19 replies to this topic

[tom0808]

I thought I'd try to share my caveman experience with you guys, as from what I've read it should go really well, and it seems that many people who succeed don't bother coming back and we don't hear about the long term results. The reason I say that it should go really well is that I'm 18 now, and in the last year and a half my acne has calmed down from moderate to persistent but mild, and the areas that I get it have changed. After reading about the theory behind the caveman regimen - the constant irritation of topicals and their destruction of the acid mantle, it kind of clicked to me that my natural tendency for acne has probably disappeared, which is why it has improved, by it is my constant use of various products that is keeping it around.
The other reason is that even though I stopped using all harsh topicals months ago, my face is still noticeably red - my jaw line is also a clear-cut line between my red facial skin and my normal neck skin. People say it vastly improved their skin tone - was anyone in this situation before they started?

Topically, I'm going full caveman - nothing whatsoever is going to touch my face, except my electric razor. Has anyone used one while doing this? Does it cause irritation? I do have some distilled water though, in case I do need to use water on my face for something unforseen.
However, I'm going to be using supplements as I just bought them and don't want them to go to waste - Vitamin A, B5, D, and zinc. Any thoughts on this?

Day 1
It's kind of day one and half haha, as the last time I did anything to my face was yesterday afternoon. It was the best feeling ever today to just get up and go without worrying about using various products on my face. The whitehead in the corner of my mouth continued to grow and started to throb, but I'm not going to worry about that as that process must have started a good few days ago before I started this. The other pustule I have right now seems to have dried up and scabbed over nicely though, and the same can be said for the tiny spots I have on my chin from shaving a few days ago. My face has been super oily today even though it didn't get as bad as early as normal, but obviously by now it's much worse as I haven't washed or wiped the oil off like I normally do several times a day. No sign of any flakiness yet, which I have to admit is my biggest concern but I will happily go through it to at least find out what is on the other side, good or bad.
EDIT: By now, 8:30 in the evening, the oil is beginning to get unbearable. I can just feel it sitting on my skin and it's itchy. Would blotting it with toilet paper hurt?

Edited by tom0808, 23 February 2012 - 02:32 PM.

[Beender20]

I don't think blotting away the oil would hurt. When you go to sleep at night you put your face on your pillow anyway so why not just avoid getting your pillow all oily and just blot with the toilet paper? I'm really trying to start attempting this as well although it's a little more complicated for me because I'm still taking doxycycline every other day and am using a little epiduo at night. However, today I did not let my face get wet at all in the shower and will only get it damp when I put on a little epiduo at night. Over the next few weeks I am going to be phasing out the epiduo and stopping the doxycycline. I really hope you stick around and post updates so I can see how it's going. I'm now 21 and I also feel that I am past it put am prolonging it by using stuff. Good luck!
'

[tom0808]

I don't think blotting away the oil would hurt. When you go to sleep at night you put your face on your pillow anyway so why not just avoid getting your pillow all oily and just blot with the toilet paper? I'm really trying to start attempting this as well although it's a little more complicated for me because I'm still taking doxycycline every other day and am using a little epiduo at night. However, today I did not let my face get wet at all in the shower and will only get it damp when I put on a little epiduo at night. Over the next few weeks I am going to be phasing out the epiduo and stopping the doxycycline. I really hope you stick around and post updates so I can see how it's going. I'm now 21 and I also feel that I am past it put am prolonging it by using stuff. Good luck!
'

Thanks for the support and I really promise to stick around - if I start to falter, send me a message and I'll get the email alert and come right back! So it's the middle of the night now - (I've also started biphasal sleeping, which you can read about here, as I thought it fits in quite nicely with my new caveman approach to life) and my skin feels amazing! It only has slightly more than what would be the perfect amount of oil, and haven't blotted at all but as you say it's probably because it has rubbed off on my pillow, so I think I'll start to blot once a day when I'm at school to avoid looking too shiny. The constant slight stinging and feeling of dryness has subsided somewhat but I still notice it when I move my eyebrows up and down, for example. The whitehead in the corner of my mouth is less inflamed, the scab from the other one has flaked off naturally, and a few places on my forehead and temples where I could feel some spots starting to grow beneath the skin now feel normal.
I really think you should stop the epiduo and especially the doxycycline immediately. I've also not liked the idea of taking antibiotics for acne - it's one thing when you have say tonsillitis and you are only taking them for a few weeks but to be constantly destroying all the bacteria, good and bad, seems dangerous to me, and certainly doesn't fit in with this regime. Also, the BP in epiduo is a harsh chemical that will almost certainly completely alter the way your skin is supposed to heal. I'd recommend going full caveman now for at least a month and slowly reintroducing things if it doesn't work. Just my two cents but for people like us, of the age when many have grown out of acne, I think we should all give this a real shot.

