Struggling with acne before the big day

I've never had bad skin (super grateful) but in the past year or so it got bad. Brace yourselves! I've been using coconut oil and baking soda and everything cleared right up and my skin is 1000x better. 1:1 ratio. I was so nervous to do it because it seems weird to wash my face with oil but I love it. That's just what works for me though, a doctor is obviously a good option..

My insurance covers a dermatologist so I will make an appointment to see one. I also failed to mention that I wear zero make up.

Coconut oil seems like a good choice too. The many miracles of coconut oil.

My skin has changed each time my birth control has changed. I've moved a lot so my doctors and insurances have changed, each time with a new BC.

try talking to a dermatologist and mention that to him as well.

Instead of changing my pillowcase frequently I bought a set of nice, soft hand towels and I put one over my pillow every night and then flip the towel over to the other side for the next night, and then get a new, clean towel for the third night (so I'm always sleeping on a clean side/towel) and repeat. It's a bit more laundry but def worth it for me.

I have horrendous acne and I saw the most improvement when I stopped wearing foundation. I haven't worn foundation for three years and it's helped so much. I still have scars, though. I use Alba Botanica face and body scrub with willow bark extract. I also try not to eat fast food more than twice a month and I always drink lemon water.

Another vote for the dermatologist! Though I went and the stuff cleaned my skin sure but the acne was still there. I've been using something called "AcneFree: Sensitive" and it's been working great! I also use a charcoal soap bar occasionally and have a Neutrogena soap bar. My skin also is oily but dries very easily, so cleansers and keeping it clean work well for me. Proactiv made my face so much worse! But what works/doesn't work for us will most likely be different for you. Your dermatologist can help you find a routine just for you.

I use a line called GR8/SKN. It's designed specifically for young adults, although I still use it at 27.

I've struggled with acne all my life. As a teen, I was on BC and it helped me ALOT!. I eventually got off of it and it got worse as an adult. I tried alot of things. Proactiv, Murad, Creams, visits with the dermatologists, and they only seemed to help for a little awhile.

What HAS helped me!

I stopped drinking any sugary coffees. I stopped eating cookies, cakes, candy, and anything really with sugars. No sugary drinks ( pop, lemonades, juice, ect.)

I started drinking more water and I can already tell the difference in my skin. Everyone keeps telling me how much it has helped so much. I started doing this Feb 2016 and I plan to continue to do it through the year.

Yes, it's hard giving up those things but it has helped me. Plus, I don't need to spend any money on treatments. I still wash my face daily and do my regular facial cleanses.

I know a lot of y'all don't like It Works, but I use the It Works Cleanser. I have used it about a week now and it is working great for me!

Here are some other home remedies that you could try that won't break the bank.

http://homeremediesforlife.com/oily-skin/

I personally used to always get break-outs before my period, but now I use coconut oil to wash my face and my skin has been doing great.

I use acne wash and medication from Mary Kay and I love it and it works wonders

Rodan & Fields Unblemish! At this point though, I would recommend waiting until after your engagement shoot to start with it. My breakouts got worse for the first two weeks I used it. I was advised to stick with it, because it was due to my skin getting all the "ick" out, and a month later my skin looked amazing. Seriously the best it's ever looked!

I didn't think about how birth control can affect my acne and hormones. Maybe I hope back on that also until wedding day. Thanks for all the great advice.

Step one is visit a dermatologist. They will be able to make better recommendations than we can, for sure. But I also invested in a clarisonic. It made my skin break out really badly initially since it pulls all the gunk out of your pores but now it looks great.

I do better when I change up the different products than when I keep using the same one. The orange one I use morning and night. The other 2 I alternate when I take a shower.

I use First Aid Beauty face wash and Josie Moran Argan Oil (the light one!). Some of that acne crap will keep you on the acne bandwagon. The face oil will help balance your skin and it will produce less oil! Been acne free for a few years doing it!

I also like GlamGlow clearing mask. Spendy but worth it!!

The only thing that really helped was after I went to the dermatologist. I was prescribed epiduo and aczone. I've since stopped going and just use cleasil (sp?) But it just doesn't work anywhere near as good as the prescribed stuff.

I'm with the posters that say dermatologist. It's worth getting a professional opinion if it's important to you. As for products I use Skyn Iceland. Kinda love it. It was created with the idea that I'm stressed out of my mind and typically don't drink enough water etc.

Another supporter of prescription acne medication. I was on it for most of my teenage years and it worked pretty well. I eventually went on Accutane which cleared up my skin completely (and even to this day), but that's for pretty severe acne.

I would make an appointment sooner rather than later because it may take some time to figure out what's going to work with your skin. I also sometimes had periods where it would get worse before it got better.