Acne Guide Book

What acne wash or natural remedy worked for you?

I've been suffering with light to moderate acne since I was 10. Now it's gotten better but I still get giant breakouts before my time of month. Is there anything that you use to help clear your acne? I am currently using proactiv, but it doesn't help get rid of underground acne. And does your acne wash or natural remedy get rid of acne scars too?

Thanks to all who answer.

Public Comments

1. I tried proactiv and almost every other product out on the market but the one thing that made my skin and my sisters skin perfect was accutane. It has to prescribed to you by a dermatologist, but it is completely worth it :)

2. I went to a dermatologist, and she had me start using a cleanser called Panoxyl (which comes in a foaming cleanser or a bar; I use the foaming cleanser) and a topical treatment called Duac, and she advised me to use non-comedogenic oil free lotion.
The combination of these three has really helped with my acne.
I like the Panoxyl because you can use it on your chest and back if you break out there as well.
I had to get a prescription for the Duac gel, so I'm not sure if you can get it over the counter.
I still haven't found anything that works really well on the scars though :\
My acne always leaves really dark spots all over.
Next time I visit my dermatologist, I plan on bringing up the scarring problem, but for now I'm just letting them fade on their own.

Hope this helped. Good luck!

3. That sucks, it sounds like it's hormones. If you always get really bad breakouts around your period or you always get them in your chin and jaw area, you might want to ask your doctor about Spironolactone; it's a hormone blocker that blocks the overproduction of testosterone, which is the zit-producing hormone and often responsible for evil "time of the month" breakouts...

I am on it right now and it works for me, but then again, my doctor only prescribed it to me in a last-ditch effort before accutane (this is also "off label" use, so some doctors don't even know about it). I have also read of spiro being prescribed one week before the period and one week during to treat premenstrual acne. A natural alternative to spiro would be Saw Palmetto, which you can find in the vitamin section of most stores--but keep in mind, just because it's a vitamin and "natural" doesn't mean it's good for you to mess with---so do lots of research and maybe talk to your doctor about it. You can always try birth control too...

For natural remedies for scars and acne, I got you covered: Apple Cider Vinegar. Make a toner compromised of a 1:3 ratio; so like 1 tablespoon ACV mixed with 3 tablespoons water. You can throw in some tea tree oil for extra acne prevention (look up some recipes; there are tons), but honestly, topical acne treatments might not work for your hormonal acne (not even accutane can "cure" hormonal acne--only regulating your hormones can). As for face washes, I wouldn't even bother if I were you; none of these can touch hormonal cystic acne either, and they often just aggravate.

4. I am currently using Neutrogena Oil free pink grapefruit face wash. I love it. I dont have that much acne, but i have the occasional breakouts. I will admit it wont get rid of all pimples, but nothing can really do that. For my bigger pimples i just use any acne cream. Put it on before bed each night and within a few days that pimple will be gone! Also, 2-3 times a week i would use neutrogenas pink grapefruit facial scrub, to exfoliate and get rid of dead cells. They also have a pink grapefruit cream cleaner type thing, which is supposed to be gentler and its supposed to moisterize, if you have extremely dry skin. If you are looking for a good cover up, i would try neutrogena's oil free makeup. It helps soo much. It helps your pimples while covering it up. Make sure you would get the right shade though, because oNce i got the wrong shade and it was almost orange. Anyways, i hope this helped!

5. I agree with what Genevra said because I'm currently using the same cleanser as she is. What's good about it is that it doesn't just clear away acne. It also smell so good that every time I use it feels like heaven XD

6. Hi Olivia.

I personally believe in going for natural remedies when treating acne. Some skin types can be allergic with chemical-based products. Try and use natural face masks (like baking soda mask or egg mask). They're easy to make and effective. Just remember that the results won't happen overnight. Be patient and stick to these natural recipes.Besides, they're a lot cheaper too and you can find everything in your house. I linked the website below so you can look up recipes for natural face masks :)

Hope this helps!