Acne help?
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Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:20 am

I've had severe acne since I was 14 or 15 (21 now) and I'm getting tired of it. I've tried various products over the years. While they do clear my skin some, I tend to breakout worse than before I started using the product. The only thing I've found that doesn't make me break out so bad is the Yardley London soap. But I still break out after continuous use. Is this a normal thing or do I need something stronger?

Even though I'm a guy, I'm completely okay with "girly" products.

free skin care · Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:53 am

Did you use drugstore acne products? A lot of them contain chemicals which will irritate your skin. Also, what shampoo do you use? Drugstore shampoos contain sulfates, and I've read sulfates can aggravate acne-prone skin. I've switched to Aubrey Organics shampoo two days ago, and used it for the first time yesterday. It doesn't lather well and it's not very cost-effective for the number of uses I'll get out of the bottle (I have long hair) but I'll willing to try anything.

Right now I'm using NCN Acne Charcoal Soap, which is working pretty well. I've also just received the following soaps today:

Vegetable Based Grandpa's Thylox Acne Treatment Soap with Sulfur

Ingredients:
Active Ingredients: Sulfur 3%
Inactive Ingredients: Sodium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate*, Water, Glycerin, Fragrance, Titanium Dioxide, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Pentasodium Pentetate, Cosmetic Orange Oxide.

One With Nature Dead Sea Mineral Dead Sea Mud Soap

Ingredients: Saponified palm and palm kernel oils, dead sea mud, vegetable glycerin, citric acid, shea butter, dead sea salt, cinnamon, salt and vitamin E.

Pure Life Volcanic Clay Soap

Ingredients: Organic coconut oil, organic palm oil, organic natural volcanic clay, organic herbal extracts, organic sesame oil, organic olive oil, organic essential oils and pure spring water.

I also got Desert Essence Gentle Nourishing Organic Cleanser.

Ingredients: Pyrus malus (apple) juice*, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*, water (aqua), potassium hydroxide, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil*, sesamum indicum (sesame) seed oil*, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil *, citrus sinensis (sweet orange) oil*, guar gum* aloe barbadensis leaf juice *, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract*, cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract*, nasturtium officinale extract (watercress)*

Maybe you could try using an organic cleanser in the morning and then a soap with charcoal, sulfur, or mud at night to avoid over-drying your face. At night, you could also try steaming your face over the sink (with a towel over your head) and then applying a soap and letting it dry for a minute before rinsing it off.

free skin care · Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:14 pm

Lots of questions instead of product suggestions ... Confused

Where on your face are your breakouts, and does your skin tend to be oily/ dry/ dehydrated/ combination? Do you shave daily or let shampoo or conditioner run over your face in the shower? Do you use hair styling products or unconsciously sit with your face in your hand? Be sure to wash your bed linen, towels and washcloths frequently as these can harbour bacteria or distribute products from hair or body to face.

If acne-fighting products are making you breakout, it's quite possible you have an underlying sensitivity or have damaged the protective acid mantle/ stratus corneum. If so you may find the solution is what you take out of your routine rather than what you add. Try a cleanser that doesn't contain alkaline soaps, sulphate surfactants, benzoyl peroxide, alcohol or exfoliants. If water-based, be sure the pH is slightly acidic (skin is ~5.5). Some people with acne rave about the Oil Cleansing Method, you might consider this?

Last thought is to note that acne is an inflammatory condition; is your diet anti-inflammatory and your lifestyle anti-stress?

free skin care · Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:25 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

is your diet anti-inflammatory

Could you elaborate on that? Or post some links? What are inflammatory foods? And how do they affect the body?

free skin care · Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:38 pm

onmyboat wrote:

Firefox7275 wrote:

is your diet anti-inflammatory

Could you elaborate on that? Or post some links? What are inflammatory foods? And how do they affect the body?

Acute inflammation is a normal part of the healing process and fighting off infections - damaged tissue is broken down and new stuff is made. Much of the time we don't see or feel inflammation because it takes place at the cellular level. Chronic inflammation is the mediating factor in a whole raft of disease states as well as skin ageing: it's destructive. Free radicals and antioxidants are believed to be part of the inflammatory process.

