Running Out of Options..

Sep 18, 2015

Sarah H.

So, I did not have any issues with acne all throughout my teen years, besides the occasional breakouts in high school. I used proactive on my high school breakouts and it worked. I quit using it after my skin cleared up and stayed clear for awhile. That was at least 6 years ago. I did not have any more issues with acne (besides a few occasional zits) in the past 6 or 7 years, but about a year ago my acne breakouts started at moderate and would come and go, but more recently they have been permanent breakouts. As soon as one zit begins to heal, another comes and so on and so forth. All of this acne is around my mouth and chin. I have a hard time feeling confident doing my job. I feel self conscious all of the time. I work in a job where I am constantly speaking to and assisting guests and my customer service is extremely important in satisfying our guests. I just want to run and hide sometimes because I get so self conscious of the area around my mouth and chin.


I have literally never had an acne issue as bad as this one and it hit me out of no where. I am the least stressed I have ever been, I do physical activity all day long, I have been sleeping better, and absolutely nothing detergent wise or fragrance wise has changed, but all of a sudden it's break out after break out.

I tired proactive again. Fail. I tried Nuetrogenas acne regimen. Fail. I tried Biore. Fail. The lists of fails goes on and on.

After my failures with all of the store bought acne cleaners I tried the more home remedy route... Tea tree oil? Fail. Spot treatment with Neosporin? Fail. Lemon juice? Fail. Cinnamon and honey? Fail.

They say stick to a skin care regimen for awhile. I've given most of the regimens a month before I've given up.

I'm running out of options here. Can anyone suggest a cleanser to help bring all of the built up stuff out of my pores, instead of just getting the surface of my skin?
I feel like in order to get clearer skin it needs to be deeper than just fighting the acne on the surface.
And a moisturizer that won't leave my skin feeling oily, but also won't be ineffective to my dry skin.

More than anything, I just want a fresh face. One that I don't feel like I have to hide behind makeup. I want to feel more confident while doing my job so I can do the best I can. I'm not afraid of what people think when they see my breakouts. I don't really care what people think, but I'm afraid of what I think when I see my own breakouts and it lowers my self confidence greatly.

I would appreciate any sort of suggestions at this point, because I am running out of options.

Sep 18, 2015

Andrea Q.

Hi Sarah! the post was really detailed, so thanks for that. sometimes our akin just changes with age, and acne can be tied to hormonal changes. I have serious combo skin and have never had issues with acne until my early 20's. I have whitheads and blackheads with the occasional pimple (blemish) like you I've probably gone thru 10 different brands. until I found one that will never compare! it's a french brand called La Roche Posay. yes, its expensive, but let me tell you that with the cleanser , acne treatment and serum, it only took a little over a month for my skin to loose its texture, oiliness and blackheads, I swear. the formulas are super hydrating but light weight and they have different lines for different issues. I encourage you to check the brand out or locate your nearest CVS and purchase the acne solution kit for fore you invest in the full line. I hope you can get to a place where you feel great again.

Sep 18, 2015

NiK I.

Okay so first off you are beautiful make that very beautiful I know you probably don't believe me right now but you are :-) we all have those things that bring down our selfesteem for example I have a very big forehead it actually should be called a sighead lol I could go on but I don't wanna waist your time so here are some ideas I came up with


Another reason why you can?t get rid of acne may be because you do not wash your face very often. It is a known fact that you have to wash your face and practice good hygiene to get rid of acne. I can?t see why you would not want to wash your face
change your pillowcase every night or at lest lay a towel don't the way no extra oil will get on your face
try and find some cover up the has acne medication in it I think clean and clear
be sure that you use makeup as little as possible wash your face once for taking off your makeup and again to really clear your face I have a face brush and it really gets the job done I'd go and see a skin doctor because he or she will know exactly what kind of acne and how to treat it they may suggest that you go on acne pills I don't really trust that but your call I really think a dermatologist could help I hope I gave you some helpful advice and please let us know how it goes xo

Sep 18, 2015

Alicia M.

I have noticed a huge difference drinking green tea everydsy taking coffee out of my diet, I use a cleanser called panoxyl it has 10%benzoyl peroxide you can buy it online it's not available in Canada, also I been getting chemical peels done from my dermatologist I have noticed a huge difference in my skin o also take birth control pills to help my acne it has done an amazing job as well also your body changed every 7 Years I got new allergies recently I was never allergy to anything now I am I also broke out like crazy if could be your body changing hope I helped!!:)

Sep 18, 2015

Michelle S.

I had acne in high school and I understand. It's a pain in the butt and a real confidence killer. The girls above gave great advice. I use a brand called Avene. I have rosacea as well (lucky me), and I find that it's calmed the irritation. They also have an acne line, so I suggest looking into that. Sometimes, it's going to take longer than a month to see results, so stick with whatever product you choose a bit longer. I also used EpiDuo, which is a prescription topical cream. Talk to a dermatologist if you can.

Sep 18, 2015

Rissa G.

I feel your struggle! I had the best skin all throughout highschool, but as soon as I turned 19 the breakout started happening! its so annoying! Mine isn't as bad anymore but I have scars to remember that one crazy year of breakouts ugh. I hope you find something that helps you because I know how uncomfortable and insecure it makes you feel. One of my favorite face washes personally is The Body Shop's green tea skin clearing cleanser! when my skin got bad, that really helped diminish existing pimples and prevented more breakouts!

Sep 18, 2015

Rissa G.

Also I reccomend drinking green tea! I feel like it has done wonderfully for my body in general. I drink it every day in the morning!

Sep 18, 2015

Roz X.

^^^Yes! Also, making a cool rinse to splash and soothe your face with it. Have you seen a derm or consulted with a ln Esthetician? I'd steer clear of any fragrance..including fragrant oils as they can be highly irritating. You may want to talk to your doc about birth control targeted at helping acne as well.

Sep 18, 2015

Natalie D.

Witch hazel is my go to, I have a similar problem to yours and its made all the difference but you should see if your allergic first and clean and clears face wash and a face brush really help if you do that and rinse your face before doing a toner

Sep 18, 2015

Lisa S.

I recommend ditching the drugstore cleansers. Those always make me breakout more. I really recommend trying a Clarisonic. It has made my skin so much better! Its expensive but worth every penny, I've been using it everyday for 3 years now. But you have to make sure you use it consistently (I only use mine once a day @ night) and that you have the right brush head for your skin type (I use the delicate). Make sure you are removing your makeup before cleansing your face and make sure you have a good routine that you do every night without skipping.

Sep 18, 2015

Sarah H.

Thank you all for your suggestions! I never really thought about changing my pillow case every night (washing my sheets and pillow cases as we speak). I will let you all know what I end up trying and how it works out. Thanks again!!

Sep 18, 2015

Sarah H.

Oh, and I'm for sure investing in some green tea.

Oct 30, 2015

Sarah H.

Update:

I finally consulted my dermatologist after my acne continues to worsen. She has prescribed me 100mg of Minocycline once a day and Clindamycin Phosphate and Benzoyl Peroxide Gel. I have been instructed to continue the use of my AcneFree continuos release face wash. It is now day 4 on this new skin regimen. A little bit of improvement, but nothing monumental. I'm hoping in the weeks and months to come that things start to get better. I just hope that the side effects don't outweigh the benefits.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!