Hi guys, I could really do with your help urgently here! (apologies if this is in the wrong section)
I suffer from regular pustular acne on my cheeks and along my jawline and I simply just had enough of getting them every week and had to do something to put an end to them, I had tried all sorts of OTC products, doctor prescriptions and even tried eating healthier but nothing worked. So having seen the success rate the BP regimen had for many on here, I simply had to give it a go as a last resort. Just to add I also suffer with combinational and sensitive skin.
To cut a long story short I wasn't able to get hold of Dan's BP over here due to possible customs issues and lack of finances, so I had a look around online and locally and the next best affordable alternative was Acnecide 5% Gel. I was well aware the recommended percentage was 2.5% but I clearly let my stupidity got the better of me and I assumed a little bit extra wouldn't cause too much harm, I couldn't have been more wrong.
On Wednesday morning and night, after cleansing, I applied a finger tips amount of this Acnecide 5% Gel to the areas were I'm prone to breaking out, mainly on my cheeks, jawline and a little bit by my temples.
I woke up on Thursday morning to a bit of tingling, looked in the mirror and noticed the areas were I had applied the gel were quite a bit red, I didn't panic at this stage because I knew the redness, dryness and a bit of tingling was just part of the process, so I carried on with the application that day applying the same amount both in the morning and night, one other problem that I noticed was that my skin seemed to burn a bit after applying moisturiser.
So on to Friday and I woke up and noticed my skin seemed to be quite hot, felt really tight, was tingling and quite itchy, again I looked in the mirror to see my face was even redder than the previous day. I could see a few flakes of skin and I noticed when I smiled I developed these wrinkles/fine lines around my mouth and cheek area. Again assuming it was just part and parcel of the process I soldiered on and applied the gel, once again on both morning and night still suffering from the stinging after applying my moisturiser.
On Saturday morning I woke up, this time the redness had increased again and the radiation was still there, the dryness and tightness had increased tenfold, I couldn't smile properly without fearing my skin was just going to tear up and the wrinkles were more prominent around my mouth and chin. It was only on this day that I knew something wasn't going right so I decided to stop and see what happens to my skin over the next few days.
Which brings us to today, I have left my skin alone since Saturday night, only cleansing and applying lots of moisturiser since. My skin is still quite red, I'm still getting the tingling sensation, I've got a bit of discolouration (reddish/brown) in certain areas of my face were I applied the gel and the flakiness has worsened. Basically my skin looks like total crap right now and simply down to the fact that I already have sensitive skin I'm worried that I may have done some permanent damage by rushing into the regimen with a higher percentage BP and over applying (instead of once a day).
Has anybody else fell prey to their own stupidity and rushed into the regimen without much thought and had to suffer the deserved horrific after effects like myself? It would be nice to have a bit of re-assurance that any effects caused will only be temporary and that the healing process of the redness and discolouration can be sped up a bit. I fear having to walk into walk looking like this when I return after Christmas 
If my whole face was red I could probably get away with it, but it's just sections of my face that look horrifically blotchy, the dry, flaking, skin is just adding insult to injury. I feel like hiding under a rock for the rest of my life!
Any help, advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Using a 5% bp will result in more side effects typically, but you didn't mention if you were using a moisturizer too, or what kind of cleanser you were using.
Bottom line, a bit of redness and dryness is to be expected, but if you use the products we suggest these side effects are typically manageable.
Thanks for the reply Brandy.
I'm currently using Cetaphil Sensitive Skin Cleanser as well as Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion, I apply both every day once in the morning and at night.
I've seen a lot of posts suggesting I use Jojoba Oil to help with the flaking so I ordered some today which will arrive tomorrow, it looks really awful right now. I'm not sure what to do with the redness or the discoloured blotches either, my main concern is that because I already suffer from sensitive, easily irritated skin that these effects in particular might not just be temporary
Is there anything I can use or apply without aggravating it further? Or is it just going to be a case of leaving it and waiting?
Good evening Travis
I suffered from Acne for 14 years before i found my own solutions to successfully heal myself. I found ways to heal it without pills or creams, although i did take antibiotics and creams for over 10 years. I found that the healing process begins on the inside. I made a free report on how i did it available to anyone who would like to read and try it out, maybe it wont work for you but its worth a try:-) Just wondering, can you link certain foods to your acne breakouts?
Thanks for reading
TravisBickle.....using benzoyl peroxide at any strength, but the highest strength can cause terrible dryness, ...I'm sorry that you are going through that, it happened to me when using persa gel10%.
You mentioned customs, so you are not in the USA, so I don't know if you will be able to find this, it's called dual action moisturizer from clean and clear oil free.that is how I got rid of the redness, and dryness, those winless are dehydrated skin, this moisturizer has salicylic acid , not a high percentage, just enough to open your pores so the moisturizer can do it's job.
You will feel tingling but it doesn't mean that the moisturizer is messing your skin more , it means it's working, you can apply and reapply as needed.if you are afraid to use it , then try it on a small portion of your face , first. Oh and since it has salicylic acid, it means that if you are allergic to aspirin,salicylates then you can't use it. If the clean and clear feels like the cooling effect doesnt go away ,pass the hair drier in the low setting a little bit through your face ,that will calm that feeling.
Also there is aveeno daily moisturizing lotion to fix the dryness , but since it's heavy , after that you are going to need to start using an aha or bha exfoliator either in a lotion or mild toner.
