Weddingbee Blog
During my practice teaching term in college, I started drinking lots of water. As a teacher, I HAVE to constantly hold something in my hand to ease the awkward moments when I ask a question, and my students don’t know the answer. Instead of standing at the front of the room feeling like an idiot during the longest silence ever, I would take a sip of water. Coffee works too, but I was too lazy to get up in the morning to make it, and it cost like $1.25 in the cafeteria. Hey, I needed that money for shoes!
Anyway, my Nalgene bottle (BPA and all) became my prop of choice. I was thrilled to discover that there were other benefits to the habit! Mostly, my usually acne-prone-when-stressed-or-about-to-get-a-visit-from-that-certain-aunt skin had never looked better!
Since than, I have dropped the water habit, and picked up a very nasty caffeine addiction. My skin has also gotten a lot worse. I always thought that people grew out of acne, but at 26, I feel like that is just not in the cards for me. I have the typical adult acne on my chin and cheeks, and this will not do for my wedding day! I am determined to do something about it.
Currently, I am trying out different combinations of cleansers, toners/astringents, and moisturizers hoping that something will work. I am also drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day. Now, upon doing some research, I have found that there is actually little scientific proof that drinking lots of water aids in the curing of acne. However, drinking water has a lot of added benefits, since it:
So, I figure, since it can’t do any harm, I might as well keep drinking. And if it happens to do something positive for my skin, so much the better!
Do you have any home remedies for acne prone skin?
|
Share this post:
I swear by cetaphil and birth control pills. I’ve been using both for years and it really does help with acne.
If you’re going to be in Canada sometime soon, I can recommend that you pick up Genuine Health Perfect Skin capsules and Healthy Skin with greens+ powder.
My skin looks amazing when I remember to take these regularly and they have a whole host of other benefits too like joint health, digestion, boosted energy, etc.
Genuine Health also has a couple other products that I like to use when my cash flow allows, multi+ daily glow which is a multivitamin and Healthy Skin chocolate soft chews which are like the powder I mentioned before but instead of something you add to water its like a little Tootsie Roll.
http://www.genuinehealth.com/skin-beauty-products/
and no, I don’t work for them! lol
I was on a ton of prescriptions all through college, but didn’t feel like the results were worth it. I did proactiv for a while and loved the results, but the steps were fussy. Right now I’m using a cream that contains 10% hydrogen peroxide and it’s helping to control my T zone. Salicylic acid just doesn’t work as well for me.
I’m a big ProActive fan and I’m WAY older than you. Sorry it’s not a homemade remedy but I thought I’d offer my opinion. for me, it really works.
I’m a huge water fan! I never had acne until my first year out of college when I was working full time but still living like a college student. The late nights and happy hours took a toll on my complexion. Since I’ve moved back to healthy habits like running a few times a week, taking long gossip walks with the gals, enjoying 1 drink at happy hour and drinking lots of water at work 
Just like Miss Frozen Yogurt, I’ve found cetaphil and the pill help a lot! I also drink water constantly and use Proactiv when I do have little flare-ups.
I love water. I drink it so much more at work than at home. I drink at least 2 liters per day and really crave it on the weekends when I don’t sit at my desk with a bottle.
OMG Miss Frozen Yogurt, me TOO! Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser For all skin types is the one I use. See it here http://cetaphil.com/Products/GentleSkinCleanser.aspx
Birth control pills are also good due to the fact acne in adults is mostly caused by hormones.
I use Cerave as a mosturizer. You can find it here http://cerave.com/
I have an oily complexion so I avoid putting it on during the day but it works for me at night.
Since I never suffered from acne until my long time BF moved away and we started a long distance relationship I started to freak out about these ugly pimples that I didn’t deserve. I started putting whatever I found on my skin and in large amounts thinking it’ll go away faster — was I wrong… so the secret is to be moderate and even modest when applying your acne products.
Hope this help! I’ve tried cheap, expensive and really cheap stuff, and the better option is to go to the dermatologist and go with what they say! Cetaphil, Cerave and Birth Control were recommended by my dermatologist.
I LOVE water! I used to drink 4-5 liters a day and it was INSANE how much better I felt. I really need to start doing that again.
i try to drink lots of water just for the regular health benefits. thankfully i never really had an issue with acne but it did end up clearing my skin even more
@LoriLori: I also second the Proactive- it has done wonders. I also started to get adult acne in my mid 20s- payback for perfectly clear skin in my teens I believe. I did prescriptions and everything but Proactive has been the only thing that works for me.
