Acne.org Products
VAS said:The_Snow_Queen said:VAS said:Is this ok to use as a sunscreen? It has the ingredients and it's broad sprectrum like you say should be used, but i was just wondering if it's ok since it's a spray and not a lotion.
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I wouldn't recommend it because it is alcohol-based. In addition it contains Menthyl PCA, which will provide additional irritation which can be recognized by a cooling sensation.
GAHH. I always end up buying products that you don't like... Ok thanks, i will buy one of the other more expensive neutrogena products.
Sorry, I don't mean to give the products you pick negative reviews, it just sort of happens. Hopefully you'll have better luck picking products in the future!
haha no it's not your fault. I usually try to take the cheap way out when buying products
BTW i saw a bottle of that oil of olay face foaming wash and i'll stick with the Cetaphil. The bottle of olay was very small and very expensive.
Which reminds me...If i start using the baby bodwash that you recommended. Will that reduce the outbreak on my chest and shoulders. My face has been clearing up pretty well since starting accutance, but my chest and shoulders have gotten worse. Is that because i'm not using a good bodywash or is the accutane not working on those areas of my body yet?
Hi. Got two questions for you:
1/ I noticed that you aren't a fan of alcohol in products due to pH balance issues. I think my skin is being irritated by Burt's Bees toner, but I'm not sure. Even though it claims to be 99% "natural" and to restore pH balance to skin, it contains alcohol. Here are the ingredients listed: Filtered water, SD alcohol 40-B (from yellow corn), vegetable glycerin, extracts of cucumber, green tea, parsley, tomato, bilberry, sugar cane, sugar maple, orange and lemon, fragrance. What do you think?
2/ You have recommended Eucerin Redness Relief cleanser, but you personally use Clinique. Any reason you choose Clinique over Eucerin?
Thank you.
haha no it's not your fault. I usually try to take the cheap way out when buying products
BTW i saw a bottle of that oil of olay face foaming wash and i'll stick with the Cetaphil. The bottle of olay was very small and very expensive.
Which reminds me...If i start using the baby bodwash that you recommended. Will that reduce the outbreak on my chest and shoulders. My face has been clearing up pretty well since starting accutance, but my chest and shoulders have gotten worse. Is that because i'm not using a good bodywash or is the accutane not working on those areas of my body yet?
Cetaphil is fine, it's just not my favorite. I wouldn't really rely on a cleanser alone to treat breakouts; gentle cleansing can help, but often times other treatments must be used as well.
What's really helped my body acne is Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment with 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid, which is $16.95 for 8 oz. When you do the math that's much less expensive than other pH-correct and gentle salicylic acid products. However, since you're on Accutane I only recommend it to you with caution since Accutane makes the skin very sensitive. You should generally do as little to the skin as possible when using isotretinoin. Before buying any treatments (the body wash is fine because using a body wash to cleanse is a part of basic hygiene and the Eucerin baby wash is not likely to cause irritation) you should ask your doctor first. And you're right that Accutane might not have started working for your body acne yet.
Hi. Got two questions for you:
1/ I noticed that you aren't a fan of alcohol in products due to pH balance issues. I think my skin is being irritated by Burt's Bees toner, but I'm not sure. Even though it claims to be 99% "natural" and to restore pH balance to skin, it contains alcohol. Here are the ingredients listed: Filtered water, SD alcohol 40-B (from yellow corn), vegetable glycerin, extracts of cucumber, green tea, parsley, tomato, bilberry, sugar cane, sugar maple, orange and lemon, fragrance. What do you think?
2/ You have recommended Eucerin Redness Relief cleanser, but you personally use Clinique. Any reason you choose Clinique over Eucerin?
Thank you.
I don't approve of drying alcohols used in cosmetics (unless they're fairly low on the ingredients list and used as preservatives) because they are irritating and therefore damaging to the skin, not because of pH balance issues.
Natural does not mean better. There are many beneficial synthetic ingredients and many harmful natural ingredients, and vice versa. Some ingredients that occur naturally can also be made synthetically. The best thing to do is to learn how to recognize known skin irritants and avoid them.
