ha ha ha!!! yep!!!!

Day 30 | 5th week

More spots on forehead than usual (ok, not spots but the bumps are purging I guess, as the top of the 'seed' becomes visible in the middle of the bump, can usually pull 'em straight out with tweezers). Have one spot emerging from the depths on the left cheek and all the seeds in the bumps are starting to push their way out. All the proper spots I get are still on the outer area of my face. The sides of my mouth and nose creases are still flaky, really gotta be careful with where I put the Differin to be honest

Going to do another egg white face mask today, purely for more satisfaction (oddly satisfying seeing what was pulled out of your face)

Day 32 | 5th week

More spots, yay

Some deeper spots, mostly surface spots (like I said, the deeper spots seem to be on my face right next to my ears). I skipped the Differin last night because areas of my face were getting too flaky again, but will resume tonight. I can see more of a reduction in my bumps; way more of my face is clear than the areas of my face with bumps and/or spots: such a big improvement so far from before I started the treatment.

ok, think mines improving again too, fingers crossed!!! I also get very deep painful spots right next to my ears!!! Really difficult to cover up!! Ive got less small bumps i thik. Its not making me to dry or flakey now, that was just in the first two weeks or so. 5 weeks soon

Yeah, we're nearly through the dreaded 4-6 week stage that everyone keeps talking about! It's not too bad, it's probably my second breakout stage but it's not as bad as the first one (which wasn't that bad either to be honest). Keep powering on through! Can't imagine what my skin would still be like if I hadn't tried Differin...

hi guys, I am going to get hold of differin soon too. hopefully pick up a prescription tomorrow or tuesday. I've had this type of acne for years, I am 26 now and i would say i've had it for about 5-6 years. I used to get inflammed acne, but now its just these seeds as you say.

I saw a leading skin doctor in London Harley Street, she recommended these products>

am: Avene gentle cleanser

Sk:n exfoliator oily skin (2-3 x a week max)

Skinceuticals Phytocorrective (2-3 drops)

SPF 30 (Sk:n)

PM: Avene as above

skinceuticals as above

Differin

do you think those products and steps seem like a good plan of action? She also recommended i take the tetralysal 408mg tablets the doctor prescribed me in conjunction with that regime. However I think i would be ok with the products on their own? i guess the anti biotics would stop any potential inflammation from the purging of differin... but i think anti biotics are not good for you and you always break out in strange ways when coming off...

really want to start differin asap, i've had enough of these clogged pores (which i've squeezed out) but they keep returning, and ive got a load of pigmentation does differin speed that up and fade them?

Hmm... I have never tried these products, however, doing a quick search of them, I personally wouldn't go with the exfoliator all the time (especially in the morning) purely because it's a chemical exfoliator and as the retinol in the Differin makes the skin more sensitive, I just think it would be a bit much.

Maybe if you had a lot of flakiness, I would use it in the evening especially if your skin is prone to going red after such treatments. It all boils down to personal preference and how tough your skin is. I would definitely go with the Avene gentle cleanser and I could see why she would recommend the corrective gel to speed up healing (pigmentation), but I'd say it would be an optional product because I find that Differin helps with the pigmentation too. If you're not happy with the rate your skin is healing, thn I'd say give the corrective gel a go. Would definitely use the Differin at night with nothing else and the moisturiser/SPF in the morning. Overall, I'd say a good shout with these products, no harm in trying them.

I also personally think that antibiotics aren't a necessity, especially with the effects that coming off them seem to have on the skin. Yeah, you will eventually develop a tolerance to the antibiotics and may need a higher dose for the same effects: I wouldn't take any type of medication unless I absolutely had to, I live by the 'no pain, no gain' rule hahaa Of course, it is entirely your decision whether or not to go with them but I wouldn't myself. Maybe if it was a topical antibiotic such as Erythromycin or Clindamycin, which I've heard good reviews of but the products you have already (such as the corrective gel and exfoliator) should be alright on their own. Try it without antibiotics first?

