skin texture getting worse everyday and i'm flat broke. please help, i have no idea what to do next.

You should know I made this account specifically to help you and tell you from experience what happened to me. About 5 months ago in January I became obsessed with oil cleansing. Like, I had tried every oil under the sun... My favorite was Rosehip seed oil (RIP). But by March my face was covered w small flesh colored bumps that would turned progressively larger and more red and would eventually come to a head. It looked very similar to the photo that you put up but my case was a lot worse. They resembled pimples but benzoyl peroxide, which I would always use when I had acne years ago, did nothing. It was all over my face.

In total I spent probably at least $100 in products and $300 in doctors bills trying to find a solution. It killed me. I stopped talking to my friends, I became super depressed. Makeup didnt really hide the texture on my face, but it got to the point where I rather would have cut myself than let anyone see me without a full face of foundation. And unfortunately that's exactly what happened.

I don't think it's acne. I think it is a fungal infection caused by the overgrowth of Malassezia, a yeast that naturally occurs on everyones face. I believe that my over use of plant oils caused the yeast to go crazy and multiply. I also believe candida overgrowth has something to do with it: I am currently 3 weeks into a cleanse and my body has responded in incredibly positive ways, and not just on my face. However I must qualify that I am by no means a scientist, just a science major in school so my theories really aren't worth much. I still have the condition on my face but it has gotten a lot better, to the point where I am now mostly concerned about fading the hyperpigmentation it left behind.

I have some good news and some bad news! Luckily what worked for me cost exactly $0. I quit washing my face. With oil. With cleanser. With water. I did the "caveman" thing and by the first week it had improved! Supposedly some people have found success washing their face with Zinc Soap, but I found that not doing anything to my face allowed the bumps to keep from spreading by not popping the heads and creating more blisters. I kept my face dry, but not so dry that your skin gets oily in response.

The only thing I do is keep my face SLATHERED in petroleum jelly when I am at home and overnight. This isn't going to actively fight the bumps, it just allows your skin to work to heal them from the inside, quicker than if I were to just let them scab over. I currently use Aquaphor because I find it easy to apply and relatively unobtrusive. I have been doing this for maybe a month total and I am finally feeling like I have "cured" my face. Am mostly just dealing with redness/scars.

If you or anyone else is curious, I have done a good bit of research into this condition and also have a bunch of old products I tried to fight it with that I would offer to ship to you if you lived in the U.S.

But I highly recommend that you let your skin breathe & heal and also to eat more healthily: Coconut oil, lean meats and green vegetables ++ And drink tons of water to keep your skin hydrated

Good luck and be crazy thankful that you have people around the world offering their love and support.

/r/SkincareAddiction Thread