Can you explain in one post what, exactly, you think contributed to the clearing of your skin?

Becuase your improvement is incredible!

cool, thank you for replying!

also, you're just using one cleanser and that's it? i guess my question should really be, what are you using topically?

OH, and is gluten the same thing as wheat? how do i know what foods contain gluten?

hmmm, i am still clear.

how weird. i haven't been able to take my vitamins for almost a week now and no new pimples.

i'm still going to keep gluten out of my diet as much as possible though since gluten is an inflammatory. if somehow i'm not allergic i would still look for gluten free items because it's most likely to have healthier things in it anyways then going back to my old diet.

i am a little weary about using eggs again. i bought some for a pumpkin pie i am going to try and make. also caramel apples and gluten free chocolate cake.

i am thinking about getting my hyper pigmentation under control by lasers or something like that as in smoothbeam but i'm not sure.

i don't think mine are that bad once with makeup but it would help a lot even though i know they can fade in 6 months.

plus it isn't cheap and aren't many locations around here. so idk.

hmmm, i am still clear.

how weird. i haven't been able to take my vitamins for almost a week now and no new pimples.

i'm still going to keep gluten out of my diet as much as possible though since gluten is an inflammatory. if somehow i'm not allergic i would still look for gluten free items because it's most likely to have healthier things in it anyways then going back to my old diet.

i am a little weary about using eggs again. i bought some for a pumpkin pie i am going to try and make. also caramel apples and gluten free chocolate cake. 🙂

i am thinking about getting my hyper pigmentation under control by lasers or something like that as in smoothbeam but i'm not sure.

i don't think mine are that bad once with makeup but it would help a lot even though i know they can fade in 6 months.

plus it isn't cheap and aren't many locations around here. so idk.

Do you think that acne light helped your skin? and what do you mean bare escentuals can give you cystic acne? I use to use that all the time, what foundation do you use now?

dun dun dunnnn.

i got a pimple on my chin but i think it was because i had my blanket smack me in the face so much anything was going to pop up or because i have been slacking on birth control pill timing.

i am lost on what to do about my red marks. :/

crud.

i think i know why i'm breaking out. it might have been from the pumpkin pie and double chocolate (gluten free) cake that i ate over 2-3 day span. binge eating can overload and cause acne. olus all the sugar in there!

also i wasn't on any vitamins for two weeks. i did notice my skin getting oilier because before i would rarely have to wash my face more than 2 times. i also put eggs back in my diet.. hm.

oh well. shouldn't freak out over it. i'll just start the vitamins again and sticking to the diet.

i had to choose between two tortillas when i went grocery shopping. either a wheat and flour free tortillas i always get and don't really like since they crack or rip easily or an Ezekiel Sprouted Tortilla.

i guess i should have looked at ingredients..

"INGREDIENTS: Organic Sprouted Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Unhulled Sesame Seeds, Organic Sprouted Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Barley, Organic Sprouted Millet, Organic Sprouted Lentils, Organic Sprouted Spelt, Sea Salt."

obviously not gluten free.

but i read on a site that eating it in moderation should be fine especially if everything else i bought is completely gluten free but we'll see.

i put rice cheese [better than veggie shreds in flavor] and mushed pinto beans and it tastes great.

i remember seeing my oldest sister have a Queen Helene Masque Mint Julep in her bathroom and then read amazing reviews online so i bought it. it was only 3 dollars. i don't normally like store bought masks because it has too many ingredients but this contains:

"Distilled Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Glycerin, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Sulfur, Chromium Oxide Greens, Fragrance, Methylparaben"

the paraben isn't good to see but oh well.

i was a little weary because i thought i was allergic to sulfur but i guess not.

those two horrible cystic pimples i got on my cheek went right down when i did a spot treatment over night.

i'm so glad it didn't turn into the size of a fricken dime like it would in the past.

ha,

way back in may, wow.

the mask is working wonders! i want to believe that it is helping with the red marks but i doubt it since it's just sulfur and zinc. finally a mask i can count on with my sensitive skin which is weird because i always read how it can be too severe for most people.

