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Hey guys! So this is my first post but I've been a lurker on this sight for almost 10 years! I am a 23 year old female and I started getting acne when I was around 13. Through the years I've had periods of clear skin due to being on birth control and spironolactone. However these medications always made me extremely emotional and gave me some negative side effects so I always hoped I would be able to clear my skin naturally without any medications. About six months ago I quit birth control and spironolactone and started eating a high carb Low fat raw vegan diet. This diet kept my acne away and my skin glowing for about 5 months and then I started experimenting and eating more cooked vegan foods such at oatmeal, potatoes and rice. I started breaking out again not severely just little bumps on the forehead. Instead of eliminating these foods from my diet though I thought maybe I could fix these small blemishes by experimenting with my face routine. I had been doing sort of a modified caveman routine using just water most days and not wearing makeup. Once or twice a week I would wash my face with black soap to remove dead skin. But now I thought maybe I should experiment with doing more topical things to help my skin. I started with applying salt water to my face which just made me break out even more. Then I tried honey, apple cider vinegar, washing my face with black soap and applying shea butter. I didn't do all these things at once but I would try one for a week and then quit it due to breakouts and try something else.
Just wanted to let you know, I too, have stopped bc and spiro for the same reasons. Im also a vegan 
But due to my allergies, being a raw vegan is a little difficult, potatoes and rice are a huge part of my diet. My acne cysts is mostly on my chin and cheeks, and Ive been told its hormonal. Spiro worked once I upped my dose but it was terrible (recent blog post). I wish you the best! Ill be here lurking around hehe
Hey! So I just posted a new thread asking for advice on the caveman Regimen. My update now is not such good news....I fell off the the Caveman Regimen and the diet as well. I decided the diet was not the best thing for my emotionally. So now I am just eating a healthy well rounded diet including healthy animal protein veggies fruits and healthy fats.
I decided to go back on spiro and birth control because it always worked for me previously and to be honest I am so fed up with being so scared of everything I eat. Not only that but I haven't had a period for 6 monhs and I started notice extra hairgrowth and hairloss at a rapid rate that I've never experienced. So I decided although I wish I didnt have to be on medication for my hormones that it would be the
best thing for my sanity!
In the meantime while I'm waiting for the medicine to balance my hormones I'm sticking to a healthy antimflammatory diet, exercising, doing yoga, meditating, drinking lots of water.
Now I just need to figure out what to do topically! I want to try the caveman regimen again or do the modified version with water but im not sure what the best approach is. I would absolutely love to get a poll of people who have tried either and hear about yalls experiences. I am so ready to kick this acne and poor skin texture to the curb! Any advice is so appreciated!
Thanks for your advice Chloe! The reason I fell off the Caveman Regimen last time I attempted it was because it was so difficult not wearing makeup. I lasted about a week then I caved on my birthday. I work in a really social environment so it's so difficult and definitely takes a toll on my confidence to show my bare face everyday. I wish I could be stronger in that aspect but I'm just not there yet.
I just wear a light powder foundation from faerie orgnaics now and I don't think it irritates my skin. I was thinking maybe of doing something similar to you, not washing my face in the morning, applying makeup. But then at night I was considering wiping the makeup off with a cold microfiber cloth, then maybe trying oatmeal as a gentle cleanser and exfoliater? I have read some good things about using oatmeal like this. That it hydrates and lighty exfoliates the face. I'm a little worried to try it just because I've had some bad experiences with natural approaches to skincare in the past. The other option I was thinking about after wiping my face with the microfiber cloth was to use a gentle toner like witch hazel on my skin to make sure I got any last bit of makeup off. I would like to avoid moisturizers if possible only because I haven't been able to find one that my skin doesn't get clogged or irritated from. What type of moisturizer do you use Chloe?
Ughhh....the hardest part of having acne to me is not knowing what to do. If I could just have a definite plan that i knew would work eventually life would be easier. I hate having to use my face as trial and error for all these topical approaches. I have so much fear that the next thing I try on my face is just going to make it worse...as it has many times previously.