That's great you're progressing so well! Throughout the caveman regimen did you see breakouts in areas you wouldn't normally see them?

I'm experiencing some minor breakouts along my jawline and underneath my chin. Before starting the caveman I'd rarely get anything in that area, so it's a bit frustrating. I wouldn't apply BP to these areas either, just cleansing and moisturizing. The rest of my face is doing awesome though, so we'll see how this continues!

Thanks! I'm so pleased, but I think having acne for so long has damaged my mentality a little. I keep expecting to go look in the mirror and my face be as bad as it was before¦ Just have to stay positive!

Yeah absolutely. I got a lot of pimples on my upper lip, and I never got pimples there before, even when my skin was really bad.

Only thing I would suggest is that jawline and chin acne is usually hormonal. Have you been unusually stressed recently? I tend to get pimples in those areas when I'm stressed out.

Also, chin and jaw are the places that tend to rub against collars, scarves, pillows etc. It might be worth throwing your pillow cases in the wash and being extra careful not to touch the area with your hands.

Glad the rest of your face is doing well though! It's great to talk to other people who are following the regimen.

Have you washed your face at all yet?

Thank you for the update, it makes me happy to read about your successes, I feel like I'm your understudy or something

No problem! I'm so glad it makes you happy!

I hope your caveman regimen is going well too.

It feels so weird to write this kind of stuff online but if it helps someone it's worth it

Still Day 44

I wish I wasn't writing this but I want this log to be completely honest and I NEED to remember how this feels to stop me doing it again.
So my boyfriend is away for a few days and I am in the house on my own. So I went and did what I used to do, my old ritual. I don't know what possessed me but I got myself all set up in the bathroom with a proper light and an extractor tool and went around picking and popping at my chin and just under it. What I was picking and popping was barely anything at all but now it is swollen and red and will probably leave me with some pimples in a few days. When I started I couldn't stop, I am disgusted with myself; it is a feeling I haven't felt for a while.
I'm pretty sure it's an obsessive compulsive tendency. If my boyfriend's at home he tends to catch me doing it and tell me to stop but I'm on my own for a while. Now I'm just sat here feeling guilty.
Don't pick your bloody (quite literally) skin.

Still Day 44

I wish I wasn't writing this but I want this log to be completely honest and I NEED to remember how this feels to stop me doing it again.

So my boyfriend is away for a few days and I am in the house on my own. So I went and did what I used to do, my old ritual. I don't know what possessed me but I got myself all set up in the bathroom with a proper light and an extractor tool and went around picking and popping at my chin and just under it. What I was picking and popping was barely anything at all but now it is swollen and red and will probably leave me with some pimples in a few days. When I started I couldn't stop, I am disgusted with myself; it is a feeling I haven't felt for a while.

I'm pretty sure it's an obsessive compulsive tendency. If my boyfriend's at home he tends to catch me doing it and tell me to stop but I'm on my own for a while. Now I'm just sat here feeling guilty.

Don't pick your bloody (quite literally) skin.

Stay strong! It is pretty tough to not pick at your face, but it'll definitely be better in the long run. You should just throw that extractor away haha. Thought I'd share the google quote of the day, which is very fitting for your situation and the caveman regimen in general:

"Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone" - Alan Watts

I don't think my jawline breakouts are hormonal, I have a very stress free university life right now. Lots of sleep, exercise and some meditation. It's mostly on the right side of my face too. I was quite sick last week though so maybe that contributed to it. I use a towel on top of my pillow and change it every other night....so I don't think that's the culprit either. I almost always wear a hoodie when I'm at home and don't really wash it that frequently. I'm going to try and wear cleaner hoodies and t-shirts from now on, see if that helps!

It's day 20 for me of washing with only water at night, day 34 of not using BP. I still use jojoba oil around my mouth as a moisturizer, since that's my driest and breakout prone area. So far so good!

Still Day 44

I wish I wasn't writing this but I want this log to be completely honest and I NEED to remember how this feels to stop me doing it again.

So my boyfriend is away for a few days and I am in the house on my own. So I went and did what I used to do, my old ritual. I don't know what possessed me but I got myself all set up in the bathroom with a proper light and an extractor tool and went around picking and popping at my chin and just under it. What I was picking and popping was barely anything at all but now it is swollen and red and will probably leave me with some pimples in a few days. When I started I couldn't stop, I am disgusted with myself; it is a feeling I haven't felt for a while.

I'm pretty sure it's an obsessive compulsive tendency. If my boyfriend's at home he tends to catch me doing it and tell me to stop but I'm on my own for a while. Now I'm just sat here feeling guilty.

Don't pick your bloody (quite literally) skin.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it becomes a tendency in most acne-prone people. I also can't stop myself from doing that from time to time. What I do now is intentionally limit my mirror time, even when I brush my teeth I don't look in the mirror. I told myself I can look all I want in two months.

I've also been writing affirmations twice a day (positive statements about yourself and your life). They've been a great help

When it comes to stress, I recently read that chronic low-key stress (such as low self-esteem and constant little worries that leave you in a state of frustration) is actually responsible for chronically elevated cortisol levels, which, in turn, can mess with your overall health. Big stressors tend to be temporary and dissolve on their own without doing much damage to the body.

 

Still Day 44

I wish I wasn't writing this but I want this log to be completely honest and I NEED to remember how this feels to stop me doing it again.

