March & April Skin Care Empties!

I know I’m a little late, but here are my skincare empties for the month of March & April! 🌈

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser:

I finally finished the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser. I used it for a week on my face then I stopped. This facial cleanser is exactly what it is. It’s gentle. I mean, very gentle. I didn’t think it cleaned my skin well. It’s not the type of product for me. The face wash also has some speckles of glitter in it too. Just an observation. I most likely won’t purchase this product again. It’s too gentle on my skin. I love gentle skin care products, but this was just way too gentle. I need a product that removes the excessive amount of grease that I have on my face, lol.

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

I finished my first bottle of the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel. This is a gentle facial cleanser that’s somewhat moisturizing. It definitely cleans my skin well. It’s a gel. It does what it’s supposed to do. It doesn’t leave any residue behind. It cleanses and doesn’t irritate my skin. I’m on my last bottle. Who knows if I’m going to stick to this face wash or move on to another face wash.

CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser:

I thought this face wash was working for me in the beginning, but it started to do weird things to my skin such as skin tightness and breakouts. That’s all I remember about it after I stopped using it. My skin went back to normal, and I started using another face wash. I really don’t think my skin likes CeraVe products. None has worked for me so far. This is one of them.

Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum:

I still have several bottles of the Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum left. I just finished another bottle. I’ve been using it on my body to get rid of it. I can’t use it on my facial skin because it clogs my pores and causes my skin to flare up. Something in this serum just doesn’t work well with my skin. I just wished I had known sooner.

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA:

I finished my last bottle of The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA. I’m over this serum. I can’t use it on my facial skin, so I used the rest on my body. I haven’t noticed any changes in my skin. The texture of the serum is thick and tacky. I’m not sure how I even put up with the texture of this serum for such a long time. It’s finally done. I threw the bottle out!

Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40:

I was able to finish one of the two Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 that I have. At first, I was hesitant on using it daily because I noticed clogged pores while using it. But, everything has been going well since I increased my use of my acne treatment. I’m using the sunscreen almost daily now. Just almost. I’m loving the soft, silky texture of this sunscreen. I hope it keeps on working and doesn’t cause any breakouts! The sunscreen is very easy to use. One of the easiest and fastest sunscreens to use in the morning before I start my day. It works great as well if I miss any spots.

Dr Jart+ Rejuvenating BB Beauty Balm Silver Label SPF 35 PA++:

I’m done with Dr Jart+ Rejuvenating BB Beauty Balm Silver Label SPF 35 PA++. I’m glad I’m done with this bb cream. It’s been a good run, but I won’t repurchase any time soon. I think it’s time to move on to something else after using it for goodness how many years. It’s not as good as it used to be anymore. Also, I wish the SPF was a little higher. I just think I’m over this product. I wasn’t satisfied with the results this time.

Melano CC Vitamin C Essence:

I still have several tubes of the Melano CC Vitamin C Essence left. I haven’t been using this product on my facial skin either. It breaks me out, and I’m not going to take another risk using it on my face. The texture of the product is oily and sits on my skin greasy. Just another product I’m also trying to finish up and throw out. I’m not sure why it’s so raved about. It hasn’t done much for my skin over the years. Too bad I still have plenty of tubes left.

Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin:

One more product that I’m done with is the Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin. I’m so happy to be done with this moisturizer. I stopped using it on my face also. It’s supposed to be a lightweight and moisturizing product. But, it just didn’t work out for me. It moisturized my skin, but I noticed breakouts after using it. My skin dislikes moisturizers. I stopped using moisturizers on my face, to be honest. It seems like my skin doesn’t need it. Here’s to another product that I won’t purchase again. It’s been a long run. 👋

Those are some of the products that I was able to get rid of. In the next few months…more to come! Stay tuned!

My Week 3 BP Results!

If you missed out on my updated skin care routine 👈🏻

Some changes have been made, hehe.

Here are my week 3 results!!

I took a break from tazorac and benzoyl peroxide as an all-over skin treatment this week. My skin looked a bit flaky and crusty. If I continued on with these products, my skin would look like crap. I just wasn’t feeling the all-over the face acne treatments like taz and benzoyl peroxide this week. I still used benzoyl peroxide though. Only as a spot treatment. I only targeted my breakout-prone areas. If I see a pimple forming or has formed, I’ll dab a little bit of benzoyl peroxide on that pimple. At the beginning to mid-week, I didn’t use any leave-on actives besides spot treating with benzoyl peroxide. At the end of the week, I noticed pimples that benzoyl peroxide wasn’t able to get at. I started using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant again. Since I’m not using much (not even a moisturizer), I thought I would give this product a try again, haha. After eliminating so many products including moisturizer, the quality of my skin improved. It looks more natural. The texture of my skin is more refined and healthy-looking. Even with the positives, my skin has been extremely oily. And it’s not from not using a moisturizer. I think it’s my sunscreen. I’m currently using CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint. I haven’t been using Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 much. Maybe once a week or skip it? haha. CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint makes my skin feel oily/greasy, and it could be causing issues that I didn’t expect. I wish I could go sunscreen-free. No products on the skin is best for my skin. *sigh* But that’s never going to happen.

Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant used to dry my skin out (when used with a moisturizer). The times I used it this week, I didn’t experience skin dryness, redness, peeling, or any other skin irritations. Nothing. My skin took this product pretty well. It helped to decrease sebum on my skin, but it didn’t help much with my acne. Hmmm! I noticed even more pimples, which was not from purging. The bha liquid didn’t do much to unclog stubborn clogged pores. Boooo!! I’m not sure if I’m going to keep using it. Perhaps once or twice a week. It’s not as effective against acne (on my skin anyways) compared to when I first used it. Darn, I have a lot of product left too. 😭 So I went back to using benzoyl peroxide. I might take another week off of taz. We’ll see what happens to my skin next week. Nothing seems to work on my acne anymore besides benzoyl peroxide.

Some things I’m thinking about switching out: my sunscreen and cleanser. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance Free has been OK. I’m thinking about switching over to a face wash that contains benzoyl peroxide since I’m not using anything on my skin/face besides an acne treatment and sunscreen. I’m not liking my current sunscreens either. I need a sunscreen that’s more lightweight and less oily/greasy. The ones I’m using could be causing acne issues. Mostly CeraVe. I use it the most out of the two. My skin doesn’t look good after using it. I always make sure to remove it properly too. I think it could be the fact that sunscreens feel super occlusive on the skin, which could lead to breakouts. I have annoying skin. What to do? lol. Nothing ever works for my skin type. 😢

That’s my update for this week! Have a splendid day!

Catch up on my experiences!

Restarting Tret & My First Week Experience

My Week 2 Results With Tret. Changes I’ve Made.

Update: My Skin Care Routine

Not shown in photo: Taz & BP

Here’s my new skin care routine. 🙂

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

I’ve been using this face wash for a little over 2 months now. I love how it foams up and feels soft on the skin as I wash my face. It cleanses the skin nicely. But, I feel like it’s kind of drying my skin out. It cleanses my skin very well, but my skin feels a little dry afterwards. It feels chapped. I don’t feel like switching cleansers right now, but I’ll use what I have left. I might search for another cleanser when I’m done. We’ll see what happens.

Skin Treatments: Taz & BP (Acne) & L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum (Brightening)

I’m only using taz and bp (not together, separately) 1-2 times a week. My goal is once per week. I also spot treat with bp when I see any pimples forming. As for the vitamin c serum, I’ve been using it on my cheekbones and lightly tap it under my eyes. I noticed brighter under eyes after doing this so I continued to use it this way. I use it on my neck too. I can’t use it on my face because it clogs my pores. This vitamin c serum has a silicone feel to it, and it makes my skin feel very soft, smooth, and silky. It’s been working great for those areas of my skin. Unfortunately, just not my face.

Sunscreen: CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint & Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40

I have two sunscreens that I’m using right now. It’s the CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint and Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40. I use CeraVe most of the week, but if I feel like it, I use Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s sunscreen leaves my skin feeling moisturized and protected at the same time. It works great as a makeup primer too. My skin feels so silky smooth after I use it.

I’m still trying to keep my skin care routine short and minimal. I’m really not into extensive skin care routines anymore. haha. I tried it. It didn’t work for me. I prefer to keep my skin care routine as simple as possible. It seems like my skin starts to break out when I’m layering on too many products. By the way, I stopped using moisturizer on my face. It’s time to call it quits. I’ve been trying to make it work for so long that it’s just not working. I keep getting random breakouts whenever I try to moisturize my skin. I decided to just leave my skin alone. I never used moisturizers years before either. I guess some people just can’t use moisturizers (like me). 🤷🏻‍♀️

That’s my updated skin care routine! Hope this was helpful. Have an amazing day! 😄

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). 😂

My 1 Week Experience with Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin!

It’s time to try a new face wash! I stopped using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. If you missed out on my thoughts on the CeraVe product, you can check out the links below. 🙂

I Finally Tried CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser! Here’s My 1 Week Experience!

2 Weeks Experience with CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser!

Now on to my thoughts on Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin…

Day 1:

I started using Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin tonight. It was a last minute decision. I started noticing more sebaceous filaments/blackheads on my nose and on other parts of my face. Maybe it’s from the CeraVe face wash? Something else? All I know is that the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser wasn’t doing much for my acne. I’m quite disappointed in that facial cleanser. It’s a facial cleanser that contains salicylic acid. It’s supposed to help with acne. What’s the point on using a product that contains salicylic acid when it does nothing. It didn’t help my skin whatsoever. The ingredients in the CeraVe face wash look nice and all, but if it doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work. So I wanted to ditch acne fighting ingredients in facial cleansers. Just stick to a basic, boring facial cleanser like what I was doing before for so many years. My experience using it (Vanicream) tonight wasn’t bad. The product is a runny gel that foams up when mixed with water. It was very easy to use. It didn’t burn my face. It cleansed my skin pretty well. I used it to remove my makeup remover (oil-based), and it cleansed it off thoroughly. There was no trace of oil left on my face. Wow, I’m impressed! You know, I went overboard with this face wash tonight. I tried cleansing my face with it 2 more times, lol. Yep, no redness or irritation. Just clean skin. It’s really made for sensitive skin. Well, it’s only been the first day. Who knows what might happen the next few days. Let’s see…

Day 2:

It’s the second day of using Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. I’m using this facial cleanser twice a day, morning and night. I used it this morning and thought it felt so much more gentler compared to CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. I don’t even miss the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. It was a good run (for 2 weeks and a day, lol), but it’s not for my skin type. I was hoping that it would do something for my closed comedones. But, nope, it did absolutely nothing. I’m glad I switched over to the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. I was going to go back to what I was using before (Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance Free), but I wanted to try something different first. I wanted a facial cleanser that’s even more gentle. From my limited experience of the Vanicream face wash so far, the Vanicream cleanser feels so much more gentler compared to both the CeraVe and Neutrogena cleansers! So after washing my face tonight, my experience was similar to this morning and yesterday’s. The facial cleanser cleansed my skin without stripping it. It removes dirt, debris, excess sebum, all of that gunk off of my face easily without being rough on the skin. It soothes and calms my skin. My acne didn’t look inflamed after using it. My skin looks better after cleansing. Maybe this is just what I needed. A gentle facial cleanser that cleanses without any acne fighting ingredients. That salicylic acid stuff isn’t working for me. It’s time to let it go for now. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow! I’m back to being excited about washing my face, haha!

Day 3:

I’m going through a breakout/purge from my acne products right now. This cleanser has been very helpful! It’s gentle, soothing, doesn’t dry out the skin, doesn’t irritate the skin, and leaves my skin feeling cleansed. I’m still using it twice a day (morning and night) without any issues. My skin loves this face wash! I haven’t had any issues with it breaking me out. No breakouts so far! I’m really shocked because I’ve been meaning to try out this face wash for some time. It’s about time I tried it. So far, everything is going well. It does what it’s supposed to do. I’m glad I stopped using the salicylic acid cleanser. Maybe it was doing my skin more harm than good. My skin feels so much better with a cleanser without any actives.

Day 4:

It’s already day 4 using Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. I woke up this morning with clearer skin! It looks so much brighter and smoother too. It’s not the cleanser doing this. I’ve been using aha products. The combination of Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin and chemical exfoliants have been amazing. Whenever I wash my face, it just feels gentle and nice. My skin hasn’t dried out yet. I’m seeing positive results every day. I’m still impressed with this face wash at removing heavy oils, sebum, debris, and whatever gunk that has been on my face the whole day. It’s so gentle. It’s doing a much better job than the previous cleansers I’ve used while being soft and gentle all at the same time! I actually look forward to washing my face ever since I started this cleanser.

Day 5:

After 5 days of using Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. I will repeat everything I have said already. It’s gentle cleanser that cleanses the skin and doesn’t dry it out. It feels very soft on the skin. I haven’t noticed any breakouts using it. But, it’s only been 5 days. I love how it washes off. It doesn’t leave any residue on the skin. It does what it’s supposed to do. Even after all of that, I’m kind of missing my previous (not the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance Free) cleanser. The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel is more gel-like. I just love how it makes my skin feel. Vanicream is nice too, but there’s something about the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleansing Gel that I can’t put my finger on. It cleans my skin even better? I just like the way it makes my skin feel even more. I’ll give Vanicream some more time before I make a decision to switch back or keep it as my main cleanser.

Day 6:

I made the decision to go back to Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance Free. I didn’t feel that Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin was cleaning my skin enough. It was missing something. It cleanses my skin, but I need something a little bit stronger yet gentle. And that would be the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel. I washed my face with Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel this morning and tonight. My skin likes the Neutrogena cleanser so much more! My skin feels cleaner even if it’s just a little bit more. I could feel the difference, lol. My skin looks and feels less oily afterwards. Also, Vanicream has shiny reflecting particles in the cleanser. Looking at the ingredients, it contains mica and titanium dioxide.

Here’s the full ingredient list:

purified water, glycerin, coco-glucoside, sodium cocoyl glycinate, acrylates copolymer, caprylyl glycol, mica, sodium chloride, 1,2-hexanediol, titanium dioxide, sodium hydroxide, disodium EDTA

It’s short and pretty straightforward.

Day 7:

It’s the last day, and I have already (sorta) given up on Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. Since I still have it, I’m using it to cleanse my skin at night. I use it before my actual cleanser (Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel). I most likely won’t purchase Vanicream again when I’m done with it. It was nice to try out, but I don’t think it’s cleansing enough for my skin. The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel is working so much better for my skin. Both are very gentle cleansers. Both didn’t dry my skin out. I’m just leaning towards Neutrogena a little bit more. Vanicream has been raved about so much. Now I can say that I’ve officially tried the facial cleanser, hah! Too bad it didn’t turn into my main cleanser. Seems great for sensitive skin though!

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