16 replies to this topic

[xpaperbackwriterx]

Short story: I am allergic to benzoyl peroxide and have moderate-severe acne while treated, severe acne while untreated. I really need help finding something that I can use which I am not allergic to and which will get rid of my acne like benzoyl peroxide did. OTC and prescriptions are both okay for suggestions, except no oral antibiotics or accutane. Below is my current regimen and attached is a list of stuff I've tried (not including products that are very similar to the ones listed). You really don't need to read my rant below but you can if you really want to.

 

Long story: I suffer from moderate-severe acne, and IBS, and I'm pretty sure they are linked. I used to have mild acne, but from age 12 to now, age 17, my acne has gotten progressively worse. It has spread from my face to my back and chest.  If it wasn't for my current regimen, I would be most definitely severe cystic, but moderate-almost-severe acne is really horrible as well. I feel horrible about my skin. I've tried pretty much everything. Along the way I found out that I am allergic to benzoyl peroxide and sensitive to sulfates. When I use benzoyl peroxide I get an itchy rash on my face that looks like clusters of sweat-bee bites and feels like it too, and sulfates turn my skin hard and crusty. What sucks is that benzoyl peroxide is the only thing that will clear my acne any more than I have cleared it now, but I can't use it, and I'm stuck with the natural stuff. I'm going to a dermatologist soon but I'm going to have to basically tie his hands, because I can't use benzoyl peroxide because of the allergy, I can't use any form of oral antibiotics unless I'm deathly sick because of my poor excuse for a colon, and I refuse to use Accutane because it can have horrible gastric implications (and not only do I have IBS but a phobia of vomiting) and can make you lose your hair (which is my pride and joy and the only thing that holds my self-esteem and body image together).

 

So, has anyone found something that is not benzoyl peroxide and that actually works?

 

My Regimen

-Giovanni D:Tox Mask with charcoal and volcanic ash, every night on face

-Walgreens generic version of Hibiclens, morning and night on face and at night on back and chest (doesn't contain red dye)

-Burt's Bees Salicylic Acid toner (1%) with a couple drops glycerin during winter, morning and night after cleansing on back and face

-Derma-E Spot Treatment, morning and night on face (I use it as a moisturizer because you need so little and it calms the redness)

-Slice of Life multivitamin

-Ortho Tricyclin birth control for my hormonal imbalance, suspected PCOS. (I have some serious lady problems) This has helped my acne very little but at least not made it worse. As soon as it begins to improve my acne a tiny bit, which is by the third week of my cycle, I have to go off of it again. I'm afraid to try anything else though because of my IBS--obviously, (TMI warning), IBS causes me to suffer from hemorrhoids pretty badly and even this pill, with its very low blood clot risk compared to others, has made them much worse and long-lived because of the blood clots that form inside them.

-Gluten free and dairy reduced diet used to help IBS: I actually need to go to a gastrointerologist as well because this is only partially cutting it. This helped my acne reduce by about half (went from moderate to mild) but it has gotten much worse in the years since then, probably due to hormonal changes.

 

Stuff I've Tried:

 DermatologistNotes.pdf   86.71K   29 downloads

[random1]

I (think) i noticed that you havent tried any topical retinoids. I do not mean SS acid either, more like retin-a , or adapalene?

[Rorius]

I think there are other birth control pills that are better for treating acne, but I've no idea if they would be appropriate for you if your current ones are treating a specific imbalance.

 

Also I've noticed the side effects you've listed for Isotretinoin are the more controversial ones. You'd have to get off anti-depressants to take it anyway, so it's not really an option for you at present.

 

However, from friends and personal experience, I can tell you

 

- The pills don't cause nausea and vomiting- infact I find they're quite stomach friendly, especially compared to the likes of antibiotics.

 

- They can cause hair loss but I don't know anyone personally that this happened to, and when it does, it seems to be very mild. People often panic about it but when their course is over, realise that they really haven't lost any significant amount hair.

 

- There isn't any clinical evidence to suggest a link between depression & Isotretinoin. Remember it is often prescribed to patients with severe acne & depression with it. The depression can take more time to disappear than acne. It makes me much, much happier anyway as it clears acne!

 

 

How long do you try treatments until you decide if they're working or not?

[xpaperbackwriterx]

I (think) i noticed that you havent tried any topical retinoids. I do not mean SS acid either, more like retin-a , or adapalene?

I've never been brave enough. I've always been afraid I'll burn my face off or something. Have you had a good experience with them?

