New(ish) facial routine to deal with acne

[NothingMuch]

I'm in my 40s now and I've been dealing with adult acne for 20 years or so. I went from mostly clear skin in my teens to horrific cystic acne sometime in my college years. A dermatologist back then had subscribed antibiotics and a bleaching cream because my olive/light brown skin forms extreamly dark hyperpigmentation spots after the acne heals. I don't remember what type of antibiotics they were, but the side effects I suffered from taking them were so painful, I was curled up on the floor in tears one day. I immediately stopped taking those antibiotics and never trusted a dermatologist ever again. Things have changed, I know, but I still can't bring myself to trust them completely (nor can I afford them).

Eventually I figured out on my own that my diet played a big role in my acne. I quit eating so much sugary foods/breads and the horrible cystic acne disappeared. I still continued to suffer from acne though. Upon further research I noticed that hormonal problems seem to cause it too, but the rare side effects of birth control put me in the hospital...so...that's also a thing. I've tried a myriad of over-the-counter options over the years and nothing seemed to work. Maybe I still haven't found the right product(s)? Maybe I was using the products wrong? Maybe I wasn't using the products for long enough? Well I'm back again with another attempt at conquering my ol' nemesis.

I started a new facial routine around mid July, using a 10% benzoyl peroxide wash. Things seemed to be going well, but now I think I'm going through a purging stage. This is the part were it's supposed to get worse before it gets better. I'm saying it's a purge and not irritation because I'm only getting this increase of breakouts where I typically breakout (chin, cheeks, and nose) and not on places like my forehead. The increase lasted the whole month of August and now it might be settling down some? Time will tell. I don't believe in instant miracles. Several people have suggested it can take 4-6 months for things to clear completely. Well I waited this long, so what's a few more months? If this works, I really wish I would've figured this shit out sooner. Anyway, here's my extreamly simple routine for dry, acne prone skin if anyone wants to know.

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Nighttime - At least 1hr Before Bed

1. Change out of important clothing. BP bleaches fabric!
2. Wash hands
3. Wash face once if not wearing makeup : 20 to 40 seconds : Using warm, slightly cold water.
4. Wash face again if wearing makeup : 20 to 40 seconds
5. While face is still wet, apply 10% BP wash. Gently massage for 2 minutes. Set a timer or listen to a song.
6. Thoroughly rinse off BP.
7. Pat face dry for a few seconds with a dedicated face towel.
8. Apply moisturizer. Never skip this part!!

Morning / Daytime

1. Wash hands
2. Apply moisturizer
3. Apply makeup : Only if I am leaving the house.
4. Try not to touch my face!
5. Follow a healthy diet plan.

 

[Lady Wolfshead]

I've always had skin troubles (rosacea) so my heart goes out to you. I get a lot of facial redness plus bumps (not usually comedones). Currently I'm using Riversol products - cleanser, serum and moisturizer. Plus I use an LED light mask which really helps when I use it rigorously every day. Other things that help are glycolic peels once a week. Skin vitamins have helped. My skin is really dry so I can't use BP or scrubs.

One thing that really helps when my skin is bad and I just want to cry is an Aspirin mask. Basically you grind up uncoated aspirin to a powder, add enough warm water to make a paste, and a drop or two of jojoba oil. Apply to face, leave 10-15 minutes then rinse off and moisturize as usual. It seems to just calm everything down. I read about it in a beauty forum. It seems to help get rid of stubborn bumps for me. You can also use just one dissolved aspirin on a stubborn blemish and I've left it overnight. I wish I had known about it as a teenager.

Best to you! Glad you found something that helps. Diet doesn't seem to make much of a difference for me. Makeup also has never made me break out (in fact mineral makeup seems to soothe my rosacea a bit).

 

[may71]

Sorry that you've been struggling with this for so long.

I have a few books about traditional Chinese dietary therapy and Chinese medicine. One book has some recommendations about treating acne that I could share with you if you'd like, but it's ok if you're satisfied with what you're doing now.

I hope things can get better soon.

 

[NothingMuch]

@Lady Wolfshead
It's always fantastic when you finally find the one(s) that work. I never even considered a LED mask cause they seemed a little too good to be true. Glad I was wrong and that it's actually helping someone out! What kind of skin vitamins are you taking?

