Sorry to butt in rockets...

Acne and pimples are a normal part of life and as guys our testosterone makes us more prone to acne. Unless your acne condition is very severe, there is no need to take accutane as the side effects are harsh. A good skin care routine of cleansing and moisturizing, good diet, enough sleep and less stress if possible is all u need to keep acne at bay.

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This post has been edited by jonny4: Mar 31 2010, 03:50 PM

Dude I am 27 and have been suffering from various degrees of acne since I was 15. I have not tried accutane but I have been prescribed various types of antibiotics that did work but the moment u think all is clear the acne comes back with a vengeance

One thing i regretted was not having a proper daily skin care routine...the main reason I was lazy to moisturize daily, coupled with very dying acne meds and those cheap harsh cleansers, it was a bad combo. Plus I was just not patient enough to wait for results. I used to change acne creams every month haha. It was only one year ago that I decided to make an effort to get rid of acne. I tried most of the main brands (Lab Series, Clinique, Biotherm) and none really worked la...because they were too harsh. Only when I tried Shiseido products did I understand that using gentler products will do the skin more good. Recently I even stopped using toners even though I was raving about them a few months ago. 1 or 2 days after I stopped using toner my skin improved almost instantly. Nowadays I cleanse, spray some Avene Thermal Spring Water to calm the skin and restore ph (something like toner la), apply Diacneal then moisturize. I still got acne here and there but much milder and goes away faster. Accutane is not a cure for acne and contrary to what a lot of products say, there is still no cure for acne. The first pharmaceutical company to find the cure would be a legend and never have to worry about profits anymore.

So just be patient and continue with whatever acne meds u r using now. Hopefully your acne will go away.

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Added on March 31, 2010, 3:50 pmHeavily fragranced, harsh and not effective. I'm kind of reluctant to use L'Oreal products. I've even tried the higher end Biotherm and that too wasn't very effective, gimmicky even.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Mar 31 2010, 03:50 PM

Currently I am using Shiseido Men Cleansing Foam.

I've tried the whole Blue Herbal range before and found the products to be very harsh especially the Blue Herbal Astringent Lotion. The rare earth mask is alright and rather average in terms of ingredients but the price is decent. Kiehl's is owned by L'Oreal if u didn't know haha and like all L'Oreal owned companies they are flooded with different products and hard to determine which work and which are gimmicks. I recently bought for my gf the Origins Out of Trouble Mask (RM95 for 100ml) and in terms of ingredients it's one of the best out there...a 7ml sample given to me previously lasted 4-5 whole face applications and there is still some left inside LOL. But this mask doesn't really give that tight feeling when dried, that's about my only gripe about it.

Kiehl's are very generous with samples and by showing a little enthusiasm about a product, they will give 5ml samples if available. Anything from Aesop is going to cost an arm and a leg plus their products come in smaller than average sizes. I have not tried the product u mentioned before. I have only tried their anti blemish mask but its just too pricey for such a small amount. Aesop is generous with samples too especially the 1U booth.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Apr 1 2010, 05:33 PM

Any good recommendations for a good sunscreen with at least SPF50 ? I tried a few SPF50 from Neutrogena and Eucerin but din like the finish. A lof of good reviews for Shiseido Ultimate Protection Lotion SPF50 but it seems in Malaysia that version is no longer available and only got the similar looking Very High Sun Protection Lotion.

The Kiehl's sunscreen is only 30ml and for RM140 and that is very expensive. Shiseido is the same price but comes in 100ml size. I think I might just get that one.

http://www.my.shiseido.com/sc/product/view.asp?S=12628

The best I have used so far is Origins Out of Trouble. It contains sulfur, salicylic acid and clay which are all good for acne/oily skin. 100ml costs RM95 but u only need a little to cover the whole face. This one doesn't tighten the face much so some will not like. Another good one is the Lab Series Purifying Clay Mask, 100ml RM90. Effective ingredients to look for in a mask is salicylic acid, sulfur and clay. Be sure to moisturize properly after that as clay masks are drying.

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Added on April 10, 2010, 2:31 pmBought this cheap Biore sunscreen for RM25..Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF50+ PA+++. Comes in a 30ml tube and wow for something so cheap it really beats the more expensive stuff out there. It has a nice matte finish and controls oil too..plus it offers high protection of SPF50. I just hope it wont cause any breakouts.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Apr 10 2010, 02:31 PM

Try to ask for sample from the Origins counter. They are quite generous. I got a 7ml sample and it lasted me about 7-8 uses.

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Added on April 11, 2010, 12:02 amI don't think it will make skin oily...actually clay mask will absorb oil and make the skin smoother. That's my experience with clay masks.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Apr 11 2010, 12:02 AM

@kaspersky-fan, good post on your experiences with Dermalogica products. I always wanted to try but I think I'll just stick to Shiseido. After reading your experiences the more I want to stay away from products for oily skin as they are just too harsh.

I didn't notice any differences between the full size retail version and 30ml trial version in terms of foam or anything else. But I have noticed that the deep cleansing scrub (very similar to cleansing foam) lathers really well and I probably need only half of my cleansing foam amount.

