hey salt! so glad to hear you're clearing up, that is great! i did used to read your old posts and you were just about the saddest thing ever. i am so happy for you! as you may know, i also got some gigantic cysts, painful, aren't they? it does look like a burn or something, so weird. i used mostly my cleocin lotion, and dr. murad's skin perfecting lotion. talking to the derm is a good idea, s/he's have some ideas, no doubt. the cleocin has antibiotic properties, but it's very gentle so it won't burn or sting, and i've found that it is also fairly moisturizing, but i still needed an additional moisturizer from time to time. the murad is good, i also use aquaphor when i get chapped, esp around my mouth, jaw and cheeks.

as your skin heals it will gradually get less and less red, i still have some red marks leftover, but it's nuthin compared to what it was just a few months ago! just make sure you dont' mess with it, for some reason, the clearer my skin gets, the more i want to poke at it- sumthin wroooooong w/me! *lol* just looking for trouble though! and make sure you use a nice, gentle cleanser, there are tons of them. i like purpose cleanser, by j&j, and medicalia cleanser for blemished skin. i never stay too long with one thing. you can also try using aloe, which has antiseptic properties, and is very soothing to the skin. bonus, it's cheap! you can buy a plant and use the goo straight from the leaves, or get 100% gel at the drugstore.

seriously .salt, it is good to hear you sounding so up these days. congrats and keep on! ali