I wouldn't recommend the toner because it contains several skin irritants, including SD alcohol 40-B, parsley, and citrus extracts (though these are in lower concentrations).
Which cleanser I use really depends on what's most convenient for me to get; both the Eucerin and Clinique are fine. I bought the Clinique cleanser when I was at the mall beacuse there was a promotion going on where I could get a bag full of makeup goodies if I spent $25, and since I do like some Clinique makeup products I bought the Clinique cleanser (I needed more cleanser anyway) in addition to the sunscreen.
I asked you about a cleanser and a moisturizer about a page ago, you said they both looked good. Well i went out and bought the moisturizer and I love it. Its like a lightweight lotion and doesnt seem to clog my pores at all, or cause my face to get oily. So i noticed that have a cleanser to, since i really like the moisturizer i figured i would use their cleanser but i want to check the ingredients with you.
Another question, my face is really dry right now, and normally its a little dry and tight from my acne medications. Thats why i bought this moisturizer, its supposed to be good for repairing skin. well their cleanser is a "hydrating cleanser" is that ok? Once my face gets back to normal, it will still be semi flakey and a little dry, but then throughout the day it gets a little oily, is using a hydrating cleanser or a moisturizing cleanser alright? even if i really dont need my face to me more hydrated? thanks
Purified Water, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6 II, Ceramide 1, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Polyoxyl 40 Stearate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phytosphingosine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
I asked you about a cleanser and a moisturizer about a page ago, you said they both looked good. Well i went out and bought the moisturizer and I love it. Its like a lightweight lotion and doesnt seem to clog my pores at all, or cause my face to get oily. So i noticed that have a cleanser to, since i really like the moisturizer i figured i would use their cleanser but i want to check the ingredients with you.
Another question, my face is really dry right now, and normally its a little dry and tight from my acne medications. Thats why i bought this moisturizer, its supposed to be good for repairing skin. well their cleanser is a "hydrating cleanser" is that ok? Once my face gets back to normal, it will still be semi flakey and a little dry, but then throughout the day it gets a little oily, is using a hydrating cleanser or a moisturizing cleanser alright? even if i really dont need my face to me more hydrated? thanks
Purified Water, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6 II, Ceramide 1, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Polyoxyl 40 Stearate, Glyceryl Monostearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phytosphingosine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
The problem with hydrating cleansers is that they often times don't rinse cleanly from the skin, which isn't the best for those with breakout prone skin. That doesn't necessarily mean that your breakouts will increase as a result of using a moisturizing cleanser, but I would think they would be more likely to.
The ingredients in the product posted above look unlikely to cause irritation.
i've been using the dove sensitive skincare line for some time now and it worked fine but i want to change my routine so i was wondering if the olay complete or any of thier moisterizers were good for sensitive and acne-prone skin. thanks!
Olay makes some good moisturizers. I can't say that the Olay products won't cause you to experience breakouts because everyone is different in that regard. If the Dove's been working fine for you though, why do you want to change your routine?
Hi again. I have another question. Ive been using that moisturizer i asked you about, i really like it, it feels good, goes on light but gives me great moisturization throughout the day and doesnt make my skin oily. The problem is, i dont know if its making my acne worse or not. I started it about 2 days ago and i have a bunch of new whiteheads and some inflammed red bumps that are turning into whiteheads. I know you said give a product at least 2 weeks, well is it possible that this could be breaking me out now? I put it on and throughout the day ive been getting more and more breakouts. I dont know for sure though, before this about a week ago i tried paulas choice cream and after that tried atopalm cream, so i dont know if maybe this is from them. But it happens all the time. I find a moisturizer, start using it and i get breakouts. My regimen has stayed the same, it was working perfectly then i got that dry spell from switching cleansers, horrible dry spell, and the only thing i changed was my moisturizer. it sucks, i find ones i like, cheap and large size and i feel like i cant use it. Could you help me? I dont know if i should quit using this one or just keep going for a little while longer. any help at all would be great right now, thanks soo much
since i'm on accutane, the moisterizer isn't working as well on my flaky skin and so i wanted to try something a little heavier like olay complete day cream
That would be fine. I would recommend the version for sensitive skin because it does not contain fragrance, and the skin becomes especially sensitive while one's on Accutane. The cream is in jar packaging, so some of the ingredients like the tocopherol acetate won't remain stable for long. Also, the product's cream consistancy isn't exactly the best for those with breakout-prone skin, but since you're on Accutane I don't think that will be much of a problem. The product contains a broad-spectrum SPF 15, which is a must during the daytime.
