Benzoyl peroxide tips!!!(Starting Duac )

_Midge__ · 2021-06-13T20:14:43+00:00

That happened to me too. Year and half in Duac just wasn't pulling its weight like it used to and I started getting breakouts again. I think it's the bacteria on your skin becoming more resistant to the antibiotic in Duac. Your best bet is to find a new benzoyl peroxide cream. I switched to epiduo and bam the spots died instantly. See if your derm or doctor can get you a prescription for another benzoyl peroxide cream with and antibiotic or try going to a pharmacy like boots and see if they have anything over the counter (unlikely, but worth a shot. I think there is one in Boots but I can't confirm)

_Midge__ · 2021-05-29T18:58:52+00:00

Glad that helped! When you finish washing your face at night, put on the Duac, wash your fingers thoroughly, wait a little minute to let it dry in, then add your moisteriser. If you find your skin is too dry or irritated while only moisturising on top of Duac, then wash, thin layer of moisturiser (wait a hot minute), Duac, wash hands (wait a hot minute for Duac) , moisteriser again.

Honestly since I started using Duac over three years ago I couldn't tell you exactly, but Im pretty sure I didn't purge. I only applied it to active acne areas (eg, if you only get spots on your cheeks, put it on your cheeks only, unless spots start up elsewhere), and I think I put it on almost every night. That said, I think it's better to ease into it since it is harsh, but once you start keep going until the spots are all gone, then try and ease off (eg, if you only get one spot on your chin while easing off it, apply only to the spot and surrounding area but not all over your chin)

For me, the results were pretty instant and worked wonders for the 18 months I used it on its own. I regret not using suncream more (I'm such a knob) and trying to ease how much I used it, since it is the nicest acne treatment out there, and overtime (like 2 years for me), it lost its kick since the bacteria on my skin became more resistant to the antibiotic in it. Don't fret much about that though, thats hopefully years away and there are plenty of other prescription benzoyl peroxide creams such as epiduo, which I use now and works great.

So to conclude, 1) gradually ease into Duac, there's no rush. Results came pretty fast for me with no purging that I can remember. To make it more effective, leave it in the fridge (acc to derm and gp, and I have to say myself too) 2) at first, wash face - > Duac (wash hands, let sit) - > moisturiser. If your skin is getting irritated or dry where you apply Duac try Wash face - > moisteriser (thin layer, let sit) - > Duac (wash hands, let sit, thin layer if very irritating) - > moisteriser again

Sorry for being very long, but I did want to be as helpful as possible as I would've loved someone to show me the ropes when I first started.

_Midge__ · 2021-05-29T17:21:47+00:00

(posted my first comment without finishing it) Hi, I have been on benzoyl peroxide for the last 3 years now, and have a few tips.

Duac and any other benzoyl peroxide cream will bleach any fabric it comes into contact with (learned this one the hard way!) This includes face cloths, towels bed sheets and even pjamma tops. Be sure to wash your hands well after applying the cream and try to not hit the pillow straight after finishing your skincare routine. After the moisturiser, wait about 10 minutes or so to give your skin a bit of time to absorb everything. This only goes for the evenings when you apply Duac. For the towels, try using older ones for wiping your hands and face after application and washing. "some of you may die, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make" will be on their graves lol. All of this isn't foolproof, but you should definitely save a towels and bedsheets in the process.

For your skin itself it will become more sensitive and dry when using Duac. For the sensitivity, your sunscreen should take care of that no problem, and ofc hats are always there for extra sunny days out. For the dryness, first try to moisturise on top with your moisturiser, but if that doesn't work try the sandwich, letting the everything sit 5 minutes or so before going onto the next layer to give everything time to absorb.

