Its quite possible that your skin is irritated from using all of those products on it. You mentioned the redness which to me is a clear indication of sensitive and irritated skin. Plus the fact you say your acne is gradually getting worse over time. Consider skin irritation as the cause of your acne. For people with sensitive skin (like myself), using products as cleansers is like a trap. The harder we try to clean our skin and rid it of acne, the worse it gets. I have cleared my complexion by simply just cleansing with water and my skin is never dry or oily anymore. If you think you can handle only washing with water I think it would help, however, since you will be attending a wedding in the near future I would recommend cutting down on the amount of times your use products to clean your face. Maybe once a day at night or once every other day, you are the best judge of your situation. You are extremely lucky to be living in Greece, but the fact that you go to the beach everyday meaning a lot of sun exposure, might be irritating your skin as well.

I eat Paleo. Vegetables, nuts and seeds, all kinds of meat. No processed food, no sugar, very little fruit. I drink water, and sometimes red wine in moderation.

Fixed my acne in two months time.

Several scientist have a explanation. Acne is caused by wrong diet. The oil inside pimples consist of (I cannot remember the exact percentage, but about 60-70%) triglycerides. Your body wants to get rid of triglycerides, because they are clogging your arteries. So the body secretes triglycerides through your skin, for safety precautions, and then you will have acne.

Lower your triglycerides and acne will be gone.

There are several methods to do this. One is paleo but it is just one healthy diet amongst many.

Another is original Mediterranean diet, which should be fairly easy to eat in Greece.

Ask your grandparents, or someone older than 50 what they ate when they were young. It should clear acne, but I don't know how fast.

I heard of others who cleared acne without meat. So something like vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, beans and complex carbs.

Also certain medications can give acne, and some say food allergy, but I doubt the latter.

Good luck

And sorry for any misspelling and bad grammar

It's time to see a doctor.

there is lots of things you can try, most ive learnt from the acne.org forum. most advice needs to taken with a pinch of salt as they might not work for you. always worth reading old posts & threads where people claim to have cured their acne as there might be some good advice

but ......

im a guy so wouln't know much about makeup but i can imagine it cant be good for your acne. it might be worth doing some research online about non comedogenic products or makeup for acne prone skin. (ideal world, you would go make up free for a few weeks and see if your skin calms down)

going dairy free - in my experience cutting out milk stopped quite a lot of redness in my skin. you can try using coconut milk or other alternatives. some people dont recommend soya milk due to its hormones though

drink more water.

going SLS free - SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) is in most soap,shampoo and toothpaste unfortunately it can cause irritation if your sensitive to it. apparently there is also some other bad chemicals we need to watch out for like SLA - there is lots of good sensitive soaps for acne prone skin.

vitamins - there are lots of vitamins recommended by most forum members, including zinc and vitamin C to reduce redness and healing. just be careful not to take above the recommended safe dosage. avoid multivitamins as most people find these can cause breakouts. - just read on the acne.org forums on what people recommend.

avoid fizzy drinks - while they taste great drinks like coke/pepsi (including diet/sugar free ones) have certain chemicals which can cause acne problems & mess with our zinc levels.

one last thing i would say is dont wash your face more than x2 daily as it can lead to excessive oil production and in my option, avoid all those harsh soap/creams.

there is lots more you could try just read older threads and find out what works for you. its also worth reading up on post acne marks.

I swear by Eminence Organic Skin Care products -- I highly recommend them! I have been BP free for 1+ year because their products work so well. I wish more people knew about them... it's my mission to spread the good word! The products themselves are pricey, but they last quite a long time. See my signature for the products I use. I also swear by charcoal masques as well ... I use Origins for that, but you can DIY your own with charcoal powder (from nutritional supplements) not bbq charcoal (lol)...!

I too was on the regimen and it only made my skin more dry, irritated, red, and more pimples. Seriously though, invest in these products or at the very least order some samples! My favorite product is the Clear Skin Probiotic Masque and Stone Crop Masque (sometimes I mix them for extra hydration!). If/when you start using this skin care line I promise you, you will see results within 1 week (at the very least your skin will start to feel more lush and rebalance it's pH). The stone crop line is 10x more hydrating then aloe vera and it's great for sensitive skin (which I believe all acne-prone skin IS sensitive skin).

http://www.eminenstore.com/ (search samples)

Best wishes,

Its quite possible that your skin is irritated from using all of those products on it. You mentioned the redness which to me is a clear indication of sensitive and irritated skin. Plus the fact you say your acne is gradually getting worse over time. Consider skin irritation as the cause of your acne. For people with sensitive skin (like myself), using products as cleansers is like a trap. The harder we try to clean our skin and rid it of acne, the worse it gets. I have cleared my complexion by simply just cleansing with water and my skin is never dry or oily anymore. If you think you can handle only washing with water I think it would help, however, since you will be attending a wedding in the near future I would recommend cutting down on the amount of times your use products to clean your face. Maybe once a day at night or once every other day, you are the best judge of your situation. You are extremely lucky to be living in Greece, but the fact that you go to the beach everyday meaning a lot of sun exposure, might be irritating your skin as well.

