Are you male or female?

I have hormonal issues and I can clear myself of basically all inflamed acne. Non-inflamed acne is much more difficult for me to get rid of, but I can come close.

For me (and I suspect many others) most of my acne is caused by what I put on my face. It took a long time for me to figure out what breaks me out. I had to stop using everything completely (face wash, moisturizer, acne creams, etc.) and then slowly add back in basic things to see what broke me out. If something was a problem I could usually see little clogs start to form in a few days. If it was a really big problem then I'd start getting cysts. A year later I've found just 2 face washes I can uses and 1 moisturizer (vaseline). I can also only use minimalist mineral makeup formulas. I can also use certain oils on my face as face wash and moisturizer, but that also was a trial and error process for me.

Are you male or female?

I have hormonal issues and I can clear myself of basically all inflamed acne. Non-inflamed acne is much more difficult for me to get rid of, but I can come close.

For me (and I suspect many others) most of my acne is caused by what I put on my face. It took a long time for me to figure out what breaks me out. I had to stop using everything completely (face wash, moisturizer, acne creams, etc.) and then slowly add back in basic things to see what broke me out. If something was a problem I could usually see little clogs start to form in a few days. If it was a really big problem then I'd start getting cysts. A year later I've found just 2 face washes I can uses and 1 moisturizer (vaseline). I can also only use minimalist mineral makeup formulas. I can also use certain oils on my face as face wash and moisturizer, but that also was a trial and error process for me.

I'm a male

Why not try cutting your routine down to the basics? Could you wash your face with just water?

Why not try cutting your routine down to the basics? Could you wash your face with just water?

I don't see how that could help

hi

i have the same problem : avery product that i used i got after a while bumps and acne soo i tdecided too see a doctor and i did it , she told me that if i had hormonal problem : sebacium glands the only solution right now is taking isotritoin : accutane ....

13 days and iam under this treatment and the result seem to be better

i sugget you to see a doctor

good luck

 

Why not try cutting your routine down to the basics? Could you wash your face with just water?

 

I don't see how that could help

Because ingredients in products can break you out. For some it is the root cause of their acne.

Hi FierceQuince. I think there are people who grow out of acne and people who don't grow out of acne. At 17 you are still really in adolescence so there's time for you to grow out of it if you are going to fall into that category. If you're comfortable waiting it out and persevering with OTCs then carry on. I've been telling people about Epiology which is a new topical we have in NZ. If you feel the need to take action then first talk to your doctor and try some tetracyclines or whatever they recommend if you've not tried that option.

I went on Accutane at about age 20.

 

Why not try cutting your routine down to the basics? Could you wash your face with just water?

 

I don't see how that could help

With your acne being mild they most likely will not prescribe it too you right away without trying other treatments. You may just need something a bit stronger than OTC. You want to be gentle with your skin. A lot of people freak out and start abusing thier face with OTC products then by the time they may have grown out of it they continue to break out because thier skin is no longer balanced. Also OTC products take time to work.

Washing your face with just water is a good way to see where your skin is at before trying a new product. If you try to many at once or keep switching to new routines you can lose track of what works and what doest,

 

Why not try cutting your routine down to the basics? Could you wash your face with just water?

 

I don't see how that could help

Because ingredients in products can break you out. For some it is the root cause of their acne.

i agree. lots of people have good results with just water.

also washing your face more than x2 daily can cause problems.

I have definitely experienced worse skin when I try to do too much/use to strong of a cleanser/dry my skin out. For me doing just enough and nothing more has worked best so I just use a very gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and Dans BP at night under the moisturizer. If you do see a dermatologist from my experience they do not spend a lot of time with you and instead will just write you prescriptions and leave so I would advice doing your own research before you go in to know about the different drugs that are available and ask why he/she is prescribing what they do and also research whatever they recommend to make sure you understand the best way to use it because they often do not do a very thorough job of that either.

