Back to zits

[Fleur De Guerre]

Ah, no I don't buy any fancy products, I got it from Superdrug over the counter - Panoxyl 2.5% cream. It cost around 2 quid and has lasted me well over 6 months with sporadic use. Like mysterygal said you need to build up or it is too drying, but I never found I needed to build up to as much as the guy on acne.org said, only about one finger joints' worth spread thinly over the bad patches.

I do this at night when I am zitty. morning I don't bother. But within about a day all the zits I have are dried up. I do a preventative treatment every few days or just when I need to.

My recommended routine goes: wash face with mild wash, pat dry, let dry completely, take off eyemakeup with cleanser, use either rosewater and glycerine or witch hazel, let dry. wash hands. Apply Benzoyl peroxide. Wash hands while it sinks in. Moisturise. Wash hands. Don't touch any dark towels (or sleep on dark pillows!)! I learned this the hard way. I use cold cream some days to give my skin a treat, but because I use a flannel to take it off I don't use the benzoyl then. It is really uncomfortable to put on a scrubbed face!

Hopefully this might help if you decide to try it. Get lots of fruit and veggies and wholefoods into you to detox that allergic reaction or nasty chemicals out of you! Then if your skin is still acting up then give it a go!

 

[~landgirl~]

Thanks girls! I will give it a go with the benyzol - didn't think to moisturise AFTER using it, might sooth it a bit more.

 

[kirawoidan]

I can also atest to the benyzol, but I use the 10% formula from Clearasil. It takes only a day or two for zits to disappear completely.

 

[Lady Day]

www.acne.org

I use their regimine and altho you have to commit, its not expensive and it works.

LD

 

[~landgirl~]

Well I got the Panoxyl 2.5% Gel (not cream, they didn't have any) and used some tonight before moisturising - it's quite itchy but I guess that is just the initial reaction? I put my burts bee vanishing cream over the top which helped sooth it a little bit.

Fleur - you mentioned using a cleanser before hand, can you recommend a good one to try? Only I was reading the forums on acne.org and it says not to use anything with salic acid in as it can irritate when using the BP too. I want to try something gentle that will remove my makeup as well as the cold cream does.

Or if anyone else can recommend a cleanser then that would be grand!

 

[mysterygal]

Your skin really shouldn't be itchy. I'd might wait to use any kind of cream on your face. The reason why, I'm worried that you're still having a reaction. Now is the time you may be wanting to 'baby' it for awhile. Phisoderm makes great products for sensitive skin and are sold almost everywhere.

 

[~landgirl~]

I was going to wait until my scalp was better before trying anything new but got too upset with my skin - so started using benzoyl tonight. I wanted to try the Regime from acne.org and it says on there that it can cause mild irritation at first.

I hear what you are saying though and God only knows what's wrong with me at the moment - I have never had an allergic reaction to anything in my life! Why now?!

The doc perscribed me some Nizoral shampoo for itchy head ( contains ketoconazole ) but the packet said it is used to treat dandruff, now I am confused as I don't have dandruff - she saw for herself that there is nowt on my scalp, it just itches like a b**ch.

Maybe I can get a head transplant and start again?

 

[mysterygal]

That's the weird thing about allergies. You can use a certain product, eat a certain food for years, then bang! all of a sudden you're getting reactions. What you're seeing on your face may very well be hives. I tend to get them as well whenever I have a severe reaction to something. I'll do some 'homework' and try to find some stuff that'll help you in the meantime.

 

[~landgirl~]

Oh you star! Thanks, I really appreciate that! Pic of what hives look like might help so I can compare - or I could be really brave and take a close up snap of myself - NOOO!

I have to use a cleanser at the moment though - to take makeup off (I use i.d. bare minerals - which is mild and i refuse to go out of the house without it!)

Off to bed now. How wonderful it would be to wake in the morning with clear skin and be itch free!

