My Attempt At Using Tret Again.

I started using tret again. My skin was looking dull. It was lifeless. I needed to do something about those issues. Acne marks became more prominent as well. I can’t use too many skin care products, but I thought I could give tret another chance. So here I am using tret again. Here’s my 1 week experience using tret.

I was able to use tret 4 times this week. I used it back-to-back for a total of 4 days and took a break for the rest of the week. During my use of the product, I was using a moisturizer. It was the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Face Gel Hydrator. It worked amazingly for my skin. My skin felt extremely moisturizing. At one point, I thought it gave my skin too much hydration. I thought about dialing back on the product. I didn’t. I just kept using it. Tret and this moisturizer went well together. I noticed smoother skin that’s brighter (probably the niacinamide in the hydrator). I was so happy that I was seeing results with this combination of products. Yesss! Finally! It’s working! Sadly, the moisturizer ended up breaking me out. I had clogged pores in areas that were acnegenic. I had to stop using it. Once I did, the breakouts went away. Once I stopped using the moisturizer, my skin couldn’t take tret daily anymore. It burned my skin. For the rest of the week, I took a break. I picked up another moisturizer called Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream for Dry to Normal Sensitive Skin. I purchased this to use as an eye cream, which works so much better than what I was using (Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Face Creme). Eucerin wasn’t that moisturizing and did nothing for my skin. I noticed some fine lines and wrinkles underneath my eye area vanished with Cetaphil! It works better as a moisturizer! I’m switching!

So! The Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream helped to alleviate any scalding, burning, and redness. This is awful! I burned my skin again. I’ll have to use a moisturizer with tret. I hope Cetaphil Rich Hydrating Cream works! I’ve been using it for 3 days and night without any issues. No breakouts. Nothing yet. It leaves my skin feeling soft too. It’s a two-in-one product for me. It works as a face cream AND an eye cream. Hey! Let’s see what happens. So far, so good.

Stay tuned for what’s going to happen next! 🙂

Update: My Skin Care Routine!

Here’s another update on my skincare routine! This photo was one of my previous skincare routines. I’m still using the same face wash and benzoyl peroxide acne treatment. The 2 sunscreens pictured (LRP SPF 100, Altruist SPF 50)…I still have it and use it. Read more about it in this post! Lastly, I finished the Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10. I stopped purchasing it because I liked the Neutrogena BP product a lot more. It seems to work better on my acne.

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

I’m using the same face wash as before. Same old. It’s the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance-Free. This product seems to work for me. It doesn’t help with acne, but it doesn’t break me out. It works to cleanse my skin. It’s fragrance-free. I love the big bottle. It lasts for months. I tend to be very generous with the amount I use also, haha. But at least I’m using it. If it works, why fix it? I guess I’ll stick with it. 😀

Eye Care: Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream is moisturizing and affordable. It doesn’t do much for wrinkles or fine lines. I like using it because it leaves the skin around my eyes moisturized. It’s perfect for that. Once again, it’s affordable. I don’t feel like spending that much on an eye cream anyway. From my experience, they don’t do much but keep the skin around the eyes moisturized. This is good enough for now.

Acne Care: Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment 

I use Neutrogena Stubborn Acne AM Treatment as an all-over acne treatment and a spot treatment. I’m leaning toward a spot treatment. But I use it as an all-over acne treatment when needed. My skin loooveesss benzoyl peroxide. Possibly the only acne product that works on my skin over so many years!

Sunscreen: Whatever sunscreen I have. *See the list below*

I’ve been experimenting with sunscreens. Here’s a list of sunscreens I use. I switch it up.

• La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100
• Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50
• Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50
• Altruist SPF 50
• Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

I haven’t used Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 50 on my face in a while, but I thought I would toss it on the list of sunscreens to use. I like that it’s lightweight, a mineral sunscreen, and contains SPF 50. It’s not a full mineral sunscreen, but it’s better than nothing. This sunscreen works great as a makeup primer as well. It tends to dry out the skin a bit and accentuate dry patches though. That is why I’m not purchasing it again after I finish it.

