59 replies to this topic

[PrettyInside]

I want to share another sulfur-based medication that might work well for some people. It's made by Perrigo and is offered by prescription only. I get mine for $10 per month, which isn't too bad. It's a combination of sulfacetamide (10%) and sulfur (5%).

http://www.perrigo.c...seachproducts=s

This cream goes on like a cream, in the sense that it initially feels a bit greasy on the skin. But once it's absorbed, it takes on a drier feel without drying my skin too much. Granted, my skin is oily enough that my skin's oils break through it after many hours' time.

Perrigo's website shows only the cream version, but the liquid form of drying lotion (with the same active ingredients/concentrations) may still be avilable. For many years, I used the tinted form of the liquid lotion, even though it doesn't really match any living person's skin tone. Heh... I don't see the liquid version on the manufacturer's website now, so I'm wondering if it's still available. When last it was, only a tint-free version was available.


P.I.

[a.p.]

The De la Cruz 10% sulfur ointment is a good topical. You're only supposed to leave it on for ten minutes though. I like to make my own sulfur mask using the 10% sulfur ointment. I like to use the Aztec secret Indian healing clay. Mix a small amount of sulfur with the clay and add water until desired consistency. It works pretty well and I have a mask on right now only leave the mask on for 10 minutes then wash off with warm water.

[tritonxiv]

A non-drying sulfur option is Magnesium Sulfate, also known Epsom Salt. It dosen't cause peeling or excessive dryness and it keeps my skin clear.

Dilute it with water and mix it into your favorite moisturizer.

Edited by tritonxiv, 03 September 2012 - 09:32 AM.

[a.p.]

I use both Epsom salt and De la Cruz sufur ointment. Epsom salt is amazing! I don't use face washes anymore. I just splash my face a few times with warm water and gently massage in a palm full of Epsom salt. Then I let it sit on my face for ten minutes until it turns white and wash it off. It works very well at fighting acne and reducing redness.

[gingergirl22]

According to a rep at the Epsom Salts Council there is no elemental sulfur in Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate). Here's the website: http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/

[tritonxiv]

There is little to no scientific research explaining the difference between S8 (elemental sulfur) and S04 (sulfate) with regards to dermal absorption or utilization.

The fact is we have no idea how or why they work. But both seem to work similarly, and both contain the element sulfur.

In my experience Epsom Salt works with little to no dryness. Certainly it's never caused any peeling, which would be a plus for most.

We do understand however, how the extra magnesium ion is absorbed directly through the skin and into the bloodstream. Blood tests have proven elevated levels of magnesium in the blood after having soaked in Epsom Salts. This should be considered a wonderful side benefit, considering most modern diets leave us severely lacking in the required levels of magnesium.

Edited by tritonxiv, 04 September 2012 - 04:09 PM.

[LoveGreenSmoothies]

I didn't think epsom salts had sulfur...a bit confused here...

[gingergirl22]

I didn't think epsom salts had sulfur...a bit confused here...

Epsom Salts is Magnesium Sulfate which doesn't act as a keratolytic like Sulfur does.

[cosmic crusader]

I had amazing results with a prescription sulfur wash (rosaderm maybe?). I have used the same ointment as you, and while it cleared the spots I was treating, it also gave me bad lizard face for a week afterward! Be careful with your application; shit is powerfully drying!

[strax]

sulphur burnssss

[gingergirl22]

I love that the De La Cruz 10% sulfur ointment is unscented.  I was looking this morning for an unscented sulfur soap, and found one I'd never noticed before called Cuticare.  I wondered if anyone here has tried it.  Here's a link:  http://www.cuticarep...uctCode=PN 1001

[txngrl]

I love that the De La Cruz 10% sulfur ointment is unscented.  I was looking this morning for an unscented sulfur soap, and found one I'd never noticed before called Cuticare.  I wondered if anyone here has tried it.  Here's a link:  http://www.cuticarep...uctCode=PN 1001

That bar soap looks great. I would also like to know if anyone has used it? And, would you use it along with the De La Cruz ointment, or instead of?

