To Snowqueen, my dermatologist just recently sold me a cleanser, a little expensive and i was hoping you could tell me if its a good one. I have acne problems and he said this should help. Here are the ingredients, thanks a ton.

 

 

Water, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Polyglyceryl-3 Hydroxylauryl Ether, Sodium Chloride, Hexylone Glycol, Zinc PCA, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, PEG-4 Dilaurate, PEG-4 Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-4, Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum/Fragrance

The cleanser looks decent (other than the fragrance), but unless there's something about it that you really prefer over less expensive cleansers you've tried I don't see why you would need to use this one over good less-expensive cleansers available at the drugstore.

If you're going to spend money on products, make sure they're at least leave-on products; fancy/ "active" ingredients get rinsed away in cleansers.

oh, another quick question - is it bad for the skin to use moisturizers with SPF in them at night time?

It's debatable whether or not it's bad to use moisturizers with SPF in them at night; I currently advise not using them at night mainly because 1) SPF products using synthetic sunscreen ingredients can be sensitizing to some people and 2) some people find that they get breakouts from sunscreens.

If you don't want to buy two separate moisturizers, think of it this way: assuming the two moisturizers you choose are similarly priced, you'll go through each bottle of product (one being used only during the daytime and one only at night) more slowly than you would just one bottle of product (which you would use both during the daytime and at night); therefore, you wouldn't really be spending much more money overall than you would have to anyway, and you'd be making less trips to the store since you wouldn't have to buy the products as often.

hello snow queen!

 

what do you think about using Clinique mild clarifying lotion with .5% SA morning and evening as my toner? do you think that'd provide enough exfoliation? or i was thinking of adding a manual exfoliation once a week on top of that.

 

also, did you have a "purging" period when you've first started using BHA product?

thanks!

Clinique's Mild Clarifying Lotion will provide some exfoliation, but I doubt it would be enough for most acne sufferers because 1) the pH just barely allows for exfoliation and 2) there's not a very strong concentration of salicylic acid in the product. You may wish to use the once weekly manual exfoliation like you mentioned.

I personally had no purging, though some people claim they do.

Hey Snow Queen,

I have pretty bad acne, I soak my face every night and morning for about 30 seconds, put on a neutrogeana cleaner/facial mask (i dont use it as a mask though) and then soak it for another 30 seconds, then put on clearasil ultra pimple cream. Then about 15-20 minutes later I moisturise.

My moisturiser is vitamin e cream.

Any suggestions? I know it is probably far from a good regime, I would like to improve it.

Thanks A lot.

Hello Snow Queen,

I want to thank-you so much for making this thread. I've given me some good ideas for clearing my skin. I have mild acne but it covers my fore head and cheeks, which sadly are very large portions of my face. Most of my acne though is clogged pores or comedones, those skin colored bumps. I will get a papule every once in a while, it's usually my fault such as sleeping in my make-up.

Anyway I would like to know what you think about this regimen, most of the stuff you have recommended:

-Wash with Paulas choice one step cleanser for normal to oily/combination skin

-Tone with Nivea Visage Moisturizing Toner

-Apply Paula's Choice 2% BHA Gel

-Wait 30 minutes-1 hour or longer

-Apply Dove Sensitive Skin Facial Lotion

And once of twice a week exfoliate with extra-gentle Buf-Puf.

Please let me know if there is anything I should add or remove before purchasing such things. Currently I only have the cleanser and BHA Gel.

Hello Snow Queen,

I want to thank-you so much for making this thread. I've given me some good ideas for clearing my skin. I have mild acne but it covers my fore head and cheeks, which sadly are very large portions of my face. Most of my acne though is clogged pores or comedones, those skin colored bumps. I will get a papule every once in a while, it's usually my fault such as sleeping in my make-up.

Anyway I would like to know what you think about this regimen, most of the stuff you have recommended:

 

-Wash with Paulaas choice one step cleanser for normal to oily/combination skin

-Tone with Nivea Visage Moisturizing Toner

-Apply Paula's Choice 2% BHA Gel

-Wait 30 minutes-1 hour or longer

-Apply Dove Sensitive Skin Facial Lotion

 

And once of twice a week exfoliate with extra-gentle Buf-Puf.

 

Please let me know if there is anything I should add or remove before purchasing such things. Currently I only have the cleanser and BHA Gel.

Your regimen looks pretty good, though it's not necessary to wait to apply lotion after the exfoliant. Also, you should be wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher sunscreen during the daytime. The problem with buffers is that they can be overly abrasive to the skin, but it's hard to say without actually seing yours. I'm also concerned about the bacteria they accumulate; if you get one make sure you keep it clean and toss it in the dryer on high heat. Anyway, if you're regularly exfoliating with one type of exfoliant you don't need to use another; it's just a matter of personal preference.

Hi snow queen lots of really good tips. I just wanted to say though I agree it's not good to use hot water but depends on how hot the water is. Also I've been steaming and this has helped my skin so much! So just wanted to share I've had great results from using simply hot water to soak in and steaming. The only topicals I use are cetaphil to remove makeup, diluted apple cidar vinegar to tone and fade red marks and aloe vera to help heal spots or marks faster. Since I stopped using bp my skin heals on it's own and so much faster!

thanks

i've just beeng applying it on my forehead and nose to see if i react to it. so far, nothing. my forehead even feels abit smoother!

anway, i want to try Paula's choice BHA 1%. have you ordered yours from [Removed link] before? how is the shipping and customer service like? it says that if i order from cosmeticshop, it'd take 10 - 20 business days for Canada! that's very long i think.

i'm thinking of ordering just samples of gel and lotion.

The_Snow_Queen said:

k_chocolat said:

hello snow queen!

what do you think about using Clinique mild clarifying lotion with .5% SA morning and evening as my toner? do you think that'd provide enough exfoliation? or i was thinking of adding a manual exfoliation once a week on top of that.

also, did you have a "purging" period when you've first started using BHA product?

thanks!

Clinique's Mild Clarifying Lotion will provide some exfoliation, but I doubt it would be enough for most acne sufferers because 1) the pH just barely allows for exfoliation and 2) there's not a very strong concentration of salicylic acid in the product. You may wish to use the once weekly manual exfoliation like you mentioned.

I personally had no purging, though some people claim they do.

Ordering samples does sound like a good idea in case you dont like it then you arent wasting your money.

thanks

 

i've just beeng applying it on my forehead and nose to see if i react to it. so far, nothing. my forehead even feels abit smoother!

 

anway, i want to try Paula's choice BHA 1%. have you ordered yours from www.getthatglow.com before? how is the shipping and customer service like? it says that if i order from cosmeticshop, it'd take 10 - 20 business days for Canada! that's very long i think.

i'm thinking of ordering just samples of gel and lotion.

 

hello snow queen!

 

what do you think about using Clinique mild clarifying lotion with .5% SA morning and evening as my toner? do you think that'd provide enough exfoliation? or i was thinking of adding a manual exfoliation once a week on top of that.

 

also, did you have a "purging" period when you've first started using BHA product?

thanks!

 

Clinique's Mild Clarifying Lotion will provide some exfoliation, but I doubt it would be enough for most acne sufferers because 1) the pH just barely allows for exfoliation and 2) there's not a very strong concentration of salicylic acid in the product. You may wish to use the once weekly manual exfoliation like you mentioned.

 

I personally had no purging, though some people claim they do.

 

 

I would get samples of the 2%, unless you have extremely sensitive skin. Her bha doesn't have irritants in it like all the over the counter SA you may have tried. I have pretty sensitive skin and I started with the 2%. I tried the lotion and the liquid, I prefer the liquid; it just seems to work better.

The samples of the lotion lasted me a long time, I think I bought 4 packets of the lotion and they lasted me over a week. I am not sure if the liquid would last as long, the product might leak out if you don't store it very carefully. Maybe you could open the packet and transfer the liquid into a clean glass jar with a lid.

Snow Queen

Help!!!! I have had mild to mod acne forever!!! I'm 39 now, and am also encountering the aging/sundamage stuff also. I have used everything and not really found anything that worked. I did use sage skincare reg. for quite a while & it was probably the best, but my skin still seemed dehydrated and not good from the aging/sundamage standpoint. I'm not oily anymore either, so the lines are really starting to show. I had been using Purity cleanser & hope in a jar moist. from philosophy-basically their whole line but wasn't thrilled. I still had the bumpyness, some blackheads, etc.. Then I ordered a huge amount of stuff from mychelle which dried/broke me out, now I'm basically using a combo of philosophy, sage, you name it!!! I now am starting to get a few of the hard zits that I haven't had in years. I've been reading the boards for the last day and a half and am "obsessed" according to my husband. I saw lionqueens log and am very interested in her reg. but don't know how I should start. I'm pretty interested in the green cream, and I did just order the 2% BHA from Paula but don't know what I should do now. Sorry this is such a mess, but I'm new to posting on any kind of forum. I usually just read all of the posts. My husband says I should just accept the fact that I may never have perfect skin. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!!!

Hi SnowQueen

I don't know if this is asked before but I really would like to have your opinion;

What do you think about using a selftanner (I use l'oreal at night before going to bed) and frequently using Differin and BHA 1 or 2 % ?

I never use it at the same time though. But when I have used 2 days the tanner and after that start using the BHA/differin, does that affect the tanner? What do you think if the combination?

thanks

 

i've just beeng applying it on my forehead and nose to see if i react to it. so far, nothing. my forehead even feels abit smoother!

 

anway, i want to try Paula's choice BHA 1%. have you ordered yours from www.getthatglow.com before? how is the shipping and customer service like? it says that if i order from cosmeticshop, it'd take 10 - 20 business days for Canada! that's very long i think.

i'm thinking of ordering just samples of gel and lotion.

 

hello snow queen!

 

what do you think about using Clinique mild clarifying lotion with .5% SA morning and evening as my toner? do you think that'd provide enough exfoliation? or i was thinking of adding a manual exfoliation once a week on top of that.

 

also, did you have a "purging" period when you've first started using BHA product?

thanks!

 

Clinique's Mild Clarifying Lotion will provide some exfoliation, but I doubt it would be enough for most acne sufferers because 1) the pH just barely allows for exfoliation and 2) there's not a very strong concentration of salicylic acid in the product. You may wish to use the once weekly manual exfoliation like you mentioned.

 

I personally had no purging, though some people claim they do.

 

 

 

 

I would get samples of the 2%, unless you have extremely sensitive skin. Her bha doesn't have irritants in it like all the over the counter SA you may have tried. I have pretty sensitive skin and I started with the 2%. I tried the lotion and the liquid, I prefer the liquid; it just seems to work better.

 

The samples of the lotion lasted me a long time, I think I bought 4 packets of the lotion and they lasted me over a week. I am not sure if the liquid would last as long, the product might leak out if you don't store it very carefully. Maybe you could open the packet and transfer the liquid into a clean glass jar with a lid.

 

yes my skin is very sensitive so i figured i'd try 1% first and see how well i can tolerate that.

i only ordered 1 packet each of 1% gel and lotion.

it takes soo long for shipping to Canada! i'm dying to get them!

does sunblock and lotion expire?? cause my my mom got me this pricey sunblock/foundation lotion like a few years back and it has great coverage and it blocks more than 99% of uva and uvb rays and also i was wondering if the ingredients were ok...

stearyl glycyrrhetinate,titanium dioxide, scutellaria baicalensis root extract, althea extract, paeonia suffruticosa root extract, linden extract,arnica extract, aspartic acid, sodium chondroitin sulfate, glycerin, squalane, tocopherol, paraben

Hi snowqueen!. Id like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read this.

Right now im using clearasil ultra deep pore cleansing gel.

clearasil blackhead removing scrub (has natural salt and round beads in it - use it to exfoliate)

and the dip regime.

can you please give any comments what-so-ever on my regime, maybe a comment about clearasil...any other recommendations...cause its never completely cleared my acne...only kept it under control....(i like in UK nation, so i cant have BP ( ) - all my clearasil products have salyitic acid or something like that in it, never BP. thank you!!!

(i also have dove soap).

hey snow queen...just a couple of questions on some ingredients....ive been using the murad clarifying cleanser for a couple months and it s been clearing me up however i read some of ur post where u said that menthol was a skin irritant...maybe im outgrowing acne and its not the cleanser thats clearing me...here are the ingredients what u think is it too harsh....i only wash for like 10-15 seconds but sometimes my skin feels kind of dry..... i noticed that u mentioned not to buy cleanser that had Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate....what does that do?? cause the murad has it...well thanks and take ur time its not important....

Water (Aqua), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Methyl Gluceth-20, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol, Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Triclosan,

Menthol, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Oil, Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella) Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylparaben

I'm back snowqueen.

I am using Paula's bha 2% for about 2-3 months now. The bha for the most part clears my skin of blackheads and pimples. However, I still occasional get pimples (one or two at a time) and around the nose area blackheads do not go away at all. Should I be satisfied with my skin so far or is there more that I can do(standards of perfection to high lol)? So far I have heard of ret-A which I thought was overkill for my light pimpled face and Mandelic acid as an alternate but I already use glycolic acid. I probably should have done it bit more research before asking you since this is already a hot topic, bha vs mandelic, or I can use both?. But, I don't remember you addressing mandelic acid in this thread, or is there something else I can also use?

Hi snow queen lots of really good tips. I just wanted to say though I agree it's not good to use hot water but depends on how hot the water is. Also I've been steaming and this has helped my skin so much! So just wanted to share I've had great results from using simply hot water to soak in and steaming. The only topicals I use are cetaphil to remove makeup, diluted apple cidar vinegar to tone and fade red marks and aloe vera to help heal spots or marks faster. Since I stopped using bp my skin heals on it's own and so much faster!

The problem with heat and steam is that they damage the skin and cause capillaries to surface. It might feel nice now, but your skin might not look so great in the future.

k_chocolat said:

thanks

i've just beeng applying it on my forehead and nose to see if i react to it. so far, nothing. my forehead even feels abit smoother!

anway, i want to try Paula's choice BHA 1%. have you ordered yours from www.getthatglow.com before? how is the shipping and customer service like? it says that if i order from cosmeticshop, it'd take 10 - 20 business days for Canada! that's very long i think.

i'm thinking of ordering just samples of gel and lotion.

[Removed link] , from my experience, is pretty good with shipping and customer service. It usually takes several business days for an order to come in, and they've always been in good condition.

However, [Removed link] has a better return policy and will let you return opened/used products, whereas [Removed link] won't.

thanks

 

i've just beeng applying it on my forehead and nose to see if i react to it. so far, nothing. my forehead even feels abit smoother!

 

anway, i want to try Paula's choice BHA 1%. have you ordered yours from www.getthatglow.com before? how is the shipping and customer service like? it says that if i order from cosmeticshop, it'd take 10 - 20 business days for Canada! that's very long i think.

i'm thinking of ordering just samples of gel and lotion.

 

hello snow queen!

 

what do you think about using Clinique mild clarifying lotion with .5% SA morning and evening as my toner? do you think that'd provide enough exfoliation? or i was thinking of adding a manual exfoliation once a week on top of that.

 

also, did you have a "purging" period when you've first started using BHA product?

thanks!

 

Clinique's Mild Clarifying Lotion will provide some exfoliation, but I doubt it would be enough for most acne sufferers because 1) the pH just barely allows for exfoliation and 2) there's not a very strong concentration of salicylic acid in the product. You may wish to use the once weekly manual exfoliation like you mentioned.

 

I personally had no purging, though some people claim they do.

 

 

 

 

I would get samples of the 2%, unless you have extremely sensitive skin. Her bha doesn't have irritants in it like all the over the counter SA you may have tried. I have pretty sensitive skin and I started with the 2%. I tried the lotion and the liquid, I prefer the liquid; it just seems to work better.

 

The samples of the lotion lasted me a long time, I think I bought 4 packets of the lotion and they lasted me over a week. I am not sure if the liquid would last as long, the product might leak out if you don't store it very carefully. Maybe you could open the packet and transfer the liquid into a clean glass jar with a lid.

 

I'm concerned with the stability of the products after the first use (and products in clear and/or jar packaging do render some ingredients, like antioxidants, unstable); samples aren't really intended to see what kind of results you get, they're just to determine whether or not the product gives you a bad reaction and to see if you like the product's consistancy/application.

happy2bee said:

Snow Queen

Help!!!! I have had mild to mod acne forever!!! I'm 39 now, and am also encountering the aging/sundamage stuff also. I have used everything and not really found anything that worked. I did use sage skincare reg. for quite a while & it was probably the best, but my skin still seemed dehydrated and not good from the aging/sundamage standpoint. I'm not oily anymore either, so the lines are really starting to show. I had been using Purity cleanser & hope in a jar moist. from philosophy-basically their whole line but wasn't thrilled. I still had the bumpyness, some blackheads, etc.. Then I ordered a huge amount of stuff from mychelle which dried/broke me out, now I'm basically using a combo of philosophy, sage, you name it!!! I now am starting to get a few of the hard zits that I haven't had in years. I've been reading the boards for the last day and a half and am "obsessed" according to my husband. I saw lionqueens log and am very interested in her reg. but don't know how I should start. I'm pretty interested in the green cream, and I did just order the 2% BHA from Paula but don't know what I should do now. Sorry this is such a mess, but I'm new to posting on any kind of forum. I usually just read all of the posts. My husband says I should just accept the fact that I may never have perfect skin. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!!!

I'm so sorry to hear about all the problems you've been having. Below is the link to a good online resource which will address some (and hopefully most) of your concerns:

[Removed link]

In your Paula's Choice order, you should get a pamphlet explaining which order to apply your products. The pamphlet applies to specifically Paula's Choice products, but it can also be applied to products of the same type (Paula's Choice cleansers can be substituted with cleansers from other brands, Paula's Choice toners can be substituted with toners from other brands, etc...) from other lines.

Green cream is an over-the-counter product which contains retinol (an ingredient which, when stabilized in products, is thought to have similar effects on the skin as prescription-only tretinoin with less irritation; the above link I posted features an article on retinol). However, don't expect to obtain the same level of results from over-the-counter products as you do with prescription-only products. Even though it's over the counter, though, Green Cream has had a positive result on those suffering from visible aging and acne.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to post them here or send me a PM. I've been really busy lately so can't go online every day, but I usually get to PMs faster than I do this thread because I'm notified of them via e-mail (though I try and check both my PMs and this thread every time I go online).

page said:

does sunblock and lotion expire?? cause my my mom got me this pricey sunblock/foundation lotion like a few years back and it has great coverage and it blocks more than 99% of uva and uvb rays and also i was wondering if the ingredients were ok...

stearyl glycyrrhetinate,titanium dioxide, scutellaria baicalensis root extract, althea extract, paeonia suffruticosa root extract, linden extract,arnica extract, aspartic acid, sodium chondroitin sulfate, glycerin, squalane, tocopherol, paraben

Sunscreen definately expires, though you shouldn't have to worry about it if you're regularly using it because you'll use up the product before that happens. If you've had the product for a few years, it's probably time to throw it out.

I doubt your sunscreen actually blocks more than 99% of UVA and UVB rays;

Crunching the numbers: an SPF 2 blocks about 50% of UVB rays; an SPF 10 filters out about 85% of UVB rays; an SPF 15 stops about 95%; and an SPF 30 stops about 97%. An SPF that's higher than 30 does not provide any more UV protection, it just offers more time that you can stay in the sun without burning.

[Removed link]

Other than that, your sunscreen looks OK. It does contain arnica, a fragrant skin irritant, but I'm guessing it's not enough to be a problem.

Derma E Tea Tree and Antiseptic Cream* (5%)

 

It is also in cream form, which users may want to be wary of.

Why so? And would you say the same for all Tea Tree Oil Creams, or just this particular brand?

Hi snowqueen!. Id like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read this.

 

Right now im using clearasil ultra deep pore cleansing gel.

clearasil blackhead removing scrub (has natural salt and round beads in it - use it to exfoliate)

and the dip regime.

 

can you please give any comments what-so-ever on my regime, maybe a comment about clearasil...any other recommendations...cause its never completely cleared my acne...only kept it under control....(i like in UK nation, so i cant have BP ( ) - all my clearasil products have salyitic acid or something like that in it, never BP. thank you!!!

 

(i also have dove soap).

Medicated cleansers, as explained in the first post to this thread, are typically no more effective than unmedicated cleansers in treating acne.

My apologies, but I couldn't find the specific ingredient lists for the cleansing gel (I know it's available somewhere, but I'm a bit rushed at the moment). I did find the ingredients list for your scrub; it would be alright, but I really don't recommend salt as a scrubbing agent because it tends to be irritating. From what I know of Clearasil, it's cleansers can contain harsh surfectants, though I couldn't say that yours does without knowing the ingredients.

I also don't recommend bar cleansers, as explained in the first post to this thread.

If you scroll down to "Part II" you can see a suggested regimen and products.

hey snow queen...just a couple of questions on some ingredients....ive been using the murad clarifying cleanser for a couple months and it s been clearing me up however i read some of ur post where u said that menthol was a skin irritant...maybe im outgrowing acne and its not the cleanser thats clearing me...here are the ingredients what u think is it too harsh....i only wash for like 10-15 seconds but sometimes my skin feels kind of dry..... i noticed that u mentioned not to buy cleanser that had Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate....what does that do?? cause the murad has it...well thanks and take ur time its not important....

 

 

Water (Aqua), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Methyl Gluceth-20, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol, Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Triclosan,

Menthol, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Oil, Cymbopogon Nardus (Citronella) Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylparaben

Sodium C14-Olefin Sulfonate is a harsh surfectant that can be drying and damaging to the skin. It's not listed as the primary surfectant in your cleanser, but it may be best to avoid this cleanser anyway because of the other irritating plant extracts listed.