Hi

So this is going to be a personal log of my acne struggles, which I arm trying to clear naturally, before my doctor puts me on Acutane.

My Acne History- SKip don to regimen if you wish-

To start off I'd like to say how I NEVER had acne in my life before I went on birth control. I was the girl with flawless skin who could get away with rinsing her face with hot and cold water, a little dab of Chapstick, and voila! Yup, but all that was before Orthodox Tri Sprintec which my obgyn prescribed to me before going off to college. She told me not only would it keep my skin clear as I went through stressful times at school, but it would temper my mood swings and all that fun stuff. And guess what? I broke out horribly in two weeks. Chin acne, cheeks, forehead. It was all huge and cloistering together. I cried for weeks till it finally started going away, leaving me with awful red marks that took months to go away. I decided to go off birth control a week later, having had such bad mood swings that I just couldn't take it anymore. That was May 1st. As of today I currently have four huge and monstrous cysts taking up my left cheek, smaller pimples heading into cysts on my right cheek, a thousand red marks dotting my lower face, and now it's creeping onto my neck.

I've had this acne since May, slowly getting worse and worse. I went to the dermatologist a month ago. He prescribed me Keflex, Prednisone and a Retin-A to be used after 10% BP. The prednisone made my skin great for the short three weeks I was on it. Then I went off it as I finished it, and now I have those awesome cysts on my cheeks. When I went to go see him again just three weeks ago he told me to keep using the Keflex, Retin-A and BP and that on September 23rd I'd go on Acutane.

1 thing is I'm terrified of Acutane, but if it makes my skin better and gives me back my self confidence than I guess I can handle it. As of two days ago my cysts got bad enough that I've been on a liquid diet. I'm calling my doctor tomorrow to discuss something he could put me on till the 23rd so that I can finally re introduce solids back into my diet.

-End Acne History-

Anyways lately these are the things I've been using on my skin

* Dr Bronners Citrus Orange Magic soap, oil form. Just started use today

* Burts Bees Rosewater Toner. Just started Use today.

* Medicine Mama's Sweet Bee Magic. Think an all organic/ cheaper Egyptian Magic. Started Friday. Love it!

* Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. Started two weeks ago. Making my skin GLOW where I don't have acne.

* Retin-A .0025 every two to three days. Been using for almost a month and a half. Causing my cysts to leak. Disgusting.

* BP Generic 10% that I can't use right now because my cysts are too painful and puss filled.

* Aztec Indian Healing clay treatment 1 time a week.

Internally I am taking

Fish oil 1200, 1-2 a day

Keflex twice a day

Vitamin A 8,000 iu once a day

Acai berry 2 pills 1-2 a day

Milk Thistle 1-3 times a day

Zinc 1 a day

Vitamin C 1 a day

I'll post pictures at a later point. I keep a record every night. I'll also update this log the whole15 days till Acutane becomes a part of my life. And if anyone is interested ill keep posting afterward.