 

[Rosie]

I agree with MysteryGal. You should drink lots of water and your face shouldn't be itchy after using a product. Personally, I think you shouldn't put too much "stuff" on your skin. Watch what you eat and what you put on your body. Things that you may be putting on you face for your perceived problem may actually be doing you more harm than good as all of these chemicals are being absorbed into your system by your skin. Personally, I would try to be as natural as possible for a while. Do not dye or put chemicals on your hair, use natural soaps and moisturizers for a while and see how it works out. I don't have acne but did/do have seborrhic dermatitis. FOR YEARS I used all kinds of stuff on my face, even steroids (as prescribed by my dermatologist) in order to get my face to "act right". For the past few years I've ate very naturally, and the only things I use on my face are african black soap, natural toner and shea or cocoa butter and I'm good. No more skin ailments. I'm not saying these products are for you but, find something, keep it natural, keep it simple, your face and body will thank you.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Landgirl, the Panoxyl (aquagel is what I have too) *does* feel mildly irritating at first, and that is completely normal. (I know you ladies know your stuff, but I am speaking from experience on the exact product!) I tend to give my face a rest from it after a couple of days if I find it is annoying me. The 2.5% is the mildest and works as well as stronger solutions, but the first time you put it on it will feel itchy and a bit weird. You will get used to it in no time. I'm of the school of not putting artificial stuff on or inside me, but when you are getting thoroughly depressed at the state of your skin I made an exception! When the zits are gone I use very mild and natural stuff on my skin.

On the subject of Nizoral, my boyfriend has a chronic dry scalp problem, which doesn't mean dandruff, he hardly ever has that, but it does mean it's always itchy. He uses Nizoral once a week, but he says you are supposed to use it twice a week to start. He's also found the Oilatum brand to be quite soothing, but always goes back to the Nizoral.

As a cleanser I use baby lotion! When I am not using cold cream I wash with a mild face wash, or this lovely stuff which I just remembered about, which you could try! I got it from a "Mind, Body and Spirit" show and it's all natural and very effective at keeping mild zits at bay. OOH they've put the prices up the cheeky blighters! Only by about 50p though: the Lavender and Tea tree Neem soap is the one I have used before, it's very mild, but can be a tiny bit more drying than say a creamy wash. But it has no lauryl/eth sulphate in it and is hand made by the people on that site. You cut the bar into thirds and it lasts absolutely ages too. Instead of lathering up your hands you kind of rub the bar all over your face. I'm going to reorder some now actually!

But yes, I wash my face and use baby lotion. I've used the Boots Botanics cleansers before as well, I'm a big fan of their moisturisers and other products generally as I feel they are more natural and kinder to skin. I tend to follow up my Panoxyl with the "face lift firming cream" as it's quite rich and counteracts the drying quite well. But I think any nice, rich-ish cream would do the job. Let me know how you get on with the stuff, but if you decide it's too annoying or not working or whatever, you've only spent £2 odd, so nothing lost!

 

[~landgirl~]

I used the Zizarol this morning and it actually itched a bit whilst it was on my head! I am going to perservre with it though.

Thanks for the recommendation on the botanics moisturisor, as I just noticed this morning that I am nearly out of my burts bees vanishing cream.

Do you use both baby lotion and a soap afterwards? Only soap alone doesn't remove all my makeup. I was using cold cream to get the makeup off and then soap to wash my face.

I am quite tempted to try clarins gentle foaming cleanser - not sure at the moment though!

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I use soap first and then the baby lotion to remove the panda eyes and any remaining foundation. I just wipe my face over with the baby lotion on cotton wool and follow up with witch hazel etc to remove the residue. If I use cold cream I do it the same way round that you do. You probably could do it the other way round, but if I try and take off the eye makeup first then was I usually end up needing to take more off after I was my face anyway as it doesn't always all come off.

(I haven't used the vanishing cream, but I find the Botanics Pore perfecting moisturiser sinks in nicely and doesn't leave my face shiny. And they often have 2 for 1 or 3 for 2 on botanics)

 

[VargasGirl]

I couldn't sleep last night and caught an informercial I have never seen before. It's a new acne system which can be found at www.acnecomplex.com. Has anyone tried this one? I have always had acne, but lately it's getting worse. This system doesn't use the benzol perozide, but salicilic acid as the doctor created it said the peroxide is way too drying.

