Review: Exposed Skin Care - Basic Kit

Exposed Skin Care: Basic Kit

Hello dolls!

This is my review on the Exposed Skin Care line. This is a four step night and day kit. It includes a facewash, toner, a day cream, a night cream, and a washcloth. The expanded kit has the moisturizer with it. I didn't feel like paying $65.00 USD for a kit that might not work so I used my Cetaphil moisturizer instead. (I have changed my skin care routine This is the moisturizer I use now.)

What It Claims: "Clearer skin in 30 days guaranteed. " (Exposed Skin Care website).

I tend to go through phases where my skin acts up and I get nasty acne. Not the typical pimples you get when you're about to get your period or on your period. I'm talking about cystic acne. It's painful, it's big, and it's very difficult to get rid of. In October I had one of these massive breakouts and, of course, I was freaking out about it. I didn't want to pay my dermatologist to tell me I had acne issues, so I figured I should try something first. Proactiv had actually made my acne worse when I was in high school so I figured this would be better.

The hooker for me was its use of natural products. I have sensitive skin, so trying to stay away from harsh chemicals is a must. The website claims it is for all skin types and the acne medication part of their formula is suppose to be gentle for the skin.  

What it Costs/Shipping: Like I said, I didn't feel like paying too much for a product I was skeptical about so I opted for the basic kit which is 49.95 plus tax plus shipping and handling. In total I paid $56.90 USD. I paid less than I would have normally because I signed up for the membership which automatically charges your account every three months. A new kit is sent your way and you should be a happy camper. :)

The kit I ordered came in less than a week. I have to say I was very impressed. I was also eager to try it.

Product Texture/Application: I opened up my package and saw the bottles. I knew one of the bottles was a night cream and another a day cream but I didn't know which one was which. I looked for the instructions EVERYWHERE inside the box and nothing. As I was throwing away the box, I realized the application process was in the back of the box lol. Go figure.

Step 1: Facewash: The first you do is wash your face. I'm not going to lie, the product reeks. I am one of those sensitive to smells so I was pretty disgusted. My mom smelled the products and she said it wasn't that bad. The wash smells like medicine. It's nice though. You only need a bit and it lathers up really well.

I washed my face with lukewarm water and rinsed with lukewarm water.

Step 2: Toner: I think out of all the steps, the toner was my favorite. I applied it with a cotton square and it felt amazing on the skin. Instant cooling effect. I ended up using more than other toners I've used before. Like I said, it felt nice so I didn't mind.

Step 3:Clear Pore Serum (Night)/Acne Treatment Serum (Day): It's pretty much what it says. The night treatment is suppose to clean out your pores and fight acne at night. The day serum is suppose to prevent acne and keep the skin clear of those nasty acne producing bacteria.  They both spread very easily and you only need a wee bit amount. They both smell awful. I think out of all the bottles, these two are the worse. But then again, these are the products that are most important, so all the medication is here. Thank you for the lovely smells Rx! The clear pore serum claims to get rid of blackheads, but I didn't see a difference. It did make me less oily which was lovely

Step 4: Moisturizer: Like I said, I had the basic kit, so I didn't buy the moisturizer it came with. I used my Cetaphil moisturizer instead. I noticed that the night serum was a lot less drying than the day serum, so I didn't need to moisturize at night. Moisturizing in the day time was essential. My moisturizer had sunblock properties (20) so I didn't need a sunblock. I would suggest you use it. Some of the active ingredients (like Salicylic acid) are photosensitive. 

Results/Review: I was IN LOVE with the product the two week. My skin when to normal and I didn't get any other blemish. It also reduced or completely destroyed any acne I did have on my face. I really thought I found the perfect product for me.

The third week I noticed tiny bumps around my mouth, chin and jawline area. I figured it was acne and I let it be. I knew that the Exposed line would take care of it. Then it started to spread to my cheeks and nose and around my eye brows. My skin started to get rough and patchy and it started flaking off. I thought I needed to moisturize more so I bought some Laneige Moisture Packs (always faithful) and slapped them on. It wasn't working. Then my lips started to crack and I had redness in the inner corners of my eyes. The skin on my eyelids were dry and flaky. I used some Kiehl's eye cream (the acovado one) and it didn't work. By the beginning of week four my lips and eyes were so cracked that I made an appointment with my dermatologist. It hurt so bad. I couldn't leave without lip balm and eye cream in my purse. I literally had to reapply every hour because my skin would just soak it up. 

