My
Current Skin Care Regimen: Clear Skin and Banishing Acne
Since treating my acne, I put together a really gentle skin care regime. I was initially prescribed the Cetaphil products but have continued to purchase ever since - it's the most gentle product and doesn't break me out in the slightest.
I feel like I've really perfected my skin care regimen now and that it really helps keeping acne at bay and keeping my skin in good condition.
1. Remove all makeup before cleansing. Tip! Soak a
cotton pad with makeup remover (I use No.7 make up remover), gently press onto eye area and hold for 30
seconds. This allows the oil based remover to break down mascara and eyeliner (pm)
2. Massage Cetaphil Cleanser into dry skin (am and pm)
3. Use warm water to wash face and pat dry with a clean towel
4. Soak a cotton pad with Abi’s Home Made Toner. Toners
are used to remove the cleanser residue and to prepare face for moisturising
5. I apply a pea size amount of Epiduo to my chin and wait for this to dry (pm ONLY!)
7. Finally, use Cetaphil Moisturiser on face and
neck. I mix this 50/50 with a different moisturiser: For morning I use Nivia Visage Day Cream with SPF 15 and for night I use No7 Essential Moisture Night Cream
If I have any break outs, I spot treat with tea tree oil. I exfoliate with No7 Microdermabration Exfoliator once a week
Hope you've found this helpful, I'd love to hear about your skin care regimes in case I fancy changing things up!
Background: Prior to being prescribed Epiduo I had used Duac (topical benzyol peroxide) and oxytetracycline (oral antibiotic). Whist these helped my skin a little, it went no where near curing it. I was an emotional wreck, I suffered two years under relentless skin problems. My self esteem was extremely low and I felt like I was running out of options.
I had moderate acne including some cystic acne. It was extremely painful and persistent. At any time I would always have at least 8 active white heads and many red marks and scars. My dermatologist prescribed me this as a last resort before a course of Accutane.
My skin prior to Epiduo but during topical treatments
During Treatment: When I first started using Epiduo, I was using it morning and night. I assumed that if I used it twice as often my skin would recover twice as fast. By doing this I was completely ignoring the directions of my dermatologist. She is a doctor, I was a salesperson but I knew better because I'm a latent genius. The results... My skin was so chapped and raw that I was crying, my tears stung my sore skin and that made me cry more.
I started using it as prescribed after that. Initially, my skin was very dry and very red (see photo below). My skin would go from visibly clearer, getting fewer spots over the course of a week... Then getting much worse again. It was really frustrating and disheartening. I kept thinking "I knew another topical wouldn't work, why can't they just give me roaccutane?!"
Wearing make up was a real issue, my skin was so chapped and dry around my mouth that foundation would chap off within minutes. That was really hard - my skin was very noticeably red but covering it looked worse.
After about two months, my skin started healing and was relatively clear. I still had indented red marks and scars so I couldn't truly appreciate it. I started using exfoliation and lemon juice topically to fade the scars. Within three months I was totally clear
During treatment - red raw and chapped
After: It's been 14 months since I started using Epiduo and since that point of my acne clearing, I can count the amount of spots I've had since on one hand. And I can always account for those (going on holiday, not drinking enough water or just plain not using Epiduo).
I do still use this every night and I think that if I didn't, my acne would possibly come back. I'm not willing to take the chance... Epiduo really was my acne cure and I'd never be without it. I will add a *disclaimer* that everyone's skin is different and what was my cure may not be yours. Just be patient and know that there is an end to what you're going through
my skin now (2012)
Summary: I didn't have high hopes for this; I've used creams with Benzoyl Peroxide with much higher percentages. The active ingredients are adapalene 0.1% and benzoyl peroxide Gel 2.5%. However I highly recommend this, it made such a difference to my self esteem as well as the way that I look.
The only downside is that I have to wait a while for it to dry before I apply my moisturiser. Solution to this is using a hair dryer on my face.
In the UK it's available on the NHS for £7.65 for a tube which lasts me around three months. I will say that you only need to use a very thin layer, I've found that using a thick layer makes absolutely no difference other than it running out faster.
Good luck with finding your cure for acne!
There's more detailed information on the epiduo website:
Top
Twelve Tips for Combating Acne: How to Get Rid of Spots
*Disclamer* I'm not a dermatologist or an expert, these are merely the tips and tricks I learnt during my fight against spots and acne. These hints may be obvious, or useless! For me, the only thing that helped was a prescribed topical. However, these tips certainly help for healthier skin and a healthier body and may well help you.
Before
After
Drink lots of water!
Don't go overboard, obviously. I used to drink a pink of water every other hour during office hours PLUS tea and coffee and evening drinks. I must have been consuming more than a gallon a day. I pretty much constantly needed a piss.
Eight glasses a day is really vague, not everyone has the same size glasses scientist dummy! I would say 2 litres a day is plenty. Stay away from sugary drinks and alcohol (I should take that advice I'm such a ginner), not just because they dehydrate your skin but also because they're pretty bad for your body as a whole.
Get Eight Hours Sleep
Body needs its rest. Will also help with stress levels. Stress can often be a contributor to skin problems, if you're well rested you're less likely to sweat the small stuff.
Change your pillows and sheets
At least every fortnight, better still every week. I used to have major grumpines with my partner about his laundry habits. Now I just take clean pillow cases round when I stay over. Pillows can harbour lots of germs so wash them occasionally too
Clean your phones
Where does your mobile go? Pocket, bottom of bag, tables, the floor...? And you press that thing against your face?! It's disgusting when you think about what grime must be on your phone... Just use a wet wipe to give it a clean every now and then. That goes for land lines as well.
Don't touch your face
And if you have to, wash your hands first. Think about where your hands have been, handling money (that's been handled by god knows how many people first), stroking your pet (my dog rolled in fox shit last week but that's a whole nother absolutely traumatising story), opening a public bathroom door...
Now I don't want to go Harold Hughes on you but if you're having problems with your skin, it's probably a bit sensitive so I'd advise treating your skin very delicately.
Also... DON'T pick your skin. That includes squeezing. No matter how tempting it might be, it will almost always look worse afterwards. It will just spread the bacteria and make your skin inflamed. Don't do it. I'm serious.
Eat six a day
Try to make sure they're mainly vegetables; fruit contains a lot of sugar which is bad for your teeth. Spinach is great for iron, tomatoes for antioxidents, broccoli is f*cking delicious... If you want to look great on the outside a good start is to enrich your body from the inside.
Get outdoors
My mum was actually prescribed a UV face lamp for her acne in her 20s. I'm not sure what the science is behind that but vitamin D levels are generally quite low; people spend so much time in doors and wear very high SPFs when they are outside. Vitamin D tablets are a good substitute but I find that being outdoors adds to my well being which in turn can reduce stress.
Keep active Again, keeping healthy inside and out aren't exactly going to go against you when trying to get your skin clear
Cleansing is a separate step from removing makeup I am CONSTANTLY chastising my friends and sister for this. I definitely used to be an offender; I'd use a soap to clean my face and that's it. What I discovered that when I started using a toner following washing my face, there would always be a grimy makeupy dirty residue on the cotton wool pad showing that I wasn't cleaning my face effectively. So, even if you just use something cheap olive oil or baby oil, use a separate makeup remover BEFORE cleansing your face; it's a much more fail safe way of getting all the days grime off your face.
THROW AWAY YOUR MAKEUP WIPES!
THEY HAVE NO PLACE IN YOUR FACIAL ROUTINE (in my humble opinion... I get a bit capslock happy when it comes to skin care). They don't do a good enough job on cleansing your precious skin and they are pften much more abrasive than your hands or a cotton pad and when your skin is sensitive, you don't want to be aggravating it.
Clean your make up brushes
I used to never clean my brushes AND chuck them in my purse/handbag amongst all my other crap. How very naughty of me. Depending on your usage, I'd recommend cleaning your brushes every two weeks, and if you're taking them around in your bag, put them in a clean brush roll or cosmetic bag.
Be patient Something that my dermatologist told me is that skin is on a six week cycle. If you start doing something to treat your skin, you won't see the effects for up to six weeks. If you do anything to your skin, hang in there for the six weeks to find out if its effective or not. This is definitely the case with my skin and Epiduo... It just takes patience and staying positive, you will find the thing to help your skin eventually. In the mean time, deep breaths and keep smiling.
*Other than the photos of myself, the other images are from multiple sources via google
Clinique
Anti Blemish / Acne Solutions Foundation Liquid Makeup Review
I bought this foundation when I started getting acne; I wanted make up that would cover my existing spots without causing new break outs. As you can see from my photo, I repurchased... but in a different colour. I now mix the two together in varying quantities depending on my level of face tannage.
Before - no make up
After - one thin layer of Clinique Acne Solutions Foundation
Coverage: High medium to full coverage.
Finish: Very matte. Almost a powder finish.
Application: Buildable, easy to blend. It's not as fast drying as other full coverage foundations such as Revlon Colourstay so you can take your time a little more with the application.
Durability: This lasts definitely around 8-9 hours. I've never worn it any longer than that but I have a feeling that with a good setting powder/spray it would last 10-12. With lighter foundations (Bourjouis Healthy Mix and BB creams)
they tend to start to slide and become patchy after around 6-7 hours of wear.
Ingredients: This contains 0.5% salicylic acid - the active ingredient which helps combat acne
Colour Range: I am not a big fan of the range, they certainly don't have a colour that matches me exactly hence having to mix two colours. I have it in 001 Fresh Alabaster and 004 Fresh Vanilla
Packaging: The bottle is plastic which I find a little bit disappointing for a HE foundation (usually they are in glass bottles which to me are a little more luxurious), it has a squeezy nozzle which makes it very easy to control the amount you use. As always from Clinque, the box it came in was gorgeous but alas, I never keep them or I'd end up hoarding a heap of useless boxes.
Price: Boots RRP is £22 for 30ml. It's not the cheapest foundation but a little goes a long way so it's likely to last longer.
mixing two shades to match my skin tone
Over all thoughts...
I would definitely recommend this for someone with oily skin... However, if you have skin that is on the dry side or are using a treatment such as Benzyl Peroxide or any other topical treatment that dries the skin out, this foundation may not be great for those areas. When I first started using Epiduo, my skin was dry and red raw, this foundation was flaking away like crazy paving. It was great for my t-zone and cheeks, but on my chin it looked terrible.
Now my skin is back to normal (for me that is still oily T-zone but no spots at the moment), I think this is fantastic coverage, it doesn't break me out at all, application is very easy and buildable. Highly recommended.
This is my first blog post... It's a sensitive topic for me but I'm going to try and be as informative, honest and candid as possible.
Preparing to write this I collected together the many photos I took of my skin as I made my battle against acne. Looking at the photos made me feel quite emotional, my skin was bad but my self esteem was worse. I don't think that anyone who hasn't had acne can quite understand how those spots can make you feel. I'd never take it back though: I learned so much during my journey with acne. That's why I decided to start a blog.
To put things into context, here is my skin during my fight. I never took a photo of my skin at its worst but I am forever grateful that I recorded every bit of my experience through treating it!
2010 - taking antibiotics
And here is my skin today
October 2012 - no make up
The main aim of this post is to share my experiences in the hope that it might give hope to maybe someone. I relied on the internet, especially acne.org for advice and support so hopefully I can give something back.
My story:
I had clear skin
throughout puberty, I had a crappy cleansing routine, would frequently sleep in
my makeup, never drank enough water or had enough sleep and I still had clear
skin.
At about 19 I
started getting a few spots around my mouth. It was while I was living in Australia, and
I wasn't super bothered about it at the time. I was drinking a lot of beer and
living a completely unhealthy life style so I wasn't too surprised. When I came home to the UK my skin went
insane. I had already begun to be much more vigilant with my skin care and it
just got worse and worse. Eventually I ended up with 15-20 active spots on my
chin, cheeks and sometimes forehead at all times along with giant cycts. My skin was so messed up.
Towards the end I'd only have four or five active spots, but the red scars looked nearly as bad in my eyes
Having really big sore spots made it hurt to smile and laugh. Not that I felt like doing that often anyway
What I Tried
At first I figured that my weight loss had triggered it (I gained two stone
whilst living in Aus and lost three stone in two months very quickly on my return).
So I gained weight. This didn't work.
My friend's mom who is a doctor gave me some sample tubes of Duac which I used
without result.
I stopped wearing makeup.
I drank 1.5 gallons of water a day
I went to my GP who prescribed me Duac again. And it didn't work. AGAIN!
My housemate used to have acne and had a massive stash of oxytetracycline
which he gave me. I took this religiously, waiting the two hours before and
after food etc. These didn't work either.
Birth control- GP prescribed Dianette, despite me saying that I wanted Yasmin.
I was only on Dianette for 2 weeks when I found it unbarable; I was an
emotional wreck!
I decided that if my acne was hormonal, I'd better try and rid my body of any
unnecessary hormones. I needed birth control so opted for the copper IUD coil.
This made my periods very heavy and eventually my body rejected the coil. I was
put on Yasmin which is fine ; it didn't clear my acne but it didn't cause it
either.
I used a range of supplements and holistic remedies after reading stories on
the org:
Vitamin A, B3 Niacin, B5, C, D3, E, evening primrose oil, zinc, clear skin
tablets. My pill box was massive. But I didn't actually notice a difference
in my skin. Just my bank balance. I was spending an unreasonable about on
supplements!
Diet; I don't think that diet affects my acne. I went 6 months eating for my
skin; no dairy, no sugar, no wheat or gluten, extra protein and fruit and
veg, would eat avodacos, carrots, oily fish!¦ Lovely things but I found
myself getting obsessive, I was afraid to eat dinner in restaurants,
embarrassed to eat with other people. My weight was dropping again.
I used teatree oil, teatree cream, witch hazel, hydrogen peroxide, sudocrem
High End Products; After some research online, I decided to buy Clinique's 3
Step Anti Blemish Solutions Regimen (CABS I'll call it for short). This was a
moisturiser, a foaming cleanser, clarifying lotion, moisturiser and a spot
treatment. Also bought the foundation. I used this to the letter for around 2
months but found no results. The clarifying lotion was very strong, the
moisturiser was not moisturizing, the spot treatment was no better than a cheap
brand products. I was disappointed. I switched to the bar soap to see if I had
better results with that.
Actually I have sent most of my Clinique things back; they reimbursed me the
full amount! Very kind of them. From now on I will be more wary of the
Clinique ladies; a lab coat does not a doctor make!
Makeup Just a quick note about makeup; a lot of people are surprised when I say that I didn't really wear cosmetics the entire time I had spots. My reasoning for this is that I felt makeup would clog my pores and make matters worse (despite my derm reassuring me it wouldn't affect me). I also felt like makeup looked so bad over my ruined skin I thought I may as well not even try.
It wasn't such a hard step though, I'd been living in Australia for over a year and didn't really wear make up even for a night out. You might think that's strange but I loved how laid back that was!
Dermatologist
I went to my GP and said that I needed to see a dermatologist. There didn’t
seem to be an end in sight. It took 6 weeks to get an appointment and another
month for that to happen!
My dermatologist is absolutely lovely. I broke down in tears when I was telling
her about my struggles and she couldn’t have been kinder.
She prescribed Epiduo and Cetaphil moisturiser.
I went back for a second appointment with my photo skin diary and a
list of questions, she said that Clinique products are too strong, that I need
to treat my skin gently, not attack it. She recommended Simple products.
She also prescribed Tetralysal Lymecycline antibiotics. They taste like shit. After taste is awful, like old old shoes.
Epiduo: started on June 24th
My derm told me to use this once a day, preferably at night.
I thought that I knew best and that using it twice a day would double my
recovery time.
I was SOOOO wrong! My skin went insane. I was expecting some flaking but it
just ruined my skin. It was bright red, unstoppably flakey ; if I tried to
exfoliate it off it would become red raw and painful and flake all over again.
It hurt to smile.
I stopped being an idiot and used as prescribed. It has been amazing. It took
about 2 weeks of proper use to see results and around four mouths to get 100% clear.
I've been using Epiduo for EXACTLY a year now! I couldn't recommend it enough, it's changed my life. I will probably use it every day for ever.
The epiduo made my skin red raw... literally
Epiduo caused my skin to peel, scab and crack. Hottie
Emotional
Over the past three years I’ve been at breaking point. I’ve shed many tears
about my skin; literally looking in the mirror and sobbing.
Fighting acne is truly exhausting, it’s nothing you’ve done, it’s not your
fault... And that makes it so much worse. If it’s not something I’m doing, then
I can’t change it and it’s out of my control.
I’ve spent so much money on skin products; I prioritise my skin in my budget
over having fun. I used to sit in front of the mirror, painstakingly applying make up to cover my skin, but my skin was so sore and fragile, as soon as I moved my face it would crack. I'd cry and sob and end up cancelling. That would happen all the time. If I ever made it out, I'd constantly be checking my reflection to make sure my foundation wasn't flaking away... and if it was, I'd start peeling it off so I could put yet more on. Obviously it would look truly shit. My throat would contract, my breathing quickened and I felt like I'd have a panic attack. Thank god for gin :)
I used to select which side of people I would sit according to which side of my
face was the best
It was ALWAYS on my mind, all consuming.
I wrote at the time: Over the last few months I have learnt not to look in the mirror so much, and
when I do, I train my eyes not to go straight for the spots and scars and focus
on my eyes. It really helps. Taking deep breaths can work wonders as well!
Summary I am thankful every time I look in the mirror that my skin is now acne free. I actually quite enjoy showing off my before pictures in a weird way... I do still break out sometimes, it's usually when I go on holiday which I'll attribute to a change of routine, water and stress. I don't let it get me down though, I trust my epiduo to deal with it! I'm not an expert so I can't give any real advice other than what I found personally helped me.
Everyone’s skin is different; what helps one person might not help another. It’s
taken me quite a while to find something that works for me!
A website that was a great help to me was www.acne.org. I had a lot of support from fellow acne sufferers, learnt a great deal about treatments and remedies and made some good friends. Having people with you who understand what you're going through when it comes to acne is really important.
My skin November 2011
And just a couple more of my skin now (October 2012)
If anyone has any questions about the things I’ve tried then please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. If anyone would like to share their experiences I'd love to hear about them!
.JPG)
