One little advice - try to change your pillow case daily. Since you have most of your breakouts on the sides of your face, you might be infecting them even more while laying your face on the pillow (dead skin, dirt from your hair etc - perfect conditions for the bacteria to grow). I sometimes even put a clean towel over my pillow. I get less unpleasant surprises in the morning since I started to take care of where I lay my face for more than 7 hours. It may not solve the problem, but any improvement is welcomed, isn't it?
Thanks. I already do that, but not daily - every other day, the day I wash my hair (I wash it every other day). If I had more pillowcases I would change them daily. I've actually become a bit paranoid about anything that's touching my face, so I hardly even lean my head on the pillow at night and I tie my hair back. I must look very strange when I sleep lol
I am forced to do that daily, as my hair gets greasy almost the same day I washed them. I run out of pillow cases sometimes, but then I use towels.
Haha, me too I'm trying to control myself during the night and usually wake up laying on my back 
One little advice - try to change your pillow case daily. Since you have most of your breakouts on the sides of your face, you might be infecting them even more while laying your face on the pillow (dead skin, dirt from your hair etc - perfect conditions for the bacteria to grow). I sometimes even put a clean towel over my pillow. I get less unpleasant surprises in the morning since I started to take care of where I lay my face for more than 7 hours. It may not solve the problem, but any improvement is welcomed, isn't it?
Thanks. I already do that, but not daily - every other day, the day I wash my hair (I wash it every other day). If I had more pillowcases I would change them daily. I've actually become a bit paranoid about anything that's touching my face, so I hardly even lean my head on the pillow at night and I tie my hair back. I must look very strange when I sleep lol
I am forced to do that daily, as my hair gets greasy almost the same day I washed them. I run out of pillow cases sometimes, but then I use towels.
Haha, me too I'm trying to control myself during the night and usually wake up laying on my back
Do you use hypoallergenic pillowcases? I'm not sure if mine are, or if using those would make a difference...I've become paranoid about what touches my face. I don't even use a towel to dry my face after washing, I just let it air dry. haha
lol i steal my hubby's clean white t-shirts and put a fresh one on my pillow at night. thank goodness he has a ton of these shirts but sometimes he gets pissed at me for always stealing them - ha! also just a note about Cerave my derm always recommends this stuff so i tried the am and pm moisturizers and felt it made my skin way too greasy and broke me out. i know others on this board have success with them though. i like olay regenerist line as well as kinerase and hylunia but they arent cheap.
If you like mineral makeup, Everyday Minerals doesn't have crap in it like Bare Minerals. EM has a big selection of foundation shades for different skin tones.
Thanks. Do Everyday Mineral powers/ foundations look natural? I checked out their website and they have quite a range of shades, so I might check it out, thanks for the recommendation. Is it available in stores?
Also, what are the cera ve products you mention in your signature? Is the brand comparable to sebamed?
Somewhere on the site you can get free samples of foundation shades. You can get 5 different shades each time, and you can do the sample pack as many times as you like. You only pay cost of shipping. Pretty risk-free way to try it out yourself.
I think EM looks way more natural than Bare Minerals. I don't think it's available in stores though.
CeraVe products are available in most drugstores in the U.S. You can get also get them off Amazon.com
greengables, I am looking at the EM site for a base to see if I can color match based on the samples I might order. They have 4 different types of base, which one would you recommend? I have oil/ combination and sensitive skin. I also broke out a bit from jojoba oil, so maybe the jojoba base ones are not for me. What is the IT base?
lol i steal my hubby's clean white t-shirts and put a fresh one on my pillow at night. thank goodness he has a ton of these shirts but sometimes he gets pissed at me for always stealing them - ha! also just a note about Cerave my derm always recommends this stuff so i tried the am and pm moisturizers and felt it made my skin way too greasy and broke me out. i know others on this board have success with them though. i like olay regenerist line as well as kinerase and hylunia but they arent cheap.
lol ...I never thought of using t-shirts as pillowcases. Are they softer than regular pilowcases?
