11 replies to this topic

[yoshigirl]

Hi i've been using the BP regimen religiously for 3 years and I don't want to knock it because it is a miracle for acne but I had to stop because I was still getting cysts but no pimples on the surface and I felt my skin looked unhealthy like it didn't have a glow to it. So, I decided to wean myself off at first it was okay but after two weeks my face exploded with all sorts of acne i've never had before. I use to get maybe 3-4 active spots but now I have maybe 4 cysts, 10 pimples, and millions of little blackheads and bumps. Anyways It's been four months and it's pretty bad. Now my skin isn't able to heal itself, its dry, sensitive, pimply, red, raw and I am in the worst depression of my life. Has anyone quit BP and healed their skin? Will this nightmare end please help... I want to heal myself naturally but nothing has worked... I am so depressed.

[Ripon10]

Have you tried black soap? Something we're trying as a more natural approach for my daughter. It's working so far. Lots of good reviews.

Did you go from BP to nothing for four months? I would say you need "something" still. Have you tried glycolic acid? It's really a good nighttime product for sluffing of the bad top layer. Black soap will bring the junk up but you still need to get it out of there, which glycolic is good at.

[yoshigirl]

Thankyou for your response, I've been using alba botanica acne line its salicylic acid face wash, gel, then I moisturize with jojoba oil. It was working for a while but now my skin is even more dry and seems as though its been severely dehydrated from the BP it's unable to heal itself..

[Beender20]

I have!! I quit BP in March of last year. I had been using it pretty consistently for 2 years when I quit. Idk if there is really a way to avoid a breakout when stopping BP because it messes with your face so much that it can't even fight infection on its own, or hydrate itself. If I can tell you one thing though it's that you made a good decision when you stopped that stuff. Honestly I haven't used anything on my face since last March and my face is finally normal and acne free. It takes TIME, like at least half a year to even see positive results but let me tell you it's worth it! If you have any questions or anything just ask

[tracy521]

i was using benzaclin and then started using a salicylic acid cleanser and ended up getting contact dermatitis from it. it made my face so darn dry that it started to peel and then i would get these little bumps and it just got worse from there because it spread all over my entire face. it was awful and i think since i didnt use my benzaclin for like 2 months it is the reason i am getting so many cysts now.

[Green Gables]

BP is basically antibacterial + exfoliative.

Salicylic acid/BHA and AHA are exfoliative only.

African black soap is basically tree bark + ash + oil. Any real clear antibacterial or other benefits have yet to be clinically documented. Many of the oils often used in African black soap are highly comedogenic (such as coconut oil and cocoa butter), so I would be careful using this if your pores clog easily.

African black soap: First, leaves and bark of various trees and plants are burned in a vat or kettle. These may be leaves from banana trees, plantain skins, palm tree leaves, shea tree bark, and/or cocoa pods. Secondly, water is added to ashes to be filtered. Oils such as coconut oil, shea oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and cocoa butter are added to the water to create the soap.

If you want something that works like BP without making your skin dull, I would get a prescription antibiotic topical such as Clindamyacin or a sulfur/sodium sulfacetamide wash like Prascion. (Do not get Benzaclin or Epiduo...both contain BP). Also use BHA and/or AHA as your skin can handle it.

[yoshigirl]

oh thankyou so much for all the responses! Atleast there's hope the skin will clear in time... Right now i'm desperate for a solution my skin is so red, pimply, sensitive and so so dry. I've been washing with manuka honey for 3 days and moisturizing with jojoba, its less red and scars are healing but still getting new bumps and still dry. I want to exfoliate my skin but it seems everything otc is just making it drier..

I have!! I quit BP in March of last year. I had been using it pretty consistently for 2 years when I quit. Idk if there is really a way to avoid a breakout when stopping BP because it messes with your face so much that it can't even fight infection on its own, or hydrate itself. If I can tell you one thing though it's that you made a good decision when you stopped that stuff. Honestly I haven't used anything on my face since last March and my face is finally normal and acne free. It takes TIME, like at least half a year to even see positive results but let me tell you it's worth it! If you have any questions or anything just ask

Thankyou, that's exactly what i am experiencing.. skin that's so damaged it doesn't want to heal or moisturize. Can I ask what you were or have been using for your skin that helped the breakouts, sensitivity and dryness?

[Beender20]

Thankyou, that's exactly what i am experiencing.. skin that's so damaged it doesn't want to heal or moisturize. Can I ask what you were or have been using for your skin that helped the breakouts, sensitivity and dryness?

