Duac/benzoyl peroxide confusion

Thanks thats very helpful

1. Do you think it is not as effective if you keep it at room temperature instead of in a fridge?

2. Do you think its bad to keep it on all night and day and then only wash it off the next night when you're reapplying it again?

3. What do you mean more delicate skin on nose?

4. Do you know any good ways to cure/fade hyperpigmentation marks, they're really making me feel depressed?

Thanks

Excellent

1. So I think that it's the clindamycin (this is an antibiotic) that will 'go off' if it's left out for too long. So I would say that yes the shelf life exists for a reason and its effectiveness probably diminishes after a certain point. If your spots get bad again then that's probably a sign that it is time to get a new tube!

2. Hmmmm I'm not sure. I don't think you could 'overdose' on it as such so from that point of view no. (Sometimes if I've got a cluster of spots in one place I'll actually use duac twice a day just to give that area a boost but be warned it can make it mega dry and it's not something I would do regularly). My main concern with not washing it off in the morning is that if your skin is oily you are essentially leaving all that grease from overnight on your face. Sometimes I think when I wash my face in the morning I have almost a 'film' of duac on my skin and I just like to remove that. But I like a clean base to apply makeup to so that's a large part of my reasoning.

3. I just feel like my nose skin is slightly thinner than my cheeks or chin, if that makes sense. I avoid duac around my nostrils as the skin there can be a bit sensitive and will get dry very quickly (like how it does when you have a cold and have been blowing your nose a lot! )

4. If you're talking about actual medical interventions (like laser) then yes I have heard of some (Google is good for this) but I would be really cautious. Essentially laser treatment or acid peels are just speeding up what would happen naturally over time (they are revealing the newer layers of skin under the damaged ones on top). An acid peel looks painful and you will have several gross weeks of your face literally peeling off. And I have read about people coming out of laser treatments with red faces/burn marks! It's all a bit too scary for me to commit to. Plus bear in mind that most of those treatments will require your active acne to have ceased, they won't be as suitable if you are still getting new spots. As time passes your skin does heal so it will improve on its own. Like I said in my previous response I use a facial cleanser by the brand pixi which has a 5% glycolic acid composition. Essentially it is a much much lower dose than what you would get if you had a chemical peel and although it takes longer with regular use the results will be as good. I use it morning and evening plus their glow tonic on occasion. I found these products improved my texture within a couple of weeks. Just remember to be gentle with your skin. I wouldn't go over a 5% glycolic acid level. Duac contains benzoyl peroxide which can be pretty harsh on your skin (look how it bleaches towels!) 😂.

My main advice would be that you know your own skin best. You will know quickly if you've overdone the duac (skin gets dry and cracks! ) or the glycolic acid (skin will be red and tender). If not washing off duac works for you then stick with it. Unlike some other antibiotic options you can stay on it fairly safely long term. Basically if it ain't broke don't fix it. If your skin isn't breaking out as much as it used to then already you're on the mend. Those red marks will fade with time so be patient

Thanks for a lot of info, that was all very helpful

1. My skin is very oily so if the grease is left on overnight if I am only washing my face at night, could this be making my skin worse?

2. Thanks for the hyperpigmentation marks advice. I literally have so many marks now that I feel like im losing the actual colour of my own skin because now there are so many marks that it is taking over my face. My skin has been going downhill since about a year ago and it keeps getting worse. It's really annoying because I honestly spend pretty much every minute of everyday thinking at the back of my mind how bad my marks are and how they keep increasing, I feel like in a few months there will be no actual skin colour left and it will be just purely marks. It's affecting me in many ways but I'm just trying to live a normal life but even when its sunny and I go outside I don't like it because I know my marks are so clear for everyone to see compared to when it's darker and dimmer outside. I am on erythromycin and have been taking different oral antibiotics and duac for years but now it just keeps getting worse so I know these marks will continue to increase, I legit am hating life lol!

If you could give me more advice on how to fade these marks ASAP you literally would be making my life because for the last year or so I can do nothing but think/worry/hide away because of these marks. What's the best thing to use, is it definitely that pixi facial cleanser?

Hi again,

1. Maybe try washing your face in the morning and see how you get on? The other face wash I use is really gentle. Then I follow up with pixi glow mud cleanser (if you're in the UK you can get in in M&S) . Repeat in the evening before applying duac and going to bed.

2. Interesting to hear you are on erythromycin. I took that for probably six/seven months and when the doc said I'd been on it too long (antibiotics are not good for you long term) I was quite disappointed. However in hindsight I think my acne had developed a slight resistance to it because at the end of that course my skin was actually worse (the worst it has ever been!) and the red marks the spots were leaving seemed even more awful. You'll need to talk to your doctor about it by personally I wouldn't try erythromycin again!

In fact I really think you need to go and talk to your doctor, maybe get a referral for a dermatologist because it sounds like your skin is really getting you down I wonder if a topical retinoid would be better than Duac. Retinoids have the advantage of helping with red marks, unlike Duac which is essentially comprised of a benzoyl peroxide to dry out the area and an antibiotic to stop the infection. I believe the topical retinoid product is called something like Retin-A. A doctor or derm will be able to walk you through the side effects but they will be similar to when you first start duac (red face, dry skin etc.). I've not used it so I can't speak for how well it works.

Some other tips, I've been taking Zinc picolinate supplements (found them on Amazon) and I think they help. But all the supplements and face washes in the world won't compare to a proper appointment with a dermatologist so I think you should prioritise that. Maybe look to stop the erythromycin too as if you're getting on to 8 months use + it's probably doing more harm than good. I'm not a doctor by any stretch though so this advice is just based on my own experience!

Please try and stay positive Get hold of the face washes, get an appointment with your doctor and be kind to your skin. If you go out in the sun wear sunscreen. Also I know you are a guy but honestly maybe you should consider wearing foundation to help visually even out your skin tone. There are tonnes of videos online that will help you with that. If you so a good job nobody will even know you're wearing make up If you don't want to wear makeup then I would remind you that you are your own worst critic when it comes to your appearance. You will notice every single imperfection that actually others will not even see. And it doesn't matter what other people think, just remember that.

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