I wish LRP SPF 100 was a mineral sunscreen. Too bad that it’s a chemical-based sunscreen. This sunscreen seems to work some days. On other days, it doesn’t. On the good days, it leaves my skin moisturized, smooth, and protected. I have no issues with it. On the bad days, it gives me really terrible headaches that it’s making me think if I should continue to use it. I haven’t used it since, but it’s there. I most likely won’t stick to this sunscreen when I finish it. Something is off about this sunscreen. The headaches are just so bad. Maybe it’s something else…I don’t know…

I’m only using Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 only on the skin around my eyes. It doesn’t dry it out or make it look bad. It works. I think I may have found a sunscreen for the eyes. Just not my face because it accentuates skin dryness, makes my skin flake, and just makes it look awful. I tried. It just didn’t work for me. It’s an affordable sunscreen to use around the eyes. Hey! Even my neck. And it’s a 100% mineral-based sunscreen. 🙂

Sometimes I use Altruist SPF 50. It’s a bit heavier on the skin. It leaves my skin greasy when used often. I might as well use it so it won’t go to waste. It’s a lot more moisturizing compared to my mineral sunscreens. It doesn’t give me a headache like the LRP SPF 100 does. Seems to work better during the colder months since it’s dryer.

So I haven’t spent a single dollar on a new sunscreen. I really still don’t feel like it. I think it’s a waste of money, especially when I have a bunch of sunscreens to finish. I’ll try my best to use what I have before I try another new sunscreen. This works for now, I guess.

January Skin Care Empties!

Here are my January 2023 skin care empties! 🎉

Mizon Peptide Ampoule Cream:

I finished Mizon Peptide Ampoule Cream! This cream did nothing for my skin. I’m glad I’m done with it. This cream contains ingredients, such as (to name a few) cocoa extract, sodium hyaluronate, copper tripeptide-1 (20 ppm), centella asiatica extract, beta-glucan, cranberry fruit extract. The ingredients are nice, but I didn’t see any changes in my skin. It’s just another moisturizer. I didn’t think it kept my skin that moisturized either. It’s a very lightweight cream. I used almost all of it on my neck and chest area. As mentioned in my previous review, the product irritated my eyes. I couldn’t continue to use it on my face. It contains lavender oil, which I thought was very irritating. I really don’t like products that contain lavender oil. It gives me mad migraines. This is possibly one of the worse products I have encountered and tried. I won’t ever purchase it again. Once again, it’s a waste of money. No results.

Purito Centella Green Level Eye Cream:

I finished my last tube of Purito Centella Green Level Eye Cream. I’m so happy that I’m done with it. I have no intentions in purchasing it again. I didn’t see any results while using it. I’ve gone through so many tubes of this eye cream too. The ingredients looked soooo good! It contains centella asiatica extract, shea butter, peptides, madecassic acid, and so much more! But, it didn’t do anything for fine lines and wrinkles. It didn’t feel moisturizing either. I prefer eye creams that are thick, rich, and moisturizing. The skin around my eyes become dehydrated quick. This eye cream didn’t do it for me.

Cosrx Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap):

I’m finally on my last bottle of Cosrx Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap). I finished a bottle this month. Yay! I’m not a fan of this moisturizer. It feels lightweight and lightly moisturizes the skin. It doesn’t do much for my skin. I didn’t see improvements in the texture or moisture in my skin. It smells very nice though. It smells citrus-y and contains tea tree oil in it. I’m just not impressed with this moisturizer to use it daily on my face. The bottle/packaging of this product is very annoying. Product gets stuck inside the bottle and there’s no way to get it out. Seems like a waste of product. I can’t wait to finish my last bottle. Another product that I won’t be purchasing again. I’ve been using it as a body moisturizer. It’s not doing a great job moisturizing the skin on my body either. At least it’s not breaking me out or causing any other skin issues.

Benton Fermentation Essence:

I’ve been waiting to finish Benton Fermentation Essence for ages. This essence contains beneficial skin care ingredients like galactomyces ferment filtrate, bifida ferment lysate, ceramide np, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate, and so many more. The product is lightweight and sinks into the skin quickly. It leaves the skin feeling soft and silky after application. I didn’t see results using it though. I’ve gone through bottles of this essence with little results. It feels like I’m applying water to my skin. When I was using it, I noticed that it had shimmering sparkles in it. Just an observation. I won’t purchase this essence again. It was nice to try it out for a while. It’s officially done. Moving on..

