Konjac sponge, tried it?

[Dana89]

My son struggles with acne and he is in his mid 20s. The only thing his doctor offered was an antibiotic to take everyday, it didn't work and made him feel bad.
So I have been looking into making him some pine tar soap (as soon as I can find Pine Tar?) and a mask, I have found some Fullers Earth and a recipe to make a mask with it so I think I will give it a shot.
I need activated charcoal so I was checking prices for it on Amazon and I came across these sponges.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Naturals-Konjac-Facial-Sponge/dp/B017C28U28

There a many brands and people are raving about them. They arrive small and hard and you are supposed to soak them in water so they can expand. The ones with Activated Charcoal would be great for daily use for my son, but my crafty brain:idea: tells me I could make them for a lot cheaper. They all seem to have only one ingredient. All have some sort of clay for different skin problems. Just curious if anyone has tried them and if so think they are worth making for personal or family use? I cannot seem to find the uninflated sponge plain.

 

[snappyllama]

Sorry I have no idea about the sponges, but I can tell you where to find pine tar. Check out feed stores or anywhere equine supplies are found. It's normally in the hoof care area.

 

[Obsidian]

I've used konjac sponges and really liked them. Not quite sure how you would make them as they are made from a root fiber, they aren't just sponges with charcoal/clay on them.
I found mine on ebay for just a few dollars.

ETA: I think this is the one I've got before, just the plain one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hot-Natural...hash=item58d0a055dc:m:m-KXmUxLsDev_ZJ4PUXOdFQ

 

[Dana89]

Thanks SL- I have a feed store less that a mile away.Thanks!

@OBSIDION-GREAT! wow, big difference in price! I can order enough to last a while at 99 cents per piece. Thanks!

 

[Arimara]

That's a first for me to hear of a doctor to offer antibiotics for acne. I used an alpha hydroxy cream I used to get from walgreens for under $20. It worked amazingly well but I used it at night only. I don't know if it's still available though.

 

[mazimazi]

Have you considered Oil Cleansing Method? Eventhough it sounds weird to clean problematic skin with oil, it actually really helps, look it up.

 

[TBandCW]

Just spent the last 30 minutes looking at Konjac sponge info. I'd never heard of it before. Very interesting!

 

[cmzaha]

My daughter actually managed to duplicate them.

 

[IrishLass]

That's a first for me to hear of a doctor to offer antibiotics for acne. .

It's actually a pretty common thing where I live (USA), but only for severe acne (as far as I know). My hubby was prescribed antibiotics for severe acne back in the '70's when he was a teenager, and my nephew was prescribed antibiotics for his severe teenage acne as recently as about 6 years ago. Although it did help in both cases, neither were happy with the side effects and soon found other more natural methods.


IrishLass

 

[Arimara]

^^ I live in NY. Born and raised. I've just never known any of the doctors to have ever prescribe antibiotics for acne. I don't know anyone who have has been prescribed antibiotics for that reason either. Even when I had it bad, I was never given a prescription.

It wasn't until a former friend told me of an alpha hydroxy cream she used. I bought some to try and my skin cleared up pretty well. Later I learned of the joys of witch hazel, tea tree and lavender and finally, I learned to make soap.

 

[Dana89]

He has been to 3 doctors, all offered antibiotics, one a day indefinitly. You know that can't be good for someone. They have another treatment, I forgot what it is called, it works but the side effects can cause permanent kidney damage so I never went that route.

 

[snappyllama]

Depending on the type of acne and severity, dermatologists may want to tackle it aggressively with antibiotics to get the infection under control since it can lead to permanent scarring. Once that is cleared up, they go for control measures to keep cysts at bay.

Treatments really depend on the acne itself. I wouldn't discount the advice of numerous doctors though... Esp. If they are dermatologists recommending antibiotics. They don't tend to do that theses days unless it's really needed.

Accutane (sp?) is the one that requires kidney function monitoring and causes extreme uv sensitivity, if memory serves. That is reserved for pretty severe acne, because of its possible side effects. It worked very well for friends in high school (what seems like ages ago). My best friend didn't want to leave the house and would try to play sick. The treatments really helped her with that. She ended up with some scarring on her cheeks, but it was nothing like what her older brother had his whole life (he lived in another country without ready medical access).

 

[Soapmaker145]

A friend of mine who was treated for severe acne for years (accutane and antibiotics) had good results with soaps made with high hazelnut oil. She also uses HO straight on her face for mosturizer. She eliminated commercial preservatives completely and it helped a lot. Anything that has parabens makes her breakout. It doesn't make sense but she tested it more than once. I'm not suggesting that your son has the same sensitivity. He may have other sensitivities that aggravate his acne. It takes a lot of trial and error to figure it out.

I think high salt soaps may help also.