Spotty, congested skin nightmare

[Moltisanti]

I'm not sure what to do anymore, I've had spots (whiteheads, blackheads, redness) ever since I was 14. I am now 32. I've tried specific acne skincare lines (everything from Oxy to benzoyl peroxide) and the gentle approach with Simple. I'm now using the Avene brand which seems ok, but its hardly giving me clear skin (which I would give my arm to have!).

To make matters worse I have one of the worst breakouts since I was pregnant. So many whiteheads I can't keep up. I feel rank.

Is it time I go to the dr? Has anyone tried anything that works for acne??

have a look at this
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/19/sali-hughes-acne-treatments
She is really good, and the comments are mostly helpful too.

I used to have really bad skin and tried everything on the market - nothing worked on it. I even had medication from the doctors.

The I tried the santuarys hot cloth cleanser and my skin cleared up brilliantly. I think it's a combination of the actual cleanser being quite light and the muslin cloth to wash with.

My skin isn't perfect, still get the odd spot or two and when it's feeling really grim I give it a good scrub with st ives scrub but this product cleared my skin up more than any of the actually spot treatments on sale and the stuff prescribed by the Dr!

Oh how I empathise.

Where are the spots? If they are on the jawline/neck that's a sign of hormone imbalance and a GP visit is what you'll need.

The hot cloth cleansing method is great. As is Lily Lolo mineral makeup - the best coverage I've found and lasts all day. So even when I'm having a flare-up, I can at least hide it as best I can.

lilylolo.co.uk

Pinot- It's all over my face. I will try the hot cloth! I heard Lily Lilo was good. I'm glad it's got the thumbs up from someone with skin like mine though, foundations can b hard to get right.

Would heartily recommend LilyLolo - gives me confidence, truly. I have found a gentle but strict facial regime works best - I use the oil cleansing method and use jojoba oil with 20% castor oil, rub onto dry skin @ night for 3/4 mins, hot (HOT!) flannel laid over face until cooled, then rinse away. A drop of jojoba to moisturise. In the morning, a flannel and hot water to clean. After 2 weeks of purging, I saw a difference. Now managing the breakouts and covering up with LL foundation.

The hot cloth cleanser is an easier alternative (less messy too!) but principle is the same - deep, deep cleaning but gently done.

Also - always make sure you have fab eye make-up to try to keep the attention up there!

Have also found too much sugar and wheat in my diet causes breakouts (but tastes good ). Worth considering your diet, perhaps? All the best.

I see it's possible to get sample pots at Lily Lilo, so I will order a couple to try them and see which suits my skin tone. Sounds very good to me!

What's the oil cleansing method?

I do eat far too much wheat and sugar, I should cut back. I do remember actually that I cut back last year and my skin cleared a bit, but I have been quite run down lately so grazing over a bowl of Weetos is too easy!

Thanks for all your help!

Get thee to a dr, they can prescribe something that will help.

In the meantime, have a browse on www.acne.org there is an excellent regime on there that people swear by. Lots and lots of advice and reviews too.

My skin is awful, I've been using LL for a couple of months now and have seen a difference in my skin (far less breakouts). I have also started using MD Formulations glycolic acid skincare range and it is clearing my skin amazingly. My pores are dramatically clearer - it's harsh stuff (stings a bit) but really works. My skin is very oily though, wouldn't recommend it for dry skin as it does cause flaking initially (not on me though, far too greasy

I'm also using their peel at home kit, this is causing me to breakout a little but it's my skin 'purging', I know it will clear in time.

Other things that help are steering clear of dairy as much as possible, I only use organic milk as it's hormone free. Wholemeal bread also helps, no idea why but just introducing a slice a day into my diet helped considerably (have done this for 10 years now!).

I've suffered acne for over 20 years now, the only time I was ever as clear as I am now was when I was on the contraceptive pill, Dianette. I have been constantly pregnant or breatsfeeding for the past almost 5 years now and unable to take it so have had to find other solutions.

I swear by the regime that grape has linked to on www.acne.org. Someone on here linked to nearly 12 months ago and I started doing it in January this year and my skin cleared up within a few weeks and now looks good You just need a gentle foaming cleanser, moisturiser and benzoyl peroxide (you can get this from a chemist - I get mine from Chemist Direct). It takes about 5 minutes everyday but it definitely works.

I have had spots on my face (mainly chin/neck/jawline) since I was in my 20's and the only time they cleared up was when I was pregnant both times. Other than that, I have permanently had at least one huge red spot somewhere on my face - now, after doing the regime, I get one spot every few months plus I can moisturise my face without worrying about the grease etc so my face actually looks and feels great.

I tried the acne.org 'regimen' and it was a nightmare on me. My face went crazy bright red and was itching and burning. I found that if I used a little less of it it was ok but still pretty strong for me. M skin didn't like it.

Another good vote for Lily Lilo tho! Definitely trying it.

