To ask what you use on acne?

[Leo86]

I have acne. It's bad. GP is shit and keeps wanting to put me on the pill so does the NHS dermatologist. I can't go on the pill (migraines) and I don't want to poison myself with roacutanne etc.

I am wondering what product you use to bring down redness/inflammation etc.
I read some good things about Dermatologica products. Any other suggestions?

I am well aware these products won't resolve the problem but I least will help with the ichy redness and pain.

I highly recommend Paula’s choice skin products for acne and keratosis Pilaris also

-YY to cutting out dairy (when I have "cheat days", and have e.g a cheese toastie, my skin lets me know about it!)
-Lush Ultrabland Cleanser
-La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo

It's hard to say which one of the three is my "miracle" (I've never had such clear skin in my life) though I suspect cutting out dairy has had the biggest effect, since my acne is hormonal too and dairy is full of hormones.

Good luck; I know it can be so upsetting.

Take a high quality probiotic. Don't use anything with fragrance. Be very gentle with your skin, no foam, use oils. Don't use manual exfoliants.

My son uses Acnecide and I've really seen results.

I cut of probably 95% of my dairy intake and my acne just vanished within a few days.

Roaccutane was the only thing that worked for my poor son- took a while but amazing results. Hope it hasn't poisoned him. he has scarring already and so glad we started it when we did.

Payot Pate Grise?

Spilledmycoffee Thu 16-Aug-18 09:45:10
Have you tried acnecide?
It kills the bacteria that cause acne.

I don't know if it would work for acne, but I've used anti-bacterial handwash for years to wash my face and it keeps spots under control, I suffer from the greasy T and chin thing. It seems to be working for the teen DC too who have now hit the spotty phase, although so far neither of them have developed what I think of as acne. We mix it with regular handwash for face washing. Although dabbing it on neat on really bad spots helps clear them up quicker.

I have PCOS as well. When I was 35 I finally found a gyno that knew something about it besides the infertility issues. He recommended the GI diet, as when you have PCOS your body cannot handle sugar very well. I now eat very little carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes, white bread, candy, cakes) and I can proudly say that I now spend a lot less time on my personal hygiene .

No seriously. I had always suffered from black heads to an extreme degree and now I don't have them at all and I only have a little bit of acne a couple of times a year when I have my period. Luckily, I really like vegetables and meat, so it hasn't been difficult to change my diet. It took me a while to get used to using sweeteners in my tea instead of sugar, but now I don't like sugar in my tea anymore.

I had a couple of different prescriptions but all they did, was dry out my skin. What's really worked for me is going low carb - I suspect it's sugar that causes my spots, a mouthful of chocolate and they come back. Dairy isn't an issue for me.

If you go down the diet route, might be worth trying different options to see what your trigger might be.

Superdrug's Tea Tree Oil cleanser & toner has really, really surprised me by just how helpful it is in keeping things under control.

I had cystic ovaries and cystic acne, and tried different contraceptive pills.
Most didn’t do anything except give me headaches and make me feel puffy and sluggish until my GP prescribed the pill called Cilest.

It has a different type of progesterone to the others and I tolerated it very well.

I wouldn’t write off going on the pill as there are many different formulations and types of progesterone.

I found I couldn’t stand the progestin norgestimate with is in a lot of pills, but could tolerate levongesterol very well.

I suppose what I’m saying is do your research on the type of progesterone you’re intolerant of and don’t rule out the pill because of one bad reaction with one type.
They really are different and my pcos stopped after a few years of Cilest.

For topical acne I use a sacylic acid toner from Clinique twice a day, after a non irritating cleanser called cetaphil for oily skin. I use a royal jelly moisturizer day cream from dr organic.

I don’t put a lot of stuff on my face.

I also watch my diet and have no sugar, no milk.
Cheese and yoghurt are ok, and I’m allergic to eggs so don’t eat them.

I went to an allergy specialist and dietitian. It’s not a good idea to randomly cut out major food groups, but most people find reducing drinking milk from their diet works pretty well.

It’s ok for me to eat cheese and yoghurt is very good for your gut health, so I’d be wary of just cutting them out when just drinking milk might be an irritant. I’d see an allergy specialist.

I know you said you’re not interested in “going on the pill” but in my experience, there are pills and pills. Try not to rule them all out with one sweep because you didn’t tolerate a particular progesterone. I tolerated Cilest progesterone very well, and not others so try and keep an open mind!

Good luck with it. In my experience it’s a complex mix of diet, sugar level control, hormones, allergic response, reaction to environment (including hair style/ clothes fibers) and stress.

Oh and just a heads up: If you have PCOS you will get diabetes if you become obese. No ifs buts or maybes. You will get diabetes. As fat is hormonally active it is healthy for us with PCOS to be as skinny as possible.

Luckily I was skinny until I was almost 30 but no I am a size 12-14, which is too much for someone with PCOS. Didn't exactly love the gyno when he said I ought to loose weight. I did for a while, but it is back again. Siiigh!

I use a topical antibiotic called Zineryt and a cream called differin. Both from GP
I also use Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser and Lush Ultrabland to remove make up, Superdrug vitamin E serum and a vitamin e moisturiser. Cleared my skin really well.

I recommend reading Caroline Hirons blog. She has pages and pages about how to treat acne and product recommendations.

I could never give up dairy, I love it. However acnecide sorted me out. I just buy it OTC and use daily. However, my skin never seems quite right, it's lovely and smooth now but my neck has got weird pigmentation.

