Post # 1

Member
667 posts
Busy bee
Hello Fellow Bees!
I am having some breakout issues with my face. I am 24 and it seems like I am just now starting to get acne. I never really got it badly in high school. It’s not extremely severe, but I tend to get those cystic ones that are just big, red, and HURT. I went to a dermotologist and he put me on minocycline 2 times per day. It didn’t seem to do a whole lot. He explained the only other option was acutane and I refuse to get put on that.
The big day is in 5 months and I am having mental breakdowns thinking about my face. I am so worried that on the one day I am supposed to look “flawless” persay, I will have acne. Anyone have any natural home remedies or tips?!
Help please!
Post # 3

Member
642 posts
Busy bee
Certain BC pills help with acne.
I swear by proactive, it really works if you use it 2 times a day every single day. At first your face will be red and very dry, but that goes away and in a few weeks your skin should clear up.
Also, every single night wash off your make up.
If you just started breaking out now in your 20’s it could be hormone related. Not sure what to do about that except for BC pills!
Post # 5

Member
1861 posts
Buzzing bee
I was on accutane in high school and had to stop mid way because I had a bad reaction. I’d second PP with the birth control or ask your derm about spironolactone. That’s what I’m in now (in addition to birth control pills) and it seems to be working well!
Post # 6

Member
2287 posts
Buzzing bee
BC can help. Be careful with Spiro because it causes birth defects so don’t take it if you’re TTC. I swear by witchhazel astringent and a benzoyle peroxide 1-2% lotion.
Post # 7

Member
1021 posts
Bumble bee
Eliminate all gluten, dairy, and sugar from your diet. Honestly, this has been the one thing to keep my acne under control. Last year (29 years old) I started getting the worst cystic acne I’ve ever had in my life. After months of medications and home remedies, I finally decided to give it a try. It sucks at first, but it gets easier and you’ll feel better overall.
You can find a lot of recipes and meal ideas if you search for “Paleo recipes”. Two of my favorite blogs are PaleOMG.com (for recipes) and thelovevitamin.com (for general info related to diet and acne).
Post # 8

Member
2082 posts
Buzzing bee
@Amsy28: I use to have issues with facial acne. Proactive worked for me temporarily and then it stopped working. The pill also worked for me while I was on it. I had acne issues again after getting off the pill, so I went to see a dermatologist. She put me on some sort of topical antibiotic and told me to use Cetaphil facial wash to wash my face. Cetaphil is over-the-counter, so you can get it at Target or a drug store. It’s also important to use a non-comedogenic, dermatologist tested, and oil-free moisturizer each day, like Neutrogena’s oil-free moisturizer. http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/neutrogena-oil-free-moisture-lotion-spf-15/ID=prod7451-product?ext=gooBeauty_PLA_Moisturizers_prod7451_pla&adtype={adtype}&kpid=prod7451&sst=30c22e27-4b1b-0609-5b81-00003ccf7c48

Post # 9

Member
233 posts
Helper bee
@Amsy28: OP, in combination with dietary changes as suggested by pp, try using tea tree oil on the breakouts. That helps a lot! Definitely test it on your skin first, though to see if your skin is too sensitive for full strength tea tree oil.