I wish I would be good about water-I in no way drink enough. Maybe a new goal….
@jesssr: Thanks for the suggestions! I plan on going to Canada after Christmas, so I will look into picking some up!
@LoriLori: I just renewed my ProActive order. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks, and so far, so good!
@Gator: You’re right about the exercise! I’ve started doing 30 min of cardio daily, and it’s really helping.
Water, water, water. I second that!
I love the Clinique skincare line. Love. (Not really a home remedy!)
My biggest home remedy has been to STOP touching my face. I have a nervous habit of touching my face a lot, and just trying to be conscious about keeping my hands off my face has way helped.
I always had lots of acne till my dermatologist prescribed me Solodyn (they give you a discount card that makes it $20 or less). It was the one thing that worked WONDERS for me. It is a pill, it doesn’t reduce the effectiveness of BC pills, nor does it make your stomach hurt (like typical Rx for acne, tetrocycline, etc.)
I used that for 3 months and now have switched to just a cream the doctor gave me and Differin gel (which I don’t suggest unless you have insurance because it costs a pretty penny).
I have NEVER had such clear skin in my LIFE. I am sooo thankful for Solodyn. It saved my skin (I come from a family of bad acne that has scared some of their faces).
I know you want a home remedy but going to the doc was the only thing I found useful, fast and effective. Good luck!
@fiftyfootbride: I am a major picker, so stopping will be a problem :p I need to try harder!
@Miss.Gator:Thanks for the info, Miss Gator! I’ll have to do a little bit more research into solodyn (I always spend hours researching medications before putting them into my system)
I wish I had a great at-home remedy for acne, but about 6 months before my wedding I had to resort to the dermatologist. I had spent almost $600 on over-the counter products (proavtive, clear&clear, clearasil, you name it). I now wash my face once a day with an Rx cleanser and put on a product called Atralin at night on my touble spots. It cleared up by skin in just 6 - 8 weeks, and typically costs about $70 for a 3 month supply. A little pricey yes, but at this point, I feel like I’m worth it.
Yeah, I have this issue, too, Miss Pudding! I don’t have a great solution, besides getting into a strict skincare routine–I often get into the habit of washing my face only once a day, and that just isn’t enough for controlling the oils that clog pores! Also, I do use a salicylic acid wash, but only twice a week. otherwise it is too drying for my skin.
This is the best product I’ve found, hands-down: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control, 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment I apply it to my whole face every night before bed and it keeps me (mostly) acne free.
I have this issue too, so I’m no help at all. It’s not that horrible, but during that time of the month, it’s hard to keep my face clean. I erally need to start drinking more water!
@Miss Pudding: Me too! You can do it! Just start with also not resting your hands on your face, etc. I had a friend start wearing mittens to try not to do it. :p
I also have a weird concentrating habit. During tests, serious concentration times, etc, I’ll pull out my eyebrows! But it’s usually just in this one spot. One of my eyebrows has a permanent little missing patch in it. Repeat offender. lol
Miss Pudding, I am a major picker too. One thing that has been a godsend for me is the Clarisonic Skincare Brush. I know it’s expensive, but it is worth every last penny. It’s helped to heal the scars I have from picking, and since I’ve bought the thing, the only acne I’ve had has been when i was lazy and didn’t wash my face for two days straight (hey, I was sick). I use it with Philosopy “Purity Made Simple” Cleanser and then I use a glycolic toner, and top it off with some Philosophy “Hope in a jar” and my face has never looked better. not only did it help with scars, but it helped my “pick sites” heal faster and maintains a smooth surface on my skin to keep me from being able to find anything new to pick at.
I promise you that if your skin is really problemsome that you will worship the Clarisonic after just a few days of using it.
If you can’t kick the caffeine addiction entirely, switch to green tea. It’s got 1/3rd the caffeine as coffee and an INSANE amount of antioxidants. I drink a lot of rooibos (an herbal tea), too. It’s not caffeinated so you can drink it at night if you want.
Also, honey makes an excellent homemade mask. (really!) I just wash my face as usual, then slather on some honey (yes, straight out of the little bear), and let it sit for about 20 minutes, then rinse it off. It’s extremely moisturizing.
Also: an egg yolk mask. It makes you look like you have jaundice, but it pulls all the nasties out of your pores. Crack an egg, separate the white from the yolk, put the yolk on your face (this squicks a lot of people out), and leave it for ten minutes before washing your face. Egg yolk has a lot of vitamin A (same as Retin-A). Just don’t do this one more than once a week; it’s pretty potent.
