Acne and exercise

[shutterpillar]

This is rather embarrassing to be posting about, but if you know me in real life, then you know I have had an acne problem for the past year. Its not horrible acne... probably only moderate, but its still pretty gross and it seems to be popping up on my cheeks and chin. It definitely makes me self conscious. It began happening a year ago when I first began trying to get myself in shape, so I am wondering if my sweating has anything to do with it. I have seen a doctor and just in the past couple weeks was put on an Rx, Duac, in hopes of improving it. I have been religiously washing my face as directed every morning and every night, and using the Duac before bed. I can tell a small difference already, but I was hoping I could figure out exactly what is causing it so I can try to put a stop to it.

I've changed my shampoo (I have long hair and was wondering if that was the culprit, especially since my acne tends to pop up on the cheek that is normally covered by my hair). But that didn't seem to help.

I changed the makeup I use to one that doesn't clog pores. That didn't help much either.

I've obviously changed my diet and am eating WAY better than I was a year ago.

I can only guess that its either a hormone imbalance (it does get worse before my cycle ends) or that my excessive sweating from exercise has something to do with it, though I try to exercise before I wash my face and take a shower so I can be sure to wash away all the sweat.

I never had acne as a teenager... sure, one or two pimples every now and then but nothing like this. I am almost 26! How unfair that this is happening now, right? lol. Do you think exercising has much to do with it? Does anyone have any advice to help this clear up? I am leaning more towards hormonal changes as the culprit, but thought I would ask here anyway in case anyone had any kind of extra insight or similar experience.

[Loren Wade]

Have you considered a dietary solution? What do you eat?

There's another thread right now about acne being caused from gluten. I'm convinced it's true for a lot of people.

[Hels]

Any acne I get is directly related to how much I touch my face the two days prior. Your hands are a huge culprit, try to NOT touch your face throughout the day. Shaving for me helps, but I don't think that is applicable here. The best you can do is wash your face and hands and not touch your face. Greasy foods aren't a problem in your case if you don't eat them.

Also, change/wash your pillowcase, your head rests on that for hours on end, keep it clean and fresh.

The best soap I've found has been from Neutrogena (I think), it's orange colored and has this tiny little dark orange specks in it. I use it after I shave in the morning and then use aftershave to close up the pores.

It might work for you, as maybe would closing the pores.

Not a dermatologist, just a guy who is fighting the same fight. Best of luck.

[shutterpillar]

Loren - I saw the gluten thread, which is what got me wondering. though I have never had any allergic reactions before, and this is the first time in my life that I have ever had any sort of significant acne breakouts.

My diet right now is fairly healthy compared to what I was eating a year ago. I do eat grain and noodles and bread and all that. But most of my food is fresh. I rarely eat anything out of a box or can. The only pre-made thing I eat at home is bread, cereal, ice cream, and just recently hershey kisses. I usually make my own sweets from scratch, besides the ice cream. We do eat out 1-2x a week, but I try to make healthy choices (grilled chicken and veggies) during those times.

[shutterpillar]

Hels - I use Neutrogena as well. Its the orange oil-free stuff, though it doesnt have beads in it.

I do avoid touching my face at all costs though! lol. BUT I cannot say the same for my husband, who loves to touch my face. Should I start slapping him away? (I kid, I kid.... mostly).

I probably could wash my pillowcase more often. As of now it usually goes in the wash once a week.

[Loren Wade]

Loren - I saw the gluten thread, which is what got me wondering. though I have never had any allergic reactions before, and this is the first time in my life that I have ever had any sort of significant acne breakouts.

My diet right now is fairly healthy compared to what I was eating a year ago. I do eat grain and noodles and bread and all that. But most of my food is fresh. I rarely eat anything out of a box or can. The only pre-made thing I eat at home is bread, cereal, ice cream, and just recently hershey kisses. I usually make my own sweets from scratch, besides the ice cream. We do eat out 1-2x a week, but I try to make healthy choices (grilled chicken and veggies) during those times.

Yeah, totally your call. I think everyone could benefit from trying 30 days of a paleo diet. I did it and it changed my life (literally). It's worth a shot. What's the worst that happens? You eat healthy for 30 days and nothing happens and you go back to your normal diet. The best that could happen is you could feel better and the acne disappears. There's even a "Dietary Cure for Acne" book. That said, from experience and from my own reading, I think people get progressively more allergic to this stuff.

I hope you do find a solution, but if you decide to try a dietary solution, let me know. I can send some resources your way.

One other thing you can also look into... is DIM and Calcium D-glucarate. My wife read this article after years of acne problems and it's starting to clear up...

I'll get off the soapbox now. I really hope you find a solution and if I can help with stuffs, let me know!

