I used to break out everyday with a couple of zits and always had clogged pores that felt just yucky when you rubbed your hand across your face. Thanks to completely changing all the skincare and makeup I use I am now zit free!

Here is all the crap I use:
AM
Wheat Germ Cleanser
DCX undereye serum
Wildberry Serum with Kojic Acid
Apply a 2% AHA (wait 30 minutes)
Copper Peptide Serum
Hyaluronic Acid with Rooibos and Emu Oil
Suncreen

PM
Wheat Germ Cleanser
DCX
Mandelic Acid every 2 days (wait 30 minutes)
Wildberry Serum with Kojic Acid
Copper Peptide Serum
Hyaluronic Acid with Rooibos and Emu Oil

Every 3-4 days I do a 10% Lactic Acid Peel
All this stuff I've gotten from here but I'm researching places to get similar stuff for cheaper.

I use Everyday Minerals Make-Up

I will never ever ever go back to using any drugstore or department store brand again...

You can stop researching, hon- those formulas are all unique, and don't fix it if it ain't broken.
You won't find similar products, even the cleanser is unique in having very very mild detergents. The only other one that might work is the Olay Sensitive Foaming one.
By the way- it's the formulation, not where you can buy the stuff.
The only thing that is not involved in your success is the copper peptide serum, it takes months and up to a year before (if at all) it shows results. There's very weak research to back it up. People on the website's forum where you bought it hype it. A retinoid does much much more ( prescription or a retinaldehyde product, Avene holds the patent).
I'd suspect the mandelic and kojic acid to help with your clogged pores. You miiiight try an acid product by makeupartistschoice.com, but otherwise I know of no reliable company that sells it.
The % of the 2% AHA is too low for it to work as an exfoliant, it works as a moisturizing agent instead.
Whatever- if this works for you, by all means don't change it! If you find similar acid products, I'd give them a try, but definitely don't start experimenting if you like your skin like it is.
Just make sure your sunscreen is photostable, if not you need to reapply hourly. You also need one with great UVA protection (PPD), info about all this here:
http://sun1.awardspace.com/Sunscreens/sunscreens.htm

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If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

I'd rather be using a retinoid but don't have a prescription at the time.

As for sunscreen I use Vichyand it was on the list of the link you gave me.

Hey, that's great with the s/s!
Regarding the retinoid: Avene Diacneal is not rx and is in strength comparable to 0.05% Renova. A little less strong but also very effective is the Ystheal gel, also by Avene. You can get both online (for example from overseas from tubotica.com, they have European sunscreen,too). Just in case you want to upgrade one day. You'd need to start very slow, though, and ease your skin into using potent stuff like that.
Okay, stopping the babbling now- it's great that your skin got so much better!

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If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

How did you figure out which products you need and what is the monthly cost?

I guess Char went to theskincareboard.com. I prefer the skincare board on makeupalley.com (newer research on notepads there).

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If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

I checked out the makeupalley.com, but am a little overwhelmed by all of the information and don't really know where to start.

Read the board for a couple of days- people ask the same questions every day or every other day. If you log in you can go to Cho_Chang's notepad, that links you to all info on notepads. Takes a few days and you pretty much know what you need. If you read the board for a few days, most of your own questions will be answered, because everything pretty much repeats itself. If not, just ask.

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If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

Thanks for the help Jenn. I am reading on the website right now and will continue to do so for the next few days.

You're welcome! People are generally very nice there. Things rarely heat up.

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If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

Ha! That's funny because I became an HF member (and now an AF member) because of someone from Makeupalley sending me there. I've been a makeupalley member since '97.

That is ALOT of stuff to do to the face in the morning AND at night! So it really works? Hmm, I am a HUGE cosmetic person and love trying new stuff for my face to improve it...So about this website, is it helpful? Please do tell?!?

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It is! It's a great place to learn what works, why, and why most stuff does not work.
Also pretty helpful is the last book by Leslie Baumann, and the cosmeticscop.com website (beware, though, she's wrong with some stuff).

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If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

It's alot of stuff to do but it's so worth it. I get up like 3 hours before I got to work anyway so it's not a problem in the morning, sometimes at night I forget to start early enough and just end up putting on the stuff I don't have to wait for.

I like theskincareboard forum...they've been most helpful and their moderater Deb is actually a scientist. What got me started on it in the first place was going to Acne.org and just reading alot of posts on people with similar skin problems. I found one membe who almost had the same problems and she had recommended the skincareboard....so off I went.

As for what do you start out on, well I think it depends on your skin care type. I posted my concerns and they gave me some recommendations which I researched on places like www.skinbiology.com (Has alot of great info) and the interent in general. So far, everything is working great!