Yeah I was really tired of the whole clogged pores thing, and like you, tired of squeezing them out only to have them return again. For me, it did have a positive effect relatively fast: I didn't have much of a problem with breakouts: sure, I had days where my skin was worse (in one of those stages now) but I knew that the Differin would heal it all up quick: in most cases, the next day so I wasn't too bummed out. I still have those clogged pores but they're all coming up to the surface/disappearing now so I'm pretty happy As for the pigmentation, it does help but not massively. They have been fading but I'm not sure whether that's due to the Differin or the niacinamide I apply onto my skin every day.

By the way, I wouldn't squeeze any clogged pores you may see because it just serves to make your skin red and look worse than it actually is

Yeah she stressed 2-3 times Max for the exfoliant. she said use the differin every other night until you get used to it, see how the skin reacts, dry flaky skin doesn't sound good!

gentle cleanser sounds like a must then good. yes the corrective stuff is the moisturiser i think it works to hydrate deep down in the skin, hmm so differin on its own at night you say after a cleanse..

I agree on the anti biotic side of things, hence i haven't started them. i think she thought my skin was inflammed which tbf it was... from the horrible picking i did. its a bit of a bloody mess right now i pick at it when i'm stressed, and having clogged pores is like giving crack to an addict.

i dont own any of these products yet, I think through work i get 20% discount from Sk:n, so i am going to wait and see if thats the case. at the moment I head read a lot about the whole not washing the face at all... and i am very tempted to try this although its the complete opposite end of the spectrum to this...

from your experience it does seem that differin is working rather well, AHA has been the only thing for me that really speeds up the process of dark marks from picking. or a moisturiser. the key is keeping the skin moist but not blocking it... something i find impossible.

yes again i wish i never squeezed my skin, its got some minor scarring here and there from where its become clogged through products, then me going at it too hard and breaking it. i have some shallow marks here and there, but i am hoping those will be fixable either over time or through dermapen or similar treatment.

you are right though it makes it seem a lot worse than it would be

There were nights where I had to give the Differin a miss because it was making my face quite flaky, so on those nights I just used a nice moisturiser instead. And yeah, Differin on its own because I feel like applying other products under or over it would make it less effective, don't know why, I just feel that way.

Ahh, picking at your skin when you're stressed doesn't sound good; are you stressed often? I get what you mean about the clogged pores thing, it's rather addictive and inviting. And I feel like if I squeeze it out, then I will feel better that that 'seed' is out of my face. Of course most of the time it just leaves my skin red and it always comes back, so I don't know why I just don't stop. I'm trying my hardest to though, and trying to let the Differin do its thing. My face looks better than yesterday, that's for sure, although I did use chemical face mask yesterday before applying it.

I've never tried a good AHA product, I always used either BHA or a good face mask, which always makes it better. I've heard that Paula's Choice BHA products are very good for the blocked pores thing but never tried it, mainly because it's more than I'm willing to spend. Have you tried aloe vera or niacinamide for your hyperpigmentation?

I hate it when products clog my skin up, although I don't think many do. I'm fortunate enough not to properly scar when I have spots; hyperpigmentation's very likely though.

I have only scared when the spot was inflammed and i picked it.. left very small indentations that probably wont heal naturally... i.e i'll need to correct them with a dermapen. They aren't deep by any means but non the less they are there.

Just went to the doctor, he has prescribed me the Differin Gel 0.1%. I think this is a good shout as my skin as I say just blocks up something awful with ANY cream i've ever used. He said to apply it in the PM and wash it off after.. do this for a few days or weeks so the skin adjusts and if it becomes red and angry then lay off... seems sensible.

he said his brother had acne and was prescribed accutane and it cleared him right up. 70-80% success rate, said it drys eveything up to a crisp. but can alter the fat in the blood etc, so its a strong substance.. he said it really depends how much its bothering you, i can prescribe it but you should try differin to start with. He said its good stuff.

Yeah its a bad habbit ive had for ages. the scars ive got were from a lot of stress built up and using too greasy products on the skin. But thats life. IT COULD BE WORSE right?

Yeah the only AHA i would say is good is from aquaglycolic... have a read on make up alley. But again, i think it breaks me out for some reason, maybe it brought all the gunk to the surface..