And because I didn't see your intro thread, welcome to the Rebellion!

[shutterpillar]

Loren, intro is up there! Its a little further down the line, but its there. I should add it to my signature or something.

And thanks for the links! I'll be sure to check them out. I am extremely interested in converting to completely Paleo, or at least trying it for a bit. I have to admit though, I am a bit nervous since I have two children (one of which has special dietary needs) and husband who wouldn't be too keen on doing it with me, so it would be a definite challenge, but it interests me for sure.

[Loren Wade]

Loren, intro is up there! Its a little further down the line, but its there. I should add it to my signature or something.

And thanks for the links! I'll be sure to check them out. I am extremely interested in converting to completely Paleo, or at least trying it for a bit. I have to admit though, I am a bit nervous since I have two children (one of which has special dietary needs) and husband who wouldn't be too keen on doing it with me, so it would be a definite challenge, but it interests me for sure.

Fantastic. It could benefit all of them to be honest. Here's what I always suggest. First, jump into Whole 30 as soon as you can. It outlines what the first 30 days should look like. Then during those 30 days, read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. It will explain all of the why questions so you can decide if it's something you want to stay with or quit after the 30 days.

And in regards to my wife and her success... she isn't even all paleo, she is simply gluten-free and and takes the vitamins I mentioned... and she is clearing up slowly.

[Daffy]

Yeah, acne sucks. My mother had pretty bad acne (much of her family did) and passed it onto me and my siblings to varying degrees as well. I'm 27 and I still get occasional mild/moderate breakouts on my forehead/nose area. I thought that shit would end in my teens!

It's hard to fight genetics, but I use a bar soap called Purpose which is great for the skin and relatively inexpensive. That seems to help. I also have followed the advice of Acne.org with some success, though it seems I'll never be 100% completely clear all of the time.

I haven't noticed an improvement with a cleaner diet, though I suspect if I was even more clean then maybe it will help. I'm currently focused on keeping my sugar intake below 40g a day. Basically, even one can of soda has more sugar than that alone, so it can be a challenge. Even a tablespoon of natural peanut butter I've found has 3g of sugar. This stuff is everywhere!

[morethanjustamom]

My skin has completely cleared up since going full Paleo, and I've been an acne sufferer for at least 20 years.

[alice-on]

I had a similar problem. Do you wear makeup to the gym? I always suggest to just stop wearing foundation all together. My doctor put me on epiduo cream. That, not wearing makeup, and using johnson's head to toe baby wash (which is the exact same thing as purpose cleanser, just cheaper) for face and body has my skin looking flawless (seriously, it's practically perfect looking). I also stopped using shampoos, I use baking soda instead every other day and a hypoallergenic conditioner from sally's, which cleared up the acne that my hair products was causing around my hair line/neck/scalp/upper back. Today I'm completely acne free, and I actually spend less money on "beauty" supplies than I did before.

[Elastigirl]

I second the giving up grains. Yes, sweat can cause acne or hives. My back would always break out when I excercised. And my face. SInce going grain free it's clear. If it is sweat, that means something is toxic to your body. Either (and) what you are putting on it (soap shampoo) or in it. Most likely culprits for food are dairy or grains

[Arashi]

My doctor told me to stop using leave-in conditioner and it helped a lot (changed to a spray product which is much lighter). Do you use leave-in conditioner? The hair getting on your face could be making the problem worse, especially if there's any kind of product in the hair.

Also, totally feel your pain. I'm 29 and my acne increased significantly in the past years. I never had bad acne as a teenager!

[GreenEyesBright]

I swapped to Aveeno face scrub, the daily brightener and it made a huge difference.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[llsoszynski@gmail.com]

There's another thread right now about acne being caused from gluten. I'm convinced it's true for a lot of people.

Ive had a problem for a while now, and whenever I go FULL paleo, ALL of my skin clears up (i have back and shoulder problems,too :/)

I am convinced gluten/wheat/refined sugars cause my skin to break out. Although my shoulders (where my sweaty t-shirt rubs when I work out) continuously break out, and it seems like nothing I do can help them, except stop working out.

[oystergirl]

Here are some of my thoughts on the matter. As a teen, I had perfect skin, though a bit dry. When I moved to NYC after college and then started to have a family, my skin got oily and i had pimples for the first time in my life. I thought it was pollution, stress, etc. But over the years I went to the dermatologist and got put on Clinda-gel and various other medications and none of them worked.

