Anti-wrinkle care for oily, acne prone skin??

For every woman, anti-wrinkle care is essential. Yes, even for those that have acne prone skin. Those that still have moderate to moderate severe acne should not buy any anti-wrinkle products until most of your active acne has been taken care of. However, those with oily or acne prone skin that have their conditions more or less under control should get some anti-wrinkle care products.

So, what is most essential? Anti wrinkle eye cream is the most essential. If you don't know already, the skin around your eyes are the most fragile and sensitive. You should take care of this area well because wrinkles around your eyes are going to show your age or make you look older. This area is usually not affected by acne. From what I have seen, even for people with the most severe acne, the area around the eyes remains clear. You should use an anti wrinkle eye cream as soon as you turn 25 if not sooner.

What about the rest of your face?? Fortunately, those that suffer from acne problem do not have the same problems as other women when it comes to wrinkles. Even though oily skin over lubricates the skin, it tends to keep it young as well. Most people with oily skin tend to look younger. So, do we still need any anti wrinkle anti aging products? Yes and no. For those that are moderately oily, you can use a very light (water based) moisturizer to keep the wrinkles away. No need for those expensive anti wrinkle cream that most brands sell. Those really expensive creams that target wrinkles are for those with dry skin.

Your neck is an important part that you should not neglect. Your neck can show your age as well. You should apply moisturizer daily to your neck to take care of it well. This area is more prone to aging because this area is not as oily. You should use a generous amount of moisturizer on this area to keep it moist. Keeping your skin hydrated is the best way to avoid wrinkles.

Acne scar before and after retin-A (Tretinoin) treatment

I have some acne scars from years of suffering with acne. No surprise, most people have a lot more scars than me. I am lucky because my skin healed pretty well. However, I still have scars on my face that I am aware of. I had a very bad acne episode almost one year ago and you should take a look at those pictures because they are horrible (but I recovered, so there is hope for everyone). Since I had that episode, my family doctor prescribed Tretinoin for my skin.

Not only does it help with acne, it also helped a lot for my scars. It is amazing that most of my rolling scars have disappeared. I have a before and after photo to showing you the difference. My prescription is Tretinoin 0.025% gel. I am sure there are different concentrations of this stuff on the market. This drug works by making your skin peel.

I suspect that this drug will only help with the rolling scars because my little ice pick scar did not look any different. I guess I will just have to deal with that small scar on my face. Anyways, I have already used this drug continuously for about 3 to 4 months. My rolling scar in the picture on the side of my face were there from 7 to 8 years ago. I am very pleased with the results because I haven't seen anything that worked so well with minimal cost and side affects. You should give this treatment a try if you haven't already.

Last thing, when using retin-A products (Tretinoin), protect your skin well from the sun because it makes the skin more sensitive to UV-rays. Use a SPF 30 sunscreen for your face at all times even indoors because even short exposures have bad effects on your skin. I hope everyone can get rid of all their acne scars because acne scars are even worse than acne itself. It constantly reminds us of how much we suffered in the past.

Will keep you posted on other information I know about acne and acne treatments, check back often!!

Before (not a very good picture of the scars because I didn't believe anything can get rid of them, didn't want to take photo of these bad acne scars, however you can see a little bit of rolling scars beneath the acne itself).

After (note the better texture, looks like it's from different side, but it's the way the photo is taken).

My current situation with acne

My acne is more or less under control. It is not possible to get rid of it for good but it is largely under control. I stopped the birth control pill because having light to moderate upset stomach at night is very bothersome. I will only get on it if it's absolutely necessary again.

My cheeks are clear. My jawline is clear. My nose is clear. I have occasional small pimples on my forehead. However, my forehead is always a problem area for me in the past. So, I am pretty satisfied with just a few zits here and there.

My current products, tretinoin gel 0.025% on acne, erythromycin tropical gel USP, 2%, Bare minerals moisturizer and makeup and Neutrogena deep clean cream cleanser. No oral medicine is taken at this point. I must say that this routine works pretty well for me. For the first time in years, my skin is actually very soft to the touch. Almost unbelievable to me!! This is especially thanks for daily applications of the Bare minerals moisturizer.

Here are a few pictures of my face from different angles. Note the redness is due to spider veins.

