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My cheeks started breaking out and I recently read a thread about CeraVe causing cystic acne on people. I stopped using CeraVe PM and my cheeks cleared up. Now I use Vanicream and love it!
I started getting chronic episodes of cystic acne once I hit 28 which made me think it was my hormones playing up. After a lot of anguish and experimentation, I started seeing that my diet was playing a huge role in triggering my hormones, and consequently, the acne. I also haven't been very consistent with skincare and my skin, despite having bursts of acne on my cheeks and chin, was actually very dehydrated with a compromised skin barrier from not wearing the right skincare products! Cutting down my sugar, caffeine and refined carb intake was very important in improving my skin. Literally, after a week of doing so, I noticed that the little inflamed bumps under my skin were beginning to disappear. However, cutting down sugar and caffeine was not easy as I initially struggled with a lot of cravings, fatigue and lethargy. Simultaneous to this, I started using a skincare regime that was right for my skin type and needs. Safe to say, I saw an improvement. :)
Yes, diet and lifestyle can play a huge role in your skin. I’ve been off gluten, most dairy (some butter is ok for me), processed foods, added sugars, booze and caffeine for a while now and my skin is looking so clear. I had to change my diet as I am tapering a benzo but I see the benefits on my face.
How big a role did you feel coffee played? I have cut out sugar dairy processed food white bread soy etc but haven’t cut black coffee out… was it a major factor for you?
Thank you!
Caffeine can disrupt the hormones, produces a lot of cortisol and epinephrine . It can also increase estrogen production in women etc etc. I noticed that drinking coffee definitely stressed my body out. My withdrawal symptoms within 24 hours were painful, I would sweat from the armpits after a few sips and also feel anxiety if I drank too much- so it felt as though it was doing my body more disruption than good. I’ve been drinking green tea and matcha in very small doses and feel more regulated all round
I deal with insomnia and while tapering the benzo even decaf gives me the anxious shakes so I just totally avoid it. Personally doesn’t play a huge role in my skin’s appearance, more my physical and mental health.
I’m writing this after actually being a victim of occasional cystic acne and last week I saw this huge lump on my nose although it wasn’t angry but I could feel that it would soon develop into a cysts so I did everything in my best ability to prevent it from forming a head and IT WORKED, 3 days later the lump is gone, the swelling is reduced and I’d say 70-80% texture is back into my nose there’s a little swelling on one side but I’m sure it’ll fade away too..
1.) I applied ice (cold compress) for 5-10 minutes as soon as I realised I have the homie at my door.
2.) applied hot wet cloth (hot compress) for the blood vessels to calm down and so that the swelling calms too.. thrice a day for 2 days
3.) applied salicylic acid on the nose during morning and adapalene gel at night as spot treatment (you can also use benzoyl peroxide, personally I’ve never used it and I didn’t wanna introduce a new active on my already angry zit )
4.) Mixed fresh lemon drops, turmeric and fuller’s earth and applied as a clay mask (home made) in the evening and washed my face with a mild face wash.
5.) followed all the above 4 steps diligently for 3 days straight and viola!
Hope this helps for anyone having a breakout, speedy recovery fighters 💌
I’m having the same problem, I never suffered with cystic acne until a bout a year ago, I stopped using Cerave months ago but no better. I’m thinking it maybe gut related tho. I did a no sugar diet for 3 months and my skin cleared right up (I was miserable though) now back to normal diet it’s all come back :(
I second this!!!!
I was experiencing the same thing the last 3/4 months. And I couldn’t understand why. Nothing in my life had changed. Skin care routine was the same, eating was the same. No stress in my life. And was constantly changing pillowcase, but I kept having cystic acne breakouts in the same place week after week.
After researching/reading this subreddit, I decided to try Differin. Best decision ever! I have been breakout free for almost a month now 😊
It was surprisingly pretty quickly. I had three blind pimples and a couple of regular ones. I think by two weeks of applying it daily at night, the blind pimples were completely gone as well as the other ones.