Hi again. I have another question. Ive been using that moisturizer i asked you about, i really like it, it feels good, goes on light but gives me great moisturization throughout the day and doesnt make my skin oily. The problem is, i dont know if its making my acne worse or not. I started it about 2 days ago and i have a bunch of new whiteheads and some inflammed red bumps that are turning into whiteheads. I know you said give a product at least 2 weeks, well is it possible that this could be breaking me out now? I put it on and throughout the day ive been getting more and more breakouts. I dont know for sure though, before this about a week ago i tried paulas choice cream and after that tried atopalm cream, so i dont know if maybe this is from them. But it happens all the time. I find a moisturizer, start using it and i get breakouts. My regimen has stayed the same, it was working perfectly then i got that dry spell from switching cleansers, horrible dry spell, and the only thing i changed was my moisturizer. it sucks, i find ones i like, cheap and large size and i feel like i cant use it. Could you help me? I dont know if i should quit using this one or just keep going for a little while longer. any help at all would be great right now, thanks soo much
Sometimes a product can trigger an almost instantaneous irritation breakout, which is not really acne and resembles rashy red bumps. That doesn't sound like what you're experiencing, though. And yes, clogged pores don't happen overnight, so I don't think you're moisturizer is the problem. To add to that, I don't think you'll have an easy time determining whether or not any of your products have been causing breakouts given how frequently you've been changing them around. In addition, conditions like dry, flaky skin can lead to breakouts, in addition to hormonal changes, water changes, weather changes, etc.... If you're still worried that your moisturizer is causing you to breakout you can stop using it and see what happens.
Hello there snow queen. I just joined this site, with hopes that I could get some help with my acne. Ive read many posts and topics, you seem to be very good with this. I read yours also but I was still hoping you could help me with a regimen. I'll try my best to explain my situation.
I have mild to moderate acne. It consists of mostly whiteheads. Im sorry i dont know the scientific name for them, papule or pustule, Ive grown up hearing them called pimples no matter what they looked like. Besides that, I get red bumps, not huge but sometimes decent size that can last anywhere from 1 to 5 days before they end up turning into a whitehead. I really dont mind acne, the blackheads here and there and the red bumps, its the big ugly whiteheads that get me so embarrassed.
Ive posted two links, sorry you have to see that, I get grossed out, but thats the closest I could find to what I have, since I dont have a camera myself. Thats pretty much exactly what i get, sometimes red like the first one and then sometimes just the head itself like the second one. Many times I get clusters of them, Like right now I can cant four of them in one small area.
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I normally breakout weekly, anywhere from 1 to 6 pimples. Whether I wake up the next morning with them, or the worst, get them throughout the day. I go out feeling good not knowing that a giant pimple came out of nowhere when my face was clear 3 hours ago.
I normally dont pick a them or touch them, just let everything go till it heals. Other than my actual acne, my face isnt too bad, its not very smooth or clear looking, but thats alright. I have semi oily skin, throughout the day it gets a little oily, mostly my nose area. Depending on what im using on it, the rest gets a little dry and peels which I hate.
