Does anyone use Cetaphil products?

[BeaBoo]

I have

It sounds stronger and scarier than it is!

These Nip Fab ones are a good gentle starting point.

If you tend to get spots you might want to look into products with salicylic acid also.

I use it, and tell teenage DSs to use it (no idea if they do!).

I got two huge bottles from Costco for about £15

It cleans really well without drying. I also use hot cloth cleansers because I feel as a grown up I should but prefer Cetaphil.

Thanks Mitzy. I'm tempted to give those a go.

The alcohols in Cetaphil are emollients, so not the drying kind (like alcohol denat), so they are not a problem for skin per se, can be the opposite.

I however wouldn't touch Cetaphil. Like Mitzy says, nothing beneficial, and I wouldn't use anything with SLS on my face.

I used to have terrible cystic acne. Took antibiotics which helped but every time I stopped skin flared up again.
I stopped scouring my face like a pan and use a cetaphil and effaclar duo. No spots for me now which is great!

Arsenic that's the problem I'm having at the moment. I'm on my third kind of antibiotics now, and they all clear up the big cystic acne spots but I have lots of spots which aren't raised that don't clear up. As soon as I stop taking them the huge cystic spots return. It feels like a never ending battle at the moment!

Not everyone's a fan but have you looked at Caroline Hirons' acne cheat sheet? A friend of mine who had been taking antibiotics for her acne had success when she started taking daily fish oil and probiotics (capsules rather than yogurt drinks) supplements.

That's interesting about probiotics. I've not heard that before. Especially as it mentions to take them if you're taking antibiotics. Will have a proper read through it this afternoon, thanks.

My DD1has peri oral dermatitis (there is a thread on Mumsnet) She was advised by GP to put nothing on her face except water .Has had Cephatil in the past as they thought it was acne (do not let them give you steroids-can make it worse) .
She finds her skin gets dry though .So I have just bought her some Aven Skin Therapy which some ppl on the Mumsnet thread recommended.And there is a theory that fluoride in toothpaste makes pod worse .

Mitzy of course, I'm no expert. I just meant that my understanding is the same as what a pp said, that Cetaphil may not have anything amazing in it, but that it is good for acne prone skin because it doesn't have anything aggravating in it either. As far as I am aware the level of SLS in Cetaphil is very low - anyone who has used it will know that it does not foam. But as people have said, it's about what works for you and what you like to use.

Beaboo you will get lots of advice on here but ultimately I would put your trust in your doctor, they will know what they are talking about. The wait must be hard though.
My acne was just on my chin but it was horrendous, new cysts would appear every day with multiple heads. My wedding was fast approaching which is why I was desperate to sort it out. 2 months later, I had 1 spot on the big day :) (doc was amazed how quickly it all worked)
Re prescriptions - my GP has just taken me off Dianette (high risk Pill that's great for skin, I was on it for a year) and I was on the antibiotics (Lymecycline) for 4 months. Incidentally I did find that I needed to take probiotics (tablets from Holland and Barrett) because of the nasty side effects, constant stomach ache and diarrhoea that lasted a month or so (sorry TMI, lost a few pounds for the wedding though!)
I was also on a couple of topical creams on top of that, now just using one cream to manage my skin. I never wear foundation and only use concealer for my dark circles.

Obviously everyone is different and as you say, you have your issues with allergies as well, but I would expect they'll keep you on the anti-bs and also give you some creams to use.

Blair thanks for the info. Lymecycline is what I'm on now and it does really work for the cystic acne, but that's as far as it goes for me. I have other problems which it doesn't work for, but obviously my GP isn't a skin specialist so there's only so much he can do. Brilliant news that you managed to get it sorted before your wedding! Luckily I don't seem to have any bad side effects from the antibiotics but I'm definitely going to try and start taking probiotics anyway.

I don't have acne, but I do have extremely sensitive skin and I have started using a Konjac sponge to cleanse. I just use it with water and it seems to work ok. It definitely doesn't irritate. I have really dry skin so I am also trialling some oily/waxy cleansers as they have worked well in the past until I started to react to some of the ingredients. If I find the right one I will use it every 2nd or 3rd day and use the Konjac sponge in between, but at the moment I'm only using the sponge as I trialled the Eve Lom cleanser had quite a strong reaction to it.

