Ella inquires…I’m using Neutrogena Advanced Solutions and I was wondering if it really works because it was working for a while and now it’s just not! What’s up with that? I want clear skin!!!! Can you recommend a better product?
The Right Brain responds:
Without more information it’s tricky to say for sure what’s caused the product to stop working. But, we have some theories.
Sal acid versus BP
You didn’t tell us which Advanced Solutions product you’re using, but if it’s the Skin Polishing Acne Cleanser it contains Salycilic Acid, one of the standard acne fighting ingredients that’s approved as on over the counter drug. It could be that your skin doesn’t respond well to this acne agent. If you haven’t already tried it, you could switch to one that contains benzoyl peroxide instead. (Actually, one of the other products in the Advanced Solutions line, the Overnight Acne Control Lotion, does use BP. You may find that your blemishes respond better to Sal Acid, BP or a combination of the two.)
You might also try waiting a week or two and then using your Advanced Solutions product again. It could be that you’re experiencing an acne flare up that’s not related to the medication but that’s triggered by hormones or some other environmental factor. Maybe under “normal” conditions the product will work just fine for you.
Fried food face
By the way, if you think that too much fried food is causing your acne to flare up, go read this list of myths about what causes acne. You’ll be surprised at what DOESN’T make acne worse! We hope these suggestions help – you may have to experiment with several products before you find the one that’s just right for you.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I believe what you eat do affect skin. So it’s better to eat vege than meat and fried food. Drinking enough water and good digestion helps.
Sometimes the creams do not work after using for a while because the skin has changed and the creams are not suitable for the changed skin already.
A couple of things:
I find that both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid become less effective if you do not lightly moisturize with a good moisturizer (look for glycerin as a top ingredient) every day. It seems if my skin is too dry the pimples just stay there. Maybe skin has trouble healing when it’s overly dry??
Secondly, while I have no problem with fried foods, I have positively linked dairy consumption to my personal acne. There a couple of articles making the same conclusion. After stopping all dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt) for 3 months, my skin has been clearer than I can even remember. I’ve had acne for ten years.
There are lot of theories why dairy *could* cause acne. For me, I just know my skin cleared up. But here are some possibilities you can research:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15692464
“BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest possible associations between Western diet and acne. We examined data from the Nurses Health Study II to retrospectively evaluate whether intakes of dairy foods during high school were associated with physician-diagnosed severe teenage acne. ….. CONCLUSION: We found a positive association with acne for intake of total milk and skim milk. We hypothesize that the association with milk may be because of the presence of hormones and bioactive molecules in milk.”
“Dairy products, even low-glycemic ones like full-fat plain yogurt, are known to spike insulin levels the same way high-glycemic foods do (sugars and starches). We know that consumption of high glycemic foods, and the subsequent rise in insulin levels, are associated with acne in that the desquamation process in skin becomes impaired-a cause of blocked pores. ”
“Dr. Jerome K. Fisher conducted a clinical study on the cause and effect relationship of milk and acne for a presentation to the American Dermatological Association. His research looked at over 1000 teenage acne patients over a 10-year period. He quickly noted that the severity of their acne and whether it worsened was directly correlated to their milk consumption. Along with the hormones in milk, Dr. Fisher hypothesized that milk sugar (lactose) and butterfat could be acne triggers. It has also been found that milk can contain excessive quantities of iodine (may vary by herd), a well-known pore irritator and aggravator of acne.”
By the way, lactose-free products do not mean dairy-free. There’s also some evidence that soymilk has some similar effects as milk for acne. If you’re going to try this, you’ll just need to cut out all dairy and dairy derivatives. Go to rice milk if you need a substitute
“Acne
Looking at that photo caused me to heave…..
@Rose:
ditto