Hey

I just posted something like this on another forum: have you considered that your oiliness MAY be caused by over drying your skin? Because that's what happened with me when i was using all those topical creams. Once i stopped and switched to a natural toner like apple cider vinegar or witch hazel and followed with an oil to moisturize, i found that my skin evened out and eventually it was neither too oily nor too dry. It takes a bit for your skin to adjust though, because I found that my skin was so used to over producing oil to make up for the drying factor of the creams that even when i stopped using them, it continued to get really oily BUT in time, it got MUCH better

I also used to get cystic acne, all the time, even on my body. For me i found it was tied to certain foods. I did the whole expensive food allergy test and it certainly helped me identify the culprits. As long as i stay away from them, no cysts for me! If i even have a tiny bit of that food as an ingredient in a recipe i am SURE to get a cyst.

This advice of course may not apply to you, but it really helped me and I've come a loooong way with how my skin used to look.

I saw "naturally" so I thought I'd reply. Before I go into what I'm trying, I do want to say I agree with kashmoney123. I've ditched the over-drying topical treatments, they just make my skin worse because then its so dry I have to apply so much moisturizer that I end up getting more pimples and use more topicals and its a vicious cycle.

I've moved into the mindset of trying to "feed my skin". My acne all of a sudden flared up again recently, no clue why. I did a lot of reading and am now starting a new regimen. I'll link to my blog so you can see what I'm using. I'm hoping it works, its too soon to tell yet.

I read up on the apple cidar vinegar and I bought the natural kind with the mother in it. Should I apply it after I wash my face? Do I keep it on or rinse it off? Should I follow up with a lotion?

That's a great one that you bought

To be quite honest I don't wash my face unless I have to (if I'm taking off makeup). I find that washing it makes it more dry and then consequently more oily.

HOWEVER, yes you should apply it after you wash your face. Don't wash it off. And definitely follow up with a moisturizing agent- I only use and strongly recommend oils like vitamin e, rosehip, grape seed etc!

Make sure you dilute it with water, its a bit too strong to apply directly to the skin, IMO.

Also, I'm not being ignorant because I don't know if you have tried this before, but have you ever looked at your diet? Not saying that there is something incorrect about the way you eat, I considered myself to be a really healthy but there were things in my diet that I would say were the causes of my acne, when I stay away from them and eat plenty of good stuff my skin is clear, except for when I'm on my period (but it has substantially improved).

So yeah, I know that lots of people with acne are cognizant of what they eat, so I'm not assuming that you.aren't ,just wanted to throw it out there that it really worked for me and I wish I figured it out when I was younger!

- fredthebelgian talks about how supplementing helped control his oily skin. you should check it out