The one thing you must realize … we all struggle with acne. Like PMS, it
has different causes for each person and we all respond to differently to
different things. No two of us are alike. It’s a trial and error thing.

I suggest starting in the archives where you’ll find many posts by many
people about this or that, which will answer a lot of your questions. This
group
shares a wealth of information that includes trial and both error and success
… to the same products or regimens … again, no two experiences are alike.
Many like me discuss what we do topically. Others are well versed in diets
and supplements and other lifestyle changes.

There’s a lot of information on the web, as well as a lot of
mis-information!!!

This is why I refuse to buy anti-acne dry-it-up creams and cleansers, as they
perpetuate a part of the acne problem in the long run, and add to another
part of the problem … at the customer’s expense. It all comes down to how
much
you want to help yourself to free information to learn, learn, learn … just
as we are all doing.

For your other questions …

-I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT STEAMING IS BAD FOR YOUR FACE?
Facial steaming … swells the pore too much to allow the matter to clear. 
In fact,
upon first feeling a cyst forming, applying ice to reduce the swelling has
been
reported by many to be very helpful in clearing it quickly.  To open the
pores
and soften the matter, it’s more adviseable to use a warmed wet cloth and
hold
it on the skin for a few seconds before cleansing.

-WHEN DO I APPLY THE JOJOBA OIL BEFORE I WASH MY FACE OR AFTER?
… apply right onto a dirty face that you’ve just softened a bit with the
wet warm cloth. 

-ARE YOU FREE OF ACNE?
… Is this to imply that I must be acne-free to share what has worked for
me? I thought this list was for sharing and asking. The fact is that no-one is
ever "free" of acne, as it’s not like a rash that we can soothe and it goes
away, it’s a recurring condition that begins deep within the under layers of
skin long before it ever surfaces as a pimple (or other form of acne like
whiteheads, blackheads, etc.). Actually, I’ve been maintaining a clear face for
the
most part. There are hormones, hair follicles, and exfoliation issues that
complicate it for me, but my routine brings them up and clears them faster than
any other I’ve tried.

WHAT … DO YOU DO TO KEEP YOU CLEAR?
… I already told you … pretreat with jojoba, cleanse and exfoliate with
the scrub that you’re supposed to look up in the archives, and tone. Not
having severely oily skin, I sometimes add a drop of oil to my toner.

-ALSO I HAVE BEEN DRINKING CHAMOMILE AND ALOE VERA JUICE.
… which has nothing to do with applying to your skin as a toner. I know
nothing of what drinking these does, but there are others on this list who are
more familiar with those systems in our bodies.

-HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER I AM ALLERGIC TO ALOE VERA JUICE?
… Allergies and sensitivities can occur at any time through ones life. If
you were allergic or sensitive, you’d know it.

-WHERE CAN I BUY JOJOBA OIL?
… your health-food store may have some. Otherwise, it’s available on the
net. You can do a google search for it and find smaller quantities …
meanwhile, information may already be in the archives on where to buy jojoba,
also.

By the way, caps are considered as yelling at people.

- Katie

If you choose cetaphil cleanser be sure to use the bar not the
liquid cleanser. The liquid contains alsohol which can be irritating
to the face( it’s also not very effective at removing dirt, oil,
etc….The bar has a bit of an odor to it but it cleans well.

Carl

ALPHA HYDROXY ACIDS

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids or AHA is a compound found naturally in many
common fruits and other foods. The principal AHA is glycolic acid
which is found in sugar cane and sugar beets. Other AHAs include
lactic acid from dairy products and malic acid from fruit. Glycolic
acid is the most skin-active AHA; and its primary action is to
accelerate shedding of abnormal cells in the topmost layers of the
skin by decreasing their cohesiveness. Continued use of glycolic-
acid-based products may result in a normalized, more compact top

layer of the epidermis. This makes the skin smoother. Additionally,
it helps to remove comedones (blackheads); and, like retinol, it
helps to restore the barrier function of the skin, thereby helping
naturally to increase its own moisture content. It also leads to
increased collagen production in the upper dermis, resulting in
reduction of fine lines. Glycolic acid also has an anti-inflammatory
effect and is able to enhance the effects of other topical agents,
such as hydroquinone and salicylic acid. It is well-tolerated by
many people, but it can cause irritation and stinging in some. It
can make the skin more sensitive to the effects of the sun’s UV
rays; therefore use of effective sunscreen is essential.

The main benefits of alpha hydroxy acids come from its ability to
exfoliate skin. Removal of the outermost layer of the skin
stimulates the cells in lower layers to grow and divide, causing the
skin to thicken and thus diminishing visible signs of aging. The
more you exfoliate, the more cell divisions you have occurring in
the lower skin layers. There is one problem though. Normal human
cells cannot divide indefinitely. Fibroblasts (a key type of cells
in the skin) will divide about fifty times and then enter a so-
called stage of senescence. This is a state in which cell division
becomes sluggish, inefficient and unresponsive to various signals
from the body and unable to divide. This is similar to how a plant
will slow its leaf and bloom production at the end of its growth
cycle. Skin with many senescent cells is usually fragile, blotchy
and easily wrinkled. This limit of about fifty cell divisions is
called the Hayflick limit (after its discoverer, Dr. Leonard
Hayflick).

Exfoliation remains a valuable cosmetic tool but if you overuse it,
your skin may "hit the Hayflick limit" earlier than it should. In
recent years, researchers have discovered the molecular mechanism of
the Hayflick limit. (It has to do with the areas at the tips of
chromosomes called telomeres). Medical technologies to eliminate the
Hayflick limit may appear at a point in the future, although these
advances in technology are likely to work only for those cells whose
Hayflick limit has not yet been reached.

