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So. I've heard not to use water and then to use it and some people are using olive oil at night? Is it bad to use the emu oil. My face is really, really dry and starting to flake a bit which is weird. I thought it would be oily. I'm not using the ACV anymore. Does this work if you have body acne too? I am still using products there, cause I've only heard people doing this for the face.
Anyways right now I had a few whiteheads. The first day they turned from inflamed to like just the whitehead filling the whole pore. That has never happened before so I hope it's not bad. I woke up this morning and they are both gone but left a red-scabbish mark. It looks like I picked them or something. No big breakouts yet, except a little by my temple. Other than that my skin tone is becoming way more even. I actually can kind of tell what color it is. I have yellow undertones, who knew? The scars and marks look a little less worse. It actually looks like I am wearing mineral makeup (which you can't tell when I am b/c I am horrible at applying that stuff) So...should I not use water at all. And what exactly is this acid mantle, it sounds more like a part of the earth's crust that something on my face 
Terradacto;
I know that is true but its IMPOSSIBLE to not wash my face for days when I go to school. Plus washing my face once a day should honestly help restore the mantel, BUT IT DOESN'T. I already know I have superficial acne that causes whiteheads and it only happens because my skin is SO FREAKEN oily. There is no way I could go more than a day washing my face because I like to live my social life.... Maybe in the winter I will try not washing it for 2 days but that is the max..... Plus once I wash again after 2 days the damage is done again..... I honestly do believe that if I didn't wash my face for a week that it would make a world's difference, but who can do that? I can't possibly stay in my house for a week that's ridiculous. At least for now I'll try limiting my wash. Oh and another thing when my face AND hair is oil that's a double wammy. Anyone have any suggestions let me know.
About shaving; HOW THE F*CK do you guys do it? I honestly shave once every 3 weeks and it kills me to do it. I am pretty damn harry so after 3 weeks I almost look like the caveman from the geico commercial ! (ok not that bad im jk lol, but you get the point). I only shave with an electronic thing too.. so its more like a trim because the black stubs stay. Plus.... HOW THE F*CK can you shave with an oily face? THATS ASKING FOR CYSTS! HOW CAN YOU NOT!!!! use a cleaner or something after shaving especially to get the hairs OFF. I tried washing my face with water once after shaving and I had facial hair hanging out on my face the entire day. And when I use a cleaner the whole point of it to me is so that I don't touch my face as much as I let it get very soapy and it does the job itself. Any REALISTIC shaving suggestions let me know.
To Sum it up; MY FACE GETS SOOOO OILY That I can't NOT wash my face less than once a day. I have ruined it with harsh cleaners for YEARS that the damage is incredibly hard to reverse because I GET SO DAMN OILY!!! IT FEEELS AWFUL AND EMBARRASSING
hey again everyone; just updating you all. well, last night i ended up passing out before washing my face for the *last time so i guess i am begining this a day earlier then intended, lol. anyway, my skin right now i have to say is looking good, but i just woke up a few hours ago so we'll have to see what happens as the day progresses. i don't have any new pimples and also some whiteheads i had on my nose seem to be dissapearing. further then that my skin tone looks so good! i haven't seen it look like this in so long, even with help of "rocasea" perscription stuff. it never gets my tone looking this human. it's still a little pink, yeah, but a drastic improvement. also, my red marks... seem to have faded overnight. is that possible? yes, they are still there but they look more faint now. for oil, despite being so oily yesterday it seems the sebum has sunken in and now i'm only noticeably oily along my forehead, and that even is only in certain lighting. overall, my skin looks better right now then it has in a very very long time and i'm very excited to see what happens in the days to come! I'll update again in a few days.
To Sum it up; MY FACE GETS SOOOO OILY That I can't NOT wash my face less than once a day. I have ruined it with harsh cleaners for YEARS that the damage is incredibly hard to reverse because I GET SO DAMN OILY!!! IT FEEELS AWFUL AND EMBARRASSING
have you ever given it any thought that possibly you are oily BECAUSE of the damage? i have very oily skin also and i believe it's because of using cleansers etc. all these years. before i started washing etc. my skin was normal, it got slightly oily in the t-zones but nothing like now.
sowet - my advice would be.. well you have a few choices, I suppose.
