LewisS

I know there's a lot of topics on this, but everyone's skin is different and I want to know which would be best suited for mine. I've been looking at Paula's Choice chemical efoliants and I'm thinking of purchasing the BHA 2% gel to combat my combination skin and whiteheads/pustules. Also my skin hasn't been exfoliated in a long time so sometimes it feels and looks really dull.

There's also a AHA exfoliant which also has lots of great reviews, but I've read in most places that BHA is better for controlling my type of acne.

Does anyone else on here use PC products? If so, how effective are they?

Thanks!  

You may (or may not) notice that I post on other peoples threads seeming like I know best and that I have things under control. Quite the opposite, my skin is a bit of a mess right now, well compared to how it was 2 days ago. I have pustular acne (whiteheads with pus) around my nose and on my chin and it's usually down to irritation as to why I break out. Sometimes it's also to do with my diet too which I've changed recently. 

I've also been on the caveman regimen for almost 2 weeks without any breakouts, until now. This regimen is perfect when your face is clear, but when you have pus-filled zits on it, all you wanna do is wash it. I'm torn between grabbing my products out of the bathroom cupboard  and just leaving the breakout to clear up on its own. 

The thing is, water really dries out my skin, even filtered water and then leads me to break out really bad around my nose. When I avoid it, my skin always feels really hydrated. It could be the temprature of the water, because currently our boiler is broken, therefore I'm limited to (very) cold water only...unless I'm in the shower, that's electric.

The cleaner I have stored away is 'Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser' which I'm not all that fond of and the moisturiser I have is Clean and Clear Dual Action and it has .5% salicylic acid in it. It works well, but it's not all that effective for treating acne.

The question is, products or no products? If you say products, why? I need a really good reason so I don't feel guilty!

So yesterday I tried out some body mist that my mum uses and I'm really happy with the results. I have a very even, natural-looking tan. I read on the back of the bottle that this product cannot be used on the face and that they sell an individual product for that. I'm assuming it will still be loaded with ingredients that clog pores, but it never really seems to be products that cause my acne...well it depends whether they dry me out or not or cause irritation.

The product is 'L'Oreal sublime bronze airbrush-effect self-tanning dry mist for face' and it claims to dry instantly and moisturise at the same time. If you guys think it's a huge no-no for the face, what would you recommend? This product is quite expensive too, so I'm unsure whether it's worth the price if it's going to cause me to breakout.

Thanks

This isn't a direct problem with acne, but something that has been caused (or worsened) by trying to treat acne. I've always had dry, itchy skin around the creases of my nose which has never been that severe or bothersome. I started the caveman regimen a few weeks ago which caused dry skin to build up, although I still didn't find it more irritating or itchy than normal.

I decided that I'd finally use a splash of warm water to remove some of the dead skin - it kinda worked, but also dried it out making it really really itchy. I have no idea what to do, should I use a cleanser? Do I have some kind of seborrheic dermatitis? What creams should I use to combat it?

I've tried applying moisturiser around the creases of my nose, but it seems it just makes it worse in the end and kind of provides a 'breeding ground' for whatever is making it itch. It all turns a yellowy colour and it's just not nice. I woke up last night and wanted to rip my nose off. I really don't want to aggravate the area so I'm refraining from itching, I really don't want it to look as bad as it feels.

Help?

Does anybody else that still live with their parents find it hard to eat as healthily as you may want to? Since I still live under their roof I eat the meals that they cook and whilst they're not necessarily unhealthy, they're not as raw and simple as I'd like. If I had a choice I'd basically live off plain meat and vegetables...all day every day.

Other than getting a job and buying my own food, I'm not sure of any other ways I can get on a really raw, healthy diet. I go on about making my own shampoo's and toothpaste from baking soda and eating a paleo/caveman diet and I just get weird looks from them.