I have also tried BHA and AHA from paulas choice, to be honest, again, I used a regime that had that in there and my skin kept breaking out, red angry spots which is not normal for me tbh unless i've been working out loads or had loads of sex.

My acne is 100% related to hormones.

Yeah all moisturisers i've ever tried have ended up breaking me out. Even pure 100% aloe vera gel (called 'the ultimate aloe vera gel) note they changed the ingredients a while back but i have the product before they changed it.

Ahhh so much i want to say!

so first things first.... get the Differin gel from a pharmacy!

I assume a regime is a must whilst on this stuff right? as in the products i mentioned prior to this post that the harley street doctor suggested.

I am TOTALLY paranoid about using products and a regime ): Id rather burn than use a sunscreen that is more than likely going to clog my pores..

SK what is your routine? AM and PM products etc - where do you live?

thanks so much

Heard the gel version is a little more harsh, maybe because there's no/little emollient in it? Either way, sounds good, I like to do it overnight.

Ooh, yeah, I've definitely heard of Accutane, much stronger retinoid. Was intrigued but the list of side effects made me think that it wasn't worth it. For some people the acne has come back after coming off it. I'd say Differin was/is harsh enough for my skin and it's the weakest retinoid! But it's doing a good job; it's just a tad slow. And yeah, life could definitely be a lot worse, hard to think that acne is a very common problem, yet we feel like the only ones suffering while everyone else we see in our day-to-day lives have beautiful skin.

Aaah, good ol' makeup alley... will definitely have a read

So if your acne is 100% related to hormones, then nothing topical will get rid of it completely, so the products you use on your face isn't the only factor. Tried going to a doctor for a blood test?

Ya know, people have actually said that a sun burn (mild, that is) or a tan has made their acne much better/non-existent. If only it was safe to do all the time... luckily for me in the UK, there isn't much sun at all so I don't use proper sunscreen on my face: the moisturiser/foundation I use has SPF in it already anyway. I make sure not to layer products with SPF on my face since I read that it actually cancels each other out or something. Just start slow with the routine, don't worry

My routine, I actually don't have much of one; I just use whatever products I feel like using that day/night, but here's an overview:

AM

- Wash face with warm water to get any Differin residue off my face from overnight. No cleanser or anything.

- Apply a serum (seeing as I can't do it overnight with the Differin): either my Olay Regenerist 3-point super serum with niacinamide or my Along Came Betty Clearly Perfect Skin Tone Correcter with red kelp extract. Normally I leave it at that and just apply my makeup afterwards. If my face is feeling particularly worse for wear...

- ...Apply a moisturiser: either my Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturiser which is oil-free and has salicylic acid or my Along Came Betty Radiance Moisturiser which is more hydrating.

- If I'm not going anywhere that day then before my serum and moisturiser, I use a face mask and leave it on for 15-30 minutes. Either my Neutrogena 2-in-1 face wash and mask with salicylic acid, kaolin and bentonite or an egg white face mask which is absolutely amazing and has pulled stuff out of my pores on more than one occasion. Not to mention cheap as chips. If at all.

PM (this is where it gets serious)

In the shower:

- Wash all makeup off.

- Use my cleanser, which is the Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Facial Wash Gel.

- OPTIONAL: get gunk out of my pores using a mix of castor oil and jojoba oil and massage (you feel and see black bits coming out of your pores, it's really cool). Oil-cleansing method can break you out though, if you don't get all the oil off properly.

- Use a microdermabrasion scrub to get all the dead skin and other questionable gunk off my face: either the Botanics Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion Polish , The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion Scrub or Soap and Glory Scrubatomic/Scrub Your Nose In It. I make sure my face is nice, warm and supple from the steam/hot water first. I don't do this everyday.

- Another face mask using either the Neutrogena one as above, Along Came Betty Pure Pores Detox Face Mask, Soap and Glory Fab Pore Mask, the Quick Fix Facials Anti-Blemish Mask or I smear active 10+ manuka honey all over my face and leave it to sit.

- Wash off with warm/hot water and pat dry.

