My Acne Journey: 5.5 Months Results!

My results for 5.5 Months is here! Wow, I’m moving on to 6 months soon. 😲

I tried my best to use tret every day this week. I skipped 2 days to rest because I ran out of my hydrating tinted mineral sunscreen. I didn’t realize this product was doing all of the heavy lifting when it comes to moisturizing my skin. I ran out of the product and noticed that my skin was more dull and more dry. Who knew. Gotta make sure I never run out of it! Especially when I don’t have a nighttime moisturizer. I still can’t find one. Lol, I’m not even trying to find one anymore. I don’t want to spend my money on something that I don’t need or won’t work out. It might ruin my skin again. So what else happened this week? I started using bha again. I noticed my blackheads coming back. Also, sebaceous filaments were getting worse. Once I added bha back into my routine, I noticed a purge. Geez, not this again. But, I’m going to keep using bha. Trying to stick to 1-2 times a week and see what happens. Hopefully my skin doesn’t dry out from it.

My current facial cleanser is Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Revitalizing Facial Cleanser. It worked well when I was using a moisturizer. Since I don’t have a moisturizer anymore, it’s drying out my skin a little bit. It could be the change in weather plus this facial cleanser. All I know is that it’s not as moisturizing anymore. It is gentle on the skin, but it feels like it’s stripping my skin. Not as bad as many other cleansers I have tried. I think I need new facial cleanser after finishing this one. I think I need a new one anyways since I don’t want to pay for a face wash monthly, lol. So what cleanser should I try next?? This is a difficult decision…

When I ran out of my CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Face Sheer Tint, I found Skinfood Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream SPF 20 PA+ in my product bag. I needed a product to replace CeraVe for a short period of time (2 days) before getting my hands on a new bottle of CeraVe. Fortunately, this bb cream has not expired. It doesn’t expire until next year (later on the year next year). So I used it. My experience with this bb cream again was horrid. At first I sort of liked it. The bb cream felt soft and was super concentrated. I loved using it around my eyes for some reason because it’s so soothing and blends into the skin around the eyes nicely. I liked the way it felt on my skin. But, the bb cream was drying and made my skin look like plastic. It was wax-like. It felt heavy on the skin. I didn’t like the way it felt on my skin at all. It was kind of gross. Even though it has arbutin in it, it didn’t do anything to brighten my complexion. It made my skin appear duller. Haha, the sun protection is laughable too. It’s only SPF 20 PA+. I wonder why I even liked this bb cream in the past. It used to be good, I guess. This bb cream does have fragrance. It’s nauseating. I’m glad I didn’t have to use this product for more than 2 days. After I picked up another bottle of CeraVe, I stopped using it on my face. I’ll finish the rest up as a concealer to use it up. Every drop cannot go to waste!

That’s my 5.5 Months update! 🙂

Catch up on my acne journey right here:

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 Months + 1 Week Results

Here are my results after 5 months + 1 week!!

I stopped using a moisturizer and benzoyl peroxide this week. I couldn’t even use benzoyl peroxide all over my face anyways. Only as a spot treatment when necessary. This is what happened when I stopped using a moisturizer…

My skin cleared up! Remember those blemishes that kept on reappearing? They’re gone. It felt weird not using a moisturizer at first, but since my skin felt and looked cleaner without one, I got used to it. As I mentioned in my previous post, I never really used a moisturizer before in the past. It’s because my skin can’t handle all of that excess moisture. It comes to a point where it retaliates and blemishes pops up due to having too much moisture in the skin. I’m glad to have dropped Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin from my routine. This moisturizer only lasted for a month (sometimes a month and a half, lol). I’ve always thought it had a sticky texture to it when dispensed from the bottle. I don’t have to deal with that stuff anymore or pay for it. It’s done. I tried it, and it didn’t work out. I’m not looking for a new moisturizer right now or any time soon. My skin just doesn’t need one. It’s doing way better without one.

