Monday, October 29, 2007

Acne

Calling for opinions! Seriously. I've been breaking out worse than I did as a teenager. It is completely and totally out of control.

It started in August. It was the beginning of high stress. (Grandfather dies, last cycle which got cancelled so we had to do it again in September, sister's wedding) And only got more stressful with actual cycle, cycle failing, and sister's wedding.

So in August, I tried this and when my skin was so dried and irritated, I thought I would use this too.

What I have now is even more irritated skin. So, I picked this up today.

Honestly, all of this started when I noticed that my facial soap of two years was no longer working. (Believe me, I feel embarassed about using that soap. But it really worked!) Then what usually happens, my skin became immune to the soap. And then stress happened. So the mixture is what has my skin in a twist.

My skin is dry and requires moisturizer. The dryness is what causes the break outs. (Flakey skin gets trapped in the pores and causes drama.) So it really is a balance of exfoliation and moisture. In the past, I've used: N*utrogena, Cl*nique, and Susan. My skin has grown immune to all.

Suggestions? Thoughts? What is your secret?

10 comments:

JJ said...

Im not really going to be a help here--since I have tried much of the same that you have. I went through that skin phase after going off BCP, and then again right before IVF...my dermatologist said I had to "wait it out..."
I just stuck to a very basic cleanser--no scents/dyes/etc. That helped after a few weeks.
I hope it clears quick!

PCOSMama said...

I don't know how much help I'll be either, since my skin tends to be oily.... but I'm a big fan of the Almay skin care line. You can adjust products according to how your skin is doing - I use the stuff for oily skin all summer, then switch to the normal/combo for the winter. They also have it for dry skin but I've never used those.
It seems pretty mild, as I have sensitive skin and it hasn't irritated me.
It's a 3 step system, with a cleanser, a toner, and a moisturizer.
Hope you find something that works! Maybe something like adding a special night-time heavy-duty moisturizer would help. Like a night creme or something...

And drink lots of water... keeping your body well hydrated could help.

Susan said...

Use Cetaphil moisturizer, it's the best. That's what my doctor said. I use it every day and take a vitamin e for my skin. It works wonders.

The vitamin is for the hormone issue but it helps my skin too!

Samantha said...

My skin tends to be oily, so I used a benzoyl perioxide wash, but that would probably be the worst thing for dry skin because it dries you out more. Maybe you should check with a dermatologist. Or maybe if you're on a different BCP than you were on before, you could try switching that, if the different hormone balance is affecting your skin.

A said...

delurking...
My derm recommended purpose soap and lotion... my comment is that the liquid soap is less drying than the bar, and the lotion w/o the alpha hydroxy doesn't sting sensitive skin as much...
the reg. lotion is wonderful. find it at t*rget or your local wallyworld...

Unknown said...

Hmmm...Dianne-

I've tried SO MANY things in my years of dealing with SERIOUS acne. This is I've come up with...

Dermadoctor Aint Misbehavin wash and acne serum (dermadoctor.com) It's costly, bt I found it to be worth while.

Or...

Neutrogena foaming acne wash-it's the regular orange neutrogena stuff, but it's liquid and comes out as a foam-worked wonders for a while...

But...the only thing that REALLY helps is BCP's. I tried too many to count and found Ortho Tri Cyclen (or eventhe LO dose) to be the best.

Good luck girly-I know how awful and stressful acne really is. Hugs.

Anonymous said...

Ever since my mid twenties have I suffered with acne and always been told its a hormonal thing! BCP were suggested a few times but obviously... so, tried the soaps and washes and other fancy creams to no avail. I found that a mixture of lavender and lemon essential oil mixed together and rubbed in the skin helped calm them down.

there is no miracle cure unfortunately, you should see my face now!

Whatever you do and I know its hard not to, but try not to pick or squeeze at them. let them go on their own or you'll spread them.

good luck!

Linlee said...

Ok I used to work for Lancome and to tell you the honest truth my dermatologist had me try Dial soap ( the gold kind) and it worked. Don't use all the perixode stuff it strips your skin and makes you produce more oil then you started with.

seussgirl said...

I have SUPER sensitive skin, and in the winter, it is SUPER dry - what a great combination. I alternate between using Clean and Clear's Morning Burst, and then if my skin feels irritated after a few days, I switch to Bath and Body Works' Pure Simplicity Milk Thistle face cleanser for dry skin. That, and the moisturizer that go with it are amazing! A little on the pricey side, but I can make one jar of the moisturizer last a full winter.
Unfortunately, I think they stopped carrying it at some of their stores, so it may be hard to find. But I highly recommend it!

Actually, I've found B&BW to usually have good cleansers for sensitive/dry skin. Maybe they can recommend something if they don't carry it anymore!

Good Luck!

Anonymous said...

Silly thought, but given that you need to spend the flex account money anyway, why not take a trip to the dermatologist and see if they can help? One of my co-workers just did that, and her skin is looking better after just a few weeks. She's taking some prescription pill to kill the bacteria, and is supposed to get wash/cream/ointment after she finished the medicine regime.