Advice for those with acne with pics

[Daisyandbabies]

Hello,
So I wrote on here recently about trying to improve my skin for my wedding in July. I've always had bad skin and am now 29 with some pitted acne scars, uneven skin texture and really large pores. When I'm mid cycle, I tend to get a few spots on my chin but everything was somewhat under control with Proactiv that I order from America.

Decided to try and improve my crappy skin with Effaclar duo acne system. This has amazing reviews and I was so excited to try it and get away from the Proactiv and the benzoyl peroxide in it.
Here's what happened:
Day 1:

Acnecide is a 2,5% benzoyl peroxide cream available in the UK.

I think acnecide is 5%

just checked my tube 2.5%

That's good to know because my 5% acnecide is a bit strong. Is the 2.5% available in Boots?

Funnily enough I asked for it in Boots yesterday and they only had 5%. But I see 2.5% by another brand is available on Amazon!

Good to know you can get the 2.5! Would be a lot cheaper and easy to follow the acne.org system! X

Just a little update as I've been back using Proactiv (benzoyl peroxide) for a week now. Here is a pic of what it looked like with makeup on a week ago and today. I still have a few spots, as you can see, but it's a lot better.

dd used proactiv from boots and it really didn't work AT ALL

We also sent off for the 2.5% bp from acne.org (massive pump bottle) and that didn't work either just made everything loads worse.

I am so glad it is working for you. Have you tried Paulas Choice products? Apparently they are very good.

Shamonts, the one you bought from boots is awful as its the UK version and contains no benzoyl peroxide. I order the US version from eBay and get it sent over. Costs me a lot but as you can see, it's worth it.
Such a shame we can't get the benzoyl peroxide version here!

I haven't tried Paula's choice as I also read that only the American version contains bp?

I really can't recommend the American version of Proactiv enough. Hope she finds something that works for her x

Thanks that's good to hear. She is spot free now after taking accutane but my younger dd is also developing quite bad spots. I think she will also take accutane as like her sister they are on her back and chest too, but I might try the proactive for her for a year or so.

You have to persevere with the benzoyl peroxide as skin looks worse at first but then clears after a few weeks.
For some reason, most of the products in UK have been banned. I don't know why.

• I mean products containing bp.

Yeah see that's what worries me, there must be a reason why the BP has disappeared here and the Proactiv here doesn't have it in. I'm sure I read once that it might heighten the risk of skin cancer or something? Anyway, there must be a reason, and not a positive one.

The pharmacist in boots told me it was because the 2.5% version was not economical enough to produce. The 10% is still available here so doubt its due to skin cancer issues.

Just had a little look online as I have worried about skin cancer in the past (I don't even use antiperspirant and stuff like that so putting chemicals on my face is because I need to, not because I want to).
Found reassuring things. It was recently reviewed by the FDA in America and has been declared as safe. It also says,
They did not find BPO to be a genotoxic substance, which basically means they do not believe that it damages DNA. They go on to add that even though BPO has been shown in research to create oxidative damage, that in humans, there are oxidative repair mechanisms that would likely prevent benzoyl peroxide from causing DNA damage.
They did not find BPO to be carcinogenic. They state: “We have reviewed a number of animal studies examining the carcinogenic potential of benzoyl peroxide and conclude that benzoyl peroxide is not a carcinogen.” They also determined that there was no evidence to indicate that BPO is a photocarcinogen.”

I think it's more likely that it works and it's cheap and thus not profitable. Still wish I could be one of those people who could just wash with some organic stuff from lush and not have to worry about chemicals but hey ho X