1 MONTH Results with BP!

Last week, I didn’t use any acne treatments all-over. I paid the price for it. My skin went from dry and crusty to extremely oily. I developed breakouts from it. Once I stopped using taz or tret, my skin started to get better/heal. I’m thinking about quitting those products and just sticking to benzoyl peroxide (pm) and sunscreen (am) for now. I went back to using benzoyl peroxide all-over at the beginning of this week. I spot treated most of the week. On the last day, I started using benzoyl peroxide all-over. I thought I could spot treat most of the week only. I was wrong. I really need to apply benzoyl peroxide all-over for the full effect. When using benzoyl peroxide, I have less breakouts, skin is less oily, and my skin just looks overall better. I noticed improvements in my skin after the first all-over application! My skin didn’t dry out either. It just soaked up the excess oils and killed the bacteria. Yayyyyyyy! I’m still not using a moisturizer. My skin seems to not need it. Also, I’m not using salicylic acid anymore. It’s not working for me. It made my skin worse at the end. It could just be the product I was using too (Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant). It leaves an oily residue behind while absorbing excess sebum all at once. It’s weird. I’m going to try my best to move on from it, haha. Let’s see how this goes, lol. Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m done with it. 🤔 Pretty sure…

I stopped using CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint and Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 this week too. I tried using La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50. I thought it was breaking me out at one point or many points, lol. Go here to check out my previous thoughts on it. I tried using this sunscreen most of the week. It didn’t cause breakouts like I thought it did. It must’ve been the CeraVe sunscreen. Darn it, I’ve been using it for so long and not realizing it was clogging my pores. I’ve officially stopped using it. There goes another sunscreen that doesn’t work. As for La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50, it worked OK for the first few applications then my skin became extremely dry. I could see dry patches on my skin. It accentuated so much dry skin that I had to stop using it every day. It’s not going to work if it makes my skin look like shit. I need a more moisturizing sunscreen that doesn’t break me out. I tried using Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 again, haha! I feel like I’m never going to let this sunscreen go. It worked well the first day. After using it again for the second time, my skin started to feel clogged. It made my skin look super shiny and more oily during the day. Felt sticky on the skin. Whatever, maybe this is the last time. My experience with it lasted for 2 days this time. Good to know that it doesn’t work (again, lol).

After 1 month, my skin is almost clear. I only have a few stubborn areas of my face with pimples. It’s mostly my chin and mouth area. Probably hormonal too. I ended up with at least 3 nodules right for my period. Ugh, they took forever to go away and left dark acne marks behind. I’m not using anything to treat the pigmentation. I just don’t want to use any new product right now and ruin my skin. So, it’s just sunscreen (not sure what works yet 😭😭😭), face wash, and benzoyl peroxide. Oh, and that vitamin c serum which has helped brighten my under eyes. It’s so silky smooth! By the looks of my skin condition, I’m pretty sure the less products I use, the better my skin gets. I just need to find a new sunscreen. Something that’s lightweight, non-greasy, doesn’t clog my pores, and dries quickly into the skin. Looking back at all of the sunscreens I’ve used, the only one that worked for me was Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30. It’s not even a sunscreen product. It’s a moisturizer with SPF. By the way, it’s been discontinued for some time now. I only have one bottle left that hasn’t expired yet. I better get going and use it up real soon before it does.

What’s happening? Check out the links below!

Restarting Tret & My First Week Experience

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

My Week 3 BP Results!

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.

