Reoccuring Acne Breakout - any words of wisedom?

[DreamWarrior]

Well - it looks like there wont be FOTD entry from me for a while.

While my 20's were flawless, it looks like my 30's are rebounding into my teens (a little late into my thirties but you get the point).

Anyways.  I am currently on ADOXA (antibiotics) for the acne and have been on it for a little over a month.  During this time I have only really been acne free to about 2 weeks.  Then a new occurrence of acne came thru... now yesterday afternoon I had a break out.

The only consistent thing in my regimen has been my foundation application and I'm beginning to think it's the culprit.  But I don't know - hence 1 or 2 weeks without makeup...again. AHHHHHHHH!

I cannot begin to tell you how frustrated I am.  My pores are larger than ever, I am as oily as ever and now I have these hard red pimples decorating my face.

Most of them feel as though there is layers upon layers of skin trapped underneath (nose area).  The others are small solid white heads that look more like a rash breakout than an acne breakout (mostly over eyebrows and temple), and a few large tender ones that look like volcanoes ready to go (cheek/chin) area.

I circled the new acne that developed.  The pic is a bit fuzzy - but this many issues in one day cannot be good.



I'm two week into my Clique products (for oily skin). Cleanser, Moisturizer, Toner, and dark spot remover.

I've been using my foundation regimen since February.

Prime Time Primer

Bare Minerals Matte Finish in Golden Medium

Bare Minerals Warmth

The variables are:

MUFE HD powder

Bare Mineral Veil

Beauti Control Concealer in Yellow

Physician Formula RX concealer in Medium Light and/or Green

and obviously makeup colors.

If you have any thoughts on what this could be - I would appreciate it.  In other words - if any of you have had breakouts due to any of these products - let me know and what you have used as an alternative.

 

[Bonnie Krupa]

sorry if this is TMI but I just started breaking out during that time of the month.  Usually a week or 2 before until it's here or gone.  I use Clean and clear face wash (the orange one, it has antiseptic in it) and clean and clear persa gel.  When I was younger I had a prescription face cream that worked wonders.

 

[DreamWarrior]

No more periods for me thanks to two kids and five years worth of Mirena.

I've already seen my OBGYN and discussed the Mirena with hormonal issues and breakouts - he said it's gossip.  The amount of hormones dispersed by the IUD is so minimal that it wouldn't been traced in any blood work - not only that, but the hormones are released on site, in other words in the uterus so that the uterus absorbs the hormone and does what its supposed to do, which is swell the lining.

So, taking the IUD is out. 

Even if I do the non-perscription IUD people are complaining about acne breakouts as a side effect.  So there's no guarantee that it will solve my issue.  Im thinking this is topical.

 

[Bonnie Krupa]

no periods?!  You're so lucky haha.  Have you gone to see a derm?

 

[DreamWarrior]

Yeah - hence the ADOXA - she was horrible dermatologist tho.  I might have to find a new one.

ON THAT NOTE!

Would you go to a dermatologist's office if:

1 - The waiting room was badly decorated, dated with ugly colors and worn out waiting room chairs - almost to the point that it looked dirty

2 - The receptionist wasnt wearing any makeup and looked placid - dieing even.

3 - The check out girl was covered in zits

This was a derm group - so I'm sure she wasn't in charge of the facilities - but still - damn have some respect for your profession!  I want flawless skin and if your employees don't have flawless skin - then I'm less inclined to think you know what you're doing.  If they cant afford your services - give them away for free - they're your employees for crying outloud.

 

[Bonnie Krupa]

o gawd, lol sounds like an awful place especially if a person working there has acne lol

 

[Andi]

Soo it sounds & looks like you have clogged pores as well as cystic pimples (the location on the cheeks & chin is typical). Cystic acne breakouts are, as far as I know, almost always related to hormonal issues.

Over what kind of time frame did this issue develop? If it all kind of appeared within very few days it could very well be your foundation that´s causing this.