[Beender20]

Yeah I definitely want to stop the doxy ASAP but I'm not just gonna abruptly stop. I've only been on it for two months anyways. I started taking them every other day and soon will just take 1 every 3 days and so forth. I really wish I could just jump right in and start this with you but I'm trying to avoid a huge breakout if at all possible. And trust me at one point last year I was putting 10% BP on my whole face three times a day! I was seriously so stupid but I never knew about this site or even googled my acne problems I just got this cream from my brother and used it without knowing the consequences. It's actually funny to think that I'm in school right now as a pharmacy major and in 3 years will be dispensing this damn stuff to people knowing all too well that it's probably just hurting them. I guess they will just have to figure that out for themselves.

[tom0808]

Day 2

It's now approaching 48 hours since anything has touched my face. Today has been a great day. Already, the excess oil production that I have been battling with for years has mostly subsided. It was great not to have to go to the bathroom at in the middle of the day at school just to wipe it off my face. My forehead is still very oily, but everywhere else is only somewhat more greasy than what I would consider to be normal skin. No new breakouts whatsoever and no flakes either, overall my skin feels great! I haven't looked in a mirror so I can't tell if my red marks or overall redness is disappearing but that seems unlikely so early. I'm glad it's Friday now as if I was gong to school tomorrow I would really need to shave, but now I can put it off until Sunday. I'm also going to be going to the gym this afternoon so I will be leaving sweat on my face, apparently that helps the acid mantle but I have to admit, it's going to feel gross and wrong after spending years washing my face every time I get sweaty.

Yeah I definitely want to stop the doxy ASAP but I'm not just gonna abruptly stop. I've only been on it for two months anyways. I started taking them every other day and soon will just take 1 every 3 days and so forth. I really wish I could just jump right in and start this with you but I'm trying to avoid a huge breakout if at all possible.

Again I really do think you should just jump in. Even if you get an initial breakout, it should heal quickly on the regimen and also if you are following the correct rules you shouldn't really notice it, i.e. not touching your face and not looking in the mirror. However, from the way my skin feels I really don't think an initial breakout is something you should worry about. I really feel like I have started a new chapter even though it is so early, because even if this doesnt cure me completely, it is almost certainly going to sort out my skin tone and red marks, and I'll start to look like any regular person with mild acne instead of having a red angry face with mottled skin alongside the couple of zits I have at any one time. Plus, the feeling of letting go is so liberating. I really urge you to give it a go, just for a few days at least to start off with.

[Beender20]

Again I really do think you should just jump in. Even if you get an initial breakout, it should heal quickly on the regimen and also if you are following the correct rules you shouldn't really notice it, i.e. not touching your face and not looking in the mirror. However, from the way my skin feels I really don't think an initial breakout is something you should worry about. I really feel like I have started a new chapter even though it is so early, because even if this doesnt cure me completely, it is almost certainly going to sort out my skin tone and red marks, and I'll start to look like any regular person with mild acne instead of having a red angry face with mottled skin alongside the couple of zits I have at any one time. Plus, the feeling of letting go is so liberating. I really urge you to give it a go, just for a few days at least to start off with.

I really think tonights the night I'm gonna start. Why did I never have oily skin before using these topicals? It just doesn't make sense and I think they are causing it. I mean it's like really bad oily skin and I get shiny after 10 minutes out of the shower. And everyone that tries this has promising results. Well, here goes nothing.

[tom0808]

Day 3

It has now been 3 full days since any products or water have touched my face. Oiliness has decreased yet again today - my cheeks and chin are just the tiniest bit greasy, but there is still some excess oil on my nose and forehead, however much less than there used to be by mid-afternoon. I shaved for the first time since starting this regimen today. I used an electric razor to avoid any chemicals or water touching my face. It doesn't feel like it has irritated my face but we'll see in the next few days. I haven't encountered any flakes yet, but I can feel slightly sore crusty bits of skin around the corners of my nostrils - I am praying this is not the start of the dreaded 'dead skin mask'. I think my skin tone is improving but it's hard to tell if it has or I am tricking myself. I still have absolutely no new acne, which is brilliant. But I have had periods of around a week with no new spots in the past, so time will tell if I truly am past this awful stage of my life.

I really think tonights the night I'm gonna start. Why did I never have oily skin before using these topicals? It just doesn't make sense and I think they are causing it. I mean it's like really bad oily skin and I get shiny after 10 minutes out of the shower. And everyone that tries this has promising results. Well, here goes nothing.

