It's very interesting, this whole thing about PIH. I also have fair skin that's freckled and after every spot I have there is always a red spot that lingers for a week to a month or more. But they all go away eventually on their own. Or maybe they just blend in with my freckles, I dunno! I'm not sure if this is PIH.

Had two nights of the oil cleansing method and my skin definitely FEELS amazing. I really want this method to work cause it's so logical, and I love picturing it in my mind. In my mind, my old cleanser was too harsh on my dry skin and caused my pores to get all tight, which maybe blocks in the dead skin? But with the OCM, the amazing jojoba oil combined with the steam is flushing out each pore individually of dead, horrible, gunk. I'm not sure if it works this eloquently in real life, but I sure like imagining it! Too soon to tell if it helps with outbreaks, but I'll let you know.

In general, I feel that in my 8th week my skin has taken a serious turn for the better, and I'm crossing my fingers that this is true.

As for xmas in Paris, I'll be going back to California for the main event, but it sure is nice to have all the xmas markets here! And the lights on the eiffel tower just outside my window are always spectacular.

Meanwhile, stay strong and keep updating, I'm rooting for you!

It's very interesting, this whole thing about PIH. I also have fair skin that's freckled and after every spot I have there is always a red spot that lingers for a week to a month or more. But they all go away eventually on their own. Or maybe they just blend in with my freckles, I dunno! I'm not sure if this is PIH.

Had two nights of the oil cleansing method and my skin definitely FEELS amazing. I really want this method to work cause it's so logical, and I love picturing it in my mind. In my mind, my old cleanser was too harsh on my dry skin and caused my pores to get all tight, which maybe blocks in the dead skin? But with the OCM, the amazing jojoba oil combined with the steam is flushing out each pore individually of dead, horrible, gunk. I'm not sure if it works this eloquently in real life, but I sure like imagining it! Too soon to tell if it helps with outbreaks, but I'll let you know.

In general, I feel that in my 8th week my skin has taken a serious turn for the better, and I'm crossing my fingers that this is true.

As for xmas in Paris, I'll be going back to California for the main event, but it sure is nice to have all the xmas markets here! And the lights on the eiffel tower just outside my window are always spectacular.

Meanwhile, stay strong and keep updating, I'm rooting for you!

yay california!!! it was actually cold today were i live, first day all fall/winter that it was actually below 80. i can not feel hot in my jackets, blazers, sweaters, cardigans, hoodies ect ect love clothes, hate shopping well real life shopping, online shopping is my weakness (love urban so much) my paychecks should just go there instead of my banking.

DAY 35

anyways face is most definitely shittiest its EVER looked. i thought it was bad before WRONG!! its week 6 now so i really wanted to see some inprovement by now, if things dont improve in a couple weeks im going to stop. i know its supposed to get worse before it gets better but i cant deal with every whitehead turning into a nodule/cyst. if i wanted them gone id get a facial and get them extracted, i mean a cyst for 3 weeks or a red bump for 2 days.

i had really high hopes for RAM however what its doing to my skin is not worth it to me. now it may or may not get all the gunk out in a couple months however im not willing to take that chance while feeling soooo self concious until march or april or whatever.

i guess the point is if theres no improvement (just a little bit pretty please!!!) by the end of the year (10 weeks) im done. 2 months is a fair trial, not even asking to be clear just a little +. i hate to think all this was for nothing, but hey live and learn.

yay california!!! it was actually cold today were i live, first day all fall/winter that it was actually below 80. i can not feel hot in my jackets, blazers, sweaters, cardigans, hoodies ect ect love clothes, hate shopping well real life shopping, online shopping is my weakness (love urban so much) my paychecks should just go there instead of my banking.

DAY 35

anyways face is most definitely shittiest its EVER looked. i thought it was bad before WRONG!! its week 6 now so i really wanted to see some inprovement by now, if things dont improve in a couple weeks im going to stop. i know its supposed to get worse before it gets better but i cant deal with every whitehead turning into a nodule/cyst. if i wanted them gone id get a facial and get them extracted, i mean a cyst for 3 weeks or a red bump for 2 days.

i had really high hopes for RAM however what its doing to my skin is not worth it to me. now it may or may not get all the gunk out in a couple months however im not willing to take that chance while feeling soooo self concious until march or april or whatever.

i guess the point is if theres no improvement (just a little bit pretty please!!!) by the end of the year (10 weeks) im done. 2 months is a fair trial, not even asking to be clear just a little +. i hate to think all this was for nothing, but hey live and learn.

