I'm not sure what might come out of writing (a quick version) of my story or if I'm even in the right area but here it goes....about a year ago, I asked my Dr what could be done about my unhappiness with my skin. I've had mild to moderate acne problems for YEARS. I'm talking 15 years, since I was a preteen. It was basically under control at that point (I would pay to go back to that!) but just sort of bad skin. At the time I was using Clinique's 3step acne line and it kept breakouts mostly at bay although I had tons of blackheads and a bit of a weird stripped shine to my skin.
He put me on Minocycline and Clindoxyl. Didn't do much except irritate my skin so when I went back to him he kept me on the mino and prescribed Retin-A. I was so happy at first, even though I was really, really dry and irritated and seemed to be a lot more oily than before, my blackheads that had been there for years were gone within a few weeks. I'd get the odd pimple but I noticed it didn't last long. When I went back he switched me to Diane BC pill. My skin went absolutely insane. Breakouts like I hadn't had in years, I knew it typically "gets worse before it gets better" but I stopped taking them, feeling like my skin wasn't at a point where I needed to put up with that when things weren't all that bad. It went even more downhill from there, irritated inflamed cyctic acne, peeling, oily and dry at the same time (figure that out) I'm not sure to this day if it was the mino or Retin-A although I'm pretty sure it was the latter. So maybe I should go back on Mino? Maybe that's what was getting rid of blackheads? Ugh!
Since then my skin has seemingly become intolerant to Retin-A and anything with Benzoyl peroxide. It has been so out of control and we haven't been sure what caused it so I've gotten off of everything. I have a chin FULL of pimples, and in weird places I never broke out, like in my eyebrows and upper lip! I seem to pop out with a new 1 or 2 daily without any of the other clearing up!! Blackheads are back and I don't even know what to cleanse my face with anymore! I've tried to go back to using Clinique products and they seem to make matters worse (even though it's salicylic acid) I have literally hundreds of dollars of 3/4 full products in my bathroom, I've tried everything over the years, can't get in to see new derm for a bit. I've tried using products for sensitive skin and products for intolerant skin. I'm now using Clean and Clear cream cleanser and moisturizer and praying leaving my skin medically alone will somehow fix this!
I'm so at a loss, I want to cry from frustration when I look in the mirror. I'm 30 years old and have no idea where to go from here. Have no faith in my derm. He did this to me. (I'm switching, which is why I'm playing the waiting game)
Is anyone else out there been through this after using Retin-A? Or any other "strong" prescription med that seemingly wrecked their skin? What did you do? Is there hope? At the very least what should I wash my darn skin with!?
It sounds like the bacteria that is causing your acne have basically become resistant to the antibiotics and products that you've been using. I've been in the same boat. I'm 26 and had acne since I was around 14. I've tried everything you could think of and nothing ever worked. Finally when I reached my mid twenties I started worrying about what all the products were doing to my skin...I mean, I had never really given much thought to wrinkles but with all of the harsh products I've put on my skin I figured I would be seeing wrinkles at an early age. That's when I started experimenting with natural remedies. I started with just making an all-natural toner with Apple Cider Vinegar, and it worked wonders! I was so happy to see actual results that I kept trying other things. Now my skincare regimen consists of Manuka honey, ACV, sea salt, and pure jojoba oil. This regimen works perfectly to keep my acne under control.
