Acne.org Products
Since I found out the water from my bathroom is pretty high in lead and full of other harsh chemicals, I've decided to use cetaphil without water.
It says on the back, massage into skin and remove excess product. I found that it went on like a moisturiser rather than a cleanser and there wasn't much 'excess' to remove.
I read a lot of reviews on this method and it works pretty well for some. I'll keep you updated on how it goes!
This is a good topic to post about. I've been a long term user (10 years?) of Cetaphil Gentle face wash - but I always use it with water. The few times I tested it without water it felt like it left quite a bit of residue on my face. That said, I don't seem to mind the residue left by the Cetaphil Cream Moisturizer at all. I'll be curious to see how you do long term. Maybe when I get my current skin problems under control I'll test the waterless method (one day).
I have an oily-zone and get dry skin on my forehead. The creases of my nose are always itchy and I always have that one annoying whitehead that's healing and other seeking its way out. It just never feels calm unless I'm drunk in which I forget about my skin completely.
I never touch it, I wash only twice a day and use moisturiser. If I change things up nothing changes. I've tried water-only with and without moisturiser, only cleansing without moisturising and now cleansing without water.
I did the acne.org regimen and that wasn't really suited to my sensitive skin and wasn't worth it. I just want a regimen that will keep my face fresh feeling, itch/oil/dry free and just normal. Normal like those people that just have no problems with their skin at all and can just wake up knowing that they won't have a new pimple and can go to bed without washing their face.
I think I understand better now. Thanks for explaining.
Years ago, when I was NOT on birth control, I came here seeking answer too. I found that benzoyl perodixide, sal. acid, and other often used products gave me severe reactions. I'm horribly sensitive and allergic to many things. (since then found out I have a variety of skin probs - not just acne).
When I went on the pill (I know this isn't an option for you) I still needed help with my skin - and that's when I discovered the benefits of a topical daily AHA and moisturizer. It takes dedication and time for the results to happen however. If you're impatient, and want results to show up in a week or two, don't try it. It takes probably 6-8 weeks for it to start working well. It may purge you during those weeks. It has to be started slowly, or you may get red, irritated, itchy, etc. If you start it, do it every other day or less to begin with. I worked up to twice daily - which was my perfect amount - using a 10% glycolic. My routine was just this: Wash twice daily with cetaphil gentle cleanser. (comfortably warm water - pat dry) Let the skin dry for a few minutes. Put Cetaphil Cream moisturizer on face. Let it dry at least 5 minutes - or up to 30 minutes if you have the time. Then apply the AHA. (Waiting to let the face really dry helps curb possible irritation when you're not used to the product.) That might be all you need to get rid of the dryness and help keep the pimples from forming. Not sure if it does much with oiliness, but it doesn't make it worse.
That was all I needed for MANY years. Coming off the pill just recently has changed my hormones and the AHA doesn't do it all by itself anymore. So I'm using other things in combo with it - with some help from my derm (who I don't totally trust yet.) My derm loves AHAs, so that's a bonus that she didn't pry it out of my hands.
Hope this might give you new ideas.
Wow, thanks a lot. Strangely I was considering giving AHA a try as it's the only thing I haven't tried. I do believe that the surface of my skin is probably the cause of my acne and that's what AHA treats, thei surface.
I was going to try the acne.org AHA but it's quite low in glycolic, so I'm going to look for a stronger one.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to help. I really appreciate it.