DAY 37

skin is still the same, dying zits from 3 weeks ago still dying....slowly. could they take any longer? no i suppose i am already losing my youthish resilience. some new red lumps, that could either fade into nothing or turn into nodule. pretty please not nodules!! so gross and lumpy!! and puss-y!! (hah gross humor had to add the dash). anyways def not a fan of the RAM right now, im just going right out and saying this IF YOU HAVE ALOT OF LARGE UNDERTHESKIN WHITEHEADS PREPARE FOR GROSS ZITS ON RAM. if i had known i totally would have gone with the "get a facial and bp the shit out of everything" route of destoying them. but alas finals are around the corner....and christmas is down the block so i hafta push my (sk)insecurities out for another week or so. then i can mope around the christmas tree...jk.

AMERICANINPARIS

im sooo happy for you!! its been so great talking?blogging? whiniing? with you all these weeks so its great to hear some good news!! just in time for the holidays and home!! awwww this is totally me gushin im happy for you because youve gone through so much and you deserve great skin for christmas. plus it gives me hope since youre just a couple weeks ahead of me

AMERICANINPARIS

im sooo happy for you!! its been so great talking?blogging? whiniing? with you all these weeks so its great to hear some good news!! just in time for the holidays and home!! awwww this is totally me gushin im happy for you because youve gone through so much and you deserve great skin for christmas. plus it gives me hope since youre just a couple weeks ahead of me

You're such a sweetheart!! I know I'm not out of the woods yet, red marks are taking forever to go away even though the fish oil helps, it's made worse by the fact that I always pick at my dry skin (gotta have something to pick at, right?)

It's so true, if I had actually researched Retin-A and read these boards before I probably would not have gone on it, but once you're a month or more into it it's kind of like this horrible experiment that you just have to push through. . . plus you hear about the great stories.

It's helped me to be a little detached from it, to finally say to my boyfriend, look, I'm doing this treatment, my skin is the worst it's ever been, I'm sorry, it's gonna be this way for a while, and to have him be ok with it. That made it easier. But yeah, it sucks, and i especially hated meeting new people with my skin. I hate it cause I know the family I work for and other people think, oh, that poor girl, she doesn't know what to do with her face, she should get a treatment and I just want to scream at them, this IS the treatment!

There's just something particular about acne, like no other medical condition, it gives you this stigma of being dirty, unhealthy. Acne's very humbling in a way.

I definitely wonder what these months would have been like if I had tried Dan's Regimen instead. . . oh well. I'll let you know how my progress keeps going, but so far things still look good.

Good luck! Keep posting! Enjoy that Christmas tree smell that's everywhere, I know I do!

The other day, I read this article on a news site about 10 skin myths exposed... and I wished they had an open comment section so I could write B*LLSH!T all over their page. They said the best way to avoid acne was to keep your skin clean and that food (like chocolate or greasy pizza, etc) has nothing to do with it, for example! I think the people here on this site probably have the best hygiene of anyone out there and it obviously didn't work for us! And how many of us have found some sort of food - especially chocolate or junk food - actually triggers a breakout? Grrr.

I may not have started Retin-A if I had read the horror stories first, just like you guys! I probably would have said screw that it's not worth it. But I'm glad I started it and decided to stick it out, feeling like nothing could be worse than the low point I'd hit. I'm nearing 3 weeks into use - so I'm scared. I know a lot of people get their worst breakout ever around this point. Right now, I'm doing really well - the best I've looked and felt since August at least! (back when I actually got some sun which always helped...)

Anyway, just so you know, I'm rooting for you to get through this low point. I am trying to maintain a positive outlook, even knowing I'm probably not out of the woods judging by others experiences. I don't know if it would help or hurt, but have you looked into adding any other vitamins, minerals, or anything of the sort on top of the C & E? I have been having some success with this antibacterial enzyme gel. My theory is it's killing some of the surface bacteria before it can spread, causing further breakouts. But I don't know!

Hang in there!!

aprilmay, keep on keepin' on. I know it's hard right now, but you'll see. Retin-a takes a long time to kick in 100%, but it's so worth it once you start reaping the full benefits. Bad girl though. Don't pick!! I know it's hard and such a hard habit to break, but go a full week without picking and you'll definitely see an improvement. Please please please, don't pick. *hug*

We're all cheering for you.

