I have such oily skin, it is so hard to deal with! Think I've tried every drugstore brand of foundation and they all feel so sticky and nasty. I read a review for the Kat Von D Tatoo Makeup that just came out. It's supposed to be super lasting and good for us oily girls. Am going to Sephora this weekend to get some samples. Last month I got a powder called Mattify Ultra which is really helping. It isn�t a foundation (just a powder) but I use it under and over my Colortration Foundation. It stops me from having to do so many touch ups. There is one called Mattify Tinted which is like a powder foundation I guess. Haven�t tried it yet but am curious. More makeup places need to come up with makeup that will stick to oily skin and stop the oiliness!!!

I used to suffer from severe back-acne... What helped... 1. Use plain head and shoulders on it daily as you would a body wash in the shower -- also use on hair - I'd typically lather my back with it first and let it sit while washing everything else and try not to rinse it off too soon. I wouldn't let it sit lathered for more than 5 minutes though as, with any product, can cause irritation which is what were trying to avoid. The active ingredient - Zinc pyrithione - works as both as an antibacterial and as an anti-fungal. My sister and many friends all swear by it now after I told them. I literally tried everything - over the counter and prescription topical applications. I even went so far as to get a chemical peal done on my back... I don't recommend that. 2. Get rid of any fabric softeners - period (besides being terrible for fabrics, they wreak havoc on skin), scented detergent, and switch to free and gentle detergent. Get unscented dryer sheets or switch to Woolzies (wool dryer balls - I switched to them recently, and they're the best thing I've ever bought ever in regard to doing laundry). If you still want. - just re-read your post and see you do your laundry green too. Yay. 3. Avoid irritating foods - over consumption of iodine has been shown to cause acne outbreaks - soy sauce, mangoes, sea vegetables, yogurt. Irritating foods include those with high glycemic index, processed/junk foods, for some people certain spices can be triggers. 4. Check your bathroom and home for potential fungal issues - can have a huge impact on acne. May want to try also a more vigorous/hotter/disinfecting method of cleaning bath towels. 5. Don't... don't... don't pop them, scratch them, pick at them and don't applying irritating products - acids, drying type products and oh dear god... Benzoyl peroxide, arbonne, mary kay, etc are just crap products where the cost comes from the marketing and not from quality. 6. The skin still needs to be hydrated - she should be drinking plenty of water and I recommend using a very very simple moisturizer after bathing. Vanicream lite is a personal favorite - It's Fragrance-free, lanolin-free, paraben-free, formaldehyde-free Gluten-free Sulfate-free Phosphate-free No formaldehyde releasers Non-staining Non-irritating It's the best moisturizer. Period. End of story. It's what you use to moisturize severe burns without irritating the skin. I use it daily... once you try it, there is no going back. Generally you have to ask the pharmacy to get it for you or they sometimes carry it. It's an over-the-counter product. Very economically priced and little goes a long way. 7. Clothing should be lightweight and breathable and preferably little to no synthetics present - they can be irritating. 8. When and if the acne heads do pop - on their own or what have you - I usually would do a band-aid with triple antibiotic ointment - band-aid mostly to prevent staining on clothing. 9. When the acne starts improving, I recommend switching to a moisturizer/product called cerave (again, can get it through the pharmacy) It uses a moisturizing acid (Hyaluronic Acid) and ceramides to help the skin to rebuild itself - it's ridiculous how much, over time, it can help with the resultant scarring from back-acne and other skin issues. 10. Try going on an allergy medicine. Personally, it never fails - when I run out of my Zyrtec... I have an acne outbreak. Keep us posted! -Jordan

