Hey everyone! I was thinking it may help us all to know what everyone else is using and if it works for them.

Age 22, Female, Dry Skin, Moderate Acne (mostly whiteheads, no cysts, breakouts about 3 weeks out of the month

using: Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash; Differin Gel in the am, then Cetaphil Moisturizer if needed; BenzaClin before bed.

(was on Minocine, but had horrible side effects afer only 3 wks, I am really trying to avoid Antibiotics.)

*these are the first prescription meds ive ever used, so i dont have much knowledge about anything else, including what else might work. My doc is like obsessed with these 2 meds im on, he has prescried them to everyone I know that has been to him. Some other opinions might be helpful to me. Thanks a bunch!!!

male 20..
i am currently using neutrogena gentle cleaser.. neutrogena multi vitamin acne treatment.
thats about it.
i use polysporin on individual zits.

i avoid eating meat except fish and junkfood.
i eat mostly fruits and veggies..
i find that the less u do for your face the better it gets.

i had taken prescribtion drugs before, like benzamycin and tetracycline..
those did nothing except surpresed my acne, and benzamycin turned my skin kinda black.
it sucks. so don't use it.

accutane.. yes

Morning:
Purpose cleanser,
Purpose Moisturizer,
Jane Iredale Makeup

Evening:
Purpose cleanser,
Neutrogena On The Spot if I have any pimples
DermaSponge Hydralipid Serum if I don't have any pimples.

http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Antibiotics:Total and utter waste of my time, minimal clearing up of the acne.
I am about to use Acutane but have massive reservations bout what it does to my muscles.
Anyone that works out that has used the stuff I would love your feed back.

actually i am using a medicated soap(b4 going to sleep) and am applying milk on my face on alternate days,plus when i come back from uni i use johnson's oilfree facial wash.I think all this has helped me cuz i have lots of blackheads on my nose plus there are some red marks left cuz of a huge breakout(that happened 2 months back!) and then on the forehead i have tiny tiny spots and i can notice satisfying results!!

African Black soap with nothing in it no fragrance no dyes it is completly black. Shea butter breaks me out (Sometimes they have black soap with shea butter ---be careful)

Palmers skin succes for fade marks
and it adds mousture becasue the black soap dries my face for about 2 hours after I wash, after my face is normal till night when it gets oily.

is benzamycin the same as BenzaClin?? I am noticing the grayish spots to, and i am not happy about it. Im thinkin about discontinuing use, but i wonder if Differin would be as effective alone, using it both am and pm. anyone have any opinions on this? I think i agree with SCAR, Im starting to think that less is more when it comes to my skin. Also, i really dont care for Purpose Cleanser, it doesnt lather well and now i hear that it is the same as Head - To - Toe which did nothing for me. Any one have ideas for a better soap (i have dry skin) THANKS !

Hi!

I'm female, age 26, and I used to have mild to moderate acne. I have been using Burt's Bees Lettuce Soap and Lettuce Toner for a while now. My skin is 100% clear! I love it! Burt's is almost 100% natural, so it is wonderful for your skin. Just don't use the soap without the toner, because it makes your face tight without it.
Good Luck!

I have been using Benzamycin for a little while and it is doing great things for my skin. I had problems with the under the skin bumps and it has helped so much. I think it depends on the person. My face hasn't turned black or gray yet.

I'm on spironolactone and it worked very well for a year,then stopped working for some reason. I'm now back on antibiotics and Retin-A. Still taking spiro though..

Carley's Clear and Smooth, Only been on it for about a week and a half. Seen some real great results the first week but now it looks the same. Not sure if this product is as good as advertised but it might be to early to judge. So far so good i guess. I came off the Acne Cure couple weeks ago, it did clear me up quite well however i found that once you stop the icing regime you begin to break out quite fast. Since i don't really have the time or patience to sit around with a ice pack on my face i decided to try something else. The great thing about Carley's is that it doesn't require you to do much beside wash, since if you add anything else it counter acts the treatment.
Also i'm taking XIAN as well. It's a chinese Herbel medince that is suppose to detox your system from the inside. However i haven't seen anything from this product and it's been 2 weeks, thus would not reccomend it to anyone. Best of Luck, hopefully i will clear up soon as well.

I'm 34 and using Accutane. It is working beautifully. I'm in Month 3, 40 mgs per day. I wash with Aveeno Skin Cleanser and use Cetaphil cream moisturizer only when I get dry. Before the Accutane, I tried nearly every antibiotic, BCPs, topicals, diets ... nothing worked for me.

16, male, month 3/6 of accutane.

Working? Yes. No more blackheads, no more oil (but still shine!), less breakouts.

Went for 2 months without a single breakout and just started breaking out a few weeks ago, a small one of course. Derm is upping my dosage in a week so hopefully that will take care of it.

Male 23

Dry/Combo skin, Persistant Moderate Acne (cysts/whiteheads mostly on cheeks near nose (about 4 or 5), small zits on forehead not too many, a few whiteheads on chin)

Stiemycin topical; not really doing the trick...
In the past I've using Erythromycin and Doxycycline antibiotics, neither of which had results that lasted. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif



[This message has been edited by Doolittle (edited 08-04-2003).]

