Acne.org Products
I am back. I broke out really bad 99% because of PMS. Lovely along the jawline breakout. Maybe it's from my makeup too which I am trying to change ASAP with more Alima samples I ordered today.
Today at LUSH I bought a mask http://www.amazon.com/LUSH-Cosmetics-Mask-...0357&sr=1-1
and got a sample of http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Bare-Skin-Cle...H/dp/B0016PKA6W
I bought some neem oil too. It doesn't smell THAT bad. To me actually smells weird peanut butter. I have high hopes for the neem.
I am going to try and eat a lot more vegetables and alkaline foods which if you check out a list, are the healthiest foods while acidic foods are the worse of them. I think that's interesting.
I might also be breaking out because of the husk fiber because I read it can loosen stools in your body and make it go into your blood stream which seems a little silly to me seeing how it barely makes a difference. Then again I have only taken one pill a day.
I tried the neem oil. The first night I tried it, I felt sick the entire time it was on my face but today it was more tolerable. I think some of the cystic pimples went down but I don't remember what they looked like before. The inflammation went down too. I have to use a cotton ball piece over it since it'll melt right off your face.
No new cysts from a couple days ago when the big breakout happened. When I was eating just brown rice pasta for every meal (i'm weird like that and enjoy eating the same thing over and over) I wasn't getting enough fiber at ALL and went to the bathroom less. Now with the husks, I am back to normal and maybe a little faster with digestion because yesterday I ate something and saw it already out by this afternoon. A better digestion will surely help acne seeing how it's one of the root causes.
I'm just eating vegetables with hummus for all of my meals. Maybe it'll be a good cleanse.
cysts are going down. not sure if BP is a faster route but none of them get irritated or a swollen white head on it like when I only use BP.
i'll probably end up breaking out in a couple days from eating gluten free chocolate chip cookies that are sickeningly sweet.
If you want help on healthy eating, read this summary http://www.healthbooksummaries.com/The_Cure_1.html
I just bought Oregano Oil and Lavender Oil from Swansons for the cheapest price I could find for a total of $13 (this is including shipping).
I made a post in nutrition/holistic about neem oil. I couldn't keep it to myself anymore after seeing the results this morning. It completely blew my mind how they all SHRUNK! I hated how BP would burn my skin and irritate it so bad with peeling and getting a giant white head that would end up popping by itself and spreading the bacteria. NONE OF THAT WITH NEEM OIL! No more dry skin, woo! I always thought the only way you could get rid of acne is drying it out to death.
I wish I had before photos of the 4 cystic pimples on the other side since they surprised me the most but oh well.
Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
My skin is doing much better since I left for Chicago 1.5 weeks ago. The cysts are still down and no NEW pimples. One pimple I had on my jawline finally is getting inflamed after sitting there for so long but whatever, that means it'll go away then.
I am going to do an alkaline diet. What is it? Foods can either be acidic, neutural or alkaline with their PH. I didn't believe in that whole, "keep your body's PH balance with your food" because I read your stomach acids change it but when I looked at their acidic list it was mostly unhealthy food like flour, high sugar fruits, etc which made sense. GRAINS ARE ACIDIC. I have taken out wheat and broke out less but the fiber aspect is gone.
Meat-Dairy-Grains-Flour-Soda-Fake sugar-Some Oils-Peanuts-Processed
ALL WHICH I DON'T TOUCH! 
Well, I do have some flours but it isn't white and it's rare gluten free.
I am going to try spelt flour. I don't remember what had it but they sell spelt tortillas for $1 a piece which is higher than wheat ones. Therefore I'm going to try and make my own.
You shouldn't be completely alkaline in your diet either. It's like 60% 40%.
I bought chia seeds to help with fiber and omega 3's since I didn't really want flaxseed. I can use it in baking too. I also bought pumpkin and sunflower seeds so I can have "raw cereal" since I miss cereal a lot. You take the seeds mixed with cinnamon, apples and almond milk. I'm a little worried about having fats in my diet other than hummus because it tends to make my skin oily.
I knew something was up with salmon. It's acidic.
Still haven't gotten the oregano and lavender oil in the mail yet.
I just had an amazing dinner. I made spelt pitas with bean sprouts, hummus, avocado slice, rice cheese and alfalfa sprouts. I liked the bean sprouts the best because it reminded me of having chinese food as a kid which I can't have now or wouldn't eat anyways because of the high sodium and msg.
Even though spelt is related to wheat, it doesn't effect some people. Hopefully it doesn't for me. 
Sprouts are excellent sources of trace elements, such as iodine, zinc, selenium, chromium, cobalt and silicon. Crap. Well, if I break out, I'll know why!
Even though they say chickpeas are acidic, they still have recipes for using them in alkaline recipes. I'm going to try some chickpea patties tomorrow.
