141 replies to this topic

[nycqueen]

So I decided that this time around I'd keep track of my progress on DKR. Just a little background on my acne situation. I'm a 32 yr old female that has battled mild to moderate acne since the age of 12. My acne began mildly at the start of puberty and got progressively worse as time passed. I remember my mother and sisters telling me to leave it alone and it would go away on its own. Of course being stubborn and a know it all that I was, I experimented with different meds and before I knew it, I had large cystic acne covering every inch of my face.! Suffering through years of devastating embarrassment and crippled self esteem, I indulged in self destructive behaviors that not only damaged my mind, body, and spirit, I decimated my skin in the process.

My depression was a never ending cycle of self loathing, anger, and missed opportunities I decided I needed a change. Sometime in 2006 or 2007, I came across acne.org in a desperate search for a "cure" for acne. I trolled the site looking for a suitable skin regimen for my ravished skin. I found a good regimen of manual exfoliation, BP, and sometimes moisturizer that worked for a while. My skin was clear for the most part and my confidence grew. I finished my studies and my life was looking up. I was able to control my acne and it moved from severe to light. As life happens, many stressful events occurred in my life, finishing college, a sick relative, and the ending of a long term relationship put my emotions and face through a loop!! To add insult to injury, I began to experience a slew of health problems which further strained my face.

I made adjustments to my diet and continued my personal regimen. Then the regimen stopped working so well and I constantly had irritated, dry, sensitive acne prone acne. Some days my skin was fantastic and other times it resembled a Jackson Pollock painting. So I decided I needed a change and continue the process of getting my life and face back on track. Now that I've gotten my masters, let go of my past relationship behind me, and enjoying my life again, I want to get my skin back on track. So here I am, ready to see it through to the path of clear skin on DKR and help others struggling along the way ... Anywoooooo... here I go ...

Week 1

Started with NOTS (later switched to Dan's BP), cetaphil (normal to oily) cleanser, oil of olay complete UV all day moisturizer w/spf 15 for sensitive skin

Skin doing well, a couple of active spots about 4 or 5
Skin did good the first few days but getting dry and irritated
Was using baking soda mask before cleansing which increased irritation (definitely learned my lesson :/)

Week 2 day 1 (today)

2 actives 1 big labowski on my right cheek but I'm being good and not messing with it.. trying to treat my skin like a baby so it doesn't get pissed at me... lol definitely noticing that gentle is the way to go... it's mad but not pissed so why make it worse, right??

FLAKY!!! DDDDRRRRYYYYYYYY!!!! but nothing that some moisturizer can't fix... my neck is very very dry and irritated so I'll definitely will be putting alot more moisturizer before BP application tonight ... seems to working ok around my alligator eyes .. lol

Ok enough yepyap... ttfn!! )

Edited by nycqueen, 23 January 2012 - 02:33 PM.

[nycqueen]

Week 2 Day 2

SOOOOO... My skin is looking better, but I have 3 actives that are lurking amongst the sahara desert that is now my face... Funny thing is I think when you obsess about your skin, you know instinctively when a lil sucker is trying to crop up... The active on my right cheek I literally saw forming... The active near my nose has decided to merge w/a clogged pore near the crease of my nose... That little sucker was painful for a day or two while it laid dormant in its cocoon stage but the pain has subsided somewhat as the merger has progressed... The final active, on my left temple was another one I saw coming, but resisted touching and allowing it to come to the surface.

All in all, I won't complain though... This morning, I looked at the mirror in the badly lit bathroom in my job (which shows every flaw and imperfection imaginable) and my skin looked calm, despite the lil lingerers (don't think thats a word, but its stickin'... lol) and the crazy red neck situation I have going on below, my face looks more moisturized and "healthy" than it has in a long while... I'm really beginning to understand the importance of moisturizing on the regimen, or any regimen for that matter... Of all the years of research I've done on the possible causes of acne-prone skin, I've learned (the hard hard way) that our skin is usually dehydrated and lacking proper hydration both internally and externally. When I drink sufficient amounts of water, I feel revitalized internally and it shows... So in addition to DKR, I'm recommitting myself to proper hydration... Let's see how this goes... lol


Edit: The active sucker near my nose has decided to merge w/yet another clogged pore... Getting bigger by the hour...
Anyways, enough rambling... TTFN

Edited by nycqueen, 23 January 2012 - 02:36 PM.

