Good, inexpensive skin care?

Question

I have acne. A lot of it. My skin is also dry or oily depending on the weather. I've tried many different face washes or skin care systems, but so far nothing gives me long term results.

Here is a list of things I've used over the years:

Klear Action: a Proactive knock-off. It worked well, but the second I stopped using it (because the price was too high), my acne came back worse than ever!

Clean and Clear: I've used many different types of their "oil-free" moisturizers and face washes. Nothing seems to work.

Neutrogena: I used their two step acne system (Face wash, then one lotion for either day or night), but my skin got very itchy and red. The commercials say it gets better after one day, but mine got worse!

St. Ives: I've used their Invigorating Apricot Scrub with Blackhead Control. It did well for my black heads (though I didn't have many), but nothing for the rest of my face. It was also irritating, since it had walnut shells in it.

Clearasil: I've been using their Daily Face Wash for about a month now. It keeps my face clean and soft, but it does nothing for the acne.

There have been other things, like pore strips, Olay cleansing cloths, and so on, but those have been mostly short-term with little results.

I'm thinking I might have to see a dermatologist, but I'm not sure if my insurance will cover it, since it's cosmetic, and a dermatologist visit is pricey.

My question is: Does anyone know of a inexpensive brand of face wash or skin care systems (meaning, I can buy for around $10 at a department store like Meijer or Wal Mart), that will also take care of my horrible acne problem? It seems like nothing works, or it only works for a little while. Anything that you think will help, please, feel free to answer!

Thanks!

Answer 1

Try going to the dermatologist. Mine gave me samples of the medication to see if it would irritate my skin. They gave me Cetaphil wash and Benzaclin in the morning and Retin-a Micro at night. The Retin-a works really well on clearing up acne.

hope i helped =)

Answer 2

Ok the ingredient in Proactiv that worked for you is Benzoyl Peroxide, which helps acne by killing bacteria.  Most of those other products contain salicylic acid, which helps acne by exfoliating your skin.  Generally benzoyl peroxide works for teenagers and salicylic acid works for older adults with acne.

Go to the store and look for products that either say they kill bacteria or contain benzoyl or hydrogen peroxide.  Be gentle-don't wash too often, use harsh scrubs, or pick at pimples.  It takes 30-60 days to try out a regimen to determine if it is working so be patient.  Avoid anything with oil and make sure everything is oil-free from your moisturizer to your makeup.  Good Luck!

Answer 3

They review tons of products and natural remedies on Acne.org

If I was you, I'd go take a look.

I don't suffer from severe acne, but I do get spots and this is what works the best on me (you can check out the reviews on the website if you're skeptical, I was at first as well but figured it was worth a try)

Baking soda! I use it as a scrub once daily, and since it's pretty harsh I only use a gentle cleanser at night (Think Cetaphil, Spectro-Jel, something along those lines)"

All you have to do is mix it with water until it forms a paste. Some people also use it as a mask, and according to reviews it's really potent and people with a more severe level of acne saw improvement.

The baking soda review :

http://www.acne.org/baking-soda-reviews/...

They also offer a bunch of tips and cheap alternatives (Aspirin mask for spot treatment, lemon juice for scars, etc..)

If you're not into the homemade stuff, they review off the counter products as well so you can read the reviews and pick the one that seems most effective.

Good luck sorting it out!

Annaliese,

x*x

Answer 4

Something that exspoliates once everyother day and Clay soap the rest of the time.

I had acne as a teen used clay soap and it went in a week or 2. I still use it and now my skin looks perfect now.