How I did it: I had perfect skin as a teenager, but started having some breakouts in my early 20s. I didn't really have acne but i my face got covered with little bumps, which were clogged pores very deep inside my skin (got clogged from the inside)

First I read everything I could online.
Then i went to the derm-- who gave me very expensive cream, which made my skin peel very badly.

Still nothing helped.

About a year ago-- i read an article about how overwashing your face can actually cause some people to break out . After this article I found a gentle face cleanser (I use Philosophy Purity Made Simple) and starting using that.
I only wash my face in the evening. I do not use a toner, since i noticed it dried my skin out too much which made my skin make more oils which clogged my pores.

Washing my face only once a day helped clear the most of the bumps.

A while after i read about AHA, which i decided to try and it made all the deference on my skin -- it took out the discoloration and the rest of the bumps.

My Routine as follows:
Evening
1. Philosophy Made Simple (takes off make up so i dont need to use anything else)
2. AHA
3. Moisturizer

Morning:
1. Clean/Splash face with cold water
2. Moisturizer
3. Sunscreen

Lessons & tips: - Sunscreen is very very important --especially if using AHA
- What works for one imdividual, might not work for another-- so experiment with different items to see what works for you
- Washing your face too much or cleansing it too harshly (with toner) can actually cause acne
- Acne can be caused by dairy products for some individuals

- when introducing a new product into your routine, introduce only one at the time and allow 2-3 weeks so see if it works with your skin, before you introduce another item, or else you wont know which product is causing the bad reaction you are having

Resources: makeupalley.com boards ;
acne.org

---

Jun 25, 2011, 12:58PM PDT | 0 comments | 6 cheers