imo antibiotics are probably the worst

So now that half the market of anti-acne meds are labeled as no-nos, what do you recommend?

Hi thank you for taking the time to do this. It has been really helpful. I wanted to ask you about the Oil Free Wash by Neutrogena. It says its an effective yet gentle cleanser and a salicylic acid treatment.

I got rid of a lot of products i was using because of this thread but i couldnt find out whether to get rid of this one or not.

My face just keeps getting worse the more i age... :/

Hey,

Can anyone please advise me whether what I'm taking is right?

My old dermatologist gave me these:

Bioderm Sebium Exfoliating Purifying Gel

Bioderm Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel

Uriage Hyseac Cream with AHA

Clindacin T topical solution

Isotrexin Peeling Gel

They worked for a while, but now my skin is really sore and gets irritated which makes my acne flare up. They used to be brilliant but my skin seems to have stopped responding...

Any ideas?

Thanks

Hi Snow_Queen,

I was wondering what's your opinion on the Green Beaver facial moisturizer which has the below ingredients. Are any of the ingredients harmful?

Ingredients : Aqua, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid

Thanks for your help.

I just turned 27. I have always been curious if I'm using too much on my face. I've always had a pretty clear face, but last spring I start forming a lot of closed comedones and while it's not getting worse, the redness just doesn't seem to go away. Plus I keep forming comedones in the same places over and over again. (mostly on the bottom half of my face around my mouth). Here is my current regimen:

AM:

1. I wash my face with Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

2. I apply lemon juice over my face with a cotton ball.

3. I moisturize with lubriderm men's 3-in-1 lotion

4. I spot treat with Persagel 10

5. I apply cover up where needed (I use Neutrogena Healthy Skin Smoothing Stick)

PM:

1. I wash my face with Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

2. I apply lemon juice over my face with a cotton ball.

3. I moisturize with lubriderm men's 3-in-1 lotion

4. I spot treat overnight with Proactiv Refining Mask

I just started taking a zinc supplement as well, because I hear it might cause acne and I've noticed white lines on my finger nails which it says is a sign of deficiency.

I used to use Acnefree and it worked very well, but after about 2 years it stopped. I then started using Clearasil daily face wash for sensitive skin and that worked very well for about a year.

Can someone help me?

Hi Snow Queen, I have a question for you. After a lot of trial and error, I've found that the only ingredient that considerably reduces the intensity and frequency of my breakouts is sulfur (salicylic acid has worked for me, but only mildly--my skin is better with a salicylic product than it is without it, it helps prevent blackheads, but hasn't reduced my acne overall). While there are a number of sulfur masks and spot treatments, I simply cannot find a liquid cleanser with a significant amount of sulfur in it. Why is that? Is there some chemical reason sulfur can't be included in a cleanser, or is it just that sulfur does not market well? I have been using (I know, I know) a sulfur bar soap made by adovia, and though it does dry out my skin in the winter, it helps more than any other cleanser I've used. So I guess I'm asking, why aren't there any liquid cleansers with a significant amount of sulfur in them, or do you know of any? Thanks!

Also, your fabulously researched post about skin irritants (it has really made me rethink my regimen, and do more investigating of the products I do use) really makes me want a similar post about make up. I see that there has been some discussion of titanium dioxide, but make up is (for better or worse) a large part of many of our daily lives, and more detail would be incredibly helpful A lot of us acne sufferers simply can't do without it if we want to face the world. What products do you use? Are there any primers out there that aren't harmful?

hello snow queen

hello everyone

let my start by saying I am 19 male.. no whiteheads, mild ac,e super oily face specially nose, and my nose skin is pretty much destroyed.. (lots of black dots, small scars, & it gets peeled with anything and red with hot, wind, etc..

