Acne.org Products
So I made an earlier post on how the regimen just was not working for me, and I tried everything to make it work. Better moisturizer, argan oil, sometimes skipping a day or two, the aha, etc. My skin was sooo dry and I was still breaking out, although I was still only on month 1 of a new bc (mononessa) so that wasn't the main reason I gave up on the regimen. Basically the dryness and flakiness, none of it was worth it for something that wasn't even really improving my skin so why force myself to stick to something that wasn't working for me? Anyways, the point of this post is that I'm almost done with month 2 on bc and a little under 2 weeks on using just paula's choice bp. Man my skin is looking so much better. I'm still breaking out because of the bc but my skin is not as irritated or itchy or red or swollen. The breakouts are reduced too. I want to try pc's system but first i want my skin to get a little better before I incorporate more products such as the bha. Anyone have any recommendations on pc products that i could add to my routine? Also, I want to do microdermabrasion or chemical peels, idk too much yet about either because I haven't done enough research, but I want try something like that in June, when hopefully I am no longer getting anymore new breakouts besides around that time of month. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
Hi, I am on month 2 of the Regimen and I noticed that my active acne is gone but I have extremely dry, flaking and red skin and clogged pores which I think is resulting from the dry skin.
Are you getting any redness or dry skin from Paula's choice product? Which product are you using?
Dear jennymai:
Almost all acne regimens are designed to reduce skin oil production, and therefore, unfortunately, cause some irritation, dryness and flakiness in the vast majority of users which subsides within a few weeks. The usual active ingredients are benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. To reduce the chance of irritation try to avoid products with benzoyl peroxide concentrations over 2.5%, or salicylic acid over 2%. Also to reduce skin irritation and skin flakiness with their products, manufacturers of acne medications always try to tweak the list of inactive ingredients with various botanical extracts, pro-vitamins, silicone derivatives etc. (e.g. Roman chamomile, panthenol, dimethicone, glycerol etc.). So look for those "inactive" ingredients when deciding on what product to use. If you develop severe irritation with itching and burning you should stop the medication and contact your doctor.
Regarding birth control pills only Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Estrostep and YAZ are approved by FDA for acne. It usually takes 3 cycles to see meaningful benefits in acne.
Regarding dermabrasion and peels, I would look for a dermatologist in your area for personalized advice.
Let's keep fighting acne together! Best! VTC
Agreed with above poster on only using BP products with 2.5%! Stronger formulas can be very irritating for sensitive, acne-prone skin. I'd wait until you're clear of active acne, and have stayed clear for awhile, before considering other steps like derm abrasions, chemical peels, etc. Although helpful for PIH, they can be very irritating and increase risk of irritation breakouts. Consider 10% glycolic acid (AHA) for PIH...this will give you a mild chemical peel which works well with time and patience for speeding up fading of PIH. Expect some flaking when you start as the process sloughs off dead skin layers, but this gets less with time as your skin adjusts to the treatment. This is a great Regimen add-on once you're clear of inflamed acne! 🙂
22 hours ago, jackiwoj said:Hi, I am on month 2 of the Regimen and I noticed that my active acne is gone but I have extremely dry, flaking and red skin and clogged pores which I think is resulting from the dry skin.
Are you getting any redness or dry skin from Paula's choice product? Which product are you using?
You should totally look into trying the regimen aha, it help you with your flakiness. Just remember to start slow. And nope, my skin is looking so much better. My skin isn't irritated anymore. I don't have to wash my face with cold water just so I don't irritate my skin. Paula's choice bp contains some ingredients to deal with the irritation bp causes, unlike the regimen bp. Right now I'm only using the bp but I will soon incorporate the bha and toner