Acne Products Survey

[10acne]

Dear all,

I'm doing an Acne Products Survey.. Can anyone tell me what acne product you are using now and how you rate the product?

Please rate from 0 to 5 stars (0 star: very bad product; 1 star: not good; 2 stars: below average; 3 stars: average; 4 stars: good; 5 stars: very good product)


Thanks!

Acne Treatment 2007

[Michael Clyde]

I've had severe acne in the past. Here are some products I used:

***********************************
all over-the-counter products: 0 to 1 star
some would make the acne worse over time.

tetricycline: 1 star

acutane: 5 stars for affectiveness
0 stars for potential side affects
***********************************

Acutane totally cured my acne problem within a couple months. However, there can be some serious side affects. In fact, there was or is law suits against the company. For me, there have been no side affects thus far, and I stopped taking it about 8 years ago. I know it was in my body though for at least 6 years after taking the drug. Everytime I got a new zit for the next 6 years, it would sort of "flake" off just like during the treatment.

I guess this info is more for individuals who have a big acne problem.

[kpreston]

All OTC acne "pads": **
3-Step acne treatments (Proactive, Clean and Clear): **
Benzoyl Peroxide: ***
Adapalene (Differin): ***/****

Differin worked the best for the longest period of time, but after a few months, my acne worsened and the Differin no longer had any effect.

Benzoyl Peroxide worked on and off, but left my skin dry and irritated - especially around my mouth and nose area.

All other over-the-counter treatments never did anything but irritate my skin and make my acne worse.

_______________________

Water: *****
St. Ives Apricot Scrub: Blemish and Blackhead Control: ****
St. Ives Apricot Cleanser: ****

This is the only thing that has worked for me. I use the cleanser once a day, during the shower, and the scrub two/three times a week. My acne has slowly cleared up. It's not perfect - but it's better than it's ever been with the other products (and cheaper)...

_______________________

Edit: By "water," I mean drinking a lot of water, not putting it on my face. :|

[uberinquisitive]

Most mild to moderate acne can be controlled by over-the-counter stuff. Acne, in this case, is caused by a genetic predisposition towards:
"sticky" skin cells that tend to clog up your pores + the acne bacteria inside the pores.

Mild to moderate acne is best treated by a daily regimen that prevents new acne.

1. A gentle cleanser that doesn't dry out skin. Drying out the skin makes the face uncomfortably tight, or flaky, which makes the acne looks worse. Just keeping it clean is enough.

You should wash your face once in the morning, once at night. Using a washcloth gently (as in...rubbing a rose petal gentle!) a few times a week will also help a lot in "unsticking" those cells.


2. A toner or light lotion that contains a chemical exfoliant, such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid. As these are chemicals, you need to find products with the right pH balance.

These will further unglue your dead skin cells, making them prime to be sloughed away with your washcloth or buff puff. Use once a day.


3. Finally, a 2.5 % benzoyl peroxide product to be used at night (sunlight can deactivate the benzoyl peroxide). The 2.5% is as effective as 10%, but is much more gentle.


My skincare regimen costs the following:
Drugstore Cleanser: $4.99 (lasts about a month)
Toner: $35 (lasts about 4 months)
Benzoyl peroxide: $19 (lasts about 6 months)
Washcloth: $3 (replace every 3 months)

Per month, I spend less than $20 on my skin.

This should really reduce mild to moderate acne. But the trick is, you have to keep this up daily. Many people stop when their skin clears up - bad move. Acne takes something like 2 weeks to form, so you don't notice it until it's too late.

Anyone who tries the above for a month and doesn't see significant reduction in acne...needs to see a dermatologist.

[Beloved]

My 15 year old daughter is at the age where pimples become an issue, she doesn't have acne but does pick at them, making them look much worse than they are. I was passing by a health shop the other day when a sign caught my eye. It was for something called Cini Organics Natural skincare toner, it's basically a lemongrass water spray made for Acne. I kept getting the feeling I should buy it for her so I bought a bottle, $24.95 AU. It gets sprayed onto the face, then wiped off with a washer, then it's sprayed on again this time left to dry on the face. The difference in my daughter's face is amazing, her face is cleared up almost completely. There are some small pimples on her forehead but they are clearing, her face is much less oily than it was. The directions said to use it 3 to 4 times a day, I told my daughter to use it once or twice a day as she doesn't have acne.