Fast forward to present, I went off gluten for various reasons including severe reflux and digestive issues. I do not have a diagnosis of celiac, but I am definitely sensitive. From the moment I stopped eating gluten ALL of my acne has disappeared. I also started doing something very old fashioned. After washing my face, I use a cotton pad and swab my face and neck with a mixture of (1:1:1) raw apple cider vinegar (braggs, do not use pasteurized), organic witch hazel and filtered water. Most skin cleansers are alkaline and the skin is acidic--the acid mantle is completely disturbed when you use cleanser every day and strip away the natural oil. You have to replace the acid on the skin for it to be able to protect itself. this is something that is cheap and easy to do and works so well-avoid eyes and lips-

Best of luck. Try some things--see if they work--switch if they dont...its all trial and error!

[Sydnie]

This is rather embarrassing to be posting about, but if you know me in real life, then you know I have had an acne problem for the past year. Its not horrible acne... probably only moderate, but its still pretty gross and it seems to be popping up on my cheeks and chin. It definitely makes me self conscious. It began happening a year ago when I first began trying to get myself in shape, so I am wondering if my sweating has anything to do with it. I have seen a doctor and just in the past couple weeks was put on an Rx, Duac, in hopes of improving it. I have been religiously washing my face as directed every morning and every night, and using the Duac before bed. I can tell a small difference already, but I was hoping I could figure out exactly what is causing it so I can try to put a stop to it.

This just so happens to be my area of expertise!! I've been studying skincare for roughly 5 years now and have studied with The International Association of Dermatology so I have a few tricks up my sleeve for this. That, and I suffer from acne and I know how to get rid of it, I'm just lazy/poor. lol. But alas... The cheeks are genetic. I hate to say that because it sucks, but there's not much you can do other than what you are. It may go away soon, though, because your skin "changes" every 7 years. Which is why you have it now but didn't have it as a teenager. Sometimes we grow into it, sometimes out of it. Regardless, it sucks. But benzoyl peroxide is the only thing that will "kill" the pAcnes bacteria that causes acne. However, it is a medication and it's not meant for daily use or your body will get used to it. Much like taking DayQuil everyday to prevent a cold. Just doesn't work. But, if you can use salicylic acid in a wash at night then that will also help dry it up. Drying out the affected areas are extremely effective. pAcnes bactera thrives off of moisture, so sweating CAN be a cause but as long as you wash your face and don't let the sweat get reabsorbed it shouldn't be too big of an issue.

As for your chin. Thank your kids for that. The chin area is hormonal, which is why we as females get breakouts there (or skin changes, period. Such as spotted oiliness or excessive dryness in that area) around that time of the month. OT I actually freaked my old boss out because she was asking me about her sister's skin and I said "she's either pregnant or just changed birth controls." She hadn't changed BC but my boss was insistent that her sister was not pregnant. Guess what? She was. =P ANYWAY... Any hormonal changes your body is going through will affect your skin in your chin area. (Fun fact: your breakout/skin change more affects the side of your face that coincides with the side that is ovulating. Double Jeopardy, Alex.) So for that, again, will even itself out once your hormones get back to being regulated. Mind you: Working out, losing weight, etc. all effects hormones in some way, shape, or form. I mean big changes, not just working out daily. But losing a lot of body fat, gaining a lot of body fat, etc. Plus, we already had this conversation on the Women's Forum about working out upping our libidos. Two and two coming together yet?

So yes, you were right about your hormonal changes being a trigger. There is a cure, though! Skincare, while this might be extremely frustrating to read, is trial and error. Just like diet and exercise. And just because your issue goes away doesn't mean that you get to go back to not taking as good of care of your skin. In this case it's EXACTLY like working out. Yes, you may get to temper off a bit once you get to where you want to be but you can't go back to McDonald's and skipping washing your face at night. You'll just end up back where you were all frustrated and junk.

Pro tips:

Washing face AM/PM and after working out. I recommend a more intense wash in the evening, and wash your face TWICE every time. The first time will get the day/night off and then the second cleaning will actually clean out your pores. Fun trick I learned.

Exfoliation is awesome... Once in a while. Once or twice a week. And never EVER EVER EVER use apricot based scrubs. They will tear your skin apart. Instead, use the ones that have exfoliating microball thingies (my brain isn't working properly ATM) and use a light touch. Even if you don't think it's working, it is. You don't want to tear your skin, just get that top layer of dead skin cells off. (Sidenote: Your skin sheds dead skincells every 28 days, and that number goes up with age. Which is why older skin can appear duller)

Moisturize!! I can't stress that enough. Even people with oily skin need to moisturize!!!!!!!!! If you have oily skin and you wash your face and just leave it you're basically telling your skin "HAY, guuuurl! You're dry. You should make more oil! kthnxbai!" You need to trick your skin into thinking that it's all good, and eventually it'll even itself out. Oily skin is better off with a light moisturizer, or one that mattifies. But you still need it.

