adult acne
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delfin
Cathlete
I'm now on RetinA, and I supplement with a benzoyl peroxide lotion when a pimple flares. It took a while for the retinA to work, but now my skin is noticably smoother and the pores actually look smaller. It's supposed to be good for wrinkles, too! You need to get it through your dermatologist, though.
sancho
Cathlete
I was using Proactive also. It helped alot. But I went to the dermatologist to get my moles checked and asked her about it. She insisted I pack up all my proactive stuff and send it back to them for a refund. She said "the reason those crooks live in gorgeous mansions is because the sell over the counter strength medications at exhorbatant prices". She said, I should use a prescription strength medication. So, I did what she said (and did get my money back in a timely manner from proctive) and have been using microbenz and retin-a. My face is doing much better. Just a warning, the RetinA was very hard on my skin (redness, drying etc) so I switched to using it every other day for the first few months. Now I am able to use it daily and am getting great results.
I don't think there is anything wrong with Proactive and I liked it while I used it. But the dermatologist did tell me that over time, I it would stop working. I used it for about 2 months.
I don't think there is anything wrong with Proactive and I liked it while I used it. But the dermatologist did tell me that over time, I it would stop working. I used it for about 2 months.
I use tazorac gel for my stubborn acne. It is very strong, stings, causes my skin to peel a lot. However, it does help my acne, gets rid of skin discolorations, blasts away wrinkles, and makes my skin very smooth(when it is not peeling). For me, the trade off is worth it.
Lorrie
Lorrie
Isn't it great? On top of all the new little wrinkles and under eye circles, why not have a little acne to boot? I find it very frustrating. Anyway, I have an allergy to anything w/ perioxide in it so I can't atest to the effectiveness of products like Proactive (main ingredient is benzoyle perioxide). I've used Retin A which worked well - a note of caution though, it shouldn't be used if you are trying, or could become pregnant. I've since switched to using a product by Yonka called Gommage, it's a gel exfoliant. You put it on in a thin layer and let it semi-dry for a min or two, then you gently rub the layer off with your finger tips (it looks like eraser shavings but it's actually the product and dead skin cells). The best advice I ever received was from my esthetician, she said facial exfoliants w/ any type of grit or texture should never be used - especially on acne prone skin as it increases the skin's production of sebum which is a major cause of acne.
If you can afford it, try doing facials monthly. My skin looked best when I did this but at $70 + a month, became a bit much. Now I go every 2-3 months.
If you can afford it, try doing facials monthly. My skin looked best when I did this but at $70 + a month, became a bit much. Now I go every 2-3 months.
Liann
Cathlete
I really started having problems with this after college. I went to a dermatologist and tried everything. They had me on retin-a, an oral antibiotic, and something called clindomycin (spelling?). All it did was dry out my face and make it peel, which only made the oil glands perform overtime causing more breakouts etc... Nothing was helping, including the oral antibiotic. We tried different levels of retin-a too and nothing worked. Finally, I tried Proactive. I had been really hesitant because I always equated the percentage of an active ingredient with it's effectiveness. The % of benzyl peroxide in Proactive is equal to many over the counter drugs, but it still works 100% better for me than any of those product (clearasil, noxema, clean & clear, you name it) and trust me I've tried everything. I use the entire system faithfully - cleaser, toner, and repairing lotion. I also have their moisture lotion and oil control lotion. My skin is sooo much better now and I have kicked my dermatologist to the curb. Honestly, there were days when I felt like all my dermatologist was was a skin care salesman in disguise. She was always trying to sell me these expensive products that they had at their office - their own "line of face care". When the products she recommended did nothing for me, she tried to tell me the only thing that would help was a $200 face peel that they could do for me in the office - no thank you. I now have my niece (whose face was really going downhill, poor thing), my mom, and two of my sisters all using proactive and it has worked wonders for them to. You can buy a trial size for $19 of the 3-piece system and try it for a month. And after that, you can customize when they send you your refills etc... I will never use anything else on my face again! Between that and Bare Escentials which is the make-up I use, I'm set. 
p.s. And no I do not sell for either of these companies! This is just my own personal experience.
p.s. And no I do not sell for either of these companies!
This is just my own personal experience.
Jacque1038
Cathlete
I also struggle with adult acne. I am 24 and if I am not careful I get horrible cystic acne. It is strange becuase the only place I really break out is around my mouth.