So my boyfriend is away for a few days and I am in the house on my own. So I went and did what I used to do, my old ritual. I don't know what possessed me but I got myself all set up in the bathroom with a proper light and an extractor tool and went around picking and popping at my chin and just under it. What I was picking and popping was barely anything at all but now it is swollen and red and will probably leave me with some pimples in a few days. When I started I couldn't stop, I am disgusted with myself; it is a feeling I haven't felt for a while.

I'm pretty sure it's an obsessive compulsive tendency. If my boyfriend's at home he tends to catch me doing it and tell me to stop but I'm on my own for a while. Now I'm just sat here feeling guilty.

Don't pick your bloody (quite literally) skin.

Stay strong! It is pretty tough to not pick at your face, but it'll definitely be better in the long run. You should just throw that extractor away haha. Thought I'd share the google quote of the day, which is very fitting for your situation and the caveman regimen in general:

"Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone" - Alan Watts

I don't think my jawline breakouts are hormonal, I have a very stress free university life right now. Lots of sleep, exercise and some meditation. It's mostly on the right side of my face too. I was quite sick last week though so maybe that contributed to it. I use a towel on top of my pillow and change it every other night....so I don't think that's the culprit either. I almost always wear a hoodie when I'm at home and don't really wash it that frequently. I'm going to try and wear cleaner hoodies and t-shirts from now on, see if that helps!

It's day 20 for me of washing with only water at night, day 34 of not using BP. I still use jojoba oil around my mouth as a moisturizer, since that's my driest and breakout prone area. So far so good!

Hey thanks for the support, great quote too. I know I need to put that extractor in the bin! In fact, I will do it today. It only brings me grief!

It's great that you exercise a lot and meditate! I wish I could find more time to do it.

Hopefully the cleaner hoodies and t-shirts should help with your jaw breakouts. It's soo cold where I live and I always have a dressing gown on, I find that sometimes I get little pimples on my neck if I have forgotten to wash it for a while.

So pleased the caveman is going well for you too! Keep it up!

 

Still Day 44

I wish I wasn't writing this but I want this log to be completely honest and I NEED to remember how this feels to stop me doing it again.

So my boyfriend is away for a few days and I am in the house on my own. So I went and did what I used to do, my old ritual. I don't know what possessed me but I got myself all set up in the bathroom with a proper light and an extractor tool and went around picking and popping at my chin and just under it. What I was picking and popping was barely anything at all but now it is swollen and red and will probably leave me with some pimples in a few days. When I started I couldn't stop, I am disgusted with myself; it is a feeling I haven't felt for a while.

I'm pretty sure it's an obsessive compulsive tendency. If my boyfriend's at home he tends to catch me doing it and tell me to stop but I'm on my own for a while. Now I'm just sat here feeling guilty.

Don't pick your bloody (quite literally) skin.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it becomes a tendency in most acne-prone people. I also can't stop myself from doing that from time to time. What I do now is intentionally limit my mirror time, even when I brush my teeth I don't look in the mirror. I told myself I can look all I want in two months.

I've also been writing affirmations twice a day (positive statements about yourself and your life). They've been a great help

When it comes to stress, I recently read that chronic low-key stress (such as low self-esteem and constant little worries that leave you in a state of frustration) is actually responsible for chronically elevated cortisol levels, which, in turn, can mess with your overall health. Big stressors tend to be temporary and dissolve on their own without doing much damage to the body.

Thanks for your response. This website is so good for getting some emotional support from people who fully understand your problem.

Come to think of it, I was brushing my teeth just before I started picking! I think that's the most "mirror contact" I have in a day at the moment. I've been thinking about getting rid of the mirror all together, my bathroom light is horrible and I could do without staring at myself while I brush my teeth haha.

I have read about writing positive affirmations before, but I wasn't sure if it was the kind of thing I would find helpful. I might give it a try, thanks for the tip

I'm defiantly an anxious person and an over-worrier. I think it will take more than the caveman regimen to cure that. But I have found that not having to worry about completing a mammoth skincare routine every morning and night has meant that I can be much more spontaneous. Even little things, like staying at a friends without warning (and without a backpack full of cosmetics and BP!)

Hope your caveman is still going well!

Day 48
Just a quick update to say that over the past few days the hyperpigmentation on my cheeks has reduces significantly. It seems to be almost the same colour as the rest of my skin. It doesn't look raw or irritated. I have a little flakiness around my mouth today, but honestly, i'd rather be a little flakey that covered in cystic pimples!

I picked at my chin a few days ago but fortunately I have not had a pimple as a result of this. Prior to the caveman if I had picked at my chin I would have a guaranteed pimple (or 2¦ or 3) over the coming days. But my chin has been absolutely fine. I guess it must be the lack of irritation. Still, I won't be picking at my face again if I can keep my hands off!

At the moment, I am happier every time I look in the mirror

Day 48

Just a quick update to say that over the past few days the hyperpigmentation on my cheeks has reduces significantly. It seems to be almost the same colour as the rest of my skin. It doesn't look raw or irritated. I have a little flakiness around my mouth today, but honestly, i'd rather be a little flakey that covered in cystic pimples!

 

I picked at my chin a few days ago but fortunately I have not had a pimple as a result of this. Prior to the caveman if I had picked at my chin I would have a guaranteed pimple (or 2¦ or 3) over the coming days. But my chin has been absolutely fine. I guess it must be the lack of irritation. Still, I won't be picking at my face again if I can keep my hands off!

At the moment, I am happier every time I look in the mirror

That's awesome you're still progressing! Keep it up! What's your diet like if you don't mind me asking? Have you seen any breakouts if you cheat at all since being on the caveman?

