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It must be Murphy’s Law or something. I enjoyed the majority of my adolescence blemish-free, then I turned 20, and boom! Zits popped up out of nowhere.
My main problem areas are my chin and forehead. Understandably, this is not the kind of issue I want to deal with on our wedding day. So… it’s time to bring out the arsenal.
A couple months ago, when my acne was even worse, I switched to the Dermalogica range of skin care products after being recommended them by a beauty therapist.
I have found that their oil-control lotion and exfoliant, while being a bit on the pricey side, definitely caused an improvement in my skin quality.
However, not enough of an improvement. Unfortunately, my skin is still prone to breakouts, always at the most inconvenient times. Also (TMI) I often get “blind” pimples where the pimple doesn’t actually break through the skin but just makes the area red and painful. So recently I saw a doctor, who decided part of my problem is a result of hormonal changes, which no amount of skincare products will fix. To fix that, we’re bringing out the big guns of doxycycline and a contraceptive specifically targeted towards women with skin problems. Hopefully the combination of good skincare and medication will mean proper results this time.
Who else has problems with adult acne? What skincare products or medication have you found to be the most effective? I only have four months to get crystal clear skin, so any tips would be great!
I have struggled with adult acne for years. I am 36 and STILL have issues with it. Two years ago I started using Philosphy brand products and they have done AMAZING things for my skin. I still get breakouts now that I’m off contraception that helped prevent breakouts, but these products helped significantly AND they help with anti-aging. It is hard to find something that works for both acne and aging skin. I use the cleanser, face cream, eye cream, and also use a product called Help Me. It is a retinol cream I put on at night after washing my face and I think this is the product that works best at keeping my skin clear. Love it!
Birthcontrol did wonders for my skin! I have been on two different types, no problems since. Before hand I had tried acutane( didn’t work, actually made my body acne worse) and low dose antibiotic along with topical stuff. but Birthcontrol was the best!
i have MAJOR issues. they started when i was 14 and haven’t stopped 10 years later 
i’m off to the gyno to get back on the pill and hope that helps. then the next appt will be the dermo to help me! keep us posted on your progress!
Did I write this post? Sounds just like me! I had some acne as a teen, but nothing compared to the cystic acne I suffer now that I’m in my 20’s. My dermatologist did the same thing, put me on Yaz and gave me an antibiotic. He wants me to take Accutane, but my insurance won’t cover it, so I might do that after the wedding. It’d be nice to never deal with this again!!
I’ve found that as soon as a zit starts to appear, you should put a product with salicylic acid on it. This is sold in tiny little bottles in your acne treatment section (sorry, I can’t be specific about a brand since I haven’t bought any in awhile, since I managed to swipe half a dozen samples a few years ago, and am pregnant now and won’t use medication on acne). The salicylic acid dries up the zit and prevents it from looking too bad. It’s a good product to have onhand in case a zit sneaks through the prevention techniques other bees have suggested.
Ah - and please be very careful with Accutane. It can be a lifesaver for severe acne, but causes serious birth defects in pregnancy. Women are required to use 2 forms of birth control for 30 days before taking Accutane. There are other milder prescriptions that dermatologists can recommend for milder cases of acne.
I tried Proactive, the Clarisonic brush for skin, and many other products–nothing was working well enough, so I finally saw a dermatologist.
I also went on doxycycline about 3 months before my wedding, along with benzoyl peroxide wash and using Differin at night before bed (all prescribed through a dermatologist). I went of the doxycycline after I went through my first bottle because it was causing mild headaches and nausea, but it worked great with the other two to initially clear up my face.
They worked! My wedding is this weekend and my skin is looking better than it has in years.
Good luck Miss Earrings!
Ick, been there. Although mine was as a result of moving to LA. I went to the dermatologist and she actually made it worse with Tretinoin and my stomach couldn’t handle the doxy.
By some weird chance I tried a free sample I had lying around from xmas of Fresh Farmacy soap from Lush. This stuff is AMAZING! (Sorry for sounding like a commercial). You can use it as a mask to address chronic problem areas, apply it as a spot treatment, and use it as a face wash (I do all of the above). It has tea tree oil and calamine powder and for my sensitive skin it’s awesome. Just make sure you use a moisturizer as it can be drying.
I cut mine into smaller “bars” and freeze it to extend the shelf life.
Good luck with whatever you try!
Going to the dermatologist is the right route to take. Everyone is so different. I have also struggled with adult acne and over the past couple of months my skin has improved drastically, to the point where I would no longer say that I have acne anymore! I started using the Clarisonic Mia and Cetaphil. For me, treating my breakouts is all about proper exfoliation and using gentle products.