I've never really thought I might have sensitive skin since I've never really had any problems with a lot of products (Problems like itchiness or where it hurts) but I will definitely take what you're suggesting into consideration! If i don't really clean it do I still use a moisturizer to hydrate it?

I eat Paleo. Vegetables, nuts and seeds, all kinds of meat. No processed food, no sugar, very little fruit. I drink water, and sometimes red wine in moderation.

Fixed my acne in two months time.

 

Several scientist have a explanation. Acne is caused by wrong diet. The oil inside pimples consist of (I cannot remember the exact percentage, but about 60-70%) triglycerides. Your body wants to get rid of triglycerides, because they are clogging your arteries. So the body secretes triglycerides through your skin, for safety precautions, and then you will have acne.

Lower your triglycerides and acne will be gone.

There are several methods to do this. One is paleo but it is just one healthy diet amongst many.

Another is original Mediterranean diet, which should be fairly easy to eat in Greece.

Ask your grandparents, or someone older than 50 what they ate when they were young. It should clear acne, but I don't know how fast.

I heard of others who cleared acne without meat. So something like vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, beans and complex carbs.

 

Also certain medications can give acne, and some say food allergy, but I doubt the latter.

 

Good luck

 

And sorry for any misspelling and bad grammar

I already eat a very healthy diet and tried different diets to see if that would change anything, so far no luck but I may have a try at the Mediterranean diet as I'd imagine I could get the foods here in Greece quite easily Thank you!

there is lots of things you can try, most ive learnt from the acne.org forum. most advice needs to taken with a pinch of salt as they might not work for you. always worth reading old posts & threads where people claim to have cured their acne as there might be some good advice

 

 

but ......

 

im a guy so wouln't know much about makeup but i can imagine it cant be good for your acne. it might be worth doing some research online about non comedogenic products or makeup for acne prone skin. (ideal world, you would go make up free for a few weeks and see if your skin calms down)

 

 

going dairy free - in my experience cutting out milk stopped quite a lot of redness in my skin. you can try using coconut milk or other alternatives. some people dont recommend soya milk due to its hormones though

 

drink more water.

 

going SLS free - SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) is in most soap,shampoo and toothpaste unfortunately it can cause irritation if your sensitive to it. apparently there is also some other bad chemicals we need to watch out for like SLA - there is lots of good sensitive soaps for acne prone skin.

 

vitamins - there are lots of vitamins recommended by most forum members, including zinc and vitamin C to reduce redness and healing. just be careful not to take above the recommended safe dosage. avoid multivitamins as most people find these can cause breakouts. - just read on the acne.org forums on what people recommend.

 

avoid fizzy drinks - while they taste great drinks like coke/pepsi (including diet/sugar free ones) have certain chemicals which can cause acne problems & mess with our zinc levels.

 

one last thing i would say is dont wash your face more than x2 daily as it can lead to excessive oil production and in my option, avoid all those harsh soap/creams.

 

there is lots more you could try just read older threads and find out what works for you. its also worth reading up on post acne marks.

I have actually tried to see if my make up was the cause for the breakouts and didn't wear any for 1 month, no change unfortunately though. Going dairy free I actually already do, I don't think it changes anything for me personally , and I drink 2 liters of water per day which I hope is okay?:s I haven't tried going SLS free, I will definitely look into that in more detail! The vitamins a woman from Holland and Barretts ( A health store) recommended for my acne with vitamin e and primrose so I am currently on them right now, haven't been on long enough to know if it is doing any good though. Oh it's going to be hard to avoid fizzy drinks aha but I will most definitely try and keep away from them now that you've mentioned that:) Thank you for your answer!

I swear by Eminence Organic Skin Care products -- I highly recommend them! I have been BP free for 1+ year because their products work so well. I wish more people knew about them... it's my mission to spread the good word! The products themselves are pricey, but they last quite a long time. See my signature for the products I use. I also swear by charcoal masques as well ... I use Origins for that, but you can DIY your own with charcoal powder (from nutritional supplements) not bbq charcoal (lol)...!

 

I too was on the regimen and it only made my skin more dry, irritated, red, and more pimples. Seriously though, invest in these products or at the very least order some samples! My favorite product is the Clear Skin Probiotic Masque and Stone Crop Masque (sometimes I mix them for extra hydration!). If/when you start using this skin care line I promise you, you will see results within 1 week (at the very least your skin will start to feel more lush and rebalance it's pH). The stone crop line is 10x more hydrating then aloe vera and it's great for sensitive skin (which I believe all acne-prone skin IS sensitive skin).

 

http://www.eminenstore.com/ (search samples)

 

Best wishes,

I had a look at the website to try and order some samples but when I tried to check out if said it can only send to US and Canada so unfortunately I can't try this skincare line as I live in Greece. But thank you for your answer:)

For me personally, I went without using a moisturizer. After about a week of only washing my face with water I developed dry skin on my face which eventually came off and I never had to experience that again. The skin underneath was really smooth, never oily or dry, and I rarely broke out after that time. Although moisturizing has helped a lot of people who just wash their face with water, it really depends how your skin reacts. And don't get me wrong, washing your face with only water still cleans your skin! -- It just doesn't over clean it (if that makes sense). Most cleansers on the market strip our skin of all its essential oils and that forces our skin to produce more oil and sebum which tends to lead to breakouts. Once we re-balance our skins moisture barrier oil production will decrease and it becomes a lot less acne prone.