I had a pretty bad week, a major breakout on the right side of my chin. This happened 3-4 days after I re-introduced brown rice, a bag of Terra chips and popcorn into my diet. I'm almost certain that one of these things caused it! I was on accutane for a year a long time ago, and I've read that grains can really mess with a compromised gut. I haven't had any new pimples since I've cleaned my diet up.

Anyways, thx for keeping up with the logs!

 

Day 48

Just a quick update to say that over the past few days the hyperpigmentation on my cheeks has reduces significantly. It seems to be almost the same colour as the rest of my skin. It doesn't look raw or irritated. I have a little flakiness around my mouth today, but honestly, i'd rather be a little flakey that covered in cystic pimples!

 

I picked at my chin a few days ago but fortunately I have not had a pimple as a result of this. Prior to the caveman if I had picked at my chin I would have a guaranteed pimple (or 2¦ or 3) over the coming days. But my chin has been absolutely fine. I guess it must be the lack of irritation. Still, I won't be picking at my face again if I can keep my hands off!

At the moment, I am happier every time I look in the mirror

That's awesome you're still progressing! Keep it up! What's your diet like if you don't mind me asking? Have you seen any breakouts if you cheat at all since being on the caveman?

I had a pretty bad week, a major breakout on the right side of my chin. This happened 3-4 days after I re-introduced brown rice, a bag of Terra chips and popcorn into my diet. I'm almost certain that one of these things caused it! I was on accutane for a year a long time ago, and I've read that grains can really mess with a compromised gut. I haven't had any new pimples since I've cleaned my diet up.

Anyways, thx for keeping up with the logs!

Hey thanks so much!

No, I don't mind you asking at all. My diet is pretty clean. I don't follow any strictly specific diet (like paleo, GAPS etc.) but one of my major triggers I now know is gluten. It's probably been about 8 weeks since I quit gluten completely and that's made the most significant difference in my skin. I did cut dairy out entirely for a while but it didn't make a huge difference. The only dairy I will eat now though is occasionally some organic, full fat, probiotic yogurt. I don't eat cheese or milk anymore. I also eat plenty of fish.

I found that when I quit gluten my diet just became a lot healthier by default. I was a pretty healthy vegetarian before but when I started to replace all the bread and pizza and pasta with veggies my skin just started to improve, along with the caveman which I know is making a huge difference.

If I do cheat nowadays (which generally involved a bit of a chocolate binge or some cheese, I notice a worsening in skin texture and I will typically get a pimple or two on my chin, temple or cheeks. But I have found that the pimples I get now aren't cystic and go away much faster (thank you caveman regimen.)

Hmm, I wonder what could be breaking you out. Maybe something to do with the starches? Was the popcorn sugary or processed? I tend to avoid processed foods as much as I can. But it's difficult sometimes! I did find that in the first month of cleaning up my diet I was still breaking out a lot, but it decreased as time went on. If you think how long you/me/we have been abusing our guts with processed foods, it's going to take a long time to allow that to heal, and accutane/antibiotics/all the damaging crap us acne prone people are coerced into using are only going to aggravate it further.

So sorry you have had a bad week this week. Try not to be too worried about your breakout. You're on the right track! Drink a load of water and make a point of getting a lot of skin loving veggies in you! Maybe steer clear of the chips, brown rice and popcorn and test them out one at a time in a few weeks if you want to be scientific about it and find the culprit.

Whoa that was a huge rant, sorry! Hope it was of some help anyway, and that the breakout clears up quickly for you!

Hmm, I wonder what could be breaking you out. Maybe something to do with the starches? Was the popcorn sugary or processed? I tend to avoid processed foods as much as I can. But it's difficult sometimes! I did find that in the first month of cleaning up my diet I was still breaking out a lot, but it decreased as time went on. If you think how long you/me/we have been abusing our guts with processed foods, it's going to take a long time to allow that to heal, and accutane/antibiotics/all the damaging crap us acne prone people are coerced into using are only going to aggravate it further.

My diet has been extremely clean for over a year! So frustrating. I haven't had gluten or dairy in a long time, but have never fully cut out brown rice or oatmeal. I drink in moderation every couple weeks and hardly eat processed foods. Both the popcorn and chips are organic with very minimal ingredients, the only thing that is bad in both is the sunflower/safflower oil and some salt. I'll try out the anti-grain / paleo-ish diet for a couple weeks and see if I stay clear from here on out. Maybe re-introduce quinoa slowly, since it's a seed.

I am only coming up on day #26, so it is fairly early. This has got to be the hardest thing I've ever done haha. Hopefully it works out for the best! My skin is no longer oily so that is a plus, and any pimples that do come are a lot smaller than they used to be.

Thanks again, it's nice to bounce ideas / questions off of people.

 

Hmm, I wonder what could be breaking you out. Maybe something to do with the starches? Was the popcorn sugary or processed? I tend to avoid processed foods as much as I can. But it's difficult sometimes! I did find that in the first month of cleaning up my diet I was still breaking out a lot, but it decreased as time went on. If you think how long you/me/we have been abusing our guts with processed foods, it's going to take a long time to allow that to heal, and accutane/antibiotics/all the damaging crap us acne prone people are coerced into using are only going to aggravate it further.

My diet has been extremely clean for over a year! So frustrating. I haven't had gluten or dairy in a long time, but have never fully cut out brown rice or oatmeal. I drink in moderation every couple weeks and hardly eat processed foods. Both the popcorn and chips are organic with very minimal ingredients, the only thing that is bad in both is the sunflower/safflower oil and some salt. I'll try out the anti-grain / paleo-ish diet for a couple weeks and see if I stay clear from here on out. Maybe re-introduce quinoa slowly, since it's a seed.