DAY 38

funny how skin change change so much (usually for the worst) and yet so little (usually for the better) at the same time. some red marks have faded a lil but i got a new sucker on my right side. theres a whole line of them going down my cheek bone, sometimes when im in a better mood i like to imagine them highlighting my bone structure...but then i remember its just a line of st00pid zits.

in other skin news the left side (aka the good side) is no longer so. it has a new crop of baby zits! i am very pleased that none are deep and they should be leaving soon. this has me thinking that its sooooo sad that i have learned the difference between zits (i.e baby zit = good 3 days max versus nodule=shit there's 2 weeks). where as before 1 zit of any stature would freak me out....oh the good ole days....

AMERICANINPARIS: ahhh i probably should say something to my bf now that you say that. ive been worried that hed notice the increased pimplage on my face during the past month... but he's the kind of guy who only notices when you point stuff out to him so im going to hope that my face improves by then. or ill see him at night for the next month...lol jk...kinda. luckily we've been on and off since 16 so he's known me with nice skin, this is the first time he's seen me super shit faced so this makes me feel much better. im guessing this is kinda, sorta, maybe the case with you too? how are things going with the oil cleansing and redmarks?

MILGIRL: i hope you get to skip the hellish weeks of 3-???? i guess if you have alot of gunk way deep down itll clear it all up. idk about bacteria, maybe if you pop something and all the little organisms spead/infect. honestly i have no idea, at this point my skin perplexes and scares me and i just want it to heal. ummm ive been looking into taking fish oil? what else would you reccomend?

SIAVA: yea you caught me i pick.... but i swear not as bad as before!! and now i do it only if there's a buttload of puss (opposed to whiteheads, the under the skin ones). ill take youre advice though and not touch a thing

thanks guys for all the support! its great to have other people in this breakout cental that is retin-a. btw that reminds me of No Exit by ______-______ Sartre. hes the guy who said hell is other people, nope. i agree to disagree. hell is the IB of retin-a.

DAY 38

 

funny how skin change change so much (usually for the worst) and yet so little (usually for the better) at the same time. some red marks have faded a lil but i got a new sucker on my right side. theres a whole line of them going down my cheek bone, sometimes when im in a better mood i like to imagine them highlighting my bone structure...but then i remember its just a line of st00pid zits.

 

in other skin news the left side (aka the good side) is no longer so. it has a new crop of baby zits! i am very pleased that none are deep and they should be leaving soon. this has me thinking that its sooooo sad that i have learned the difference between zits (i.e baby zit = good 3 days max versus nodule=shit there's 2 weeks). where as before 1 zit of any stature would freak me out....oh the good ole days....

 

 

MILGIRL: i hope you get to skip the hellish weeks of 3-???? i guess if you have alot of gunk way deep down itll clear it all up. idk about bacteria, maybe if you pop something and all the little organisms spead/infect. honestly i have no idea, at this point my skin perplexes and scares me and i just want it to heal. ummm ive been looking into taking fish oil? what else would you reccomend?

Hahahaha we're opposites - my left side is my bad side. I never understood why my left cheek would get zits and my right cheek almost never does. I have a theory today! My husband has very coarse facial hair and it irritates his skin to shave all the time, so he only does once a week or so. It occured to me that I sleep on my right side (AKA good side) a lot, so when he comes in close, he rubs those whiskers on my left cheek (AKA bad side). Also, there is a communal pillow in the center of our king size bed - he's more oily than me, if I use that pillow I'm laying on my LEFT side near the middle of the bed on a possibly not-so-clean pillow... Hmmm! Could explain why today, after I showered following my gym time, my left cheek was more irritated looking and two more soon-to-come zits are developing! We were ummm well YA KNOW (Bow-chika-wow-wow) getting it on last night! I know what you mean about it "highlighting" your cheek bones. LOL!! It takes me forever to apply concealor to my leftover little red spots on that cheek while the other side doesn't need any makeup - but I have to put SOME on or it's a different color than the bad side!

Anyway, as for what else you should take, I've done a lot of reading through this site and implemented some other people's ideas. Shameless, I know. A lot of folks have luck with zinc, melatonin (at bedtime), no-flush niacin, vitamin D, evening primrose oil, rooibos tea... basically, all the things I'm taking that are listed below. It may be overkill, but I'm all about attacking a problem head on until sheer willpower gives me the edge. I would advise not taking zinc on an empty stomach. I only take half at a time, with some food in my belly, because it makes me want to puke otherwise. I also quit drinking any milk or eating any cheese or chocolate. I noticed immediate improvement with that, so apparently all these years I've had a slight dairy allergy that I knew nothing about. It never seemed to affect my stomach so I didn't realize it might be showing up in other ways - like acne! I am also thinking about fish oil - we have some at home, I just look at all these supplements and it's hard to swallow yet another item... but hey, why not?