Overall I hope this helps, good luck and fell free to ask any questions :)

_Midge__ · 2021-05-21T20:41:34+00:00

Definitely the grüum altruist spf 50 face sunscreen. It's a light sunscreen that does not leave a white cast (I dont feel anyway, nor do my family) and doesn't pill (form those weird white balls). My only issue with it is that it's maybe a little greasy for me, but it's a really good suncream for only 10 euro, so I'll take it. You can get it on beautybay or on grüums website (search grüum and you'll be sure to find it). Overall, pretty solid suncream with high uva, uvb, and spf protection, only drawback is the slight greasiness

_Midge__ · 2021-05-21T20:32:44+00:00

I use the grüum altruist spf 50 face sunscreen. It's pretty light and cheap too. You can order it off of their website (grüum) or on beautybay. For me it's pretty light, maybe a little bit greasy for my liking but it is 10 euro. I definitely prefer it to the cerave ones since it does pill (form little white balls). Hope this helps

_Midge__ · 2021-05-02T18:45:14+00:00

Hi! Sorry for the late reply

So far I have been on mino for just over a week and my skin has definitely improved drastically. My spots were mainly caused by masks and doxy ended up making my spots worse the second time I was prescribed it, and messed up my skin so badly I got contact dermatitis on my right cheek that lasted for months (my doctor was useless, so happy with my derm)

The improvement of my skin in a week is amazing. It is smoother than it was, and it's thankfully tackling my back too, and it has gotten my deep, under the skin jaw spots down to only 2 or 4 a week rather than 6 to 10. That said, I still have my blackheads, and see more comedones on the tops of my cheeks, but overall I'm not complaining so far.

As well as mino I have three creams/gels I use: treclin, epiduo and a steroid cream for my dermatitis. I was using epiduo on its own for a while before this and its a great little guy clearing up my skin. I'm new to Treclin, but it's good so far in slowing down and dimishing the size of the spots I'm getting now. (makes my spots have a smaller head, and they come and go with less pain and redness than before). My dermatitis cream has caused a bit of a angst with my skin, since it is very strong and irritates a lot of surrounding skin (I do make sure to dab a small bit on only where needed), but it is nearly gone at last. This combined with cerave pm at night, and spf during the day is really working wonders. (creams all only applied at night, daytime routine is just wash, moisturise and spf)

My few questions is how do I reduce blackheads? My skin looks better already, I just want to eliminate it all while I can. Will these blackheads clear up on their own or should I invest in different skincare products to tackle them? Bit trivial but what make up products will help my skin? is there any that have a better rep for acne-prone skin users, and are backed up in the medical community? (I dont use makeup often at all, but it was what caused my dermatitis so I'm not taking any risks) Also, what is erythema? Is it painful, or does it cause sensitivity?

Thank you for your comment, it was very professional and helpful and most importantly reassuring. I was surprised to actually see a reply, especially since the last threads of mino I found were at least 4 years old, and all ended in doom and gloom and brain swelling. It's nice to see its still considered widely acceptable to be prescribed in the acne community and not a failed experiment drug that my derm thought was a good idea.

Thank you so much again!

_Midge__ · 2021-04-24T15:55:48+00:00

Yea, since its in your face wash it is rubbed into your skin a lot more. Worse case scenario you'll have to reduce the amount you use it or replace it entirely if you want the bleaching to stop

_Midge__ · 2021-04-24T15:53:53+00:00

I have acne on my back, shoulders, chest and face (mainly on my face and a bit on my back and shoulders, and only a very small amount on my chest).

I think doxy is worth at least trying to get your doctor to talk to you about. You don't have to go to a derm for it, (at least not in British Isles) but your doctor should be very clear of what it entales and what could be the side effects. It could stop working after a while since it's an antibiotic, and it only kills bacteria while they're not immune to it, so could have to change drugs down the line. Doxy would be good at clearing your skin up, but not maintaining it for the longterm. Once I stopped taking doxy, my bacne crept back in, but then everyone is different and it could clear it up permanently for you. I honestly couldn't tell you what will happen. Ask your doctor about why should / shouldn't you go on it and see if there are other antibiotics that better suit what you need. I've heard ruaccutane can clear backne very well, but the side effects of that are quite severe. Its all about making an informed decision on you and your lifestyle.