Neutrogena Transparent Bar Acne Prone skin Formula Review

Used the Neutrogena Transparent Bar for Acne prone skin for many years in the past. I am not currently using this (replaced with Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser, better for my more mature skin). When I first started using this almost 5 years ago, it was recommended to me by a dermatologist.

Benefits: good for teenage or very oily skin. Tends to get rid of oil and keep it at bay. Did not cause any irritation.

Side-affects: Leaves skin very dry and sometimes flaky.

Best for: teenager with very oily skin or adult with very oily skin.

Overall recommendation (out of five stars): 3 1/2 stars. I will only recommend this product to you if your skin is so oily it is almost unmanageable. This product will definitely help you get rid of some of those unwanted oil on the face.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser Review

Currently using this product for my daily routine. This is not targeted for acne prone skin but I used it because of a recommendation from a friend. This product is available at most drug stores, Target, Walmart and online stores. Two dermatologists have recommended Neutrogena brand for my skin and it tends to be one of the lesser expensive brands that works for me. Here is the review.

Benefits: Very good for acne prone or currently active acne skin. Very gentle. Good for all kinds of acne skin. I have a friend that have moderate to severe acne and this product actively cleared up most of his acne. It is amazing and that had made me started using it.

Side-affects: None for me.

Best for: all kinds of acne skin to use.

Overall recommendation (out of five stars): a solid 5 stars. Please give this a try if you haven't. This product will not irritate the most sensitive skin (ie. me).

Neutrogena Acne Oil Free Acne Wash Daily Scrub Review

I am still using this product every night because it is so effective against my blackheads on the nose. You can get this product in most drug stores, Target, Walmart or online sources. This is one of my favorite products from Neutrogena. My skin is ultra sensitive and oily at the same time, but most Neutrogena products tend to be good for my skin. Okay, here is the complete review.

Benefits: So effective against blackheads. The little bead gets rid of all the most stubborn blackheads you have in a very gentle way. You just have to gently message the beads around the area that you have lots of blackheads for less than a minute. You will notice afterwards that all the blackheads are gone. This product is better than Biore's blackhead strip in two ways. First, it gets rid of the most stubborn blackheads. Second, it won't cause irritation to the nose because Biore's strip needs to be removed after it sticks to the nose (for me, this caused slight irritation). This is also very good for exfoliating your skin because the beads are just so gentle and effective.

Side-affects: Slight irritation to cystic acne. The little beads that help with blackhead removal tend to irritate the cystic acne.

Best for: Blackheads, slight to moderate acne. I wouldn't recommend this product for someone with moderate severe or severe acne because it can cause injury to a deep cystic acne.
Overall recommendation (out of five stars): 5 stars. This is the best treatment for blackheads and slight acne. Gentle yet effective.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment Review

I have used this product extensively in the past where my acne was moderate to moderate severe. Since I am doing a series of reviews on Neutrogena products that I have used in the past or still currently using, I will be using the same format so that people can easily follow. So this entry is dedicated to the Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne treatment gel.

Benefits: Helps acne heal faster and also prevent scars. The active ingredient is benzoyl peroxide which works really well to help the healing process of an active acne. It can also prevent new acne from forming. However, it is 2.5% benzoyl peroxide which will irritate those that are sensitive to this chemical. This caused only slight irritation for my skin.

Side-affects: Can cause redness / itchy for those that are sensitive to this chemical. You can also get little red bumps all over the area that you applied this gel to. However, it is gentler than other benzoyl peroxide medicine or gel that I have used in the past.
Best for: Moderate acne. This will not help those deep cystic acne. It is only good for slight to moderate acne time.

Overall recommendation (out of five stars): 4 stars, because it is overall an effective product for slight to moderate acne. Does help the healing process significantly. However, it is brand name so it is on the more expensive side. For a little container, it cost around six dollars.

How to choose a sunscreen sunblock for oily, combination and acne prone skin

Sunscreen / sunblock is essential for those that have light skin, eyes and hair. Those that have darker skin, eyes and hair tend to be more resistant to the damaging UV rays of the sun. People that have oily, combination and acne prone skin have a much difficult time with selecting the right sunscreen. The wrong kind of sun protection will clog pores and cause a nasty breakout. I know this very well because I had difficulties in selecting the right kind of sunscreen / sunblock for my oily problem prone skin.

