More spotty than a teenager!!

[SleepForTheWeak]

I was lucky as a teenager actually, I only very occasionally got the odd easy to deal with spot.

I'm now I'm my early 30s and my face is full of them!! It started a few months ago but it's getting worse. Nothing has changed in my diet and I have a meticulous skin care regime .

Why have I got so many spots at my age?! They are sore and Unslightly, and really getting me down. I'm on no hormonal contraceptive, stress levels are probably average for having 2 young children and a job, I live in a low pollution town.

I stopped breastfeeding my youngest a couple months ago, could it be related? Just thinking about hormones. Although,it never happened when I finished feeding my eldest 🤷‍♀️

Help!!!

I had the same - started at 35 and just got worse and worse. I ended up going on roaccutane though and now am completely clear

Watch Dr Sam Buntings Vlogs on YouTube . She is a top cosmetic derm . They will help .

Adult acne is a thing and she has fantastic advice - helped me change my skin .

She also has a fb group called “dr Sam Buntings skincare club” which is very helpful and friendly .

Please share with me your current skincare routine and cosmetic use . I’m pretty good at spotting potential causes there too .

Most likely it is hormonal though and can be treated with a good routine and failing that prescription creams

Likely a hormone surge.
Hopefully it Will settle.
I always have some spots and pretty crap skin and hair that gets greasy too quickly.

Except when I am pregnant!
It's very odd, but quite nice (currently 37 weeks).

I have also discovered Paula's Choice exfoliant 2%bha.

I cannot express how awesome it is!

It is a daily exfoliator, but not a scrub.

It's not the cheapest out thete but it lasts for ages and ages.
I'll find a link

www.paulaschoice.co.uk/skin-perfecting-bha-liquid-exfoliant-m2010.html?dwvar_m2010_size=fullsize&cgid=exfoliants-products#start=0&top=560

Paula's Choice fixed my adult acne

Definitely hormones, get referred to a dermatologist, in the meantime drink spearmint tea, there's something in it that suppresses excess testosterone in women which causes hormonal acne. I've suffered for years, trust me it works

I definitely vouch for Paula's choice 2%. I had quite a few little spots and oiliness- the exfoliant sorted it completely. I have now run out and am awaiting delivery of a replacement. My skin is back to being a bit uneven and oily!

Following x

Thanks everyone - I will look at that Paula's choice.

Right now I use Tropic Skin Care, it's natural and gentle on sensitive skin (which I have). It's also vegan and cruelty free which is important to me.

I cleanse, toner and moisture twice a day normally, I use a facial scrub a couple times a week. I use a couple different serums too. I've been using this range for about 2-2.5 years and love it, nothing has changed with ingredients or my skin routine which makes me think its more hormone related.

I (just in the last few days) have cut dairy out of my diet so hopefully that might help too as I know diary can aggravate acne.

Honestly had never heard of adult acne before!! I've had great skin up until now, it's so depressing

Oodilally, how much spearmint tea a day and where do you get it from? Wondering if it will help me 😊

@Redrosegirlie I buy mine from Ebay as I've never seen it in shops, and drink 2 cups a day, let it steep for a few minutes so it's strong, and just add a little sugar/sweetener if you want but it's quite pleasant to drink without

@SleepForTheWeak a dermatologist would tell you to exfoliate only once a week with your skin condition, and even though your skincare products have been fine to use up until now, your skin has changed and I think you're doing way too much, using too many products. I suggest simplifying your skincare routine and possibly changing products for a time, you don't want to be overloading your skin when it's already going through so much

My skin went mental post natal and I've started taking evening primrose oil tablets 3 times a day to help settle my hormones and now it's completely clear and as smooth as a babies bottom. Give it 6-8 weeks to kick in. Also taking zinc to help with inflammation. And this is all coming from a girl who's done roaccutane, antibiotics, peels, laser you name it.

Where are your spots mostly located?

Thanks I’m going to try it as I am convinced I over produce testosterone but my GP isn’t interested 🤞

@Redrosegirlie my gp didn't listen to me either, I've tried everything and in the end roaccutane cleared it, but I used the tea while waiting and it kept them at bay until I could see someone, it's not a cure but it's close

@Oodilally, if it works I’ll drink it forever 😀 thanks

@gimeallthecake they are mainly round my jaw line, up to my cheek bones.

They seem a little better, I've cut out dairy which might have helped and also not exfoliating as much

Thanks for all the advice!!

@SleepForTheWeak yeah that's hormonal and gut related acne. I would try the supplements I mentioned and the spearmint tea as another poster mentioned. I would also drink fermented drinks like kombucha which are good for gut health and help with your skin. But literally the evening primrose oil has changed my life. I take 3 capsules a day. Xx hopefully it works I know how much acne can ruin confidence as I've had it most of my life.

@gimeallthecake

What strength evening primrose oil do you take? And do you take them all at once or space them out?

I had bad teenage acne, it cleared up in my twenties, but post pregnancy flared up again.
The only thing I've found which helps (and I've tried everything!) Is Asda own brand tea tree products.

I'm honestly not kidding, £2 each for foaming cleanser, scrub for once a week use, and mattifying moisturiser.

And they last ages! I literally now spend £6 a month and my skin is under control finally

If it's hormonal creams etc wont help.

I've just had 6 weeks of hormonal acne from my contraceptive implant. Nothing worked, not my led mask, aha peels, calamine lotion, spot creams. Nothing. I only left the house to go to work and back.

I had the implant removed 11 days ago and can finally see my skin calming down.

There is an anti androgen available on prescription if it doesn't settle.

I have bought spearmint loose off ebay. Organic, natch.

@SleepForTheWeak I can highly recommend Nip and Fab Glycolic Fix gentle pads. I'm 32 and use them daily. I also use a cream called Sebopure which is good. Benzoyl peroxide cream is good too, although it can be harsh on the skin to begin with. I love Tropic, and use Tropic moisturiser. I found the cleanser a bit too oily though when I tried it, so I now use Cetaphil for oily skin.

Thanks @Flatwhite32, will definitely look out for them.

So, I exfoliated with a gentle face scrub yesterday morning for the first time in a week, and my face broke out in to more spots yesterday so I'm definitely it exfoliating again for a long time.

The spots are so sore as well - have tried to take photos but they don't do them justice!

Have started taking evening primrose oil and will buy some spearmint tea too.

I'm not on any hormonal contraceptive so can't be that

I'm 38 and have struggled on and off since I was a teenager with acne. It's only ever on my chin and around my nostrils.
I've realised that drinking 2 litres of water every day helps enormously. Also over cleaning your skin is bad, bad, bad. Also if you take a multivitamin, stop. Everything you put in to your body affects your skin and I turn in to a massive pizza face if I take vitamins.
A lot of it is down to your foundation so experiment... even non comedogenic foundations can cause my skin to break out. The best for me is good old cheap L'Oreal Infallible with a good primer underneath.

I've tried, over the years, every drug and product on the market. The only thing that works for me is Panoxyl 10. The drugs company no longer makes it, presumably because it works? But it's a wonder cream I'm a tube. You HAVE to use it twice daily for a few weeks up see your acne dry up and disappear, but then you can drop down it once a day or even less. A tube on eBay sells for about £100 now, so be prepared to pay through the nose.
It's drying on the skin, so a good moisturiser is essential. Ditch all oil based skin care and makeup.
I feel for you. Acne is the fucking pits.