1 Month + 1 Week Using BP & Some Changes I Made This Week!

I started using taz again this week. I tried sticking to benzoyl peroxide only, but I drifted towards taz to help with oily skin and acne. Benzoyl peroxide worked, but it dried out my skin when used back-to-back. I thought I would give taz another chance before officially quitting. Here are my results this week using this combo!

Benzoyl peroxide has been helpful, but it’s not quite cutting it. It helps with oily skin and some breakouts, but my skin needed something more. And that would be taz? I guess? So I tried it out again. This week, I only used taz twice. The first two applications (not back-to-back) dried out my skin, and I noticed some purging/peeling. I hope it was just purging and not breakouts from something else! Well, my skin exploded in acne in my blemish-prone areas. They weren’t just tiny little pimples. They were hard, nodules underneath the skin. As the days went on, those pimples burst and left a mark behind. 🥺 I wish this wasn’t so, but that’s what happened. By the end of the week, my skin started to look better. A lot of the pimples that popped up decreased in size. By the looks of it, it seems like taz is helping with my acne. Maybe as much as benzoyl peroxide. We’ll have to see. It’s only been 1 week (2 applications). As for benzoyl peroxide, I’m still using it. I’m only using it as a spot treatment. If I have to use it as an all-over treatment, I will. It doesn’t seem like I need to use benzoyl peroxide as much anymore after adding taz. But, that’s the combination of acne products I’m using to treat my acne. Hopefully all goes well in the next upcoming weeks!

I also experimented with a few sunscreens this week. I didn’t purchase any new ones. I really don’t want to purchase a new sunscreen. I used whatever I had. Here’s my experience with sunscreen this week!

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

This sunscreen feels amazingly soft, silky, and smooth on the skin. It works great as a makeup primer, but it didn’t work for my skin as I wanted. 😞 It clogged my pores. I could pick out hard sebum that sat in my pores. I loved the weightless feeling of this sunscreen, but it sucks that it breaks me out.

Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30:

I tried using Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30. I loved how it moisturized my skin, but it made my skin so oily. It’s not like what it used to be. I eventually stopped using it after experiencing oily skin that led to clogged pores. I only tried using this moisturizer with SPF indoors. My experience wearing this sunscreen outdoors in the past years was not good. My skin burned and freckled. But, keep in mind that this sunscreen has been discontinued. I’ll use the rest (one last bottle) as a body lotion or something.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-in Milk Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 100:

I started using this sunscreen at the end of the week. I’ll make an update next week! I hope it works!

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

I started using the Canmake sunscreen too. Not outdoors. Only indoors. I still have it so why not use it? It’ll work for indoors for now.

Catch up on my experience right here!! 🙂

Restarting Tret & My First Week Experience

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

My Week 3 BP Results!

1 MONTH Results with BP!

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!

2 Weeks Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. My Results!

It’s been 2 weeks using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution! This week, I used glycolic acid products and benzoyl peroxide (more on this in a bit!). So, I started off the week using only glycolic acid products. Just this toner and another glycolic acid serum (read more about it by going to that link!). Glycolic acid has helped improve my skin. But, I can tell that it’s not going to clear up my skin fully. While using glycolic acid, I noticed smoother, brighter skin, and some closed comedones moving up to the surface, but it’s not getting to the source. It’s not going to be the miracle cure for my acne. I stopped using it every day. Now I’m only using it only a few times a week for exfoliation. Hopefully it’ll help with acne marks with continued use. It’s a nice product to have in my routine. I haven’t had any issues using it. No redness, itchiness, or burning. The stinging sensation has diminished over time too. My skin is getting used to it real fast. Now on to my experience with benzoyl peroxide…

I decided to use benzoyl peroxide last minute (at the end of the week). It’s because I didn’t see much results with glycolic acid acne-wise. I know it’s only been 2 weeks, but that’s more than enough time for me to see if it works for my acne or not. I just don’t think it’s working. I noticed inflamed acne popping up, and it looks like it’s going to get worse if I didn’t do anything about it. Glycolic acid alone just isn’t going to cut it. At least for the products I was using. I’m using benzoyl peroxide now. I didn’t expect to use it again, but here I am, using it again, haha. Let’s see if it works this time around. It has worked plenty of times before. I just ended up venturing out to other ingredients/products to help with my acne. I guess, to no avail. Here’s my experience using benzoyl peroxide for the first time again.

