i think the Philosophy stuff is pretty good. It's actually a semi-affordable cleanser if you buy the 32 oz.

Are you following the directions? I wouldn't. There's no need to massage your skin for 60 seconds (one of the oils is probably breaking you out). If you wash it around your face for m/b 15 seconds, you may have better results.

Torrino its NEVER an affordable cleanser.
And i followed the instructions obviously, there must be an ingredient in it that caused my skin to break out

If you buy the liter size (32 oz) here, it's $42.50. That'll last at least a year.

And I'm saying you shouldn't follow the instructions. Massaging your skin for a minute is not a good idea. Cleansing should be a 20 second practice at most (how long do you think it actually takes to dissolve oil and stuff?)

I usually take around 10-15 seconds with a cleanser.

Update report: Well touch wood things have been peachy! Other than redmarks where ive picked and squeezed clogged pores im clear. I've not had a 'whitehead' for a month+ which im over the moon about. My only problem is some tiny clogged pores on my nose which are bothering me, because the nose does tend to go red with any clogged pores. Definitely the clogged pores are the only serious manifestation of the return of oil, and ive been on top of it with the witch-hazel and tea tree so i maybe have a couple of them on my nose and thats it. The ones i had on my forehead have gone. The only other problem area is just next to my nose on either side where the pores are slightly larger.

My neck acne has cleared up a lot too, but i still notice some shaving irritation and some lumps from old acne that i might want to get checked out in the future.

I also have noticed that since ive stopped accutane ive been getting really tiny bumps on my arms and legs. I think it might be not lotioning the dry skin or ex foliating it well enough. Everyone struggles with skin a little more during summer though.

All in all though im a happy camper. I think i have a while to wait to see those clogged pores calming and indeed see the final fading of red marks but im happy to say that i am once again getting compliments for my skin.

I think for sure accutane makes your pores larger though. I know they say it shrinks them but visibly my pores and skin texture are worse - although i think that might just be the acne and should fade with time.

How are you getting along torri

If clogged pores = redness and blotchiness, well my entire cheeks are clogged! Though they've been like this for months...

I have two whiteheads on my forehead and bumps around my chin. My cheeks are almost entirely clear (but again, they're sort-of red). Do scrubs help here? I haven't used a scrub in forever.

I don't think Purity has made it worse. I really like it. It seems to be fairly concentrated (i.e., I don't need much product to clean my face).

Now that I'm about to go back to school, I should probably pick a dedicated product. AHA, BHA, or retinol? I don't know, they're all the frickin' same...

Clogged pores can definitely lead to blotchy skin although its usually only if you put pressure on them, otherwise it can be a spot underneath the skin and they suck (clogged pores usually form tiny bumps that can be squeezed to resolve the problem temporarily). Your redness could just be sun exposure that your unaware of. Id say if your using a scrub proceed with caution, i use one but only a few times a week and very gently. Scrubs are abrasive and can damage the skin and irritate the follicles and pores. I find they help out with dry skin and clogged pores, which is important to someone with combination skin. Scrubs have also worked well for many of my friends.

Retinols have the most beneifical results for your skin, but clogged pores typically respond best to a BHA because they exfoliate within the pore. AHAs are typically only best for ageing skin and to improve tired complexion. If you have acne id avoid an AHA really. I'm glad purity is working out for you, you can probably use less moisturiser as a result of using it

Ishtar Skincare is sending me out its mandelic acid product so i can trial it on my nose. for free! Ishtar is expensive with emphasis on the natural, and so Mandelic acid is spoken of highly as an alternative to BHA and AHA if you cannot tolerate either and best of all its all natural. Mandelic is highly recommended for eliminating blackheads and clogged pores, and this is my problem on my nose where the oil is combined with obviously larger pores (much larger than they were when i was 16-17)

Natural is not always BEST in skincare, but i trust say a time tested plant like aloe vera over a 5 year old chemical compound. I should stress i am approaching mandelic acid on my nose ONLY to trial it, and would not make it a regular part of my regime even if it worked effectively. Less is more and i refuse to complicate my regime unless i REALLY need to. It was overcomplication which i blame for the rapid deterioration of my skin before. Mandelic acid therefore im suspicious about, but if it works on my nose i'll know.

hmm, I think I'll try that Neutrogena 3-in-1 BHA. It wasn't really bad for my skin. I like tea tree but my parents were complaining about the smell.

This is the Neutrogena I'm talking about: http://www.drugstore.com/qxp163358_3331 ... atment.htm

It's actually very moisturizing so I won't need anything on top except for UVA/UVB

On that note, Olay recently reformulated my favorite sunscreen (Olay Complete/Sensitive Skin -- the stuff the acne.org guy recommends) and now it has chemical sunblocks instead of Zinc Oxide. FUCKING A.

I only have about an ounce left

Okay now I'm not feeling so fresh.

I feel like my complexion is...grainy, and that zits are going to emerge.

I'm tempted to douse my face in alcohol toners.

Right now, I think my regimen is:
Cleanser: Purity
(unless shaving, in which case: brother's Neutrogena scrub and Norelco)
Treat: Neutrogena 3-in-1 BHA
Moisturize: Mom's Clinique (oil-free) gel
SPF: physical block (but I forgot this morning )

ugh breakout watch 2009!!!!