Just ask yourself the simple question -- was my acne better or worse after I began using products to clean my face?

Good luck,

You can buy the Eminence Products on Amazon and it ships Worldwide too. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_n_shipping_option-_0?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aeminence+cleanser%2Cp_n_shipping_option-bin%3A3242350011&keywords=eminence+cleanser&ie=UTF8&qid=1439938563&rnid=2944662011 Just a thought!

For me personally, I went without using a moisturizer. After about a week of only washing my face with water I developed dry skin on my face which eventually came off and I never had to experience that again. The skin underneath was really smooth, never oily or dry, and I rarely broke out after that time. Although moisturizing has helped a lot of people who just wash their face with water, it really depends how your skin reacts. And don't get me wrong, washing your face with only water still cleans your skin! -- It just doesn't over clean it (if that makes sense). Most cleansers on the market strip our skin of all its essential oils and that forces our skin to produce more oil and sebum which tends to lead to breakouts. Once we re-balance our skins moisture barrier oil production will decrease and it becomes a lot less acne prone.

 

Just ask yourself the simple question -- was my acne better or worse after I began using products to clean my face?

 

Good luck,

I can 100% agree with this. I use to have severe acne all throughout highschool and college until i stopped using all these products on my face

and after 3-4 weeks my skin cleared up SO much and for 3 years of doing this "water only" method, i havent got a single zit

Since everyones skin is different its hard to say what works and what doesnt. Here is what worked for me:

Washing face with a cleanser called cetaphill gentle skin cleanser, its super mild and doesnt irritate one bit, then moisturize with Simple kind to skin light moisturizer. Thats what i do to make sure my face is clean wihout having to irritate it. Then i take vitamin b5 megadose, i think this is the one thing that has helped out the most. There are some posts about it here on the forum that you can read. Then i also take zinc, vitamin D, algae omega3(Cause im vegan) and vitamin b complex(this is because its good to have a higher lever of all the other b vitamins when you take massive amounts of b5). These things combined has pretty much cleared my skin. The only drawback is that eating all those vitamins costs a bit, but for me its definitly worth it not to have acne! Oh and diet as many people has mentioned is allways important, i think a varied vegan diet is the healthiest so thats how i eat.

 

Its quite possible that your skin is irritated from using all of those products on it. You mentioned the redness which to me is a clear indication of sensitive and irritated skin. Plus the fact you say your acne is gradually getting worse over time. Consider skin irritation as the cause of your acne. For people with sensitive skin (like myself), using products as cleansers is like a trap. The harder we try to clean our skin and rid it of acne, the worse it gets. I have cleared my complexion by simply just cleansing with water and my skin is never dry or oily anymore. If you think you can handle only washing with water I think it would help, however, since you will be attending a wedding in the near future I would recommend cutting down on the amount of times your use products to clean your face. Maybe once a day at night or once every other day, you are the best judge of your situation. You are extremely lucky to be living in Greece, but the fact that you go to the beach everyday meaning a lot of sun exposure, might be irritating your skin as well.

 

I've never really thought I might have sensitive skin since I've never really had any problems with a lot of products (Problems like itchiness or where it hurts) but I will definitely take what you're suggesting into consideration! If i don't really clean it do I still use a moisturizer to hydrate it?

 

>I eat Paleo. Vegetables, nuts and seeds, all kinds of meat. No processed food, no sugar, very little fruit. I drink water, and sometimes red wine in moderation.

Fixed my acne in two months time.

 

Several scientist have a explanation. Acne is caused by wrong diet. The oil inside pimples consist of (I cannot remember the exact percentage, but about 60-70%) triglycerides. Your body wants to get rid of triglycerides, because they are clogging your arteries. So the body secretes triglycerides through your skin, for safety precautions, and then you will have acne.

Lower your triglycerides and acne will be gone.

There are several methods to do this. One is paleo but it is just one healthy diet amongst many.

Another is original Mediterranean diet, which should be fairly easy to eat in Greece.

Ask your grandparents, or someone older than 50 what they ate when they were young. It should clear acne, but I don't know how fast.

I heard of others who cleared acne without meat. So something like vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, beans and complex carbs.

 

Also certain medications can give acne, and some say food allergy, but I doubt the latter.

 

Good luck

 

And sorry for any misspelling and bad grammar

I already eat a very healthy diet and tried different diets to see if that would change anything, so far no luck but I may have a try at the Mediterranean diet as I'd imagine I could get the foods here in Greece quite easily Thank you!

 

there is lots of things you can try, most ive learnt from the acne.org forum. most advice needs to taken with a pinch of salt as they might not work for you. always worth reading old posts & threads where people claim to have cured their acne as there might be some good advice

 

 

but ......

 

im a guy so wouln't know much about makeup but i can imagine it cant be good for your acne. it might be worth doing some research online about non comedogenic products or makeup for acne prone skin. (ideal world, you would go make up free for a few weeks and see if your skin calms down)

 

 

going dairy free - in my experience cutting out milk stopped quite a lot of redness in my skin. you can try using coconut milk or other alternatives. some people dont recommend soya milk due to its hormones though

 

drink more water.

