Acne at 36!! Seriously????

34 and fighting it as well...
Two things that have helped me. Tea Tree Oil...and eating more fruits and veggies.

Nothing worked for me...OTC, cleansers, scripts...nothing. But the above.

Proactive is the ONLY thing that ever worked for me, and I, like you, tried it all. Not only does Proactive work, it actually makes you skin feel good. Seriously. I love the stuff... and no, I don't work for them. Just love the product. Try it.

This will sound crazy but hear me out. Try changing your toothpaste. When I was much younger (late teens) I would get those big sore zits on my chin and smaller ones on my cheeks and jaw. My dermatologist told me to switch toothpaste. I was using Crest. I did and the zits went away. I NEVER got those big sore things on my chin again until a few years back when I decided to try the free toothpaste that the dentist gave me. It was Colgate and it broke me out. Recently I tried one of the whitening "pastes" and my cheeks started breaking out.
I used Closeup for a long time and now I am able to use the Extra Fresh Aquafresh. I can't use any of the other Aquafresh toothpastes, though.
I know you are probably skeptical and so was I when the derm. told me but it is worth a try. Plus it is cheaper than trying all the different facial cleansers under the sun.
Sometimes I wonder how many teens have been put on dangerous meds for zits and just needed to change their toothpaste. :(

Acne is systemic so something is going on within your body. I'd start with an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex so that you are getting the nutrition you need. Also you could add fiber or even a colon cleanse to your routine. Toxins in the digestive system tend to get reabsorbed into the bloodstream and toxify the system and have no where to come out but through the skin.

If you're diligent, this should take roughly 30 days to get good results. THEN, you can add the topical stuff if you need a little help. Please stay away from the pharmaceuticals as they are in effect toxins themselves and may give short term results but will toxify the system and cause the outbreaks to come back with a vengence.

I can recommend a vitamin if you are interested in this route. God bless!

M.

there's a product called Effaclear out that fits acne and wrinkles. Olay also just came out with a new product similar to ProActive but it broke me out worse after the first use. I found the Olay one at Target. I haven't found the Effaclear one anywhere yet.

Also, try switching your shampoo. If it's just along your jaw line something in your shampoo/conditioner could be causing it.

Good luck!

I saw a dermatologist when I was a teen too, prescribed all that stuff and even suggest accutane. Pro-active works...for real. Waaay better that that cocktail that the doctor prescribes. I also found that I broke out when constipated (that is why there is that myth of chocolate causing acne, because dark chocolate constipates you). I also started breaking out a lot recently and it turned out I had an underactive thryroid. I am not taking replacements for it and my skin (with Pro-active every other day) is now under control again.

I have had the same problem in my 30's, tried everything, and spent a fortune on skin care products. Mine is/was hormonally related as it sounds like yours may be. Whatever you do, don't overdo it on the products because it can have the adverse affect and irritate your skin and cause you to breakout more. I made that mistake and once I let my skin breathe a little, it got better. I've been using Acne.org products and regimen for a few years and it has been great. It's inexpensive and there aren't a lot of perfumes/dyes in them. I also recommend getting microderms on occasion to clear out your pores. Be consistent in your routine and give it time to work. Also, wash your pillowcases regularly and try not to touch your face. I've never used Ortho-tricyclen, sorry.

It could be from your phone or cell phone, please don't forget to wipe it. Watermelon, grapes and red wine improve complection. If it's acne, good news your skin will not age any time soon. Sheiseido has a product called acne control gel, try their sample ate their counter.

My vote is with SKfromTX...I had the same kind of problem with breakouts on my chin and lower jaw area. This went on for a couple months, during which time, the doctor tried antibiotics as well as steroid cream, no help. For some reason, it occurred to me that this started when I had gotten Aquafresh with the whitening formula. It seems like I'm allergic to whatever the whitening agent is that makes it foamy. Anyway, I quit that toothpaste, and the problem cleared up within a week. Later, this also happened with one of the newer Colgate whitening formulas, so I think it's the whitening agent, not necessarily the brand.

I didn't get acne utnil my mid 20's. What works for me is Proactive. The commercials seem cheesy, but I love that stuff.

Just curious, you wouldn't happen to talk on a regular phone hand set often do you? My receptionists were having similar difficulties until we changed to a light head set with a side mic that didn't touch the face. The acne cleared pretty quick. The cause? The bacteria and oils that build up on the phone hand set. Wiping it down daily with alcohol and antibacterial wipes didn't help either. That only dried out their skin causing more oil build up.