Anything that puts the body under stress can be inflammatory (smoking, drugs, poor sleep patterns, under or overweight, sedentary or overexercising, UV exposure, restrictive diets, life events). Pro-inflammatory foods: sugar, white refined carbs, soda, alcohol, caffeine, saturated and trans fats, many omega-6s, larger portions of animal protein. Anti-inflammatory foods: fruit and veg (inc. pulses), long chain omega-3s from oily fish, seed oils rich in GLA, monounsaturated fats, low glycaemic index wholegrains, nuts and seeds. Your basic healthy lifestyle, which few patients achieve and even fewer doctors seem to address. Laughing

Eating this way also helps with hormone imbalances and maximises healing which mops up many conditions not covered under 'inflammatory/ immune'!

Will hunt out some links relevant to skin stuff and edit.

Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:05 pm

There are two great articles on how to tackle acne at oaktreevintage.wordpress One touches on cystic acne which is the most common with many people now and days due to hormones and there is another on how to maintain clear skin with brewers yeast. It helped me out tremendously, i really recommend reading these two stories.

Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:42 am

Firefox7275 wrote:

Lots of questions instead of product suggestions ... Confused

Where on your face are your breakouts, and does your skin tend to be oily/ dry/ dehydrated/ combination? Do you shave daily or let shampoo or conditioner run over your face in the shower? Do you use hair styling products or unconsciously sit with your face in your hand? Be sure to wash your bed linen, towels and washcloths frequently as these can harbour bacteria or distribute products from hair or body to face.

If acne-fighting products are making you breakout, it's quite possible you have an underlying sensitivity or have damaged the protective acid mantle/ stratus corneum. If so you may find the solution is what you take out of your routine rather than what you add. Try a cleanser that doesn't contain alkaline soaps, sulphate surfactants, benzoyl peroxide, alcohol or exfoliants. If water-based, be sure the pH is slightly acidic (skin is ~5.5). Some people with acne rave about the Oil Cleansing Method, you might consider this?

Last thought is to note that acne is an inflammatory condition; is your diet anti-inflammatory and your lifestyle anti-stress?

My breakouts are pretty much all over except for my forehead. My skin is oily if I down't wash my face. I shave every few days because I've noticed that I do break out if I shave consistently. I don't style my hair and I try to stop myself from touching my face.

I've been using the Yardley London oatmeal and Almond because my skin actually feels clean after using it. I just check the ingredients, and it doesn't have any of the stuff you've listed. I'm working class. I basically buy what's on sale, most of the time anyways.

Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:30 am

onmyboat wrote:

Firefox7275 wrote:

is your diet anti-inflammatory

Could you elaborate on that? Or post some links? What are inflammatory foods? And how do they affect the body?

I am one of those suffers whom believes in trying things which others would consider 'fringe' in terms of treatments. One of these sometimes 'fringe' remedies is relating to the way we think about what we eat. I am a firm believer in what we consume has a direct impact upon our bodily functions particularly when it comes to our skin. There are a number of websites which participate in this treatment acneclearings dotcom is a good one (can't post links so need to C&P). It is worth exploring how diet can have a dramatic impact upon acne and if treated from the inside using this type of technique it is possible to get rid of acne for most people. Very Happy

free skin care · Thu Dec 15, 2011 9:53 am

Callahan wrote:

My breakouts are pretty much all over except for my forehead. My skin is oily if I down't wash my face. I shave every few days because I've noticed that I do break out if I shave consistently. I don't style my hair and I try to stop myself from touching my face.

I've been using the Yardley London oatmeal and Almond because my skin actually feels clean after using it. I just check the ingredients, and it doesn't have any of the stuff you've listed. I'm working class. I basically buy what's on sale, most of the time anyways.

The main ingredient in the Yardley denotes a traditional soap, so I suspect it is alkaline. Alkaline products strip the skin's protective acid mantle and kill bacteria (good or bad) but leaves you vulnerable to subsequent infection from weak opportunistic bacteria. On the plus side it has few ingredients, which is interesting taken alongside the fact that it is causing you fewer problems that other commercial products (?hidden sensitivities?). The shaving is another good clue because this also strips the protective acid mantle/ stratus corneum. Oil production may be hormonal or the skin trying to protect itself from harsh chemicals or a combination.

IMO it would be worth trying try a really basic non-comedogenic (does not block pores) cleansing and moisturising routine using products that respect or restore the protective surface layer, with ingredients have healing properties or are naturally found in healthy skin. It is possible your acne could worsen before it improves as the skin flora readjusts. What is your diet and lifestyle like?

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