Adult acne.. how to cope with it?

[babyblueblush]

For a few years now I've had really bad acne on my face. Chin / jaw area. I've used everything under the sun, all the expensive stuff, all the cheaper things. I also have PCOS so can be a factor for the acne.

Without suggesting medication- has anyone tried anything that's cleared up their skin really well?

Yes! I’ve had acne in my chin since I was a teen. Hormonal but fairly constant in some form except when pregnant. I followed a tip on here to try sudocrem (literally just because we had it here anyway and I was desperate). It’s worked really well. I put it on 2/3 times a day or more if I can feel one coming. I still get the odd spot but far fewer and they heal much more quickly. Good luck. It’s so, so demoralising each time you feel a new one emerging before the last one has even healed. I feel huge relief to have broken the cycle.

I have tried everything, differin worked for a while but I developed an allergy to it. I have had a course of lasering that has improved it a lot. I also take MSM supplements that help.

Duac gel from online doctor cleared mine up completely

I used avene's gel daily with a combination of creams (I cannot say I was completely satisfied with a specific one, I just think the gel was drying the acne)

What exactly is wrong with medication?

You have spent a fortune, probably on the wrong stuff. Subscription to Dermatica would be a bargain in comparison.

Or just see your GP for exactly the same things - Differin, Duac etc.

Spironolactone is often really successful at treating hormonal acne. But it's medication ...

I have pcos, your hormones are going to override any skincare, and it gets 100 times worse at peri-menopause when your oestrogen declines and your androgens are off the leash completely.

That’s why the products aren’t working. Your trying to treat a medical problem with cosmetic treatments. It’s like trying to cure cancer with a raw food vegan diet.

Someone on here used salycilic acid soap from Amazon on her back acne and she said it cleared it up. It seems to have good reviews online.

I definitely wouldn't ignore medication.
I have PCOS (or had... post menopausal, not sure if it's still any sort of issue or not). I used to have bad acne, but it was a lot better when I was on some types of oral contraceptive - the last type, which I used for ~10 years till meno was Marvelon.

Niacinamide from The Ordinary. It's great at keeping my chin acne under control (I also have pcos)

I saw a dermatologist I use 20% azeliac acid which helps massively but if you have PCOS you'll need more than a topical treatment as its hormone related.

Which washing powder do you use? My daughter had awful raised spots on back for years, I switched her powder to fairy liquid and no softener and it completely disappeared in around a month.

Acne on chin or jaw is almost always hormonal and so correcting the hormonal imbalance is more effective than any topical treatment. Topical treatments literally scratch the surface. Over the years the topical things I think have worked for me are: azelaic acid, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin. But absolute uphill battle without some medication as well.

I’ve recently had amazing results with tretinoin from skin & me (online prescription service). Been suffering for 30 years and have had up and down success with GP prescriptions but nothing in recent years had touched it. I did skin & me on a whim as the first month was pay postage only and I’d told myself that next stop was probably rouacctane, but so far skin & me stuff has absolutely transformed my skin. It’s £20 a month but I only use about half their recommended dose (you can stop and start your subscription) so about a tenner probably. Agree with others the GP should be first port of call though and what works for someone isn’t going to work for everyone. Good luck with it.

I signed up for Dermatica anti ageing subscription but they reviewed and replied saying that I need a Rosacea subscription. I am due to receive my first Rosacea subscription soon,one product of an evening. I am impressed so far they sent details of what is in the product and what it does. The first month was just postage cost.

Honestly? Having spent a small fortune on skincare, the only thing that cleared it up was medication. It was also along my chin and jaw, a classic sign of hormonal acne. Currently I keep it under control with Yasmine oral contraceptive.