• Dramatically fewer blackheads everywhere, and particularly on my nose and chin.
• NO cystic pimples. I had a couple last week during the worse-before-it-gets-better period, but they have surfaced and vanished.
• No new outbreaks or nasty whiteheads.
• More even coloration everywhere.
• Very smooth skin.
• No areas of flakiness, which I used to have a lot of where my skin was bumped up from the cystic pimples.

People have actually commented on how clear my skin looks. It’s not 100% there yet, but it’s better than I could ever have imagined. Seriously, I’m amazed.

But it’s not all good news. Here are some negatives:

• A vague feeling of overall itchiness on my face, which started after about a week of continuous use.
• An extremely itchy rash that developed on my throat after a few days of swiping it with the toner after doing my face. The bottle says you can use it anywhere and I have always included my throat when applying toner, but no more! I’ve had to slather my throat with Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion several times a day for a week to be able to bear it, it’s been so itchy. Admittedly I do have sensitive skin, but I have never had that kind of reaction to a skin care product before!

Given the whole traumatic throat rash (at first I thought I thought it was hives and took Benadryl for two days!) and the fact that I’m experiencing a major reduction in blemishes, I’m reducing my use of the AcneFree regimen to once a day every other day.

In between, I’m using some great products I received from woman-owned and -operated natural personal care products company Emerita. They’re specifically targeted for women over 40, but I don’t think using the sample sizes will kill me, and who couldn’t use a little help staving off fine lines and wrinkles?

You can get your own free samples of their skin care line. So far, I adore the ones I’ve tried. They leave my skin feeling clean, refreshed, and moisturized. In addition to skin care, Emerita offers perimenopause/menopause support (which also helps for those of us with severe PMS) and sexual vitality products.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

AcneFree Update: It’s Been Two Weeks, and I’ve Got Results!

According to an article at Acne.com,

Adult acne affects 25% of all adult men and 50% of adult women at some time in their adult lives. These are the official statistics, but I personally don’t know many adults who have not had a zit or two in their adult lives. People can develop unpleasant acne or have an acne recurrence in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. It can be difficult to cope with no matter your age, and can cause depression and social anxiety in an adult the same way it can in a teen.

Um, thanks, but this is not reassuring.

WebMD does offer some tips in the article Acne … Again?:

“Which treatment is best depends on which type of acne you have,” Winfield tells WebMD. “It may well be worth a visit to dermatologist. They often have samples they could give you to try. People can spend a fortune on over-the-counter medicines when there is maybe one single prescription drug that could solve the problem. Be sure to use oil-free, non-comedogenic lotions or sunscreens. Use something very simple to wash your face with, as well as low-strength benzoyl peroxide. But it would be best to see a doctor to prevent possible acne scarring.”

So far, gentle washing hasn’t been particularly helpful, although I must admit that I’ve noticed a definite overall improvement since I started using Aveeno’s skin polishing scrub. Unfortunately, it hasn’t prevented the major zit crises. Oh well. I’ll probably only live another, what 70 years anyway, so I guess I can deal.

Are you out of the breakout stage yet?

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Note to My Face: Knock it off with the Breakouts, Already