help me please. Awful skin :(

[saveahorserideacowboy]

Hi, I'm 27, 2 young DC. My skin has never been clear but has gone through phases of being better and worse. It is always better in the summer when iv been out in the sun. We got married in the summer and someone told me about Liz earle which I began using a few months prior to the wedding and my skin was great. I also did spend alot of time in the sun which undoubtedly helped.

The liz earle now seems to have stopped working and my skin is as bad as ever. It is both dry and oily, congested blackheads, huge lumpy painful spots under the skin allover. I very recently got my period back (still breastfeeding dc2 at 14months) and noticed it has gotten worse since then.

I am so fed up. I am not going to shell out for liz earle again as it is obviously not working and is not cheap. I do not have loads to spend but am willing to invest in anything that helps.

I just want to be able to get up and not have to put anything on my face to cover spots. Fwiw I barely wear foundation unless on a rare night out so I doubt its makeup causing it.

thanks for any advice x

Hi OP,
You are most definitely not alone! I am in exactly the same boat - even down to still bfing so cant take any medication.
Been bad since teens, but when I got pregnant it just exploded and has got worse and worse.

I have huge cysts (6 atm on face alone), massive red patches, huge blackheads, scars etc. My back and chest are ruined, hugely scarred and covered in nasty angry cysts.
Plus dry skin on top!

It's horrible, I don't wear makeup and you can see people visibly recoil in horror, I have been asked so many times whether I have a serious condition!

Over the years I have tried:
Dianette and other pills - did nothing for me except get me pregnant!
Another bc methods will make skin like this worse (like it can get worse)

Antibiotics - useless doctor wouldn't listen to me when I said they weren't working after a year- insisted I should keep taking them (they were strong as well) but i cant see how compromising my immune system for years and years is good either!

All the usual Clean & Clear stuff- again makes skin worse.

Am vegan so no dairy anyway, need to try and cut down the sugar/ coffee/ crap I think.

Have been reading all others advice and will be trying some of the more natural methods, the oil cleansing one sounds good, anything chemical just seems to inflame my skin. And I only buy non- tested vegan cosmetics so I doubt would be able to buy any of the La Roche type stuff.

I am very unsure about things like roaccutane, a friend of mine was prescribed it and he was miserable for ages until he came off it. I know it works for lots of people but the potential side effects worry me.

Any hoo- long post sorry.

Was going to come back on and say DEF good idea oily fish, mackerel/sardines if salmon is too pricy for you, or a good cod liver oil capsule. Rightytighty, maybe Udo's oil might help you, as I think it is vegan, though a bit pricy?

Diet and hormones are the likeliest culprit, TBH, although these will take time to sort out. Personally, a cup of green tea before bed does wonders for my digestion and skin, as does a liberal smear of Decleor's Essential Baume after a double cleanse with something mild. I love the Liz Earle range, and it's the one that I go back to on a fairly regular basis but I have heard it can be problematic for congested skin; the eucalyptus maybe?? I wholeheartedly endorse the Alpha H Liquid Gold, although if your skin is sensitive I'd go easy; maybe twice a week rather than the every other day suggested, unless you're used to glycolic. It has probably been the one product that has made the most difference to the clarity and texture of my skin. Good luck x

I have had acne since I was 13 and I am now 35. Blackheads, whiteheads, congested skin, cystic lumps. Only two things have ever worked for me: 1. benzoyl peroxide. But it isn't available to buy anymore. Not sure about prescription. 2. Avoiding sugar and dairy, and not picking. Major reduction in acne by taking these steps. This is what I stick to as much as poss. And skin routine: double cleanse with Eucerin Dermatoclean gel. Use flannel to exfoliate off the first cleanse. Moisturise with Botanics Shine Away moisturiser. I've wasted God knows how much £££ on Emma Hardie and the like, but these simple products are non- irritating.
Tried the lemon juice thing, left my skin red raw. Also tried washing with oats (useless) and so many supplements that I rattled when I walked. Useless. Although zinc is worthwhile.
If you want to give the sugar/ dairy thing a go, you can find yummy sweet things to eat instead (ice cream made from frozen bananas- delish, and chocolate things made from recipes on deliciouslyella.com)

Good luck!

I would really recommend these products:

www.sr-skincare.co.uk/acne-control-49-c.asp

They very effective, cheap and last ages. My skin has never been so good since puberty and I am now 36. I also use Dianette but that didn't really clear things.

Op it sounds like you have hormonal skin problems.
Essentially you are probably very sensitive to testosterone which produces sebum/oil.
Any type of harsh product will strip the skin of oil and ensure that much more is produced. If you have fine pored skin/ dryness caused by the products and/or the acne bacteria residing then the end result is a pore blocked by the dry skin cells and excess sebum being produced and inflammation caused by the bacteria.
its a vicious circle and leads to those horrible ,painful under the skin spots.

Do not rub ,massage or touch your skin too much - the OCM gave me MASSIVE under the skin spots that took months to clear up as did LE.

Buy a gentle cream cleanser that is not too greasy - I use Burts Bees .
( avoid ponds etc) and lots of cheap white flannels.
Apply the cleanser twice daily and smooth over skin ,no rubbing, massage or scrubbing just very gentle.
Use a warm flannel to gently remove.
Use Panoxyl ( you can still buy it) on problem areas - such as chin but only a tiny amount.
Stick with it - and do not be tempted to go back to the harsh stuff.

Update. ..I bought some la roche posay last week. Cleanser, effaclar duo and moisturiser...also started taking vit d.
Skin currently feels abit like it's purging? Lots of spots coming up but quickly resolved. Feels abit dry too I might only use the cleanser once a day. Hmm not convinced but I will stick with it for a few weeks and see if things start to improve!