 

going SLS free - SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) is in most soap,shampoo and toothpaste unfortunately it can cause irritation if your sensitive to it. apparently there is also some other bad chemicals we need to watch out for like SLA - there is lots of good sensitive soaps for acne prone skin.

 

vitamins - there are lots of vitamins recommended by most forum members, including zinc and vitamin C to reduce redness and healing. just be careful not to take above the recommended safe dosage. avoid multivitamins as most people find these can cause breakouts. - just read on the acne.org forums on what people recommend.

 

avoid fizzy drinks - while they taste great drinks like coke/pepsi (including diet/sugar free ones) have certain chemicals which can cause acne problems & mess with our zinc levels.

 

one last thing i would say is dont wash your face more than x2 daily as it can lead to excessive oil production and in my option, avoid all those harsh soap/creams.

 

there is lots more you could try just read older threads and find out what works for you. its also worth reading up on post acne marks.

I have actually tried to see if my make up was the cause for the breakouts and didn't wear any for 1 month, no change unfortunately though. Going dairy free I actually already do, I don't think it changes anything for me personally , and I drink 2 liters of water per day which I hope is okay?:s I haven't tried going SLS free, I will definitely look into that in more detail! The vitamins a woman from Holland and Barretts ( A health store) recommended for my acne with vitamin e and primrose so I am currently on them right now, haven't been on long enough to know if it is doing any good though. Oh it's going to be hard to avoid fizzy drinks aha but I will most definitely try and keep away from them now that you've mentioned that:) Thank you for your answer!

 

I swear by Eminence Organic Skin Care products -- I highly recommend them! I have been BP free for 1+ year because their products work so well. I wish more people knew about them... it's my mission to spread the good word! The products themselves are pricey, but they last quite a long time. See my signature for the products I use. I also swear by charcoal masques as well ... I use Origins for that, but you can DIY your own with charcoal powder (from nutritional supplements) not bbq charcoal (lol)...!

 

I too was on the regimen and it only made my skin more dry, irritated, red, and more pimples. Seriously though, invest in these products or at the very least order some samples! My favorite product is the Clear Skin Probiotic Masque and Stone Crop Masque (sometimes I mix them for extra hydration!). If/when you start using this skin care line I promise you, you will see results within 1 week (at the very least your skin will start to feel more lush and rebalance it's pH). The stone crop line is 10x more hydrating then aloe vera and it's great for sensitive skin (which I believe all acne-prone skin IS sensitive skin).

 

http://www.eminenstore.com/ (search samples)

 

Best wishes,

I had a look at the website to try and order some samples but when I tried to check out if said it can only send to US and Canada so unfortunately I can't try this skincare line as I live in Greece. But thank you for your answer:)

I am a male going to 50, Asian. I hardly have pimples less talk about acne since young. Several if not many female friends including my wife have been enviable of my face. I have never used any cleansing products in my life. There were people who said one has to maintain their face using this and that product even when the skin is ok. But I don't have to. I simply use water to clean my face when I wake up in the morning and during shower later in the day.

It may be also partly due to diet. I hardly consume fried stuffs. When was the last time I patronised KFC? Can't remember.

hi,

some things that have helped me a lot are making sure what you are cleansing with is ph balanced. you want to make sure its between 5-6. i was using something that was a 10 before! thats very bad. you can usually find out what it is by googling what you are already using. and beware of sulfates. cetaphil cleansers have sulfates (and parbens which are bad) but their gentle creansing bar (not the antibacterial one) is ph balanced and doesnt contain those things. its really helping me. make sure you arent washing your face too often either because that wrecks the ph balance of your face too. never more than twice a day. and if you can get away with just water in the morning do that. look into using apple cider vinegar, put one third in a little bottle and 2 thirds water and using it on your face at night as a toner.

another REALLY helpful thing ive learned from people on this site is looking up e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g you put on your face on http://cosdna.com/ look products up and if they dont have it listed already hit analyze cosmetics and copy and paste your ingredients. it literally changed everything for me; my makeup, my skincare routine, everything. you will see the body shop tea tree line is not very good and coconut oil is a 4 on the acnegenic.

other things thing is eating as purely as possible. dont eat bread or sugar. dont ever drink alcohol, try only drinking water.

i also change my pillowcase every day and take probiotics. i feel like i preach probiotics too much on this site. google probiotics and acne though and especially after youve ever taken antibiotics.

For me personally, I went without using a moisturizer. After about a week of only washing my face with water I developed dry skin on my face which eventually came off and I never had to experience that again. The skin underneath was really smooth, never oily or dry, and I rarely broke out after that time. Although moisturizing has helped a lot of people who just wash their face with water, it really depends how your skin reacts. And don't get me wrong, washing your face with only water still cleans your skin! -- It just doesn't over clean it (if that makes sense). Most cleansers on the market strip our skin of all its essential oils and that forces our skin to produce more oil and sebum which tends to lead to breakouts. Once we re-balance our skins moisture barrier oil production will decrease and it becomes a lot less acne prone.

 

Just ask yourself the simple question -- was my acne better or worse after I began using products to clean my face?