Sometimes I mix the egg yolk and honey together in one mask, too. It smells like cookies. 
I used a lot of prescription and topical medications until I found out that a) the reason I was breaking out all the time was because I had dry skin; and b) all the medicine was making it worse. After that I kicked the medicated stuff and switched to super-moisturizing formulas and home remedies. I still don’t have perfect skin, but the problems seem to be relegated to just my chin and jawline, not my entire face. Hopefully this gives you some good ideas!
I have always suffered with acne and got it under control with some prescriptions and diet changes. Just wanted to let you know that any acne treatment takes about 2 months to really show results. Make sure you are not switching products often as this may make your acne worse. Good luck!
I’m having the same problem! I never had any problems and them bam! acne everywhere. I started seeing an esthetician for facials and I got a microdermabrasion for the first time last week. She is a firm believer in the diet-acne link. For the first 3 months I was stubborn but for the past week I’ve been eating only organic meat (no hormones), very little dairy, and mostly natural stuff. I haven’t had any new break-outs, even though it’s that time of the month, in 5 days.
@macayster: Thanks for these tips! I’ve heard that oatmeal works pretty well as well. I think that I am going to make an egg yolk, honey, and oatmeal mask and try it out tonight. Anyone want to join me in this experiment?
I had acne is the same places and at the same age as you and absolutely nothing worked until I went to the doctor and got my hormones regulated on a different BCP. That has made all the difference.
The other “miracle” I discovered was the regime that’s touted on acne.org. I was very skeptical at first, but have stuck with it for the past year (I modified it a bit in that I only apply the acne cream once a day, rather than twice, and I use SpectroJel BP cream for sensitive skin) and the results have been incredible. I frequently get compliments on my complexion.
In terms of cleansers/moisturizers, I use the generic Cetaphil as a cleanser and Clinique Super Defense moisturizer in the mornings and Olay Regenerist moisturizer (another miracle product) at night.
I tried almost every, gave up, and now I’m on antibiotics and my skin is completely clear. Not a permanent solution, but good enough for the wedding.
RE: ProActiv
I was a huge proactiv lover, but my skin kinda outgrew it. I use the new stuff that the proactiv people came out with. It’s called Rodan and Fields. I get stuff from my friend who is a distributor. This is her website http://loveyourface.myrandf.com
I use the unblemish line. I was really skeptical until my skin cleared up using some of the stuff she loaned me (thought it did take about 1 week). I was one of those actuane medication people…and this is the only thing that works for me/doesn’t dry up my skin. Hope that helps!
whenever I cut refined sugar completely out of my diet, my skin looks AMAZING - like people ask what type of foundation I am wearing even when I don’t have any makeup on! It’s hard to do all the time though (hello, no chocolate!), but definitely worth doing for a few weeks leading up to a big event.
I’m not sure if this is something everybody does (I just didnt get the memo!) BUT ever since I started using make-up wipes BEFORE I wash my face at night I have experienced far less break outs. I just take a Ponds wipe and remove all makeup and then wash my face. It definitely gets your face cleaner, because your cleanser isn’t wasted on removing makeup, instead it removes dirt (hence does what its supposed to!).
Other than that, the Clarisonic works wonders but pricey.
I hear ya, 26 and breakouts still. I need to learn to keep my hands off of my face, my derm recommended the Zeno device, but I haven’t tried it since it’s about $100.
Awhile back I tried Proactiv and had a horrible time with it, and then went to the derm and I’ve been on Clindamycin and Differin (both creams) for over a year now. At first it worked well (I’m assuming it was because I got into the habit of washing my face twice a day instead of once/day)….but it has slowly stopped. I drink lots of water….and ready to kick the acne!
oh, and for your oily girls, the Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets are awesome for a quick afternoon blot!
I think coffee is hard on the skin because caffeine stresses your adrenal system…and when the adrenal system is off, your hormones are out of whack. I wouldn’t recommend the pill unless you are great on synthetic hormones — it is much better to go the natural route. Cut out caffeine, get 8 hours of sleep, and eat a balanced diet!
I feel your pain! I, too, still have acne at 27. And to top it off, my grad student insurance does not cover anything acne-related.
I have been using cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer (which I think has been good, since the harsh benzoyl peroxide/salicylic acid/sulfur stuff never really helped anyway). I also started using retinol (OTC and/or prescription stuff works) and taking Yaz for birth control.
I don’t know if it will help you, but it has calmed down some of the big blemishes and cysts I was getting. I am only about 2 months into the regimen, so we will see if the small ones go away too!