As for benzoyl peroxide, it doesn’t seem like I need to use it as an all-over acne treatment anymore. Honestly, I’m happy that I don’t have to. If I don’t need to, I’m not going to. I’m still using benzoyl peroxide as a spot treatment when necessary. I love it for that purpose because it works to kill zits fast. I had a pimple on my chin, applied a little bit of benzoyl peroxide to the pimple, woke up the next morning with a zitless chin. Benzoyl peroxide works, so it’s good to keep it around. Since I’m not using benzoyl peroxide anymore (as an all-over acne treatment), I started using tret slowly and eventually moved up to every day. I was going to use it every other day, but my skin is tolerating it pretty well without a moisturizer. Actually, much better than I thought. How?!! I don’t know! It just is! Less products, less irritation? It seems like it! I’m not experiencing any burning, itchy skin, or dry skin. Tret smooths over my skin and absorbs easily. I feel like I’m starting all over with tret once again! I noticed some blemishes popping up, and I’m sure it’s from ‘purging’. At the same time, my overall complexion looks glowy and so much smoother than before. The results so far are very pretty. I can’t wait to see what the results will be within a few weeks. Since I’m using tret every day, I decided to hold off using bha. I didn’t want to aggravate my skin even further and just stick to a single acne treatment. I’m hoping to re-add it whenever my skin is ready.

Am I truly moisturizer free??

Yes and no. I use sunscreens that provide some moisture to my skin in the morning. They’re actually sunscreens, not moisturizer with sunscreen. Sunscreens I’m using are La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100, CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint, and Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50 (new to my routine, reviewing coming up soon!!). These sunscreen products help to moisturize my skin in the morning (which is more than enough moisture, no need for an extra moisturizing product) and protect my skin from sun damage. La Roche-Posay SPF 100 is my favorite out of the three. It’s lightweight, moisturizing, and I love how it blends (or melts) into my skin. I haven’t had any breakouts from using it at all. The only problem I have with it is that I can’t use it near my eyes. It burns. I like the texture of the sunscreen. CeraVe is moisturizing too. It’s tinted and blends into the skin effortlessly while not leaving a white cast behind. It makes life easier for reapplication. It contains niacinamide that helps to brighten my skin. My skin likes this product. Altruist is rather new to me right now. I’ve only been using it for a week. It’s the stickiest out of the bunch, but it’s so easy to apply. It’s a cream that blends into the skin. I haven’t had any issues with it yet. I may have some soon. It’s only been a week of using it so look forward for a full review on it coming up soon! With all of these sunscreens, I can’t imagine using a moisturizer underneath any of them. My skin is oily. The sunscreens are moisturizing already. That’s just adding more unnecessary moisture to my already oily skin.

I didn’t think my no moisturizer week would go this well. I’m sooo happy that I stopped using moisturizer (Vanicream). It did nothing for my skin. It just clogged my pores and wasted my time and money. I guess some people (like me) just don’t need a moisturizer. My skin is doing fine without it.

I did a review on my current face wash ~ Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Revitalizing Facial Cleanser 👈🏻 Read!!

Here’s the rest of my acne journey! Enjoy! 🙂

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!!

Review: Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Revitalizing Facial Cleanser

It’s time for a review on Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Revitalizing Facial Cleanser! I’m on my second tube of the face wash. I started using this face wash because I needed a facial cleanser that was gentle and more moisturizing. This seemed like a good choice. So the purpose of this face wash is to deep clean, remove dirt, oil, and impurities to reveal healthy-looking skin. It contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and peptides. It’s fragrance-free. Contains no synthetic dyes, parabens, mineral oil, or phthalates. I’m on my second tube of this face wash. Here are my thoughts on it!

My Experience with Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Revitalizing Facial Cleanser!

This facial cleanser is a gel cleanser. It comes in a 5 fl. oz. (150 mL) bottle. It was $7.49. I’m not too big on hyaluronic acid (it’s everywhere!!), but I thought I would just give this facial cleanser a try. I was searching for a face wash that was more hydrating, moisturizing than what I was using. My skin was a mess. I needed a face wash that was basic, gentle, and didn’t leave my skin feeling taut and burning. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to stumble upon Olay Hyaluronic Face Wash. It feels very gentle on the skin. It’s soft and soothing. It doesn’t foam up that much, but it cleanses without stripping the skin. I loved using it at night in the shower. Every time I use it in the shower it leaves my skin feeling silky smooth, moisturized, and hydrated. The results were really nice. I like using it in the morning too, but it’s not as good without the steam and moisture from the shower.