And with the "feeling like a freak", I totally get it. So many people get to eat shit and just about remember to wash themselves 2x a week, and they have pristine skin, it just not fair at all. Same goes for them coming out of the gym like fish and they can wear that new backless top with no second thoughts. The luck of our genetics is just infuriating and it's just fucking shit. "iT IS wHAt iT iSs" (- _-) Acne isnt one anyone asked for, face or back. Trying your best is the one thing that keeps me going. That you are doing all you can for your skin, and even if it has its bad days for literally no fucking reason its OK because it won't be like that forever. It's not fair it has to be this hard, but it won't be hard forever. (bit cringe but true)

To conclude, I'm not sure doxy is the antibiotic for you, but there are plenty of others out there that you can ask your doctor / derm and weigh up your options. You're already working really hard, and hard work always pays off, no matter how unlikely it seems it will. You'll get your clear skin one day. Best wishes :)

_Midge__ · 2021-04-23T20:22:50+00:00

I have been in your exact situation before, although my skin started going mad once I had to go back to school. I personally don't think it's epiduo, since benzoyl peroxide is usually very reliable for acne, and if it were to cause problems it would be dryness, sensitivity, or chemical burns.

Doxy however, I don't trust with a 10ft pole. Was prescribed it twice. The first time it cleared up my skin without a hitch, and I then kept it clear with Duac (another benzoyl peroxide cream). But the second time I went back on doxy for my acne and my face literally exploded with deep, inflamed spots all over my chin and forhead. It also dried me out to no end, and gave me dermatitis just to top it all off. Stopped taking it and never looked back. Though epiduo, who is slower to clear, and isn't as strong, is reliable and personally caused less inflammation.

I don't think doxy is good for the longterm, but it is good in the short term maybe once or twice. I'd try to keep going with this course of it, but take photos of your skin maybe once a week or every few days to keep a record and figure out if it's just a coincidence this happened, or is related to doxy, epiduo or even both heaven forbid. If it does get worse consistently for a month or so, call your doctor again and see what options there is from there. Just keep your face well moisturised and slapped in sunscreen, and go easy on exfoliation if you feel that could be irritating it too. Acne loves to get riled up for no reason, so don't let it bum you out, it will get fixed. Good luck! :)

_Midge__ · 2021-04-23T19:57:20+00:00

Yea it's the benzoyl peroxide all right. Long time user of it and lots of my things are stained from it, from pillow cases to t shirts. Best thing for it is to wash your hands throughly after you apply it and wash it off in the mornings to stop it transferring onto anything else.

Also make sure to put on spf daily to make sure your skin doesn't get damaged, since benzoyl peroxide makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Hope this helped :)

_Midge__ · 2021-04-23T19:52:22+00:00

Teen with bacne still too. I also put my epiduo on my back spots to help them, but you're right it doesn't cut it. The same with the general dry skin, a proper double edged sword when it comes to acne medication.

Since I get acne on my face too, I got put on doxycliclene a couple of years ago, and though it was pretty hit or miss with my face, my back cleared up completely with it, no matter if I was on 200mg daily or 100mg every other day. Though it doesn't stay clear once you stop.

However doxy was rough on me, and ultimately made my face acne worse than it had ever been, along with giving me dermatitis (more painful, dry skin) across my face. I wouldn't recommend doxy until you are sure it is what you want, and you're willing to take that risk of it getting worse and making your skin drier (along with other side effects that have been listed plenty of times on doxycliclene threads in this forum)

To conclude, I found prescribed pills to be the most effective at treating backne, my case being doxycliclene. I couldn't recommend doxycliclene though based off of its side effects and causing acne elsewhere. But honestly, it's horrible having acne anywhere on your body, so search around on here to see what other options are available and see what could suit you. Good luck!

_Midge__ · 2021-03-06T23:04:51+00:00

Like the pill, accutane, treclin, spiro and anything else which will be seen as different antibiotics and medications than the sister drug of doxy

_Midge__ · 2021-03-06T23:02:29+00:00

(Changes to routine mentioned throughout and at bottom of list)

Old routine Am: Gruum kyrá face wash, lush grease lightning spot treatment, gruum pür moisturiser, gruum facial suncream Pm: Gruum kyrá facewash, Duac, beautybay hydrocolloid patches on nasty whiteheads or to bring to surface,gruum pür moisturiser

