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I'm still doing the cleansing only method....everything looked good until week 2. I have now developed within 2 days mind you, a cyst on my cheek, a very oily pimple covered nose, and a large nodule under my beard. I am sticking through this though. In the past I would have run to my medicine cabinet and smothered my face in BP and moisturizer and this and that and I never saw improvement.
One thing I am noticing? Pimples coming and going in like, days time, when I used topicals like BP they would linger for weeks.
Interesting. They heal faster without the BP.
@clark, How far along are you?
My face broke out severely towards the end of the 30 days. It's now healing immensely since I stopped the method. I totally agree with the acid mantle thing, though, I read that researchers find your acid mantle recovers within 60 minutes of washing if you use a gentle cleanser. Not sure if it matters though if your acid mantle has been damaged like mine was.
Wish it would've worked for me but the blackhead and sebum plug build up killed my skin. I have tons and tons of hyperpigmentation from attempting it (sometimes I think my scars fade quicker when it's a pimple I popped. I've left almost everything alone and I think it made them take longer to heal). The scars are slowly fading and thank goodness I've gotten my breakouts to stop. The daily gentle cleanser/sensitive face lotion is working wonders for me. I feel like the mistake I made on the water only method was not using some type of moisturizer.
Good luck to you.
Sorry to hear you stopped, I also had the same outcome and gave in the first time I tried the water-only method years ago. However, I washed my face with warm water only and always dried it off with a towel. In the end my face just kept getting more inflamed and built-up with dead skin which led to more pimples. Nothing healed quickly like you mentioned in your own experience.
As for moisturizers, I've never been able to use them as they've all given me whiteheads or incredibly oily skin. That's why I was determined to try this again in a way that would alleviate dry and irritated skin.
I started my recent approach over a month ago and I'm still only seeing clear skin. I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but I can't urge you enough to give it another go with only cold water and a washcloth to gently remove the dead skin and sebum plugs. Then let your face air dry, always. You mention the acid mantle, well quite clearly a higher temperature in water aggravates mine from functioning properly. I can't be the only one.
If your new cleanser/moisturizer method doesn't work out and you feel compelled ditch the chemicals again, try an altered water-only approach with cold water. This is the first time in 10+ years of having acne that I've been able to maintain such a level of clarity for so long. Good luck to you too.
I'm still doing the cleansing only method....everything looked good until week 2. I have now developed within 2 days mind you, a cyst on my cheek, a very oily pimple covered nose, and a large nodule under my beard. I am sticking through this though. In the past I would have run to my medicine cabinet and smothered my face in BP and moisturizer and this and that and I never saw improvement.
One thing I am noticing? Pimples coming and going in like, days time, when I used topicals like BP they would linger for weeks.
Interesting. They heal faster without the BP.
I've noticed the same exact thing, hardly anything lingers. Its actually taken me off guard as I've never experienced it. I tried Dan's regimen a long time ago and the BP definitely didn't clear up a pimple in the same haste.
October 2011 - May 2012 Went full caveman and didn't let water touch my face. A thick crust of dead skin covered my face (luckily I was unemployed and didn't have much of a social life so the unsightly mess on my face didn't bother me). When I eventually removed the crust by rubbing it off, several people reported that the skin texture appeared "healed." I still got pimples as usual but the quality of the skin had improved and I no longer suffered from oiliness.
May 2012 - present I wash my face two to three times a week with water. I like to go several days leaving my face untouched. I regularly use honey or avocado masks that I wash off with plain water and cotton wool. I exfoliate by rubbing dead skin off using my fingers. People tell me I have healthy looking skin despite excessive post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
The caveman routine did not prevent acne from forming (eating right did that). What this all-natural method did was give me healthy, glowing skin and relieve me of my dependence to chemical 'treatments,'
Update on my cleansing only method...almost week 3 and I now have a total of 27 nodules/cysts on my face, half of which have come in the last few days. It is incredibly painful and I am considering going back on topical clindamycin. I honestly could deal with the disfigurement but the pain is too much, I can barely open my mouth up when I talk and it is hard to eat, as most of the nodules and pimples are around my chin and mouth area. Very disappointed and depressed with all of this. I try to limit certain foods, dairy, etc and it just hasn't done a whole lot. Sure, I am not perfect but I would think a 75% change to my diet would help, but my acne actually has gotten worse. Very upset right now and in pain.