Yea, I had tried a BP cream in the past (I think it was 2.5%) and it was extreamly drying and irritating no matter how sparsely I used it or how much moisturizer I slathered on. I was skeptical to try BP again, but I read something about "short contact therapy." It only takes a short while for BP to do it's job and then you wash it off so it doesn't cause irritation. So far this method hasn't dried me out even though I'm using the highest BP percentage possible. It's going to be the only way I ever recommend using BP for people with dry skin. As a wash. None of that leave-on, cream stuff.

Thankfully, my makeup has never been a problem either. It's hard enough as it is getting even a close match to my skin tone. Hahaha.

@may71
Thank you! I don't mind a recommendation. If I can't find the books at my local library, I can at least find something similar.

 

[NothingMuch]

It's the end of month 3 and I thought I'd share an update on my acne.

I'm still breaking out.

I guess I was expecting this considering how old I am (something about the skin's turnover rate), how severe the acne is, and the slide backward with my diet. The breakouts have now switched from the left side of my face to the right side...typically happens with my hormonal problems. The number of pimples have increased on my cheeks as well as the number of whiteheads in the crease of my nose.

This is...still a purge? I've got up to 3 more months to figure it out. What's going to be interesting is what happens when the breakouts are supposed to switch back to the left side. I would hope they would be less severe or non-existent by then.

The good news is that my forehead has remained clear (no unexpected pimples caused by irritation). There's been no overall redness, dryness or peeling either.

Did anyone else take a really long to see results using BP? I've only seen one YouTuber so far who said it took her 4-6 months to get clear.

Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post here.

 

[Inanimate]

This is...still a purge?

Purging is just something that might happen within the first few weeks of starting a treatment that increases cell turnover. It sounds like you’re well over that initial hurdle, so you may still just be breaking out.

Did anyone else take a really long to see results using BP?

No. In my experience, it cleared my acne rather quickly, but it wasn’t enough on its own to prevent the acne from coming back. One treatment may be enough for most people, but in some cases two or more treatments that target different pathways of acne may be necessary. Benzoyl peroxide, for example, is anti-inflammatory, targets the bacteria, and helps clear the pores, but it doesn’t address your hormones.

If you’re at the point where you’ve tried numerous treatments OTC yet nothing seems to really help, seeing a dermatologist can definitely offer guidance (and frankly stronger medications). I know your experience with one was disappointing and painful, and getting in with one can take a long time, but if you manage to get prescribed a treatment (or combination of treatments) that is actually effective, at least you would no longer have to waste time, energy, and money, on treatments that seem to only work for other people.

 

[Lady Wolfshead]

@NothingMuch - sorry I didn't see your question above. I was taking Halo Kiwi vitamins, which were created by YouTube makeup artist Tati. There are a lot of amazing reviews of her vitamins out there.

 

[NothingMuch]

I just wanted to give an update on my ex-facial routine. I've long quit the BP and the irritation and breakouts on my face have diminished greatly in number and severity. As I've learned more about irritation, I've done an about face () when it comes to the few skin care products I still use.

I'm invested in the caveman facial routine now. It means that you don't put anything at all on your face and you don't wash it either. Well I haven't gone full caveman yet. I work part-time and still can't bring myself to go without makeup three times a week, so I only wash my face three times a week at night. With the cold, dry air I feel the need to keep up the moisturizer too.

My chin has been breaking out a bit more lately, and when I though about why, I realized I put my chin in my hands quit often throughout the day. This is going to be a tough habit to break. Sigh. Just another bad habit on a long list of bad habits.

Since doing everything to my face didn't work, let's see what happens if I do as little as possible!

 

[Lady Wolfshead]

I just wanted to give an update on my ex-facial routine. I've long quit the BP and the irritation and breakouts on my face have diminished greatly in number and severity. As I've learned more about irritation, I've done an about face () when it comes to the few skin care products I still use.

I'm invested in the caveman facial routine now. It means that you don't put anything at all on your face and you don't wash it either. Well I haven't gone full caveman yet. I work part-time and still can't bring myself to go without makeup three times a week, so I only wash my face three times a week at night. With the cold, dry air I feel the need to keep up the moisturizer too.