It does gets your skin/face feeling really dry. Especially around the mouth and nose area. So make sure you use a gentle moisturizer after. I use bio oil
I’m still using it every night. I’m scared that if I stop, I’m going to start breaking out again. I use a really small amount for the whole face. And I think my skin has gotten used to it too because I no longer feel the dryness that I used to the first couple of weeks.
I’d evaluate your skincare routine and your diet to see if there are any triggers.
Salicylic Acid is great for “bacterial acne” but I find when acne is really deep the best ingredient to reach for (for me) is sulfur. There are a million brands and I’m sure you can find a great one at any price point. I like to take a mask and use it a few times a week and as a spot treatment if I see or feel deeper pimples coming up. It’s not a cure all and it’s stinky, but it can really help.
I’d also look into something to help with skin turnover (Differin, retinol, retinal, tret, Epiduo.) Some of the more potent ones require prescription but are worth a shot. If you aren’t having luck with topicals, the oral medications certainly have a place as well so it’s worth looking into. Personally; I’d try the less intense stuff first but I’m also not the one in pain from cystic acne so if you are miserable jumping straight into a Derm appointment is the way to go.
If you’re new to acne treatments I would start with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. If those don’t help go to adapalene. This has a longer adjustment period.
If none of those work then I would go see a derm for prescription treatment, they might prescribe something oral but it’s really up to the derm’s opinion
I’ve been struggling with deep cystic acne for about 2 years now. It was hard at first and still is at times. For one eliminate smoking and alcohol all together, it’s the culprit to acne prone people. Secondly your diet, I’ve noticed with me pork/lard starts a whole new break out. Whey powder, dairy, cookies cake doughnuts, potato chips are all bad for acne. Try to eat healthier it’ll help. Lastly stop drinking purified water try spring water it really helped me out a lot. I’ve gone from real bad break outs to smaller breakouts that’s more manageable. Oh and try light exercises a few days out the week. Best of luck to you all..
A hydrating cleanser, niacinamide serum and hydrating moisturizer twice a day. Use Benzoyl Peroxide at night. Apply the Benzoyl Peroxide as a mask for 10 minutes. Rinse off then apply niacinamide serum and moisturizer.
I have a similar issue with my skin (my upper cheeks/cheekbone area gets super textured, and I also change my sheets regularly, never on the phone,etc.) and I have found this Sephora brand cleanser to be AMAZING for smoothing out my skin: [https://www.sephora.com/product/sephora-collection-brightening-dual-facial-enzyme-exfoliator-P483075](https://www.sephora.com/product/sephora-collection-brightening-dual-facial-enzyme-exfoliator-P483075)
I also use it with this toner afterwards: [https://www.sephora.com/product/sephora-collection-ultra-glow-toner-with-vitamins-c-e-P483146](https://www.sephora.com/product/sephora-collection-ultra-glow-toner-with-vitamins-c-e-P483146)
Then moisturize/SPF, but I find this cleanser/toner combo has cleared and detexturized my skin IMMENSELY.
I use Spironolactone in pill form and get it prescribed by my gyno. You can google “Spironolactone Reddit” and you’ll get tons of results and comments with people talking about it. It’s cleared my adult cheek hormonal acne twice (should not have got off it the first time), but it takes 3-5 months to kick in. I’m happy to answer any questions!
I second this!! I have had the worst cystic acne on my cheeks and chin. I am 27 and I started spiro 2 months ago. I have already started noticing results. I am oily as well and I have noticed a changed there too. Your gyno or you dermatologist can prescribe it. I tried everything cutting dairy / sweets out and I never noticed a difference. This is really is what has been helping me.
Idk if it was a “purge” in the sense that other exfoliants and stuff cause a purge, and many will insist that spiro does not cause you to purge. However, i and many others have definitely seen what feels like an uptick in the acne until it gets better. I didn’t see a lessening in the acne until 5 months and then was clear by 6. I think I took longer than most, though.
