So I've always had almost perfect clear skin as a kid and even as an early teen, even while always having oily skin. However, as I got older I started noticing small breakouts, but not many. They usually went away rather quicker and left little to no marks on my face. Around age 15-16 my face became REALLY oily and I started developing blackheads, but they were barely noticeable.
However, recently, now aged 17,
my acne has been getting really bad and bothersome. Sometimes it calms down, and sometimes it just flares up. I used aloe vera gel from the leaf ifor a month with some improvements. However, I started to develop a patch of small closed comodones on both cheeks that make my face look rough. I began to use Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash and this just dried out my face and made it flake, although I do admit I overused it by using 4-6 pumps every time I used it. I left the wash and began to use Clearasil, with a Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Toner, and then some oil free moisturizer. This regimen helped a little, but barely. I'm just lucky my skin flared up AFTER prom and graduation.
I turned to a natural face cleanser, raw African Black Soap. This soap made my face tighten, which some moisturizer solved. I have been only using it for a week (as of August 24, 2015) and to be honest, it has made me breakout. Some people say there is a purging period but who knows.
Before beginning the ABS, I had pimples that I hoped the soap would remove, but it didn't. Out of desperation, I popped them. They oozed so much gunk (sorry, TMI) but they left red and dark spots. The picture where my face doesn't look too bad is a picture before I started the ABS and before I popped them. The picture with all the pimples and redness is after I popped them. Seeing this picture made me cry a little - I had never seen my face so horrible ever.
I will begin, starting tomorrow, using Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask with 3.5% Benzoyl Peroxide while also using the African Black soap. The ABS will be for the morning while the neutrogena cleanser will be for nighttime. I will be posting updates on how my skin will react. Hopefully I get good results since I start college in a few days.
Never overdo washing. It usually seems like a good idea because you think you're doing the skin a favour by drying it out but what you're actually doing is making it over-produce oil to compensate for what you've removed. Always follow instructions - for example, if they say "use a pea sized amount" then you should actually use a pea sized amount (I know it's hard to believe that it will work/be enough but it usually is).
What I suggest is using a 100% Witch Hazel Toner at night. Squeeze some onto a cotton pad at night time after washing your face and cleanse your skin. It will give you just enough moisture balance to your skin so you won't overproduce oil overnight and at the same time it will even your skintone. It helps fight bacteria , reduce swelling and repair broken skin (where you've popped pimples). If you're worried about it, just patch test it somewhere for a few days. Maybe do one cheek to see if it agrees with you and if you're satisfied with the results then start applying it to the rest of your face.
Never overdo washing. It usually seems like a good idea because you think you're doing the skin a favour by drying it out but what you're actually doing is making it over-produce oil to compensate for what you've removed. Always follow instructions - for example, if they say "use a pea sized amount" then you should actually use a pea sized amount (I know it's hard to believe that it will work/be enough but it usually is).
What I suggest is using a 100% Witch Hazel Toner at night. Squeeze some onto a cotton pad at night time after washing your face and cleanse your skin. It will give you just enough moisture balance to your skin so you won't overproduce oil overnight and at the same time it will even your skintone. It helps fight bacteria , reduce swelling and repair broken skin (where you've popped pimples). If you're worried about it, just patch test it somewhere for a few days. Maybe do one cheek to see if it agrees with you and if you're satisfied with the results then start applying it to the rest of your face.
I will patch test it starting tomorrow on the side of my cheek that is really affected. However hopefully starting tonight I will use the neutrogena clear pore cleanser mask with benzoyl peroxide at night, starting with a small amount to not irritate my skin and in the morning I will wash my face with ABS and moisturize. Do you recommend that I use the mask everyday or every other day or less as a start?
Never overdo washing. It usually seems like a good idea because you think you're doing the skin a favour by drying it out but what you're actually doing is making it over-produce oil to compensate for what you've removed. Always follow instructions - for example, if they say "use a pea sized amount" then you should actually use a pea sized amount (I know it's hard to believe that it will work/be enough but it usually is).
What I suggest is using a 100% Witch Hazel Toner at night. Squeeze some onto a cotton pad at night time after washing your face and cleanse your skin. It will give you just enough moisture balance to your skin so you won't overproduce oil overnight and at the same time it will even your skintone. It helps fight bacteria , reduce swelling and repair broken skin (where you've popped pimples). If you're worried about it, just patch test it somewhere for a few days. Maybe do one cheek to see if it agrees with you and if you're satisfied with the results then start applying it to the rest of your face.
