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I'm a 26 year old from Australia. I have mildhormonal, adult acne which flares up really bad during specific times in my cycle...
As a teen I would get a big pimple here or there, but I my acne as an adult is worse than it ever was as a teen.
I went on the combination birth control pill when I was 18 and came off it when I was 23. It kept my skin reasonably clear during that time. Since coming off it I've been pregnant and had a baby. My skin has been very prone to hormonal breakouts since my pregnancy, right up to this day (two year later). I think that whole process really messed with my hormone balance in same way. I was just about to go back on the birth control pill for acne control but my GP advised I have the implanon implant. Apparently if you are prone to migraines with visual auras, being on the birth control pill increases your risk of stroke. Not a risk I was willing to take. But now I regret getting the implanon as I'm reading it can cause breakouts. We'll see how it goes. I only had it put in this week.
I've been using liquid foundation to 'hide' my acne but I'm ready to start dealing with them and not camouflaging them. I am going to slightly tweak my cleansing, makeup routine and document my changes here. Adding BP to my routine is new for me and I hope it makes all the difference. I'm swapping in mineral powder foundation instead of liquid foundation.
My new morning routine:
- Neutrogena Deep CleanFoaming Cleanser
- Benzac AC Gel 2.5%
- Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Combination Skin with 5-6 drops of jojoba oil
- Rimmel Stay Matte Primer
- Concealer - ondark eye circles
-Nude By Nature Natural Mineral Cover
-Blush -Eye Makeup - Mascara - Brows
My new night routine:
- Neutrogena Deep CleanFoaming Cleanser
- Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover
- Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes
- Benzac AC Gel 2.5%
- Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Combination Skinwith 5-6 drops of jojoba oil
Day 5:
So at the moment the skin on my chin and around my mouth is already drying and looking flakey. I will increase my moisturiser to see if that helps. I was only using one pump of moisturiser but I'll try two. I think it's because from the start I was using BP twice a day instead of once. It's only a pea sized amount. But I should of started on just once a day for the first week and then gone up to twice a day.
I tried a day without using my stay matte primer. My skin was looking shiny after a few hours and really oily by the end of my work day. So now I use the primer which keeps the skin looking matte for longer. But it still won't last the whole day. So I bought Nude By Nature Mineral Finishing Veil to apply half way through my work day. So far I'm loving it and it absorbs all the extra shine on my skin.
I haven't noticed too much of a change in my acne yet. But I'll take a photo each week to track progress.
I have a friend at work who sells organic skin care products. She has jojoba oil so I will get some from her and put this in my routine to hopefully combat the flakes.
Will this dryness go away in the next couple of weeks, or should I cut down to only using BP once a day as my acne isn't too severe?
10 hours ago, kasyani said:" As a teen I would get a big pimple here or there, but I my acne as an adult is worse than it ever was as a teen. "
so how would you describe your acne now ?
Kasyani, I would describe it as mild-moderate acne which is mostly concentrated around my mouth, and jawline. Sometimes on my cheeks and occasionally I will get some in my t-zone.
I am from Australia so I can't really afford to order acne.org products. I am trying to follow the acne.org regimen with products I can get locally. The regimen says toner is unnecessaryand can be drying. The BP alone dries my skin out enough so I'll steer clear of the toner for now. My water intake is at least 2L a day and I don't drink coffee/caffeine.
Day 7:
I added several drops of jojoba oil to my moisturiser last night and this morning. The difference in the flakiness around my mouth/chin is amazing! So much improvement overnight!! Very happy. I have had one new white head appear near the corner of my mouth, but it's the first one since starting the regimen. Usually I would get a new pimple every other day or so!
Day 8:
A couple of new pimples today. I wonder if I'm using to much jojoba oil/moisturiser? The flakes are gone and now my skin is shiny all day. Hmmm.
I didn't wear any makeup today but my face has sort of been tingling all day. Similar to when you get windburn. Except that I haven't been outside.
Day 9:
So the new pimples that appeared are clearing up already. No new ones have appeared. BUT...
Holy hell... the burning and the red face is getting unbearable. This week I did increase the from a pea size amount of BP to the top third of my finger (if that makes sense). So it may just be my skin adjusting to the increased amount. But the last few applications have left my skin feeling like it's on fire. During the day I feel sunburnt, but tonight I actually look sunburnt. And no I haven't been in the sun... it's from the regimen.
I've read that this can happen and it goes away but I wasn't brave enough to apply BP tonight incase it got worse. I just cleansed and moisturised as per usual. What should I do?
Day 10:
I'm going to give my face a break from BP for another day or so and then start again but on a smaller amount, and only once a day in the PM.
Ive had three new pimples overnight, one white head and a couple of deep red ones.
My skin feels tight but the redness has already gone down. I Will just keep cleansing and moisturising for the next day or so before starting again on a lower dose of BP. I don't think I'll need as much BP as the regimen insists because my acne isn't as severe as many other people who have success with the regimen.
Ok so my skin is taking a long time to recover from the burn damage caused by the BP. Very flaky skin all over my face. Although the redness has gone and the stinging has stopped. And the breakout since stopping the BP is making my skin look worse than before I started with the daily regimen of cleansing, BP, and moisturising. I have a tonne of new whiteheads and very angry, red acne.
I have not started using BP again and I won't until my skin has healed properly. And even if I do start the BP again it'll only be a small amount once every two-three days. I have a feeling though my skin is too sensitive and it'll react the same no matter how little BP I use.
I don't think using BP in a daily regimen is good for mild acne. Maybe for moderate-sever acne would benefit better from the daily use of BP.
In the mean time I have started taking 30mg of zinc supplement. I should of started with that rather than the regimen.