I only tried olay beauty fluid, but I'm too scared to put it all over my face so I just put it on areas like my forehead where I don't usually breakout. I don't know the other 2 brands, are they good?
i dont know if the shirts are any softer than pillowcases but they do the job because i am too lazy to be washing the sheets all the time. i need to buy some extra ones though.
i like the olay deep hydration cream at night because it really hydrates my skin and doesnt break me out. it helps my red marks too. i like the olay sensitive skin spf 15 lotion for day. kinerase is a great line that the medical spa i go to sells and uses on their clients and its very light weight and gentle for all skin types. its over $100 on the kinerase site but i can find it for $25 on ebay.
hylunia is awesome and my derm sells this line and its all organic and very gentle. it is free from everything so no sulfates, parabens, phosphates and is fragrance free. all their products have an anti-microbial complex in them as well that helps fight breakouts. their moisturizers are like $70 but i think they are worth it. if i had a lot more cash i would buy their entire line - ha!
I know, I get sick of doing laundry every few days...I even switched to a hypoallergenic detergent but haven't seen much difference.
I checked out the hylunia website, they seem to have some great products! Have you tried their acne kit (they sell a trial size)? What's the 1 product you would recommend from that line, and what's the kinerase product you like called? I am so broke right now from going to doctors, buying special foods, supplements, facials etc, but it's nice to know of a few products in case I can afford them in the future Might look into olay as well, since I get discounts at cvs.
i havent tried hylunia's acne kit yet but it is something i am thinking about getting in the future. i love their facial cleansing gel. its cleans very well but doesnt leave the skin feeling dry and tight after which is nice. i also love the super moisturzing facial day lotion. it keeps my skin very hydrated especially in the winter and i just looked and it seems that they are running a big sale on their website. i think i will have to stock up but check ebay too because i have found their stuff there as well. i also love the hyaluronic reconstructive cream as well. my derm sells this at their place because its great for healing the skin. so if i ever pick at my zits i put this on them to heal them right up and its good to use after a peel or any sort of procedure. i think if you sign up for their site they should send you a 10% off code.
as far as kinerase goes i like their ultimate day moisturizer because it has kinetin in it to help with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles but it doesnt do anything to help the acne unlike hylunia.
yeah i love that olay cream i was telling you about because its really great to use over your topicals since they can be so drying. i would only use it at night though because it is a thicker cream. the olay restorative sleep cream is one of my favorites too but for some reason even on ebay it costs more than the deep hydration cream. lol i am cheap and hate to spend too much on products so i always try ebay first and then go from there.
Great, thanks for the recommendations! I have been meaning to update my products because my skin gets used to them and then there is no improvement. I have had success with boscia, especially the cleanser and moisturizer but now my skin isn't responding to them anymore due to prolonged use.
Great, thanks for the recommendations! I have been meaning to update my products because my skin gets used to them and then there is no improvement. I have had success with boscia, especially the cleanser and moisturizer but now my skin isn't responding to them anymore due to prolonged use.
i know what you mean there. i dont know why that happens but its annoying!
Hey cheer up! Your acne is wayyyy better than mine. But heres some things u could do in natural terms
make a turmeric mask-- turmeric mixed with gram flour, milk and honey.
Dap some rose water on those spots
leave honey on angry spots at night.
This one is weird but I SWEAR. if you do this 2 times everyday a week you will notice the difference. Just eat a banana and with the peel slowly massage it onto ur skin and leave it on for 10-15 min and rinse with cold water. No joke. If irration occurs or it doesn't feel right stop!
wishclean this definitely looks like hormonal acne me. please try mirena in place of birth control pills. it releases a steady flow of hormones with less side effects. it will do wonders for you in my opinion
Mirena, Implanon, DepoProvera and other progestin-only forms of birth control are about the worst thing you can do for your skin if you have acne. Studies have shown they often give acne to people who have never had acne. If they work for you, great, but I wouldn't recommend it on a general basis.
actually everyone that I have spoken to who are on mirena havem noticed improvements in their skin. at first yes the hormoes can cause an initial outbreak but as we all know thats one of the hazards of almost any treatment. mirena for most people within six months will lighten or even eliminate your period. for most girls heavy periods are associated with acne. not saying it will work for everyone but i highly reccommend looking into it.