I'm constantly looking for something to help my son. Right now he's washing with Benzac 5%. At first I thought it was working, really helping to dry up the bumps, but now I'm not really sure. I'm losing faith in it. Plus I know that BP is not really good for the skin. His acne keeps getting worse as he gets older. Maybe I'll get him something sulfur based. He's never tried sulfur. But all this stuff I'm reading about it sounds great! Almost too good to be true though I mean, something that actually works and is so cheap??? Sounds like heaven

Edited by txngrl, 30 January 2013 - 10:35 PM.

[gingergirl22]

I love that the De La Cruz 10% sulfur ointment is unscented.  I was looking this morning for an unscented sulfur soap, and found one I'd never noticed before called Cuticare.  I wondered if anyone here has tried it.  Here's a link:  http://www.cuticarep...uctCode=PN 1001

That bar soap looks great. I would also like to know if anyone has used it? And, would you use it along with the De La Cruz ointment, or instead of?

I'm constantly looking for something to help my son. Right now he's washing with Benzac 5%. At first I thought it was working, really helping to dry up the bumps, but now I'm not really sure. I'm losing faith in it. Plus I know that BP is not really good for the skin. His acne keeps getting worse as he gets older. Maybe I'll get him something sulfur based. He's never tried sulfur. But all this stuff I'm reading about it sounds great! Almost too good to be true though I mean, something that actually works and is so cheap??? Sounds like heaven

I've ordered the soap and should get it tomorrow.  I'll let you know what I think of it compared to the De La Cruz ointment. Using them both might be too drying, but it could work well depending on your situation.  My son got very clear from the ointment.  It took about a month leaving it on every night.  The ointment is a little messy, so I'm hoping the soap will stand in for it.  I may have my son pair the soap up with something else.too.  We'll see. 

[txngrl]

 

I love that the De La Cruz 10% sulfur ointment is unscented.  I was looking this morning for an unscented sulfur soap, and found one I'd never noticed before called Cuticare.  I wondered if anyone here has tried it.  Here's a link:  http://www.cuticarep...uctCode=PN 1001

That bar soap looks great. I would also like to know if anyone has used it? And, would you use it along with the De La Cruz ointment, or instead of?

I'm constantly looking for something to help my son. Right now he's washing with Benzac 5%. At first I thought it was working, really helping to dry up the bumps, but now I'm not really sure. I'm losing faith in it. Plus I know that BP is not really good for the skin. His acne keeps getting worse as he gets older. Maybe I'll get him something sulfur based. He's never tried sulfur. But all this stuff I'm reading about it sounds great! Almost too good to be true though I mean, something that actually works and is so cheap??? Sounds like heaven

I've ordered the soap and should get it tomorrow.  I'll let you know what I think of it compared to the De La Cruz ointment. Using them both might be too drying, but it could work well depending on your situation.  My son got very clear from the ointment.  It took about a month leaving it on every night.  The ointment is a little messy, so I'm hoping the soap will stand in for it.  I may have my son pair the soap up with something else.too.  We'll see. 

 

 

How old is your son now?  And he left the ointment on all night?  I read that it's really bad to leave it on for so long.  My son is a messy sleeper, LOL... turning over all the time, smashing his face into his pillow, drooling....     So you get the picture.  I doubt he would go for leaving something on his whole face all night.  When he was using Lerosett, he would sleep with spot treatments on, but not a whole mask.   Aren't you supposed to rinse it off after 15 minutes? 

 

I see that the OP never responded recently... I too wonder if he is still clear.  I guess his post is 1-2 yrs old now.

[gingergirl22]

 

 

I love that the De La Cruz 10% sulfur ointment is unscented.  I was looking this morning for an unscented sulfur soap, and found one I'd never noticed before called Cuticare.  I wondered if anyone here has tried it.  Here's a link:  http://www.cuticarep...uctCode=PN 1001

That bar soap looks great. I would also like to know if anyone has used it? And, would you use it along with the De La Cruz ointment, or instead of?

