879 replies to this topic

[LionQueen]

My question to you, can I continue using BP while starting a Green cream reg?

Yes, I believe you can. Obviously I don't do this myself, but I have been scouting around on the Green Cream board and saw several references to people who were also using BP.

You would use the Green Cream at night and the BP during the day (or vice versa, if that works better for you). You definitely would never want them both on your face at the same time.

You also would want to watch out for redness, dryness, irritation, etc. It's probably smart to start with the Level 3, since you want to continue with BP. Let your skin adjust slowly! As I keep saying to people: this is a long-term treatment with long-term results. There's no point in trying to rush things ... doesn't work that way.

Good luck with this, Butterfly, and please keep us informed of your progress!

[Butterfly8124]

Thanks Q,

I was also looking at the Green Cream board but I did not see anyone mention using BP along with GC. I noticed that you like to do alot of research into what you are using, so I figured you would be the right person to ask.

I'm going to start real slow, maybe use once per week and continue with BP. Eventually, I want to use less BP and more GC (if this helps me stay clear and reverse sun damage) I'm hoping it helps get rid of the spider veins in my nose.

I just ordered Dan's BP and I am hoping that it wont be too drying for me. I really like Proactiv's BP but I dont want to pay for it. I had alot of it left over from when I used to use the 3 piece system. Could never use the BP fast enough before a new shipment arrived, I actually starting throwing out the bottle 1/2 used for a while. Now I am kicking myself for doing that since I am on my last bottle Too late though they are LONG gone.

I will keep u posted on my GC progress. All the reviews for GC I read seem to be outstanding so I am expecting really good results down the road.

[LionQueen]

I'm hoping it helps get rid of the spider veins in my nose.

That's something I just don't know anything about. You might want to send an e-mail to Kevin on the Green Cream site (kevin@greencream.biz). He seems very friendly and knowledgeable.

[LionQueen]

No breakouts at all for the last couple days, so I think this round of purging is over. Very mild this time -- just a few tiny scabs still visible, and I think those will all be gone by tomorrow. I haven't been picking, mainly because there's been nothing to pick, but I did start thinking about messing with my pores ... and then I distracted myself by cutting my nails very, very short. That should render me pretty harmless for awhile.

I am still tinkering with my regimen. I've left the topical Vitamin A out for the last 2 nights, but now I think I'm going to put it back in. Not so much for the active ingredient (retinyl palmitate) but because the oils in the solution were so nice for my skin! I definitely look dryer in the morning when I haven't used them; today, I actually looked a bit scaly and flaky. This is pretty common with GC, but I haven't experienced it up until now -- probably because the oils in the topical A were keeping me smooth.

I'm also trying to figure out how to use the Level 6 Green Cream twice a day to keep my progress moving along. Today I put just a little bit on in the morning, after cleansing, and then put the Calmin Environmental Protection Cream over that. Before I went out, I blotted my whole face to get the shine off (both products make my skin shiny). Well, that actually seems to have taken care of it, because it's now the end of the day, I haven't blotted since then, and I hardly look shiny at all.

That was easy.

I'm using GC on my chest and shoulders now, and the skin on my chest is already feeling smoother. I don't get bad acne there, but I do get clogged pores. And I am thinking about getting some Level 3 to use on my neck so I don't fry it with the 6 again. (I've twice managed to turn my neck bright red, and it takes about a week of dryness and soreness before it goes back to normal). GC users who are reading this: consider yourselves warned! And wear your sunscreen!

[LionQueen]

Perfectly clear the last couple of days. No new breakouts, no old scabs. Added the topical A back into my regimen -- and sure enough, my skin looks a whole lot less flaky in the morning if I've used the topical A the night before.

I should have nearly a week of good skin here before PMS clobbers me again ... We'll see!

[LionQueen]

Just got off the phone with Linda Sy Skincare, and YEAH! They are sending me the Level 9 Green Cream. Unfortunately, because of the holiday weekend, I won't get it until Wednesday ... I probably should have just told them I would drive over to Lafayette and pick it up, but I'm feeling lazy today.

So here's what she told me on the phone: I'm kind of back to Square One in the acclimation process; can only use the Level 9 every other night for at least the first week, and if that goes well, I can ramp it up a notch. I don't think my neck is ever going to tolerate Level 9, so I'm going to continue cautiously using the 6 there.

My skin is still looking great, no breakouts at all for 5 days now.

[LionQueen]

Now I REALLY can't wait to get my Green Cream on Wednesday, because I just ran out. The first bottle lasted me 6 weeks, because I was easing into it slowly. The second bottle barely lasted 3.

For the next couple days, I'm going to be using a "high-retinol cream with lavender" that I got from the Skin Bio website in a sample pack with the emu oil and copper peptides. I don't like it nearly as much as the GC, which may just be prejudice: it's an ugly blue color, it doesn't rub in as nicely, and I don't like the way it smells; but I want to keep going with my retinol regimen as best I can.

