Acne Solution

Hi. Have you ever tried Mary Kay Cosmetics? We are the number one brand of color cosmetics and facial skincare for 14 years. We just celebrated our 45th anniversary. We have products for all skin types and for acne prone skin. I would love to send you some samples to try of if you are near me, I could give you a facial and let you try what we have (no obligation or cost). Email me privately, or visit my website, www.marykay.com/fnelson1. I'm in Georgia.
F.

Have you tried increasing your antioxidant level throughout the day?

I have struggled with acne since entering the ninth grade and have found now that only when I eat foods that are refined and/or artificial I will still break out. I can eat the so called junk foods as long as they are from the health food section. So I can have chocolate, peanut butter, chips etc as long as they are natural.

I have just started eating a new product in June and have seen great results. Now I still eat healthy because I have been doing it so long and don't like the "normal food", but a lot of people just eat this product and see results without changing the way they eat. Their skin clears up, they sleep better, etc. The whole concept is maintaining a high level of antioxidants throughout the day. To find out how it can help you, visit www.mydrchocolate.com. If you would like to try some I am willing to share. My website is www.themosthealthychocolate.com.

I know how it feels to have to go out into the world and think everyone is starting at you for the wrong reasons. If you would like some more information on these products or just some support in general from someone who understands please email me.

Hi H.- my face did the same thing after I stopped nursing my 3rd...hormones are crazy arent' they?
I started using Aqua glycolic cleanser and face cream- you can usually find it at the drug store- but if it's not on the shelf- go ask the pharmasist they will usually have some (you don't need a prescription) Also- make sure you are eating nuritious foods- lots of fruits and veggies and not too much junk food, bread or alcohol - they will mess up your face!
Good Luck- be patient- it may take a week or two for your skin to look normal again.
Nikki

I have always had great skin. As a teenager my skin was flawless. I would get the occassional zit now and then and still do every once in awhile as an adult but when I got pregnant with my son everything changed. Suddenly I was having terrible breakouts. It eventually got to the point where it was no longer a breakout. My skin was just permanently acne ridden. I would get zits and then I would get these knots under my skin that were painful and never turned into a zit but never really went away either. I was desperate for some help and my OB told me the same thing yours did. It's just hormonal and once you have your baby your skin will go back to normal. I couldn't continue any longer though. The over the counter stuff just wasn't working for me. My friend told me about ProActive. I purchased it and followed the daily ritual and I swear that my skin responded to this treatment and cleared up my acne completly. I continued to use it after I had my son as well. It was like a miracle treatment. I encourage you to order ProActive and follow the daily regiment for a few weeks. Don't give up on it. You won't see results immediately but you will see them and it will clear up your skin!! You can order it online. That's what I did. Good Luck. I know how this feels and I promise you that there is hope!!! Buying the ProActive was the best thing I could have ever done!!!

I also developed hormonal acne as an adult, though I was lucky enough not to suffer from it as a teenager. There are oral contraceptives that can help, but you would need to talk to your OB/GYN to find out if that is a good option for you.

I also tried Proactive, which was very effective, but it is time consuming as you have to do the treatment three times a day. But if the acne is bad enough, the time involved is worth it. Also, consider using a good quality mineral based make-up, at least for your foundation and powder. Mineral based make-up is not absorbed by the skin and will not clog your pores.

And finally, treat yourself to a deep cleaning facial at the spa. You may not see the results immediately, but you will likely notice the difference over time. I go just twice a year and I can still tell the difference, especially with cystic acne.

Stress is a major factor in hormonal acne, the more stress you are under, the worse it will get. Try to resist the urge to touch your face except when cleaning it or applying cosmetics. There is a lot of oil in our hands that is very effective at clogging pores. Oh, and stay HYDRATED, I cannot stress that one enough!

I've been battling it for three years now and that's about the best advice I can offer. If you find that the methods you try are not working, do see a dermatologist. It took me so long to find what worked (and some bad products and bad advice made the acne worse) that I now have scarring. It would be a lot cheaper to consult a doctor than to have to pay for expensive procedures to reverse the damage.

Good luck to you.

Hi, H.!
Dealing with acne is frustrating and many of the products out there do more harm than good and are expensive! If you are interested, I know of a line of acne products that are very effective and much more economical than Pro-Active or other treatments. The entire line is only $15.99! This company manufactures all types of personal and home care products. Our skin is like a sponge, soaking in everything it is exposed to. Finding natural products that actually work has been wonderful for me and my family. I would be glad to share with you more about what I have found.

