I know there used to be a thread dedicated to Acne before the crash, and it had heaps of really useful information on the topic. I have horrendous acne, and I was wondering if any of you guys could help? Home-Grown remedies, Company-Manufactured, whatever, I just can't stand having Acne anymore!

I know there used to be a thread dedicated to Acne before the crash, and it had heaps of really useful information on the topic. I have horrendous acne, and I was wondering if any of you guys could help? Home-Grown remedies, Company-Manufactured, whatever, I just can't stand having Acne anymore!

Roaccutane. It has the reputation to be a some kind of miracle when it comes to acne. People exaggerate a lot about the bad effects it has on your body though, don't take it too seriously.

Try to drink a lot, water is sooo good for your skin (for your whole body, duh). Don't take it higher than 2.5 l per day though. Exaggeration is never good.

Don't touch your skin yourself, at least try to do so the less possible. Avoid the sun..and uhm, ahh this is hard. I don't have to deal with it. But I do know water is great, so do that :) Oh yeah, please don't try to dry your skin out. I know someone who used to do that, please don't. It's so bad. Hydrate it, actually.

Actually, I heard that sun was good for getting rid of acne. It seemed to help mine a lot. Don't take my word for it though. My brother has this face wash and gel stuff he got from the dermatoligist. It works really well. I'm not sure what it is but it's perscription only.

yeha, i have acne too...not too much...my mom sez its from junk food...I dunno.

just lay off the perservatives, start hitting the gym, and do drink lots of water!!

I know there used to be a thread dedicated to Acne before the crash, and it had heaps of really useful information on the topic. I have horrendous acne, and I was wondering if any of you guys could help? Home-Grown remedies, Company-Manufactured, whatever, I just can't stand having Acne anymore!

Here's my 2 cent's on the matter my friend had very bad Acne for like 2 year's.He never got any surgery all he did was put toothpaste on his face everynight yes toothpaste and over the coarse of that year it went.

I've always had really clear skin, thank God.
I wash my face every night and drink more water per day than a fucking blue whale consumes in an entire lifetime, I swear. And I definately do notice the difference. More creamy like complexition...Less visible pores, etc.


I have a friend with bad acne, and he swears by ProActive. I'd definatelyr try it.

Here's my 2 cent's on the matter my friend had very bad Acne for like 2 year's.He never got any surgery all he did was put toothpaste on his face everynight yes toothpaste and over the coarse of that year it went.
Oh, no, no! Please, please don't use toothpaste to get rid of acne. While it might stop it temporarily, it'll actually make your acne appear even in your twenties. It's some kind of complicated chemical reaction of some sort, I don't know for sure. What I do know is that it's going to keep coming back if you use toothpaste.

I'd rather suggest going to a dermatologist and see what he can perscribe you (if you say that you have REALLY bad acne). I used to have it, but Clearasil seemed to work fine for me. Now my face is all nice and clean. :D

Anyway, good luck. And remember, no toothpaste!

I'd rather suggest going to a dermatologist and see what he can perscribe you (if you say that you have REALLY bad acne). I used to have it, but Clearasil seemed to work fine for me. Now my face is all nice and clean. :D

My Acne isn't REALLY bad, it's just weird, it's hard to explain. With most of the things you guys have mentioned, where would I find them?

My Acne isn't REALLY bad, it's just weird, it's hard to explain. With most of the things you guys have mentioned, where would I find them?

Dermatologist, my friend ;) Don't buy any stuff like that. Most dermatologic stuff is not to buy without prescription anyway. They can decide the best what you need; it all depends on where you have acne, the badness of it, the kind of, etc.

My Acne isn't REALLY bad, it's just weird, it's hard to explain. With most of the things you guys have mentioned, where would I find them?
Well, I guess you could find most stuff in a normal pharmacy. And you can be sure that most of the products work (of course, this depends on your skin type, too), seing that they needed to be tested for efficiency before they could be released for sale in a pharmacy. (I hope that made sense, lol).

I had a bout of acne in high school, and something that sounds crazy but really helped clear my skin was an easy-to-make mask... every other night I took an egg white and beat in a drop of lemon juice until the whites where foamy. I then took the mixture and gently applied it to my entire face (like a mask) and let it dry for about 15 minutes. (make sure your face is clean and dry before applying).. after the 15 minutes, I rinsed the mask off with warm water, and finished by applying some oil of olay (for acne prone skin). this really worked for me... also, be sure to drink plenty of water, and wash your face often with a gentle soap. These days, my skin is very clear and smooth, and I wash it daily with an apricot scrub. Something to try at least, lol. Good luck!

P.S. The sun does help acne, due to drying out your skin, but this isn't the most healthy way to rid yourself of blemishes, unless you want wrinkles later in life and are comfortable with the thought of possible skin lesions/cancerous spots. Also, some topical acne creams clearly state to remain out of direct sunlight... just be safe!

I have a friend with bad acne, and he swears by ProActive. I'd definatelyr try it.

Yeah, that stuff is amazing. I had really bad skin before using ProActive, but it's helped SO much. It's a little expensive, but definitely worth it, IMO. :)

Yeah, that stuff is amazing. I had really bad skin before using ProActive, but it's helped SO much. It's a little expensive, but definitely worth it, IMO. :)

Where would I find this stuff? A Dermatologist, a Pharmacy?

One thing....Proactiv does not work!!! Only for the first month, but then, you see acne again!!!! Try Clearasil Ultra, that works.

One thing....Proactiv does not work!!! Only for the first month, but then, you see acne again!!!! Try Clearasil Ultra, that works.

Clearasil is pure shit, so violent on your skin. Roacuttane still ;)

Roacuttane still ;)
Heh, I agree, that helps.

However, for a more temporary thing, I'd try Oxy cleaning pads. They work pretty well, but after you use them for awhile, the acne takes longer to disappear.

I've been going to a dermatologist for a year now but it only helps a little bit...

if you have blackheads too, go to a cosmetician, your acne won't go away because of that, but your skin will be more clean

always when I take a shower, I take some shower gel on that glove (:rolleyes: )and then I try to 'scrub' those nasty zitts off...it really works, later on you can just scratch 'em off. Watch out though, with big ones, I did that last time and it started to bleed :rolleyes:

One thing....Proactiv does not work!!! Only for the first month, but then, you see acne again!!!! Try Clearasil Ultra, that works.

I've been using ProActive for about 2 years now, and it still works great for me. As far as Clearasil goes...my sister used that, and it dried the heck out of her skin. I don't see the point of clear skin if it's gonna start peeling off. But, hey, different things work for different people.

Here's the number for ProActive if you're interested, Hellish Flame: 1-800-950-4695 (for ordering) 1-800-950-4695 (for customer service)- these are numbers for the US, by the way. :)

Well, since we have had people say the ProActive worked for them, and then others say it didn't it is safe to say that people's skin-types vary. Something may work for someone else and not work for another. Its happened for me.

As for me, Noxema works awesomely well.

as i wrote in the old thread, my father is a dermatologist and he often told people with acne to use "brevoxyl". i don't have acne, but sometimes this creme is really good=)
and yep, sun is good, too.

Yes, of course it's safe to say that peoples' skin types vary.

If I've learned anything, it's that these are all good for acne. I don't give a shit if it didn't work for you, because they've worked for other people.

Accutane
ProActiv
Clearasil Ultra (brutal way to do it though. And IMO it works FOR THE THREE DAYS... but not really much more)

Otherwise, just wash it. I have SUCH greasy skin, it's gross. I use this clearasil blackhead scrub and beat my face to fuck. And it works actually. Been getting better at least.

Ben

Growing up, I always had a pimple here and there. When I was 18 I went on birth control and it completely cleared up my skin. I would get maybe one small pimple a month, around the time I was on my period or just before, but that was it and it was tiny. After about 8 months of being on the pill, I got ridiculously ill and discovered that it was a hormonal inbalance, so I had to go off of it. After about 4 months of stopping the pill, I started breaking out like crazy. Just...it was horrible. To the point of being in tears because it actually hurt.
I tried proActiv but it didn't work. My doctor perscribed be an oral pill and a topical solution and my face has cleared up considerably but I still have some irritation around my temples, but it's better than it has been since I was on the pill. That, and drinking a CRAP load of water, and not wearing any make up (which sucks cuz I want to cover this all up..but I can't, it only makes it worse). I have a dermatology appt on the 30th so I'm hoping he'll be able to give me something to clear up the rest of it.
My break out's are completely hormonal....so there's not much I can do until my body settles itself back down. It sucks...but that's just how it is.
I'd say go see a dermatologist.
But be warned....most things (ProActiv, RetinA) will make it worse before you see any improvement. It sucks, but there are things that will start working right away.

For the occasional pimple I take a wash cloth and run it under warmish water and hold it there until the it gets cold. It does make it bigger but during the night it goes away. I use the Clean and Clear morning stuff and Noxema at night.

i find if i wash my face at least twice a day with warm water (and sometimes with st. ive's clear pore cleanser, er, i think that's what it's called..) it helps alot after while. and avoid eating alot of salt helps too :)

basically NOTHING i have used has worked.
I have yoused clean and clear, regular soap, some other brand, Biore, ProActive, and now my grandma gavce me some perscription type thing. it like dries out the skin or something. i dunno i dont like it though. I think i mght try that clearisil ultra. if that doesnt work i'll just leavbe it up to regular soap or something.

basically NOTHING i have used has worked.
I have yoused clean and clear, regular soap, some other brand, Biore, ProActive, and now my grandma gavce me some perscription type thing. it like dries out the skin or something. i dunno i dont like it though. I think i mght try that clearisil ultra. if that doesnt work i'll just leavbe it up to regular soap or something.

DONT use clearasil NOR regular soap. Good way to fuck up your skin.
Go to a dermatologist :)

Get yourself some Garnier PureA. You put it on at night and after a couple of days you really start to notice your face clear up. It also works on the marks left by spots too, but it takes way longer to clear up than the spots themselves. Oh, and it doesn't hurt AT ALL. I had this one once and it made my skin feel like it was burning for a while. Didn't use that one for long! :)

Clearasil isn't very good, it works for like a week, and then I get dry patches on my skin and then spots. Yaaay, I have both dry skin and greasy skin AT THE SAME TIME!