Hey cheer up! Your acne is wayyyy better than mine. But heres some things u could do in natural terms
make a turmeric mask-- turmeric mixed with gram flour, milk and honey.
Dap some rose water on those spots
leave honey on angry spots at night.
This one is weird but I SWEAR. if you do this 2 times everyday a week you will notice the difference. Just eat a banana and with the peel slowly massage it onto ur skin and leave it on for 10-15 min and rinse with cold water. No joke. If irration occurs or it doesn't feel right stop!
Thanks kyou. The main reason I posted those terrible photos was to make people with milder acne feel better because there is worse. But I'm sorry your acne is worse. I'm seeing some improvement these past few days from following the candida diet and starting saw palmetto.
I've never heard of the banana peel treatment, lol! But I would try anything at this point.
Hmmm...birth control is sort of a last resort for me. I had tried a wide range: diane + androcur (not BCP, but as anti-androgen), yazmin, yaz, and a few others I didn't even bother looking into when I was younger because I blindly trusted doctors. They wrecked havoc on my body and messed up my metabolism and my mood. It took me years to heal my body and have a regular metabolism, so I am reluctant to take chances with BCP again or any pill that has potentially serious long term side effects. I'm trying saw palmetto now, which my health practitioner said it's the closest herbal alternative to spironolactone, so we'll see. Spiro would be the first pill to try if I decided to go that route
Hey wish clean c:
Yeah I know the banana thing strange right? Lol well heres a link: http://blog.kanelstrand.com/2012/05/how-to-treat-acne-in-4-days-with-help.html
you should check it out! Anyways go bananas! lol 
haha ok I will try it next time I have a banana...which might be a while since I'm doing the candida diet. Is the turmeric mask more effective you think? Does it stain afterwards?
Sorry for the late reply 
Haven't been on lately. Anyways I really think you should try turmeric. Its really good! There are many ways to make it
1: turmeric, chick pea flour, honey and milk mix it together and apply it on. This one is less likely to stain
2: turmeric and milk mix it together and just put it on. This is more likely to stain cause its just turmeric.
However if it does stain just wash your face with a good cleanser! Or I've heard you could wash your face with milk. I haven't tried that though.
My acupuncturist gave me a tincture that has turmeric in it....I had good results the first week of using it, then it clogged my pores and caused more breakouts. Not sure if it was the turmeric that caused it or the other ingredients... I also seem to break out if i put too much turmeric in my food. I hope I'm not allergic to it!
I sometimes put honey on my face and it calms it down, but I haven't tried milk. I don't drink milk anyways lol
My acupuncturist gave me a tincture that has turmeric in it....I had good results the first week of using it, then it clogged my pores and caused more breakouts. Not sure if it was the turmeric that caused it or the other ingredients... I also seem to break out if i put too much turmeric in my food. I hope I'm not allergic to it!
I sometimes put honey on my face and it calms it down, but I haven't tried milk. I don't drink milk anyways lol
Aww it would be a shame if your allergic to it turmeric is just so great!
You said you use honey on your face how long do you leave it on? 
do you think it will work for red/brown marks?
My acupuncturist gave me a tincture that has turmeric in it....I had good results the first week of using it, then it clogged my pores and caused more breakouts. Not sure if it was the turmeric that caused it or the other ingredients... I also seem to break out if i put too much turmeric in my food. I hope I'm not allergic to it!
I sometimes put honey on my face and it calms it down, but I haven't tried milk. I don't drink milk anyways lol
Aww it would be a shame if your allergic to it turmeric is just so great!
You said you use honey on your face how long do you leave it on?
do you think it will work for red/brown marks?
Yeah, I want turmeric to work! I might try it again in a small amount and see what happens.
I use honey whenever my acne is inflamed and it helps to calm it down and decrease redness. I leave it on for a while, maybe 1-2 hours because my skin feels soft with it on. Some people leave it overnight, but that can be messy and sticky. Btw I use refrigerated honey otherwise warm honey will run down your face and slip off. As a mask, I mix a bit of honey with greek yogurt and lemon juice and leave it on my face for 15-20 minutes. It's a good spot treatment.