Try and sacrifice between 3 and 5 days if you can't do a week... because with any luck (as has happened with me) the redness and everything will calm down quite a bit within the first couple of days (i've not had oily skin, however, for a while since switching to very gentle stuff)... but if you've been putting harsh stuff on your skin constantly then here is the other option..
wean yourself off cleansing... firstly, if you're using something harsh, switch to something as gentle as possible (like nutrogena extra gentle cleanser)... then when your skin is used to that, switch to washing only once per day (morning, if you prefer, if you're worried bout oiliness - when i washed only once it was at night but that's cos i had to take off make up)... then when your skin is a bit used to that, set aside your 3-5 days of having a light social schedule.. preferably just do as lil as possible... shower as lil as possible, avoid doing anything [at all] to your skin...
sunset2sunrise - it really is possible for things to calm down a heck of a lot overnight, yes... it's the appearance (it appears calmer tho probably nothing is substantially healed after only one night) but yeah it's possible... it's great that you're feeling good about it so far but also keep in mind that you will have days where you feel doubts and things don't go as peachy.. good luck.
well i'm on day 7 of no cleansers.. day 4 or 5 of no washing at all (not even water in the shower).. however today I cried enough to maybe upset the acid mantle.. and my tears are, obviously, salty heh... anyway my cheeks were somewhat irritated for a lil while after that, they've calmed down a bit again now though. so aside from that, overall things are still going smoothly. i'm really getting used to not wearing any make up when i go out.. and girls, trust me, it can be pulled off even with red marks!! I went to the pub tonight for a few drinks... no problem at all. I still got hit on (not that that is really a plus, i find drunken males quite annoying lol) and treated exactly the same.. nobody cared or noticed... i felt free. was awesome 
oh and had redness and the makings of a pimple on my jaw line when i woke up... well, the entire cycle of that pimple lasted pretty much till right now (about 1am).. seriously it's pretty much done lol. already shrivelled up. it's quite amazing. and yeah my actual skin has colour now, a normal colour, not pinky pale blotchy but a normal yellow skin texture colour. it's so cool!
i'd advise most to try and be as natural as possible. i think the first person on this website to think of this was alexalmighty. What he did was think back to the time when he didnt have acne and think what he has changed in his life. This is probably what led to his hypothesis. A very logical one i must add.
I just wish i had thought of or at least heard of this before i started going insane and over washing just because of one or two small zits. Maybe all these topicals have made me develop cosmetic acne? I'm not sure as i havn't researched it. (Note to self - research cosmetic acne)
To those who wonder about shaving, i try and shave little as possible. Maybe once a week.
I wet my face with cold water, shave very softly as to not irritate the skin. I then dip my face into water and let it dry on its own without a towel.
Im approaching my 2nd week and things are going ok i guess. Skin is looking better as my marks are fading but some acne is still active and blackheads around my chin and nose. For me, not washing takes my mind off having acne. Helps me forget, just need to stop looking in mirrors lol.
Sorry about this long post, just excited about this lol. To everyone doing this, please carry on. we'll all together here. thanksss, any questions just post
Lol, yeah my acne isn't THAT much better, but I don't really think about it anymore. I can actually focus on other things, like getting toned before Christmas! I was just wondering if anyone else does a strict diet. I haven't been eating 100 percent lately and was wondering if that might make me break out really bad. How do you not get your face wet in the shower while washing your hair? I need like a face net or something.
So. I've heard not to use water and then to use it and some people are using olive oil at night?
I'm the only one doing that. Oil's not bad for your face, especially if you're not using anything else on your face. I literally just take a shower in the morning and every other night spread O.O across my face and rinse it off before I go to sleep. That's it. There's my regimen. I dont have much acne (knock on wood).
Some of you guys are worrying too much about this that and the other. I couldn't stand the flaking after a week cuz it was an INSANE amount, so I incorporated O.O, and around that time, the flaking started to go away. I still get flakes here and there now, but its "meh" flakes that I dont care much about cuz it looks normal. And who says you have to follow the regimen exactly word for word? Everyone's skin is different...as long as you're letting your skin be in its natural state, you're following the regimen. Since when is water a bad thing? The key is to not "WASH" your face...rinse it with water whenever you feel like it and voila, there you go!
Its not that complicated.
Okay, soooo.. been a week since i used any cleansers and been 5 days since washing my face with water... today has been the worst day so far. my skin is a bit blotchy and red... and i have a few new bumps - it's not a break out though, it's actually just one area of my skin (my right cheek which has been a really bad spot for nasty acne in the past) where little a lil rash of smallish red bumps has surfaced... and i can feel (only felt it accidently when I scratched my chin) the 'blind pimple' ya get before it surfaces and becomes a noticeably or infected pimple.. so just the bump and the skin on top is a lil red, as typically happens.. i'm pretty sure it'll either form a white head and sort itself within a day, two max, or just not surface at all but we'll see...
as for the lil red bumps, they are annoying me and i'm trying to not care or touch them or freak out. because i wholeheartedly believe in this approach. i don't know how one could not, to be honest. it's as plain as day to me that naturally we're not supposed to interefere with our skin and naturally i doubt constant and painful acne is a proper function of our body so.. anyway.. i will be patient and not doubt the regime. i'm going to be patient and not doubt it for as long as i can, preferably an entire month.