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG:

I still have a bunch of The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG left. Another bottle of this caffeine eye solution down (more like a gel eye care product). So I didn’t use this product for the eye area. I used the rest of it on my body. I find that this eye product dries out my eye area and didn’t do anything for the skin around my eyes. I didn’t see any changes in dark circles or fine lines/wrinkles. It just didn’t do anything that I stopped using it. Also, it was very drying even with moisturizer and pilled with other skin care products. I didn’t think it was worth it. I’m still using what I have left on my body. What else to use it for? I can’t wait to finish this product. Let’s see how long it takes, lol.

iUNIK Beta-Glucan Power Moisture Serum:

I finished my last bottle of iUNIK Beta-Glucan Power Mositure Serum! Yessssssss!!! This serum never worked on my skin. It dried my skin out rather than moisturize it. I’m glad I’m done with it. Being a product that contains very few ingredients, it contains only 6 ingredients in it (Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Beta-Glucan, Sodium PCA), I thought it wouldn’t do my skin any harm. Nope, it made my skin feel soooo dry! I would wake up the next morning with red, dry, irritated skin. Ugh! I thought it was doing my skin some good at first. No, not at all. I’m not going to purchase it again. There’s nothing really special about this product. It didn’t work for me.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream:

I finished one of my bottles of First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Creams. It took me about almost 2 months to finish it. I didn’t hold back using this cream. I made sure I used it every night and whenever my skin was dry. After finishing my first bottle, my thoughts on this product is the same as before. It’s a creamy, thick, moisturizing cream, but I can’t use it on my facial skin. I used all of it on my body after realizing that it clogs my pores and gives me blackheads. It worked great on my legs. Left my skin feeling moisturized and protected. It absorbs fast too and doesn’t leave a sticky residue behind. It worked great on my body. It’s just not meant for my face. Would I purchase it again? It’s still a no, but I have one more tube of this cream left to try. Let’s see if it changes my mind!

Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++:

I’m so close to finishing the rest of my Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ sunscreens! I have 3 left (including the new one I recently just opened!). I’m not currently using this sunscreen on my face right now. I was trying it out again on my face, but that didn’t work out. My skin dried out once again. Even when I used a mositurizer underneath, my skin didn’t like it at all. I love how it’s lightweight, absorbs quick, and doesn’t leave the skin feeling sticky and tacky. It feels like I don’t even have sunscreen on compared to the other sunscreens I use. But, from my experience using it so far, it doesn’t agree with my skin. It’s so drying and makes my skin feel terrible. It doesn’t provide good protection either. My skin tanned while using it. I reapplied consistently throughout the day too. That didn’t help with the dryness either, LOL. My skin looked so flaky and chapped. I’ll finish what I have. Most likely as a body sunscreen.

For more skin care empties…

August Skin Care Empties! 

September Skin Care Empties 

November Skin Care Empties 

December Skin Care Empties 

More December Skin Care Empties!

More December Skin Care Empties! 🥳

I didn’t expect to finish more skin care items after posting my December Skin Care Empties. Here’s more!

RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream:

I have 2 tubes of the RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream left. I finished one this month. I stopped using it on my eyes a while ago due to skin irritation and burning. It made my eyes look super swollen. Since I’m trying to use it up, I’ve been using it on my body. I haven’t had any issues with using it on my body. It’s such a waste using this product like this. This is supposed to be an eye cream. Who wants to use a 0.5 fl. oz. (15 mL) product on their body? Definitely not a product I would purchase again. Don’t waste your money.

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

I really liked the texture and consistency of this sunscreen. It’s soft, soothing, and moisturizing on the skin. It’s full of silicones, lol. Yeah, the silicone texture was way too much for my skin. But, the sunscreen was super easy to apply and blend into the skin. It smooths over the skin and vanishes nicely. It’s clear and doesn’t leave any cast behind. It works great as a makeup primer too. It makes the skin appear softer and blurs a few imperfections here and there. Also, it’s broad spectrum and SPF 40. I finished my last bottle of the Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40. Will I purchase it again? With this sunscreen, sometimes it breaks me out, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m not sure if I’ll buy it again. Maybe if I’m at Trader Joe’s and shopping for groceries. It’s not a bad sunscreen product, to be honest.