I have been on Yasmin for about 3 months now and I think it might be my ticket to clear skin. I had an initial breakout, a pretty bad one....I used the generic form of Retin-A and BHA to clear it up and get rid of the red marks. I might have about three or four red marks still hanging around, but for the most part I am very happy with the results. I keep hearing it takes about 6 months for Yasmin to completely do its thing so I have 3 more months to see if this is my cure.
I do use the st ives medicated scrub....i love it, it helps greatly with the dead, peeling skin from the retin-a

I stopped going to the derm about a year ago. Bad idea.
22 year old female.
Moderate acne.
I use Pan-Oxyl face soap in the morning and then apply azelex acid. (started going back to derm.) I just got these perscriptions 4 days ago.
At night I wash with Pan-Oxyl and apply topical 2% erythromycin.
I am clear except for red marks and a few pimples. I was "clear" before I started using this from doing dans regimen for 4 weeks.
I started getting acne when I was 19. I was always clear with derm meds topical and antibiotics, but my insurance ran out when I turned 21. So I didn't use them for a year and broke out terribly after I tried jojoba oil and got scars. Now I went back to the derm so I don't scar anymore. It is all shallow scaring though and not bad really.

------------------
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said "Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Accutane, but...

The jury is still out on this. I finish week 15 next week and that will possibly be the end, unless I am still breaking out in which case I will go another 5.

I can't say I am clear, better yes, but by no means clear. I hope I am one of the people that clears after they've finished.

I am exhausted. Sick of going through everything. Sorry, a little vent time there. Thx. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/wave.gif

Female 35
very oily skin
white/black heads and moderate to sever cystic

Accutane worked great for me, last run held up for 3 years.

Now its, Nutragena acne wash,
differen (worked great for awhile)
Clinac O.C.(No change - but my makeup stays on)
Nivea Q10

There's something about the Q10 that's been working well on my regular acne, Cystic has been getting worse - not ready to go back on accu though.

Derm put me on spiro and Tazorac - so we'll see

28 female
very oily skin - but you can't really tell.
moderate acne - but you can't really tell.

because i take care of my skin using this regimen

morning routine

1. wash with tepid water using Basis cleaner clean face wash then splash face with cool water - ah .. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
2. paula's choice 8% aha solution
3. a smooth layer of paula's choice face mask [application takes sometimes to master - but it helps with the shine]
4. shiseido's oil-absorbing tissues [i love these]

night routine
1. wash with tepid water using Basis Cleaner Clean Face Wash - then splash face with cool water - ah .. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif
2. paula's choice 2% bha liquid
3. clean & clear persa-gel 10% benzoyl peroxide - spot treatments only .
4. neutrogena's healthy skin lotion [face & neck]

birth control pills - yasmin

does it work ? yes my dear http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

18 female
very oily skin
blackheads, whiteheads, red marks, mild acne

Morning:
Wash face with aveeno oatmeal balancing bar
Apply 100% natural witch hazel with a cotton pad

Night:
Wash face with aveeno oatmeal balancing bar
Apply 100% natural witch hazel
Use Nature's Cure cream as a spot treatment

So far my skin has improved, still not 100% clear but I haven't been using this regimen long so I still have hope for it. So far it seems to be working http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

17 male

tazorac cream, duac gel, glycolic cleansing pad thingies http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Only been on this a litle more than 2 weeks, but we'll see.

Thngs that haven't worked for me: Minocyclin, Retin-A, Clindagel, Brevoxyl, and a bunch of OTC stuff

I've been usually Retin-A Micro for about a year and a half. I am very happy with the results. I have done a lot since last summer, I stopped eating junk food, stop drinking milk, no more seafood, only fish, and no spicy stuff. I'm using Purpose Cleanser, Purpose moisturizer with spf15 and Persagel. I've also started to drink more water, and getting more sleep. Last summer at this time, I would be staying home everyday b/c of my acne. I haven't had a bad breakout yet this summer, knock on wood. I think the biggest part to my success has been getting adequate sleep and plenty of water. If you do that everyday consistently, I almost guarantee you will get better. Every time I sleep late for a couple of days straight and don't drink enough water, I break out immediately. But the break outs aren't as bad as they used to be. All I have to say is get adequate amount sleep and plenty of water.
My routine is, wash with purpose, apply persagel, then the moisturizer.
At night, purpose cleanser, apply retin a micro.
I was my face in the afternoon only after I work out or play sports. Good luck everyone. Everyone's different so what worked for me might not work for you. But... what I said about sleep and plenty of water is just good health.

female 18
extremly oily skin, moderate acne (although I'm clear now), blackheads and whiteheads.

I use topical clindamycin, I stopped using BP after 4 years. I use regular face wash, salicylic acid sometimes, masks and aloe vera when my face is dry and red. I've pretty much given up on the oil, as I don't feel there's anything I can do about it. I don't want Accutane (and I'm sure that no doctor would prescribe it)and B5.

I'm 17 year old male.

I'm using, Aveeno Acne Soap (smells great), Desitin, CVS Solyic Acid Wash, Apple Scrub Glycolic Acid Wash, St. Ives Mosturizer, 6 percent Benzoyl Peroxide Prescription Wash, and 10 percent Benzoyl Peroxide Gel.

Those were all the things I've used.

I also take vitamins for my face including zinc, evening primrose oil, and Vitamin E and Vitamin A.

They all help to some degree.

The vitamins help prevent future breakouts.

The acid washes help stop and clear breakouts but the best thing that I've been doing now is use Aveeno Acne Soap and then put a heavy coat of Desitin on my face, and by morning my face looks much better.

24 Female
Moderate persistant cysts but I'm clear now

Morning:
splash cold water on face and apply Aveeno moisturizer.
Physician's Formula concealer on leftover red marks.

Night:
wash with Brevoxyl-4 and apply Clindamycin lotion.

I also take 50mg of minocycline and orthotricyclen. I also try to drink lots of water during the day to keep my skin hydrated.

------------------
Lori http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by MysteryGrl (edited 08-07-2003).]

Just turned 34

Prior to the below-mentioned regime, moderate acne: 30+ whiteheads, 2-3 cysts, blackheads all over nose.

Now, 100% clear using:

am:
1) Wash w/Neutrogena gentle foaming cleanser
2) Paula's Choice 1% BHA all over face (used for 4 months)
3) Paula's 2.5% BP used only on bumps (used for 4 months)
4) Roche's Active C all over face as moisturizer (used for almost 1 month)

p.m.
Same as a.m. but replace 2) with Alpha Hydrox 10% Oil-Free AHA (used for 4 months)

For further detail, pls refer to my recent post w/the topic, "Finally beautiful skin without oral medication".

Best wishes to everyone!!!


[This message has been edited by patienceandreward (edited 08-07-2003).]

[This message has been edited by patienceandreward (edited 08-07-2003).]

[This message has been edited by patienceandreward (edited 08-07-2003).]

Vitamine A works wonders. We had a Dr., way back in '63 who recommended this for my sister. Worked then and will work now. Do NOT excede recommended daily dose. Spinach is a great source.

I just started my 5th week of Yasmin- not 100% clear yet but definitely getting there. I'm using Elicina to help with my scars. Hard to say if it's really helped THEM, but my zits do seem to disappear really fast (like in a day or so) and my skin tone is more even, very little blotchiness. A lot of people hate this stuff, but I like it a lot.

I also wash w/ Purpose Moisturizing cleanser 2x a day. Great stuff.

antibiotics dont work
my derm said that washing your face doesnt do anything since acne comes from the inside so all those facewashs can cleanse your skin and all that but as far as acne goes it doesnt have any effect. try accutane

Asian 26

Isotrex. Works well for my breakouts but not for cyst deep under my skin.

age 17, female, dry/combo skin, continuous moderate acne (break outs, whiteheads, blackheads, etc.)

i've tried a variety of non-prescription treatments, as well as a few prescriptions. nothing has really had any great effect. many things dry out my skin and make it worse. i have yet to find the perfect moisturizer.
i've been to a dermatologist a couple of times. they never really took any interest and just gave me the same crap over and over. a few years ago, Sulfacet worked for me. but then it didn't. i was given antibiotics, but i can't swallow pills so that didn't go over well.

i'm still using the topical prescriptions given to me, with varying results. i've noticed that too many products really make me break out.
i need to start getting more sleep and drinking more water. i also think i need to find a new dermatologist.
i've heard many good things about differin gel, so i might try it out. there are just so many products. it gets frustrating.

if i find anything that works for me, i'll let you know.

21 yr old female
moderate - severe acne with some cysts

Now 95% clear for about a month

Morning
Burts Bees Wild Lettuce Soap
Salicyclic Acid 2% ( either Oxy Cleansing Pads or Clean and Clear Gel)
Oxy BP 5%
Clean and Clear Moisturiser

Night
Burts Bees Wild Lettuce Soap
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Lotion
Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask ( as a spot treatment)
Oxy BP 10 % on any cysts

Occasionally
Use Gentle Texture Buff Puff 2-3 times a week
St Ives Medicated Apricot Scrub once a week

I also take a multivitamin and this stuff called Ambrotose Complex by Mannatech which is supposed to help cells repair themselves

22 year-old female with moderate-severe cystic acne.

Morning

Oxy Wash
Glycolic Acid toner
Proactiv Repairing Lotion

Afternoon
Neutrogena Wash
Proactiv Exfoliating Peel
Oxy 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Cream

Night
Proactiv Cleanser
Steam face for ten minutes
Sulfur mask
Repairing Lotion
Oxy 10% cream

Oxy products work best, although the Repairing Lotion makes my skin smoother and hydrated. Absolutely NOTHING works one week before my period.