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Beautyflow.com Cruising for a bruising
"Hi,I am 17 years old and have had acne problems (including face, neck, chest and back) since i was about 14. I have tried alot of things to get rid of from washing regularly, to rubbing alcohol i even bought proactive and it still didnt work! help me out?!

Viola
"Have you gone to your Dr. and asked what she/he might recommend? From what I understand, acne is due to hormones. I never had much of a problem. I know it can be quite traumatic in some cases. I hope yours isn't too bad. Talk to your Dr. or maybe google it to see what you can find out. Good luck!!

hb512
"I struggled with acne for some time, but I went on the Pill for another problem (extremely irregular menstrual periods) and it helped clear up my skin. I also use Proactiv, which didn't work on its own for me, but in conjunction with taking the Pill, it's been great!

Cruising for a bruising
thanks for your input both of you! i havent talked to my doctor yet but i am going to soon to get a pill for it to see if it helps and i was on birth control at one point and it did help alittle.thanks again

designer to be
"I had issues when I was younger and went on accutane and it was amazing. I had deep routed zits that only came up onto my skin as red inflamed bumps and it was both painful and awful to look at. It has been given a bad rep due to issues of depression, deformation of babies (if you take it while your pregnant), etc, however, I took it when I was 21 (and don't have a history of depression/anxiety running in my family) and you are typically only on it for 6 months at the most. It has been 12 years and I have never had anything like it since that time. Your doctor will probably make you go on birth control with it as a safety procaution. Good luck to you!

#EANF#
#EANF#

PhantomNikki
"Does anyone know a good way of getting rid of acne and blackheads? If there any good products or remedies I could try? I have tried oil control face wash, blackhead control astringent, and moisturizer with acne medication in it and nothing seems to be working. In fact it seems like I am getting more pimples. I am a 16 year girl.

brightandshiny
"Been there...done that. Tragedy of a drug store beauty! You don't say what age you fall into, but I finally broke down and went to a dermatologist. I would not have complete facial acne and blackheads, just enough to make me crazy. Tried all of the treatments out there. The dermatologist finally told me that washing my face twice daily with Dove bar soap, moisturizing nightly with Cetaphil lotion would help to normalize my skin. He also explained that when I put so many products on my face, my skin was doing nothing more than 'reacting' to the acids or astringents (peeling and blotchiness or more pimples). I also increased my water intake significantly to help hydrate my skin better. I also had to rethink my make up strategies-going for more coverage through less make up (prescriptives has the best product out there). Four years later I can say that it still is working. Good luck!

AmysTwin
The best of the best products that I found for my daughter was the MEDICATED ACNE LINE by BEE LUSCIOUS COSMETICS it works WONDERS. Her face after 2 months became totally flawless. Search MSN for Bee Luscious Cosmetics its the most FAB products ever!

gommage
"I would try using a clay mask, I have done that and I find that it works wonders 1 to 2 times a week. The Body Shop also offers some pretty good fixes for this....Try them out. Also drink plenty of water and watch the oils that you eat and put on your face..Eat with Olive Oil if you can and get the right moisturizer, probably for oily or combination skin.

pinstripe
"Well it never hurts to do your research, you have to know what type of skin you have. Is it oily, dry, combination? Also, there is a site acne.org that is extremely helpful, it will give you all of the resources and information you need to know about acne. You could spend hours reading about how to treat your acne, but it's basically all trial and error, some products may work well on your skin, some may not you have to come up with the best regimen for your type of skin, and sometimes it takes a long time to find the correct regimen. Don't give up on your skin. drink plenty of water 6-8 full glasses, wash your pillowcases twice a week, and if you use makeup, make sure that you read the ingredients and steer clear of any makeup that contain irritants, or toners that contain high levels of harmful alcohols.

Elegant Living
search for BEE LUSCIOUS COSMETICS their medicated acne package is awesome cleared me up in just a couple of days.

Axelas
My face broke out in many red bumps on my forehead after ingesting royal bee jelly. It is just like what is sold @website that sells bee luscious cosmetics. Bad thing is that I am 55 years old & have not had acne in YEARS. Last time my face broke out like this was 28 years ago when I was expecting my first baby. Pinstripe is right. Save your money for now and read/research internet for acne. I little knowledge goes a long way. There may be good over the counter treatments/medications that can help you PhantomNikki. Or look up home made remedies & use products you have at home. Good luck.

