Help! Acne.

Jul 9, 2011

Erica H.

I have such bad acne on one side of my face. Yeah, you know how they say everybody has a 'good side' of their face, this is especially true for me lol. I have tried so many different products to clear it up, but it will not go away and I'm starting to get fed up with it because all I want is clear skin! :( I don't even understand why I have acne because I have dry skin and I thought acne happened mainly to people with oily skin. I do have really oily hair, but I try to keep it off my face all the time. I wash my face two times a day. Oh! And the acne happens all times of the month, not just when I'm on my period so I know it's not that that's causing it. I try not to wear too much face makeup to let my skin breathe. Anyways, I was wondering if y'all have any holy grail acne cleansing products that y'all could recommend? Or any tips or anything! I need all the help I can get at this point!

Jul 9, 2011

Mai L.

Acne happens to every type of skin unfortunately. Okay, consider the cleanser you use when you're washing your face. Try a cream cleanser instead of a foaming one. How often do you wash your towels and change your pillowcase? I found that changing my pillow case often helped to stave off the acne. How often do you moisturize? Personally I love the Clean and Clear Persa Gel but that is some strong stuff, and it can be very drying which wouldn't be great for you.

If you're having that much trouble, consider going to a dermatologist. They can prescribe you antibiotics to help with the acne. You can also consider birth control but be aware that using antibiotics while on birth control lowers the effectiveness of birth control.

Hope this helps!

Jul 9, 2011

Kimberly H.

Erica, bless your heart...since the acne is one side of your face think about this. Do you touch that side more often or rest your hand on that side frequently? Do you sleep on that side more than the other side. The oil from your hands could be a cause or since you have oily hair, it could be the oil from your hair onto your pillow. Unfortunately I did not experience acne so I don't have a recommendation for you but there are many budget friendly products available like ProActiv, Clean & Clean. I'm sure some other beauties will chime in soon to offer their advice. Good luck to you...

Jul 10, 2011

Erica H.

Thank yall for the advice!

Jul 10, 2011

Soma S.

Dry skin prone to acne usually means you could be stripping it with the cleansers you've chosen.

I thought I had oily skin for YEARS... stripping it away with salycilic acid, glycolic acids, etc... and it only made it worse. Then it started to get dry in certain spots... I've used everything from drug stores and high-end counters: creams, exfoliators, foaming cleansers, bar soaps, etc.

I accidentally bought a bottle of Cetaphil for sensitive [I had the most results w/ this up at this point] and my skin got 10x's better after use. I used it, but it left an undesireable film on my face I did not like.

After doing some more research, and reading the product recommendations on www.inmykit.com, I found CeraVe: a drugstore brand with ceramides in it. I bought their cleanser and PM lotion, and it did wonders for me. My skin was hydrated, my breakouts stopped, and my skin's texture improved within a month dramatically.

I realized over time I was doing more damage than good due to my desperation in wanting to fix my face. I also realized I was not "oily" - but combo/sensitive after lessening the harsh products being used on my face.

Give it a try. Gentle cleansers like CeraVe and Cetaphil work well, but you just have to have patience. I've experienced cleansers that cleared me up too quickly, only to have my face retaliate in an explosion of break-outs... so I can understand how frustrating it can be. Just have patience, and choose something gentle enough so your face doesn't hate on you by breaking out again. I hope this helps. =)

CereVe PM lotion and their cleansers can be found at Target for about $12

Jul 10, 2011

Erica H.

Thanks Soma! I think I'm actually gonna try that CeraVe stuff. I keep seeing you rave about it so much so it must be good!

Jul 10, 2011

Jamie D.

CeraVe is amazing! Cleansers are not on your face long enough for the acne fighting ingredients to be absorbed into the skin, so a gentle cleanser is a must for every skin type. I think you should also change your pillowcase often because it sounds like it could be causing the breakouts if the side you sleep on is the side with acne. To treat the breakouts you need leave on products so they can be absorbed. I love Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne stress control for all over my face. It is a 2% salicylic acid product that has no irritants, which is perfect for my crazy sensitive skin. Just put it on after cleansing and before moisturizer once or twice daily

Jul 10, 2011

Soma S.

^That is a completely great point, Jamie! Also, remember to clean your cell phone if you're an avid phone user! The worst ones are the newer style touch screen phones like the iPhone or DROIDs.  

Jul 10, 2011

Jamie D.

Thanks Soma! I agree about cleaning the cell phone as well.

Jul 10, 2011

Angelique D.

I had this problem too. I didn't have a lot of acne, but I'd have breakouts. I used proactiv for 6 months, it worked but I don't think it necessarily prevented pimples because I would have one or two at a time sometimes. I switched recently to No Zit Sherlock by Bliss. It can be found at Sephora for $30. I had absolutely no pimples while using this product. Whenever I feel one about to emerge, the next day it was gone because of the product. It has probiotics in it which eats up bad bacteria that are in your pores that cause acne. TRY IT!

Jul 10, 2011

Erica H.

Thank yall all for the advice! I have a droid but i dont really hold it to my face much, but im definitely going to be changing my pillow case more often bc the break out is on the side of my face i usually fall asleep on. Also gonna pick up CeraVe or Cetaphil bc right now im using a Clean & Clear one...I forget which...its orange and supposed to help with acne so I bought it. Every time I use it though it makes my face burn so I'm guessing, like Soma said, I'm just being way too rough on my skin.

The advice and product recommendations are very much appreciated! :)

Jul 10, 2011

Jamie D.

Irritation can cause acne by breaking down the skin barrier, which introduces acne causing bacteria. Your cleanser is probably making your acne worse because it is irritating your skin. You should never feel pain or ANY sensation from your skin care because it is a sign of irritation.

Jul 10, 2011

Jane A.

I cant thank Soma enough! With the help of my dermotologist and Soma's recommendation of CeraVe (and Mandy K's recommendation of WH and switching to mineral make up) my skin cleared dramatically!!!

I love CeraVe!! I love the PM lotion too! But I do like the AM lotion as well. Most moisturizers witg SPF have that sunscreen smell or is greasy, but a pea size of the AM lotion in the morning helps me fight UV rays and regenerates my skin. LOVE CERAVE!!!

If you want go to ther website to find a $1 off coupon!!

I can't say it enough... TY Soma. 

Jul 10, 2011

Erica H.

@Jamie D - And I use that acne wash 2 times at night when I wash my face. Once to get the makeup and dirt off and then i wash it one more time. Agh! Looks like I'm doing this skin care thing all wrong! Thank you!

Jul 11, 2011

Kristen D.

I feel ya girl. I only get breakouts on my chin and I used to get a lot of them. Now I am pretty much free of breakouts because of two miracle products. 1 is LUSH's fresh pharmacy face wash. I use it a little differently than they recommend. I scrape of a dime size amount and create a paste with it in my hand and rub it all over my face. It works as a cleanser and exfoliate because it has chunks of the product in it. I use that for about a month and then I use Patricia wexler acne cleanser and scrub for a month and I just rotate every other month. I also think the love lettuce mask from LUSH works wonders as well.