How I did it: Getting rid of my acne.

Try to read my story carefully. If you feel that we have similarities, you can try what I did to cure my acne. Nothing to lose, three of my cousins and a friend tried what I did and it worked for them…so I am hoping that by creating this story public, you will have the same fate. You'll be surprise the remedy is just around the corner and it does not cost thousands of money.

When and How my Acne Started

As a teenager, I did not experience acne or pimples. Lucky me!
But…
I started to have irritating ones when I was 22. I was one of thousands of adults in the world experiencing what they call post-adolescent acne.

May 2004-
I remember using Made in Australia St. Ives apricot facial scrub for the first time. My best friend gave it to me as a gift. Since then, I started to have this couple of huge pimples- they say it’s called “break-out”. I immediately stop using the apricot scrub and wash my face only with water. I thought it would stop the pimples from breaking up. These pimples would be dry after several days, leaving hideous scars. It’s like permanent settlers in my face. It doesn’t go away because after one is gone, there would be a replacement. Jeez!

Treatments after treatments...

I tried couple of over-the-counter brands. I also consulted total of 3 Dermatologist/ Specialist. These Specialists will give a set of products which is for me all the same cliché of products- Facial wash, Anti-bacteria and moisturizer…nothing’s too different. The last Specialist I consulted told that my acne is like a chronic disease and it will not go away forever. Wow, nice thing, you are a skin specialist and you would tell me there’s no cure….so I just lost hope and faith to these so-called Specialists. My acne stays for 4 years. Yes 4 long years. Sometimes there are times it would cover up my small face. It’s too bad my face is too small that 3-5 pimples would look bad on me as if I am covered with acne all ready.I look into my mother’s face and yeah at 40, she still have acne in her face… so I was thinking maybe I will just have the same fate, maybe that specialist was right. I am losing hope everyday as I saw myself in the mirror. I become depressed. Until I decided to just divert my attention and not get bothered with this acne anymore. I will just let the acne come and go and come. I stopped looking for cure for a while.

But no, I don’t have to give up trying…letting me try some more try…
Ok, Let’s do a self-study…if it will work that way
I learned that acne was caused by bacteria. Humm…so I became extra clean; I washed my face like 3 times a day aside from washing my face when I bath. It just made my acne worst. So I learned from books and online searches it’s not recommended to wash frequently because it will just aggregate acne because it would dry up skin and force the skin to produce more oil. OK. Stop washing frequently…and so I only wash my face once before I sleep. Guess what? It doesn’t change a thing.

I also watched out my diet. Even if I weight only 96 lbs., I started a veggie diet and avoid oily foods. I quit drinking sodas and the love of my life-coffee! I drink thrice amount of water I normally drink-yes like a galloon each day! I did it for couple of months. Nothing happened. Acne’s still hanging around my face.
Ok…don’t give up. Hang on there…
October 2008-I bathe in the sun after reading an article in a magazine that sun bathing kills acne. I can’t be in the beach all the time but I took 2 weeks of summer escapade in the middle of October. I observed it dries up my acne but it produces couple of little pimples plus it made my acne scars darker than they are. After 2 weeks and there’s no beach money I can spend anymore. I went home without being cured.

I am just like you--tried everything and anything just to cure the acne forever! Well, I even become addicted to Benzoyl Peroxide (all the percents) which would only work for 1 day or 2. It’s true that Benzoyl Peroxide dries up pimples but in my case my pimples are too stubborn that there would be coming up once a pimple dies.

Ahhrghhh…Those acne medications will work for couple of days but would not work afterwards. They say it would work “in time” but I hate waiting for miracle anymore. If it doesn’t work the first time, I don’t think it will work after couple of weeks of trying. Trust me, been there. Name acne product in the market- I had used almost all if not all of it. From Salicylic acid, Clindamycin, Differin to Tretinoin and Hydroquinone to home remedies like horse radish, tomatoes, oatmeal…but it all fails.

