Cystic Acne - Advice?

[kr3611]

Not natural but Retin A was amazing for me

[jamisoncollette]

Found it, One dose or more of each capsule twice daily of L.acidophilius, B. bifidum, & L. bulgaricus.

These are the same bacteria strains used as a natural antibiotic.

[JaimeLynne]

Thanks everyone. Sorry, I've been MIA for a few weeks. However, did want to update this thread...

 

I've been talking with a Bio Esthetician from SoPhyto for awhile now and finally got on a skin care regimen that is working for me. FIRST off, we got a Water Alkalinizing Machine that also has a setting for "Acidic - Face Wash". Basically you need your face to be at a pH of below 5, and all products you use must be this pH or lower if you have acne - so check all your products and don't hesitate to ask the makers! If they're worth anything (i.e. don't have anything to hide) then they'll tell you! Well, after a few weeks of strictly using that (and my normal routine) my face drastically started improving. The esthetician that I was talking to was so impressed by this machine that she's looking into one for herself. I didn't even need to use face wash! Crazy...

 

Anyways, I just started my new holistic/organic skin care line yesterday and already my face looks so beautiful! This is what I'm using so far (until I can afford to upgrade and get 2 more products to add in):

 

1) SoPhyto Deep Pore Cleansing Face Wash

2) Using a cotton pad, gently wipe my face with acidic water

3) Soak a cotton pad in SoPhyto's Tone & Balance SuperBioactive, and use that to completely remove the face wash (if you're using it to remove makeup it may take a few cotton pads FYI)

4) Apply 6-8 SoPhyto Polyphenyl Drops

 

I do this AM and PM

 

Eventually I will probably get the Mild Silken Cleanser (or whatever it's called) for removing my makeup at night, and the Skin Energizing Drops to use after the Polyphenyl drops.

 

All of this is so exciting to me - I've found a new passion and am going to look into selling products like this or maybe doing some sort of consulting basis... not sure yet, just know I love it and it makes me happy to pass it all on to other people too!!!

 

Ahhhhhh, my face is thanking me

 

OOOOH AND I CUT OUT MILK/DAIRY!!!! WOW! By about 85% (never realized exactly how much dairy I consumed!!). I'm sure that is helping too, but let me tell you - my allergies are almost completely GONE! Before that I used to have CONSTANT drainage from the time I woke up til the time I went to bed. Not good. I can definitely tell when I have some cheese or something now that it kicks back up a little. It's been really difficult but so worth it and I still let myself "cheat" a bit so I'm not totally deprived

[amesharpe]

I went through a bout of this in my mid-twenties. I was at the Derm's office at least twice a month getting cortizone shots and refilling my prescription of eurythromiacin and all of the other strong medicinal lotions and cleansers.

 

It was stressful to have standing appointments and spending all of my money on "secret potions" that I wasn't totally sure if it was fixing the problem or making it worse.

 

I don't remember exactly where I read this (probably some magazine) but I started mixing baking soda with Cetaphil and using it every morning and evening to wash my face and using the cetaphil lotion as a moisturizer. I also starting taking vitamin E every day. It was amazing. Literally in about 3 week my skin was almost perfect. The baking soda acts like a very mild microdermabrasion and slowly lifts the dead skin.

 

The best part is it costs almost nothing, I even started buying the generic brand of cetaphil. You can get two bottles for 5 dollars at Walgreens and or Walmart during their specials and the lotion is about 5 bucks as well. Combine that with baking soda for a buck and a couple bottles of vitamin E and the whole regimen costs less that $30 for the year!

[Debs]

That's so funny, my vet told me to give Vitamin E to my dogs for their skin, but never thought I should take it for mine! good tip!

[Lady_Di]

I had to bring this thread up since I didn't want to start a new thread.

 

I've been on birth control for last 5 years and was so used to clear skin. I went off it a year ago and had a bout with bad breakouts but stopped for a while until recently. I'm starting to get painful pimples on my forehead or chin and they are big! It takes a while because they'll start underneath. I am sooo frustrated with this!

 

I just read that dairy can cause acne. That is not good because I LOVE dairy. I will try and cut back on dairy and see what happens.

 

I've been just cleaning my face with a cleanser with bendyl peroxide at nights and cetphil in the mornings for about two weeks...it is not really working. I went to a derm last year and his prescriptions did not WORK at all. they dried my skin up.

 

anyone do blue light therapy?

[Debs]

wow, way to dig up an oldie!!

 

I've since been to a derm and he put me on minocyn (it's a tetracyclin-type antibiotic) and it's done WONDERS for my skin!

[Joss]

So THAT'S what they're called.

 

This is a useful thread; i'm glad it's been resurrected. Lots of stuff to try out. The only problem is if they show up right before the wedding .. then what do you do? They're painful as heck and glare like mount vesuvius!

[jmb0902]

Quote:

Originally Posted by susanv66 I have been battling acne for a very long time and tried everything-accutane, bc pills, antibiotics, retin-a. I even went to a Chinese herbalist and drank horrible tasting tea 3 times a day! I had a dermatologist turn me away, saying there was nothing further he could do for me. I did a little research on my own and asked my doctor about a drug called spironolactone. It is used for high blood pressure, but it absorbs extra androgens from your blood. It is often prescribed to women with hormonal imbalances who are losing their hair. I have been on it for 5 plus years now and it is the only thing that ever worked for me. My face and back are clear and I have had no side affects. I know you are looking for a more natural route, but it may be something to consider.

Spironolactone is the ONLY thing that has ever worked for me -- and I have tried months of antibiotics, etc. My dermatologist won't even use anything topical b/c he said it just doesn't work. The spironolactone has been the best thing ever, I haven't had one cyst in months!

Here is an article about it:
Spironolactone - Spironolactone for Hormonal Acne

[NyBeachBride]

ok so i saw this and it brought back memories of my acne...and i was dealign with it for abot a year or more and wanted to share what worked...i tired evyrhting, even got the cordozone shots..that made it smaller but it didnt go away..and i had like 5 on one side of my cheeck that wouldnt go away at all...then i went to this really expenisve derm in the city (NYC) and paid outta pocket..she gave me samples of a prescription called TAZORAC...i also has tones of white heads on my jawlines...i would mess with it and then it would turn into pimples which would not go away...i read up on reviews on TAZORAC and most people said that it worked as long as u stick with it....they said it would burn like hell and make ur face peel...but ur face gets use to it and then it would work..so i stuck with it...at 1st i couldnt go a whole night with it on because it burned...so i used bactine on my face as an ateseptic 1st then put on the Tzorac cream..this totally worked..i used it religiously...the huge acne bumps that were on my face for a year disappeared...once i saw they were gone i started using over the counter 10% benzolye peroxide and that has helped with normal lil pimples so now my face is basically clear!!! try it!! ask ur doctor to procribe it!! and stick with it!! use the bactine and it will ease the burning....during the day it seemed like what the cream does is it burns a layer of your skin off, because i did peel a bit and when i would try to put cream/lotion so it wouldnt be dry, it would hurt liek an open wound...so i would use bactine in the morning too to apply lotion and my makeup...im glad i didnt get scared and stuck with it because i dont hide my face anymore!!! good luck ladies!!