3 Weeks With The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + BP!

It’s the 3rd week using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. I’ve only used it once this week. This product really makes my skin glow. I love it for that, but I think it’s time for me to move on to other skin care products for my acne. This toner isn’t cutting it. As I said, it helps to brighten my skin. I just haven’t noticed a drastic difference in my acne. It helped to unclog some pores, but I think it has created more pimples. Every time I use it, I feel like I get new pimples (not from purging). My skin isn’t liking an ingredient or ingredients in this toner. I love liquid-based skin care products. I love that it’s affordable and feels very nice when applied to the skin. It helps to remove excess sebum and debris too when used with a cotton pad. This glycolic acid toner just isn’t working for me. I’m not going to drag it on using it when I don’t feel like it’s right for me. Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum seems to work better on my skin. It’s soft, gentle, and doesn’t clog my pores or irritate my skin. I’ll try this serum out by itself instead. It’s a higher percentage of glycolic acid, but it hasn’t caused my skin issues like The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. Maybe my skin just doesn’t like The Ordinary skin care products. They seem to work better on my body though! Just not my facial skin. It’s time to switch things up!

I added benzoyl peroxide in the 2nd week. I needed an acne product that’s anti-bacterial. Yes, I’m back to using benzoyl peroxide. I used it once during the first week. During the second week, I used it as often as possible. I’m still trying to transition my skin into using benzoyl peroxide. Currently using moisturizer first then applying benzoyl peroxide. The results have been pretty good. After this week, using it more often compared to the first week, my skin has improved drastically. My acne (mainly closed comedones) are not completely gone, but my skin has changed for the better. I’m getting results very quick. I wish I could use it in the morning to get faster results. It’s just too difficult to apply benzoyl peroxide, let it dry on the skin, and apply other skin care products afterwards in my morning routine. I don’t have the time to let it dry on the skin. I just can’t. Since I need an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial in the morning to help with acne, I started using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid again. I know! It’s back! I don’t use it every morning. I’ve only used it twice this week. This has been working for me so much better. I might’ve been using too many salicylic acid products before (face wash and a leave-on product). This is working for me right now. Just a few times a week to help unclog pores and for its anti-bacterial properties. Let’s see what happens in the upcoming weeks!

I tried some moisturizing skin care products this week too!

My Thoughts on Moisturizers…

La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin:

This is a lightweight, mattifying moisturizer. It’s not the most moisturizing moisturizer. It moisturizes a little bit. It doesn’t keep the skin moisturized throughout the day. I’ve been using it for nearly a month now, and I’m not too impressed. It should work on my skin because I have oily skin. But, it’s not doing much for my skin. I need something that actually moisturizes my skin a little bit more. After I stopped using this moisturizer, I noticed some breakouts vanished. I wonder if it’s breaking me out? 🤔 I’ll try it again when I’m ready.

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence:

I tried using Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Essence for extra moisture this week. I didn’t think it was moisturizing enough for my skin. It lightly hydrates the skin, but the hydration doesn’t last. My skin started to feel drier throughout the day. Honestly, I think it caused my skin to dry out more. I noticed more gunk in my pores too while using it. I stopped using it on my facial skin because of this.

Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence:

I wasn’t going to use the Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence on my skin again, but I have a few bottles of this left. I’ve been using it on my body to use it up. I thought I would try it again on my facial skin just to see if it’ll work or not. This essence (like the Snail Mucin Essence) ended up drying my skin out. I used the Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence on damp skin too. It just didn’t work. It made my skin look worse. I noticed my pores filling up too. Clogging my pores? I guess it doesn’t work on my skin. Back to using it on my body.

Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin:

I was in need of a moisturizer that moisturizes my skin that I started to use Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin again. This moisturizer left my skin feeling moisturized and soothed my skin. It helps with dryness and skin irritations. I stopped using my other moisturizers and just stuck with this one after trying the other moisturizers. I prefer to keep my routine as minimal as possible instead of using a bunch of moisturizers all at once, lol. And this moisturizer did a better job at moisturizing. I’m currently just using Vanicream (once again) as my moisturizer. I don’t use it every day though. Only when my skin needs to be moisturized. Hopefully it works this time around since I’m using benzoyl peroxide, which is helping a ton with my acne.