My derm sends me accutane but I don't want to take it because I get a horrible chellitis excessive sweating dry eyes etc.. and because I don't think my acne is that severe to take isotretonoin. The problem is other derms also send me accutane I think because they want to take the easy way...

so I told my term to send me something different and he send me

a cleanser with sacilistic acid (don't remember how to write it) at 2%

but it leaves me the eucalipt sensation of freshness in my face and a little bit redness should I stop it? I ask because it wasn't very clear for me in your first post

I was wandering what do you suggest for super sensitive nose skin, redness & nose peeling

Hey thanks for your advice. Is neutrogena grapefruit cleanser, Nivea soft cream with jojoba oil and vit E and finally simple light moisturiser okay for acne prone skin??

Hello Snow Queen very helpful post but I have a few questions because I see that I am making a lot of mistakes (according to your post)

First, I am using Oriflame's Pure Skin Scrub Face Wash. I've just started using it for only a week but it has been a good treat to my skin. I don't use a moisturizer so somehow it's a but too dry. I live in Vietnam whose climate is hot all the time (hot in winter too!!) and FYI the city where I live is among one of the most polluted cities in the world.

Before oriflame, I used Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. I Have heard a lot about it and I decided to try it but personally I didn't like it that much. It sure is gentle but it didn't thoroughly cleanse my skin. I am loving my Oriflame cleanser because it gives my a very cooling feeling (which you said was not good). However as I am not using a moisturizer (is honey counted as one?) it sometimes dries my skin out.

As I am loving Oriflame brand I am considering buying more products from them. What I am deciding to buy is also a cleanser but more gentle than the one I'm using. It contains tea tree and rosemary ( I don't really remember it I saw the package only once or twice.). What do you think of it?

And I am using the BP lotion from Proactiv. It worked great at first but the effectiveness seems to have decreased in time.

I also have a lot of scars on my face. Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks for reading and hope to hear from you soon.

Hi Snow Queen, I have a question for you. After a lot of trial and error, I've found that the only ingredient that considerably reduces the intensity and frequency of my breakouts is sulfur (salicylic acid has worked for me, but only mildly--my skin is better with a salicylic product than it is without it, it helps prevent blackheads, but hasn't reduced my acne overall). While there are a number of sulfur masks and spot treatments, I simply cannot find a liquid cleanser with a significant amount of sulfur in it. Why is that? Is there some chemical reason sulfur can't be included in a cleanser, or is it just that sulfur does not market well? I have been using (I know, I know) a sulfur bar soap made by adovia, and though it does dry out my skin in the winter, it helps more than any other cleanser I've used. So I guess I'm asking, why aren't there any liquid cleansers with a significant amount of sulfur in them, or do you know of any? Thanks!

 

Also, your fabulously researched post about skin irritants (it has really made me rethink my regimen, and do more investigating of the products I do use) really makes me want a similar post about make up. I see that there has been some discussion of titanium dioxide, but make up is (for better or worse) a large part of many of our daily lives, and more detail would be incredibly helpful A lot of us acne sufferers simply can't do without it if we want to face the world. What products do you use? Are there any primers out there that aren't harmful?

 

Hey, I just found out that sulfur works best for me too! I found a 10% sulfur ointment from a company called De La Cruz in the supermarket one day and it's been working for me better than the BP products I've used. The only problem with it is that you have to leave it on for 10 mins and then rinse it off; not the best if you have other things to do in the morning since the only thing binding it is polyethylene glycol so it rubs off easily. Though, I'm thinking that a cleaser containing sulfur won't help you as much as something you leave on the skin. I remember Snow_Queen talking about how medication-containing cleansers don't do much because the active ingredient is usually washed off the skin. That's probably what the 10min leave-on time for my ointment is for...

This is what I usually do:

Wash with mild liqud cleanser (Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser)

Apply Sulfur Ointment all over face.

(ten minutes)

Rinse

Then a BHA gel (Neutrogena Stress Relief) and moisturizer (CeraVe).

xD Though, to be honest, my foremost goal is to just get my acne calmed down enough so I can hide it under makeup. Doing good so far =3 .(And oddly enough, I kinda like the smell of sulfur o.O )

I know this is a very old thread, but I'm new here and I'd like to add my two cents.

First off, the original poster lists a lot of information based on sound research, but it really should be taken with a grain of salt. Lots of don'ts, very little do's. Heck, she might as well have said, "don't use everything."