Here's my advice for getting rid of acne
Don't wear foundation. Not even if you have a really bad, noticable spot. It'll make it a million times worse.

Try not to wear any make-up at all, and don't leave it on over night. (even if I just wear eyeliner it seems to make my spots worse.

Don't pick them off, you'll get marks all over your face if you do that, AND it's painful.

Keep your hair clean, and tie it back whenever possible.

Don't touch your face too much.

Eat healthily and drink lots of water.

Use whatever spot clearing soap works for you. If you find one works well for a few weeksm then stops, change, then change, then change. Untill you find one that keeps working. If there is such a one. If you buy one that doesn't help AT ALL, don't be tempted to finish the bottle so you're not wasting it, bin it or get a refund.

DONT use clearasil NOR regular soap. Good way to fuck up your skin.
Go to a dermatologist :)

to late. This stuff is working pretty good. it just burns for a very long time when you use it. thats really annoyin. but if it doesnt work, im sending them all my reciepts and getting my money back.

to late. This stuff is working pretty good. it just burns for a very long time when you use it. thats really annoyin. but if it doesnt work, im sending them all my reciepts and getting my money back.

Too bad :p

I've never used Clearasil, but I have seen from other people it doesn't work long. Just like some people have said in this thread. Plus, that product is known for being agressive ony your skin. It's a fact.
I hope for you that it does work though.

There are products out there that work twice as better and longer for that matter. And that don't burn=p I'm pretty sure :)

I use to have really bad acne too. I hated the way I looked. I guess girls can always use make-up to cover it, but even that is bad.
It started to clear up when I got my period, and as the years went by it jsut started to go away. I still get them though, especially a week before I get my period, its like a warning sign or something.
I would say drink water, wash your face regularly and try not to touch your face. Other than that, talk to a doctor if things get really bad! :D

Too bad :p

I've never used Clearasil, but I have seen from other people it doesn't work long. Just like some people have said in this thread. Plus, that product is known for being agressive ony your skin. It's a fact.
I hope for you that it does work though.

There are products out there that work twice as better and longer for that matter. And that don't burn=p I'm pretty sure :)
Well im just using ti to see. Nothing has really ever worked on me. not even the world celeberty famouse ProActive. It doesnt even work on my cousin. Im trying a lot of different stuff before i HAVE to go to a doctor. I hate going there.

hey u guys
i used to have really bad acne. I went to the doc i tried everything from pro-active to accutane, but it all just turned out 2 b a waste of money.
A friend of mine though is really into natural things so she put rosemary and a little bit of lemon and in water heated from the stove, then u kind of stir it around a lil bit and it should kinda smell, but not that bad then u take a wash cloth and dip it in there and rub in on ur face and let it dry and do that for a couple of weeks and it should be better, it also works on hair to make it shine, or that stuff from Sally's it's called ABH and it's a clenser, blemish control, and moistureizer, and oil control...o yea i can post some other tips later cuz i take cosmetology at my highschool and were learnin how to do all kinds of stuff for the skin.

I hope that you used Clearasil Ultra Daily Face Wash , cuz the cream will mess up your face....seriously guys, does anyone know anything else that'll work without a prescription???

I used to have pretty bad acne until I started to use phisoderm it's a face wash and it worked wonders for me!

I hope that you used Clearasil Ultra Daily Face Wash , cuz the cream will mess up your face....seriously guys, does anyone know anything else that'll work without a prescription???
Im using the face wipes (basically the daily facial wash in wipe form) the pads, the astringer, then the creme. but after i use the creme, i stuff my face in a towel and rinse it off with cold water, and put my face in a towel, becuase by that time my face is friggin burning like crazy

Seems to me that ProActiv is the way to go, just because of they way you guys are hyping up about it ;). I must admit though, I seriously dislike the Clearasil range, and I believe it's one big piece of crap and good way to waste your money. (Sorry if I offended anyone who uses it, I just see the ads where this Supermodel puts on a tiny dab and then it's magically cured... Yeah right!). Anyway, that's just my two cents. (On my own post..... :confused: )

ok, so today is my second day, and things are cleared up, not a whole ton, but enough so far. tommarow would be my third dya using it, if its cleared up a lot, i would like to know exactly how it cuases problems with your skin? becuase if i know for a fact then i wont really use it.

ANyways, the burning this time wasnt as bad as both times yesterday but dang. that stuff is like listerine for your face "If it burns it must be working" so lol

I used to have REALLY bad acne when I was 16-17, then I used everything from Clearasil to Clean and Clear to Noxzema and back again. They all worked, but not forever. I remember sticking to Clearasil more often than anything else, though. When I turned 18, I went on birth control (Tri-Sprintec, which is the generic form of Ortho Tri-Cyclen). It took a little while, but my face was practically flawless when I was on the Pill. (Just a side-note: Ortho Tri-Cyclen says that it's the only Pill clinically proven to help acne. While it does do wonders for pimples, the only reason it says this is because it's the first pill to market the fact, so they have a patent where they can use it as a marketing technique. To put it in Leyman's terms, almost any birth control pill is going to regulate your hormones in such a way that your acne will improve.) Tri-Sprintec gave me bad cramps before my period, though, and since I'd never really gotten cramps before being on the Pill, I switched to Yasmin. Bad idea. Yasmin is a monocyclic pill (meaning that you have the same level of hormones in the three weeks of pills before the placebo, when you get your period). Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a tricyclic pill, meaning that the level of hormones gradually increases each week up until your placebo. My body must have reacted to going from 3 levels of hormones to only one, because my acne came back with a vengeance, so much so that I'm switching back to Tri-Sprintec. If you're OK with going on birth control, that's my number one recommendation, because it really, really works.

During the period that I was on Yasmin and had bad acne, I used Neutrogena, Nivea and L'Oréal. They worked OK... Neutrogena I thought would be amazing, but it's only so-so. Nivea was great for a while, but it's kind of pricey (especially the moisturizing creams), and there aren't any medicated washes. I even tried the Stridex Power Pads (I use them at night), and they're OK but nothing astounding. I'm thinking of going back to Oil of Olay and using their Clarity Daily Scrub and Toner along with the Daily UV Illuminating lotion. (Always, ALWAYS moisturize your skin, even if it's oily... just make sure the moisturizer is oil-free.) Olay worked for me when I used their cleanser for oily/combo skin, but now I'm partial to scrubs, and the Olay one is really gentle (unlike St. Ives Apricot, which totally tore up my face). Also try to tone and moisturize every morning and night because it really tightens up your pores. Sometimes in the winter if my skin gets really dry I use a cream at night to moisturize (instead of a lotion), just use it sparingly and it will really hydrate your skin.
:)

I used to have REALLY bad acne when I was 16-17, then I used everything from Clearasil to Clean and Clear to Noxzema and back again. They all worked, but not forever. I remember sticking to Clearasil more often than anything else, though. When I turned 18, I went on birth control (Tri-Sprintec, which is the generic form of Ortho Tri-Cyclen). It took a little while, but my face was practically flawless when I was on the Pill. (Just a side-note: Ortho Tri-Cyclen says that it's the only Pill clinically proven to help acne. While it does do wonders for pimples, the only reason it says this is because it's the first pill to market the fact, so they have a patent where they can use it as a marketing technique. To put it in Leyman's terms, almost any birth control pill is going to regulate your hormones in such a way that your acne will improve.) Tri-Sprintec gave me bad cramps before my period, though, and since I'd never really gotten cramps before being on the Pill, I switched to Yasmin. Bad idea. Yasmin is a monocyclic pill (meaning that you have the same level of hormones in the three weeks of pills before the placebo, when you get your period). Ortho Tri-Cyclen is a tricyclic pill, meaning that the level of hormones gradually increases each week up until your placebo. My body must have reacted to going from 3 levels of hormones to only one, because my acne came back with a vengeance, so much so that I'm switching back to Tri-Sprintec. If you're OK with going on birth control, that's my number one recommendation, because it really, really works.

During the period that I was on Yasmin and had bad acne, I used Neutrogena, Nivea and L'Oréal. They worked OK... Neutrogena I thought would be amazing, but it's only so-so. Nivea was great for a while, but it's kind of pricey (especially the moisturizing creams), and there aren't any medicated washes. I even tried the Stridex Power Pads (I use them at night), and they're OK but nothing astounding. I'm thinking of going back to Oil of Olay and using their Clarity Daily Scrub and Toner along with the Daily UV Illuminating lotion. (Always, ALWAYS moisturize your skin, even if it's oily... just make sure the moisturizer is oil-free.) Olay worked for me when I used their cleanser for oily/combo skin, but now I'm partial to scrubs, and the Olay one is really gentle (unlike St. Ives Apricot, which totally tore up my face). Also try to tone and moisturize every morning and night because it really tightens up your pores. Sometimes in the winter if my skin gets really dry I use a cream at night to moisturize (instead of a lotion), just use it sparingly and it will really hydrate your skin.
:)


It suppose that would work if it wasn't for the fact that I'm male... :P

Haha no I know that, I was just saying in general to anyone who has the same problem... but you're right, it probably would work if you were a girl. ;)

Im using the face wipes (basically the daily facial wash in wipe form) the pads, the astringer, then the creme. but after i use the creme, i stuff my face in a towel and rinse it off with cold water, and put my face in a towel, becuase by that time my face is friggin burning like crazy
No crap it's gonna burn, you dont need to use all of that at once!!!! The wipes, astringer ,and the cream are to be used as alternates to one another....You'll mess up your face by overdoing it like that!!! It may be cleared up a bit, but it can make your skin worse if you use all of those products!!! Use on or the other!!!