Update on my cleansing only method...almost week 3 and I now have a total of 27 nodules/cysts on my face, half of which have come in the last few days. It is incredibly painful and I am considering going back on topical clindamycin. I honestly could deal with the disfigurement but the pain is too much, I can barely open my mouth up when I talk and it is hard to eat, as most of the nodules and pimples are around my chin and mouth area. Very disappointed and depressed with all of this. I try to limit certain foods, dairy, etc and it just hasn't done a whole lot. Sure, I am not perfect but I would think a 75% change to my diet would help, but my acne actually has gotten worse. Very upset right now and in pain.
Don't give up. What is your current diet like? What foods have you eliminated and what are you still eating?
I know it's easy to say, "Stick through it, wait it out" But last night, I just could not do that.
I had to apply BP and clindamycin last night to the area, I HAD TO. I woke up at 5 in the morning with my chin and mouth area pulsating with so much pain I could not believe it. There are 3 or 4 deep cysts intertwined below my skin starting below my lip down to the middle part of my chin. The pain made it impossible to sleep. It felt as if I had been punched and cut up all over my chin at the same time and I could not sit still because the pain was so bad.
I was up for 4 hours with ice on the inside and outside of my lip. Sorry, but when i'm in so much pain I have to pop tylenol, I can't eat, I can't sleep, I have to do SOMETHING . This water only, cleanser only, whatever regimen is great for people who have mild/moderate acne and maybe some bad cases, but not for those who wake up in extreme pain due to severe cystic acne. Once I applied BP and clindamycin, the swelling went down and the cysts started drying up a little. Sure it took half a day but it worked.
I hate topicals and treatments like antibiotics, I truly do. But when the hell am I supposed to do when I can't move my mouth to talk or eat and my lips are blown up from inflammation like food poisoning? Maybe once I get over this bout I can try it again, but until then I think I need to take the topical bp and clindamycin or else I will not be able to eat, work, and sleep.
Sorry guys, but I am officially out of this experiment for now. Good luck to the rest of you. I am going to use the time I am on the antibiotic cream and BP to get my diet consistent (I try to avoid dairy, refined carbs, frozen foods, fast food, etc but I am not perfect), my blood sugar regulated, to practice exercise, etc and hopefully find maybe a holistic type derm in the area who isn't going to try to put me on poison pills that give me psychosis. Ha! A holistic derm, somewhat of an oxymoron isn't it?
Heya!
I've been clear for over two years and have been on the water only regimen. I dig it and will allow you to refer to my "signature" for my view on it.
I will emphasize that I have not changed my diet, though for some people this seems to help with acne matters. I had moderate acne to begin with and it took about 2-3 months before I really began to see results. As the year went by Ibecame amazed with the fact that I did not require products to control my acne, but mine had to do with touching my face and being stressed. I must agree with clark4488, I use cold water to "presumably" close up mypores after I take a hot shower (allowing the water to run over my face and not touching it at all, then patting it dry gently with a clean towel after).
I wish you the best in your quest for a clear face, and one day I know you will succeed
I'm back on this regimen...again. A couple of weeks back something lured me into using BP again and I did, causing my face to return to being a flaky mess.
This time I won't be using moisturisers or any other products, just simply water. I remember my skin being absolutely flawless when I went through a stage of being lazy and barely washing my face, then as soon as I started using cleanser BOOM...acne.
I definitely won't be going back to chemicals any time soon. My acne.org BP has been thrown in the trash (it was out of date anyways) and I've given my moisturisers away. Hopefully my skin will start to heal itself again. 
I'm still using this method (water only), but I've recently made a change. I've read that oil is required on the face (or body for that matter), in order to activate the process that produces vitamin D. I've also read that this oil must remain present on the skin for 48 hours, in order for your body to absorb the vitamin D fully. With the approaching summer, that leaves me with only one option (I considered washing my face on the third evening, but it seems risky) and that's not to wash my face AT ALL, during that period (Complete caveman). I'm taking a break from chemical peels after this week and will stop washing my face from Thursday evening, so that I won't be forced to wear sunscreen during the coming months. I am kind of worried about my marks (though that's probably residue thinking from my "The sun is my enemy" days), but as I live in England, the sun is an abstract concept to us 75% of the year, so I HAVE to get as much vitamin D as I can, whilst I can. If this thread is still alive around November, I'll try and update you guys on any changes.
