Pimples! Recommendations?

I LOVE Cliniques line of skincare. I use this and I love that it really works!
Macy*s - Clinique

Here are some tips:

Don’t ever pinch, squeeze or pick at your pimple. Only causes it to become more red and inflamed, and will spread the bacteria and oils that caused it in the first place, to other parts of your face! It can also lead to scars.

Every 30 minutes, try applying an ice pack to the pimple and hold it there for about 2 minutes. This decreases swelling/redness and helps shrink the inflammation and pain that sometimes comes along with it.

Conceal with a light dose of flesh-tinted concealer, also helps cover up oily shine.

Cleanse your skin 2-3 times a day with mild, unscented soap or a specialized acne cleanser that has no harsh chemicals (such as lye). Scrub gently with either an exfoliating pad or washcloth, but don’t rub too hard, otherwise you’ll sap your skin of its own natural oils, which help to repel buildup naturally.

Apply a cream or ointment containing benzyl peroxide or salicylic acid (many over-the-counter acne medicines contain these ingredients) I recommend Vichy Normaderm, it's got 4% salicylic acid, which tops most other brands such as Neutrogena, Clean and Clear ets. in percentile. These ingredients both have a tendency to dry out skin if used too much so I don't recommend if you have sensitive skin.

Wear oil-free makeup whenever possible. These types have less of a tendency to cause the pore buildup that results in blemishes. Make sure you remove your makeup nightly and cleanse with an acne-fighting medicine to remove dirt, oil and makeup. I know I find it's hard after a night out, I personally get lazy...but it's sooo important!

If you’re in need of a quick fix, a dab of toothpaste on the affected area right before bed can help soothe irritation and reduce redness. Pressing and holding a wet tea bag or a cotton ball with a dab of lemon juice against the blemish for five minutes can also reduce swelling and redness. I tend to get a lot of cist zits, they hurt like hell! lol

If they become a recurring problem or worsen, your doctor or dermatologist can suggest a daily skin cleansing routine that will suit your skin type. Other long-term remedies, such as facial masks, diet adjustments and increasing the amount of water you drink can also help combat outbreaks.

Hope that helps hun!

I understand, sometimes its a battle and takes a bit to find that perfect product that will give you that pimple free complexion, once you do though, it'll be such a relief...

Good luck hun.

Dermalogica is awesome!! I absolutely love it and will from now on, swear by it. The daily microfoliant is amazing, it makes your skin so soft and glowy and you can use it everyday without any irritiation. I suggest you look on ebay for the little kits. There's one for every skin type including acne. You can try it out before you spend a load of money for the full sizes. You can also go get a dermalogica facial and the dermalogica specialist will guide you in what products you need. Also, if you buy dermalogica products from the dermalogica providers, its guaranteed so if it doesn't work out, you can always return it. Dermalogica products are really expensive but I think its worth every penny

I totally agree with 008!!! In my early-mid 20s my skin started getting really bad....regular breakouts, sensitive, dull and I was really depressed about it cause my skin was worse than when I was a teenager. Here I was an adult with zits I asked my doctor for a referral to a dermatologist and she said I should just have a facial....so I did, and it was amazing, LOVED it They used Dermalogica and recommended products for me and I have never looked back! I very rarely have any breakouts anymore, occasionally one will pop up but if I leave it alone it goes away the next day. I can use any other makeup products I want now too cause I have such a healthy clean base to work with whereas before many products made me breakout.

Definetely go to a spa/salon that sells Dermalogica products and get a comlimentary "face-mapping" and they will recommend what products you should be using

This is my routine....I use the Special Cleansing Gel followed by Daily Microfoliant and moisturizer (Intensive Moisture Balance- winter, Skin Smoothing Cream- summer) at night. In the morning I just splash my face with water and I'm good to go. I also have Gentle Cream Exfoliant if I feel like I need to clear out my pores and some eyecream that I rarely use.
Oh, and the best stuff ever....Multivitamin Power Concentrate!!! It's these capsules filled with this smelling, yucky looking stuff that works wonders!!! Makes my skin sooooo soft and glowy. Basically I have yet to try a Dermalogica product that I didn't like

agree w/ miss pookie on most of her points

if you get a big one ... but a HOT compress on it ... HOT HOT HOT!
it will bring the oil to the surface making your pimple not last so long

also cleanse, tone, and moisturize twice a day! (this is a very important point)

also if your a picker... (which i hope you arn't but i am ) use a lance to lance your pimple (only if it's come to the surface) and use an extractor

no fingers!

Put a bandaid on your pimple at night after applying a zit cream. Also, I hear Queen Helene's Mint Julep mask is pretty good for cleansing the face and ridding zits.

Oh, and wear face sunscreen (at least 15 spf) everyday.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion works fabulously for break-outs IMO . . .