[nycqueen]

Just a question for DKR users... How do you guys like jojoba oil? I've used it in the past, but broke out on my face... But have used it as a body and scalp moisturizer for a long time w/enormous success... How would you guys suggest I use it to minimize breakouts but get the moisturizing benefits, especially my neck? My neck looks like the ol' lady in Beetlejuice that had the trichiotomy but still smokes....

Edited by nycqueen, 23 January 2012 - 02:46 PM.

[nycqueen]

Week 2 Day 3

Well things are looking a bit better today than yesterday... First, I finally got some jojoba oil, and that stuff is a God sent... Just hoping it doesn't break me out too much... Last time I tried it on my face, I had some angry suckers crawl out of the wood works... Needless to say, I wasn't too pleased... I still have the three actives going and two others trying to surface around my lips and neck... I usually have alot of dry skin around my mouth anyway and get these irritation bumps from the dry skin, so I think the bump surfacing may just be from the dryness... Anyways, the actives on my right cheek and left temple are going down slowly and the one near my nose seems to be breaking down slowly as well... My neck on the other hand is still dry and irritated... Last night as soon as I got home I drowned my neck with some jojoba oil, followed by some vitamin E oil, then sealed w/ Neutrogena After Sun Lotion.. ( A miracle worker after a sun burn) It seemed to relieve some of the dryness, although the Neutrogena kind of stung for a bit... When I read the label, I noticed it had alcohol in it, I figured it might sting, but it was one of the last ingredients, so it wasn't too bad... After my shower, as soon as I towel dried my face, I left my neck moist and put some Pond's face cream w/a few drops of jojoba oil and slathered my neck, put on my eye cream and let it settle before I put on some BP. I let the BP settle, then used my fav moisturizer for winter dryness Clinique Ultra Hydrating Lotion lightly on my face, then patted 2-3 drops of jojoba oil over my extra dry areas... This morning I woke up to alot less flakes and my skin looked plump and skin tone more even... My neck is still dry, but the moisturizing is beginning to break through the dry skin patch on my neck... I figured another week or two of heavy moisturizing will soften my neck skin again... I must've gotten the active on my neck from the oils but its not too bad... I didn't even realize it was there until I washed my face in the shower.... Overall, the jojoba oil is really helping with the dryness, fingers crossed my skin adapts quickly to it and doesn't freak out...

Until later gators... TTFN

Edited by nycqueen, 24 January 2012 - 09:16 AM.

[NotCleanAndNotClear]

Just a question for DKR users... How do you guys like jojoba oil? I've used it in the past, but broke out on my face... But have used it as a body and scalp moisturizer for a long time w/enormous success... How would you guys suggest I use it to minimize breakouts but get the moisturizing benefits, especially my neck? My neck looks like the ol' lady in Beetlejuice that had the trichiotomy but still smokes....

it breaks me out as well. i used to mix it into my moisturizer, but i guess it was still too much. however dan's moisturizer which contains jojoba oil as well does not break me out. what i did against the dryness was using less BP/ cutting BP out in the morning for a while, so there was no need for a lot of jojoba oil anymore. hope this helps...

[nycqueen]

Hey thanks for answering my question NotCleanAndNotClear...

I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes... So far the jojoba hasn't affected my skin adversely, but then again, I only used the tiniest drop for my face and was extra careful to be extremely gentle... I will say it's helped with the dryness, but my neck I believe has a chemical burn from the bp... It think the bp on my chin maybe has mixed w/the moisturizer, thus burning the skin on my neck... So now I'm very careful about applying moisturizer and bp around my neck...