Ps- I hate how methodical, acne has made me >_>.
I have been doing water only for about 3 months now & I'm 99% clear. I have one tiny pimple smaller than a pin head. I know how it is I have had moderate to severe acne for 7 years. I understand each person is different, but really soaps,cleansers will only irritate your skin. You DON'T need them. When you wash your face with a cleansers or soap, it gets rid of the oils you need to fight bacteria. Or your body will begin over producing them. Thus, making you look oily. If you apply oil/moisturizers for dry skin, then your body thinks it has enough oil and will stop producing the oil you need to fight bacteria. Also, you don't want to wash your face with water too often, because even water can be bad if used too much. Here is what I do...
NIGHT
--at night I take a bath (not a shower) sometimes I do shower though & when I do shower I wash my hair & avoid letting the shampoo get on my face as much as possible the reason I avoid the shower is because I like my water to be really hot & that can really aggravate my face so it's the water temperature & shampoo as to the reason I prefer a bath over a shower
--after that or sometimes when I am in the bath i use water that is LESS than luke warm....think of the temperatures of rain, rivers, lakes, you get it..I splash some of the water on my face about 3-4 times then wet a white wash rag (i don't trust the dyes) and I gently wipe away my make up/dead skin I don't apply moisturizer I let my skin do "it's thing" and in the morning I'm not oily nor dry
Morning
--i don't wash or anything in the morning but I do put on my make up I use Neutrogena Healthy skin liquid foundation (the only thing my skin will tolerate) & a little bit of the skin clearing powder.I try to balance everything out..(my acne didn't clear because of the powder) because when I used that & washed my face I still had acne.. I have had to be very picky with my make up some products that Neutrogena & other companies make definitely break me out about an hour after I put it on (so pay attention to that, when testing out make up)
-other things I have tested out I have tried skipping on so many foods for months at a time & it didn't really help much I'm allergic to milk (i had a test done) but I still love it & still drink it ..stupid right? but i drink it everyday and I'm still clear..i'm definitely not saying eat bad..but i'm saying i am not the healthiest person on earth. i try to drink a lot of water but at room temperature I usually drink about 3-4 16 oz bottles a day.
sorry for blabbing on just wanted to share my experience on things..oh and i've tried going caveman before i actually went with the routine for about 8 months things didn't get worse, but they didn't get all the way better until incorporated water into the "doing nothing method"..but if you think about it cavemen USED water..so yeah..basically what i personally recommend is if you have sensitive skin don't use hot water/warm water/cleansers/soaps/most make ups...one more thing tweezing my eye brows has always broke me out..& it still does when I do so I have stopped doing that..point is different things cause different bumps but cleansers & soaps definitely won't help the situation..they might for a couple hours but not long term..pay attention to your bodies reactions but don't stress yourself out!
Okay I need some help from long-term water only regimen users. For the first week this regimen was amazing for my skin, it's never felt so healthy, but recently I've been having problems with itchiness. After splashing my face with cold water and patting dry, the skin on the creases of my nose and my chin get really itchy and then I either get a whitehead there or it is really red.
If anyone else has had this, let me know how you combated it without using any products. It could be that I'm using cold water or because I'm using too much water, I just don't want to change anything without accurate advice being given first.
Thanks!
Are you using unfil
Okay I need some help from long-term water only regimen users. For the first week this regimen was amazing for my skin, it's never felt so healthy, but recently I've been having problems with itchiness. After splashing my face with cold water and patting dry, the skin on the creases of my nose and my chin get really itchy and then I either get a whitehead there or it is really red.
If anyone else has had this, let me know how you combated it without using any products. It could be that I'm using cold water or because I'm using too much water, I just don't want to change anything without accurate advice being given first.
Thanks!