Catch up on what happened right here:

My Experience After 1 Week Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + Other Skin Care Updates

2 Weeks Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. My Results!

My Skin Care Routine 🙂

Here’s my skin care routine! 🙂 Let’s start…

Face Wash: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance Free

The face wash I’m using is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel (the fragrance free one). I’ve tried other cleansers in the past weeks, and I didn’t like them as much as this face wash. The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel feels soft, soothing, and gentle on the skin. It slightly foams up, cleanses the skin, doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry, and refreshes my skin. It doesn’t contain any acne fighting ingredients. I prefer facial cleansers without them. I’ve tried cleansers that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide before in the past, and they didn’t do anything for my acne. I didn’t see the point in using them anymore. I’ll just stick to a plain, boring face wash that cleanses without stripping the skin. This one has been working for me.

Acne Treatments: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

It took me a while to settle on products for my acne. I think this is it for now. I’m only using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution to help unclog my pores and to help prevent future breakouts (if it works that way, lol). I love how this product is a liquid. It absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves my skin feeling very clean. It doesn’t feel sticky or tacky on my skin. Let’s see if this works or not. I’ve only been using it for 2 weeks. Check out my experience/results below (first week).

My Experience After 1 Week Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + Other Skin Care Updates

Moisturizer: La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin

It took me forever to find a moisturizer that works on my skin. In other words, moisturizes and doesn’t cause breakouts. This moisturizer isn’t the most moisturizing. It’s also not the best at absorbing excess sebum (like it claims to do). I still have excess sebum seeping through the moisturizer afterwards. But, it’s good enough for now. It somewhat moisturizes, and I haven’t noticed any breakouts. It also contains niacinamide, but I haven’t noticed a brightening effect or any other improvements with this ingredient. I’ll stick to this moisturizer until I find another moisturizer that’s better for my skin (if there’s one). My skin doesn’t seem to like moisturizers too much. I’ve gone through life not bothering with moisturizers due them clogging my pores.

Sunscreen: CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint

I have a few more sunscreens, but the one sunscreen that I’ve been using the most is the CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30. It’s a mineral and tinted. Contains SPF 30. The tint in this sunscreen product makes it easy to reapply throughout the day. The tint is a tad dark on my skin. At first, it didn’t bother me. But now, it makes my skin appear a little dull. The shade isn’t a perfect match for my skin. It blends into the skin, but I can still see that my face is darker than the rest of my body when using this product. Oh well, haha. I’ll use it for the time being. I haven’t experienced breakouts from it after going through 3 bottles. I’m on my 4th! So with the tint, there’s no white cast, obviously. It’s moisturizing and simply just very easy to use. It’s currently winter with less sun. I’m mostly indoors, so that’s why I’ve been using this SPF more often over the other sunscreens I have. This will change when spring and summer arrives. I will need a higher SPF.

In the morning, I use a lip balm with SPF too. You can check out my lip care routine right here!

So what else should I add? I’m only using 4 products (face). 😂

Update: The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA & La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA:

I tried The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA again. I thought I could add a lactic acid serum into my routine instead of a glycolic acid serum (when I want a chemical exfoliant that is more gentle on the skin). Lactic acid has always been one of favorites. It’s gentle, exfoliates, and moisturizes the skin. I have 2 bottles of this serum left that I could use. Let’s just try it out again? So I did. The serum comes in a 30 mL glass bottle with a dropper. I’m not a fan of products that come in this type of format. I try to avoid it as much as possible. I just don’t like it. Personal preference. So this serum was very easy to use. Just a few drops and that’s it. I love how the serum absorbs into the skin quickly and leaves the skin feeling like there’s nothing on it. But, unfortunately, I woke up the next morning with some hard sebum within my pores and some more closed comedones out of nowhere! Ugh! This was the only new product I used that night. I knew it was this serum causing breakouts right away. This experience was disheartening. I was hoping that it would work. It’s an affordable lactic acid product. I don’t remember it causing breakouts either. I could be wrong. I was using a ton of products at one point, haha. Once I noticed the breakouts, I stopped using the lactic acid serum and never looked back (at least not use it on my face ever again, it doesn’t work). Here are the ingredients in this product.

Aqua (Water), Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.

