I was ridiculously happy to find this email in my inbox! Stories like this just warm my little heart. Please read ahead and be inspired by this man’s acne success story.
Like many of us here, Logan spent years struggling with acne, cysts, debilitating shame, and an all too familiar addiction to chemical acne treatments.
This is the story of how he learned to listen to his body, through which he healed physically and emotionally, and finally found freedom after so many long, painful years:
My name is Logan. I’m a 30-year old guy living in South Florida.
I’ve dealt with acne, cysts and especially the devastating shame that comes from the compulsion to pick at my face since I was probably about 15.
To say that anxiety concerning my skin has been a big part of my adult life is an understatement.
Enslaved by my skin would be a better way to put it. Utterly terrified of what it might decide to do, or what I might decide to do to it.
Usually I find I’m my own worst enemy.
Ever since I started washing my face with Clearasil and using benzoyl peroxide products as a teenager my skin got progressively worse and worse. In high school I went on Tetracycline but it didn’t really help much. Then when I was 19 my mother discovered ProActiv Solution. She started using it and passed it on to me.
The first time I used ProActiv it seared my face red like a massive sunburn. I felt the pain meant it was working so I stuck with it. Day and night. The 3-piece system became my crutch.
And I think it did work. By completely changing the biology and quality of my skin.
I used Proactiv for 10 years straight.
10 years of chemicals on my face in hopes of preventing acne and restoring some semblance of control and self-esteem.
Mostly it worked. If I had it. If I didn’t have it, or was running low, I was like a crack addict searching Amazon for the best deals on new kits or frantically trying to find the nearest kiosk mall dispensary.
But it didn’t stop everything. Especially over the last couple years I began getting more and more painful cysts that ProActiv seemed powerless to prevent.
At 30 years old I knew my acne wasn’t hormonal.
The breaking point came when I got skin cancer. A spot on my forehead which required surgery to remove.
The doctors all told me it was from the sun and since I was so fair I should stay out of the sun…but my intuition told me differently.
In my gut, I believe in my body. I believe it knows how to heal and care for itself if only I let it.
So I started researching other methods of skin care – natural products – organic washes. In theory, “good things” to put on my skin.
Of course when I switched my face went bonkers. The worst acne I’ve ever had. Total ProActiv withdrawal. I’d experienced before when I’d tried to get off ProActiv, but never to this extent.
I was terrified. I ran back to the mall to buy more chemical dope fast as I could.
But after a few days I had a moment of clarity. I realized there had to be a better way.
In the past few years I’d changed so much about my life. I’d gone from being a heroin addict and alcoholic to 2 years sobriety. I knew that if I didn’t break my cycle of ProActiv addiction now I might never be free. And a lifetime of potentially cancerous skin care was not an option.
So I scoured the internet for stories. There had to have been other people who got off ProActiv – who freed themselves from this horrible cycle of dependency and broken self-esteem. How did they do it?
And then I found The Love Vitamin. And what I read on your site changed my life.
The philosophy behind the Caveman Regimen fit everything my intuition was telling me about my life:
Stop trying and just let go.
Just let it be.
You don’t have bad skin. You’re giving yourself bad skin. You are the problem.
I felt like the weight of the world lifted off my chest.
All I had to do was nothing.
I commenced at once. April 24 2013. I will never forget the date.
For 30 days I put nothing on my skin. Not even water. Not one drop.
As seems to be the norm, my face grew a mask of dead skin and began to heal itself. After 30 days I removed the mask with a wet cloth.
And then I kept going. I let the mask grow back and removed it again. I occasionally put water on my face but nothing else.
I don’t want to go into the specifics of how my face looked at every stage, but now I am coming up on 10 months with nothing but water and my face has never ever ever ever ever looked this good. Not ever.
I have not washed my face in 10 months and my skin is amazing.
My skin is not oily or dry. It is smooth and glowing.
This goes against the tenets of everything we are fed as teenagers and adults by a cosmetic industry that wants to keep us sick and dependent.
Make no mistake, my face went through a lot of detox to get where it is today. Also, examining every part of my diet played a huge part. I completely eliminated caffeine, dairy and gluten. I only eat whole foods. Real food. I listen to my body.
I think that’s the biggest point I want to make. I have learned to listen to my body. Not just about my face – but about every aspect of my health.
I am learning what it takes to keep my body healthy and happy. At 30 years old, I feel like it’s about time.
I know for 100% certain that the health of my skin depends on what I put into my body and not on external factors.
One last bit:
for the last month my skin was looking good but I still had these breakouts around my mouth and chin in the area regulated by stomach, intestines and diet.
I knew it wasn’t anything to do with food because I was eating super clean.
But what about what I was drinking….nothing but water…but what kind of water…
I had been drinking a lot of tap water. Fluoride. Snap.
I stopped any consumption of tap water and started making my own toothpaste out of coconut oil and baking soda.
The rest of my acne cleared up completely in a week.
Tap water, Tracy. Tap water.
Horrifying to think about, but I am so grateful to know my body in this way. To know what sets it off and how I can take care of it.
I’ve wanted to write you and say thank you for a while now, but I wanted to wait until the six month mark. I feel like this is close enough.
So thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for what you are doing. It is so so so so valuable and in my opinion is not discussed enough.
I know what it feels like to suffer at your own hand. Especially the picking and the agonizing. I know that pain so well.
I think you’ve created a beautiful place, not just for skin care – but for life care. And that’s really what this is about. Healthy inside and out.
The freedom I feel today is like a white light. It’s beautiful beyond my wildest dreams.
Acne is bad, but the emotional toll it takes is even worse. The emotional and psychological trauma associated with acne to be an incredibly substantial and largely unrecognized and untreated mental 
health issue. For it goes far, far beyond the physical. I know you understand this all too well.
Thank you again so much.
Many blessings to you Tracy.
Logan.
PS. I’ve attached a picture of myself I took this morning.
** UPDATE from Tracy ** This topic has been so popular, I’ve finally decided to create ‘Caveman Regimen: The Ultimate Guide’ to answer all your questions and help you through the terrifying process of letting of of skin care (as well as help with modifying the Caveman to suit you and your needs better). Click here for more details!
131 Responses
I want to do this but I am so terrified. Your skin looks perfect Logan. As I sit here shacked up in my bedroom with a face full of cysts, hiding from the world, pushing away the people I love…I pray for that kind if skin. Logan if you read this id really like to talk to you. E mail me if you can reegs6@gmail.com
Brian I know exactly what that kind of pain feels like. That isolation and anguish and obsession. The seemingly endless cycle. The only way I saw out of it was to simply have faith and let go. Nourish my body and let it nourish me.
I’ve been doing the caveman almost 11 months now. My skin has never looked better, that is to say, I don’t worry about it anymore. That is to say, I have a priceless psychological freedom from my acne.
I want to emphasize this fact: I am 31 years old and well past any hormonal acne problems, also I eat a very clean diet. I eat good meat, good vegetables and drink clean water. I don’t eat any refined sugar, gluten, diary or caffeine. Basically, I don’t eat processed junk. I try the best I can to take care of my body and let my body take care of my skin.
When I put good things into my body, the results are evident on my face.
I guess I got to the point where I’d just suffered enough. Anything is better than being a slave to a “miracle product” or a slave to my complexion.
I had to break free. I had to start trusting my body and step outside this skin care cycle of dependency our culture promotes.
Taking the first step with the Caveman may feel crazy. And in our culture, maybe it is. But the freedom is so so so worth the risk.
After 10 years of Proactiv It took my body at least 6 months to find a solid balance for my skin. Things got better before that, no doubt, but after about six months things REALLY got better.
Today, my face is clear. Totally. Clear. I may occasionally get a small pimple here or there, but these are barely noticeable and vanish quickly.
To anyone thinking about doing the Caveman: GIVE IT TIME.
It may not work in a few weeks or even months, but it gets better.
Stick with it. There is nothing like this freedom.
The freedom to stand six inches away from someone else and have a conversation and know that my skin looks great. That is confidence that nothing can buy.
Logan! Your story is sooooo inspiring!
I too tried ProActiv and noticed my skin got WORSE! It was awful.
I’ve been Paleo for over a year now and yet I’m still struggling with some acne. I think for me it might be hormonal (i’m a girl) but am very curious about the water thing. I live in South Florida as well (Boca) and drink tap water, but I’ve got an under the sink water filter, so I’m unsure about the flouride issue. I also drink water at my office that they say is filtered. Could it be that I’m still getting too much flouride? Do you just buy jugs of flouride free water at the super market?
I feel at a total loss here. The mental factor of acne truly is debilitating. I don’t even like being home alone without makeup on (I make sure to use the most natural cover up I can get). I don’t think the makeup is causing it, I can tell it’s internal and i break out immediately if I stray on my diet at all. I also only use water to “wash” my face for well over 6 months now so I’m thinking what I’m drinking could be the culprit!
I appreciate any feedback you might have!!
Thanks so much for sharing your story…we should go out and spread the word around our area!!
Tracy–thank you so much for all you do too! You are a role model and a saint!
-Jamie
Jamie – I’d been doing the caveman probably 3 months and my skin had found its own balance – not oily, not dry – just normal skin…but I was still breaking out a lot around my mouth. According to the info I’ve gotten about face mapping (Tracy has a great post on it) I figured the issue must be diet related.
So I started to think – I’d already cut out any form of caffeine, all dairy, and all forms of processed sugar. My diet was excellent – all veggies and fruit and good meat. All paleo.
So in was kinda perplexed. Then I left south Florida and went to California for a week. While I was there i drank nothing but bottled water because the fridge was full of it. All the breakouts I had started going away and I had no new ones.
Then I went back to Florida. And within a few days I was breaking out again around my mouth. So I started to think, Maybe it’s the chemicals in my toothpaste…maybe it’s the fluoride in my…water!
I realized I’d been drinking tap water almost exclusively the past few months trying to save money. I had the food part down, but I’d been sleeping on the water – which is HUGE.
So I stopped tap water. Then and there. I started making my own toothpaste out of baking soda and coconut oil. Within a week all my acne was gone and it has not come back. No more issues breaking out around my mouth.
I stay away from tap water completely. I only drink spring water or at least bottled water. I won’t cook with tap water or eat food made with tap water if I can at all avoid it. And I pretty much always can. That means ANYTHING with tap water in it I stay away from.
So I spend more money on water. Whatever. Is it drastic? Maybe. But it works for me and I have peace of mind about what I put in my body. And that’s gold.
Try it out Jamie. Stop all the tap water. Drink spring water. Drink a lot of it. I drink at least 3 liters of water a day. See what happens. I find that besides my skin looking better, I feel much better when I avoid tap water.
Kinda crazy that my body reacts that way to our “drinking water” but also kinda awesome. I’m getting to know my body better all the time.
Thank you so much Logan! Recently I have had loads of zits on my top lip. I have natural toothpaste, and eat Raspberry leaves which are proved to balance female hormones. After reading this it has hit me! Tap Water (slaps head) I live in a country hamlet in the middle of nowhere and are water is recirculated down in the woods, it is probably full of every nasty thing you can think of. Thank you for reminding me!
Sam (a fellow surfer)
Logan, how often do you wash your face now and do you use any type of moisturizer? Do you just wash your face with a wash cloth! Thank you for sharing your story!
Hey Logan I’m wondering what kind of shaving cream and razor you use and whether or not you think that effects your skin
Logan, I have now been off for proactive for 55 days, and I feel horrible. It’s so bad, I wouldn’t even call what I have on my face acne any more. My face just looks completely destroyed right now. It’s everywhere.. both my cheeks, my chin, nose, the sides of my face. I already know my face was not like this before proactiv, and I am fully convinced it has been the cause of the majority of my acne both during use and the current withdrawal. But I don’t know how much longer I can last knowing it’s still gonna get worse before it gets better.
Logan, I don’t want to be seen in public anymore, people are already beginning to get disgusted by it. I’m 19 years old, I have a life, but I can’t do anything in public looking like this. Logan, how much longer do I have to be off proactive before my acne is at least minimal enough to not mind being around people? The 4 month mark? The 6 month mark? When?
Logan, I don’t think I can do this much longer. It has gotten 5x worse already since I’ve been off of the stuff. I just don’t think this is worth it. So tell me, is it? I can really use some encouragement.
I used to be a confident guy in life Logan. I was never cocky, but confident. But now that my face looks so destoyed, I just feel like shit. What do u think I should do?
Teared up a little….so beautiful!!! Thankyou so much for sharing! I have been doing the caveman for about a month and a half and I will never go back. I think the mental freedom from the cavemen regime is very under talked about. For me just knowing that there is NOTHING you can do externally for your skin and giving all that up was just so mentally freeing. And you start to feel that way with everything, learn to let little things go and just accept yourself exactly as you are. and the skin clears up. Thankyou again for sharing this amazing story!!!!
Thanks Stevi: you are so right. The mental freedom is astounding. By giving my body what it needs INTERNALLY, I can completely influence how I appear externally and how I feel about who I am.
The Caveman has helped me so much on this journey toward learning to love myself for who I am.
I have the face I always wanted. All I had to do was quit trying to FIX IT and CONTROL IT and just let go…
It’s a wild journey. I’m happy to share with anyone who wants to listen.
Hey guys this post just re assured how strong and amazing our mind and body is, i had a bad chemical burn 7-8 months ago and did the caveman regimen thanks to Tracy’s advice for two months and it got rid of the burn, i didn’t continue with it as it wasn’t for me i didn’t like the mask, however the way i cleared my acne (after trying everything for example diet, meditation and so on ) wasn’t diet at all it was from a comment i read online, i didn’t know how it would help me until i actually understood it, think of it this way before u had this problem with acne and started searching all over the internet for a cure, how was your skin, fine right but u did have one or two spots there and then did u react to them the way u do now, what changed u? I used to think i can’t be who i want to because of my skin. Let me tell u how i got clear skin , i had to be the person i want to, to get clear skin, its scary to do the things that u would think that require clear skin, “the cave you fear to enter, holds the treasure you seek.”
Here is the comment that helped me.
I really appreciate you opening your heart up and showing everyone your pain and suffering. I went through the similar traumatizing experience for 8 years. I was lucky to start the spiritual healing right away since I knew early on that none of the cleansers and crap were going to work. I mean when it has gotten to your mind and emotions like this, how the hell is bar of soap going to make your fears and demons go away?
When I was going through my ordeal, (It healed 10 years ago) I had read probably 50-100 spirituality and self-help based books in that time. The one I spent most of the time with and still follow is called “A Course in Miracles.” It takes a year to go through the lessons. ( I did that 3 years a in row.)
Anyway this was all apart of my healing which was a realization I had one day .Then it was All gone in days.
When I decided to be done with all this it was just that. “I’m done with this Lord. I don’t have time for this B.S. anymore.” I also realized many years later the way I prayed Was just basically creating more and the prayers were not being met.
You also have to understand we have this big ego because acne is a very vain disorder if we will and we are pretty much refusing to accept ourselves the way we are. We are choosing to be very weak in the situation. The acne is actually a gift that we need to accept for a few reasons: finding who we are, creating who we are, wanting to always see the truth, and becoming the strongest we can ever be by conquering our biggest demons. So if we think acne is just random and has no reasoning to be attracted to us, we lose.
One of the first things I did was get fed up. I also at the time got into a relationship which I was much more passionate about than acne=) (Not saying that the relationship was the solution but it was am open door I had to go through.)
1.” I don’t care if the acne stays or goes, I’m not going to do this to myself anymore. I need to live.”
2. Let Acne be there.Stop fighting it. The more you fight the more you believe in it and the more you have it. If someone could understand this right now it would be gone tomorrow.
Ex: Thoughts and emotion =manifestation.