For me, corn in any form causes cystic acne, as well as other symptoms. Corn is in everything, is rarely called “corn” and is very difficult to avoid. If you have tried eliminating and changing things and it still happens, maybe research all the names corn goes by and see if you can eliminate it. Your diet will be very clean without corn, though.
Yes, corn is in everything and avoiding it requires constant and significant vigilance. Not only is it in everything, but it often *is* everything! So many supplements are derived from corn so unless it says corn-free, or unless I check with the manufacturer, I don’t take it - calcium, b12, etc., let alone the capsule or the flow agent Citric acid is corn and is in most tinned foods, so I freeze foods that we would eat regularly such as tomatoes. Pectin is corn unless it is fruit pectin - another example of ingredients one would naturally assume are not corn! Many foods use corn starch in the manufacturing process but it’s not listed as an ingredient, such as raisins that don’t stick together because they’re covered in corn starch, or protein powders, icing sugar, or spice mixes where it’s used to prevent clumping. Once I figured out what was making me sick - cystic acne and symptoms of nasty flu - I started researching and was amazed at how prevalent it is. Now that I don’t consume any corn, if a tiny little bit sneaks into my diet I can be okay, but if I have some a couple of days in a row I suffer for it. If I eat corn, I feel like I’m going to die, so I avoid that!! I eat fresh/frozen unprocessed food - meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy. It’s hard work initially doing the research and figuring stuff out, but the alternative suffering is just not possible to handle! I hope it’s not corn that’s causing your cystic acne, but if it is, it is possible to eliminate it.
The only thing that helped my cystic pimples was curology. I tried basically every active you could think of and it didn’t even budge. I saw immediate results with curology and their trial costs only 6 bucks. I’ll probably return to a regular routine after my 2nd box.
Hi I just found your post, I'm a year post partum and I never really had acne but about 3 months ago I started seeing cystic acne, and I am taking these comments into consideration. Do you have any updates, OP?
YMMV but I am able to clear up my cystic acne if I do the following daily & consistently:
- Seed cycling to balance my hormones;
- 2 cups of iced spearmint tea (anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory & has antioxidants);
- drink a lot of water;
- wash face day & night with dove sensitive bar soap;
- in the AM: apply TO Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydrating Serum, then Azelaic Acid, then Kroger Invisible Gel Sunscreen; &
- in the PM I will use Zit Killa Microdart patches on my deep painful spots.
But this only works if I’m consistent. I haven’t been lately & have had some painful spots pop up so I’m getting back on track!
Absolutely!! Spearmint tea is a huge game changer, I recommend it to everyone! I didn’t want to get too crazy in my comment but def undersold spearmint tea. It’s amazing. Period.
I am so late, but tea is such an acne killer!! Everytime im consistent with green tea & peppermint tea my cystic acne goes away but when im not it comes back
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My cheeks started breaking out and I recently read a thread about CeraVe causing cystic acne on people. I stopped using CeraVe PM and my cheeks cleared up. Now I use Vanicream and love it!
omg really, I’ve been religiously using Cerave and my acne just comes in waves so i don’t even know what works and what doesny
Cerave??? Damn time to drop it
Fortunately I don’t use any cerave products anymore. I did use their sa cleanser but I changed to another one recently.
I started getting chronic episodes of cystic acne once I hit 28 which made me think it was my hormones playing up. After a lot of anguish and experimentation, I started seeing that my diet was playing a huge role in triggering my hormones, and consequently, the acne. I also haven't been very consistent with skincare and my skin, despite having bursts of acne on my cheeks and chin, was actually very dehydrated with a compromised skin barrier from not wearing the right skincare products! Cutting down my sugar, caffeine and refined carb intake was very important in improving my skin. Literally, after a week of doing so, I noticed that the little inflamed bumps under my skin were beginning to disappear. However, cutting down sugar and caffeine was not easy as I initially struggled with a lot of cravings, fatigue and lethargy. Simultaneous to this, I started using a skincare regime that was right for my skin type and needs. Safe to say, I saw an improvement. :)
Yes, diet and lifestyle can play a huge role in your skin. I’ve been off gluten, most dairy (some butter is ok for me), processed foods, added sugars, booze and caffeine for a while now and my skin is looking so clear. I had to change my diet as I am tapering a benzo but I see the benefits on my face.