So this face wash worked out. I mean, I’m on my second tube. The face wash is simple, gentle, didn’t burn my skin, didn’t leave my skin feeling dry, cleansed my skin without leaving any residue behind. No issues at all. My skin was fine with it. But, it seems like I go through this face wash very fast. My first tube lasted a month. The second one, I’m nearing the end of the bottle. It’s reaching 1 month. I use it twice a day (morning and night). So, I’m not using it any differently compared to any of my previous facial cleansers. I think Olay Hyaluronic Face Wash is a nice facial cleanser but spending $7.49 a month for face wash is pretty absurd. I’ve used many other facial cleansers that lasted so much longer. It should last at least 4 months. Some face washes I’ve used lasted even longer (6 months). Some even longer than 6 months. A month? Nah, I’m going to find myself another facial cleanser that’s more affordable and lasts longer. Something was off about this face wash, lol. I think this was it. It only lasted a month. I couldn’t even push it to 2 months. Feels like a waste of money.

Those are my thoughts on this face wash. Good formula, wished it would last much longer. Moving on to something else…

New Skin Care for Dry, Sensitive Skin :)

Hello everyone! I picked up some skin care products over the weekend. My skin is feeling extremely dry and sensitive to touch. Sometimes it would burn too. So I’ve been thinking about adding a new moisturizer to my skin care routine. I thought about it and I thought about it. I kept on thinking about it until I finally pulled the plug. My skin couldn’t take it anymore. It’s dry, red, and itchy. What to do?? I picked up a new moisturizer. Before I talk about my new moisturizer, the reason why I went out and bought a new moisturizer is because the moisturizers that I have weren’t doing much for my skin. It feels like they only moisturize my skin when they’re applied to my skin. The moisture doesn’t last long. Just for the moment and a couple hours after application. After that, my skin is back to being dry and itchy. Also, my skin still feels dry (even drier) and uncomfortable the following morning using these moisturizers. I needed a moisturizer that actually, truly moisturizes the skin but also repairs and heals the skin too. A moisturizer that keeps my skin moisturized throughout the day. I’ve been having issues with dryness and skin irritation and nothing has worked to prevent skin dryness and irritation. It feels like I’m wasting my time and money on products that just don’t work, but I continue to use them because I can’t find anything better that works.

The moisturizers I’m using are…

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

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream

GUERISSON 9 Complex Cream

Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum

Benton Fermentation Essence

Some of these products are a staple in my routine like the Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum, Benton Fermentation Essence, and Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream. I like them, but they’re not as moisturizing as I want them to be or as they should be. They each have their own individual purpose in my routine. I like them for different reasons. For example, the Purito serum helps to calm redness and soothes the skin. This is the first serum I use on my face after it’s been cleaned and washed. It feels very soothing and nice on the skin. Benton is a more watery essence. It has this ultra silky texture to it that I adore so much. It contains ceramide np and ferment ingredients. Absolutely love!! Lastly, Eucerin is a heavier, richer cream that semi-moisturizes my skin. Even though it helps to moisturize my skin, it doesn’t help to prevent redness or itchy skin. That’s something I’ve been dealing with for a while. Also, it’s so weird how sometimes it makes me breakout and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m already back to using it on my face without any clogged pores, lol.