No crap it's gonna burn, you dont need to use all of that at once!!!! The wipes, astringer ,and the cream are to be used as alternates to one another....You'll mess up your face by overdoing it like that!!! It may be cleared up a bit, but it can make your skin worse if you use all of those products!!! Use on or the other!!!
Im using it the same way i had to use proactive
and actually even if i used one of them it would still burn
it burns more so towards the end though with the creme. and im only using it til tommarrow. i will be sending in my reciepts, highlighted with what i spent on their products, becuase if anything, i now have more acne then before.

On another Acne-Related note, does anybody here have a way to get rid of those red/purple Acne scars? I remember something about eucalyptus oil from the old Acne post before the crash, but that's about it. Any advice?

Yeah, that stuff is amazing. I had really bad skin before using ProActive, but it's helped SO much. It's a little expensive, but definitely worth it, IMO. :)

I can so sympathise I've been suffering for like 4 years and been put on everything including roaccutane but ProActive is the ONLY thing that worked for me and it gets better like in 2 weeks its AWESOME!!!!!

On another Acne-Related note, does anybody here have a way to get rid of those red/purple Acne scars? I remember something about eucalyptus oil from the old Acne post before the crash, but that's about it. Any advice?

I will get to that, since I have scars too! Here's my piece, from one past acne-sufferer to all of you. It's worth a read.


I had moderate acne for about three years, and now I'm left with several scars, especially on my chin. I went on birth control about a year and a half ago, and that was round about the time that my acne started to clear up, but I couldn't be sure if it's the pills that helped or not.

When I had acne, I tried all sorts of creams, special face washes etc, both over the counter and prescribed, but none of those made the slightest bit of difference. I found that Clearasil products made it worse, and some of the creams I was prescribed with would dry out my skin until I was actually peeling, and yet it still didn't clear up the acne.

I also tried ProActiv, which made hardly any noticable difference, but granted I only used it for about a month and decided it wasn't the miracle people were claiming it was.

Of course, I also tried the whole "no junk food and plenty of water" diet for over a year and it didn't make ANY difference to the condition of my skin what-so-ever. So I gave up on that, since I also found that even when I ate junk food and drank nothing but Pepsi my skin wouldn't get any worse. I think that some of you would also be interested to know that there have been several articles reporting on evidence from several dermatologists who found that eating chocolate does not make acne worse at all, despite what people think.

I 100% agree with the people who have said that you shouldn't touch your face. I can't stress how important that is. Nobody seems to realise that even if you're someone who washes your hands regularly throughout the day, huge amounts of bacteria and dirt still build up because you use your hands to touch EVERYTHING. And there is dirt on EVERYTHING. Also, for goodness sake, don't pick your spots like I did. THAT IS HOW SCARS ARE MADE.. Do you want to be left with a reminder of your acne forever even when it's gone? I don't think so.

Also, something I learned myself is that if you get a product that smells STRONGLY of chemicals, then it is not good for your skin, no matter what the label or the doctor says. The stronger the smell, the stronger the chemicals. But don't be fooled into thinking that lots of chemicals means more effectiveness. It just creates an imbalance in your skin, or even creates unwanted reactions if you have sensitive skin. Use mild products if you must use something, because facial skin is extremely delicate. Think of your face as having the delicacy of a baby's, and treat it accordingly.

I've recently been looking into methods for removing acne scars, and the best one in terms of effectiveness and least pain seems to be laser treatment, where the skin is corrected by lasers, as an alternative to
things like skin peels which leave you looking disgusting for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the costs can be quite high depending on the severity of your scars (some scars require a laser that goes deeper into the skin, while other lasers work on the surface layer only). I've started to save up for this method.

Believe me, I know how agonizing acne is and how much it can ruin your youth and make you so embarassed to the point that you wish you were invisible. I also know that most people with acne would give ANYTHING to have their skin cleared up. And although I can't guarantee it for everyone, I can tell you guys that I was in that position a very short time ago, and my acne is gone now. Unless it's been 100% cleared up because of the birth control pills, then it has just gone away over time by itself. The bullying I suffered has stopped completely and I don't feel embarassed to be seen now. And I can almost guarantee that every single one of you with acne now, no matter how severe, will soon be acne-free. Raving hormones DO calm down eventually.

Finally I'd like to make a point about the astounding affects of positive thinking. When I had acne, the only thing that ever made it noticably better was positive thinking. Each night, before going to sleep, I'd say to myself "I have perfect skin. I do not have acne. My skin is perfectly smooth and blemish-free", and stuff like that, over and over. I'm not claiming that this will make you feel better, but surprisingly it did actually make my skin better.

I hope that helps someone!

Well, I usually have pretty clear skin because I went to a dermatologist before it got super bad. So I have benzoyl peroxide cream (5%) that I put on in the morning and Retin-A (I don't remember the exact strength, but it's medium) that I put on at night.

What I do is wash my face (right now with Neutrogena deep-clean) and then put on the benzoyl peroxide cream. THEN (and this is important) I use a really light moisturizer (NOT a medicated one. Do not use more than one medicated thing at the same time.) Then at night I wash my face again and use the retin-A.

But benzoyl peroxide dries your skin out like crazy, so the moisturizer's definitely necessary, even for guys. Try a shine-control one.

I had a really bad breakout over the last month, but it's clearing up now with this. And definitely avoid makeup (even though I'm wearing foundation, I'm a bad example.:o )

For body acne, there's this Nature's Cure spray that seems to work okay...or clean and clear or Neutrogena body wash.

I had bad acne, but most of it has gone now that I cleanse my face each day. I still have some spots I just can't seem to get rid of. :eek:

So, if one cream you are using works for most of your acne, what do you use to get rid of the rest?

I have very senstive skin, so I was lucky to find at least one cream that didn't make me itchy or break out in a rash, but the cream I am using (Dove) just isn't getting rid of the stubborn acne!:eek:

Does any have any homegrown remedys? I have heard something about oats mixed with honey, or something like that...any idea if that works, or is it just an 'old wives tale' so to speak?:cool:

I had bad acne, but most of it has gone now that I cleanse my face each day. I still have some spots I just can't seem to get rid of. :eek:

So, if one cream you are using works for most of your acne, what do you use to get rid of the rest?

I have very senstive skin, so I was lucky to find at least one cream that didn't make me itchy or break out in a rash, but the cream I am using (Dove) just isn't getting rid of the stubborn acne!:eek:

Does any have any homegrown remedys? I have heard something about oats mixed with honey, or something like that...any idea if that works, or is it just an 'old wives tale' so to speak?:cool:

Have you tried tea tree oil? I have an all natural product I use after cleansing that contains tea tree, jojoba and vitamin E oil. It moisturizes without clogging the pores further, the tea tree and jojoba oil are awesome for clearing up blemishes, especially those deep red ones. Vitamin E is great for helping scarred skin heal quicker.

My skin cleanser comes from a seller off Ebay. I've used it for 6 months now, and except for the inevitable monthly breakout caused by hormones my skin has stayed pretty good. It's called Juliet's Clean and smooth. It is all natural, and really awesome.

When I do get a really bad pimple that looks like it could scar, I mix polysporin(or neosporin) in with my normal 2% salicylic acid cream(currently using neutrogena). After that I put a dot of Bye Bye blemish(available at walgreens, Ulta.com, and ebay) in the middle of the pimple. In a few days it has shrunk immensely with less redness and no scarring. This even works on those deep painful cystic pimples that show up under the skin. It just takes longer for them to shrink down completely. I like to put an icepack on those too, to reduce swelling before I put any treatment on. I keep it on for about 5 minutes, 10 if I can stand it. By that time I take the pack off the swelling has gone down immensely, it just allows the medicine to work faster.

To answer your question about the oatmeal and honey,oatmeal is a great natural exfoliant and honey is a humectant so you get the best of both worlds. Oatmeal not only makes a great scrub it has medicinal/ soothing properites as well. Aveeno is a product that uses oatmeal for that purpose.
You can make your own exfoliant out of regular white sugar and distilled water.It works similar to microdermabrasion crystals without the irritation to broken out skin.
My suggestion is to google natural acne remedies or natural skincare. You would be very suprised all the great ideas you'll find.

Enlarged pores? Take an egg white and a splash of lemon juice, make a mask out of it. The egg white decreases your pores while the lemon juice is a natural skin lightener, so it lightens any discoloration your face may have from past acne.

Marika is totally right.Liquid or cream foundation is the greatest irritant of acne prone skin. Once I went to all natural mineral foundation powder(ingredients are titanium dioxide(natural skin protectant/sunscreen) and iron oxide pigments my skin really started behaving.That is it, no oils, chemicals that clog pores further. I am really ruddy without make-up but this evens out my skintone, covers flaws tho it still looks like my own skin, just better.

3 items in your make-up aresonal that are better off being minerals. Foundation, blush, and powder. It's stupid to go to mineral foundation but keep using crummy blush. If you notice breakouts on your cheeks,blush is most likely the culprit. Powder aggravates blemishes terribly. Pure cornstarch or rice powder are by far better than face powder for your skin. I prefer rice powder, it gives a lovely finish.

I feel better when I use natural based make-ups and skincare too. I'm very chemically sensitive but without all those things being absorbed thru my skin I am not nearly as sick as I used to be.

Finally I'd like to make a point about the astounding affects of positive thinking. When I had acne, the only thing that ever made it noticably better was positive thinking. Each night, before going to sleep, I'd say to myself "I have perfect skin. I do not have acne. My skin is perfectly smooth and blemish-free", and stuff like that, over and over. I'm not claiming that this will make you feel better, but surprisingly it did actually make my skin better.

I hope that helps someone!

Yeah you're right. When I stress over stuff my spots get worse. Which is why over the summer holidays my skin got clear, and now it's back to it's usual crapified state. I'm actually drinking more water (like... 6 or 7 pints a day) and my mum is having a drive on eating healthily at the moment. And it hasn't helped me. I firmly believe that my acne is because I have more hormones in my body that cause them. Which is why I find it upsetting when people assume that I don't wash enough, or some other crap. I think if there was some miracle thing I could do that would say bye bye to acne I'd be doing it! You have to try and remember that it isn't your fault... because stressing over what people say will only make it worse.