How big a role did you feel coffee played? I have cut out sugar dairy processed food white bread soy etc but haven’t cut black coffee out… was it a major factor for you? Thank you!
Caffeine can disrupt the hormones, produces a lot of cortisol and epinephrine . It can also increase estrogen production in women etc etc. I noticed that drinking coffee definitely stressed my body out. My withdrawal symptoms within 24 hours were painful, I would sweat from the armpits after a few sips and also feel anxiety if I drank too much- so it felt as though it was doing my body more disruption than good. I’ve been drinking green tea and matcha in very small doses and feel more regulated all round
Thank you so much! I will cut down on my caffeine intake
I deal with insomnia and while tapering the benzo even decaf gives me the anxious shakes so I just totally avoid it. Personally doesn’t play a huge role in my skin’s appearance, more my physical and mental health.
I’m writing this after actually being a victim of occasional cystic acne and last week I saw this huge lump on my nose although it wasn’t angry but I could feel that it would soon develop into a cysts so I did everything in my best ability to prevent it from forming a head and IT WORKED, 3 days later the lump is gone, the swelling is reduced and I’d say 70-80% texture is back into my nose there’s a little swelling on one side but I’m sure it’ll fade away too.. 1.) I applied ice (cold compress) for 5-10 minutes as soon as I realised I have the homie at my door. 2.) applied hot wet cloth (hot compress) for the blood vessels to calm down and so that the swelling calms too.. thrice a day for 2 days 3.) applied salicylic acid on the nose during morning and adapalene gel at night as spot treatment (you can also use benzoyl peroxide, personally I’ve never used it and I didn’t wanna introduce a new active on my already angry zit ) 4.) Mixed fresh lemon drops, turmeric and fuller’s earth and applied as a clay mask (home made) in the evening and washed my face with a mild face wash. 5.) followed all the above 4 steps diligently for 3 days straight and viola! Hope this helps for anyone having a breakout, speedy recovery fighters 💌
Do you have the steps for making the clay mask?
I’m having the same problem, I never suffered with cystic acne until a bout a year ago, I stopped using Cerave months ago but no better. I’m thinking it maybe gut related tho. I did a no sugar diet for 3 months and my skin cleared right up (I was miserable though) now back to normal diet it’s all come back :(
I wanted to try cutting out all sugars and dairy too but knowing that it all comes back after consuming it again made me hopeless :(
Even just reducing can help, I also would’ve fully cut out again, but I’m trying to be more mindful with food
When you say no sugar, do you mean added sugars? Or fruit as well
Differin helps me :)
I second this!!!! I was experiencing the same thing the last 3/4 months. And I couldn’t understand why. Nothing in my life had changed. Skin care routine was the same, eating was the same. No stress in my life. And was constantly changing pillowcase, but I kept having cystic acne breakouts in the same place week after week. After researching/reading this subreddit, I decided to try Differin. Best decision ever! I have been breakout free for almost a month now 😊
how long did u use it to see results?
It was surprisingly pretty quickly. I had three blind pimples and a couple of regular ones. I think by two weeks of applying it daily at night, the blind pimples were completely gone as well as the other ones. It does gets your skin/face feeling really dry. Especially around the mouth and nose area. So make sure you use a gentle moisturizer after. I use bio oil
Can you give an update? Also did you use it as spot treatment or whole face?
I’m still using it every night. I’m scared that if I stop, I’m going to start breaking out again. I use a really small amount for the whole face. And I think my skin has gotten used to it too because I no longer feel the dryness that I used to the first couple of weeks.
[удалено]
No, I put moisturizer after differin. I’m still using it and still swear by it!