 

 

I think there are other birth control pills that are better for treating acne, but I've no idea if they would be appropriate for you if your current ones are treating a specific imbalance.

 

Also I've noticed the side effects you've listed for Isotretinoin are the more controversial ones. You'd have to get off anti-depressants to take it anyway, so it's not really an option for you at present.

 

However, from friends and personal experience, I can tell you

 

- The pills don't cause nausea and vomiting- infact I find they're quite stomach friendly, especially compared to the likes of antibiotics.

 

- They can cause hair loss but I don't know anyone personally that this happened to, and when it does, it seems to be very mild. People often panic about it but when their course is over, realise that they really haven't lost any significant amount hair.

 

- There isn't any clinical evidence to suggest a link between depression & Isotretinoin. Remember it is often prescribed to patients with severe acne & depression with it. The depression can take more time to disappear than acne. It makes me much, much happier anyway as it clears acne!

 

 

How long do you try treatments until you decide if they're working or not?

 

 

That's good to know. I might actually be going off the antidepressants and on to something else (The antidepressants were a temporary patch that haven't helped much. Don't know yet if it's bipolar, depression, or ADD....going to psychiatrist tomorrow ) so it might be a possibility. Still makes me nervous though.

 

two to three months, usually. In the beginning I only tried proactiv and such over-hyped products like a month though, because I didn't know. I tried my final stint with benzoyl peroxide, the prescription topical benzaclin or whatever it was called, six months before I realized that it was slowly working less and less and I was getting hives from the BENZOYL PEROXIDE. Duh.

Edited by xpaperbackwriterx, 24 February 2013 - 03:41 PM.

[random1]

HA, yea I could see why you would think that, afterall, they do have the tendency to make your skin more sensitive to the sun. I have tried Adapalene and I will say this. It had this wierd effect of making my skin really smooth, but as far as having significant acne reduction it was a moderately effective. I stopped using it in favor or searching for a better product. Luckily I did, but it's something I'd go back to if i could no longer afford my current one. I suggest it since it is alot more gentle (well in lower concentrations, because i think Adapalene comes in a couple) so it isn't likely to burn up your face like BP does (and boy does BP burn mines up  )

[xpaperbackwriterx]

I shall give it a try. What is your current product anyway?

[random1]

If you are seriously considering giving it a try I should mention (if you don't already know) that retinoids generally come with initial breakouts. Mine lasted about a month. It wasn't crazy terrible but still noticeable.

 

Currently I am on Dapsone gel (marketed as Aczone) there is a page here on Acne.org http://www.acne.org/...on.html#dapsone

It works in a different way than retinoids or BP by targeting mainly the inflammatory (red and bumpy) aspect of breakouts. 

 

I suggest these two often because I'm really pro about products that are gentle to skin (which is like a MUST for me - Uber sensitive skin here). 

[xpaperbackwriterx]

Cool! And pretty much everything I've tried has caused an initial breakout.

[xpaperbackwriterx]

Went to the dermatologist for the first time today He prescribed Oracea, which is an oral antimicrobial which wont kill my delicate digestive flora and which should help with the inflamation and infection of my acne, and he gave me retin-a gel. I'm kinda wondering if I should have asked for the pump though since I have to use it on my back....is there a difference?

[random1]

Good ol' Oracea!  Very cool! Difference between the pump and the tube?

[xpaperbackwriterx]

I ended up getting the pump. I was wondering if one was easier to use (it can come in both) but he gave me the pump since it holds more and I also have back and chest acne. Also, I had a much worse breakout on day two, but this is day 3 or 4 (I'm not quite sure) and my face is already doing INCREDIBLY WAY BETTER. This may be partially because I have SUPER oily skin despite its sensitivity and I can apply this stuff twice per day no moisturizer without blinking. The first couple days it made parts of my skin red and shiny (looked a bit like chemical burns, lol, but didn't hurt or anything) but that quickly subsided. It's a little peely and itchy but I washed last night with a buff puff and that seems to have gotten all the shedding dead skin off, and now I don't itch so bad (I think the itching was probably the dead skin shedding).  I kind of feel like the Retin-A is taking off an icky diseased mask that I've had to live with for many years.  I'm thinking that maybe my biggest issue with my face was that it wasn't shedding normally, because I haven't even began the Oracea yet (because I just started some other meds for different issues and I wanted to wait until i got used to those first). I may not even need it, but I'll probably take it anyway so that maybe I won't need the retin-A someday.  So far, no rash or bumps or anything, no hard or crustiness, and no intense itching. The itching is more like the itching I get on my legs when they're dry and scaly in the winter, and less like the insect bite sort of itching that the BP gave me, so I don't think I'm sensitive to the Retin-a which is good.  Surprisingly, i found that the face mask doesn't dry out my skin and actually moisturizes it, and doesn't burn.