Yeah you're right. When I stress over stuff my spots get worse. Which is why over the summer holidays my skin got clear, and now it's back to it's usual crapified state. I'm actually drinking more water (like... 6 or 7 pints a day) and my mum is having a drive on eating healthily at the moment. And it hasn't helped me. I firmly believe that my acne is because I have more hormones in my body that cause them. Which is why I find it upsetting when people assume that I don't wash enough, or some other crap. I think if there was some miracle thing I could do that would say bye bye to acne I'd be doing it! You have to try and remember that it isn't your fault... because stressing over what people say will only make it worse.


I fully agree with what you said, especially the bit about people thinking you don't wash yourself. That really, really gets on my nerves.

P.S. Surely this should be a Hot Topic by now? :P I want the honor of making a Hot Topic.

I might be going to the doctors about my skin soon. I'm a little bit worried (gah.. just irrational fear he'll take one look at me and say I have some sort of disease) so if anyone could offer any words of adivce, tell me what questions they ask you for stuff like this and just general tell me to stop being an ass... it'd be much appreciated. :)

This has all been brought on because I've been really upset lately because I have these two really really painful spots either side of my nose where my glasses sit... and it's fucking PAINFUL. If anyone has any sure fire thing that'll make them go away, i'd love you forever! :(

I've recently been looking into methods for removing acne scars, and the best one in terms of effectiveness and least pain seems to be laser treatment, where the skin is corrected by lasers, as an alternative to things like skin peels which leave you looking disgusting for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the costs can be quite high depending on the severity of your scars (some scars require a laser that goes deeper into the skin, while other lasers work on the surface layer only). I've started to save up for this method.

Ummmm, Does anybody have a Home-Grown remedy or something? I don't really think I want to resort to laser surgery JUST yet.

What works for me (and it took me 3 years to discover it) is Noxzema. Wash your face with it twice a day, and your acne is gone in a week. Garanteed. :D

Actually, I heard that sun was good for getting rid of acne. It seemed to help mine a lot.

Sun will get rid of acne, yes. But it'll also do a terrible number on your skin in the process. Sun is bad for your skin... it will get rid of acne because it will kill a lot of the bacteria in your pores, but it will also ruin the complexion of your skin... so it's not a good idea. Nor is applying burning hot water directly on to your skin (my dad used to do that and I know a lot of people try to burn it off like this).

I used to have acne issues, but what I've found is one of the best things you can do, besides drinking water, is to come up with a religious routine. Wash your face every single morning, evening, or both. Do it everyday... wash it thoroughly, take your time and when drying your face... dab it dry... do not wipe it. This is one of the best things you can do (kind of like brushing your teeth... in fact you can do this when you go to brush your teeth, lol). The trick to it is to be incredibly consistent.

I was at my wit's end when I tried this, and then I just decided... hell I'll just wash it (I had tried prescriptions and I'm very anal... followed them perfectly and they just didn't do it for me - the acne just kept coming... when I got rid of some, more would pop up to take their place, plus they're expensive). In about a week my face cleared up completely... I wash my face everyday in the morning and again at night, I only drink milk and water (sometimes juice) no pop, and I haven't had an acne breakout since. And trust me, before then, I was always seen with some kind of acne on my face.

Just fit a nice, clean, religious routine into your daily grind and I'm sure that will help.

End.

I had a question for everyone else though... I heard that some things that you eat and drink... like chocolate and pop... contribute to your having acne... is that true or not? I've never had the time to do the research, myself. So go my puppets and fetch me my information! ^.^

What works for me (and it took me 3 years to discover it) is Noxzema. Wash your face with it twice a day, and your acne is gone in a week. Garanteed. :D

There are alot of skin irritants in Noxema that those with sensitive skin cannot handle. I happen to be allergic to it so it breaks me out heinously.
As with anything, what works for one may not work for another.

I've seen alot of questions about scarring. What makes them look better or even go away depends on what sort of scars you have. Those pesky red spots just on the surface of your skin, those are easy to make fade out with alpha hydroxy, glycolic acid, or lactic acid products. The fruit acids lightly resurface and retexturize your skin making those types of acne red marks diminish. I like to use polysporin as soon as a pimple has cleared up. It seems to speed along the red spot healing phase.

For something a little deeper, these things will make some difference ,smooth them out a little but nothing except lasers or deep chemical peels administered by a dermatologist will resurface the skin enough to get rid of deep ice pick type scars. Microdermabrasion does also make some difference. Requires several treatments. Be prepared to peel but microdermabrasion requires no real downtime. You look like you've had a bad sunburn for a few days, peel for about 4. Don't try to speed the peeling along either by picking at them, let them finish flaking on their own. You risk scarring the new skin emerging.

Severe deep ice pick scars are not going to be easy to get rid of. You are almost assured a high % peel done in the dr's office or several sessions with the laser to get the desired results. There are also risks associated with the peels and lasers too, including infection, discoloration of the surrounding skin. Lasers seem to be most effective on fair skin, darker skinned people are more greatly at risk for pigment issues after the procedure.

Don't pick, that is the best advice I can give to keep you from scarring. Although cystic acne often causes scars even if you don't pick at them. If you develop this type of painful, large cyst like pimples that appear to never develop a pustile you do need to see a dermatologist. OTC products just don't help this type of acne well enough.

Some people report good results with Proactiv and Murad for cystic acne. In the meantime apply ice packs to the swollen areas and a little cortisone cream will help to alleviate the swelling.

I used to have acne issues, but what I've found is one of the best things you can do, besides drinking water, is to come up with a religious routine. Wash your face every single morning, evening, or both. Do it everyday... wash it thoroughly, take your time and when drying your face... dab it dry... do not wipe it. This is one of the best things you can do (kind of like brushing your teeth... in fact you can do this when you go to brush your teeth, lol). The trick to it is to be incredibly consistent.

I was at my wit's end when I tried this, and then I just decided... hell I'll just wash it (I had tried prescriptions and I'm very anal... followed them perfectly and they just didn't do it for me - the acne just kept coming... when I got rid of some, more would pop up to take their place, plus they're expensive). In about a week my face cleared up completely... I wash my face everyday in the morning and again at night, I only drink milk and water (sometimes juice) no pop, and I haven't had an acne breakout since. And trust me, before then, I was always seen with some kind of acne on my face.

Just fit a nice, clean, religious routine into your daily grind and I'm sure that will help.

End.

I had a question for everyone else though... I heard that some things that you eat and drink... like chocolate and pop... contribute to your having acne... is that true or not? I've never had the time to do the research, myself. So go my puppets and fetch me my information! ^.^

Well thanks for that info. Allthough i HATE regular water, i guess i will have to try it. I've tried a lot of the facial cleansers and stuff but they dont really work, so i guess i'll try regular soap and water.

and about your question: For my mom, me , and my brother, chocolate cuases acne. Its horrible, and i LOVE chocolate, but it gives me acne lyke whoa.

now:
Does anyone have anything on how to get rid of acne scars?

Also there are sometimes spots that hurt when they are felt with anything ex: washclothes, hands, water. it feels like someone is pushing in a bruise or w/e.

ok well imma get a glass of water now....

x.x

about your question: For my mom, me , and my brother, chocolate cuases acne. Its horrible, and i LOVE chocolate, but it gives me acne lyke whoa.

now:
Does anyone have anything on how to get rid of acne scars?

Ha, I thought it had something to do with it. I wonder why though? The past couple years I've become a health nut - in the sense that I've just lost interest in desserts and treats and things like that (i.e. chocolate, cake, ice cream, fried anything, etc.) so I don't have much of a problem with it, but I was always curious.

I don't think there is anything out there to get rid of acne scars. You could probably go to a dermatologist and get some expensive creams and whatnot, but in all honesty... that's why they're scars, and that's why you're told not to scratch, pop, and muss about your zits/pimples... it'll cause scarring. Scarring's permanent, and unfortunately there's no real way to get around it, unless you want to spend a lot of money, and even then I'm not too positive about it.

SO - keep those claws away from your face! Now! ::Fights JayEm's hands into an arrest position:: There you are.

End.

I had a question for everyone else though... I heard that some things that you eat and drink... like chocolate and pop... contribute to your having acne... is that true or not? I've never had the time to do the research, myself. So go my puppets and fetch me my information! ^.^

My family always used to tell me chocolate and fatty foods cause acne. I never believed them though. Since I started taking birth control, I don't get breakouts anymore. I get the occasional zit, but only around that time of the month...Anywho. I looked it up, and found this...

Does Chocolate cause ACNE ?

Eating chocolate does not cause acne. The only way for chocolate to cause acne would be to rub chocolate on the skin until it clogs the pores, causing a mechanical blockage of the pore openings. Then you could legitimately say that chocolate causes acne. Some studies in the past indicated perhaps that excess amounts of some iodine-containing foods, such as shellfish, could influence the severity of acne. This has been questioned by a number of other recent studies. Our recommendation is to eat, drink and be merry in moderation. Until these studies prove us wrong, we cannot say that chocolate causes acne.

"Acne is not caused by the foods you eat," according to dermatologist Dr. Kitha Griffin. Of the roughly 80 percent of teenagers who suffer from acne, hormones are to blame, said Chris Rosenbloom, head of the nutrition department at Georgia State University. Griffin adds that genetic predisposition also plays a role.

Basic research on the causes of acne vulgaris link its occurrence to rising testosterone levels during puberty. This results in enlargement of the sebaceous glands, which can eventually lead to the development of comedones (blackheads). The American Academy of Dermatology has stated that acne is not a dietary disease and that following the strictest diet will not by itself clear the skin.

Yet the idea that diet, and specifically chocolate, is implicated in the etiology of acne remained widespread within the medical profession until recently. Among the first to question the link between chocolate and acne were researchers from the University of Missouri in the 1960s. Grant and Anderson attempted to induce an acne flare-up in eight individuals with mild to moderate acne by feeding them a large amount of chocolate, and failed. The authors discredited the assertion that chocolate causes acne.

A larger study of 65 subjects reported that excessive intake of chocolate and fat did not alter the composition or output of sebum from subaceous glands or affect the course of acne. Upon review of studies purporting to show that high carbohydrate or high fat diets aggravate acne, the authors concluded that such claims are unproved and that the sebaceous gland has a high degree of autonomy. In two articles, Shalita has stated that there is no evidence that food, including chocolate, has a direct role in the pathogenesis of acne.

In an extensive review of research on chocolate and acne conducted in 1978, Fries concluded that the general trend of published reports suggested that chocolate ingestion was unrelated to the cause of acne. As cited in the Journal of the American Medical Association: "Diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients...even large amounts of chocolate have not clinically exacerbated acne". The paucity of recent research on chocolate and acne reflects the widespread acceptance of earlier studies that acquitted chocolate of any contributing role in acne.

From http://www.netfemmes.net/health/Feb04_chocacne.html
And there's this one: http://www.acne-resource.org/acne-articles/chocolate-myth.html

I've seen alot of questions about scarring. What makes them look better or even go away depends on what sort of scars you have. Those pesky red spots just on the surface of your skin, those are easy to make fade out with alpha hydroxy, glycolic acid, or lactic acid products. The fruit acids lightly resurface and retexturize your skin making those types of acne red marks diminish. I like to use polysporin as soon as a pimple has cleared up. It seems to speed along the red spot healing phase.

Alpha Hydroxy, you say? Sounds like a plan, thanks ;)

I've tried all OTC products, Dermatologist products, the all-natural Juliet's Clean and smooth from Ebay, and even Proactiv. None of it helped.

No one in my family has skin problems even in teen years, So I know it's not hereditary. I've tried using each product for the recommended length of time and using them they way they suggest. Wash 2-3 times a day, avoid sun as possible, don't touch your face, pat it dry, drink more water, take vitamins with the right amount of minerals, milk lemon juice & egg masks, cold packs to soothe swelling, don't pick your face, eat right and everything else I've read on every single article of reading I could find concerning the subject.

The thing that made the most improvement, (not completely satisfactory, but did far more than the rest) was a cheap Clean & Clear Daily facial wash for sensitive skin from Wal-Mart and Benzoyl Peroxide (Zapzyt). Which I became immune too pretty much after a considered amount of time. I've tried the soft, medium and hard versions of both Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid.

I'm starting to think it's solely hormones that I cannot control and I had better get used to.

Oh, no, no! Please, please don't use toothpaste to get rid of acne. While it might stop it temporarily, it'll actually make your acne appear even in your twenties. It's some kind of complicated chemical reaction of some sort, I don't know for sure. What I do know is that it's going to keep coming back if you use toothpaste.

I'd rather suggest going to a dermatologist and see what he can perscribe you (if you say that you have REALLY bad acne). I used to have it, but Clearasil seemed to work fine for me. Now my face is all nice and clean. :D

Anyway, good luck. And remember, no toothpaste!

i use toothpaste all the time :( i see why they come back even worse now.
thanks for the advice ;)

Have you ever had acne, Faking Ill? Because what you said is definitely not true. I still fight it on and off and I have been for five years.

You CAN do certain things to help. What works for you may not work for someone else. There is acne medication; I have a small tube of medication that I use every so often and it DOES help.

Washing your face every day and keeping your hair clean are good ways to keep the oil down. Some people break out when they eat certain things or when the weather is, say, hot and humid. So then they stay away from the food and do their best when the nasty weather hits.

Don't depend on medication 100% though. That's never a good thing.

I still have it. I've seen other people try and try to get rid of it without any luck whatsoever, so I don't see the point in trying any more. I just live with it, sometimes it goes away completely and sometimes it comes back all without doing anything, so I'm one of those people who believe it can't be helped and whatever you do to your face it'll probably make it worse (except washing it with water, which EVERYONE should do anyway). However, some people do believe using all that stuff works so I won't stop them.

Ouch. You may want to see a dermatologist, then. Some cases are special, but from what I've experienced, most acne isn't that bad, and can be at least helped along by good habits.

Some of it does work. Like I said, I have a small thing of acne medication that definitely shows a difference. It doesn't get rid of the acne completely, but smaller pimples are much easier to cover up than larger ones ;)

I do think that it's really based on an individual basis, and that makes it hard for anyone to give or recieve advice. If doing nothing is what works best for you, then that's what works best for you. Good luck with it.

Here's another thing to avoid: washing your face too frequently!! Twice a day's good, three times if you're sweating or if you get really oily, but definitely no more! Think about it, dry out your skin with soap or whatever, it's only going to encourage your skin to produce more oil - and that encourages you to wash more - vicious cycle. In any case, soap or any type of facewash isn't really good for your skin.

Here's my suggested brand: Clinique. It's either a ripoff of Proactive or the other way around :rolleyes: - but this stuff worked way better for me. Don't just go for specialize acne medication, other "beauty" products can help tons as well. The same product's not going to work for every single person - shop around for one that suits you best.

Im lucky that I dont have 'serious' acne, but I've seen my sister go through it. Proactiv does seem to work, but only for a short duration of time...after that your skin becomes resistant or something.:confused:

The only known cure I know is what my sister used which is AHA (glycolic acid) with salycilic acid (same acid to remove disgusting warts) combined.

Find a cream that has glycolic acid and use it with another which has salycilic acid (or a cleanser which has salycilic acid). It worked for my sister.

Good luck,
Aaron

EDIT: Moved to Acne thread. ~Katya

I've been using an imitation of Proactiv called "AcneFree". It works great.
However, the only setback is that I swim everyday for swim clinic. This dries up my skin a lot. My question:
Is there anyway to use a moisturizer or moisturizing cream with AcneFree, or would that interfere with it?

When I was in 8th grade I used the 3 day stuff and it worked...

A while back I talked about proactiv. It didn't work. My dermatologist put me on an oral pill and Differin. Holy Batman, that stuff works miracles! I highly suggest talking to the doc about it :D

Well, for the last few weeks I've been using some Benzoyl Peroxide Solution, and it has been the most effective thing so far. I still have Acne left, but it has been halfed, at least ;)

I've had problems with acne for a while now, but what's actually been working as of late (knock on wood!) is primarily using hydrogen peroxide (you know, the stuff you use for cuts) on my face, then using 100% pure Vitamin E for the redness. It heals small scars over time too, and it's *really* good!

I use Tetracyclene, which is a pill. And benzaclin which is a creme..they work really really well.

I used to use that I think when i was like, 13. but now I use Doxycycline (in the same family as tetracycline), Clindamycin Phosphate (a topical solution) and at night I use Differin. It's amazing how much of an improvement I've seen, and in a short time at that.
I have a question though. I know for RetinA you shouldn't get your faced waxed (eyebrows, upper lip, etc)...does anyone know if it's the same for Differin? I've been holding off on it (which hard, european blood=bushy eyebrows) until I can ask my dermatologist at my next appt (nov.3) but maybe someone here could help? I know the Differin is making me sun-sensitive so I'm always in sunscreen, but I wasn't sure about the waxing part.

Here's my 2 cent's on the matter my friend had very bad Acne for like 2 year's.He never got any surgery all he did was put toothpaste on his face everynight yes toothpaste and over the coarse of that year it went.
Bullcrap! Toothpaste, proven by Dermatologists, will clog your pores even more. FLouride seeps into the pores and causes MORE acne. His acne did not go because of that.

Another thing that has been proven by Dermatologists is the Chocoalte/Sugar/Lollies, etc. son't contribute to Acne, but people still say they do anyway ;)

Another thing that has been proven by Dermatologists is the Chocoalte/Sugar/Lollies, etc. son't contribute to Acne, but people still say they do anyway ;)
for my family, thats an actuallity. its been what, two weeks since halloween, i've been eating chocolate every day. fte rhte first or second piece of chocolate i had, omy face began to break out slowly.

I've been using regular soap to wash my face lately, that seems to help a little. but yeh. I really want to get Differin, but i heard ou have to get it from the dermatologist? and i would like to go but i dunno when i actually could.

until then i'll be using regular soap (not hand soap...incase your thinking that haha), drinking more water, and stop eating the chocolate. hahaha

Another thing that has been proven by Dermatologists is the Chocoalte/Sugar/Lollies, etc. son't contribute to Acne, but people still say they do anyway ;)
That's true to an extent. There isn't a list of foods that cause acne and a list of foods that don't, but many people might find that they break out after eating a particular food. In that case, of course avoid that food, but keep in mind that the type of food that causes more acne will vary from person to person.

One of the more common type of foods that do that is anything that contains iodine. Of course, that doesn't mean never eat anything that contains iodine (or perhaps your acne is simply unaffected by it - again, it varies from person to person), but if you're thinking of making changes to your diet due to acne, one of the first things to look at is approximately how much iodine you consume. (Don't ask me why, but my dermatologist, well ex-dermatologist since I'm fine now, said iodine can aggravate acne in many people.)

OK... I don't have really bad pimples persay, and my face looks pretty clear froma few feet away. But I have a LOT of blackheads. and they're gross. I've tried using those strip thingies and they only get a few of themm.... any advice?

I only skimmed through the thread, but I didn't see witch hazel mentioned. If you have just a little acne and sensitive skin it works really well. I sometimes acne and I used to use this Mary Kay stuff to get rid of it. It got rid of the acne, but really dried out my skin. Now if I see something popping up, I just use some witch hazel and it works really well without making my skin dry.

I only skimmed through the thread, but I didn't see witch hazel mentioned. If you have just a little acne and sensitive skin it works really well. I sometimes acne and I used to use this Mary Kay stuff to get rid of it. It got rid of the acne, but really dried out my skin. Now if I see something popping up, I just use some witch hazel and it works really well without making my skin dry.

Where would you be able to get this stuff from? I've checked a couple of places, and I can't find it :(

I've had problems with acne, too. Probably for the past 3 years or so. My doctor put me on some kind of antibiotics (minocycline, actually) along with two different facial creams/lotions. The problem is that the antibiotics work for a while, then they stop working. I see my dermotologist again in a month, so maybe I'll ask her if I should use something different now. So if I could recommend something you should stay away from when trying to get rid of your acne, I would have to say antibiotics.

Wish I could be of more help to you. :( But I'm sure some of the other EvBoard members gave you some good suggestions.

Where would you be able to get this stuff from? I've checked a couple of places, and I can't find it :(

We carry it at my drug store. I think Sea Breeze makes some. You can either find it by the creams and lotions or I think they might carry it by the first aid. But, long story short, check out your local drugstores.:)

astringent is so bad for your skin though.. it's probably one of the harshest things you could use medication wise... not to sound like a commercial or anything, but proactive has worked really really well for me

Clean&Clear has lots of acne solutions -from 24 hour clearing-up creams to just general face washes. It says on the label that there might be some peeling of skin or whatever but it's probably worth it to have clear skin :) Also always take make up off at night and if you live near a beach swim often 'cos salt water helps clear skin.

Anything with Benzoyl Peroxide (Almost EVERY OTC product, including Proactiv) in it is not good for your skin in the long run. It ages your skin and ruins your natural collagen and elasticity of your skin.

If you have mild/moderate acne, OTC products are for you. Anything worse, than throw all the tv/store bought/celeb recommended products away, They won't help and just make things worse. Alot of Dermatologist are turning patients to products such as Accutane, which the side effects are far worse than the good effects.

I've been following alot of news and acne sufferers intuitions and trials on their own to cure acne without a doctor. Most derm./dr. don't want to admit the following paragraph is true, but hey, if it is in fact the truth then there goes their $$$ especially companies that make topical acne products..

Many people have tried natural ways to cure their acne because the fact is leaning towards acne is not from dirt/oil but rather from the inside of your body. North American's don't have the healthiest diets therefor our bodies are subjected to TONS of toxins from the foods we eat, and especially if you have a higher metabolism that burns your food so quickly that even more toxins are released. These toxins build up and try to escape through your skin. The way many people have clued in on this is certain Liver flushes/cleanses, Digestive cleansing (Which I do) and Gallbladder cleansing (which your body relieves hundreds of gallstones that slow bile production..kind of gross to see those come out, but to imagine your liver carrying them around..bleh) There's quite a few people that have had alot of success with these regimens. I personally haven't had anything work quite as well. The downside is that they are only temporary solutions because, unless you have a strict diet that doesn't involve processed foods, fast foods or anything pretty much full of toxins than you won't keep the good skin.

It's becoming more and more evident that acne starts from the inside, not the outside. Most Wal-Mart Acne aisle products aren't going to help anything more than a few bumps so on and so forth, and always use a good face wash..! I use Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser that has moisture soy extracts to keep from drying your skin too much with the salicylic acid it has (which not the best thing, but it's better then benzoyl peroxide and the SA this contains is not harsh, I have sensitive skin so I have to be picky).. I also use Aveeno's Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser that doesn't contain the salicylic acid but it contains Feverfew, a Chamomile Extract that soothes skin and reduces redness really great. Both Aveeno Products are Noncomedogenic, Soap-Free, Hypoallerginic, and Oil-Free (A must have for ALL face washes!)

The reason I'm rambling on so much is I've learned so much from a site called http://www.healthboards.com on the Acne Forum. Be sure to check out the threads "Digestive Cleanse to Eliminate Acne" and ESP. "ACNE: The New Theory" and also do a search on Liver Flushes/Cleanses and just read any thread you want it's truly an interesting place.

It's amazing how far acne victims are coming to found out about it themselves rather than visiting a Dermatologist that just wants to make more and more money on you and keep you coming back.

Sorry for the long post. If you have any questions message me.

I have used ProActive and it's worked for me.

i had horrible skin. i tired evrything there were two that worked really good the biore blemish fighting and the proactive worked like wicked good but was rather expensive.:D

has anyone tried the perscribed pills? just curious if they work

has anyone tried the perscribed pills? just curious if they work


Sammie, I use Doxycycline (oral pill) in addition to a topical solution and a nightcream (Differin). I wash with an Aveeno Acne Bar, and if my skin gets dry I use some Aveeno Lotion..The natural oatmeal one, I think. The combination of all of those have worked amazingly well. I tried proactiv but it didn't do anything...it actually make my skin worse in some areas. I still have some redness around my temples, but no more swelling or bumps or anything. I'm slowly going off the Doxycycline though. I started with 2 pills, one morning one night, and now i just take one each night. By February I probably won't take any at all. The sucky thing about the pills though is that you have to be real careful about waxing (eyebrows, for instance) and also sun exposure. But Using an spf 30 (I use Eucerin) when you're going to be out and about is beneficial to anybody.


It's also true that what you eat can affect your skin. Fast foods especially, and anything super high in grease. The chocolate thing isn't true for everybody, but I know someone who swears chocolate makes her break out. But the overall trend that I've seen tends to be that the healthier you eat, the clearer your skin is.

has anyone tried the perscribed pills? just curious if they work

I was on accutane when I was younger and it worked miracles. The only bad thing is the pill severly raises cholesterol, so I had to have mine checked every month. That was a tad bit of a pain, but other than that, I was impressed.

Cipro is another good one, I believe that is the one they used something for anthrax with. That also works really well.

Hey! ya i have acne also and i wish i knew what to tell you! :confused: I have probably tried everything there is to try: pills, creams, soaps,scrubby pads, etc etc.. but for me unfortunatly nothing has worked yet. ha even fell for ProActive (big mistake)! i mean sometimes things work for me but its temporary!! but hey, ive heard of people who used alot of the same stuff that i use and it worked for them(neutragena, proactive, clearasil, stuff like that) so it just really depend on your face and what kind of reaction your skin has with defferent medications. what im doing is trying different things to see if one just might happen to work!! :p and if you happen to find anything that works really good for you i would be happy to know!! ;) well good luck!!! :D

Meh. I have some pretty bad acne, too... unfotunately I have yet to find what works for me... I do know that changing your pillowcase regularly helps! xD

The thing with me is - I'd be too embarassed to ask to go to a dermatologist. Also, I dunno about anybody else, but Clean & Clear just makes me break out worse. O_o

Anyone have remedies for Backne??????

Meh. I have some pretty bad acne, too... unfotunately I have yet to find what works for me... I do know that changing your pillowcase regularly helps! xD

The thing with me is - I'd be too embarassed to ask to go to a dermatologist. Also, I dunno about anybody else, but Clean & Clear just makes me break out worse. O_o

Try using Polysporin (Sp?); it helped my "acne" a lot.

Anyone have remedies for Backne??????

Take hot showers every day, trust me, it works. I took showers every day but I never used to set the setting to hot -- it helped once I did.

You know what I just started using and it's already helping my acne noticeably? Bacitracen (sp?). It's like Neosporin, a cream/gel that helps prevent infections in cuts and things like that. I'm only using it on the larger blemishes, not the teeny ones. Has anyone else used something else like this to clear up acne, too?

I've had bad acne since I was 9. I had trouble finding things that would get rid or it or worked. I since then have stopped eating meat, drinking more water and using Proactive. For my face it works. It wasn't until I combined all of these things when the acne started to go away. I've only been using Proactive for two months and it took a while for it to start to clear up, but now my face is the clearest it's ever been.

For those of you have have had acne for years like me I would suggest that you keep trying different things.

Has anyone tried this stuff called Nature's Cure? Is an OTC pill and cream that is supposed to help with acne. I'm a tad hesitant to try it because of the pills, but I guess I'm willing to give anything a try once.

Has anyone tried this stuff called Nature's Cure? Is an OTC pill and cream that is supposed to help with acne. I'm a tad hesitant to try it because of the pills, but I guess I'm willing to give anything a try once.

I tried it years ago when it first came out. It didn't work for me, but it might work for you. So give it a try and if you don't notice any changes after a few months then try something else.

Has anyone tried this stuff called Nature's Cure? Is an OTC pill and cream that is supposed to help with acne. I'm a tad hesitant to try it because of the pills, but I guess I'm willing to give anything a try once.

I tried the back spray and it seems to help a lot. I didn't do the pills, but I think they're just vitamins and herbs, though I'm not sure. And I wouldn't take an herbal supplement without consulting with a doctor first to make sure it didn't interfere with anything.

I generally just shower every day with normal body wash and spray that stuff on a couple times a day. It does pretty well.

:rolleyes: Okay, my problem may sound really dumb but it's real so i would appreciate if you didnt laugh.

I got acne on face, chest, back and shoulder; but mostly on the face, i don't really care about my chest, back or shoulder cuz its not that much and its almost null. I got it for four years since now and I wouldn't say it is severe acne, i'd say its normal cause i see there are lots of teens like me out there.

But my problem is the consecuence of the acne; i got some psychological troubles too. For instance, i HATE talking in front of the class, because i'm afraid of what will others think of me. I haven't been with a boy for more than 2 days, i never snogged one, and i'm 14. I'm not saying that i consider myself stupid for not snogging a boy in my entire life, its more the fact that i cannot establish a normal relationship. I also got problems with making friends: i may hang out with lots of them but i feel really uncomfortable when some of them look at me, because they don't look at my eyes exactly (you know what i mean:( ) and it feels horrible. That's mainly why i invent excuses when they invite me out.

Although none of my friends laughs at my face, its awful when they look themselves at the mirror and say "oh look i've got A boil!" when they know i got hundreds. This really depresses me.

I tried a hundred medicines but none of them is efficient. Although the doctor said my problem is in the ovaries and i'm taking medicines, i don't see myself any better. I was about to start taking Accutane but finally i didn't cause i'm too young.

I talked about this to my dad and he just says i'm silly cause he is partly bald and he hasn't got any problems. My mum is much more comprehensive and she says that i don't have to mind that much my apperance, but who i am.

