8 replies to this topic

[BH-Solution]

I'm 16 years old and I have oily/sensitive skin with lots of blackheads and clogged pores all over my face, but I also get pimples on my cheeks, I would say my acne is mild. I was thinking about buying green cream as I hear great things about it. I've been on Tazoarc .1% gel and .05% cream in the past, the gel was way too irratating and made my skin look horrible, the cream wasn't irritating but did nothing for my acne problems. So after reading Lionqueen's thread I want to try green cream, and some sort of BHA or AHA. I already have PC's 2%BHA. So I guesse I'll use that along with the green cream.

I have sensitive skin, so does that mean I should start with level 3? Also what moisturizer should I use? Cetaphil is way to greasy for me, keep in mind I have oily skin. I have some LOTD aloe vera gelly and jojoba oil that I can use together, but I'm not sure if that's enough to moisturize for a retinol. I'm thinking about doing something like this:

AM:

Clense
Shave (With the grain only, it's not so irrtating for me)
Maybe some BHA
Aloe vera gel+Jojoba oil (I'm also looking into peppermint oil)

PM:

Clense
BHA (wait 30 minutes)
Green Cream level 3 or 6
*recommend me a non greasy moisturizer*

Thats pretty much it. I'm not sure if I'm going to do the BHA twice daily since I have sensitive skin. I heard you only apply green cream once daily, correct? So how does that regimen look? Would appreciate any advice. Also is the level 3 strong enough to battle acne?

[BH-Solution]

C'mon guys, anyone?

[LionQueen]

Patience, hon .... it gets pretty slow on the board around the holidays.

I love Green Cream, and it has worked wonders for my skin -- but it's pricey, $45 - 50/ounce. Just wanted to make sure you are aware of that before you get your heart set on it and before I start writing paragraphs of advice.

Also, how long have you been using the BHAs? And do you have the liquid, gel, or lotion form of the product?

[BH-Solution]

Patience, hon .... it gets pretty slow on the board around the holidays.

I love Green Cream, and it has worked wonders for my skin -- but it's pricey, $45 - 50/ounce. Just wanted to make sure you are aware of that before you get your heart set on it and before I start writing paragraphs of advice.

Also, how long have you been using the BHAs? And do you have the liquid, gel, or lotion form of the product?

Yes I'm fully aware of the price. I have the liquid, I kinda went through a stage in my life where I didn't put anything on my face after Tazorac ruined my face. I still don't put anything on face today other than clensing. Sure, my face has gotten better since the Taz, but I still break out on the cheeks and still have blackheads/clogged pores all over the face.

I'm thinking I should use the BHA on my nose for atleast a month to see if it even does anything. I also read your old posts from way back, about Diacneal. That's another option too, but I also want "prettier" skin overall. After searching the forum it seems that level 3 doesn't really do much for people, so I'm thinking of using level 6.

[LionQueen]

Level 3 is for ultra-sensitive skin .... it enables people to ease into the product very gradually. But most people can start with Level 6, which is far more effective.

You can layer the BHA liquid under GC very easily. It's best to wait awhile between the applications -- 30 minutes is ideal to allow the BHAs to penetrate and exfoliate, but if you can't do that, any wait time will help. The BHA action will actually enable the retinol in the GC to penetrate your skin more effectively when it goes on.

Here's the schedule I recommend for easing into GC:

First week -- once every 3 nights
Second week -- every other night
Third week -- 2 out of 3 nights
Fourth week -- nightly

If you start noticing redness or irritation at any point, STOP using GC until your skin looks normal again (this should only take a day or 2 at the most if you stop at the first signs of trouble). Once things are back to normal, resume the schedule right where you left off.

I would think you could start using the BHAs nightly right away, as it is a very gentle product .... but if you are feeling cautious, go more slowly. Don't try using them twice a day until you feel confident that your skin is adjusting well to GC.

On moisturizers, you may want to try samples first. You can buy samples from Paula Begoun's site very cheaply if you'd like to try hers .... Linda Sy, who sells Green Cream, also has samples available of her moisturizers. I use one from Kiehl's, which I love, but I don't know if you can just go on the site and buy samples.

[BH-Solution]

Level 3 is for ultra-sensitive skin .... it enables people to ease into the product very gradually. But most people can start with Level 6, which is far more effective.

You can layer the BHA liquid under GC very easily. It's best to wait awhile between the applications -- 30 minutes is ideal to allow the BHAs to penetrate and exfoliate, but if you can't do that, any wait time will help. The BHA action will actually enable the retinol in the GC to penetrate your skin more effectively when it goes on.

Here's the schedule I recommend for easing into GC:

First week -- once every 3 nights
Second week -- every other night
Third week -- 2 out of 3 nights
Fourth week -- nightly

If you start noticing redness or irritation at any point, STOP using GC until your skin looks normal again (this should only take a day or 2 at the most if you stop at the first signs of trouble). Once things are back to normal, resume the schedule right where you left off.

I would think you could start using the BHAs nightly right away, as it is a very gentle product .... but if you are feeling cautious, go more slowly. Don't try using them twice a day until you feel confident that your skin is adjusting well to GC.

On moisturizers, you may want to try samples first. You can buy samples from Paula Begoun's site very cheaply if you'd like to try hers .... Linda Sy, who sells Green Cream, also has samples available of her moisturizers. I use one from Kiehl's, which I love, but I don't know if you can just go on the site and buy samples.

With GC I use a pea size amount right? Do I have to use GC twice daily eventually? Or can I see results with once a day application?

[LionQueen]

yes, you use about one pump.

You can definitely see results using it once a day, but it will take longer. When I was trying to get clear, I worked up to using Level 6 twice a day, then switched to Level 9. Then things cleared up REALLY fast.

I can't remember if I ever used Level 9 twice a day ... maybe for a little while. My maintenance level was basically Level 9 each night, occasionally falling back to Level 6 if my skin felt sensitive or dry.

[BH-Solution]

Can you tell me your experience with Diacneal? I need a plan B if my parents won't pay for the GC because of the price.

[LionQueen]

Many people think Diacneal is more effective against acne than GC because of the glycolic acid/retinaldehyde combination in the product .... you get more exfoliating action that way.

I didn't use it all that long .... I just liked the texture of GC better, my skin looked prettier with the GC, and I was getting great results. I really only used the Diacneal to see what all the fuss was about.

There are lots of reviews on makeupalley.com .... and if you do a search here on Diacneal, you may come up with a few regimen logs as well.