749 replies to this topic

[Dith]

is the sample free???

No. Depending on where you get it, it's $3-$5 without shipping.

[peace of mind]

How lond did everyones purging go on for? I'm gettin little zits, bumps I guess on my cheeks, and t-zone. damn.had been a couple weeks without any new ones.

[Dith]

I didn't purge at all. I just got very minimal dry patches under my eyes.

[Cramsession]

I'm reluctant to to back on this type of product though because I have been off of Retin-A for about 4 months and I really don't want to go back through the break-in period with Retin-A (or Retinol, if it does the same thing) where from about week 6 through week 12 your skin breaks out horribly while everything works its way to the surface. Does Retinol do this like Retin-A does?

You do go through a purging period in the first few months, and there seems to be a pretty clear correlation between the severity of the acne you started with and the severity of breakouts while purging.

I went in 2 months ago with badly clogged pores but minimal inflammatory acne. I've had nearly constant purging since then, but none of it has been horrible -- mostly bumps surfacing on my cheeks and jaw, and small pimples on my nose and chin. Everything seems to heal very quickly. I can see in the mirror now that most of the gunk that I started with under my skin has worked its way out ... not all, but most, and I am pretty confident that another 2 months will clear me completely.

If you have more inflammatory acne, one approach might be to alternate BP with the Green Cream to keep breakouts in check for the first few months. Obviously you would want to be very careful not to over-dry or irritate your skin.

Q

Thanks again, Q! This does bring up another question....the Retin-A Micro website states that you should not use both Retin-A and BP because they counteract each other (my wording, not theirs). Do we know how they counteract each other? If you want to use both BP and a retinol or Retin-A product, what would be the correct way to do it so as to get the best benefit without damaging your skin?

[mahway0k]

cramsession, retinoids and BP do cancel each other out. retinoids become inactive in the presence of oxygen. because BP creates oxygen to kill acne causing bacteria, it also cancels out the retinoid.

the best way to use BP and a retinoid is opposite times during the day. so, i would suggest trying BP in the morning and retinoid at night. however, unless you are a seasoned user of a retinoid, i suggest you start very slowly.

[LionQueen]

How lond did everyones purging go on for? I'm gettin little zits, bumps I guess on my cheeks, and t-zone. damn.had been a couple weeks without any new ones.

For me, it came in waves. One part of my face would purge, then I'd be clear, then another part would purge. The good news is that it was all small stuff, little bumps and tiny zits, and everything healed really fast.

Be sure to keep exfoliating gently and regularly! If your pores are not clogged with dead skin at the surface, then you shouldn't have much trouble with stuff getting backed up underneath and then getting infected.

My pores were REALLY deeply clogged, so I'm still not entirely done with purging yet ... am hoping the L9 will take care of the last remnants. It came in today's mail, so I'm going to start with it tonight.

cramsession, retinoids and BP do cancel each other out. retinoids become inactive in the presence of oxygen. because BP creates oxygen to kill acne causing bacteria, it also cancels out the retinoid.

the best way to use BP and a retinoid is opposite times during the day. so, i would suggest trying BP in the morning and retinoid at night. however, unless you are a seasoned user of a retinoid, i suggest you start very slowly.

I agree with this post 100%.

[Butterfly8124]

I'm really liking Green Cream so far. I just ordered a full size level 6 since I am using a sample level 3 and I am able to use without any irritation. I used it 3 nights in a row and had some slight dryness around my nose this morning but nothing major. I also experienced a slight purge but again, nothing major. I really dont have very sensitive skin so I chose level 6 this time around.

I also just started using Dan's BP gel today, I like it alot compared to Proactiv's BP. BP has gotten my inflamatory acne under control, but like Q said, it has done nothing for a few on going clogged pores. I'm hoping this combo will give me the makeup optional skin I have been striving for the last few months .

I decided to try GC also for some wrinkles on my forehead, sun damage, and spider veins on my nose. I already see some improvement after 1 week using level 3.

[anom]

I found shipping was cheaper on www.dianayvonne.com ..to Canada at least

[lavenderlilacs]

wow, I'm glad you posted on this. I love retinol combined with salicylic acid. See my new post under "crawling back to SA" where I talk about my experience with Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Anti Acne cream. This cream is a combination of 2% salicylic acid and .075% retinol.

Glad others find retinol works too! I am going to look for green cream now.

butterfly, I just read your post, and unfortunately benzoyl peroxide oxidizes retinol and renders it ineffective.

What works for me is a combination of salicylic acid and retinol.

See my post under "crawling back to SA". The combination of SA and retinol is awesome. You can go into dermatologytimes.com and do a search on salicylic acid. There you can read about how a combination of retinol and SA helps acne. It's not a quack website either; it's run by dermatologists.

[LionQueen]

butterfly, I just read your post, and unfortunately benzoyl peroxide oxidizes retinol and renders it ineffective.