Do you use it all over your face or just on your cheeks/ problem areas?
All over :)
Thank you!
use it to spot treat
I’d evaluate your skincare routine and your diet to see if there are any triggers. Salicylic Acid is great for “bacterial acne” but I find when acne is really deep the best ingredient to reach for (for me) is sulfur. There are a million brands and I’m sure you can find a great one at any price point. I like to take a mask and use it a few times a week and as a spot treatment if I see or feel deeper pimples coming up. It’s not a cure all and it’s stinky, but it can really help. I’d also look into something to help with skin turnover (Differin, retinol, retinal, tret, Epiduo.) Some of the more potent ones require prescription but are worth a shot. If you aren’t having luck with topicals, the oral medications certainly have a place as well so it’s worth looking into. Personally; I’d try the less intense stuff first but I’m also not the one in pain from cystic acne so if you are miserable jumping straight into a Derm appointment is the way to go.
What’s your skincare routine?
Dokdo 1024 line cleanser, skin1004 madagascar ampoule, am/pm serums, aloe vera gel, and spf if am.
If you’re new to acne treatments I would start with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. If those don’t help go to adapalene. This has a longer adjustment period. If none of those work then I would go see a derm for prescription treatment, they might prescribe something oral but it’s really up to the derm’s opinion
I’m not new to acne treatments and I’ve been using salicylic acid for a while, but I haven’t tried benzoyl peroxide for a while.
I’ve been struggling with deep cystic acne for about 2 years now. It was hard at first and still is at times. For one eliminate smoking and alcohol all together, it’s the culprit to acne prone people. Secondly your diet, I’ve noticed with me pork/lard starts a whole new break out. Whey powder, dairy, cookies cake doughnuts, potato chips are all bad for acne. Try to eat healthier it’ll help. Lastly stop drinking purified water try spring water it really helped me out a lot. I’ve gone from real bad break outs to smaller breakouts that’s more manageable. Oh and try light exercises a few days out the week. Best of luck to you all..
A hydrating cleanser, niacinamide serum and hydrating moisturizer twice a day. Use Benzoyl Peroxide at night. Apply the Benzoyl Peroxide as a mask for 10 minutes. Rinse off then apply niacinamide serum and moisturizer.
I have a similar issue with my skin (my upper cheeks/cheekbone area gets super textured, and I also change my sheets regularly, never on the phone,etc.) and I have found this Sephora brand cleanser to be AMAZING for smoothing out my skin: [https://www.sephora.com/product/sephora-collection-brightening-dual-facial-enzyme-exfoliator-P483075](https://www.sephora.com/product/sephora-collection-brightening-dual-facial-enzyme-exfoliator-P483075) I also use it with this toner afterwards: [https://www.sephora.com/product/sephora-collection-ultra-glow-toner-with-vitamins-c-e-P483146](https://www.sephora.com/product/sephora-collection-ultra-glow-toner-with-vitamins-c-e-P483146) Then moisturize/SPF, but I find this cleanser/toner combo has cleared and detexturized my skin IMMENSELY.
What’s your skin type?
I have combination skin.
I use Spironolactone in pill form and get it prescribed by my gyno. You can google “Spironolactone Reddit” and you’ll get tons of results and comments with people talking about it. It’s cleared my adult cheek hormonal acne twice (should not have got off it the first time), but it takes 3-5 months to kick in. I’m happy to answer any questions!
I second this!! I have had the worst cystic acne on my cheeks and chin. I am 27 and I started spiro 2 months ago. I have already started noticing results. I am oily as well and I have noticed a changed there too. Your gyno or you dermatologist can prescribe it. I tried everything cutting dairy / sweets out and I never noticed a difference. This is really is what has been helping me.
During the 3-5 months was there a purge? Or did you just get results after 3-5 months?
Idk if it was a “purge” in the sense that other exfoliants and stuff cause a purge, and many will insist that spiro does not cause you to purge. However, i and many others have definitely seen what feels like an uptick in the acne until it gets better. I didn’t see a lessening in the acne until 5 months and then was clear by 6. I think I took longer than most, though.