Okay I need some help from long-term water only regimen users. For the first week this regimen was amazing for my skin, it's never felt so healthy, but recently I've been having problems with itchiness. After splashing my face with cold water and patting dry, the skin on the creases of my nose and my chin get really itchy and then I either get a whitehead there or it is really red.
If anyone else has had this, let me know how you combated it without using any products. It could be that I'm using cold water or because I'm using too much water, I just don't want to change anything without accurate advice being given first.
Thanks!
Make sure to let your face AIR DRY, always. This should take care of the itching. Tap water vs unfiltered water shouldn't make too much of a difference as long as you only wash with cold water. I also incorporated the use of a wash cloth to gently remove any minor dead skin build-up, primarily in the areas you've been getting irritation.
I was going to say the same thing, let your face air dry. Also, do not use hot water or even warm water. Those kind of temperatures can irritate the skin. I have noticed that if my skin piles up for too long without me using a wash rag to gently wipe it away, it will cause little white heads. That's why I suggest using a wash rag, but don't scrub your skin. Also, start with clean areas first, because if you wipe the pimple and then a different area it can spread. Another reason why your face could be itching is it might be possibly healing. I know when my face began healing it did itch. Most wounds big or small will itch as they begin to heal. If you have used harsh products for a long time, your skin may be recovering from that and trying to heal itself.
Are you using unfiltered tap water?
Yup, I don't really have a choice though unless I start buying bottled water and using that. I guess I could get water from my refrigerator...but it's freezing cold.
Is unfiltered tap water that bad? D:
Some tap water tends to dry me out so I use either bottled water or boiled tap water (works for me). Give boiling a chance first because it's cheaper: I pour tap water into a huge pot, let it reach a rolling boil, then let the pot cool and pour the boiled water into containers. Give it a shot. If boiled water continues to dry you out, then move on to bottled water.
@Lewis, I feel for you. Honestly, what works for one person may not work for another. That would just be too nice of mother nature. I've thought a lot about going back on water only (with wash cloth and cold water) like Clark says, but I'm not convinced. Again, I for 99% of my life, used plain ol dove soap and nothing happened. Hot water, cold water, crazy pore clogging moisturizers, toners, you name it--CLEAR SKIN. Things went south when I went to a derm and got put on some strong stuff that destroyed my face.
I'm still getting zits but much much less than when I did with caveman, water-only. The scars are terrible. My red splotchy face makes me sad. I'm still working at getting the blackheads to disappear. I'm afraid I'll be purging those for quite some time. But I can deal with the couple of zits I'm getting now. If I can cover it up and go out, then that's how i'll have to live my life. Because with the water only, I couldn't live my life.
I think it's amazing that it worked for people. That's great. I'm so painfully jealous. But I was too afraid of potentially very bad scarring to let things continue on. I am a lost cause now unfrotunately. I miss having pretty skin and feeling attractive. Never take anything in life for granted!!
On a pleasant side note, I have been experimenting with some masks. The milk/nutmeg or yogurt/nutmeg masks work wonderful! They are great for exfoliating and tend to calm down whatever pimple I may be experiencing. Neutorgena stopped carrying my moisturizer so I have been testing some but haven't found a good one. Would love to find one that won't give me whiteheads. I used Lancome forever and it was brilliant but now I'm an acne sufferer so apparently thinking about moisture makes me break out.
Cheers
I'm just not sure what works for me anymore. Using products dries out my skin, using only water dries out my skin and I'm way too afraid to try the complete caveman regimen. I really want to be able to use nice products that aren't for acne and work on other aspects of my skin, but whilst my skin is in this condition I can't do anything.
Others would say my skin is fine, but it constantly feels so sensitive and itchy.
The water only dried my skin out. The dry skin led to more breakouts. The itching never went away. I don't know. Some people are just lucky that this works for them! Maybe some day I'll try it again. But I mean, the whole thing just lends itself to terrible obsessing. Did I use the wash cloth too much? Did shampoo touch my face? Is the water chlorinated? OMG!!! Maybe if I would've seen results then I could deal with the obsessing but it was seriously the worst thing I ever did to my skin and my mental/emotional state.
You can drive yourself nuts. If it ain't working, drop it. Some of us just ain't lucky. I read one guy slowly weaned himself off of products and then did the water only which worked for him. Maybe some day. Sigh.