And yea, I think part of the reason I suffered the recent problems with my skin is bacteria breeding and spreading, regardless of my good hygiene. I probably irritated my skin more with the cleansers and such, making the spreading even worse. The antibacterial gel seems to help keep that to a minimum, plus being super careful about not touching my skin. That was very hard at first because the Retin-A caused itching for a while, but I think I'm adjusted to it now. Altering ones habits is probably the most difficult part of this process! I used to be a picker, also! I'm doing a lot better. I still pop those suckers when they get to that particular point - whitehead, swollen up ready to go, itching & pressure behind it, etc. I just make sure to carefully cleanse it and get neosporin or that gel on it to help kill the germs.

And now that I think about my skin, one of those new ones coming in itches soooooooo bad but I... WILL....NOT.... TOUCH... IT! I'm at work... I can't...

GOOD LUCK!

Hey there,

Just thought I'd send an update as I finish week 9 - skin continues to improve steadily, can't say I'm breakout free as I've had 2-3 pimples crop up in the same general area, but they're small and with the help of AHA have either not formed into anything or come to a head quickly with minimal inflammation. Since for as long as I can remember I've been prone to inflammatory, almost cyst-like acne, this is HUGE for me!

Arg, I'm finding it nearly impossible not to pick at my small patches of dead skin left over from Retin-A, seems that every place I had a pimple developed into a small scab. Horrible! The worst is that when I think a piece of skin is ready to come off but it's not it often takes off twice as much as expected and leaves this gross red mark! Sorry to go into such gory detail, but I think it's always good to highlight to people just HOW sensitive your skin gets on this stuff.

Still continue to feel good and see a steady improvement. Dreaming of the day when I can go without makeup, but have a feeling that still won't be for a looooong time.

As for the boyfriend issue, I guess it just depends, mine seems to notice EVERYTHING (maybe it's a French thing) so I thought I should explain myself. But definitely don't worry about it, there's so many bigger things we could have wrong with us except our skin! I always think that, if the relationship's gonna last, it has to be strong enough to get through things like this, right? right. Yet I still know that if I had to run out the door and had to choose between taking my makeup and my keys, I know which one I would pick!

Good luck, stay strong, you're gonna get through this.

Hey there,

 

Just thought I'd send an update as I finish week 9 - skin continues to improve steadily, can't say I'm breakout free as I've had 2-3 pimples crop up in the same general area, but they're small and with the help of AHA have either not formed into anything or come to a head quickly with minimal inflammation. Since for as long as I can remember I've been prone to inflammatory, almost cyst-like acne, this is HUGE for me!

Arg, I'm finding it nearly impossible not to pick at my small patches of dead skin left over from Retin-A, seems that every place I had a pimple developed into a small scab. Horrible! The worst is that when I think a piece of skin is ready to come off but it's not it often takes off twice as much as expected and leaves this gross red mark! Sorry to go into such gory detail, but I think it's always good to highlight to people just HOW sensitive your skin gets on this stuff.

Still continue to feel good and see a steady improvement. Dreaming of the day when I can go without makeup, but have a feeling that still won't be for a looooong time.

 

As for the boyfriend issue, I guess it just depends, mine seems to notice EVERYTHING (maybe it's a French thing) so I thought I should explain myself. But definitely don't worry about it, there's so many bigger things we could have wrong with us except our skin! I always think that, if the relationship's gonna last, it has to be strong enough to get through things like this, right? right. Yet I still know that if I had to run out the door and had to choose between taking my makeup and my keys, I know which one I would pick!

 

Good luck, stay strong, you're gonna get through this.

When I got mine from the pharmacy, the lady explicitely said to be careful with my skin because it "will peel off." And she specifically said do NOT get your eyebrows waxed because it will literally tear your skin off your face - she's seen it happen to people. I don't wax, I pluck, but I was grateful for the heads up! I also don't put it on my eyes, but apparently not everyone reads directions. I have also done what Americaninparis does - pull the dead skin off... and then sometimes realize it's not ready to go... OUCH! Red spot, takes forever to heal up then!