TheWindyCity
"I didn't have acne in high school, or college, so I thought I was going to make it through life without it... wrong. After nearly a year of having a REALLY broken out chin and trying everything from the drugstore, I broke down and got proactiv 3 step system and the mask. It's more money than I wanted to spend, but cheaper than going to a dermatologist (depending on your insurance, I'm too old for acne medication...) It actually worked amazingly well and fast. It was about $40 for two months worth, and I think it was a small price to pay. Good luck!

tchr
"I have been struggling with acne & very oily skin for nearly 15 years; I will probably never have flawless skin. I went to the dermatologist, but their products were not as strong as the 10% benzoyl peroxide I got over the counter. If you have oily skin try OTC clay mask (2x/week), salycilic acid scrub (2x/week) 10% benzoyl peroxide cream at night, & limit make-up to a very light water-based formula (of course do a wash/astringent/acne cream or light moisturizer 2x/day). If you're still struggling (as I was)- ProActiv really does work. and it balances oilyness/dryness very well. An OTC product called "Acne Free" in an orange package works nearly as well for 1/2 the price as proactive. Good luck!

lojkoj
"proactive, proactive, proactive! i spent years in a dermatologists office. nothing worked, i then saw the money back guarantee and tryed proactive, if i doesn't work they will reimburse you unlike the supermarket.

d_t_m05
"I used to have a REALLY bad problem with acne on my back. After years of trying OTC stuff I finally went to the dermatologist. She prescribed me a topical cream called Benzaclin. I started using it daily and for the last three years have only had to use it occasionaly to prevent breakouts. It is also for use on your face. Its relatively inexpensive, $40 for a jar. But the jar lasts quite a while, a couple months. Good luck!

candylover
"I'm 24...have dealt with this since about 11th grade. I've tried a lot of things. Even Proactiv and Murad. They did help but they stopped working as well after awhile. My boyfriend was doing some research and someone suggested to use aspirin (crush it) and mix it with Witch Hazel (this is cheap...under $2 and can be found in drugstores or even Walmart. It's a skin astringent). You mix 3-4 crushed aspirin per bottle of Witch Hazel. I have done that but I found that 'washing' your face with aspirin works better (seems weird I know) and it doesn't dry out your skin, etc. I do it every time I wash my face (twice a day). I wet my face with warm water, crush one aspirin and use that as a scrub then wash my face with my normal face wash. I have been using L'oreal Acne Response and that has worked very well. Aspirin is also very very cheap (I get it for $1 a bottle) The L'oreal product is around $20 at Walmart.

Hopefull_alliance
"Benzoyl Peroxide(BP) works well, but you might want to start out at 2.5% available from Neutrogena. If you can't find 2.5%, get 10% and take a glob of the 10% and a glob twice the size and mix them together and rub it on your face. Be careful and don't get it on your clothes though, because it will stain and discolor them.BP is very inexpensive, but if you get the smallest tube it won't last very long, maybe 3 weeks if you use it every other day. Make sure you start out with only a little and go up once every week. You can actually see the zits go away.

kriannj
"Everyone's experience is unique, but here's mine: I had acne for 15 years (and tried every OTC) before I finally had a PPO and went to a dermatologist. She weaned me off the antibiotics the family practitioner had mistakenly put me on and we tried different topicals. I have really sensitive skin and it couldn't take many of the prescription medications. I finally hit the jackpot with Differin at night before bed (and after washing with Cetaphil) and BenzaClin in the morning after using a gentle toner (although I did get married during that time and my BC pills get some of the praise, surely). The Differin keeps shedding skin cells from clogging follicles below the skin surface and the BenzaClin (part benzoyl peroxide, part clindamycin) keeps the blackheads at bay by attacking the bacteria. The Differin makes you breakout much worse initially, but after 3 months or so, things cleared up considerably. I go without makeup much of the time now. I NEVER thought I would do that again. Part of me is dreading starting a family because I know I'll have to give up the Differin for my pregnancy. It's hard to go back once you've had clear skin. And it's much easier to keep under control than to get under control.Good luck!