Besides that, Ive tried many medications and been to many derms. As have most people here from what ive been seeing. So basically I was hoping you could help me out with a regimen. I dont care what products you recommend or whether I have to buy them online or over the counter. I was checking out Paulas Choice, I hear very great things about all her stuff. But I dont know where to start or what to use. Id prefer a regimen thats not 20 steps long, haha. Just the basics as to what you think would work and be best for my situation. thank you very very much for helping me out and taking your time. Im just out of options and getting tired of looking at my face everyday and wanting to hide or cry. thanks again
crazygamar said:Hello there snow queen. I just joined this site, with hopes that I could get some help with my acne. Ive read many posts and topics, you seem to be very good with this. I read yours also but I was still hoping you could help me with a regimen. I'll try my best to explain my situation.
I have mild to moderate acne. It consists of mostly whiteheads. Im sorry i dont know the scientific name for them, papule or pustule, Ive grown up hearing them called pimples no matter what they looked like. Besides that, I get red bumps, not huge but sometimes decent size that can last anywhere from 1 to 5 days before they end up turning into a whitehead. I really dont mind acne, the blackheads here and there and the red bumps, its the big ugly whiteheads that get me so embarrassed.
Ive posted two links, sorry you have to see that, I get grossed out, but thats the closest I could find to what I have, since I dont have a camera myself. Thats pretty much exactly what i get, sometimes red like the first one and then sometimes just the head itself like the second one. Many times I get clusters of them, Like right now I can cant four of them in one small area.
[Removed link]
I normally breakout weekly, anywhere from 1 to 6 pimples. Whether I wake up the next morning with them, or the worst, get them throughout the day. I go out feeling good not knowing that a giant pimple came out of nowhere when my face was clear 3 hours ago.
I normally dont pick a them or touch them, just let everything go till it heals. Other than my actual acne, my face isnt too bad, its not very smooth or clear looking, but thats alright. I have semi oily skin, throughout the day it gets a little oily, mostly my nose area. Depending on what im using on it, the rest gets a little dry and peels which I hate.
Besides that, Ive tried many medications and been to many derms. As have most people here from what ive been seeing. So basically I was hoping you could help me out with a regimen. I dont care what products you recommend or whether I have to buy them online or over the counter. I was checking out Paulas Choice, I hear very great things about all her stuff. But I dont know where to start or what to use. Id prefer a regimen thats not 20 steps long, haha. Just the basics as to what you think would work and be best for my situation. thank you very very much for helping me out and taking your time. Im just out of options and getting tired of looking at my face everyday and wanting to hide or cry. thanks again
Hi crazygamar,
It sounds like your acne has been very frustrating to treat. Do you mind telling me the medications/treatments your dermatologists have put you on and any comments as to how well they worked, how long you used them, how well your skin tolerated them, and any other information you feel is important? I know you said there's been many, so my apologies at requesting you to type out the long list, but it would give me a better idea of treatment options you've already explored.
Anyway, you're right that you shouldn't start a new regimen with a huge number of products right away. Not only is that both expensive and time-consuming, but you're more likely to have a negative reaction. The more products you're using, the harder it is to pinpoint what's causing the problem.
Since you have inflammatory ance, I recommend you start a regimen consisting of these steps:
Gentle cleansing with a mild, water-soluble cleanser and rinsing in lukewarm water (twice daily)
Exfoliate with a well-formulated leave-on salicylic acid product (once daily to twice daily depending on how well your skin reacts; if you experience bothersome irritation you can also do this step once every other day until your skin gets used to the treatment)
Disinfect with a benzoyl peroxide product all areas of skin prone to inflammatory acne; if your skin does not tolerate benzoyl peroxide you can try a 5-15% concentration of tea tree oil (once every day to twice daily)
Moisturize (dry areas of skin only as needed; during the daytime your sunscreen may provide enough moisturization and you can skip this step). Never apply moisturizer over sunscreen unless you reapply your sunscreen because applying products over sunscreen can diminish your level of sun protection.
Apply a broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher sunscreen during the daytime (see this article for proper application techniques and information on why sun protection is important: [Removed link])
Gentle cleansing will help remove surface debris (no cleanser "deep cleans" pores), exfoliating with a good salicylic acid product will help speed cell turnover and eliminate pore buildup (most other exfoliants only affect the skin's surface and not inside the pores), and disinfecting will help prevent clogged pores from becoming inflamed. Moisturizing dry areas of skin is important, but slathering moisturizer all over your face can increase your risk of breakouts because the moisturizer can mix with your skin's excess sebum and trap dead skin cells against the skin's surface. The above mentioned article explains why sunscreen is necessary; in addition many acne treatments like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide make the skin more sun-sensitive than it already is.