2 Weeks Experience with CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser!

Here’s my day to day thoughts on CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser PLUS other skin care products I’ve included to try to eliminate acne! It’s been 2 weeks on this face wash! 🙌🏻

Go here if you missed out on my 1 week experience. 👈🏻

Day 8:

It’s the 8th day using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. I’m still using it twice a day (morning and night). This facial cleanser is still cleansing and moisturizing at the same time. I haven’t had any issues with my skin drying out. It hasn’t irritated my skin. Nope. Nothing. It’s still doing it’s job and that’s cleansing my skin without stripping my skin. This face wash is more moisturizing than I thought it would be. That’s a great thing, but my skin is feeling a little too moisturized at the moment. I noticed some new pimples popping up out of nowhere. Maybe my skin is too hydrated right now? Maybe it’s the 2% bha liquid that’s unclogging my pores? Maybe, but I highly doubt it’s the 2% bha liquid. Honestly, I don’t think this product is doing much for my skin in terms of acne. I’ve been using it on and off over the years. I’ve been pretty consistent with it recently. I’m not sure if I’m going to stick with it. I’ll finish what I have and take it from there. I do love using it as my toner. The reason why I use a cotton pad along with it instead of using my palms. The product with a cotton pad leaves my skin feeling clean and free from whatever is on my skin. In saying that, I might need a product that’s stronger than the 2% bha liquid to help with acne. The face wash isn’t strong enough. The 2% bha liquid isn’t either. Hmmm, what to use? I’ll think about it. I just hope the face wash doesn’t end up breaking me out. I’m still hoping that it still works this week.

Day 9:

It’s been 9 days using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. I still don’t think it’s doing anything for my acne. I just keep hoping but nothing happens. The CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser feels like any other moisturizing facial cleanser. At least it doesn’t dry my skin out (still!!). And it contains niacinamide, ceramides, and I guess salicylic acid, lol. Even with niacinamide, my skin doesn’t look brighter or glowier anymore. Looking back from last week, it must’ve been the vitamin c serum that I was using doing all of the skin brightening and making my skin super glowy. I’m not experiencing any of those effects lately using the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. It’s so sad! Too bad that vitamin c serum clogged my pores, and I haven’t found another vitamin c serum that works. I tried Melano CC Vitamin C Essence again. It didn’t brighten my skin this time. My skin reacted poorly to it when I used it. I don’t know what happened. It just didn’t work. I THINK I’m done trying it. 😆 So, after 9 days, I haven’t seen any improvements in my acne. The 2% bha liquid product isn’t doing much either. I need some sort of miracle. Isn’t this face wash supposed to be amazing? What’s going on? So, instead of waiting on this face wash to do something for my acne, I started using aha products to help chemically exfoliate my skin. My skin seems to have a bunch of skin build-up. Removing a layer of skin might help unclog the clogged pores. FYI, my skin didn’t dry out at all using aha products along with the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. Let’ see if adding aha products would help budge my skin into the right direction.

Day 10:

It’s DAY 10! I’m still using the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser in the morning and at night, lol. I feel like I’ve said this so many times, but I’ve read that some people only use this face wash a few times a week. So I’ve been using it twice a day, every day, which seems more advanced. So, after adding aha products into my routine, my skin is now smoother and so much brighter. I also noticed some skin purging. Some on my forehead and side of my face. But my skin looks clearer. What a difference! 😃 I’ve been clinging on to the 2% bha liquid and salicylic acid products leading to zero results, while I should be using aha products instead. I’m already seeing some results with ahas. I’ll keep everyone updated on the progress. The good news today is that my skin hasn’t dried out from adding these new products into my routine. 👍🏻 My face is supposed to be melting, but it’s not. Thank you sturdy skin. You’ve done something right!

Day 11:

Everything is going well with CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. No breakouts, dryness, redness, or any other skin irritations. I’m still experiencing cleansed and moisturized skin. Besides that, since it’s working just fine, after experimenting with aha products, my skin improved. Many of the closed comedones I was complaining about are finally shrinking. I’m going through a mini purge, but it seems like it’s working to unclog my pores. So the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser did nothing to unclog my pores even though it contains salicylic acid. I love using it daily to wash my face to simply cleanse. In terms of getting rid of my acne, it didn’t work. But, the good news is that I didn’t experience any new breakouts using this cleanser. And I absolutely adore the ingredients in this product (niacinamide and ceramides). I love how it’s moisturizing too. I like it. I just wished that it helped my acne.

