BlackMamba24

Hi Brady, I wanted to check back in with an update. I have to tell you, things have improved over the last week. I credit the improvement to ZZ Cream. It's really starting to make a significant difference and I'm grateful to you as this is where I learned about it. I started with ZZ Cream (the gold original bottle) in late January that I ordered on Amazon UK. It wasn't immediately successful. In fact, there were some very depressing days. In mid-February, I had a dermatolgist appointment. You were right, my doctor wasn't overly supportive, however, he is kind and he understood why I was searching forums and ordering things from China. He recommended at that appointment that I take his advice and start using Accutane (he had already recommended this course). This was not what I wanted, but in mid-February my skin was not good, despite having used ZZ Cream for about three weeks. I strongly considered stopping the ZZ Cream and starting Accutane. I decided to give it another week to finish the first bottle. I was really at a crossroads - planning which day I was going to get bloodwork to start the Accutane. The first bottle lasted me about one month and nothing really changed. My doctor said he thought using Accutane, which is highly regulated by the FDA, might actually be safer than ZZ cream, which comes from out of the country without regulations. It was a fair point and since it wasn't working, I nearly stopped. But on Feb. 24, one week after my appointment, I received a second order of ZZ Cream that I had ordered in early February when I was worried the first little bottle wouldn't last. That order was made on eBay. The weekend before the 24th, I was contemplating when I would get my bloodwork. After some sleepless nights, I decided that since I had already bought the second ZZ cream, I would keep going. I had read on a different forum that it can take as long as one year to fully work, so I figured Accutane would be there if this second bottle didn't work. Anyway, long story short, the second black bottle seemed to make an immediate difference. I noticed last weekend (about six days after starting bottle No. 2) things had improved. I woke up today (12 days after starting the second bottle) and my skin looked better than it had since I used Bactrim back in November! Like my pre-Rosacea days almost! I did notice tonight I have a little bump in between my eyebrows, which is a place I never use the ZZ cream. But my skin is so much better. I just wanted to share how it's going and thank you. I know it's long way from over and I have to just keep using the cream. I've already ordered a third bottle. I was a little concerned that with coronavirus they might not allow shipments, or something might be off with the production. But fingers crossed this good fortune will continue and my next shipment will arrive! I will say, I cut back on sugar dramatically, and tried to minimize carbohydrates as much as possible, especially later in the day. But I never fully cut sugar and went to 30g of carbs. Hoping I won't have to go that route as that is extremely difficult, but all options still under consideration as I battle this ugly disease! Thanks again for your wisdom. I do appreciate what I learned on the forum.

Thanks for the response. This is very helpful. I've been doing as you directed with the routine the last two days and it's been OK. One new small blemish but other blemishes seem to be clearing a bit, so I'm optimistic the ZZ cream will make a difference. I do like the way it feels when it's on - like I can tell something is actually happening in my skin! Additionally I did purchase Andalou Naturals Face Cream with Probiotic C Renewal. I've read it can be very good for this type of skin and it was on the list of topical probiotics. I'm going to test it tomorrow morning after I rinse. Any experience with this cream? To answer your questions, I believe I am phenotype 4. It's mostly just the acne at this point. My dermatologist says other people have it much worse, but my case is extremely stubborn and other treatments that have worked for his other patients aren't doing the trick for me yet. The worst part is it can flare at anytime and when it does, it impacts my confidence especially at work. I purchased the original ZZ cream. I'm wondering how long the little jar will last. It looks like it's not available on Amazon right now, so I guess I will need to make it last. Is it going to be that hard to re-purchase? Thanks for the other tips on the diet. I'm reluctant to give up the carbs at that rate, but we'll see how this progresses. I've already cutback a great deal on the sweets and dairy, but haven't gone completely cold. This may be my next move and I think I will request a copy of the diet. I'll definitely stay engaged on the forum. ZZ cream has given me some new hope. I have a dermatoligist appointment in a couple weeks and will see what he thinks about the ZZ cream and if I should continue with the doxycycline. I did have a couple other questions: Do you have an acarid soap you recommend? Do you recommend taking Lutein or any other OTC vitamins? Do you take a probiotic for your gut? Thanks again for your help!

Hello Brady, this is my first post but I've been reading your posts for over a month. I have suffered from rosacea or adult acne for about one year and after trying all of the dermatologists ideas (doxy, minocycline, azithromycin, bactrim, as well as soolantra, metro gel and retina), I stumbled onto this forum and saw that you suggested the ZZ cream. I went online and purchased. After using for a couple days, everything seems to be getting worse. I read this might be what happens, but I was disappointed today to see several new blemishes and very dry skin. I have some questions I'm hoping someone with more experience might be able to help answer. I think what I'm really looking for is the complete regimen for using ZZ cream? From which soap, to which moisturizer, to which sunscreen .... I'm really lost on how to proceed. Is it OK to use an acarid soap with ZZ cream or is that too much sulfur? I did both for a couple days but my skin is now extremely dry so I've gone back to my original Cetaphil soap. I'm just really struggling to find any relief. I had some success with my first IPL treatment, but my second (v-beam) and third didn't work so well. I had great success for a couple weeks with bactrim, but it gave me a terrible rash. I'm not 100 percent positive it's demodex, but that's my hunch as i often have itchy feeling. My doctor really isn't helping me get to the root cause of the issue. He's all out of antibiotics and doesn't seem to have any other solutions. I'm hopeful the ZZ cream can work, but the dryness is extremely difficult to hide. Any recommendations on regimen for using ZZ cream would be helpful. Thank you.