DESPERATE to get rid of my bad skin once and for all. Anyone help me? Suggestions i havent tried??

[mad4myboys]

Since i had ds1 3.6 years ago ive had really spotty skin. It was fine during the pregnancy, but as soon as i had him it kicked off. Was on and off various anti biotics for the year following from the gp but none worked so i gave up. The doctor but it down to me being on citalopram for PND. Got pg with ds2 when ds1 was 18 months. Skin fine during preg. Soon as i had ds2 again my skin is awful. He is now 13 months. Really getting me down. The only things i have put it down to is either the citalopram but have not long changed to prozac as gp said possibly the citalopram doing it but seen no improvement. Im on POP which is cerazette. Again possibly that but cant go on combined pill. Will be able to come off pill next month once we get results from dh having the snip done.

I have tried every OTC product aswell, from the harshest to the most gentle and natural product. I take multi vitamins, drink loads of water and excercise and generally quite healthy.

Any one have anything that i may not have tried? Getting me down so much

thanks candlewax, i have tried that too! It IS a lovely product though.

By the way, I was on Cialopram when I started all of this cleansing treatment. I have only just come off AD's.

Just read your reply (boy you are quick ) I really hope you find something to suit you. I know how depressing it is.

what is it that you are saying candlewax, do you think citalopram made your skin bad? I have been switched to prozac now for i think 6 weeks but was on citalopram for pnd straight after ds1 and then off it when preg, back on it for pnd when ds2 was born...hence me saying to gp hang on..could this be the cause and she said it is a possible side effect and that prozac doesnt have it listed as a side effect hence the change but so far no improvement in my skin and would have thought 6 weeks was enough to see a beginning of improvment if it was going to happen>

Mad4myboys, you use the lowest strength benzoyl peroxide (2.5%) but you use quite a lot of it. However, when you begin using it, you use a small amount and gradually increase while your skin gets used to it. Years back, when I first read about BP, I bought 10% strength and had a terrible reaction - puffy, red swelling.

I get mine on ebay (panoxyl), though you can order it from pharmacists. I've found they don't tend to stock 2.5%. Not sure why.

If I don't use BP for a few days I find my skin definitely gets worse.

Have you tried zinc supplements (not multivitamins) and omega oil supplements? Sorted me out, along with a gentle cleansing topical product.

By the way, has your GP checked you for male hormones? Apparently we all have some in our bodies and if we have too many (after pregnancy for some reason) this is what can result in excess acne. I was offered some pills to combat this but the downside was that if I was to become pregnant whilst taking them, the baby could be asexual (not sure if that is the right term??? - could be born a girl on top and boy on the bottom). I could not take that risk as my acne started after my first child and we knew we wanted more.

dont know how relevant it is but my facewash is 3.5% glycolic and my day cream (2/3 times daily if needed is 3%) and then my nightcream is 7%.

Sadly no it was not the Citalopram because I was on Prozac first time round with PND and both times (and all times inbetween) I was covered in acne.

i had full hormone check, male, female, alien....pcos and just about anything hormone related! Im such a freak!

is this right?

for buying the benzoyl? Does it matter if it is called something else?

That's exactly the one I get, mad4myboys, and from that seller too. I've found he always delivers promptly. as long as it's 2.5% BP you're fine, whatever brand you get.

On the regimen (I linked to the site earlier) you're advised to apply BP twice a day. For me that isn't convenient as I wear makeup during the day and I found the two didn't mix. So I personally just do it at night.

If you go down the BP route, make sure you use a moisturiser as it dries the skin out! It has to be a non-comedogenic (non-pore blocking) one.

i started out using 2.5% but found it i needed to use too generally and made my cheeks really dry. So now use 4% on specific spots (amazing to actually have individual spots to treat as oppose to a mass of red puffy sore acne!)
Because the ponds cold cream cleanser is really super moisturizing i find the oil of olay enough as my day cream.
Would really reccomend getting on teh forums on acne.org as people have really great ideas for tailoring a regime to suit your skin.

For me in the begining it was just nice to have some relief from sore raw skin. My husband used to have to wake me up in the night because i was clawing at my skin in my sleep.

good luck hope you find something that improves your skin.

thanks guys. At the moment i use a boots tea tree moisterisor, one designed so you dont get shiney skin? What do you all recommend for night and day? I have to wear foundation so dont want it to make my skin greasy or shiney..

I use peter thomas roth oil-free sunscreen factor 30 for day wear. It's very moisturising so I don't need an additional moisturiser. Once it's sunk in I can apply foundation over it fine, no problems (if my skin feels a bit shiny, i just blot with tissue). uk.strawberrynet.com/skincare/peter-thomas-roth/ultra-lite-oil-free-sunblock-spf/43179/#DETAIL

Night-time I use Nivea Visage oil-free moisturising fluid.

I do hope you find a routine that suits your skin. As raindroprhyme recommended look on acne.org boards for lots of tips.

ds has a cream called doublebase that is a moisteriser for his eczema prone skin. Thats very moisterising but will have to check that it is non como whatsit

haha, I think you mean diprobase! I have that for keratosis pilaris on my legs, thighs and upper arms (yep, I'm a walking bad skin disaster). It's a steriod cream, I believe and not sure if it's non como whatsit.

no, def double base, it is in a pump, its just a moisterisor. Makes a very good hand cream

Panoxyl is working for me, combined with the oil-cleansing method. Oil cleansing on its own didn't really have a good effect and I stopped doing it, but then my skin got very dry. As the panoxyl is quite drying, I'm finding it combines quite well with the oil-cleansing. I don't moisturise after putting on the panoxyl at night (I use 5 % strength) but do moisturise after washing with water in the morning - I just use whatever moisturiser I have to hand, nothing fancy.

Acne.org site it very useful.

My biggest problem now is resisting the temptation to prod and poke if I do have a spot, which is now much rarer than before. I am also no longer (or only occassionally) getting those big hard painful lumps that I was getting a lot of. That is a huge relief.

I have accepted that I probably will never be totally clear of acne, but feel so much better since using the panoxyl. Have been using it for about 3 months BTW, but if you try it, beware of the bleaching effects on your clothes/towels. Really let it dry before taking your clothes off over your head, and really rinse your hands well after applying it. I have ruined my lovely coloured towels!

is panoxyl just the same as the benzoyl (sp) stuff i have ordered off ebay?

Yes