Day 12:

I’m deep into using aha products, and my skin isn’t stinging or burning using the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. I am amazed!! My skin even peeled, and this facial cleanser hasn’t burned my skin. It still cleanses and leaves my skin feeling moisturized. I was expecting it to burn my skin after it peeled. Nope, it didn’t. So impressive. 👏🏻 The only place it burns would be my eyes if I open them while cleansing. This facial cleanser is truly gentle on the skin and non-irritating. It works to cleanse. It just didn’t work on my acne. I’ve seen no improvements in acne using it today, lol. Just another day with cleansed and moisturized skin. Not bad. I guess I could keep using it just for that. Let’s see what happens tomorrow first, haha.

Day 13:

I’ve been taking care of my moisture barrier within the last couple of days. My moisturizers burn my face, but this cleanser keeps on cleansing and moisturizing my skin, lol. My face does not burn at all using this face wash even when my moisturizers turn my face red. I thought about switching to another facial cleanser like a facial cleanser without any actives to prevent further irritation. But, this face wash has not irritated my skin one bit. Not at all. I used it twice a day (morning and night, still) this whole week without any issues. It feels gentle on the skin, lathers and foams up. It doesn’t leave my skin feeling or looking irritated. No redness or itchy skin. I’ll just stick to it right now.

Day 14:

It’s the last day of the week. It’s been 2 weeks using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser! I didn’t think I would make it this far. I was going to switch over to a different facial cleanser out of boredom. Yeah, this facial cleanser does what it’s supposed to do. It cleanses, doesn’t strip my skin and leave it feeling dry. It moisturizes. I feel like I’ve said this so many times already, lol. I think I did, haha! I didn’t experience any breakouts while using it. But it didn’t help clear what acne I have left. When I first purchased this cleanser, I was hoping that it would help with some closed comedones and help maintain my acne in general. It’s not a bad face wash. It just didn’t do much for my acne like I was hoping for. Well, at least it didn’t clog my pores or cause a rash. I’m glad I gave it a chance. I’ve been curious about this face wash for so long. And now, I finally tried it out.

Go here to read about the new products (bha & aha products) I included in my routine 👈🏻

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!

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

I picked up CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser! I’ve been thinking about trying this cleanser out for ages! I mean, years. I’ve read about it and heard good things about it. I’ve also seen pretty bad reviews on it too. Like how this cleanser gave people acne. 😲 The CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser was constantly on my mind. But, my experience with CeraVe products (cleansers in this case) have been pretty bad. I’ve tried the Hydrating Facial Cleanser and Foaming Facial Cleanser. Both of these cleansers did not cleanse my skin well. They both left residue on my skin, and I ended up breaking out in acne. I tried the Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser too. With this cleanser also, it didn’t clean my skin well and did nothing for my acne. What a waste. Now I’m using the Renewing SA Cleanser. Here are my day to day thoughts on this cleanser. I wonder if I’ll last a week. By the way, my previous cleanser is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance Free. Don’t forget to check out my review on that product! A new update on it coming up soon! The reason why I’m using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser now is because I wanted something less drying. Yeah, so weird because the Renewing SA Cleanser has salicylic acid in it. But, it also contains ceramides to moisturize the skin. Neutrogena doesn’t have any of that.

Let’s start! Here’s my first day experience!

Day 1:

I started using the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser at night. I debated for hours before taking the plunge. I was so hesitant and afraid of using this cleanser on my skin even though I purchased it already. Is it going to dry my skin out (contains salicylic, think it’s 0.5% or less than 1%). So, that’s not a high percentage. My bha liquid is 2%. I do pretty good on it too. Is the cleanser going to break me out? My skin is decent right now. I didn’t want to go through another breakout from this cleanser. Putting my fears away, I tried it. This cleanser is a gel. The pump/dispenser comes with a lock. Opening it was annoying. The first pump took a while to come out. I used 2 pumps for my whole face. It slightly lathered up and foamed with water. The product felt soft and soothing on my skin. I really enjoyed it. I loved the way it felt on my skin. Once I rinsed the cleanser off, my skin felt clean, a little moisturized, and not dry at all. It seems like CeraVe is more moisturizing than Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel. Hmmmm! By the way, if you’re new to my blog, I have very oily skin that can become dehydrated fast. This cleanser wasn’t drying on my skin after a single use. Who knows what might happens the next day or in the next few days.

