Best Acne Solutions?

[the_rev]

For some reason, the past week I have had more acne on my face then when I was in high school and well, I'm 21, a senior in college and don't like it. I googled acne solutions, but am not sure if what the company says actually works.

My question for anyone then is: What acne products have you used and were you satisfied? Did it go away for a while and then come back? I'll probably resort to buying something at walmart, but am looking for suggestions for what actually works.

Thanks for your help!

[Sojourner]

Pregnancy worked for me ... but that's not an option for you.

For years, I used a face wash daily, and a good quality toner and moisturizer. I used Aveeno products, primarily, and they worked relatively well. Age will help too.

I never used Proactive, but my sister did and was pleased with the results.

[Lilllabettt]

I use proactiv. It was the only thing that worked for me. Its expensive, but I found I only needed the step 1 "renewing cleanser" to stay zit free. So I go on ebay and order a huge bottle of that, a 6 month supply, for 30 bucks.

[Cherie]

I have a lot of experience with this issue, unfortunately! But I'm grateful I can give some advice to others, because it is no longer a problem for me.

Benzoyl peroxide is the most common over-the-counter medication. It's the same stuff in the "Proactiv Solution" you see on TV. Most dermatologists recommend it for an OTC solution to acne. It can be very drying to the skin, but it's very good at clearing up acne quickly. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to it, so it wasn't an option for me. If you decide to use this, be prepared for your skin to be dry. I would suggest using a good moisturizer with it - like Cetaphil (which is what my dermatologist recommended).

Salicylic acid is the second most common. Generally speaking, it doesn't work as quickly as benzoyl peroxide, but it worked very well for me after I was off my prescription and was not able to use benzoyl peroxide. I actually prefer it, because for me, it didn't dry up my skin as much, and seemed to work just as quickly for me as benzoyl peroxide would have.

For me, though, I had to go the prescription route. My doc prescribed differin gel (since the cream was a bit too strong for my sensitive skin) and Lokara brand (desonide is the drug name) lotion. Within like two weeks, my acne was COMPLETELY GONE. And I mean COMPLETELY. It was miraculous. I was on it for a while (probably longer than most) but I was so scared to go off it since it worked so completely.

Wash your face with a gentle, dermatologist-approved cleanser. Mine recommended Cetaphil face wash for sensitive skin. It worked marvels!

Some DON'Ts to help with acne:

DON'T use hot water to wash your face. Make sure it is lukewarm - hot water can irritate your face and make it worse.
DON'T scrub your face. This will irritate the acne and make it worse.
DON'T wipe your face with a towel to dry it. BLOT your face with a towel gently.
DON'T fret - it sometimes takes time for acne to go away, and stressing over it can actually make acne worse! In time, your face will be smooth and blemish free.

My doc told me to apply things like this: wash your face first, then apply moisturizer, then apply the acne medicine (for me it was differin first, then lokara lotion). It got to the point that I didn't need the acne medicine twice a day, so I would apply it only at night. Now I don't need any medicine, but I still use the Cetaphil face wash and the Cetaphil lotion everyday.

Anyway, hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions about it that I might be able to help with!

[Sojourner]

To add a couple of DOs to Cherie's list:

DO try to get enough sleep. My husband found a direct correlation between acne and too little sleep.
DO try to address stress in a constructive and healthy manner.

[Cherie]

Oh, and you can buy Benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid products at your local walmart or drug store. Just check the "drug facts" on the label and you'll know which is which.

[the_rev]

[quote name='Terra Firma' timestamp='1285944650' post='2177289']
To add a couple of DOs to Cherie's list:

DO try to get enough sleep. My husband found a direct correlation between acne and too little sleep.
DO try to address stress in a constructive and healthy manner.
[/quote]

Maybe this is the correlation for me as well. I have been going to bed anywhere from 15-45 minutes later than usual, which doesn't seem like a lot, but when you get up at 5:45 each morning, those are precious minutes.

Stress management is probably something I'm bad at, I'm not sure how I deal with stress to be honest, I run and exercise, so I hope that is dealing with it.

Thanks also to Cherie for her list, I'll write some stuff down for when I head out to Walmart today or tomrorow.

[Cherie]

ALSO I can't believe I forgot this -- try to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day -- that's 8 x 8oz which is 64 oz. You can even go over that. Of course, you don't want to drink [i]too[/i] much water (it can mess up your electrolytes and cause serious harm!) but most people are on the [i]other[/i] side of the spectrum, where they don't drink enough.

Yes, there's mixed research out there about the benefits of drinking 8 glasses of water a day, especially recently. But I know when I started to make sure I got enough water, my skin actually [i]FELT[/i] and [i]LOOKED [/i]better. I could tell I was getting dehydrated - it even makes my whole body feel better when I drink enough water. Water flushes the toxins from your system - I was told by a doctor that you should be drinking enough water everyday so that your urine runs clear. Hey, it's worked for me!

