Skin Battle: Differin and Aczone

I have no idea how blogs work exactly, but I figure if someone searches for those terms, this might pop up.

I have been struggling with acne since my mid-20s. Odd, since I had pretty great skin in my teens. I have tried several different treatments, including oral antibiotics, Retin-A and over the counter treatment regimens (Proactive, etc). Being on birth control pills seems to help for awhile but then my skin revolts and gets bad again. It seems to improve for a time after switching pills but then the breakouts recur. I have most recently been prescribed Aczone in the morning and Differin gel at bedtime. I have been using them for almost a month now and only washing my face with Cerave cleanser. I noticed almost an immediate improvement in the texture of my skin overall and a huge reduction in the angry outbreak on my forehead. I have also had minimal dryness and peeling, which is a change from previous treatments.

After a few weeks of improvement, I am now experiencing a flare-up. Several cysts and a couple pimples. It also also done almost nothing for blackheads around my nose and lips. The Aczone literature says it can show noticable results in 2 weeks, but Differin states up to 12 weeks. So I'm hoping I'm still in the improving stage. Thinking about trying Yaz, but I have a deductible health insurance plan, which I usually love, but currently I get my pills for free from work. Free is better than not free.

Anyway, just want to record that and see if any other skin people read and have comments. If you are one of the few friends who may read this, sorry for grossing you out!

Vacation: Time to rethink

I am on vacation all week with no big plans which is fabulous. I am sitting at my computer with the window open and a beautiful cool breeze blowing in thinking about what things I do want to accomplish while I have some time. I am formulating a new healthy life plan: Cutting out the bad things (fast food, soda) and adding back the good ones (regular attendance at the gym, cooking more meals at home). I have set goals about losing weight, paying off my credit card and saving money. I feel like concrete goals are easier to take steps to attain than general ideas, right?

I watched a few minutes of a lifecoach last night on TV talking about his system called "Excuses Begone!" It was basically asking you to challenge your negative self-talk and replace it with positive self-talk. For example: "I can't lose weight because it will be really difficult and I don't have the time." Are you 100% sure it will be really difficult and you won't have the time? No, that may or may not be true. "Losing weight will be easy and I will have the time." Are you 100% sure that's true? No, but it may or may not be true as well. So if those thoughts both have an equal chance of being true, why would you internalize the one that gives you no chance to reach your goal over the thought that does potentially move you closer to your goal?

Am I going to pay $300 for the system? No, and I am 100% sure of that! But it was engaging enough to get me thinking about it. So I am hoping to really do it this time, rather than think about how I could do it and keep putting it off.