I hope that you can start feeling better.
Hi. I have never had an allergy test done to fully prove food is not the cause of my persistent acne, however I have been eating healthy for a long, long time, using a paleo diet as a guide. I eradicated those foods commonly associated with Acne several years ago, those foods being things containing dairy, wheat and gluten.
I can also definitely rule out any possible hormonal imbalance as I did get that checked by my doctor and the results came back perfectly normal.
One other possible cause I assumed it could be was shaving. I have noticed that the acne I get along my jawline only seems to re-appear a couple of days after shaving, whether I wet shave or just use a beard trimmer, if I don't bother shaving for a week or so that area of my face stays clear. I am prone to getting ingrown hairs that appear like acne along my moustache area so perhaps this is what I'm getting a long my jawline following shaving? That still wouldn't explain why I'm getting persistent pustular spots on my cheeks and temple area though.
Hi. Thanks for the advice. I'm currently living in the UK and I've had a look around for that particular product you have mentioned and I can easily get a hold of it at my local drug store, it's pretty cheap too. For now I'm just going to carry on using the Cetaphil and add in a couple of drops of Jojoba Oil once it arrives to see how my skin will react.
As well as applying a lot of moisturiser I have been toning with a very watered down solution of apple cider vinegar and green tea after cleansing.
As of this morning the redness has definitely calmed down and the flakiness has decreased dramatically, albeit my skin still looks a bit blotchy as though I have only got a tan in certain areas of my skin but I'm hoping this is just a result of the redness fading away.
Hi Travis
I understand you havent had a food allergy test done but the great news is that you wont need to do that. You can just keep your own food diary and link certain foods to acne breakouts. It may or may not work for you - it did help me to do this however. Its worth trying out though maybe:-)
Thanks for reading
@ Travis Bickle , stop shaving , it spreads infection.
Ok now that you mention ingrown hairs, look up folliculitis ,.
Ok I'm a woman , and all my life have had that problem ,( I have to pluck my mustache area,), and ever since I remember my problems with acne stared when I stared removing my facial hairs.
Ok , my son only uses electric shavers, he's growing a beard now I think it's for that reason, he doesn't want to admit it. One day his acne got out of control I think that is when he started shaving, ok he had to take antibiotics for a while , even when I didn't agree with that , he took solodyn , it's a mynocycline ,I do better with doxycicline , less side effects.
Ok then he also used differin gel the highest., gel. But he had to do it because his face got all covered with this whiteheads.
Now he only washes his face with cerave foaming face wash in the summer and cerave hydrating in the winter , he hates peroxide and uses sulfur instead , he only spot threats with acnomel , very little ,because it has alcohol and really opens the pore , he does that only when he starts getting a pimple or on the spot that itches.
What I'm thinking it's that maybe your face is not agreeing with the peroxide. Or maybe was the result of reapplying it.
Next time if you want to try it again , until your face is not sensitive of course , try it only at night.
The dual action moisturizer from clean and clear can be used on top of the peroxide that use .
Also if you have problems with the
Hair follicles then , you really need something to clear the pore , like a toner ,glycolic acid or salicylic acid , but only after your face has healed .
I really don't know what over the counter products they sell over there.
So that would be hard for me to recommend, what you can do , you can look up at this website ,cosdna.com where you can either enter the name of a product or go by ingredient and it will show you how comedogenic or irritant the ingredient is .
Do not despair , these things have a solution.
Let your face breathe , my daughter likes jojoba oil , we use the gnc jojoba now oil ,I have mixed feelings .
If you can find something topical with zinc oxide , non comedogenic ingredients that would be good ,zinc is good for healing and calming the skin , what Do moms use for for diaper rash , here ,desitin cream or a&d ointment.
Look it up too , the bad thing is that those creams are hard to remove , but they can be removed with jojoba oil , then remove it with a warm washcloth , or like me who wets a paper towel and moist it under the faucet with hot water.
Zinc oxide is not soluble in water , oops until now , no wonder my babies kept getting rashes , all that rubbing.
Best wishes.
I hope things continue to get well.
@Travis Bickle ...
If the cetaphil lotion is working then you guessed it ,atopic dermatitis , using too much of the benzoyl peroxide.
Be very gentle with your skin .
My son thinks that ,a gentle cleanser and spot treatment that is all he insists we need , he uses cerave lotion if needed .cerave and cetaphil are recommended for sensitive skin.
I use 3 drops of jojoba for my hair, but on my face it gets soft at the beginning and then after a week I breakout. It happened to me when I had oily skin, and it happens to me now with dry skin.
See the dermatologist if after using all over the counter fails, that way you will know what is causing the clogged pores ,mention your hair follicles problem and see what he/she says, that way you can treat your face with either prescription or over the counter products.
Best wishes again.
Hey I can tell you that you're not the only one to experience this. Back when I was prescribed benzaclin gel I slathered it all up on my skin. I didn't care to moisturizer my skin, just put a semi thick and think layer on my face. The next morning I woke up to a swollen and red face. assumed to go anywhere, I iced my face for the whole day to get rid of the swelling and calm down my tomato red face. Long story short, you could have been allergic to something in that medication or just didn't use the medicine as directed. Start slow and remember patience is key. We're all here taking it one step at a time.