My new moisturizer!! 🙂

So I did the unthinkable. I picked up a product that I thought I would never touch again after having a terrible experience with it. I’ve been searching high and low for a moisturizer that’s at least affordable and works to moisturize my skin. I’m on a budget and can’t spend too much money right now. So I decided to try it again after researching for a moisturizer that I think could work or at least try it and see what happens. Whatever. I needed a moisturizer ASAP! My skin is in need of moisture! Since my skin has changed so much (compared to last year), I thought maybe it could work this time around. I’m giving it a second chance after that gruel, unpleasant experience with it. Guess what product it is?? Yup, it’s Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin. I developed very bad acne the last time I used it. It was one of the many products that I tried last year that destroyed my skin within a week of use. I was traumatized and didn’t take it lightly. I was p*ssed. But it’s a new year and a lot of things have changed since. My skin has been behaving much better after I started eating meat again. So long those vegan years! 👋🏻 The last time I purchased Vanicream, I purchased it off of Amazon. I don’t recall the product being sealed. The Vanicream bottle I have right now, I purchased it from my local drugstore. The product is sealed at the opening. This is why I don’t buy majority of my skin care products off of Amazon anymore. It’s difficult to know what you’re going to get. New, used, old? Who knows! Now let’s see how this moisturizer works this time! 😀

Note: I’m thinking about removing some of the moisturizers listed if my new moisturizer works. I’m crossing my fingers that it will work because that’s way too many moisturizers for me, haha. Wish me luck!

New face wash…

Another product that I picked up is a facial cleanser. It’s the Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Revitalizing Facial Cleanser. My current face wash contains tea tree oil, and it sometimes stings after my skin peels from my acne cream. It isn’t too bad, but I thought I would keep a creamy, more moisturizing face wash around just in case. This cleanser is formulated with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and peptides. I’ve used other facial cleansers from Olay before with positive experiences…

Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Cream Cleanser

Olay Regenerist Vitamin C Peptide 24 Brightening Facial Cleanser

I hope this facial cleanser goes well. 👍🏻

Stay tuned for my thoughts on these products in my next acne journey update! Coming up soon!

If you missed out on my acne journey, don’t forget to catch up on it!

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!

2 Month Tret Update. Is It Working??!! + Other Products I’m Using :)

It’s been 2 months on tret. I used it a few days a week at first until my skin acclimated to it. That went by quick, so I started using it every day at night. I haven’t had any issues with using it every day since. My skin isn’t red, peeling, or in pain. No irritation of any kind. It’s so weird. I had issues with it using it every night before. All of a sudden, out of the blue, it’s been such a breeze. It’s like I’m applying water to my skin now. So interesting and odd at the same time! I wonder if it’s working anymore. So that is why I’ve been trying out other skin care products. It looks like tret isn’t helping with some forehead acne and blackheads on my nose. They’ve been really stubborn, and I need to get rid of them ASAP, so they can heal quickly and properly. This is what I tried during the second month of tret.

Skin Care Products I Tried…

Benzoyl Peroxide: I would slather BP all over my face if I could, but the side effects are just too much. The fumes get into my eyes and burn. But, BP truly does work to eliminate acne. Some days of the week, I’ll spot treat areas where I notice congestion. That’s about it. *sigh* Those BP days…

Glycolic Acid: I started using glycolic acid again when I was looking for another option to treat my acne (besides BP). I’m using Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum (my first impression). Here’s my 1 week review on the product. I did another update on this serum. Go here to read more about it (my 3 week update). Glycolic acid seems to be working this time around too. I’m stunned! It worked before then stopped working. Now, it’s working again. It’s been great for skin texture and the overall quality of my skin. Keeping my skin looking soft, smooth, and refined, but it didn’t do much for my acne. Well, it did at first, but it stopped working on my acne. I’m still deciding if I should keep this serum in my routine. I was really looking for something that’ll unclog my pores, and this serum seems too gentle on my skin to do just that. So, I took a break from it since I didn’t see an improvement in my acne. I might bring it back if I think my skin needs it. I really don’t know yet.

Some Products Worth Mentioning…

My skin seems to be tolerating almost all of the products I used before. Didn’t work at one point in time, but it’s working now. They are…

iUNIK Black Snail Restore Serum: This serum is very moisturizing. It helps to keep the skin soft and hydrated. Feels sticky at first but feels very nice on the skin. Once it sinks into the skin, it leaves the skin feeling smooth and moisturized. I have a little bit of this product left from using it twice a day. But am I going to keep using it when I’m done with the bottle? I’m not sure. I prefer the iUNIK Propolis Synergy Vitamin Serum a little bit more. I’ll have to think about it. 🤔 The iUNIK Propolis Synergy Vitamin Serum is another serum that’s working for me now too. 🙂 Love it!!

