I swear, I have more zits nearing my 30's than I ever did in my teens. For whatever reason I get them near the corners of my mouth or on my upper lip, below my nose. and they are painful. Anyone else have this issue? What do you use on them?

Yeppers...mostly on my forehead though, and sometimes on my chin. I don't use anything and cannot leave them alone. I am a picker, lol.

Silly question maybe... but are you perhaps using a lipstick that is clogging your pores around your mouth? Or wearing some moisturizing lip gloss to bed?

I used to get breakouts around my jaw and on my neck, but then I went back on a tri-level birth control pill about a year ago. That has its own risks, but I was getting really visible scarring from the evil eruptions which would be big and angry-looking The Pill has really cleared up my skin. I hate to admit I'm so vain but before, I was spackling on heavy wax-like cover-up over the red scars because people would stare So, I'm a fan of better living through chemistry.

Unfortunately I did not find anything over-the-counter that helped me 100% but I've heard good things about "Proactiv". Think that's the name, the skin care line they sell via mail order or on home shopping channels, created by 2 women dermatologists?

One thing I did use that seemed to help with normal zits (not my funky hormonal jaw-line breakouts) was colloidal silver applied on the skin's surface. I don't recommend DRINKING it as some do because some ionic formulations can turn you permanently blue if ingested! But a dab on your skin does not turn you blue

I've also used, on the more everyday line, toothpaste on a normal zit... left on overnight. It seems to help dry it out and heal it up faster, without the too-harsh drying I got from Oxy products.

I have very pale skin that is both dry and oily and was getting seborrheic dermatits on my face, rosacea, and small infected cysts (in other words big pimples).

The rosacea, I thought was permanent. The pimple flares, I thought were unpreventable, but then I got a bizarre nose infection that at first seemed to be impetigo (a bacterial infection). I looked like rudolph with a swollen, bright red, itchy, hot, scaley, crusty, oozy mess of a nose. I went to the dermatologist, and she diagnosed the seborrheic dermititis (which also causes dandruff, I don't often get dandruff of my scalp very often, but have periodically had problems with eyebrow and forehead dandruff).

This is a long story, but the dermatologist recommended that I use Head and Shoulders (or the generic equivalent) with pyrithione zinc as a face, hair, and body soap. It's been a miracle cure, clearing up the rosacea, the seb. derm., and I've not had a pimple or bacne (back acne) since. Zinc kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi. For flare-ups, or at the very slightest suspicion of a developing pimple, I use a dab of zinc oxide cream before I go to bed.

.... well, until yesterday. The H&S shampoo can be a bit drying, and when I ran out of my moisturizer, I decided to switch back to a moisturizing face soap I was using before the H&S. I started to get the impetigo symptoms again, so for the next few days, I'll be washing my face 3X a day with H&S and applying zinc oxide. The moral of the very long story, is I will never use anything but the H&S shampoo on my skin and hair ever again.

My sisters who both tend to get acne both switched to the H&S on my recommendation, and also swear by it.

mee too! and then they end up as scabs, I pick those, and ugh. I have been using this Burts Bees blemish stick, but it just burns bc it has some alcohol in it. I just wish they would go away, I don't know what's up, I wash myself with a face wash twice daily and a moisteriser.

not a silly question at all. I haven't thought of it, I don't use any lipstick, or lip gloss, BUT I do use chapstick ALL the time bc my lips are always so dry. I sopose that could be it, but I have been using lots of chapstick for many many years.

I started using Proactive a year ago and it is amazing - I still get the occasional blemish but otherwise my skin has been so clear - I highly recommend it!

I'm on proactive, have been for quite a few years but it seems to be losing its effectiveness and my breakouts are getting worse again. I tried switching to Philosophy Acne kit, but it didn't seem to do much other than lighten my eyebrows (which I was planning on doing anyway, so at least I got that done). Someone recommended washing with Cetaphil cleanser. But I'm also willing to try the Head and Shoulders idea. My problem is that my skin gets SO oily so fast. I guess if it dries out too much from the cleanser it ends up getting ever more oily than normal to compensate. I have those oil absorbing sheets that I used like 3 times a day. I wash in the morning and by noon I can use up at least 2 sheets with all the oil on my face. Then again I have to use them in the afternoon.

I was wondering about something else-cinsidering that you are speaking of the ance being concentrated around the mouth and lips area...

Do you have a habit of putting your hands in this area, such as resting your hand on your chin/lower face when you work, sleep, etc.? This is a prime cause of blemishes around the mouth and chin-that isn't oily skin related.

If you touch your face often in that area, you could have on a hand lotion or something that is transferring to your face, causing the acne.

Possibility?

That happens to me sometimes. I break out on my chin because I rest my chin on my hands a lot when I'm really tired or stressed. Also, I sometimes drool at night and I've noticed that will make me break out more too.

I'm 29 and am currently on my second round of Roaccutane (which is just Accutane in the U.S.). I'm loving it! My lips are very dry from it, but my skin is smooth and clear and I take less time to put on my make up in the morning. It's strong stuff, but seeing a dermatologist was the best way for me to deal with the problem. I tried ProActiv and it was just terrible for me. But I'm a strong advocate of drying zits out with an astringent/toner that contains alcohol, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid.

Your best bet besides shelling out the money to go to a dermatologist is to use products that contain alcohol, salicylic acid or glycolic acid like Diana the Hun said. I use Clinque's 3 step Acne Solutions skin care and they have salicylic acid in it and it sure clears me up and keeps me clear and they also have products that are for the body too in case you get acne as well on your chest, back or whatever. I've been on accutane twice myself so my acne used to be very severe. I also did try ProActiv myself and I'm terribly allergic to that skincare line unfortunately but back when I tried it I was very impressed with their customer service as well and their promptness in returning my money.