I just completely stopped everything and I just splash my face with water once a day in the shower. Anything, including cleanser, BP, or moisturizer always slightly irritated my skin and made me break out. I literally cannot use a single thing on my face or it will react negatively. So I really just let my face go back to normal on its own and it took a while but it was worth it. For me, the less I washed my face and just left it alone the better. However I did try the caveman regimen where you go so and so days without even letting water touch you face and I got mixed results. My cheeks were completely clear, but my forehead had some clogs on it so I learned that my skin likes to be washed with water everyday to stay clear.

[yoshigirl]

BP is basically antibacterial + exfoliative.

Salicylic acid/BHA and AHA are exfoliative only.

African black soap is basically tree bark + ash + oil. Any real clear antibacterial or other benefits have yet to be clinically documented. Many of the oils often used in African black soap are highly comedogenic (such as coconut oil and cocoa butter), so I would be careful using this if your pores clog easily.

African black soap: First, leaves and bark of various trees and plants are burned in a vat or kettle. These may be leaves from banana trees, plantain skins, palm tree leaves, shea tree bark, and/or cocoa pods. Secondly, water is added to ashes to be filtered. Oils such as coconut oil, shea oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and cocoa butter are added to the water to create the soap.

If you want something that works like BP without making your skin dull, I would get a prescription antibiotic topical such as Clindamyacin or a sulfur/sodium sulfacetamide wash like Prascion. (Do not get Benzaclin or Epiduo...both contain BP). Also use BHA and/or AHA as your skin can handle it.

I think I'm going to quit the chemicals even though my face is a mess right now, it probably needs to heal itself before i try anymore stuff. My aunt who's a pharmacist was trying to push me towards benzaclin I was like noooo I just got off BP and it was only 2.5% lol well i've been pretty gentle just washing with honey and moisturize with jojoba and vitamin c serum the redness and sensitivity has reduced alot.. I read your story and I think I have hormonal imbalance also due to lifestyle and stress so I'm going to see an endocrinologist next wk. Thanks for your help!

Thankyou, that's exactly what i am experiencing.. skin that's so damaged it doesn't want to heal or moisturize. Can I ask what you were or have been using for your skin that helped the breakouts, sensitivity and dryness?

I just completely stopped everything and I just splash my face with water once a day in the shower. Anything, including cleanser, BP, or moisturizer always slightly irritated my skin and made me break out. I literally cannot use a single thing on my face or it will react negatively. So I really just let my face go back to normal on its own and it took a while but it was worth it. For me, the less I washed my face and just left it alone the better. However I did try the caveman regimen where you go so and so days without even letting water touch you face and I got mixed results. My cheeks were completely clear, but my forehead had some clogs on it so I learned that my skin likes to be washed with water everyday to stay clear.

^That makes alot of sense.. I stopped using the Salicylic wash and gel and my skin is wayy less and tender so I guess just be super gentle will help it heal faster. Though not using SA makes causes more little whiteheads, my main goal is for it to be not so damn dry/red and heal like normal skin and get rid of the deep cysts that cause scarring.. Did you also have cysts/nodules after discontinuing BP? Sorry for all the q's lol

[Beender20]

I don't think I've ever actually had a cyst, but I have had a few nodules. Most of my acne was just superficial/above the skin. I only got like 1 painful zit a month. Once I stopped the BP I've never had a deep,painful one again. I don't think your skin is going to like explode one day and you wake up with a million zits just because you stopped BP. But I mean it's not going to be pretty either you just gotta give it time and not worry about your skin.

[Ripon10]

The black soap is what it is. I think if you look at the reviews, they speak for themselves. From the reviews I read, the majority of the people that stopped using it was because it was drying and not due to any breakouts. The two I use do not specifically say they contain coconut oil, but regardless of what it contains it has not broken out my extremely sensitive skin;and it has been working on my daughters acne. I believe the shea butter helps calm skin irritation because it has really helped with any redness.

[yoshigirl]

The black soap is what it is. I think if you look at the reviews, they speak for themselves. From the reviews I read, the majority of the people that stopped using it was because it was drying and not due to any breakouts. The two I use do not specifically say they contain coconut oil, but regardless of what it contains it has not broken out my extremely sensitive skin;and it has been working on my daughters acne. I believe the shea butter helps calm skin irritation because it has really helped with any redness.

what kind of glycolic do you use? It seems all otc stuff is giving me irritation and sensitivity so I am scared to try anything. I

m doing aspirin face masks twice a wk but still breaking out. redness has improved since quitting otc products but still very dry acne skin