@cali_amazon: my derm put me on tretinoin too, it did nothing but make my face look disgusting! Worse than it had in years, and all she would say is “it gets worse before it gets better” after 6 months I couldn’t take it anymore, and I took myself off of it. I just made sure to wash my face every day with a gentle cleanser, let it dry, put on some benzol peroxide 10% in any problem spots, let completely dry! and then put on some non comedogenic lotion. My face looks better than it has in a long time! My derm didn’t know what the hell she was talking about.
I recommend going to acne.org, because there are so many forums of people going through the same thing, with treatments of what worked for everybody. Without them I wouldn’t be zit free!
I also struggle with adult acne, so I know exactly how you feel. Once I hit 20-22, my skin turned into a minefield. What made me feel worse is I had beautiful, clear skin in high school that I got lots of compliments on - what the heck happened?
I suffer from redness and those same pimples that don’t surface, but make your skin hurt. Plus, my skin seems to take forever to heal. Up until my wedding, I switched birth control brands to one more skin friendly, and began cleansing twice a day with a mild soap, followed by a benzoyl peroxide cream in the evening to wear overnight. Also, moisturizing. Other tips that help: change your pillowcase every 1-2 days, and don’t touch your face! This is my worst habit. Your hands are dirty, and this makes your skin worse. Lots of face dirt is also on your pillowcase.
I dont have major acne problems, but I do get the hormonal pimple issues… all along my T zone, and chin. I also have small bumps along my forehead. For the past 3 months, I have been religiously applying benzoyl peroxide (neutrogenas 2.5 oz on the spot acne treatment) morning and night after using a sensitive skin gentle cleanser. I have noticed a major difference, no big pimples anymore and most of all the bumps on my forehead are gone. But it can be very drying, so I use a sensitive skin moisturizer.
doxycycline worked well for me as well as a contraceptive, I also use a bha from paulas choice and a benzoyle peroxide spot treatment when necessary but I rarely break out now. Goodluck!
you may also want to ask your doctor about spironolactone, I found it worked better than the doxy
I get “blind”pimples too, especially along my forehead and hairline.
I’m allergic to benyzol peroxide, but have very sensitive and oily skin that breaks out anytime I use moisterizer or a creamy face wash, so my options are very very limited.
I just started using a Neutrogena anti-aging retinol cream (not that I need it at 25) every night (in addition to a rotation of 3 seperate face washes) and it really makes a HUGE difference! It keeps my skin even and bright, plus I hardly have those random breakouts anymore. I can’t recommend it enough!
Try Clearasil Cleansing Wipes. I had a terrible time with body acne, and I use them twice a day. I also had tried tons of different products so i was skeptical when my sister-in-law recommended them, but I saw a difference after two days. I swear by them.
@mrsawesome09: I’d be careful about taking accutane. As professorbee said you have to be on at least two forms of birth control. Also, you may have seen the recent law suit commercials for accutane. While I’m not taking part in the class action lawsuit I can attest to accutane causing IBS. I took it in highschool (8 years ago!) and have suffered (on and off) from IBS since then.
For a product that doesn’t work all that well, the permanent side effects are certainly not worth it.
Also, I really like the Aveda Outer Peace line for acne. The wipes really work the best!
If you are willing to spend a bit, try an Aveda salon that does the Outer Peace facial; it was awesome and made my skin look great for a few days afterward. I’m considering getting another before the wedding!
I like Benefit Boo Boo Zap for those painful, underground zits. It comes in a little glass tube like roll-on perfume, and I just keep it in my pocket or purse and dab it on several times a day. The only thing is that my brother informed me I smelled like “old lady” after using it.
I also like Mario Badescu drying lotion on those big zits, and if a pimple “breaks open,” a dab of Vaseline on it overnight helps it heal nicely!
I had great skin in high school, and then started to break out in my 20s, annoyingly!
I found that using Neutragina on the spot all of any “trouble” areas every morning and night (not just on acne that is already there), followed by moisturizer, clears my skin up almost completely. It irritated my skin for about a week, but then the irritation subsided and I got so many compliments. I still get a pimple here and there, but it is SO much better now.
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Mrs. Earrings, Fresno, CA/ Nelson, New Zealand Age and Occupation: 20, Student, Wannabe Writer Fiance's Age and Occupation: 19, Photography Student Engagement Date: February 14, 2010 Wedding Date: January 2011 Venue: Gardens of the World About Me: I'm a girl from down under who grew up in Indonesia and I'm marrying a California boy. I'm addicted to all things sweet, have never met a chocolate silk pie than can get the better of me, and have dreams of one day being a fulltime novelist. I go weak in the knees for lace, tea cups, and a beautifully crafted sentence. When I get excited about something (whether it is historical linguistics or the Beatles) I tend to go overboard in research, and planning this wedding is no different. Mr. Earrings is my high school sweetheart, my best friend, and somehow we combine all our quirks into one big happy mess.
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