MaximaMia
"All people are unique, but there are so many different products that you will surely find yours. I haven't been able to completely get rid of black heads with any of them without making my skin super dry and inducing premature fine lines. But I was able to take acne under control by using Proactive products (make sure you moisturize your skin enough, or it may get too dry) and Clearasil acne cleaning astringent. These are for outside, they help to prevent some and to cure other akne faster. But what really helped me is getting on lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. That is, i skipped meat, fish, poultry, seafood altogether. I eat eggs and milk products like yougurt to ensure that I get enough protein. I drink soymilk instead of cow milk, but this is personal preference. This diet did not require me to do any extra cooking, and was in fact even cheaper for my budget.My skin got baby soft and clean and I only get one or two pimples during ovulation, even though I had had millions of them before. It took about three month to see the first results. I believe it has to do with the hormones meat contains, even though most meats I used to buy were declared hormone free, I was amazed at the difference. I am still on this diet (or, better say, lifestyle) - I ocasionally eat meat at parties and each time I eat much, my skin gets oilier and I get pimples afterwards. So it worked for me, as I said, there are so many ways to combat acne, keep trying and don't give up, I believe everyone can have clear skin with some effort.

Miz SR
"Weirdly enough, going vegetarian also improved my skin. I have fair Scandinavian skin and tried the asprin masque, which left me red and itchy for days. My roommate has olive Arab skin and she uses the asprin once a week and it leaves her soft and smooth. Remembering to wash my face every single night (easier now that I don't work till 3 am!) and moisturize every morning does it for me. I used to think moisturizer would make me break out more, but it really does keep my skin clear.

hockeygrl33
"Check out the regimen at acne.org. I tried this as a last attempt several years ago and it really worked, I have no acne now at all. You have to religiously wash twice a day and apply A LOT of benzoyl peroxide to kill the bacteria. It will take some time to get your skin used to this, and you will probably have to keep it up until you outgrow your acne, but it WORKS. I literally slather my face with BP at night, especially if I've had lotion or sunblock on that day. Over time you can tailor the regimen to your skin's needs. For example, I use 5% BP twice a day instead of 2.5 %, and rub my face gently with a clean wet wash cloth or small body sponge each time I wash it to exfoliate. These additions helped clear my acne completely. It makes sense too... if acne is caused by bacteria, then you need to simply kill the bacteria, and clear the oil and dirt as well. Good luck!

Elegant Living
"The medicated acne line by Bee Luscious Cosmetics does not contain bee jelly as previously mis informed by Axelas, it contains a strong powerful regimen with 3 separate acne fighting ingredients. Bee Luscious works ! I have experienced it personally and I will add that there is no way that bee jelly can give you acne ! acne is bacteria based and royal jelly has a very low ph value that kills even gram negative bacteria !

michelle74
"I have struggled with acne since I was 12 years old, I am 33 now. I was put on Acutane in my teen years, that worked amazingly. However in my twenties and thirties I still was breaking out agin and I discovered Proactiv. That three part system has workd amazingly!! I agree with the other postings, it is a bit more expensive but worth every penny. They also have a clay mask that you can put on your face once a week, or if you have a trouble spot you need to get rid of fast put a dime size on the area overnight and by morning it will be gone.

Mrs Black Dog
"Everyone's skin is unique. I have dealt with cystic acne and blackheads since I was in high school (I'm now 32). I tried everything - drug store products, expensive cleansers and treatments, prescriptions (topical and pills) from the dermatologist and nothing helped much. When I got married and started on birth control pills that made a huge difference. I know at 16 it's awkward to ask for BC, but I would have given anything if I'd known it was an option when I was your age. I also assumed that since I had severe acne that my skin was very oily. I always chose cleansers and other products designed for oily skin and products that contained strong medications to treat the acne. It turns out that I actually have extremely dry skin. I now use a cream cleanser and moisturizing cream for dry skin. My skin was overcompensating for all the drying products I was using and produced too much oil, making my acne worse. Your skin may not be as dry as mine, and you probably don't want to use heavy moisturizing products, but you might try incorporating a light moisturizer into your routine. You can also mix and match products. For example, use a moisturizing cleanser and toner and a moisturizer for acne-prone skin. It may take a few tries to figure out what works for you. I also use a different combination of products in the winter than I do in the summer. So don't get caught up with the labels. I still have acne, and if I try to change my cleansing routine it flares up. I've also been diagnosed with rosecea but you can't tell when you look at my face right now. I hope you find something that works for you.

strawberrynote
"I have had good results with the following combination: birth control pills, Neutrogena's foundation that contains acne medication (its very light--can't tell you're wearing it, but nice even skin tone), and washing 1-2 times/day with Clearasil's Ultra-something face wash.