Hey H.,

I see you got lots of suggestions, and you may have all the information you can deal with at the moment, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents as well. Since I hit adolescence, I have endured a frustrating fluctuation in my skin quality. I spent lots of time with the dermatologist, used lots of different products and even have periods of success only for something to change. At 29, I feel like my skin's seen it all. I tried ProActive, Retin-A, over the counter drugs, and I even tried Accutane (while in college). During my pregnancy, I found it frustrating that there was so little I could do for my skin because of risks related to many acne products. Anyway, I don't have answers, but I have found a great resource website by Paula Begoun, a respected skin care researcher and author, (www.cosmeticscop.com) that helps explain skin care products, breaks them down to their ingredients and what they do for your skin and what problems they might cause depending upon your skin type. I just started using it, so I can't say from personal experience that it's the answer you've been looking for, but my sister-in-law uses terms like "transformed" when she talks about what it's done for her skin quality. Of course, Paula has her own product line that she sells from this site, but she also does ratings of other products on the market in her "Beautypedia," so you can compare things like ProActive and Arbonne and even household brands like Neutrogena, L'Oreal and Dove. It's not just skin care but cosmetics too, so it's pretty informative. Me, I like to know why something works (pH, exfoliants, antioxidant, etc). Anyway, maybe you'll find some of this helpful. Best of luck to you. If only the quest for beautiful skin was easier!

R.

First of all, acne has several different causes and you need to fight all of them. Hormones often play a part but that’s because your glands are confused about their job, to put it simply. Free radicals in your body can be causing certain systems to work abnormally especially in your digestive tract. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it absorbs everything – toxic chemicals from laundry detergent lingering on your clothes, bath and body products that have formaldehyde and other carcinogens in them, and lotions and makeup you apply directly to your face that are made with questionable ingredients. Then there are the fruits and vegetables that have been treated with unknown pesticides in other countries such as you buy at Wal-Mart and the hormone- and steroid- treated meats, eggs and dairy products. We are so overloaded with free radicals that keep us sick. Most natural healers agree that people have sickness in their area of vulnerability – for some it’s the bowels, for some, headaches, for some skin issues, for instance. In the days before we imported so much when farmers made natural decisions about killing pests by cross planting and attracting “good” insects, our bodies were able to handle the free radicals that naturally occurred. Now even by taking synthetic vitamins and eating bio-modified vitamins and minerals in our food, the antioxidants that we take in on purpose or in our favorite nutritional foods can’t handle the numbers of free radicals and they’re being destroyed before they can work. I take a line of vitamins that protects the antioxidants so they can do the work they’re supposed to do to keep us healthy. They are absorbed into the bloodstream and go to the areas where they’re needed. Of course it means I have to eat healthy and as natural, spell that O-R-G-A-N-I-C, as I can. And I have regular exercise, drink plenty of water and handle stress appropriately. When you have the whole picture under control, then disease will disappear. It takes a while to figure out how all that comes together, but I help people start in the right direction every day. Your area of vulnerability is obviously your skin, so I would recommend the vitamins I take and a topical acne control system that costs way less than Proactive. You will find that you feel better very soon and, depending on how much you change, you may see problems that have been masked clearing up. In fact, this company guarantees a full refund if you don’t see improvement before 3 months is up. I have cut my budget by using “green” products to clean and use on my body while adding vitamins that really work. This company has it all together for your house, your family and your health, and I can show you how to shop smarter for less money. And that’s certainly important with the way the prices for everything are going up. So get in touch.

Hi H.,

I had always had very clear skin....until I got pregnant! My skin was terrible from then on out. I stopped breastfeeding when my son turned 12 months and he is 18 months now. I tried Proactiv regular and sensitive, but they both completely dired out my skin and it was red all the time. Then I found a combo that works for me. I use Phisoderm facial cleanser, then just plain old whitch hazel as an astringent and I top it off with Banana Boat for faces SF 23 (it's supposed to be oil-free). My skin isn't as clear as the bc days (before children), but it looks a lot better! Everyones skin is different so you may have to try a number of different things before you find what works best for you. Good luck - I know it's frustrating, but stressing over it will only make it worse!

God Bless!

I had the same problem as you do now. However, I came to find out that besides hormones, stress was playing a big factor on my face. I noticed that when I was facing very stressful situations such as having my in-laws living with me for a few months, it triggered the acne. I purchased proactiv and decided to be patient, within two weeks I started to see the difference. I have also noticed that when I don't drink enough water, or I eat oily stuff (even though my dermatologist told me that didn't matter)pimples started to show up. So as of today, I try to drink plenty of water, I try not to be in stressful situations, eat in a healthier way, and every night I wash my face with Proactiv solution.

Hope it helps.