 

Good luck,

Thanks so much for your help, I will definitely try this, I just have to figure out how to get my make up off without using a cleanser:) I don't think asking myself that question will help much, I got acne when I was 12 and I'm still in my teenage years so I would imagine it is because of the hormone change

 

Its quite possible that your skin is irritated from using all of those products on it. You mentioned the redness which to me is a clear indication of sensitive and irritated skin. Plus the fact you say your acne is gradually getting worse over time. Consider skin irritation as the cause of your acne. For people with sensitive skin (like myself), using products as cleansers is like a trap. The harder we try to clean our skin and rid it of acne, the worse it gets. I have cleared my complexion by simply just cleansing with water and my skin is never dry or oily anymore. If you think you can handle only washing with water I think it would help, however, since you will be attending a wedding in the near future I would recommend cutting down on the amount of times your use products to clean your face. Maybe once a day at night or once every other day, you are the best judge of your situation. You are extremely lucky to be living in Greece, but the fact that you go to the beach everyday meaning a lot of sun exposure, might be irritating your skin as well.

 

I've never really thought I might have sensitive skin since I've never really had any problems with a lot of products (Problems like itchiness or where it hurts) but I will definitely take what you're suggesting into consideration! If i don't really clean it do I still use a moisturizer to hydrate it?

 

>>I eat Paleo. Vegetables, nuts and seeds, all kinds of meat. No processed food, no sugar, very little fruit. I drink water, and sometimes red wine in moderation.

Fixed my acne in two months time.

 

Several scientist have a explanation. Acne is caused by wrong diet. The oil inside pimples consist of (I cannot remember the exact percentage, but about 60-70%) triglycerides. Your body wants to get rid of triglycerides, because they are clogging your arteries. So the body secretes triglycerides through your skin, for safety precautions, and then you will have acne.

Lower your triglycerides and acne will be gone.

There are several methods to do this. One is paleo but it is just one healthy diet amongst many.

Another is original Mediterranean diet, which should be fairly easy to eat in Greece.

Ask your grandparents, or someone older than 50 what they ate when they were young. It should clear acne, but I don't know how fast.

I heard of others who cleared acne without meat. So something like vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, beans and complex carbs.

 

Also certain medications can give acne, and some say food allergy, but I doubt the latter.

 

Good luck

 

And sorry for any misspelling and bad grammar

lockquote>

I already eat a very healthy diet and tried different diets to see if that would change anything, so far no luck but I may have a try at the Mediterranean diet as I'd imagine I could get the foods here in Greece quite easily Thank you!

 

>there is lots of things you can try, most ive learnt from the acne.org forum. most advice needs to taken with a pinch of salt as they might not work for you. always worth reading old posts & threads where people claim to have cured their acne as there might be some good advice

 

 

but ......

 

im a guy so wouln't know much about makeup but i can imagine it cant be good for your acne. it might be worth doing some research online about non comedogenic products or makeup for acne prone skin. (ideal world, you would go make up free for a few weeks and see if your skin calms down)

 

 

going dairy free - in my experience cutting out milk stopped quite a lot of redness in my skin. you can try using coconut milk or other alternatives. some people dont recommend soya milk due to its hormones though

 

drink more water.

 

going SLS free - SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) is in most soap,shampoo and toothpaste unfortunately it can cause irritation if your sensitive to it. apparently there is also some other bad chemicals we need to watch out for like SLA - there is lots of good sensitive soaps for acne prone skin.

 

vitamins - there are lots of vitamins recommended by most forum members, including zinc and vitamin C to reduce redness and healing. just be careful not to take above the recommended safe dosage. avoid multivitamins as most people find these can cause breakouts. - just read on the acne.org forums on what people recommend.

 

avoid fizzy drinks - while they taste great drinks like coke/pepsi (including diet/sugar free ones) have certain chemicals which can cause acne problems & mess with our zinc levels.

 

one last thing i would say is dont wash your face more than x2 daily as it can lead to excessive oil production and in my option, avoid all those harsh soap/creams.

 

there is lots more you could try just read older threads and find out what works for you. its also worth reading up on post acne marks.

I have actually tried to see if my make up was the cause for the breakouts and didn't wear any for 1 month, no change unfortunately though. Going dairy free I actually already do, I don't think it changes anything for me personally , and I drink 2 liters of water per day which I hope is okay?:s I haven't tried going SLS free, I will definitely look into that in more detail! The vitamins a woman from Holland and Barretts ( A health store) recommended for my acne with vitamin e and primrose so I am currently on them right now, haven't been on long enough to know if it is doing any good though. Oh it's going to be hard to avoid fizzy drinks aha but I will most definitely try and keep away from them now that you've mentioned that:) Thank you for your answer!

 

I swear by Eminence Organic Skin Care products -- I highly recommend them! I have been BP free for 1+ year because their products work so well. I wish more people knew about them... it's my mission to spread the good word! The products themselves are pricey, but they last quite a long time. See my signature for the products I use. I also swear by charcoal masques as well ... I use Origins for that, but you can DIY your own with charcoal powder (from nutritional supplements) not bbq charcoal (lol)...!