Out of the shower:

- I leave my face for at least 10-15 minutes before applying Differin because it lessens the negative effects.

- Go to sleep!

Seems like a lot but I pick and choose every day. I'm quite harsh on my skin but that's because my skin can take it

Hmm i can see why you would say that about the Gel, however my doctor said its the same ingredient its just the consistency that (pardon the pun) 'differs' lol. He said that girls tend to get on with the cream more than the gel and guys get on with gel... maybe to do with make up or something.

Yeah Accutane has got serious side effects, but at what point do you give up and just want to live your life with 'normal' skin..

Well, yes i believe* its hormone related it all stacks up. So yeah i wonder how it will be cleared up :/ what would I get the blood test for? not a bad idea to be honest with you. I guess they would check hormone levels. Why haven't i done this before!

Ah (the UK) see what you did there haha, only reason I ask is because I am from the UK too and so your'll know similar product brands/shops etc and of course if you wanted to chat further externally to here, that would be possible.

Yeah my friends use sun tan beds.. which i know are very bad for you, but then they have tanned skin no spots.. i am white with spots.. i think i know who is winning.

I have tried countless moisturises as i say and honestly every...single... one.... will break me out, just give it a week or so and BOOM. Clog city b*tch

thanks for posting your routine, that does seem quite harsh, my skin wouldn't tolerate the scrubbing etc

Yeah, I think guy's skin is tougher and gels just seem to be more drying than creams so I think that's why. And I guess if Differin isn't doing it for you then try Accutane, just be careful with it though. My friend actually had serious inflamed acne, she went on a course of antibiotics and her skin looks amazing now so I guess you could also try antibiotics, however if your acne is hormonal as you think, then anti-biotics wouldn't do anything.

Get a blood test done and then they can prescribe you pills if your hormone levels are unbalanced, it causes more problems than you think tbh

Obviously a good diet helps too, been drinking a shit load of water and (trying to) eat healthily, however bad food just tastes too good. I used to be scared that I had become lactose intolerant or something and that was causing my clogged pores, but didn't really want to cut out cheese and other dairy because it just tasted too good. Ahh, no self-discipline whatsoever. What a way to live ey

Yess, I was also hoping you were from the UK too: I know a lot about different products: Boots is like my second home. Also hopefully going to the Uni of Manchester this year to do chemistry so that I can become a cosmetic chemist and make products to rid the world of acne once and for all (big dreams are the best ones hahah). And yeah, we can share this stupid acne experience together if you want hahaa

Every single moisturiser? No, we *will* find you one that doesn't! Maybe it's just one ingredient that clogs you up... everybody needs a good one, especially now you're on Differin

By the way, have you put it on your face yet? If so, how was it?

Hmm I don't know if its tougher, i think thats a misconception? Yes this is what has stopped me taking the antibiotics to be honest.

I'll enquire about the blood test for sure, I do wonder if they are imbalanced or not :/ my diet has been clean for 4 years now, no sugar, no dairy, no cheese cream sweets etc you name it!

thats interesting you mention the lactose thing, i swear i am intolerant to milk and cheese (dairy) however i think its the milk proteins not the fat of which i cant tolerate. I spoke to the doctor about this and he said yes people are either sensitive to the milk proteins or the more common one 'lactose'.

do you think it clogs pores?

Yep uk here !! (-: Thats really kool, have you applied and got in? unfortunately i doubt that would happen mainly because acne is caused by so many factors, its just part of life i suppose, almost like trying to cure death. How old are you? I went to pick up the gel today as the pharmacy in tesco told me to come back today as yesterday it wasnt in stock... so anyway, went in today and she goes 'oh.. erm there is a problem' comes back and tells me the computer didnt order it... so she had to call somewhere and get it sent... BRILLIANT.

so told to go back tomorrow. if they don't have it tomorrow i'm going to kick the f off.

Funnily enough i re-read the cave man regime... whereby you do nothing and let your face heal.. got to say its working well for me lol!! my face has crusted over (lush) and its healing. the is going down Rapidly.

