Acne.org : Moisturizer with Licochalcone

I just bought the acne.org lotion for the first time and I got the biggest bottle.  Up until recently I was afraid to add a separate moisturizer into my regimine.  I have been very happy with the BP and the AHA from acne.org.  Since adding the lotion I've started breaking out and like others have mentioned it is causing stinging.  I never used the old formulation but I'm back to using no moisturizer.

I have used the regimen faithfully  for 10 years. I struggled with acne through my teens and 20s until I started using the acne.org regimen / products in my early 30s.  Simply put, It changed my life, and I am truly grateful. I have never commented on anything until now, and I feel bad giving a less favorable review after all these years of using a product that has done so much good for my life.  As soon as the licochalcone was swapped out, I started having several problems. I have stuck with it now for many months and I still struggle.  My face is often red and itchy. I get that burning sensation more often after application. I appear to break out more, possibly from some extra irritation. I've also been getting small hot spot rashes that seem like little eczema patches (have never had this before). Ive been struggling more with dry weather changes, having extremely dry and irritated flaky skin. I am also noticing faster wrinkle formation that may correlate with my struggles.  Overall my skin feels more consistently inflamed and irritated, which is frustrating after 10 years of being satisfied. It is as if it just doesn’t counteract the negative effects of BP as well as it used to. Even though I actually liked the feel and yellow tint of the old formula, I really don’t care about how a moisturizer feels, smells, or looks, as long as it works. I should say that I also regularly used the AHA, but that also appears to have had the licochalcone swapped out and the irritation is even worse when I use it. More recently (after trying to acclimate), I have been trying less BP, more moisturizer, more jojoba oil, etc to try and find a good combo for me, but have not had success yet. Note that there are no other obvious changes in my life that might have this impact. If nothing else has changed (excipients, ratios of excipients, etc)  for BP or moisturizer, then i am very suspicious of the licochalcone swap specifically. I am curious if even ratios of other excipients have changed recently, I am also curious if the BP excipient ratios have changed or if there is a batch or two that has elevated BP.   I have not tried any other moisturizer with the regimen, but I’m considering trying others. As a biotech drug discovery scientist who works in formulation development among other things (not making this up), I remain open to the possibility that an unknown variable other than the licochalcone change is the source of my problems. I also understand that my single anecdotal experience holds little weight, so I would encourage others to rate and review (good or bad) so that product decisions are made with the most accurate information possible. Perhaps a separate/new product review that doesn’t mix reviews with the old formula would be helpful. I am very curious if most people are having success with the change, which might help me understand if my problems truly are the moisturizer or not. Having both versions of the old and new moisturizer and AHA is probably the best option from a customer point of view (people appear to be more split on moisturizers in general than they are about the cleanser and BP treatment; perhaps a single moisturizer doesn't fit all skin types?)  but I understand that may not be possible from a business point of view. Also, I understand if there are supply and financial issues at play driving the switch, I guess not a lot you can do there. Again, I am truly grateful for the past decade, and I hope to continue use into the future. 

I have been using these products for 10 years now and they are fabulous. Honestly nothing has compared. However the moisture seems to have got lighter and lighter over the years. The newest version is now fully white. I’m not keen on it, it feels clammy and I have started to breakout, which maybe be hormonal, but to be honest they look more like irritation spots, as they are more rash like. The yellow moisturiser went on like butter and gave my skin a subtle glow, which I rather liked. I agree with some of the others here. Why fix something that was not broken in the first place? Anyway I will continue to use the current one and just hope my face adjusts. However I do hope they eventually decide to bring the old formula back. 

I really loved this lotion until the ingredient change this year. The prior version was amazing and I would have given it a 5/5, however the new version does not do nearly as good of a job moisturizing. Even after putting on several layers of the new version, my skin still feels dry. I really hope it goes back to the previous ingredients, as the yellow coloration didn't bother me in the slightest. 

Before I write my review I just wanted to say I am not using this along with the regimen. So it did provide enough moisture for my skin and my skin felt soft and supple. However, I do believe it increased my acne slightly because my skin got SO OILY. And the application of this product isn't the best. It feels like water and doesn't soak in for a few minutes. But I must say I like the softness of my skin when I was using it and also I think the licorice root extract in it really works because when I put it on I definitely got a cooling sensation. Overall I don't think this moisturizer is horrible but I also think there are many out there that are better. People who like to use facial oils would probably like this moisturizer and it would do well on their skin.