 

I too was on the regimen and it only made my skin more dry, irritated, red, and more pimples. Seriously though, invest in these products or at the very least order some samples! My favorite product is the Clear Skin Probiotic Masque and Stone Crop Masque (sometimes I mix them for extra hydration!). If/when you start using this skin care line I promise you, you will see results within 1 week (at the very least your skin will start to feel more lush and rebalance it's pH). The stone crop line is 10x more hydrating then aloe vera and it's great for sensitive skin (which I believe all acne-prone skin IS sensitive skin).

 

http://www.eminenstore.com/ (search samples)

 

Best wishes,

I had a look at the website to try and order some samples but when I tried to check out if said it can only send to US and Canada so unfortunately I can't try this skincare line as I live in Greece. But thank you for your answer:)

I am a male going to 50, Asian. I hardly have pimples less talk about acne since young. Several if not many female friends including my wife have been enviable of my face. I have never used any cleansing products in my life. There were people who said one has to maintain their face using this and that product even when the skin is ok. But I don't have to. I simply use water to clean my face when I wake up in the morning and during shower later in the day.

 

It may be also partly due to diet. I hardly consume fried stuffs. When was the last time I patronised KFC? Can't remember.

A lot of people recommend the whole not using products and just water, seems like the right thing to do:) Thank you for your answer!

hi,

some things that have helped me a lot are making sure what you are cleansing with is ph balanced. you want to make sure its between 5-6. i was using something that was a 10 before! thats very bad. you can usually find out what it is by googling what you are already using. and beware of sulfates. cetaphil cleansers have sulfates (and parbens which are bad) but their gentle creansing bar (not the antibacterial one) is ph balanced and doesnt contain those things. its really helping me. make sure you arent washing your face too often either because that wrecks the ph balance of your face too. never more than twice a day. and if you can get away with just water in the morning do that. look into using apple cider vinegar, put one third in a little bottle and 2 thirds water and using it on your face at night as a toner.

 

another REALLY helpful thing ive learned from people on this site is looking up e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g you put on your face on http://cosdna.com/ look products up and if they dont have it listed already hit analyze cosmetics and copy and paste your ingredients. it literally changed everything for me; my makeup, my skincare routine, everything. you will see the body shop tea tree line is not very good and coconut oil is a 4 on the acnegenic.

 

other things thing is eating as purely as possible. dont eat bread or sugar. dont ever drink alcohol, try only drinking water.

i also change my pillowcase every day and take probiotics. i feel like i preach probiotics too much on this site. google probiotics and acne though and especially after youve ever taken antibiotics.

I have never thought about the PH balance, I looked into it when I read your comment and I will definitely look to get things that do not exceed 5-6! I had a look at the website but I am really not good at knowing which ingredients are bad and so on, I can understand that if the product is high on the acnegenic scale it's not good, I had a look at the bodyshop cleanser I've used and I don't really understand it but I will look into it more and try to figure out what's not so good and what I should be looking for, thank you! Can I ask what you're using to cleanse your face in the evening? Do you just use water and the toner or do you have a cleanser for evening?Also, I don't know if you wear make up, but if you do- How am I supposed to remove it if coconut oil isn't good and my bodyshop cleanser isn't either? Do you hve any good tips or recommendations for make up removers? Probiotics I will look into, and I've taken a lot of antibiotics before so that's prbably a good idea:p Thank you for your answer!

 

For me personally, I went without using a moisturizer. After about a week of only washing my face with water I developed dry skin on my face which eventually came off and I never had to experience that again. The skin underneath was really smooth, never oily or dry, and I rarely broke out after that time. Although moisturizing has helped a lot of people who just wash their face with water, it really depends how your skin reacts. And don't get me wrong, washing your face with only water still cleans your skin! -- It just doesn't over clean it (if that makes sense). Most cleansers on the market strip our skin of all its essential oils and that forces our skin to produce more oil and sebum which tends to lead to breakouts. Once we re-balance our skins moisture barrier oil production will decrease and it becomes a lot less acne prone.

 

Just ask yourself the simple question -- was my acne better or worse after I began using products to clean my face?

 

Good luck,

 

I can 100% agree with this. I use to have severe acne all throughout highschool and college until i stopped using all these products on my face

and after 3-4 weeks my skin cleared up SO much and for 3 years of doing this "water only" method, i havent got a single zit

This seems like the thing I really should try! I don't know if you use make up but if you only use water how would you suggest you remove it? I can't use a cleanser or coconut oil like I usually use:s

Hi guys,

After having acne (12 years), seb derm (5 years), oily skin (don't know since when), dry skin (occasionally) I finally cured them all 100%. How? By not doing ANYTHING. And by learning not to care. At all. Seriously. While the healing of all these did not occur overnight, one thing changed immediately - I was feeling a free happy man after I stopped giving a rat's ass about such superficial problems; after I stopped looking myself in the mirror 5 times a day; after I started living without caring if I have a pimple if my face was peeling, if it felt oily or dry, or if it was hurting from a zyst, or however they call them big ones.