Hi WishClean, I am sorry as I did not read through all of your posts. I saw in one of your previous posts that you were looking for a more natural way to get rid of your acne and that you suffer from PCOS. Have you ever tried drinking Spearmint tea? Research has shown that spearmint can lower testosterone levels which may help your acne since it is due to a high androgen level. There are quite a few threads on here if you want to search for them. I also have PCOS and my acne is very similar to yours. I am currently on epiduo, and I don't know how I feel about it, sometimes good sometimes not so much. I hope this helps.
Hi WishClean, I am sorry as I did not read through all of your posts. I saw in one of your previous posts that you were looking for a more natural way to get rid of your acne and that you suffer from PCOS. Have you ever tried drinking Spearmint tea? Research has shown that spearmint can lower testosterone levels which may help your acne since it is due to a high androgen level. There are quite a few threads on here if you want to search for them. I also have PCOS and my acne is very similar to yours. I am currently on epiduo, and I don't know how I feel about it, sometimes good sometimes not so much. I hope this helps.
Hi milica, thanks for the suggestion. I have tried spearmint tea for a while, and unfortunately it didn't work for me...it just made me very bloated and PMS-y all the time. I'm trying out saw palmetto now, have you tried that?
Thanks a lot,
I'll try the honey thing
Kyou, have you tried the honey mask? I tried the turmeric mask last night! I mixed it with yogurt. I haven't noticed a difference in my skin today, but maybe because it's the first time. How long do you leave the mask on for?
Hi WishClean, I am sorry as I did not read through all of your posts. I saw in one of your previous posts that you were looking for a more natural way to get rid of your acne and that you suffer from PCOS. Have you ever tried drinking Spearmint tea? Research has shown that spearmint can lower testosterone levels which may help your acne since it is due to a high androgen level. There are quite a few threads on here if you want to search for them. I also have PCOS and my acne is very similar to yours. I am currently on epiduo, and I don't know how I feel about it, sometimes good sometimes not so much. I hope this helps.
Hi milica, thanks for the suggestion. I have tried spearmint tea for a while, and unfortunately it didn't work for me...it just made me very bloated and PMS-y all the time. I'm trying out saw palmetto now, have you tried that?
>Thanks a lot,
I'll try the honey thing
Kyou, have you tried the honey mask? I tried the turmeric mask last night! I mixed it with yogurt. I haven't noticed a difference in my skin today, but maybe because it's the first time. How long do you leave the mask on for?
I haven't tried the honey mask yet... But I defiantly will-- I really hope it works for marks.
I leave the turmeric mask on for about 1 hour. Or at least till you know its fully dry.
You have to be really patient! You should try using it every other day!
Let me know if it works! 
Good luck
Hi WishClean, I am sorry as I did not read through all of your posts. I saw in one of your previous posts that you were looking for a more natural way to get rid of your acne and that you suffer from PCOS. Have you ever tried drinking Spearmint tea? Research has shown that spearmint can lower testosterone levels which may help your acne since it is due to a high androgen level. There are quite a few threads on here if you want to search for them. I also have PCOS and my acne is very similar to yours. I am currently on epiduo, and I don't know how I feel about it, sometimes good sometimes not so much. I hope this helps.
Hi milica, thanks for the suggestion. I have tried spearmint tea for a while, and unfortunately it didn't work for me...it just made me very bloated and PMS-y all the time. I'm trying out saw palmetto now, have you tried that?
>Thanks a lot,
I'll try the honey thing
Kyou, have you tried the honey mask? I tried the turmeric mask last night! I mixed it with yogurt. I haven't noticed a difference in my skin today, but maybe because it's the first time. How long do you leave the mask on for?
I haven't tried the honey mask yet... But I defiantly will-- I really hope it works for marks.
I leave the turmeric mask on for about 1 hour. Or at least till you know its fully dry.
You have to be really patient! You should try using it every other day!
Let me know if it works!
Good luck
I finally tried the turmeric mask! I mixed it with greek yogurt and left it on for an hour 2 nights in a row. My skin definitely felt softer afterwards, but I haven't noticed a reduction in redness. Do you do it every night? How long does it take to notice an improvement? Oh, and since I used yogurt my skin wasn't too yellow afterwards which was good lol