Glad to hear it! Good luck and let me know how you are getting on!

[tom0808]

Day 4

When I woke up today my skin just felt so smooth and supple - just really healthy, better than it has felt in years. The overall soreness/dryness (i.e. ability to 'feel' my own face generally) is probably 75% gone and now I can confirm that the redness is definitely subsiding. That clear-cut line between my face and neck is there still but less noticeable. Unfortunately, I can feel the tiniest little whitehead coming up over my eyebrow - no big deal, my forehead is taking longer to regulate oil production and forehead skin is quick to heal anyway. Who knows it the infection may have taken hold in that spot before I started this and it has taken a while to come up because the skin is relatively thick there.

[Sasch83]

Tom, sounds like you're on the right track! Are you documenting your progress with pictures. It would be great to compare your before and after acne. If you do take pictures, are you planning on posting?

How bad was your acne at the start of this process?

[tom0808]

Tom, sounds like you're on the right track! Are you documenting your progress with pictures. It would be great to compare your before and after acne. If you do take pictures, are you planning on posting?

How bad was your acne at the start of this process?

Yeah i am it is going to well I am so happy I can't really describe it. Fortunately my acne was only mild - maybe 1-2 pimples per week, but this meant many more marks/blemishes at any one time. Also, my skin tone was all over the place after years of abuse and my face was extremely oily. The thing is, I don't want to take pictures because the truth is I haven't looked at my face up close in years, it knocks my confidence too much. I know I have a little bit of scarring and loads of closed comedones, plus plenty of red marks of varying degrees, so I really don't want to make myself fully aware of the extent of the damage. I will try to describe it as best as I can though.

[bobbi364]

You need to aid your skin in these crucial times, if you do not, you will experience a large amount of dead skin buildup that will lead to more acne and uneven skin tone. Use cold water to splash your face 2-3 times a day for 3-5 minutes. Let air dry, do not physically allow anything to touch your skin except the cold water.

[tom0808]

Day 6

The situation is continuing to improve - oil production is now fully regulated everywhere except my forehead, my skin tone is without doubt improving and I have no new acne. The one pimple I got a few days ago has dried up and scabbed over nicely. I would estimate that my skin tone will have returned to normal in about two weeks - this is amazing as I have had a permamently red face for like 5 months now!

You need to aid your skin in these crucial times, if you do not, you will experience a large amount of dead skin buildup that will lead to more acne and uneven skin tone. Use cold water to splash your face 2-3 times a day for 3-5 minutes. Let air dry, do not physically allow anything to touch your skin except the cold water.

Thanks but no thanks. I have experienced no issues with dead skin whatsoever - maybe this is because I have not come straight off of topicals, which I stopped months ago due to redness, but a regimen of lots of washing and moisturising?

[tom0808]

Day 8
The situation has continued to improve overall - my skin tone is now very close to normal and my oil production has further reduced - my forehead has probably half as much excess oil as it used to and the rest of my face is completely normal now, no excess oil at all. I have had a very minor breakout though - two tiny pimples at the very back of my jawline which hardly bothers me at all, as I still have had ZERO breakouts around my mouth, chin and lower cheeks which is where I was breaking out before as well as my jawline, which is good as these are the more noticeable areas. Maybe I broke out because I went back to always touching my face simply because it felt so different, but I'm stopping that now.
These updates will probably get much less frequent now as the day to day changes are not as drastic as at first, plus I'm not really getting any feedback from people, not really sure if anyone is reading this! But I'll try to remember to do some weekly updates until a few months in so any people reading this or finding this in the future will know how it went.

[tom0808]

Day 12

I had a new pimple just below my lip today. It came up so fast - this morning it was completely non-existent but by a few hours ago the head was fully formed so I couldn't help giving it a little squeeze and getting the bulk of the gunk out. Not sure if that is a good sign or not that it came up so fast :S. I shaved this morning, and my last breakout happened after shaving. I'm not going to shave for the rest of the week and if the next break out only happens after shaving I'm going to have to think of a better way to do that. The other thing it could be is dairy which I had quite a bit of at the weekend. I'll report back any findings I have with regard to these two things. Also, I noticed this evening that although I haven't had any issues with flakes, the surface of my skin seemed to be very 'dusty' with dead skin, so I caved and gently exfoliated just using distilled water.
All that said, I have broken out less than normal in the past 12 days, and my skin tone and oiliness has improved, so this has been worth it and I will keep going for the foreseeable future. The overall redness is still there but has improved, I guess that will take time.
Conclusion: This regimen is not going quite as well as it could, but it is working better than anything before it. I will keep trying to tweak it until I get it right!