I tried the Alima makeup today. I did not like it at all. It had a bad gleam and shine instead of being matte and no matter how much i would blot, my face was an oil slick.
Acnejean, I'm sorry if you have explained it before, there are 15 pages to shift through and I'm too lazy to check, but have you considered reducing your regimen? I'm looking at the first page and notice you have six different items you put on your face daily. I dont know how you spread it apart between night and day, but to me, that seems to be a lot.
Have you tried, if only for a short while, just washing with a cleanser? You have to ask yourself at some point if acne keeps reoccurring, it may not have to do with your diet or birth control but whether you're irritating your face.
It just seems to me that whenever I come across someone on this website that has an extensive regimen, it never works.
Acnejean, I'm sorry if you have explained it before, there are 15 pages to shift through and I'm too lazy to check, but have you considered reducing your regimen? I'm looking at the first page and notice you have six different items you put on your face daily. I dont know how you spread it apart between night and day, but to me, that seems to be a lot.Have you tried, if only for a short while, just washing with a cleanser? You have to ask yourself at some point if acne keeps reoccurring, it may not have to do with your diet or birth control but whether you're irritating your face.
It just seems to me that whenever I come across someone on this website that has an extensive regimen, it never works.
I only wash my face with Papaya Likas Soap to get my makeup off and then if I'm not wearing it around the house I'll use the honey to wash over my face gently.
I don't use all the stuff I listed on my face. I moisturizer with the vitamin e 5,000 oil and that's it. If I have a zit I'll spot treat it with BP, sea salt or a mask.
I don't see that as too much.
Acnejean, I'm sorry if you have explained it before, there are 15 pages to shift through and I'm too lazy to check, but have you considered reducing your regimen? I'm looking at the first page and notice you have six different items you put on your face daily. I dont know how you spread it apart between night and day, but to me, that seems to be a lot.Have you tried, if only for a short while, just washing with a cleanser? You have to ask yourself at some point if acne keeps reoccurring, it may not have to do with your diet or birth control but whether you're irritating your face.
It just seems to me that whenever I come across someone on this website that has an extensive regimen, it never works.
I only wash my face with Papaya Likas Soap to get my makeup off and then if I'm not wearing it around the house I'll use the honey to wash over my face gently.
I don't use all the stuff I listed on my face. I moisturizer with the vitamin e 5,000 oil and that's it. If I have a zit I'll spot treat it with BP, sea salt or a mask.
I don't see that as too much.
As you describe your regimen above it isn't too much. I know personally I'd be hesitant to use any kind of soap, or vitamin E oil as a moisturizer, but if it works for you then keep at it.
Really, your skin looks good, and there is an obvious improvement since the beginning of your regimen. My only question was with the amount of products you were using.
Acnejean, I'm sorry if you have explained it before, there are 15 pages to shift through and I'm too lazy to check, but have you considered reducing your regimen? I'm looking at the first page and notice you have six different items you put on your face daily. I dont know how you spread it apart between night and day, but to me, that seems to be a lot.Have you tried, if only for a short while, just washing with a cleanser? You have to ask yourself at some point if acne keeps reoccurring, it may not have to do with your diet or birth control but whether you're irritating your face.
It just seems to me that whenever I come across someone on this website that has an extensive regimen, it never works.
I only wash my face with Papaya Likas Soap to get my makeup off and then if I'm not wearing it around the house I'll use the honey to wash over my face gently.
I don't use all the stuff I listed on my face. I moisturizer with the vitamin e 5,000 oil and that's it. If I have a zit I'll spot treat it with BP, sea salt or a mask.
I don't see that as too much.
As you describe your regimen above it isn't too much. I know personally I'd be hesitant to use any kind of soap, or vitamin E oil as a moisturizer, but if it works for you then keep at it.
Really, your skin looks good, and there is an obvious improvement since the beginning of your regimen. My only question was with the amount of products you were using.
Yeah, I know at times I can try too many new products for my skin but never properly update my log correctly so it seems I'm doing 100 things to my face lol. The only upcoming products I am trying to use in my regimen are oregano oil and lavender oil.
I know the ingredients of the papaya soap so I think I'm ok. It is like vegetable glycerin, papaya extract and coloring. I am a little weary of the vitamin e oil since it has other oils added it in it but I can not for the life of me find a cream lotion that won't clog my pores.
I just tried the oregano oil. I diluted it in a spray bottle with spring water that I drink. I smell just like a pizza! Har har.. pizza face. I was called that once and it was by someone younger than me when I first started getting acne in 8th grade and my friend was confused at what the girl meant.
I'm a little scared to use the lavender oil because I read it can raise estrogen, make your face grow hair and photosensitive so if oregano doesn't work, I'll try that as a last resort.