[Morgan Korey]

I'm really sensitive to Benzoyl Peroxide so I can't use it either.

Nicotinamide Gel 4% I found can be quite effective, however the best thing I've used is tea tree oil.

I get very dry yet oily skin and this is the only thing that performs as well as benzoyl peroxide for me without the peeling or excessive oil production.

I mix 6 drops of 100% pure tea tree oil with 1 drop of jojoba oil and a few drops of water and then apply it all over my face. I then use Vichy Normaderm night cream over the top which really helps decrease inflammation and clogged pores, however it is quite expensive at £12.50 in the U.K.

 

Hope that helps

[kelseylee]

Hi, African Black Soap is amazing. It's sort of like the natural benzoyl peroxide. XO

Edited by kelseylee, 31 March 2013 - 12:32 AM.

[Lull]

Please consider trying oil cleansing & Manuka honey.

I also have serious hormonal craziness - PCOS with testosterone levels ridiculously high (highest the endocrinologist had seen... He was shocked because I apparently don't 'look' like the usual PCOS person?! My doctor refused to send me for ages because 'all women with PCOS tend to be overweight'!!! I explained my uber level of strength (the only thing I like about PCOS), excess hair, non-existent periods without intervention & acne and eventually he conceded something was going on...)

I was on Dianette pill (cyproterone acetate) for approx 6/7 years which helped my acne, period regulation & excess hair, but which resulted in my blood pressure creeping too high for my comfort - plus I had constant brain fog & other misc issues possibly caused by it.

I came off it 2/3 years ago and initially had only 1 or 2 periods a year. Recently they seem to have been much more regular (averaging around 10 per year!) and the only thing I can attribute it to is that I have been having 2 tablespoons of *ground* flaxseed on my muesli every morning. (Make sure it is ground, otherwise the fibre effect doesn't work & the nutrients aren't released and if it isn't freshly ground, the nutrients in the oil will oxidise & not do their job properly - a coffee grinder works great. Also ensure you take enough liquid with it). This has helped make me less bloated too since it keeps everything moving through my digestive tract.

I am sure you have looked at GAPS diet and elimination diets to figure things out with your IBS problems? Not my area of expertise, but worth a look into from what I've read.

Anyway - you sound like you are doing an awful lot to your skin. It sounds complex & like your skin is having to deal with a huge amount of different chemicals. Please try something gentler like oil cleansing & Manuka honey. I've explained my routine in greater detail on the Oil Cleansing thread.

Good luck fellow cyster!

[magic]

I've completely replaced benzoyl peroxide with mixing 4-5 drops of tea tree oil into a good moisturiser. 

[Binga]

Retinoid, niacinamide, vitamin b5 serum, zinc sunscreen and zinc supplement.

Hi, African Black Soap is amazing. It's sort of like the natural benzoyl peroxide. XO

 

 

Hi, African Black Soap is amazing. It's sort of like the natural benzoyl peroxide. XO

Which brand do you use?

[kelseylee]

Hi, I ordered mine off Etsy to get some really pure stuff. It was only $8 and I got two different kinds, bar and liquid form but w/same ingredients. There's lots of other shops on etsy that sell it as well. I put this link cuz she ships extremely fast.

http://www.etsy.com/...uery=black+soap

 

It is soooo much less harsh than benzoyl peroxide, which I see as sort of a last resort treatment if nothing else works. I would still be paying hundreds of dollars to get facials and have someone extract my pores or doing it regularly myself, not a good long term solution. Every single facial cleanser I'd ever used did nothing for clogged pores/raised bumps (closed comodones) + blackheads and they have actually gone away w/this stuff. I have gotten into the details of purging in other posts, but there is a process, usually a little clogged seed comes out the pore and falls away. Also, it makes it so you don't have to pop whiteheads anymore because it dries them up and helps them heal faster. Another tip, put neosporin/polysporin on inflamed zits every day until they heal (including cysts) and they will not leave a mark or nearly as much of one. 

 

I also got some at my local natural foods co-op but the online stuff is preferable cuz this had added castille soap which is too harsh for the face.

Edited by kelseylee, 02 April 2013 - 01:13 PM.