There are two main categories of sunscreens / sunblocks, chemical and physical barrier. I personally prefer the physical barrier (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) because I just think that it is better for the skin and is a very board spectrum (UV-A and UV-B). Here is a brief main characteristics for chemical and physical barrier sunscreens. Furthermore, physical barrier type of sunscreen are very good for those with sensitive oily skin. It is very gentle and will not cause irritation. And many people with oily skin know that most cheap sunscreen are not intended for us to use because it is oil based.

Makeup can be used in place of a sunscreen / sunblock for oily skin for normal exposure. Many different brands of makeup offer sunscreen SPF 15, 20 or 30 in their makeup. This makes it easier for those with oily, combination or acne prone skin because your makeup should not flare up your skin. I trust only bare minerals with my skin because of actual good experience with it. I am not afflicted with them at all and only recommend what works best for my skin. A little bit background, my skin is not only oily / acne prone, it is super sensitive as well.

Powder sunscreens / sunblocks are best for oily, combination and acne prone skin. The creams tend to irritate your skin much more than a powder. All natural mineral powder sunscreens are some of the best alternative to traditional cream based sunscreen. The one from Bare minerals is highly recommended by me because I have used it myself. It is a physical barrier type of sunscreen; and I firmly stand by physical barrier types that uses both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as active ingredients. It is board spectrum and will definitely shield you from both UV-A and UV-B radiation. However, you should supplement this sunscreen / sunblock with another one that contains either zinc oxide or avobenone for more UV-A protection.  You must have both UV-A and UV-B protection!!

What I recommend is only good for little to normal sun exposure.  If you are in the sun for extended period of time, I recommend a water resistant sunscreen / sunblock.  You will still have to re-apply every 20 minutes to be save.  Those that are water resistant are cream based, just remember to select the ones that says that they don't clog pores.

Another thing with oily, combination and acne prone skin is to wear a very light moisturizer to balance the oil production. This sounds counter productive. However, the reason that the skin produces so much oil is to hydrate the skin. If your skin thinks that it is already hydrated, it will produce less oil. I personally believe this because nowadays I never leave the house without moisturizer and it has significantly improved my oiliness. The trick is to find a very good moisturizer for your skin. I personally recommend two brands, Neutrogena and Bare minerals. I am not afflicted with any of them but everything is from personal experience. Sunscreen / sunblock should be put on top of your moisturizer.

What really got rid of my acne?

With more than 8 years of experience with this terrible condition, I can say a few things about which products are most effective against acne and acne reoccurances. My acne is for the most part under control. I still have one or two bumps right before my period which I have learned to accept. With my skin, I have come to terms with very light acne that I am having right now. Here are a few products that I believe have amazing effects on acne in general.

Tretinoin gel - active ingredient is Retin-A (most familar to most). This definitely worked for my acne prone skin. However, it is a prescription medicine that only a doctor would be able to prescribe for you. You usually apply it at night on the acne directly and go to bed afterwards. It works by making the skin peel and making the turnover much faster. For some reason, acne won't be able to grow if the skin is in that fast turnover state (that was what I was told by my doctor). It makes your skin more sensitive to the sun so make sure to wear a good sunscreen.

Birth control pill - this stopped my horrible acne episode several months ago. I looked hideous (have pictures as proof, see my previous posts). Within the first several days, I noticed a difference in the texture of my skin. It mainly works through the hormones which is the root of acne problem. There are specific birth control pill that works for acne so make sure you get the right one from the doctor. I had bad side affects from this and am currently not taking this drug. I will only go back if my skin is out of control.

Accutane - this is a powerful drug for acne that cleared up my first worst episode of acne. This is when I was 22 (just out of college). I was desperate because of all those red bumps all over; I don't have pictures from that time. But believe me, it was horrible. I only took a month on low dosage but it started to clear up my face after one week of using it. The drug is amazing but with lots of different side affects. Nowadays, in the United States, only a dermotologist can prescribe this drug to you.  This is the last acne treatment drug that is prescribed after everything fails to work.

Dryness is not good for acne sufferers

For years, I kept my skin very dry with my facial cleanser and the no moisturizer policy on my face. I thought that dryness is essential for keeping acne at bay. Sure enough, those years I had very few breakouts. And each time I used a little moisturizer, I felt like my skin is breaking out. That routine lasted for years.  You can still see the dryness of my skin by looking at some of my old breakout pictures.
I remember about 2 years ago before my most recent breakout that a coworker of mine said that, your face is so dry, it's peeling, why don't you use moisturizer? Of course, I stood by my theory that dryness is essential to keep my skin from breaking out.