When did the healing happen? I have no idea. I just stopped paying attention to myself in the mirror so much. It went down pretty much like this - I was having a rough week in terms of everything - the result my face flamed with seb derm around my nose and all over my cheeks (I've never been so bad, usually it was just on the T-zone). It was itchy it was nasty - it was what AAAALLL the dermatologists called seb derm, or seborrhea (or even they don't know what exactly it is). Anyway on top of that I had it on top of that - on my scalp too. But I managed to top even that - I had acne zysts on my chin. It was bad. The worst I've ever had for the last altogether 12 years. What did I do? One thing. I decided - OK. I've been to enough dermatologists (more than 10 during the years), I have tried enough medcs (can't count them), I have tried enough diets (ANYTHING that was on the Internet I tried), so maybe it's time I stopped caring? Stop stressing about these superficial problems? Hell, if I got diagnosed with something serious tomorrow, G-d forbid, what kind of man would that make me, the one who sweats over a pimple or red skin?! And I have read enough psychiatrists' books saying it was the case with many cancer-stricken people, to say this a short while after being diagnosed - "cancer brought me back to life - I just stopped caring about meaningless stuff, and started living about the meaningful." So that day, that awful skin and everything else day I carved it as my principle "It is key to ones well-being to draw the line between the meaningful and the meaningless and live by it." Is it meaningful that I pay attention to such trivial, superficial problems such as acne seb derm, oily skin?! Hell, no. So I stopped paying attention. It was tough. In the first few days my face was both itching and hurting from the seb derm and acne. But I noticed the less I care and pay attention, the less it was hurting and itching. This tendency kept on for the next days.

A week later my mother asked me - "What did you do? These creams you are using seem to really help. You have nothing." I didn't even know. I looked myself in the mirror - nothing. My face was clean. Literally. No acne, no seb derm. Of course I still had my small acne marks.

Now. Truth be told. Occasionally I still feel my face itch and hurt a little. (Today it's 6 months after I stopped caring) But A) I still don't care about it B) its normal one does not heal their mind that quick after 12 years of paying too much attention to such bullshit and C) It's just itching and hurting occasionally - when I look myself in the mirror I have nothing.

Main point - after stopped caring I started feeling great about myself.

The reason why I am writing all this is that I wish it could help somebody.

On an unrelated note a couple of months ago I got fungi on my penile head. Ive had that a lot too over the years. Use condoms, people! Unless its the one you want to have kids with. This time same drill. No doctors, no meds. I said to myself if it doesnt heal in a week I will just put on one of the many creams I was prescribed with before. It was itchy and spreading, even more on the second day, a lot more on the third. Still I did not pay attention. On the forth less itching. On the fifth nothing. All clear.

I will leave my email address in case people have questions or are looking for advices for how to stop caring. Not that I am an authority in anything I am just sharing my story here. One thing I will not do however - indulge into any arguments. I won't. And I dont care if you believe or not, so I will not bother with any such emails too. Here is the email - {EMAIL REMOVED}

Have a great day!

hi again,

it wasnt letting me quote you so i will just write here.

for cosdna.com basically numbers are bad and number 5 is the worst. the ideal product would have no numbers at all and all the colors would be green. if there is a couple of low numbers i will try it anyway. finding a facewash without any numbers is really hard and im still on the hunt but in the morning ive been using andalou naturals 1000 roses cleansing foam and at night i use mychelle white cranberry cleanser and as a body cleanser i use the cetaphil bar (actually the last week ive been using the cetaphil bar on my face and it seems good). i do wear makeup and to make sure i get it all off at night i gently cleanse twice. my skin is oily so usually use the apple cider vinegar toner i make but if im dry i use thayer's alcohol free rose petal which hazel toner. its purifying but moisturizing somehow. i will put hyaluronic acid serum on if i really need moisture.

i think the thing that really helps my acne is 10% glycolic acid lotion. i use that probably 3 nights a week and it cleans aout my pores and is amazing at getting rid of red marks. and if i had extra money i would buy the eminence probiotic cleanser because it looks good and so many people like it. they sell it in spas. not cheap though.

hi again,

it wasnt letting me quote you so i will just write here.

for cosdna.com basically numbers are bad and number 5 is the worst. the ideal product would have no numbers at all and all the colors would be green. if there is a couple of low numbers i will try it anyway. finding a facewash without any numbers is really hard and im still on the hunt but in the morning ive been using andalou naturals 1000 roses cleansing foam and at night i use mychelle white cranberry cleanser and as a body cleanser i use the cetaphil bar (actually the last week ive been using the cetaphil bar on my face and it seems good). i do wear makeup and to make sure i get it all off at night i gently cleanse twice. my skin is oily so usually use the apple cider vinegar toner i make but if im dry i use thayer's alcohol free rose petal which hazel toner. its purifying but moisturizing somehow. i will put hyaluronic acid serum on if i really need moisture.

i think the thing that really helps my acne is 10% glycolic acid lotion. i use that probably 3 nights a week and it cleans aout my pores and is amazing at getting rid of red marks. and if i had extra money i would buy the eminence probiotic cleanser because it looks good and so many people like it. they sell it in spas. not cheap though.