I'm constantly looking for something to help my son. Right now he's washing with Benzac 5%. At first I thought it was working, really helping to dry up the bumps, but now I'm not really sure. I'm losing faith in it. Plus I know that BP is not really good for the skin. His acne keeps getting worse as he gets older. Maybe I'll get him something sulfur based. He's never tried sulfur. But all this stuff I'm reading about it sounds great! Almost too good to be true though I mean, something that actually works and is so cheap??? Sounds like heaven

I've ordered the soap and should get it tomorrow.  I'll let you know what I think of it compared to the De La Cruz ointment. Using them both might be too drying, but it could work well depending on your situation.  My son got very clear from the ointment.  It took about a month leaving it on every night.  The ointment is a little messy, so I'm hoping the soap will stand in for it.  I may have my son pair the soap up with something else.too.  We'll see. 

 

 

How old is your son now?  And he left the ointment on all night?  I read that it's really bad to leave it on for so long.  My son is a messy sleeper, LOL... turning over all the time, smashing his face into his pillow, drooling....     So you get the picture.  I doubt he would go for leaving something on his whole face all night.  When he was using Lerosett, he would sleep with spot treatments on, but not a whole mask.   Aren't you supposed to rinse it off after 15 minutes? 

 

I see that the OP never responded recently... I too wonder if he is still clear.  I guess his post is 1-2 yrs old now.

He's 15.  We tried following the instructions to leave it on for 10 or 15 minutes and then rinse off, but it didn't seem like it was doing much.  Then I called the company and a helpful associate told me to up it to 1 hour.  And if that didn't work, it was okay to leave it on all night.  This did the trick.  I'm lucky that my son usually sleeps on his back.   Maybe the soap will wrok out bette for your son.  Mine hates to wash his face for some reason.  But he is getting acne onhis back and I hope he'll use the soap while he's inthe shower.

By the way, the sulfur stopped working after about 3 months.  Maybe becasue we used it so aggressively, not sure.  But we switched to salicylic acid after that, which has kept him pretty clear after the sulfur treatment.  He is having some flare-ups now, and he may be able to use the sulfur again. 

[txngrl]

oh no!!!  don't tell me the sulfur stopped working... I was just getting hopeful.  I am at a loss... every time I read about something working (sulfur, African black soap, etc) and then research it, I find out that it stops working, or clogs pores, whatever.   this is really like the never-ending bad dream that we will never wake up from..

 

I'm glad your son is getting some relief now, with the salicylic acid.  I bought some African black soap yesterday, and used it on myself and I like it so far.  My face felt very clean afterwards, and seemed less oily this morning.   I had my son use it gently this morning too, instead of his usual Benzac 5% wash.  I would like to switch him back to something more natural to wash with.  However, I just read that the black soap can be comedogenic because of the coconut oil in it.  this is sooo frustrating.  I don't know if I should have him keep using it.   

 

btw he has used a salicylic acid toner before (with the Lerosett) and it seemed OK but didn't seem to do much, so he stopped.

[gingergirl22]

oh no!!!  don't tell me the sulfur stopped working... I was just getting hopeful.  I am at a loss... every time I read about something working (sulfur, African black soap, etc) and then research it, I find out that it stops working, or clogs pores, whatever.   this is really like the never-ending bad dream that we will never wake up from..

 

I'm glad your son is getting some relief now, with the salicylic acid.  I bought some African black soap yesterday, and used it on myself and I like it so far.  My face felt very clean afterwards, and seemed less oily this morning.   I had my son use it gently this morning too, instead of his usual Benzac 5% wash.  I would like to switch him back to something more natural to wash with.  However, I just read that the black soap can be comedogenic because of the coconut oil in it.  this is sooo frustrating.  I don't know if I should have him keep using it.   

 

btw he has used a salicylic acid toner before (with the Lerosett) and it seemed OK but didn't seem to do much, so he stopped.

When I looked into the black soap I was told it has a high pH, not something you want if you are battling acne. 

It does seem that we have to think ahead and be ready with a new approach every so often.  For whatever reason, certain regimens lose their effectiveness after a while.  The last time my son used sulfur was last summer, so I am hoping that his skin has had a long enough break from it and his skin will respond to it again.  It looks like my son will always need to use one of the keratolytics - in particular, salicylic acid, lactic acid, sulfur or retin A.  Actually, so do I.