Ex: Acne thoughts+ I hate acne= acne on my face
Ex: Thoughts of me+ I hate me+I hate my life =acne
Even though we tend to give up on the cleansers and all that crap it doesnt mean you substitute it with a spiritual cleanser. I know this part sounds contradicting, but your still fighting it at this point. The whole point is not to fight! If you think its a fight you lose every time. You think the opponent is evil but its really a crazy person that has no logic. We fight because we think acne is something out there trying to get you, like its hanging out in the bushes. Well this can freak us out. If acne or anything was separate we’d lose everytime. Every effing time! I wouldn’t be able to sit here and type all of this if that was the case. The worst thing in life is to believe something you can’t see with your own eyes is trying to attack you. Its our thoughts attacking ourselves and once you see it ,you will have so much bliss and forgiveness in your hearts. You will laugh uncontrollably when you can see the whole situation. =). If jesus had acne for some reason this is about how he would pray for healing.
” Lord, I know acne is not real because you did not create it. It is something I have invented, please help me remember who I am and help me see who me how you want me to see me”
3. “We only see what we see in the mirror”. And most of the time all we see is the acne itself. It can blur the perception so bad that you don’t even think you have a face anymore. Well this also an illusion. People don’t see you the way you see yourself.
It is impossible. Most cameras can’t ‘even catch acne in photo.
4. “Acne doesn’t matter to you so it doesn’t matter to anyone else. ”
Look around you at other people that have acne, does their acne bother you? of course not! Well the same goes for you when they see you. If you could see yourself the way others see you it could also be healed by the end of the week.
5. Most importantly when you actually know your healed of this dilemma. If you look at your skin for the healing every day, the whole point is missed and you will not have your miracle. The healing occurs when you realized you were wrong about yourself the whole time. You won’t even care about acne. You i will be able to tell yourself its allowed to be there. Doesn’t make sense now and you might think you’re inviting it in for more but this is the strongest attitude and approach you can take.=) You’re state of mind will feel like “What’s acne?” not ” F-you acne I won.” If you have a grudge towards it you will just go back and forth again. Imagine if everyone had acne well then it would be normal and you would allow it to be there. You wouldn’t even know what normal skin is.
I hope that paints a picture for people. I’m a very detailed oriented, hands on and visual person so I try to explain things as simple as possible. It honestly enthralls and breaks my heart seeing people just getting eaten up and steam rolled by the attitudes and demons they have to deal with due to the lack of knowledge and wisdom out there on the subject.
You bring up a great point Min : “the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” While I was going through this transformation – letting go of fear and attachment – I often thought about the line “your faith has healed you.”
Indeed, we already have everything we need to be healthy, whole and free. We are complete just as we are. We are not lacking, we are not broken. We do not need to be fixed or made beautiful.
Self-forgetting is indeed the ultimate freedom.
Hi Logan,
I just wanted to say thank you for this story and that I am so incredibly happy for you! You look amazing and it’s so incredible to hear about these kinds of successes. This site has changed my life as well, I always preached about conventional cosmetic/health industry and how it is out for profit etc but I was still so entangled that I didn’t make the connection between it and my acne. I’ve had doctors literally YELL at me (and make me cry) for not being on birth control when I went to them desperately trying to find a solution for my acne. After I quit proactive (after using it for 5 or 6 years– without it ever working fully, mind you) my skin broke out SEVERELY and I was still slathering on all sorts of products that promised me beautiful skin. I was blaming my skin for being “bad” and not even realizing that my incessant picking and slathering and burning with peroxide wasn’t helping at all. Neither was my starving student diet of coffee, sugar cubes and Costco muffins. Oh and beer. Sigh. I had definitely severe acne at that point. That was years ago and I’m 29 now and so very close to being clear after cleaning my diet up incredibly and quitting chemical laden products (thanks to Tracy, the healthy skin angel sent from internet heaven) and using manuka honey and jojoba oil only for my face and baking soda and apple cider vinegar for my hair. But I am still getting minor breakouts, and I still can’t seem to fully quick picking. I wanted to know what it was like growing your dead skin mask and living your daily life. How did you feel during that time? Was it powerful just knowing you were healing and not caring about having the dead skin on your face during that time? I really need to get over my crazy fear of having dead skin showing on my face. I know it looks better than raw red marks but it’s such a crazy psychological thing I’ve been doing for so long, over 10 years, probably since I was 13. Such an automatic response/activity that it’s insanely hard to break. Luckily I have only the pink/dark scars that will hopefully fade away fully in time. I have gotten sooooooo much better than I used to be, but I was hoping you had some advice for someone who basically can’t entirely stop looking in the mirror and peeling off any dead skin and also picking at minor imperfections that only makes them into moderate/severe imperfections :c
Thank you so much for your bravery, I love this site and I love everyone here, blessings to us all– we are in this together!!!
Love
Chelsea
Chelsea, you rock!
The picking…God…I think that’s the worst thing I did to myself. So debilitating and so compulsive. I’m sure you know how it is. Going into a bathroom just to wash my hands and staying in there 10 minutes to claw a hole in my face when there was NOTHING EVEN THERE. And then walking out feeling mortified and wondering how in the world it happened!
Pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization. Exactly.
That really started to turn around when I went on the Caveman. I remember the first night, lying down in bed, my face oily and sweaty and thinking, “This is crazy! But so liberating!”
I said a prayer I think. Maybe several of them. I gave up and let go and decided I was going to put my skin in the hands of a power bigger than me.
I stopped trying.
Honestly, I think after about a week my face looked better than it did on Proactiv. It was oily at first, but then that turned into an even matte tone as the dead skin started to form. I just looked tan, really. After a few weeks maybe it seemed like I had some dirt smudges on my cheeks, or that I had an old sunburn – but it wasn’t like a mask of horror or anything. I went to work, went out, did everything I normally did.
And I felt great about it.
And I didn’t pick at my skin. For one month my hands did not touch my face.
I had some breakouts come up, for sure. Stuff I normally would have torn up. Big juicy whiteheads even.
But nope. Didn’t touch them. Turns out they just blended into the mask. Any breakout I did get, looked waaaaaay better than when id been washing with Proactiv. And they all went away completely on their own.
After a month I took a wet washcloth and wiped away the mask.
Then I let the mask form again. Not for a month this time, but I wouldn’t wash for a week or two, then I’d rinse off. I kept at this for another month or so until the water stopped feeling too dry and the dead skin stopped forming.
During this time – the first Couple months – my skin had several waves of breakout purges. My skin was totally withdrawing from Proactiv – and just like me experience coming off heroin, I knew the withdrawal was necessary.
Each zone of my face would break out in waves. One week it would be my forehead – lots of little tiny red bumps / and tons of blackheads. Not the kind of acne id typically get. Then that would go away and my nose would break out everywhere. Then that would clear up. It went through stages. After each zone cleared, it stayed clear. Someone who’s been doing holistic skincare for a while would probably experience much fewer withdrawal symptoms, if any at all.
Keep in mind, I was coming off 10 years of Proactiv.
I guess my best advice is to just walk through that door. If doing the Caveman makes sense to you and resonates in your gut, go for it. Let go and take the plunge. Naked and honest – the truth really will set you free.
I’ve been doing Caveman skin care for about 8 months and it’s working pretty great for me. It’s not quite perfect yet as I think I still have some hormonal issues to get to the bottom of but it’s pretty damn close. I just occasionally worry about how it might affect the ageing process. There is so much information out there about how you should use sunscreen and moisturiser every day and I wondered what your thoughts are on this?
Also I posted a while ago about how I was getting married and was worried that I would break out on my wedding day. I just thought I’d let you know that my skin was pretty much perfect on the day. Just a few tiny marks that I had no trouble covering up. That would have been unimaginable a year ago so thank you so much for everything Tracy. It is pretty much entirely down to the information on your site.
I think one of the amazing things about the aging process is its absolute inevitability.
The idea that we can somehow slow down, alter or reverse the aging process is one of the great falacies on sale every day at cosmetic counters around the world.
And behind that promise of ageless beauty – the implication that you are somehow lacking – that you need to be saved or fixed or “treated.”
When, in fact, we already have everything we need to live long lives with healthy bodies. The solution, I think, is not to add more products or better products – but rather to eliminate these products so that we can actually understand and intuit the needs of our bodies.
That said, can we care for our bodies so we age naturally and gracefully?
Absolutely.
Does your skin have to look like leather by the time you’re 50?
I don’t think so.
Human beings are incredibly adaptable. We have survived and thrived on this planet for a minute now – despite our best efforts to the contrary. We’ve been around the sun for millenia. We grow up and our bodies adapt to the climate we live in. Pretty amazing.
One of my problems with products like sunscreen is that they interfere with a body’s natural adaptability. If I regularly cover my body in sunscreen I’m telling my body it doesn’t need to adapt to the climate it’s in. I’m suspending its natural capability to respond and adapt to the environment. Similarly with facial moisturizers, cleansers, toners, etc. All of these things interfere with my body’s natural ability to create a stable balance within itself.
That said, I don’t stay out in the sun until I’m a lobster. I listen to my body. I seek a healthy balance.
Bottom line: my body knows how to function perfectly if I let it. If I nourish my body with clean food, water, sunshine and exercise – I believe my body will take care of itself.
I just try to stay well out of the way. I try to stop interfering.
None of this, of course, is a blanket statement against putting anything on your body ever at all for always.
Coconut oil is super awesome and sometimes I rub it all over my body, especially if i’ve been out in the sun a while. There are TONS of awesome natural (meaning literally coming from things that grow in the wild) medicines that are available to us as human beings on this planet. I know Tracy talks about a lot of them on this site.
But if I’m always slathering moisturizer on my face, my face is definitely going to be dry without it. Because my body comes to EXPECT it, so it stops producing the necessary oil to lubricate my skin.
My body is amazing. I’m usually the problem. Not my body.
The older I get, the more I realize that pretty much everything I’ve been taught by my Western American culture is completely wrong and counter-intuitive to my human experience on this planet.
It sounds like you’re doing great, Frances. The fact that we’re even having this conversation means that you’re mind is tuned to a different frequency than 99% of the population.
Keep going. Keep reaching and exploring and listening and learning. That ‘s really what this is all about. Getting to the core of who we are and what we are and sharing that with our brothers and sisters.
It’s a wild journey. I’m glad you’re here with me.
Frances, woohoo – so happy for you that your wedding day was pretty much acne free, that’s the best. Wishing you all the best in your marriage too 🙂
I’m so inspired by your story Logan! I think the Caveman regimen is very interesting but I can’t live without my makeup. Does my tap water have any affect on my acne? If so, should I be using some sort of distilled water to wash my face?
I say it’s worth a shot to see if it helps. When I first started the caveman regimen, I had been living in Australia for 5 months or so, and I had some pretty stubborn breakouts while I was there in one particular spot near my mouth/chin. The caveman immediately help those go away almost as soon as I started it… there is fluoride in the tap water in Australia, and I always wondered if washing my face with it was causing those breakouts. I’ll never know for sure, but I say it’s worth taking tap water out of the equation for a while to see if it makes a difference (especially if your tap water is fluoridated).
Yeah Francesca, give it a shot and see if it makes a difference for you. I went through a period where I was just rinsing my face with spring water to see if it made a difference, and I found after a month or so that it didn’t really matter. My skin stayed clear regardless the type of water I splashed on my face.
Generally I’m in the ocean in the morning, then I rinse off at the showers by the beach. I hardly ever even use the shower in my house. Then I shave every few days and just use cold tap water for that. So really the only water that gets on my face is ocean water and beach shower water, which I’m sure has all kinds of awesome things in it.
To me that seems like pretty good evidence that it’s more what water I put into my body that affects the health of my skin, rather than what type splashes me on the outside.
But hell, I’m sure tap water is not the softest thing you could be putting on your face. Just find the balance that makes you feel happy and confident. And if that means distilled water, awesome.
About a year ago I tried “theacnepractice.com” and it radically cleared my skin. However, if I do not use the products I break out 🙁 I feel afraid to get off of them, because my skin was beginning to scar 🙁 It’s been a very long hard road, and my husband has suffered just as much as I have through the process! I have done different detoxes, diets, gluten free, dairy and nothing seemed to help. I would love to try this, but don’t know if i can handle it emotionally if I begin to see scarring and bad breakouts.
Hey Hillary – have you tried scaling back your use of those products, rather than quitting cold turkey? I can’t say for sure that it would help, but it was a gradual process for me. First cutting back on the amount of products I used…then cutting the use of product to once a day, at night, instead of twice…and finally quitting products when I was ready and had my internal health issues resolved. That might not shock your skin so much. Also, a big turning point for me was when I went to a naturopath and had her help me pinpoint the problem. Maybe that’s an option for you? It’s some of the best money I ever spent. Good luck! This site is a great resource.
Hillary, for many years I used to think to myself, “Am I just going to use ProActiv forever?”
Because I really didn’t know if I had the resolve to quit. I didn’t know if I could deal with the inevitable detox I knew my skin would experience.
I WANTED to quit – but I was scared of life without ProActiv.
I felt like a slave. Constantly having to fork over more money for new 3-piece systems; always making sure I knew where to find a ProActiv kiosk in case – god forbid – I would run out.
I felt like a drug addict – which I have also been – and I would equate my ProActiv addiction to my heroin addicton. The fear and powerlessness were the same.
And I think when transitioning off of ProActiv it was the emotinal hurdle that was the hardest to clear.
I was just so scared. I felt like if I quit my face would explode – because I’d tried before and the breakouts I experience scared my right back to ProActiv slavery.
When I finally quit for good using the Caveman regimine my face did break out. Yes indeed it did. I experienced purging breakouts as my body detoxed itself from 10 years of Rodan & Fields.
But because I had made the decision to break through to the other side, I was firm in my resolve and I knew in my gut that my body was healing itself, even as my face broke out.
I knew I had to go through this trial. And I knew on the other side I would be free. I truly believed that. And I still do.
ALSO:
None of the breakouts I experienced as a result of quitting ProActiv and going Caveman were as bad as the breakouts I experienced while on ProActiv or while trying to switch to other types of face wash.
My skin was the worst when I was on ProActiv or when I tried to switch from ProActiv to other types of face washes and cleansers.
When I quit washing my face my skin improved a billion percent.
Leaving my face alone completely for one month gave me the most radical improvement in my skin I have ever seen. Period. Done.
And not only physically – emotionally I felt more free than I had since I was a child.
Like Kit suggests, maybe try scaling back your current facial regimine until you feel comfortable letting go of it completely. I think that’s a totally smart idea. I went cold turkey because in my heart I was done and I knew I needed to make a clean break and come out the other side.
Adopting this way of caring for my body and my spirit is one of the best things I have ever done.
A slave no more.
Awesome, Logan! Congratulations on your sobriety – from all kinds of substances, drugs and skincare alike. Like you, I used the “chemical dope” for years – from time I was a young preteen into my early twenties. I know exactly what you mean about it changing the biology and quality of your skin.
I stopped ProActiv/BP during my first time on Accutane (no awful transition period), but kept using commercial moisturizers laden with chemicals and parabens until last year. I sincerely believe it’s the reason my face kept acting up even after my back cleared. Not until I quit everything except a simple, natural soap (and healed my severe food allergies) did I have truly great skin.
I’m glad your story is out there. I have the hardest time convincing my friends that I’m really okay without a three-step skincare line and a daily coat of foundation – why do so many women think those are essentials? I tell them my skin is great BECAUSE I dropped that stuff, but they just think I’m ignorant. Let’s keep spreading the word.
Also, FYI, you’re hot. Looking good 🙂
Thanks for your words Kit. You’re very sweet. I do indeed feel great these days.
It’s funny, when I tell guys about how I don’t wash my hair or my face, most of them nod and say, Cool man. Women on the other hand, look at me a bit incredulously and maybe say, “Well that’s fine for you because you’re a guy but I can’t live without my makeup.”
I don’t preach about the Caveman or diet or anything else unless someone asks about it and really is interested in having a conversation. I’ve had a few pretty in-depth conversations with a few friends about my skincare choices, and although most of them seem really interested, when it comes down to brass tacks, they don’t really belive that complete abstinence can clear their skin.
And then I have to emphasize that it’s not JUST that I don’t wash my face, but also (and equally as important) I’m very aware of what I put in my body and how my body reacts to it.
I’m sure plenty of people experience no ill effects from caffiene or tap water – but I do, so I stay away from it. I’m not mad at coffee or anything – I just fee better without it.