Yeah i don't mind sharing what ever- i read the other differin log kicking around here and about 5 or so were doing it, got good results only one saw worse results.

part of me wants to start a regime the other side wants my body to sort itself.. its only mild acne i suffer with, i question is it worth warranting all this palaarver ?! the doctor told me that differin would make it dry and flake but will make the skin nice. and she said it would help to remove those really small indents i caused aka scarring. if this is the case then I'd like to give it a go, i'm super scared it will break my skin out make it worse...

I am hoping that moisturiser she recommended will work *if i order all those products. I cannot express how i am so SO SO done with buying this that and the other. I feel like my box has more products than boots at x mass

It probably is to be fair, I don't know, it would just make sense if guy's skin was tougher.

And whatt?! What do you eat then? That's literally my whole diet hahaa, apart from the sweets, don't really have much of those. I think you can also get a test done at the doctor's to determine whether you're lactose intolerant or intolerant to something else. Probably doesn't clog the pores; I think that's more of a hormonal thing. I know it can cause redness, eczema and rashes?

Yeah, I applied, had an interview, got an offer, just need to get the bloody grades now (AAA). I'm 18, by the way

I guess I wouldn't be able to cure it... maybe stick to makeup and skincare ey

Would be so cool if I could though.

That's so frustrating! I swear when you need something, it's never there. Maybe you just weren't destined for Differin hahah

Caveman regimen? I... have never heard of that before but good to hear it's working for you! I don't think I'd ever be able to not use products on my face: I just feel like I manually need to scrub it or moisturise it or clean it because it just makes me feel better.

What do you wanna share? And yeah, I've read The Differin Diaries and it's just great to hear how everyone got on with it.

I'm still hoping for nice skin, I've got much less bumpiness but there's still a bit of hyperpigmentation. It will make your skin break out but that's a 'purging' period, if it keeps breaking out after a long time then that's bad I think. Your breakouts should heal quicker though, so that's a plus. Give it a try; it's worked for most people

And I feel exactly the same way! I've bought loads of scrubs and treatments to try and make the bumps go away but none of them ever worked; it's just money wasted isn't it? Luckily we don't have to pay for the Differin, like a lot of people in the US do: heard it's actually quite expensive. And nice comparison, so much choice!

Hmm maybe you are right, I suppose we are different but skin is skin lol!

Yeah I know! I eat veg, meats, breads, fruits, and thats about it to be honest! yeah you can do, although you have to have been ingesting dairy for 6 weeks prior to a blood test, or it wouldnt prove anything as its not in your system, and i know i suffer with symptoms - bad gas and stomach cramps (not kool)

Thats great i'm sure your'll get in! 18! i am 26 lol! had mild acne since 20- clear skin from 15 to 17, so yeah had it most my life?!

haha sorry wasn't trying to shoot you down, that was rude of me! you should always chase your dreams, maybe you could be the one to cure it! you never know.

yes the caveman is a very very interesting concept. have a read of it on 'love vitamin' search caveman, a girl did it and got great results. I think it has some merit in it.

not sure what to share lol! just good to have someone who is using the product currently i guess. do you mainly get clogged pores? i've got two white heads right now, but normally its clogged pores, the reason they are relatively clear is because i squeezed them all out recently lol..

yes thats the catch, if your skin goes from good to worse and then stays worse... bit of a massive gamble really. you only get one face, i've ruined mine enough as it is! yes i paid 8 for the differin which i havent got yet, i swear it used to cost way more. I picked up the cream version didnt use it, and i swear it cost 60 or maybe that was the duac stuff :/

Don't know how you do it, I can't live without dairy! Seems like a healthy diet though, I really should be getting myself into one of those soon. Yeahhh, didn't think of that and noice, stomach cramps and bad gas is the devil. Second to acne, of course. I think the only time I got bad stomach cramps was when I intentionally ate a peanut because I wanted to see if I was still allergic, not one of my best decisions tbh

I hope I'll get in: love it so much! Wow, age gap much? I was the same, had perfect skin all the way through secondary school and then started getting these clogged pores at the end of Year 11/start of Year 12. Actually, I used to get clogged pores on my forehead because I used a moisturiser that was too thick for me but it was sorted out quickly with a bit of St. Ives Apricot Scrub. Doesn't do anything now though. And nah, I realise that it is a very big accomplishment but I can try?

