Acne Solution - Skin Care

Question: Should i try clinique or proactiv acne solutions?

(Posted by: rooibox on 2010-01-02 02:17:36)

I am an 18 year old male and have had mild-medium acne and an oily face since I was 14. I've been through almost all the typical things in the book: drugstore skincare products, airy-fairy organics and herbal supplements, vitamins and minerals, home-made recipes, dermatologist-prescribed ointment (Adapalene/Differin gel) and, in between and throughout, many periods of time where I give up dejected and don't wash my face for up to weeks. In a month I'm moving to a new country and I really want to be acne-free by then. I was thinking of trying higher end products like Clinique or Proactiv - but these acne 'solutions' usually only suppress the problem from what I've heard. i.e. stop using ir or switch to another product and acne will flare up again. I just want to have clear skin and be able to use high quality skincare products (not acne-orientated) which focus more on anti-ageing and beautifying. So if I go on to this after an acne solutions routine I'm afraid that I will breakout again and will have to go back to the acne-focused one. I think tomorrow I am going to the department store where Clinique consultants are. Should I? Or use Proactiv as more effective? BUT I don't want to be bound to certain products and want to have freedom later on after acne has gone in choosing my skincare products. Sorry for the long post!

Posted by: nickdc1960 on 2010-01-02, 02:30:35

Dude, let me just add a few comments in here to let you know what I found to work. STORY ONE... I had acne from about age 14 onward. Interesting thing was that it always went away when I went off to Boy Scout camp for a full week in the summer. I think it was because I was not able to drink the sugary soda pops LOADED with caffeine. I think caffeine can be an issue. STORY TWO... This one is hard to believe. I was 19 and in college and still had a problem with acne. One day, a business professor in a class commented on how deodorant soaps were bad for the skin...especially the face. He mentioned that the face actually has "good bacteria " whose job it is to eat the bad bacteria that forms. When you wash with some of the stronger soaps (espcially deodorant soaps) it kills the good bacteria (call macrophages) and allows the bad bacteria to invade and do harm to your skin (cause acne trouble). I took to heart with the man said and then I stopped using ALL SOAPS on my face. Within a week, my acne started to clear. Within 2 weeks it was almost gone. So the culprit was? SOAP! Give this a try. Use only warm water to wash your face. Wash it as often as you need. Probably once every 2 hours. But avoid all soaps and other skin care products on your face. Give it a week and see if that helps. If I am wrong I am wrong. But let me tell you, I think I am right. Soaps kill the good bacteria on our skin and this allows the bad stuff to take over.

Posted by: CHINO on 2010-01-02, 02:27:31

Stay away from proactiv. Why? A few months ago my bro ordered it some of it. The problem was that they kept sending him one order once a month automatically! So he tried to cancel it but they kept on sending it anyway! They are tricky because they don 't show a direct phone number or mail that you can write to to tell them you want to cancel the orders. It is a way for them to rip you off easily!

Posted by: BWize on 2010-01-02, 02:35:06

Hello there - sorry i cant help on the Clinique or Proactiv question - but rather your long term clean up . You say you have vitamins and minerals - did you use Zinc? ZINC tablets - mineral - my son at 14 start the horrible pimple stage and i took him to have a facial to learn about cleansing and he got into it cleansing properly twice a day, putting on a mask every two weeks. We changed our way of eating and he was drinking a good 8 - 10 glasses of water a day - well it helped but then i read about the mineral Zinc and i went to get him some -he was already taking a teenagers multi vitamin, I got zinc as a separate tablet - Zinc is very good for skin. I could see a difference in a week. No Zinc didnt totally remove them - at 14 its hormonal and what you eat and your cleansing routine is very important. My son continues to take Zinc - it has him convinced. So i would say - Motivate yourself - you cant give up its a problem you have that requires consistency - i hope you find the right things to help you Cleanse twice a day Use an exfoliator fash wash at least once a week. use a face mask at least once a month Look at the nutritional value of your eating habits and know that water is the best thing to flush your system. Cut down on caffeine drinks ie coffee and tea and try stop fizzy drinks. Natuaral raw health food is good lots of fruit and veggies. There are some natural remedies for acne that i 've read about but havent tried:- Garlic is an excellent treatment for acne, in case you did not know. Just rub with a garlic clove cut in two over the acne, or cut into slivers a garlic clove and apply over acne with a plaster, leaving overnight to act Yogurt is very effective and safe for skin prone to acne. Apply directly from the jar, let it react 5-10 minutes, then rinse Mix equal parts 'rose water ' and lemon juice - apply to face (not eye area) rinse after 15 minutes Cook 1 serving of natural oats, mix with 1/ 4 cup honey - let it cool - apply to face and rinse off after 10 - 15 mintues - be careful to not leave on too long or its hard to remove. Good Luck and all the best for your move to a new country May 2010 be everything you want it and need it to be and more.