Living in integrity with my body. That’s what I’m interested in. And that’s all I try and encourage for others.
Logan,
Thank you for sharing your story. I had clear skin my whole life until I hit 20, when I started breaking out on my forehead. Slowly, it began to spread throughout my entire T-zone. This is the worst my skin has ever been, sometimes I look in the mirror and can’t even recognize myself. Not only because of the inflamed, scarred skin, but also because my eyes no longer have any life in them, and I never smile anymore. It hurts more than I could have ever imagined.
My question to you is, do you think that the caveman regimen can truly work for everyone? Do you think that its success in your situation is more on a physical level, or a psychological one? In other words, do you think it works because it’s truly what your skin needs on a chemical level, or because it’s freed you from the emotional prison of acne, and has cleared your skin by clearing it from your mind? I switched to all natural products about 8 months ago, and was doing it for almost half a year. I also cleaned up my diet, but my acne has only gotten slowly worse. I don’t know if this is because despite the healthy changes I’ve made, I’ve become more and more psychologically obsessed with acne. In the past, I ate extremely unhealthily and used whatever chemical drug store products I had on hand, and my skin was perfectly clear. And now that I’m using natural products (oils, manuka honey, aloe) and eating very clean, my acne is worse. I want to try the caveman regimen, but part of me feels that if I am a slave to acne mentally, then no regimen will work for me.
Vivian, thank you so much for writing and putting yourself out there. I think being open-minded and willing are indespensible traits for growing in health, wellness and life.
Before anything, let me say that all my experience with skincare is from a male point of view. At 31 years old, I know that hormonal factors are no longer an issue for me, nor is makeup or hair products. I don’t really have any experience with those things as they pertain to skincare, but I can say with 100% certainty that the less I do to my skin and my body, the happier I am and the healtheir I feel.
You ask about the physical vs the psychological impact of the caveman regimine:
I think they really go hand-in-hand. When my acne had caused me so much pain I couldn’t take it anymore, I knew I had to change the way I thought about skincare. The emotional pain of acne drove me to seek a better physical way to treat it.
Before I even started the caveman I believed in my heart that it would work. Intuitively it made sense to me. So after the emotional pain came a psychological belief that I had to change the way I lived and then I would be free.
I believe the caveman works for me at both a physical and psychological level.
Physically:
I know that ProActiv was extremely toxic to me body and I could not continue to use it in good conscience. I knew I had to let my skin heal from literally a decade or more of “skin care.” I knew if I took care of my body it would heal itslelf.
Emotionally:
I wanted more than anything in the world to be one of those people I see who appear to be utterly carefree when it comes to their face and their skin. I wanted to be emotionally free from the bondage of acne. I knew that the only way to do this was to STOP paying attention to my face. The more I obsessessed about my skin, the worse it would be.
Thus, the Caveman regimine really satisfied what I believed to be true at both a physical and psychological level.
Some notes on diet and beauty products:
I haven’t washed my hair in almost a year. I swim in the ocean pretty much every day and rinse off under beach showers. That’s it. A year ago this would have been unthinkable. Now I am grateful every day for that freedom.
If my hair ever feels matted or gross because I can’t get in the water for a while, I might wash with some baking soda or apple cider vinegar.
I never wear lotions or sunscreen. I put nothing on my skin ever whatsoever.
I’ve never felt happier with my body image – that is to say – I think less about the way I look than I ever have and I am happier than I have ever been.
As to diet – I eat TONS of good food. I love food and I eat a lot. I am highly selective about what I eat and probably even more so about what I drink. I believe so strongly that what I put in my body is reflected in my skin and health. This is very true for me. My body is very sensitive to food.
Diary: none ever.
Caffeine: none ever.
Sugar: none ever. If I want to make a desert I use good raw honey or good maple syrup.
To drink: spring water. kombucha sometimes. Occasionally herbal tea.
Basically I drink nothing but water ever. And I drink a lot of it.
I make everything that I eat. I do not eat in restaurants. I buy all of my meat and produce at farmer’s markets. I know where my food comes from and that’s how I like it.
I eat tons of good fat. As much as possible. So much coconut oil and coconut milk and animal fat. So much green vegetables. So many eggs.
I highly recommend looking into Dr. Weston Price’s research concerning health and diet. It changed the way I think about food. The Weston Price Foundation. Look it up. Read up on the health topics.
Some people operate fine on dairy products and that’s radical. I don’t. If I eat things I know I shouldn’t – and occasionally I do – I feel the results immediately in my body. I’m strict about my diet because it’s worth it to me. Some of my friends think I’m a bit strange and that’s all good. I love food and I love life and I love feeling good.
I know that the first step to freeing myself from acne was letting go mentally of my attachment to acne. My obsession with my face. The freedom and non-care of the caveman regimine allowed for this.
The funny thing is, it’s not really a regimine at all – it’s DOING NOTHING. Literally, non-action. It’s pretty damn zen actually. Goes along really well with my belief that I don’t need to be constantly doing more in life to be successful, rather I need to do less – try less hard.
Stop trying altogether. Let go of that insane urge to control that ruled my life and kept me a slave to my face for so many years.
It can be scary – letting go of what you thought was your lifeline. But without it you will grow stronger than you ever thought possible.
Hi Logan,
if I would like to go on the caveman regimen, how do I make it work with intense endurance training sessions both morning and evening? You seem like a pretty active guy, so I was wondering if you just stopped exercising during your first month of the regimen?
Thanks for your contribution! It’s inspiring!
Hanna.
hi Logan!
You look amazing! First of all, thank you for being so candid and it’s like you’re describing the same exact way I’ve felt for so many years. You are an inspiration.
I eat a very clean diet but I just don’t feel that my skin is where it should be. I am thinking of trying something like this.
I have a question though (maybe dumb, sorry)… when you say you didn’t even water touch your face, does that mean you don’t shower? how about washing your hair?
Thanks for sharing your story 🙂
Hey Katherine – thank you so much for your questions – they aren’t silly at all.
The first phase of the caveman regimine generally lasts 30 days and that’s when you don’t put a single thing on your face. No water, no moisturizer, no nothing. You let all that good sweat and oil dry and absorb back into your skin.
Why do we do this?
To let the skin rest. To let the skin heal.
During that first month your face will probably make a “dead skin mask” – essentially compounded layers of dead skin underneath which your face will be generating brand new healthy skin. The dead skin mask protects your face while your body has a chance to re-balance the natural PH of your skin without the interference of toners, moisturizers and face wash.
Since most facial products alter the PH balance of your skin and destroy the natural oils and acid mantle, it’s necessary to give your face a chance to find a new equilibrium. That’s what “no water for 30-days” does.
(Taking showers without wetting your face isn’t really as tricky as it might sound either)
After 30 days I took a wet cloth and wiped away all the dead skin and then I shaved.
From then on, I would shower whenever I wanted and get my face wet whenever. Personally, my skin still felt too dry if I got it wet every day, so I would go a couple weeks between splashing water on my face, just to let my skin heal further.
Since I had been using ProActiv so long, it took my face a few months to find its natural oil/acid balance again. But there’s no doubt that it worked. My body regulates my facial skin perfectly, just like it does everywhere else on my body.
Today I get my face wet all the time. Every day when I swim and rinse off. I pretty much just shower at the beach. I don’t really ever wash with soap. I don’t know…it just feels silly to me. I guess I’ve kinda applied the Caveman regimine to my whole body.
I don’t wash my hair either. Don’t need to. It’s not dry or oily. Once I stopped my washing it my body found a healthy balance for that too.
For a really comprehsive breakdown of how to do the Caveman, check out Tracy’s posts on it. She also has really helpful updates on what the process was like for her along the first year.
Thank you so much for your thoughts and feedback Katherine.
Thanks for the reponse Logan! sounds amazing to be living such a liberating existence! I hope I can get the courage to try it 🙂
Thanks again!
Wow. I’ve been following this website for over a year soaking it all in, trying to get clear. I tried the caveman regime last summer, and felt that freedom for a while. After all the different soaps and cleansers and oils I had tried, the caveman was my last resort. It worked too, for a few months, but eventually my acne came back and so did the washing routine. I realize now that it was probably my diet and hormones that caused the breakouts, since I was in a strange transition period and not taking good care of myself. Now I’m mostly clear from taking Estroblock pro twice daily, but I want to start the caveman regime again. I’ve kept my routine as natural as possible, but I’m so sick of being a slave to these products. This post is definitely a blessing, there is quite a bit in my life that I need to let go of. Besides, life is short and I don’t want to waste any more time worrying about how my skin looks! Thank you Logan for such an awesome and inspiring post, and thank you Tracy for all of your equally awesome and inspiring posts as well. This blog is such a wonderful resource, I’m really grateful for what you put into it!
Cheers!
Amy – there were definitely a few times during the first 6 or 7 months of doing the caveman that I looked in the mirror and thought, “Come on! When is this going to be over?!” The purging breakouts would come in waves and sometimes flare-ups would happen as my body re-balanced my skin and I figured out what to cut from my diet.
But I stuck with it. No matter what kind of breakouts I got, my skin was SO MUCH BETTER than it had ever been on ProActiv – just the overall tone and texture and quality. Everything. And the mental aspect – finally free from my chronic dependence on products.
Figuring out my diet played a big part for me. I got very strict about gluten, dairy and sugar. I cut out everything potentially harmful and went pretty strict paleo – then tried things occasionally to see how my body and face reacted.
I’m just blessed that when I put something in my body my body doens’t like – it shows in my face. Just lucky like that.
Biggest thing I can say – stick with it, Amy. Give it another shot and don’t give up. It gets so much better, but it takes time.
You only have to do it once. You’re already well on the way.
Truly inspiring! I have had mild acne for about 2.5 years that popped up in my ealy twenties. After discovering this site, I’m giving the cavewoman regimen a try! I figure, what do I have to lose? I do let water hit my face when I shower though. If you would like to follow my journey on Instagram my username is cavewomen_regimen . I’m on day 5 now and no significant results but it’s still early and my acne is very mild. Days 1-3 were so hard without any foundation, concelear or eye makeup but I’ve since realized no one even cares or notices. I was my own biggest critic. Give it a try!
Good for you, Amanda. I can imagine that makeup is a pretty tricky thing to part with, but you’re exactly right – I think we notice our flaws a million times more than anyone else. Generally I’m happiest when I can just stay out of my own way as much as possible. Basically I’m happiest when I’m not focused on myself – and I think that’s really the urge that the Caveman speaks to in me – forgetting about myself and just living life.
Hi Tracy and Logan!
I’m pretty much sold on trying the caveman regimen. Thank you so much for your honestly and bravery in sharing your stories!
I’m wondering if you do think some acne can be hormonal, caused by liver/digestion issues or from food sensitivities (to real, clean food – eggs, nuts, nightshades, etc.)
I’m lucky that I live somewhere without fluoride in the water. I couldn’t handle buying bottled water (especially because I have a fear of plastics and their effects on hormones).
Hey Nancy – although I can’t speak much on female hormones – I do think that hormones affected certain types of acne for me as I went through puberty.
Unfortunately – the accepted notion in our culture is to make kids start washing their faces with astringents and peroxides at the first sign of teenage pimples. Thus the skin becomes addicted to those products while the body is still developing…who knows how this effects the formation of the skin…
I know I had zits as a teenager – but I think the tone and quality of my skin was fine – until I started using Clearasil and Cetaphil and all those other washes. Then I watched my skin gradually get worse – and my obsession with it increase – until I was picking at it every day and my mother got me to try ProActiv.
Now at 31, I know hormones don’t play a factor in my acne. I think for women it might be a little different however, since you have ovulation cycle to contend with.
I do however, stay away from dairy because I don’t personally think I need to consume another animal’s hormones (it also makes my nose stuffy almost immediately). Even “good dairy” – raw milk or fermented dairy products – doesn’t agree with me. So I avoid it. Some people have no trouble with it at all. I have not found my diet or health to be lacking in any way because of the foods I avoid.
Just right now i finished eating nearly a half pan of the most delicious dairy-free, gluten -free, sugar-free brownies that my friend made. God they were good.
I think that sensitivities and allergies in diet can absolutely be manifested in the skin. I know that when I eat things my body doesn’t like – specifically dairy or sugar or caffeine – my face pays the price. Sometimes with breakouts – sometimes just by getting red and blotchy or by forming a painful cyst.
I learned what to avoid by experimentation and by listening to my digestion and sinuses. If I eat food with GMOs – specifically generic mass produced meat, sauces, canned goods – I notice my digestion and sinuses take a very quick hit. I believe this is because these foods contain modified ingredients and hormones that my body does not recognize as food, and thus attacks. This causes inflamation in the gut and congestion in the head.
I try to only eat food that I understand and can trace. Real, whole foods. Obviously we just do the best we can. It’s not a perfect world and our culture does not make it super easy to eat real food. It takes a little more work, but for me it’s well worth the effort.
Hi Logan,
Thanks for sharing your story. I as well started to compulsively pick at my face when I was about 15 years old; I’m 29 now. I continue to feel an incredible amount of shame and self-loathing over it. When I think about how much money I’ve spent over the past 14 years on beauty products and make-up to try to repair or simply hide the damage I’ve inflicted, I feel sick to my stomach, not to mention the countless hours I’ve wasted in front of the mirror.
I discovered this site several months ago, and am so grateful for it; I’ve learned that I’m not alone, and that I need to be more gentle with myself. I’ve switched to all natural products, and after an adjustment period, the texture of my skin has never been better. I am trying to work on my diet, but its so damn hard for me! I think I’ve been comforting myself with sweets. What I do have is a newfound resolve to keep working on it, which feels good. I am still compulsively picking at my face, and there are days when I feel that I will never be able change, but I haven’t lost all hope.
Tracy – the community that you have created here is a source of comfort and inspiration to me. I visit this site when I am feeling down, and instantly start to feel better. Thank you for everything that you do.
Michelle – I have felt exactly the same way so many times about my face. Hours of agonizing and obsessing – turning the tiniest spot into an inflamed red sore because I can’t get away from the mirror. And then the regret and shame – literally pounding my fist on the floor and wondering WHEN WILL THIS STOP.
When will I stop hurting myself? When will I stop trying to make myself perfect?
Because I’d say 99.99999% of the time, even if I have a zit, I feel better with the zit intact than I do if I pick at it and try to pop it.
I think it comes down to the fact that I just feel better the less time I spend worrying and fussing over myself. I’ve found that the more time I spend obsessing, the worse it gets. Always.
I am never going to be perfect in any way. I don’t even know what perfect means. If I can accept that and truly learn to love the man in the mirror – then I think I can spend much less time actually looking at the man in the mirror.
All that said, it has been a long slow road toward freedom from picking at my skin. It seems like it would be as simple as JUST NOT DOING IT – but then there are times when I go into the bathroom just to wash my hands and find myself scanning my face for the slightest imperfection….I literally have to back away, turn off the lights and breath.
What in the world am I doing? I think.
There’s nothing wrong with me. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with my face. I am my own worst enemy.
I can tell you for certain that over this past year of going Caveman the picking has improved immensely. I hardly ever ever pop a pimple anymore. Truthfully I rarely have one to pop.
The psychological freedom inherent in the Caveman is largely responsible for freeing my from this obsession. The whole essence of the caveman is non-interference. Just letting yourself be. Once I realized that and accepted that I was not going to do anything externally to control the quality of my skin, it helped me let go of the picking a lot.
Simply put, since doing the Caveman require vastly less time in the bathroom, I have vastly less time to look at myself.
At first this seemed strange and hard and weird. But as the months pass I realized I was going almost entire days without looking at myself in the mirror.
Holy hell, I’d think – I wonder what my face looks like? It’s probably breaking out. I’d better check.
But no.
My face was fine – is fine.
My skin doesn’t need anything on it – products or hands – to be alright.
If sharing my story on here helps just one person, then it was worth doing. Hell, sharing my story on here helped me – that alone makes it so worthwhile.
Just by sharing your thoughts and feelings you are helping to set yourself free, Michelle. That’s the truth – it’s what sets you free.
