March updaa-chooo!

Seeing as though the male flowers of the world have decided to pollinate everything in sight, I’ve been forced to stay indoors lest I want another man voice pink eye debatable…again. Silver lining? I have time to update! Yay (ignoring the fact that it is mid April already).

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Q:what do you do about popped pimples?

Anonymous

I usually slather on a layer of my aloe vera and tea tree oil (2 oz of aloe vera and about 1/2 a tsp of aloe vera mixed) on the popped pimple to soothe, heal and kill the bacteria around and in the pimple. Clean & Clear also sells a drying cream and a gel pen for popped pimples. Before aloe vera, I used to use the Mario Badescu Drying Cream. 

I hope this helped!

Q:Hi:),I don't have super bad acne, just like a couple on my right cheek, one or two on my forehead, and the rest is just pigmentation/scarring red marks from acne, so I guess I can't complain too much. I would just like to share a product I have used and it works miracles, seriously. It's called Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, and it is seriously the best stuff ever. It Dries out pimples literally overnight. That's the only reason my face isn't horrible.

Anonymous

Omg I so wanted to get the product but I forgot to purchase it when I was repurchasing my whitening mask from mb! I bought the Korean ver of that and it worked pretty well as well. Sulfur and I think peroxide are why it helps. It unclogs and is antibacterial.

Q:Hey I'm an 18 year old girl. I've never really had bad acne before & my skin isn't exceptionally oily or dry. I went through a period of time where I would always have at least one or two pimples on my cheeks though. Over time, I've developed a lot of scars on both of my cheeks. I used Proactive to get rid of the pimples, but the scars are still there. Any way I can get rid of acne scars?

Anonymous

Is it scarring or pigmentation? I did a post on the difference in case you don’t know and if i start talking about it…you’ll never get the answer to your question. lol (i think too much as I type)

If it is scarring, it won’t go away unless you go an do in office procedures like excisions, injections, etc etc. because scars don’t fade on their own. You should talk to a dermatologist if you are thinking of getting something done (no black markets!!! lol) so that they can further explain the risks/side effects involved.

If it is hyperpigmentation, then eventually, on it own it will fade (You’ll start to see a difference at ~6 months-1 year). There are also “fading creams” or “whitening creams” whose job is hasten this process by…

  • Dissolving the melanin in your cells (which causes the hyperpigmentation). Chemicals like Arbutin are whitening chemicals that dissolve melanin and are found in bb creams, some masks have it, etc. A dermatologist can prescribe hydroquinone, which is a very very very strong whitener and should be extensively discussed with your dermatologist if you feel that you want to use it. Citric acid, kojic acid, etc are more natural to help with melanin pigment and are found in a lot of products
  • Micro-exfoliating (to slaw of layers of dead skin that may have pigmented cells). Papaya extract, AHA, BHA, etc can help exfoliate and slaw off the top most layer of skin off. 
  • Microdermabrasion can also be done in office to help soften the pigmentation by getting rid of layers of skin.

Actual products that have been used and liked by many are:

  • Clinque even better line (they have foundation, moisturizers, serums, etc)
  • Bio-oil: I have this, but I have never used it so I can’t tell you personally if it works, but there have been many positive reviews and it is cheaper
  • A lot of people have been raving about Philosophy’s Miracle Worker Dark spot Corrector. I also haven’t used it because it’s wayyyy too pricey for me ($62). 
  • BB creams that contain Arbutin (like Missha, Lioele, Dr. Jart+, etc).  It should say whitening in the front. These work somewhat but it is a good alternative to using foundation if it fits your skin tone
  • Mario Badescu has a Glycolic acid line and well as a “whitening mask” which helps soothe your skin.
  • RoC multi correxion skin renewing serum has had good reviews
  • Neutrogena visibly even is a pretty good day moisturizer. I felt that it did help soften my overall uneven skin tone

I hope this helped! Good luck!

Spot on!

So, I forgot to put spot treatments on my july update so I’ll do it here. Sorry =/

I have used 3 spot treatments last month, alternating them so I don’t get used to it.

1. Clean & Clear Advantage Mark Treatment ($6.49) for 0.5 fl. oz.

Active Ingredient: 2% salicylic acid

I use it when I first feel the bump. So, I guess you can say this is my first defense against acne that I use at night. It is a gel, which I don’t like. I prefer creams over gels. This product claims to help diminish the look of post acne scars. Did you know that scars can start forming when the pimple starts forming? In terms of post acne mark fading power, i don’t notice anything different. It does help to get rid of the acne faster.

Score: 4/5: It works, it’s cheap(er), but doesn’t really help with the scars (though they do say to use it everyday and I don’t)

2. Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Cream, Vanishing ($9.99) for 1 oz.

 

Active Ingredient: 10% Benzoyl Peroxide

My second defense. After 2-3 days of salicylic acid, I move to benzoyl peroxide. This really helps to shrink my pimples as well as reduce redness. I put this on when my pimple is at its “peak of ripeness” (gross!! But true). 10% Benzoyl Peroxide is the highest amount available without a prescription. Plus, it’s a cream so it won’t “ball up” on you like gels would when you put it onto top of other serums/creams. I also use this in the day time but make sure to put on spf 50 at least because acne medications (esp. 10% BP) make your skin extremely sensitive to the sun. If you have dry/combination skin, it might by too drying. 

Score: 5/5 for oily skin, 3.5-4/5 for dry-combo. it works, its cheap, lots of product, cream formulation, reduces redness. Can be drying so be careful

3. Mario Badescu Drying Cream ($14.00) for 0.5 fl oz.

Active Ingredient: Sulfur

It’s a heavy cream based treatment that I use near the end of my acne problem. I like to also use it if the pimple is popped. It helps to quickly soothe and dry out the acne. I think it works best as the last defense. I use it as an overnight treatment and it works to shrink my acne a lot especially after erupted acne. Aloe vera will soothe and reduce redness, while sulfur helps to clear the pores and inhibits new acne from forming.

Score: 4/5. It works, but is kind of expensive at $14.00. It works best with erupted acne.

Trying to find a silver lining…

So my face is so not back to normal yet. I’m red all over my face, and the texture of my face saddens me.  BUT i will not give up and NEVER surrender! As the pimples slowly recede, I’m left with a lot of redness and scars. Right now, I have Mario Badescu’s drying cream all over ma face (active ingredient is sulfur) hoping that it will help. Because I’m using it more often these days, I think I’ll be able to do a review on it in a couple of weeks after I have fully experienced the cream. =D