I will certainly have a read, sounds like an interesting concept. I guess it's because you're not disrupting your acid mantle with any harsh products/unbalancing the pH?

I love this community: it's great to have everyone in the same boat! Yeah, my acne is purely clogged pores, doesn't look bad at all if you compare it with inflamed acne but in certain lighting... it looks pretty damn horrible. With the Differin, you can actually see the 'seeds' coming closer and closer to the surface, it's so cool because then they just become so much easier to extract without prodding your face in the same place for ages. Sometimes I get spots around my period but that's hormonal and I can't do anything about it.

It *is* a gamble, I happy I took it. I was cautious at the beginning because my skin wasn't too bad in terms of redness and breakouts but I decided I really wasn't happy with the way it looked anyway so just threw myself in. Yeah all these medications are so expensive if you have to pay for them, I'm glad I didn't because what if you paid 60-odd for one tube and it didn't work for you? I'd be so mad

haha well I've done it for years now! I like eating good healthy food. It's just become part of my life to be honest with you. Furthermore it started as another attempt to eliminate the cause of spots.... It was tough at first, in fact you go through an odd foggy head stage, but then when that goes you feel 'awake' again, i think its the bodies way of craving sugar, as in refined sugar.

yea be careful with allergies! thats an entirely different ball game!!

you will ! i have faith in you, i bet a lot of dolla on it x

Yeah honestly although some blocked pores have cropped up and a few small white heads over all it seems my skin has enjoyed the lack of washing, i think really its striking a balance, natural oils HAVE to be the best moisturiser... your body is creating it..

What I am a bit down about is the fact i've picked my skin for so long, I have some small scars/enlarged pores from doing it.. wonder if differin would help with those. i am talking small small indentations that i can see when i look within 30cm of a mirror..

So, how long have you used the diff for? i picked mine up today! just put some small dabs on some clogged pores, it says on the tube put on effected areas only. I guess the proper way to administer it is to put it on thinly allllll over the face minus the nose and eye area i.e directly under the eyes... would it work using it just on the clogged parts?

so you are happy with results, what do you notice? smoother skin? even skin tone? reduced blemishes? fewer spots/clogged pores?

I guess i am just too scared to start a regime :/ just feel like its a lot of effort/hassel when my skin can be alright, it just gets bad if it gets clogged and i pick at it.. as you can imagine..

ut yeah dabbed some on a cotton bud and applied a thin coat here and there on my forehead and cheek, chin.

what do you think?

Day 38 | 6th week

Amount of breakouts reducing. Dramatically reduced amount of clogged pores all over my face day by day: if go to a window and face side-on so that the lighting is only hitting one side of my face, my forehead is looking pretty much smooth now. Cheeks still need a bit of work but even my left side of my face is starting to smoother too. Really very happy. Still not joking when I say you can see the bumps 'purge' themselves. Now got hyperpigmentation to sort out but that's coverable so it's ok. Let's hope it only gets better from now on!

@.JacktheLad.

Yeah I went through a phase of eating (relatively) healthy: no crisps, no chocolate, no soft drinks and no ice-cream. It's all still in the house though and I snack whenever I'm feeling the slightest bit hungry, especially when revising. So it's a bad habit I need to re-break haha

And thank you very much x

Hey, well if the whole no-washing thing works for you, why don't you stick with it? No need for a whole regime if it doesn't help. Besides, I think it's way better for your skin if you leave it (can't say the same for myself though!)

Differin probably will be able to help with those if they are very small indentations, not sure about large ones however. It's made people more oily too

Wheey! Finally got your Differin! I've been using it for just under a full 6 weeks and it's the best thing I have ever done. I don't know, I've always just put it everywhere but I guess it would work if you just put it on the affected areas. However, you might have some microcomedones that you didn't even know were under the skin surface so I would put it all over just to purge those too. It's certainly happened with me before.