Thank you for your candor and honesty. Keep it up.
Logan,
I too have gone into the bathroom many times to do something, with no conscious intention of picking at my face, and then I glance at myself in the mirror; one thing leads to another, and I emerge an hour later with a red and swollen face, wondering what just happened. Backing away somehow feels next to impossible; its the strangest thing. I already feel that a bit of the weight has been lifted just by sharing and hearing from someone who understands! Thank you for that. I have a long way to go, but reading your story reminds me that change is possible.
Hi Tracy! Hi Logan!
Today is the third day of my caveman regimen… I was afraid about doing this, but your depoiment encouraged me a lot. Well, let me tell you about my feelings… First of all, I’m brazilian, so I’m sorry about my english (I haven’t practiced with frequency)… Here in Brazil, as you guys may know, the weather is sooooo hot!! Well, actually, I live in one of the hotest cities of my country, named Cuiabá. Then I thought that it would be so dificult to get used to not washing my face… But even in a few days doing the caveman I noticed that my skin is not oily as I thought it would be. Today I washed clothes in a very hot sun (sounds redundant but it was necessary to emphasize)… my skin looks nice! So, I’m so excited about this regimen. My acne history is not so different of yours, the more products I put on my skin the worst It got… I used to have a lot of whiteheads and a few breakouts (I mean red pimples) and, of course, I used to picking my face for hours but every day all pore of my face was full of grease. So I decided to make a change about my thoughts. I realized that it was about my hole lifestyle, althouth I thought that I wasn’t living an unhealth life because I’m a nurse and I used to pay attention in everything I used to have or do, even medicines, I don’t like it (when I tried medicines to acne, I used topic ones to avoid internal side effects). But it wasn’t work… I did more researches and I started to use olive, sunflower and coconut oils every day… wow that was dreadful, my acne got worse… so I did more researches (and prayers haha.. for real) and God answerd me!!I found you Tracy!!! Seven years after I stared suffering with acne stuf… I love the way you share your knowing about acne and much more than that… about good life style. I knew that you are in India… If you ever decide to come to Brazil you always have a little place here … And you Logan, congratulations!! your skin is wonderful and I loved to know a little about you! Thank you both!! kisses from Brazil
I found myself praying too Karla. And when I found this site the wisdom here just resonated in my gut: I knew when I read Tracy’s story and her success with the Caveman regimine that it would work for me. Not only at the physical, topical level – but really deep down emotionally too. I knew I had found what I was looking for. Best of all, it required me to try less – to do less.
I think one of the best things about the community here on this site is that the advice and knowledge goes well beyond “skin care.” Maybe acne was my ticket in the door, but learning how to heal my skin was just the beginning of beautiful journey to emotional healing and self-discovery.
That’s the most important thing to me now – to keep growing in understanding and effectiveness in all areas of my life, and sharing what I learn with other people.
Just by putting yourself out there and telling your story, Karla, you will inspire others to do the same.
Hi Logan,
Great story there, I really read through every word that you said. I am very happy for your success and all of the life challenges you overcame. By looking at your pic, It is hard to imagine that you ever had skin issues.
One question: Does the caveman regime work for red marks and acne scars? If not, what would you suggest?
If I understand correctly, the caveman regime involves no washing of the face (even with water) for about 30 days?
Thank you so much for your input.
Hey Sid!
Yes, the first phase of the Caveman regimine is a dry 30 days. Well, dry apart from sweat and maybe rain if you get caught in a rain storm.
But no water on your face for 30 days. Yes.
You can take a shower if you want, just try not to get water on your face.
The whole point of this is to allow your face to re-build the acid mantle and re-balance the pH of your facial skin. Since standard facial cleansers interfere with your skin’s ability to care for and heal itself, it’s important to allow your face at least 30 days to repair without interference.
Tracy has written some great posts on how the Caveman works along with status updates during her first year on the regimine. I think you can find the links on this page if you scroll up to the end of my original ProActiv post.
As for red marks and scars:::
Since doing the caveman any pimples i do get are much less noticeable and fade very quickly – my skin seems to simply heal and reabsorb the pimple without a trace. Red marks I had before starting this have faded altogether.
Like the skin on the rest of my body, my facial skin now understands how to heal itself without dependency on any product. I simply just get out of the way and let my body do its thing.
My overall skin tone is even and healthy. My skin is not oily nor dry. It just looks like good ol skin, the same color as the skin on my body. No more of the blotchy redness I had when using ProActiv.
I never had scarring from acne, so I don’t have any experience with how those would fade. However, the rest of my face has improved so dramatically because of the Caveman, that I can’t imagine it wouldn’t help scarring.
I also think that diet and rest play a big part here in my skin’s ability to repair itself. I eat a diet high in healthy fats – such as coconut milk and coconut oil, good eggs, fish and cod liver oil. Not only do these things nourish vital organs such as liver and brain, but they greatly improve my skin’s ability to regenerate. I also make sure I get good healthy sleep every night – as close to 8 hours as possible.
Bottom line, the Caveman allows your body a chance to repair itself. My skin is infinitely better since I stopped washing my face. There is absolutely no comparison.
Check out some of Tracy’s posts on the Caveman – that’s what got me started – and also take a look at your diet. Apart from what you put on your skin, I believe that what you put in your body is by far the biggest factor affecting your skin’s ability to heal and regenerate.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Logan. It is so inspiring! Mine follows a similar trajectory – a bit of acne as a teenager, really bad in early 20s, addiction to ProActic for a few years, skin is great, then goes bonkers again in mid to late 20s, cue endless cycles of antibiotics and chemical peels and laser treatments, then my skin explodes following the birth of my first child and with breastfeeding last year. I finally stumbled on Tracy’s site last September and went the natural route and I’m clearing up! I’m also working with a naturopath and did the Candida Cleanse challenge. I am fully convinced that the antibiotics set me up for a disaster during the hormonal turbulence of pregnancy.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I completely agree on the fluoride and tap water front and was really excited to see that you noticed a correlation as well and it worked for you. After reading Tracy’s post on fluoride and acne, it was like a green light went on – my acne followed a distinct pattern based on the city I was living in at the time and whether or not they fluoridate the tap water. And I was an AVID tap water drinker and supporter. Since October, it’s only been culligan, reverse osmosis tap water for me. At home, at my office, and in water bottles when I’m on the go. And I noticed a quick difference. It angers me that municipalities choose to fluoridate and medicalize their water, which I hope to advocate against since I do have good working relationships with my city councilors and water treatment plant managers. I encourage all Love Vitamin-ers who have noticed a difference in their skin from eliminating fluoride to let their councillors/alderman know. It’s an easy email/phone call. 🙂
That’s an awesome idea, Meagan. The correlation between tap water and my acne both horrified and amazed me. I was sickened to realize that what was deemed “clean water” by our municiplity caused such a toxic reaction in my body – but at the same time I was incredibly grateful to my body for giving me the acne as a warning sign: HEY THIS IS POISON – DON’T DRINK IT.
What a marvelous machine the body is.
I find that if I listen to my body it tells me exactly what it needs – and what it doesn’t need.
Every day I think I keep learning more and more. I try and share that information with anyone who’s interested, maybe inspire a couple people to take a closer look at how they treat their bodies.
Hi Logan,
Like everyone else who has commented, I wanted you to know that you inspired me as well! I’ve been struggling with cystic acne on and off and my addiction to birth control pills (which tend to help a little with the acne but make me feel like shit at the same time). So, I’m determined to get off the pills/medications once and for all but am extremely terrified of the withdrawal part!!!
Anyways, last night I decided to do my own version of the caveman/woman regime. I just stopped touching/picking my face all together except for a mini gentle wash and I cannot tell you how much better it looks after only one day! I’m just letting it heal from the inside out and do its thing. Thanks so much for sharing your story!
Definitely be easy on yourself, Ryan. This is all part of a process that takes a good amount of time. The cool thing is – once you start down this path it’s only going to get better. You only have to go through the withdrawal and readjustment period one time. And then never again. You will be forever free.
Just find the healthy balance that works best for you and revel in the wonderful psychological freedom.
Hi Logan,
I just want to say thank you. I have had acne since I was 14 and am only just realising the pain that it has caused me over the last 10 years. This site has also helped to calm my skin down a lot, but reading this post from you has taken my understanding to a whole new level. Your passion and quest for freedom are completely inspiring. I am blown away and feel like this will be a huge turning point for me. You can just feel the truth in your words. I couldn’t thank you enough for sharing.
Michelle, your insight and willingness to keep seeking a deeper understanding will give you the freedom you deserve. Thank you so much for being here and for your words. We have a powerful community together.
The fear, shame and debilitating helpless compulsion surrounding acne are things we can help to alleviate by continuing this kind of dialogue for all to hear and share.
Keep going, Michelle.
First i want to say how happy I am for you, Logan. I know how hard it is to feel uncomfortable in your own skin, and overcoming that fear is difficult but amazing. Ive visited Tracy’s site many times and I have seen her caveman regime posts, although this is the first time Im commenting. She had said in those posts that all opinions are welcome, so i hope you don’t mind a comment here from someone who disagrees with this regime.
I do agree with the theory behind it 100%- chemicals and other crap that we put on our faces causes so much harm. Simplicity is def the answer. However, while chemical cleansers and meds are one extreme, the caveman in my opinion is the other extreme and not a happy medium. Im not a doc, i have done holistic studies and have my own experience with both chemical and organic care. So this is just my opinion from studies and personal experience. I wouldn’t recommend the caveman to anyone. Def not for an extended period of time beyond the month, really not even the month. The answer in my view is to only use very gentle wash once a day and lukewarm water. i do know some people who only use water, and thats suitable for them. The skin benefits from being clean for sure. the key is not to overdue it. water alone hydrates, its using too much or too hot that damages the skin. But leaving your sweat and oil, not to mention whatever else is in the air on your skin is a no no. I have trouble understanding how anyone could do this to be honest. I am a bit of a germaphobe yes, but nothing feels better then a clean face after a long day. and no matter how clean i consider myself, theres other people around me, coughing, sneezing, etc. we can’t avoid whats in the air and its not good to let it build up on the skin.
personally i would suggest to anyone looking to drop the chemicals to try using a gentle cleanser a couple x a week (i like dove unscented, it never fails me altho its not natural), stopping makeup to let the skin breathe, and a natural moisturizer (I like shea or cocoa butter, or jojoba oil) In btwn a reg cleanser, i love honey! One of the best things i learned from Tracy 🙂 It cleans and leaves my skin much less red (i have couperouse skin) Sometimes i use a clay based natural soap. i LOVE clays, they really help clean out the pores without being too drying.
I understand you may not agree with me, i respect your opinions, and i hope you don’t mind my sharing mine here for others who may be on the fence about this .
I agree the caveman is not for everyone, and I don’t necessarily think anyone should jump on doing it because they feel like they should, or that it’s the answer to everyone’s acne. People will know if it resonates with them or not. To me, the caveman isn’t gross in the slightest, and I have not seen any harm at all in not washing my face (and it doesn’t feel unclean in any way). To me it just seems like how my skin is supposed to be (with a natural outer layer that protects me from germs and pollution) + total freedom. It also helps me avoid focusing on my skin too much, which is always beneficial. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s cool. Everyone has to find their own path that works for them and makes them happy 🙂
I think one of the reasons that the Caveman has worked so well for me is that I believe in it so completely. This “non-inervention” type of skin-care resonates deeply with me and I feel that harmony throughout my body.
I’ll admit, the first week or so of the Caveman it felt strange to me going to sleep without washing my face, with dried sweat on my skin – but in the morning my face looked so much better than when I scrubbed it raw with BP ProActiv.
I literally watched my skin return to life. I watched my skin go from too oily or too dry to absolutley healthy color and tone – all without me doing a single thing.
I think the “no-water” period for the first month was so important to me because my skin really needed to heal from the years of ProActiv. Now I get water on my face every day. If I’ve been out riding my bike through the city grime for hours, I rinse off. If I’ve been surfing all morning – I rinse off. A lot of times I don’t even really think about my face at all.
I guess all the commercials showing people “washing their faces so they have CLEAN skin” seem a bit strange to me. Like somehow what my body produces is dirty…like somehow my sweat is dirty – like somehow my body is the enemy and I have to fix it.
I don’t believe that my body is the enemy. I believe that if I feed my body healthy things and let it live in the sun and give it good exercise and clean water, then my body will regulate all of its own functions perfectly.
Also, Su, very glad to have your point-of-view on here. It’s always important to have varying opinions and dissenting voices so we can evaluate what we believe and challenge the discussion to move forward. New ideas come about when we challenge each other to dig deeper and go further. Blessings to that.
Thanks for your inputs and welcoming varying opinions 🙂 I forgot, but I really wanted to ask, do you still wash your hands with soap? I have heard some water only people say they don’t and that kinda scares me. Im also curious if Tracy is willing to share, what her bathing ritual is. meaning, is it water only and if not, what products she uses (since Im sure they are good ones). Ive been thinking about doing the water only tooth brushing, I’ve heard it is often more effective then toothpaste, and a lot cheaper then the natural ones I use. Sadly, Im allergic to baking soda and tea tree oil, which i know many people swear by for teeth and hair 🙁 I love Vita Myr but its expensive. Thanks 🙂
Hi Su,
Haha yes I wash my hands with soap. As for cleaning your body with soap – I don’t know how strictly necessary it is, much like how I feel about washing your face with it, but that may depend on how smelly you are! – I use it but not religiously, mainly just in armpits and areas like that. I use Dr. Bronner’s castile soap 🙂
I never really thought about it before, but yes I do wash my hands with soap. I feel like the skin on my hands and palms is a lot different from the skin on the rest of my body. Much thicker, more keratin – that kind of stuff. Plus I stick my hands in so much goo that they definitely need the soap.
I guess I don’t stick my face in the same stuff I stick my hands in.
For toothpaste I make my own out of coconut oil and baking soda – equal parts each. I love it.
Hi logan
How long your face breaking out till you have percfect skin like this? About 10months gonna bring you healthy skin, but how long purging period from the beginning?
Im trying this, but the harm stressful are coming everyday.. And i think it biggest part why my skin worse and dont get better..
Before this, i got nearly perfect skin with gentle cleanser like tea tree(i know this product contain chemical too even the commercial say it natural), and when im try the apple cider vinegar toner, im get more clearing skin than ever had, i feel good and using it, but next month i got tons of tiny bumps while im never changing mu routine. Im shocked. Depressed. From the clear skin to gross skin ever.
Ok. I get something nature again, put yogurt mask, honey regimen etc. super slowly effect but better.
Now. Im trying caveman regimen for two weeks, not 100% method
Bcause im make-uping, my face super gross, oily.. i cant leave with make face better when i go to church, or sometimes meeting people, dont want get any bad judgement, so i stay mantain my look.
Then, purging period are comes when i started caveman. Like detox, small and big pimple over my face, worse.. Worse than ever i get before.. Either jucy whitehead too..
Like mental blocked, i hate when im look into mirror, and the worst part is people around me, giving comments, why do u skin look worse, etc. nor get any support but down-comments are everywhere. I know its purging period. But it like i really cannot be honest when my skin clearing up or something bad stickin on my brain. So i put layer and coat make up when i hangout, never over layer than this. dont get any brave to bare, im nearly never go out again after this 2weeks. Like prisoner, because im fear to go out, they are giving bad bad and bad comments again. Just every satday and sunday i go outside. Im removed make up with microfiber cloth and raw honey too. And never washed face a weeks, this my cycle. How’s your advice? I saw your testimony, and get some hope. Thinking you can helping me out from this situation.
Hey Salice, thank you so much for sharing your story. I will share a little bit of my experience with you about the purging period:
After I started the Caveman my face was oily for the first week or so. I didn’t put anything on my face at all. No water. No nothing.
Nothing…I think that’s very important. I’m not a woman, so I don’t really have any experience with makeup, but I think for the Caveman to really work, makeup should be avoided as well.
Maybe Tracy has more thoughts on that….
Anyway…
My face was oily for the first week or so, but then I started to get a dead skin mask. As that mask formed, my skin took on a much more healthy tone: not too dry and not too oily either.
