones you took? Just a pill of each, alone? (Like, vit A pills, vit D pills - or combined?) What you said made me even more inclined to purchase some cod liver oil, as it has Vitamin A, D, and omegas at very, very high concentrations.
So - DHEA helps regulate hormones, eh? That's something that sounds promising to me, as I *know* this skin episode has had a LOT to do with hormones. However, I also know my hormones are (thank god thank god knock on wood knock on wood) leveling out ... so is it worth ingesting something that might mess with them again? I'll look into it, though.

Topically speaking, did you just wash with water in that two months? Sorry I have so many questions! But if you had even slightly similar skin to i, man, it's worth picking your brain.

I agree about fasting; a lot of people experience similar spiritual side effects (or whatnot). I did a juice fast for a week, then a controlled liver cleanse fast under the care of a naturopath for a bit. Now I'm back to my regular diet, but after all I know about fasting, I don't mind skipping a meal every now and then. I should also intermittent fast... and would consider a juice fast again if I had a good juicer! But the one we have suuuucks.

Thank you time and again for all the good information. It is helping me SO MUCH. I feel much calmer, clearer (heh!) and in control than I did, oh, yesterday.

[chunkylard]

Ukulala, on 18 January 2012 - 07:39 PM, said:

chunkylard, on 18 January 2012 - 02:10 PM, said:

DHEA is one of those wonder supplements that has a million and one functions, but it helps with insulin sensitivity and adrenal/hormonal function.
Coq10 is an antioxidant present in your body that also has a million and one functions, some of which include ATP production, slower aging, good for cardiovascular and lung health, regulates blood pressure, etc. The good stuff. If you eat organ meat regularly, there's no real reason to take it. Chicken hearts and beef livers are good sources of it. The actual muscle meat has some coq10 also, but not that much.
MSM is basically organic sulfur (much like those Proactiv sulfur cleansers) except for internal use, although I hear if you crush the pill up you can also apply it topically and it's supposed to be useful that way too. In my opinion, sulfur needs to join the ranks of other minerals that we're "supposed to" get every day such as zinc, calcium, iron, etc. It's very important for well-functioning cells and sulfur is involved in the production of collagen (which is kind of important for anyone who still has their skin and bones.) It's good for detoxing too. I have an MSM/cysteine supplement and I can definitely vouch that I feel it working.

If you have a multi with a good form of zinc or you eat oysters/beef, there's no real reason to supplement with zinc. It's also good to take zinc with a protein source, so take your multi/zinc with some sort of meat or fish.

My oiliness didn't go away until I completely cut out soy (which without fail always made my skin oily within hours of eating it.) GLA and an increased fat intake (Squalene also, preferably from EVOO and not shark liver oil) is useful in balancing the skin's oil production, so is keeping your blood sugar in check (which more fat also does.) Play around with things a bit, see how your skin reacts to meals that are higher in GI than other meals. You may find that the best possible solution is simply to eat more often, but smaller meals. We seem to have pretty much the same type of skin because that's where I had oil and where I primarily broke out.

My regimen when I cleared myself was basically mostly Paleo, with a huge emphasis on fasting + eliminating omega-6s as much as possible (personal problem of mine I used to have) and getting as many omega-3s, vitamin A, vitamin D, coq10, electrolytes and saturated fat as possible. Because acne is a sign that there's something going on in your body that's not supposed to happen, you really do want to provide as many nutrients as possible to your body so it can absorb as much as possible and recover quickly. If you think you've gotten enough omega-3s one day, get some more in. If you think you got enough vit D in, get some more in. Many people in modern society and definitely many people who have acne have some sort of nutritional deficiency (along with many other factors.)

Fasting is a godsend too and although IF is fine, it doesn't get nearly the same results as extended fasting nor does it feel as effective. The first time I did a 7 day fast, it was spiritually enlightening and made me realize just how much food controls everyone's life (This 3 meals a day for 70 years mantra is bullshit. Eat when your body tells you you should eat.) I like extended fasting (only consuming herbal teas/broth/herbal soups which is basically water + herbs/spices to keep electrolyte balance up) because when you reintroduce foods you can gauge your body's reaction to them more accurately since your body is not overloaded with all of these biochemical markers due to digestion on a regular basis. If your body doesn't like something, it will let you know most clearly after a fast, usually with stomach aches or diarrhea.