oh the other thing... my face feels a bit dry. there seems to be a light layer of dry skin but it is not physically visible at all. not at all. it's just if i happen to touch my face (not often, i'm avoiding that) it feels like there's a layer of dryer skin on top of a layer of slightly oily skin that is doing it's lil job under there (lol)... also things look and feel better after i've gotten sweaty and then let things settle.. that seems to help even things out even moreso... i have one tiny tiny lil whitehead on my chin that i can hardly feel, it's practically gone and i only notice it up close in the mirror.. so skin tone not as great today, lil bit more bumpy and a bit more red... not entirely sure why but yeah. oh and it's a bit itchy too, i think that's part of the dryness.. but i'm still yet to SEE any dry skin.
I agree with karma89. I remember using O.O for a period and it was really good. Did well for blackheads. However, after a while of use it appeared to show adverse effects. E.g. skin got more oily and i think it irritated my skin a little. (I was still using topicals)
I like your idea of every other night. Seems it would be more effective in this type of regimen.
This regimen will not work for all of you. However, if you are going to attempt it, please do it fully. I quit using salicylic acid first, but was still using soap in the shower and applying ACV (I saw very little results). You have to fully let go of everything if you think this regimen may work for you.
I believe that many people have the acne that they do because they irritate their skin.
Think of if you have ever got a rash or even a scab. The more you messed with it, the WORSE it got. The more you touch, pop, rub, and pinch your zits, the bigger and more prevalent they will me.
Once you let go it is like this HUGE weight is lifted.
No longer do I get out of the shower and have super dry and tight skin.
Hmmm, so i've broken out... and trying hard to not care or get angry or discouraged. yesterday, because of my break out, I simply had to wear at least a light layer of mineral foundation to work or else it honestly wouldv'e come across as me not giving two shits about my appearance and that i didn't care about my job etc... so i was majorly annoyed and disappointed about that.. anyway when i got home i just washed my face with cold water to get the make up off, it *seemed* to get it off...
anyway today one of the new pimples formed a whitehead, so i spose that's good, the other one still red and angry... and now i can feel a new one forming on my forehead of all places (it's rare i get pimples there and i didn't even apply mineral powder to my forehead yesterday) and it's still 'blind' underneath but is absolutely HUGE... dunno wtf that is about... it's not just a lil pimple bump, it feels cystic or something... man i hope it doesn't come out. hope it goes away 
the rest of my skin tone however is good. except after washing with cold water yesterday, this morning when i 'dealt' with the whitehead (yes, dealt ... i know i'm sposed to leave it alone but i'm a bit fed up today!) just have the tissue on my face make my skin around that area start to peel... up until this point i've had no peeling whatsoever.. soo ..hmmm..
oh ALSO.. one another really important thing that I kind of forgot to mention... (or i mentioned it in another thread, not sure)...
on top of the other stuff i did to stop acne flare ups was avoid salicylates (i have a sensitivity, went to the allergy unit of a hospital in sydney) in high doses... you'd need to google it yourself. anyway... i also have to avoid preservatives, colours and artificial flavouring.. oh and msg... all of these, when you learn what they're in, become fairly easy to dodge... but lately i've let myself go BECAUSE my acne was so good and i've been feeling good so i stopped avoiding stuff i should and that has coincided with the break out... grr ..
Just another update. I haven't broken out yet, which is good. However, my current zits are not healing yet and my face is getting flakier. I have abstained from water for these past couple of days. Really sweated lately, too, and that has helped a little, I think. My red marks and scars look terrible, but I don't really care. It's nice not to have to wear makeup as well. I really hope this will get better soon, I so want to be clear by Christmas. I think I will try to go no water for at least another 2 days.
I wished this worked for body acne too...it definately hasn't for me. I will continue to was there. Just so y'all know this is working for me and i'm 16, so I find it interesting that it may help hormonal acne.
Also, the best part is that I just don't think about my face/how I look much anymore. I don't spend time staring at the mirror in horror and angst so I just don't think about it. That is what is helpful more than anything. I told my sister "hey, I think my skin looks better" and she was like "uhh....sure?" So maybe it doesn't look better, but I feel like it does, which is all that matters.
Since no one has posted pics, I MAY get up the gumption to add some soon. I'll just have to get the black marker out on paint and doodle out my eyes. etc.
i'm telling you guys, again.
Just use cold/lukewarm water on your face. Many swimmers have perfectly fine and even glowing complexions. Water is not that bad for your skin. The culprit really is warm or HOT WATER. In hot water, your skin's natural moisturizing factors are more soluble...
