Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Grandpa's Thylox Sulfur Soap
Faeriegrotto 11/8/2012 11:54:00 PM
I use Derma-Klear sulfur soap (5% sulfur) because that is what's available at my local grocery store--I'm sure that Grandpa's works just as well and it doesn't change my question: "SULFUR! Where have you been all my life??" For the first time in over 10 years, I am without a pimple. I used to get a new pimple every day, but now it's all gone. Oh my gosh, I had just about given up. I don't know why sulfur isn't touted more as an acne treatment. I still have a massive amount of acne scarring, but now - finally! - my skin has a chance to heal. Holy grail, holy grail, holy grail.
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Skincare - Face -AcneFree - All Products
Faeriegrotto 11/8/2012 11:41:00 PM
This review is for AcneFree Severe. I had acne for over ten years, and these products helped to clear it all up! I didn't use exactly as directed, however, so I'll review item by item: 1. Antibacterial Cleansing Wash - 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide: I had actually been using a 10% BP wash for years, so I was a little scared of going all the way down to 2.5%. It turns out that using 10% not only on your acne, but on the rest of your face as a "preventative measure" is a little over the top, and the regular heavy usage actually reduces its effectiveness when you need it most. 2.5% is plenty as a base wash. I ended up just using this in the mornings, and used sulfur soap (highly recommend!) at night. 2. Corrective Toner with Glycolic Acid: I used this morning and night while it lasted, and of all the items in the kit, this was the first to run out. It ended up being the gateway to me purchasing a toner with a higher glycolic acid concentration, and I think it's really helping with my acne scarring. 3. Maximum Strength Repair Lotion - 10% Benzoyl Peroxide: Having the extra strength BP in the lotion rather than the wash really was a game changer for my skin. I wouldn't call this a "lotion" - it doesn't really moisturize - but it dissolves a lot more nicely than other BP spot treatments. I used this morning and night, and only on individual pimples or patches of cystic acne--not on my whole face. It works amazingly well. 4. Retinol Renewal Complex - I'm holding on to these tubes, but I'm still not sure how to use them yet. I didn't want to use retinol until I could tame my acne a bit, and then I wanted to wait until I got used to a higher concentration glycolic, and now I'm looking at trying hydroquinone on my scars. I don't want to make too many adjustments to how I treat my face at once, so the experimenting with retinol is going to have to wait. If you've had no experience with Benzoyl Peroxide before, I'd recommend getting the original AcneFree system before you try the severe version. After only two boxes of Severe, for the first time in ten years, I am actually acne free! I purchased another bottle of the cleanser when I ran out, but I'm down to only using it once a week. I still have a bottle and a quarter of the lotion to go through, and that's my favorite part (by the way: I first purchased 4 months ago). I highly recommend.
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Treatments -Mario Badescu - Drying Cream
Faeriegrotto 11/8/2012 11:08:00 PM
I use this drying cream as a concealer. I take the lightest shade in most foundations, and lucky for me, this cream matches up just right. I've had great results with sulfur on my pimples, and this was no exception. However, this will not help with concealing scarring or discoloration--if I don't apply directly to an active pimple, it will over-dry my skin and my skin will start to flake. I will continue to use on pimples, though!
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Moisturizers -The Body Shop - Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream
Faeriegrotto 11/8/2012 11:01:00 PM
This "day" cream doesn't have sunscreen, so I only use it at night. When I first started using this cream, I'd had continuous acne for over ten years, so if it made me break out, I didn't notice. With the help of other products, my face cleared up completely while using this cream, so it gets top marks in my book. Now I'm afraid to switch to anything else!
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Toners -Mario Badescu - Glycolic Acid Toner
Faeriegrotto 11/8/2012 10:55:00 PM
After over ten years of never having acne free skin, I finally have my face under control. While salicylic acid has never helped with my acne, this toner was part of the regimen that saved my face. While I don't think I'd have clear skin with this product alone, it definitely contributes! I use it morning and night, and felt comfortable using it even on cystic pimples (unlike some other glycolic products). Now that the pimples are gone, I still have to deal with immense scarring - and so this toner continues to be a core part of my skincare routine. I feel that it really does help my skin to repair itself faster.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No