Sorry can't help u on your hairy problem.

While u want less hair on the face, i want more facial hair LOL.

Haha

No la I don't work in the industry.

I just have an interest in taking care of my face as I suffer from acne since my teens. Some guys lucky because they don't have to do much to have good skin unlike me. I do hope one day I can just wash face and be done rather then going through so many steps like now. So far so good, I think I'm getting there.

The Aquapower moisturizer ?

How much is it and did u get any free gifts/samples ?

How did u find Clinique ?

For scars u could use products containing glycolic acid (alpha hydroxy acid) to exfoliate skin and lighten acne scars over time. Glycolic acid is strong and will cause redness and irritation on some people and u will need to use sunscreen.

The most important thing in any skincare regime is cleansing and moisturising. toners, scrubs and etc are not really vital. U just got to mix and match to see what suits your skin. Toners can be used twice a day just make sure it doesn't dry up your skin. If your toner contains alcohol then u need to moisturize...actually everyone needs to use a moisturizer at least once a day. Make sure the scrub u use doesn't contain stuff like crushed apricot seeds/shells like those in the St.Ives Apricot scrub. This is because they make microscopic cuts on your skin which leads to infection and pimples. Instead go for scrubs with micro beads (polyethylene spheres). I learned this the hard way. Also, look out for products with salicylic acid (beta hydroxy acid) as SA is quite good in deep cleansing your pores.

Your skincare regime is similar to mine. But i scrub and mask twice a week and use panoxyl 5% before i apply moisturizer at night. I might be stopping the use of a toner though as I find it the least effective of all my products and sometimes a waste of time.

I must stress that the ingredients and products above are more suited for oilier/acne prone skins. It won't be suitable for dry/sensitive skins.

A lot of products nowadays contain glycolic acid especially the ones that lighten skin. Glycolic acid is derived mainly from sugar cane. citric acid is also a form of AHA. However, I just recently discovered glycolic acid and have researched a lot about it. I am planning to get this http://bit.ly/8ckxIG tomorrow. It contains glycolic acid and other good active ingredients...price is a little high so im hoping it works.

The Apricot scrub is not that bad but u must be extremely gentle when scrubbing as the scrub particles are rough and coarse and can easily irritate skin. Couple of days after I used it, I had a few breakouts so i use the Apricot scrub as a body scrub nowadays. Currently I am using the Lab Series scrub and I am planning to switch to the Clinique Men scrub once the LS finishes.

If your toner no alcohol then should be ok as long as it is for your skin type. But u still need to moisturize. What moisturizer u currently using ?

Alright. When it comes to skin care best is to use whatever suits u.

There is a difference between glycol and glycolic acid btw.

I'm not a fan of L'Oreal products as the fragrance is just too strong for me.

Raw earth ? hmmm...does the scrub contain bentonite/kaolin/magnesium aluminium silicate? Those are different names for clay...so maybe that's why got an earthy smell. I get that too from some oil control cleansers and masks.

Do some research online and visit those facial brand counters. This way u will get a rough idea the kind of products your skin needs. U could also log on to the Clinique website to take the test to determine your skin type. But the test is not very accurate and only gives a rough idea. It also involves a lot of trial and error to find out what suits u, but most importantly if u got oily skin use only oily skin products and vice versa.

My general idea to skin care is "you get what u pay for".

The peeling effect is not obvious at all but i do notice some reduction of my acne scars after using for about a week. But that could be caused by other products I use. So I have to use for a few more weeks to see if it really works. Biotherm claims the moisturizer has oil controlling properties but so far I would rate oil control as slightly above average.

Lab Series stuff quite basic but I do like the Power Wash (last for ages) and the Clay Mask. But I agree wit you, they don't do much for reducing scars.

I spotted this product, http://bit.ly/5CY8za yesterday at Guardian retailing for RM58. I am not sure of the size but it should not be more than 75ml. The review on that blog is tempting me to give it a try though but I am somewhat worried of the effects of retinol and glycolic acid in bigger amount on my skin. I have tried retinol before and the effects were quite painful and drying. This one should work better than the Biotherm moisturizer.

Different strokes for different folks

Absolutely man. But still comes down to trial and error and it ain't cheap haha.

Diacneal is a good anti acne cream/acne scar fader/anti wrinkle/exfoliator. A lot of women use it to help give them good skin texture and for a glowing like effect. The packaging of Diacneal lists Retinaldehyde 0.1% and glycolic acid as the main active ingredients. Most have heard of Retin-A acne med and its effectiveness but harsh side effects. Diacneal is basically Retin-A but with not so harsh side effects. If Diacneal doesn't work then Retin-A is the next step. But if u use this your skin will be extra photosensitive so a sunscreen is needed if u r out in the sun a lot.

Rockets is absolutely spot on. Cleanse--->apply pimple medication--->moisturize. In the past I tried applying moisturizer first and my skin got really dry and red. Now after I tried the new steps, the drying effect of the acne meds is lessened.

Those are the same few steps I use daily. But I only use the pimple cream at night. If u have a lot of pimples then it's best u apply the moisturizer all over including over the pimple cream. However if u only got a few spots here and there then u can skip applying moisturizer on those spots that already have pimple cream. Then u monitor and see whether or not the spots get too dried out by the pimple cream...if they do then apply moisturizer on them.

What pimple cream do u use btw ?

What's your skin type ?

So far the lightest moisturizer I have used is Clinique M Gel Lotion. Biotherm T Pur is good too. I think the nivea might be too heavy for u. Does it cause u to break out ?

Most important is too look at the ingredients/active ingredients used. For pimples stuff like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and sulfur are commonly used. Tea tree oil is good too but my acne seems to have developed an immunity to it after using it for 3 months.

I think the products u using should do the job...at least u make an effort to care for your skin and not use Lux soap to wash your face like most guys LOL. But u might want to look at getting a lighter moisturizer as nivea moisturizers tend to be on the oilier side.

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Added on January 26, 2010, 4:20 pmI don't really care about brands. But a lot of the pharmacy stuff I used before either too weak, too strong or too much fragrance. And they finish fast. I find the higher end counter stuff to last longer and more concentrated. I use a combination of counter and pharmacy stuff.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Jan 26 2010, 04:20 PM

I think for our climate gel moisturizers are better unless u have dry skin. Most moisturizers come with vitamin E nowadays.

Diacneal does come with some side effects like peeling of skin, redness, breakouts and dry skin.

What type of facial treatments ?

After u wash your face with a cleanser...how long does it take before your nose gets oily ?

The breakouts happen because the ingredients in Diacneal are "purging" your skin of embedded acne under the skin. Depends on the individual and varies from severity. This is what i gathered from the reviews I read. This "purging" usually happens during the 1st few weeks. Most acne meds will do purging of the skin i noticed.

When it starts to get shiny. The faster the shine comes the oilier your skin is...but depends on environment too.

After u wash your face...does your skin get tight or very tight ?

Clinique 7 day scrub cream my gf has it...it has coconut oil in it and makes your face slightly oily lo. Good for ppl with dry skin but for us guys I think not so suitable. The men's scrub is better and one of the best in the market...contains BHA.

Diacneal should be fine as long as u dont use too much too often. So far I have not experienced any extreme reactions to it...just a little dry.

Paula's Choice...i think only can get online...haven't seen it around b4. If u can't find i think u can just get a regular toner with salicylic acid (BHA). Eucerin, Clean & Clear, Clinique and Neutrogena all got toners with BHA. Prob is they don't disclose the % used.

But all the stuff u planning to get ain't cheap and u need to use a good moisturizer if not u will kena more breakouts. It happened to me.