I made some comparison images and updated the first post:

chin

mouth

face

I find it funny that I've gotten clear WITHOUT the help of a dermatologist. I have hated going to them because one of them had the nerve to insult me and judge me for taking birth control! He had the audacity to say that birth control didn't work. Yet suggested accutane. The funniest thing was that on his wall it was an oath to not prescribe harmful medication! The guy was a religious nutjob so I wasn't surprised. I haven't been to a dermatologist since 2007 which was why in those photos my face was burned and inflamed.

I always felt so helpless and useless going to different dermatologists because they would be like a broken record player. "Here is differin gel. Here's Retin-a. Here's Benzoyl Peroxide washes. (that all will burn your skin). They couldn't tell me anything different!

What I hated the most was that it wasn't covered by my insurance and would have to PAY $80 IN Co-Pay to hear the same crap all over again.

The last dermatologist I went to was a nice African-American woman and I said, "This is hopeless." She said, "Don't worry, there's hope."

If I only knew "Yeah, and I'm going to do it WITHOUT YOUR HELP!"

here is a picture of these odd hard lumps under my skin. thankfully it is only by my jawline. it's better than having inflamed cystic ones though.

i've had these for months. they are unable to be popped since i believe it's a blackhead under there.

they don't hurt but it isn't a good feeling knowing there are growths under my skin!

this isn't really related to diet or holistic but lately i have been getting bad panic attacks. i had them through high school for social anxiety but because i'm done with high school i wasn't put in that situation and haven't had panic attacks in a long time.

however this week i have been living in hell. these panic attacks last all day and it's just an overall bad and leery feeling like something horrible is going to happen.

stress = breakouts so that doesn't help!

yesterday i noticed these tiny pimples, (like the size of a pin) by my upper lip and also scattered like on my cheek and t-zone. it's oddly the same placement as where i put my primer for my makeup. however, i've been using it for months and it hasn't happened till now.

i think it's from rubbing off oil from my nose and stuff like that. thankfully, one night of BP on the spots and they are gone.

ew, my nose is gross. it can get so much oil formed through the pores that when it wipe it off it feels like i took a wet cloth to it!

oh! i actually reread a book i bought about acne and women. it suggest seban facial pads to soak up oil. i'm a little hesitant because they say it's the same stuff they use for oil spills in the ocean and then you put it on your delicate skin? ouch.

but i sent in for a free sample. hopefully it comes. 60 pads are only $15 so that's nice. if i can stop oil for even an hour i'd be happy.

i am going to start using the retin-a for my nose again and those hard lumps. maybe it'll help.

hello acnejean!

i have been reading all about your struggles and efforts to clear up, actually i have spent all my hours i have had off from work reading this site lol...

i am 19 been trying to clear up since i was 13, same old story tried everything lol. i work in the oil field... which i thought has made my skin about 10x worse then it was just months ago. at first i thought it was just being around the oil and gas industry, but then reading about the effect diet can have on acne and looking back... yeah there might be a connection lol. As i look back at what i have been eating while working its hard not to say "theres your problem" because my diet consisted of chef boyarde or how ever you spell it lol, as well as wafer sticks, cheese sticks, all that easy to cook food that can be done quick in the microwave, and to top it off i constantly drank energy drinks to keep me going since i was working 13+ hours a day for about 20 days straight living out of a hotel ( now you can see why easy to cook food is the major source of diet lol) .. and yeah wow i can see why my skin is where it is now.

so with all the input and time you have put into this topic, and the topic ndromeo wrote i am trying all the holistic stuff...

right now i am only on day 5 of his regime of supplements and vitamins, and have taken a lot of your advice as to what to eat. i have to say i feel much much better, and my skin is much softer and less red. no more nodules or big deep zits have came up which hasn't happened forever, usually i get a new one every 2nd day or so. the only thing left is previous pimples which seem to be healing and i keep getting these small white heads around my chin area there not big or anything but i haven't really seen these alot before anywhere other then around my nose.

anyways i think i will start my own topic/blog type thing on here so i dont rant on disrupting yours, but i will keep you and everyone else informed on how my progress is...

i wash my face with just a gentle cleanser from Neutrogena from there "acne stress control" line of products lol. i like it, smells good and it makes my skin feel much better. just never seen real results from it ( again something to take note that just washing your face and having good hygiene is not the answer to clear skin ). but i use that, i steam my face now started that 2 days ago. and for a toner i just use the arbonne toner they have for now. and might try the ACV toner. with that i just follow that regime of supplements and vitamins ndromeo suggested and hopefully i will see the light at the end of the tunnel. then MAYBE be finally finished with being in the tunnel at all lol..

