So to give you back round on my skin type I have dry/combination skin that is acne prone. I only get oily on my nose and forehead, the rest of my face is prone to dry patches.
I went in this knowing I probably would have to start slow with the benzoyl peroxide because my skin is on the dry side. I started using less than a pea sized amount and my skin was flaking the very next day. I moisturize 2 pumps + jojoba oil so I know I'm moisturizing enough. Sometimes I even moisturize multiple times. That being said the moisturizer that I bought in the kit is terrible in my opinion. It feels like it just sits on my skin, smells awful, and stains my sheets. Not to mention it took a while for my skin to stop burning and itching when I put it on. So now I am on week 3 of this and if I itch my face the skin will literally flake off my face. I went to the lake yesterday and was so embarrassed when I came home and realized my skin looked like it was shedding off like a lizard.
I am very thankful that I have no new acne coming in but I just want to know if there's going to be a light at the end of this tunnel?? I've heard people say there's a rough period with red, flaking skin but I'm wondering when that is supposed to subside because my skin still hasn't adjusted to the treatment.
Any advice is appreciated : )
It can take a while. Some people adjust in a few weeks and some in a few months. Some never fully adjust. Your skin won't be able to get stable until you stop increasing BP (maxed out) and have stayed at that level for a while. For me, i think 2 weeks after my last increase i see my skin able to handle dryness and irritation much better. I am starting week 8 on Saturday and i am at 1.5 pumps of BP and i plan to stay there for a while. My skin is dry, red and sometimes itchy but not as bad as it was when i last increased BP a week ago. Your face is gonna look like shitz for a while but try not to get too discouraged especially since your acne seems to be better
Best of Luck to you.
I agree about the moisturizer - it doesn't mesh with everyone. I use neutrogenia for sensitive skin and it is much better for my skin than Acne.org so you may want to switch.
It can take a while. Some people adjust in a few weeks and some in a few months. Some never fully adjust. Your skin won't be able to get stable until you stop increasing BP (maxed out) and have stayed at that level for a while. For me, i think 2 weeks after my last increase i see my skin able to handle dryness and irritation much better. I am starting week 8 on Saturday and i am at 1.5 pumps of BP and i plan to stay there for a while. My skin is dry, red and sometimes itchy but not as bad as it was when i last increased BP a week ago. Your face is gonna look like shitz for a while but try not to get too discouraged especially since your acne seems to be better
Best of Luck to you.
I agree about the moisturizer - it doesn't mesh with everyone. I use neutrogenia for sensitive skin and it is much better for my skin than Acne.org so you may want to switch.
Thank you for your reply. I'm trying not to be discouraged because I guess flaky skin is a good trade off from acne for now I just hope I am one of those people who can adjust to the BP. To cover the acne scarring I've been using Missha BB cream and I stipple it on by just pressing it into my skin so it doesn't exfoliate the dead skin off. On the upside I haven't been wearing any concealer which is the first time in probably 4 years.
Many people say that the first 4 -6 weeks are the worst because you can still expect new breakouts but on top of that your skin is red, itchy and flaky. But it DOES get better. I"m glad that you're finding that new breakouts are reducing but you just have to ride out the horrible itching and flaking stage....if you stop now you just wouldnt ever know if had you stuck it out for a couple more weeks if your skin would have adjusted.
I agree with Dan's moisturiser. I found it not moisturising enough in the first few weeks, but it also was the best moisturiser I found for getting me clear. Its such a difficult trade off. Perhaps you might find a combination of moisturisers to be more helpful. Try Dan's moisturiser in the day and then cetaphiil (which is thick and greasy) for the night time. Maybe that might help with moisturising.
Another thing to keep in mind with itchiness that I found is if I didnt wait long enough before applying moisturiser after BP, my skin was itchier. If I waited a good 10 - 15 mins after apply BP to then put on moisturiser my skin was a lot less itchy.
Good luck with it all....im sure all the longer term regimen followers can all relate to your post. just hang in there and believe it gets better. Good luck!
Moisturisers don't always agree with certain skin types. You have to find one that is right for you. I'm definitely one of those that struggle to find one that isn't too heavy/greasy, but hydrates the skin sufficiently.
Maybe you could try the Jojoba oil on it's own for your morning application of the regimen. It's very similar to the sebum your skin produces naturally (and can even trick your skin into producing less oils) and is very moisturising alone. A lot of regimen users only use Dan's moisturiser at night.
If not, just experiment with different moisturisers. I hear good things about CeraVe moisturisers and Aveeno ones too. I wouldn't recommend any moisturisers that are directed at acne prone skin as they're likely to contain exfoliants (at a low percentage) and would just double the amount of dryness along with reducing the effectiveness of the regimen. I made that mistake...
Good luck, hope you find a moisturiser that works well for you!
Lewis