 

hi again,

it wasnt letting me quote you so i will just write here.

for cosdna.com basically numbers are bad and number 5 is the worst. the ideal product would have no numbers at all and all the colors would be green. if there is a couple of low numbers i will try it anyway. finding a facewash without any numbers is really hard and im still on the hunt but in the morning ive been using andalou naturals 1000 roses cleansing foam and at night i use mychelle white cranberry cleanser and as a body cleanser i use the cetaphil bar (actually the last week ive been using the cetaphil bar on my face and it seems good). i do wear makeup and to make sure i get it all off at night i gently cleanse twice. my skin is oily so usually use the apple cider vinegar toner i make but if im dry i use thayer's alcohol free rose petal which hazel toner. its purifying but moisturizing somehow. i will put hyaluronic acid serum on if i really need moisture.

i think the thing that really helps my acne is 10% glycolic acid lotion. i use that probably 3 nights a week and it cleans aout my pores and is amazing at getting rid of red marks. and if i had extra money i would buy the eminence probiotic cleanser because it looks good and so many people like it. they sell it in spas. not cheap though.

Ah right I understand now, thank you. Can I ask which company makes the 10% glycolic acid lotion? It seems like I might need to try that out if it get's rid of red marks.

I'd recommend you look up epiology skincare and give that some consideration. It's very gentle on skin and great at reducing redness. Good luck.

 

hi again,

it wasnt letting me quote you so i will just write here.

for cosdna.com basically numbers are bad and number 5 is the worst. the ideal product would have no numbers at all and all the colors would be green. if there is a couple of low numbers i will try it anyway. finding a facewash without any numbers is really hard and im still on the hunt but in the morning ive been using andalou naturals 1000 roses cleansing foam and at night i use mychelle white cranberry cleanser and as a body cleanser i use the cetaphil bar (actually the last week ive been using the cetaphil bar on my face and it seems good). i do wear makeup and to make sure i get it all off at night i gently cleanse twice. my skin is oily so usually use the apple cider vinegar toner i make but if im dry i use thayer's alcohol free rose petal which hazel toner. its purifying but moisturizing somehow. i will put hyaluronic acid serum on if i really need moisture.

i think the thing that really helps my acne is 10% glycolic acid lotion. i use that probably 3 nights a week and it cleans aout my pores and is amazing at getting rid of red marks. and if i had extra money i would buy the eminence probiotic cleanser because it looks good and so many people like it. they sell it in spas. not cheap though.

Ah right I understand now, thank you. Can I ask which company makes the 10% glycolic acid lotion? It seems like I might need to try that out if it get's rid of red marks.

i use neostrata but actually will find something better when its all gone. there are much better, more natural ones on amazon for cheaper. it works good enough it just has lots of chemicals. there is a million different kinds. actually acne.org makes one https://store.acne.org/aha wow, it got pretty good reviews http://www.acne.org/acne.org-aha-glycolic-acid-10-reviews-650/

Thank you, I will give the acne.org a try

I'd recommend you look up epiology skincare and give that some consideration. It's very gentle on skin and great at reducing redness. Good luck.

I will do some research about it and i may have a go at it. Thank you

Eminence products did a number on my skin. I went to a facial spa that used organic products and they recommended Eminence Clear Skin cleanser, Kerafole exfoliating mask, their own organic zinc & sulfur mask and Eminence Clear Skin moisturizer. My skin now looks like crap with clogged pores all over my forehead and jaw. This is the worst skin I've had in my entire life.

I would say stick with a basic skincare routine and don't overuse products. Also try eating healthier, cutting dairy out, and drink lots of water. You could also use Aloe vera to help your scarring. My face looks pretty similar to yours, except it probably has a lot more pimples......XD You still look super pretty and don't let acne bring you down! GOOD LUCK!!!  

Wow I am so sorry to hear that Eminence did a number on your skin! I personally have not used theKerafole exfoliating mask or the Zinc/Sulfur mask. Are both of those Eminence products? Some products aren't for everyone I suppose. For sensitive skin and gentle ingredients I like the Stone Crop Gel Wash, Stone Crop Tonique, and Stone Crop Whipped Moisturizer.

Again, sorry to hear about your troubles -- I totally understand how down you can feel about your skin, I broke out with two hormonal cysts this week and I am not a happy lady to say the least.

Best wishes, cna7

Is it possible your hormones are out of balance? This can cause sudden changes in your skin like what you seem to have. I would recommend having this checked. I also recommend checking your Vitamin D levels. Your testosterone may have suddenly increased above where it should be, for example.

Also, it is possible you are sensitive to some foods. Common sensitivities are gluten, dairy, or even soy. These can seemingly develop overnight, too. Some of these sensitivities come about because you've had so many antibiotics that the the healthy microbes in your guts have been wiped out. (AND WHAT is it that people take a LOT of trying to clear up their acne??!!? Antibiotics!) That can lead to your guts not working efficiently at digesting food, and you stop being able to absorb nutrients from foods. Or the lining in your guts develops tiny holes that let bits of undigested food into your blood stream which causes your immune system to go into overdrive and start destroying not only the "foreign" things in your blood, but also parts of your body. (Like your skin, or your joints, for example.) Consider doing an elimination diet. That is, you eliminate all certain types of foods for about 2 weeks or so, and see if it makes a difference. Then you re-introduce one type of food at a time, and see if your body reacts. You can find a clear explanation of an elimination diet here. (It explains why you might want to do it, and how to do it.)