anyways i would just like to say good luck to you and stay strong! we are totally going to get clear eventually! just have to stick with it and keep trying!

happy trails lol,

Quinton

hello acnejean!

i have been reading all about your struggles and efforts to clear up, actually i have spent all my hours i have had off from work reading this site lol...

i am 19 been trying to clear up since i was 13, same old story tried everything lol. i work in the oil field... which i thought has made my skin about 10x worse then it was just months ago. at first i thought it was just being around the oil and gas industry, but then reading about the effect diet can have on acne and looking back... yeah there might be a connection lol. As i look back at what i have been eating while working its hard not to say "theres your problem" because my diet consisted of chef boyarde or how ever you spell it lol, as well as wafer sticks, cheese sticks, all that easy to cook food that can be done quick in the microwave, and to top it off i constantly drank energy drinks to keep me going since i was working 13+ hours a day for about 20 days straight living out of a hotel ( now you can see why easy to cook food is the major source of diet lol) .. and yeah wow i can see why my skin is where it is now.

so with all the input and time you have put into this topic, and the topic ndromeo wrote i am trying all the holistic stuff...

right now i am only on day 5 of his regime of supplements and vitamins, and have taken a lot of your advice as to what to eat. i have to say i feel much much better, and my skin is much softer and less red. no more nodules or big deep zits have came up which hasn't happened forever, usually i get a new one every 2nd day or so. the only thing left is previous pimples which seem to be healing and i keep getting these small white heads around my chin area there not big or anything but i haven't really seen these alot before anywhere other then around my nose.

anyways i think i will start my own topic/blog type thing on here so i dont rant on disrupting yours, but i will keep you and everyone else informed on how my progress is...

i wash my face with just a gentle cleanser from Neutrogena from there "acne stress control" line of products lol. i like it, smells good and it makes my skin feel much better. just never seen real results from it ( again something to take note that just washing your face and having good hygiene is not the answer to clear skin ). but i use that, i steam my face now started that 2 days ago. and for a toner i just use the arbonne toner they have for now. and might try the ACV toner. with that i just follow that regime of supplements and vitamins ndromeo suggested and hopefully i will see the light at the end of the tunnel. then MAYBE be finally finished with being in the tunnel at all lol..

anyways i would just like to say good luck to you and stay strong! we are totally going to get clear eventually! just have to stick with it and keep trying!

happy trails :surprised: lol,

Quinton

that's great to hear. if you want help with recipes and tips of food i highly recommend dr. perricone's acne prescription book. that's where i got 95% of what i know and the rest from holistic books from the library.

please do start a topic blog! i would be interested. you know, brands like neutragena using names like "stress control" is nothing but a gimmick because if you look at the main ingredients it is probably salicylic acid and you can find it in ever brand and probably for cheaper.

i personally can't use s.a since it burns me.

i am thinking about starting to use Medimix 18 Herbs Ayurvedic soap (google it). You should try it too instead of neutragena. It can be bought online

yeah i will have to totally look up that recipe book... for now i am mostly just watching what i eat, absolutely no more energy drinks, and pepsi for sure has helped immensely, but overall just eating healthy in general has made me feel so much better if anything, if it truly hasnt done anything for my skin, which i am most positive it has, it at least has made me feel better..

and yeah i will totally start my own topic blog probably tomorrow which is my one week mark on the regime. so thats where i will go into detail about everything i have ate, drank, used ect. blah blah lol.

and yeah i know that name "stress free" is hilarious thats why i had to write it. i can use S.A, so i dont mind it, i just like the way it mostly smells and makes my skin feel even though i know it really doesnt do any thing, but it at least clears access oil and dirt.

but again if i have time i will start that topic tomorrow and go into detail on how i have been cleansing my face morning and night.

talk to you later,

Quinton

argh, a post i made didn't go through.

i bought:

burt bee's radiance serum with royal jelly

Medimix 18 herb ayuredic soap

Margo Neem soap

i don't think i'll be buying the likas papaya again. i'm not even sure it has faded the red marks [i'll be my worst critic though] and it is too drying.