DAY 42

my skin update: mostly the same. fading marks (like 8) on my right cheek fading every so slowly and my left cheek is back in check...almost. blahblahblah they take forever to fade, feels like theyll never go away, i am so pale they stick out even more ect ect ect. after using RAM for a little over 6 weeks now i am sad to say im used to it. clear skin is like a distant memory from my past.... and my goal for the future!! trying to stay positive, which is actually really easy because of the lack of any cysts and actives. plus all the baked goods at home right now. my sister bakes, and not just pillsbery (sp?) shit. like from scratch, pro status, homemade goodness, you name it she'll bake it. its amazing. i love being home

nevertheless im not too happy with RAM right now, ive gone from using it everyday to every 2 days and on the days inbetween i use paula's choice BHA and bp. let me say that i have been converted, her products are amazing. if anything is making the red marks lighter i SWEAR its the BHA. i have been educated about pH levels in skin (thanks acne.org!) and it makes a difference. neutrogena, clean and clear BHA and bp have NOTHING on her.

just remembered. the other day i learned that drinking alchy with zits is terrible. thanks to being half asian, i get asian glow (yay...) and the redness hightlights everysingle mark on my face. i looked in the mirror and SHABAM!! oh the new limitations of acne never cease to amaze me. luckily it was dark so i was camouflaged, but ill have to remember for next time. no drinking in bright places!!

AMERICANINPARIS: i know what you mean, picking flakey skin is too tempting. kinda reminds me of flakey biscuits... the red/rawness looks almost as bad as a zit im glad to hear that things are improving. Retin-a is taking more patience than i ever could have imagined and the successes seem to come so slowly. but youre more than 2/3 done with the 12 weeks, (knock on wood) everything is uphill after that. plus no more cysts is a great milestone, we all know those are The Worst Ever.

as for the bf stuff, i agree with you completely! its the inside that matters (haha)....its just annoying to deal with and is kinda a confidence knocker

MILGIRL: breeding-bacteria-oil-pillow-bed theory, i like!! the other day i tried to buy some vitamins as reccomended by you and the org buutttt i was too cheap to buy them all. hah. so i got a multi vite and called it a day. i did get zinc though, and i will take it with food.

i cut soy milk and black tea (caffeine) out of my diet, i guessed they were the culprits of my deep under the skin zits, and none have surfaced...yet. i should take a page out of the healthy book and watch what i eat since (ZOMG) it actually makes a difference.

Aprilmay - I have never heard the term "asian glow" but OMG that's funny! At least we can laugh at our imperfections now, knowing they'll eventually go away! LOL!! I have cut down to only 2 cups of coffee a day, just black no creamer or sugar. I suppose I could (*sigh*) stop drinking it altogether, but getting up at 4 for 12 hr shifts makes that extremely difficult. Dealing with air crews and pilots at that hour makes it very unpleasant (for them). Hmmm. I'll give it thought.

Hey guys,

just chiming in with my week 10 update, red marks are steadily improving as well as general skin tone, I've started alternating my retin-a nights with AHA (both diluted with cetaphil lotion cause my skin is just too sensitive). It's been working well so far, after the first night of AHA I woke up and it was flake city! Amazingly though, after massaging with a wet washcloth they were all gone! I guess this is consistent with AHA working to break up the glue that holds the cells together, after I would do the towel method on flakiness from Retin-A the flakes would still be there.

Another thing I've learned in this process is that my bodily definitely seems to have a problem with LACTOSE. I LOVE cheese but recently I've been doing a Gorgonzola Experiment and noticed that it made my stomach really upset. Also, I switched to soy milk rather than real milk in my coffee a few months ago. The other day for work, however, I was at this cafe and the guy poured my delicious espresso into an entire cup of milk (I watched in horror, not what I'd ordered, clearly I need to improve my French!) and he was right there so I sipped it just to be polite. Two days later what do I wake up to?. . . new pimples! They're small and I'm attacking them with AHA, but I think there is a connection for sure!

Diet has so much to do with it people!! And it can all be so individual. For instance, I've always been a drinker of alcohol and meat eater and have not noticed that having ANY effect on my acne when I've stopped. So for every person it's different.

Keep on trucking guys, I have had a few breakouts but am really starting to see results! And by "results" I mean, getting back to the place I was at before I went on Retin-A (aprilmay I can totally relate to you!) But really, the quality of my pimples are much different now then when I used to get them, and blackheads are down too. Feel like I'm on track.

