Acne

[Ansumpasty]

Has anyone managed to cure their acne without oral prescription medication?

I have had acne since I was 14 and I’m mid 30s. The only time it was ever under control was when using Proactiv from the US. I have pitted acne scarring, tried microneedleding and was left with severe acne.

I cannot take roaccutaine or spiro because of a benign liver growth. I also don’t want more antibiotics. Tried them for years, numerous types.

I don’t get on well with tretinoin/adapalene, salicylic acid or Niacinamide. Epidio didn’t work. Currently using duac and still getting cystic acne.

My skin is SO oily. Not just my face, although I never get acne anywhere else. Within 15 mins of washing my face, it literally looks like I’ve rubbed it with olive oil.

Had a scan, don’t have Polycystic ovaries and conceive easily with no hormone problems.

Currently using Cerave foaming cleanser, Cosrx snail mucin and La Roche Posay Toleraine sensitive fluid, with Duac at night.

I’m so sick of it! I know it’s not the biggest issue and it’s not affecting my mental health in the way it did when I was younger but it’s frustrating to have acne while also beginning to get wrinkles!

Thanks :)

No is my short answer to that. Mine is hormonal, always on the chin. Tretinoin helps by unblocking pores but the pill or HRT are the only things that control it.

I hugely sympathise. I have had acne for 30yrs, on and off, and whilst it's much better now I can't see myself ever having the kind of clear skin that just doesn't erupt.

Have you tried any diet changes? Tbh I was sceptical of this for many years but cutting out diary seems to have had a fairly dramatic effect for me. Also do you use hair dye? It turned out that in recent years I developed an allergy and that wasn't helping my skin condition either (or its ability to "fight back"!).

Topically I have most success with niacinamide and salcylic acid, I'm sorry to hear they haven't helped you. I also oil cleanse with Vit C oil for Superfacialist, and use Squalane as a moisturiser - oil really helps my skin keep down its own oil production!

Try acnecide it's fantastic. I bought it for my dd. Started using it myself as I started with acne again in my early 40s following graves disease (which led to severe weight loss and cessation of my periods.) Once my periods started again the acne began! I was on roaccatane in my late teens so panicked it would spiral again. Thankfully I have perfect skin for the first time since I initially finished roaccatane in the past. It stains towels etc so be careful with clothes. I use it on my face and neck.

I actually do like the Acnecide gel as a spot treatment too.

OP I've just seen that you also use COSRX Snail thingy - bloody love that stuff! And I use LRP Toleriane too - sounds like we have similar skin!

Thanks, all!

I’ve tried cutting out dairy and sugar in the past but neither seems to have made a difference.

@Laquila I’m allergic to hair dye! I can now only use bleach, and don’t risk it on my scalp, either, so get balayage done with one brand of purple shampoo (instead of toner) that I’m not allergic to. Did you get a ‘fake hemp’ black tattoo in your past, too?

@Thequeenofwishfulthinking
I did give up on duac the other day and tried acnecide for week. I got lots of spots while using it, so went back to the Duac, but could give it another go!

@Laquila We must do! Which cleanser do you use?

It takes about 3 weeks to start working op. Id give it another go for longer.

My skin is the same, incredibly oily. I think it's hormonal. You don't mention whether you've tried oral contraceptives? I'm no longer in the UK but I take Yasmin which is designed to help with skin and find it really effective.

Another one for acnecide. Only thing that has worked permanently. Benzoyl peroxide is the ingredient you want to look for.

Ooh @Ansumpasty fancy that! I don't often find anyone else with an allergy to PPD! No I didn't have a fake henna tattoo 😂 but after thousands of years of highlights I started getting a horrible spot-like/acne-like rash all over my face and neck and long story short, patch testing showed me to have an allergy to PPD (along with a few other things incl Balsam of Peru and nickel, the latter of which I knew about anyway). I don't dye my hair any more - I did a few years with Goldwell Elumen, which is PPD-free, but a bad experience with cross-contamination made me jack it in all together and embrace (🙄) the grey...

