Combating or at least minimizing effects of hormonal acne?

Jan 25, 2017

Alyx T.

This is going to be long so bear with me. Long story short I have been off birth control for about two months now (I ran out, thought I had refills but didnt and my Dr was on holidays and on vacation for December and now he's super booked up, so it was bad timing and bad planning on my part) and will not be able to get back on it till late January. I've always broken out on my chin/checks around my period but usually my skin is pretty good as long as I take care of it. But because I am off birth control my skin has been going nuts. I know it'll take a few months before it helps with the acne again so I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do till then?

My forehead is super congested, I'm getting red marks all over my cheeks, whiteheads on my tzone, and my blackheads on my nose and chin have just not gone away.

I have very very dry sensitive skin, but here's my current routine pre skin freak out
Tarte rainforest of the sea gel cleanser with my foreo luna 2,
Tarte tarteguard spf 30 during the day
Eucerin 5% urea replenishing face cream for extra dry skin
Clinque pep start eye cream
And a little bit of a mix of oils that I have been using for years

And for spot/blackhead treatments I use a stevia-a tretinion 0.025% cream at night or the clean and clear spot treatment gel

For masks I've been using the origins charcoal mask on any deep breakouts and blackhead areas and using the fresh rose face mask or the farmacy honey potion for hydration afterwards

I know obviously that I can't cure hormonal acne without regulating the hormones causing it, but until I can get back on bc and it starts working is there anything I can do to minimize the scaring and the marks left behind?

I was thinking about going to get a facial but I don't really know what kind would benefit me right now. I don't want it to be just a luxury thing I want it to help if I'm going to spend that money, as I'm on a much tighter budget than I was a few months ago.

I'm willing to pay to help my skin out, but effective cheaper products is always nicer on my wallet!

Jan 25, 2017

Leuca S.

A BHA product can work wonders. Paula's Choice makes the best on the market and they have multiple formulas for different skin types. The only thing I've tried that comes close is the Cosrx BHA liquid. Some of their formulas have solvent alcohol but that one product is quite good.

If you're really concerned about dryness though go with Paula's Choice. Their customer service is amazing too

Jan 25, 2017

Alyx T.

Is there anywhere to buy paulas choice in store? Buying online is always spotty for where I live, half the items don't make it here or they take months because of postal service strikes lol. I've heard nothing but good things about the brand so I definitely want to look into it. The only thing I'm worried about is that it'll be too much for my sensitive skin.

Jan 25, 2017

Leuca S.

They do sell in some Nordstrom locations, but I'm quite sure they would refund you if there was an issue with postage.

Jan 26, 2017

Alyx T.

We don't have any nordstroms here unfortunately. And a lot of the time they won't refund it unless it's clear who's fault it was. If it's just due to Canada post losing the package from the mass amount of undelivered packages they won't cover it. I'll look into it and see if I can find a local place to buy it. Thank you though :)

Jan 26, 2017

My Beautiful Flaws B.

I'm going to make a recommendation, but I don't know what's available in your country. First, you definitely need to add a proper acid toner to your regimen. I personally recommend the P50 Lotion. It's a cult favorite among the beauty community for a very good reason... it works! There are different formulations targeting different skin concerns from dry skin to oily skin, etc. You have to buy it from a spa or online spa, and I recommend calling them, describing your skin type, and they'll tell you exactly which formula to pick up. I got mine from Shop Rescue Spa, but I don't know if they ship to your area.

Next, I will share what I'm personally using (in addition to P50). A few months ago I went to a local med spa and the doctor prescribed a cream that is made by my local compound pharmacist. It's a combo of tretinoin (Retin A) 0.5, Vitamin C (l absorbing acid), and Hydroquinolone (to lighten scars and dark marks). The has to be kept in ththe refrigerator to preserve the vitamin c and is highly effective to treat acne while also brightening your skin and lightening any dark spots or pigmentation issues. The amazing thing was that it was cheaper to have it made by a pharmacist than to purchase Retin A alone. I paid $70 for a month supply/tube. I use this every 2-3 days. It's really strong but very effective.

Lastly, you may want to check around and see how much a light laser peel would cost in your area. This is a very light laser treatment/peel that requires no down time and doesn't hurt at all. It will gently remove the very top surface layer and leave your renewed skin below. I had one 2 months ago, and it was great when combined with an excellent skincare routine. They run around $200-300 in my area.

Good luck!

Jan 26, 2017

Alyx T.

Thank you for the time you took to write that! Unfortunately I have had really bad experiences with Toners, I had some prescription ones I tried with my derm and my skin was red irritated and itchy for months. And it was very gentle.
Prescription creams are covered here so those are actually best for me since I paid about 4$ for my tretinion. But that sounds like it would be a lot for my own skin. I unfortunately can't get into my derm without a referral from my doctor as it's been too long since I last saw him and I am not an active patient anymore. it's a two months wait to actually get the referral and be given an appointment (I hate the "they'll call you" system here Lol). I will be going to him asap but I will ask him about those and maybe if we build up with starting in a very very small dose and see if my skin can handle it.

That is too much for my current budget, I wouldn't be able to afford that and Canada is always more expensive. I looked at the closest spa to me and I was thinking about a 70$ facial but I don't know if that'll help especially since they don't have all the options online. Unfortunately that's about the max I could afford right now. Even then I'd have to wait till next month to afford it.

Thank you again though! That was very helpful