Acne systems?

[Tabby von Terror {★}]

Of course, no lady likes to talk about her skin out loud, but for many people this is an issue.
My question is not just how to take care of your skin, but more on those acne systems (like Proactiv) that are on the market right now. What systems have you tried? And have they worked? What worked best for you, and what didnt.

I'm intrigued, because I do have problem skin, and while I am very good about my skincare routine, I do still break out (lamesauce) and am looking into everything up to going to a dermatologist (no health insurance). I am currently using Proactiv, and while it worked really well when I was in high school, its not doing so much tough acne fighting now.

Just curious to know what other gals have used and thought! Please let me know!

XOXO,
Tabby

[Honey B Hooligan {Madam}]

Proactive worked pretty well for me...however, nothing has worked better than Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil bar soap. Twice a day, once in the morning, once at night, followed by a good anti-aging cream (I use CVS brand firming cream)...it's fantastic!

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ID=96406/Trader_J...

the cream I use....it's my absolute FAVORITE cream EVER! http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=...

My Nana always tells me, "It's never too early to start a good anti-wrinkle regimen" :) smart lady!

[Honey B Hooligan {Madam}]

I tend to lean more towards natural cures. As odd as it may sound, Olive Oil, mixed with Baking Soda is also QUITE nice. Used as a masque, you rinse it off and you don't even have to use moisturizer afterwords!

Shawna Marie said:

I agree, tea tree oil is amazing at healing all sorts of skin issues. Glad u brought that up! Sometimes the cyctic acne doesnt respond, but it sort of depends what type of acne a person has. I always have tea tree oil on hand. It's a good aniseptic. I'm ganna try that cream u listed. I love trying new stuff. Thank you! I also wanted to add that jojoba oil although it sound like an "oil" it is a great moisturizer for acne skin. also as a makekup remover, although if used on eyes, be prepared for blurred vision if it gets in your eye, temporarily. LOL. I'd just use it on the face.

Honey B Hooligan {Madam} said:

Proactive worked pretty well for me...however, nothing has worked better than Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil bar soap. Twice a day, once in the morning, once at night, followed by a good anti-aging cream (I use CVS brand firming cream)...it's fantastic!

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ID=96406/Trader_J...

the cream I use....it's my absolute FAVORITE cream EVER! http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=...

[Tabby von Terror {★}]

Thanks ladies!

Shawna- I've sen the Acne free before, but was really skeptical. I tired the Naturec cure one that Wal Mart carried for a while, and that was a bust...so i was wary of things like that. My skin is really dry now (i normally have combo/oily skin) and its super tight and im still breaking out :(
Honey- I'm going to try and pick up that soap! sounds like a good idea!

[Harlean Carpenter {★}]

So glad tea tree oil was already mentioned, I swear by it. I'm with Honey, I go with natural remedies whenever possible. One that works really well for me is a mask of pure green clay (I get it from an herbal supplier online but some health food stores carry it as well) mixed with lemon juice, followed by a light application of tea tree oil left on overnight. I do that once a week and in addition to my regular routine it keeps my skin very much under control. I am intrigued by the baking soda and olive oil, I'll have to try that soon :)

For everyday care, I use DHC products. They're a company based in Japan, their products are olive oil and plant extract based, and I have NEVER been disappointed with anything I've tried. Pricewise, they fall high-end drugstore to low-end department store, not cheap but not outrageous, and they last a pretty long time. Website is www.dhccare.com, and once you have tried their Deep Cleansing Oil, you will never want to use any other makeup remover.

[Desirée {PL Team}]

I don't have terrible skin, so I thought that what I do have would easily be cleared up by Proactiv. I gave it a shot, and oh. my. god. what a mistake. I woke up the next morning with a giant red, itchy face. The swelling went down over the next 24 hours but it was bright red for more like 48 hours. Took a good 3-4 days to go away completely, and 3 weeks later I'm still battling the dryness. I thought initially that the formula may have just been too strong for me. After more research, though, I'm fairly certain that I'm allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide. So basically, I'm of no use in this thread unless you too are allergic to BP, haha. But, it's something that most people probably don't think about - including me, because I never knew I was allergic to anything.

I'm gonna go grab that TJ's soap! Sounds awesome! That link you posted, Honey, has lots of great reviews.