DS has just started to get spotty, and I might try a konjac sponge for him as it's pretty straight-forward to use.

I was diagnosed with periorial dermatitis earlier this year. I normally have normal skin apart from psoriasis patches. I had accidentally got some steroid cream on my face , which triggered it. GP's kept prescribing me topical steroids which made it better then horrendously bad as soon as I stopped using it. Saw a consultant dermatologist privately and was prescribed antibiotics, which I took for a few months, plus skinoren and he told me to use cetaphil moisturising lotion. Anyway, it's all cleared up now. Cleared up within a month and 8 months later am still clear. I still use cetaphil but not any of the other stuff.

It was really bad. Painful and ugly!!

If you've got acne then you might find salicylic acid is better than glycolic acid.

I use the Cetaphil cleanser and I really like it. It does as good a job as any of the more expensive cleansers I have used, but without perfume and without drying out my face or causing me to get more spots.

I am quite sensitive to SLS - I can't use toothpaste with SLS as I get massive mouth ulcers from it, and shampoos with SLS makes my scalp itch, flaky and I get massive spots from it. The Cetaphil cleanser doesn't seem to cause me any issues.

For cleansing in the evening, I use Clinique take the day off cleansing balm and I use acids such as the one from first aid beauty and pixi glow tonic (not at the same time, usually just once a day).

I use Cetaphil as my morning cleanser.

Evening I use Ultrabland from Lush to remove makeup and remove with a warm - not hot - cloth, and follow with a salycilic acid creamy cleanser - a Clearasil one.

My skin is sensitive and I have rosacea and this is a gentle but effective routine for me.

Blair - have you tried Ultrabland? I have tried a few balm cleansers and react to ingredients in them but find this amazingly soothing and it doesn't break me out - I use it as a first cleanse.

I find hot cloth cleansing too harsh. Like Carpaccio I am v sensitive to SLS but the amount in Cetaphil must be pretty low as it doesn't bother me - but I prefer a wipe-off cleanser.

At the moment I have some horrible stubborn cystic acne, and have been using Wilko Skin Therapy Tea Tree Overnight Serum - a whole 95p but it's amazing. Tea tree stuff is usually like paint stripper on my skin but this isn't harsh at all.

Coastingit I seem to get on with Lush products, so might give that a try

Can anyone recommend any good products with Salycylic acid? It's not something I've ever tried so I assume you buy something with it in?

Try the Paula's Choice BHA products. They come in two strength concentrations and three formulas - a toner type product, a gel for oily skin, and a lotion for those who have acne-prone yet dry skin. They're available online only and aren't cheap but they're no more expensive than your average Clinique or Clarins product and they really work!

Cetaphil is prob my favourite cleanser for the same reason others have said - it's really boring. Nothing special but won't make anything worse either. And while I have issues with SLS in showergel I've been fine with it in the Cetaphil.

I'm also a big fan of the Paula's Choice BHA which comprehensively cleared up my acne. While they aren't cheap they last for ages and theres a choice of texture product so you can pick what you prefer.

Bea you probably have had products with salicylic acid in because it's pretty common, just not at the concentrated levels of say Paula's Choice products. The silver packaging Clearasil pads have reasonable levels - can't remember the name but it's the 'advance' sort of range. Also the Superdrug Clearly Youthful has some products containing both BHA and AHA. Paula's Choice is good so maybe try some cheaper stuff first. I think Effaclar Duo is BHA?

The Wilko Tea Tree overnight serum I mentioned contains it but probably not at huge levels.

Oh I probably have then. I can't use Clearasil products as they aggravate my skin too much!

I'll look at Paula's Choice but it's probably out of my price range at the moment.

The Clinique Mild clarifying lotion has salicyclic acid (0.5%), but no other acids or alcohol.
I use it for my rosacea-prone skin and it doesn't react.

I'd like to try the 1% Paula's Choice toner but it's a bit pricier and postage to Ireland is ridiculous.

The Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion is v nice but don't buy any of their other toners as they are packed with alcohol (prob what your skin doesn't like about Clearasil too).

The Mild one is a brilliant product and the others should be poured down the drain

I agree with that Wolpertinger!