It was around last year in September that I started getting bad breakouts. I was so shocked by this and also just feeling very helpless. This is when I decided that I need makeup to cover it up. I did some research on the Internet and decided on Bare Minerals makeup. It was not only good at coverage, it didn't irritate my skin at all. I was relieved; please note that I am not associated with them at all.

With the bare minerals makeup that I purchased, the sales lady gave me a small sample of their moisturizer to try. I used only a little bit at first because I was afraid that it would give me another breakout. But it didn't and I kept using it even now. It's made my skin a lot more softer than before. I would totally recommend this to anybody.

About four months ago, bare minerals re-did their skin care line. Now the lotion is re-packaged and I haven't tried the new one yet. Once I run out of my current moisturizer, I will be purchasing the new one. I am excited to see how that will work out. Will keep you posted.

Acne Treatments Review

Over the years, I have tried quite a few acne treatments. So, I have decided to write a comprehensive list of everything that is available to acne treatments. I will then try to give you my opinions on how it works, estimate percentage of people that it actually works, cost, difficulties in obtaining it and all other information that I can think of. Again, I am not an medical expert on any of this. I am simply giving you my personal experiences and what I have seen with others. And I am quite observant of my surroundings.


Neutrogena (OTC) - This is one of the best OTC cosmetic / skin care brand that I absolutely trust. I have been using their products for years.

Biore pore strips (OTC) - Seems to work at first, but your blackheads will come back. Causes irritation for some people with very sensitive skin. Overall, not recommended.

Proactiv (OTC) - Only works for some, but all. Expensive treatment that uses benzoyl peroxide. You can actually buy benzoyl peroxide of different strength at the store.

Murad (OTC) - Uses salicylic acid as their main ingredient for acne treatment. Those that tend to have irritations with the use of salicylic acid should not even give this a try.

Birth control pill (prescription) - tend to work extremely well for some. Those that have acne on the cheeks and chin right before their period will benefit a lot from the right kind of Birth control pills. See my review on my experience with birth control pill.

Accutane (prescription) - extremely effective for the most difficult to treat acne. Last defense against acne and very hard for the dermatologist to give you a prescription. Last chance for those that exhausted all the options.

Antibiotics (many different kinds, prescription) - tend to work at first and with long term use, effectiveness will go down. Bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotic.

Benzoyl Peroxide (OTC) - works wonders for a lot of people that are tolerate of that stuff on the face. For those with sensitive skin, this will only irritate your skin even more.

Benzoyl Peroxide / cladmyin phosphate (prescription) - very effective combo gel, however will only benefit you when you don't have irritations with benzoyl peroxide. Most doctors can prescribe this one for you.

retin A (prescription) - Effective for a lot of person. Has to be used constantly, everyday to begin to achieve results in a week or even longer. Acne may get worse before it gets better. Your skin will be extra sensitive to the sun. So make sure you stay out of the sun and use a very good sun screen. My sunscreen is in my makeup so that I don't have to put any greasy sunscreen on my skin.

Topical antibiotics (prescription) - somewhat effective. Although, exactly how effective is hard to measure. I don't see the acne lesion getting better or worse. It just seems to be under control somewhat.

My solution to the Nausea / vomiting that Ortho Tri Cyclen causes

While Ortho Tri Cyclen has been an effective solution for my acne, it has one significant side affect that I am not too happy about. Here is the problem: I take the pill every night at 7:30. And I feel extremely nauseated / want to vomit at about 2-3am in the morning. Its causing me to wake up in the middle of the night. It's been so bad that I have to actually get up several nights to vomit to make me feel better. I suspect that the hormones in the medicine peak at 2-3am and my body is not used to it.


I was thinking about stop taking the pill several times because I couldn't get a good night sleep. But every time I look in the mirror, I have decided to continue with it. Because I know with the pill, once you stop, acne comes right back.