[txngrl]

oh no!!!  don't tell me the sulfur stopped working... I was just getting hopeful.  I am at a loss... every time I read about something working (sulfur, African black soap, etc) and then research it, I find out that it stops working, or clogs pores, whatever.   this is really like the never-ending bad dream that we will never wake up from..

 

I'm glad your son is getting some relief now, with the salicylic acid.  I bought some African black soap yesterday, and used it on myself and I like it so far.  My face felt very clean afterwards, and seemed less oily this morning.   I had my son use it gently this morning too, instead of his usual Benzac 5% wash.  I would like to switch him back to something more natural to wash with.  However, I just read that the black soap can be comedogenic because of the coconut oil in it.  this is sooo frustrating.  I don't know if I should have him keep using it.   

 

btw he has used a salicylic acid toner before (with the Lerosett) and it seemed OK but didn't seem to do much, so he stopped.

When I looked into the black soap I was told it has a high pH, not something you want if you are battling acne. 

It does seem that we have to think ahead and be ready with a new approach every so often.  For whatever reason, certain regimens lose their effectiveness after a while.  The last time my son used sulfur was last summer, so I am hoping that his skin has had a long enough break from it and his skin will respond to it again.  It looks like my son will always need to use one of the keratolytics - in particular, salicylic acid, lactic acid, sulfur or retin A.  Actually, so do I.

 

Thanks for the info about the black soap... but I thought a high pH was good..?  Doesn't that mean it's more alkaline?  I get confused about the pH thing.  I guess I won't have my son use the black soap for now, but instead get him the sulfur soap.   I looked at the CutiCare website again, and it looks really good.  All their info makes sense. 

[gingergirl22]

 

oh no!!!  don't tell me the sulfur stopped working... I was just getting hopeful.  I am at a loss... every time I read about something working (sulfur, African black soap, etc) and then research it, I find out that it stops working, or clogs pores, whatever.   this is really like the never-ending bad dream that we will never wake up from..

 

I'm glad your son is getting some relief now, with the salicylic acid.  I bought some African black soap yesterday, and used it on myself and I like it so far.  My face felt very clean afterwards, and seemed less oily this morning.   I had my son use it gently this morning too, instead of his usual Benzac 5% wash.  I would like to switch him back to something more natural to wash with.  However, I just read that the black soap can be comedogenic because of the coconut oil in it.  this is sooo frustrating.  I don't know if I should have him keep using it.   

 

btw he has used a salicylic acid toner before (with the Lerosett) and it seemed OK but didn't seem to do much, so he stopped.

When I looked into the black soap I was told it has a high pH, not something you want if you are battling acne. 

It does seem that we have to think ahead and be ready with a new approach every so often.  For whatever reason, certain regimens lose their effectiveness after a while.  The last time my son used sulfur was last summer, so I am hoping that his skin has had a long enough break from it and his skin will respond to it again.  It looks like my son will always need to use one of the keratolytics - in particular, salicylic acid, lactic acid, sulfur or retin A.  Actually, so do I.

 

Thanks for the info about the black soap... but I thought a high pH was good..?  Doesn't that mean it's more alkaline?  I get confused about the pH thing.  I guess I won't have my son use the black soap for now, but instead get him the sulfur soap.   I looked at the CutiCare website again, and it looks really good.  All their info makes sense. 

 

 

Here's a thread about pH:  http://www.acne.org/...ucts-acids-etc/

 

I received the 10% sulfur soap today.  It has more of a scent than I expected.  I'll let you know our results with it.

[txngrl]

Thank you so much for the thread about pH! Lots of great info there. I called the company who makes the African black soap that I bought, and asked what the pH is. The girl was very pleasant, but didn't know the answer. She took my number & said she would ask & get back to me. She said in the 3 yrs she's worked there, no one has ever asked her that question. I was a little surprised by that.

So today I found the De La Cruz sulfur ointment at a local Walgreens I just used it on myself, left it on for 10 minutes & now my face is pretty red. Do you know if that's normal? It feels pretty clean though. And while it was on, my face really itched but I refrained from touching it. It still itches a little now. Did your son have any itching while he used it? I'm going to have my son try it in a few minutes.

How do you like the Cuticare soap so far?