I left my face totally alone for a month. I had a few pimples come up but I didn’t touch any of them and they went away very quickly on their own.
I think after a couple weeks the purging started: I got lots of tiny red breakouts, not the type I usually got. They came up in all the different zones on my face like on rotation. Forehead, nose, cheeks, chin – like my skin was pushing everything out.
All of these little zits cleared up totally on their own and did not return. I think the purging period lasted a couple weeks for me – but my skin was really going through a lot of change for the first 3 months of the caveman.
I think the key to the Caveman is to stick with it. It might look pretty dark at the beginning, but if you can handle it I think it gets so much brighter on the other side.
That’s what I kept telling myself – “You only have to go through this once.”
Obviously I don’t know a lot about your situation, Salice. But I think the key to freedom here is persistence. Even when switching to natural products like tea tree oil or manuka honey, I think it’s pretty common for your skin to go through a readjustment period and a purge, especially if you’re coming off harsh chemical products.
I was prepared for this and I told myself I would stick it out. I knew my skin would likely get a bit worse before it got better, but really it never got so bad as I thought. The breakouts I got while doing the Caveman were SO much more manageable, both physically and psychologically. I stopped touching my face and for the most part tried to stop looking in mirrors.
I made a commitment to try the Caveman for a year.
It’s almost been a year now, and there’s no way I would ever go back to anything else.
I believe my body can adjust to just about anything, provided I allow the time.
Hi Logan,
Your skin looks amazing! I was wondering, do you use an electric, safety razor, or straight-edge razor? I had a lot of trouble with ingrown hairs and a safety razor helped, but now I just use an electric trimmer and only shave if I have to.
Hey James, I’m glad you asked this.
When I started the Caveman I didn’t shave for a month. I have pretty light facial hair, so I didn’t get a super heavy beard. After the first month I shaved with a safety razor.
I use disposable safety razors from the grocery store. Generic ones. Cheap ones. I think they have one or two blades. $3.99 for a 12-pack. I shave usually once a week. I use cheap Barbosol shaving cream.
I have an electric razor as well, but I found I got more ingrown hairs with it. Shaving with a safety razor seems to suit my face much better these days.
Hi Logan and Tracy,
First of all I would like to thank you Tracy for all your effort to keep up this website and all the information on it. I have learned a lot about myself by reading all the posts and comments. It is interesting that everybody feels the same about acne and all what comes with it. We all seem to follow the same path with the same never-ending disappointment.
I also would like to thank you Logan for sharing you experience with us and all the struggle you have had to go through. I feel very much like you did, but I am only at the beginning of the healing journey. I have just recently(3 months ago) quit BP and I didn’t realize how much effect it was on my skin all along.
As I started to break out from the BP withdrawal I failed to see why it is happening to me. It seems ridiculous but the is the case. You see last June I started a 6 month long healthy eating program with very strict diet. I lost over 20kgs and by the end of the year I was basically free of acne I felt great and I had a lot of energy. Only problem was, I was still using BP. Not every day but still. Christmas came and I thought I can ease up on the diet thing and I ate cakes and sweets and stuff. I thought I deserved it and it was ok for only Christmas. At the same time I started neglecting the BP during Christmas and it felt great, but on the 1st on Jan I had my first big spot. It was a cruel one. I took it down to the sweets and I went on with the BP free life and by the middle of January I completely quit. A week later things started getting worse. By the middle of Feb my chin started to break out something fierce. I still thought it was the after effects of Christmas eating but then as it went on I had to realize it must be the BP. 3 weeks passed and a Friend of mine recommended a Salicylic Acid foaming clenser and she said it will fix me. I was so overwhelmed by the sudden acne that I went with it and I have been using it for the last 3 weeks.
Now I have to say it seems to be helping and I have no active zit as of right now, but I don’t feel happy at all. My face is red and flaky and… well not healty. Yet again I have become the slave of an other cosmetic product and I feel even more miserable then before. It just doesn’t feel right. I cannot tell how long it will work and with what success it will work in the long run. I have no control over it.
I only found your story yesterday but it had such a profound effect on me that I have reconsidered everything because this cannot go on any more.
I have decided to try the Caveman regimen with the same diet I had last year if not even better based on all the info on this website.
You wrote that it was a gut feeling for you that it was the right thing to do and I feel exactly the same. I have only started it but I already feel much more relaxed. I know that the worst is right ahead of me but strangely I am ok with that.
I will try to give some updates with my progress. I know it helps me to know what to expect from your experiences and Tracy’s.
Whether it works or not I will give it a go. It would kill me not knowing what would have happened if I never tried.
Thank you very much for the inspiration!
Gabriel
Hi Logan,
Thank you very much for sharing your story with us. It helps me immensely to know what to expect. It is so much better to try something when you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In fact you inspired me to such an extent that I am going try this myself starting from now.
It is such an unusual way of dealing with acne that it must work.
Could you give me some examples as to what kind of food you eat? Maybe one day broken down?
Thank you!
Gabriel
Well I didn’t realize my first comment went through I thought it got lost. I see it is just pending. Sorry for the double post.
Hey Gabriel –
I’m so glad my story helped encourage you on your journey. It’s powerful stuff we’re talking about here.
You say that you know “the worst is right ahead of you,” but for me the years I spent enslaved to ProActiv, living in fear of my face, were much worse than any detoxification acne I experienced while doing the Caveman. Getting over that psychological hump and learning to trust my intuition and feeling empowered to take a leap of faith – I think getting to that place was the hardest part for me. Once I had made the decision to do the Caveman it felt so natural and intuitively good in my spirit that following through was fairly simple. I knew once I started that I would never go back – that whatever lay on the other side was better than being a slave.
As far as diet goes, I’ll give you the breakdown for the last couple days.
DAY 1
MORNING
–WATER. Good water. Spring water. I drink a lot of it throughout the day.
–Pork Belly brunch. I roasted some cumin-rubbed pork belly in the oven for brunch. about a 2.25lb pork belly cooked for 2 hours. So much good dripping fat. Christ. I saved all that fat and will use it for cooking. Fat is so important to me. I try to get as much of the good stuff as I can. Those good Omega 3s. Fat from good meat, eggs, coconut oil. That kind of stuff. So good for my skin, my brain, my eyes.
–Sweet potatoes with cinammon and cloves //// sauteed kale and red pepper flakes. One of my favorite dishes. You cook up the sweet potatoes and mix it up with the kale. Top the whole thing with maple syrup and lemon juice. Foolish good.
–A couple fried eggs. I love eggs. I eat them every chance I get.
AFTERNOON
–Apple. I think it was a HoneyCrisp apple.
–Harboiled Egg — I get all my eggs at the farmer’s market. I love them. I fry them or poach them or hardboil them.
EVENING
–Pork Belly. Same as I had for brunch.
–Cauliflower and brocolli mash. I whipped this up a few days ago. Steamed cauliflower and brocolli and then pureed them down in the food processor with a little almond milk, salt, pepper and coconut oil. Stupid good.
–sprouted mung beans. I soak my beans for at least a day or even until they start to sprout.
–sauteed onions. I mixed the onions up with the beans and cooked it all together with some curry spices.
NIGHT
–after I got home from work I wanted a snack so I ate some more cashew butter and honey out of the jar
–strawberries & coconut milk. For the finale I cut up some strawberries and covered them with coconut milk. Then I went to bed happy.
DAY 2
MORNING
–Spring Water — that’s pretty much all I drink. Occasionally some herbal tea or kombucha, but mostly just a lot of good water.
–exercise — I know you asked about diet, but I feel like surfing or swimming or just being outside in the sun is a very important part of my skin’s health and the overall health of my body
— chia seed ceral/pudding — I make a really awesome chia pudding most mornings for breakfast.
I mix up chia seeds, coconut flakes and goji berries with some almond milk and let it sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes. The chia absorbs the almond milk and turns into a kind of pudding/yogurt consistency. I add fresh strawberries and banana on top and cover the whole thing with good cold coconut milk (Native Forest or Thai Kitchen Organic are my favorites). Final touch is raw honey drizzled on top.
That ceral is so good it makes my heart explode.
–raw cashew butter/walnut butter/almond butter/ — whatever suits your fancy really. I just sit there with the jar and eat spoons of honey and cashew butter for a snack.
This cereal and cashew butter was kinda my breakfast and lunch today. I was out surfing and biking a lot so I didn’t really want to eat much later so my body would use that energy for other things….BUT….
EVENING
—I started a Pork Picnic Shoulder in the slow cooker for supper. Started it at 11am. Should be done about 830pm.
I get all my meat the farmer’s market. I also work there on Saturdays selling meat and eggs and honey and good raw milk. It’s important to me to know where all my food comes from – that my meat is healthy and clean and full of good vitamins.
The pork shoulder I put in the slow cooker with Italian sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, poblano chiles, red onion, bell peppers, oregano, basil, red wine, salt and pepper. Fat on fat on fat and delicious vegetables. It smells pretty good in my house right now.
Probably will have more fruit and coconut milk for desert.
That’s it for the last two days. Pretty much anything with an ingredient list I don’t eat. Just simple, clean, whole foods. I don’t really eat out.
Biggest things I cut out of my diet that had a major impact on my skin: any form of processed or refined sugar – dairy – caffeine – gluten.
I’m very excited for you and the steps you’re taking to change your life. Just follow your heart, listen to what it tells you, and trust that you will come out shining on the other side.
Because you will. And then you can turn around and help someone else through.
Hey Logan,
That was way more info than I hoped for. I genuinely thank you very much. You gave me fantastic ideas even from these few examples.
The one thing about starting the Caveman regimen is that just as you wrote it, it feels soo liberating. And I know I am going in the right direction. I just know it. It feels so right.
I am continuously breaking out and it doesn’t bother me now. For the first time in my life. Man, I have to say your story touched me so much I cannot even express it. It was as if you have been writing down my own thoughts. I think my last 4 weeks of intense breakout was a purging breakout I experienced. They were relatively small and a lot of them – mostly around my chin. The real weird thing about them that they came and went insanely quickly. I am telling you I had spots that were non existent at 10 o’clock in the morning and by 5 o’clock in the afternoon they were popped by themselves and became skin colored. I have read here somewhere that if the acne somebody gets is not normal and there is a lot of them then that is purging breakout. Now I am thinking that maybe my last year dieting for 6 months couldn’t be hindered that much by my Christmas time unhealthy eating and was just simply coming off BP.
If that is true I may only be few week’s or months away from getting clear. Sounds really promising.
However the funniest thing is that although I want to be clear and be at the end of it, it is not the most important now. I seem to have found inner peace ever since 4 days ago I started the regimen. Maybe it doesn’t make sense for a lot of people here, but I am already happier.
It really helped when you wrote that the problem is not our body but we are. It is soo true. We all have been lied to all these years and the solution has been in front of us all the time. I think every single acne sufferer asked themselves the question if it is our diet that makes us break out and every single “doctor” told us that is has nothing to do with it. Not knowing has always been the worst and not the acne itself. Sentenced to life with something that you have no control over. I cannot fathom how this can be. A vicious evil thing this is.
I really hope many people will read your story because Tracy has done a great job with this website, but for me it is your story that gave me the jump-start.
I will keep you posted and I hope you don’t mind if I ask a few questions if get stuck with something.
Thank you! Honestly!
Gabriel
Gabriel, thank you so much for your words. Really makes me grateful for all that I’ve been through so I can share it with some other people, maybe help people come through this tunnel and into the light. Thank you for being a part of that.
The purging breakouts that I experienced while doing the Caveman were not at all like my typical form of acne. Lots of small red stuff that appeared and then dried up and vanished pretty quickly, almost like my face just reabsorbed it – just like you described. It seemed like over the first month or six weeks each zone of my face would go through a purge and then get clear – even the areas that were never a problem before like my forehead. It was like every pore was purging and then found a new balance.
I think you hit the nail right on when you said that it’s the inner peace that’s the most important – the KNOWING that there is a solution and that it is going to get better. That’s the priceless knowledge.
I still get zits. Totally. From time to time stuff comes up on my face. But honestly it’s hardly noticeable and most importantly – I hardly notice it – I hardly care. It’s just not that important today. Practicing the caveman routine has given me the power and freedom to LET GO of my face. To stop trying to control and manage every square inch of skin.
I am happier today in my body than I have ever been. Blessings to that.
Don’t hesitate to give us updates on your progress Gabriel, or hit me up with any questions.
I am so so so happy for you.
Great thread Logan!
I just wanted to say this was a great read. I have learned a lot but I also have a lot of questions. I first want to start with my routine in the morning and evenings. In the morning I wash my face with rhassoul clay (from mountainroseherbs website) and water and follow with a few drops of organic hemp seed oil as my moisturizer. Then before I go to bed I do the OCM (oil cleanse method) with hemp seed oil, few drops of lavender and thyme. Then wash off with microfiber cloth and apply a few drops of hempseed oil as a moisturizer.
I go to the gym at least 5 times a week and during the summer I play a lot of basketball and swim. I have a healthy diet. No dairy ever, no gluten, no sugar (love fruit so that’s where I get my sugar from), no fast food or processed foods. I never really had bad acne but it was more a self conscious thing with me. EVen with just one pimple I would feel like everyone would be staring at it. I used to have oily skin especially on my forehead but after switching my diet and using hemp seed oil on my skin I am no longer oily and my skin has a matte finish. I also used to get ingrown hairs and small cysts on my neck and never could shave with a razor because of irritation and breakouts.
Now my question. All though my small and timeless morning and evening regimen, the idea of doing nothing like the caveman regimen is appealing. I haven’t used chemical products like proactiv or even whole foods “natural” products on my skin for months so I feel I wouldn’t have the same purge effects you have had but who knows. The problem is that I work in finance in NYC and it would be hard to walk around without washing my face for 30 days and having a dead skin mask. Not that I care what anyone thinks but meeting with clients everyday I don’t think that will go over well. Even not shaving for 30 days, can’t happen. My beard grows in fast and I have to use my electric trimmer every 3 days, which is pushing it. And going to the gym, i sweat a lot seems crazy not washing my face and plus the polluted air in NYC. I also have short thin hair and I don’t know how I couldn’t wash it for 30 days as well. Being 22 and involved in the night life I really have outgrown alcohol. I usually now just have a few drunks but nothing crazy. What is your intake on alcohol and do you ever drink it? I would love to hear your and tracy’s feedback. Much appreciated!!
Hey Bobby –
Sounds like you’re already taking great care of your face. Good for you.
Since you’re not really coming off harsh chemical products, you might not experience such a drastic detox/purge period while doing the Caveman. The whole idea behind not washing for 30 days is to give your skin a chance to repair itself from the chemicals, but if you’re not using chemicals to begin with, you might not need to be so drastic.
If you’re simply looking for an easier care routine, I’d suggest trying the “water-only” method for a month. That is, just splashing your face 4 or 5 times with cool water in the morning and again at night. If you want to do it after a workout, that’s fine too.
You may notice your face feeling drier since you won’t have the hemp seed oil – in that case I would go easy on the water. Water does tend to dry the skin a bit. By letting your skin create its own oil you will be allowing your face to find its own equilibrium.
Doing the Caveman is all about interfering as little as you can with the natural cycle of your skin. Try doing 30 days without any oils or clay or washes, with just water if you need it. But aim for nothing at all as much as possible. If you need to shave, try to do it without water with an electric razor maybe every other day.
If you work out, try blotting the sweat with a towel. Try to just let your body do its own thing as much as possible. If you can avoid interfering, your body will balance out its own ecosystem just fine. That’s the philosphy behind the Caveman.
Personally, I don’t drink any alcohol. I’m a recovered alcoholic, so that’s part of it, but also – even if I wasn’t – I don’t think I’d drink simply becuase there are zero health benefits to alcohol for me. I don’t know anything in my body that alcohol makes better. I don’t do any caffiene either. Pretty much just water and maybe some herbal tea from time to time. And good Kombucha. I love Kombucha.
Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
Wow, thanks for the wonderful feedback Logan! Also how do you wash your hair without getting water on your face in the shower if you are doing the actual caveman regimen? Also what is your take on green tea. I know it has Anti-inflammatory benefits but it also contains caffeine. Thanks again
I actually stopped washing my hair at the same time I started the Caveman. Tracy has some posts about that process as well. For the first 30 days of the Caveman I didn’t get any water on my hair or my face. When I showered I just kept my head out of the stream. Not too tough…I mean, you might get a little spray on your face, but I found it pretty easy to stay dry from the neck up.
If you still want to wash your hair, or at least rinse it off (maybe I did rinse it out a few times now that I think about it), just lean your head back into the shower stream and get the hair wet, keeping your face mostly dry.
Showers got A LOT quicker for me. I really just jumped in and rinsed off in cool water and got out. Took about 3 minutes usually. Today I don’t even really bother with showers – just the ocean and maybe a rinse off.
If you try not washing your hair you will probably notice it gets kinda oily – especially during the first couple months. This is likely because your hair is used to shampoo and conditioner – used to those chemicals and synthetic oils – so when you take them away your body ups the oil production in the hair follicles to compensate.
Just like with my face, my hair found a new balance after a few months off shampoo. Now it’s just nice hair. Not dry, not oily. Just breezy.
Baking soda for shampoo and apple cider vinegar//water for conditioner works pretty darn well too. I used to hit my hair with that combo every couple weeks or so while I was coming off shampoo. Left my head feeling great and clean-tingly.
I haven’t done that in a while now though; I guess I just stopped needing it.
As for green tea, I don’t personally drink it – like you said, because of the caffeine.
I’m sure there are benefits to it – just like I’m sure there are probably benefits to red wine and coffee, but my body runs better without those things. I have stronger, more consistent energy. Also: Caffeine gives me really awesome cysts on my face, so I leave it alone. Of course, not everyone reacts that way to it, so just listen to your body.
Put things into your body that make your body feel illustrious and alive.
Hi Logan,
Been doing the caveman thing for about five months now… Just started the sixth. Ran across this post just when I needed it. I hit a huge purging period a few days ago and thought, “Why!!?? THIS ISN’T SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING!!!” Your email to Tracy really helped to calm and ground me and give me the faith in this “regimen” to continue on. And for that I am so thankful.
I know that during the worst of my acne, I would believe that should anything touch my face, I would break out. I hated using public telephones and hugging people with greasy/product-ridden hair. I hated touching my own face. Actually, I still have these fears but am trying to overcome them. Did you go through this? If so, did it go away after the psychological freedom came in? Tired of having a fear of acne affect the things I do and activities I choose to engage in.
Thanks so much!!
Suzanne – YES! I had those fears for so long – like if food dripped down my chin I was afraid I would break out. If mud splashed on my face I was afraid I’d break out. If I shaved too much – if I didn’t shave enough. If another person touched my face – yes! – I would cringe…I was sure they were ruining my face with their hands.
I can totally relate, and I can totally say that practicing the Caveman has given me IMMENSE psychological freedom from worrying about my skin.
I still occasionally feel twinges of the old fears, but now I know how unfounded they are. I have proven to myself that I know how to care for my body and my body knows how to care for my skin.
It has been a process, however. It has taken time to get to this place. But really just time where I did nothing. Months of doing nothing. Of not interfering. Of giving my body healthy things and letting my face heal.
The less I did and the better my skin got, the more I believed I didn’t need to do anything.
My experience has proven to me that leaving my face alone – physically and emotionally – is the best thing I can do. With the physical healing came the mental healing. Over time I just naturally let go of these fears. They have passed into oblivion with the arrival of psychological freedom.
And I think that purging and re-calibration of the skin can go on for some time after quitting BP products. Even after my face had really stopped breaking out that much, I got a weird rash for a while. It would come and go and move around my face, and then after a while it went away completely. I took this as just more readjustment my skin was doing. I didn’t fight it. I told myself that after 10 years of ProActiv even 1 year of detox and adjustment was a small price to be.
My face was healing from a decade of chemical abuse. I had to give it time.
So glad you are here and sharing your experience with us Suzanne. This is how we build the courage to keep on forward, and hopefully encourage other folks to share their stories.
Hey Suzanne,
How did it go for you in the end? I would love to have some feedbacks I m at my 5th month and experiencing exactly the same as you mentioned. I m feeling distressed and worried about what s next, would you agree to chat about it?
Logan,
Do you think this method will still work if you become completely sweaty and grimy every day? I plan on doing long-distance hiking, and I’m concerned it would just be too much not to rinse.
How quickly did you find that red scars fade? Normally it seems to take 6 months to a year.
Thank you for your story!!!!
I’m not Logan, but I say yes and think he would agree! I mean if you literally have a thick layer of mud and dirt on your face, then you can wash it off like anyone would, but if you just mean sweat and maybe some dust, then it’s fine… I mean you can rinse it off with water if you want to, but I don’t think you have to. It’s mainly a mental hurdle where you feel yucky for not rinsing at first because you’re not used to it, but then you just get used to it and realize it’s not even a thing (and no you don’t look or feel gross in any way either!). And I do lots of hiking so I speak from experience 🙂
Hey Jana – Yes, I do agree with Tracy here. I’d actually feel much better about any sweat and grime that showed up on my face from hiking than I would whatever shows up on my face from just walking around NYC for an afternoon.
One of the biggest hurdles to get over for me was the idea that “my face is dirty and needs to be cleaned.” Especially if that “dirt” is my own sweat.
I think you’d be fine letting the sweat dry on your face. Like tracy said, if you’re covered in mud or something, sure, rinse it off, but otherwise it will probably only feel strange for a little while – you might be surprised how quickly you will get accustomed to your own sweat.
At the beginning it was pretty odd to just leave my face alone at the end of day filled with exercise, work, bike rides etc. I mean, it felt really odd at first.
The thing that seems strange to me now is scrubbing sweat off my face – heck, scrubbing anything off my face now seems strange to me.
Thank you so much for your quick response! It’s great to be reassured by the experts 🙂
It really helps when you both say “mental hurdle.” Even more than the discomfort of the grime, simply sticking with it is going to be the biggest struggle for me, because I swing in and out of my healthy habits. Unfortunately hiking won’t allow me to eat very well, but I’m hoping water, intense physical exercise and the caveman routine will counterbalance that.
You guys are inspirational! Love your blog, Tracy, and thanks again to you both! 🙂
Jana, you are more than welcome, and thank you for writing. Getting to share my experience with other people helps me immensely.
A question: why do you say that hiking won’t allow you to eat very well?
I’m planning on doing it long-term, for a month or more, away from kitchens and grocery stores and fresh foods, and on a limited budget, which means I’ll have to be eating pasta and salted meats and other not so terribly good stuff :). A friend of mine talks about hunting and finding food in the woods, which is certainly appealing, but for which I am not prepared and would only slow me down. I know there are some resources on doing it as healthily as possible, so I need to do more research. Do you have tips?
I’m really going to miss my juicer! Today I made green juice, cranberry juice, oj, had kombucha w/ chia….. Absurdly delicious.
My advice is to do your best (check out Logan’s suggestions there!) and don’t worry about it. This is something I would have stressed hard about a few years ago and I realize now it’s not the end of the world, the stress about it is far worse! Your skin will probably do just fine benefiting from the fresh air, exercise, and not looking in the mirror so much, and the green juices and all that stuff will always be there waiting for you when you get back 🙂
I found this site:
http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/paleo-camping-food-road-trip-meals-ideas/
All of this supposes, however, that you will be able to get fresh food at some point and have at least access to a pan and mini propane stove.
For a month-long trip I would assume you’ll have to get food at some point from somewhere. Eating pasta and dried jerky for a month sounds kinda rough. I don’t think I could do it.
I guess dehydrated fruits and vegetables could be swell – nuts and berries. I think the key might be to acclimate your body to getting by on less. Eating a smaller amount of good food seems preferable to being full of food that doesn’t nourish my body – even if it means feeling hungry more often.
This actually sounds like a great time to practice the Caveman. I bet you’ll have a blast.
I would definitely research local wild growing foods in the region where you’ll be hiking. Could be immensely satisfying to feed yourself off the land. I’m kinda jealous.
This site however, sounds like more what you’re looking for – palep ideas for 10+ day hikes
http://paleohacks.com/questions/12802/ideal-foods-for-hiking.html
They talk about methods for pickling and canning meats and vegetables which could be amazing.
Just google “paleo food for long hike” and go to town. I found a lot of good sites.
This is such a fantastic blog, and specifically such a great post! Im 24 and suffering from really bad acne (actually it looks almost identical to Tracys) for about a year now. I had the usual pimples here and there in my teens but my skin went crazy when I got off the pill beginning of 2013.
Ive tried so many things since then, chmical-loaden skincare kits that cost more than my rent, went on the pill and other pills again (horrible, horrible side effects were the result, so never ever again) and been to alternative practitioners who put me through all kinds of therapies of which none worked and rather made me feel really uncomfortable.
Before I began to break out last year I used to work as a model so you might imagine the about of shame I feel now, looking at my old pictures or when old modeling friends call me and I avoid meeting seems, respectively them seeing me at all costs.
The theres my little sister, I truly love here to bits but she’s basically living of fast food and ‘fruit water’ and has the most perfect skin, while Im vegan, gluten- and sugar-free and still nothing seems to work.
So obviously, stress must play a huge role in this for me, too.
Currently, I am only using a handful of products on my face, all from an organic, traditional company in Germany, very, very gentle and with the intention to re-build the skin rather than stripping it, yet I still don’t feel 100% happy about it.
I would love to try the Caveman regime but I certainly don’t have the confidence, living in a capital, ‘hip’ city and almost constantly being around people who work in fashion, entertainment or PR. (Even though as I am tipping this I am thinking to myself ‘how stupid, you know that your friends love you no matter what – they truly do -, what role does the industry we work in play?!) But for me it still does, its the fear of everybody staring at you and wondering what the hell are you doing around those beautiful, seemingly (!) perfect people.
From October 14 on, I will probably go to Africa for 12 months to work in development aid and while I am of course really excited to see the continent, experience everything and all, I still can’t wait to throw away all my make-up and skin’care’ right before my departure and to start being my purest me there.
I wish I could do it here, though.
Over the years I’ve found that I am 1,000 times more critical of myself than anyone else is. The more I obsess over the way I look, the more unhappy I am. I really believe that no one cares nearly as much as I do – and no one notices my “flaws” as much as I do.
Again, I am my own worst enemy.
I just got to a point where what I had been doing to my skin for so many years stopped working for me. It stopped working physically and mentally – and more importantly – I stopped believing in it.
At that point it didn’t matter where I was – Africa or Florida – I knew I couldn’t go on treating my skin with something I didn’t believe in. Any option was better than that.
And once I found the Caveman -and believed it would work – I couldn’t wait to get started so I could experience the results. The sooner the better, I felt.
Taking any action toward a new way of living made all the difference to me. I just couldn’t stay on the same dead plateau any longer. I knew I had to move or my emotional well-being would crumble under my feet. So I took an action. (Well, literally I took a non-action – but you get the point.)
Just by taking action in new direction – just by starting the Caveman – I felt enormous mental and emotional relief. I knew I was moving in a new direction and that gave me hope.
I’ve felt for some time that I don’t need more of anything to make me happy – rather, the less I cling to the more free I feel. The less I try to control my life and the world around me, the happier I am. The Caveman is the skincare regimine that epitomizes that philosophy.
Many blessings to you and your journey in Africa. You are in for an amazing experience.
Hi Tracy and Logan
Im writting from Europe. Im 38. Im very happy that I found this site, because Im doing this “caveman” method many years. The most important thing what you are writting also, is not focusing on your face. Many years I havent done, but last year I started to do it. My face looked really bed, started to controll my life.
And this time I started to clean my face because I thougt that my biggest problem is that I didnt wash my face ten years. My face get much worse.
Two weeks ago I started the caveman again and its getting better. Usually i dont have acne, I have seb derm and a few broken cappilaries.
My question is: What do you do with the dead skin mask?
Because after two weeks it looks very bed. And when I want to take it off very gentle with only water, its not comming. When I take it off little bit stronger, after my skin gets red and oily, and all the processe is starting from the begining. My skin gets normal , getting the the heavy dead mask etc…
You go every day to the ocean and its probably helping you to get off the dead skin.
But what can I do here in Europe we have no sea, but we have a long winter…
Thank you for your answer, P
Hey Peter,
Thanks so much for your question. Here is what I did:
For the first month of doing the Caveman regimine I didn’t put anything on my face – no water, no sunscreen, no lotion, no shaving cream, no nothing.
After the first couple weeks – just like you – I started noticing the dead skin mask. My advice is to leave it alone. Don’t touch the dead skin – your face is repairing itself underneath the mask.
So I let the dead skin build up for a month. It started to look like my face was really tan with dead skin. Overall my skin tone improved dramatically. My face stopped being oily after a few weeks and any breakouts I got were much smaller and went away much faster than normal.
After 30 days without water on my face I shaved. Pretty simple way for guys to get the dead skin mask off. I just shaved and then wiped away the rest of the dead skin gently with a wash cloth.
After that I would go several days without water on my face, really only splashing water on my face if I needed it or when I shaved. The skin mask continued to build up sometimes, though not as much as the first month.
My advice is leave your face alone entirely for at least a month when starting the Caveman. After that, exfoliate gently either with cold water and a wash cloth, or by shaving.
From there just do what feels right to you. If your face is still getting oily or dry, go for a few days without water – let your skin find its own natural balance.
Hello,
This is the craziest coincidence. I too am named Logan and have gone through basically the exact same story. Tho I did not stick to just proactiv, I’ve tried everything from accutane to antibiotics to laser and microdermabrasion applications to etc etc etc. Spent thousands of dollars on something I probably completely gave to myself. I think I may have got a little hormonal acne as a teenager and as soon as I did I ran to the OXY pads to combat it. Years and years of different chemicals constantly rubbing off my skin and terrorizing it had left it so sensitive. I then came across a book called Acne No More which was all about diet and changing your lifestyle to a wholistic natural organic obsession. Tho I think the book had a lot of great points it also creates an obsession like Tracy has talked about here on the love vitamin. I remember reading her story of crying from eating a Subway sandwich. I have been there. So stupid. September 7th 2013 was the day I decided to do the caveman regimen. Like the Logan before me, I too will always remember the date. Before doing the regimen I was doing oil pulling with jojoba and castor oil and was getting ok results with the skintone but still had cysts constantly. I didnt wash my face for 40+ days and just tilted my head back in the shower. I had a few pimples come out but it wasnt as bad as I thought and they healed up so quickly. I could tell within a few days this was the answer I was looking for and that although there would be a long road ahead for my skin to heal, no product has ever made my skin look so good. 8 months later and I still havent washed my face with anything beside water and I guess shaving cream when I shave. I still get a pileup of dead skin if I go too long without exfoliating so I try to shave every two days and do it then. My skin has gone through a lot of changes in the last 8 months but it has never looked better. I still get the occasional pimple but as long as I rub off the excess skin every couple days with my finger tips or some toilet paper its ok. My process now is I tilt my head back in the shower and then get out and dry off and splash cold water on my face from the sink then apply shaving cream and shave. Once I have finished that I rub my skin gently with my fingertips to break up the skin and then splash it off a couple times. It doesn’t get it all so every few times I gently rub it off with a piece of toilet paper or preferably kleenex. My skin gets a little dry after but nothing noticeable. Anyways I hope this helps some others get on this train. I think acne is a made up infliction by the pharmaceutical companies. Class action lawsuit anyone?? I couldn’t believe when I came across this post, what are the coincidences. Good luck to all and please before you try anything else, try this!!!!
Logan – Awesome story! YES! So happy to hear from you man.
My skin has gone through so many changes as well in the past year – and i would never ever go back to any other way of caring for my face and body.
I too pretty much just rely on shaving to exfoliate. It’s a nice option to have as a guy.
I think you touch on a very important point – that this takes time and it is a journey. But once you’ve made the decision to go with it, the benefits FAR outweigh any purging or adjustment period. You just have to be gentle and patient with your body.