Brunhilda
"The only things that help keep my face as clear as possible are an additional 50 mg of Zinc per day (take with food and don't overdo the zinc....too much and I break out in zinc zits, but, too little, and I break out with bacterial zits) and wash with Noxzema 3X Clean (pads or cleanser) two-three times a day. Also rinse face with cool H2O whenever possible, which for me is at home.I also drink at least 2 liters of H2O a day and keep all facial products (except the Noxzema) unscented and hypo-allergenic.Oh yeah, I also break out from the sun, so am forced to keep an SPF 30 on as much as possible.

Kami Buckeye
"Phantom...Remember that when you start any acne medication, OTC or Rx, your acne will get WORSE before it gets better. Don't give up too soon because you don't think you are getting results. Sometimes it takes up to 6 weeks for positive results. This is simply because the medication works by clearing your pores rapidly and more thoroughly. This means initially you will be seeing pimples that were still deep in the pore all come to surface at the same time. I can't stress enough... DON'T GIVE UP TOO SOON! Pick a treatment and stick with it. Personally I have had great luck with Clinique's 3 step acne line. It's pricier than OTC but superior (IMO) and the clerks are well educated.Good luck to you...

retudor
"If you have oily skin or blackheads, I would absolutely try an apricot scrub daily, or even twice daily. Use warm water all over your face and scrub face with hands for one full minute. (I even count to myself so I know I'm accurate!) Make sure the sbrub has benzoyl acid in it. Also, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. You'll want to get some Clean and Clear, or any brand, blotting papers from a drugstore. Blot your T-Zone, especially along your nose, a couple of times a day at school. Never go to bed with your make-up on. Finally, use a good moisturizer made for oily skin so it'll dry your skin out some. Use it morning and night. OH....sleep with your hair pulled off your face, and change your pillow cases every couple of days. Good luck!! :)

LunaStar07
I have been using this for two weeks and it works!! mix egg whites and lemon juice. Rub on your face with a cotton ball. Let it dry and stay on for 30 minutes. Wash off with warm cloth. Do this every other day. after each time apply moisturizer. This has made my face very clear!! It feels weird the first time but you will get used to that... :0)

healthnative
I have found that clove oil works wonders. I have used it for years and recommend it to eveyone.

booklover223
"I've read everyone's post and everything here is helpful, but I noticed something with my own acne only about a week or so ago (I just started the proactiv stuff and it seems to be helping with clearing it up). Make sure to wash your phone!! Escpecially your cell if you use it alot. Most people don't realize how much gunk gets on there when you talk on it, but when you think about it, it's pressed up against your face for hours a week. And how many people think to actually clean their phone? My acne's almost cleared up now except in the area where my phone presses up against my face, and I think my phone had a little something to do with the excessive amount of breakouts there. Not that cleaning your phone is going to clear up your acne all together, only that you should include it into your routine. Just use a disinfecting wipe (not too wet) to wipe it off on a regular basis. Also, with the moisturizing that everyone is talking about, yes yes yes!! I always thought my skin was combination oily/dry, but really its just dry, and everything I was using, especially the Apricot Scrub was making it worse. Now I moisturize at least once a night fairly heavily, and lightly in the morning before work. My skins so much softer, even with my left-over acne.

iris14240
Check out AcneNoMore.com -- I just started by fasting and doing a cleansing last weekend and I'm already seeing improvement. I'm realizing it's not the creams you can put on the outside - cause there's always more blemishes! - but what you're eating that's making a difference! The blemishes and acne are simply a reaction of your body telling you it can't get rid of the toxins anymore any other way. Time to change your eating habits and cleanse your body inside out. The author has suggestions on how to do that.

clear face shelly
PROACTIV!!! USING TWICE A DAYAND IT WORKS! ONCE WASN'T ENOUGH. RECENTLY CALLED CUST.SERVICE FOR ADDING TO MY ORDER.TALKED ABOUT MY TEEN BABYSITTER SHE CAN GET A DISCOUNT. i'M NOT A AD I'M A 44 YR OLD BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WITH ACNE -NOW UNDER CONTROL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. CLEAR FACE SHELLY LEONARD

sarah11290
"I know this might sound crazy, but it really works for me..... I use Lever 2000. No joke, I had acne problems all my life and one day I just started using bar soap and it cleared up my skin right away. I use is with a moisturizer every day. I think, at least for my skin, all those specialized soaps just weren't strong enough to really clean my face. Before this I tried Proactive and Murad but those stopped working after a while, I've been doing this for a couple of years and no problems yet!