Well needless to say I'm glad I'm not the only one this happened to. I was 38 when my acne started (had maybe 10 zits my whole life) and I didn't go to a dermatologist but I did try a ton of the OTC products and none worked. I even tried Pro-Active because I'd had friends that had great results from that but I had a reaction to it which left my face with little bumps all over it - like little zits that just weren't red. Then I tried the Neutrogena Skin ID... and within a week (no exaggeration either) all my acne was gone! You go on line and answer some questions and then it will tell you which items you will need. I'm so glad I did get it because since then my skin hasn't looked better!

I know a couple people who are sensitive to benzoyl peroxide, that's a common ingredient in acne creams, so check your labels. Also I have found that my skin breaks when it's too dry, so I have to use very gentle cleansers and exfoliate a lot. It also helps to use a noncomedogenic moisturizer to help protect your skin. I would recommend you avoid using too much salicylic acid, try to just use it as a "spot treatment" instead of all over. Currently I am using the Velocity cleanser from Mary Kay. It's not too harsh and it has little scrubby beads in it. The best part is, they have 100% guarantee, so if you use it for a while and it's not working, you can get your money back! My 2nd favorite is Noxema's creamy cleanser with eucalyptus oil, it uses stearic acid instead of salicylic acid, but it doesn't exfoliate so I don't use it every day.

I've used ortho tri cyclen but I wasn't too impressed with what it did for my breakouts. I've had better results from taking fish oil supplements. They help flush the toxins out of your skin, I noticed a difference within 2 weeks.

Topical creams don't work for me, not even prescription strength, only oral meds... but being pregnant, I am out of luck taking those and in major breakout mode. I'm also 30 and think... what? fine lines AND acne? This isn't fair?! Ortho-tricyclen should help by the way.

Interesting other people say nothing worked but Proactive bc I found the same thing when I was in my early 30's. I couldn't believe I was buying from an infomercial but I did and was so glad. And it's really cheap!

I had a lot of breakouts too but mine was from stress and life! I bought a Clarisonic from QVC - I have a slight addiction to their website :) and I LOVE it. I broke out the first week using it because it cleans so deeply into your pores, but after that nothing! I use it daily the cleaner is great and the machine itself is super easy to use! Hopefully it all clears up for you!!

I had this problem as well and discovered it was because I would sit at my desk and rest my chin in my hand! The dirt, etc., from my hand was transferring to my face and making it break out. As soon as I realized what was happening and stopped, my face cleared up in no time.

Even at my age, (let's just say I'm older than you and leave it at that! lol!) I notice if I over-indulge in caffeine I'll get a zit or two but nothing drastic.

Are you having more stress than usual? Have you changed laundry soap? Changed anything in your daily routine when it comes to washing your face? Maybe an allergic reaction to some foods? Could be anything; you'll just have to be your own detective and take time to figure it out.

Good luck!

You need to see your ob/gyn. This is probably from hormones or diet. That is when I first got acne for the first time. There are a lot of products out there that are not good for the skin. I tried Cetaphil for years and I think it ruined my skin. Aubrey has a good line of skin products. I use the cleaner and moisturizer for sensitive skin. I think it has helped my skin. I have rosacea now too and nothing seems to get rid of it but it has helped. I just wrote down this week a list of ingredients to avoid in skin and hair products but now I can't seem to find it anywhere. I stopped going to derma a long time ago and I think it has helped me. The only other thing is to look at your diet and then talk to the ob/gyn and see what he recommends. I would research as many natural ways to reduce it.

I put my daughter on Saw Palmetto 450 mg. once a day and she does not break out any more. It has something to do with balancing the hormones.

I was cursed growing up because my face always broke out. I was on teh Retin-A cream and the Differin for a long time and that helped. The bad thing about Retin was that it dries out your skin so I'd use it every other day OR I would mix it with ointment and put that all over my face at night. Ointment heals cuts and stuff so it works really well on zits.

I was also put on Antibiotics for my acne. Which again there pros and cons to that. I think I was the healthiest I've ever been on the antibiotics and it did clear up my face but I don't know if it's just me or what but I developed a resistance to the antibiotics and now they no longer work on me.

I also used Pro-Active for a few years. Again that helped. When that stopped helping Pro-Active has another product they can give you and that worked.

Olay worked for awhile and Clean and Clear. So yeah I've tried it all as well.

But the little things helped best. Drink lots of water because it can help flush stuff out of your system and whatever else plus it's good for your skin. I used to use toothpaste on my zits at night. Sounds silly but at least you go to bed smelling minty. But the toothpaste would dry the zits out and make them go away faster. And often I'd just go to bed with ointment on my face.

As to the Ortho-tricyclen: I was on that too and again that helped. But like the antibiotics after awhile my body grew immune to it and so I was switched to something else. I was also on the pill to control my periods because they are anything but pleasant.

Have you gone to an allergist? I know part of my problem was that I'd be allergic to the make-up I was wearing and didn't even realize it. Whenever I break out along my jaw-line or in that area it means I'm allergic to something. So maybe that's something you can try.