My chin has been breaking out a bit more lately, and when I though about why, I realized I put my chin in my hands quit often throughout the day. This is going to be a tough habit to break. Sigh. Just another bad habit on a long list of bad habits.

Since doing everything to my face didn't work, let's see what happens if I do as little as possible!

Let me know how it goes. Long ago I realized that if I even touch my face once (unless I just washed my hands) I get a pimple. My skin is just that reactive.

I've never had a breakout caused by makeup (I did get an eye twitch from some dollar-store eyeshadow though lol). I had only one breakout caused by moisturizer and it was all over my face and neck - not pimples but some kind of hives. I contacted the company just to let them know and got a letter from their legal department lol. I said don't worry the hives went away I'm just letting you know.

It really sucks having bad skin. My current facial products seem to be working well though. But I know I should be doing my light therapy as well. It's only 10 min a day but I don't get to it at times....

 

[NothingMuch]

Let me know how it goes. Long ago I realized that if I even touch my face once (unless I just washed my hands) I get a pimple. My skin is just that reactive. ...

Things have been going surprising well. I've had a few whiteheads here and there, but no massive breakouts from an "unclean" face so far!

I've been moisturizing once in the morning and once at night. That's it. It sucks that you had a reaction to moisturizer. It seems to me that would be the least likely thing to break someone out. That might be my chronic dry skin talking though.

I started going to work without makeup about a week ago which means going completely without using facial soap now...just the occasional splash of water. I avoided the dollar store makeup when my cousin had had a bad reaction to it long ago. I thought the more expensive, "non-pore-clogging" makeup didn't play a part in my breakouts in the past, but now I'm not so sure. To be honest, I've been comfortable enough to go without makeup because I'm wearing my mask again for the winter flu/covid season (in addition to my updated shots).

I have one new pimple right now. This is the only one I've gotten so far since I started this simplified routine and it's not as big of a deal as the huge, painful ones I've suffered in the past. It's either a sign of my hormone cycle, eating too much sugar, irritation from when I scratched my face, or from wearing a mask again.

I'm going to keep up this caveman facial routine for now. Even if things go wrong, I can at least say I saved time and money.

 

[BlueGreen]

Hi @NothingMuch, I wonder if you have tried getting a test for food intolerances? I'm like you in that I had lovely skin in my teens but worse later on. I've got super dry skin now and just lately I've got patches of eczema all over too but I put that down to a medical procedure that might have upset my nervous system. It has helped to cut out eggs and dairy completely. They were on my list of intolerances but I was eating them in small amounts in things like cakes. I'm a strong believer in problems arising from the foods we eat. It's worth checking your vitamin levels too. My first experience of eczema coincided with really low levels of vitamin D and B6. Everyone is different and you could be intolerant to any number of seemingly healthy foods.

I wear makeup whenever I go out and hot cloth cleansers like Eve Lom (which is expensive but worth it) are good for taking it off without having to scrub. In the UK, in Boots they have an own brand that is super cheap and really good too. I gave up expensive makeup brands because they are really harsh. Clarins, YSL, etc. Boots No7 is really good. I guess you do have to shop around. I guess you are in the states? If you can get French brands like Avene or La Roche Posay they do really good skincare.

 

[NothingMuch]

Hey @BlueGreen! I'm lactose intolerant so I can rule out dairy . I don't seem to have a problem with eggs either. Some years ago I replaced all those sugary breakfast foods with eggs and my health vastly improved. I've never been tested for other food intolerances or vitamin deficiencies, but it's something to think about doing in the near future. I do take vitamin D3 supplements though because I never go out and enjoy the sun as much as I should (well, when it isn't winter anyway). I wholeheartedly agree that diet plays a big role in our modern problems. I'm glad you were able to pin down what did and didn't help your eczema. It's always a relief to find the answer after slogging through the research.

I've never used a hot cloth cleanser before (sounds relaxing), but I was recently reminded that I could also use micellar water to remove makeup instead of soap. I do live in the states and the only product I recognize is La Roche. This may not be due to availability because I live under a rock and I'm not well versed when it comes to makeup products.