I am only coming up on day #26, so it is fairly early. This has got to be the hardest thing I've ever done haha. Hopefully it works out for the best! My skin is no longer oily so that is a plus, and any pimples that do come are a lot smaller than they used to be.

Thanks again, it's nice to bounce ideas / questions off of people.

It seems we're in the same boat. I've been dairy free for a long time and I also cut gluten and caffeine out about 3 weeks ago (I eat grains and oats though). I'm on day 30 of the CMR and starting to see some improvements. It's too early to tell, I'll probably make a topic once I get some conclusive results.

Honestly, I have a suspicion that diet is not as important as we make it out to be...I cheated a couple of days ago and ate some pastry with no results on my face whatsoever. and that's white flour we're talking about, not brown rice. I've also read some testimonials of people that got themselves clear for a couple of years and then started eating the foods they thought caused their acne. It turned out they could binge on those foods with no consequences either.

For now what seems to be working for me is leaving my skin alone and not giving a rip whether I get breakouts or not ( at least trying to). If and when I get clear and stay that way for a month or so, I will definitely slowly reintoduce all the foods back into my diet.

Honestly, I have a suspicion that diet is not as important as we make it out to be...I cheated a couple of days ago and ate some pastry with no results on my face whatsoever. and that's white flour we're talking about, not brown rice. I've also read some testimonials of people that got themselves clear for a couple of years and then started eating the foods they thought caused their acne. It turned out they could binge on those foods with no consequences either.

I really think it depends on the person. If you've been subjected to many antibiotics and your gut is in bad shape, diet could play a huge factor! Also intolerances can affect everything. All I know is that 6 days ago I re-cut out grains and the junk food mentioned above, and my skin is back on track. Haven't seen any new breakouts, just very small whiteheads which I can easily deal with.

I'm 29 years old and have just started taking probiotic supplements in the last 3 months, so I have no doubt that my gut needs some work. I've always eating really healthy, but have been on accutane and antiobiotics in my life. When I was heavy into weightlifting I was taking quite a few mass gaining supplements as-well, so that could have messed me up too! I'm going to stay strict to this gut healing diet and see where it leads me, so far it's looking promising.

Cheers,

 

Honestly, I have a suspicion that diet is not as important as we make it out to be...I cheated a couple of days ago and ate some pastry with no results on my face whatsoever. and that's white flour we're talking about, not brown rice. I've also read some testimonials of people that got themselves clear for a couple of years and then started eating the foods they thought caused their acne. It turned out they could binge on those foods with no consequences either.

I really think it depends on the person. If you've been subjected to many antibiotics and your gut is in bad shape, diet could play a huge factor! Also intolerances can affect everything. All I know is that 6 days ago I re-cut out grains and the junk food mentioned above, and my skin is back on track. Haven't seen any new breakouts, just very small whiteheads which I can easily deal with.

I'm 29 years old and have just started taking probiotic supplements in the last 3 months, so I have no doubt that my gut needs some work. I've always eating really healthy, but have been on accutane and antiobiotics in my life. When I was heavy into weightlifting I was taking quite a few mass gaining supplements as-well, so that could have messed me up too! I'm going to stay strict to this gut healing diet and see where it leads me, so far it's looking promising.

Cheers,

Can I ask you - what carbs do you eat? I cannot get myself full on vegetables and fruits no matter how much of them I eat. I was considering cutting out grains and seeing if it improves my skin, but I am often hungry as it is, so I'm at a loss what I can substitute them with.

I used to take those mass gainers as well! Around that time I started getting hives on my body that are still there. They completely disappear when I'm on holiday, though (no matter what I eat) and come back a couple of months after I come home. Weird.

Can I ask you - what carbs do you eat? I cannot get myself full on vegetables and fruits no matter how much of them I eat. I was considering cutting out grains and seeing if it improves my skin, but I am often hungry as it is, so I'm at a loss what I can substitute them with.

As for carb-ish veggies, I'm eating sweet potato, yams, red potato and spaghetti squash. I mostly bake, steam or boil my veg. I'm really big on kale chips too, as it quenches some of my cravings. Some anti-histamine / candida diets say not to eat any potato, but personally I think they are really healthy for ya.

Still haven't seen any real breakouts at all, just very small pimples. Still too soon to tell if it's grains or not, but I'll experiment in the next couple of weeks.

Day 53
My skin is so dry today! I am still thrilled with my progress. I am getting absolutely zero pimples. I wake up and look in the mirror without any fear of seeing a big lurking cyst, and i've got to the point where my mind is slightly less conditioned to panic when i see a tiny inflamed pore because I know it will be gone the next day. It's amazing.

However, my skin is still flakey. It doesn't feel irritated and itchy dry like it did at the start. But I can see flakey bits around my mouth and chin when I look in the mirror. I remember I was always envious of my mums dry skin because she never got pimples and just slathered on moisturising creams all the time. I'm starting to wonder if I was making my skin oily by washing it so often? And maybe I have naturally dry skin?

Equally, it could just be the year of BP use that have left me lacking moisture. I'm hoping that by the third month my skin will have balanced itself out and stopped being quite so flakey. I keep being tempted to buy jojoba oil or something to try and moisturise my skin but I'm absolutely dreading a breakout, because I know I will just be back in the same old cycle. Anyway, I am certainly not complaining. I'm really, really pleased with my progress. Also, just a quick note on my hyperpigmentation, it is fading. But it seems to do it in stages. Like I will see little to no improvement for a week or so and then suddenly I will wake up and the marks will be a shade lighter. So it's a slow process but I'm okay with that.