I started getting a pimple on my chin and used it myself, it started drying almost imeditately.

[Catlover]

I was one of the first to take Accutane after it came on the market (that probably dates me). I had no problems with it, but recent reports do concern me. After 6 weeks or so of treatment, never another serious pimple. I'm not kidding. So I would rate it a 5.

Before that I tried tetracycline (2), Retin A (2-3 but has probably now helped me in an anti-aging way), benzoyl peroxide (3) and I can't remember what else.

My teen son so far has been blessed with beautiful skin, but I do have him use a product line that I sell for his forehead which is not so good due to heavy bangs. I do not know the board's policy on naming product names, so I won't do so here. Perhaps you can email me if you are interested. The main ingredient is salicylic acid. I think that is a good ingredient to start with and move up from there.

[TSchmitt]

In my personal opinion, you should steer clear of Accutane. I took it some years ago and have experienced some lasting side effects, although it did completely eradicate my acne

[Jim]

My fiance has had good success with Proactive, but YMMV. 4/5 stars

[Believer]

I don't use any products like that anymore, I had used Accutane and it got rid of my spots in about 4 month; the side effects were terrible for me though, I couldn't sleep, my skin was very dry, I did combat this a bit with skin moisturizing creams, I got extremely dry lips too. After about 1 year of not using this, my acne came back. I really don't think it's worth using, the side effects alone are reason enough not to.

I know they say that your diet has nothing to do with it but I think that is completely rubbish; when I eat crap, I look like crap, and when I eat well, you can see the effects of it.

So if I was going to recommend anything it would be: Water, bottled water is probably best but tap water is still good, 5 different fruits a day and a good diet, that means no junk food, NO JUNK FOOD. The good thing about doing this is there are no bad side effects.

To summarize:

Accutane = bad.
Healthy diet = good.

[Stargirl]

I've had really really bad acne from about the 6th/7th grade and what's finally been working for me was cutting out refined sugar and flour from my diet and drinking lots of water.

This weekend, I had some cookies and food made of refined flour, and lo and behold, ACNE!

[Bitsy]

Originally Posted by Beloved

a lemongrass water spray made for acne
I started getting a pimple on my chin and used it myself, it started drying almost imeditately.

Yes . Aromatherapy is one of my hobbies and lemongrass oil is good for the complexion - I used to put some in my bath, because it made my skin look so nice (and relieved muscle tension), but it is a harsh oil (stinky too - my opinion) and it turned out that my skin was too sensitive. I had to stop using it.

Jojoba oil
Lavender oil
Tea Tree oil
(to name a few)

All of the above work well for getting rid of pimples/blemishes. If you notice one starting on your skin, if you put some lavender oil on a cotton ball, or some other way apply a small amount of lavender oil about twice a day after washing, the lavender dries up the pimple and eventually there is a dried up bit of skin that you can just take off.

I use jojoba oil, though, because the other two are a bit harsh on my skin and it gets red and a little sore if I use them daily. Jojoba can also be applied more broadly on the skin, since it's less expensive and comes in larger quantities. When I use jojoba, the pimple starts disappearing by the next day.

I can't attest to the effectiveness of these for cases of wide-spread acne.

There are no strange chemicals or side effects, unless you have sensitive skin and maybe can't use lavender or tea tree.

[NathanSII]

Proactiv worked for me. Never looked elsewhere after it.

[VacMan]

I tried what I thought was everything!

Except accutane.... The sides really kept me away.

I still have pretty serious acne, if I don't keep it at bay, so I haven't found a "cure" so to speak.

I did however, stumble upon this awesome site and I am soooo thankful! And now if I use this "Regimne" every day, I hardly ever break out at all anymore.

Acne.org

Check it out! This guy knows his stuff.

Here's a quick summary:
-The over the counter Benzoyl Peroxide is way too strong in almost all cases.
you need about 2.5% not the 10% that most over the counter's brag. The 10% stuff is way to strong and will actually hurt not help you.