Cleanser-wise I alternate Superfacialist Vit C oil cleanser with either CeraVe Smoothing Cleanser or Garnier Pure Active Sensitive, which I love. I also generally have good results with anything from LRP, incl Effaclar Duo+, and COSRX. (Although I find the snail essence to be the one I stick to religiously.) I also like Alpha H Liquid Gold and Nip+Fab Glycolic Acid toner, which is considerably cheaper. For moisturiser I use LRP Toleriane and The Ordinary Hemi-Squalane.

I went dairy-free about 5 months ago and that does seem to have helped, although I do have a teeny but of parmesan every now and again...I also use a silk turban for my hair at night - I think keeping my hair off my skin makes a difference too, even though it's a good size months since I used even the Goldwell PPD-free dye.

Avoiding glycerin helped me. I know it’s not an oil but glycerin makes me so oily.

My acne was relatively mild I think, but I've had very encouraging results from a combination of these (I started doing them all at the same time, a couple of months ago, so not sure if it's one thing or the combination that is helping)

Oil cleansing with jojoba and caster oil www.webmd.com/beauty/deep-oil-cleansing-what-to-know

Adding salt to my bath water 2 x week and thoroughly rinsing my face with it several times while I'm in there

Reducing blood sugar spikes by making my diet lower GI (more like the type 2 diabetes diet, although not as strict)

Reducing ultra processed foods

I hope you find some relief soon OP

Benzoyl peroxide is one of the active ingredients in Duac (the other is clindamycin) so there seems no point in advising OP to switch from Duac to acnecide.

Can I ask what you use the cosrx snail mucin for, OP?

I used Duac for a while, but after I kept getting big 'heavy' spots for which Duac seemed to do little good, I was prescribed azelaic acid for a while. My acne seems to have died down again now, so I'm not currently using anything specifically for that. When I get a spot I put some salicylic spirit on it.

Another vote for acnecide. I was on Roacchtane as a teenager and it got rid of love you acne, but it came back after kids in my 30s. Acnecide has been as effective as oral drugs were but without the other dangers/side effects.

Hi, I use it incase my barrier is damaged and it seems to prevent any irritation from the Duac or dry skin. I started using it at the same time as Duac and didn’t get any irritation at all. I do think it helps to heal acne faster, too!

Paula's choice. The turquoise one or the black one. I cured my acne at 38 after trying for years.

Also Cera Ve salycilic acid in the shower to get rid of back spots

My allergy was caused by the black henna tattoo! It’s actually pretty common and shows up years later. My allergy is incredibly severe- patch test behind my ear turns into a blistering, swollen, weepy mess within a minute. Looks like a cigarette burn! I was meant to have all the patch tests done but my husband worked away at the time and I couldn’t find anyone to help take the kids to school (they wanted me in 3 times in the same week). I wish I’d done it, though!

Thanks, I will have a look at Paula’s choice! It’s probably the one thing I haven’t tried

I’m in my mid 50’s and have suffered from acne since I was 13. After spending goodness knows how much on lotions and potions I’ve now totally simplified my routine and do the following:
AM - mild face wash followed with oil free sunscreen
PM - remove makeup with oil cleanser, mild face wash then moisturiser. Every other day I use a retinol.
My skin is finally starting to clear up.

I have had acne and now rosacea for 32 years and tried all sorts from the doctors even Roaccutane. Some treatments helped but none ever completely cleared my skin.
Since starting Dermatica in January for rosacea my skin has never looked so good. I am type 2 with pustules and redness. No more, clear normal coloured skin and no congestion on my chin. It still feels strange to look and feel like this as I have been so used to my problem skin. You could try the Dermatica acne treatment, I have a code

www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/3LW935
The tube lasts me about 5 weeks and I delay my next one each time and easy to cancel.
I wish I had found this treatment years ago rather than feeling upset and having people laugh and gossip about my skin.

Pantothenic acid (VitaminB5) is a vitamin supplement that is beneficial for reducing sebum production and associated acne. As you would want to keep the B vitamins in ratio, taking B5 as part of a Vitamin B complex formulation is the preferred way to take it.

I have just bought my DD the acne range from Dr Pimple Popper from You Tube.
It's early days but seems promising

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I will look into these things :)

I saw someone on YouTube talking about B5 and how it helped. I had a look and it seems difficult to buy, without the other B vitamins, so that must be why.
My problem is that b12 seems to cause acne! I’ve started My Vitamins Hormone Balance, but that only has B6