Beautiful Skin - How I Got Rid of Acne

Pictures, like the one above always made me jealous. This girl's skin looks so flawless and beautiful, that I have a sudden desire to touch it. And to have it myself. Now, my skin is not that perfect, but it is in so much better condition. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of me before, so I can't show it to you for comparison. I had whole face covered with acne - blackheads, whiteheads - you name it, I had it all. It started when I was in my teens, but, unfortunately for me, my Mum had no idea what to do, so her only advice was to wait, as when I will get older my skin will sort itself out. I never owned a moisturizer or a face wash - all I used was a soap and sometimes a bit of original Nivea Creme.
So guess mu surprise, when I got 19 then 20, then 22 and no changes happened. Then I started earning my own money and was able to buy products to take care of my skin properly.

SINNERS

Proactiv Solutions

Yes, I tried it and it didn't help. It worked in the beginning, but after second set my skin got used to it and all problems came back, including a new one - products made my skin extremely dry and flaky. I did like the face mask, but it wasn't available for sale seperately, so in the end I cancelled my subscription


Clinique 3 Step System

No, no and no again. This is a waste of money. The soap always left some residue on my skin, lotion burnt my skin and made it dry and moisturizing lotion was too greasy for me. Consultant at the Clinique counter refused to believe my claims, when I came to her with my problem - she said it is impossible for 3 step system to be ineffective. But it was. I really wanted to like it and I tried it for a whole month, but I did not like the results. 


Garnier Pure Active

It did help in the beginning, but after using it every day my skin got very dry, sore and red, so I had to stop using it. 

WINNERS

As all these popular products did not work for me, I knew I had to make some significant changes overall and look at my skincare regime from another perspective. So one of the changes was to stop using face toners. Their only job is to remove the possible leftover traces of makeup that you might have after cleaning your face. So basically it was a waste of money as well. Also I discovered that it was enough for me to wash my face properly once a day - in the evening, after whole day of wearing makeup. In the morning all I do is splash my face with water. In the evening I do a proper cleans and follow two rules: never go to bed without taking a makeup off. That is very important and will cause you problems if you will. And second rule: try not to use the face wipes, unless you really have to. Theya re quick and easy to use and I used to use them instead of a proper face wash, but since I stopped I saw improvement in my skin and it's tone.
Now to the products. These are the products that work for me, I did a lot of research and testing, before concluding what works best for me.

Clarisonic Mia

Beautiful device! Cleans skin perfectly, makes it smooth and helps to get rid off stubborn blackheads. I use it in the evening only. When I first got it I used it twice a day, but it was too much for my skin, so I decided to use it in the evenings. Also I use it 2-3 times a week. It really does clean the skin very effectively, so it is worth to invest in it.


PMD Personal Microderm

i discovered this little beauty through You-Tube and ordered it on line from official PMD web site. As it was coming from US I had to wait the whole month for it to arrive. It is a brilliant tool. I used to have dremabrassion sessions done in salons and I do know what a great effect it has on the skin, so having one at home is wonderful option. It costs £124.99 and is worth the price. It comes with two nozzles - one small for a face and one big one for body. It also comes with discs, which have aluminum oxide coating and are available in three colors: blue, green and red. My set came only with blue (for sensitive skin) and green (medium grit). It also has DVD with instructions, so you have to watch it first. The device itself removes the top layer of the dead skin and you have to use it once a week. After using it skin becomes very smooth - no scrub will ever give you this effect. 

Originally I ordered it for improving my acne scars and so far I am happy with results. Now they sell it in UK as well and you can find it here.

MD Formulations Facial Cleanser Cleanses and Exfoliates

This cleanser is also brilliant. I discovered it on You-Tube as well. It has 12% glycolic acid, so it is very effective chemical exfoliant. It has a mild chemical smell which is not too bad and overall it is a pearly white gel. I massage it on a dry skin, with my make up on (of course you can't use it on the eye area, so I remove my eye make up separately). After massaging for few seconds I leave it on for 30 sec and then rinse of. After that skin is very smooth and make up dissolves instantly. I do not need to double cleanse as there is no dirt or make up to remove. It also is very effective in fading the acne scars. I use it three times a week, and when I use this gel I will not wash my face with Clarisonic. Also you must remember that all products with glycolic acid make your skin sun sensitive, so sunscreen is a must if you are using this product.


Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex

My absolute must have product! After cleaning my face I apply 3 drops of this serum, following with my favorite moisturizer and job done! This serum is aimed at repairing your skin and reversing all the damage done to it while you sleep. This little beauty changed the look of my skin dramatically! I do not have acne anymore, scars are fading, skin is smooth, texture is improved and skin tone is more even. Beautiful. I had a 30ml bottle and it lasted me for 6 months so don't be afraid of the big price tax. I absolutely recommend it to everyone!


So basically this is it. I do not use toners or scrubs, only the products listed above plus the favorite night and day moisturizers. If somebody is interested I can do a separate review on the moisturizers that I am using, however I am still on a hunt for a perfect eye cream. Also I will write a post about good/bad face masks and acne scar fading treatments. Hope you will be interested!


Love


Lace Butterfly