Why I Stopped Using Prescription Medicine And Products For Acne

Today I experimented with the leftover avocado that I had from my breakfast and made a DIY avocado face mask and it really got me thinking about my skin care regimen! I want to share my love/hate relationship with this face mask but also want to share my story, especially with those who may be dealing with problematic skin. I would love to hear your thoughts after reading this post. I apologize in advance about how long it is but I could just go on forever when it comes to this topic!

To give you some background: I consider myself to be picky with my skin care products and the way I cleanse, prevent, correct, and moisturize. I am not the type of person that can switch between multiple products daily, weekly, or even monthly without getting break outs – although I like to think that I can because I love trying new products! I still sometimes feel at a loss with my skin care regimen – like nothing actually works.

To give you some more background: I’m in the process of becoming paleo (that’s a whole other blog post that will be coming very soon) and throughout this experience I have been thankful enough to learn about a ton of all natural DIY’s for skin care, hair care, and more. I love all natural products and the idea of using natural products. I really hate when I read the ingredients on a product and an hour later find myself still google searching what it actually is. But I do love researching online and trying new things, especially since there are so many options to choose from and so many blogs, youtube videos, etc. It’s actually very overwhelming – as much as I want to try everything, especially all these DIY face masks, I just don’t think my skin would handle it well. I want to do things naturally but at the same time, if I have a problem I want to make sure its being treated correctly.

I never had problematic skin growing up but once I turned 24 that quickly changed. I wouldn’t say that I have acne but I would say I get sporadic break outs and they seem to happen for no reason! I would also say that my skin has become bumpier due to what I believe to be milia. Could it have been that I started actually working out at 24? (no more baby crunches) Or my diet? Or could it have been strictly hormonal? I feel like I might never get that question answered but I do know one thing: Since 24 I’ve been way too picky about my skin care, the products, regimen – everything – and have spent way too much money on skin care products.

A trip to the dermatologist resulted in prescription pills, a morning and night treatment, a cleansing gel, moisturizer, and a facial – oh, and $300 less in my wallet. I was okay with it though because it’s what I “needed” right? Wrong!

So where am I now? Well, I’m mid-twenties and although I still have “bad skin days” overall, my skin has been generally pretty good with a few breakouts here and there. I still have some milia problems – it goes away and comes back whenever it wants. I don’t know what gives me a worse feeling now, pimples all over my face or finally getting my face clear and getting one huge pimple on the center of it.. “Hi everyone please only talk to this huge zit on my face! Thanks!” (at least that’s what I feel like..)

Over the past two years I have learned a lot about living a more healthy and natural lifestyle. I do think things always go hand in hand though and will always be a work in progress. However, making little changes can truly go a long way (and along with that paleo post, I will be posting about these changes and how they have helped me and how they may help you!)

So what have I changed in the past two years?

Actually, a lot, but to summarize the key points:

1. I stopped going to a general dermatologist

2. I stopped the prescription pills, morning and night treatment, cleansing gel, and moisturizer which has saved me a lot of money

3. I quit my overly stressful full time job

4. I started working out more consistently

5. I started wearing more makeup more consistently

6. I started a paleo diet (not to lose weight but because my doctor recommended it for stomach issues)

7. I started using more natural products and DIY products

8. I stopped drinking a lot of alcohol – less social events!

9. I have stopped and started a few new skin care regimens/products

Why I made these changes:

I didn’t feel like going to the dermatologist really made a huge difference. I tried following the doctors regimen for close to a year and to be honest, it did not make a huge difference. Again, it’s not acne i am dealing with; it is break outs and milia coming and going. The prescription pills actually made me a little sick. I have never been a huge fan of taking prescription medicine but since the doctor said I needed it, I gave it a try. I didn’t see a huge change when stopping the products, face wash, and moisturizer the doctor prescribed me. My skin just kind of stayed as is. I quit my job because I was getting sick from being stressed out – being stressed out really makes everything worse – your skin, mood, the way you think. I try to stay as stress free as I can – it’s challenging but I am trying. I started working out more frequently and consistently. I have my months where I work out more than others but I am working on exercising 7 days a week – even if it’s only a short, quick work out – it’s better than nothing! The change to paleo has been by far the hardest and most challenging and I promise to work on a post about this journey because it is truly just so interesting! The paleo change has made me feel better but one thing I quickly learned is that you feel awful when you cheat. It’s either you’re all in or not – a week of paleo eating topped with a big mac can really hurt you more than it seems. I knocked off the partying and drinking in exchange to live a healthier lifestyle. I still drink from time to time but definitely not as much as I used to and not every weekend – I was never a big drinker but went through a phase and that phase is definitely when my skin was the absolute worst!

