My Week 3 BP Results!

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

Some changes have been made, hehe.

Here are my week 3 results!!

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

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

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

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

Catch up on my experiences!

Restarting Tret & My First Week Experience

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

Update: My Skin Care Routine

Not shown in photo: Taz & BP

Here’s my new skin care routine. 🙂

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Skin Care Routine 🙂

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

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

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

Acne Treatments: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

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

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

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

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

Sunscreen: CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Weeks Experience with CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser!

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

Day 1:

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

Day 2:

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

Day 3:

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

Day 4:

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

Day 5:

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

Day 6:

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

Here’s the full ingredient list:

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

It’s short and pretty straightforward.

Day 7:

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

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

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 👈🏻