With other medicine that you might feel nausea, doctors would say that you need to take it with food. So, every night I have been eating right before I go to bed. So far, it stops me from feeling nausea. I think it's pretty bad for my weight but I have no other choice if I want to keep taking Ortho Tri Cyclen. But, I have been on the pill for a little bit over three months and have not gained any weight. I know it's different for everyone because I know people that have gained 5 lbs, 10 lbs or even 20lbs for just being on the pill. You won't know what your body does unless you take Orth Tri Cyclen.

Review on birth control pills (Ortho Tri Cyclen) for acne

I wrote this entry a while ago, haven't posted it due to being busy. Here it is finally, I took the picture recently so that you can get a better understanding of this drug:


It's been exactly 28 days since I started taking Ortho Tri Cyclen for acne. I just wanted to give you guys an update on how this is for me so far. There are lots of mini reviews and experiences on people taking this for acne on acne.org. Good ones and bad ones. Do go there and check it out if you want to get a feel of this drug from real people suffering from acne.

So Ortho Tri Cyclen has four different pills, each 7 pills. The first three have different dosage of norgestimate and ethinyl estradiol. The last seven have no hormones and your period is suppose to come sometimes during those 7 days. see picture below as to what this drug looks like.

I started on Sunday 28 days ago. What I noticed most is the texture of my skin changing after 3 or 4 days of taking this. It was a lot softer and smoother to the touch which I never had before. If you have curious, you can see some of my before photos in an earlier post, post name hyperlink it. My skin was very rough and dull. I still broke out while on this drug. A little bit here and there. Nothing major and usually goes away within a day or two. My period was irregular because it came when it was suppose to right in the middle of the pills and lasted at least 14 days.

I didn't notice any symptoms such as weight gain, vomiting or upset stomach. But again I only took it for 28 days. Overall, I didn't feel any different other than the changes with my skin. I have some pictures of my skin for your reference. Again, you can find the before pictures in my other post. I will give more updates for Ortho Tri Cyclen after I finish another pack.

How to use Bare Minerals makeup on a daily basis for acne coverage

I know no one wants to cover up forever; we all want perfect healthy glowing skin. But there are tough times and acne coverage can help tremendously with self confidence. See my review on Bare Minerals makeup. So here's how:


First put a little bit of moisturizer all over face (see below, moisturizer is free of parabens, synthetic fragrances and artificial oils). Since, I have oily skin, I just use a little bit of that. I got the sample from Bare Minerals and it seems to be compatible with my skin. Didn't cause any more than usual breakouts.

Secondly, I put the Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer all over face in a very thin layer. I use just one pump from the bottom and that is enough for your face.

Let the primer dry before proceeding to the next step. It takes a minute or two. Then I like to do pre-conceal with my foundation on all my red spots and active acne. This is done with the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush (see picture below). What I do is just dab the brush in the foundation powder and pad it on the areas that I want extra coverage.

After all the spots are covered, I use the Full Flawless Application Face Brush (see picture below) and do the swirl, tap and buff on my entire face for that final result. At this point, all my redness is pretty much completely covered. My face actually looks a little too white.

Next I use the Flawless Face Brush with Warmth All-Over Face Color on my forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. I guess it gives you that healthy glow and also contours the face a little. Well, I like how it looks on me. So, I use it every time but you don't have to if you just want coverage on the acne.

Last step, I use the Flawless Face Brush with the Mineral Veil - original formula. I heard from various online sources that this helps with excessive oily skin which is what I have. So I just use a thin layer of this to finish the look.

Oh, one last thing, the SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque is for extra coverage. If you are seeking more coverage than the foundation, this is what you use on top of it for even more coverage. I don't tend to use this often because I think the foundation does a very good job at coverage.

Here is a picture of everything I have.
 

Moisturizer for oily, acne prone skin?

I never used moisturizer in my life because of my skin conditions, oily and acne prone. I thought I never needed to moisturize my skin because it over moisturizes itself. When I was younger, every product I put on my face causes some more acne. So, I stopped using everything and just stick to Neutrogena's acne-prone soap for the longest time, maybe 4 or 5 years now.

With my most recent breakout, it made my acne skin care routine change for the better I think. The breakouts, red spots and marks made me want to use makeup for coverage.  The SA at Bareminerals gave me a sample size moisturizer which she says should not irritate my skin.