Try a regimen like this for preferrably two months, unless you're clearly having a bad reaction and not just a few new breakouts. If at the end of those two months your skin hasn't made any significant improvement, you can explore other treatment options (most of which will need to be obtained from/performed by a dermatologist, which is why I want to know what your dermatologists have already done for your skin). You might find this article intersting, which overviews some acne treatment options:
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Since you're interested in Paula's Choice products, here are some specific products you might like:
Cleansers:
Skin Balancing Cleanser or One Step Face Cleanser; both for normal to oily/combination skin (it sounds like you have combination skin from what you've described)
Salicylic Acid Products:
2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Gel or 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Liquid (the Liquid is slightly more potent than the gel, but I think most people here prefer the Gel because they prefer its application and feel on the skin)
Disinfectants:
Blemish Fighting Solution (a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel; you can also try the DKR Gel if you prefer, which is less expensive per ounce, though the Paula's Choice version is the second least-expensive benzoyl peroxide product I know of and contains ingredients which can help lessen the irritation caused by benzoyl peroxide). If you find that this has little to no effect on your inflammatory acne, you can switch to the Blemish Fighting Solution, Extra Strength (a 5% benzoyl peroxide gel). If your skin does not tolerate benzoyl peroxide well, you can try Derma E Tea Tree and E Antiseptic Cream (a 5% tea tree oil product). You can also buy pure tea tree oil from brands like Desert Essence and dilute it to get the 5-15% concentration (I recommend diluting it with aloe vera gel, such as Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera 100% Gel).
Moisturizers:
Skin Balancing Moisture Gel or Hydra-Light Moisture Infusing Lotion; both are for normal to oily/combination skin. If you find that the two moisturizers are too lightweight to deal with your areas of dry skin, you might need a more emolient moisturizer like Skin Revovery Moisturizer with Antioxidants.
Sunscreens:
Skin Balancing Daily Mattifying Lotion with SPF 15 and Antioxidants or Ultra-Light Weightless Finish SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray (these sunscreens both use synthetic sunscreen ingredients, which cause no problems for most people, but if your skin is sensitive to them I would recommend you use physical sunscreen product like Clinique City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector with SPF 15 as the Paula's Choice sunscreen using only physical sunscreen agents would probably be too greasy for you and not ideal for blemish-prone skin)
If you're unsure which Paula's Choice product to get, you can order product samples to see which you like best. Please keep in mind that these samples are not intended to determine whether or not a regimen is effective; they are most useful for determining how well you like a product's application, feel, and how much irritation it causes. If you experience a breakout after using a product sample it most likely has nothing to do with that product since breakouts are forming for at least a few weeks under the skin prior to becoming visible (which is one reason why spot treating is ineffective for persistant acne).
Paula's Choice products can be ordered from [Removed link] or [Removed link].The former has a better return policy (you can return used products within sixty days) and the latter has better prices, plus offers free shipping with two or more product purchases. You might not be able to order every Paula's Choice product from [Removed link].
Clinique products can be ordered at www.clinique.com or purchased at most department stores.
Derma E products can be purchased online at www.drugstore.com and some drugstores (though I've never seen it on store shelves).
Desert Essence products can be purchased online at www.drugstore.com and some drugstores (though I don't specifically know which ones)
Fruit of the Earth products can be purchased at www.drugstore.com and some drugstores (again, I'm not sure which drugstores).
snow queen, i have question again
maybe you boring with these question
but with bha treatment, how long initial breakout usually go on ?
while with bp i read lots people got initial breakout around 1 to 3 months...but i havent got any clue from bha user... only some little info from paulas faqs and this message board, that the improvement can occurs within 1month... is that means by 1 month the initial breakout already over?
