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 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

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

My Acne Journey: 7 MONTHS!!!

I took a whole week off of tret. I just wanted to take a break from it for a little bit and restart maybe next week?? I’m not sure yet. So this week, I focused on using an antioxidant. I chose vitamin c. Yes, it’s back, hah!

Vitamin C 🍊

I started using vitamin c again. Not the powder version. The essence or serum version. I started off with whatever vitamin c product that I had (Melano CC Vitamin C Essence). I used Melano for two days. Melano has a lightweight, oily, greasy texture to it. It absorbs into the skin fast and leaves a matte finish. It slightly moisturizes the skin but not by much. I’m not a fan of the texture of the product. The essence stung my skin upon application. It irritated my skin just a little bit. After a few seconds, the stinging sensation disappeared. So, what are the results from this product? The essence brightened my skin instantly after a day of use. I noticed a brighter, more glowy complexion. But, I stopped using it after 2 days because I wanted to try another vitamin c product. I’ve been using Melano on and off over the years. I think it’s time to let it go if it hasn’t worked for me for this long. The vitamin c product I’m using now is L’Oreal Revitalift 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum. I picked this product up this week. This vitamin c product contains 10% ascorbic acid. It also comes in a metal tube. One of the reasons why I chose to purchase this one. I’ve only used this serum for…I’m nearing a week soon. I started off using it at night at first then moved up to twice a day, morning and night. So far, the texture of the serum is soft and moisturizing. It has a silicone feel to it, but I’m not bothered by it. It smooths over my skin nicely and effortlessly. It feels nice, and it’s very easy to apply to the skin. I only use a pea-size amount for the whole face. I’m liking this serum a lot more compared to the Melano (texture-wise). As for results, I can’t say it. I haven’t been using it for too long. I’ll make an update on my new vitamin c serum soon.

What happened when I took a break from tret??

As mentioned earlier, I took a week off of tret. I’m glad I did. My skin needed it. I still don’t know when I’m going to restart it or if I am. My skin looks pretty decent right now. When using tret, my skin looked so thin. I lost so much fullness from my face. It’s been a week off of tret, and my skin looks normal again. My skin thickness is back! It looks more youthful and more natural-looking now. It’s not shiny and plastic-like. Tret gave me this weird, odd look to my skin. It makes my skin look smoother, but how it makes my skin look overall is a bit too much for my liking. It just doesn’t look natural or even normal. It made my skin appear more aged. Hmmmm, that’s something to think about. 🤔

At the beginning of the break, my skin was so dry. I stopped using a moisturizer because the moisturizer I was using was breaking me out (Vanicream Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin). I didn’t have any other moisturizer to use. All I had was CeraVe Healing Ointment. I used it. Applied a whole bunch of it to my face. I know slugging isn’t for me, but my skin was too dry to do nothing. I love the CeraVe Healing Ointment too. It’s a versatile product and contains ingredients that I love like ceramides and hyaluronic acid. It helped to prevent my skin from drying out, but I won’t be doing this (slugging) again. It was a once in a while type of thing. It feels too sticky. It gets in my hair and makes it difficult for me to get a good night’s rest. It’s difficult to wash off in the morning too. It is oily after all.

During this break, I started a new acne product. I needed a product to treat my acne. I picked up the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser. I’ve been meaning to try this product out. What put me off from trying it out were the negative reviews on it. But, everyone’s skin is different. It could work. I’m currently using it. Stay tuned for my 1 week experience on this product soon! It’s coming up real soon! The other cleanser I was using was from Neutrogena. I stopped using it for now just to try out CeraVe. Neutrogena cleaned my skin and didn’t dry out my skin, but I needed a product that would help with acne. In particular, those close f*cking comedones. They’ve been hanging out on my skin for far too long! Also, it’s time to try a new acne product when I’m not using any harsh acne products.

Product Updates

Remember that eye cream I stopped using? The RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream. I stopped using it on my eye area weeks ago, but I started using it on my neck for a week. After a week of using it on my neck and chest area (to finish it up, need to use it somewhere), I developed a rash on my neck! It was red, swollen, and itchy. WTF. I don’t know what they did to the formula of this eye cream, but it sucks. It used to be soft, smooth, and moisturizing. Now it just burns and makes the skin itch. It’s not cheap either. 😡

Happy 7 months! 🥳 This is my last update on my acne journey. It’s time to move on to new things. I feel like this journey has run its course. I need something new. A new adventure. A fresh start. Look forward to a new update on my experience with the CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser!

Here’s the rest of my Acne Journey if you missed out!! 👇🏻

My Acne Journey: 1 Week In…

My Acne Journey: 2 WEEKS!! 

My Acne Journey: 3 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 4 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 5 WEEKS IN!

My Acne Journey: 6 Weeks Results…

My Acne Journey: 7 Weeks Results

My Acne Journey: 2 MONTHS!! 

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 1 Week Results!

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 2 Weeks!

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 3 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 3 MONTHS!! 😃

My Acne Journey: 3 Months + 1 Week Results

My Acne Journey: 3 Months + 2 Weeks Results

My Acne Journey: 3 Months + 3 Week Results

My Acne Journey: 4 MONTHS!!

My Acne Journey: 4 Months + 1 Week Results.

My Acne Journey: 4.5 Months + Clear Skin!!

My Acne Journey: 4 Months + 3 Weeks! What I’m Doing to Maintain My Clear Skin. 🙂

My Acne Journey: 5 MONTHS!!

My Acne Journey: 5 Months + 1 Week Results

My Acne Journey: 5.5 Months Results!

My Acne Journey: 5 Months + 3 Weeks

My Acne Journey: 6 MONTHS!!! 🎉

My Acne Journey: 6 Months + 1 Week!

My Acne Journey: 6.5 Months

My Acne Journey: 6 Months + 3 Weeks!