I was also told that caffeine "cancels out" water intake - so if you drink a can of soda, you should drink a glass of water to get back to 0.

[Fragments]

Well I've been on long term antibiotics for nearly 6 years now.

They tried everything, a lot of acid ones that work by removing the top few layers of skin and effectively burning out the bacteria. All sorts of peels, washes etc. I also was put on Yasmin, which is a form of The Pill (feels bad posting this on a Catholic forum) which helped more than the other ones, but made me feel very depressed and didn't help enough to warrant it.

Drinking more water always helps, as does spending a bit more time outside.

Even in the depths of winter, I'd drag myself out in the snow for an hour or so, really helps.

Ummm not sure if I need to say these ones, but obviously good cleanliness. Washing off after exercise etc really makes a difference. What you wear in bed sometimes affects your skin on your back and chest if you have any issues there. (Lighter wicking materials are the best)

But yeah, that'll do for now.

[Wikitiki]

I've always used tea tree oil and apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar fixes everything. Everything.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1285944422' post='2177286']
Salicylic acid is the second most common. Generally speaking, it doesn't work as quickly as benzoyl peroxide, but it worked very well for me after I was off my prescription and was not able to use benzoyl peroxide. I actually prefer it, because for me, it didn't dry up my skin as much, and seemed to work just as quickly for me as benzoyl peroxide would have.
[/quote]
this is what my derm recommended to me. i have acne cysts, which are impossible to get rid of (it seems)

[Micah]

[quote name='Fragments' timestamp='1285954427' post='2177322']
Well I've been on long term antibiotics for nearly 6 years now.

They tried everything, a lot of acid ones that work by removing the top few layers of skin and effectively burning out the bacteria. All sorts of peels, washes etc. I also was put on Yasmin, which is a form of The Pill (feels bad posting this on a Catholic forum) which helped more than the other ones, but made me feel very depressed and didn't help enough to warrant it.

Drinking more water always helps, as does spending a bit more time outside.

Even in the depths of winter, I'd drag myself out in the snow for an hour or so, really helps.

Ummm not sure if I need to say these ones, but obviously good cleanliness. Washing off after exercise etc really makes a difference. What you wear in bed sometimes affects your skin on your back and chest if you have any issues there. (Lighter wicking materials are the best)

But yeah, that'll do for now.
[/quote]

ME TOO!!

I used apple cider vinegar and all the other tricks in the book, toothpaste and polysporin on pimples, but it was a constant battle. I never had a close shave because it would irritate my skin even more. I've been taking minocycline now for 5 months(?). I don't think it's that expensive, but luckily I get it free. My skin is smooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth like ivory. It really really really was worth it. Except you need to stay out of the sun *hiss*

Normally people stay on minocycline until they're past the awkward teenager/young adult stage and everything calms down.. With guys especially, hormones can run rampant into the mid-twenties. = |


Anyways, I suggest you get it. Both doctors I've talked to were only too happy to prescribe it, and I haven't noticed any side effects. Some people experience headaches or dizziness, but that shouldn't be a problem if you drink h20.

Acne is a medical condition; treat it as such. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/like.gif[/img]

Edited October 1, 2010 by Micah

[Fragments]

[quote name='Micah' timestamp='1285973058' post='2177401']
ME TOO!!

I used apple cider vinegar and all the other tricks in the book, toothpaste and polysporin on pimples, but it was a constant battle. I never had a close shave because it would irritate my skin even more. I've been taking minocycline now for 5 months(?). I don't think it's that expensive, but luckily I get it free. My skin is smooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth like ivory. It really really really was worth it. Except you need to stay out of the sun *hiss*

Normally people stay on minocycline until they're past the awkward teenager/young adult stage and everything calms down.. With guys especially, hormones can run rampant into the mid-twenties. = |


Anyways, I suggest you get it. Both doctors I've talked to were only too happy to prescribe it, and I haven't noticed any side effects. Some people experience headaches or dizziness, but that shouldn't be a problem if you drink h20.

Acne is a medical condition; treat it as such. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/like.gif[/img]
[/quote]

Doxycyline. I can't go in the sun or drink really.

[Cherie]

[quote name='Micah' timestamp='1285973058' post='2177401']
Acne is a medical condition; treat it as such. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/like.gif[/img]
[/quote]

I definitely agree. I know some people who have let it go because they don't want to be "vain" or for similar reasons, but my mom always said, if you have acne, something is wrong, and you should treat it as a medical condition. Treating acne is not vain - it's the same as treating diabetes, or a broken leg, or any other countless medical problems we'd have no problem treating.

[Dave]

If you want a thorough system like ProActiv but would prefer the convenience of being able to get it at the drugstore, try one of AcneFree's systems -- http://www.acnefree.com/products/index.htm