Ok, how long did you keep doing it for - my skin was a nightmare for the first couple of weeks and it was mortifying to go to work (bright red chin, peeling, flaking etc) but I am SO glad that I persevered as it is great now. The only time the redness/flaking flares up again is when I start a new tube of benzoyl peroxide but it is nowhere near as bad as the first time.

But, given a choice of constant huge red spots or slight redness and peeling every few months, I know which I would choose.

I've started using microfibre cloths (the kind you buy for cleaning), they remove oil from my skin really well and exfoliate too, my blackheads are noticably reduced. I use warm water if I am not feeling too greasy and a very small amount of soapy cleanser if I am oily or removing make-up.

They are much more effective than flannels or muslins (and cheap in Aldi etc.). I have pink ones to differentiate from the blue ones i clean the bathroom with!

Sugar sets me off too, do you drink enough water? mine is much better with two ltrs a day, liz earle skin care and royal jelly supplements off amazon (its freeze dried and only £10 for 2 months supply).

wiggly microfibre cloths are a genius idea! They are crazily good for housework and I guess the principle is the same - using the minute fibres to really grab onto ingrained dirt. I like that idea ALOT. Plus in Aldi/Lidl/Wilkinsons they're cheap as chips. THANK YOU will try that rather than flannels.

Ceebee- about two or three weeks I think, and then the burning got too much, it was keeping me awake at night so I had to stop.

Fluffy, I try to drink a pint or two of water a day but not only do I have to run to the loo all the time( I think I may need to do more pelvic floors or something!) but I keep forgetting to drink it while running round after ds all day. I should drink more.

Good suggestion re the micro fibre cloths!

I'm 34 and have suffered with acne for 20 years. I've tried everything from diet and skin care, to antibiotics, Dianette and Roaccutane. Acne is horrible as a teenager, but seems even more cruel as an adult.

I have found that a wheat/gluten free diet works best for me. I only tried this a year ago, skin took a few weeks to improve and has been the clearest it has ever been. I have since 'challenged' the exclusion with bread and pasta over a 3 days. A few days later I had a dreadful flare up that took ages to clear. Although I do get the occasional spot, they are much less inflamed and hardly noticeable. Best topical treatment for me is benzyl peroxide.

As an NHS dietitian, I am very sceptical about any miracle dietary 'cures' and I am aware that many dermatologists and GPs will still claim that there is no clinical evidence of a dietary connection with acne. After 20 years with acne and 10 years as a dietitian, I am very open minded. A wheat/gluten free diet, possibly in combination with omega-3 and probiotic supplements, has finally sorted mine out.

I'm not suggesting this will work for everyone, but it may be worth a try.

I'm firmly of the opinion that adult acne in woman is most likely a hormone issue.

I have PCOS which is definitely the cause of my skin issues, hence why it clears up beautifully whilst pregnant (except for the first few weeks of hormone-craziness) and whilst breastfeeding as my periods are absent.

As soon as my cycle returns then so do the spots :(

There could well be a lot of truth in your wheat/gluten free diet as that has been shown to help with PCOS symptoms. I strongly recommend that anyone with adult acne has further investigations, particularly if you can link breakouts to certain times during your cycle.

Luckily, acne is the only symptom I have of PCOS (apart from cysts on my ovaries and various gynae issues) I don't carry excess weight nor suffer from excess hair so I guess I'm grateful in that respect. Just sick and tired of having shite skin :(. Roll on the menopause!

I have found some of Soap and Glory's stuff pretty fab.

I get hormonal spots/middle aged acne and i find it tough to deal with.

When my skin gets that horrible congested feeling I love 'wish upon a jar' by S&G. The also do a couple of great scrub/masks to help with blackheads.

Its not high end, medical stuff but its very good value and I have had good results with it.

Poor you, I know exactly what it's like. Over the years I have tried everything and nothing really worked until I asked at the chemist and they gave me panoxyl 10%. It's cheap and worked pretty quickly, within a week or so. I am so so pleased and wish I had found it years ago. I am 35. Please speak to your chemist

I second Panoxyl 10 (benzyl peroxide), great stuff!

Also agree with the acne/hormone connection. I think there is complex interactions between the body's inflammatory response (exacerbated for me by a reaction to wheat/gluten), and hormones. I'm currently 14 weeks pregnant and having a small flare up, but not nearly as awful as the acne during my other two pregnancies when I wasn't avoiding wheat/gluten.

Try a crystal clear microdermabrasion facial. It made a huge difference to my skin (which sounds v similar to yours).

The only thing to work for me really well is continuous use BCP specifically Yasmin. It just normalised everything for me. No greasy skin or spots, the same for my hair which has always been very oily. I'm bf now so not on it but I find liz earl is suiting me the best but by no means giving me completely clear skin. Also I'm waiting delivery of a Clarisonic which is meant to help.

Panoxyl 10 - do you just use on individual spots or across the whole area? Sounds interesting.

pinot you use it all over the area that is affected so for me, I just use it on my chin, jawline and neck.

Honestly, it has totally transformed my life ! I know that sounds dramatic but constantly having at least 1 massive red spot does dent your self-confidence