So Blooming Down! Is there any way to get clear skin - success stories would be good!

SquirrelNutkins

I didnt have acne, but my skin used be unclear, with big pores and breakouts. My skin has cleared up a lot during the last 2 years, and the only thing that I`ve really changed is, I no longer buy into that low fat/animal fat is bad for you nonsense. I started eating butter, I cook with butter not oil (oil is highly processed and when you heat it up it becomes even worse for you than it already is in its cold state). I dont cut every bit of fat off my meat anymore either. Only a few weeks after I started eating butter every day those strange pimple like things on my upper arms almost disappeard! I had had them for years! Oh, and I looooove cream! Now during strawberry season I drown my strawberries in double cream, its delicous and actually good for you too! How amazing is that!? Stupid low fat lies! Never again.

wannabeslim

Forgot to add, watch your diet, lots of people can be sensitive to dairy products (I am) because of the hormones the cows are injected with to make them fat, best to buy grass feed, non hormone dairy, if you can find it or avoid altogether and see if that helps and also stop eating sugar, so no dairy and no sugar, have fun

Anoneemoose

I seem to have developed some huge, big, flashing, lumpy spots now - So fed up

I tried the garnier bb cream and even that doesn't stay put!! I think I am definitely going to order the clarisonic. Maybe once I start using that, it will be better.

happydays09

Sorry to hear that OP! Maybe use a primer underneath to mattify first?

Well, I've developed a few too, I'm loathe to go back to the antibiotics, and it's the time of the month so I'm going to hang on in there and just hope they leave quick (touch wood, they seem to be doing so!). The Agnus Castus really has been doing well, regulating my periods and keeping me reasonably spot-free.

The thing I'm realising though, is that they'll never fully go because I'll always have the PCOS! So it's just finding a way to live with it, looking in the mirror and seeing my pretty green eyes and beaming smile rather than what's around it

MrsNotAPenny

Sorry to hear about your skin troubles, you have my full sympathy


I was taking lymecycline for a few months after trying every cream, scrub, wash and old wives tale I could find. It made a tiny difference. One day I decided to stop taking the antibiotics and up my water intake (I had read a blog about it online, late one night, when I had had another breakout) Honestly, my skin has never looked better. I drink about 3 litres a day, wash my face with t zone facial scrub and apply a really thin layer of Quinoderm 10 on my chin - which was my problem area. Sometimes I use Boots T-Tree cleanser (it's only 99p) if I feel I need it.


I also cut down yogurts, I don't know if that makes a difference or not but I'm staying off them just in case!x

Anoneemoose

Thanks again ladies!!

You have the right attitude HD...just wish I could be like that - although I have made progress in that area through counselling for low (read non existent) self esteem! I think it just all gets on top of me sometimes, feels like I am fighting a never ending battle against something.

I have Fibro and OCD too!!

Anyway, I have ordered the clarisonic - on express delivery - and I can't wait. Also got the agnus castus but forgot to take it today - will go do it now!

teaandcakeordeath

Things I found helpful when my PCOS was really trashing my skin:
1. Caroline Hirons acne cheat sheet. I love her.
2. Tweaked slimming world diet ( like you I don't go for low fat/ low sugar stuff)
3. Exercise- I started insanity. Felt better physically and skin seemed to improve.
4. Duac- though it does lose efficacy as it's a topical antibiotic. My GP told me if you've been using it for 3-6 months it's pointless and to try something else.
5. Home peels- bought from bravura. I liked the glycolic acid and the lactic acid ones.
6. Lisa Eldridge on youtube also has a good acne advice video. She struggles with her skin and some of her tips are really useful (telling you what the point of the ingrediants are, what to look for etc.)
7. Neutrogena 2 in 1 face mask/ wash. It's in an orange tube and is clay based. I find it's really good at clearing up the spots.
8. For the spots that are impossible to cover I bought a keromask sample kit for £5. It is full thickness camoflage make up. You need the tiniest amount on a brush and the sample kit comes with different colour primers/ skin tones and a setting powder. It saved me on my wedding day! I also wore it in work under theatre masks etc. it's bullet proof!
9. Cleansing balm. I now use a cleansing balm from m&s called 'pure' and then wipe it off with the hottest clean cloth that I can tolerate. My skin is really soft, less red and a lot less greasy. I alternate this with the neutrogena. Neutrogena in the morning (oil based cleanser + make-up= disaster!) and cleansing balm at night.
10. OTC benzoyl peroxide- 2.5%. Didn't trash my skin, dried spots up quicker and a lot cheaper than the teenage creams that tempt you in...


Things that I didn't rate:
1. Harsh/ grainy exfoliators- ouch! Red, weeping skin and more spots. No one should use these!
2. Lymecycline- scared that it would discolour my teeth as its one of the side effects. Couldn't bare the idea of dodgy skin and brown teeth!
3. Red/ blue light therapy.
4. Crystal clear facials- no. Just no.
5. Weird fad diets- made me miserable and had no discernable effect on skin.
6. 'Low GI'- confused the hell out of me!
7. Sunbeds- would rather have a spot than skin like leather...
8. Shu uemera cleansing oil- expensive and had so many boils on my chin it hurt to talk! Thought maybe it would get better with use- it didn't!
9. Harsh teenage acne skin products. Stuff like freederm, clearasil, proactive, clean and clear just irritated my skin, made it sore, red and cracked and dried it out but didn't stop the spots.

Hth and you get your skin under control. I found it hard to believe how miserable it made me.

heartbreak_star

Some of the things that help me when I get hormonal breakouts - and I'm on a strict budget :

Wilkinsons own brand cleanser/toner 2 in 1, every day - 98p and super cooling.

A plain mud or active charcoal mask twice a week wiped off gently with a flannel.

Drink LOTs of water!

I found taking the heat out of the spots really helped the pain of them.

Hope you find something that works

HBS x

paigesaunt

My daughter was prescribed Roacutane, I think you would need a referral from your GP, but it seriously changed her life for the better.

jaismith08

Sorry to hear that but if you're still confused about having a clear skin better go to your dermatologist, they can really offer you medicines and treatment for that which suit for your problem. Besides, there are so many home remedies which you can apply you can search it on Google and eating a lot of fruits like orange is very helpful too.