I know that i've been much worse than nowadays (2 years ago) but its ironic because i didn't care about my acne so much, although boys (not girls) made me feel bad when they laughed me.

I don't know what to do about the psychological problem, any advice would be appreciated. If you have a similar problem, please tell me, so i don't feel alone is this cruel world:rolleyes:
Thanks.

I know exaclty what you're saying.
I have some, too.
I went to the doctor and she prescript me a couple of medicines that really helped me.
I'm not completely heal but, a hundred times better then before.

:rolleyes: Okay, my problem may sound really dumb but it's real so i would appreciate if you didnt laugh.

I got acne on face, chest, back and shoulder; but mostly on the face, i don't really care about my chest, back or shoulder cuz its not that much and its almost null. I got it for four years since now and I wouldn't say it is severe acne, i'd say its normal cause i see there are lots of teens like me out there.

But my problem is the consecuence of the acne; i got some psychological troubles too. For instance, i HATE talking in front of the class, because i'm afraid of what will others think of me. I haven't been with a boy for more than 2 days, i never snogged one, and i'm 14. I'm not saying that i consider myself stupid for not snogging a boy in my entire life, its more the fact that i cannot establish a normal relationship. I also got problems with making friends: i may hang out with lots of them but i feel really uncomfortable when some of them look at me, because they don't look at my eyes exactly (you know what i mean:( ) and it feels horrible. That's mainly why i invent excuses when they invite me out.

Although none of my friends laughs at my face, its awful when they look themselves at the mirror and say "oh look i've got A boil!" when they know i got hundreds. This really depresses me.

I tried a hundred medicines but none of them is efficient. Although the doctor said my problem is in the ovaries and i'm taking medicines, i don't see myself any better. I was about to start taking Accutane but finally i didn't cause i'm too young.

I talked about this to my dad and he just says i'm silly cause he is partly bald and he hasn't got any problems. My mum is much more comprehensive and she says that i don't have to mind that much my apperance, but who i am.

I know that i've been much worse than nowadays (2 years ago) but its ironic because i didn't care about my acne so much, although boys (not girls) made me feel bad when they laughed me.

I don't know what to do about the psychological problem, any advice would be appreciated. If you have a similar problem, please tell me, so i don't feel alone is this cruel world:rolleyes:
Thanks.
Well, I don't know what to tell you about the acne, hon, cos I've got it too. I use "Clearasil Ultra" and it seems to work well, so you might want to try that.

This post is in response to your feeling bad because you're 14 and you've never kissed a boy. It's not a huge deal, trust me, I didn't actually kiss anyone until I was almost fifteen, so you're not alone there. It may not be that you can't establish a "normal relationship" but that you just haven't found the right guy yet. :)
-Rory

what seriously helped me, is using that makeup remover/cleanser from the Australian make-up brand "Napoleon". if you use it 3 times a day with a sponge or a scrub and then use an oil-free all natural organic moisterizer, it should clear up. i barely have any acne now. and if you have really big ones you want to get rid of one by one, at night use clinique's night acne treatment. it dries up the zit overnight.

if you want to use natural stuff, put egg whites all over your face like a mask, or you can put organic plain yogurt on your face, or even use lemon.

if absolutly nothing works, they've got these things you can do like getting shots, microdermabration, and some other stuff.

I decided to post some of the things that may help you against acne. Please try them and if they help, let me know.

1. Don't you EVER touch your zits/pimples/boils. Trust me, they look two times worse, last longer, and will leave a tiny scar. It's preferable to let them heal by themselves.
2. Go to a dermatologist. Do not use a medication just because a friend of yours did and worked for him, or because you saw an advertise. Different people = different skins = different treatment.
3. Do not use make up in excess. Just use it in emergencies.
4. If you put a cream just before going to sleep, sleep face up. If you don't the cream will be absorbed not by your skin but by the pillow. (Stupid but true)
5. Don't wash your face too much, just 2 o 3 times a day. Washing your face makes it look redder, at least for me.
6. Before starting any treatment, make a blood + hormone analysis. It will help to identify the root of the problem.
7. Drink lots of water. It will help to eliminate toxins.
8. Do not drink too much Coke, Pepsi or else that contains sugar. Your body has already got that.
9. You may eat chocolate. It has not been proved that chocolate has any effect on acne. In any case, don't eat too much.
10. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Don't take acne as a horrible thing but a good way of learning how do people feel and how not to treat people. You know what i mean.
11. Don't use the same towel your family uses to clean your face. Have one of your own.
12. About the sun. Well, some people say its good, others say its not. I say its not. Why? Because if you sunbath too much your skin will have some spots. Besides you are preventing skin cancer.
Use the highest protection. I admit that a little bit of sunbathing is good, but do not exaggerate.
13. When you take a bath, wash your face with a glycerin soap.
14. Don't touch your face too much. Your hand has more bacteria than your mouth. Don't make it look worse. If you want to know how is one of your zits, look at the mirror.


If you have more ideas for me to add, post it.
I hope it helps!

Has anyone here ever tried an isotretinoin therapy? I'm trying it right now and it really helps. I've only been taking those pills for a week but I can already see an improvement :D
Yes, it's not healthy and there are side effects, but it will make your acne go away, so I'd recommend it to you all :)

To any girls having acne problems, there's a birth control pill which helps fight ance. It's called Diane 35 Diario, I use it and it's really helped clear up my skin. I'd definantly recommend it!

Though I'm not sure if they just have it here in Spain or not. I'm sure if you ask your doctor he/she could recomend something like it if you don't have the same over where you live.

Hope that helps.

<3
- Nina

I had really bad acne, tried some medicines etc, didn't really work. Now I'm taking Minocycline tablets and using Dalacin T. Topical lotion. The lotion really helps me, all I worry about now is how red my skin can look occasionally - there are no spots on my face at all. If I forget to apply it though, things can get bad really quickly...anyways, I recomend it to anyone in the UK, might be named other things in other countries,

I had really bad acne, tried some medicines etc, didn't really work. Now I'm taking Minocycline tablets and using Dalacin T. Topical lotion. The lotion really helps me, all I worry about now is how red my skin can look occasionally - there are no spots on my face at all. If I forget to apply it though, things can get bad really quickly...anyways, I recomend it to anyone in the UK, might be named other things in other countries,
i live in the us and i had to take minocycline when i went through puberty so that is what that is named in the us...

To any girls having acne problems, there's a birth control pill which helps fight ance. It's called Diane 35 Diario, I use it and it's really helped clear up my skin. I'd definantly recommend it!
I've been on two types of birth control, and even though both of them increase estrogen levels, they've both helped to eliminate my acne, tremendously. Not sure how well it'd work for anyone else, but my doctor said it's sometimes a positive side effect. The first one I was on was Ortho Evra, but now I'm on the Seasonale. And (for anyone that's looking for a birth control and only four periods a year...) I recommend the Seasonale. It's amaz0ng.

End.

Has anyone here ever tried an isotretinoin therapy? I'm trying it right now and it really helps. I've only been taking those pills for a week but I can already see an improvement :D
Yes, it's not healthy and there are side effects, but it will make your acne go away, so I'd recommend it to you all :)

Same. I used to take those. It works really, really well. I recommend it to everyone on here too. After only 3 (!!) days (a few years ago) half of the acne on my face was gone. Your skin gets a bit dry, and so do your lips, but it's really worth it. Another advantage about it is that, seeing as your skin is pretty dry, you only have to wash your hair once or twice a week because it hardly gets oily.

Btw..the side effects of this one are claimed to be really bad, but don't take it too seriously. Even my dermatologist said lots of people are afraid of taking Isotretinion (better known as Roaccutane, btw) because of its side effects, and that's it's really unnecessary. A good, sane doctor gives you a reasonable dose (I had enough with 20 gr, and that's nothing really) and in that case, there's no need to worry.

The sun is actually good for your skin..
I have acne but in the summer when I'm outside in the sun my skin gets better :D
The sunbeams contains D vitamin which is really good for your skin but don't exaggerate with the sun and use sun block!!!

i have the same problem and for that i use a cream to clean my skin because normal shampoo dry skin too much and skin produce more fat than necessary so we have acne.

Use a good shampoo for skin for that effect ( clean the skin and don't produce more fat )
Use a cream for acne

A friend of my mother talk about lemons but i didn't try :\

( sorry the bad english :\ )

from my experience I used to get a few pimples during my early years of high school. I found that when I moved schools I got really stressed out and then I got these huge horrible pimples. For some reason my face is smooth and bump free now. From my experiences this is what I found about my skin.
- wash your face in the morning and night
- if you wear foundation almost everyday like me just make sure it all comes off in the night
- try cut down on the amount of junk you eat. (I've lost 10 kg and I'm picking healthy choices than junky choices of food)
- use a good face wash
- DO NOT touch your pimples or touch your face. jesus there's germs on alot of things you touch, so touching your face will only make it worse.
- water!
& if you still get pimples then I recomend like others to see a dermatologist.

acne... a big emphasis in my life.
I can't stand it! I do admit, that I don't suffer that much lately, but you can use ProActive solutions. It really helps!

Any miracle cure for back and shoulders? Mostly my shoulders are kind of obnoxious...my face is actually pretty clear as of now. I use Neutrogena Body Scrub but it doesn't seem to help too much.

Has anyone tried this stuff called Nature's Cure? Is an OTC pill and cream that is supposed to help with acne. I'm a tad hesitant to try it because of the pills, but I guess I'm willing to give anything a try once.

Nature's cure is a good thing to try to keep new breakouts at bay. You have to use something topically to get the breakouts you have now to clear up. I am using a spot treatment I concocted myself using AcneFree gel you can get at Wal Mart and some sublimed sulfur. Seems to dry em up in a couple of days, a week at most for those cystic under the skin things I rarely get anymore. I wash with a natural cleanser. No lanolins, fragrance, or funky chemicals, they just irritate acne conditions worse in some people, especially myself. Anyway,the NC pill you take daily is more than just a bunch of herbs and stuff, it is a fantastic blend of natural things that really help to balance hormonal flare-ups, a major cause of acne in females. Look up each ingredient and its use in natural medicine if you are unfamilar with them.