IF you’re getting more oily throughout the day, it’s probably because you’re
stripping your natural oils in the cleansing routine. Oils are produced by
your skin for its protection on a supply / demand basis … so they pump up when
skin senses they’re missing. This type of cleansing perpetuates more oil and
more money to buy these types of cleansers.

Facial steaming - thought to loosen matter by opening pores after cleansing -
actually swells the pore too much to allow the matter to clear. In fact,
upon first feeling a cyst forming, applying ice to reduce the swelling has been
reported by many to be very helpful in clearing it quickly. To open the pores
and soften the matter, it’s more adviseable to use a warmed wet cloth and hold
it on the skin for a few seconds before cleansing.

The next step is to fight oil as well as acne - with the right oil! It’s a
very effective way to fool your skin into backing off its oil overproduction,
as well as helping to dissolve these oil-like plugs of matter. Truly, our
sebum is designed to do this, and jojoba is very close in its natural
composition
to our sebum. This is a twofold problem with our own sebun, however, as it
contains waste material and most often cannot clear through the dead-skin-cell
top layers due to small pores, unbalanced exfoliation, too much oil or too
little oil for the skin to process … many reasons). Simply place a drop or
two
of the jojoba into your palm, rub between the palms of your fingers, and apply
right onto a dirty face that you’ve just softened a bit with the wet warm
cloth.

Search the archives here - you’ll find a lot of my posts about the oats,
milk, and sugar scrub (how to make, store, use, and why). IMO, this is the best
cleanser … and so cheap, too!

Certain toners will make a flushed, red complexion worse, while others seem
to help calm and soothe it. Totally avoid alcohol, even in witch hazel you see
from the dimestore. Choose either witch hazel hydrosol, rosewater, or aloe
juice (which must be kept in the refrigerator). These are hydrating and
toning, which should tremendously help. If you’re not allergic to aloe, I’d
start
there. If none of these work and you’re not allergic to ragweed, you could
brew up a cup of chamomile tea the night before, store it in the refrigerator,
and use it as your toner (really soothing).

How often to cleanse … twice daily for everyone - morning and evening. You
can use the oat-milk-sugar cleanser at both times or, if you prefer, for one
of the two cleansings … in your case, should you choose to alternate one of
the cleansings with something else, I’d advise cleansing with plenty of water
and following with the toner that you find most soothing.

If your face gets oily through the day, the situation will continue to worsen
if you use a stripping cleanser. First, try using blotting cloths while your
skin adjusts. If this is not enough, do not be tempted to overuse toners or
wet-wipe style refreshers, just use plain, cool water and blot dry (rubbing
will also stimulate oil overproduction).

The herbs, vitamins, and diet advice is not my expertise. There’s a lot to
it, as well as to hormones and other environmental factors. When simply
waitressing in a restaurant, I always had way worse acne than when working in
any
other setting, just by the exposure I had being near the cooking greases in the
kitchen.

Hope this helps.

- Katie

IF you’re getting more oily throughout the day, it’s probably because you’re
stripping your natural oils in the cleansing routine. Oils are produced by
your skin for its protection on a supply / demand basis … so they pump up when
skin senses they’re missing. This type of cleansing perpetuates more oil and
more money to buy these types of cleansers.

Facial steaming - thought to loosen matter by opening pores after cleansing -
actually swells the pore too much to allow the matter to clear. In fact,
upon first feeling a cyst forming, applying ice to reduce the swelling has been
reported by many to be very helpful in clearing it quickly. To open the pores
and soften the matter, it’s more adviseable to use a warmed wet cloth and hold
it on the skin for a few seconds before cleansing.

The next step is to fight oil as well as acne - with the right oil! It’s a
very effective way to fool your skin into backing off its oil overproduction,
as well as helping to dissolve these oil-like plugs of matter. Truly, our
sebum is designed to do this, and jojoba is very close in its natural
composition
to our sebum. This is a twofold problem with our own sebun, however, as it
contains waste material and most often cannot clear through the dead-skin-cell
top layers due to small pores, unbalanced exfoliation, too much oil or too
little oil for the skin to process … many reasons). Simply place a drop or
two
of the jojoba into your palm, rub between the palms of your fingers, and apply
right onto a dirty face that you’ve just softened a bit with the wet warm
cloth.

Search the archives here - you’ll find a lot of my posts about the oats,
milk, and sugar scrub (how to make, store, use, and why). IMO, this is the best
cleanser … and so cheap, too!

Certain toners will make a flushed, red complexion worse, while others seem
to help calm and soothe it. Totally avoid alcohol, even in witch hazel you see
from the dimestore. Choose either witch hazel hydrosol, rosewater, or aloe
juice (which must be kept in the refrigerator). These are hydrating and
toning, which should tremendously help. If you’re not allergic to aloe, I’d
start
there. If none of these work and you’re not allergic to ragweed, you could
brew up a cup of chamomile tea the night before, store it in the refrigerator,
and use it as your toner (really soothing).

How often to cleanse … twice daily for everyone - morning and evening. You
can use the oat-milk-sugar cleanser at both times or, if you prefer, for one
of the two cleansings … in your case, should you choose to alternate one of
the cleansings with something else, I’d advise cleansing with plenty of water
and following with the toner that you find most soothing.

If your face gets oily through the day, the situation will continue to worsen
if you use a stripping cleanser. First, try using blotting cloths while your
skin adjusts. If this is not enough, do not be tempted to overuse toners or
wet-wipe style refreshers, just use plain, cool water and blot dry (rubbing
will also stimulate oil overproduction).

The herbs, vitamins, and diet advice is not my expertise. There’s a lot to
it, as well as to hormones and other environmental factors. When simply
waitressing in a restaurant, I always had way worse acne than when working in
any
other setting, just by the exposure I had being near the cooking greases in the
kitchen.

Hope this helps.

- Katie