Hey guys, I'd just like to give a general account of my acne and treatments and see if you have any suggestions.
I used proactive for a long time, only really the scrub/cleanser. I was pretty lazy and wouldn't use it every day. I've never had perfect skin, but i'd never had bad skin either.
About 3 months ago, I decided to stop using proactive. Unfortunately, I did so in an (extremely) foolish way. I just decided to wash my face with water. (so stupid)
anyway, whereas i had previously been getting *breakouts* on and off, im pretty sure i know have full blown acne over my cheeks and chin.
I have huge patches of inflamed skin, many hyper-pigmented areas because i never stopped picking at my skin, and heaps of disgusting white-headed pustules and some deeper blackheads, but only a few that i can see (I've never known exactly how to identify one i guess). I think i have pretty indented pores over a lot of my skin, not much but i can see them up close, does that mean something?
I started using St Ives, the apricot ageless exfoliant scrub sometimes and the green tea salicylic acid but to no avail.
I went to my Gp who gave me (of course) vague descriptions at best, basically just made me feel stupid for spending money on proactive and told me to get any old face wash from neutrogena/clean and clear etc as they 'all have benzoyl peroxide'. spent about 40 minutes looking, they all have salicylic acid instead.
Ive just started using my old proactive again, for about a week or a bit more now i guess, but with no improvements. i understand that it takes time, but because i used to have good skin it's very frustrating. she also put me on a new contraceptive pill, called 'Diane' which will supposedly stop any new pimples/acne from forming within the month's worth of pills.
1. what can i do instead/as well as Bp since the benzoyl peroxide has just been flaking my skin like absolute crazy (and i already have dry skin) but heaps of huge new acne start showing up??
2. would you recommend going off benzoyl peroxide/proactive again? if so, should i do it slowly? or should i just use it once a day but moisturise well afterwards?
3. what are some good topical alternative benzoyl peroxide treatments rather than the proactive which doesn't seem to be doing much? preferably cheaper also. my friend uses benzac is that good?
4. I was considering starting a new routine:
- baking soda (bi-carb soda) exfoliant in the shower + salicylic acid face wash
- pure, organic rainforest honey mask for 30 minutes
- benzoyl peroxide
- moisturiser
does that sound ok?
5. can you recommend a good oil-free moisturiser that won't break me out but will hydrate my gross flaky skin?
6. will salicylic acid work for my skin, like does it only work for some people or generally works? if so, can you recommend a really good salicylic acid face wash?
7. will the baking soda be too harsh - the acne.org guy always says irritating your skin is really bad but i think i need to get rid of all my excess dead skin cells and clear out my pores?
Hey guys, I'd just like to give a general account of my acne and treatments and see if you have any suggestions.
I used proactive for a long time, only really the scrub/cleanser. I was pretty lazy and wouldn't use it every day. I've never had perfect skin, but i'd never had bad skin either.
About 3 months ago, I decided to stop using proactive. Unfortunately, I did so in an (extremely) foolish way. I just decided to wash my face with water. (so stupid)
anyway, whereas i had previously been getting *breakouts* on and off, im pretty sure i know have full blown acne over my cheeks and chin.
I have huge patches of inflamed skin, many hyper-pigmented areas because i never stopped picking at my skin, and heaps of disgusting white-headed pustules and some deeper blackheads, but only a few that i can see (I've never known exactly how to identify one i guess). I think i have pretty indented pores over a lot of my skin, not much but i can see them up close, does that mean something?
I started using St Ives, the apricot ageless exfoliant scrub sometimes and the green tea salicylic acid but to no avail.
I went to my Gp who gave me (of course) vague descriptions at best, basically just made me feel stupid for spending money on proactive and told me to get any old face wash from neutrogena/clean and clear etc as they 'all have benzoyl peroxide'. spent about 40 minutes looking, they all have salicylic acid instead.
Ive just started using my old proactive again, for about a week or a bit more now i guess, but with no improvements. i understand that it takes time, but because i used to have good skin it's very frustrating. she also put me on a new contraceptive pill, called 'Diane' which will supposedly stop any new pimples/acne from forming within the month's worth of pills.
1. what can i do instead/as well as Bp since the benzoyl peroxide has just been flaking my skin like absolute crazy (and i already have dry skin) but heaps of huge new acne start showing up??
2. would you recommend going off benzoyl peroxide/proactive again? if so, should i do it slowly? or should i just use it once a day but moisturise well afterwards?
3. what are some good topical alternative benzoyl peroxide treatments rather than the proactive which doesn't seem to be doing much? preferably cheaper also. my friend uses benzac is that good?
4. I was considering starting a new routine:
- baking soda (bi-carb soda) exfoliant in the shower + salicylic acid face wash
- pure, organic rainforest honey mask for 30 minutes
- benzoyl peroxide
- moisturiser
does that sound ok?
5. can you recommend a good oil-free moisturiser that won't break me out but will hydrate my gross flaky skin?
6. will salicylic acid work for my skin, like does it only work for some people or generally works? if so, can you recommend a really good salicylic acid face wash?
7. will the baking soda be too harsh - the acne.org guy always says irritating your skin is really bad but i think i need to get rid of all my excess dead skin cells and clear out my pores?
Do you have a picture that could help in recommending a gentle moisturiser?
Hey
I found my skin really dry and irritated when I was stopping BP, the spots never seemed to come to a head, almost like my skin was too 'thick' or something. Try and not be too harsh sometimes with your skin, although you do need to use something to cleanse, have you tried a cream cleanser with a muslin cloth or a wash cloth, it's a gentle way to clean your face and exfoliate at the same time, although you might need a topical treatment as well. I now use differin and love it compared to BP, It was a bit drying at first but in the long run it actually speeds up cell turnover meaning that it clears your pores and can help to thin the top layer of skin so that your pores do not get clogged as much. salicylic or glycolic acid work in a similar way and you can get a gentle strength to begin with. Keep moisturising too. I hope some of this helps, everyones skin is different, but I do know that coming off a routine with benzoyl peroxide can cause problems for your skin but there ar eother products out there that are much better in the long run and should help 
I had the same unfortunate reaction to stopping BP cold turkey - it sucks. BP long term is never a good idea and I sometimes regret jumping on that bandwagon and it sensitized my skin soooooo much (gave me facial eczema). I agree with the above poster that you probably need some exfoliation. A retinoid can be really good for this purpose - start slow and low - a .025 retin a/tretinoin. This will peel the layers of your skin and exfoliate your pores slowly. You may also need an antimicrobial that can help with bacteria on your skin (maybe a topical antobiotic or sulfer product). This is going to be a very challenging process and it may not work for you but it doesn't hurt to give it 3 months of your time. A picture would be helpful - we are a judgement free zone! Also as for moisturizers, it's really trial and error - i use neutrogenia for sensitive skin - i hate it but it keeps me hydrated.
Good Luck
PS: Proactiv is such a waste of time