[nickbob00]

Stop using all of the facial wash things immediately. I find that they irritate my skin (especially the stronger ones) and are not very effective.

Instead, just wash a few times a day with plain water. You might use a little moisturiser if it gets dry or perhaps a very light facial wash (not a super mega destroy all acne one) if it gets greasy or after eating a messy meal.

[timeofflight]

Don't stop using a facial wash. Water isnt going to move all the dirt and grime off your face. What I did (and also what the literature says to do) is use a mild cleanser like Beautifully Balanced Purifying Cleanser, for Oily/Combination Skin from Boots then use a BHA toner. I use a paula's choice (it's pricey but worth it) and then use a benzyl peroxide over the counter treatment. The BP will be something you need to read the instructions on carefully as it can cause redness. Don't use a moisturiser unless you get dryness. I really hope this helps, I have struggled with my skin for so long.

(Original post by ander55)
So acne has never really been a big issue with me, but suddenly I'm getting all kinds of blemishes on my face. Not just pimples, but also like bumps and redness and dry, flaky skin. I have tried a lot of different brands of face wash and cremes and stuff but NOTHING IS WORKING!!! :'(
I really, really need help as fast as possible becase I'm going to school in a few weeks and I don't want to show up with a bunch of stuff all over my face...
PLEASE HELP!!! I will try anything but I really, really, really need help as fast as possible! I have three weeks until I'm off to school, So I dont have long /:

Thank you in advance!!!

[emilie18]

(Original post by ander55)
So acne has never really been a big issue with me, but suddenly I'm getting all kinds of blemishes on my face. Not just pimples, but also like bumps and redness and dry, flaky skin. I have tried a lot of different brands of face wash and cremes and stuff but NOTHING IS WORKING!!! :'(
I really, really need help as fast as possible becase I'm going to school in a few weeks and I don't want to show up with a bunch of stuff all over my face...
PLEASE HELP!!! I will try anything but I really, really, really need help as fast as possible! I have three weeks until I'm off to school, So I dont have long /:

Thank you in advance!!!

Okay, don't panic! First, you need to think about the basics - have you had a change in diet / lifestyle recently? If there is nothing obvious, just make sure that you have a balanced and healthy diet - fruits, vegetables, water, all the right vitamins etc. Vitamin E is arguably the most important for skin so make sure you get enough - it is found in nuts, spinach, mangos, and plenty of other foods. You can also get vitamin E capsules, either to swallow as a supplement or burst and use as a moisturiser (very effective, works wonders). Other essential vitamins for healthy skin:
- A (eggs, leafy greens, milk, carrots, pumpkins....)
- C (fruits are good sources. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, brussel sprouts and cucumber are also high in vit C)
- B [complex] (egg yolks, nuts and raisins = Vitamin B1. Niacin of Vitamin B3 helps your skin receive plenty of oxygen, which prevents development of acne among other benefits. Niacin-rich foods include tomatoes, broccoli and carrots)


Don't bombard your skin with a load of different creams, not only will this clog up the pores if they are heavily oil-based, you're probably not giving each one enough time to work - this will stress you out, and just make the situation worse. Three weeks is enough time to see a difference if you plan a simple, gentle skin routine and stick to it from now.

If you've seen any of my other posts on here, you'll know that I'm a massive fan of The Body Shop! I had some skin issues a while back and it is thanks to some of their products that I have lovely clear skin now! The fact that your skin is oily shows you need to be steering clear of any heavy moisturisers, as this will just clog up your pores and give you more spots. My situation was similar to yours in that although I had spots, I also had dry patches. I had a consultation with The Body Shop and ended up buying three things from their seaweed range: a toner, a cleaser and a mattifying day cream.

The toner removes all impurites, excess oil and minimises pores. I.e. it cleans out all the dirt in your skin to reduce oil, therefore minismising risk of spots. The cleanser does a similar job but also helps to balance the oils - i.e. targeting oily and dry parts at the same time to give you an even complexion. The mattifying day cream is extremely light and refreshing, doesn't contain a lot of oil. As well as lightly moisturising dry areas it absorbs excess oil from oily areas where spots are likely to appear.



This is a very rough outline of a skin routine I'd recommend....
- Morning: wash your face with luke-warm water - not too cold, not too hot. I like putting a drop of tea-tree oil in the water, it's known to be really good for skin and should help with the redness/bumps you've described. Use the cleanser first. Dab some onto some clean cotton wool (you don't need much), sweep gently all across your face, concentrating on the worst areas affected by acne. Then use the toner, again with clean cotton wool. You should use until your skin is totally clean (take a clean bit of cotton wool with a bit of toner, use to test if it comes away completely white with no dirt, then you are done). When your face is dry, apply the face cream. Again, you do not need much. If you can, avoid makeup and let your skin breathe. If you really feel like you need it, apply a light concealer and if you really need more coverage, a mineral powder foundation (again, I recommend The Body Shop! Lightening Touch concealer and Extra Virgin Mineral foundation offer great coverage with just a touch of product).
- General advice throughout the day: keep your hair away from your face (stop product / sweat accessing your skin). Don't touch your face and wash your hands regularly to stop dirt getting onto your skin and causing oil/spots. If you get sweaty with exercise, wash your face. Eat well, drink plenty of water, get lots of fresh air, plenty of sleep too.
- Evening: take your makeup off as soon as you feel comfortable. Use two (gentle!) makeup wipes to ensure all your makeup is OFF. The second should come away clean. Repeat the morning's routine with tea-tree wash, cleanser, toner. This is when you can apply a small bit of spot-cream. I really like Soap & Glory's Knock Your Spots Off, I brought it on a whim in the reduced section at Boots and I swear by it now! Sudocrem / Savlon are also really good for spots. Also worth looking into Dermalogica's products, although they are pricey and only really worth it if your issues continue for a loooong time.
- Once or twice a week: The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil green face-mask. I've had about four of these, they are amaaaazing. Coconut oil is great for skin, but since it is obviously very oily (as you'd expect, being oil), apply a LITTLE of it to skin, leave for a little while, then cleanse gently to ensure it doesn't clog up skin.



Hmmmm... This is all I can think of for now, I'll post again if I think of anything else. This all helped me immensely, I really hope it helps you too!!

[qwertyqwert]

My skin was pretty bad till I started this simple routine :

Twice a day -

1. Wash using simple or other sensitive face wash. Gently! And use circular motions. Pat dry with something clean.
2. use a toner. This closes your pores and stops dirt getting into your skin. Generously and very gently apply to face using cotton wool.
3. after the toner has dried on your face, use moisturizer but a light one. I use oil free with salicylic acid in it, from the Garnier brand.
4. use benzoyl peroxide for the specific problem areas like individual spots. I like the OXY brand, the cover one.


Drink LOADS of water and green tea, keep up your fruit and veg intake, try not to touch your face and if you're having a REALLY bad period with your skin, sleep with a clean towel on your pillow each night to avoid spreading yucky stuff. It's pretty straightforward, worked for me and I hope it works for you x

[No Future]

1. See GP
2. Get some benzoyl peroxide products e.g. gel and/or wash
3. If this fails to help after 6-8 weeks, see GP again