Also, still using the OCM and I LOVE IT. Long live jojoba oil!

Glad things are looking up for you! I also love that jojoba oil! I still think, "wow I'm putting OIL on my face!" but I love how it makes me look and how it feels. It also seems to keep my dry areas (from the retin-a) from flaking up throughout my day. Dairy seems to be a trigger for me as well. I 'cheated' and ate some eggs that had some cheese on them on Wed (my son wasn't eating them and I thought hey why not, don't wana waste food...). This morning, I woke up without any new acne, but after work I removed my makeup and I have 4 new ones coming. So, I'm paying the price for that tasty food. No more cheese for me.

DAY 45

grrr new spots, new spots. of course on the bad side. 4 more actives, its like a freaking war zone!! not so much because of the new spots, they are small and should go away in 4-7 days, but because of the red spots!! i hate them sooo much. very frustrating. let me tell you that i am ridiculously fair. thats the nice way of saying it, anothery way is: i am super white. in hs my waterpolo/swim team nicknamed me lightbulb, snowflake, powderpuff ect ect. i didnt mind so much back then, but now it really highlights my red spots. booo....

anyways, on a more serious note im going to add another cause to my onset of acne. firstly i thought it was the lack of exfoliation causing the whiteheads. which is true, however i failed to asses the cause of the cysts. i was going through a great deal of stress in my life, boy trouble. and not just the run of the mill boy trouble, but huge real-emotion-racking boy trouble. bleh. no need to go into specifics, but it was really rattling me to the core. my previously high self-esteem plummeted. i felt inadequate, insecure, and self conscious all the time. i compared my self to other girls and found flaws where there were none.

enter: my skin. whiteheads that previously weren't noticed, i picked at. which caused trauma in my skin that i failed to attribute to my psychological state. the sadness caused cysts, the picking caused the whiteheads to become infected and here i am. this isn't a sad conclusion for me at all, i am so glad to have finally figured out the etiology of my acne. any topical is only treating the acne, which i have understood to be the SYMPTOM of a larger illness. for so long i have regarded acne as a "war" that i had to "attack," now i know otherwise. my skin isn't rebelling against me, its only reacting to the stress i put it under (picking and mental sadness/depression).

this is a hugely long post and i commend anybody who reads it. its also a very personal realization for me, which im posting because 1. its therapeutic, 2. im not worried that anybody will recognize me and 3. it might help somebody else. im very happy to finally know what the fuck has been going on with my mind and body. i failed to realize how psychological my case was and still is. i know this isn't the case with all or even most acne. however if your face decides to freak the fuck out, and you have no history of acne, i would seriously recommend looking into a deeper cause.

its crazy not being able to control something so public (c'mon its your fucking FACE), you can control what you wear, how you talk, what you watch, what you read, the food you eat, almost everything about yourself and your environment. but you can't always control your acne (if youre lucky enough to find the product that controls it, kudos to you). as a person who likes to take control of her life i find this aspect especially excruciating. end note: patience.

MILGIRL: "asian glow" is when asians get really red in the face after consuming teeny tiny amounts of alcohol. also called the "russian glow" which screws me over doubly because my other half is russian haha. im giving up drinking just until the spots subside, which could be a while....but whatever....im 20 anyways....thanks for turning me onto the suppliments!! they seem to be helping

AMERICANINPARIS: yay for progress! or at least getting back to square 1...lol. i was so bummed reading youre milk/cheese story, dairy is just so tasty, it must be soo hard to give it up. i feel your pain as i share your love of cheese haha. goodluck!!

It's definitely true that going through this process we learn so much about ourselves: both our skin, and what's going on within. I'm so glad that you're finding out more, and are able to have a forum to talk about your process here. I know I've always been an anxious person, dealing with emotional issues myself, and I'm sure that has a factor with acne.

As for me, I'm sorry to report that I've definitely had a biggish breakout this week. Not picking, continuing my regimen, and aggressively treating with AHA had kept anything from getting full blown, but it's still been pretty damn frustrating, since I thought I had taken a definitive turn for the better.

In any case, things are not nearly as bad as they were before (fingers FIRMLY crossed on this one) and there's no way I'm quitting before the 12 week mark.

Big hugs

well, I've been doing a lot of thinking in the last few hours since I posted (seriously, if one day they discover that thinking about acne is the root cause of it, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest) and have decided I am making some serious changes to my regimen that I thought I would update you on.