An ingredient or more than one ingredient in this product caused breakouts. I wonder if it’s the isoceteth-20? I remember using a serum with this ingredient. It gave me the same reaction. I developed hard sebum within my pores and closed comedones. My skin looked bumpy.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50:

I haven’t used La Roche-Posay Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50 consistently in a while. I’ve been using CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Face Sheer Tint as my main SPF. It’s been working for me even though it’s only SPF 30. Even though I’m using it, I do have some gripes on this (CeraVe) particular sunscreen. Since it works and doesn’t cause too many issues, I’m going to keep using it until it stops working. Whenever that is. But there are days where I reach for a higher SPF. That happens to be the La Roche-Posay Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50. This sunscreen is a lotion that feels soft and spreads ever so nicely across the skin. It blends in so well. It does leave a slight white cast on my skin, but it doesn’t bother me that much. I was able to finish at least 5 or 6 bottles of this sunscreen last year. I think I’m on my 6th or 7th bottle now. I can’t remember, but it’s around there. This mineral sunscreen is different from the ones I’ve used before. It’s moisturizing but helps to absorb excess sebum on the skin. When used on flaky, dry skin, it can accentuate the dryness. Also, that white cast that I mentioned, if you have a richer, deeper skin tone, I don’t recommend this sunscreen at all. You can give it a try if you want, but there is a noticeable white cast (considering how much sunscreen a person has to apply to get the full SPF labelled on the bottle plus reapplication). Even though the white cast didn’t bother me that much, I eventually moved on to a tinted mineral sunscreen instead. It’s less of a hassle, and I’ve had less issues with blending it into my skin when I’m in a rush in the morning.

I thought this sunscreen would become my HG sunscreen. I mean, I’ve used several bottles of it already. Sadly, lately, it hasn’t been working like it used to. The sunscreen still has all of the qualities it had before like having a nice texture and consistency that’s soft to touch, blending into the skin well, has a nice matte finish, high SPF, it’s a mineral sunscreen. But, I’ve been noticing breakouts every time I use it. Every time I use it, I have new acne. I always make sure I remove my sunscreen off thoroughly at the end of the day too. Why is it making me breakout now? Was it clogging my pores before? I wonder if it’s been clogging my pores this whole time! 🤔 It could be. I was using a bunch of products, so I couldn’t pin point what product/products were causing breakouts. This could be one of the products along with a bunch of others, lol. So after experiencing acne from this sunscreen, I immediately stopped using it on my face. I didn’t keep trying to make it work. I’m already using another sunscreen that isn’t causing acne (I hope, hahaha!). It was whatever to me at this point. I only have one bottle of the La Roche-Posay Mineral Sunscreen left, so it’s not that big of a deal. I’m already more than halfway through the bottle. I guess I’m back to searching for a higher SPF mineral sunscreen once again. It’s disappointing that this one didn’t work. I can’t believe it took me this long to figure it out! I thought it worked so well!! Ahh! Who knew! ha!

Follow me on my battle against closed comedones! ~ My Experience After 1 Week Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + Other Skin Care Updates

After My Break & Trying Out Exfoliants

I stopped using tret about 2 weeks ago. My skin healed within 4 days, but I wanted to play it safe and just leave my skin alone for a bit. My skin became really oily during the break. If I didn’t have oily skin that is prone to blemishes, I would just stick to a basic skin care routine. I could only wish. Knowing my skin, it just can’t. It needs more than a basic skin care routine. So after 1 week of taking a break, I decided to add a cleanser that contains salicylic acid (CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser) into my routine. I swapped my moisturizing facial cleanser for another facial cleanser that contains salicylic acid. I’m nearing 2 weeks on this facial cleanser! 🙃 It cleanses my skin and doesn’t dry my skin out! This cleanser feels moisturizing on my skin. I didn’t expect it to be this moisturizing. Maybe it’s because I have oily skin. It seems to work to cleanse and makes my skin feel good afterwards. No dryness or any irritation. But, I’m not sure if it’s doing anything for my acne. Since I didn’t notice an improvement in my acne using the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser, I started using other products to treat my acne.

Here are some products I tried out first…

Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant:

Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid has always been my to-go-to salicylic acid product. It contains 2% salicylic acid. I love that it’s a liquid too. It absorbs quickly into the skin, and I can use it twice a day without drying my skin out. Unfortunately, this product isn’t working like it used to. It helps to decrease some sebaceous filaments and some blackheads. I said SOME. Not most or all. My skin is still struggling with acne when using this product. I’ve been trying to get rid of closed comedones that have been lingering around for far too long. This bha product isn’t doing much. So far, I’m quite disappointed in the results. It’s been months using this bha product. I still have 2 bottles left, so I’m going to keep using it to finish it up. But, I most likely won’t purchase it again unless I notice a difference with it vs without it. I’m currently using it in the morning, 7 days a week. I know that’s a lot for some people. My skin is pretty sturdy, lol. I was using it twice a day, 7 days a week before I changed it to using it only in the morning. Not because it’s drying. It’s because I wanted to make room for other products. I didn’t see results using it twice a day either. The results were the same using it once a day.

Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum:

This is the first aha product that I decided to try again. It’s the Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum. It contains 14% glycolic acid. I haven’t used a glycolic acid product in a while. I was pretty excited about it, haha. I chose the Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum first because it’s the strongest aha product I have. And I have acne to demolish. 💥 This serum is more like a gel rather than a serum. It smooths over the skin nicely and leaves the skin feeling moisturized. Once it absorbs into the skin, it leaves the skin looking dewy, but it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy on the skin. I noticed some stinging upon application. It didn’t bother me. I was thinking, hey, at least I know it’s effective, haha. My results with the Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum has been…not too bad. So, I guess it’s effective after all. I noticed some clogged pores unclogging, and my skin looking softer and smoother. I had a closed comedone on my upper lip for months. It’s finally out! This glycolic acid serum is pretty moisturizing too. This could make it back into my routine if it keeps on improving my skin!

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA:

I have a few bottles of The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA left. I decided to try it out again. This serum is more on the watery side compared to the Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum. It actually feels like a serum. It absorbs into the skin faster and more efficiently. With this serum, also, I noticed a stinging sensation upon application. That stinging sensation disappeared after a few seconds. This serum felt moisturizing on the skin. I really love the way lactic acid makes my skin feel. Why did I ever stop using it?? I noticed a brighter, smoother, and a more even complexion after using it once. Compared to the Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum, it feels so much stronger. Between the two, I’m leaning towards glycolic acid at the moment. It was nice to try out this lactic acid serum though.

The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA:

I haven’t used The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA in ages. I was searching for an exfoliant that could work better than salicylic acid. This one popped up. I wanted something that would work better for blackheads and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Mandelic acid is a popular choice. This serum felt thicker and more greasy in texture and consistency. It was oily. I didn’t enjoy using it, so I only used it once and never looked back. I didn’t notice any breakouts after the first try, but I can’t see myself using this serum on a daily basis to treat my acne. The texture of the product is just way too greasy and oily for day-to-day use. My experience with The Ordinary skin care products that have this type of texture is a no-go. It was nice to try out. It’s just not going work. My skin doesn’t like oily serums. I’m trying to eliminate my acne here, haha!

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution:

The last aha product that I tried this week was The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. You know, I’ve always loved liquid skin care products (like the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid). This one was very easy to use and apply. I dispensed the solution onto a cotton pad and swiped my face all over! Easy-peasy! There was a stinging sensation that later on disappeared. No troubles there. Once the solution absorbs and settles into the skin. Wow, my complexion looked brighter and super glowy instantly! I was so amazed. I dropped all of my other exfoliating skin care products (except for the bha liquid) and decided to stick to this one. It’s a texture thing. The product is a liquid and it just sinks into the skin easily without leaving any sticky residue behind. It doesn’t feel greasy or oily either. Here’s another product where I catch myself asking why I stopped using it, lol. I’ve only used it once, but I’ll make an update next week.

What I’m Doing Now…

After this experience, the only product I’m going to continue on with is Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid (have to use a lightweight acne-fighting product in the morning, maybe it’s doing something if I keep using it? lol.) and The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution (a nighttime exfoliant and also helps with acne). I really love my liquid-based skin care products. Having oily skin, they just absorb and sink into my skin better. It makes it easier to apply other skin care products afterwards too. They’re also time-savers. I find them more effective too. My skin loves them! What else this week?? I started using tret again. It’s about time I get back into it! My skin condition now is so much better this time. I wonder if it’s the aha products. My skin transformed so quick after using them in a short period of time. My skin looks cleaner, clearer, and more glowy. It helped to unclog clogged pores too. Goodbye closed comedones! My jaw literally dropped after seeing immediate results from aha products. Along with the chosen exfoliants, I’ll be using tret. I’ve already started using it, and I’m trying to use it every day. So far, it’s going pretty well. I haven’t had any issues with redness or dryness using it daily. Hopefully it works out this time. Wish me luck!