3/11 EDIT: Threw that cream out. Nasty stuff.

My face is still perfectly clear, but a few small bumps did come up on my neck and throat on Saturday night, and I did mess with them ... and now I'm sorry I did, because I have a few small scabs. They aren't bad, but I wish I'd just kept my hands off. I think they would have gone down on their own.

I'm noticing a bit of congestion in my pores again. PMS is just around the corner. Coincidence? I think not. The good news is that the comedos are tiny, and I wouldn't even know they were there except that my magnifying mirror is so powerful.

[~Bobbi~]

Hi Queen, glad to here you are staying so clear. I'm interested to hear how it goes with the level 9. I'm scared to use the level 6 on my neck after reading your posts, so I'm considering ordering some of the level 3 for my chest & neck. Oh and I followed your example and cut my nails off as short as I could so I won't pick. Haha yeah right I can still do it but I guess at least I'm not using my nails.

[~Bobbi~]

Queen, where are you getting your emu oil and copper peptides from?

[LionQueen]

Queen, where are you getting your emu oil and copper peptides from?

Here:

Skin Bio website

Lousy website, good products.

[~Bobbi~]

Thanks for the info, I have been to that site before. Your right it is lousy. I will check it out again.

[LionQueen]

Two small pus-filled spots on my face this morning, one on my chin and the other next to my nose. So my perfectly-clear streak is over. (It lasted a whole week, though!)

These little zits weren't bad at all -- they pretty much disappeared after cleansing -- but I know there will be more to come this week.

It's that time ...

[~Bobbi~]

Hopefully it won't be too bad. Damn hormones!!

[LionQueen]

Hopefully it won't be too bad. Damn hormones!!

Thanks, Bobbi. I hope things won't be too bad this time around.

Hey, I got my Level 9 today! It helps to live just 5 miles away from Linda Sy, I guess -- the earliest she could possibly have sent it was this morning, but I had it in this afternoon's mail. I am excited. Will use it tonight and let you know how it goes.

[LionQueen]

OK, I've officially survived my first night using Level 9. I went back to using the regulation pea-sized amount, and I applied it only on my face.

Good news! My face is intact. Absolutely no redness or irritation this morning. No breakouts, either; skin looks good. Maybe a little on the dry side, but not flaking (yet).

My next day for Level 9 will be Friday. If all goes well over the weekend, I will then start using it every other night. For now, I am sticking with Level 6 once a day for my chest, and once a week for my neck.

I've been debating whether to use the Level 6 twice or just once on my face today. Once would be safer ... but with my hormones starting to go crazy, I'd sure like to have the GC on my nose and chin during the day as well. Guess I'll see how my skin looks after cleansing and decide then.


UPDATE: After I got out of the shower, my skin still looked good. I checked out my face in the magnifying mirror, and noticed that there was stuff pushing up through the pores all over my nose ... just my nose. The pores were wide open, and there wasn't any inflammation ... just all this gunk pushing out! So I took a couple of tissues and did some gentle squeezing to help it along. Then I put L6 on just my nose for today. I am hoping this little purge will mean fewer nose zits this cycle, but of course things don't always work that way ...

[~.:Olive:.~]

How come you went to level 9?

Personal preference? Does level 6 stop working? I though you could only get level 9 with a derm prescription?

just curious

xxoo

[LionQueen]

How come you went to level 9?

Personal preference? Does level 6 stop working? I though you could only get level 9 with a derm prescription?

just curious

xxoo

No, Level 6 does keep working; even though your skin is learning to tolerate the retinol, it is not building up a resistance to it. According to the GC board, most users stick with the Level 6 and never even try the Level 9.

By the end of 2 months I was using Level 6 twice a day, so I was quite sure my skin could handle Level 9. And while my skin looks really great most of the time now, I am still getting mild hormonal breakouts and my pores are still a bit congested. I'm the impatient type, and I am hoping the Level 9 will speed things up for me. Also, I truly am a perfectionist and a product whore ... I have intended all along to move up to Level 9, just because it's there.

You can't buy Level 9 online, but if you call one of the providers (I buy from Linda Sy) and have a quick telephone consultation, they will sell you Level 9 if they believe your skin can handle it.

[~Bobbi~]

Queen, I fully intend to move up to the level 9 myself just because it's there. That is so funny you said that. Sorry your nose is purging but it sounds like it's to awful bad so maybe it's a good thing.
I know you had problems getting registered at the GC site, what did you do? Email Kevin? I'm having the same problem myself.

[LionQueen]

I know you had problems getting registered at the GC site, what did you do? Email Kevin? I'm having the same problem myself.

Yup, send Kevin an e-mail ... it took him a couple days to get back to me, but then he sorted things out straightaway.

[~Bobbi~]

Thanks, I sent him an email last night and her already got back to me. Looks like everything is straightend out.