i might walgreen's merlot grapeseed lotion once i run out of alba green tea aloe lotion. i don't like it either. i can never find a lotion that works well and isn't greasy. hopefully the serum can help.

i bought all of it on ebay for a bargain.

i got my Medimix 18 herb ayuredic soap in the mail yesterday. oh my gosh, it smells so bad to me. it smells like a numbing cream or preparation h. it lathered great and didn't hurt my skin or even dry it out like the papaya soap would.

i am still waiting for the neem soap.

yesterday i also got my seban free samples. i tried it once on my nose and forehead. the chemicals in it of course scare me but i didn't see an oil slick an hour later.

when i get out of the shower my nose glitters 5 minutes after which is really gross. i can't say if i am going to buy the full package right now but i probably will.

i photocopied the important pages in the perricone clear prescription book. i am too cheap to pay 25 bucks for a book .

here's the list of food he suggests in the book. i am mostly taking direction from a gluten free diet which means i do eat rice bases products like rice chex cereal, rice pasta and rice in my wheat/flour free tortillas that i love.

this list scares me, jeez. the things on the safe list are little snack foods to me. i'm not going to have salmon for dinner every night like i have months ago. that got old FAST. i mean, i like salmon but after awhile the smell and feeling of fish in my mouth made me sick.

i'll have to look into an inflammatory diet book which i know i saw before. the recipes in the perricone book are too "fancy" for me. i have a simple pallet. i don't need spices and herbs to be honest lol. i eat my salmon plain and my vegetables plain.

SAFE FOOD:

ALMONDS

APPLES

ARTICHOKES

BEANS

BEAN SPROUTS

BERRIES

BRAZIL NUTS

BROCCOLI

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

CABBAGE

CANTALOUPE

CAULIFLOWER

CELERY

CHERRIES

CHICKPEAS

FLAXSEED

HAZELNUTS

HONEYDEW MELON

KALE

KIDNEY BEANS

LENTILS

MACADAMIA NUTS

MUSHROOMS

OLIVE OIL

OLIVES

PEARS

PECANS

PINTO BEANS

POMEGRANATE

PUMPKIN SEEDS

RED BELL PEPPERS

ROMAINE LETTUCE

SALMON

SNOW PEAS

SOY

SPINACH

SUNFLOWER SEEDS

TOFU

TOMATOES

TURKEY

TURNIPS

YOGURT

(UNSAFE) INFLAMMATION FOOD

BAGELS

BANANAS

BREAD

CAKE

CANDY

CEREAL

COOKIES

CORN

CORNBREAD

CORNSTARCH

CORN SYRUP

CRACKERS

CREAM CHEESE

DRIED FRUITS

FLOUR

FAST FOOD

FRUIT JUICES

HARD CHEESES (EXCEPT ROMANO & PARMESAN)

HOT DOGS

HONEY

ICE CREAM

FROZEN YOGURT

SHERBET

JELLY

MANGO

MARGARINE

MOLASSES

MUFFINS

NOODLES

PANCAKES

PAPAYA

PASTA

PEAS

PIE

PITA BREAD

PIZZA

POPCORN

POTATOES

PUDDING

RELISH

RICE

SNACK FOODS

SUGAR

TACOS TORTILLAS

WAFFLES

CORN, SAFFLOWER,PEANUT, SOYBEAN OIL

i got my neem soap in the mail today. it doesn't as bad as the other soap.

still waiting on the burt bee's serum.

i think neem soap will help more with my skin since it is an anti-bacterial but we'll see.

today i ordered Glycolic 30% acid for $10 on ebay. i have researched it for awhile. it's funny reading the reviews because they make is so nonchalant even though you're putting ACID on your face! hopefully i am able to get my skin at the right ph before hand

thank you britney spears!

see, even miss britney spears gets acne.

anyways, thanksgiving has been a tough time for me. especially in 2007 when i didn't see anyone that day because my skin was so bad. i was probably eating bad back then too.

it angers me that i'm still breaking out a year later. i can't imagine how i still have skin on my face since i've been breaking out basically for 7 years.

there are some positives though. there is no inflammation, redness or irritation on my face. it's perfectly pale in color but there isinflammation since i have two painful pimples on the left side of chin/mouth. coincidentally it's the same location i have been putting my retin-a cream

i've been using it to try and maybe lighten that area since that is the worst of the pigmentation. oh well.

