[jayciid]

Hi all, hope your all ok.

I have suffered from Acne for the majority of my teen years, after two courses of roaccutane, its probably fair to say that my acne is no longer serious.

However, im still getting a few spots here and there which do my head in. For example ive currently got like 9 or 10 spots dotted around my face which i appreciate is not the end of the world compared to the acne some people suffer with (ive been there).

However my problem is about getting the balance right. If i go all out to get rid of the spots, i could probably do so, but the products involved (i.e. clean and clear deep cleansing astringent acne medication) are really harsh, leave my skin feelng plastic, tight, shiny, uneven, dry , bumpy and artificial.

I'm at an age now where i want good conditioned skin. In times passed it was all about reducing the number of spots for me, and i would have put up with feeling like my skin was made of plastic, but not anymore.

The general condition of my skin feels alot better and nicer when i use less harsh products, and moisturizers, however whilst these seem to improve the overall condition of my skin, it increases my spot count on my face - I can't seem to win either way.

I have tried the oil free moisturizers- i.e. clean and clear namely, but this still doesnt really moisturize my skin enough and it still feels dry and plasticy deep down.

After my previous experiences with Acne, im extremely concious of my skin, and this limbo i find myself in where I can't seem to get the balance right is really getting me down.

Is there anything which you guys could suggest?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated, will answer any questions.

Thanks in advance,

James x

 

[gymrat]

James- I am sorry to hear about your battle with acne. I too have battled for 20 or more years with acne. As a last resort I finally took Accutane. I have had great success with it. Since being off of it for nearly 5 months now, I have not had any issues with acne (knock of wood).

I totally understand what you are saying as far as using harsh washes and then having the feeling of having dry skin, but yet still have acne. It is the happy medium that we must find.

What I would suggest, is maybe switching your face wash. Try something with salicylic acid in it. Neutrogena makes several. Then try using a regular moisturizer not an oil free one and see how your face does. Have you ever tried Cetaphil lotion or Cerve lotion? You can even try mixing a little grapeseed oil in with the lotion maybe at night. I actually love using just a tad bit of grapeseed oil or jojoba oil mixed in with my lotions.

The main thing is to try and find the right cleanser, then use a light moisturizer and see how your face feels after a few weeks. Last but not least, have you tried any topicals? Differin works really well for spot treating acne, as does benzaclin. Maybe try to get your derm to giving you a Rx for one of those.

Best of luck to you, and just know you are not alone-

 

[lordm]

Yeah...I've been waiting to tell someone about this for Acne. "Aspirin Mask" review from Makeupalley.com. The reviews sound great for acne! It sounds so good that I'm going to try it myself even though I don't have ache.