What's your best breakout remedy? My poor skin... I look like an aging teenager.

[Jacksmania]

Help!

My skin is having a trauma. A combination of too much stress, not enough water, possibly not the best dietary choices, and heat (heat here and quite a bit of hot yoga).

Most of the above are in the process of being remedied (not the heat - we need the sun, Western Canada has been soaked, and I love my hot yoga), but in the mean time, I need your favourite zit-fighting products.

I do have good stuff to clean, exfoliate and moisturize my face don't I just sound like a Clinique ad, but I need something powerful to calm down and dry up these painful red inflamed volcanoes that are making me miserable.

Seriously. I never went through this in my teens. WHY NOOOOOOWWWWWWW?????

[Fluffycloudland77]

Sudocreme at night, but it's best to leave astringent stuff off.

Dry crusty spots are difficult to cover.

[LineRunner]

I have to agree on the Sudocreme. It is a dull fact but this (relatively) cheap boring stuff works the best.

Love, from a fellow sufferer. x

[KnittedWaffle]

Another Sudocrem devotee here. I recently had the most horrendous skin 5 months post natal - huge sore boils/spots all over my face. They were gone in a week even though I picked them

[minibmw2010]

Sudocream or witch hazel work well For me

[eviekingston]

Clinique anti blemish solution - can't remember proper name but it's in a little bottle about 4"" high, cost about £15 if I remember rightly but you only use a TINY bit. Can be very drying but I think it's really effective if you use it sparingly.

[Jacksmania]

My Sudocrem days are behind me :o (DS is 5.5) but I'll go get some. My local chemist's also has Clinique. Thank you!

Until I get there, I'll try lemon juice.

[BoomChicaBoom]

Something else that I've found to work well is Origins spot remover or something like that - comes in a little blue bottle. Best overnight though and can sting a bit if an open wound, but it works!
Or, put some crushed up aspirin on it, which is salicylic acid - the active ingredient in many spot creams.

[Feathercroft]

Aloe vera Gelly applied as often as need. Works!

[westendgirl780]

La Roche posay effaclar range, especially the duo treatment. Cannot recommend enough, miraculous stuff.

[ChocolateCremeEggBag]

Tea tree oil applied straight on them - vv harsh but it does seem to calm down an outbreak

[lavenderpekins]

A course of antibiotics is the only thing thats helped me.. I was the same, great skin as a teenager then pregnancy and turning 30 - bam - worst skin ever!

[freerangeeggs]

I have suffered from shitty skin my entire life. The best thing for a breakout is TCP.

I know it's not FDA approved so you can't buy it in the US; not sure about Canada though.

[SummerRainIsADistantMemory]

I tried everything and it just kept getting worse. I mentioned it to my gp and she took one look and said it looked like acne so put me on 3 months of tetralysal. I've only been on it a few weeks but my skin is improving gradually.

Gutting though, I got through my teens with perfect skin and now I have bloody acne as an adult!

Ask your doctor to have a look, if it's bacterial in origin no creams will help, you need a course of abs.

[JackieTheFart]

Rose water is good if tea tree is too harsh. I only use tea tree direct on MASSIVE zits now, but luckily I am not prone to breakouts.

I did have shitty skin as a teen though, so don't feel too jealous!

[Jacksmania]

Ok, have got the Clinique spot treatment, and also bought their tinted spot clearing stuff for day time.

Let's see how this works. Will keep the LaRoche Posau line in mind though!

I don't think I could bring myself to take antibiotics for several months. Due to complications with DS's birth I had several courses of ABs in the first few months and my insides suffered enormously. It was so bad, I think I'd rather put stuff on my face first and see how that works.

[Yama]

I gave up sugar in January and my skin has never looked better. I'm talking bread, pasta, anything processed.

I used to think breakouts were caused by stress but in my case it was definitely sugar.

[Jacksmania]

I am going to vastly improve my diet as soon as the long weekend is over (Canada Day holiday tomorrow, no point in starting this w/e) and I know that helps. Helps with PMT, too, which is really bad this month.

freerangeeggs, apparently I can order TCP on Amazon! And from some British expat sites. It's really that good??

[freerangeeggs]

TCP is great. It really helps to stop blemishes forming too. And for the price I think it's definitely worth a try.

I always stick some on after I squeeze too :P

[Jacksmania]

Klaxon!!!! :o

Ok, going to order some.

[Kahu]

Hey Jacks!

The Clinique Spot treatment gel stuff is great - just put it on the blemishes though, not all over.
I have been washing my face with Burts Bees Willow Bark face wash & it's lovely & fresh in this heat. Willow Bark is where salicylic acid comes from IIRC.

Neurogena 3-in-1 Stress Control Spot Treatment is also fab - also contains salicylic acid & is a very light gel/lotion moisturiser - perfect for summer.

Also really recomend those Clarisonic brush things - you can get them at Sephora & the Bay. Expensive but amazing for problem skin.

Is your sunscreen causing breakouts too? Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Water Light from Shoppers is the only one I have found that doesn't cause massive breakouts on my face & believe me & have tried them all!

I recently started using Rocky Mountain Soap face products on my crappy skin & the results have been amazing. The cleanser is oil-based so I'm not liking it so much in this weather but the toner is gorgeous in the heat. Sorry too hot & bothered to do links!

[50shadesofmeh]

Elemis lavender repair mask always calms down my breakouts and la Roche posay effaclar duo is good too.

[QuinnFabray]

Yes, La Roche Posay Effalcar. It's changed my skin.

[Jacksmania]

Thanks all!

More good things to put on the to-try list :)

[AlwaysSleepingBeauty]

LaRoche Posay Effaclar AI is the first spot treatment I've ever found that works and also doesn't make the area of skin look like red sandpaper.