My Lip Care Routine

Here’s my lip care routine! 👄 This is what I use to keep my lips smooth, moisturized, and healthy-looking. 🙂

Lip Mask

I’ve been using a lip sleeping mask for almost 2 years now. The lip sleeping mask I’m currently using is Carenel Lip Sleeping Mask. I’m on my second jar. I’ve been using this lip mask every night and haven’t made a dent in the jar yet. I still have a lot of product left. This stuff seems to last forever! So this lip mask isn’t my favorite. I don’t have a favorite yet. I haven’t tried that many lip masks. Just the one I’m using right now. Since I haven’t finished it yet, there’s no reason to purchase a new one any time soon. I do have a small jar of Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask (sample size, pictured in photo) that I haven’t tried out yet. I’ll test it out once I finish Carenel. I just don’t feel like moving on from Carenel yet until I finish it, lol.

So the Carenel Lip Sleeping Mask feels sticky when applied to the lips. I apply enough product over the lips to keep my lips moisturized. Just like I’m applying a facial mask but for the lips. The sleeping mask stays in place and doesn’t run off of my lips, which I love! It’s non-messy even though it has a sticky texture to it. I wish it was more moisturizing, but I’m not too dissatisfied with this sleeping mask. I’m able to use it without skipping nights and disliking it. It’ll work for the time being. It has a berry-ish scent to it. The fragrance of the product isn’t overwhelming. I don’t love it, but I’m not bothered by it. I can use it without any issues. No burning or irritation of any kind.

Lip Scrub

I usually don’t use a dedicated lip scrub product for my lips. I have a face brush that I run over my lips when I use it to wash my face, or I just use a toothbrush. I feel that the methods I use work the same as a store-bought lip scrub. The results are pretty much the same. They both remove dead skin cells. But, one summer I purchased a few jars of St Ives Lip Scrub Juicy Watermelon to try out. This is a lip scrub made out of sugar crystals. It feels a bit sticky, but it works to remove dead skin from the lips. I wish I was able to move the product over the lips much more easily and comfortably. To add some slip to the lip scrub, I added a few drops of almond oil or jojoba oil to make it easier to move over the lips without tugging the skin too much. I don’t use this product often. I feel like I don’t need it. Once I finish it up, I won’t purchase it again. Also, I prefer the other methods I mentioned earlier to remove dead skin from my lips. It’s inexpensive and works long term for me. I’ve been doing it for so long that there’s no need to change it. It was nice to try out a lip scrub again though. Maybe I just haven’t found a lip scrub that I really liked yet. This one wasn’t too bad. I’m just not overly ecstatic about it.

Healing Ointment

This is my favorite product out of all of the products I use on my lips. It’s the CeraVe Healing Ointment. This product contains mineral oil, paraffin, ceramides, cholesterol, vitamin e, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, etc. I use this healing ointment on my lips every night to seal in moisture after I apply the lip sleeping mask. It works to keep my lips soft and moist the next morning. The CeraVe Healing Ointment isn’t just great for the lips. It works for dry patches of skin, itchy skin, irritated skin, and so much more! It’s an awesome sealant to keep moisture in the skin. I love that it contains ceramides. That makes it an even better product! This is a multi-purpose product that I love to have around since I can’t use what people recommend all the time (Aquaphor). Aquaphor makes my skin really irritated and itchy. It must be the lanolin! Every time I use a product with that ingredient on my face, my skin breaks out in hives. My face hates it! With CeraVe (lanolin-free), I have no issues. Just soft, smooth, and moisturized skin. It’s great for healing the skin. I have a few bottles of CeraVe Healing Ointment sitting around just in case I need to save my skin.

Sun Protection

In the morning, I use Up & Up Sport Sunscreen Lip Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 50. It’s not the most moisturizing lip balm, but it’s not drying. This is a chemical-based SPF lip balm. Broad spectrum. It’s water-resistant (80 minutes). I’ve gone through so many that I’ve lost count. It’s an affordable SPF for the lips. I just stuck with it because I have no reason to switch to any other SPF. It works. It’s inexpensive. It does what it’s supposed to do. It protects the lips from harmful UVB and UVA rays. It’s a high SPF lip balm too (SPF 50!!!). I always make sure to stash one or two in my pocket or bag just in case I need it. I get freckles on my lips. This lip balm with sunscreen has helped prevent more freckles from forming.

That’s my lip care routine for now. 😊