I have suffered with acne (moderate to slightly severe for over 30 years. I'm 45 and still battling it). I'd like to think I'm an expert, seeing the tens of thousands of dollars I spent over the years fighting this losing battle (tens of thousands is indeed a correct figure). I should have been a dermatologist, but who would trust a dermatologist with acne?

Anyway, my decades of research, trying everything on the market, fad or not (I was perscribed accutane but resisted it due to side effects) have yielded one conclusion: There is no right answer or no wrong answer. Every individual's skin is different. Some respond quite well to salicylic acid, I break out in hives. Some find astrigent irritating, I use SeaBreeze for sensitive skin with great results.

Acne is steeped in genetics. For some like me, it may never ever go away. The best you can hope for is to manage it--keep it under control.

I'd like to add to the original poster's "don't" list:

DON'T be afraid to try any regimen or product or vitamin therapy, etc. It just might work for you.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is no bueno imho

I was wondering why Cetaphil isn't on the list of cleansers to use? Is Cetaphil not gentle enough or does it have ingredients that irritates the skin?Sorry if this question was asked before.

It says here not to buy moisturizers with corn ingrediants, this simple anti blemish says it has corn starch in it, to mattefy or something, is that bad& should I not use it because of that?

Can I use all of these products and get all of my makeup off at night? Nothing's more irritating than keeping up with a great skin regimen but your skin gets clogged with the leftover makeup on your face.

On 4/22/2012 at 3:06 PM, clambak3 said:

Can I use all of these products and get all of my makeup off at night? Nothing's more irritating than keeping up with a great skin regimen but your skin gets clogged with the leftover makeup on your face.

If you're worried about makeup being leftover on your skin, then you should try using the Olay Pro-X Cleansing brush thing. What I do is wipe most of my makeup off with a washcloth, then I slather my cleanser on my face, then use the Olay brush for like 1-2 minutes, and then rinse really good at the end. It seems to be working really great for me and I never have makeup residue left on my face. It's like $20 bucks or something...Definitely worth it!

Thanks a lot, I'll give it a shot for sure. Might as well since the price is right.

I use products with have witch hazel & tea tree, but i heard they are good for toning and for spots?

my skin is a bit dry, but If I am using a moisturizer it should tackle it right?

I have to personally disagree with the spf no higher than 15.. i am out in the sun everyday for sports.. and i think it is really important to have a high spf.. i am currently using neutrogenas spf 70 dry-touch.. and it works really well.. doesnt make me even more oily.. and it doesnt break me out.. Plus if you have break outs and you dont want any hyperpigmentation or in other words "dark marks/post-acne marks" then i recommend using spf.. because when the pimple is healing your body sends melanin to the wound to heal it faster.. the more melanin you have in your body the more susceptible you are to having these dark marks, so it is important to use a sunscreen to help prevent with dark marks.

wat can i do to help the blackheads & whiteheads...i seem to get alot. thanks

I was wondering why Cetaphil isn't on the list of cleansers to use? Is Cetaphil not gentle enough or does it have ingredients that irritates the skin?Sorry if this question was asked before.

 

It's also a cream and doesn't cleanse very well in my opinion. It has never been shown to get rid of or fight acne, just a nice sensitive wash. I personally hate it.

wat can i do to help the blackheads & whiteheads...i seem to get alot. thanks

 

Blackheads are veeery tricky. Some say that pore strips work but I haven't seen much improvement even using them twice a week for months. Steaming your face twice a week and applying a mask like Queen Helene's Mint Julep mask work very well for me. I feel all the impurities are sucked out of my skin. But what works for some may not work for others.

is it possible to buy the active ingredient in SPF moisturizers? i think it's zinc something. i prefer to use all natural moisturizer but the kind i'm using now has no sunscreen in it.

I see that soap is a no-no. But are natural soap okey to use? I bought som blueberry-soap containing olive oil, coconut oil, palm tree oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and bluberry. It does not contain any harmful ingridents but it has an pH-value of 7,5. Will it then be bad to use?