Neutrogena Advance Solutions Complete Acne Therapy System Review

Four months ago I left Philadelphia for the United States Virgin Islands. I left behind all the stresses of city living, the never ending rat race that moves us along. However, my acne followed me across the Atlantic Ocean into the Caribbean Sea. Where it found itself happily back on my face. I knew it was because of the climate: the heat and hot-hot sun. I went to the health food store to buy a bottle of Jojoba Oil, but it was triple the cost of Trader Joes. Not gonna happen. Later that day I was watching the tele and I saw a Neutrogena ad claiming that its new acne system works faster than ProActive. !Really! So I went to the local Kmart and got myself the Neutrogena Advance Solutions Complete Acne Therapy System. On sale there was also a face brush very similar to the Clarisonic face brush that I have been hinting for for quite some time, but it was more than I wanted to spend. I had already gotten the Acne Therapy System for $27 and I didn't feel like spending money that I didn't have. Then I remembered the Dermalogica Facial Brush I won in an office contest and decided just like afrobella that I was going to implement this tool as part of my new regimine. That evening I went home wet my face with some warm water, applied a quater-size amont of cleanser in my hand and applied it to my face. The active ingredient in the cleanser is salicylic acid. Then I wet the facial brush and made circular motions with it around my face. Gently massaging and lifting away dead skin cells and debris. After I washed the cleanser off of my face I applied the "night cream", which has a benzoyl peroxide base and went to bed. I have to admit I did notice a reduction in some of my pimples the following morning. Then I repeated the first step and applied the "day cream" to my face. The day cream basically is an SPF 15 cream with a natural product base that is not elaborated on. I felt like the day cream made me sweat even more. I could feel it on my face. I think the next time I'll just use less product. I recommend this system for anyone suffering from mild to moderate acne. I don't know how well it would work for someone with really bad acne. If you or anyone you know have tried it please leave a comment. I am still using the product but because of my hectic lifestyle there are nights where I don't follow through with the steps. If you are going to use this system be commited to it. Just like ProActive or Murad, if you don't commit to the program it will not work.

Clarisonic Face Brush

I was just over at afrobella.com when I read about the Clarisonic Face Brush. Afrobella herself credits this tool along with a regular cleaning system with Cetaphil as her breakthrough regime for healthy, acne-free skin. Long story short: I NEED THIS BRUSH! No joke. I just read the reviews for it on essentialdayspa.com. I am sold. I need one pronto. My birthday isn't for another two months and I can't afford to spend $195 on a face brush even if it means perfect skin.....or can I? We'll see. If I do get it I promise that I will share every step of it with you. I'm so excited and I don't even own one. If you have a Clarisonic Face Brush or have used the kit before can you please share your experience with us. We'd love to hear.

Q & A Product Review/Interview

I had my co-worker Jennifer and her teenage daughter try the Himalaya Products on their problem skin. Although I have tried the products and have shared my results with you I wanted you to hear it from someone else. Thanks you so much Jennifer and little Jenn!!

Q 1. How would you describe your skin (texture, moisture level, acne, ect) before using the cream facial wash?
A. I am very fair with sensitive skin. I also have severe rosacea on my checks. So I get break outs and extra dry skin in those areas.

Q 2. How would you describe your skin (texture, moisture level, ect) after using the cream facial wash?

A. Certainly helped the rosacea calm down. Skin felt smoother and less tight than after other facial washes.

Q 3. Would you recommend this product to anyone?
A. I recommended it to my 14 year old. It is a wonderful product. It is not harsh at all. Does not strip delicate skin of the moisture it needs.

Q 4. How do you feel about the toner? Did it leave your face feeling? (Dry or refreshed? Tight or moisturized? ect.)
A. Because of my dry / sensitive skin I tend to only was my face at night and was rinsing w/water in the am to refresh I switched to the toner - it doesn't make my face feel that 'tight' feeling that the water sometimes does. I almost feel like I don't need the moisturizer. It feels refreshed and smooth.

Q 5. Did the mask help with your break out? Was the smell pleasant? Was it easy to apply, to take of? Would your recommend it to friends?

A. I liked the mask - my daughter used it more. The smell was really nice.

Q 6. Did the Pimple cream help reduce the size of your pimples? How long would you say it took to diminish the size of your pimple? How did you feel about the smell, texture, application, ect.

A. The pimple cream got me started! I started on my cheeks with my rosacea spots and it really calmed the acne down. I gave it to my daughter and she loved it. She used it daily on some of her trouble spots and the acne cleared - she gave it to her friends and now they love it too. I would say it took about a 4 days to a week to see a difference but anything that tells you it will work overnight is just going to dry your skin out and strip it and make matters worse down the line. I love this product.

Q 7.Would you recommend Himalaya Herbal Health care to your friends? Where did you get your product (answer only if you ordered products) Where did you get them from? Was the process easy? How was accuracy of bill? How long did it take? How was the customer service (answer only if you had direct contact with the company). Would you use them again?

