I am no doctor or skin specialist but i would say from the advice of dans regime and what I have been told my derm to use the smallest amount of products possible. I would say apply benzol peroxide before you moisturize (Thats what dan says and it works for me) and do not use witch hazel as well with the benzol as it is very strong stuff and drying your skin out excessively may produce more oil. I have been in your position though and nothing has seemed to help it, it only helps when I cut down the products i use on my skin and stop rubbing it or putting lots of harsh chemicals on it. I know how you feel! I hope it gets better and this helped a little bit.

X

I would stop using the witch hazel if I were you, from what I understand (and in my experience) Witch Hazel is just too strong for most acne sufferers.

I NEED HELP AND ADVICE, let me talk you through my issues

I've had acne since I was young, it started what I think is milia, I have little white bumps/spots under my skin, when I squeeze them enough stuff comes out, it's like squeezing a blackhead, I hate them, they're not the worst of my worries though, they're annoying and mixed with the many black heads I have around my chin, jaw, cheek and forehead, it's pretty awful. I need advice on how to clean this up!

Secondly, I have really bad acne around my jaw and on my cheeks, these are really large horrible zits and whiteheads, I'm really bad at keeping my hands off them and I pick at them, leaving red marks and scabs, they're really hard to cover with makeup, picked or unpicked.

Anyway, I finally got to my doctor who were little help, he prescribed me benzoyl peroxide, which worked slightly but didn't do much, a year later I returned and I was prescribed the anti biotic, Oxytetraclycline, I'm using both at the moment and nothing is happening, I keep breaking out!

Products I use, my daily routine consists of, in this order,

Witch hazel, I use it to tone and cleanse, refresh and clean my face I guess

Coconut oil, I use the tiniest bit and rub it in, I've been told its a great natural moisturiser and I should really moisturise my skin

Benzoyl Peroxide, finally, just what my doc prescribed, I use this at night only though

Witch blemish stick, I rub this on my acne, it stings slightly, it's just extra spot care

Make up products!

Firstly, I use witch blemish free primer, which claims to protect the skin from the effects of makeup while also clearing up spots, I didn't really want to use any old primer as I was scared of getting more breakouts. I then use the collection 2000 concealer, it's a liquid one, which I was scared of using because my skin was already rather oily, but it seems to be fine, finally, I use maybelline dream matte mousse foundation, I switched from maybelline dream fresh liquid bb cream, I felt that the dream matte mousse kept my skin matte and rather covered.

So that's it, my acne won't budge, I'm trying everything and I need help, things I'm wanting to try are, vodka, lemon juice, vitamin e oil, all the things that are recommended, I don't know what to do!!!! help me please!!! Also, I can't scrub, if I scrub and exfoliate my face goes red raw and I get more acne, I use soap and glory's peaches and clean as it contains alpha hydroxy acids which apparently exfoliate any way. All advice will be greatly received

I would stop using the witch hazel if I were you, from what I understand (and in my experience) Witch Hazel is just too strong for most acne sufferers and causes unnecessary irritation (especially if you are using Bp!) More than likely, your make-up isn't causing the issue, especially if you are using stuff with ingredients that are non-comodgenic. If you have a lot of acne around your jaw, you might consider birth-control in addition to the antibiotic because it might be hormonal. Also, I know a lot of people say coconut oil is the bee's knee's, but maybe switching to a light face moisturizer might help in case it's too heavy for your skin? I honestly have had NO luck with any pure oils for moisturizing or cleansing, and I'm starting to think that the people who do are the exception not the rule. Also- try washing your face with a mild face wash without fragrance and soaps. Remember, the less irritation, the better! Stinging = bad If you are putting something on your skin that stings, it means you should STOP using it, or use less until you get used to it.

Also, for inflamed acne, exfoliation is not a good idea. If you have red, inflamed pimples (not just whiteheads or blackheads) manual exfoliation and scrubbing will make it a million billion time worst. Just rub as gently as necessary to get your makeup off. I would not recommend using vodka (that's a new one!), or lemon juice. Vitamin E oil can actually be very irritating if used topically. If you absolutely HAVE to use an oil on your acne, tea-tree oil is one that is actually backed up by the literature, somewhat. I wouldn't use it with BP though. Good luck!

Thanks guys! I think I'm gunna alter my skin care routine a lot now! It's the Christmas holidays now so my face is gunna be free of makeup, if I don't see any more results then I will once again visit my doctor