[Roxy Tart {PL Team / Comm. Mgr}]

I tried everything! From pro active and neutragena's acne systems, to, well...everything else. Walmart to Nordstrom, everything!!!

It turns out that my problem wasn't on the outside, it's on the inside. My body produces more bacteria then normal (lucky me). I went to a dermo, and was put on antibiotics, they worked for a bit, and then... guess what.... stopped working. Sigh.

So now I'm on my second round of Acutane (I did my first one 4 years ago). This s*** is nasty! The side effects are super harsh, kinda like chemo... shoot, even my hair is falling out! However, my acne is gone. Totally gone!!! Price of beauty huh.

So if it's really bad, and the over the counter stuff isn't working, go to the dermo. You never know what they might find, and the problem may be bigger then you think.

I do think i'm gonna try the tea tree oil, I have some scars that need to get gone!

[Honey B Hooligan {Madam}]

I LOVE the DHC line! I discovered it when I was stationed in Sasebo, Japan! It's truly the BEST :)

Harlean Carpenter said:

So glad tea tree oil was already mentioned, I swear by it. I'm with Honey, I go with natural remedies whenever possible. One that works really well for me is a mask of pure green clay (I get it from an herbal supplier online but some health food stores carry it as well) mixed with lemon juice, followed by a light application of tea tree oil left on overnight. I do that once a week and in addition to my regular routine it keeps my skin very much under control. I am intrigued by the baking soda and olive oil, I'll have to try that soon :)

For everyday care, I use DHC products. They're a company based in Japan, their products are olive oil and plant extract based, and I have NEVER been disappointed with anything I've tried. Pricewise, they fall high-end drugstore to low-end department store, not cheap but not outrageous, and they last a pretty long time. Website is www.dhccare.com, and once you have tried their Deep Cleansing Oil, you will never want to use any other makeup remover.

[Harlean Carpenter {★}]

Wow, I don't have nearly as cool a story about how I found them, they just sent me a catalog with samples ;) But once I tried their stuff, yeah, I was hooked. That's another thing, anyone thinking of trying DHC, they are an extremely customer-friendly company, and not at all shy about giving out samples, you get to pick 4 products to sample every time you order, and the samples are pretty big.

Honey B Hooligan {Madam} said:

I LOVE the DHC line! I discovered it when I was stationed in Sasebo, Japan! It's truly the BEST :)

Harlean Carpenter said:

So glad tea tree oil was already mentioned, I swear by it. I'm with Honey, I go with natural remedies whenever possible. One that works really well for me is a mask of pure green clay (I get it from an herbal supplier online but some health food stores carry it as well) mixed with lemon juice, followed by a light application of tea tree oil left on overnight. I do that once a week and in addition to my regular routine it keeps my skin very much under control. I am intrigued by the baking soda and olive oil, I'll have to try that soon :)

For everyday care, I use DHC products. They're a company based in Japan, their products are olive oil and plant extract based, and I have NEVER been disappointed with anything I've tried. Pricewise, they fall high-end drugstore to low-end department store, not cheap but not outrageous, and they last a pretty long time. Website is www.dhccare.com, and once you have tried their Deep Cleansing Oil, you will never want to use any other makeup remover.

[Mrs.Killer]

i tend to stray away from the acne systems (clean&clear, proactiv, etc..) i'm more of a natural remedy kinda gal. if you are having problems with acne/pimples in general, here is a vid and remedy that can help you out if you aren't allergic to aspirin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-Hksg8B4cQ
as far as exfoliating goes, i just do homemade sugar or almond scrubs. hope this helped :)

[Tabby von Terror {★}]

I've been using the tea tree oil soap, and i think its helping a lot! my skin is less red, and definitely less dry then when i was using proactive. Im still working on finding a good lotion to use afterward!
Thanks for all the input ladies!

[Kitten Kaboom]

I always try to stay away from using medication when possible. But I finally went to a dermatologist after getting fed up with acne. She prescribed an arsenal of products, and it's made a huge difference so far. I am a little worried about the premature aging effects that might result from keeping my skin so dry though.

[Cherry Cyanide]

I've tried a lot of different things. Murad was good but too harsh for my sensitive skin. I switched to a kit by Philosophy (On A Clear Day?) which worked wonderfully.

I've heard good things about DHC but haven't had a chance to try it out yet.