I wish more people knew about the caveman regimen. Now, every time I go into the drugstore and I see the aisle after aisle of beauty products, I can't believe that I used to go in there week after week spending my money on products that never worked. I think the beauty industry is a little twisted.

 

Hmm, I wonder what could be breaking you out. Maybe something to do with the starches? Was the popcorn sugary or processed? I tend to avoid processed foods as much as I can. But it's difficult sometimes! I did find that in the first month of cleaning up my diet I was still breaking out a lot, but it decreased as time went on. If you think how long you/me/we have been abusing our guts with processed foods, it's going to take a long time to allow that to heal, and accutane/antibiotics/all the damaging crap us acne prone people are coerced into using are only going to aggravate it further.

My diet has been extremely clean for over a year! So frustrating. I haven't had gluten or dairy in a long time, but have never fully cut out brown rice or oatmeal. I drink in moderation every couple weeks and hardly eat processed foods. Both the popcorn and chips are organic with very minimal ingredients, the only thing that is bad in both is the sunflower/safflower oil and some salt. I'll try out the anti-grain / paleo-ish diet for a couple weeks and see if I stay clear from here on out. Maybe re-introduce quinoa slowly, since it's a seed.

I am only coming up on day #26, so it is fairly early. This has got to be the hardest thing I've ever done haha. Hopefully it works out for the best! My skin is no longer oily so that is a plus, and any pimples that do come are a lot smaller than they used to be.

Thanks again, it's nice to bounce ideas / questions off of people.

Hey, just wanted to say that it's great that you're gluten and dairy free. But I know how frustrating it can be when you cut so much stuff out of your diet and STILL get breakouts. But I think the caveman regimen is enough to give your skin that final push it needs. This may be a super obvious question, but do you also drink enough water for your body weight? I used this hydration calculator http://www.camelbak.com/hydrationcalculator and I thought I had been drinking loads of water but it wasn't enough!

Also, do you make sure the oatmeal you eat is certified gluten free? Because pretty much all regular oatmeal is cross contaminated with other gluten containing grains in the factory. Again, that might be super obvious but worth mentioning.

And you are really early on in the caveman regimen and already seeing results so don't fret about it too much! I think the whole "one month" thing is kind of an underestimation anyway, to be honest. I don't think its fair to expect our heavily abused faces to cure themselves completely within one month, it's more like a jumping off point to see if your skin makes any improvement at all, and if it does, you should keep it up!

Good luck, I hope it's going well.

Day 53

My skin is so dry today! I am still thrilled with my progress. I am getting absolutely zero pimples. I wake up and look in the mirror without any fear of seeing a big lurking cyst, and i've got to the point where my mind is slightly less conditioned to panic when i see a tiny inflamed pore because I know it will be gone the next day. It's amazing.

Hey, just wanted to say that it's great that you're gluten and dairy free. But I know how frustrating it can be when you cut so much stuff out of your diet and STILL get breakouts. But I think the caveman regimen is enough to give your skin that final push it needs. This may be a super obvious question, but do you also drink enough water for your body weight? I used this hydration calculator http://www.camelbak.com/hydrationcalculator and I thought I had been drinking loads of water but it wasn't enough!

 

Also, do you make sure the oatmeal you eat is certified gluten free? Because pretty much all regular oatmeal is cross contaminated with other gluten containing grains in the factory. Again, that might be super obvious but worth mentioning.

 

And you are really early on in the caveman regimen and already seeing results so don't fret about it too much! I think the whole "one month" thing is kind of an underestimation anyway, to be honest. I don't think its fair to expect our heavily abused faces to cure themselves completely within one month, it's more like a jumping off point to see if your skin makes any improvement at all, and if it does, you should keep it up!

Day 53! Wow, that's awesome. Your progress is really inspirational and keeps me going, I've almost cracked a few times lol. Have you used any water on your face yet? Are you going to soon?? I recently took a few days off from washing with water and it felt great. I did end up cleaning with jojoba oil yesterday and it really helped slough off some of that dead skin. My face feels a bit irritated today though.

I was putting high quality steel cut oats into my smoothies, so it should be fine for being gluten free. I drink roughly 2-3 liters a day and am never really thirsty either. I truly believe I have an issue with leaky gut / yeast overgrowth or gram negative folliculitis. I hardly ever get cysts, and if I do they are very small. The only thing I get are pimples that form into white pustules.......very gross haha. Day 30 for me tomorrow! Face is looking alright since I've kept strict on my diet.

Cheers,

Day 57

Okay so I washed my face! Mainly because it was starting to look like my skin really needed a bit of that dead skin build up to be washed away. So I decided that instead of doing the water only method I would use some manuka honey, (because I have used it before to spot treat and it has helped my pimples heal) and the result was a lot of that dead skin coming away which was great for my skins texture. I still have flakiness and dry skin but it looks quite a bit smoother than before.

However, the next day I was getting a few breakouts. Now, I know that manuka honey can sometimes cause a purge, and the pimples I was getting weren't angry or cystic, but the kind of little white heads that are ready to come out right away. I did succumb to the temptation and pop them (there were 3 on my chin) and they have remained flat and calmed down since. So what I have decided to take from this is that unless I want to go through a purging period, manuka honey is not the face wash for me, no matter how well it has served me as a spot treatment. I fully intend to leave my skin alone again, for at least a week or so, to see if the breakout subsides (which I think it will.) Then next time I have a serious dead skin build up to deal with, I will experiment with a different technique. Right now I am planning on using a warm washcloth with just water to very gently buff my skin and then see what happens over the following days. But for now, manuka honey is off the list!