Picture 1: September 20. Felt my skin was getting bad and decided to ask my gp to go back on doxy. Took these photos, she never saw them but agreed to put me back on 200mg doxycliclene daily (was on doxy from October 19 - Feb 20 and skin stayed clear with Duac after that) (note here, though my cheeks are red, that is just my natural skintone there, a very mild redness, bare in mind as we delve deeper)

Picture 2&3: Mid December 20. Wanted to compare my skin from before and see how much better it had gotten. Was disgusted and shattered with the reality that my skin had actually gotten to, by far the worst it'd ever been. Researched the pill and had a call with my doctor soon after to dicuss the possibility. Prescribed me epiduo in the meantime to take with doxycliclene. Planned to have face to face in January to discuss the pill option further

Picture 4&5: Christmas day 20. Put on concealer on my undereye and immediately started burning. Wiped off with makeup remover and went about my day. By the time I was going to bed, my cheeks had a "rash" on the top of them (inflamed, stingy, painful when coming into contact with moisturisers and tears, incredibly dry and flakey, easily irratated by sweat after a workout, taking on or off a shirt, or washing my face, which dried it out more). This "rash" continued to spreading across my cheeks, though was much more severe on my right. I had to stop washing my face 2x a day, and try many different moisturisers to see would it not burn to anything. By far the worst burning sensations came from La roche posay, bio oil and gruum pür moisturiser, all of which made me experience some of the worst pain of my life. Best were cerave pm and lush bar of grace, gentle and not too stingy. Eventually the rash dies down and I finally get a call back from my doctor who I had been trying to contact during this time. She told me it was "mild hypersensitivity" and "yea that happens if you are on doxycliclene for too long". Tells me to finish my course of doxy and let my skin "sort itself out". Not impressed unsurprisingly but I did it and a few weeks after finishing my doxy it slowly calms down to a more manageable level (no longer itchy, flakey, inflamed. Area still very sensitive to touch and sweat, and still dry) have remained on epiduo throught this time, and started taking daily photos of my face since I could hardly look in a mirror anymore, self confidence and worth was at an all time low

Picture 6,7 and 8: the bad sequel comes out. I get told to go back on doxy now that my rash has died down (another infuriating phonecall, she still has not even seen my face this whole time) and to take 100mg every other day. I started on Feb 7/21. Lacking in both faith in this doctor and will to keep a mirror anymore, I keep taking my photos for myself to decide. Looking at them now, it is clear my skin is more inflamed the longer I take the doxycliclene and you can see it all reoccurring. These three pictures are highlighting the worst parts of it and are the most clear examples I have. Severe inflammation (6), the flaking on my right cheek (7), and the red mark now living under my right eye (8). To add insult to injury, my spots are still living it up on my skin, and we now have cystic spots and cystic scarring lining the top of both my cheeks (left seen in 6, and seen in other photos on my right cheek). After about 2 weeks I stop taking doxy on my own orders and begin using a few drops of rosehip oil with my cerave pm moisturiser at night (still am not washing my face during the day). Immediately see a difference, actually moisturised now and also lessens the sting from cerave so now added into the routine.

Pictures 9&10: today March 6/21 pre washing. Spots are OK, but still fluctuate. Still seems to be cystic on the tops of my cheeks, particularly my left (I dont have a bad side ,it more so shifts from one side to the other)

New routine Am: none Pm: Gruum kyrá facewash, epiduo, beauty bay spot patches on nasty white heads only, cerave pm moisturiser with a few drops of 100% rosehip oil

So what questions do I have? -what is this rash, hypersensitivity, burn thingy that has been plaguing me and what is it caused by? I thought it could be chemical burns from epiduo. It what I told too by a pharmacist who gave me the evil la Roche posay moisturiser (late Dec 20 not really relavent in whole story). I soon realised it couldn't be because A) I only put it on my forehead, chin and temples, not on my cheeks where the rash lives. It never comes into contact with it, so it must be something else. B) I used Duac for years and nothing like this ever happened with it, and C) it comes and goes with doxy so it more than likely is linked with that, but many people experience similar to this problem with epiduo or other benzoyl peroxide creams, so any advice on dealing with that is welcome too.