Wow, thank you so much for your help. Your reply was amazing and helped me a lot. I will def. start the regimen and see how it goes.
As for my list, here goes, haha
Evoclin Foam
Minocyclin
Tetracycline
Solodyne
Effaclar K
ProActiv
Glycolic Acid
Retinols
Apple Cider Vinegar
Head and Shoulders
Benzoyl Peroxide...which I had a horrible reaction to, but I also started out using 5% and never moisturized....I used Topix Pharm. brand
Many Salicylic Acid products, but I happend to read your post about pH....so that might have a lot to do with why they didnt work....La roche posay, neutrogena, clean and clear, oxy brands
I was given many medicated cleansers and medicated moisturizers.
Im sure there are many other Im forgetting, but I actually started trying treatments awhile back so I cant remember everything. Hope that helps you out
Thanks again for helping me 
snow queen, i have question againmaybe you boring with these question
but with bha treatment, how long initial breakout usually go on ?
while with bp i read lots people got initial breakout around 1 to 3 months...but i havent got any clue from bha user... only some little info from paulas faqs and this message board, that the improvement can occurs within 1month... is that means by 1 month the initial breakout already over?
I would imagine the initial breakout varies by person. I recommend trying a regimen consistantly for two months, but if you've been using the regimen for a while and feel your skin is getting progressively worse you can stop the regimen and see what happens after a few weeks.
Wow, thank you so much for your help. Your reply was amazing and helped me a lot. I will def. start the regimen and see how it goes.
As for my list, here goes, haha
Evoclin Foam
Minocyclin
Tetracycline
Solodyne
Effaclar K
ProActiv
Glycolic Acid
Retinols
Apple Cider Vinegar
Head and Shoulders
Benzoyl Peroxide...which I had a horrible reaction to, but I also started out using 5% and never moisturized....I used Topix Pharm. brand
Many Salicylic Acid products, but I happend to read your post about pH....so that might have a lot to do with why they didnt work....La roche posay, neutrogena, clean and clear, oxy brands
I was given many medicated cleansers and medicated moisturizers.
Im sure there are many other Im forgetting, but I actually started trying treatments awhile back so I cant remember everything. Hope that helps you out
Thanks again for helping me
OK. It seems like most of the treatments you got from the dermatologist were topical or oral antibiotics. That's fine, but the problem is the bacteria which complicate acne tend to become resistant to them over time. This is not the case with benzoyl peroxide.
That said, you stated that you had a bad reaction to benzoyl peroxide when you were using the 5% concentration. Not wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher sunscreen is worse than not wearing a moisturizer when using this treatment because it makes the skin more sun-sensitive than it already is. Another problem might have been your application; Dan recommends using a full fingerlength of benzoyl peroxide, which can be too irritating and wasteful. Use as much as is needed to spread a light layer over the areas where you're prone to inflammatory acne.
You also used Proactiv, which isn't terrible but leaves many users disappointed. It has some of the basics of an inflammatory acne-fighting regimen (gentle cleansing, exfoliation, and disinfecting), but lacks effective sun protection in the three-step system (though Proactiv does offer a good sunscreen which must be purchased separately). Also, the regimen uses glycolic acid as opposed to salicylic acid, meaning that it only exfoliates the skin's surface and not inside the pores. If you had no problem using the Repairing Lotion, a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide product, I think it would be OK for you to try incorporating a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide product into your regimen.
The ingredients list I saw for Effaclar K didn't make the product look like anything special.
When you say you tried various retinol products, do you mean retinoids? Retinol is the enitre vitamin A molecule, while the term "retinoids" refers to vitamin A and its derivatives, like tretinoin. Retinol can be purchased over the counter, but many retinoids are prescription-only. Prescription retinoids include Retin-A (tretinoin), Tazorac (tazarotene), and Differin (adopalene). Were the retinoids you used prescription, over-the-counter, or both? Do you remember which prescription-only retinoids you used, if you used any?