Jenn: What about a 5% SA would that work as an exfoliater? I'm going to stick with the CP's and see what happens...if there is a chance it could remodel some of my scars then it's worth the effort. I do know that I need to try a stronger CP b/c mine just is too weak or my skin is too tough

Char, a 5% SA is already pretty strong. And a stronger CP won't help you- it's just not the "big gun" for what you're trying to achieve. A retinoid , prescription (Retin-A, Tazorac) or Retinaldehyde (Avene) would do much much more for you, including accelerating collagen production. The problem with theskincareboard and skinbiology is that they don't take newer scientific research into account, and stick to recommending products that can be bought through their websites. Number one reason for skin aging is photodamage- and they even try to tell you that there is such a thing as "good tanning"...
Stick to the stuff that's working for you for now, but if you want to "up" your routine, grading up to the "real" stuff will do more for you.

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If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

Second the Avene Diacneal! I have been using it for a while and it really has been a wonder for me-great retinoid!

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Where do you get your Avene?

I just ordered my Avene Diacneal from Tubotica.com. I ordered 2 tubes and it came out to about $20 per tube with the shipping costs (as long as you don't choose the fedex fast shipping option). I checked several other sites and it was the cheapest place to get it. The US websites that sell it were really expensive.

If you're registered on makeupalley you even get a discount.

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If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.

it's weird...

when i would use facial cleansing products.. i would break out MORE (i think it made my face MORE oily).. but now that i don't use them and just use the regular ol' soap, water.. i don't get any at all.. i haven't broke out in about 2 years.. except for the random small pimple that goes away after a day.

i guess i just have good skin. ::shrugs::

Char, can you say more about your skin type pre-starting your regimen? I know it's an old post, but I am so frustrated with my skin right now, I would give anything to have clear skin consistently.

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Okay, before all this I had oily skin, majorly clogged pores...the kind the you can feel when you run your fingers across your face...it was really bad along my chin, cheeks, forehead and jawline, large pores (those don't every go away, but they are better now), I don't know what it's called but my face was also kind of reddish, I would get whiteheads, blackhead and every so often a deep cystic zit. I always seemed to get scars too after a zit...reddish or brownish and a couple have left permanent scars.

I did the above routine beginning right after I had my baby (he's 14 months)until probably 6 months ago. The reason I stopped alot of it was because some stuff didn't really work like the DCX and I really didn't see any results with the copper peptides...though they were nice to use after doing a LA or GA peel. The Wildberry didn't really fade anything, I haven't been getting the Wheat Germ Cleanser b/c I switched to the Green Tea Facial Bar that they have on Makeup Artists Choice...it's alot cheaper and I think it cleans better...also where I got my peels. I liked the Mandelic Acid but it is very expensive. I used some that I got on Garden of Wisdom, but it didn't really seem to work like the Vivant Mandelic Acid. I still use Emu Oil...the only moisturizer I will use. I'd like the get some Hyaluronic Acid, but haven't in awhile. I like the BHAs that I got from Dianne Yvonne, but they were basically Salicyclic Acid and Alcohol..I didn't really see a difference with the Paula's Choice version on my skin. However, since I'm using Retin-A now, the DY version would be way to harsh.

Before the Retin-A, the items that seemed to make my skin look and feel better were daily exfoliation with a soap free cleanser (I splurged on the Claisonic Brush), the facial peels weekly (right before I stopped I could do them 2-3 times a week for up to 5 minutes...I preferred the Gycolic Acid 40% over the Lactic...it faded discolored scars better and made my skin just glow for a couple of days) and Emu Oil...yes Jenn, I also used sunscreen.

Now, since my skin is semi clear (had some breakouts with the Retin-A, but is pretty much gone now) I use the Green Tea Soap, Emu Oil, Sunscreen and then at night the GT Soap and then wait 20 minutes and use Retin-A. So far so good, but if I start getting clogged pores again, i'll go back to the old routine or I might just need to use a some Salicyclic Acid.

Little more info than you asked for, but I thought I would be thorough.

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Thank you so much for all the info, Char! Our skin types sound very very similar, esp. the scarring thing.
It's also helpful to hear which of the DY products you didn't think were super helpful to your skin. I was thinking of getting some samples & then the peels.
You are awesome for writing it all out

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Jessani is happy!

I am in the same situation. I just ordered the PC BHA because my skin is a mess. IT sounds exactly like yours did Char I need to make a shopping list, and research prices. I also want a darn retin-A Rx!

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PM me about the Retin-A.

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