I would say usng RetinA or something that is used to control acne..I would also ask the obgyn or family practice dr to see if there is something you can take that might help regulate the hormones.

Even if it is hormonal, there is still something you can do about it. I too use to suffer from that years ago as a teen. I don't now though... check out www.herballegacy.com and look up acne under ailments. You'll fing the herbal formula to help you out at their sister site www.herbsfirst.com.

H.,

I have struggled with acne since I was a teenager. I'm 29 and I have finally found a product that works for me. I have tried Mary Kay and Proactiv and I'm sure that they do work for other people but they never worked for me. I use a product called Beauti Control. You can google it and bring up their website. It is a little expensive but my face has never looked better. For me Proactiv made my face too oily...I'm not sure what your skin type is. Good luck and I hope you find some relief soon!

Take care,
S.

Hi H.,
Have you ever heard of Arbonne? We have a very good (and safe) severe acne system called Clear Advantage. However, if its not severe, I would be happy to send you a sample of our "Intelligence" line. Hormonal breakouts are usually more prevalant around the lower face (mouth and chin area), if this is where you have your issues, I would also recommend "prolief", a natural balancing cream as well.

Hi H.,

I'm sure you have tried the obvious solutions like drinking extra water, stop eating chocolate, etc. I found also that pregnancy triggers acne(in my humble opinion) and I breast fed as well. This worked well for me. Dove has a bar soap for Sensitive Skin. For one month, at night, right before bed, wash and rinse your face using upward motions. Don't use a face towel(the soap is for you and your face only)and make sure you use the soap only at night. For facial wash in the morning, plain luke warm water rinsing up. Yes it will take awhile to get used to. Please try it for 2 weeks and see if it helps. Good luck!

You don't say if you have tried any products and if so, what they are, but hormones or no hormones, acne is caused by more than just that, and it can be treated. Sometimes something as simple as an antibiotic can help to clear it up. For one thing, never ever give in to the temptation to mash anything. I hate to tell you, but I'm nearly 60 and still have an occasional breakout, so so much for hormones! Mine is certainly not hormones, and I was always told the same thing you were told. I found ProActiv to help a LOT, but on the occasional time when that does not seem to be helping, I have also found great help with Philosophy's serum. When I get what looks like it will be a pimple, I put the ProActiv mask on it overnight which helps to dry it out. It's a battle, having chronic acne and always having skin problems to deal with, but both ProActiv and Philosophy help a lot. The two of them have different acne-fighting ingredients; that's why you need both. Also, get yourself a new dematologist. What good are they if they can't treat simple acne.

Hey! A second vote for Arbonne's Clear Advantage. My husband and I both have used it as needed for breakouts and it has been great! My skin has been on a roller coaster with 3 miscarriages in one year then, thank the LORD!, a lasting pregnancy that led to my now 8 month old that I am nursing. Anyway, I want to use NATURAL products to protect my own health as well as my nursing baby's (since everything you put on your skin goes to every major organ in your body). If you want to find out more about Arbonne's plant-based effective option, you can go to my site: www.gwenhalsey.myarbonne.com click SHOP ONLINE then CLEAR ADVANTAGE or ACNE.

I am a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant, and as I am sure you know it has been around for over 45 years. It is the #1 best selling product once again! We have a cleansing system call Velocity for Acne Prone skin. It is a cleansing cream and a moisturizer. Both my Niece and Nephew have bad Acne and use it and absolutely love it! It helps their Acne tremendously. I also have other customers who have their teenagers on it who live by it. Our products are 100% guaranteed. If you are interested please send me a personal email or you can also register on my website and place an order 24 hours a day. Shipping is free! www.marykay.com/dstorman

Good Luck and God Bless!
D.

H.:
I had acne until I tried a 4-step acne defense system which provides everything your skin needs to become and stay clear and blemish free. The system tightens pores, prevents future breakouts and treat blemishes on the spot. These products are 100% satisfaction guaranteed. Email me at ____@____.com P. S

Proactive worked for me before when nothing else seemed too. I heard great things of Arbonne too and would try that next because its much better for our skin:) Good luck!

Hi. I understand what you are going through. I have struggled with adult acne off and on for years. A dermatologist prescribed Retin-A at one time and it cleared up my skin, but soon after the acne flared up again. Because of the irritation I didn't want to go back on it again. The dermatologist recommended a skin care line called MD Forte. It did wonders for my skin. It's a glycolic acid based sytem and it's a little expensive, but I felt it was well worth the extra money. You can get it either through a dermatologist or there are a couple of websites that sell it. They are skinstore.com and skinwest.com. Also, it is made by Allergan. Their website, Allergan.com explains the products in depth. Don't get too discouraged. I hope this helps.