What is the active ingredient in the Acne Away gel ?

Minor pimple marks will fade away naturally but it takes a long time. Try using a stable vitamin c serum in the day and apply a good sunscreen on top. In the night use a retinol product. The combo of these 2 things will help to fade your acne scars gradually over a period of a few months.

Unfortunately face washes don't help much in controlling oil. In fact many of those face washes that promise to control oil instead are really harsh n dries out the face and as a result more oil is produced. I've tried loads of oil control foams, gels and washes over the years.

As for treating acne, the face wash is on the face for probably at most a minute and then it's washed off. They can put 100 premium ingredients and it do much good LOL. Concentrate on specific acne gels n creams to treat the pimples.

Better 4 u to look at oil control moisturizers or mattifying sunscreens to reduce oil/shine.

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Added on September 22, 2010, 4:16 pmIt's supposedly very beneficial to skin at certain amounts and even helps with acne. Some ppl on other blogs and forums consider it to be some kind of miracle for skin. I did use the Olay Regenerist Serum for a few months and did notice some improvement to my skin but I stopped using it because I couldn't take the fragrance in the serum. I don't think there are any particular side effects if correct concentration is used. But skin is subjective so always patch test first.

Make sure u use sunscreen if u r using an AHA product. AHA is a chemical exfoliator and makes the skin more receptive to sun damage.

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Added on September 22, 2010, 4:23 pmLooks like a good combo of ingredients but the inclusion of mineral oil is strange. Mineral oil is known to clog pores n acne. It's 3rd on the ingredient list too which means there is quite a high concentration of mineral oil in the product. That probably explains why u getting new pimples. Other ingredients are natural but of unknown concentrations so they might or might not be of benefit to soothe/treat acne. Salicylic acid is good for treating acne n clogged pores but once again the concentration is unknown...i reckon it's probably 0.5%.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Sep 22 2010, 04:23 PM

Products that contain a lot of sillica powder and silicones can help reduce pore size but its only a temporary measure. There isn't much u can do to reduce the pore size permanently. I normally use Biore sunscreen/Shiseido Men Anti Shine Refresher to hide pores in the day. U can try buying those oil absorbing blotters (Gatsby). Once the excess oil is absorbed the pores will look less obvious n smaller.

Most of the men face products at pharmacies are quite crap tbh. Harsh ingredients and empty promises mostly.

I have spent hundreds of $$$ on oil control products and the best one I have used is Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF50 sunscreen. It controls oil n shine like no other. It's quite cheap too.

Why don't u test n let us know..

Yup that's the product. But u will need to use some kind of cleansing oil to properly remove the sunscreen or risk getting pimples n clogged pores.

Any cleanser will do I guess as long as it is suitable 4 ur skin type. Currently I am using Laneige Homme cleansers.

Those blessed with normal skin free of acne will benefit from just using water. Unfortunately not many of us are so lucky.

About the same I guess but the Laneige one produces thicker foam. I'm using both the regular and sebum free scrub foam night n day respectively. I tried some of the ones available in pharmacies (Gatsby n Garnier) but they were too strong and had too much menthol. Sebum free scrub has micro beads that dissolve after a while so its perfect for acne prone skin. Regular Laneige Homme cleanisng foam is RM 60 (180ml) and RM65 (180ml) for the scrub foam. Bigger quantity n cheaper price compared to the RM95 Shiseido Men cleanser . That was the main reason I bought Laneige.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Sep 23 2010, 10:49 PM

U can get a trial set for almost the whole range from a LYN seller named Wizard Scorpion. I paid RM60 for trial size cleanser (30ml), toner (30ml), moisturizing emulsion (30ml), sleeping mask (30ml) and essence (5ml). U can also buy the trial size products individually.

I have not heard of exfoliac before but from the description it looks like a chemical exfoliator. It will deep cleanse skin but it won't remove sunscreen properly. The Biore Perfect Face Milk is extremely hard to remove. We do have cleansing oils available and quite a few brands. At pharmacies u can get Biore, Shiseido Aqualabel, Kate, DHC and etc. Usually the pharmacies at shopping malls will carry more types of cleansing oils. But I have seen the Biore cleansing oil in almost every Guardian, Watsons and Caring.

Nothing beats a cleansing oil in removing sunscreen. I didn't want to use cleanisng oils initially and relied on a cleanser n scrub. After a week I started to break out badly due to the silica and silicones in the Biore sunscreen.

1. cleanse - tone - moisturize - sunscreen.

2. sunscreen itself clogs pores because it tends to form a layer on the skin to protect it from sun damage. The higher the SPF the more pore clogging it gets. Sunscreens are usually waterproof so even if u wash off at lunch time there, it will still stay on. As long as u remove it properly everyday its no prob removing it only at night.