Ever since I started using neem oil on my face I can noticeably see a difference in inflammation. Before when I would look in the mirror my face would be beet red compared to my neck because of irritation or from anxiety (I get these panic attacks and so I get a red face from it and my body feels on fire). Now my face is all one color to my neck and the only inflammation are from the active acne. It is really weird seeing that.
I only add this stuff to my face at night because I'm sure the neem oil smell and the pizza smell aren't really great hah.
Right now I don't have any actual zits but rather red spots that are healing because I use a Neutragena mask and it burned my skin.
I have cut down on my vitamins lately. It's only been Zinc with every meal now and Cherry powder for vitamin C once a day with almond milk. I haven't taken vitamin A pills in a couple weeks and didn't notice any adverse effects.
My last breakout was in May otherwise still no new zits. Maybe the husks are helping even though I take them every other day or it's the neem oil that is stopping the acne.
Right now I only take:
Zinc with every meal (150 mg)
Acidophilus (Nutrition Now PB-8 Acidophilus 2 capsules a day)
Vitamin C (100% natural cherry powder in almond milk)
On my face:
Neem oil
Oregano oil
Spot treat with BP 10%
Jasons Natural Vitamin E 5000
Wash:
Manuka honey
Papaya soap (take makeup off)
I ate chocolate candy two days ago. I haven't eaten candy this whole year. It wasn't that great anyways. If I break out in a week, I'll be able to pin point it and use my oregano oil at it's full potential .
wow this is a long and detailed thread. I agree that acne is caused by diet, among other things. It just makes me so jealous that some people can eat whatever they want and not get acne at all.
Eh, I don't think it's very detailed. It's long though! It's been a year and a couple days since I started this ;). Yeah, I agree with the eating thing but in the long run eating all that junk food will rot your insides and lead to future diseases. Atleast with an acne diet we can help avoid that.
Here's a picture of my skin in a nutshell. The cystic breakout (like 4 by each other) I have been dealing with on the right photo is still healing but they're flat atleast otherwise no active pimples. There are 2 little clogged pores by my chin but not big pimples.
This was taken in Feb. The redmarks looks to have healed by my chin/jaw which is surprising.
Here is a fuller comparison again of the red marks at their worst (before diet change).
Ever since I started using neem oil on my face I can noticeably see a difference in inflammation. Before when I would look in the mirror my face would be beet red compared to my neck because of irritation or from anxiety (I get these panic attacks and so I get a red face from it and my body feels on fire). Now my face is all one color to my neck and the only inflammation are from the active acne. It is really weird seeing that.
You know what product has the same effect on me? The Trader Joe's soap that I use, I noticed that after using it as my staple cleanser I get no irritation and the only redness on my face is from the red marks. I absolutely love it, before I used a cleanser from Dermologica that has a tiny percent of salicylic acid and it would always leave my face irritated.
I am trying really hard to eat healthy, the only days I seem to deviate are on the weekends. I'm not a vegetarian so I do consume yogurt and eggs, but I eat salads Mon-Fri and I also started having a green smoothie everyday again. I hope that I do not get any new breakouts, I am quitting my antibiotics next week after being weaned off.
How often would you say that you experience a new breakout?
I too get anxiety/panic attacks but they only happen to me when i'm super nervous about something like going to the doctor or speaking in front of an audience. Other than that, i'm fine. I went to doctor for it once and they said if it was really bad they could prescribe me some pills for it, but I think I can control them on my own. I don't want to be dependent on pills which is why I want to get off the antibiotics.
Ever since I started using neem oil on my face I can noticeably see a difference in inflammation. Before when I would look in the mirror my face would be beet red compared to my neck because of irritation or from anxiety (I get these panic attacks and so I get a red face from it and my body feels on fire). Now my face is all one color to my neck and the only inflammation are from the active acne. It is really weird seeing that.You know what product has the same effect on me? The Trader Joe's soap that I use, I noticed that after using it as my staple cleanser I get no irritation and the only redness on my face is from the red marks. I absolutely love it, before I used a cleanser from Dermologica that has a tiny percent of salicylic acid and it would always leave my face irritated.
I am trying really hard to eat healthy, the only days I seem to deviate are on the weekends. I'm not a vegetarian so I do consume yogurt and eggs, but I eat salads Mon-Fri and I also started having a green smoothie everyday again. I hope that I do not get any new breakouts, I am quitting my antibiotics next week after being weaned off.
How often would you say that you experience a new breakout?
I too get anxiety/panic attacks but they only happen to me when i'm super nervous about something like going to the doctor or speaking in front of an audience. Other than that, i'm fine. I went to doctor for it once and they said if it was really bad they could prescribe me some pills for it, but I think I can control them on my own. I don't want to be dependent on pills which is why I want to get off the antibiotics.