I use very little bit every morning on my face after I wash my skin in the morning. I feel like it has not made my skin breakout more than usual. The makeup feels better on my skin when I use this underneath. Overall, it is a pleasant experience I think. So I went back and bought the full size moisturizer which was 30% off. How cool is that? It comes in a very cute packaging and on the back it says" free of parabens, no synthetic fragrances, no artificial oils". So it is suppose to be all natural which means it won't irritate even my ultra sensitive skin.

Did it seem to improve my skin in any way? Probably no. If you have oily acne prone skin, you should also give moisturizer a try because it might actually help you produce less oil. I know it sounds crazy; but some people actually experience less oiliness with the use of the right type of moisturizer.

Visit to the Dermatologist

So, December 14th is finally here and I got to see the dermatologist. I couldn't sleep the night before I was kind of anxious and worried at the same time. What if he prescribe me Accutane? Is it going to permanently solve my acne problems? What if not? What am I suppose to do if he will not?


I went there and told him about my situation. Also, showed him my pictures at the worst time in the month where my forehead was full of red pimples. Then, he asked me to tell him my history of all the drugs/treatments I have been doing for acne. I told him all the over the counter and prescription medicines that I took; which included many face washes, different antibiotics, gels/creams and Accutane. He specifically asked me about Accutane which I told him I only took it for one month on low dose (10mg) per day. He said it's not enough to get rid of my acne. So, naturally I asked him for Acctuane. But he refused; instead gave me more gels/creams that I have used in the past. So what a waste of time!
My mom said I should not fill the prescription, which I agree. My mom suggested that I go see my primary care doctor again and see if he has anything else that will help. So we went on December 18th to see him. I waited over an hour to see him because he had so many patients. Well, it was good after all because at least he didn't say anything about it's going to go away and give me more gels/creams. He said that he thinks that birth control pill, more specifically Ortho Tri Cyclen is going to help with my problem. Come to think of it, my acne does tend to flare up significantly around the time of my period. Other times, my skin tends to heal and there are less acne. So, I got the Ortho Tri Cyclen the generic one Trinessa. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will have a beneficial effect on my skin. I will write another post on exactly how it is affecting me so far.

Bare Minerals Review for Oily, Acne Prone Skin

**Update 1/5/2014: here is my recent review of the Bare minerals makeup after three years of continuous use.

 

So, my skin was bad enough that I wanted to cover it with some makeup. I was never a believer in makeup because of my skin being so sensitive. But at this point, it is bothering me when I am at work or have to interact with people. Those of us suffering from acne know that how much we are embarrassed by our skin. To be honest, I even notice people with bad skin and I have bad skin. It just how we see people and subconsciously judge people based on appearance.


OK, before I go on and on with this. Let's talk about Bare Minerals makeup. I bought this makeup more than a month ago because of the sudden outbreak of my acne. Here are all the products I have:

Matte SPF 15 Foundation in Golden Fair

Mineral Veil - original formula

Warmth All-Over Face Color

SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque

Full Flawless Application Face Brush

Well-Care for Brush Conditioning Shampoo

Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush

Flawless Face Brush

Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer

I know it seems like a lot of products but I only purchased the SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque and the Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer separately. All the other stuff came in a kit that was like supposedly save you money when you purchase everything all together. It came out to over one hundred dollars total. Yes, I know it's expensive. But my acne was so bad to the point that I just wanted to stay home. And I am sure that anyone that had terrible breakouts felt the same at some point. I got all this at Macy's and the lady there was very nice and put all the products on me. I didn't make the purchase right away because I was afraid that it can irritate my skin. So, I let it stay on me for a day to see if it itches or causes any discomfort. And at the end of the day, I felt fine and decided to go back and buy it.

If you plan to purchase this or any makeup for coverage, you should definitely have the sales person put it on you first. My motto is don't buy any makeup that you haven't tried because it will always have a chance to irritate your skin. No one wants to waste money!

Now, that I have been using this makeup for more than a month. Here is what I think of it. The coverage is pretty good even compared to liquid foundation. The redness is totally covered which is what I am primarily concerned about. Acne is raised so people can still tell you have acne when they are up close. It gave a boost of confidence and now I finally feel like I can look people in the eye when they are talking to me. My skin still gets oily at the end of the day; this makeup can only help me stay oil free for 1/2 day even with the oil control foundation primer. It makes my itch better.

Okay, here are some pictures of my skin before the makeup and after just for your reference. I know it's bad but bear with me.