Things I have found to work:
1. Burt Bee's Blemish Stick or Kiss My Face Tea Tree Gel. Those two prouducts are the only products that seem to keep it under control.
2. Eat a clean diet and cut out dairy. I found that if I eat cleanly and stay away from dairy it does wonders for my skin.
3. Be really careful what I put on my face. A lot of times I just stick with the same product because most products seem to annoy my skin.
I have tried proactive but it did not work for me. However if you deciede to go that route there are a lot of drug store brands of that system that are half the price and you do not have to sign up for their club. Even when I do all the things listed above I still get acne during PMS week. I am going to try RetinA and see if that can help even things out since it seems to work for a lot of people. I am afraid that if I keep breaking out it will scar my face.
Things I have found to work:
1. Burt Bee's Blemish Stick or Kiss My Face Tea Tree Gel. Those two prouducts are the only products that seem to keep it under control.
2. Eat a clean diet and cut out dairy. I found that if I eat cleanly and stay away from dairy it does wonders for my skin.
3. Be really careful what I put on my face. A lot of times I just stick with the same product because most products seem to annoy my skin.
I have tried proactive but it did not work for me. However if you deciede to go that route there are a lot of drug store brands of that system that are half the price and you do not have to sign up for their club. Even when I do all the things listed above I still get acne during PMS week. I am going to try RetinA and see if that can help even things out since it seems to work for a lot of people. I am afraid that if I keep breaking out it will scar my face.
randidiane
Cathlete
I use to break out all the time until I found Proactive and Bare Essentials make up. My skin looks better then it has ever been!
Randi
!Randi
I had tried everything EXCEPT the basics. I read an article about how the skin will overproduce oils when its constantly being stripped of them and oral medications are actually fighting bacteria in your body, which we can do naturally.
So I went off birth control ( love it ) and quit using a TON of products for my face.
I use CeraVe skin cleanser 11.99 for a large bottle and use Cetaphil lotion every night for sure and sometimes in the AM (especially during winter) when my face feels dry. They discontinued CeraVE at Walgreens, but you can still buy it somewhere, but I called a dermatologist and she recommended the Johnson and Johnson gentle face cleanser called Purpose 5.99 and its been great so far
I started drinking more water and more water and whatdya know - my face is great!
I still get the occasional breakout during PMS week, but it clears up right away and that is just life if ya ask me - - -
So I went off birth control ( love it ) and quit using a TON of products for my face.
I use CeraVe skin cleanser 11.99 for a large bottle and use Cetaphil lotion every night for sure and sometimes in the AM (especially during winter) when my face feels dry. They discontinued CeraVE at Walgreens, but you can still buy it somewhere, but I called a dermatologist and she recommended the Johnson and Johnson gentle face cleanser called Purpose 5.99 and its been great so far
I started drinking more water and more water and whatdya know - my face is great!
I still get the occasional breakout during PMS week, but it clears up right away and that is just life if ya ask me - - -
Check out www.cosmeticscop.com. She has a lot of good info on her site. She also reviews products. I took her advice after trying everything, including ProActive and a dermatologist, and have had great results.
Michelle
Michelle
chars2boys
Cathlete
What about adult acne and wrinkles? Anyone try anything that works for both?
Sounds like a case of good old hormones to me. I can commiserate. The whole of my life, until two years ago, I have enjoyed clear skin. Then, at age 40, my face erupted like a teen-age boy in puberty. The acne on one side of my jawline looked disfiguring to my eyes, and it didn't help that this was a time I was on the job market for a major career move, and all I could worry about was my jawline full of zits. I was already a vegan for many years, already using no cosmetics but occassionally Bare Essentials, drinking a lot of water, etc. I eat a very clean diet with no sugar, no preservatives/ additives, no caffiene--so none of this was the problem. The dermatologist said the problem was purely hormonal and recommended a drug (I forget the name of it, but it begins with an S) that is successful in clearing acne in perimenopausal women who are producing too much testosterone. It's an excess of testosterone, by the way, that causes hormonal acne in women in their 30's and 40's. I talked to many women who went on this drug, and they testified to its miraculous results. As much as I wanted my clear skin back, I chose not to take it at the time because I was trying to conceive--and one of the possible side effects is feminization of a male fetus (in addition to sprouting facial hair). The drug does work, however, and if you're not pregnant, nursing, trying to conceive, etc., you might check it out. I wish I could remember the name of it. Doctors used to use it to treat high blood pressure. Maybe somebody else out there knows. For some reason, the word "Aldactone" comes to mind. Yes, I think that's it. Much better than Acutane.