I have a spot! hold the press! well i HAD one, i didnt let him last very long. Right on my cheekbone. My hormonal acne comes in cheekbone/jawline, and low and behold i had a very small clogged pore right on my jawline too.

The weather has been very humid, ive had a shitty diet, lacking exercise and have been very stressed lately so its the perfect storm really. But i am changing 3 of those factors from tomorrow on. I try to not overthink it when i get a spot now, because im wary incase it becomes a full breakout always because thats how my acne came back first time, but at the same time stressing just makes it worse.

you should try this product, michael:

https://www.yourhealthfoodstore.co.uk/d ... stick.html

it's portable and the top ingredients are witch hazel and tea tree. it also doesn't smell as bad as either of those products on their own. i don't think it's incredibly drying. it only costs about $5 in the US.

I must say, you guys are very worried about these zits, but take comfort. You really do grow out of them. I still get a few, especially around my period, but my skin is not crazy like it used to be. I've actually found that what works best is just some regular handsoap (like liquid softsoap) in the evenings before bed and just hydrate your skin with regular ol' skin cream. These nuetragena creams dry your skin too much and its actually the dead peeled skin that goes on to clog the layers underneath.

For awhile my face freaked out when I switched from pimple treatment products to regular soap, but after a few months it stabilized and is much better now.

I remember these horribly evil nuetragena commercials from when I was a kid in which a bunch of kids were eating pepperoni pizza and joking about how it reminded them of their friend's face. In retrospect, that ad was just downright evil...

Hot wash cloth and soap.

but my skin doesn't feel dry at all!

anyway, the zit i currently have on my cheek has the texture of a sausage on a pizza...

yum

i'm jewish, so i wouldn't know.

Yes, you are.

and dolce just complicated EVERYTHING

i mean, i was THIS CLOSE to buying a 4-month supply of the acne.org AHA (I don't like the Neutrogena BHA -- it's going back! shit smells like fake cucumbers) and BP (which honestly does wonders if you apply it like the acne.org guy says to).

now i'm wondering if a face cleanser + some spot treatment + moisturizer is really the way to go. but in all honesty, my skin never got so complicated until i started wearing moisturizer (like this spring). i used to use it as needed and my skin was better.

Oops, sorry for the complication. I use skin cream after washing my face just because hand soap is a little drying. But my face never felt dry either when I used those products. Its only through trial and error that I discovered this method and it works for me. If I were you, go ahead and try a four month package. If its not helping, try something else, etc. I would say four months of soap, water, and skin scream (I use cheap 'ol lubriderm) would be more than enough time to see if it works. Though I warn you, all of these treatments will cause more, not less zits, when you first try them out because your skin needs to aclimatize to new treatments. But all of them should show results by the fourth month. If not, then my guess is they aren't working.

Also, I did have a lot more zits when I was younger. It really is something that you just kinda grow out of. Even though I get a few now and then, its really nothing like I remember from high school and college.

I feel like I've tried everything. I don't have a lot of acne (in fact, I hardly have any -- two spots right now, and some chin bumps that are prob. from shaving). But I'm red in the cheeks and oily everywhere.

There are way too many options. I suppose the best solution would be for me to post a candid *cringe* picture of my redness and then stick to whatever is suggested to me by either Michael or you or someone else. I think "giving a crap" makes it worse.

I suppose the regimens I can stick to are:

1) Acne.org regimen
- Gentle cleanser
- Layer face with 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide
- Moisturizer (replace moisturizer with Alpha Hydroxy Acid in PM)

2) Torrino's old regimen (before Spring 2009)
- Use a cleanser of any sort
- Moisturizer as needed
- Spot treat with Benzoyl Peroxide in PM

3) The Michael
- Gentle cleanser
- Spot treat with Tea Tree
- Moisturizer

4) The logical choice for good skin in my 40s
- Gentle cleanser
- Moisturizer in AM
- Retin-A in PM

5) The dolcevita
- Hand soap
- Body lotion

Hot washcloth and soap.

Red skin is one of two things. Dry skin or rosacea. There are apparently rosacea creams out now. My mom and sister have suggested I use them for my red skin. I think they are a bunch of b.s., but who knows. I have a little red on my face too. I just got used to it, and put cover-up on before important interviews or times where I might get nervous and become flushed (because then I really look like Rudolph).

Try to use more skin scream even if you think your skin isn't dry. Sometimes if its greasy on the surface its actually very dry because its not absorbing the moisture. Then the moisture stays on the surface and you get greasy skin. If thats the case, get a thinner moisturizer or add water to the one you have. The cream should really get absorbed quickly. That might take the red out. Also, those spot treatment sticks and facial treatments really do dry up your skin even f you don't think they do or feel like they do. Especially peroxide and retin-A. If it doesn't work, I guess check out the silly rosacea medicines, or, like me, just get used to the red.

I just posted a list of regimens. I will post a picture of my skin tonight and then wait for responses. My obsessive behavior needs to end ASAP and especially before I get back to school.

+ lotion

I use a little bit of baby lotion, lol.

erg, well for the record i only have:

-- two persistent buggers (maybe 1-1.5 mm wide) on my right cheek (not surprisingly where my redness is)
-- a couple bumps and whiteheads around the corners of my chin
-- a (relatively) clear and even forehead