There really isn't any secret besides trial and error and eliminating all possible factors. Maybe even make a list of common causes of acne (inflammation, blood sugar issues, nutritional deficiency, detoxing, low fat intake, low omega-3 intake, low antioxidant intake, allergies/intolerances, physical irritation and put bacteria on the very bottom of this list.)

First of all, it is *so* nice to hear that someone else had similar skin to i - just because often, I feel I'm an outlier, or something, haha. How bad was your acne? Mine is only mild-moderate, so I should really be thankful for that (but of course -- we all strive for that perfect skin).
So -- the supplements you listed above are the ones you took? Just a pill of each, alone? (Like, vit A pills, vit D pills - or combined?) What you said made me even more inclined to purchase some cod liver oil, as it has Vitamin A, D, and omegas at very, very high concentrations.
So - DHEA helps regulate hormones, eh? That's something that sounds promising to me, as I *know* this skin episode has had a LOT to do with hormones. However, I also know my hormones are (thank god thank god knock on wood knock on wood) leveling out ... so is it worth ingesting something that might mess with them again? I'll look into it, though.

Topically speaking, did you just wash with water in that two months? Sorry I have so many questions! But if you had even slightly similar skin to i, man, it's worth picking your brain.

I agree about fasting; a lot of people experience similar spiritual side effects (or whatnot). I did a juice fast for a week, then a controlled liver cleanse fast under the care of a naturopath for a bit. Now I'm back to my regular diet, but after all I know about fasting, I don't mind skipping a meal every now and then. I should also intermittent fast... and would consider a juice fast again if I had a good juicer! But the one we have suuuucks.

Thank you time and again for all the good information. It is helping me SO MUCH. I feel much calmer, clearer (heh!) and in control than I did, oh, yesterday.

Even at my worst ,my acne was still pretty mild. I never really had more than like 5 breakouts at once.
My forehead was pretty much always clear, although once in a while I would get what I assume was a cyst between my eyebrows or on my chin. During that time, I wasn't just washing with water, but I was only using natural homemade cleansers mostly from lemon juice/ACV/sea salt/honey/EVOO/Bentonite Clay. Things like that.

Many of the supplements I take now I started taking after I cleared my skin, but I've been taking omega-3 (krill and fish, krill is superior) gymnema sylvestre, zinc, coq10 and a really good multi with retinyl palmitate (the only form of Vit A that's actually useful and accessible) since before I cleared my skin and all of those with the exception of coq10 are cheap, so I don't mind putting down like 40 bucks or so every 2-3 months because it's an investment towards good health. f I was spending 40 bucks every few months on prescription meds, then I'd be pissed. Try some of those supplements and maybe your body and skin will respond well. I've also heard great things about calamari oil (omega-3) which is supposedly a very economically and environmentally sustainable source of omega-3s It's also supposed to be more bioavailable than fish oil. Not sure if it's more bioavailable than krill or CLO. There are also topical forms of retinol/retinoic acid/retinyl palmitate which work much like the same way topical accutane (tretinoin) works, except it's not going to kill you. Topical retinoids are very well studied and safe and help with skin-aging (which is my primary concern now, not acne lol.)

Cod liver is good, but depending on processing it can be a bit iffy. Carlson brand has a good CLO and Vitamin Shoppe has a generic form of it as well that's slightly cheaper but about the same size. If you see a brand of CLO with abnormally low levels of Vit A, stay away, it's probably processed to hell. DHEA is definitely useful as well, especially for those (like myself) who believe they have lowered adrenal function and helps take the load off your body when it comes to hormonal production. DHEA also goes down with age and those who use insulin (which may imply that people who eat chronically high-GL meals are low in DHEA.) There's a lot of misinformation about DHEA (mostly from websites like Webmd and Mayo Clinic which are part of the corrupt medical industry and still actually think you can get ketoacidosis from a low-carb diet if you're not diabetic. They're such comedians.) DHEA converts in the body to many other hormones, because that's what it's supposed to do. DHEA CAN be converted into very small amounts of DHT, but if you're consuming anti-androgenic foods and nutrients, this won't occur. That scared me initially, but it never broke me out or anything probably b/c I keep that stuff in check. Like coq10, it should be taken with some form of fat to absorb properly.

Try to avoid fructans as well if you have digestive issues.