3 replies to this topic

[VolcanicSkin]

Hello everyone. This is my second log regarding a regimen and I hope it is my last. About 6 months or so ago I concluded my "Caveman Regimen" log because it didn't work for me. Ever since then I have been using the Mario Badescu products but it hasn't really helped.

My acne isn't severe, I don't even think it is moderate. But it is still annoying nonetheless. I will post pictures of my progress throughout.

Edited by Creekey, 22 August 2011 - 01:13 PM.

[VolcanicSkin]

Before I made the decision to buy DK's products, I came to these forums to ask for advice. One person responded and he described his acne as persistant but not severe.

I definitely think my acne is like that. It seems like to matter what I try, my acne seems to break through in the end.

I guess I need to fight fire with fire - fight my persistant acne with persistance.

So I recieved my products Thursday afternoon. I used them that night. I must say that I LOVE the cleanser. It removes my makeup and mascara and all I have to do is lightly run my fingers over it. Afterwards, my skin is so soft.

I noticed this immediately.

The BP is so much better than Neutrogena on the Spot treatment too. I feel like DK's BP somehow dries me out less than Neutrogena did. I've been slathering it on, too as instructed.

The moisterizer I don't love so much. While it does work (well so far) and it seems to moisterize completely without leaving me tight and and dry, it also gives my face an odd color. Since I am trying very hard to go without makeup, this odd color is kind of a pain. See, after I wash my face my skin looks bright and white (between the spots). But then after I apply the moisterizer, it looks darker and not bright or radiant... so that sucks. Doesn't help with the "makeup free" look. Also, after I apply it, it burns on my skin for about 5 to 15 minutes. That's not a huge deal though since I am a big fan of AHA... and that stuff REALLY burns.

I might switch to Cetaphil moisterizer after I use up all of Dan's. I'll have to see. Last time when I was on the DKR, Cetaphil didn't moisterize enough. But, for the first 2 weeks of it I was using an AHA lotion called, "Healthy Skin Face Lotion" by Neutrogena. I love love LOVE that moisterizer but it is NOT moisterizing enough AT all while on the DKR. So that dried me out very quickly and badly and I think it possibly made it virtually impossible for any moisterizer to rehydrate my skin.

Compared to then, my face is way more hydrated. I can smile without getting flakes and getting dry wrinkles (I'm 23... I thought that was too young for dry wrinkles but do you think I'm wrong?). Anyway, yay for me! If my skin does get dryer I will use more pumps (I'm using two right now) and I will buy some wonderful jojoba oil. I say "wonderful" lightly because the last time I used jojoba as a moisterizer, it broke me out. But I was also cleansing with honey and treating pimples with green tea. So I'm not sure if it was the jojoba or the honey or the green tea.

Ok ok, now to the actual LOG:
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Day 1: I noticed immediately, more radiant skin after using Dan's cleanser. Was a little confused by these "new pumps" cause it messes up the amounts he says to use in his guides. But I think I figured it out:
Cleanser: 3 pumps every time.
Treatment: Start with less than 1 pump and work your way up over 4 weeks to 3 pumps.
Moisterizer: Minimum 2 pumps, but as desired to offset dryness with increasing BP.

Please if anyone knows better than I do, let me know if this is wrong.

Day 2: First day at work without makeup. My skin was that funky color that the moisterizer makes it. But by the end of the day I noticed some improvement!
Active pimples were not as painful and it seems they were flatter. Hyperpigmentation seems to be way lighter, too. If it continues like this, pretty soon I won't feel so self-conscious going without makeup! Feeling positive.

Day 3: (Today) Woke up with 2 new pimples in 2 of my problem areas. One of them seems to not be so big, and the other one is, I believe, a cyst trying to come to a head. A little discouraging after such a good looking day yesterday (remember my calm-before-the-storm theory?) but I realize how harsh BP is and that alone can irritate your skin and cause breakouts. I also realize that these two new pimples could have been sitting under my skin for who-knows-how long (I've been getting a lot of pimples that sit under my skin lately... they don't come to a head or cause lots of redness) and now they are just being purged out by the BP.
BP causes your skin to purge, right?
Anyway, I am going to try VERY hard not to mess with these spots at all, unless I am 100% certain that they will pop easily and without much effort. Sounds easy, but I am a skin-messer! If something looks like it might pop, I will try until it does or until it is mangled. (Bad! I know!) Thats why I must distract myself and look in the mirror as few times as possible.
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Well I think thats all I can ramble on about atm. I am very excited to be starting my own log and join the community again. It is a good feeling to have others who are going through the same thing you are. My bf has perfectly clear skin and he is very supportive of me but I don't want to bore him with the small details about moisterizers and the dryness level of my skin all the time. LOL.

Oh, and if you are one of the few people who read all through my insanely log posts, I commend you! You should get a cookie or something.

Bye for now.

Edited by Creekey, 25 June 2011 - 12:20 PM.

[VolcanicSkin]

Day 4:
Wowza! Skin is super dry. I had to apply about 3 pumps of moisterizer with 3 drops of jojoba oil last night and then later in the night I applied another pump of moisterizer.

Today I woke up with one up and coming cyst, a huge whitehead, and another pimple that looked ready to pop. So I popped that and hopefully it just goes away. The whitehead didn't take much coaxing to remove but it really started bleeding so I'll see how that heals with the BP.
My skin is also suuuper dry today and red! But, I knew this was going to happen going into it, and it's a small price to pay for long term clarity.

Some random notes:
My white sheets are getting stained yellow due to the moisterizer! I loooove that the moisterizer contains licorice root to help inflammation and redness but is it worth it? I don't want my pillow case to look like I drooled on it all night. Really thinking hard about either mixing cetaphil moisterizer in with it or using cetaphil at night and acne.org lotion in the morning. Or vis versa. Cause it does tint my skin yellowish/orange, which is ugly for work where I must look put together. I haven't tried it with powder yet though so maybe that will not only take care of the shine but also the yellow.
MOVING ON. I am going to have to start washing the makeup off my eyes with oil and a cotton ball I think because using Dan's cleanser is drying them out so bad! I already have little dry lines forming. I think that since I wash my eyes last, maybe some BP is making it unto that sensitive skinned area. Also, my lips very dry, pale, and cracked too. Which is very abnormal.

Moisterize, moisterize, moisterize!!

Thats all.

[VolcanicSkin]

So I think the only way to get anyone to reply to my log or read it, is to post pictures. >.< So, after I get off work today I will post some mug shots of what I looked like before and what I look like now. I must say, I think there is an improvement!

Day 5:
Back at work today - I used about a half a pump less of BP and used three pumps of moisterizer. I am lightly wearing some Neutrogena concealer on some spots and old hyperpigmentations. Other than that, nothing. My boyfriend complimented my skin this morning by saying its looking clearer. So I feel pretty great about my skin even though it is soooo dry yet greasy looking and slightly orangish in color.

Question to all you ladies: Do you find that you need to reapply moisterizer throughout your day? I feel so feel like I need yet 2 things worry me:
1) The moisterizer takes such a long time to absorb and disappear
2) I am wearing light concealer. I am worried about applying moisterizer over concealer! And even if it is ok, I will have to reapply the concealer which will take more time because I'll need to wait for the moisterizer to absorb first and then reapply.