I have never seen a skin issue spread so quickly. By the time I saw my dermatologist, which was on a Saturday on week 4, The bumps were all over my neck and forehead and my skin was patchy all over my face. The redness had spread to the corners of my nose and mouth and speaking our laughing was painful. My dermatologist told me I was allergic to some, if not all, the active ingredients of the line. I told him I felt fine the first two weeks and I didn't understand how that happened. He said I could have developed it from frequent use, as Benzoyl peroxide, the main ingredient on all the skin care line, is a common allergen. He said he has recommended the line to people but first he has made sure they are not allergic to BP AND he doesn't recommended to anyone who doesn't have oily to very oily skin as it is extremely drying.

My dermatologist then told me it was an amazing product for people with oily skin who do not want to spend ridiculous amounts of money on prescription acne medication. However, he said it is a fail for all other skin types and anyone who is allergic to Salicylic acid or Benzoyl peroxide. I was told to completely stop using the products and let my skin heal by itself.

My skin went back to normal a couple of weeks after. I went back to see my dermatologist. He suggested I use Aczone, since my skin is so sensitive to BP. If you're curious, see my review on Aczone here.
 

The Skinny: It is a great product and I could see it working for someone who has extremely oily, acne prone (not cystic) skin. Compared to medicated acne products, it is a bang for your buck. However, it is absolutely NOT for sensitive, dry, dry-combination, normal, or oily-combination skin. If you're allergic to anything with peroxide in it, it is also not for you.

Review: Aczone (5%) Gel 30g

ACZONE Review: One Month Use

Hello dolls!

This is my review on the physician prescribe anti-acne medication called Aczone. Again, this is a prescribed acne medication, so you would have to go to your dermatologist to get it.

What It Claims: "Treats your acne gently but firmly. It's not a benzoyl peroxide (BPO), not an antibiotic. It's something all on its own that helps control acne in a gentle way and helps make your skin clearer." (Aczone website).

When I went to my dermatologist, it was over my experience using Exposed Skin Care line (I'll put my review on the next post). My dermatologist let me know that I might be allergic to some of the active ingredients and that's why I had the rashes on my face. I also have sensitive skin, so he didn't want me to use just any medication. He wrote me a prescription for Aczone and told me it was a better fit for me. He also gave me a coupon so I wouldn't pay more than $50.00 USD per bottle ($25 if insured). I was happy I would have something that would work. He did let me know that Aczone DOES NOT treat existing acne. It only prevents future acne. So the pimples I had would still be there for a bit. I could live with that if I didn't have any more acne after so I went about my way.

What it Costs: I had a coupon for Aczone (3 refills) so I paid a lot less than most. He did let me know it was pricey. I was curious so I asked the CVS pharmacists how much it is without the actual coupon. I could not believe it. The retail price for Aczone is $225.00 USD. That is extremely high. I do know a lot of acne medication can be expensive, but I think 225 for a very tiny 30 g is ridiculous. Specially when the flip top weights heavier than the actual product.

Product Texture/Application: I decided not to argue and dished out the $50 and went home. Because I have acne all over my face and a little on my neck, my dermatologist suggested I place a small amount all over my face avoiding the eyes, and the remainder down my neck every morning and every night, after washing my face. If I experienced any dryness (which I did), I would put my moisturizer (couldn't contain any anti-acne stuff) on top. He did mention that Aczone is not photosensitive, so you don't need a sunblock over it. However, I can't leave my house without sunblock, as I get rashes from over exposure, so I put regular sunblock on.

The actual Aczone gel is very light and feels really good at first. As you start working it into your skin though, it becomes watery and grainy. It's not a texture I'm comfortable with. If you don't put moisturizer on top, it leaves these weird white patches. It does dry extremely quickly, so that's a plus. It also spreads easy so you use less product. At 225 a bottle though, I would expect something like this.

The CVS pharmacist let me know that one bottle should last me one month. If I don't have too many problem areas, it should last a month a half. If you have the bottle for over two months, you're not using enough.

Results/Review: After the first week of use, I noticed more blackheads around my nose. They were getting darker and bigger. This should have been my sign to stop, but as usual, I like to be fair and give a product one month before calling it quits. Sometimes your skin has to get used to a product. Since I already have blackheads around my nose, I didn't think of it as a problem.

In week two, I had one full week of back to back midterms. I can say that I accidentally skipped to put Aczone on my face in the morning two of those days.  I noticed that those two days I was extremely oily. You could probably fry an egg with the amount of oil on my face. I have never been that oily in my life and it was a concern for me. I called my dermatologist and he said that it was normal side effect and I should give it until end of November or December before deciding that its not for me.

It is now late November and I can truly say this product has NOT worked for me. Not only am I more greasy, but I get breakouts where I never got breakouts before (on my chin). The pimples I do get now are very big and painful. They never turn to white heads and take longer to get rid of. My skin on my face is rough due to my pores being easily clogged now. I have to exfoliate at least twice a week now to get my pores clean. AND my acne scars have increased and are extremely visible now. In order to conceal I need to use a lot of makeup. I don't ever use makeup unless going out, so my scars are there for the world to see Monday-Friday and Sunday.