 

When i had my acne, i tried basically every.product.under.the.sun. I went on oral medication (even accutane at one point but i stopped because my symptoms were SO bad), wasted all my money on cleansers, toners, moisturizers, etc that claimed to "cure" my acne but did the exact opposite and just irritated it further. then i thought.. What if i just leave my skin alone? Our skin is one of our largest organs, and i firmly believe all these commerical products are doing more harm then good for it. Everyone has a thin layer on their faces called the "acid mantle", and this is what keeps bacteria/infections from invading your skin and causing acne in the first place. But once you wash that layer off, your face is vulnerable to bacteria and infection from harbouring into your skin. Leaving your face alone, without the use of any products (and a proper, clean diet can help as well although it isnt a direct cure) can give your skin time to HEAL itself (Imagine if you got cut on your body, a few days later it heals over and a scab forms.. a few more days later its virtually gone..same concept for your skin)So whats my regimen?1. every 2-3 days i take a spritz bottle and fill it up with boiled or spring water and spray my face a few times and let it air dry2. eat healthy, fresh veggies/fruits and LOTS of water (helps push toxins out of your skin, and heals it faster)3. Dont stress, because stress can cause nasty effects emotionally, and physically through your skin. lowering stress/anxiety levels have really made a big difference for me4. Go out! get some fresh air, hang out with friends, and try to stay active! and try not to think about your skin If you decide to try this out please stick with this for a month or two, this healed my acne 100% after 3-4 weeks and i havent had a single pimple in 3 years For more info.. this method is called the "caveman regimen" or the "water-only method" and theres tons of info about it online.

 

I'm a teenager I know that my acne is due to hormones. I doubt doing nothing would help

You've got lots of people suggesting cutting your regimen down to the basics, so why not just try it? I have hormonal acne too, and hormonal acne can be exacerbated by products. It's worth a try.

The caveman regimen usually works only for people who don't have hormonal acne. Also, some people can't force themselves not to stress. Their brains are programmed in such a way that usually only medicine can help.

 

The best thing to do is to cleanse, treat, and moisturize. I provided a guide for buying products, so what is the issue? Lol.

Thats true, although most of my acne was hormonal, and this cleared it up.

My issue was 50% hormonal and 50% caused by products. For the stress thing, i'm not forcing anyone to completely 100% STOP stressing because thats impossible, im just saying you should try and not to if your acne is affected by stress

Only "50%" of your acne was hormonal--not most of it, so I'm not surprised it worked for you. What if somebody's acne is 90% hormonal?

The caveman regimen usually works only for people who don't have hormonal acne. Also, some people can't force themselves not to stress. Their brains are programmed in such a way that usually only medicine can help.

 

The best thing to do is to cleanse, treat, and moisturize. I provided a guide for buying products, so what is the issue? Lol.

? I have high testosterone. My acne is hormonal. I can almost clear myself just by eliminating products which break me out. Unfortunately for me that is a lot of products.

Wow, some interesting discussion coming out of this topic. Definitely there is biological variability between individuals and different people respond differently to the same treatments / diet / lifestyle factors. For FierceQuince...if you look in the adult acne forum you'll see that there are plenty of people like me in the 30-50 age bracket who have tried all of the treatments and still have some issues with acne. Some people have success clearing acne with topicals, some people have success with Accutane and some people have success with doing not much at all which is how I came to my comment that you either grow out of acne or you don't. What I mean is that Accutane might be the answer for you but think about the potential for growing out of acne and think about the potential side effects of any treatments before you make the decision that feels right for you.

I was fascinated with lunabear7's comment about damaging the protective layer of the skin with products. There's some emerging research from dermatologists in Mexico that the bioactive ingredients in epiology cream can target harmful bacteria while preserving the natural microbiome. There's still a lot we don't understand about health and wellbeing.

Wow, some interesting discussion coming out of this topic. Definitely there is biological variability between individuals and different people respond differently to the same treatments / diet / lifestyle factors. For FierceQuince...if you look in the adult acne forum you'll see that there are plenty of people like me in the 30-50 age bracket who have tried all of the treatments and still have some issues with acne. Some people have success clearing acne with topicals, some people have success with Accutane and some people have success with doing not much at all which is how I came to my comment that you either grow out of acne or you don't. What I mean is that Accutane might be the answer for you but think about the potential for growing out of acne and think about the potential side effects of any treatments before you make the decision that feels right for you.

 

I was fascinated with lunabear7's comment about damaging the protective layer of the skin with products. There's some emerging research from dermatologists in Mexico that the bioactive ingredients in epiology cream can target harmful bacteria while preserving the natural microbiome. There's still a lot we don't understand about health and wellbeing.

Totally agree with everything you said. For some here topical work...they don't work for me. For others diet makes a difference...I really don't see any for me. For me, birth control, anti-androgens, accutane, and avoiding comedogenic products works for me. I agree for OP doing may not work, but it also one of the easiest things to try. I wish it was something I had done when I was their age.

 

Why not try cutting your routine down to the basics? Could you wash your face with just water?

 

I don't see how that could help

Well that's just to bad