Totally and completely sucks. It's a gamble on how your skin will react and I lost big time.
This is a little irrelevant, but I thought I would mention it. If your skin has a hard time healing or if it takes a while for a pimple to go away, I suggest you try probiotics. It works with the digestive system, because it contains bacteria that is needed for breaking down food. Many of us acne sufferers don't have enough of the bacteria from all of the different antibiotics we have used in the past.(antibiotics destroy most bacteria good or bad) We need certain bacteria in order to function properly. This is what I believe helped me get 99% improvement along with water only. Don't give up though, you will find your answer it just takes time. I also wanted to mention that I don't over wash my hair. I wash it about 2 times a week and use Head & shoulders. I wipe my face off with the wash rag most of the time after I get out of the shower/bath. I know that too much dead skin can cause acne so that's why I wipe it away gently at night using my pointer finger under the wash rag.
my first post, i thought it wil lbe best for me to join in on a discussion in which i am actively participating in.
first of all before i started this water only method (started 3 days ago) i have used a RIDICULOUS amount of products on my face, various cleansers, argan oil, jojoba oil, tea tree oil, the list goes on. All of which have only made my face worse and i have ended up in a very viscous circle. It started in October 2012 when i started developing a few spots (prior to this i have always had 90% clear skin). from this point i spiralled out of control and ended up absoultely destroying my face with products, and even using boiling hot water on my face.
As it is i have dry sensisitve skin already as i have had eczema since birth although it is now under control. since beginning the water only method alothugh it has only been 3 days my facial redness has decreased significantly and i seem to be getting less spots occuring. although like many others i am starting to shed loads of excess skin and my face is generally more drier. i am using e45 cream as a face moisturiser but i have now decided this is way to thick for my face and have instead opted for 'simple rich kind to skin moisturiser' which i have just bought to do.
What i really want to know is because i have such sensitive skin, would it be best for me to only use cold water as opposed to warm? the last 3 days i hav only used warm water and i HAVE experienced quite a bit of excessive drying. i beleive my face reacts better to cold water, but im not sure if this will remove any grease off my face especially as i am not using a cleanser!
also, i have unfortunately been left with blemishes on my cheeks from the scars from the past, to the stage where people ask me if i have been on holiday because my face looks darker.
im wondering if anybody else has/had this same predicament and if the water only method helped naturally clear up their blemishes and overall appearance?
Hi Ramsay,
It's a toss up on who you talk to. Everyone has had different results. I think the people you want to talk to are the people it worked for. Your problem sounds like how mine started. If it works for you, awesome.
My experience? First two weeks--wow, this is working, amazing! Weeks 3-4, oh...my....HELP. I probably wasn't getting rid of the skin enough or moisturizing. No clue.
Good luck to you! I still believe this is probably how mother nature intended it but honestly don't know how to do it without completely destroying my face. Now off to search for getting rid of blackheads and shrinking pores.
Oh nelly- im around 4 days in now since i started and i have already seen fanatastic results. on the second day i also had an issue with dead skin, but after scrubbing my face pretty hard, using just a towel i removed ALL traces of dead skin, and when i moisturised afterwards it felt like i had new skin! haha.
since then i have had literally no dry patches on my face; due to the new skin being hydrated and not having being disturbed by anything other than water. this is 100% working for me and i am ecstatic about it, even just 4 days in. how is your face looking now? are you still doing this method? or are you using added products...
Either way, for me this works, with a regime of:
splashing only cold water on my face in the morning and letting it AIR DRY. as of yet i havent needed to moisturise after using this method which is great. (the less things which touch my face the better)
last thing before bed i soak my face in warm water a few times to remove and grease, debris from my face, and then once again rinse with cold water. after this i DO apply moisturiser before bed to give my skin chance to replenish its hydration levels. although soon i might even try avoiding even mosituriser unless compleletely neccessary.
gutted that you had a relapse from your great results ohnelly, but were you sneaking in any foregin products here and there? make up, cleanser, balm, oils etc?
The water only dried my skin out. The dry skin led to more breakouts. The itching never went away. I don't know. Some people are just lucky that this works for them! Maybe some day I'll try it again. But I mean, the whole thing just lends itself to terrible obsessing.