My daughter has had the same struggle. Starting in 9th grade, constantly going to the dermatologist. Every antibiotic and prescription cream you can think of. They all worked, for awhile, then bad breakouts again. Acutane was the final option after nothing else continuously worked. It's usually a 6 month run. 4 months into it, I was stunned at how clear she was, BUT, big problem. Made her liver enzymes plummet. To the point where the nurse was panicked on the phone and said DO NOT let her take one more pill. While on acutane, you have to have blood work done every month. That was 2-3 years ago. Since then, more antibiotics, creams, etc. We finally quit going. Then, a new store opened in our area. Called Ulta. They have a facial cleansing kit by MD Formulation. It's the adult anti-acne kit. She's been using it for 2 months, along with changing make-up brand to Bare Escentuals. I am amazed at the difference. All those years, and drugs and creams, and tears. At least so far, this is working. They also have teen anti-acne kit, anti-aging kits, etc. I would give this a try before antibiotics. I hated that she was on constant antibiotics for a couple of years. Well, anyhow, I hope this helps some. Ulta.com is the web address if you want to check them out. I had never heard of them til they opened up last fall so I don't know if they're new, or just new to our area. Good luck. Katlan

Glenda, I'm a 33 year old female who started having acne at about age 12. I had all kinds of acne, cystic acne, pustules...it was so hard on my self esteem, and not just through high school. I saw at least three different dermatologists (on top of my primary physicians) before I found one who prescribed me accutane at age 31. I had tried various types of topical meds, oral antibiotics, different oral contraceptives...I took one 6-month cycle of accutane and my acne cleared up virtually completely. My skin was incredibly dry and sensitive and remained so for several months after I stopped the medication. I was sensitive to sunlight (use lots of sunscreen) and noticed that my skin took longer to heal from damage (little scratches from my kitty would take a week or more to heal, rather than a day or two). I did not experience any of the other negative side effects, but I will tell you that I honestly would have suffered through some of them to be rid of my acne. My younger sister also took one 6-month cycle of accutane as a teenager and it worked just as well for her as it did for me. As far as I know, she didn't experience any negative effects other than the dryness. My son, who is almost 15, is now on accutane. The change for him has been practically night and day. He had a lot of pustules and blackheads, new ones every morning when he woke up. His acne also started at about age 12. He didn't complain about his acne, but I can tell that accutane is important to him because he takes it on time, every single day, and is on top of me to get his prescription filled ASAP. So far, he is not having any problems with the meds. He is now on his fourth month and I expect him to finish out a full six-month cycle. The only issue he's had is sun exposure, since he was taking it over the summer and spent much of his time outdoors in boy scouts. I have to be on him constantly about sunscreen. Accutane is serious business. It should not be used until other avenues have been exhausted. This means *at least* six months of other topical and/or oral meds. You don't have to see a dermatologist to treat acne, but it is a good idea to get a referral if you can. Primary physicians can be hesitant to prescribe accutane because of its teratogenic effects and other serious side effects. Your physician should have labs drawn when accutane is started and occasionally throughout treatment because accutane can cause liver damage (this is why accutane is taken in cycles, to allow the accumulated metabolites to be eliminated before toxic levels are reached). Females have to have blood drawn every month (plus the month before treatment starts) to ensure they are not pregnant before they receive their refills. I respectfully disagree with the comment that acne will eventually go away. I was experiencing the same acne at age 30 that I was at 13. I did not make the decision to start my son on accutane lightly, but I would not forgive myself if I didn't do what I could to help him with his acne, knowing how much it affected my own self-esteem well into adulthood. The other major consideration that I haven't seen mentioned yet is cost. Obviously, costs will vary, but this is what I see on my bill: Dermatologist exam once per month - $120 Labs - $90 Amnesteem (40mg/day dose x 30 days)~ $300 (when Accutane was the only brand on the market, it was over $600/month!). Part of the reason that I chose to go forward with the accutane treatment for my son is because my insurance covers the majority of the expense, so in my mind, there really was no excuse for not giving it a try. I'm sorry this is long, but having been affected by acne for over half my life, I do feel strongly about the potential benefit of accutane. I know that many people have experienced negative effects from the medicine, so you should be an informed consumer and be aware of the possible effects before the medication is started. And you should not expect "miracle" results. My son will probably end up taking at least one more 6-month cycle, and I know some people take more than that. Send me an e-mail me if you want to talk more about this. Sydney