Aczone has been a nightmare for me. It is not the worse product I have ever tried, but it's up there. I stopped using it today. Hopefully my skin will heal by itself and I go on the hunt again. 

The Skinny: Aczone is just not right for me. For some reason, it's formula promotes acne that is hard to get rid of. It also makes your skin sensitive to acne scaring. I'm not sure who's skin would be an appropriate candidate for Aczone.

Update: Skin Care Routine

I tend to barely write on this blog. Quite awful really. I'll try to behave and be a little more diligent about writing. 

Anywho, most of my closer friends know that I have been fighting with acne for a couple of years now. It's not terrible. Not the cystic acne kind. My face is quite clear for most of the month. However, once a month, I'll randomly get breakouts. It's never just one or two, but it'll be my whole cheek area or my whole chin area, or my whole forehead area. Lucky for me, my breakouts tend to be concentrated in one area of my face.

I've tried a whole different array of products, from the ones on TV like Proactiv and Exposed to home remedies like homemade face masks, sandalwood, etc. Nothing really seemed to work for me. My terribly sensitive skin seem to make it worse. Everything I tried seemed to give me rashes or break me out even more. Some products, which I will mention in another blog, made my whole face painful and red and peel for weeks after I had stopped using them. Other products made me even more greasy and made my face retain water somehow.

For my extremely oily/combination/sensitive skin, I needed something that works. Lucky for me, I found a routine that keeps my breakouts at bay. I have to say that my skin has never looked better. I still have ways to go. All the breakouts caused scaring that seem to never leave. But my skin has improved dramatically and I feel like I want to share it with the world.

Remember that these products worked for me. It doesn't necessarily mean they will work for you. Finding the right products takes time and patience. If your skin ever gets really bad, don't feel like you shouldn't go to a dermatologist. They can be your best friend. My dermatologist has helped me when products gave me nasty rashes. :)

DAY ROUTINE

1. FACEWASH: The first thing I do in the morning is wash my face with The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash for combination to oily skin. There are two versions of the product. One of the comes in a clear bottle and is more of a cream face wash. The other version of the product is the one above. I prefer this one over the other one because it removes impurities better. If your skin is terribly sensitive, I would suggest the other one. This one does the trick for me. I clean my entire face avoiding my eyes and down my neck. I rinse with lukewarm water and proceed to step 2.

 2. TONER: For my day toner, I like to use the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion. I swear by this product! i don't think I could ever live without it again. I believe wholeheartedly that this is the reason why I don't break out much anymore. When I do break out it's usually a pimple now that doesn't scar and goes away in a day or two. LOVE THIS STUFF! It is on the pricier end, but I believe it's definitely worth the money. After I dry my face, I wet a cotton square/round with this and apply it all over my face and down my neck. It has a cooling sensation and there's no scent to it (at least that I have noticed).

 3. MOISTURIZER: For my day moisturizer, I use the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream. Again, there are two versions of this moisturizer, a cream and a gel version. The cream comes in a bottle, and in my opinion, it is more hygenic. However, living in sunny south Florida, makes me hot quickly. The heat has my sebaceous glands working overtime and I get oily quickly. A cream isn't the best option for me. It also feels kind of heavy and I don't like it. This moisturizer keeps me matte looking for most of the day without overdrying my dry areas of my face. It's not a product I can't live without, but it works beautifully and I can't knock it. I use disposable plastics to scoop out some moisturizer and place it on my hands. I gently rub it all over my face and bring it down my neck.

 4. EYE CREAM: For my day eye cream I use Origins GinZing. With all the stresses of microbiology lately, I haven't been able to get a good night's sleep. This baby right here does the trick for me. This is another holy grail item that I can't live without. I scoop a little of the product out with a disposable plastic scoop and gently pat it in my undereye area and eyelids all the way up to the brow bone with my ring fingers. I'm very gentle because the skin around the eye is very sensitive. any tugging can cause you to wrinkle and none of us want that. :)

 5. SUN BLOCK: The beautiful weather of South Florida can ruin your skin with ease. It is why it is essential to wear sunscreens here. Finding a sunscreen for me is difficult. Almost all of them either break me out/rash me out or make me oily. The only UV protection my skin can withstand is the UV Essentiel Multi-Protection Daily UV Care in SPF 50. It is a very lightweight sunblock. This has helped the scaring go away! The sun can't produce melatonin and the dark spots get lighter over time. I am very pleased with this product. The only downside is the price. Since I live in a place that has sun all year round, I go through these bottles a lot and they can be pricey. Still, with the hefty price tag, I can't live without it and it gets added on to my holy grail list. A little goes a long way with this. I squirt a bit on my hands and work in into my face and neck. It is a bit runny so be careful if you do decide to buy this product. Also, you need to shake it before you use it every time. Otherwise you'll get some lovely water and no product.