i have been thinking about getting the zeno. the acne light doesn't really zap a zit away. i don't even know if it's the reason i can be clear since i feel nothing. i think the zeno would be better for me because i can spot a pimple before it gets a red bump. it's like a weird yellow tinge of color if i move my face or stick my tongue in my cheek under the skin, if that makes sense. and it always seems to get a pimple a couple days later.

it might not be good for me because of the high temperatures and reviews of it burning their skin which i have sensitive skin to begin with.

on these two (or three i can't tell yet) pimples i have been icing, using the acne light and putting honey over them. not sure if it is going down.

i haven't been using lotion. i have kiss my face peaches and cream hydroxy 8% lotion and alba aloe and green tea lotion. i don't like the k.m.f lotion because it doesn't really moisturize and it seems to dry it out. the alba lotion doesn't do a good enough job either and it can sting even if i don't exfoliate.

i'm putting hope into the burt bee's serum coming. i want to try jojoba oil as a moisturizer too but can't buy anything till next week, ugh.

i am so pleased with my skin right now. well, i do have 3 (now 4) pimples by the side of my chin but they look like they'll go down in a couple days. i think it was definitely from stress. they aren't badly inflamed and are separate from each other and not one giant red infected mess.

neem soap is doing great. i remember how other facial soaps especially BP would make my skin completely dry and irritated. i remember having chemical burns from that! ugh.

once i get seban pads, i think the little pimples i get by my nose/lips will go away because i realized that's where i secrete the most oil.

after seeing how much redness is actually gone from my face i might hold off on the glycolic peel because that scares me and i don't trust myself with an acid. i also don't want to spend $100 for someone else to do it for me though.

idk. once i find the right shade of makeup i think i will think less about my red marks.

well, i'm not "clear" anymore! these huge zits by my chin/mouth are still there. i haven't eaten anything off my diet either so i know it's from stress. last week was all about panic attacks so i guess it would make sense i erupt now.

they aren't the typical pimples i get. they don't easily get the white head formed and are pop able [which i don't do].

i really want to have cereal for breakfast because it's so fast, easy and filling for me but to find a LOW glycemic index and gluten free cereal is something i can't find. rice chex is 127 on the scale and that's way too high.

the dr. perricone diet says no rice products which is like 90% of gluten free products. i can use quinoa for pasta instead of the rice noodles and get rid of the wheat/flour free tortillas. i'm sure they are high on the index also.

weird how rice chex is 127 and rice bran is only 27. perky's cereal

this looks ok but it's 4 bucks a box.

i also realized the burt bee's radiance serum has sodium cholride in it which is 5 on pore clogging ingredients. some sites says it doesn't clog pores but the list says it does. i'll use it on my forehead and if i notice any break outs i might use it else where but i doubt it.

i did my monthly budget and i'll be able to spend more on groceries this month. last month i wasn't able to buy fruits or anything else i wanted. i've been living off bean and cheese tortillas! ha.

i'm going to try and make gluten free pancakes (GF baking flour, eggs, soy milk)

i know the pancakes are going to taste really plain so hopefully i can find some stuff to put in it. all i can think of are nuts since those are cheap and some cinnamon. i want to use maple syrup but that's a no no on the food list.

i also want to try GF chocolate chip cookies or GF brownie mix but that might have too much chocolate/sugar in it for my liking.

i found an old grocery receipt from NOVEMBER 2006:

Cocoa Mix

Miracle Whip (i used to eat this plain on bread. lol)

Poptart Smores (I miss these the most)

Silk Soy Milk

Oranges

Dole Fruit Juices

Lemonade

Frozen Dinners

Freschetta Pizza (Yikes!)

Drumsticks Vanilla Ice Cream (Ugh)

White Wonder Bread

The only good thing I see on that list is the soy milk. Otherwise I haven't put any of those items back into my diet, even the juice.