Using a product containing benzoyl peroxide - consistently and over a prolonged period of time is proven to help. It is harsh though, and you will need very gentle and moisturising products (though not pore clogging) to go with it. Talk to your pharmacist about what is available over the counter.

Roaccutane does work and it saved my sanity when I had a bout of severe adult acne in my thirties. I was given a low dose over a long period of time. No terrible side effects apart from dry lips. I am now 42 and completely clear.

I have a slightly controversial view that a little bit of alcohol in a product is not such a bad thing. I have never seen the excessive oil that it is supposed to produce. I think if a fairly mild product is used it can be effective at killing the bacteria.

My dd14 is finally having some success using Clinique Anti-Blemish clarifying lotion and the La Roche Posay Effaclar face wash. She doesn't use anything else at all - no make up or anything and it is clearing up a treat.

Mainly I would keep it simple - cut your products back and use a process of elimination to work out if anything in particular is contributing.

If you're reluctant to try Roaccutane ask your dermatologist to try Isotrex which is the topical version. No side effects and cleared my hormonal acne up 100%

I had acne for years progressed to nodular acne so red lumps that never amounted to anything and camped out on my face for months.

Drs kept giving me pills, antibiotics, topical treatments. I cut out sugar dairy blah blah you get the picture. Nothing worked! Last year in desperation and at great expense I made an appointment with Dr Emma Wedgeworth. She gave me a very simple skincare routine.

Previous to the new routine I was a Caroline Hirons follower so was into everything. Now in the AM I cleanse with my choice of cleanser (I have a library of them!) then I use Skinoren every other day. Obagi Hydrate moisturiser and Elta M.D. spf.

Evenings I double cleanse, 3 times a week a retinol she gave me and moisturise.

It took roughly 6 weeks for my skin to completely clear up, no more lumps the ones that had been there months slowly disappeared and I now can go out without any foundation at all.

I'm a huge fan of Dr Wedgeworth even though she's ridiculously expensive, however for me it was worth it. She listened she understood and she has given me a clear face.

Spironolactone.

It's a diuretic drug which is used predominantly for reducing fluid retention. Howrver it has been found to be very effective at treating hormonal acne. It acts on the testosterone in the body.

I had acne from being a young teen until my 40s . It wasn't cystic acne but I always had an oily face, chest, back etc and the only thing which normalised my skin was the combined pill - in particular Dianette.

I take a very small dose of Spiro daily. I am now 50 and my gp prescribes it for me. Originally I saw a private dermatologist as the nhs derm didn't take my concerns seriously. She then directed me to an NHS dermatologist (out of area) who specialises in adult acne.

Read up on it and see if it would suit you. I have no side effects at all.

I use Duac gel - it's the only thing that keeps my cystic acne at bay and I'm terrified of it 'wearing off' as apparently that can happen, but I've had it for a few years now and it works amazingly. I stopped using it for a couple of weeks due to stress/forgetting and my jawline and mouth is a mass of cysts and pain right now, so I'm back at it.

I also only use Lush's Ultrabland cleanser and an oil to moisturise, but YMMV because my skin is very dry and that helps. Anything scented or any of the 'usual' skincare brands seem to aggravate my skin.

Ask your doctor about Duac - I have it on repeat prescription and it has been a lifesaver for me, not ashamed of my skin and how I look any more!

DD was given duac - she's only 12 but her skin was very very bad. It affected her daily whilst most of her peers haven't started puberty yet, she's got periods boobs and bad skin to cope with, as well as asd :(

Gp gave her a hug (she has been my gp for 20+yrs) and promised she would help her - the change has been amazing!!!!

She is so much happier in herself, hands up in class , she's not so afraid of standing out its fab.

My sister had roccutune as a teen I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it if when DDS older her skin gets worse. Changed her life

Cleanse twice a day with Cetaphil, a mild non foaming cleaner.

I then use some Gylcolic acid. You can get pricey nip fab wipes which have salicylic acid in them, or, Superdrug do an own brand one which I find more gentle on my skin.

Application of a pure Hyrdraclouric to really inject the moisture.
I use a retinoid cream, 0.05% and Azelaic acid to reduce the red and rough texture.
Finish off with a non fragranced and gentle moisturiser.

This keeps me at bay 90% of the time.

During a flare, I take a course or Lymecycline, because if it's bad, you need to treat under the skin and not the top layer.

Duac on a really nasty one I didn't find very effective, but that could just be me, and in essence, it's just a product to dry it out, and you really need to treat the skin infection, otherwise it will come back again. I does work on a little spot though.

My go to products.

Biotin has really helped with my hair, skin and nails.

Differin gel. I have hormonal acne. Hormonal acne won't shift with cutting out food groups. I use Cetaphil to cleanse and put on Differin at night.

I was prescribed antibiotics which I took for about 4 months. And differin gel which I used daily for at least 6 months. (Already been on the pill for years.) The gel can cause dry skin so I use aveeno moisturiser and a mild daily scrub. It's helped so much, but not 100%. I still get big ugly painful spots and cysts on my chin, so when I feel one coming I use the gel again.

I now need to look for something that will prevent these horrible chin spots from appearing in the first place! The GP said he doesn't believe that diet makes any difference at all to the type of ache I get, but I am considering lowering the amount of dairy I eat anyway just to see.