So before applying benzoyl peroxide to my skin, I applied my moisturizer (La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin) first. I might re-add Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence to increase moisture in my skin. I removed it because I didn’t need it anymore. But, more moisture right now wouldn’t be a bad thing while using benzoyl peroxide. Moisturizing the skin helps to prevent skin dryness and any other skin irritations. After applying moisturizer, I applied benzoyl peroxide all over my face! I’m not using it as a spot treatment. Just not yet until my skin is clear. The results the next morning was pretty amazing. I noticed a decrease in sebum, clearer skin, less closed comedones, and my overall complexion just looked less inflamed. I had some inflamed pimples the night before. They have diminished in redness and in size. I also notice some clogged pores making an appearance. That didn’t bother me much. I’m trying to unclog my pores for a smoother feel anyways. My skin has been super clogged for a long time. I can feel this gross bumpy texture to my skin when I move my fingers over my skin. It doesn’t look bad visually, but I can feel it when I wash my face. That’s been bothering me a lot. Hopefully benzoyl peroxide works this time.

Here’s my current skin care routine + benzoyl peroxide added last minute. Stay tuned for my results next week. I’m constantly changing up my skin care routine and trying to figure out what works.

Products I’m Experimenting With…

Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum:

I really like this glycolic acid serum. It’s a higher percentage (14%) and leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth, and exfoliated. My skin is tolerating it pretty well. When applied to the skin, it stings a little bit. That stinging sensation eventually disappears. I tried using it every day and didn’t have any issues using it every day. But, I don’t think it’s necessary to exfoliate the skin that much. I’m only using this serum once or twice a week whenever I feel like it. The higher percentage of glycolic acid has helped blemishes move up to the surface even faster than the glycolic acid toner. My skin looks brighter and so much smoother. I’m really liking what I’m seeing so far. Hopefully it’ll continue to make a difference in my skin.

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

I tried the Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ Clear this week. It was a last minute kind of thing. I haven’t let this product touch my face in ages. I still have a few bottles left, so I thought I would give it another try, lol. Hopefully it doesn’t clog my pores like last time. My skin care routine is pretty minimal right now so I’ll know if it’s breaking me out or not. The sunscreen felt really nice when applied to the skin. It’s lightweight, gel-like. It absorbs easily into the skin and leaves the skin feeling and looking matte. I didn’t experience a sheen on my skin like I used to. The sunscreen does soak up oils on the skin. I used a moisturizer before applying this sunscreen. From my past experience with this sunscreen, it doesn’t protect my skin well. I noticed some skin darkening when I used it. But, I’m not going to use it alone. I’ll use my usual, daily sunscreen on top. This is a good way to use up a sunscreen that I won’t purchase again. I kind of miss the gel texture. It feels amazing on my oily skin.

Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50:

I stopped using this sunscreen, but I started using it again. Since my routine is shorter, why not give it another chance? Also, I finished my first bottle of this sunscreen this week! It took forever! So this sunscreen is still moisturizing and leaves the skin looking greasy on the surface of the skin. It burns the eyes if any gets in there. I really do love how protective this sunscreen is. It has a high SPF and high UVA. I hope it doesn’t clog my pores, but we’ll see as I continue to use it. I bought quite a few. I don’t want to waste them.

If you missed out on my updates…

Update: The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA & La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50

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

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

I finally have my hands on Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++! I’ve been thinking about picking one up for so long. The time has finally arrive! I’ve heard so many good things about this sunscreen. It’s cosmetically elegant, doesn’t contain alcohol, goes on smoothly, works as a makeup base, and once again it feels so nice on the skin! This sunscreen sounds so perfect! I just had to try it out, since I’m always looking for a sunscreen that works on my facial skin. Most sunscreens break me out! So the Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ comes in Clear and White. I chose Clear because that’s what I wanted, which is a clear sunscreen gel. Nothing with a white cast. I don’t want to look like a ghost. I don’t mind trying the White some time in the near future. Just not today, haha. It never hurts to try a different product. 🙂 I’ve used Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ for about 2 weeks already. Here are my thoughts on it! Did it work? Any breakouts? Keep reading to find out more!

My experience

This sunscreen is a gel-cream, but it leans towards more of a gel. It feels light, soft, cool in texture. When applied to the skin, it feels just like that. It has a watery feel to it. And yes, it is cosmetically elegant. It feels soooo nice on the skin. The texture of this sunscreen feels like a dream. It feels so smooth, and it also soothes the skin. No burning sensation. I love it. It has a silicone feel to it, but it’s much smoother. Nothing like CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with Sunscreen (read my review here). But when I noticed that it had a silicone feel to it, it scared me a bit, since my skin doesn’t like products that has the texture of silicones (or high in silicones). This one felt different. The finish of the product looks shiny upon application, but it dries down to a dewy matte finish. It worked on my oily skin. I just let it sink into my skin and apply my makeup afterwards. Also, it works great as a makeup primer! My makeup glides on much easier and helps to fill in fine lines and wrinkles to a certain extent. It makes the skin look more silky and smoother. Yep, I fell in love with it right then and there.