Day 2:

I thought to myself, should I use this cleanser twice a day or once a day? What to do? Since I’m already in it to win it, I decided to use it twice a day. Neutrogena was a tad bit drying too, but it cleaned my skin and didn’t cause breakouts. Not a bad cleanser, from my skin’s perspective. I used CeraVe this morning with good results. The cleanser actually is the foamy, lathery type of cleanser. Full-on foam all over my face! I loved it! It was a great experience. It’s been so darn long that I’ve experienced a cleanser this foamy and so lathery. I’m freaking excited! I massaged the cleanser into my skin and let it do its thing. Felt a bit tingly this time. I didn’t notice it the first time. Also, don’t open your eyes when using this cleanser, it burns. Once I rinsed it off, my skin felt clean but not tight or dry. My skin looked so glowy, smooth, and hydrated. Keep in mind, I’m not even using a moisturizer right now, and my skin didn’t even dry out. I won’t get my moisturizer until tomorrow (Day 3). Can’t wait! But my skin loved the results this morning. At night, the effect was the same! The cleanser left my skin feeling clean without drying my skin out. The difference is that I noticed some hard sebum plugs falling out of my pores. I was able to pick them out. Is my skin purging or is the cleanser clogging my pores? I don’t know yet. It’s only been 2 days. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

Day 3:

I didn’t wake up to new breakouts this morning. I left the cleanser on my skin a little bit longer than usual to give the salicylic acid some time to do its job. My skin didn’t feel dry or tight from doing this. Once I washed my face, it felt the same as before. It felt clean. This cleanser is not drying out my skin at all (as of yet). It feels very nice. I love that it actually cleans my face. This is the first for a CeraVe cleanser. At night, I noticed some blemishes. Uh oh. 😲 They weren’t there this morning. The blemishes are in my breakout-prone areas like my chin. I’ve been dealing with closed comedones in that area of my face for years. I’m not getting new breakouts. Well, it doesn’t look like it. It looks like the pimples were already there and now moving up to the surface (so I hope!). I just hope that it’s just my skin purging. It’s only day 3, so it’s difficult to tell. I’ll have to keep using this product. But, so far, I’m really enjoying this face wash. It’s still not drying out my skin using it twice a day yesterday and today. Everything is going well so far. And guess what arrived today? My moisturizer! Now I have a moisturizer that I can use at night. I’m not sure if I’ll use it in the morning. We’ll see what happens. It’s nice to add some moisture back to the skin. 😌 It makes my skin look more healthy and balanced.

Day 4:

Let the purge begin!! I had one single pimple that came to a head this morning (chin area). It popped when I was washing my face, lol. I thought that was the only pimple I had. But, by night, I noticed more pimples. I had some closed comedones on my upper lip and more on my chin. Those closed comedones moved up and turned white. I developed one cyst. It was a tiny pimple. Now it’s a gigantic cyst. So, from what’s going on, it looks like my skin is purging. It took 4 days to reach this stage. I mean, I noticed some pimples days before, but now they’re really turning into actual pimples. Much bigger ones. Whiteheads and one cyst. I really hope this is a short purge and not just breaking out. I’ll stick it out. I’m already 4 days in. I was really generous with the cleanser at night too, lol. I’m so glad I purchased the value size, haha. After cleansing my skin at night, that cyst shrunk in size. It seems like it’s working.