A. Yes, I have recommended the product. Ordered online - so far just the pimple cream.

Birth Control and Acne

It's been a while since I've last posted anything but to be honest I have been going through a dermatological roller coaster! My skin was doing great with the Himalaya-Pimple-and-Acne-Cream-with-the-Jojoba as a moisturizer routine but as the hot days of summer approaches it is slowly going back to how it use to be: oily and broken out. Being the impatient person that I am I wanted something that was going to fix this problem quick, fast and in a hurry. So I resorted to something that I told myself I will never do again: Birth Control.

The nurse at the Planned Parenthood Clinic was very nice. I had been to this particular clinic the last time I was on the pill. However this was over two years ago and my file was deleted. Luckily I remembered what pill I used and was on my way home with a two month supply of Ortho Tri-cycln Lo. Within the first three days I saw immediate results. Just like the first time I used it my skin looked amazing. It was smooth and radiant. I absolutely loved it. then about 19 days into taking the pill my boyfriend's grandfather died suddenly and just like that my skin ruptured into a million (more like 7) huge zits. Now I'm rearing the last couple days of my second pack of pills and my face still has not cleared up. I am going back to the clinic on Tuesday to get more pills because I really believe that it can help my skin. I believe that the stress caused by my Nonno's death is what caused my severe breakout. Nonetheless I have returned to my beloved Himalaya Pimple Cream to ease the discomfort along my chin and jawline.

This severe break out really proves to me how much we need to take life easy. Stress kills and its effects on your skins can be very evident. Today my boss had a huge purple pimple right in the middle of her forehead. I have never ever seen her skin like that before. She has never seen her skin like that before. So being the cautious woman that she is she went to her doctor who informed her that the monstrosity on her face was caused by stress! Honestly I'm crossing my fingers that the breakout I experienced is caused by stress and not the pill because there are more perks to taking the pill besides smooth skin. (birth control hint hint). I will be beginning my third set of pills starting sometime next week. So I will continue to blog about acne and birth control in the next up coming post.

Get Rid of Body Acne!

There are several causes as to why some of us have body acne. Some reasons are the same as why we have acne on our faces. Things like genetics and over production of oil. Some tips for getting rid of body acne especially on our chests and backs are as follows:

• Wear breathable fabrics such as cotton or linen in the warmer seasons and climates. Unbreathable fabrics like nylon can keep sweat and dirt close to your body and aids in clogging your pores.
• Wash your body with a gentle anti-bacterial cleanser such as Cetaphil.
  
• Moisturize your body. I have been using jojoba oil on my chest an shoulders for the past few weeks and I have noticed a big difference in the texture. My skin took a beating this winter!
  
• Get a new bag! Back packs are bad for people with back acne because it makes your back sweat and keeps the sweat on it. I just got a bag from The Gap that goes over my shoulders.

Some people have stated that benzoyl peroxide has helped them with their body acne. I tried BP before and it made my skin itchy and irritable. Its also bleached my t-shirts. Study now shows that BP causes free radicals! This is something many of you might want to be aware of. I am an anti-oxidantaholic so I try to stay away from free radicals as much as I can.

There are also some negative side effects to salicylic acid. I read that it can be absorbed into the skin and should not be used if you are breast feeding or pregnant. I think that is kind of scary. That's why natural is the way to go!

Body Acne

Spring is in the air and that only means one thing: Summer is right around the corner. Time to get rid of the bulge and hit the shore. I can't wait! As ecstatic as I might sound about the summer time I also get really frustrated that time of the year. One reason is my pesky body acne problem. Its not as bad as it use to be I will be honest about that. I have been putting Jojoba Oil on my chest when I get out of the shower. I cannot stress any more how amazing jojoba oil is! However there are some spots left that are really embarrassing. I have some scars on my shoulders and upper arms also. They are just pigmented scars and I know that maybe some skin bleaching cream can get rid of them ,BUT I REFUSE to put any of those products on my skin. Part of this blog is for me to find natural and healthy ways to help people care for their skin. Nonetheless this is a learning experience and who knows I might have to resort to those creams, but only under desperate measures. Speaking of scars I found a natural skin brightener, but I am not going to write about it now. Soon I will do another review for my new Himalaya Products, FYI , they have been doing great!

The Secret to "Glowing" Skin Is...

...Jojoba Oil, yea I said it. That stuff is great. I have been using it for a couple weeks now and I have seen nothing but improvements. I did break out a little bit but it was near that time of the month and I always do during "that time of the month", but it went away in couple days.

Also remember to drink lots of water and take your vitamins. It only does you go in the end and makes your pee really yellow. Teehee.

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Ooooooooh guess what....I GOT NEW PRODUCTS!!! From Himalaya Herbals, but you have to wait until I test them all for a review. Until then good health and glowing skin!