I'm sure apple cider vinegar helps some people, but I think it's over-hyped. Not only that, it can be irritating, though I read a lot of users are now diluting it with water, which is better. I think that you're better off using a well-formulated salicylic acid product, which actually has substantial research regarding its effectiveness for the treatment of acne.
Head and Shoulders is a dandruff shampoo, not an acne treatment. Interesting idea, though.
Most salicylic acid products have too high of a pH to act as effective exfoliants, contain unnecessary skin irritants, or both. That's why salicylic acid products have a reputation for being either too harsh and for not really doing anything.
Hopefully your new regimen will help get your acne under control. If not, there are other options you can try. If you haven't used prescription-only retinoids or have only used a few, the retinoids you haven't yet tried might be options to help normalize cell production and pore function. Azelaic acid acts as both an exfoliant and disinfectant and can also help normalize pore function. In addition, there are laser treatments now available that can fight acne very effectively. I strongly believe in combination therapy, which I feel is more effective than using one treatment alone. I actually use combination therapy (Retin-A Micro and salicylic acid), and have had significantly better results using both together than one alone. Combination therapy can include over-the-counter products only (which is what I'm recommending to you to try first; the salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide make up the "combination"), prescription-only products, or both over-the-counter and prescription-only products. Anyway, you haven't tried your new regimen yet, but I just wanted you to know that even if it doesn't work, you haven't used up all your options and don't have to resort to Accutane.
thank you for the reply snow queen ^^
somehow i just curious, and from what i see, you really experienced in this case ^^
well actually what i ask is not important, but i just want to compare my proggress, with other people proggress using bha treatment
after almost 2 weeks with bha treatment, yeah somehow i feel the proggress... but also curious since the breakout still occur, the breakout often near previous acne.. its more like curing and break out again and repeated like that...
anyway i got spf25 clinique sunscreen yesterday, and i restart the greencream again... from the intruction guide, i should use it before go to be, since the cream kinda sensitive to light, is the light in here means any light including lamp ?
thank you for the reply snow queen ^^
somehow i just curious, and from what i see, you really experienced in this case ^^
well actually what i ask is not important, but i just want to compare my proggress, with other people proggress using bha treatment
after almost 2 weeks with bha treatment, yeah somehow i feel the proggress... but also curious since the breakout still occur, the breakout often near previous acne.. its more like curing and break out again and repeated like that...
anyway i got spf25 clinique sunscreen yesterday, and i restart the greencream again... from the intruction guide, i should use it before go to be, since the cream kinda sensitive to light, is the light in here means any light including lamp ?
My apologies, but I'm not sure what you're asking in the first part of your post. Are you asking if I had an initial breakout? From what I recall my skin did break out when I first started using Paula's BHA products, but the breakouts were not abnormal to what I typically experienced anyway, so I'm not really sure whether or not you could call that an "initial breakout." I started seeing some improvement within a month, and noticeable improvement within two months, with a significant improvement after three months.
I would recommend you continue the regimen since 1) you haven't been using it for very long (not quite two weeks) and 2) you're using Green Cream, another product which some say causes initial breakouts. When on a regimen which includes retinoids like Green Cream I recommend allowing three months to see noticeable improvement unless you're having an obvious bad reaction and not just a few new breakouts.