Nothing, NOTHING except my liquid tretinoin, is going on my face that is not 100% natural. That means NO more AHA cream treatment (the other day I had some extra on my hands and put it on my chest, had a breakout there the next day), and mixing my liquid tretinoin with jojoba oil instead of cetaphil lotion how I've been doing. For spot treatment I will use 100% tea tree oil. Since I've had such a great experience with the OCM, I'm becoming more convinced that this is the best thing for my sensitive skin, AND will be the best way to see if retin-a is effective in the long run.

Today I also used my rooibos tea bag as a toner, and it was a strange experience but did make my skin feel super super calm after. I can't say I'm loving this tea, I've been a big green tea fan (but have stopped since I heard it causes breakouts in some people, and I'm trying to cut down on my caffeine) but rooibos tea has this smell that reminds me of these flea collars that we used to put on our cats. That's really the only way I can describe it. Not the best association

But, it's winter in Paris, around freezing, and a warm cup of tea is still nice, even if it has a funny smell.

aprilmay, I'm sorry, sometimes I definitely feel like I've taken over your log in order to post my own progress. It's not my intent at all so I hope it's ok. My hope is that my ramblings might help someone, but who knows! Some days I feel like I just don't know what is best.

I agree that the rooibos tea isn't the best tasting, but I've grown used to it. I don't really sip it, I gulp it. I enjoy other teas, but I drink this one because I enjoy how my skin looks and I like it as a toner now and then!

DAY 47

things are still blah on the face front. this is the bad side, the mac flash kinda blends it all together so its actually worse than it looks. the marks are alot more prominent and red.... esp in normal light....

AMERICANINPARIS: that does seem like a good idea, that way you know the retin-a is doing its thing w/o any interference. and i love that you post in here!! please dont stop, ramble away

MILGIRL: im buying rooibos tomorrow! what exactly is it known for? im no good in the health food front, years of swimming and polo have turned me into a monster. meaning, quantity over quality; i just kinda eat whats in front of me....no matter what it is. but i have been learning!!

Something that never ceases to amaze me, and that I was reminded of by seeing your photo, is how everyone's skin is sooo different. For me, I've maybe had five pimples on my cheeks in my entire life. It makes no sense to me since I'm always using my phone, ALWAYS touching my face there, and have hair that brushes it constantly. My chin and area around my mouth on the other hand. . . yikes! It's all just so strange to me what causes this acne, and why. I mean, I've heard from everyone that acne around the mouth for women is hormonal, but who knows. I've had it there before and after being on BC. I think it's genetic, that's where both my sisters get it.

Anyway, I'm loving my ditching the AHA and being on totally natural products so far. No new pimples have developed and the ones I've had before have been stopped in their tracks. I'm beginning to think that the retinoid journey is kind of like a big roller-coaster that steadily goes up, but you have some dips and set backs along the way. Trying to cut back on my caffeine intake (it's reeeeally hard) and been drinking 4-5 cups of rooibos tea a day. They have it for pretty cheap in an organic store here, 1.15 euro for 10 bags (about 1 dollar 75). Sounds a lot cheaper than they have in the states. And it's called "African Summer"! O la la. From what I've read about rooibos tea, it's really good for skin and a bunch of other conditions. How it works I have no idea, but I know it's absolutely packed with antioxidants. Using it as a toner has been interesting, I pretty much rub that tea bag all around my face when I'm finished and it's still a bit warm. I noticed that initially it really brings out the red spots on my face, but afterwards my skin feels really calm. The smell of the tea still brings back bad memories, but the taste is growing on me. Also, with my naturally dry skin and the cold weather, my skin is literally drinking up jojoba oil. It's crazy. I'm not really flaking but just generally dry, and who knew that slathering oil on my face could make it feel so damn good? Those cetaphil days are loooong gone.

It's in the 20s today in Paris and I think I'm getting sick, so no class for me, back to bed for me before I pick up the girls from school. Driving in this city - only for the brave.

Keep on trucking, Aprilmay and Milgirl, we'll beat this acne yet!

The rooibos tea has way more antioxidants than mere green tea and is known to improve overall health and skin. It's doing pretty well for me. It does seem strange to put it on your face, but when it dries, my skin feels calm and soothed. I don't do it all the time, but often once in the evening after I've cleansed my skin with oil, well before I get around to applying my retin-a. That still sounds so odd to me - I cleaned my face by putting OIL on it! LOL!

