Halloooo! I'm new to this board, just decided to join to chronicle my experience with a new, holistically oriented 'regimen' I've started. I figure seeing everything laid out chronologically may be helpful to determining what works for my skin and what doesn't, and perhaps even figuring out possible triggers. And hey, maybe someone else can get something out of it too!

Background information: I am a sixteen year old girl, and I have had acne ever since I was about 11 or 12 years old. At first, it was mainly on my forehead, but after a few years it seemed to "migrate" to my jawline/outer cheek area, and temples. Now, it is mostly everywhere; all across my cheeks, forehead, chin, and jaw. Yicky.

The kind of acne I get is mostly just raised, red spots. I occasionally get a few whiteheads, and sometimes a couple of cysts, but my main problem is actually the red patches and indentations that occur after the inflammation goes down (scars, I suppose?). I typically have perhaps 5 "active" spots at a time, and pigmented red spots make up the rest.

I don't know what causes it, exactly. I ate very badly for most of my childhood, which might be a factor. Also, my parents both apparently had acne (my dad has red scars from cysts on his neck even now), and my brother (two years younger than me) has a few spots too. I think it may be at least distantly hormonally related, because my acne gets a bit worse around that time of the month.

So what have I tried to do about this? Well, when I was younger, I didn't really care much about it at all. My ma bought me salicylic acid pads (i.e. Clearasil) and I would use those, as well as benzoyl peroxide (Oxy). Needless to say, these didn't help much with my acne, though they did dry out my skin beautifully.

Since I started to actually care about what I look like (oh, blessed teenage years....) I, like many of you, have tried virtually everything under the sun. Various washes, scrubs, ointments, even Proactive (which I do not recommend!). And then I discovered natural remedies, and the idea that what you eat has an effect on your health (novel idea, that!), and went rather slap-happy with that information... lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, egg masks, oatmeal, aloe, cinnamon, turmeric, et. al.

I still very much have a soft spot towards the concept of natural remedies, and can say that they have served me rather well. I had been just about clear for a while on a regimen of honey, ACV, and aloe vera.

But then, for reasons I don't fully know, I started picking at my skin (this was a few months ago). I was picking at scabs, popping pimples and squeezing the gunk out (sounds disgusting, but you people who have had this problem can understand the strange satisfaction derived from seeing white pus squirt out of one's zits....).

I have mostly stopped this behavior. But it's rather too late; my skin has finally gotten so bad that my mom decided to take me to the dermatologist.

She prescribed me tretinoin and clindamycin, which I have been using now for about a week. And that's were we start! So, then....

Topical Regimen:

Nights

-Tretinoin 0.025% every three days (to start with)

-wait for that to dry, and then apply aloe vera generously

Mornings

-wash face with honey (sugar scrub -gently!- if needed to remove aloe)

-Clindamycin 1%

-wait for drying, then apply Olay sensitive skin moisturizer/sunscreen and makeup

On Tretinoin skip nights

-ACV toner, and while that is still wet apply a small amount of honey (so it soaks into the skin and doesn't make a sticky mess!) and then aloe on top of that*

*Yes, it sounds a bit strange, but this is what had been working for me before. I just hope none of those ingredient react with the topicals!

Diet and Supplements:

Supplements

-2 Sundown Naturals fish oil pills

-1 Nature Made "For Her" multivitamin

-Cod liver oil equivalent to approx. 9,000 IU vitamin A (taken half in morning and half at night)

My dermatologist was originally going to prescribe me an oral antibiotic as well. I declined this, but after reading later, figured it would probably help lessen the effect of the fabled "Initial Breakout".

So, I'm eating garlic as a natural antibacterial and antibiotic. I have heard great things about it, and from the past I know it gives a lovely glow to the complexion a few hours after eating! But I am trying to eat at least one large clove a day, and raw. Now, I love garlic, but I must say, it's pretty hard to get down, raw. I've been trying different ways (swallowed like a pill, in tomato juice, etc), but haven't hit upon a good method yet. We'll see how this goes.

Diet

I have been eating "well" for some time now, because nutrition is one of those subjects that interests me.

Old/Ongoing Changes

-Cut out sugar and refined flours (I do slip up from time to time)

-Cut out most everything that comes in a box, can, or plastic wrapper

-Cut out foods including MSG

-Cut out vegetable oils

-Cut out milk (I'm using almond milk, or plain whole milk if absolutely necessary)

-Avoid corn and wheat

-Avoid very salty foods

-Avoid pasteurized cheeses and other dairy products

-Avoid peanuts (possible allergen)

-Try to properly soak and prepare grains and legumes

-Include more goods fats such as butter and coconut oil (I can say, after eating more fat for several months, the overall texture and appearance of my skin is much nicer!)

New Changes

-Eat green vegetables daily

-Include (preferably raw) allium vegetables like onion and garlic

-Make bone broth weekly

-Start making some lacto-fermented veggies and drinks!

I know, that "Don't"s list is quite long. So what do I eat? Lots of eggs, oatmeal, onions, nuts, beans, salami, spinach, carrots, broth, and whatever my mum makes for dinner!

Other Measures:

-Get fresh air daily

-Get lots of sleep (though not tonight, dash it all....11:30 already!)

-Drink plenty of fluids

-Try to run at least every other day (this is also because I'm training for track)

-Try to do jumping or body brushing, or some activity that moves the lymphatic system

-Cut down on stress, worry, and whining!

-Try to be more spiritual, and save time for reading and walks in the woods

-Don't forget to laugh and smile, and not to take everything so seriously

How things are looking right now:

Unfortunately, none too good. It's a week into my tretinoin regimen, so this could be the start of the "initial breakout". I've not been experiencing much dryness or peeling, but it almost looks as though the top layers of my skin with the lighter scars have stripped away to reveal plently of dark red marks. Urgh. There's about four large active pimples, and a few smaller pustles.

I'll try to post pictures next time.

And that's that! The first post was quite long (sheesh, my bum hurts from sitting here for an hour!) but hopefully they will be shorter in the future.