I am very happy with results. Definitely smoother skin, dramatically reduced clogged pores and now that I've been using it for about 6 weeks, I can say that the amount of spots I've had in this whole period was more than I've ever had before? They were small though. But I think I'm finishing up my second breakout period so it's all good. As for hyperpigmentation, I think I'd have to use it for longer to see more of a noticeable difference but it has made my skin tone look a little more even. I think I'll use a specialised treatment for those though, just to speed it up

I don't think you need a whole regime if you're uncomfortable with it. If the Differin makes you a bit dry and flaky, just don't use it that night. But I think you still need to wash your face in the morning just to get the residue off. All those treatments that the derm prescribed you are optional, especially if your face is responding well to not using any products at all tbh

Day 38 | 6th week

Amount of breakouts reducing. Dramatically reduced amount of clogged pores all over my face day by day: if go to a window and face side-on so that the lighting is only hitting one side of my face, my forehead is looking pretty much smooth now. Cheeks still need a bit of work but even my left side of my face is starting to smoother too. Really very happy. Still not joking when I say you can see the bumps 'purge' themselves. Now got hyperpigmentation to sort out but that's coverable so it's ok. Let's hope it only gets better from now on!

@.JacktheLad.

Yeah I went through a phase of eating (relatively) healthy: no crisps, no chocolate, no soft drinks and no ice-cream. It's all still in the house though and I snack whenever I'm feeling the slightest bit hungry, especially when revising. So it's a bad habit I need to re-break haha

And thank you very much x

Hey, well if the whole no-washing thing works for you, why don't you stick with it? No need for a whole regime if it doesn't help. Besides, I think it's way better for your skin if you leave it (can't say the same for myself though!)

Differin probably will be able to help with those if they are very small indentations, not sure about large ones however. It's made people more oily too

Wheey! Finally got your Differin! I've been using it for just under a full 6 weeks and it's the best thing I have ever done. I don't know, I've always just put it everywhere but I guess it would work if you just put it on the affected areas. However, you might have some microcomedones that you didn't even know were under the skin surface so I would put it all over just to purge those too. It's certainly happened with me before.

I am very happy with results. Definitely smoother skin, dramatically reduced clogged pores and now that I've been using it for about 6 weeks, I can say that the amount of spots I've had in this whole period was more than I've ever had before? They were small though. But I think I'm finishing up my second breakout period so it's all good. As for hyperpigmentation, I think I'd have to use it for longer to see more of a noticeable difference but it has made my skin tone look a little more even. I think I'll use a specialised treatment for those though, just to speed it up

I don't think you need a whole regime if you're uncomfortable with it. If the Differin makes you a bit dry and flaky, just don't use it that night. But I think you still need to wash your face in the morning just to get the residue off. All those treatments that the derm prescribed you are optional, especially if your face is responding well to not using any products at all tbh

Hey thanks for this reply, really helpful. sounds like its working swimmingly for you! i'm very happy, its good to know its working for you so it can work for me.

ok so an update to my skin from now 21/02/2014 for reference; The whole 'not doing anything' was just masking up problems, it did however even the skin tone out a bit BUT it just made it clog up and i was getting white heads and congestion which cant be good really can it. Furthermore i had a white head on my forehead near the hairline and then a big white head sort of on my right cheek about 5 cm from the mouth.

this brings me onto right now... I washed, exfoliated my forehead and then shaved, and then put a pea sized amount of DIFFERIN 0.1% GEL on my face, not neck as i never have issues there what so ever.

i agree about putting it everywhere, but cheeks and forehead is where i will be applying it. Unless you strongly recommend neck?

you say 'All those treatments that the derm prescribed you are optional, especially if your face is responding well to not using any products at all tbh'

So is it ok to wash it off with just water in the AM?

Is it wise to follow a strict regime i.e the one my derm prescribed? i.e wash > moisturise > sunscreen AM and then in the PM wash moisturise and differin?

tonight i got very down about my skin, its so blotchy and sh*te bumpy etc from these clogged pores and spots etc will it ever look nice?

yeah they are really small indentations, the doc said it would help... who knows...