How much cleanser do u use anyways everytime u wash your face ? I use about a pea size amount, sometimes lesser.

I've actually been using the scrub once a day at night for the past 3 weeks and I am quite impressed with the results. Even though the directions say 1-2 times a week, for me I find it mild enough to be used daily. It works great as a cleanser too...it's more of a scrub cum cleanser and that appeals to me

Try giving your hands a good wash with regular soap and rinse thoroughly before lathering up the cleanser in your hands. I do this and there is usually more lather and I need less cleanser. But careful with the scrub...it works for me as a daily scrub but the results might be different for u.

I am monitoring my skin to see if the scrub is too harsh or not...so far it is no stronger than a regular cleanser. The Shiseido scrub is quite light and doesn't have much scrub beads, that's why I am using it once a day. I have stopped using toner/astringent for about month now and began using a scrub to exfoliate instead.

I only have this prob when I use too much hydrating lotion. How much do u use ?
It took me a few tried before figuring out the amount acceptable for my face. Right now I use a 5sen size amount (maybe lesser) spread between my hands and apply to face, concentrating the drier places like cheeks and neck. The remainder I spread over my t zone. First I pat dry then I massage in till dry.

IMO that's really too much hydrating lotion. A few times I poured out too much and the lotion took really long to dry and formed this sticky layer (like a mask) and made me real miserable the whole day. Unless u have really dry skin u shud try using less. U would be surprised as even a small amount of the hydrating lotion easily covers a lot of skin. Plus I feel that when u apply it bit by bit across the face, its hard to get an even layer. Try pouring the lotion in your hand, spread around both hands and pat onto face. It's faster and u get a more even layer. Based on my estimation of usage, my 150ml hydrating lotion could possibly last me 10-12 months.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Apr 19 2010, 04:52 PM

Don't worry as the skin on your palms and fingers are quite thick and different from facial skin. As long as u spread the lotion around your hands and apply to face fast it wont be a prob

Btw, I had the same exp as u with oil control products. My guess is the silicons and powder inside that controls oil wears out after a few hrs...that's why u get the oily sticky feel. The only one that seems to work for me is the Shiseido Anti Shine Refresher Gel. Its really pricey (RM135, 30ml) but I like it coz unlike others it aint a moisturizer/oil control...its just pure oil control with no moisturizing benefits whatsoever.

Hope it works out for u.

The Deep Cleansing Scrub retails for RM105 for a 125ml tube. But it will last a long time I guess as a 7ml sample lasted me 2 weeks of daily use.

Yeah the Shiseido SA told me to use cotton pad too but the directions on the hydrating lotion bottle says to use hands to apply and pat dry. I tried using a cotton pad before but it took quite a bit of lotion to wet a cotton pad...if i use a few drops on the cotton pad, most of it gets soaked up by the cotton. That's why I prefer applying with my hands. I save on the lotion too I guess both ways are alright la, just depends on your preference. If u do get the hydrating lotion, the SA will try to convince u to get the toning lotion...which is basically an overpriced toner...while the hydrating lotion is more of a toner-moisturizer combo. I was very tempted to get the toning lotion but RM130 for a 150ml toner with nothing much inside put me off.

If u do get sunscreen (ss) go for the Japanese ones for daily use and European ones for outdoor activities. But one prob though as most of the high protection (SPF50+) Euro ss available here are heavy, oily n shiny...that's the price to pay I guess for good protection. One good affordable one is Avene Very High Protection Emulsion SPF50+...it's heavy n oily but has one of the best protection available..i cant remember the exact price but shud be in the range of RM60-RM80 for 50ml. Use this for the face. Currently I am using Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF50+ for daily use. But this is only for those with oily skin because it is very mattifying and the oil control is really awesome...my face is oil n shine free for at least 4-5 hours and perfect for hot humid weather. Only prob is that it is very hard to wash off and I got to use my gf's cleansing oil to remove the Biore ss or risk getting breakouts. This Biore ss is probably the best ss i have ever tried. Price is good too, 30ml for RM25...available at all pharmacies.

A good body sunscreen would be the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch SPF50+. It's actually for the face n body but I found too heavy for msian weather when used on the face...but it's perfect for the body. A 88ml tube retails for RM35. I use this currently for my body.

I do use a clay mask and a face scrub too. Normally I will scrub my face first then apply a mask straight after that. I feel this way the mask penetrates better. However both masks and scrub are generally drying so it still depends on your skin type and condition. Introduce new products gradually and not all at once to determine if got any adverse reactions.

Currently using Lab Series Purifying Clay Mask twice a week and Clinique Men Face Scrub twice a week too. Once a day at night I use Shiseido Men Deep Cleansing Scrub. The Lab Series mask is decent and can last quite long as only a light layer is needed and it spreads very easily. I recently tried the Origins Out of Trouble mask and I feel it better as it contains all the good ingredients necessary in a mask. The LS mask is RM90 for 100ml and the Origins one is RM95 for 100ml. When buying a clay mask look out for ingredients like sulfur and salicylic acid.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Apr 19 2010, 11:57 PM

Well different strokes for different folks. I been using the lotion by applying 3-4 drops with my hands for the past 2 months and it has worked very well for me. If your method works for u keep to it.