This is true, but only if you have both products on your face at once. If you are using one at night and one in the morning, there shouldn't be a problem.

Watch out for dryness and redness, though ... are you putting the BP all over your face, Butterfly, or just spot treating? Keep us posted on how this goes, a lot of people are curious about this product combination and I don't know much about it aside from what I just said.

Q

[lavenderlilacs]

Queen you are absolutely right. Should have added that. You can use retinol at night and BP in the morning, or vice versa.

Myself, even the weakest BP is too irritating. I never found any irritation from SA/Retinol. But it cleared me up!

[LionQueen]

What works for me is a combination of salicylic acid and retinol.

See my post under "crawling back to SA". The combination of SA and retinol is awesome. You can go into dermatologytimes.com and do a search on salicylic acid. There you can read about how a combination of retinol and SA helps acne. It's not a quack website either; it's run by dermatologists.

I tried that in my first few weeks on Green Cream, but had to drop the SA products (cleanser & moisturizer) because my skin was just getting too dry and irritated. (The problem cleared up immediately, so I'm pretty sure SA was the culprit.)

GC is considerably more powerful than most OTC retinol products, so you do need to be cautious about using other active products in combination with it.

[Butterfly8124]

I have been doing the CSR for the last few months so I was using BP for most of my face (except forehead). I do understand that I need to make some revisions to my regimen now the GC is in the picture. I have only been using level 3 for a week but it seems like it is too weak for my skin. Hopefully level 6 will not kill me.

Anyway, I have cut down on my BP usage since starting GC. I used to apply 2x's per day. Now I have started to use either in the AM or I will skip a day. I also alternated nights w/ BP and GC and will probably continue as long as I can take it until I get up to every night GC usage on level 6. That was the first few days though so I am prepared to adjust my regimen as needed. We will see and I will keep you posted. My face is pretty clear and has been for a few weeks now. The GC did bring a couple of spots up that I knew were lerking in my skin so I applied BP to them and it killed them really really fast. I'm hoping that I will eventually be able to drop BP completely or just use as a spot treatment.

I do not care for SA. It never seemed to help my skin at all. BP has been the only thing that clears me up so far but I have very high hopes for GC.

[lavenderlilacs]

Butterfly, my skin sounds like yours - moderate acne and very oily. I don't have much sun damage but I'm extremely oily. If I don't blot during the day with tissues I am really shiny.

I'm very glad the Green Cream works for you - I am definitely going to try it. It does sound stronger than what I use (.075% retinol in the Neutrogena). I briefly went on the website, but can't find the strengths mentioned. Do you know what percentage of retinol is in each level? I k now companies keep this a top secret for some strange reason. I really had to search on the net to get the percentage of the Neutrogena.

I went on dermstore.com and some of the retinol products there do show the percentage.

I have also had a lot of success with ROC retinol products. I have no idea how strong they are, but they're effective for me.

I am definitely going to try the green cream and will go light on the SA.

[LionQueen]

Level 3: 0.3%
Level 6: 0.6%
Level 9: 0.9% (strongest retinol product available OTC, I think)

[Butterfly8124]

I dont have oily skin at all. I used to when my acne was out of control and cystic because of screwy hormones, but thankfully those days are over. My skin is looking pretty good, but not GOOD ENOUGH.....

I am 36 so I figure that GC can help correct the few flaws left over now and bring me into the future looking real good. I don't believe that BP can provide that for me, but the CSR was a God send in helping to get things under control. I was just about to give up and then I found this website Now that the red marks and acne are taking care of, it is time to focus on the damage done to my skin from the sun, smoking (no longer), and stress. It appears that GC is just the right product to get this job done

[LionQueen]

I dont have oily skin at all.

I think she meant me ... I'm the one with moderate acne, oily skin and sundamage. Guess I won the lottery on THAT combo.

[SaveMe]

So...would this stuff work almost as good as that retin a crap? I would go for it since it's not perscription which is always a godsend..

[LionQueen]

It works a bit more slowly than Retin A, but with a whole lot less irritation. Also, because it is OTC, I think it is easier to stick with it long-term ... you don't have to deal with all the prescription hassles.

One other point of interest: a lot of Green Cream users report reduced oiliness, whereas Retin A users tend to report MORE oiliness. I have yet to stumble across a scientific reason for this.

[SaveMe]

It works a bit more slowly than Retin A, but with a whole lot less irritation. Also, because it is OTC, I think it is easier to stick with it long-term ... you don't have to deal with all the prescription hassles.

One other point of interest: a lot of Green Cream users report reduced oiliness, whereas Retin A users tend to report MORE oiliness. I have yet to stumble across a scientific reason for this.

Thanks. I live in canada. How should I go about ordering a sample? I checked out that one website you posted but am not sure what to do.