As for treatments, definitely use a spot treatment. Look for 2-3% salicylic acid, up to 5% benzoyl peroxide, or up to 5% sulfur. Sulfur will dry it out, but a lot of people are allergic to it. But it does work.

If you want actual product recommendations, I can do those. But I wanted to keep this post free of that kind of stuff and just stick with the basics. Yes, I went off on a tangent but I'm a little passionate about it. haha.

[morethanjustamom]

Alright Sydnie, I'm going to take advantage of you since you offered!

I'm 31, I've had five kids, I'm not on BC of any kind. I have oily skin, sebhorric (sp?) dermatitis of the scalp, and since I went full Paleo I only break out at that time of the month (always on the chin/jaw...fascinating!)

So here's my skin care routine: every morning and evening I run a washcloth under hot water and lay it on my face until it cools. I've always done this because I enjoy the mini steam effect, but I don't know if it's a good idea or not. I wash my face and body with Dove because of the moisturizer built in. Other than sunscreen, I do nothing else.

I still get carded for alcohol, tobacco, etc at 31, and I get told I look ten years younger than I am often.

Here's my question(s): what do I do about this scalp issue? It's basically cradle cap, I've had it since I was a baby, and it's awful! Diet helps some, but nothing makes it go away completely.

Should I change my skin care routine going into my 30s, or is it good? I don't wear makeup, so that's a non issue for me.

[oystergirl]

Momma, have you tried massaging your scalp with coconut oil, leaving it on for about 30 minutes (or over night if you can sleep in a shower cap) and then rinsing it off with two shampoos in the shower? A great product is called Vatika which is an indian hair oil. This really really works. My daughter had what you have but she doesn't anymore cause before like every 3rd shampoo she does this treatment and it strips it off and cuts down on the buildup.

I love the wash cloth thing too!!! Oh what joy!

[morethanjustamom]

Momma, have you tried massaging your scalp with coconut oil, leaving it on for about 30 minutes (or over night if you can sleep in a shower cap) and then rinsing it off with two shampoos in the shower? A great product is called Vatika which is an indian hair oil. This really really works. My daughter had what you have but she doesn't anymore cause before like every 3rd shampoo she does this treatment and it strips it off and cuts down on the buildup.

I love the wash cloth thing too!!! Oh what joy!

I have tried using coconut oil before, but not this exact method. I will be trying this and the Vatika this week, thanks!

I never wear my hair down because of the flakes. It's so embarrassing, but I have tried everything over the years!

[Arashi]

I have tried using coconut oil before, but not this exact method. I will be trying this and the Vatika this week, thanks!

I never wear my hair down because of the flakes. It's so embarrassing, but I have tried everything over the years!

You probably have tried this before, as it's rather common, but just in case you haven't, Ketoconazole shampoo helps a lot for me. Every day in the beginning, now, 2 or 3 times a week. Not using leave-in conditioner (or changing to spray or gel products) helped with both the acne and dandruff.

[morethanjustamom]

You probably have tried this before, as it's rather common, but just in case you haven't, Ketoconazole shampoo helps a lot for me. Every day in the beginning, now, 2 or 3 times a week. Not using leave-in conditioner (or changing to spray or gel products) helped with both the acne and dandruff.

I haven't tried this before, but I may see if I can find it.

I don't use leave in conditioner because I already have an oily scalp, and I don't use products either because they seem to aggravate my condition. I don't blow dry, curl or flat iron either. I'm VERY low maintenance, in case you can't tell! 

[Arashi]

Wikipedia tells me the brand name in the US is Nizoral, but I'm sure there are generic versions around (I'm using a generic because the doc's prescription was twice the price). Hope it helps!

As for the leave-in conditioner, I have an oily scalp, but the ends get dry so fast, so I was using it, and the first thing the doc told me when I complained about the acne on my cheeks was 'stop using the leave-in'. Even before I started the medication, it helped.

[morethanjustamom]

Ahhh, yes. Nizoral I have tried before.

[Sydnie]

Momma, have you tried massaging your scalp with coconut oil, leaving it on for about 30 minutes (or over night if you can sleep in a shower cap) and then rinsing it off with two shampoos in the shower? A great product is called Vatika which is an indian hair oil. This really really works. My daughter had what you have but she doesn't anymore cause before like every 3rd shampoo she does this treatment and it strips it off and cuts down on the buildup.

I love the wash cloth thing too!!! Oh what joy!

Well then... I've been beat! Haha! I was going to say the same thing. A good oil will help and giving your scalp a nice massage with it should help get the flakes off. =]