The Caveman is not a 30-day Acne Away Infomerical. I’ve been doing this for more than a year now and it’s only in the last 3 months or so that I really feel like my face has found its proper balance.
I was on Proactive for 10 years. It makes total sense that it would take time for my body to heal itself.
But it did. My face healed. My body healed. I am so grateful.
does anyone have any good suggestions on body wash and shampoo. Obviously natural and organic with no chemicals is a must. Thanks!
I wish I could be more helpful here…I don’t wash my hair at all, maybe occasionally I’ll use baking soda and apple cider vinegar. But lately I haven’t even bothered with that at all.
Body wash;;;;;maybe Dr. Brommer’s? I don’t use any body wash either- usually because I’m just in the ocean a lot and I don’t really take showers–but if I did I think his line is pretty fresh and full of good things (far as I know).
My shower literally has nothing in it but a pair of swimtrunks.
I have been trying the caveman regimen (on day 5 now) and I have noticed my skin improving. My forehead is usually VERY oily, and it feels like the oil is just drying and “caking on” in layers over the past few days. Is this good? Will this eventually turn into dry skin and flake off?
Adam, Congratulations on going for it man!
My forehead was an area that got really oily too. I just let it cake and build and eventually it stopped being oily and just turned into layers of matte dead skin.
So I would say that this is very good – exactly what should be happening. Just let it be. Sweat and let it dry. In another week or so you should definitely notice a dead skin mask forming. Which is radical. Leave it alone. Your face is healing.
Hi Logan & Tracy,
I’m now on month 7. I wrote about a month ago about some purging that was going on. Since then, things have been so-so… No major purging but no major healing either. I feel like things are plateauing. I get occasional small pimples here and there–they take about two days to disappear but tend to leave a pink dot behind that takes some time to fade. After 7 months, I definitely do not want to go back to products to “promote healing,” or, “reach flawless skin.” Any advice, insight, or motivation? Hitting a down and doubtful moment… Feels like I’m missing the “two steps forward” during this month… (I do not wash my face at all in the mornings but do rinse my face at night while I’m showering.)
Thanks in advance!
Suzanne
Suzanne,
Congratulations on making it this far. That’s a beautiful thing.
When I started the Caveman I told myself I would give it one year and see how I liked it. Honestly though, I knew pretty much immediately that this was what I’d been searching for and that I would stick with it and my skin would heal.
But even so – there were absolutely moments when I felt frustrated and saddened – not really because of the Caveman, but because there were times when I would relapse into obsessing over my face – and that’s really when I noticed I was the most unhappy.
Pimples don’t make me unhappy – MY OBSESSION over pimples is what makes me unhappy.
The problem resides not in my face or my skin – but in my PERCEPTION of my face and my skin – therefore, the problem is with me – in my mind.
I think in order for the Caveman to really work for me I had to give up control of my skin. Give it up and let go. I decided I would feed my body the best possible nourishment and let go of the results. Let go of my desire for control to the best of my ability.
Apart from being non-interventionist skin care, the Caveman made me really consider my diet as well. Obviously, I have no idea what your life is like, Suzanne, what you eat or drink or smoke or don’t smoke – but I know that diet has played a huge part in my skin recovery.
Along the way, whenever I had more breakouts than normal, it was generally because there was something offensive to my body in my diet.
First it was smoking, then caffeine, then sugars, dairy, gluten, tap water, etc. I started removing things and observing the results. I think I’m pretty close to finding the types of foods my body really enjoys and runs well with. It’s been a long process of trial and error but I would really like to emphasize the importance of diet to anyone trying the Caveman regimine.
If I lived on a diet of pizza, soda, cigarettes, coffee and Lucky Charms and expected my skin to clear up because I “didn’t wash my face” I would probably be in for a rude awakening.
Simply quitting ProActive wasn’t enough – I had to examine my body inside and out.
ALSO: I don’t know what kind of face products you are coming off of, but for me it took a good 9 months for my face to really find a consistent new equilibrium. If it wasn’t purging breakouts, it was these strange red rashy dry spots (like eczema) – sometimes I thought my face would never balance out.
But it did. And now, after a year, I still get pimples, but they don’t really bother me or worry me and my face heals incredibly quickly.
I also exercise a lot outside, drink tons of water, and get good long healthy sleep.
I think I like the Caveman so much because quitting the BP chemical products was just the tip of the iceberg – and now I’m very much enjoying the journey down the rabbithole of healing.
Much love Suzanne.
Thanks for the response, Logan. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said a huge contributor to my sadness may be my obsession with my skin. I think doing absolutely nothing is extremely liberating, but carries with it a twinge of frustration because I am so used to “fixing” my problems with something, anything! (Especially when we have all been persuaded to believe that tangible products like creams and cleansers can be purchased to solve any skin ailments.). But in this case, I just have to wait it out. I, too, committed to at least a year of doing the caveman regimen. And I will stick it out.
One thing I know is that this process tries my patience and faith in my body to heal. It is so comforting to know that it took you almost a year, Logan. Even though I know that each experience will vary… It’s just nice to know that what I’m going through is alright! Thank you so much for taking the time to pretty much coach so many of us through this. Much, much appreciated! ❤️
(Oh yeah! In case this helps anyone: I do not smoke or drink… And I’ve cut out caffeine, dairy, and gluten. I used BP for about four years followed by six years of EVERYTHING else (including accutane, blegh). I jump with an imaginary jump rope at night (truth) for exercise…. And am on my feet all day at work (I count that as exercise too–ha!). I sleep at least 8 hours per night.)
Hey Suzanne,
Are you still around? I would be really interested to know if you sticked with the caveman in the end. How did it go? Did you pass the first year? I am currently in the process and would appreciate your help and feedbaacks!
Thanks 🙂
Hi logan, what kind of purging breakout did you have? Iv been on yhe caveman regimen for nearly a month, i used a moisterizer which caused me to break out on my chin. But since iv started this regimen iv been geting alot of whiteheads along with small pimples and clogged pores and dark patches on my left cheek. I was just wondering if this is truly a purge. Would really appreciate your advice. Take care
Hey Farhana
The purging breakouts I got were typically much smaller than the normal acne I had. Lots of smaller pimples – blackheads and small whiteheads that would dry up and heal on their own while I was doing the “no water” routine during the first 30 days.
It was like each zone of my face would break out and purge – first my cheeks, then my forehead, then my nose, then my chin. All the places I didn’t normally have pimples too. Everything kind of purged and then cleared up. I found the purging breakouts to be much more bearable and less visible than the typical acne I would have – this was especially true during the first month when I put no water whatsoever on my face. The dead skin mask kind of absorbed all the purging breakouts.
What you’re describing sounds like purging breakouts to me, especially if you’re coming off a regimine or harsh chemical cleansers.
Thank you for your answer Logan!
My problem is that under my facial hair after a week start to be ichy and red so i have to shave. The other parts of my face i wont put any water and there the skin mask is growint but not as bad like before. Now im in day 10. The oilyness is getting better. I think i will wait with washing till june 15, because i go for holiday at the sea. After i will write about my processe.
Thank you again Logan!
Thanks for the update!
I think my skin was definitely less oily from Day 10 on. After the first 30 days the dead skin mask would still return if I went a while without washing, but not as intense as it did during the first month. It’s a good sign that your skin is repairing itself.
Hi logan thanks for the reply. I didnt have acne all my teenage life, last year i started using make up and skin care products which made me break out but like one pimple a month and some clogged pores then when i started using the moisterizer my chin broke out in imflammed white heads and pimples which have left marks now both my cheeks have wuite alot of clogged pores, which look abit like whiteheads and left cheek has dark patches and small red pimples. I took off the mask last night, would u advice me to keep the mask another month? Thanks logan, really appreciate your help.
When I did the Caveman I went for thirty days with nothing on my face – no moisturizer, no makeup – no toner, no water. I did this because – in my mind – I needed to let my face find its own healthy balance between oily and dry. My body regulates the rest of the skin on my body perfectly – so why not my face?
After 10+ years of harmful products I had to give my body the chance to re-learn how to do this, thus the 30 days of nothing.
During those first 30 days I did not remove the dead skin mask. I didn’t touch my face at all. If you’re into trying the Caveman I would let the dead skin mask form and leave it alone for at least a month.
It certainly does get a little strange having all that dead skin on your face – but beneath it new skin is forming and your face is healing. Sometimes it’s so difficult not to scrape it off – but try the best you can.
Also, purging breakouts were normal for me during this time. It’s not like I was totally excited for the purging breakouts (coming off ProActive I knew I would have them) but I accepted them as part of the process.
I had to totally trust in the Caveman process for it to work. Obviously everyone’s experience with it is different and I think the most important thing is to feel comfortable in your body and your skin. For me, the Caveman gave me the comfort and the freedom I have always wanted.
Hey Logan, as i haven’t had proper acne before i dont really know if these breakouts are ‘normal’ as i dont have much to compare it with. when i started using the products like i said it was like one pimple every other month but ever since starting this regimen its more like small whiteheads and red small pimples with no head, but i guess i will still continue with it as even before using the products i rarely ever washed my face let alone use skin care products and never had any skin issues, so this regimen makes perfect sense to me guess it will take time to get back to normal as i have been using all these nasty products for a year. but i would really like to thank you for your help and advice, also giving us your experience with the regimen. its amazing how far you’ve come 🙂
Hey Logan!!
Thank you very much for you post….it has been so helpful and encouraging to see through this nightmare!! Well hopefully… Been on Paleo for nearly two month. Skin has become really dry. Did you ever need to moisturise? Im 34. Skin has been very oily all my life but not now.
Did you ever need to use some painkillers for painful cysts? My face is hurting 🙁
cheers 🙂
Hey Iveta
Are you doing the Caveman?
My skin didn’t really get dry while doing it – just more oily for a while when I stopped washing. If my skin feels dry now I just don’t get it wet for a while and let my natural oils hydrate my face. I don’t put moisturizer on my face, but I’m sure some people doing the Caveman do….wait – one time I did use coconut oil on my face after getting out of the spa. I liked that. It was nice. Coconut oil was pretty cool.
Also make sure you’re getting a lot of water. When you think you’re drinking too much water, drink some more. You’re body is made of it and your cells need it. Water goes a long way in hydrating your skin and keeping all your organs alive. I drink a lot of water. Good water. I don’t know about where you live, but where I live I can’t drink the tap water, so I drink spring water.
As for cysts::: I have had some horribly painful cysts. Yes. I know just what you mean about the painkillers – especially if I tried popping a cyst and it didn’t work::::that is the worst pain! My whole face would be throbbing. God. Awful….so yes, I have occasionally taken like Ibuprofen if my face was really hurting.
Hey Logan!! Thank you very much for your reply.
Yes I’m on very strict Caveman diet…drinking loads of water but i think you are right…i need to drink more even tho i have never drunk this much in my life ever I’m still getting thirsty and skin and lips get dry!!
I have stop drinking green tea too to see if i going to get any less of those painful cysts on my face. Not worried about whiteheads at all they fade quite quick like you said.
Have come off birth control pill Dianette around six month ago skin went crazy =-O
I’m trying my hardest to beat the pill :-/
Its hard to face people without makeup too or not to touch your face… Soo hard, I must be control freak 🙂
Are steam rooms or saunas good for the acne?
Cheers
I did go hiking for two weeks, and didn’t wash my face, and my skin got worse. I mean I was hiking 15 miles a day usually, and the sweat would pour down my face all day long. Maybe I need to do a modified-regimen where I just rinse with water.
Hey Jana thanks for reporting back.
My face definitely broke out too when I started the caveman. Pound for pound I probably experience the most pimples I’ve ever had on my face at one time during the first few weeks. But I believed that was due to “ProActive detox” and I accepted it as inevitable. The breakouts I had during this time were also very different than my typical type.
So I think it may have to do with what kind of products you’re quitting while you go through the initial detox period. If you’re coming off some harsh stuff, breakouts would be totally Normal when you start the Caveman – bit due to your face being dirty or sweaty, but rather from your skin kicking the bad dope, just like when a drug addict goes through fever and chills from heroin withdrawal.
After the initial purging breakouts my skin got a lot better and has stayed that way for over a year now.
If you feel like the Caveman offers you the freedom you want, I’d say keep going with it. Do a month of no-water and then slowly re-introduce it.
Above all make sure the way you care for your body resonates with you. If you feel like you want to use water more often, cool. Do what feels right to you. Trust your gut and take the leap.
I am also a very active person and therefore felt it was necessary to use water on my face every few days and the caveman regimen has still been successful for me. I am at month 3 now, and yes I did purge a little bit during the first 2 weeks, it only got better (even with water). Honestly, my skin feels and looks better when I just splash cold water instead of scrubbing it with a cleanser.
Hi Logan,
I have been doing the caveman now for 4 months and I have had my ups and downs but I am slowly getting closer to being clear. There is only one thing that I am having difficulty with and that is shaving. Slowly I started shaving, but I was just wondering how you are addressing the problem.
Are you using any aftershave or anything?
I feel shaving is a bit of a shock for the skin every time and I just would like to know how you are dealing with it.
Thank you very much in advance!
Regards,
Gabriel
Hey Gabriel
Shaving was a bit tricky at first, espeically while I was letting the dead skin mask grow. I didn’t shave for the first month and after that I shaved maybe once every couple weeks with a standard safety razor – warm water and shaving cream. Now I shave every couple days – either with an electric razor or single-blade safety razor and shaving cream. I prefer the shaving cream and water over the electric I think.
I don’t use any aftershave or lotion. Just water, shaving cream and a razor. Then I rinse my face with water after. I’ve been doing the Caveman more than a year now and my face isn’t dry at all after I shave – it’s just smooth and normal.
I like shaving with the safety razor also because it does help to exfoliate any dead skin and leaves my face feeling very nice and smooth.
First off, Logan you are an inspiration.
I went on ProActive at age 23 and am now 35.
I have been on and off it three times and each time
I go off, something has me going back…those pictures
of my skin when it was flawless at 25, thinking, I can
get back there if i am just diligent w ProActive. (Of course at 25
my hormones were different and I was getting assistance
from birth control.) I have just recently (while back on ProA-
round 4) gotten horrible cysts. I’d never really had them
before. I went to the Dermatologist and she put me on
some oral drug that is a water pill essentially. It also inhibits
testosterone levels. I felt hopeless so I took it for a week.
Then I read up on it and after years of finally getting my
hormones and cycle somewhat in line, I know this would
counteract everything I had done. I am freaking out.
So now, 35 and thinking
it’s time…to switch gears. I know the breakouts will come.
I know. I don’t think I can do caveman because I work in
the public at a place that is strict about hygiene. Ugh.
On top of it, the depression I am going through because
of it and other lifestyle changes is unbelievable, I am not
sure I can handle that now. Anyway I want to thank you for
this site. I’d like to be free from this cycle that has me missing
out on the happiness in my life…and I also realize I exacerbate
it all…and I am tired of it. Points made on this site have me knowing
I am not alone.
Thank you
Rachael
You are so not alone. You aren’t ever alone on this journey. So many people are wondering exactly what you are – how do I break this cycle of dependency?
I think you know – deep down – that you already have the answers you need. In fact, you already have everything you need for beautiful, healthy skin. It seems like you’re wrestling with the same reality I faced – that the most damaging aspects of acne I gave to myself.
The belief that I had “bad skin” kept my skin sick for years and kept me hooked in a cycle of dependency that made me feel obsessed, frustrated and alone. I think the first thing I had to change was that belief – the belief that somehow I was lacking and needed products to help me get better. Reading Tracy’s work on this site gave me the inspiration I needed to break free and change my beliefs.
So, a psychic change, followed by action.
The answer was never “more products, different products, better management of products” – – – – – – the answer was to do less and love myself more. My obsession with my skin and my fanatical desire to control it was what kept me sick.
And of course, Proactive didn’t help.
Often times the darkest, most challenging times come right before the big breakthrough – the big awakening – the changeover.
All of these questions and upheavel mean you’re getting close to a big transformation. Don’t fight it. Trust your heart. And be easy on yourself.
