Where do you find reliable skin care information?

[MonsteraCheeseplant]

Hi, I need some help please!

So after stopping the pill, the skin on my back, chest and neck is spotty and I have tiny whiteheads on my face. Yay. I started taking the pill when I was 17 and had horrible Acne. Nothing ever worked apart from the pill but it killed my sex drive and for various reasons, I stopped it and don't want to go back on.

Anyway, i'm hoping that some simple skin care advice can help as what i'm experiencing right now is far far less severe than when I was a teenager. But it is still upsetting me.

When i google how to prevent whiteheads, I get cosmopolitan and random health websites that I haven't heard of. Usually when I want information I try to go to reliable sources, especially when there's an industry out there wanting to sell me their products. But I don't know where is a reliable, scientific source. Any recommendations?? Years ago I looked at Acne.org but that seems to be selling me something now.

If I remember correctly Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl peroxide are key ingredients to look for. The aforementioned quick google came up with topical Retinoids too but a) I don't know what products contain those and b) the pharmacist honestly handed over Anusol!!! . Back to the drawing board....

Caroline Hirons.

Her Skincare Freaks Facebook group has been an absolute godsend for me – but her website is a great place to start, too. Straight-talking, no-fluff, and funny to boot

She's got a Cheat Sheet on acne here

and it's worth searching her site for anything specific you're looking for.

If you can join the Skincare Freaks facebook group too, do (they cap membership at 10,000 but you can apply to join). Everyone there is lovely and very knowledgeable - you can post pics and a history and people will help.

See your gp, that’s a big area to get acne.

Thanks ladybee28
I've looked for the facebook group, is this the one?

Caroline Hirons Skincare Freaks
Private group · 29041 Members

Thanks for the suggestion Fluffy. To be honest, it's really not half as bad as it was when I was a teen so I was kind of hoping for evidence based skincare routines as a first port of call. Just because I hate going to the GP. As a teen they put me on all the crappy antibiotics which did nothing then I was on Dianette for 15 years which turns out has no long term studies and has some pretty stroke inducing horrendous side effects.

This website is good and I’ve found it v useful in understanding acne and how to treat it.

simpleskincarescience.com/

There is a section of articles on ingredients.

I was on dianette too but I had to come off it.

Don’t waste too much time on skincare, or put up with crap skin. I’ve done all this & eventually took roaccutane which worked & now I use the cheapest skincare but have clear skin.

I'm a long term acne sufferer - had roaccutane, all the antibiotics etc like you, then took Dianette and my skin was clear for years. When I stopped taking it to have babies, my spots came back and they were up and down in severity depending on whether I was pregnant/bfeeding etc. Now I am finished with the baby making and have turned 40 and I'm back on the Dianette as nothing else would get rid of the spots. They weren't as severe as when I was in my 20s but I was pissed off at the idea of having spots AND wrinkles so I was keen to get rid.

I will say upfront that only Dianette made the difference for me in clearing my skin fully, but in terms of skincare I have found the following have helped the most:
Double cleansing - remove makeup first, then I wash and rub lightly with a flannel. I use a clean one every time (I bought a load of them in Home Bargains for about 30p each for convenience).
Niacinamide serum - I use The Ordinary, which is very high concentration and doesn't suit everyone. My skin LOVES it though. I use it once a day, in the morning, on clean skin. I then give it a couple of minutes to absorb before using a bit of moisturiser. The niacinamide regulates the oil production and stops me getting super shiny through the day.
Differing gel - this is a retinoid-like product in that it stimulates skin cell turnover. I couldn't tolerate Retin-A but never had any issues with Differin. It doesn't irritate my skin or make it dry. It's available over the counter now (used to be prescription only).

I use The Ordinary salicylic acid masque from time to time, but in general I find my skin is quite easily irritated by salicylic. I know it is supposed to be a wonder ingredient for acne but when I started using it daily I ended up with peri-oral dermatitis which was horrible. There may be no connection but it felt like it irritated my skin. Same with glycolic acid, although I think I was guilty of overdoing it with that. I now use it about once a week as it has a good brightening effect, but I am sparing with it and wouldn't use it daily.

Thanks mintbiscuit

Fluffycloud - Don’t waste too much time on skincare, or put up with crap skin. I’ve done all this & eventually took roaccutane which worked & now I use the cheapest skincare but have clear skin.

SAME. Except i've never taken Roaccutane. My impression of Roaccutane is that your skin kind of has to be bright red and lumpy. Mine isn't. Small whiteheads yes and braille like texture. Would this qualify? I doubt it?

emsyj37 - Skin twin! Lucky us. My GP refused to prescribe me Dianette after such a long time having slipped through the net. They're not supposed to prescribe it for longer than 6 months you know. I did my research and found out that Yasmin + Spironolactone = the same chemical composition of Dianette. I took this RCT proving the efficacy of this to my GP (who had an interest in Gynae and skin issues) and she was happy to prescribe it. I was very happy with this substitution. Don't know if that helps you at all but thought it worth mentioning.

I remember using Retin-A once and it made my dry skin bleed. These products are so harsh, i'm a bit scared to try them again.

Roaccutane is for cystic acne and acne resistant to the usual prescription meds.

I had both.

One of the derm nurses had taken it 3 times but had perfect skin.

Oh that is so interesting re: Yasmin and spironolactone!!! Thank you! It took a LOT of persuading to get my GP to prescribe Dianette - I had tried 3 different antibiotics over a period of about 18 months and seen a dermatologist who didn't think my skin was bad enough to warrant roaccutane on the NHS. I was basically left with a choice of private dermatologist or get Dianette. I pointed out that I don't have any of the classic risk factors for it to cause problems, ie I'm not overweight, my blood pressure is low and I've never smoked. He took a day to think and research before prescribing. Very very interesting to know about Yasmin plus spironolactone - spironolactone is the one thing I've never tried.

If you have little bumps and small spots the Niacinamide should really help. My skin has never been smooth and glowing until I started using it, and the effects showed really quickly.

How did you get a gp to prescribe spiro for acne? It’s an off licence use which only specialists are usually allowed to do.

My gp refused.

Oh, and don't let Retin-A put you off trying Differin. They are not the same active ingredient, they just have a similar effect on the skin. Differin has never irritated my skin at all.

emsyj37 - Thanks for the tip about Niacinamide. I'll look for Differin gel. And glad I could be of some help re: Spiro.

Fluffycloud - It's hit and miss. I read about Spiro on the Acne.org forum a while ago and it's a mostly American site but some UK posters had luck and advised asking for a GP in the practice that had an interest in gynae/womens issues and/or derm. My GP practice has a list of all the GPs with their interests and one had an interest in both. As I said, I printed off the RCT I linked to in my last post, told her what I knew and she was ok with it. Very interesting about Roaccutane.