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream:

I finished a jar of Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream this month. I stopped using this face cream on my face so long ago that I don’t remember when. So this is a heavier cream made for the facial skin. I used this face cream for quite some time. I eventually stopped using it due to it clogging my pores. It’s just too heavy for my facial skin and didn’t do much for my skin. My skin never felt truly moisturized. It felt heavy and cakey on the skin. I didn’t see improvements in my skin while using it. I just stuck to it for so long because I needed a moisturizer and couldn’t find one that’ suitable for my skin type. Many times, I thought it worked on my skin. It just didn’t after plenty attempts. I have 2 jars of this face cream left and am trying to finish it up. I know for sure that I won’t repurchase again. Out it goes!

Melano CC Vitamin C Essence:

Finally, another tube of Melano CC Vitamin C Essence down! I think I have 4 more left! 😭 I’ve tried using this essence on my face so many times that I gave up. It just doesn’t work for my skin type. It doesn’t brighten my skin like I thought it did. I used it then stopped using it. There was no difference in my skin before and after. I haven’t noticed a reduction in acne marks or evening of the skin tone when using it. I never liked the oily, grimy texture that it leaves behind either. It leaves a matte finish, but there’s some odd residue texture thing going on after application. I need to find a new vitamin c product. This one isn’t working for me.

For more skin care empties…

August Skin Care Empties! 🧴

September Skin Care Empties 😎

November Skin Care Empties 🦃

December Skin Care Empties 🎄

Review: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

I was searching for a new moisturizer to help with dry, flaky, parched skin. This cream was constantly mentioned. It had good reviews too. I thought I would give it a try even after scanning the ingredients. It contains some comedogenic ingredients that I’ve had issues with before. But, I ignored it all and picked up a few bottles. They were on sale, hehe. The purpose of this product is to provide instant and long-term hydration for dry, distressed skin and eczema. It contains colloidal oatmeal, which is a skin protectant that helps to relieve itching caused by eczema, rashes, and other skin conditions. Shea butter to moisturize and protect the skin barrier with vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. Allantoin to calm and soothe the skin. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. Since the weather is colder and cooler, and I’ve been dealing with dry skin, this seemed like the type of product that could help with dry, itchy skin. Also, as I mentioned earlier, it had a ton of good reviews. Some even labeled it as their HG. Let’s see if this cream works or not. Here’s my experience with this product.

My Experience with First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream:

Texture & Application

The product is a cream. It feels soft, smooth, and creamy. When applied to the face, I didn’t apply it like my other moisturizers. It was a little difficult to spread across the face. What I did was place dots of the cream all over my face then gently pat it into the skin. The cream blends into the skin well. But only if it’s not used with other moisturizers. I tried using it with another moisturizer (underneath). The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream started pilling. When I used it alone without any other moisturizer, it blended into the skin easily, no pilling. Even though the product blends into the skin well, it doesn’t fully absorb. It sits on top of the skin. I feel like there was a layer of product that’s sitting on top of my skin the whole night. It reminded me of CeraVe Moisturizing Cream. They feel very similar on the skin. They both sit on top of the skin.

Helps with dryness and flaky skin.

This cream helps with dry, cracked, flaky skin. Even wounded skin. I noticed that some parts of my face was over-exfoliated. After a day of using this cream, my skin felt a little better. The over-exfoliated parts of my face looked like it healed and peeled off. It wasn’t as dry anymore or reddish in color. It soothed my skin and helped to repair it.

A lightweight rich cream.

This is actually a rich cream even though it feels lightweight when applied and after it (somewhat) absorbs into the skin. My skin doesn’t feel like it has moisturizer on even though it’s sitting on top of my skin. It’s a different feeling. The cream feels and looks matte on my face. It doesn’t leave my skin looking glowy, shiny, or oily. The product feels very thin on the skin and a little goes a long way. I only used a little bit of product for my whole face and neck, chest. That amount of product was able to keep my skin from drying out and soothed it.