[harlowefey]

if you're going caveman, you should definitely shave like a caveman! i don't think they had electric razors back then () so maybe you should try using a razor with only like two blades or something. maybe that will help with the zits? anyway, I'm following this and I'm going to not wash my face tonight before bed. but i think i might spot treatment with some apple cider vinegar. and do the same thing tomorrow.. i don't want to just jump right into it.. because my skin is looking pretty good right now anyway. then i guess eventually i will get rid of the acv.

[tom0808]

Day 22
As you can see from my last post, I was starting to think that the regimen hadn't really worked, but In the last 10 days, my skin has steadily continued to improve. I have only had ONE pimple in that time and my skin tone is continuing to even out. My oil production has levelled out and it's still a bit higher than what would be ideal but it doesn't seem to be breaking me out so that's okay. I have even continued to eat dairy and I have been touching my face a lot but that doesn't seem to have made much difference. All that time it really was all the washing and the stuff I was putting on my face I guess.
Long story short: There may be ups and downs to begin with but this regimen definitely requires patience!
Unless anything unexpected happens, I'll probably update a few more times and then around day 60 I plan to write a final conclusion on how this has gone.

if you're going caveman, you should definitely shave like a caveman! i don't think they had electric razors back then () so maybe you should try using a razor with only like two blades or something. maybe that will help with the zits? anyway, I'm following this and I'm going to not wash my face tonight before bed. but i think i might spot treatment with some apple cider vinegar. and do the same thing tomorrow.. i don't want to just jump right into it.. because my skin is looking pretty good right now anyway. then i guess eventually i will get rid of the acv.

[Beender20]

Day 22
As you can see from my last post, I was starting to think that the regimen hadn't really worked, but In the last 10 days, my skin has steadily continued to improve. I have only had ONE pimple in that time and my skin tone is continuing to even out. My oil production has levelled out and it's still a bit higher than what would be ideal but it doesn't seem to be breaking me out so that's okay. I have even continued to eat dairy and I have been touching my face a lot but that doesn't seem to have made much difference. All that time it really was all the washing and the stuff I was putting on my face I guess.
Long story short: There may be ups and downs to begin with but this regimen definitely requires patience!
Unless anything unexpected happens, I'll probably update a few more times and then around day 60 I plan to write a final conclusion on how this has gone.

Hey so what's the latest update? I have been having pretty great results with this although I am using a damp washcloth to clean my face a bit at night and still showering and getting my face wet in the morning. Overall, I have only had one new pimple on my cheek and absolutely nothing on my forehead (although it already was clear). Along with stopping topicals I am also trying to exercise and eat a little more healthy. In general, I'm just living a healthier lifestyle which I should have been doing all along anyway.

I am still having a little problem with my face being oily though. I'm wondering if I stop using a washcloth at night it might help? I know you said that your oiliness has greatly diminished when not letting any water on your face, but I run an hour every morning and sweat like crazy so there is no way I could not get it wet in the morning to rinse the sweat off. Additionally, I have started taking probiotics and fiber. They make me feel great and after my 2 month stint of antibiotics I thought it was necessary, so I'm not sure if that is helping or not.

[tom0808]

Day 22
As you can see from my last post, I was starting to think that the regimen hadn't really worked, but In the last 10 days, my skin has steadily continued to improve. I have only had ONE pimple in that time and my skin tone is continuing to even out. My oil production has levelled out and it's still a bit higher than what would be ideal but it doesn't seem to be breaking me out so that's okay. I have even continued to eat dairy and I have been touching my face a lot but that doesn't seem to have made much difference. All that time it really was all the washing and the stuff I was putting on my face I guess.
Long story short: There may be ups and downs to begin with but this regimen definitely requires patience!
Unless anything unexpected happens, I'll probably update a few more times and then around day 60 I plan to write a final conclusion on how this has gone.

Hey so what's the latest update? I have been having pretty great results with this although I am using a damp washcloth to clean my face a bit at night and still showering and getting my face wet in the morning. Overall, I have only had one new pimple on my cheek and absolutely nothing on my forehead (although it already was clear). Along with stopping topicals I am also trying to exercise and eat a little more healthy. In general, I'm just living a healthier lifestyle which I should have been doing all along anyway.

I am still having a little problem with my face being oily though. I'm wondering if I stop using a washcloth at night it might help? I know you said that your oiliness has greatly diminished when not letting any water on your face, but I run an hour every morning and sweat like crazy so there is no way I could not get it wet in the morning to rinse the sweat off. Additionally, I have started taking probiotics and fiber. They make me feel great and after my 2 month stint of antibiotics I thought it was necessary, so I'm not sure if that is helping or not.

