My skin is finally acne free. It took 2 months after I started taking Aczone before it improved. For the past 2 months it has been practically clear. I would still get one tiny pimple during the week of my menstrual period, but nothing like the giant zits I used to get in the past. I still have some scaring left from the past inflammations, but it’s slowly disappearing. I’m happy with the results of my skin care routine and I would like to share them with you.

Initially my dermatologist advised me to use Cetaphil as my facewash because Aczone might dry my skin. Cetaphil is known to be a mild cleanser that doesn’t strip the skin of its natural oils. I had intentions of using Cetaphil, but the week we we’re about to leave New York I was busy. We had to pack our belongings and move out of our apartment. We didn’t finish moving out of our apartment until the night we left for Barcelona. I didn’t have time to buy the Cetaphil. I also didn’t know how I was going to store the product in my luggage.

When I arrived in Barcelona, I didn’t find the Cetaphil in stores, so I just went to the local pharmacy. My spanish was horrible, and the saleslady’s english was minimal. Yet, we were able to understand each other. I was able to communicate that I had sensitive, oily/dry and acne prone skin. I also didn’t want to spend so much money on a product I wasn’t familiar with. We settled with Avene Eau Thermale Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser for Oily, Blemish-Prone Skin. For facial lotion she recommended Singuladerm Phyiodefense spf20.

When trying a new product I’m always afraid I’m going to waste money, because I often get a bad reaction. Instead of clearing my skin, it breaks me out even more. That’s what happened with Murad Acne Cleanser and Toner. I was too stubborn and didn’t want to waste money and despite breaking me out, I continued using the Murad products.

I’m very satisfied with Avene Eau Thermale Cleanance Gel. Avene’s Cleanance Gel is so mild and non irritating. I use it twice a day and it never dries my skin. Best of all, it doesn’t make my skin breakout. It’s made for oily and acne prone skin. It claims to maintain the skin’s natural pH balance, and doesn’t the strip the skin from its natural oils. It comes in a 200ml bottle, which last 3 months. The color is green and has a pleasant smell. The cover twist to open, which prevents it from spilling inside my luggage. Very satisfied with my Avene Eau Thermale Cleanance Gel. I’m currently now in Bangkok and I hope I find this in the stores as I would like to continue using this product.

For my facial lotion I’m using the Singuladerm Physiodefense. Nothing really special about it. It has a pleasant smell, non-oily and leaves my skin feeling soft. A great bonus is the spf 20, which is great to have since my skin is constantly being exposed to the sun here in Asia. I prefer using the Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer, but it wasn’t available in the stores in Barcelona.

I use Aveeno Positively Ageless Daily Moisturizer SPF 42 + Antioxidants as my undereye lotion. It used to be so much cheaper a few years ago and less than ten dollares. Recently the price increased, and I don’t think I will be purchasing it again. I’m now looking for a cheaper alternative with the same or better results.

For several years I’ve used Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 30 as the sunblock for my face. I love this product because it’s mild, non-irritating which means it doesn’t break me out. I find that the spf 30 works great in protecting my skin. My face is not as tanned as the rest of my body, and I haven’t gotten a sunburn yet. I’ve used higher spf in the past, which doesn’t absorb well in skin and leaves it with a pasty white residue.

When you find something that works for your skin, stick with it. I’m glad I finally found the products that works for my skin. Do you an any recommendations for a cheap under lotion?