Hello all. I am a 28F who has struggled with acne since age 13. At that age I started attacking my skin with acne products. I have used BP gel on my forehead, nose, and chin for 10+ years. My skin is tight, extremely oily, congested, and just uncomfortable. I decided that, in theory, the skin should be able to exfoliate itself, moisturize itself, and regulate it's oil. I think my acne is due to my moisture barrier being wrecked. I also just so tired for lathering my skin up with *probably* toxic things. This will be my log as I embark on this journey. I am expecting this to take 6+ months and be an absolute shit show for a while. Here is my plan:
Skincare: Splash with cold water in the shower AM/PM and dab dry with clean towel. I don't wear makeup and for SPF I will wear a big hat and avoid the sun.
Lifestyle: I already follow a plantbased diet but I will focus on incorporating more raw fruits and veggies. I will drink 80oz of water daily, in addition to 16-32 ounces of celery juice, and 16 oz of spearmint tea. I work out with weights twice a week, practice yin/gentle yoga, and walk my dog for 1 hour daily.
Week 1: I am rinsing my skin with cool water in the shower am/pm and dabbing dry with towel after. My skin is extremely tight, but the oil seems to be getting better. I think it is just because I'm not wiping off, so it just sits there. Feeling very gross.
Week 2: Deadskin is starting to build up around my mouth and nose pretty significantly. Skin is looking more congested. Oil is not better and not worse than last week.
Week 3: I have developed follicultis and had to get put on an oral antifungal. Horrible pustules all over my face. I want to quit, but I am going to stick it out.
Week 4: Antifungals are working the follicultis is clearing the rash. Oil is noticeably better at the beginning of the week, but the dead skin is horrific. At the end of this week I took a microfiber towel and gently exfoliated. I regret this choice. Skin feels tight again (not as bad as the beginning) and the oil is a bit worse again. Forehead oil is not nearly as bad as when I began this routine, but my nose doesn't show a lot of improvement. I have set a goal to not exfoliate for the next 2 months and then assess where my skin is at.
More updates to come. My plan is to update every week or 2, maybe every month if there are no changes from week to week.
Week 5: Oil production has slowed down, but I am still dealing with a lot of congestion. Many whiteheads and pustules and just a lot of texture in general. Skin is still feeling tight. I think the tightness is getting better because there are some parts of the day where I notice the tightness getting a little better. Big problem with deadskin. What is interesting is that I don't have the deadskin build up where I didn't use benzoyl peroxide. Only the spots that I put BP on have the dead skin issue. So I'm trying to ride it out for the next 2 months and then hopefully it will come off naturally on its own or I may gently exfoliate then with my hands. This routine is definitely not for the faint hearted. I'm hoping that 6 months from now I can look back and be glad I did this. I keep telling myself that in theory the skin should take care of itself.