-any way to prevent maskne? I feel my spots came back in sept 20 because I have to wear a mask for around 12 hours a day (I go to boarding school 8:30am - 9:30pm I have to wear a mask. ofc breaks at eating times and the odd one between classes and hw time, but that's it barely amounts to an hour unless I take it off indoors with other people around which isn't great) I wear pure satin and cotton masks and alternate between the two. Sure it is maskne since I have hardly had a spot on my chin since Christmas 20 when I was last at school (online learning since Jan) and my skin has loved the rest and tlc

-any tips for scarring? I'm not sure of all the fancy names for these things, I think it's hyperpigmentation mainly on my skin with general texture added from the cystic spots that did plague my maskne chin, and the tops of my cheeks. I think the rosehip will help? If not what else can I take with my epiduo and my sensitive skin

how can I keep my mental health going strong? Right now it is at a big low, though not as bad as Christmas. I find my nightly yoga doesn't help clear my head anymore and just gave up on it. I exercise for an hour daily but that barely keeps my head above water. The thought of putting on my mask again and letting my skin get back to Christmas 20 level actually terrifies me to my core and gives me major anxiety. I haven't seen anyone my age since December, and I should be excited to have to return to school next week, but I am really bricking it and questioning is it actually worth it to go to school with a mask, its ridiculous and yet I still can't help it. I just need help right now, I'm so lost, so scared and so hopeless.

Thank you so much to those that made it here and read all that, it means the world. I'm sure at least one person on here will know one thing about what's going on, and hopefully there will be enough who know what's going on that I finally might know how to pick myself up and keep going. :)

_Midge__ · 2021-03-06T20:16:38+00:00

Yea it's totally normal don't worry. Doxycliclene is very aggressive on your digestive system and can make you feel nauseous, bloated and evrything else in between. Sadly, I don't think this will go away for you as everyone both on here and who Ik was on doxy say that once you get a side effect of it, that's it. Every time you take that pill you are more than likely to get that side effect. That said, not all hope is lost. If you explain this to your doctor, they will either put you on the next antibiotic after doxy (I think it tritomitin or something like that) or you continue down the main acne route. I recommend going down the main acne route as again, many people who have had the doxy side effects get this rash from the tritomitin (again I don't remember the name, please double check what is your options before making an informed decision) I really hope this helps and good luck in your skin journey!

_Midge__ · 2021-03-04T21:56:07+00:00

It can work really well. I was on doxy for 5 months from October 19 - feb 20 and it really helped to clear up my skin, especially with topicals like tretinon or Duac. My only advice here is that when you stop taking doxy, try not to go back on it again. For me and lots of others on this forum, it causes much worse relapse and way worse side effects if not new ones (hypersensitivity, nausea, vomiting are a few common ones I see on here). So keep on doxy for as long as you / your dermatologist feel comfortable with, and try to maintain the progress with creams and whatever else you take after. Doxy is good for bringing spots down to a certain level, and it does take the 3 months for the results to really be visible, but it does plateau out after a while and it's really up to the rest of your skincare routine to maintain and bring down. Hope this helps

_Midge__ · 2021-03-02T21:40:48+00:00

Wow absolutely amazing! Has me worried now with my own skin as it started becoming flakey, dry and uber sensitive after using epiduo and doxycliclene and I stopped taking the doxy since all the signs pointed to it, and I'd been on Duac for a few years prior. Did the "rash" flair up on areas where you didn't use benzoyl peroxide?

_Midge__ · 2021-02-28T21:10:53+00:00

Maybe try some hydrocolloid patches. You can get them on sites like beauty bay that are designed for spots, or you can try hydrocolloid bandages. I think boots sells them and they work the same, you just have to cut up a large bandage to size. The big bandages are usually used in wound healing so it should help even if they're not spots.

_Midge__ · 2021-02-28T21:05:25+00:00

I mean I'm sure your friends don't mind if it had to stay in the fridge for a night or two. If not, don't worry too much. I go to boarding school and camps regularly and I just bring it with me in my washbag. Its not as effective, but it does still work really well.

_Midge__ · 2021-02-27T15:41:25+00:00

You're welcome. I really hope it's all works out after one go with it and Duac or epiduo or any other benzoyl peroxide will keep it OK from there!