But on an emotional note, acne sucks, and I feel for you. The whole thing has been very humbling for me, as I have enjoyed bodily beauty the whole of my life. I am just resigned to riding it out. I've tried everything, and because of the TTC issue/birth defects possiblity, I can do nothing else but wait for nature to take its course. For about three months this fall, my skin did clear up, and I breathed relief, thinking I was free. But low and behold,the rejoicing did not last. After New Years, my skin erupted again (in a matter of three days!), and my jawline is once again a raw battle zone. Oh well, at least I got the job--zits and all.
Best wishes to you, as I know exactly how frustrating this problem can be.
Manmohini
But on an emotional note, acne sucks, and I feel for you. The whole thing has been very humbling for me, as I have enjoyed bodily beauty the whole of my life. I am just resigned to riding it out. I've tried everything, and because of the TTC issue/birth defects possiblity, I can do nothing else but wait for nature to take its course. For about three months this fall, my skin did clear up, and I breathed relief, thinking I was free. But low and behold,the rejoicing did not last. After New Years, my skin erupted again (in a matter of three days!), and my jawline is once again a raw battle zone. Oh well, at least I got the job--zits and all.
Best wishes to you, as I know exactly how frustrating this problem can be.
Manmohini
seeking_guns
Cathlete
Manmohini,
I think you are referring to Solodyn. I was on it for a few months this past fall and it did not work for me, but it did wonders for a friend of mine. (Our situations, though, were quite different.)
I had clear skin until my late 20s...at that point, I started to break out occasionally, but for the most part, the flareups weren't TOO severe. Then last year (age 32), my skin went absolutely ballistic -- all in the chin & jawline area. Pimples AND cysts. It was just a mess, and I felt like crud about it. It might sound ridiculous, but I didn't even want to leave the house to go out some nights! My dermatologist tried a few different things (Solodyn, Bactrim, and Retin-A Micro) but nothing really worked. So, we opted for the last resort: I just started Amnesteem (Accutane) about two weeks ago, and the transformation in my skin has been miraculous. It's not a decision I made lightly b/c this drug can have serious side effects, but I *am* being carefully monitored. It is the only thing that has been effective for my hormonal acne, so to me, it is worth the risk.
I wish you luck! This is an awful problem to have as an adult!
Cathy
I think you are referring to Solodyn. I was on it for a few months this past fall and it did not work for me, but it did wonders for a friend of mine. (Our situations, though, were quite different.)
I had clear skin until my late 20s...at that point, I started to break out occasionally, but for the most part, the flareups weren't TOO severe. Then last year (age 32), my skin went absolutely ballistic -- all in the chin & jawline area. Pimples AND cysts. It was just a mess, and I felt like crud about it. It might sound ridiculous, but I didn't even want to leave the house to go out some nights! My dermatologist tried a few different things (Solodyn, Bactrim, and Retin-A Micro) but nothing really worked. So, we opted for the last resort: I just started Amnesteem (Accutane) about two weeks ago, and the transformation in my skin has been miraculous. It's not a decision I made lightly b/c this drug can have serious side effects, but I *am* being carefully monitored. It is the only thing that has been effective for my hormonal acne, so to me, it is worth the risk.
I wish you luck! This is an awful problem to have as an adult!
Cathy
Aldactone/Spironolactone
Actually, the name of the drug for female hormonal acne just came to me. It's called "Spironolactone" and "Aldactone" is one of its cousins. Again, I've never tried it, so I can't speak for it, but people who have swear by it. I was put off by possible side effects. Plus it was incredibly expensive--30 tablets (a month's supply) costs $100!
Yes, dealing with zits in middle age seems really wrong somehow. I'm going to ride it out a little longer.
Manmohini
Actually, the name of the drug for female hormonal acne just came to me. It's called "Spironolactone" and "Aldactone" is one of its cousins. Again, I've never tried it, so I can't speak for it, but people who have swear by it. I was put off by possible side effects. Plus it was incredibly expensive--30 tablets (a month's supply) costs $100!
Yes, dealing with zits in middle age seems really wrong somehow. I'm going to ride it out a little longer.
Manmohini