413 replies to this topic

[RatherBeSurfing]

My backround....34 yr old male......problem goes back to teens.....face, back, chest, arms all affected...and I was a picker (scars/marks/etc)....diagnosed as moderate to severe....I have never taken pictures, but at my worst I have looked as bad as any image on this website.

I have used every variation of every regimen on this website.....to include medicine, diet and behavior.....and did so for periods of up to four weeks....all of which has suppressed the breakouts in different ways.......but never stopped it.

Dermatologists could not help.......stopped going after they would eventually prescribe Accutane.

Long story short.......arrived at the following regimen that has really given me NORMAL skin, not perfect skin, but NORMAL skin....a single pimple every once in a while.....but no more BREAKOUTS.

1) SOAK once a day (twice a day if severe) in baths of SEA SALT purchased at local grocery store. Get water as hot as you can stand it, add approx 30 ounces of sea salt, and soak for 30 minutes. Do not get out until your skin begins to prune.

2) GENTLY exfoliate with synthetic brush while soaking in tub (thanks Jess).....again I said GENTLY.

I take very brief showers after the nightly soak, using Neutrogena Body Wash....but the soap I use doesn't seem to matter.

Results have been a process, not an event. Its been about eight weeks......about a 75% VISUAL improvement and about a 90% improvement in TEXTURE.......big ugly depressed scars/marks from wounds I was told would never heal are gone.

In hind sight, I believe that about 50% of the severity of my skin problems were self inflicted......with the amount and rate of chemicals I have put on my body (and the picking), it is amazing I have any left.

I, like many others on this board, noticed the amazing results of time spent in the ocean during the summer....and feel stupid that it took me this long to figure out.

Hang in there everyone.....

[Brandy]

I think maybe this works because sea salt exfoliates? The lady that did my, ahem, waxing, had me soak in sea salt, she said this would exfoliate and help alleviate post-waxing bumps.

[SebastianC]

have you tried apple cider vinegar or other types of vinegar? What about phototherapy?

Also, isn't it expensive to buy so much sea salt?

[RatherBeSurfing]

have you tried apple cider vinegar or other types of vinegar? What about phototherapy?

Also, isn't it expensive to buy so much sea salt?

****************************************************

I have tried Apple Cider Vinegar........it did reduce breakouts a bit, but was not enough of a change. My skin still looked and felt terrible.

Phototherapy.....never tried it.....very expensive....and so much of my body was affected that it did not seem to be an option that would allow me to consistently treat my body....

Cost of sea salt is approximately $1.50 per 15 ounces at the local grocery store......best $3 I ever spent in a day.......will eventually buy online in larger quantities.........been a bit lazy about that.

The salt baths really seem to provide a gentle, consistent, overwhelming ass-kicking to the breakouts.....I also noticed that application time really made a difference.....spraying salt water on my body with a spray bottle did not do the job (it actually achieved the same results as ACV)....but soaking in the tub until my skin PRUNED......did the trick.

[RatherBeSurfing]

Of note.....I am in the ninth week of this regimen.....and at week eight started doing only one soak per day......usually at night......with same results.

[BeautifulSkinAgain]

RatherBeSurfing thanks for your terrific post!

I am a 45 year old man. In all my agonizing years of agonziing over my body acne, the salt water and the sun is the only thing that truely cleared it up.

I am really going to do what you suggested. Mabye I shoudl take some before after photos of how I look. But that would be a big step for me.

I am going to do this.
Thanks again!

[SebastianC]

Ok, I've done this technique tonight and I have a question: how much time do you people stay in the bath before pruning? I've stayed a while, maybe 15-20 minutes, until I got bored. My skin looks nice right now but it is not pruned.

[RatherBeSurfing]

Technically, I do not think you have to stay in until your skin prunes.....I stay in until until the egg timer goes off at 30 mins (remember, I was a picker....no self control). I think 20 - 30 mins is a good effective range for moderate to severe cases.

I tried for 10 minutes at a time at first, but saw faster results with a bit longer time period......once your skin prunes I don't think there is much point to staying in any longer.

[RatherBeSurfing]

I have adjusted my regimen slightly.......

I still soak for 30 minutes in bath tub at night.....not anymore in the morning

In the morning I put one cup of sea salt in a pot of boiling water and steam my face for 10 minutes.

I see improved results on my face.......seems to penetrate much better.....I could never really soak my face in the tub (without drowning) and this seems to be a good work around.

For the first time in ten years there are increasing stretches of time that I forget that I have this problem....it is starting to REALLY go away.

[SebastianC]

Acne can be pretty bad psychologically. I have it on my back only but I cannot stand the idea of people watching it, even my friends.

[CAJUN LOU]

I just started using sea salts last month. The lady at my health food store ordered it for me. 50 lb. bag was $35.00, which works out to about 1/2 the cost of buying it in smaller containers from the grocery store.

[SebastianC]

good idea Cajun. I might do the same. IS the sea salt working for you?

Also, for those who had success with it, if you stop, does your acne come back?

[RatherBeSurfing]

SebastianC-

I have yet to stop since I began.

With reduced use of sea salt, widespread breakouts have not comeback.

I have had a few small individual blemishes from time to time, but nothing more (and they heal very quickly).

[SebastianC]

My skin already looks better but I have to wait some more to be certain that the sea salt is the main reason.

Question: when you put the sea salt in the thub, do you get in right away or do you let it dissolve first?

By the way, the skin that isn't affected by acne is also looking better. I had some redish spots on my fronthead (nothing serious, but in bright environments they became more visible) that disappeared. Also, the texture of the skin looks better.

[CAJUN LOU]

good idea Cajun. I might do the same. IS the sea salt working for you?

Also, for those who had success with it, if you stop, does your acne come back?

I only put some on my face if I'm not wearing make-up at the time. One of my secret luxuries is to take a long, hot bath in the middle of the day when noone's here to bug me. I haven't been using it very long, but I do think it's helping some minor breakouts I would have on my back. It reminds of being on the beach in Louisiana anyway, so I love that part.

[SebastianC]

question: have you heard about the sea salt being bad for the eyes? Usually I submerge myself and let only the nose out and someone told me that the sea salt might not be beneficial for the eyes.

Also, my brother adviced me to buy sea sealt with aloe vera, has anyone tried this?

[SebastianC]

it hasn't been even a week I've been doing this and I can already see substantial improvements

[BeautifulSkinAgain]

Will the Salt cause a corrosion on my bathtub that has those aqua pumps? We have a cheap little sauna bath.

[treyska]

im definitely considering trying this. although im going to wait first until i see if it will corrode bathtubs im assuming it wont corride mine, cause it's plastic

[BeautifulSkinAgain]

im definitely considering trying this. although im going to wait first until i see if it will corrode bathtubs im assuming it wont corride mine, cause it's plastic

heyyyyyy I'm serious!
I know it won't corrode the plastic. But I worry if there is metal in the sauna.
Remember jaws? The shark didn't work because of the freaking saltwater!!!!!