There aren't any trader joe's around here :(. What are the ingredients in the soap? I avoid s.a and b.p washes also because it's too irritating.
Salads can be a tricky thing. I think you can get more nutrition from other foods. They don't fill me up at all which can lead to more cravings and binging. I can't stand green smoothies. I tried but just yuck.
I avoid eggs because of the iodine content. You might be breaking out from foods like that. If you want the bacteria in the yogurt, I would just buy pills and skip the dairy.
If you watch a movie on killing animals, it might scare you straight. But I'm not that type of person like PETA. I don't eat meat because it takes so long for our bodies to digest and that's a problem with people and acne - digestion.
It depends. I have gone weeks without a new breakout since starting neem and oregano oil but since I'm a girl and PMS can come, it normally is that but I think my makeup has been breaking me out in the past and currently looking for a new one. I ate fast food and candy (again) for the first time today in a long time so we'll see if the diet can do some damage. I got soooo sick of playing by the rules with my diet lol. It is a rare thing to steer of my diet anyways.
I used to be on medication for social anxiety and I know it's 99% connected to my acne and self-esteem. I'm not on the pills anymore and feel a lot better but each person is different.
I would go to a library and find a book on acne and diet. Dr. Perricone was the first acne/diet book I read and it opened my eyes. He talks about inflammation foods and other things. I don't eat salmon which is says is the main thing for his diet because of the iodine content in salmon.
It's been a week since I had the chocolate candy Ferrero Rocher to be exact. I had like 6 of them and no new zits! That is very shocking to me because the last time I had chocolate candy was a Snickers back in January and I remember breaking out from it.
I stopped wearing the L.A Minerals too. Maybe that was contributing too. It's been like two weeks without it. I'm using Alima but I hate the gleam it has in it so I'm going to try Meow Cosmetics.
I had Taco Bell and candy earlier this week lol. So we'll see on that! I'm not switching to a fast food diet. I was just stressed and didn't have any other option other than fast food that day. I need to remember to have back up snacks in my car like almonds or something.
By the way, spelt flour pizza is amazing.
I chop up garlic and onions, sea salt and mix it into the spelt flour dough, cook it on a frying pan which cooks in less than a minute for each side, put the topping on it like rice cheese, tomato sauce (HFCS free) and hummus and pop it in the oven to melt. I add alfalfa sprouts at the end or it'll burn in the oven. It's tastes great.
I also eat spelt flour pancakes, sweeten the batter with stevia and use a fruit spread for topping. No syrup or butter here.
I think the Alima makeup broke me out. It isn't anything drastic but I did get a large amount of pin sized clogged pores along my lower half of my face. It's in the same location I normally put neem oil so it might be that because putting the vitamin e oil + neem might be too much. Maybe it was from washing with Manuka Honey and it wasn't enough to get the oils off my face. I started using buttermilk today. It's not enough to use by itself so I'll still have to use jasons naturals vitamin e oil.
I got the Meow Cosmetics but haven't tried them out yet. L.A Minerals is easy with the "warm or cool" color. Nope. Meow has peaches, pinks, cools, things I don't want. I just want a normal warm! We'll see if any of them match.
That's some great improvement! I have been on a strict diet of no dairy, gluten or breads for around 2 months now. At first, things were getting really good compared to the winter time. The main difference is that I basically don't get any cystic acne anymore, BUT I recently broke out with many small white heads clustered together while staying on my diet. I am wondering if maybe meat has a bad effect on me, as we eat some kind of steak around twice a week. Other than that, I don't think anything else could be setting me back. Do you only wash your face to remove makeup?
That's some great improvement! I have been on a strict diet of no dairy, gluten or breads for around 2 months now. At first, things were getting really good compared to the winter time. The main difference is that I basically don't get any cystic acne anymore, BUT I recently broke out with many small white heads clustered together while staying on my diet. I am wondering if maybe meat has a bad effect on me, as we eat some kind of steak around twice a week. Other than that, I don't think anything else could be setting me back. Do you only wash your face to remove makeup?
Meat is the longest food to digest in the body. I can't find an exact time of digestion. Also the hormones in the meat might be doing the same thing milk does damage with. Steak has saturated fats so maybe look into that.
I wash my face 3 times a day. When I wake up, mid afternoon like 3 pm and then before bed. This is if I'm at home all day and not out. Otherwise it's just the morning and night to remove makeup. I make sure other than removing makeup that it's gentle washing.
Day 1 of Burt Bees Radiance Day Cream.
I am so sick and tired of my makeup looking crappy and I suspect it's from using an oil under it. I also bought AcneFree Green Tea Skin Moisturizer but that has some questionable ingredients like dimethicone and algae extract so if the Radiance Day Cream doesn't work well, I'll look into that as a last resort.