Mario Badescu :: Drying Lotion

my brother used to have pretty bad acne and even used proactiv and all that, which did help a bit, but his skin is clearing up A LOT now, all because the dermatologist is having him use clinique toner, number 3 or 3, i can't remember.

HUGE difference, for him at least

What prescription washes/creams have you tried?

I give a big thumbs up to ProActiv

and I have heard people like this site
Acne.org

My friend uses proactive and he swears by it. He has really bad skin and it's cleared up a lot since he started using it.

Whenever I use products with benzyl peroxide in them, my right eye swells up so I look like the hunchback of Notre Dame....it's horrible...and I had to learn that the hard way You don't know how many times I used products containing benzyl peroxide and woke up to a puffed up eye until I made the connection...sigh....I still need to find a product that I can use that doesn't contain benzyl peroxide....I still need to go find a salon that sells Dermalogica to see if it contains it or not...

I am Neutrogena's biggest customer for life. Whenever I feel/see the makings of a pimple, I use these products in copious amounts:

1. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash (2% salicylic acid)
2. Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Gel (2% salicylic acid, $7.39 for this teeny tiny little tube but SO WORTH IT)
3. Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment (2.5% benzoyl peroxide)

When I remove makeup, I also use Oxy Maximum Daily Cleansing Pads (2% salicylic acid), bc it's nice and tingly and really makes me feel like my face is clean

Benzoyl peroxide > salicylic acid, unless you're allergic like b

Quoted from another forum:

"[salicylic acid] less effective than BP

what we learned is that it's a good keratolytic agent, meaning it'll make your skin peel... but in terms of actually treating acne, Benzoyl peroxide owns all... good antibacterial properties, can help dry oily skin w/ alcohol base, available in different bases, etc... it's just supposed to be the main thing to use...

also, i read that salicylic acid in concentrations of less than 3% (i think) can actually WORSEN acne... so i'd stay AWAY from salicylic acid, and definitely go with Benzoyl peroxide if you're having doubts...

i'd say go with a waterbased one to start off, as to not dry out your skin too excessively with alcohol based"

Bottom line, pimples are a symptoms of a dirty internal system. No amount of products you put on them will make them stop forming. You can inhibit the growth and heal the pimple, but you will still get pimples if you don't clean up your system. Best way to do this is change your diet. Over time you will clean out your system.

Second best way is to clean out your organs. For skin conditions including pimples, exczema, psoriasis, rashes it's the liver and the colon. The skin is the largest elimination organ but not the first. The colon is the first, when that is backed up the skin takes over and you begin to eliminate toxins and what not from yout skin which the the food for the natural bacteria on your skin. The bacteria eats the stuff being secreted from your skin and the secretions from the bacteris is what causes the pimples. Products kill the bacteria, which will help, but you are constantly being exposed to new bacteria. There is nothing you can do about that except stop feeding the bacteria.

I used to have minor breakouts, mostly hormonal. I have done extensive colon cleansing and I can say with confidence I don't have a breakout problem anymore. I modified my diet, but I cheat every now and then. I do, however, have a skin rash right now that I can't gert rid of so I intend to do a liver cleanse(not a flush) for a week to see if this does not imporve the condition. I will let you know what my results are if you are interested.

I like Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. It has been pretty good for minimizing the swelling. But be careful, it will dry out the sckin, if you keep putting it on.

i use proactiv cleanser, toner & repairing lotion twice a day & mario badescu drying lotion as a spot treatment when needed. i used to use ddf 10% bp & sulfur gel, but if you use it for more than one or two nights in a row, it seriously dries out your skin, and takes a long time to get back to normal. not cool. also, keep your hands away from your face and make sure to keep items that are near your face (phone receiver, cell phone, etc.) clean with some sort of makeup remover or alcohol wipes.

I can second this! I would not have believed it until I went on a 21 day cleanse and my skin was more perfect than it had ever been. I went to get a facial at the end of the cleanse to clear out the blockings that were already there.

I do think that a good skincare habit is essential. I still get the occasional hormone pimple and sometimes a lovely stress one. Also, changes in the weather can play havok with my skin. I swear by dermalogica, but poorPOOHbaby is dead on, so much of it has to do with your diet. The best product in the world will not fix your skin if you are not eating a healthy balanced diet. Cutting back on processed foods and eating more fruits, vegetables and a handful of nuts a day is a great way to get started.

I've been using Proactiv for almost two years now... I had pretty bad acne before but my skin is so much better now. I had results in less than a week. My skin has gotten a little bad recently due to lack of sleep and poor diet... but I'd say Proactiv works pretty well.

When I get pimples, I use some Clean and Clear blemish treatment (the clear one) which usually minimizes the pimple, and it makes scars go away faster.

I tried I think it was the pink Clinique system which I found was better, actually I just really liked the toner. You can really feel your pores tighter and cleaner after you use the toner. I'm thinking of switching to Clinique to see how it goes =P

has anyone tried differin? opinions?