I avoid pollution, washed and change my bed sheets almost like disposables, use facial tissue instead of towel to dry up my face, totally freaked to isolate my face in any kind of germs and bacteria (like incubate myself at home for months!). Tried all kinds of acne soap in the market and drug stores, one after another. I tried all the approach. Made my life stress-free by ignoring my problems--thinking it would prevent acne from coming out. I tried meditating and do yoga classes. I tried acupuncture. I tried dermabrasions and micro-dermabrasions. I tried all facial treatments, even the laser ones. Failed still!
I was thinking of oral meds like Accutane but I was too scared it may lead to some side effect because I am immuno-compromise person. I can’t take just any drugs going directly inside my body and be confident about it.
But I was in the verge of losing my last inch of hope and patience so I planned to try it but my Immunologist did not prescribe me because she said it would compromise my immune system more. I have a hyper active immune system for unknown reason.

The Real Cure

So, what really cured my acne?

Two products which are quite popular:

1. Johnson and Johnson's Baby Powder
2. Pond's Facial Wash

Recalling those times….
One night, I recalled those times before I got this acne problem. My classmates envy me for having soft and flawless face. That was before first acne stroked when I was 22. My face is soft and acne free back then. I asked myself, what product I was using back then…and I remembered Pond’s facial wash and baby powder, the only facial products I had been using before! I stopped putting baby powder since I had my first acne break-out thinking it would aggregate my acne. I was so wrong.

I came back washing Pond’s facial wash and it somewhat tightens my huge pores, after washing, I put tremendous amount of baby powder in my face like I’ve been cementing all the open pores. I don’t know why I am putting huge amount of powder…it just came up to my mind to cover my face like there is a mud-pack. I started to notice that baby powder actually dries up the existing pimples fast, like just yesterday and the day after it’s dry.
The baby powder tightens my pores and when your pores are tight and close, there’s no chance of bacteria to come in…right? Yes, I am right. Talking from experience.

I decided to start my very own ritual, Ponds wash-baby powder-Ponds wash.
I also tried Johnson’s Clean and Clear facial wash as an alternative to Pond’s and it worked for me too. The idea is find a product that will clean up the face (must be hypo-allergenic) and let the baby powder close the pores and dry the acne up.

Less than one week, I am all clear; I don’t know what Baby Powder has in it..why it dries up the pimples. That it acts like cement for my huge pores. It also made my facial skin softer as I use it everyday. I still have acne scars but not as dark for the baby powder seemed to whiten it up. I recommend putting Pond’s spot treatment to cure obvious marks but then I am good with the scars, I can hide mine anyway and it’s not obvious now that I am acne free. Acne scars are only that visible when you have couple of fresh pimples, right? It’s more than a year now and I am enjoying my acne-free skin, never had single pimple since then. Try it, there’s nothing to lose. Stop your current acne medication for now.

Rules to follow:

1. Wash your face only once to twice maximum (morning and before you sleep) a day. Wash your face with  Pond’s regular facial wash. Avoid the Pond’s acne cure facial wash line, just use the regular one. We are going back to basic here. You can also use Johnson’s Clean and Clear regular.
2. Put tremendous amount of baby powder, as if you cement the powder into your face. Yes, like some sort of facial mask. Do it at night before you sleep or whenever it is possible. Don’t mind people who will ridicule you from too much baby powder. In couple of days, it would clear your acne. Use Johnson’s baby powder regular talc. Avoid talc with fragrances.
3. The effect should be visible a day until a week after. Mine was visible a day after. This can be also a good treatment for back-acnes.
4. Never stop this ritual even if your acne clears up. Stopping will cause your pimples to come back. My cousin tried this but when she was all clear, she stopped and used moisturizing products because she wants to focus in softening her facial skin after getting clear. Just two days after of stopping, her acne started to come back so better not dare to stop this regimen. Make this your lifetime regimen.
5. You can wear make-ups as much as you like--as long as it’s a good brand (avoid really cheap ones). I recommend Maybelline mineral make-up line! But make sure you will apply thin amount of baby powder talc first. Remember the baby powder acts like“cement” into your pores.

It’s incredible these would be the simple answer to four year question.
I hope this solution will apply and take effect on you. I believe I had the moderate to kind of severe level of acne back then. I have minimum of 3 pimples to maximum of 7 pimples recurrent for 4 years. I also have immune disorder because of my skin allergy when I was a child which might be related of my post-adolescent acne. But see, this worked for me, so I’m hoping that no matter how severe your acne is, it would work for you too. Spread the word.

Post testimonials if this solution take effect on you.