Snow Queen,
This is going to be a mouthful, but I need to start this off somehow. I've had mild/moderate acne for ten years. I've tried all sorts of OTC and prescription topicals, but I've never kept with a routine long enough to really know what works. I do know that I have rather sensitive skin, so irritation and initial breakouts are usually the reason why I change course out of frustration. I've been using Paula's Choice BHA 2% Liquid for nearly four months. I think that it has helped improve my complexion, but I still get inflamed bumps every few weeks, and they take forever to go away. I think my problem may be that I don't use disinfectants enough, and I get clogged pores and infection from flaking. The BHA liquid seemed to be working fine all on its own, until after breaking out again last month, so I almost started Accutane, but decided to add Retin-A micro, Clindamycin phosphate liquid, and BP 2% instead. I have some Duac lotion, but I find that it's too thick and hard to remove so I recently began applying the Clindamycin liquid before the CSR BP at night, all on top of the BHA. I'm not sure if this is a good idea (the clindamycin). In the morning, I apply Retin-A Micro 0.04% on top of the BHA and then I put on Complex 15 moisturizer where needed (will add sunblock soon). I own a few of the OTC products that you recommend. Sometimes I use the Nivea Visage moisturizing toner after cleansing with either Spectro Gel or Dan's cleanser. I'm not wild about applying so many products (toner, BHA, BP, etc..) so I'm not sure if this is wise. Also, I've been using scrubs (along with the Bodyshop face brush at times.) lately. It has really helped my complexion, but I'm a little concerned about irritation. I find that I need scrubs and exfoliation because cleansers won't remove the visable dead skin. I use the scrub you recommended. Nivea for Men Energizing face scrub. Sometimes I use Carley's Clear & Smooth skin treatment scrub instead. I don't know if you've heard of it...it contains some of the irritating fruits and herbs, but the exfoliants are "cosmetic grade". I actually find it to be less drying than the Nivea for men. Is it OK to use these scrubs once a day? My main concern is that I may be doing too much, and when I change things around, I'm worried that I'm doing too little. While on any routine, I can never maintain balanced and calm skin for longer than a couple of days. At the moment, I'm paranoid that my cheek will erupt any day now because spots look a little red and puffy. The other cheek broke out last week, and i assumed it was due to the Retin-A. It's as if each cheek takes turns breaking out. Very aggravating. I need a routine that's right for me, and efficient enough. I know that I need to commit myself to a routine longer, but I still consider Accutane as an option if I cannot be satisfied with a topical solution by mid summer......and even with Accutane I understand that there is no garantee that it is worth the risk or even effective for people who fuss over minor break outs. Granted- I'd take small doses- but, what really has me scared is the bad reaction I had after recently having blood drawn during Accutane consideration. I nearly passed out with low blood pressure... the nurses were kinda freaking out and brought a doctor in, so now I'm afraid to have blood drawn unless I really need to. I've had blood drawn before and I was fine. Probably fasted too long or didn't drink enough water.
Thank you for reading
sorry for my bad english, yeah i mean initial breakout (how long they take)
anyway i start using clinique sunscreen since yesterday
and i need your advice in using it, somehow i feel its to thick and dry to fast when i apply on my face, that if i smeer it, it turn to flacky stuff
while if i dont smeer nicely, somehow it discolor my face (i dont know if clinique have several sunscreen color, to match user skin) but the one i got is whiter than my skin
so when i apply on my face, its make are than i apply more white
somehow i feel its like foundation, before adding another make up
since i am a guy, i dun use make up
so i need your advice again, many thanks before!
Hey there. Thanks again for your last post also.
Yes, I did mean retinoids. I never had any prescription ones, only over the counter. When I said many, I just meant many different name brands, La roche posay, green cream, afirm, etc.
I had a few more questions I can think of. Benzoyl peroxide, is there a purge period with that? I know some people who said that, and when I used it before I dont remember my face getting better right away, I actually got a few more here and there and sometimes they were even bigger bumps that could be felt under the skin.
Secondly, paulas choice cleansers, would using the One Step Cleanser for normal to dry skin be alright? I do remember using that at a friends house and I really liked it. It felt very cushiony just like the description says. I guess partially because it didnt foam. Also my face always tends to get dry with products no matter what they are. So i didnt know if that would be a bad choice or not.
Lastly, while im here. I have a lot of facial redness. Mostly the areas where i have breakouts, they are red. Im assuming its from the inflammation and also hyperpigmentation (I believe its called) after the spots are gone. Which paulas choice cleaser do you think would be most soothing? A lot of cleanser i use dont sooth my face, they seem to scrub it and make redness worse. So i was just wondering if anyone of hers would be best for soothing my face. As for moisturizer, is there any specific ones I should use in that area also for redness and inflammation?
Thanks again for your help, I will probably order sample and see how I react and then buy the whole products. I'll let you know how it goes for me. 🙂