[nycqueen]

Just a little update ... picked up some complex 15... from what I've read, it seems as though the consistency is a bit watery, so I'll use it on morehumid days instead of clinique... but the clinique is doing a great job keeping the flakes at bay for the moment ... still some dryness on my neck and around my mouth but it's not too bad ... the active on my neck that came out is a small Whitehead and another is forming on the side of my forehead ... and nothing to freak out about but I'm looking good so far... OK, time to settle in... ttfn

[nycqueen]

Just a little update ... picked up some complex 15... from what I've read, it seems as though the consistency is a bit watery, so I'll use it on morehumid days instead of clinique... but the clinique is doing a great job keeping the flakes at bay for the moment ... still some dryness on my neck and around my mouth but it's not too bad ... the active on my neck that came out is a small Whitehead and another is forming on the side of my forehead ... and nothing to freak out about but I'm looking good so far... OK, time to settle in... ttfn

[nycqueen]

Week 2 Day 4

Ok dudes and dudettes... Everything is going pretty well today, except my actives are turning into nasty whiteheads... GROSS!! I'm fighting every urge not the pop all of them and just letting them go down and heal, but I'm sticking to a no picking policy this time around... I'm hoping they continue to heal quickly, dry out, and scab off... However, at the moment, they are going James Dean on my face... I'm tempted to spot treat w/an amazing sulfur mask I have to dry them out, but I don't want to deviate from the regimen nor dry out my skin more than it is already... My skin tone is looking better each day, but the peeling is really driving me nuts... My neck is finally peeling... WOOHOOOO!!! It feels so much better now that the dry patch is breaking up and shedding like a snake... It's kinda cool actually... lol The Pond's and jojoba on this area is really helping w/the dryness and beautiful skin is shiny through like light through a stain glass window (maybe that's cause its tri-color at the moment... lol) I'm still having alot of peeling around my eyes, especially around my brows... I'm dying to pass a tissue through to get the nasty dead skin off, but I know its the BP doing its magic, so I'll leave it be... It seems as though my skin is adjusting nicely around my cheeks and mouth so that's helping since it isn't as dry as other parts of my skin... Besides a boat load of clogged pores and the actives, things are doing better... Oh, and I'm drinking more water which is helping with the dryness... Used Complex 15 for the first time this morning and it's keeping my face moist so far, we'll see how I look by the end of the day....

Okie dokie artichokey's... TTFN

Update: The lil sucker on my right cheek just popped on it own (weird)...

Edited by nycqueen, 25 January 2012 - 03:28 PM.

[nycqueen]

Week 2 Day 5

Ok, I was naughty last night... First, had too much red wine and my complexion is paying for it today... I look red and irritated in some places and pale and washed out in other spots... Second, I popped the active on my temple... I couldn't take it anymore, it was just there, big and red, mocking me!! lol... so I relieved some of the pressure and popped the sucker... It refilled w/puss again this morning, so I gently squeezed again and got the remaining gunk out... Gross but it felt so good... Of course I now regret it cause its red and agitated but I'll live w/it and move on... NO MORE PICKING FOR ME!!! Got to constantly remind myself of that... I guess the good thing is I didn't go to town on the rest of the actives I had... The one on my neck popped in the shower last night, the peeling on my neck is MUCH better... One of the irritation bumps near my mouth has turned into a whitehead and getting bigger but I'm leaving that one alone... The other two irritation bumps are slowly fading away... I had a new one pop up on my forehead but it's not bad at all... The one on cheek that popped on its own at work yesterday is healing... Hopefully the scaring is minimal... I know that one on my temple will be a nasty scar but like everything else in life, this too share pass... Ok, time to get back to work... TTFN

[nycqueen]

Week 3 Day 2

HEY GUYS AND DOLLS!!! Been a while since I logged in but I thought I'd give you guys an update and see how I'm progressing... Well, last weekend those suckers I had got HUGE!!!! I couldn't take it anymore with the flakiness and huge honkers that I had to pop and lightly exfoliate with my hands the died skin... I have to say my face looked 1000x's better... Saved me the embarrassment of having to explain the flakes and nastiness happening on my face for a big date I had last friday (which went really well... by the way) For the past week, I've been getting minor breakouts here and there... Still not wearing any makeup, which I have to say is sooooooo liberating... I feel like now that I'm treating my skin like a baby, the skin tone continues to improve, so I really don't feel the need to put any makeup on... Just play up my eyes, a tiny bit of concealer and blush (only on dates) and I'm good to go.... I'm still getting some patchy dryness, but Complex 15 is taking care of it very nicely... I still wash and BP gently, but with the moisturizer, I've been lightly patting it in and then allowing it to dry... I'm also getting my method down quite nicely, so application time is shorter than when I began... I decided to spot treat actives w/this great sulfur mask I've used for a long time at night... It doesn't irritate my skin, so long as I apply it directly to the spot and not the surrounding skin, and it keeps them from getting huge for the most part... I know each day it will get better, so long as I keep up with the regimen and continue to treat my face and body like a temple... Here are a couple of things I've done to continue seeing improvement: 1) Quit smoking cigarettes and weed (it's been difficult, but I'm taking it a day at a time and I'm making progress), 2) Started exercising again (for my face and to curb anxiety from not smoking anymore, and 3) drinking more water... .Overall I have to say I'm happy with my progress and my healthier lifestyle... I know it won't be easy to maintain, but I'm determined to keep a positive attitude and make positive progress in my life...

Just a question for the ladies.... What do you do as a refresher for your face after a work day.. For example, I have a date tonight, I'm heading home to shower but I don't want to wash my face yet, but still want to refreshen and apply makeup... any suggestions??

Alrighty then... later gators....

[nycqueen]

Week 3 Day 3

Helllllooooooooo Goorgeous!!! (Ba Streisand voice) Well my date was unfortunately horrible last night, but my face held up fantastically... lol I did have a few drinks and one cigarette (I know, I know) to drown out the memory of my terribly rude and clueless date, but still got to bed at a decent time, so at least I got some good zzzzz in to make it to work... I was exhausted last night, but I still made it a point to do the regimen (I used my blow dryer on low cool setting to speed up drying time between each step) I had two tiny actives on my right temple near my ear that have all but disappeared (scars and all)... I have two tiny cyst type actives on my jaw and midway between my jaw and cheek that are going away as well.. I will say that they are tamed compared to what they might have turned into before the regimen, so I'm happy about that.... As has detailed, my breakouts are more controlled and smaller, so I still don't use makeup to cover them up during the day... I actually think my blemishes and old scars give my face character which helps me in the fact that I don't obsess about my flaws like I did in the past... Each day I'm falling more in love w/what I see in the mirror and worry less of what others may think of me and my flawed face... lol Only three weeks in and I'm happy with my progress... YAY!! lol I know sticking to the reg, I'll have gorgeous skin come summer time... Anyways... Time to get ready to enjoy the weekend... I have plans all weekend, so fingers crossed my skin holds up well... Lord knows there will be some drinking going on, so I'm loading up on the water now... lol

Later Gators and GO BIG BLUE!!!!!! TTFN

[LizzLemon]

I believe has a chemical burn from the bp... It think the bp on my chin maybe has mixed w/the moisturizer, thus burning the skin on my neck... So now I'm very careful about applying moisturizer and bp around my neck...

I had the exact same reaction on my neck! it was miserable. Now I apply cetaphil dry skin lotion (a lot at night, a little during the day - it's kinda greasy) on my neck before i apply BP to my face. it seems to coat and protect the skin really well... same for any dry patches you may have on your face. my dry patches are pretty chronic around my nose and mouth!

as for a post-work refresher, i "wash" my face with warm water and a couple drops of jojoba oil. this removes any work make up and leaves my skin feeling moisturized and fresh. it seems a little odd but really it's nice after a full day of harsh BP & it won't dry out your skin like a full washing would.

great log - good luck!

[AyeAye]

I'm enjoying reading your log and tracking your progress. I agree with LizzLemon, a 'semiwash' with water and jojoba oil sounds perfect to me. As far as following Dan's regimen, I stuck to it religiously (it was my last chance to try and get on top of my acne after 20 years and I was determined it was going to work) except for the 'only wash twice per day' instruction. If I was going out, I would come home from work and wash off my makeup, just apply moisturiser and makeup and go out. Then when I came home later on, I would wash my face again, and then apply BP, moisturise etc.

Just one thing about your regimen that you might want to look out for is the number of extra products you are using, especially the mask. If you follow the regimen to the letter it will work for you, just need to be patient.

Prior to me following the regimen I have a cupboard full (and still do, yet now its gathering dust) of every expensive cream, lotion, exfoliants etc that money could buy. But I promised myself that I was only going to use the products and follow the process Dan stipulated and not vary it. That way I would know that if it didnt work, it wasnt because I had 'changed' something. Now my skin is perfectly clear and all I use EVER are Dan's products and my skin is clear, smooth and glowing. I just look at all those shiny silver and gold bottles in their beautiful packaging sitting in my cupboard and I laugh, thinking of all the money I now save because I don't need to buy a moisturiser that costs me $220 (true, it embarrasses me to admit it), i just buy dans $30 bottle.

I'm looking forward to reading the entry in your log that says 100% clear. HOORAY!

Ps. Congratulations on doing your regimen after getting in late after a hellish date. 100 points to you girl!

[nycqueen]

Week 3 Day 6

Hello Everyone... First... BIG BLUE DID IT!!!! Second, I'm having a horrible breakout that started over the weekend... I'm getting cysts and whiteheads scattered all over my face... I'm not happy with my face at all right now... Just feel like I'm taking one step forward and two steps back... But I know it's my fault so I have no one else to blame for this breakout... Let's see, the old active I had on my left temple has reactivated and has a new buddy right above it... I have actives on both cheeks that are getting redder and angrier, and then three on the right side of my jaw, and another under my right nostril.... I guess this is what they talk about that one minute your face looks amazing, the next, like crap... I did too much drinking this weekend and I realize that alcohol is definitely a break out trigger for me... Also, I think the hand exfoliating I did agitated my skin as well... It's so frustrating but I'm going to plow on... Hopefully this nastiness will subside in a few days and my skin can get back to the way it looked last week...

I'm enjoying reading your log and tracking your progress. I agree with LizzLemon, a 'semiwash' with water and jojoba oil sounds perfect to me. As far as following Dan's regimen, I stuck to it religiously (it was my last chance to try and get on top of my acne after 20 years and I was determined it was going to work) except for the 'only wash twice per day' instruction. If I was going out, I would come home from work and wash off my makeup, just apply moisturiser and makeup and go out. Then when I came home later on, I would wash my face again, and then apply BP, moisturise etc.

Just one thing about your regimen that you might want to look out for is the number of extra products you are using, especially the mask. If you follow the regimen to the letter it will work for you, just need to be patient.

Prior to me following the regimen I have a cupboard full (and still do, yet now its gathering dust) of every expensive cream, lotion, exfoliants etc that money could buy. But I promised myself that I was only going to use the products and follow the process Dan stipulated and not vary it. That way I would know that if it didnt work, it wasnt because I had 'changed' something. Now my skin is perfectly clear and all I use EVER are Dan's products and my skin is clear, smooth and glowing. I just look at all those shiny silver and gold bottles in their beautiful packaging sitting in my cupboard and I laugh, thinking of all the money I now save because I don't need to buy a moisturiser that costs me $220 (true, it embarrasses me to admit it), i just buy dans $30 bottle.

I'm looking forward to reading the entry in your log that says 100% clear. HOORAY!

Ps. Congratulations on doing your regimen after getting in late after a hellish date. 100 points to you girl!

AyeAye... I decided to take your suggestion about adding products, but I do have to say that the sulfur mask spot treating was really working at keeping the breakout I had from going bananas (much like they are right now)... I have the type of acne that gets humongous quickly, so slathering it with BP usually does nothing for my breakouts... The sulfur mask thing is the only thing that keeps zits from going haywire... But I'll follow your suggestion and fight the temptation to put some sulfur on the breakouts I do have... (le sigh)

LizzLemon... Thanks for the suggestion about the jojoba oil "refresher" technique... I'm going to give that a try the next time I'm heading out on a date... But the way I'm feeling about my skin at the moment, I don't believe I'll be making any date plans anytime soon...


Ok, I'm getting depressed writing about this so I'll end my entry here for today... ttfn

[nycqueen]

Week 3 Day 7

Hello hello hello everyone!! Well, I had an interesting day yesterday, unfortunately it started on a soar note... A good friend from my elementary school days died yesterday morning on congenital heart failure... I'm still in shock and devastated... He was only 32 yrs old and a wonderful person inside and out... He lives on lovingly in my memory and those of whom he's touched... (RIP Harvey)... Needless to say, it wasn't the best day in my life, but I'm feeling better about it today... So let's see what's going on today... Face status is the same... It seems like I'm getting a bunch of whiteheads at the moment, which usually takes forever to happen when I'm not on the regimen (Usually big red spots take forever to come to a head)... So far I have six active whiteheads scattered about my face... The old reactivated spot is turning into a whitehead (red and painful) and the other active that is above it is a small whitehead... The right side of my face is littered with whiteheads as well... I have one of my chin (a stubborn area for me) that is red and painful but developing a whitehead as the day progresses... Yesterday it was just a red spot but as the day progressed the whitehead began to develop... The spots of my jaw line are also whiteheads now... One active burst yesterday but refilled with pus (not too big) and the other one is just chillin' there with a nice little whitehead in the center... I have some bumps from my breakout last week on the left side of my jaw... The active near my right nostril is barely noticeable, so YAY for that!! They aren't that bad actually, but I realized I get this weird kind of scarring that almost seems like a bump with darkish coloring around the spot... I've developed this kind of scaring as I've gotten older, but I try not to worry too much about it... The whiteheads are really what is killing me at the moment... It's soooooo difficult not to pop them (especially since they are small) but they are red and can be painful, so I'm learning my lesson and not picking... I think that's the reason I have that painful one on my temple now, from picking a huge one I had there about a week and a half ago... No touch policy is difficult to follow but I know that when I leave them well enough alone, they heal not as quickly, but with less damage to the surrounding skin... On the brighter side.. I just ordered the regimen kit... So excited!!! I got a gift card for amazon.com, so I used that towards my purchase... I know shipping directly from acne.org is lighting fast, so I'm hoping amazon can meet my expectations... If all goes well with the kit products, I'll definitely be converting to the full regimen products...

Questions of the day... Can regimen users rate the acne.org products? How many are using the full regimen kit?

Anyways... Time to get back to work (Meaning, time to finish watching the Giants parade...) TTFN

[nycqueen]

Week 4 Day 1

Hey Guys!! Well I'm at week 4 (YAY) and my face hasn't changed except I'm still breaking out and I'm getting dry and flaky again!! I bought some Cetaphil antibacterial gentle wash bar and it dried my face out like no other!!! I decided its better as a regular bar wash, but I switched right back to the liquid Cetaphil for normal to oily skin (which is the one I've always use)...Also, I've upped my BP usage to the full thick finger length which may be contributing to the overnight dryness... I'm getting dry flakes at 11am, which I had under control for about a week and a half... Lesson learned, stick with what you know works for you.. I'm breaking out w/more spots too... I have a new one next to the active on my right cheek (which looks like a butt since there are two whiteheads on the same bump... ugh)... It's a big red mark right now which I'm sure will turn into a whitehead in a day or two... I have another red spot next to the painful whitehead on my chin... So its my usual breakout pattern (cheeks, jawline, and chin) which is frustrating to no end... The one of my temple is still a big whitehead but the active next to it is disappearing slowly (just pink w/a tiny whitehead)... Of the three along my right jawline, one is fading as well (just a red mark w/a tiny whitehead) but the other two are still prominent... Just praying they really begin to dry out soon and don't linger for much longer... I have a feeling that new red spot is going to be an issue in a day or two like the one on my temple... So I'll have two nasty spots on my right cheek... So basically, the two actives that are disappearing have been replaced with two new actives.. (DOH!!) I'm drinking more water again, so hopefully that'll help with the dryness but it looks like my face is going through another crappy stage... I will say that my skin tone is still pretty despite the explosion of whiteheads I've had lately... Hopefully this phase won't last too long and things will get back to normal... Dan's regimen kit just shipped today, so hoping that I'll have it by friday or monday... (fingers crossed)... I also switched back to the Clinique moisturizer since I believe I'm breaking out with the Complex 15.. Only reason I say that is because the whitehead breakouts started almost immediately after I switched to Complex 15... Hopefully getting back to the my original products until my regimen kit comes in will get things back to normal...Trial and error...

Anyways, it's a busy day at work... Later Gators...

UPDATE: Looks like another red spot is trying to come through on my right cheek right next to the bigger red spot.... That will make three on the right cheek... WTF!!!! Too many things I've done to irritate my skin over the last week, now I'm paying big time...

Edited by nycqueen, 08 February 2012 - 11:56 AM.

[LizzLemon]

hey girl!
how exciting that you are making the switch to the full DKR line! it sounds like your skin might be purging a bit now that you are back on the BP bandwagon. i'm sure it will clear soon! just remember to be gentle with everything and slather on that moisturizer. just trust the regimen, be patient and DON'T PICK ...if you stick with Clinique moisturizer you might want to check the ingredients against Dan's recommendations in the regimen instructions.

best luck!
looking forward to reading your progress & success!

...PS - very sorry to hear about your loss take care of yourself!

[nycqueen]

Week 4 Day 2

HEY EVERYONE!!! So here is an update on the meh that's become my face... lol I'm still dry, flakey and itchy today which I'm guessing is from upping my BP amount this week... Hoping it will subside quickly like it did before... Just reminding myself not to pick or rub the flakes off... Let me start with the mess that is my right cheek... I have two cysts right next to each other that are red, itchy, and painful... I'm getting a feeling like pins are poking through the inside of my face were the red cysts are... Must be the infection trying to break through my skin layers so that the red spots can turn into whiteheads... Here's hoping that happens by tonight, so they can come to a head are start healing... For now, I'm just trying not to obsess over the right cheek... I still have the active on my temple, which I think is finally beginning to dry out and I hope it'll be a thing of the past by the weekend... Only one active is present on my right jawline did a final scab over this morning and flaked off in the shower, so only one is left and thank Jeebus it is barely noticeable... The active on my chin is slowly drying out as well so I'm hoping these suckers will be completely gone by the weekend, just leaving the two ugly cysts on my right cheek... I must say that now I'm happy to see the whiteheads, as I know that means the infection has come to the surface and is ready to begin the healing process... (I despise the red painful stage) You know, I noticed I have to get stricter about the time increments in which I do the regimen. Some days I wait between 13 to 15 hours between treatments and I know Dan's saying to wait no more than 10 to 12 hours. But on the positive side, I haven't broken out yet from switching back to my regular Cetaphil cleanser and the Clinique moisturizer (YAY!) Just using the Cetaphil antibacterial soap put me back a few more steps than I wanted, but again it comes down to trial and error...

I received word that the kit shipped from amazon, but I still haven't received any tracking information???? So frustrating but I guess I'll have to suck it up for now..

Anyways, enough rambling... Later Gators!!! (I love the dancing banana)

hey girl!
how exciting that you are making the switch to the full DKR line! it sounds like your skin might be purging a bit now that you are back on the BP bandwagon. i'm sure it will clear soon! just remember to be gentle with everything and slather on that moisturizer. just trust the regimen, be patient and DON'T PICK ...if you stick with Clinique moisturizer you might want to check the ingredients against Dan's recommendations in the regimen instructions.

best luck!
looking forward to reading your progress & success!

...PS - very sorry to hear about your loss take care of yourself!

Hey LizzLemon... Thanks for your feedback about the Clinique moisturizer... I've become OBSESSED with reading labels as of late... lol They don't have any of the chemicals that Dan said to avoid, like the Complex 15 did so I'm confident using it.. Also, I've used this particular Clinique moisturizer for years with no adverse effects... (Thank you Baby Jesus) If anything, my skin just drinks it up in winter time, so it's been a staple of my winter skincare regimen for a long time... The only negative is that it doesn't moisturize as well as the Complex 15, but I'd rather apply more moisturizer during the day than break out from the Complex 15... (Can't wait for Dan's regimen kit!!!lol) And thank you for your kind words.. Each day it gets better but I'll let you know how I'm doing after the funeral services next Friday...

UPDATE: The actives on my chin, jawline, and temple are drying out... YAY!!! Hopefully they won't be around much longer... Also, I'm never ordering from amazon.com again!!! I still have no answers regarding my tracking number and it just takes too long to ship my products from that site... Last time I ordered the BP directly from acne.org and got it in two business days... I HATE WAITING!!!! Dan... Start selling your products to local stores or pharmacies!!!! lol

MORE UPDATES : AHHHHHH... my skin feels awesome after a jojoba oil mini scrub ... I moistened my skin by splashing some warm water on my skin, then I put some jojoba oil on my hands and put a little bit of pressure on my face for about 10 seconds and quickly washed off the oil and pat dried ... the active on my temple burst with some clear fluid.. hopefully this helps with the dryness and flaking ....

Edited by nycqueen, 10 February 2012 - 08:51 AM.

[nycqueen]

Week 4 Day 3

Hiya!! Well thank you baby Jesus its Friday!!! What a rough week for me and my skin... But I guess that's what life is all about, the ups and downs, the highs and lows... As for my face... Well, its doing ok at the moment, but the two actives on my right cheek are really beginning to burn my biscuits!! lol One of the red spots is developing a whitehead slowly and the other one is just there... RED... lol The first one I had on my right cheek, my chin, and my temple are drying out and are ugly red scabs that's not ready to flake off at the moment... So once again just being patient and letting my skin heal on its own... However, the dryness, itching, and redness are getting worse at the moment... After I washed my face last night and this morning, I had tiny flakes everywhere, particularly around my mouth... Usually after I apply the BP, the flakiness dies down a little bit, but the flakes broke through the BP and eventually the moisturizer... I know my skin is still adjusting to the BP increase, so I'm just being patient and allowing my skin to do its thing... The new active on my chin hasn't changed much in the past few days, just a small red spot next to the old one... So at the moment, I have three fresh spots (one w/a whitehead developing) and three healing spots with nasty blood clot scabs over them... Hoping by the beginning of the work week I will be clearer... I did get notification about my regimen kit, I should be receiving it around Wednesday of next week (BOOOOO)... I'm anxious to get my regimen products so that I can remain consistent about my skincare products on the regimen... I know that switching products are just counterproductive to getting clear, so I'm looking forward to getting my kit soon...

LATER GATORS!!!!

UPDATE: YAY!! The ugly scab on my chin came off... WOOHOOOOOOO!!!! Now for the right cheek to heal and I'm good..

Edited by nycqueen, 10 February 2012 - 10:16 AM.