My acne is also food related. A few years ago I refused to eat veggies and if I'd eat fruits I'd pour sugar all over them. I worked at 2 movie theaters and ate their popcorn with extra butter and extra salt ALL the time. I seriously was on a strict junk food diet for the most part(chips, cookies, and snack foods I could find) and when I wanted to eat healthy I'd fry up some chicken. Everything I ate was overly processed. About 7 months ago I completely cleaned up my act (no meat, dairy, sugar, or anything processed. I'm planning on giving up gluten, wheat, and corn as well.) I found that juice fasting has helped immensely, especially to slow oil production. I've also read that water fasting does wonders, as it restores cell and rejuvenates the body. I'm on day 2 of a 5 day juice fast, and will immediately follow with a 5 day water fast, immediately followed with another 5 day juice fast. Then it's just raw foods for a bit. Good luck to all of you!

My acne is also food related. A few years ago I refused to eat veggies and if I'd eat fruits I'd pour sugar all over them. I worked at 2 movie theaters and ate their popcorn with extra butter and extra salt ALL the time. I seriously was on a strict junk food diet for the most part(chips, cookies, and snack foods I could find) and when I wanted to eat healthy I'd fry up some chicken. Everything I ate was overly processed. About 7 months ago I completely cleaned up my act (no meat, dairy, sugar, or anything processed. I'm planning on giving up gluten, wheat, and corn as well.) I found that juice fasting has helped immensely, especially to slow oil production. I've also read that water fasting does wonders, as it restores cell and rejuvenates the body. I'm on day 2 of a 5 day juice fast, and will immediately follow with a 5 day water fast, immediately followed with another 5 day juice fast. Then it's just raw foods for a bit. Good luck to all of you!

i can neverrr do a fast. or would i ever want to. i don't see how it is any different then being anorexic.

i don't have enough will power to do fasts lol. plus i'm thin enough and can't risk losing weight by them.

how is your energy during all this?

ALERT ALERT ALERT

I ATE A SNICKERS BAR! OH MY GOSH!!!!

sarcasm.

But I really did have a snickers. I knew the mall's foot court would be full of sodium [like the pizza, chinese, japanese food] and just nastier things than a snickers bar so i had that instead.

i heard/read somewhere that a snickers bar is the best ratio of fat and protein.. i think.

it tasted so sweet but not in a good way. it was overly sweet and i haven't had sugar in a long time that was artificial.

my dad even said that my diet didn't have any sugar in it. i haven't had fruit in awhile because of their prices.

this isn't really about my acne but i have realized that i am getting too thin. when i was shopping at the mall the other day i looked in the mirror and i was sickened at how my face is looking gaunt and my legs are sticks. you could probably stick a couple books between them. i know i'm 120-122 and that's a normal weight for me for the past year and i'm 5'7''.

idk, i know that you shouldn't binge eat or it can affect your acne so unless i eat high fat foods i don't know how to gain weight the healthy way.

i'm going to start making green smoothies again. i also bought gluten free pancakes, gluten free chocolate chip mix so that should be an interesting change.

my face is SO dry. putting making up on is useless because i think my skin looks better without the cakey mineral makeup. now that's when you know your makeup/skin sucks!

i bought some DMAE pills and rose water. I plan on getting Jojoba oil.

DO NOT TAKE DMAE.

i read about how it can worsen depression and one day after taking it i felt completely in the dumps that it even scared me. the next day i was somewhat better.

yikes.

that was a let down seeing how i had high hopes for it.

the rose water isn't what i expected. it doesn't work any better than an astringent i use. plus it smells exactly like cheap, nasty, barbie perfume i remember having as a kid. lol, don't ask.

i got the jojoba in the mail today and it went on smoothly. i agree with everyone that says the packaging sucks. i'll have to think of a better bottle to transfer it to. maybe something with a pump?

i got my peel in the mail. oh my gosh, i was pissed getting it. i basically got scammed and only received a 1/4 oz [it's the size of half my thumb]. but it was 10 dollars all together so whatever.

still a little weary of it too. i'll have to wait till after these break outs go away. i do not have high hopes in the peel though.

i feel like i'm back at square one when it comes to diet. ugh.

i started eating completely different in july. the foods i will always stick to:

qiona pasta

tuna fish sandwiches

bean, cheese tortillas

salmon + vegetable

cereal

nuts

that's all i can think of! i even have the dr. perricone book that i got all my information from in front of me but still can't see anything in there i can imagine eating everyday.

i might try chicken but that's expensive for me.