The jojoba oil feels so good. I have been putting it on prior to applying makeup - not too much, just enough that it moisturizes and helps blend the makeup. FYI, it's a great base! I bought extra makeup sponges so I can just use and toss. I've spent so much on my face lately, what's a couple more bucks? I put the oil on, let it sit and soak in for a few, then dab lightly with a tissue so it's even. Then I put on my green, then skin colored concealers where needed. I don't use foundation. I get a clean sponge and apply powder by dabbing it on. It sets the concealer and I actually get an overall coverage thanks to the oil. It makes my skin appear to be all 1 color instead of different shades, scars, and some zits here and there! AND it holds up pretty darn well, even under the stressful condition of full chemical warfare gear (including, yes, the gas mask) for an hour today.

Oh, as Americaninparis mentions, my skin is weird, too! I sleep on my right side much more than my left, so one would assume my right would be the bad side but it's not. My left is the bad side. I take pains to clean my phone daily, as well as my head phones for the gym, etc. I try really hard not to touch my face. Yet for some reason, that darn left cheek keeps breaking out! Of course I battle the T Zone, mostly my chin and lately forehead, but that's pretty common. My oil production is definitely down, too! I've been going for a month on this retin-a and am going to call the Dr to request she refill it as I am liking it so far!

DAY 51

kinda grumpy about my skin right now. i seem to be at a stand still... still!! red marks fade so slowly while new bumps continue to emerge. the ratio isn't looking good because the bumps come faster than the red marks fade. trying to stay positive is really hard sometimes! lets see... something positive.... i havent picked my skin in a little over a week which is good for me, usually ill pick a little when im frustrated but i resisted for 7 days. yay!

AMERICANINPARIS: cutting back on caffeine cant hurt right? but i agree that its really hard. retinoids are starting to take a toll on me (along with other things) but im glad we can all vent on the org. it makes things a bit more bearable. im totally ready to get off this roller coaster... anyways cali is much warmer than 20 right now! i remember you said you were from here??? the high was 78 today

MILGIRL: ive been hesitant to try the tea on my face, but i did gulp down a cup today! lol mere green tea...i might have to jump on your oil moisturizer train as well...

Arrrg, believe me, I KNOW how tough it is!! These red marks are driving me crazy as well. I know I said I'd switched to an all-natural regimen but I've been dabbing neosporin with a q-tip on the red marks that need healing and it seems to help them.

ALSO, very important announcement that since I started drinking rooibos 5 times a day I have not had ONE new pimple. That means that now I currently have one semi-active (you know when you can't tell if it's coming or going?) and that's it. Dramatic, considering I was in the midst of a semi-big breakout! So definitely give it a try!

I know that since I just said that I will jinx it, but things are looking good on my skin right now. At least things can be easily covered with makeup when they're just red marks. I really wanted clear skin for Christmas cause I'll have a lot of people at my house, but oh well. New Year's maybe?

Going off caffeine has been reeeally hard, and to be honest I still have about one caffeinated drink per day. But I've noticed since I've stopped my level of anxiety has gone down. Less stress = less acne.

As for lactose, still off the milk. still off the yogurt. cheese, NEVER!

And yes, I'm from the Santa Barbara area and am soooo excited to go back home and get some warmth! It's snowing here now which is picturesque, but not good for my cold and dry skin.

Sending good face vibes your way! Also, one week without picking??? I'm gonna commission the Nobel prize committee to send you a prize, cause that is ridiculous. Good work!

Yes, rooibos tea is some good stuff, & I know it feels weird to apply it to your face but OMG it feels heavenly! After it dries (I dab off any drips), my skin gets very soothed w/a matte appearance. I also put neosporin on if I have one that looks to need "disinfecting." Just a dab. Otherwise, it's all natural stuff. So far, so good! I need to enforce my tea drinking times today better than the past 2 days. It's been SO busy at work!!

On the downside, I got a "survival guide" for my new assignment (South Korea). Apparently, almost everyone who goes gets terrible breakouts. They suspect environmental factors (although I also suspect change in diet - hard to get the same types of food one eats here & the freshness is suspect). They said the Korean kids all are broken out, too. I'm calling the Dr today for a refill of Retin-A, try to get her to give me a surplus before I fly out in 2 months for my 13 month tour over there. In the meantime, I'm continuing with my current plan. I will spend extra cash in January buying a surplus of items I use here to ship over in my household goods as they aren't available where I am going & shipping times can take in excess of 6 wks. Not good! Not sure yet what I'll end up doing with my diet, though!