An even better product, which I use myself now after being happy with Nature's cure for awhile but one of the ingredients in it seemed to make me kinda cranky so I tried ClearAC by Hylands. This is the best natural acne pill on the market imho. It's main ingredient is hepar Sulphuris 6X.

Homeopathically this is known as an acne killer, even people with severe cystic acne have gotten really good results with hepar sulph 6X but 30X is the strongest and most effective against severe or cystic acne.

For severe cases of acne and the cystic kind, I would highly recommend the Hepar Sulph 30X 4 tabs twice daily(they dissolve under your tongue). You should start seeing major results within 2 weeks. Vitaminlife.com is just one of the stores that carries this little gem.

Both of these products are alot cheaper than anything the dermatologist will give you not to mention alot less likely to cause excessive drying and possible harmful side effects. Worth a shot before going to the derm at any rate.

Any miracle cure for back and shoulders? Mostly my shoulders are kind of obnoxious...my face is actually pretty clear as of now. I use Neutrogena Body Scrub but it doesn't seem to help too much.

See my previous post :p. I used to have it on my back and shoulders too, but it all went away pretty quickly thanks to Roaccutane.

Mine's been bad lately. I think I'm gonna go to a dermatologist :(

I am a person with bad acne I have tried pretty much everything but my doctor gave me a sample of a creme called Tazorac and it works.

I've tried many different things to get rid of my acne..with no luck. But, I've started swimming recently to get back in shape and I've noticed my acne has been drying up a lot. I think it's from the chlorine. It's not completely gone, but as weird as it sounds, I think the chlorine has helped it.

Has anyone ever used a product called "Acuzine"?

I've tried many different things to get rid of my acne..with no luck. But, I've started swimming recently to get back in shape and I've noticed my acne has been drying up a lot. I think it's from the chlorine. It's not completely gone, but as weird as it sounds, I think the chlorine has helped it.

It's not weird, actually pretty common for the chlorine in the pool to clear up your skin but it will not be permanent. In some people it can also clear it up for awhile and then suddenly start aggravating the skin so it breaks out worse.

Unfortunately, even dry skin can break out because the ph balance is not equal. Dryness produces more oil which in turn cause pores to clog worse, plus if you don't regularly exfoliate those dead skin cells they will back up into your pores and clog them as well. It is such a vicious cycle but the key to maintaining any results is to keep whatever causes your acne under control to begin with. This could be an oral or topical fix, just so long as you are constantly getting rid of the stuff that causes the pore congestion.

Alot of it is hormonal. Changing and raging hormones wreak havoc on the skin in all ages. In women, a good indication of hormonal acne is when you break out on your chin, cheeks and neck. Forehead breakouts are caused more from product usage, such as hair spray, conditioner, change in shampoo. If your nose tends to get a huge pimple it is more than likely a clogged pore that got irritated.Ingrown hairs in both guys and girls can also cause a condition that resembles acne, but isn't so therefore may not respond to things like Benzoyl peroxide and Salicylic acid.

If you wear liquid foundation there are tons of things in it that cause skin probs. Same with your face lotion. Lanolin, mineral oil, vegetable oil, fragrance, colors, all this stuff should be avoided when you have acne. It just irritates it badly.

I keep an eye on what suddenly causes me to breakout.Especially what foods I eat. Alot of times it's if I've had too much soda or dairy. Dermatologists and medical doctors tell people it is not their diets that cause breakouts but I disagree because of my own experiences. After awhile it becomes just more than mere coincidence.

For example, if I eat alot of chips or salty pretzels I usually get a few pimples. Why? Iodine, which is in salt is known to aggravate acenic skin.
Iodine, also present in dairy, and yup I get breakouts if I drink too much milk or eat too much ice cream. .Diet soda has the worst effect on my skin of all. I don't dare touch it.

I think if our body is not given good nutrition then our skin is gonna show it. At least it works this way with me.
If you eat crappy, take supplements and vitamins. It helps!

ok well i use proactive and its been really good for me
ive been using it for over three years
before i had acne really bad
now ill just get the occasional pimple
its not a completely miracle solution to acne
but it works well

Maybe this is just my skin, but I use Oxy cleansing pads and it just seems to make things worse. My advice is to stay away from those.

Here's my 2 cent's on the matter my friend had very bad Acne for like 2 year's.He never got any surgery all he did was put toothpaste on his face everynight yes toothpaste and over the coarse of that year it went.
oh my god never put toothpaste on a zit ! i did once when i was 13 and i left if over night and when i woke up it had BURNED my skin! i had to but stuff for burns on my face and had to wear it to school it was horrible! it took me about a month and half for the burn to fad! :mad:

as far as using make up, i started using bare minerals and it's been really good to me. works really well to cover up any redness, and it comes off with just soap so u don't have to use any make up remover (all of that makes my skin burn)

For me, Clean & Clear KILLS my face. It makes me break out more. I find generic acne wash the best for me. My face is so much clearer.

-ann

as far as using make up, i started using bare minerals and it's been really good to me. works really well to cover up any redness, and it comes off with just soap so u don't have to use any make up remover (all of that makes my skin burn)

Yep, minerals are great, even tho I can't use bare escentuals or sheer cover cause of bismuth allergy. I actually make my own without the mica and the bismuth because my fave e-tailer(Cory Cosmetics) seems to have CS issues at the moment and takes forever to get stuff out. So I found a recipe, the ingredients and tools to do it. Now I have years worth of foundation(minerals never expire,lol)and oodles of ingredients coming out my ears. Talk about economical too.

It is nice because I can make a formula that has better coverage( A stronger percentage of titanium dioxide) for breakout days and something that is lighter is for days when my skin is better( more Zinc Oxide, also a great sun protectant). I have 3 colors that I go between too, because no ones skin is ever the exact same color daily, especially mine, because I use lightening products for red spots and different serums that speed heals scarring.

oh my god never put toothpaste on a zit ! i did once when i was 13 and i left if over night and when i woke up it had BURNED my skin! i had to but stuff for burns on my face and had to wear it to school it was horrible! it took me about a month and half for the burn to fad! :mad:

agree-- it happened to me too :( and it HURT

I used to have really bad acne. Ever since I started using ProActive. Ive never had it again.

The results might not work as well on other people. but its worth a try. It worked really well for me.

ok i used to have really bad acne also because i was using everything under the sun on my face, but i finally decided to just use one face cleaner which is noxema (its really gentle and cleans great) and it calmed my face down ALOT it even took away the redness! now if i have a breakout i just put bakingsoda and water paste over my breakouts or i use this kool acne be gone stuff that i got a wal-mart. that works great 2, hope that helps!!!

To any girls having acne problems, there's a birth control pill which helps fight ance. It's called Diane 35 Diario, I use it and it's really helped clear up my skin. I'd definantly recommend it!


I'm definitly backing you up there. I used to have an horrible skin, I'd get those huge red zits all over my face, and they would never go away. I tried ProActive, many different creams (all recommended by my dermatologist), another birth control pill called Cyclen 28, but it didn't do any good.

Then, out of despair maybe, my mom and I went to see a gynecologist (I'm not sure if it's the right word in English, but anyway) and he told us about the Diane 35 birth control pill.

After a month, the biggest zits had gone away. After two, it was still getting better. After three months, I still had a lot of little annoying pimples, but that was it. After four months (which is like, now), the only thing left are some scars, but they're fading away too with the help of another cream. I still get a few annoying pimples, but only at "normal" times when I'm about to get my period (hormones dearest :rolleyes: ).

It took time, but my skin has gotten so much better now. It has worked the same with two of my friends, so I highly recommend it.

I had acne. My sister told me to use that glove thing with face wash and after i used the glove my pimples started bleeding then dried up and left bright red dried up pimples on my face. :mad: so yeah that i dont recomend.

For me, Clean & Clear KILLS my face. It makes me break out more.


Same here. Except the mosturizer really helps. So I've been using that and Noxema for about a month, and it's really been helping.

First off a word of warning. The clearasil ultra medicated wipes bleach your eyebrows so I'd avoid these.

Moving on. I haven't had the worst problems with acne compared to some, but there was a time in year 11 when it got shocking. Luckily it didn't last too long. I still don't know if it was caused by a tea tree oil based product a freind suggested I tried or if it was just when my hormones were at my worst.

These days my skins not bad. For a long time I used clearasil medicated wipes (the regular ones, I only tried the ultra once and that ended in disaster) and that pretty much kept the worst at bay.

At the moment though I'm not really using products aimed specifically at acne because my focus isn't on pimples but on trying to keep the pores on my nose clear and not clogged full of shit. Right now I'm using garnier pure range with clearasil ultra cream for individual spots that come up. It's doing the job well but the pores on my nose are still clogged full of shit and no amount of anything seems to change that. But yeah, if you do have a sever acne problem that probably won't do jack. I gotta say though, the pure A moisturiser is great cos not only is it oil free, light and bla bla bla but it fights impurities and all that crap. Plus it hydrates really, really well.

Something I have learned over the years though. For me at least, after a while my skin (like my hair) stops responding as well to what I'm using on it. I don't know why but that seems to be what happens. So these days when I empty a bottle I'll switch to something else I know works well. (usually its back to the clearisil wipes) and then switch back when I'm done with that.

i suffered from acne for a while. i had stuff on my face and on my back. i tried all the creams and stuff and whatnot. i then came across something on the internet and decided, hey, why not try it. just pick up a bottle of apple cider vinager. (i use bragg's organic) and apply it on the affected area with a wash cloth every morning and every night and drink at least two teaspoons of it a day. (it tastes very gross as you may have guessed so you can do what i do and mix it in with a glass of apple juice) it actually did help me quite a bit.

just drink a lot of water, and try and use a face wash from like clean and clear like once in the morning and once at night. Wash your sheets every four days(excessive, but your sheets can be a b