Oh, and also have you looked into hormonal imbalances as the cause of your acne breakouts? I discovered that hormonal imbalance was a key contributor to my acne, so I started taking Evening Primrose Oil supplements to balance out my hormones as well, which almost completely cleared up my skin other than the occasional pimple here and there. Since you've been trying so many different products you've probably irritated your skin which has led to the increased breakouts. I'm not a tree hugger or anything but I'm definitely a believer in all natural skincare. So, my suggestion for you is to start trying some natural remedies rather than going on any other products like Clean & Clear, Proactiv, Retin-A, etc. Things like organic honey, tea tree oil, and apple cider vinegar have really powerful natural antibiotic properties that treat the acne causing bacteria on your skin, and they don't damage your skin with harmful chemicals like the products you mentioned. Here's a look at my personal skincare routine...before starting this routine I had pimples EVERYWHERE! Now, my skin is basically clear. (PS, you can read more about my acne journey and some great natural remedies on my blog, [Removed])
Morning Routine:
Cleanse face with 1/2 teaspoon Manuka honey and lukewarm water then rinse
Apply my homemade Apple Cider Vinegar toner
Apply a few drops of jojoba oil as moisturizer
Nighttime Routine:
Cleanse face with Everyday Coconut cleanser (I but it on Amazon, coconut is known for it's strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and is great for acne prone skin)
Apply ACV toner
Apply Burt's Bees all natural acne spot treatment
Moisturize with coconut oil
Good luck, I know what it's like to have adult acne and it's NOT FUN at all! I always thought I'd grow out of it and as it turns out, I didn't. Luckily I stopped stripping my skin with all of the nasty store bought stuff and turned to natural remedies to get it clear, and I'll never go back to using things like Clean & Clear, Clearasil, Proactiv, or any of those other things that they say will get rid of acne. These products don't work...trust me. Just give natural remedies a try, at the very least they will help heal your irritated skin and restore your skins natural protective barrier that is probably damaged from the harsh products you mentioned. I hope you start seeing results soon!
Just so you know, you are not alone in the 'retin-a messed up my skin'. I went off my BC last year to try to get preggers, which caused my acne to return (it was gone for 10 years). We had stopped actively trying to have another baby, but I wasn't totally sure yet, so I went to the derm to see if I could get a topical to buy some time and avoid the pill. She prescribed a retin-a and my face went BONKERS! Everyone said it was an initial breakout and to give it time, but it just got worse and worse. I finally went back to the derm and told her I refused to use it anymore, and she prescribed Accutane (that's how bad it got - in just a few months!). I also went back on the pill, since we had basically decided not to have more kids anyway.
Things are going much better now. Prior to this incidence I was completely clear for about ten years through BC and a little BP mixed into my moisturizer at night. Unfortunately, Diane and BP are what works well for me, and I know you have not had great experiences there, so I'm sorry I'm not much help.
BUT, I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in being really frustrated by retin-a AND dermatologists. Mine still seems to think that the retin-a wasn't the culprit, like my face just exploded on its own coincidentally at the same time I was using it. Oh well.
I hope you find what works for you, and a derm who is more thoughtful about your concerns.
Best of luck.
Thank you both so much for responding! I under estimated how much just having someone understand would help. AlishaRenee, my sister has been trying to convince me to try the "all natural" route for some time now, not because she has acne and had it work for her (actually she has gorg skin!) but because she knows I've tried what feels like everything else with no success. I checked out your blog and I'm def intrigued!! I'm going to give it a go when I get back from vacay next week. Question; How did you come to know about a hormonal imbalance? I've always suspected there's something else going on, any hormonal bc pill I've been on though has given me THE WORST mood swings. I look forward to trying out some of your suggestions!
Kim28, thanks for your well-wishes, nice to know I'm not alone!
You could try dietary modifications. But more importantly, I would just leave your skin alone. Wash your face with warm water once a day (morning or night) - and by wash, I mean wet a towel in warm water and press it gently onto your face, and then splash once or twice with warm water, and then gently press a dry towel onto your face to dry. That's it. No moisturizers, no cleansers. Don't try to remove dead skin unless it comes off with a feather-light brush.
Then, once your skin has chilled out (maybe after 10 days or so), start washing with a cleanser once every 3 days, and apply moisturizer after that (but not at other times).
As for dietary modifications, I would just go straight paleo. The paleo diet could well address hormonal problems in addition to removing foods you're most likely to be sensitive to.