Hmm, I think there might be a whole lot of truth in this...
the dermatologist i saw aaaaaaaaaages ago told me to stop taking hot showers for the acne on my back... he said try and keep them as cold as possible and not stay in the shower very long. very interesting.
i had to wash my face yesterday with cold water to attempt to take off most of my mineral powder (cos i worked and had to at least apply something) and then this morning i had to wash my hair but i had the water as cold as i could (pretty much lukewarm) and my face got wet but didn't get irritated, in fact it's looking less irritated at the moment... although the chlorine in our water always gets me. we have a water filter for drinking water (maybe i should get a shower filter?) so if i ever wash my face on it's own i should use filtered water...
anyway. i suppose, again, what this proves is that natural is better. after all if you were stuck in the wilderness, where would you access a supply of hot water??? lukewarm, perhaps, but not hot like the temperature most of us showers in.
my skin has calmed a bit.. so far the forehead bump hasn't formed into anything, isn't even red. my cheek has calmed quite a bit too.. skin tone still way way way better than has been in a long time. always looks better after i sweat too so i'm trying to remember to get outside and active without getting burnt..
i'm telling you guys, again.
Just use cold/lukewarm water on your face. Many swimmers have perfectly fine and even glowing complexions. Water is not that bad for your skin. The culprit really is warm or HOT WATER. In hot water, your skin's natural moisturizing factors are more soluble...
Hmm. I agree with some of what you are saying. Like the cold water bit because it really has worked for me. But it's not really the temperature of the water they swim in, probably whats in the water. Chlorine! Dries out skin which is always good for active acne. Plus exercise is known to do wonders for complexion and tone.
there is quite alot of chlorine in your shower water... : )
i'm telling you guys, again.
Just use cold/lukewarm water on your face. Many swimmers have perfectly fine and even glowing complexions. Water is not that bad for your skin. The culprit really is warm or HOT WATER. In hot water, your skin's natural moisturizing factors are more soluble...
Hmm. I agree with some of what you are saying. Like the cold water bit because it really has worked for me. But it's not really the temperature of the water they swim in, probably whats in the water. Chlorine! Dries out skin which is always good for active acne. Plus exercise is known to do wonders for complexion and tone.
Hey again everyone, well my skin tone is improving everyday which is really nice. My skin isn't flaking yet, but isn't as oily as I expected it to be either. also about 4 itty bitty white heads appeared on my chin yesterday but they look like they will be gone in a day or two, and two of them released themselves on their own. I have one breakout (pustule) appear by my lip today so we will have to see what happens with that. Right now it's red and hurts a bit. Tonight I have to wash my hair so hopefully I will be able to avoid getting water on my face. And I must say, it's so nice not having to wash my face every night and morning. lol 
Does anyone know why people that do wash their faces with water or any type of cleanser don't have acne?.....and yet (if this works for us acne-people) we stay clear by the complete opposite?
Good question. I'm not too sure. I believe cleansing the face, in moderation, is not a bad thing. However, this 'regimen' works for me because i over washed my skin with all types of cleansers and oils. My skin didn't stand a chance really. Maybe one day when i don't have acne at all i will return to using a cleanser maybe once or twice a week. But for now i'm not going near it.
Plus, cosmetic manufacturers can't make a profit by telling people truths about skin care. It's free, like all good things in life.
Does anyone know why people that do wash their faces with water or any type of cleanser don't have acne?.....and yet (if this works for us acne-people) we stay clear by the complete opposite?
Good question. I'm not too sure. I believe cleansing the face, in moderation, is not a bad thing. However, this 'regimen' works for me because i over washed my skin with all types of cleansers and oils. My skin didn't stand a chance really. Maybe one day when i don't have acne at all i will return to using a cleanser maybe once or twice a week. But for now i'm not going near it.
Plus, cosmetic manufacturers can't make a profit by telling people truths about skin care. It's free, like all good things in life.
yeah, that makes sense- they don't over-wash like us. i don't know why, but not thinking about it also seems to help....may just be in my head though
Well, today is not so good... my face is very red again and seems to be irritated, not to metion alot of red dots/bumps are appearing on my cheeks. My forehead is kind of itchy, all 3 pustules I have currently have white heads but I'm not going to pop them because they're near my mouth. Um, there is a red spot on my chin which I have a feeling is going to turn into a zit. My skin still seems to be very oily, expecially my nose and forehead. Tomorrow will be day 5 of no water, I'm going to stick this out for atleast 14, hopefully today's just a bad day. I'll update again soon.
I think those little red dots on my cheeks are inflamed pores, I do have very clogges pores across my cheeks and that seems to be the only place the dots are. Do inflamed pores turn into pustules?? If so I think I might have to stop this regimen, because there are alot of them and I refuse to have 30+ pustules all over my cheeks. What do you all think I should do?