Cosrx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask: I have a love-hate relationship with this moisturizer. It’s moisturizing. It’s probably the most moisturizing lotion I have used where I don’t get huge cystic acne. But I decided to keep it in my routine and use it only on dry areas of my face. If I have a dry patch, I’ll use this product to moisturize that specific area of my face. I don’t use it all-over anymore. It causes too many problems. Makes my skin all oily, more blackheads, and forehead acne goes nuts. Moisturizing is important for skin health, but too much leads to consequences like breakouts (on my skin). I really like this moisturizer though. It truly does help moisturize my oily skin without leaving my skin feeling heavy and clogged.

Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid: I started using this BHA Liquid again. I went full on, lol, but I had to stop using it because it was drying my skin out. It works to tame the oilies on my facial skin, but I don’t think it did anything for the blackheads on my nose. I was hoping it would do something about that. I like using this BHA Liquid when my skin is oily. I’ll use it once in a while right now until summer arrives. That’s when my skin is even more oily.

Here are some products I’m not too wild about anymore:

Cosrx AHA BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner: This toner hasn’t helped much with acne whatsoever. I was hoping that it did a little bit of something. Doesn’t seem like it’s good at controlling the oil in my skin anymore. What happened? I don’t know. It’s an OK product. I’m not sure if I should keep it in my routine or not. It has a weird texture to it. I’m on the fence about this toner. We’ll see what happens in the near future. lol.

Olay Regenerist Vitamin C Peptide 24 Brightening Facial Cleanser: I’ve been using the Olay Regenerist Facial Cleanser since last year. I started off with the Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Cream Cleanser. The Vitamin C Peptide 24 Brightening Facial Cleanser is the exact same as the Collagen Peptide 24 Cream Cleanser in terms of results. I didn’t notice brighter skin using the one with vitamin c. I loved this cleanser months ago when I was using it. That was when I didn’t have a good BHA product in my routine. I know these facial cleansers aren’t advertised as acne cleansers or cleansers with BHA, but it does contain salicylic acid in them. I can feel the salicylic on my skin when I use it. I would keep it around, but I’m using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid instead. I just thought it would be a better option for me instead of this face wash. Maybe I’ll use it again if Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid doesn’t work out. More reviews on Olay Regenerist facial cleansers:

1 Week Using Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Cream Cleanser. Goodbye Acne?

1 Month Using Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 Cream Cleanser & What I’m Doing Now for My Acne…

How My Skin Is Doing

The only acne I’m dealing with right now is a few pimples on my forehead. Some blackheads on my nose (so annoying). Sometimes some random pimple that pops out of nowhere. My skin is almost, just almost clear. Texture looks pretty good. It’s looks smoother. I’m not liking that shiny forehead though. It looks so weird and odd, haha. I’ve been trying to keep my skin moisturized by using lightweight facial moisturizers, which don’t provide enough moisture for my skin, but it’s better than nothing. My skin hasn’t broken out from those moisturizers (as of yet!). Right now, it’s all about keeping my moisture barrier healthy and happy. But tret hasn’t been drying. Or doing much for my acne like I hoped. I think I’m going to keep using it and wait it out. In the meantime, just search for something else to combat these stubborn pimples that just won’t go away. After 2 months, I’m pretty much neutral with the results I’m getting from tret. I can’t say much about it helping with fine lines and wrinkles. I think moisturizing my skin has helped a ton more. Well! That’s my 2 month update on tret. Take it or leave it, lol. I’ll see everyone next month!

⭐ If you missed out on my previous experience with tret…

My experience with tret the first week…

After 1 Month on Tret + Skin Care Routine. Here are My Results.

2 Months on Tret. My results. 🙂

Taking a break from tret…

Back to tret! 1 Week Results & My Skin Care Routine. Did it work? 🤔

1 Month on Tret. My Results!

A break from Tret & What I’m Doing Now

Surprise! Back on tret + Other Acne Treatments for Clear Skin. 🙂