Did it clog my pores?

I only used this cream for 1 day and 6 hours on my face (nightly use). It should’ve been only one day. The first day, I noticed some clogged pores all over my oily t-zone. I didn’t think it was the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream clogging my pores. I kept using it the next night. But, I eventually washed it off that same night because I noticed tons of blackheads out of nowhere. I developed pimples on my forehead, upper lip, chin, and a bunch of blackheads on my oily t-zone (especially my nose). The amount of blackheads I saw were disturbing. I washed the product off immediately and opted for my original moisturizer. The next morning, my skin looked much better. No new blackheads. I was going to leave First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream for the second night but something didn’t feel right. I was clearly breaking out from the cream. I’m glad I pulled the plug right before it got even worse than what I went through. Whew! If you have oily, acne-prone skin, do a patch test first. This product felt very occlusive on my skin (sits on top of the skin type of feeling). It was just bad for my skin.

It contains Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil.

The last ingredient in this product is eucalyptus. *pause* Why??!! On the bottle, it says that this product is safe for sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin, do a patch test. I don’t have sensitive skin, but my skin has been sensitized by my acne products. When I applied this cream to my face, I can feel my face tingling and slightly burning. It’s the eucalyptus. The tingling/burning sensation fades away after a while, but why bother with this ingredient. I can’t imagine someone with sensitive skin using this. But everyone is different. I know my skin didn’t like it.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream didn’t work for me. I really wanted to like it, since I was searching for a new moisturizer. I picked my bottles up when they were on sale. The retail price is $46 each. Thank goodness I didn’t pay that much for it. Because it was not worth it at all. I mean, it helped with dry, parched skin that’s irritated, but it ended up clogging my pores and giving me tons of blackheads. My nose looked like a strawberry after I used it for a day and 6 hours (lol). It made my acne 10x worse than the actual dryness itself. What’s the point of moisturizing when it causes blemishes? Ugh! And eucalyptus? I should’ve listened to the very few negative reviews I saw. But, in my mind, I just wanted to try it out for myself, haha. Now I’m left with full bottles of this cream that I can’t use on my face. I’ll use the rest of it on my body or as a hand cream instead. My hands are pretty crusty and dry right now due to the dry, cool weather. Anything helps. I won’t repurchase First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream again even if it was on sale. I feel that the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream works the same way without the eucalyptus. I’ve been using my last jar of CeraVe as my body cream.

Let’s talk about the comedogenic ingredients. This is something I ignored (shouldn’t have) thinking that it could work for me. Here are the ingredients that popped out when I was looking at the ingredients list. They are Glyceryl Stearate SE, Shea Butter, and Squalane. I’ve always avoided products with Glyceryl Stearate SE. This particular ingredient has always clogged my pores. Don’t mistake this ingredient with Glyceryl Stearate. Glyceryl Stearate SE can cause acne issues if you’re acne-prone. At least it did on my skin. Shea Butter is another culprit. I know Shea Butter and my skin don’t go well together, especially for the face. I had this issue with another product not so long ago. Squalane is a hit or miss on my skin. I’m currently using a moisturizer (Vanicream Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin) with squalane, and it seems like it’s working better on my skin than the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. I don’t think it’s entirely squalane’s fault in clogging my pores. I think it’s the Glyceryl Stearate SE and Shea Butter in combination with squalane that made my skin break out in acne. On top of that, Eucalyptus just adds into the mix and causes irritation.

I was hoping that the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream was one of those products that could work since it costs more, could possibly have higher quality ingredients. This cream is 46 bucks. It should be good, right? It’s also a highly raved product! Nope, nope, nope, I was wrong. I developed terrible acne from this cream. I wouldn’t recommend this product to anyone that is prone to clogged pores. Save your 46 dollars and spend it on something else. There are better moisturizers out there that are less expensive than this cream. I’m not a huge fan of the texture of the product either. It’s odd that I don’t see that many negative reviews on this product. Here is one, lol.

Back of the packaging.

Products came sealed. Left, opened. Right, sealed.

This is what the cream looks like.