 

[Lady Day]

I was going to wait until my scalp was better before trying anything new but got too upset with my skin - so started using benzoyl tonight. I wanted to try the Regime from acne.org and it says on there that it can cause mild irritation at first.

Yeah, youll be shedding that layer of dead skin off your face for the first couple of weeks. It will also sting a little from the benzoyl for a few weeks. Its a slow, but long lasting regimine, and it works. My face is very smooth (altho I have been skimping on the regimine lately).

You will also brake out like crazy for those first couple of weeks. Basically if you follow it (wash and apply benzoyl twice a day) your skin will improve. Its those first 2-3 weeks where you look like swiss cheese.

Good luck,

LD

 

[VargasGirl]

After all the talk about cold cream, I went out to the 24 hours CVS to buy some at 10:30 tonight becuase I can't stand my skin anymore. Blackheads everywhere, cystic acne, and dry patches. I bought the Pond's brand, although I noticed the CVS brand has the exact same ingredients. I chose Pond's as a basline and if it does the job I might try the CVS. I applied the cold cream and let it sit, washed off with a warm washcloth, applied again and let sit for 1 min, washed off, then followed up with Witch Hazel and St.Ives Collegen and Elastin moistureizer. We'll see...
Oh, while there I opened a jar or Noxema just to smell it, I must have looked like an idiot sitting on the floor smelling this jar, but it reminded me of early high school...

 

[~landgirl~]

After all the talk about cold cream, I went out to the 24 hours CVS to buy some at 10:30 tonight becuase I can't stand my skin anymore. Blackheads everywhere, cystic acne, and dry patches. I bought the Pond's brand, although I noticed the CVS brand has the exact same ingredients. I chose Pond's as a basline and if it does the job I might try the CVS. I applied the cold cream and let it sit, washed off with a warm washcloth, applied again and let sit for 1 min, washed off, then followed up with Witch Hazel and St.Ives Collegen and Elastin moistureizer. We'll see...
Oh, while there I opened a jar or Noxema just to smell it, I must have looked like an idiot sitting on the floor smelling this jar, but it reminded me of early high school...

I am glad this thread reopened again, I have been dying to tell you all my news! And VargasGirl, I use Ponds Cold Cream which I bought from the US (we can't get the cool classic over here) I stopped using it for a week and starting using an expensive all natural ingredients cleansing balm and I got really spotty again so back to the Ponds and hey presto, my skin is looking OK again. I find this ingredibly WEIRD seeing as the very first ingrediant in the Cool Classic is Minerial Oil. How can someonewith acne use minerial oil and clear up??? I have now just purchased a bigger sized jar on e-bay!!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I have had mild acne all my life and still do (I'm 26). Cold cream never worked for me. I've now removed all cleansers that have sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate (typically that means natural or organic cleansers) and am using the 2% benzoyl peroxide on my entire face once a day. My skin has cleared dramatically, even during my period.

However, fir adult (post-25) acne that's serious, see a dermatologist. Acutane is always an option, even though it's SERIOUS STUFF, it works.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I find this ingredibly WEIRD seeing as the very first ingrediant in the Cool Classic is Minerial Oil. How can someonewith acne use minerial oil and clear up???

Because mineral oil is not a comedogenic ingredient, despite what many high end cosmetic companies would like you to believe Cold cream was originally created to heal skin irritations.

When I was a teen my doctor wanted me to try Accutane, but I refused. Anything that requires a monthly blood test was not for me. Luckily, cold cream works wonders for me, as I am allergic to most of the popular acne treatments (salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide in any concentration especially.)

 

[Paisley]

I was on Accutane for a year. My acne came back after I got off of it.

I think that when you use a drying product (except as a small spot treatment), your skin just makes more oil.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Diet is important. I avoid wheat and oats (that is, gluten) for the most part and take vitamins for my skin.