NIGHT ROUTINE:

1. FACEWASH: Two to three times a day, I skip my regular day wash and I exfoliate instead. This helps get rid of my acne scaring and leaves my complexion looking bright and beautiful. On those days I use the Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser. This is another miracle product for me. Most exfoliants/microdebrasion products are too harsh on my face and they make me break out or peel or have extreme redness for weeks/months. This is the only one I have found that works for my troublesome skin. It has a weird citrus scent that I'm not too ok with, but I can put up with it because it's that good. I wet my face with lukewarm water and in circular motions wash my face thoroughly. I also rinse with lukewarm water.

2. TONER: At night, I use my regular Chanel Lotion Douceur Gentel Hydrating Toner. This toner is made for sensitive skin and it works wonderfully. I love it. It has no real scent which is lovely for me since smells tend to bug me a lot. I use it on a cotton square/round and apply it to my face and neck

 3. ESSENCE: At night I use essences to really work into my skin. I can say I truly love this product. In the morning, my face feels soft and plump. It has made a noticeable difference in my skin since I started using it. I think it helps balance the pH levels of the skin. My cheeks are not so dry anymore and my T-zone is not too oily. Love this stuff. Because it is a concentrate, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate needs to be applied in small amounts. I place one drop on my forehead, one drop on each of my cheeks and one drop on my chin and work in all through my face and neck. Because it is oils, it gives a silky texture to the skin. Absolutely lovely.

4. MOISTURIZER: Sometimes my skin is terribly dry. This usually happens around my time of the month (strangely) when my hormones are all over the place. For these times, and only for these times, I use my Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream after the essence to give my face and neck the extra moisture it needs. This is another one of those products I wish it came in a bottle instead because I think tubs are not hygienic. I scoop a bit out with a disposable plastic scoop and work the moisturizer around my face and neck. It is divine! It is extremely rich so I would definitely recommend it for someone who has dry skin or has normal to dry skin. I do know a couple of people at my school who use it once or twice a week as an overnight mask. 

 5. EYE CREAM: Finally, my last step at night is to take care of my lookers! My favorite eye cream is the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream. It is extremely rich and creamy and perfect for the night. It has a nice lavender/floral scent that helps you fall asleep. It's another holy grail item that I can't live without. I absolutely love it. I place a little on my index fingers and work it in gentle tapping motions through my lower eye all the way up to my brow bone. 

And that's it. Hopefully this was helpful to someone. :O

Love and Peasoup,

Cyn :) 

The Chick-Fil-A Scandal

It's been years, or what feels like it anyways, since I have read a news article.  The summer term has not been easy for me this 2012. A lot of homework, a plethora of studying, and an infinite amount of ridiculous papers and researching.  I am happy to announce that the light at the end of the tunnel is near! My chaotic semester will end on Monday.  This amount of joy should not be allowed by anyone.  Too much to bear XD

However, what is not joyous is Chick-Fil-A situation.  Literally, I stop reading the news for 1 month. ONE. And it's madness.

Honestly, what the corporation does is their business. It's their right to voice their opinion and support whatever hate-mongering group they feel like it. Shoot, switch it up b! Westboro Baptist Church is always looking for monetarily support.

Equally, it is the consumer's right to support or deny whatever business they feel like choosing. As you might know, I'm not the most conservative person in the world. I AM a Christian, with Christian values, and raised in a Christian home. I pray to God, believe in Christ, read the scriptures, etc etc. It is my values as a Christian that make me believe that all of God's creatures (not just the straight ones) are to be loved and cherished, respected, and NOT BE judged.


Because of my belief that God gave us free will is the reason why I support and love gay people. You can be whatever you want to be honey, I'm not about to judge you. I take on the WWJD approach.



Anyways, I don't understand why people are making an effort to eat more fast food. Specially from those same people I see at Whole Foods (a pro-gay supporter) every weekend. There are a million business that absolutely HATE gays (Wal-Mart, Urban Outfitters, Marriott, etc.) who also provide thousands of dollars to anti-gay support groups. Do you see me shopping there? No. 


I'm not going to lie, there have been times where I have had the need to support Wal-Mart and other anti-gay chains. You don't see me protesting it. 

I'm a firm believe in the "hit-them-where-it-hurts" method. Plainly put, don't provide business and let your other gay support friends to not support their business. If people were more aware, you'd probably get somewhere. 


Does that mean I will never eat CFA again? No. But I try to make a conscious effort not to. I also try to make a conscious effort not to laugh at the people financially supporting both anti and pro gay groups who's only purpose in life is trying to make you choose a side.


Like everything else in life, be conscious. And stop being lazy and do some research for once. 


-Love,

Cyn