Hi, I am semi-new to the all natural route and have a few questions. I suppose I should start with a little background. I had been on birth control for 10 years. I decided to stop taking it because I did not want to put artificial hormones in my body anymore. Now I wish I had not stopped but I also do not want to go back on because I am disturbed that my body would have such a negative reaction. I had always had some zits while taking BC but never this bad. I stopped taking it 4 months ago. Around three months is where I got the worst of it. I thought maybe it was because I had started taking a burdock root tincture. That could have made it worse, who knows. I got big pustules all over my cheeks and chin. I am sure all of you know how this can make a person feel so I will not go into that. I feel like I tried everything, with the exception of medication. I want to avoid that because I am on a budget, do not have health insurance and have extremely sensitive skin. So I have decided to try altering my diet extremely. I was already eating healthy, maybe too many sweets though. I exercise moderately and meditate a couple times a week, but still stress out a nice amount. About a week and a half ago I overhauled my diet and skin care regimen. I cut out dairy, wheat and refined sugar. I have only been eating green smoothies, salads with salmon or egg and plain olive oil dressing, homemade fruit and nut bars and fruits for snacks. I started using (at the suggestion of a clerk at a health food store) Grandma's acne soap for normal skin with thyme twice a day, manuka honey mask at night, sea buckhorn oil twice a day and I started using diluted ACV for a toner. I use bare minerals matte for make up. The matte formula does not contain bismuth oxide. For supplements I take akne zyme, a multivitamin, vitex and probiotics. I have definitely noticed a small change already. I do not get as many large, painful pustules. They are mostly small now, but I am still breaking out regularly. I have comedones on my nose and cheeks from not exfoliating and extracting. It is so hard not to scrub and get out my extractor. How do you manage? Do they go away on their own? Are clay masks too drying and harsh? Also, should I take fish oil if I eat fish a couple times a week? Sweat inducing exercise, yes or no? Any comments and questions are greatly appreciated. Thank you.