-You need to use way more VOLUME of Benzoyl Peroxide, not concentration. So you need to just slather the stuff on.

-You also need a great moisturizer to keep your face from drying out.

There's a little more to it, but if you take the time to read his stuff you won't regret it!! (He has some good products too, but also tells you where you can find alternatives to his stuff)

I'd give this stuff a 5/5 star rating.

Getting rid of acne for me helped me with my confidence/self esteem and got rid of some serious pain from all those zits. They hurt!!

Have fun!!

[Tripp444]

I use Arbonne's Clear Advantage acne system. I find it works better for me than Proactiv. I think the key is adding a supplement so that you attack the acne problem from the inside out.
5 stars!

[Matthew Shea]

I'm currently using Clearasil for Men aftershave to help with some moderate acne around my nose and mouth and because it helps reduce the redness associated with some ingrown hairs on my neck (which is especially a problem when you have a curly beard, as I do). Overall, I'd give it about a 3 - 3.5. It works OK, but I wish there was something better on the market.

[Jugga J]

Exercise makes all the difference to your skin. Diet second. Products 3rd.

Need to get rid of them?

1) Exercise
2) alkaline/low toxin diet
3) T. Tree Oil Gel.

= NO SPOTS. Ta Da. £30 please.

[10acne]

Thanks for all the feedback.. I hv something to share w you..

Tips When Selecting Acne Products For Oily And Dry Skins

Oily skin is generally shiny and is quite likely to attract dirt and other irritants. When developing a skin care routine for oily skin you should leave out moisturizers all together. You should definitely find a good acne fighting face wash and cleanser and you’ll want to make sure to also use alcohol based products like astringents to aide in drying out your skin.

Dry skin appears dry and often flaky. Generally, dry skin isn’t as prone to acne breakouts as other skin types however to treat blemishes with an acne product that also includes a good moisturizer. You should stay away from products containing alcohol when looking for acne treatment products for dry skin.

Hope these simple tips will help you.


Best Acne Treatment and Best Acne Products Review 2007

[deliberate attraction]

Hi,
I have never suffered from acne so I am very blessed, however when my teenager looked like getting acne i bought her some products from a company i'm in called Melaleuca. They offer a skincare system, which is toally natural, that worked wonders for her, it stopped the acne dead in it's tracks and she only needs to use it sparingly. I was so astounded by the effectiveness and swiftness of their system that I recommend it to anyone I meet. I also know that the better you look after your insides the better your outsides will look, so dietry supplements can definately help as well. Drink plenty of water too.

If you'd like to know more about either wellness companies drop me an email and i'd be happy to help.

[Mnemosyne]

I'm nearly 30 and have hormonal acne, which results in painful nodular cysts.

I've tried almost all of the antibiotic treatments but they don't stop new cycsts from developing or heal existing cysts.

My dermatologist recently put me on a new medication, Spironolactone. It is commonly used as a mild diuretic and antiandrogen. It's the aniandrogen effect that makes this medication suitable for hormonal acne treatment.

I have been on this treatment for a few months, with no side effects, and so far it's been working well. I give Spirononlactone 4.5 stars.

BTW - If you think you have hormonal acne you might want to work with an endocrinologist instead of a dermatologist.

And IMHO, Accutane should be used as a last resort. I have not tried it personally but have researched it quite a bit. If you become pregnant while on Accutane it can cause serious birth defects. Because of this Accutane is now strictly regulated by the government and difficult to obtain.

I highly recommend this website for information about different types and treatments of acne: Acne.org - Free acne resource

[bdp]

Diet is not a "product," so technically this is not an answer to your question. But why treat acne when you can cure it?

Here are the only acne products that have cured my acne, in order of effectiveness:

1) Vegetables
2) Fruit
3) Beans
4) Nuts
5) Seeds
6) Whole grains
7) Nothing else


Once I started eating this way, my acne was gone.

Incidentally, my energy also increased, my moods leveled out, I needed less sleep, I lost 25 lbs of fat, my taste buds became more sensitive, I didn't crave any junk food, my blood pressure dropped from 124/75 to 105/75, my running endurance improved, and my dry skin problems lessened.

Read "Eat To Live" by Fuhrman for more information.