Change for the Better: The lineup
Alright, so I've been using my new acne line for a few days now, since Saturday, and I decided that I finally feel comfortable enough to talk about it.
I have 6, SIX!, different bottles of stuff that goes with the line. I'm not a girly girl, and this is the most amount of different products that I've ever used on my face. So, let's get started.
First up, there's a pore opening, exfoliating scrub. This one has active charcoal in it, the kind used for filtration. It also heats up with skin contact. It's used only 2 to 3 times a week for opening the pores to allow deeper cleaning. I like the warming effect, and the exfoliation is gentle.
After using the exfoliating scrub, I then use the actual daily facial cleanser. The main active ingredient is the salicylic acid. In fact, this whole line uses a TON of salicylic acid. It's very gentle, especially compared to the exfoliating scrubs I was using before, daily. I like the difference, however. The cleanser foams nicely, so I don't need a lot to get my whole face clean.
After washing my face in the morning, I then use oil-absorbing hydrating emulsion. The point of this lotion is to soak up any excess oil on the face. It can actually been used multiple times a day, and with my T-zone, especially my nose, I really should, but it stays in my bathroom and I never think about putting it on after the initial time. Still, I like the idea that it's keeping the oil down on my face. And it really does seem to work! *feels nose*
The next step is the spot treatment. This is the gel used specifically on actual zits. I have quite a few, as usual. Just before getting this line, I developed a huge pimple on my cheek, plus I had the usual cluster on my chin. So, I've been smearing it on the multitude of acne on my face. It's like a little extra punch to my icky pimples.
After that, I put on the moisturizing lotion. It's a weightless day cream, and it really is weightless, that uses chamomile and aloe vera. I like how light it is on my face compared to my last moisturizer. And it doesn't feel oily at all, which makes me happy with the amount of oil I seem to have on and in my skin naturally.
Okay, that's just the morning routine!!
At night I wash my face again with the cleanser. Than I say the nightly dry emulsion cream. This one has salicylic acid AND sulfur. It's heavier than the rest of the products. And the sulfur makes it reek. It goes white as you rub it in, and I'm trying to figure out what the right amount is. I still feel like I'm using too much, and I've been lowering the amount I use daily. Like the day emulsion cream, it's meant to absorb the extra oil from my face at night as well as cleaning with the sulfur and the salicylic acid.
After that, I use the spot treatment again and go to bed.
All these products are free of dyes, colorants, or perfumes. The biggest side of effect of this that I've found is that most of the products don't have the nicest smell. For the most part, the smell dissipates shortly. The only exception is the nightly dry emulsion with the sulfur. This stuff reeks, so though I can't do anything about it being on my face, I do wash my hands after finishing my nightly routine so that I don't smell it on my hands. I'll let you know if it's a smell I get used to.
One of the things that I've noticed right away is that my skin is a LOT less flaky. My acne, as it heals and goes away, tends to shed the dead skin in flakes, and I have seen this disappear almost immediately. Also, I'm seeing less new acne already, though it's only been a few days. I'm used to, as one breakout begins to heal, a new breakout starting to flare up, but at this point, I'm not seeing a follow-up breakout. Remember that it's only been a few days, and I'll report on how this is going again, if not before then, definitely on the two weeks anniversary of starting this line.
For a little extra little information on my acne, I do tend to have increased breakouts during my period, and I actually happened to start this product on the same day as the start of my menstrual cycle, and this outbreak is definitely not lasting as long as they usually do. Usually I'm dealing with the outbreak for at least a week or two after the bleeding has stopped. I hope that means that once the cycle ends and my hormones shift back to "normal" the line will show that much better results!
We'll see!
I have 6, SIX!, different bottles of stuff that goes with the line. I'm not a girly girl, and this is the most amount of different products that I've ever used on my face. So, let's get started.
First up, there's a pore opening, exfoliating scrub. This one has active charcoal in it, the kind used for filtration. It also heats up with skin contact. It's used only 2 to 3 times a week for opening the pores to allow deeper cleaning. I like the warming effect, and the exfoliation is gentle.
After using the exfoliating scrub, I then use the actual daily facial cleanser. The main active ingredient is the salicylic acid. In fact, this whole line uses a TON of salicylic acid. It's very gentle, especially compared to the exfoliating scrubs I was using before, daily. I like the difference, however. The cleanser foams nicely, so I don't need a lot to get my whole face clean.
After washing my face in the morning, I then use oil-absorbing hydrating emulsion. The point of this lotion is to soak up any excess oil on the face. It can actually been used multiple times a day, and with my T-zone, especially my nose, I really should, but it stays in my bathroom and I never think about putting it on after the initial time. Still, I like the idea that it's keeping the oil down on my face. And it really does seem to work! *feels nose*
The next step is the spot treatment. This is the gel used specifically on actual zits. I have quite a few, as usual. Just before getting this line, I developed a huge pimple on my cheek, plus I had the usual cluster on my chin. So, I've been smearing it on the multitude of acne on my face. It's like a little extra punch to my icky pimples.
After that, I put on the moisturizing lotion. It's a weightless day cream, and it really is weightless, that uses chamomile and aloe vera. I like how light it is on my face compared to my last moisturizer. And it doesn't feel oily at all, which makes me happy with the amount of oil I seem to have on and in my skin naturally.
Okay, that's just the morning routine!!
At night I wash my face again with the cleanser. Than I say the nightly dry emulsion cream. This one has salicylic acid AND sulfur. It's heavier than the rest of the products. And the sulfur makes it reek. It goes white as you rub it in, and I'm trying to figure out what the right amount is. I still feel like I'm using too much, and I've been lowering the amount I use daily. Like the day emulsion cream, it's meant to absorb the extra oil from my face at night as well as cleaning with the sulfur and the salicylic acid.
After that, I use the spot treatment again and go to bed.
All these products are free of dyes, colorants, or perfumes. The biggest side of effect of this that I've found is that most of the products don't have the nicest smell. For the most part, the smell dissipates shortly. The only exception is the nightly dry emulsion with the sulfur. This stuff reeks, so though I can't do anything about it being on my face, I do wash my hands after finishing my nightly routine so that I don't smell it on my hands. I'll let you know if it's a smell I get used to.
One of the things that I've noticed right away is that my skin is a LOT less flaky. My acne, as it heals and goes away, tends to shed the dead skin in flakes, and I have seen this disappear almost immediately. Also, I'm seeing less new acne already, though it's only been a few days. I'm used to, as one breakout begins to heal, a new breakout starting to flare up, but at this point, I'm not seeing a follow-up breakout. Remember that it's only been a few days, and I'll report on how this is going again, if not before then, definitely on the two weeks anniversary of starting this line.
For a little extra little information on my acne, I do tend to have increased breakouts during my period, and I actually happened to start this product on the same day as the start of my menstrual cycle, and this outbreak is definitely not lasting as long as they usually do. Usually I'm dealing with the outbreak for at least a week or two after the bleeding has stopped. I hope that means that once the cycle ends and my hormones shift back to "normal" the line will show that much better results!
We'll see!