I will patch test it starting tomorrow on the side of my cheek that is really affected. However hopefully starting tonight I will use the neutrogena clear pore cleanser mask with benzoyl peroxide at night, starting with a small amount to not irritate my skin and in the morning I will wash my face with ABS and moisturize. Do you recommend that I use the mask everyday or every other day or less as a start?
Personally I would say use the mask every second day for starters. If you think your skin isn't drying out too much with it, then you can attempt to use it everyday. Obviously if after that you notice flaking or dryness, drop it back down to every second day again.
UPDATE: AUGUST 26, 2015
So my red marks went down and just look like light dark spots. But unfortunately, a cystic pimple popped up. It's a small part that is raised but I can feel around it a little swelled up, and this depressed me a little. I poked it with a pointy knife and only made it bleed a LITTLE LITTLE BIT so I immediately stopped, applied antibiotics and went to sleep. I woke up and it was still a little red from me picking at it. I took naproxen (anti-inflammatory) to help maybe heal the cyst a little, and I iced it just now. It looks like a regular pimple but the area around it, which can barely be seen unless you touch it, is still a little swelled up.
I sometimes get these but usually they go away in less than a week, unless they aren't cysts (but I think they are - they hurt to the touch, raised bump with surrounding swelling). Anyways they go away but for some reason I feel this particular one will be harder to get rid of. I'm depressed
You should try to use a Tea Tree face wash. It is naturally antibacterial and should help with your breakouts. Also, with new products there is absolutely a purging period where your face will get worse before it gets better. Have you tried consulting with a dermatologist for help? That would be my next step. Your acne looks mild right now and it could still be easily treated by a doctor.
You should try to use a Tea Tree face wash. It is naturally antibacterial and should help with your breakouts. Also, with new products there is absolutely a purging period where your face will get worse before it gets better. Have you tried consulting with a dermatologist for help? That would be my next step. Your acne looks mild right now and it could still be easily treated by a doctor.
I know but I stopped using the black soap since yesterday to test out Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne treatment with 10% BP. My skin is not sensitive to it and it doesn't actually dry it so that's good I guess. My red acne spots have gone down DRASTICALLY but I'm stressing over this cystic pimple. The raised red bump bothers me, and so does the swelled up surrounding even though it's barely noticeable.
UPDATE: AUGUST 29, 2015
So I let my cystic pimple heal but it started to get more raised, so in desperation I picked at it and popped it (I know I shouldn't have) and now it's an open wound and red, and I'm worried because I was squeezing hard and eventually nothing was coming out but if I touch it I can still feel a small bump inside my skin. The rest of my cheek looks less inflamed unlike 6 days ago (the picture I posted earlier) but the dark/brown spots need to go.
I have been using Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Cleanser treatment with 10% BP and sulfur on top of the closed comodones which only have gone away a little, with many still left. I will apply Aloe Vera gel straight from the leaf starting tonight to help sooth the wound and also to help get rid of the dark spots. My routine will be:
Shower, then apply the 10% BP cleanser, then let my face rest, then apply a thin layer of moisturizer, let my face rest some more, and then apply the aloe vera gel and leave it for some hours.
Over the counter products are the worst. They are too strong and irritates skin. Cure for acne starts in the inside. People don't realize it but they're most likely vitamin deficient. Up your intake on vitamin A and C. Carrots and broccoli will do great. Eat them everyday and lots of it you will thank me later.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 10, 2019
So since my last update, my routine has been to wash my face in the morning with Shea Moisture African Black soap, and to put a moisturizer that helps with dark spots too. My nighttime routine is the Benzoyl Peroxide 10% Neutrogena Cleanser, & I apply Persa Gel 10% BP from Clean & Clear on my active acne. I have been doing this for 2 days since my acne got even WORSE and I have some spots that are raised, and even kinda painful, which I'm presuming is cystic acne.
The persa gel has been helping a little but it is EXTREMELY drying and it is making my skin peel which is odd since my skin is oily. The acne cysts are also leaving dark spots all over my cheek I feel depressed.
Oh & here's a picture of my other cheek which isn't so bad except for that cluster of pimples. Also I feel if I press on it the whole area is raised. Does this mean it's cystic acne or does it mean that since the pimples are so close to each other that it feels like they raise each other?