What I learned that may be helpful to you:

Know your skin problem. Is it acne? Is it milia? Is it dark spots? Etc. Or is it all of those combined?

Don’t just start throwing all types of fruits and vegetables onto your face. Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it will actually help you! Sometimes natural and DIY products and regimes can cause more harm.

Research ingredients on products! Just because something is more expensive doesn’t mean it is better. Research, research, and research some more! A lotion that is $60 may literally have the same ingredients (exact) as something that is $7. Know what you are using on your skin!

Watch and read reviews from people that have different skin types and weigh out the pros and cons before splurging on any item. It’s time consuming but worth it.

Exfoliating is good but over-exfoliating can really mess up your skin. When I read that exfoliating daily helps with milia I picked up a new pack of exfoliators and went crazy but it ended up making my skin worse. I was scrubbing off all the good stuff my skin needed!

Know that what works for one person may not work for someone else. I always read and watch product reviews and there are always products that come highly recommended. The only problem I face is that a lot of products contain either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide and I really can’t switch back and forth between the two. Some SA products work for me and some BP products work for me.

Be patient and give the product time to actually work before quitting. I thought that I didn’t give the prescription products enough time so I continued only to find out months later that they just simply didn’t work for me. I have also tried new products and gave up after a week. The trial and error process sucks but I promise it will pay off once you find what works for you!

What I do now:

I’m currently following a pure Benzoyl Peroxide regimen. I still follow the same method: Cleanse, prevent, correct, and moisturize. I do currently use a few different products; some all natural, some with ingredients that I’ve researched and at least one or two natural DIY scrubs and/or face masks per week. I did write above that I sometimes feel at a loss with my skin care regimen – like nothing actually works – but I think I’m heading in the right direction with the BP regimen. I have considered possibly seeing the dermatologist again to go over the experience I had with the first products I tried and just to hear their thoughts. However, my skin has gotten noticeably better within the past month with only very few break outs every once in a while.

IN THE MORNING:

• To cleanse: I use a clarifying cleanser containing 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide followed by a alcohol free toner

• To prevent: I use a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide repair lotion

• To correct: I use a retinol enriched serum containing 400,000 IU of Vitamin A

• To moisturize: I use an oil-free moisturizer for combination skin

AT NIGHT:

• To cleanse: I use a clarifying cleanser containing 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide followed by a alcohol free toner

• To prevent: I use a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide repair lotion

• To correct: I rotate between using a dark spot overnight peel and rapid tone repair

• To moisturize: I use a night-time firming cream

Side note: I previously used SkinCeuticals LHA Cleansing Gel to cleanse. It’s $38 from the website and designed for aging skin that is prone to breakouts. The product combines potent cleansing agents with LHA, glycol acid and salicylic acid to decongest pores, smooth irregularities and brighten skin. I like that this product exfoliates without the abrasiveness. My skin feels fresh and clean after using it but since I wanted to try Benzoyl Peroxide I stopped using this product. I would be open to going back to it if I stopped the BP regimen.

WEEKLY

• I exfoliate 2-3 times per week using all natural DIY scrubs

• I use a refreshing face mask at least once per week

I am compiling a list of recommended all natural and/or DIY replacements and will post it as a separate blog post soon!

Thanks for making it to the end of this long post! Since the avocado skin care mask got me writing this post in the first place I will be sure to post about my love/hate relationship with it ASAP along with other DIY all natural scrubs and masks, instructions, reviews and more! I would love to hear what you’re thinking! Any and all feedback, suggestions, and recommendations is very welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading!

-Lauren