Day 53! Wow, that's awesome. Your progress is really inspirational and keeps me going, I've almost cracked a few times lol. Have you used any water on your face yet? Are you going to soon?? I recently took a few days off from washing with water and it felt great. I did end up cleaning with jojoba oil yesterday and it really helped slough off some of that dead skin. My face feels a bit irritated today though.

I was putting high quality steel cut oats into my smoothies, so it should be fine for being gluten free. I drink roughly 2-3 liters a day and am never really thirsty either. I truly believe I have an issue with leaky gut / yeast overgrowth or gram negative folliculitis. I hardly ever get cysts, and if I do they are very small. The only thing I get are pimples that form into white pustules.......very gross haha. Day 30 for me tomorrow! Face is looking alright since I've kept strict on my diet.

Cheers,

Hey Canucklehead12,

Hope your caveman is going well! I've just posted an update on my experience of face washing a few days ago. Are you still loving the jojoba oil as a cleanser? I had a mixed experience cleansing with some manuka honey (which has been good to my skin in the past, but I can't remember if I had a purging phase with it or not.)

I feel like I must have some issues with my gut too. I feel like I have slowly ruled out all the other factors that could be causing my acne. But fingers crossed the longer we keep up these healthy lifestyles, and the more our guts heal, the better our skin will get. I'm sure it's a slow process, but it'll happen I'm sure! And, if there's one good thing about getting acne (and I mean one) it's that I am the healthiest I have ever been physically, and I would never have changed my lifestyle this drastically if it wasn't for my acne letting me know that there was something wrong inside my body. Better to have acne as the warning beacon rather than something more sinister!

Hey Canucklehead12,

Hope your caveman is going well! I've just posted an update on my experience of face washing a few days ago. Are you still loving the jojoba oil as a cleanser? I had a mixed experience cleansing with some manuka honey (which has been good to my skin in the past, but I can't remember if I had a purging phase with it or not.)

I feel like I must have some issues with my gut too. I feel like I have slowly ruled out all the other factors that could be causing my acne. But fingers crossed the longer we keep up these healthy lifestyles, and the more our guts heal, the better our skin will get. I'm sure it's a slow process, but it'll happen I'm sure! And, if there's one good thing about getting acne (and I mean one) it's that I am the healthiest I have ever been physically, and I would never have changed my lifestyle this drastically if it wasn't for my acne letting me know that there was something wrong inside my body. Better to have acne as the warning beacon rather than something more sinister!

Hey Jlopez,

That sucks about the manuka honey! Coincidentally 3 days ago I started using a raw honey mask in the morning and have loved every minute of it haha. I haven't seen much for a purge yet, just a few small whiteheads around my chin (which is normal for me). It's really soothed my skin and reduced any redness. Jojoba oil badly irritated my skin as a cleanser, so I'm sticking with it just as a moisturizer morning and night on my problem areas. My skin has never felt this normal! It's been a long time since I've not felt oily at the end of the day, but now I could go days without washing and it'd still feel good.

I recently picked up some glutamine for the gut too. I've used it before for muscle recovery when I was working out, but apparently it's great for healing the stomach as well. Are you on any probiotics or anything?

Ya I agree I've never been this healthy. I'm in the best shape of my life right now, with all the clean eating and exercising. Hopefully my body isn't creating acne to keep me in shape lol. I've been reading the ebook "Skin Deep" by Ted Grossbart, and he has some interesting theories on how our mind influences skin problems. Check it out if ya have time, it's a free ebook.

Cheers,

Day 62

Another little experiment today. The breakouts from my last face wash have subsided very quickly. I decided not to use manuka honey since it broke me out last time, but instead tried out an oatmeal face wash by just running some oats under warm water until they were soft and saturated then gently applying it to my face (I payed special attention to the area around my chin and upper lip because that's where my most severe dryness is.) I followed with the 50/50 water to apple cider vinegar toner and the Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil. So far so good, my skin isn't irritated or itchy, but I will see how this progresses over the next few days and whether breakouts start. If they do I may consider switching out either the toner or the moisturizer but I want to be as methodical about this process as possible. As far as my skin goes I am still not getting cysts or pimples, but my hyperpigmentation isn't my favourite thing in the world and my skin continues to be quite dry and flakey. I never would have thought I would be dealing with dry skin! It's a bit of a mystery to me.

Hey Jlopez,

That sucks about the manuka honey! Coincidentally 3 days ago I started using a raw honey mask in the morning and have loved every minute of it haha. I haven't seen much for a purge yet, just a few small whiteheads around my chin (which is normal for me). It's really soothed my skin and reduced any redness. Jojoba oil badly irritated my skin as a cleanser, so I'm sticking with it just as a moisturizer morning and night on my problem areas. My skin has never felt this normal! It's been a long time since I've not felt oily at the end of the day, but now I could go days without washing and it'd still feel good.

I recently picked up some glutamine for the gut too. I've used it before for muscle recovery when I was working out, but apparently it's great for healing the stomach as well. Are you on any probiotics or anything?

Ya I agree I've never been this healthy. I'm in the best shape of my life right now, with all the clean eating and exercising. Hopefully my body isn't creating acne to keep me in shape lol. I've been reading the ebook "Skin Deep" by Ted Grossbart, and he has some interesting theories on how our mind influences skin problems. Check it out if ya have time, it's a free ebook.