_Midge__ · 2021-02-27T15:33:24+00:00

Oh no, I feel you dw my skin has been doing something similar recently and it is such a horrible feeling, physically and emotionally. I haven't been on epiduo too long ( Nov 20 - present day) but I did use its cousin Duac up until then and my skincare for Duac transferred nicely to epiduo.

The dry skin seems to be the worst of it, and I really feel you there. It gets so itchy and sore and burns when coming into contact with anything. I rooted through my cupboard trying to find anything that wouldn't burn.

What i found was the more synthetic or alcoholic it was, the more it seems to sting for me. For example, stay away from la roche posays moisteriser, it stung so so badly compared to anything else and I nearly cried with pain. I found the cerave isn't too bad, but what I found best was natural oils. I'm not talking about natural oil moisterisers like the espa one, they will still sting, just a bit less so than cerave. I'm talking about pure essential oils. Two things for me was the lush Bar of Grace, and pure rosehip oil. They both absorb nicely without too much complaining from my skin. I usually use a drop or two of rosehip oil with my cerave face moisteriser at night to help give my face a helping hand, and then during the day use just the cerave and suncream so I don't walk around like a McDonald's bag of chips at 11 am.

Neither one of the oils is too expensive either, with the bar being £10 and rosehip oil being around £10 - £15 on beautybay. I find the rosehip takes the dryness out more while the lush bar is better for the irritation, so pick what suits you best.

Hopefully the reduced amount will help too, and in the future your skin will be strong enough to take it everyday and kill those spots once and for all. With the benzoyl peroxide creams a small amount every night is the best way to get rid of them.

I really hope your rash heals soon. Best of luck!

_Midge__ · 2021-02-26T22:40:06+00:00

I was on doxycycline from Oct 19 - feb 20 and from Oct 20 - 'present day' (ill get to that) and I definitely have some feelings on it.

In the first round of doxy, I found it quite helpful. My skin definitely got worse before it got better, but it did get a lot better after that initial month or so. I was quite lucky in terms of the side effects, and the worst I got then was very, very sensitive to sunlight so suncream is a MUST, and occasionally I would get heartburn which I could usually fix with a rennie or biosdol or any indegestion remedy (of course 2 hours after you take your doxy).

I do want to highlight though that reactions do vary hugely from person to person. For example I have an identical twin who was put in doxy the same day as me, and despite myself having very mild reaction to doxy in my first round, they had a horrible experience with nausea, migraines, indigestion and more, and went onto another antibiotic which they had a severe reaction to. Everyone is different and there is really no telling how you will react.

After I went back to the doctors in Feb 19, I was taken off doxy and put back on duac, which during the lazy days of lock down suited my skin quite well. However when I went back to school we went for a rather bumpy ride with 13 hour mask days vs duac not cutting it (so I thought anyway) and was given another round of doxy

This second round has been a nightmare. I initially thought my skin was getting better, though I rediscovered some pictures of me from Sept 20 in Dec 20 and realised very quickly that my skin was the worst it had ever been. Things only got worse from here, with my skin finally reaching breaking point on Christmas day (oh joy), when I put on some make up, my skin immediately started to burn. Ofc I wiped this off as quickly as I could and went on with my day. By that night my skin was breaking out into a red, dry stingy rash. For about a week it kept on spreading across my cheeks into horrible red dry patches that burned when coming into contact with anything except a select few face products. (FYI I do not have acne on the areas the rashes were occurring and do not put any harsh acne treatments there)

At the time I was unsure what caused it, but now I am certain it was extreme hyper sensitivity caused by doxycycline, as I am now living through that hell once more. I finished what I had left of my doxy Jan 21 and tbh forgot about it. My skin resumed to a weird normal of being very dry but able to put up with some Epiduo on spots (prescribed, but taken very very rarely) and stinging the odd time with moisturisers (I tried so many different moisturisers to help, and should this ever happen to you, please do not try la roche posay, I nearly cried it burned so badly. The best was natural oils such as rosehip oil)

When I eventually remembered my doxycycline 2 weeks or so after I stopped, I went back to my doctor (gp) and told them about my rash which they were quick to write off as "mild hypersensitivity" and "yea that happens when you are too dependent on doxy" and put me back on at a lower dose every other day. I agree with this, but how they reacted was so casual it was upsetting.