This sunscreen seems so perfect, but is it?

There are some negatives about it. First and foremost, it’s pricey for what you get. The product is tiny. It’s only 40 mL. It’s even smaller than my HG sunscreen (50 mL). Not that big of a difference, but it is still smaller. I’m only 2 weeks into using it, and I feel like I’m almost out. It’ll probably last for another 2 weeks at most. I hope! Reapplying this sunscreen would eat up most of the product. I did that for the first week then gave up. lol. It’s just not happening due to the size of the product. ha! It’s way too small and just way too expensive. Fun fact, the product states that it can be used on the face and….body! I’m pretty sure no one or at least most people are not using this sunscreen on their body. Imagine how many tubes of this sunscreen you’ll have to go through to achieve that. It’s not happening for me. Seems very wasteful when you can easily purchase a big bottle of sunscreen and use that on the body instead. Just my opinion.

Other than that, this sunscreen can feel drying on the skin, since it does contain physical filters (Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide). It is a mixed sunscreen. The other filters are Octinoxate, Uvinul A Plus, and Tinosorb S. The packaging doesn’t state the concentrations of the filters. Unless it’s in Japanese. My skin dried out pretty bad when I first started to use it. It settled into dry patches and sucked all of the oil out of my skin. That’s when I decided to add more moisturizers to my morning skin care routine. The dryness diminished a bit. It still does have a drying effect on my skin, but it’s not as bad as before. I’m still able to continue to use the sunscreen without major issues. Also, take note that this isn’t a waterproof sunscreen. If it were, it would make it even more perfect. But yeah, it’s not. And, there’s a little bit of a white cast to this sunscreen, but it vanishes into the skin. It’s not even noticeable. I didn’t have a problem with that.

Last but not least, did it cause breakouts??

Dun, dun, dun. Everything about this sunscreen has been good so far. It’s cosmetically elegant, soft, smooth, works as a makeup base, contains physical filters (along with chemical filters), except for the fact it can feel drying on the skin. That can be fixed with a moisturizer that’s suitable for your skin type. Hmm, but did it break me out? After 2 weeks of using Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++, nope, it hasn’t. I’m quite shocked. Well, I haven’t noticed any breakouts solely from this sunscreen. From other products I have…such as Benton Fermentation Essence (read review here). I thought it was Canmake at first, but it turns out to be something else (Benton Fermentation Essence). So far, no breakouts. I’m happy! It’s been so difficult finding another sunscreen that doesn’t break me out. This one is working well on my skin. But the price…hmm…and the size…

This is what the sunscreen came in. The box and design of the product is mermaid-like. I mean, it is called Mermaid Skin Gel. I thought the design was really cute. It matches the theme of the product.

This is what the actual product looks like. It’s a gel-cream. Definitely feels more like a gel. It feels soothing and cooling on the skin. Take note that this product does not contain glitter. It’s just the light reflecting off of the product. It looks so surreal.

Pros & Cons

✅ Pros

• Feels cosmetically elegant and smooth on the skin
• Offers SPF 50+ PA++++ (Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Octinoxate, Uvinul A Plus, Tinosorb S)
• Leaves the skin matte yet a bit dewy at the same time (my skin is weird)
• Works great as a makeup primer
• Doesn’t contain alcohol
• Doesn’t sting eyes

❌ Cons

• Small tube for the price
• Can be drying on the skin
• Not waterproof
• A little bit of a white cast but not too noticeable

Conclusion

Wow, I found another sunscreen that works on my skin! Too bad that it’s so tiny and more expensive. Why are all the sunscreens that work on my skin come in tiny bottles? lol. There’s so much about this sunscreen that I like. It’s cosmetically elegant (one of the most I’ve encountered), feels soft and smooth on the skin, soothes the skin, works as a makeup primer, and contains SPF 50+ PA++++!! It can feel drying, but I fixed that problem with a little bit of moisturizer underneath. Worked like a charm! Also, too bad it isn’t waterproof. I heard people burned from using this sunscreen when they’re under the hot sun. That’s very interesting. So, this is what I’m going to do. I like this sunscreen. It hasn’t broken me out. No pimples so far. I’m crossing my fingers that it’ll work out in the end. I have a very hard time finding a good sunscreen that doesn’t clog my pores that’s why. I’m going to continue to use this sunscreen but use it more like a makeup base, so it’s a two-in-one type of deal. There’s no way I’m going to reapply it. I’ll just use my HG sunscreen for that. It’s not that much bigger in size compared to Canmake, but it’s still bigger. haha. So Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ is definitely a hit.