3. Depends on the sunscreen u use. If its a low SPF type (<30) then a facial wash will do the job. But if its one of those SPF50+ milk type japanese sunscreens then u got to use a cleansing oil to ensure the sunscreen is fully removed. A regular face wash just won't fully remove the sunscreen. Use a cleansing oil first then follow up with your regular facial wash.

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Added on September 27, 2010, 9:17 amThey are all about the same. But I prefer the higher end ones because they aren't so drying and irritating. Currently using Laneige Homme Fresh Cleansing Foam.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Sep 27 2010, 09:17 AM

It will if u don't remove it properly at the end of the day with cleansing oil. If u on a budget try Biore Cleansing Oil (RM24, 150ml) and can get at almost every pharmacy big or small. Another one is ZA Cleansing Oil (RM25, 100ml)...also very widely available. For mid range cleansing oils u can try Shiseido Aqualabel Deep Cleansing Oil (RM39, 150ml) which is available only at Watsons. Currently I am using Kanebo Freshel Cleansing Oil (RM44, 180ml) and it's the best I have tried so far but it's only available locally at SASA and not all outlets have it.

U got to test n see how it goes. normally i use a hydrating alcohol free toner in the morning n a really light moisturizer...it works for me. However if u gonna use the Biore sunscreen then i really suggest u use a light moisturizer as the Biore can be really drying.

At night I use a heavier moisturizer as I sleep with the air cond on.

U can try the Laneige Homme Sebum Free Multi Fluid...they call it a toner+moisturizer in one. It's my daytime moisturizer and it's quite good to use. Clinelle makes a decent toner called the Purifying Toner...decent ingredients that put the higher end toners to shame retails for RM34 ,200ml

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Added on October 3, 2010, 8:39 amDepends on how stubborn your blackheads are. A product that has decent amounts of salicylic acid (beta hydroxy acid) will help loosen the blackheads and make them easier to get rid of. After that u can start maintaining by using a clay mask regularly to prevent blackheads. However if u got the really stubborn type of blackheads then best to head to a beauty center and get them to remove it.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Oct 3 2010, 08:39 AM

If u are outdoors a lot then u will need to reapply but the frequency all depends on the SPF of the sunscreen. Google it as there is a way to calculate how long a certain level of SPF can last in the sun. I'm mostly indoors so I don't reapply.

Yeah the shine control is really good. But was too drying for after 2 months of daily use. Some more the matte powdery look was a bit uncomfortable. A few girls even asked me if I using some kind of BB Cream/foundation. malu wei ! haha. That's why now I am using Sunplay Skin Aqua Moisture Milk SPF50. Shine/oil control not as good as Biore but keeps me relatively shine free with a healthy glow without the powdery zombie look of Biore.

How long u been using Biore sunscreen ? the white one right ?

This post has been edited by jonny4: Oct 3 2010, 02:15 PM

It might work for u hehe. I read tons of reviews about the Biore sunscreen before buying it. Almost everyone agreed it was cheap and perfect for oily skin. I'm caught in 2 minds because I want a matte finish but at the same time I don't want to look too polished cause it ain't natural especially for a regular guy like myself to look like that. If it gets too powdery use a heavier moisturizer under it.

depends on your age. If u r below 30 use a sunscreen to prevent premature aging. den at night u can use something like Olay Regenerist (serum or cream).

If u r over 30, u can try using retinoids to reduce fine lines. Avene Diacneal although touted as an acne cream does a really god job in getting rid of wrinkles. However use of retinoids will cause breakouts (in varying degrees) initially as the skin is renewed and the dirt from your pores rises to the surface. It will take a few months to see the result. No pain no gain haha.

Another option is using a vitamin c serum to stimulate the skin to produce more collagen. this will make the skin suppler and looking younger. only drawback is that vitamin c serum r very expensive...good ones can cost RM150 or more for 30ml.

Sunscreen is still the most important thing when it comes to anti aging. spending loads on cash on creams n serums is useless if the skin is not protected fr the sun in the daytime.

Men punya skin tends to age drastically compared to women. Get the serum as it is lighter. There is a new one called the olay micro sculpting serum which is supposedly really good.

It's out already at the bigger Guardian and Watsons outlets. Retails for RM130 (50ml).

Blogs, forums and websites man hehe. usually the ones dedicated to women's skin care...they give the best reviews and honest opinions with pictures. Some eye candy also as some of them are hot

one of the best skin care blogs for men here

I also experiment a lot with products to see what works. But I don't do it totally blind la...I rely on those sources above for some info, tips and reviews.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Oct 5 2010, 10:33 PM