I recently visited a Caribbean island for vacation (1 week) and I thought the salt water of the ocean and sun and clean air would help clear my skin. It has done in the past. But this time my skin mostly around the front cheeks and nose area erupted gradually in small pustules. Halfway through the trip, there were white pustules all over these areas. I felt so embarrassed, because it looks ugly walking around and talking to people with puss all over your face. Even after cleaning away the pustules and washing, the pustules returned regardless what I did.
I have struggled with cyclic acne for over 15 years but never this type. Never with this form of acne. I have used all the prescription topicals and also have had ALA in the past and Fraxel for scarring. I feel as though all those treatments I've gone through have damaged my skin and now I cannot enjoy something as simple as a vacation in a tropical climate anymore.
I though sea salt was supposed to be beneficial. Why would it cause such a strong reaction? Or was it the sun? Humidity?
The sun can definitely make things worse if you are currently in a breakout. The sun does in fact dry out your skin, as does salt water, but sometimes when you are exposed to either element for too long it can cause your sebum (oil) to over process and produce more oil. Because your drenching your face in salt water and exposing it to the sun, your body thinks "wow, this is drying, I need to produce oil"... both the sun and salt water are a double edged sword; it can work sometimes and other times it can be your worst nightmare.
I am sorry to hear of your struggles, I hope you find comfort in knowing that so many of us have had to deal with this, all while on vacation too.
Have you considered altering your diet? Many folks find that when they eliminate dairy especially their acne diminishes as well.
The sun can definitely make things worse if you are currently in a breakout. The sun does in fact dry out your skin, as does salt water, but sometimes when you are exposed to either element for too long it can cause your sebum (oil) to over process and produce more oil. Because your drenching your face in salt water and exposing it to the sun, your body thinks "wow, this is drying, I need to produce oil"... both the sun and salt water are a double edged sword; it can work sometimes and other times it can be your worst nightmare.
I am sorry to hear of your struggles, I hope you find comfort in knowing that so many of us have had to deal with this, all while on vacation too.
Have you considered altering your diet? Many folks find that when they eliminate dairy especially their acne diminishes as well.
Yes I have tried many different diets. In the past I found low calorie and low carb diet work best, but sadly they are hard to maintain and also especially when you want to maintain a healthy body weight and size. I am male so being too skinny isn't exactly desirable for me since I want to build bit of bulk (muscle) However I have taken steps to eliminate the obvious bad foods like milk, white bread and too many sugars. And I try to eat many vegetables and antioxidant rich fruits at home when I can.
The location I visited didn't exactly have access to fresh vegetables and the type of fruits that are high in antioxidants (like blueberries)
Anyway I was reading about sebum perodixation so what you say makes sense. It is probably more like a triple edge sword then, where sun and salt dry out skin and cause more sebum production, and then the UV rays from the sun oxidize the squalene in the sebum causing even more acne. I did a bit of research recently into this after getting back and I wish I had known about it before.
My skin is getting much better after returning to my home. I used Polysporin triple action overnight and it is beginning to heal quite rapidly. What a relief. However I will need to figure out how to prevent this from ruining my trip in the future. I am currently researching for antioxidants (topical and supplemental) to prevent the oxidation from occurring.
I would suggest doing some charcoal masques prior to your next trip, but also implementing them into your regimen on a weekly basis.
This masque helps clear your pores; blackheads, extra sebum, dirt, etc. By doing this, it'll perhaps prep your skin for the sun and salt water.
I also love, love, love the products I use on my face and I will always suggest them to anyone struggling with acne -- Eminence Organic Skin Care, in particular the Stone Crop and Clear Skin Probiotic lines. You can see in my signature what I use.
Many people have had great results going on a high carb, low fat vegan diet (by high carb I mean complex carbs; yams, sweet potatoes, beans, gluten-free grains, oats, etc.) I suggest looking into that as well...!
The sun can definitely make things worse if you are currently in a breakout. The sun does in fact dry out your skin, as does salt water, but sometimes when you are exposed to either element for too long it can cause your sebum (oil) to over process and produce more oil. Because your drenching your face in salt water and exposing it to the sun, your body thinks "wow, this is drying, I need to produce oil"... both the sun and salt water are a double edged sword; it can work sometimes and other times it can be your worst nightmare.
I am sorry to hear of your struggles, I hope you find comfort in knowing that so many of us have had to deal with this, all while on vacation too.
Have you considered altering your diet? Many folks find that when they eliminate dairy especially their acne diminishes as well.
Yes I have tried many different diets. In the past I found low calorie and low carb diet work best, but sadly they are hard to maintain and also especially when you want to maintain a healthy body weight and size. I am male so being too skinny isn't exactly desirable for me since I want to build bit of bulk (muscle) However I have taken steps to eliminate the obvious bad foods like milk, white bread and too many sugars. And I try to eat many vegetables and antioxidant rich fruits at home when I can.
The location I visited didn't exactly have access to fresh vegetables and the type of fruits that are high in antioxidants (like blueberries)
Anyway I was reading about sebum perodixation so what you say makes sense. It is probably more like a triple edge sword then, where sun and salt dry out skin and cause more sebum production, and then the UV rays from the sun oxidize the squalene in the sebum causing even more acne. I did a bit of research recently into this after getting back and I wish I had known about it before.
My skin is getting much better after returning to my home. I used Polysporin triple action overnight and it is beginning to heal quite rapidly. What a relief. However I will need to figure out how to prevent this from ruining my trip in the future. I am currently researching for antioxidants (topical and supplemental) to prevent the oxidation from occurring.
I recently visited a Caribbean island for vacation (1 week) and I thought the salt water of the ocean and sun and clean air would help clear my skin. It has done in the past. But this time my skin mostly around the front cheeks and nose area erupted gradually in small pustules. Halfway through the trip, there were white pustules all over these areas. I felt so embarrassed, because it looks ugly walking around and talking to people with puss all over your face. Even after cleaning away the pustules and washing, the pustules returned regardless what I did.
I have struggled with cyclic acne for over 15 years but never this type. Never with this form of acne. I have used all the prescription topicals and also have had ALA in the past and Fraxel for scarring. I feel as though all those treatments I've gone through have damaged my skin and now I cannot enjoy something as simple as a vacation in a tropical climate anymore.
I though sea salt was supposed to be beneficial. Why would it cause such a strong reaction? Or was it the sun? Humidity?
it could have been the humidity as i have learned when i am exposed to too much humidity it ruins my face and begin to break out badly.