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Hi, I started with 10% BP about 2-3 months ago once a day (at night) for about 1 month and then I used 5% for another month and now I have been using 2.5% for the last month. And I just started 0.25% Retin A 11 days ago and I've got 4 new cystic acne spots which I think is normal when you start using Retin A?
My daily regimen:
In the morning I use "Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser"then I wait 10 minutes after drying my skin and then I apply 2.5% BP and leave it on untill I want to go outside and then I wash it off (I would like to keep it on but can't because it gets all streaky if I put anything on top of it) and apply
"La Roche-Posay anthelios lightweight lotion 60 SPF"and then when I know I'm not going outside anymore I wash the Sunscreen off, and put on "Aveeno daily moisturizer" and then when I'm ready to put my clay mask on, (that I only use 2-3 times a week) I wash my face with Cetaphil cleanser and put that on (if it's a clay mask day) and wait 30 mins and then wash that off and wait 20 mins and put Retin A on. And that's it, do you think there is too much washing of my face or is this ok?
Thanks!
Ethan
Idealy,you dont want to use anything on your skin,you just want to tackle and clear the active stuff,then once thats cleared you want to use just warm clean water,no soap or chemicals and then pat your face dry with a dry clean towel each time.
afterwards just use a moisturiser thats good to your skin.
you need to address your diet and hygene habits and find out what aggravates your acne or skin condition,this is best solution.this way you fight it inside and let your skin do its own thing but maintain it.
I agree with Quadboy that it is important to try and unravel what triggers your acne. This process can be frustrating since there are so many potential culprits. In my personal experience with acne, stress is one of the worst triggers. Also, I have recently discovered a correlation between my diet and cystic acne. That being said, I think it good that you are motivated to follow a treatment routine. At times, I have personally became TOO motivated and created a complicated routine that was time-consuming, stressful, and irritating to my skin. I have taken Retin-A (off and on) for several years and sometimes experience the same initial flare-ups you described. Like other treatments (i.e. BP), they go away with time. With acne, more is often less. When using multiple products, it is easy to irritate the skin and never discover what is working.