Hello Logan!
Your article is reall inspiring, I am at my 5th month and some days are great but some I am really struggling. I wish I could speak to you or someone with experience on this method. Are you still around?
I hope to hear from you,
So
I find the thought of not using Proactiv terrifying. I’ve been a user for the last 12 years. I will say, at first I remember it working wonders and my cheeks were ever so soft. But over the years I see little improvement. I still get pimples, not typically large ones but they are there. My skin often looks dull. I long for the radiance of healthy skin and I marvel at my friends who have this seemingness flawless looking skin with secret jealousies.
I have made one attempt in the past to stop using Proactiv. My skin responded with the worst pimples I could have ever imagined. Nothing like my past acne. These things were huge and under the skin. Not so much red but just big and even slightly painful. I do badly want to stop using the product line. However, the caveman regimen is too extreme for me. For myself, I’d feel more comfortable with gradual change. And not washing face is definitely foreign to me. Truthfully, I get anxiety even thinking about pimples. When I have one, I think of it constantly and despite knowing that popping only make things worse, I am a compulsive popper.
I have a lot of behavior change to consider and I’m not sure I can make drastic changes all at once. I lack the internal confidence and it makes me very sad.
Logan. Hello. I was wondering if u still doing the caveman regimen.. Im on my 5th day., i was insprd by you to try ths wt full courage, although way back then, i was in hestation on doing it. But, I was moved by your exprience., im still fightng for ths hrrble acne and hopng it wil go away forevr.
Wow, this is great! Very encouraging! Logan your skin looks awesome!! I could relate with ProActive. If my house was in the process of burning down, the one thing I would have saved is my ProActive cleanser. That’s sad. I can say with no regret that I haven’t used it in a year now (yay me!). I now use raw honey and hemp seed oil. cheaper, natural, and works better than ProAcive ever did!
I am part of Tracy’s Bootcamp and I am loving everything about it. I am very happy I found Tracy’s blog. Can’t wait for my clear skin!
hey, this is an awesome article!! I have been doing the caveman regimn for a few months now … I have 1 query in regards to what Tracy and Logan do when sleeping? Do you allow you face to touch the pillow? This is the one thing I struggle with, I’m a face planter and find I sleep soooo much better on my side with my face on the pillow… What do you guys do??? 🙂
I definitely sleep with my face on the pillow!
Ah, hallelujah! did you allow your face to touch the pillow when you didn’t allow water to touch your face within the first 3 months of the caveman regime Tracy??
Yes – I think the spirit of the caveman regimen is that you should be thinking…. what would someone without acne be thinking about this? would they be worrying about their face touching their pillow? Nope.
Oh… I think I took the caveman regimen to a whole new level… I thought NOTHING was supposed to touch the face to allow dead skin mask to build?!! Just thought that the friction with the skin on the pillow wouldn’t allow that dead skin to form. Well at least I can put a stop to that from now!! Yayyy!! 🙂
Ps and I didn’t think the skin would balance out its PH level with sleeping on a pillow?? so glad you answered yes to this!! A comfy and better night sleep should be on its way for me 🙂 … thanks Tracy!!
But fluoride in tap water is healthy…
I will write this here just to tell my story and help anyone who ever searched for such answers.
I spent a week at the beach and I wanted so baldy to share with everyone how my acne improved. I swam in the sea everyday, for a week. I did not eat bread, I did not drink anything but plain water, I ate healthy (whole-grain biscuits for breakfast, soup, vegetables and meat for lunch and vegetables for dinner) I just cleansed my skin twice a day, applied moisturizer and sunscreen twice a day and some aloe vera gel once in the whole week, before going to sleep. My acne scars faded (probably because my skin is a little bit tanned now) and no new pimples showed.
I think I will make myself some sea salt toner and use my acne treatment only every other day. A clay mask once or twice a month.
Thank you for the inspiring stories! I’m trying to get off almost 10 years of proactiv, too. It’s the fourth month since I stopped using benzoyl peroxide and my skin is terrible. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong, but my biggest question is: how do you deal with hurtful remarks and well-meaning (but persistent) suggestions from parents, in-laws, and officemates to see a dermatologist or take medications or use more proactiv exactly when it’s the last thing you want? I wish they were more supportive, but how can I respond with confidence and grace?
I saw this post a year ago, and must tell you all that WE WILL NOT ALL get Logan’s amazing results. I got off of proactive on May 10, 2016 – a near full 10 months ago, and like Logan, I remember the date, because it was the day I MADE THE WORST DECISION OF MY LIFE! I could see that my face was getting worse from the start, but stupid posts like these promising me that quitting my regime with plain water would miraculously cure my acne caused me to keep pressing on. After seven months, I realized that my acne was mis-diagnosed it was mild rosacea, and since quitting proactiv, it had increased ten fold. Today, 10 months later after quitting proactive, and 2 months into staring a more natural regimen, my face has NEVER LOOKED WORSE, as my face is still to this day regularly breaking out with acne, zits, and rosacea, getting worse on a regular basis with no sign of improvement coming. On proactive, I had MILD acne and rosacea, that was rarely ever seen by others. Now, I have severe rosacea and severe acne because I was stupid enough to fall for a post like this. I am not saying that Logan is lying that being off proactive cured his acne I’m just saying that it won’t cure everyone, and is not worth the 10 month effort and risk. Stay on proactive people, or you could spend the rest of your life regretting it like me. Now all I can do is pray for a miracle.
Hi Tracy & Logan, Greeting from Sri Lanka ??
I really don’t have any idea from where to start but, I’ll start from where I actually started getting acne. After hitting my puberty ofcourse. Back then I immediately tried all the store bought stuff to quickly eliminate the two/three pimples that appeared on my face. I never saw healing and yet I was trying different creams and gels and facewashes to see some light.
After I joined my job I started experimenting with makeup, i really enjoyed trying those fantastic stuff they truly help building up your confidence nomatter your situation but yet they were just covering up the acne, and never were helping to get rid of.
I went to a dermatologist twice and he told me i had got acne vulgaris, mainly along my jawline and chin, and he advised me to stay away from cosmetics for a while. That medication worked fine but i got tired of all these and finally gave up after the second visit to him.
Fast forward to 7 more years battling against acne, i moved overseas for another job where we have this hard water and tap water is not allowed to be drinking in this country (Qatar to be exact) i found many famous drugstore brands available here so i gave them a try too, and that was in Vain.
I’m a pretty good google searcher i was continuously searching for something that’s gonna work, at the same time i have to admit i had wasted hundreds and thousands of dollars over things that never worked for me. Eventhough they did that was for a very short period of time. I went with Dan’s Regimen too.
Oneday, stumbled upon this gem. Tracy z love vitamin and it gave me a hard kick on the brain and i began thinking why these all were not working??
“Doing nothing” made all the sense to me. My dad, mom and brother never had my problem and everytime my dad used to tell me “its all becase of the things you’re using on ur face” but too sadly i never Listened to him , i was thinking “what he knows about acne”
I’m happy to say , I successfully went through caveman regimen for 30 days and now going through the 2nd phase of it. It was not easy but being a fulltime employed person i still managed not to wash my face and keep it out of any other person from pointing that out to me, maybe they noticed but they never asked 🙂
Logan, your post and these comments also helped me to go through my first month. I wanted to give up few times, when i see those ugly dead skin and stuff, and then i came here to read comments and i carried myself on.
Im really happy and im never looking back again. I bought Manuka honey in case if i ever wanted to wash my face i can use it and nothing else
Im free from make up today. Only lipstick and some eyeliner . I am taking cod liver oil capsules and that also helping me immensely i know.
I stopped dairy, bread and sugar completely. Huge difference. I must say. I started drinking more water.
Even if im drinking a tea or something im adding honey as replacement of sugar or i just have it with some dates.
I made a big change with my diet too . Not just the caveman and i feel healthy and happy today
May god bless you both!!! We love you ??
Yaay!!! 😀 So glad to hear this Nini!
Hi Tracy & Logan,
This is going to be really long… But first, I would like to say I am very thankful to have come across “The Love Vitamin” and Logan, I just read your article today and it has given me so much hope…
So, I have ALWAYS had clear skin since forever. I will be 27 years old on March 28th (female) and never in my teen years did I ever have a pimple. However, in 2017 I decided to get on Birth Control… My skin broke out like CRAZY. I was so confused because at the time I had no idea about what pills could do to your body until my friend told me it is definitely your BC get off of it. When I got off of it, the acne was still there. Of course, I visited a dermatologist and he prescribed me with Spironolactone and an antibiotic called Minocycline. BAM, I got my skin back within not even a month (I just had scarring but that went away within a few months) The only problem was… I would literally take these pills when I didn’t even need them. (Don’t ask why, it was the dumbest mistake ever) I was not educated on Antibiotics, pills or anything. I just looked at it as “Wow, these are a miracle for my skin!” Also, I was someone who would RELIGIOUSLY wash my face twice a day. Once in the morning, once at night. If I did not wash my face, it was the end of the world.
In March of 2019, I started developing cystic acne on my jaw line (nothing crazy) but I was frustrated. I later found out it was because of the type of smoothies I was making every single morning before work. They were extremely high in sugar and I was putting pretty much anything sweet in them. I never thought a smoothie would break me out in cystic acne… But it did. I didn’t realize it until way later. Anyway, I still had some of those pills left the Spironolactone and Minocycline I took the rest of them and the cystic acne went away (Thank God, no wonder why I loved these drugs)! at the time I was seeing a different dermatologist and asked him to prescribe me with more of these drugs (Do you see where the addiction is coming in)? I didn’t even NEED THEM!! So wha did I do? I went and got more… I BROKE OUT LIKE CRAZY WHEN I TOOK THEM!!! I thought it was because it was from a different manufacturer… It could’ve been I still don’t know why those pills did the opposite effect on me. When I went to the dermatologist I told him what was happening and of course, he says, “Keep taking them, don’t stop.” He then performed a chemical peel on me which BURNED like crazy while he was doing it. It felt like my face was literally burning off, I had a fan in my hand that’s how horrible it was. When the peel was done, I had all of these scars all along my jawline. I was so sad and depressed and wondered why I ever did this to my skin.
I then started a skincare routine by OBAGI which is considered “one of the best out there.” I’ll never forget using it for the first time it felt like my face was burning similar to the chemical peel that was performed on me but I kept going with it for maybe about a month or two. The scars on my jawline were very bad… So my friend told me “I got something called a VI PEEL, it’s painless and my skin is gorgeous!” So of course if my friend’s skin was gorgeous mine would be as well, right? Yeah… NOT SO MUCH. I did a total of three of these because they said “You need 3 or more for it to work” mind you, these peels are each $300 I wasted $900 on something that did not really work that great. Sure, it diminished the scars but after my 3rd peel my skin broke out on me. They would say, “Your skin is purging it’s a good thing.” Yes, purging is good but NOT when your skin has to depend on something forever…
Finally, In late January of 2020 I was fed up. I told myself that is it, I’m done using any product on my face I don’t care how “gentle” the product says it is I’m done. On exactly February, 8th 2020 I did the “Caveman Regimen” No water, no products absolutely NOTHING. Today is my 38th day and I can say that yes, I am still breaking out I believe I am at the “purging” stage still. I did have to wash my face on March 7th because I had a birthday dinner I needed to attend. All I did was water wash, and apply Manuka Honey to my face to exfoliate all the dead skin and I did have to wear makeup. But I have not worn makeup since and I do not plan on it.
Logan, your article has given me hope especially because you said it took 10 MONTHS for you to be happy with your skin. With this whole caveman regimen I thought, “If your skin does not go back to normal after 1-3 months it’s not for you.” I was SO worried about this because I never EVER want to put any type of chemical on my face again. I truly believe that or bodies know how to heal us more than any product in the world. Let’s face it, there is no “miracle product” I will also never take anything orally again. (I learned my lesson with that one).
I have been praying every single day to get my skin back and keeping a journal to keep track of how my skin is looking everyday and the progress. Also, I’ve taken an allergy test and a hormonal balance test and they both came back normal. It’s frustrating, but at the same time I’m thankful for it. I do eat well still… I mean, I indulge at times because of cravings but I always cook and eat at home , I buy all organic as much as I can and I’ve also been doing “intermittent fasting” so that way I’m not eating just to eat. The only thing I’m concerned about is my skin filling up with scars. I am very light skinned and every time I get a pimple it will leave a scar no matter what especially cystic acne. 🙁 I currently have those red/purplish acne scars on my face. Does this go away with time? I hope I get response from either one of you… I’m just trying to stay hopeful. Thank you.
I commented on this blog and for some reason, my comment got deleted… Well, I just wanted to start off saying that I have been officially doing the caveman regimen no water at all since February 8th, 2020. I am almost 3 months in and still purging. My forehead was the worst for a while but it has slowly gotten better. A little background story about my skin…
I have always had great skin. My teen years, and my early 20’s… I would sometimes even sleep in my makeup growing up and I still had great skin. When I was 24 years old, I decided to go on birth control because I was told it helps with cramping. (Worst decision I’ve probably ever made). The BC ruined my skin and I broke out everywhere… I never had to step foot into a dermatologist office until that happened to me. When I went to my dermatologist he prescribed me with spironolactone and an antibiotic called “Minocycline” my skin cleared up within a few weeks. Another big mistake I made was that I would take both of these drugs when I didn’t even need them. I looked at them as the “miracle” drug. I did not know anything about pills or that you’re only supposed to take an antibiotic for a certain amount of time. My doctor at the time did not educate me on this and it was also my fault because I did not bother doing any research.
Fast forward maybe a year later… It was March 2019 I started developing about 2 cystic pimples on my jawline (nothing too crazy) however, for me it was annoying because I never really broke out like that. I knew in my heart it was because of the smoothies I was making every single morning because that is when I purchased my new blender. The smoothies I would make were really high in sugar and weren’t that healthy. My body was consuming a lot of sugar from those smoothies and I know I broke out because of that. Anyway, I still had these “miracle” pills so I decided to take the rest of them. What happened? it went away… within a week. At the time, I was visiting a new dermatologist and I asked him to prescribe me MORE of them. (Again, I did not even need them)… I started taking them and my skin started breaking out all over my jawline. I’m guessing, it did the opposite affect on me or it could’ve been the drugs were from a different manufacturer I still don’t know. After a month of my doctor telling me that it’s okay, and to keep taking them I did for a month.
After a month I decided they’re not doing anything for me and I didn’t wanna be on them. They ruined my skin. I was so upset I started to change my diet thinking it was that. I started drinking 8 oz of organic celery juice every single morning (which caused me to break out more) I was getting monthly facials and I did a total of 3 peels each month to my face. The first two weren’t bad but after the first one I started breaking out in cystic acne again the annoying kind that made me have to visit my dermatologist office and get injected with a cortisone shot for it to go away… I was then told to of course, apply a topical cream like benzoyl peroxide. This did nothing but completely dry and irritate my skin. I was so desperate I started researching everything about skin and even started doing a nighttime regimen (which I never did before) This consisted of cleansing my skin, applying moisturizer, toner and a topical cream.
Finally, in mid January 2020 I was still breaking out. I gave up, I said I am done doing anything to my skin and decided to leave it alone. January 27th I started washing my face morning and night with water only. However, on February 8th I said I wanted to go completely caveman. Now, we’re here… it is April 21st and almost 3 months in… I still have scarring, I did purge like crazy and I still am purging. My forehead was the worst for a while with breakouts all over. I have flakiness all over my face, it is very discouraging when I look at myself in the mirror sometimes because I wanna cry. I am trying really hard to stay positive and tell myself that maybe this is my skin healing itself? I don’t know… I wanna believe so badly that our skin can adjust on its own without the help of these false advertising skincare products.
Can someone please give me some advice? I would really appreciate it so much, thank you.
Hi Candice! I’m so sorry, I’m really bad about checking my blog comments these days! How are you doing a month later? Are you seeing waves in your breakouts? Like breakout –> recede a little —> breakout again, maybe sliightly less —> start clearing a little more —> breakout again but sliiightly less than time before. If so, this is a good sign.