Cheers,

Hey,

Pleased the raw honey is working for your skin! I did have success with raw honey when I was on benzoyl peroxide, come to think of it. I wonder if the manuka was just a bit too strong for my skin. I might consider trying a raw honey wash again in a few weeks. I'm trying to really space out these occasional face washing experiments, just so I can be absolutely sure what is breaking me out and what isn't.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with the glutamine. I've heard some great stuff about it but I'm always a little hesitant to add more supplements to my diet. I'm not on any probiotics, no. I have heard a few stories about breakouts, but I guess there are positive and negative stories about every acne treatment.

I'll be sure to check out skin deep! Thanks for the recommendation.

How is your regimen coming along this week?

Hey,

Pleased the raw honey is working for your skin! I did have success with raw honey when I was on benzoyl peroxide, come to think of it. I wonder if the manuka was just a bit too strong for my skin. I might consider trying a raw honey wash again in a few weeks. I'm trying to really space out these occasional face washing experiments, just so I can be absolutely sure what is breaking me out and what isn't.

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with the glutamine. I've heard some great stuff about it but I'm always a little hesitant to add more supplements to my diet. I'm not on any probiotics, no. I have heard a few stories about breakouts, but I guess there are positive and negative stories about every acne treatment.

I'll be sure to check out skin deep! Thanks for the recommendation.

 

How is your regimen coming along this week?

Day #39 for me, everything is great! I've had little to no new breakouts, and even ones that come seem to be smaller than the last (mostly around my chin). My scarring has been reduced a ton, and my complexion is finally becoming normal. In the last week and a half the flakiness has really gone down too. Washing with water twice a day, moisturizing with jojoba oil and using the honey mask in the morning has really helped with that.

I'm not sure if it's my strict diet or just using water that's really made the difference, but hopefully it continues! I'm going to re-introduce brown rice in a couple weeks to see what happens. I did pick up some manuka honey and will try that tomorrow morning, I still haven't seen much of a purge with the raw honey i'm currently using.

I'm on day 5 of supplementing with glutamine (5mg 2x a day), haven't seen any difference as of yet.

Hope your progress continues!

Day 66

I'm not sure if I should be specifying the days anymore? But it's handy for me when I look back over this log so I guess I will for now! Even though I am not technically doing the caveman regimen anymore. I still do not wash my face with water at any point but I do use a 50/50 apple cider vinegar to water toner in the evenings and I am moisturising twice daily (morning and evening) with the Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil. The main thing I have noticed during this experiment is that my skin is absolutely not oily and thick like I thought it was. It is very dry and sensitive and I have been abusing it day in day out with constant face washing and treatments.
My skin looks the best it has looked in years at the moment and I couldn't have got to this point without the caveman regimen. I feel like allowing my skin to do its own thing and get back to its natural state completely, allowed me to see exactly what it's natural state was, which was dry and flakey and in need of some very gentle moisturising.

Day 66

I'm not sure if I should be specifying the days anymore? But it's handy for me when I look back over this log so I guess I will for now! Even though I am not technically doing the caveman regimen anymore. I still do not wash my face with water at any point but I do use a 50/50 apple cider vinegar to water toner in the evenings and I am moisturising twice daily (morning and evening) with the Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil. The main thing I have noticed during this experiment is that my skin is absolutely not oily and thick like I thought it was. It is very dry and sensitive and I have been abusing it day in day out with constant face washing and treatments.

My skin looks the best it has looked in years at the moment and I couldn't have got to this point without the caveman regimen. I feel like allowing my skin to do its own thing and get back to its natural state completely, allowed me to see exactly what it's natural state was, which was dry and flakey and in need of some very gentle moisturising.

How's everything going with the ACV and moisturizer??

I take back what I said about not purging with manuka honey lol. In the last two weeks I've definitely purged, seeing different types of pimples crop up. But they have slowly decreased in frequency and size in the last week. My forehead is completely clear from using it though! It's no longer bumpy and sandpaper-ish. Everything else is looking good as well.

I haven't really seen much from the glutamine, but my overall health and diet have been really good of late. I'm absolutely loving the paleo diet, I've never felt this awesome before haha.

How's everything going with the ACV and moisturizer??

I take back what I said about not purging with manuka honey lol. In the last two weeks I've definitely purged, seeing different types of pimples crop up. But they have slowly decreased in frequency and size in the last week. My forehead is completely clear from using it though! It's no longer bumpy and sandpaper-ish. Everything else is looking good as well.

I haven't really seen much from the glutamine, but my overall health and diet have been really good of late. I'm absolutely loving the paleo diet, I've never felt this awesome before haha.

Hey, it's going great thanks!

I haven't been updating much because I would say at this point I really am clear. I am just waiting for hyperpigmentation marks to fade, which they are doing at their own pace. I don't really keep to any kind of routine, I just gently wipe my face down with a clean, warm washcloth maybe 2 times a month, use the facial oil when I'm feeling dry and cleanse with the ACV toner if I notice a pimple popping up (which is rare and goes away with in a day, usually when I have been cheating on my diet/drinking.)

I am planning on making a new post with pictures to show my progress and precisely detail what is in my diet and skincare now

Shame about the manuka purge. I think it's pretty common to have an initial breakout with it from what I have read online. It just wasn't worth it for me, personally because I felt it was all too close to a face washing routine and that irritation breaks me out. Glad your breakout has subsided anyway! I tend to find that my forehead skin is way more resilient to products than anywhere else on my face.

I am thinking about trying out the paleo diet, I am so close to following the rules of it anyway, and my diet has definitely made the most dramatic difference to my skin!