If you can get prescription creams, ask your doctor about Atralin and Finacea. The former is a prescription retinol-type cream (actually tretinoin) and the latter is a cream used for Rosacea (and has been shown to help adult-onset acne).
@Tia: I am a bit weary of going on BC simply for the acne problem. I would much rather go natural!
It sounds crazy but I cut dairy out of my diet a few months ago and my face cleared up in a week. I’ve never had problems before but I thought I’d give it a try before going on medication and it worked.
@ceceb: hmmm…I’ve never heard about dairy being bad for your skin. I already drink very little milk though, and Mr. Pudding is constantly bugging me about osteoporosis. I’m not sure if he would be happy if I cut it out completely 
Water definitely helps, and I haven’t had hardly any acne since I started taking the pill! Great side effect, haha!
I agree with you and wholeheartedly believe WATER is the key! At 28, I tried tons of topicals and even Accutane (AWFUL stuff) for acne and they worked ok, but I finally gave up diet soda and started drinking about 2.5-3 liters of water throughout the day. My skin has never been so clear. It was the WATER. I also no longer retain water in my body from excess salt in the soda and my diet. I look at pictures of me from 2 years ago (can’t see acne in them bc of makeup) and my face looks so much thinner! I also wear a size smaller shoe now because my feet arent so swollen. I had no clue I was so dehydrated until I changed my habits. My skin absolutely glows and people comment all the time! My makeup artist for the wedding even said how easy I was because I have “wonderful skin”—really, me??? Water! Water! Water!
Good luck kicking your caffeine to the curb! Your body will love you!
@Meredith: Thanks for the encouragement! It’s so nice to hear success stories. The products that are prescribed for acne are often much to harsh for me, and I agree that Acutane is AWFUL. I really do believe that changing your diet can have a big effect on the appearance of your skin.
@Miss Pudding: Actually, there is a lot of research that indicates milk is *not* the best source of calcium. Green leafy vegetables, oranges, beans, almonds, certain fish, and soy products are all great non-dairy calcium sources. Here is an interesting article about bone health, and a google search will turn up a lot more info about non-dairy sources of calcium: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/health/24brod.html?ref=health I’ve also read that there is a link between skin problems and dairy; I’m sure you can google that, too.
As far as acne in general, I recommend washing, toning, and moisturizing every night and every morning, and also getting a facial. If you go somewhere reputable, your esthetician can help you figure out the right products for your skin.
@KathyQ: Thanks for the great info! I clearly need to be more informed!
I have had multiple courses of roaccutane. I changed my diet to low GI and low/no dairy and have completely clear skin. I cannot stress this enough!
Spikes in blood sugar can cause your body to be more reactive to acne causing testosterone levels. The specialised breeding of cows has produced dairy that is now much higher in allergens than in the past. Cut down, or ideally cut out dairy and find alternate sources of calcium like those mentioned above.
Water and good skincare help but please try this if only for a month.
Good luck
@Kate: wow! So many of you ladies have been on a dairy free diet! Why haven’t I heard of this before? I may just have to write a post…
I still have acne that I can’t get rid of! I thought I would grow out of it, but so far, no luck :(. Going to a dermatologist was definitely helpful though - he was able to prescribe some medications that help quite a bit.
I swear by Smith’s Rosebud Salve. You can get it at Sephora for like $5 a tin, and it lasts forever. I just dab a little bit on problem areas before bed, and they look way better in the morning. It’s also doing an amazing job lightening a scar at my hairline from a fight I got into with a curb last spring.
@jessimuhka: oooo….thanks for the tip. I have a 2-3 inch scar on my cheek that I’ve had since I was a toddler. It’s faint, but I’m always on the look out for things that would make it even less visable.
| Visit our sister sites | Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Fertile Thoughts Infertility Support |
Miss Pudding, Greater Toronto Area/Vermont
Age and Occupation: 26, High School Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Computer Engineer
Engagement Date: August 2008
Wedding Date: July 2010
Venue: Catholic Ceremony, Cultural Hall Reception
About Me: Quite literally a citizen of the world, I was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, and now live in the beautiful state of Vermont. I love reading historical biographies, multi-tasking, teasing my hair, and, despite my height, wearing high heeled shoes. I am the ultimate klutz with an uncanny ability to put on a graceful front. Mr. Pudding and I have been dating for over six years, and are very excited to finally merge our (very large) families. We are planning a traditional Polish-Catholic wedding that is anything but predictable.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 |
Latest Gallery Pics