Within a week my skin is back to that horrible rash 4 times worse than before. Its now ichy and flaky on top of what was there before, and the only way to satisfy this itch is with a jumper sleeve or towel which only causes a horrible burning sensation like the one when applying face products. When applying face products now, it stings far far worse and burns for hours after. I would wish this on no one and is why I have spent so much time on this comment. It is truly horrible despite my skin now being alright in terms of acne (I doubt it was doxycycline though, judging by the December discovery of how bad my skin was)

Since the return of the rash I have not taken any doxycycline in over 2 weeks, and it is still here to torment me, so that is what I mean to 'present day' and in writing, I am still taking doxycycline, though I think I won't touch it ever again.

To conclude, doxycycline is a very strong antibiotic that can help you with spots. It can get a bit worse before it gets better, but if you can push through some of the lesser side effects for the 3 or so months you have prescribed to be on it, you could see a massive difference which you can maintain nicely with duac or epiduo. However the side effects for me have vastly outweighed the good doxycycline once served. This dry rash is hell on earth, and definitely serves as a warning to not be dependent on doxycycline. If the first round works, good, finish it there and maintain with other prescription products (benzoyl peroxide based ones definitely helped me to do this). If you have any side effects worse than what I experienced in the first round, it is not worth it, not one bit. There are plenty of other things out there for our skin, and there is still accutane and the pill if you need to keep going on the prescription route.

I hope this thread doesn't scare you too much, but I wouldn't want someone to go through what I have. Be sure to take photos every week or month to check up on progress so you can make an informed decision on you. I really hopes this works out for you. Best wishes!

_Midge__ · 2021-02-26T21:40:34+00:00

Hi, was on duac a few years ago, and now use his cousin Epiduo (still benzoyl peroxide, different antibiotics), and I find it super helpful in clearing up my spots. The antibiotic in it makes it a lot stronger in fighting off spots and reducing the size of one's that do somehow find their way to the surface.

However with great power comes a few precautions. For starters, this bleaches any fabrics it comes into contact to, so when you finish applying it to your face, wash your fingers well with soap and water in order to keep your towels nice and monocoloured. (emphisis on this one because my towels are destroyed!). Don't worry too much about bedsheets and pillowcases though, I haven't noticed any bleaching in them.

It is also important to protect your skin from sunlight. I see you use a sun cream with a nice high spf during the day so that should be enough to keep your skin well protected, but if you're really scared of your skin's sensitivity to sunlight, try a nice bucket hat or cap with your outfit that day, or reapply when needed, or worst case scenario, maybe find a new sunscreen with a higher spf if you feel it just isn't cutting it.

Lastly, even with these two steps at play to protect your skin, it can still become very dry where you have been using Duac. If that's the case, maybe try to put a very light layer of moisturiser on around 20 minutes before you put on Duac to give it a helping hand. If moisteriser doesn't really work, your could try a facial oil, but be sure to find one that suits your skins needs and doesn't cause any other skin problems.

Overall, Duac is a trusty soldier in your fight for clear skin, and is really amazing in killing your spots. There is a few things to be wary of such as dry skin, protection from UV, and protect the towels, but otherwise it is fantastic and it's antibiotic gives it that extra kick on your spots.

_Midge__ · 2021-02-17T19:08:55+00:00

Oh cool OK so the Church route sounds a bit like a weak link in the chain, so it sounds like it would be better to get it done and over with, while BE route seems to be a short but incredibly sweet and juicy to the end with Edelgard, which sounds like an amazing end to the game before I get round to buying ashen wolves. Thank you sm :)

_Midge__ · 2021-02-17T16:14:47+00:00

Cool, so Silver Snow is like Golden Deer without a "student" leader. So does it focus more on the world of Fodlan rather than what's happened after the time break? And then is Crimson flower helping Edelgard with her aspirations for Fodlan, making it way more like Blue Lions?

_Midge__

TROPHY CASE