Would you say you are no longer following the caveman regimen then?

Hey, it's going great thanks!

 

I haven't been updating much because I would say at this point I really am clear. I am just waiting for hyperpigmentation marks to fade, which they are doing at their own pace. I don't really keep to any kind of routine, I just gently wipe my face down with a clean, warm washcloth maybe 2 times a month, use the facial oil when I'm feeling dry and cleanse with the ACV toner if I notice a pimple popping up (which is rare and goes away with in a day, usually when I have been cheating on my diet/drinking.)

I am planning on making a new post with pictures to show my progress and precisely detail what is in my diet and skincare now

Shame about the manuka purge. I think it's pretty common to have an initial breakout with it from what I have read online. It just wasn't worth it for me, personally because I felt it was all too close to a face washing routine and that irritation breaks me out. Glad your breakout has subsided anyway! I tend to find that my forehead skin is way more resilient to products than anywhere else on my face.

I am thinking about trying out the paleo diet, I am so close to following the rules of it anyway, and my diet has definitely made the most dramatic difference to my skin!

Would you say you are no longer following the caveman regimen then?

That's great everything is continuing to heal! You don't find the ACV toner is too drying? I was using ACV (diluted) before and had great results. I've been wondering if I should bring it back.

I'd definitely recommend trying paleo out, at least for a month. At the three week mark I really felt better than I've ever felt before. The first couple weeks I experienced the "carb flu" and was quite tired.....But now I don't think I'll go back to a regular grain / gluten diet!

I'd say I'm no longer on the Caveman. I've ditched the jojoba oil completely, as I wanted to have nothing stay on my face. I do wash with manuka honey every night and it's really helped take care of the flaky skin. I still get small whiteheads on my chin, but everything is healing slow and steady. I just wash with water in the morning whenever I feel like it.

Cheers,

That's great everything is continuing to heal! You don't find the ACV toner is too drying? I was using ACV (diluted) before and had great results. I've been wondering if I should bring it back.

I'd definitely recommend trying paleo out, at least for a month. At the three week mark I really felt better than I've ever felt before. The first couple weeks I experienced the "carb flu" and was quite tired.....But now I don't think I'll go back to a regular grain / gluten diet!

I'd say I'm no longer on the Caveman. I've ditched the jojoba oil completely, as I wanted to have nothing stay on my face. I do wash with manuka honey every night and it's really helped take care of the flaky skin. I still get small whiteheads on my chin, but everything is healing slow and steady. I just wash with water in the morning whenever I feel like it.

Cheers,

I don't find the toner too drying, no. To be honest I dilute it quite heavily. Probably about 75% water. However, this is only because I moisturise very liberally with the facial oil (which I think has been one of the key factors in my skins healing. My skin is incredibly dry and I just never realised it, and dry skin causes acne.) I know for a fact that if I used to toner alone and did not follow with the facial oil it would not keep breakouts at bay. Do you use any kind of moisturiser now? And do you think you know what your skin type is?

I'm definitely going to try paleo. I'm in my last few weeks of university at the moment so it's not the best time to experiment with a diet change but I absolutely will be having a go at it over summer.

How's your skin in terms of scarring/hyperpigmentation? I managed to scrape together the courage to take a proper photo of my skin in day light yesterday to see how my hyperpigmentation is doing. I plan on taking another in about a month to see if my routine is benefitting. I've got rid of hyperpigmentation with lemon juice before, but I have read that the pH of lemon juice is wayyy off and it can actually be damaging over time. So I might just be sticking with the ACV and a lot of patience!

I don't find the toner too drying, no. To be honest I dilute it quite heavily. Probably about 75% water. However, this is only because I moisturise very liberally with the facial oil (which I think has been one of the key factors in my skins healing. My skin is incredibly dry and I just never realised it, and dry skin causes acne.) I know for a fact that if I used to toner alone and did not follow with the facial oil it would not keep breakouts at bay. Do you use any kind of moisturiser now? And do you think you know what your skin type is?

 

I'm definitely going to try paleo. I'm in my last few weeks of university at the moment so it's not the best time to experiment with a diet change but I absolutely will be having a go at it over summer.

 

How's your skin in terms of scarring/hyperpigmentation? I managed to scrape together the courage to take a proper photo of my skin in day light yesterday to see how my hyperpigmentation is doing. I plan on taking another in about a month to see if my routine is benefitting. I've got rid of hyperpigmentation with lemon juice before, but I have read that the pH of lemon juice is wayyy off and it can actually be damaging over time. So I might just be sticking with the ACV and a lot of patience!

I don't use any moisturizer at all right now, other than what comes with the manuka honey. With the amount of camping etc going on in my life, I didn't want to have to apply anything. My face is definitely not oily, and not that dry either. It hasn't really felt tight in a few weeks....just flaky around my mouth still. My cheeks finally stopped being a flaky mess a couple weeks ago, so it really is a very slow process.

I am thinking of introducing some type of light exfoliate, any thoughts? I've used brown sugar in the past and might just mix a bit into the manuka honey once a week. Or just using a washcloth.

I'm dealing with a folliculitis issue, so the scaring is very minimal for me. The whitehead-ish type breakouts I get heal up completely in a matter of a week or so. I haven't been able to completely stop the breakouts though =(. My skin seems to still be in that awkward healing phase.......which is understandable after the 4+ years of BP. The manuka honey has really evened out my skin tone though.

And yeah I use to apply lemon juice as well, but after researching it a bit more I'm definitely not putting that on my face anymore! Let me know how the paleo goes once ya try it out!