Day 5:

I woke up with a new pimple on my cheek. I wonder where that came from. It appeared out of thin air! I also noticed some on the side of my face and forehead. Just tiny little ones. They’re more like hard sebum plugs. I could easily pick them out. So the pimples that popped up yesterday have reduced in size dramatically. That one cyst from yesterday isn’t swelling as much anymore and diminished in size even more too. CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser still leaves my skin feeling clean and doesn’t dry out my skin, but I feel like there’s thick layer of dead skin on my face. I might have to add an acne leave-on treatment into my skin care routine to remove the dead skin and to prevent pores from clogging. I haven’t used any since a week ago. I took a break to heal my skin. The salicylic acid in the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser doesn’t seem to be enough. CeraVe doesn’t specify the percentage of salicylic, so I’m going to assume it’s a low percentage. Seems like it’s working to unclog my pores, but I need something stronger to tame my acne throughout the day. Lol, I was hoping that this face wash would do all of the work. I just hoped, haha.

I started using a 2% bha liquid tonight along with the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. To some this may be overkill, but my skin feels too moist. I wonder if it’s the new moisturizer I’m using. It’s a mattifying moisturizer too. I funny thing is that I didn’t think it felt too moisturizing on the skin. It sits on my skin pretty well and doesn’t leave my skin feeling or looking oily. So good, so far when it comes to not making my skin feel too heavy or greasy. Breakouts? Who knows! Another product I have in my routine is a vitamin c serum. This product could be causing breakouts too. I started using it almost around the same time as the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. So, I don’t know which product it is that could be causing breakouts. Hopefully it’s not CeraVe, haha. Between the two, I decided to stop using the vitamin c serum. I’m not a fan of the texture of the serum. Thankfully, that’s all I’m using on my skin besides sunscreen. My skin care routine is still minimal, which makes it easier to pinpoint what’s working and what’s not. Goodbye vitamin c. 👋🏻 For now.

Day 6:

When I was washing my face this morning, I noticed ZERO new pimples. I think I eliminated the product that was clogging my pores this whole time! Maybe it was part purging from CeraVe and part vitamin c serum clogging my pores. I was getting weird random breakouts in the past few days. Now, they’re gone! I used 2% bha liquid last night and this morning. I didn’t experience any dryness or irritation. No itchy skin. Before washing my face tonight (still using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser twice a day!!), I didn’t notice any new breakouts. My skin looks good. What is this madness??!! lol. My skin is almost clear! I still have some tiny little closed comedones, but I have no new active pimples. No whiteheads, pustules, or cysts. That vitamin c serum really did me wrong. Now I have to see if my new moisturizer is working on my skin or not. I’ve used it 7 times already. It’s going well so far. I’m currently using it twice a day without any issues. Hopefully no breakouts from it. Skin looks pretty good at day 6, but I still have a long way to go!

Day 7:

It’s the 7th day using CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. I’m still using it twice a day, morning and night. I made it to the 7th day! I didn’t expect this to happen. Usually my skin would have retaliated by now. So this cleanser seems to be working on my skin. I haven’t noticed any new pimples after ditching the vitamin c serum. The breakouts must’ve been from the vitamin c product rather than the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. That’s unfortunate to know, but I’m glad it’s been figured out. I can continue on with the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. With this cleanser, every time I use it, I notice an increase in skin brightening and glow to my skin. The cleanser hasn’t dried my skin out yet. It doesn’t seem like it will. It’s been 7 days of using it already. But, I’m going to keep my eye on my skin. My overall experience with the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser has been good. It’s gentle, soothing, and moisturizing. There was a tingling sensation, but I haven’t experienced any of that as the days went on. My skin just looks better whenever I use this cleanser. I’m already thinking of making it my main facial cleanser if it keeps on working and doesn’t clog my pores!

That’s my 1 week experience with CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser! Stay tuned for my WEEK 2 experience. Coming up next week! I hope this was helpful. 🙂

The vitamin c serum I was using ~ L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum