Every night before I go to bed I wash my face with .5% salcylic acid face wash then apply my 2.5% benzoyl lotion and then put on my Cetaphil moisturizer. Once all of that dries I spot treat any pimples I can see with Zapzyt. My question is, is the moisturizer and all of the other stuff I did before my spot treatment blocking or effecting the effectiveness of my spot treatment or would it just be the same?
First I'd replace the cleanser. Check out this guide. Why use a medicated acne wash? For spot treating I'd replace the Zapzyt w/ 10% glycolic acid. The drugstore alternative is this. So cleanse, treat w/ 2.5% BP, and moisturize everywhere except the acne that you're spot treating. Then apply glycolic acid over the remaining areas.
Sounds good, whys glycolic acid better?
I think you are using too many drying products... Stick to one thing. Get a mild cleanser (I use Stone Crop Gel Wash by Eminence -- 10x more hydrating then aloe vera!) then I spot treat with SA. Then let that dry for 30 minutes, follow up with a moisturizer if needed. Doing less, sometimes does more. Remember, using too many drying products can cause your body to produce too much oil; leading to more breakouts down the road. Keep your skin hydrated and only spot treat where necessary. For instance, I never treat my entire face with SA... only the blemishes.
Best of luck <3