If you don´t like your current dermatologist (btw, I could care less what a doctor´s employees look like IF I feel that he/she is competent, knowledgeable and listens to what I have to say as a patient) it may make sense to get a 2nd opinion.

In the meantime, get a leave on product with salicylic acid that does not contain alcohol (hard to find, check beautypedia.com for ingredient lists!) to help with the clogged pores and be overall gentle to your skin (gentle facewash & toner, no irritating ingredients!). Check the ingredients of the Clinique products you´re using, I think I remember reading that some of the products in their oily skin line contain some harsh ingredients, but I could be wrong.

And don´t ever squeeze the large volcanos. I never squeezed the cystic pimples that I randomly got at 21, but I tried to treat them by putting anything you can think of on them. And they still all left post-acne hyperpigmentation or small indented acne scars behind. I finally went on a birth control pill that´s prescribed for acne (the European version of Ortho-Tri Cyclen) and it all went away within a couple of weeks.

 

[xina751]

If you want a salisylic acid toner that is alcohol free...you can buy Neutragena's Alcohol-Free Toner and crush up an aspirin into a powder and add it, it'll dissolve. I do that personally because I have very sensitive skin that is still acne prone. I also wash with Palmer's Moisturizing Body Oil....i throw oil on my face while it's dry so it can dissolve the makeup. this oil also washes off fairly clean and you can pat dry with a towel. then I only use the salisylic acid toner at night, but if you have more acne and it doesn't over dry you, you can use it twice a day. with acne, especially if you have never had it before, you need to learn what helps your acne without over drying your face too much. also, a face mask with milk, flour, and honey works very well. the milk with eat up dead skin cells and the honey is antibacterial...the flour just makes it pasty. good luck!

 

[aliana]

Try taking 30-50mg of zinc. Even 14 mg made my skin break out less.

 

[DreamWarrior]

Thanks ladies, I'm going to try all this out.

Question tho - why add aspirin to the toner?

I'm all for vitamins - zinc it is!

Funny thing is I was considering going back on Ortho Tri Cyclen - but I had horrible ovarian cysts that ruptured while I was on the pill.  Im at the point where I think Im going to get my tubes tied to avoid all the hormone issues.

This acne breakout issue has been happening since the winter.  Apparently my skin was severely dry and over produced oils which caused this landslide of issues.  So basically its been 6 months of ups and downs.

 

[Andi]

Originally Posted by DreamWarrior /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Thanks ladies, I'm going to try all this out.

Question tho - why add aspirin to the toner?

I'm all for vitamins - zinc it is!

Funny thing is I was considering going back on Ortho Tri Cyclen - but I had horrible ovarian cysts that ruptured while I was on the pill.  Im at the point where I think Im going to get my tubes tied to avoid all the hormone issues.

This acne breakout issue has been happening since the winter.  Apparently my skin was severely dry and over produced oils which caused this landslide of issues.  So basically its been 6 months of ups and downs.

Zink supplements are a good addition indeed.

And ASS in aspirin is chemically related to salicylic acid, which is a chemical exfoliant and anti-irritant. It works well for clogged pores and prevents new breakouts (hormonal breakouts and breakouts related to propionibacterium acnes excluded). So instead of buying products that contain salicylic acid, some people use crushed up aspirin+water as a mask on their skin.

 

[DreamWarrior]

Originally Posted by Andi /img/forum/go_quote.gif



Zink supplements are a good addition indeed.

And ASS in aspirin is chemically related to salicylic acid, which is a chemical exfoliant and anti-irritant. It works well for clogged pores and prevents new breakouts (hormonal breakouts and breakouts related to propionibacterium acnes excluded). So instead of buying products that contain salicylic acid, some people use crushed up aspirin+water as a mask on their skin.

Wow - that's really cool to know.  Im going out tonight to the pharmacy to pick up some stuff.

Thanks ladies.  I really appreciate your feedback.

 

[aliana]

I tried that aspirin +honey mask  4 times but it didn't do much for me so I used aspirin for my headaches instead LOL