So back on to what just happened now, i have applied differin gel all over my face minus the neck and let it sit, it didnt sting or anything.... i've done nothing else after this... the doctor said to wash it off first week of using it so your skin builds up tolerance to it...

my skin is naturally dry and i wonder if GEL is going to be ok? shall i wash it off for first week of use and use every other night?

Yeah, that's what would've happened for me too if I didn't do anything to my face (especially because I wear makeup). Sorry to hear that didn't work for you

Nope, I don't put any on my neck because like you, never had any problems there; I apply it to my face only

Yep, that's what I do, just water in the AM because I don't want to dry out my face too much with excessive washing with cleanser Make sure it's warm/hot though (I'm a crocodile because I love washing with hot water)

Yeah, I would do a regime but you do need products that are right for you though. Definitely the Differin at night if nothing else

Aww no, don't worry, the Differin will clear it all up in no time Your skin will be nice and then your self-confidence will sky rocket! You've used it once: you've officially joined the Differin club now

That's good if it didn't sting, it didn't sting for me either

I never got told to wash it off or anything, I just put it on and went to sleep with it and then my skin felt really soft in the morning. Been doing that ever since. But I have combination/oily skin and you have dry, so it might make you more flaky initially, especially if you're using the gel so I'd say don't wash it off but use it every other night at first. If you find that you can't tolerate it that much, start washing it off. If that doesn't help, switch to the cream version

Didn't read it properly: yeah, if you don't want all those products, you'd probably just want to wash it off with a gentle cleanser in the morning. If you do use those products, then just water in the morning would be fine, because you'd be washing your face properly in the evening before putting Differin on again.

thats ok (: it taught me to appreciate doing less is sometimes more. I think it helped restore my skin somewhat and now it needs repairing from the acne outbreak and clogged pores i caused.. why cant my skin be normal.

Oh good! its good to know I am actually doing the right thing. only thing is, i dont have those other products as yet! so going to call up tomorrow and do a bulk order, i get 20% discount (: so that would be nice.

for me, even water can dry my skin out, its always naturally flakey in the mornings as it is! i think its the winter :/

hmm products that are right for me... now thats a challenge and a half in itself I don't know if this is even possible lol

Feeling good about joining the Differin club, I like that. I hope it does wonders, i've read for some people results happen almost right away and they don't have a messy IB.

My skin is combination/oily if i don't wash, if i wash it becomes dry. so :/ yeah awkward skin. I plan to use it every other night and see how it goes, and if it starts going red or flakey i'll wash it off. I think the regime i.e spf and moisturiser will help it to stay calm though. i told the Derm i saw at harley street that i picked up the gel version she said thats fine.

you did mention peoples skin becoming more oily, i guess because the differin is helping the pore to operate properly? if so, the gel could be spot on

edit just read you added on bit: wait, so even if using moisturiser at night, you wouldn't want to use cleanser in the AM?

hmm well i can try the regime am and pm see how its goes i guess, its what the derm said to do i suppose..

oh and, do you apply the DIFF to your nose? creases next to the nose? above top lip?

20% discount, lucky ducky

Wow, yeah I do think it's the winter: I notice my skin becoming more dry too

I'm sure there are haha! Just need to find them, it's like trial and error unfortunately

I've read that some people don't have an IB either, they're really lucky but even I didn't have such a bad one tbf

The Differin does indeed do that, also it makes your skin shed more and it reduces the amount of skin layers you have so that sebum doesn't get stuck anywhere or under anything. Nice ey

'Spot' on... What you did, it was there. And I saw it. Probably unintentional but you tend to notice things like that hahah

Anyway, I digress, no harm in giving the gel a try

Oh, I was under the impression that you were just going to use the Differin at night: if that were true then water would be fine, however if you're using moisturiser (especially a hydrating/relatively thick one) then you might want to wash with a cleanser if your skin gets congested easily.

I find that thin moisturisers don't really leave any residue so I don't bother with cleanser in the morning - never did, even when I used to use it at night

oh and, do you apply the DIFF to your nose? creases next to the nose? above top lip?

Sorry, I keep missing things out and I can't edit my own posts for some reason

No, don't apply into the creases of your nose or too close to your mouth, it will make those areas flaky to no end