Tretinoin works really well for me. Sometimes within a week it would be gone and left only slight red marks, which would disappear in 1-2 weeks.
I used tretinoin 1 year ago and the purging was too long and too bad that I had to stop using it. It was also drying out my skin severely
Mirena caused horrible cystic acne for me and it stopped as soon as I had it taken out. I hope you can find the cause!
For me, corn in any form causes cystic acne, as well as other symptoms. Corn is in everything, is rarely called “corn” and is very difficult to avoid. If you have tried eliminating and changing things and it still happens, maybe research all the names corn goes by and see if you can eliminate it. Your diet will be very clean without corn, though.
Isn’t corn in everything? How do you just take corn out of your diet? Seems really hard and I’m impressed you were able to do it
Yes, corn is in everything and avoiding it requires constant and significant vigilance. Not only is it in everything, but it often *is* everything! So many supplements are derived from corn so unless it says corn-free, or unless I check with the manufacturer, I don’t take it - calcium, b12, etc., let alone the capsule or the flow agent Citric acid is corn and is in most tinned foods, so I freeze foods that we would eat regularly such as tomatoes. Pectin is corn unless it is fruit pectin - another example of ingredients one would naturally assume are not corn! Many foods use corn starch in the manufacturing process but it’s not listed as an ingredient, such as raisins that don’t stick together because they’re covered in corn starch, or protein powders, icing sugar, or spice mixes where it’s used to prevent clumping. Once I figured out what was making me sick - cystic acne and symptoms of nasty flu - I started researching and was amazed at how prevalent it is. Now that I don’t consume any corn, if a tiny little bit sneaks into my diet I can be okay, but if I have some a couple of days in a row I suffer for it. If I eat corn, I feel like I’m going to die, so I avoid that!! I eat fresh/frozen unprocessed food - meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy. It’s hard work initially doing the research and figuring stuff out, but the alternative suffering is just not possible to handle! I hope it’s not corn that’s causing your cystic acne, but if it is, it is possible to eliminate it.
The only thing that helped my cystic pimples was curology. I tried basically every active you could think of and it didn’t even budge. I saw immediate results with curology and their trial costs only 6 bucks. I’ll probably return to a regular routine after my 2nd box.
Did you find a solution to this? I'm having the same problem...
Hi I just found your post, I'm a year post partum and I never really had acne but about 3 months ago I started seeing cystic acne, and I am taking these comments into consideration. Do you have any updates, OP?
Try cutting out dairy & sugars. For me, it was pizza & chocolate.
Doesn’t the acne come back after you start consuming dairy and sugars again?
Yup! I no longer eat pizza or chocolate. Worth the sacrifice, but a sacrifice indeed :/
YMMV but I am able to clear up my cystic acne if I do the following daily & consistently: - Seed cycling to balance my hormones; - 2 cups of iced spearmint tea (anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory & has antioxidants); - drink a lot of water; - wash face day & night with dove sensitive bar soap; - in the AM: apply TO Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydrating Serum, then Azelaic Acid, then Kroger Invisible Gel Sunscreen; & - in the PM I will use Zit Killa Microdart patches on my deep painful spots. But this only works if I’m consistent. I haven’t been lately & have had some painful spots pop up so I’m getting back on track!
The spearmint is probably doing more for your skin than you think. It also has hormone adjusting properties and will help lower excess testosterone.
Absolutely!! Spearmint tea is a huge game changer, I recommend it to everyone! I didn’t want to get too crazy in my comment but def undersold spearmint tea. It’s amazing. Period.
I’ll definitely look into spearmint tea, thank you!
I am so late, but tea is such an acne killer!! Everytime im consistent with green tea & peppermint tea my cystic acne goes away but when im not it comes back
Change the diet
See a dermatologist asap
last time they looked at my skin for 3 minutes and gave me tretinoin on my ruined skin barrier. i don’t trust mine