kellpooh96
"try proactive, its fabulous

Sgvp
"I agree with the few people who are saying that you need to look at your diet. All these face washes and lotions and scrubs and masks etc are only getting rid of the symptoms to the problem but no matter what you use, once you stop, it's just going to come right back. To truely cure your acne problem you need to find out what the source of the problem is and solve that so that it never comes back. The family I grew up in and the family I'm raising are all vegetarian and none of us have acne. (I know it could be just genetics but I thought I'd throw that in in case it convinces anyone to become vegetarian. =P ) Seriously though, we try to eat very healthy foods, lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains and legumes, olive oil, yoghurt, tofu. That's mainly what our diet consists of, and we avoid junk foods esp. hydrogenated oil, artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, etc. and artificial sweetners. I believe it you aren't putting those toxins in your body, if nothing else, your body will be stronger and healthier and better able to regulate and cure itself.I have dozens of friends who have been life-long vegetarians like me, and only one of them has a serious acne problem, the friends that I know who didn't grow up vegetarian though often have acne problems.

GracieM
"All of this is interesting. My poor DD is 13 almost 14 and has been struggling with acne for a couple of years now. I feel so bad for her! We have tried ProActive and several other products similar to it and nothing seems to be working. We just started ZapZit or something like that, a 2 step process. If this doesn't work then we'll try some of the suggestions here. A lot of times I'm at a loss as I never had bad acne, everyone was always envious of my skin, and still are, apparently genetics has something to do with it, or something. Her dad had really bad acne. To those that mention diet, although not vegetarians, we have a healthy diet, very, very little junk food, no soda's, lots of fruit and veggies, and she drinks A LOT of water. Thanks for all the suggestions!

OtisMjMommy
"The main ingredient in all of the previous posts is that "everyone is different". And that is the ultimate truth. It's about trial and error and unfortunately there is no cure-all. But thanks for all those references that I haven't tried I will look into those. Don't pick, squeeze, or use a bobby pin to get rid of those black heads. If there's a head on it use 2 q-tips, not your fingers and only if you abosolutely must get rid of it. Be careful with products that warn you to keep off of clothing. If it does that to your clothing what is it really doing to your face? Water intake. Stress Levels. Clean pillowcases and phones often. And this last one I found very interesting:I found out that my skin is sensitive to sulfates, the main foaming ingredient in most face washes, shampoo, and cleansers in general. I also became allergic to benzoyl peroxide after using it for 3 years. I found a ph balanced, sulfate free skincare line that has freed me from my acne. It's spa-quality, lasts longer than Proactive, doesn't stain or bleach anything and is great on every skin type, they even offer help with rosacea. It's called Intuit Beauty.

Oracles_24
"Try using Proactive, and have a good basic cleansing routine. Try to think positive and happy things, and eat healthy. A doctor ever told me to eat plenty of fruits and vegans. It helps me. I have simple breakouts but it's far in between. I use Proactive basic and once a week I use mask on my face for about 3 to 5 minutes or until it's dry. Anyway, just choose your own branded basic cleansing routine and stick to it for at least 6 months to a year to see the results. Don't keep changing your brand of basic cleansing before you see the results. Good Luck!!

beauty princess
i have been surffering with acneoily skinhelp me please

coolkate
Have you tried washing your face twice a day? Tried everything like changing the foods that you are eating. I have oily skin and use these products. The face line helped me out. I would go to Advocare.com and get some information. I hope this works.

Meesh123
"grrl, get proactiv. it will seriously fix ur problem. i had similar issues.. and didnt know what to do... i turned to proactiv... it really works! try it.

Wizard101
"Try medicated acne products from bee-luscious cosmetics its a newer line, I have been using it and love it , my skin looks so much better and the oil is controlled as well. Do an MSN search for bee royal products thats where you can get it

Spiderdancer
I also tried Proactiv and it worked for me for a little while and then it kinda stopped. About 6 weeks ago I started using Clear.now which has a toner with Sodium Chlorite which dissolves oil before it gets a chance to clog the pores. It took about 4 weeks before I really started seeing results and now I only have one tiny zit on my chin (where I ALWAYS break out). Send me an email sdesider@iupui.edu and I can get you info on purchase!