Day 35

Latest update is - I'M CLEAR!!! I have had no new acne in about three weeks - a first for me in years. I can only attribute this to the caveman regimen (my specific version being literally nothing touches my face other than an electric razor) - I stopped taking the supplements a few weeks ago and I have had as much dairy as I've wanted, in fact I've made a point of eating extra to rule it out. Probably at least 3 servings a day. My red marks are mostly faded and my overall redness is mostly gone.

Bender - you have to let go. Stop using a washcloth and water - you don't need to rinse the sweat off of your face, it just dries on its own. As you can see from my post on day 12, I did for a bit experiment with occasionally exfoliated with my fingers and distilled water. There was an undeniable correlation with that and breakouts. As for anything non-topical you are doing, I don't think it can hurt but it might not be necessary. As it stands now, I live my life completely as if I don't have acne (which I don't anymore), except that I make a special point to never let anything touch my face. You NEED to try this for an extended period of time to give this a proper chance.

Conclusion - This is probably my full entry in this thread, and maybe on this site. I know I said I would update again until two months in but the situation has been so steady for three solid weeks now that it really seems that acne is behind me. I'll of course come back if things take a turn for the worst but I really don't see that happening. No news will be good news!

Edited by tom0808, 28 March 2012 - 12:54 PM.

[Battle2011]

This is really good to read. I am on day 4 myself, going on to day 5. Nothing touches my face either. Had a couple of pimples coming out today, Rather fast as well. Hope they will be a little better tomorrow. Overall I am happy with the way things are going and hope this 'small breakout' will remain just that. Also start having the 'dusty' dead skin build up. Have swept my chin and nose with a baby toothbrush, but left my cheeks alone. They need more time for healing I believe. This post gave me hope to continue and go on with the regimen. But seeing those two pimples, I really wanted to wash again......

[Sasch83]

Day 22
As you can see from my last post, I was starting to think that the regimen hadn't really worked, but In the last 10 days, my skin has steadily continued to improve. I have only had ONE pimple in that time and my skin tone is continuing to even out. My oil production has levelled out and it's still a bit higher than what would be ideal but it doesn't seem to be breaking me out so that's okay. I have even continued to eat dairy and I have been touching my face a lot but that doesn't seem to have made much difference. All that time it really was all the washing and the stuff I was putting on my face I guess.
Long story short: There may be ups and downs to begin with but this regimen definitely requires patience!
Unless anything unexpected happens, I'll probably update a few more times and then around day 60 I plan to write a final conclusion on how this has gone.

Hey so what's the latest update? I have been having pretty great results with this although I am using a damp washcloth to clean my face a bit at night and still showering and getting my face wet in the morning. Overall, I have only had one new pimple on my cheek and absolutely nothing on my forehead (although it already was clear). Along with stopping topicals I am also trying to exercise and eat a little more healthy. In general, I'm just living a healthier lifestyle which I should have been doing all along anyway.

I am still having a little problem with my face being oily though. I'm wondering if I stop using a washcloth at night it might help? I know you said that your oiliness has greatly diminished when not letting any water on your face, but I run an hour every morning and sweat like crazy so there is no way I could not get it wet in the morning to rinse the sweat off. Additionally, I have started taking probiotics and fiber. They make me feel great and after my 2 month stint of antibiotics I thought it was necessary, so I'm not sure if that is helping or not.

Day 35

Latest update is - I'M CLEAR!!! I have had no new acne in about three weeks - a first for me in years. I can only attribute this to the caveman regimen (my specific version being literally nothing touches my face other than an electric razor) - I stopped taking the supplements a few weeks ago and I have had as much dairy as I've wanted, in fact I've made a point of eating extra to rule it out. Probably at least 3 servings a day. My red marks are mostly faded and my overall redness is mostly gone.

Bender - you have to let go. Stop using a washcloth and water - you don't need to rinse the sweat off of your face, it just dries on its own. As you can see from my post on day 12, I did for a bit experiment with occasionally exfoliated with my fingers and distilled water. There was an undeniable correlation with that and breakouts. As for anything non-topical you are doing, I don't think it can hurt but it might not be necessary. As it stands now, I live my life completely as if I don't have acne (which I don't anymore), except that I make a special point to never let anything touch my face. You NEED to try this for an extended period of time to give this a proper chance.

Conclusion - This is probably my full entry in this thread, and maybe on this site. I know I said I would update again until two months in but the situation has been so steady for three solid weeks now that it really seems that acne is behind me. I'll of course come back if things take a turn for the worst but I really don't see that happening. No news will be good news!

So did you stay clear?